Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, March 23
Oestrike Stadium
3 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
vs
Miami
Eagles and RedHawks Open 2012 MAC Season This Weekend
3/22/2012 3:01:00 PM | Baseball
EMU and MU have not met since 2009
Complete Release (.pdf)
Live Stats
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com)– The Eastern Michigan University baseball team begins its trek toward a Mid-American Conference West Division crown Friday-Sunday, March 23-25, against East Division foe Miami University at Oestrike Stadium. Friday's and Saturday's games are slated for a 3 p.m. first pitch, while Sunday's contest is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
EAGLES AND REDHAWKS OPEN MAC SEASON: The Eagles (6-13) have won three of their last four contests which includes a three-game home sweep of Niagara University last weekend. The RedHawks split a pair of games with Xavier Tuesday and Wednesday, and begin MAC play with the best record in the league at 12-9.
CENTURY MARK: The series between EMU and Miami dates back to the 1969 season, when the Eagles defeated the RedHawks, 3-2. The two clubs have met a total of 97 times with the Green and White holding a 55-42 edge in the all-time series. Sunday's game will mark the 100th meeting between the Eagles and RedHawks.
For as many times as the two teams have played each other, they have not met since the 2009 season due to several schedule restructuring projects among MAC teams. Miami swept a three-game set from the Eagles that season, March 27-28.
A LITTLE MAC HISTORY: Eastern Michigan finished the 2011 campaign one game behind Central Michigan for the MAC West title at 16-11. The last time the Eagles won their division was in 2008, when they also claimed the MAC Tournament championship for the first time since 2003. Under fourth-year Head Coach Jay Alexander, the Green and White has a record of 52-39 against conference opponents.
2012 MAC HOME SCHEDULE: The Eagles will host 12 MAC home games this season with opponents including Miami (March 23-25), Central Michigan (April 13-15), Northern Illinois (April 27-29) and Bowling Green (May 4-6). The Eagles will also play single home games against Michigan (March 28), Michigan State (April 4) and Hillsdale (May 1).
RUNS, HITS, ERRORS: Over the last four games, the Eagles have been racking up runs, hits and, unfortunately, errors at an extraordinary pace. The Green and White scored 46 runs on 45 hits against a struggling Niagara pitching staff and added four more runs on eight hits in a loss to Notre Dame, March 20. That averages to 12.5 runs and 13.3 hits per game over the last four contests, and bumps the team's batting average to .286–the sixth best average in the MAC.
In the field, EMU committed 13 miscues during the four-game span for a pace of more than three errors per contest.
LEGGING IT OUT: According to the latest NCAA composite statistics released March 19, the Eagles' 13 triples are tied for the best total in the nation. The Eagles share the top spot with No. 6 Arizona and Arkansas-Little Rock. Bo Kinder has legged out a MAC-best four triples so far this season and trails only VCU's Bill Cullen (6) for top spot in the nation.
EMU has already eclipsed its triples total of 12 for the entire 2011 season. The team's slugging percentage currently ranks third in the MAC at .412.
LONGO'S BIG WEEKEND: Lee Longo started off the weekend against Niagara with a perfect 5-for-5 mark in Friday's 19-10 win and continued swinging a hot stick to complete the series with a 10-for-14 mark (.714). The sophomore leads the team with a .375 batting average.
HITT CAN HIT: Matt Hitt continues to rack up base knocks during his hitting streak which has now reached eight games. Previously, the senior catcher's longest span was three games between March 19-22, 2011. During the current streak, Hitt is 10-for-24 (.417) with six RBI and a home run.
WILLIAMS STAKES HIS CLAIM: Junior college transfer Austin Williams has needed little time this season to adjust to the rigors of Division I baseball. Williams' batting average has soared from .270 to .340 since the beginning of the Niagara series while he has enjoyed a stretch of 12 games without an error as the everyday second baseman.
BUTARA STRONG IN WEEKEND START: Pitcher Neil Butara earned his way into Jay Alexander's starting weekend rotation for the first time this season and pitched six lights-out innings while picking up his first win of the season against Niagara. Butara gave up one run and scattered three hits while striking out a career-high seven batters. The 6-foot tall right hander has held opponents to a .203 batting average this season and has allowed just three earned runs in 16.1 innings of work.
