Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, May 13
Toledo, Ohio
3 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Toledo
Eagles and Rockets Face Off in Pivotal MAC Series in Toledo
5/12/2011 3:44:45 PM | Baseball
The EMU baseball team travels to Toledo, Ohio for a three-game series with the Rockets.
Game Notes (.pdf)
Live Stats
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University baseball team is in a second place tie with its weekend opponent, Toledo, with just six conference games left to play. The Eagles, who dropped two-of-three to Northern Illinois a week ago, look to bounce back in a pivotal Mid-American Conference West Division series with the Rockets. Similarly, Toledo, which dropped two-of-three to division leader Central Michigan last week, is also looking for a rebound performance.
The Eagles and Rockets are scheduled to play a three-game set beginning with game one on Friday at 3 p.m. Game two on Saturday and the series finale on Sunday are slated for 1 p.m.
PITCHING PROBABLES:
Friday, May 13 (3 p.m.)
EMU: Rob Wendzicki, LHP (3-4, 3.82 ERA)
UT: Kyle Shaw, LHP (6-2, 3.54 ERA)
Saturday, May 14 (1 p.m.)
EMU: Joe Battistelli, RHP (4-1, 4.45 ERA)
UT: Lincoln Rassi, RHP (3-5, 5.17 ERA)
Sunday, May 15 (1 p.m.)
EMU: Corey Chaffins, RHP (5-3, 4.48 ERA)
UT: Jared Locke, RHP (2-1, 4.78 ERA)
--
SETTING THE SCENE: Eastern Michigan looks to rebound off a disappointing home series loss to NIU last weekend in which the Huskies took two-of-three from the Eagles. It dropped EMU into a second place tie with Toledo, its opponent this weekend. The Rockets, who lost two-of-three to CMU on the road a week ago, also seek a bounce-back weekend. EMU and UT trail CMU by one game in the MAC West standings entering Friday.
THE SERIES: Eastern Michigan and Toledo have met 133 times on the diamond with the Eagles leading the all-time series 85-48. EMU snapped a five-game losing streak to Toledo with a 2011 MAC Tournament win. The Eagles are 3-5 against the Rockets under Head Coach Jay Alexander since he took over in 2009.
THE COACHES: EMU Head Coach Jay Alexander enters Friday with a 244-232 career record, including an 83-84 mark in three seasons with the Eagles. Toledo Head Coach Cory Mee is currently 185-233 in his eighth season at the helm.
WEEK IN REVIEW: The Eagles went into last weekend in a three-way tie for first, but after dropping two-of-three to Northern Illinois, exited in a two-way tie for second with Toledo. All three games between the Eagles and Huskies were decided by a run with NIU taking games one and three to take the series.
On Friday, the Huskies needed their final at-bat in capturing a game one win and ending the Eagles' 11-game winning streak. The Eagles threatened in the ninth, but couldn't advance the potential tying run from third base before the final out was made.
Sophomore right-hander Joe Battistelli was impressive in his outing on Saturday as he recorded his first career complete-game shutout, scattering just six hits while striking out seven over nine innings. He out-dueled NIU's Tom Barry, who was the hard-luck loser as the game-winning run was the result of an error. The decisive score came in the bottom of the ninth as Tucker Rubino provided the game-winning RBI single.
The Huskies took the rubber match on Sunday with a 2-1 victory as the Eagles left the tying run at third yet again. NIU's Tony Manville baffled EMU hitters over 8.1 innings and Kyle Glancy got the final two outs to close the door for his 10th save.
SCOUTING THE ROCKETS: The University of Toledo is 24-23 overall and tied for second in the MAC West Division with EMU with a 13-8 record. The Rockets are coming off a disappointing mid-week loss to Oakland University on the road, but return home to host the Eagles where they are a perfect 12-0.
In 2011, the Rockets are hitting .276 as a team and scoring nearly five runs per contest. Ben Hammer, who ranks in the league's top-10 in hitting leads the squad with a .352 (58-for-165) batting average with 11 extra-base hits, 25 RBI and 25 runs scored. Chris Dudics is hitting .328 with a team-high 31 runs scored while James Miglin is close behind with a .327-clip. Mark Lapikas leads Toledo with six home runs and 26 RBI.
On the mound, the Rockets boast a 3.61 ERA, which ranks third in the MAC, while holding opponents to a .270 batting average. The team's ace, Kyle Shaw, has compiled a 6-2 record with a steady 3.54 ERA over 12 starts. He has the team's lone complete-game shutout on the year. Matt Zahel is the team's top reliever with nine saves and a 1-3 record spanning 20 appearances.
SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE: This weekend, Eastern Michigan will take on Toledo at Scott Park, home of the Rockets, a venue where the home team is 12-0 this season. On the contrary, the Eagles have been a better road team this year than at home, building a 19-11 record away from the friendly confines of Oestrike Stadium. Dating back to 2004, the Eagles have taken five-of-eight meetings against the Rockets on the road.
MAC ATTACK: Eastern Michigan continues to lead the Mid-American Conference in overall batting average, even after their dismal series with Northern Illinois. EMU is batting .298 as a team overall and .306 in league play. Zack Leonard is second in the league, batting at a .366-clip while Ken Battiston is eighth at .348. Leonard and Brent Ohrman are tied for the league lead with 68 hits with Battiston right behind with 66. Battiston leads the league with 109 total bases, six more than the next closest player.
STREAK HALTED: The Eagles had their then-nation-leading 11-game winning streak snapped in the first of a three-game series against Northern Illinois last weekend as the Huskies posted the narrow 4-3 victory. During the streak, the Eagles were hitting .350 as a team with seven players batting over .340. They outscored their opponents by 56 runs while the pitching staff ran up a 3.62 ERA and held opponents to a meager .262 batting average.
It was the fourth time an EMU squad had recorded a winning streak of 11 games or more and the first time since 2004. The school-record is 12 straight wins, accomplished back 1976 during the then-Hurons magical run to the College World Series where they finished runner-up to Arizona.
BATTISTELLI SHINES: EMU right-hander Joe Battistelli earned his first MAC West Division Pitcher of the Week award after pitching a complete-game shutout in a 1-0 victory over Northern Illinois, May 7. It was the first complete-game victory of his career and lowered his earned run average nearly a run to a 3.38 ERA after the start. The weekly award was the sixth for an Eagle this season.
PITCHING DOMINATES: The EMU pitching staff posted a 2.00 ERA with 26 strikeouts over its three-game series against NIU, May 6-8, but it wasn't enough as the Huskies took two-of-three for the series victory. NIU countered with a 1.37 ERA while holding Eagle batters to an anemic .156 batting average.
“ARM”ED AND DANGEROUS: Outfield assists are a stat that is often given little attention, but can translate into runs saved for a team. EMU senior Ken Battiston is currently first in the MAC and tied for third in the nation with 10 outfield assists in 2011, trailing Bear Comer of Nicholls State and Landon Bennett of Wofford who each have 11. As a team, the Eagles are tied for sixth in the nation with 19 behind leading Pittsburgh, which has 26.
EMU BASEBALL ON THE WEB: Stay up-to-date with Eastern Michigan baseball all season long at EMUEagles.com. Listen live to EMU baseball vs. Central Michigan, May 19-21, for just $1 per contest. Chad Bush, Greg Steiner and Luke Pattarozzi will be on hand to bring you all the action for each contest. Catch the pre-game show featuring coach and player interviews 10 minutes prior to first pitch.
BEST START IN 35 YEARS: Eastern Michigan is off to its best start since 1976, the last time EMU made an appearance in the NCAA Division I College World Series where it finished runner-up to eventual national champion, Arizona. The Eagles are 31-17 through its first 48 games this season. The last time the Eagles started better was when the then-Hurons went 36-12 in its magical run to the College World Series on the way to a school-record 46-16 overall mark.
HOME AWAY FROM HOME: The Eagles are 19-11 on the road this season. That exceeds the most road wins in a season for an Eagle squad since at least 1998. So far this season, the Eagles have defeated fourth-ranked Clemson, taken two out of three from Kansas, split with West Virginia, swept two games from Louisville and defeated Michigan and Michigan State, all on the road. EMU will make its final road trip of the season with a three-game MAC series at Toledo's Scott Park this weekend.
SHUTTING THE DOOR: The EMU bullpen has been lights out all season and it's evident by its 23-2 record when leading after six innings, 19-0 mark when leading after seven innings and 22-0 mark when leading after eight innings. Not to mention, the Eagles are 10-4 in one run games and 6-1 in games decided by two runs.
Live Stats
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University baseball team is in a second place tie with its weekend opponent, Toledo, with just six conference games left to play. The Eagles, who dropped two-of-three to Northern Illinois a week ago, look to bounce back in a pivotal Mid-American Conference West Division series with the Rockets. Similarly, Toledo, which dropped two-of-three to division leader Central Michigan last week, is also looking for a rebound performance.
The Eagles and Rockets are scheduled to play a three-game set beginning with game one on Friday at 3 p.m. Game two on Saturday and the series finale on Sunday are slated for 1 p.m.
PITCHING PROBABLES:
Friday, May 13 (3 p.m.)
