Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, February 18
Clemson, S.C.
4 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
#4 Clemson
Eastern Michigan Baseball Opens Season with No. 4 Clemson
2/17/2011 6:59:40 PM | Baseball
EMU opens season with ranked opponent for second straight year
Game Notes (.pdf)
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The time has finally come for the Eastern Michigan University baseball team to display its talents as it blends together a mixture of 19 returning lettermen and 12 newcomers. The Eagles will open the season with a ranked opponent for the second straight year when they take on the fourth-ranked Clemson Tigers in a three-game set this weekend, Feb. 18-20, at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, S.C.
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Pitching Probables:
Game 1 - EMU: Kendall Lewis, RHP
CLEM: Scott Weismann, RHP
Game 2 - EMU: Robert Wendzicki, LHP
CLEM: Dominic Leone, RHP
Game 3 - EMU: Steve Weber, RHP
CLEM: Kevin Brady, RHP
NEW BEGINNINGS: The 2011 season marks the third for EMU Head Coach Jay Alexander. The Eagles return seven starters from a year ago, as well as 11 pitchers. The team also welcomes 12 newcomers to the squad.
THE SERIES WITH CLEMSON: EMU and No. 4 Clemson will be meeting for just the third time ever, with the Eagles holding the 2-0 all-time series advantage. The two squads last met in 1976 during the College World Series in which EMU finished runner-up to national champion, Arizona.
SEASON OPENERS: Since 1949, EMU has an all-time mark of 32-30 in season lidlifters. Last year, the Eagles defeated the No. 25 Kansas Jayhawks, 3-1, in the first game of a doubleheader that was relocated to the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. Right-hander Corey Chaffins pitched seven innings of one run, three-hit baseball to lead EMU to the win.
2011 EAGLE PROSPECTUS: Eastern Michigan is coming off a 27-32 season, which included a 13-14 record in the MAC, good for the seventh seed in the 2010 MAC Tournament. The Eagles defeated Kent State and Toledo to open the tournament and then lost to Kent State in consecutive games, the finale a 9-8 setback in extra innings, to fall one win shy of reaching the tournament final.
EMU returns 19 letterwinners and seven position starters along with 11 of its 13 pitchers from a season ago. The Eagles are scheduled to play their first 15 games of the year away from home, but will have 22 scheduled home dates, up from the 17 they had a year ago.
Senior infielder Ben Magsig hit a team-high .331 with a .495 on-base percentage in 2010. Senior infielder Zack Leonard added a .306 batting average with six homers, 13 doubles, and 53 RBIs a season ago. With 228 career hits, he is on pace to overtake Derrick Peterson's all-time mark of 274 career hits at EMU.
Senior captain and right-hander Corey Chaffins led the MAC in innings pitched (104.1) and strikeouts (96) and will transition from front line starter to ace closer. Meanwhile, First Team All-MAC choice, Kendall Lewis emerges as the team's No. 1 arm, complemented by Robert Wendzicki and Steve Weber as weekend starters.
SCOUTING CLEMSON: The Clemson Tigers, picked to win the ACC Atlantic Division and the overall title, enter the season ranked in all the polls and peaking at No. 4 by College Baseball. The Tigers return four position starters in 2011 and 20 lettermen overall. Among the top returnees are senior outfielder Jeff Schaus, who batted .320 with 15 homers and a league-high 87 RBIs. Junior infielder Brad Miller hit a team-high .357 with a .458 on-base percentage, while junior infielder John Hinson batted .351 with 17 homers, 75 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases.
The Tiger pitching staff had a 4.69 ERA and 486 strikeouts against 230 walks in 2010. Senior righthander Alex Frederick had a team-high four saves along with a 7-2 record and 3.75 ERA in 33 appearances (one start) in 2010.
EMU VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS: Since 2003, the Eagles have a 5-16 mark against teams ranked in the top-25. EMU snapped a long skid against top-25 teams with its 3-1 victory over 25th-ranked Kansas last season. Prior to that win, their previous win over a ranked opponent was Feb. 7, 2007, when the Eagles claimed a 6-3 win at No. 19 Tennessee. The highest ranked team the Eagles have beat since 2003 is Notre Dame, who was ranked No. 13 at the time when the Eagles claimed a 5-3 win over the Fighting Irish, April 15, 2003.
There's the potential that the Eagles could face additional opponents ranked in the nation's top-25 this season as they are slated to meet the likes of Michigan, Michigan State, Kentucky, Louisville and West Virginia in 2011.
