In-State Rivals EMU, CMU To Decide MAC West Champion

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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University baseball team will host Central Michigan University this weekend in the regular season finale at Oestrike Stadium. The Eagles trail the Chippewas by a half-game in the Mid-American Conference West Division standings leaving the team who can take two-of-three this weekend the 2011 MAC West Champions. It would be the first title for EMU since 2008 and the second consecutive for CMU.

All three contests will be broadcast live on Eagle All-Access beginning 10 minutes prior to first pitch. First pitch on Thursday, May 19, is slated for 6 p.m. followed by game two on Friday, May 20, at 3 p.m. Saturday's series finale will also serve as Senior Day for this year's EMU senior class. Six seniors will be honored prior to first pitch at 1 p.m.

PITCHING PROBABLES
Thursday, May 19 (6 p.m.)
EMU: Robert Wendzicki, LHP (5-5, 3.42 ERA)
CMU: Trent Howard, LHP (4-3, 2.12 ERA)

Friday, May 20 (3 p.m.)
EMU: Joe Battistelli, RHP (6-2, 3.59 ERA)
CMU: Zach Cooper, RHP (5-3, 3.27 ERA)

Saturday, May 21 (1 p.m.)
EMU: Corey Chaffins, RHP (7-4, 4.46 ERA)
CMU: Jake Sabol, RHP (4-3, 3.56 ERA)

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SETTING THE SCENE: Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan come into this weekend's series just one-half game apart in the Mid-American Conference West Division standings. The Chippewas hold the edge with a game lead in the loss column as their game with Western Michigan was canceled due to rain last weekend. The Eagles are in position to capture their first MAC West Division crown since 2008 if they can take two-of-three games from CMU this weekend.

THE SERIES: Eastern and Central Michigan has met 140 times in its storied histories with EMU leading the all-time series 84-56. The Eagles are looking to snap a four-game losing streak to the Chippewas dating back to May 2009. EMU is 2-4 against CMU under Head Coach Jay Alexander since he took over in 2009.

THE COACHES: EMU Head Coach Jay Alexander enters Thursday with a 246-233 career record, including an 85-85 mark in three seasons with the Eagles. CMU Head Coach Steve Jaska is currently 290-215-1 in his ninth season at the helm.

WEEK IN REVIEW: Eastern Michigan came up with a huge series victory over Toledo last weekend. The Eagles took two-of-three from the Rockets, who were previously unbeaten in 12 contests at home. EMU outscored the hosts, 27-7, in the three-game series including an 18-2 victory in the series opener.
    Robert Wendzicki and Corey Chaffins each turned in stellar pitching performances, as did Joe Battistelli, who left with the lead on Saturday that the bullpen was unable to hang on to. Wendzicki and Chaffins each went seven innings on the way to earning victories. The Eagles pounded out a season-high 23 hits en route to Friday's win before cruising to the 6-1 win in the series finale.
    Zack Leonard led all EMU hitters with seven hits in the series followed by five hits apiece from Brent Ohrman, Ken Battiston, Daniel Russell and Ben Magsig. Magsig tallied four hits in the series opener while driving in a team-high five RBI. As a team, the Eagles recorded 43 hits and 12 extra-base hits in the series, all of them doubles, while the pitching staff posted a 2.42 ERA with 17 strikeouts and just four walks.

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.

EMU BASEBALL ON THE WEB: Stay up-to-date with Eastern Michigan baseball all season long at EMUEagles.com. Listen live this weekend as EMU baseball takes on Central Michigan, May 19-21, for just $1 per contest on Eagle All-Access. Just go to EMUEagles.com/showcase.
    Chad Bush, Greg Steiner and Luke Pattarozzi will bring all the action. Catch the pre-game show featuring coach and player interviews 10 minutes prior to first pitch and post-game analysis and interviews with coaches and players following each game.

SCOUTING THE CHIPPEWAS: Central Michigan University enters its final regular season series against the Eagles with a 27-24 overall record with a 15-8 mark in the Mid-American Conference, tops in the West Division. CMU has dropped two of its last three contests including a two-game split on the road at Western Michigan and a mid-week loss to Oakland at home. Two wins this weekend would clinch the Chippewas second consecutive MAC West title.
    The Chippewas rank sixth in the MAC as a team in hitting with a .278 batting average. Tyler Hall leads the squad with a .348 (69-for-198) average and 23 extra-base hits including 11 doubles and 10 triples. William Arnold (.317) and Jordan Dean (.313) are the two other players batting over .300 this season. Sam Russell is hitting just .265 on the season, but is second in the league with 18 doubles and leads the 'Chips with four HR.
    Trent Howard anchors CMU's pitching staff which ranks third in the league with a 3.71 team ERA. Howard carries a 2.12 ERA and a 4-3 record in 12 starts, including one shutout. He has struck out 84 batters while walking just 19. Zach Cooper and Jake Sabol make up the other two-thirds of the starting rotation while Dietrich Enns proves to be the bullpen's most valuable commodity as he's 6-1 record with five saves on the season.

IT'S DE'JA VU ALL OVER AGAIN: It was a similar situation in 2007 when Eastern Michigan trailed Central Michigan by one game heading into the final regular season MAC series. The Eagles needed to sweep a three-game series from Western Michigan on the road and seek the help of Ball State stealing one game from the Chippewas. That was exactly what happened as EMU won their first MAC West Division crown since 2003.
    The Eagles (33-18, 15-9 MAC) can repeat the accomplishment this weekend as they trail the Chippewas (27-24, 15-8 MAC) by just a half-game in the standings. But instead of looking for help from another team, they maintain control of their own fate if they can take just two games from division leader Central Michigan this weekend.

PITCHING DOMINATES: The EMU pitching staff has posted a 2.21 ERA with 43 strikeouts against eight walks over its last six contests. Last weekend against Toledo, the Eagles posted a 2.42 ERA and held opponents to a .250 batting average over 26 innings pitched.

SENIOR DAY: Eastern Michigan will honor six seniors when the Eagles take on Central Michigan in the series finale this Saturday, May 21. Among those playing their final game at Oestrike Stadium will be Ken Battiston, Corey Chaffins, Aaron Chavez, Tim Combs, Zack Leonard and Robert Wendzicki. All six players have helped EMU to more than 100 wins in their careers and led them to what will be their sixth consecutive MAC Tournament appearance at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio, May 25-28.

LEADERS OF THE MAC: EMU continues to lead the Mid-American Conference in overall batting average after hitting .381 as a team against Toledo last weekend. EMU is batting .303 as a team and .316 in league play. Zack Leonard is first in on-base percentage (.453) and second in batting average (.375) while Ken Battiston (.348) is sixth and Brent Ohrman (.344) ninth. Leonard leads the league with 75 hits while Battiston leads with 19 doubles, 30 extra-base hits and 117 total bases. Ohrman is tied for third with 19 stolen bases.

“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 fourth in the nation with 10 outfield assists in 2011, trailing Bear Comer of Nicholls State and Landon Bennett of Wofford who each have 12. As a team, the Eagles are tied for fifth in the nation with 20 outfield assists behind Nicholls, which leads with 24.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME: The Eagles are 21-12 on the road this season. That exceeds the most road wins in a season for an Eagle squad since at least 1998. 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.

SHUTTING THE DOOR: The EMU bullpen has been lights out all season and it's evident by its 25-3 record when leading after six innings, 21-1 mark when leading after seven innings and 24-0 mark when leading after eight innings. Not to mention, the Eagles are 10-5 in one run games and 6-1 in games decided by two runs.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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