Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, April 13
Oestrike Stadium
6 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
vs
Central Michigan
Chippewas Come Calling for Three-Game Showdown at Oestrike
4/12/2012 5:26:00 PM | Baseball
Eagles set to protect first place in MAC West
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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com)– The Eastern Michigan University baseball team will be in charge of defending first place in the Mid-Amercian Conference West Division against in-state rival Central Michigan University Friday-Sunday, April 13-15, at Oestrike Stadium. Friday's series opener will begin at 6 p.m., while Saturday's contest is set for 3 p.m. and Sunday's for 1 p.m. All three games can be heard for FREE by clicking HERE.
THE FIRST WORD: Headed into the series, the Eagles (14-18; 6-3 MAC) own a one-game lead over the third-place Chippewas (14-19; 5-4 MAC) and are in search of some revenge for last season, when CMU clinched the division over EMU at Oestrike in the final game of the regular season.
SERIES HISTORY: The Eagles and Chippewas will meet for the 134th time Friday at Oestrike Stadium. The Men from Ypsilanti have enjoyed an 85-58 record against the club from Mt. Pleasant, but the Chippewas are 6-3 against the Eagles since Head Coach Jay Alexander took over in 2009.
The two clubs last met in the final series of the 2011 regular season, May, when the Chippewas took the last two games of a three-game set. EMU won the first game in a high-scoring 11-10 affair in 14 innings to take over first place in the West Division, but CMU went on to claim the title with 14-2 and 5-2 wins.
MATCHUPS: Neil Butara (2-2) will toe the rubber against Zach Cooper (3-2) Friday as he looks to shake off a his roughest start of the year against WMU, when he gave up six earned runs in 5.1 innings. The junior has given up two-or-fewer runs in eight of his nine outings this season.
Steve Weber (3-3) goes for his second win in-a-row Saturday against Patrick Kaminska (2-1), and Ryan Lavoie (3-1) will try to duplicate his seven-inning, 11-strikeout performance from last week Sunday against lefty Rick Dodridge (1-4).
CHIP DIP: The Chippewas enter this weekend's series with a 7-15 record on the road. They are led offensively by infielder Jordan Dean (.374/.432/.544) and own a team batting average of .276. CMU ranks near the bottom of the MAC with a .949 fielding percentage.
HOME IS WHERE THE WINS ARE: Oestrike Stadium has served as a safe haven of sorts for the Eagles this season, as they are 6-2 at their home ballpark this season. Conversely, the squad is 7-14 away from Ypsilanti, but has won four straight road contests. At home, the Green and White is batting .328 with 67 runs scored (8.4 runs per game).
RIGHT WHERE WE BELONG: The Eagles took control of first place in the MAC West Division with a convincing three-game sweep of Western Michigan in Kalamazoo, April 6-8. Over three games, the Eagles tallied 37 runs and hit .339 (39-for-115) to erase a 1 1/2 game deficit to push WMU down into second place. Eastern Michigan saw seven players reached base safely in all three games and complied an OPS of .919.
For their efforts in Kalamazoo, the Eagles were a College Baseball Insider honorable mention selection for the week, and joined the ranks of the University of Kentucky and the University of Oregon in that regard.
MEAN STREAK: Eastern Michigan has rattled off four straight road victories after dispatching Michigan State University, 13-5, April 11, in East Lansing to split the season series with the Spartans. The Eagles used a 12-run third inning to improve to 2-2 against Big Ten Conference opponents this season, with their other win coming against the University of Michigan, March 28, 12-2.
The Green and White has been hitting at a blistering .348 pace during its season-high four-game winning streak, driving in an average of 12.5 runs per game on 13.5 hits. EMU is batting .370 with runners on base, .462 with the bases loaded. Additionally, leadoff hitters have reached base in 18-of-36 innings for a .500 clip.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: According to the latest NCAA composite statistics released April 9, the Eagles rank in the top-50 in five offensive categories: triples (third, 17), triples-per-game (seventh, 0.55), base on balls (ninth, 162), sacrifice flies (14th, 21) and on-base percentage (30th, .393). EMU now has 18 triples on the season with one against MSU.
Additionally, 11 players own a top-50 ranking in at least one category. Bo Kinder (0.14), Brent Ohrman (0.13) and Daniel Russell (0.13) are 25th, 34th and 47th, respectively, in triples-per-game. Kinder and Ohrman (4) are also tied for 17th in total triples. Russell also has four triples now after taking three bases against Michigan State, April 11, after these rankings were released.