NCAA INSTITUTES NEW BATS: This season, the NCAA has instituted new standards for the type of bats used during the 2011 season and beyond. They are measuring this new standard by a formula called the Ball-Bat Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR).
According to the NCAA rule, “The new BBCOR formula provides a better measure of the bat's performance and therefore allows the rules committee and bat-testing laboratories to better predict field performance based on lab tests. The goal is that non-wood bats that meet this new standard will perform similarly to wood bats.”
It is expected that scores will be lower and an emphasis will be placed on speed and hitting into the gaps.
THE TALENTED MR. WENDZICKI: Senior two-way player Robert Wendzicki has not only battled back from Tommy John Surgery and a rare case of salmonella that nearly robbed him of his baseball career, but he will now assume pitching and hitting duties in 2011. Last summer, Wendzicki batted .348 with a home run and 13 RBI to go along with a 3-1 record and a 2.27 ERA, 38 strikeouts in 35.2 innings on the mound for the Folsom Pioneers of the West Coast League. It was enough to convince Head Coach Jay Alexander to let Wendzicki play both ways, starting at first base and as the Eagles' No. 2 starting pitcher this season.
TRANSFERS TO EMU: The Eagles have seven transfers joining the squad in 2011. They include: Matt Hitt, Kyle Peterson, Tucker Rubino, Kristian Calibuso, Lonnel Bush, Jamie Simpson and Brian Hill.
Hitt, Peterson, Rubino and Hill each come from Arizona junior colleges. Rubino hit .353 with a wooden bat with 18 doubles, 34 runs scored and 30 RBI, earning first-team All-Conference and All-Region honors and was second in the conference in batting average and doubles. Calibuso comes over from Florida State College-Jacksonville while Bush is a transfer from Coppin State and Simpson a transfer from Western Michigan.
Hill, Bush and Simpson must sit out a year due to NCAA transfer rules. Meanwhile, Brian Valente who sat out last year due to transfer rules after coming over from Saginaw Valley State, will be eligible to compete for the Eagles this season.
MAC PRESEASON POLL: The MAC announced its preseason baseball coaches poll Tuesday, Feb. 8, and EMU was picked to finish third in the West Division, as voted on by the league's head coaches. Reigning MAC West Champion, Central Michigan, was picked to repeat followed by Toledo, Eastern Michigan, Ball State, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan. The defending MAC East Champions, Kent State, were also picked to repeat as division champions in 2011. They were followed by Miami, Bowling Green, Ohio, Akron and Buffalo.
Picked to win the 2011 MAC Tournament was Kent State with five votes. Also earning votes were Central Michigan (3), Toledo (2), Miami (1), and Eastern Michigan (1).
2011 MAC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll
MAC East Division
1. Kent State - 72 Points
2. Miami - 53 Points
3. Bowling Green - 50 points
4. Ohio - 35 points
5. Akron - 24 points
6. Buffalo - 16 points
MAC West Division
1. Central Michigan - 69 points
2. Toledo - 60 points
3. Eastern Michigan - 46 points
4. Ball State - 37 points
5. Northern Illinois - 26 points
6. Western Michigan - 12 points
MAC Tournament Champions
Kent State (5), Central Michigan (3), Toledo (2), Miami (1), Eastern Michigan (1)
SUMMER LEAGUE ALL-STARS: Two Eastern Michigan University baseball standouts enjoyed successful seasons with their respective summer collegiate league teams. Outfielder and junior to be Wally Gerbus, as well as right-handed pitcher and sophomore to be Joe Battistelli were among the top players in the Great Lakes League and Northwoods League, respectively, selected as league All-Stars in 2010.
Gerbus batted .324 for the Hamilton Joe's of the Great Lakes League with team-bests in hits (46), runs scored (30), runs batted in (26) and stolen bases (26-for-29). As of Aug. 10, Perfect Game USA ranked the Joe's 13th among all summer collegiate baseball teams in the country after Gerbus helped lead them to the 2010 Great Lakes League Championship.
Battistelli, a hurler for the Battle Creek Bombers of the Northwoods League, led his team with four wins and 45 strikeouts en route his league All-Star selection. He also faced a team-high 254 batters and compiled a 4.67 ERA in 52 innings pitched.