GET AHEAD, STAY AHEAD: The Eagles are 6-3 this season when entering the seventh inning with the lead. That mark shifts to 6-2 after seven innings and 6-1 after eight. Conversely, the Green and White is winless (0-10) when trailing after six innings.
FREELANCERS: Patience is a virtue, especially when that virtue puts you 90 feet closer to home. In 19 games, the Eagles have drawn a MAC-best 98 walks for an average of 5.2 free passes per contest. The closest challenger to the Eagles' walk total in the conference is Central Michigan (77). That mark also ranks 28th among NCAA Division I teams. Ben Magsig leads the Eagles in free passes (17) and is ranked 41st nationally in that category.
Eastern Michigan walked a total of 234 times last season for second-most in the Mid-American Conference to trail only CMU (235).
RECORD WATCH: Outfielder Brent Ohrman has recorded eight stolen bases this season to run his career total to 40, good for the 13th-most all-time among EMU players. With a swiped bag Saturday, March 17, against Niagara, the senior moved past former Eagle speedster Ryan Arnett's (2003-05) career mark of 37 stolen bases.
Ben Magsig's team-best 17 walks this season have increased his career total to 84 and have earned him sole possession of 12th place and put him just a pair of free passes behind Greg Ryan (1996-98) who amassed 86. The record for walks in a career is held by EMU great Glenn Gulliver, who received 140 free passes from 1973-76.
Bo Kinder's four triples give him a chance to break Pete Casteel's record of nine three baggers set in the 1967 campaign. Kinder has 8 career triples and is 11 behind the record set by Jeff Peck from 1968-70.
MAC TOURNAMENT TICKETS NOW ON SALE!: Tickets are now on sale for the 2012 Mid-American Conference Baseball Tournament. This year's tournament will take place May 23-26 and will be held at All Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio. Come to the Freight to check out all of the great action, as teams from the MAC collide to decide who will advance to the NCAA tournament. Visit the baseball page on EMUEagles.com to find out more.
CLOSE CALL: The Eagles are 1-4 this season in games decided by one run. EMU claimed a 6-5 win over Marshall, March 2, for its third win of the year.
TOO MANY MISCUES: Through 19 games, the Eagles have committed 44 errors for a .937 fielding percentage and an average of more than two errors per game. EMU ranked third in the MAC in fielding percentage last year, but sits 11th out of 12 teams this season.
Live Stats
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com)– The Eastern Michigan University baseball team begins its trek toward a Mid-American Conference West Division crown Friday-Sunday, March 23-25, against East Division foe Miami University at Oestrike Stadium. Friday's and Saturday's games are slated for a 3 p.m. first pitch, while Sunday's contest is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
EAGLES AND REDHAWKS OPEN MAC SEASON: The Eagles (6-13) have won three of their last four contests which includes a three-game home sweep of Niagara University last weekend. The RedHawks split a pair of games with Xavier Tuesday and Wednesday, and begin MAC play with the best record in the league at 12-9.
CENTURY MARK: The series between EMU and Miami dates back to the 1969 season, when the Eagles defeated the RedHawks, 3-2. The two clubs have met a total of 97 times with the Green and White holding a 55-42 edge in the all-time series. Sunday's game will mark the 100th meeting between the Eagles and RedHawks.
For as many times as the two teams have played each other, they have not met since the 2009 season due to several schedule restructuring projects among MAC teams. Miami swept a three-game set from the Eagles that season, March 27-28.
A LITTLE MAC HISTORY: Eastern Michigan finished the 2011 campaign one game behind Central Michigan for the MAC West title at 16-11. The last time the Eagles won their division was in 2008, when they also claimed the MAC Tournament championship for the first time since 2003. Under fourth-year Head Coach Jay Alexander, the Green and White has a record of 52-39 against conference opponents.
2012 MAC HOME SCHEDULE: The Eagles will host 12 MAC home games this season with opponents including Miami (March 23-25), Central Michigan (April 13-15), Northern Illinois (April 27-29) and Bowling Green (May 4-6). The Eagles will also play single home games against Michigan (March 28), Michigan State (April 4) and Hillsdale (May 1).
RUNS, HITS, ERRORS: Over the last four games, the Eagles have been racking up runs, hits and, unfortunately, errors at an extraordinary pace. The Green and White scored 46 runs on 45 hits against a struggling Niagara pitching staff and added four more runs on eight hits in a loss to Notre Dame, March 20. That averages to 12.5 runs and 13.3 hits per game over the last four contests, and bumps the team's batting average to .286–the sixth best average in the MAC.