Ben Magsig is seventh nationally in on-base percentage (.527) and 35th in walks with 25. The senior infielder is also 38th in walks-per-game (0.83) and has been hit by a pitch 11 times for the 31st most in the nation. He is 39th (0.37) in hit-by-pitches per game.
LAVOIE AND OHRMAN HONORED BY MAC: Brent Ohrman was selected the MAC West Division Player of the Week and freshman hurler Ryan Lavoie the Pitcher of the Week, the conference office announced Monday, April 9. Ohrman was honored by the MAC for a second time in less than a week after garnering Scholar Athlete honors last Wednesday, while Lavoie was recognized for the first time this year.
Ohrman went 2-for-5 Sunday, April 8, with a run scored to complete a 10-for-15 (.667) weekend at the dish with a slugging percentage of .776. Lavoie provided the stability the Eagles were looking for on the mound in a 9-5 win Sunday, as he posted a seven-inning, 11-strikeout performance to easily surpass his previous career high of five. He limited a potent WMU lineup to four earned runs on nine hits while only issuing one free pass.
The Eagles swept the MAC weekly awards for the second time this season as Ben Magsig and Steve Weber each captured accolades, Feb. 29.
WHAT MORE CAN YOU SAY: Brent Ohrman became the first Eagle this season to post multiple four-hit contests when he went 4-for-5 Friday and Saturday, April 6-7, against Western Michigan. The senior now has 10 multiple-hit games this season to join Ben Magsig as the leader in that category. Ohrman has pumped his batting average up to a formidable .345 mark and trails only Magsig (.361) in that regard.
BASE-IC THEORIES: In case you were wondering just how prolific the EMU offense has been of late, look no further than this statistic: seven players are currently on streaks of 10 games or more in which they have reached base safely. Bo Kinder has accomplished the feat in his last 25 contests to lead the Eagles in that category. Brent Ohrman (20) is right behind Kinder, while Jamie Simpson (17), Tucker Rubino (17), Ben Magsig (16) and Matt Hitt (10) round it out.
Kinder still has 17 games to go before he catches up with Jim Gulliver, who reached base in 42 straight games in 2009.
LAVOIE FANS 11: Freshman pitcher Ryan Lavoie set the 2012 season standard for single-game strikeouts with 11 in a 9-5, series-sweeping win against WMU Sunday, April 8. He fanning the most batters in an outing since Corey Chaffins racked up 13, May 14, 2010. The EMU pitching staff combined to strike out 14 batters to set a season high in that category.
EXTRA EFFORT: Sam Ott heads into this weekend's series with CMU leading the team in extra base hits (15). The left-handed slugger has recorded 10 doubles, three triples and a pair of homeruns so far this season. During the current four-game winning streak, Ott is hitting .412 with an OPS of 1.094.
HOW ABOUT THESE NUMBERS: He might be on the official roster as a catcher, but Jeffrey Rousseau has been one of the major bright spots out of Jay Alexander's bullpen this season. The freshman carries a 0.90 ERA and has given up just one earned run in 10 innings of work while fanning 10 batters and not issuing a single walk. Batters are hitting just .194 against the 6-foot 2-inch right hander.
LUCKY NUMBER THREE: During the Eagles' current winning streak, they are outscoring their opponents, 16-2, in the third inning. The Eagles put together a 12-run third frame against MSU Wednesday, April 11, in a rout of the Spartans. EMU also owns a 7-1 edge in the ninth inning.
THAT'S CRAZY TALK: A four-run ninth inning for Eastern Michigan University capped off a thrilling 15-14 victory against Western Michigan University Friday, April 6. Bo Kinder's sacrifice fly in the final frame plated Daniel Russell for the winning run to hand the Broncos their first loss in Mid-American Conference play.
The 29 combined runs were good for the most in a MAC game involving EMU since the Eagles defeated Bowling Green, 13-11, April 1, 2011. Western Michigan totaled 22 hits for the game, while the Eagles struck for 17 of their own in the game which lasted three hours and 46 minutes. The two teams combined for nine doubles and six errors, while both squads left 11 men on base.
The Green and White won its first game of the season when trailing after eight innings.