OESTRIKE CELEBRATES 40 YEARS: The 2011 season marks the 40th Anniversary of Oestrike Stadium. It was named in honor of the legendary Ron Oestrike, who led the Eagles to back-to-back College World Series appearances in 1975 and 1976. The Eagles finished as national runners-up to the Arizona Wildcats in 1976. No one succeeding Oestrike has been able to lead the Eagles back to the College World Series since.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The time has finally come for the Eastern Michigan University baseball team to display its talents as it blends together a mixture of 19 returning lettermen and 12 newcomers. The Eagles will open the season with a ranked opponent for the second straight year when they take on the fourth-ranked Clemson Tigers in a three-game set this weekend, Feb. 18-20, at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, S.C.
--
Pitching Probables:
Game 1 - EMU: Kendall Lewis, RHP
CLEM: Scott Weismann, RHP
Game 2 - EMU: Robert Wendzicki, LHP
CLEM: Dominic Leone, RHP
Game 3 - EMU: Steve Weber, RHP
CLEM: Kevin Brady, RHP
NEW BEGINNINGS: The 2011 season marks the third for EMU Head Coach Jay Alexander. The Eagles return seven starters from a year ago, as well as 11 pitchers. The team also welcomes 12 newcomers to the squad.
THE SERIES WITH CLEMSON: EMU and No. 4 Clemson will be meeting for just the third time ever, with the Eagles holding the 2-0 all-time series advantage. The two squads last met in 1976 during the College World Series in which EMU finished runner-up to national champion, Arizona.
SEASON OPENERS: Since 1949, EMU has an all-time mark of 32-30 in season lidlifters. Last year, the Eagles defeated the No. 25 Kansas Jayhawks, 3-1, in the first game of a doubleheader that was relocated to the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. Right-hander Corey Chaffins pitched seven innings of one run, three-hit baseball to lead EMU to the win.
2011 EAGLE PROSPECTUS: Eastern Michigan is coming off a 27-32 season, which included a 13-14 record in the MAC, good for the seventh seed in the 2010 MAC Tournament. The Eagles defeated Kent State and Toledo to open the tournament and then lost to Kent State in consecutive games, the finale a 9-8 setback in extra innings, to fall one win shy of reaching the tournament final.
EMU returns 19 letterwinners and seven position starters along with 11 of its 13 pitchers from a season ago. The Eagles are scheduled to play their first 15 games of the year away from home, but will have 22 scheduled home dates, up from the 17 they had a year ago.
Senior infielder Ben Magsig hit a team-high .331 with a .495 on-base percentage in 2010. Senior infielder Zack Leonard added a .306 batting average with six homers, 13 doubles, and 53 RBIs a season ago. With 228 career hits, he is on pace to overtake Derrick Peterson's all-time mark of 274 career hits at EMU.
Senior captain and right-hander Corey Chaffins led the MAC in innings pitched (104.1) and strikeouts (96) and will transition from front line starter to ace closer. Meanwhile, First Team All-MAC choice, Kendall Lewis emerges as the team's No. 1 arm, complemented by Robert Wendzicki and Steve Weber as weekend starters.
SCOUTING CLEMSON: The Clemson Tigers, picked to win the ACC Atlantic Division and the overall title, enter the season ranked in all the polls and peaking at No. 4 by College Baseball. The Tigers return four position starters in 2011 and 20 lettermen overall. Among the top returnees are senior outfielder Jeff Schaus, who batted .320 with 15 homers and a league-high 87 RBIs. Junior infielder Brad Miller hit a team-high .357 with a .458 on-base percentage, while junior infielder John Hinson batted .351 with 17 homers, 75 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases.
The Tiger pitching staff had a 4.69 ERA and 486 strikeouts against 230 walks in 2010. Senior righthander Alex Frederick had a team-high four saves along with a 7-2 record and 3.75 ERA in 33 appearances (one start) in 2010.
EMU VERSUS RANKED OPPONENTS: Since 2003, the Eagles have a 5-16 mark against teams ranked in the top-25. EMU snapped a long skid against top-25 teams with its 3-1 victory over 25th-ranked Kansas last season. Prior to that win, their previous win over a ranked opponent was Feb. 7, 2007, when the Eagles claimed a 6-3 win at No. 19 Tennessee. The highest ranked team the Eagles have beat since 2003 is Notre Dame, who was ranked No. 13 at the time when the Eagles claimed a 5-3 win over the Fighting Irish, April 15, 2003.
There's the potential that the Eagles could face additional opponents ranked in the nation's top-25 this season as they are slated to meet the likes of Michigan, Michigan State, Kentucky, Louisville and West Virginia in 2011.
NCAA INSTITUTES NEW BATS: This season, the NCAA has instituted new standards for the type of bats used during the 2011 season and beyond. They are measuring this new standard by a formula called the Ball-Bat Coefficient of Restitution (BBCOR).