In the field, EMU committed 13 miscues during the four-game span for a pace of more than three errors per contest.
LEGGING IT OUT: According to the latest NCAA composite statistics released March 19, the Eagles' 13 triples are tied for the best total in the nation. The Eagles share the top spot with No. 6 Arizona and Arkansas-Little Rock. Bo Kinder has legged out a MAC-best four triples so far this season and trails only VCU's Bill Cullen (6) for top spot in the nation.
EMU has already eclipsed its triples total of 12 for the entire 2011 season. The team's slugging percentage currently ranks third in the MAC at .412.
LONGO'S BIG WEEKEND: Lee Longo started off the weekend against Niagara with a perfect 5-for-5 mark in Friday's 19-10 win and continued swinging a hot stick to complete the series with a 10-for-14 mark (.714). The sophomore leads the team with a .375 batting average.
HITT CAN HIT: Matt Hitt continues to rack up base knocks during his hitting streak which has now reached eight games. Previously, the senior catcher's longest span was three games between March 19-22, 2011. During the current streak, Hitt is 10-for-24 (.417) with six RBI and a home run.
WILLIAMS STAKES HIS CLAIM: Junior college transfer Austin Williams has needed little time this season to adjust to the rigors of Division I baseball. Williams' batting average has soared from .270 to .340 since the beginning of the Niagara series while he has enjoyed a stretch of 12 games without an error as the everyday second baseman.
BUTARA STRONG IN WEEKEND START: Pitcher Neil Butara earned his way into Jay Alexander's starting weekend rotation for the first time this season and pitched six lights-out innings while picking up his first win of the season against Niagara. Butara gave up one run and scattered three hits while striking out a career-high seven batters. The 6-foot tall right hander has held opponents to a .203 batting average this season and has allowed just three earned runs in 16.1 innings of work.
GET AHEAD, STAY AHEAD: The Eagles are 6-3 this season when entering the seventh inning with the lead. That mark shifts to 6-2 after seven innings and 6-1 after eight. Conversely, the Green and White is winless (0-10) when trailing after six innings.
FREELANCERS: Patience is a virtue, especially when that virtue puts you 90 feet closer to home. In 19 games, the Eagles have drawn a MAC-best 98 walks for an average of 5.2 free passes per contest. The closest challenger to the Eagles' walk total in the conference is Central Michigan (77). That mark also ranks 28th among NCAA Division I teams. Ben Magsig leads the Eagles in free passes (17) and is ranked 41st nationally in that category.
Eastern Michigan walked a total of 234 times last season for second-most in the Mid-American Conference to trail only CMU (235).
RECORD WATCH: Outfielder Brent Ohrman has recorded eight stolen bases this season to run his career total to 40, good for the 13th-most all-time among EMU players. With a swiped bag Saturday, March 17, against Niagara, the senior moved past former Eagle speedster Ryan Arnett's (2003-05) career mark of 37 stolen bases.
Ben Magsig's team-best 17 walks this season have increased his career total to 84 and have earned him sole possession of 12th place and put him just a pair of free passes behind Greg Ryan (1996-98) who amassed 86. The record for walks in a career is held by EMU great Glenn Gulliver, who received 140 free passes from 1973-76.
Bo Kinder's four triples give him a chance to break Pete Casteel's record of nine three baggers set in the 1967 campaign. Kinder has 8 career triples and is 11 behind the record set by Jeff Peck from 1968-70.
MAC TOURNAMENT TICKETS NOW ON SALE!: Tickets are now on sale for the 2012 Mid-American Conference Baseball Tournament. This year's tournament will take place May 23-26 and will be held at All Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio. Come to the Freight to check out all of the great action, as teams from the MAC collide to decide who will advance to the NCAA tournament. Visit the baseball page on EMUEagles.com to find out more.
CLOSE CALL: The Eagles are 1-4 this season in games decided by one run. EMU claimed a 6-5 win over Marshall, March 2, for its third win of the year.
TOO MANY MISCUES: Through 19 games, the Eagles have committed 44 errors for a .937 fielding percentage and an average of more than two errors per game. EMU ranked third in the MAC in fielding percentage last year, but sits 11th out of 12 teams this season.
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