MR. CONSISTENCY: Now in his second year as a collegiate athlete, Lee Longo has proven to be the mark of consistency in the middle of the EMU batting order. The sophomore from Mayfield, Ohio has 80 hits in 251 career at-bats for a lifetime average of .319.
FREELANCERS: Patience is a virtue, especially when that virtue puts you 90 feet closer to home. In 32 games, the Eagles have drawn a MAC-best 168 walks for an average of 5.3 free passes per contest. The closest challenger to the Eagles' walk total in the conference is Central Michigan (132).
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 14 stolen bases this season to run his career total to 46, good for 12th place all-time among EMU players. With a swiped bag Friday, April 6, against WMU, the senior surpassed former Eagle speedster Scott Willis (1984-87). Ohrman has 10 stolen bases to go before catching Whitford Boyd's (1976-79) career mark of 56 for 11th spot.
Ben Magsig's team-best 27 walks this season have increased his career total to 94 and have earned him soul possession of ninth place on the EMU all-time list in that category. He is now just one walk behind Steve Bradshaw (2005-08), who racked up 95 free passes. The record for walks in a career is held by EMU great Glenn Gulliver, who received 140 free passes from 1973-76.
GET AHEAD, STAY AHEAD: The Eagles are 13-3 this season when entering the seventh inning with the lead. That mark shifts to 13-2 after seven innings and 13-1 after eight. Conversely, the Green and White is 1-14 when trailing after six innings.
CLOSE CALL: The Eagles are 2-5 this season in games decided by one run. EMU claimed a 15-14 come-from-behind win over WMU, April 6, to take the first game of a three-game set against the Broncos.
SPECIAL DELIVERY: Head Coach Jay Alexander and his wife, Kia, welcomed Carter James Alexander into the world Thursday, April 5. The second child in the Alexander family hit the scales at eight pounds and 20 inches. Jay and Kia also have a daughter, Ryleigh.
EAGLES BUILD REPUTATION IN THE COMMUNITY: In a continued effort to be a positive force in the community, the EMU baseball team once again participated in the “Warm the Children” program this winter, whose mission is to provide new warm winter clothing for children in need.
Thanks to the generosity of individuals, groups and businesses, $205,127.28 was raised during the 2011 campaign. During the 2011 Warm the Children season, 3,202 children were referred to the program and 2,824 of those children received new warm winter clothing.
Live Stats
Listen for FREE
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com)– The Eastern Michigan University baseball team will be in charge of defending first place in the Mid-Amercian Conference West Division against in-state rival Central Michigan University Friday-Sunday, April 13-15, at Oestrike Stadium. Friday's series opener will begin at 6 p.m., while Saturday's contest is set for 3 p.m. and Sunday's for 1 p.m. All three games can be heard for FREE by clicking HERE.
THE FIRST WORD: Headed into the series, the Eagles (14-18; 6-3 MAC) own a one-game lead over the third-place Chippewas (14-19; 5-4 MAC) and are in search of some revenge for last season, when CMU clinched the division over EMU at Oestrike in the final game of the regular season.
SERIES HISTORY: The Eagles and Chippewas will meet for the 134th time Friday at Oestrike Stadium. The Men from Ypsilanti have enjoyed an 85-58 record against the club from Mt. Pleasant, but the Chippewas are 6-3 against the Eagles since Head Coach Jay Alexander took over in 2009.
The two clubs last met in the final series of the 2011 regular season, May, when the Chippewas took the last two games of a three-game set. EMU won the first game in a high-scoring 11-10 affair in 14 innings to take over first place in the West Division, but CMU went on to claim the title with 14-2 and 5-2 wins.
MATCHUPS: Neil Butara (2-2) will toe the rubber against Zach Cooper (3-2) Friday as he looks to shake off a his roughest start of the year against WMU, when he gave up six earned runs in 5.1 innings. The junior has given up two-or-fewer runs in eight of his nine outings this season.
Steve Weber (3-3) goes for his second win in-a-row Saturday against Patrick Kaminska (2-1), and Ryan Lavoie (3-1) will try to duplicate his seven-inning, 11-strikeout performance from last week Sunday against lefty Rick Dodridge (1-4).
CHIP DIP: The Chippewas enter this weekend's series with a 7-15 record on the road. They are led offensively by infielder Jordan Dean (.374/.432/.544) and own a team batting average of .276. CMU ranks near the bottom of the MAC with a .949 fielding percentage.