According to the NCAA rule, “The new BBCOR formula provides a better measure of the bat's performance and therefore allows the rules committee and bat-testing laboratories to better predict field performance based on lab tests. The goal is that non-wood bats that meet this new standard will perform similarly to wood bats.”
It is expected that scores will be lower and an emphasis will be placed on speed and hitting into the gaps.
THE TALENTED MR. WENDZICKI: Senior two-way player Robert Wendzicki has not only battled back from Tommy John Surgery and a rare case of salmonella that nearly robbed him of his baseball career, but he will now assume pitching and hitting duties in 2011. Last summer, Wendzicki batted .348 with a home run and 13 RBI to go along with a 3-1 record and a 2.27 ERA, 38 strikeouts in 35.2 innings on the mound for the Folsom Pioneers of the West Coast League. It was enough to convince Head Coach Jay Alexander to let Wendzicki play both ways, starting at first base and as the Eagles' No. 2 starting pitcher this season.
TRANSFERS TO EMU: The Eagles have seven transfers joining the squad in 2011. They include: Matt Hitt, Kyle Peterson, Tucker Rubino, Kristian Calibuso, Lonnel Bush, Jamie Simpson and Brian Hill.
Hitt, Peterson, Rubino and Hill each come from Arizona junior colleges. Rubino hit .353 with a wooden bat with 18 doubles, 34 runs scored and 30 RBI, earning first-team All-Conference and All-Region honors and was second in the conference in batting average and doubles. Calibuso comes over from Florida State College-Jacksonville while Bush is a transfer from Coppin State and Simpson a transfer from Western Michigan.
Hill, Bush and Simpson must sit out a year due to NCAA transfer rules. Meanwhile, Brian Valente who sat out last year due to transfer rules after coming over from Saginaw Valley State, will be eligible to compete for the Eagles this season.
MAC PRESEASON POLL: The MAC announced its preseason baseball coaches poll Tuesday, Feb. 8, and EMU was picked to finish third in the West Division, as voted on by the league's head coaches. Reigning MAC West Champion, Central Michigan, was picked to repeat followed by Toledo, Eastern Michigan, Ball State, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan. The defending MAC East Champions, Kent State, were also picked to repeat as division champions in 2011. They were followed by Miami, Bowling Green, Ohio, Akron and Buffalo.
Picked to win the 2011 MAC Tournament was Kent State with five votes. Also earning votes were Central Michigan (3), Toledo (2), Miami (1), and Eastern Michigan (1).
2011 MAC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll
MAC East Division
1. Kent State - 72 Points
2. Miami - 53 Points
3. Bowling Green - 50 points
4. Ohio - 35 points
5. Akron - 24 points
6. Buffalo - 16 points
MAC West Division
1. Central Michigan - 69 points
2. Toledo - 60 points
3. Eastern Michigan - 46 points
4. Ball State - 37 points
5. Northern Illinois - 26 points
6. Western Michigan - 12 points
MAC Tournament Champions
Kent State (5), Central Michigan (3), Toledo (2), Miami (1), Eastern Michigan (1)
SUMMER LEAGUE ALL-STARS: Two Eastern Michigan University baseball standouts enjoyed successful seasons with their respective summer collegiate league teams. Outfielder and junior to be Wally Gerbus, as well as right-handed pitcher and sophomore to be Joe Battistelli were among the top players in the Great Lakes League and Northwoods League, respectively, selected as league All-Stars in 2010.
Gerbus batted .324 for the Hamilton Joe's of the Great Lakes League with team-bests in hits (46), runs scored (30), runs batted in (26) and stolen bases (26-for-29). As of Aug. 10, Perfect Game USA ranked the Joe's 13th among all summer collegiate baseball teams in the country after Gerbus helped lead them to the 2010 Great Lakes League Championship.
Battistelli, a hurler for the Battle Creek Bombers of the Northwoods League, led his team with four wins and 45 strikeouts en route his league All-Star selection. He also faced a team-high 254 batters and compiled a 4.67 ERA in 52 innings pitched.
OESTRIKE CELEBRATES 40 YEARS: The 2011 season marks the 40th Anniversary of Oestrike Stadium. It was named in honor of the legendary Ron Oestrike, who led the Eagles to back-to-back College World Series appearances in 1975 and 1976. The Eagles finished as national runners-up to the Arizona Wildcats in 1976. No one succeeding Oestrike has been able to lead the Eagles back to the College World Series since.
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