EMU: Rob Wendzicki, LHP (3-4, 3.82 ERA)
UT: Kyle Shaw, LHP (6-2, 3.54 ERA)
Saturday, May 14 (1 p.m.)
EMU: Joe Battistelli, RHP (4-1, 4.45 ERA)
UT: Lincoln Rassi, RHP (3-5, 5.17 ERA)
Sunday, May 15 (1 p.m.)
EMU: Corey Chaffins, RHP (5-3, 4.48 ERA)
UT: Jared Locke, RHP (2-1, 4.78 ERA)
--
SETTING THE SCENE: Eastern Michigan looks to rebound off a disappointing home series loss to NIU last weekend in which the Huskies took two-of-three from the Eagles. It dropped EMU into a second place tie with Toledo, its opponent this weekend. The Rockets, who lost two-of-three to CMU on the road a week ago, also seek a bounce-back weekend. EMU and UT trail CMU by one game in the MAC West standings entering Friday.
THE SERIES: Eastern Michigan and Toledo have met 133 times on the diamond with the Eagles leading the all-time series 85-48. EMU snapped a five-game losing streak to Toledo with a 2011 MAC Tournament win. The Eagles are 3-5 against the Rockets under Head Coach Jay Alexander since he took over in 2009.
THE COACHES: EMU Head Coach Jay Alexander enters Friday with a 244-232 career record, including an 83-84 mark in three seasons with the Eagles. Toledo Head Coach Cory Mee is currently 185-233 in his eighth season at the helm.
WEEK IN REVIEW: The Eagles went into last weekend in a three-way tie for first, but after dropping two-of-three to Northern Illinois, exited in a two-way tie for second with Toledo. All three games between the Eagles and Huskies were decided by a run with NIU taking games one and three to take the series.
On Friday, the Huskies needed their final at-bat in capturing a game one win and ending the Eagles' 11-game winning streak. The Eagles threatened in the ninth, but couldn't advance the potential tying run from third base before the final out was made.
Sophomore right-hander Joe Battistelli was impressive in his outing on Saturday as he recorded his first career complete-game shutout, scattering just six hits while striking out seven over nine innings. He out-dueled NIU's Tom Barry, who was the hard-luck loser as the game-winning run was the result of an error. The decisive score came in the bottom of the ninth as Tucker Rubino provided the game-winning RBI single.
The Huskies took the rubber match on Sunday with a 2-1 victory as the Eagles left the tying run at third yet again. NIU's Tony Manville baffled EMU hitters over 8.1 innings and Kyle Glancy got the final two outs to close the door for his 10th save.
SCOUTING THE ROCKETS: The University of Toledo is 24-23 overall and tied for second in the MAC West Division with EMU with a 13-8 record. The Rockets are coming off a disappointing mid-week loss to Oakland University on the road, but return home to host the Eagles where they are a perfect 12-0.
In 2011, the Rockets are hitting .276 as a team and scoring nearly five runs per contest. Ben Hammer, who ranks in the league's top-10 in hitting leads the squad with a .352 (58-for-165) batting average with 11 extra-base hits, 25 RBI and 25 runs scored. Chris Dudics is hitting .328 with a team-high 31 runs scored while James Miglin is close behind with a .327-clip. Mark Lapikas leads Toledo with six home runs and 26 RBI.
On the mound, the Rockets boast a 3.61 ERA, which ranks third in the MAC, while holding opponents to a .270 batting average. The team's ace, Kyle Shaw, has compiled a 6-2 record with a steady 3.54 ERA over 12 starts. He has the team's lone complete-game shutout on the year. Matt Zahel is the team's top reliever with nine saves and a 1-3 record spanning 20 appearances.
SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE: This weekend, Eastern Michigan will take on Toledo at Scott Park, home of the Rockets, a venue where the home team is 12-0 this season. On the contrary, the Eagles have been a better road team this year than at home, building a 19-11 record away from the friendly confines of Oestrike Stadium. Dating back to 2004, the Eagles have taken five-of-eight meetings against the Rockets on the road.
MAC ATTACK: Eastern Michigan continues to lead the Mid-American Conference in overall batting average, even after their dismal series with Northern Illinois. EMU is batting .298 as a team overall and .306 in league play. Zack Leonard is second in the league, batting at a .366-clip while Ken Battiston is eighth at .348. Leonard and Brent Ohrman are tied for the league lead with 68 hits with Battiston right behind with 66. Battiston leads the league with 109 total bases, six more than the next closest player.