HOME IS WHERE THE WINS ARE: Oestrike Stadium has served as a safe haven of sorts for the Eagles this season, as they are 6-2 at their home ballpark this season. Conversely, the squad is 7-14 away from Ypsilanti, but has won four straight road contests. At home, the Green and White is batting .328 with 67 runs scored (8.4 runs per game).
RIGHT WHERE WE BELONG: The Eagles took control of first place in the MAC West Division with a convincing three-game sweep of Western Michigan in Kalamazoo, April 6-8. Over three games, the Eagles tallied 37 runs and hit .339 (39-for-115) to erase a 1 1/2 game deficit to push WMU down into second place. Eastern Michigan saw seven players reached base safely in all three games and complied an OPS of .919.
For their efforts in Kalamazoo, the Eagles were a College Baseball Insider honorable mention selection for the week, and joined the ranks of the University of Kentucky and the University of Oregon in that regard.
MEAN STREAK: Eastern Michigan has rattled off four straight road victories after dispatching Michigan State University, 13-5, April 11, in East Lansing to split the season series with the Spartans. The Eagles used a 12-run third inning to improve to 2-2 against Big Ten Conference opponents this season, with their other win coming against the University of Michigan, March 28, 12-2.
The Green and White has been hitting at a blistering .348 pace during its season-high four-game winning streak, driving in an average of 12.5 runs per game on 13.5 hits. EMU is batting .370 with runners on base, .462 with the bases loaded. Additionally, leadoff hitters have reached base in 18-of-36 innings for a .500 clip.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: According to the latest NCAA composite statistics released April 9, the Eagles rank in the top-50 in five offensive categories: triples (third, 17), triples-per-game (seventh, 0.55), base on balls (ninth, 162), sacrifice flies (14th, 21) and on-base percentage (30th, .393). EMU now has 18 triples on the season with one against MSU.
Additionally, 11 players own a top-50 ranking in at least one category. Bo Kinder (0.14), Brent Ohrman (0.13) and Daniel Russell (0.13) are 25th, 34th and 47th, respectively, in triples-per-game. Kinder and Ohrman (4) are also tied for 17th in total triples. Russell also has four triples now after taking three bases against Michigan State, April 11, after these rankings were released.
Ben Magsig is seventh nationally in on-base percentage (.527) and 35th in walks with 25. The senior infielder is also 38th in walks-per-game (0.83) and has been hit by a pitch 11 times for the 31st most in the nation. He is 39th (0.37) in hit-by-pitches per game.
LAVOIE AND OHRMAN HONORED BY MAC: Brent Ohrman was selected the MAC West Division Player of the Week and freshman hurler Ryan Lavoie the Pitcher of the Week, the conference office announced Monday, April 9. Ohrman was honored by the MAC for a second time in less than a week after garnering Scholar Athlete honors last Wednesday, while Lavoie was recognized for the first time this year.
Ohrman went 2-for-5 Sunday, April 8, with a run scored to complete a 10-for-15 (.667) weekend at the dish with a slugging percentage of .776. Lavoie provided the stability the Eagles were looking for on the mound in a 9-5 win Sunday, as he posted a seven-inning, 11-strikeout performance to easily surpass his previous career high of five. He limited a potent WMU lineup to four earned runs on nine hits while only issuing one free pass.
The Eagles swept the MAC weekly awards for the second time this season as Ben Magsig and Steve Weber each captured accolades, Feb. 29.
WHAT MORE CAN YOU SAY: Brent Ohrman became the first Eagle this season to post multiple four-hit contests when he went 4-for-5 Friday and Saturday, April 6-7, against Western Michigan. The senior now has 10 multiple-hit games this season to join Ben Magsig as the leader in that category. Ohrman has pumped his batting average up to a formidable .345 mark and trails only Magsig (.361) in that regard.
BASE-IC THEORIES: In case you were wondering just how prolific the EMU offense has been of late, look no further than this statistic: seven players are currently on streaks of 10 games or more in which they have reached base safely. Bo Kinder has accomplished the feat in his last 25 contests to lead the Eagles in that category. Brent Ohrman (20) is right behind Kinder, while Jamie Simpson (17), Tucker Rubino (17), Ben Magsig (16) and Matt Hitt (10) round it out.
Kinder still has 17 games to go before he catches up with Jim Gulliver, who reached base in 42 straight games in 2009.
LAVOIE FANS 11: Freshman pitcher Ryan Lavoie set the 2012 season standard for single-game strikeouts with 11 in a 9-5, series-sweeping win against WMU Sunday, April 8. He fanning the most batters in an outing since Corey Chaffins racked up 13, May 14, 2010. The EMU pitching staff combined to strike out 14 batters to set a season high in that category.
EXTRA EFFORT: Sam Ott heads into this weekend's series with CMU leading the team in extra base hits (15). The left-handed slugger has recorded 10 doubles, three triples and a pair of homeruns so far this season. During the current four-game winning streak, Ott is hitting .412 with an OPS of 1.094.
HOW ABOUT THESE NUMBERS: He might be on the official roster as a catcher, but Jeffrey Rousseau has been one of the major bright spots out of Jay Alexander's bullpen this season. The freshman carries a 0.90 ERA and has given up just one earned run in 10 innings of work while fanning 10 batters and not issuing a single walk. Batters are hitting just .194 against the 6-foot 2-inch right hander.
LUCKY NUMBER THREE: During the Eagles' current winning streak, they are outscoring their opponents, 16-2, in the third inning. The Eagles put together a 12-run third frame against MSU Wednesday, April 11, in a rout of the Spartans. EMU also owns a 7-1 edge in the ninth inning.
THAT'S CRAZY TALK: A four-run ninth inning for Eastern Michigan University capped off a thrilling 15-14 victory against Western Michigan University Friday, April 6. Bo Kinder's sacrifice fly in the final frame plated Daniel Russell for the winning run to hand the Broncos their first loss in Mid-American Conference play.
The 29 combined runs were good for the most in a MAC game involving EMU since the Eagles defeated Bowling Green, 13-11, April 1, 2011. Western Michigan totaled 22 hits for the game, while the Eagles struck for 17 of their own in the game which lasted three hours and 46 minutes. The two teams combined for nine doubles and six errors, while both squads left 11 men on base.
The Green and White won its first game of the season when trailing after eight innings.
MR. CONSISTENCY: Now in his second year as a collegiate athlete, Lee Longo has proven to be the mark of consistency in the middle of the EMU batting order. The sophomore from Mayfield, Ohio has 80 hits in 251 career at-bats for a lifetime average of .319.
FREELANCERS: Patience is a virtue, especially when that virtue puts you 90 feet closer to home. In 32 games, the Eagles have drawn a MAC-best 168 walks for an average of 5.3 free passes per contest. The closest challenger to the Eagles' walk total in the conference is Central Michigan (132).
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 14 stolen bases this season to run his career total to 46, good for 12th place all-time among EMU players. With a swiped bag Friday, April 6, against WMU, the senior surpassed former Eagle speedster Scott Willis (1984-87). Ohrman has 10 stolen bases to go before catching Whitford Boyd's (1976-79) career mark of 56 for 11th spot.
Ben Magsig's team-best 27 walks this season have increased his career total to 94 and have earned him soul possession of ninth place on the EMU all-time list in that category. He is now just one walk behind Steve Bradshaw (2005-08), who racked up 95 free passes. The record for walks in a career is held by EMU great Glenn Gulliver, who received 140 free passes from 1973-76.
GET AHEAD, STAY AHEAD: The Eagles are 13-3 this season when entering the seventh inning with the lead. That mark shifts to 13-2 after seven innings and 13-1 after eight. Conversely, the Green and White is 1-14 when trailing after six innings.
CLOSE CALL: The Eagles are 2-5 this season in games decided by one run. EMU claimed a 15-14 come-from-behind win over WMU, April 6, to take the first game of a three-game set against the Broncos.
SPECIAL DELIVERY: Head Coach Jay Alexander and his wife, Kia, welcomed Carter James Alexander into the world Thursday, April 5. The second child in the Alexander family hit the scales at eight pounds and 20 inches. Jay and Kia also have a daughter, Ryleigh.
EAGLES BUILD REPUTATION IN THE COMMUNITY: In a continued effort to be a positive force in the community, the EMU baseball team once again participated in the “Warm the Children” program this winter, whose mission is to provide new warm winter clothing for children in need.
Thanks to the generosity of individuals, groups and businesses, $205,127.28 was raised during the 2011 campaign. During the 2011 Warm the Children season, 3,202 children were referred to the program and 2,824 of those children received new warm winter clothing.
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