STREAK HALTED: The Eagles had their then-nation-leading 11-game winning streak snapped in the first of a three-game series against Northern Illinois last weekend as the Huskies posted the narrow 4-3 victory. During the streak, the Eagles were hitting .350 as a team with seven players batting over .340. They outscored their opponents by 56 runs while the pitching staff ran up a 3.62 ERA and held opponents to a meager .262 batting average.
It was the fourth time an EMU squad had recorded a winning streak of 11 games or more and the first time since 2004. The school-record is 12 straight wins, accomplished back 1976 during the then-Hurons magical run to the College World Series where they finished runner-up to Arizona.
BATTISTELLI SHINES: EMU right-hander Joe Battistelli earned his first MAC West Division Pitcher of the Week award after pitching a complete-game shutout in a 1-0 victory over Northern Illinois, May 7. It was the first complete-game victory of his career and lowered his earned run average nearly a run to a 3.38 ERA after the start. The weekly award was the sixth for an Eagle this season.
PITCHING DOMINATES: The EMU pitching staff posted a 2.00 ERA with 26 strikeouts over its three-game series against NIU, May 6-8, but it wasn't enough as the Huskies took two-of-three for the series victory. NIU countered with a 1.37 ERA while holding Eagle batters to an anemic .156 batting average.
“ARM”ED AND DANGEROUS: Outfield assists are a stat that is often given little attention, but can translate into runs saved for a team. EMU senior Ken Battiston is currently first in the MAC and tied for third in the nation with 10 outfield assists in 2011, trailing Bear Comer of Nicholls State and Landon Bennett of Wofford who each have 11. As a team, the Eagles are tied for sixth in the nation with 19 behind leading Pittsburgh, which has 26.
EMU BASEBALL ON THE WEB: Stay up-to-date with Eastern Michigan baseball all season long at EMUEagles.com. Listen live to EMU baseball vs. Central Michigan, May 19-21, for just $1 per contest. Chad Bush, Greg Steiner and Luke Pattarozzi will be on hand to bring you all the action for each contest. Catch the pre-game show featuring coach and player interviews 10 minutes prior to first pitch.
BEST START IN 35 YEARS: Eastern Michigan is off to its best start since 1976, the last time EMU made an appearance in the NCAA Division I College World Series where it finished runner-up to eventual national champion, Arizona. The Eagles are 31-17 through its first 48 games this season. The last time the Eagles started better was when the then-Hurons went 36-12 in its magical run to the College World Series on the way to a school-record 46-16 overall mark.
HOME AWAY FROM HOME: The Eagles are 19-11 on the road this season. That exceeds the most road wins in a season for an Eagle squad since at least 1998. So far this season, the Eagles have defeated fourth-ranked Clemson, taken two out of three from Kansas, split with West Virginia, swept two games from Louisville and defeated Michigan and Michigan State, all on the road. EMU will make its final road trip of the season with a three-game MAC series at Toledo's Scott Park this weekend.
SHUTTING THE DOOR: The EMU bullpen has been lights out all season and it's evident by its 23-2 record when leading after six innings, 19-0 mark when leading after seven innings and 22-0 mark when leading after eight innings. Not to mention, the Eagles are 10-4 in one run games and 6-1 in games decided by two runs.
ZACK "RECORD BREAKER": Senior Zack Leonard has had an impressive career as an Eagle and an equally-impressive career year as a senior. The Canton, Ohio native is leading the team with a .366 batting average, 68 hits and 44 runs scored this season. He's also tallied two MAC Male Scholar-Athlete of the Week awards, a MAC West Division Player of the Week honor and a College Baseball Insider Central Region Player of the Week accolade.
Leonard has reached multiple career milestones already this year as he has taken over the top spot in career at-bats (879), hits (296), and doubles (61). He is also second all-time with 168 career RBI, passing Ryan Goleski ('03), who totaled 167. He's taken over third place all-time in career runs scored with 163 and is currently tied for 12th with 24 career home runs.
In Eastern Michigan's 17-15, extra-inning win over Michigan State, Leonard recorded his first career five-hit game. Not only that, but he set what is believed to be the school-record for assists in a game with 14. Dating back to 2000, Leonard is the only player to record double-digit assists, doing so twice. He recorded 10 against Toledo back on May 16, 2010. He didn't commit in error in either occurrence.
MAC VERSUS THE BIG 10: The Mid-American Conference is leading the season series versus the Big Ten Conference, 18-15, in 2011.
Complete List
Central Michigan - 4-2
Eastern Michigan - 3-1
Miami - 3-1
Western Michigan - 3-3
Northern Illinois - 2-0
Kent State - 1-0
Toledo - 1-0
Bowling Green - 1-1
Ball State - 0-3
Akron - 0-4
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