Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, April 20
Muncie, Ind.
3 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Ball State
Photo by: Matthew Bliss
Eagles Hit the Road for Weekend Series with Cardinals
4/19/2012 4:00:00 PM | Baseball
EMU has won seven-of-eight, holds two-game lead in MAC West Division
Complete Release (.pdf)
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com)– The Eastern Michigan University baseball team will cross the halfway point of its 2012 Mid-American Conference slate when it faces Ball State University Friday-Sunday, April 20-22, in Muncie Ind.
EAGLES AND CARDINALS CLASH AT BALL DIAMOND: The Eagles (17-19; 8-4 MAC) enter the weekend with a two-game lead in the Mid-American Conference West Division and have won seven of their last eight contests. They will face a Cardinals (9-25; 4-8 MAC) team which occupies last place in the MAC West Division.
Friday's contest is slated for a 3 p.m. start at Ball Diamond. Saturday's and Sunday's games will each begin at 1 p.m.
THE BIRDS: The Eagles and Cardinals will meet for the 136th time Friday, with EMU holding a 72-62-1 advantage in the all-time series. EMU has won the last four games against BSU, including a three-game sweep last season at Oestrike Stadium. In that series, the Eagles outscored Ball State, 36-10, with scores of 13-1, 5-4 and 18-5.
The two squads feature similar statistics in terms of pitching; EMU has a 6.54 team ERA and BSU a 6.28 mark. However, Eastern Michigan carries a distinct advantage in several offensive categories: batting average (.292/.248), on-base percentage (.395/.311) and walks (191/85).
On Friday, Neil Butara (3-2) will try for his second straight quality start against T.J. Weir (1-6). Neil Butara (3-3) and Ryan Lavoie (3-1) are slated to toe the rubber Saturday and Sunday, respectively, with BSU starters yet to be named.
NOT SO B1G NOW: Jamie Simpson scored the game-winning run and the EMU defense turned a failed hit-and-run into a triple play during a 7-2 victory over the University of Michigan, April 19. With the win, the Eagles earned a season sweep over their Washtenaw County rival and a 3-2 record against Big Ten competition. EMU has posted a winning record against Big Ten teams in three out of the four years that Jay Alexander has been at the helm of the program.
BATTISTELLI RECOGNIZED: EMU reliever Joe Battistelli was named the MAC West Division Pitcher of the Week for the period ending April 15. Battistelli (2-4) was lights-out in his two relief appearances during the 2-1 series win against the Chippewas, April 13-15. The junior righty notched a win (April 15), a save (April 13) and seven strikeouts in 3.1 innings of work. He earned his team-best third save of the year in a 4-0 shutout, April 13, in which he pitched the final 1.1 innings and struck out all four batters he faced.
GO HOME: The Eagles sent Central Michigan packing Sunday, April 15, with a dramatic walk-off home run by Brent Ohrman to erase a one-run deficit and send the squad to an 8-7 victory and a 2-1 series win. Ohrman's homer was his first of the year and counted as his second game-winning knock of the series.
With the win, EMU maintained a two-game lead over Toledo and Central Michigan for top spot in the MAC West Division. UT and CMU each have 6-6 records in conference play.
Ben Magsig was down to his final strike with two gone in the bottom of the ninth. But the ever-patient infielder found a pitch to hit and drilled it up the middle to reach base. Ohrman then turned on a 1-0 fastball and tucked it just inside the left-field foul pole to earn the Green and White a win in the rubber match of the three-game set.
HE'S ABOUT DONE IT ALL NOW: Brent Ohrman's two-run walkoff blast Sunday against CMU was his first of the season. A round tripper was essentially the only thing missing from the senior's season stats, since he already had 44 hits, five doubles and four triples to his credit. The Adrian, Mich. native extended his hitting streak to 20 games Sunday with a 2-for-6 effort which also earned him his team-leading 11th multiple-hit game.
DEFENSE AT LAST: After sitting near the bottom of the MAC in fielding percentage for most of the non-conference season, the Eagles' commitment to defensive improvement has been well documented since the beginning of conference play. The Eagles boast a .974 fielding percentage over 12 MAC games. Additionally they have also turned the second-most double plays (10) in conference tilts.
FOLLOW THE LEADER: The Eagles' .394 on-base percentage is tops in the MAC, while Ben Magsig's .535 is the best individual mark in the conference. Sam Ott is tied for ninth in the conference with a .430 on-base clip.
NINTH INNING HEROICS: For a second straight weekend the Eagles mounted a ninth-inning comeback to win a game. EMU put up four runs in the ninth inning to take a 15-14 decision over Western Michigan, April 6, and beat CMU in walkoff fashion, 8-7, April 15.
NO DISCONNECT HERE: Shortstop Tucker Rubino is quietly putting together a solid season at the dish during his senior season. Rubino recently enjoyed a stretch of 17 games in which he reached base safely and has amassed a .287 batting average after finishing .263 last season.
With just nine strikeouts against him in 115 at bats this season, Rubino strikes out less than eight percent of the time and has become one of the toughest hitters in the nation to fan. Coming into the series with Ball State, the Scottsdale, Ariz. native is also sixth on the team with a .404 OBP.
THE YOUNGER RUBINO: It turns out that senior co-captain Tucker Rubino is not the only important Rubino to remember on the EMU roster. Tucker's younger brother, John Rubino, made a significant impact as the team's starting second baseman in all three games against CMU. In Saturday's contest, John went 3-for-4 with a double to earn his first three-hit game in his young career. He also made several key defensive plays over the weekend.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: According to the latest NCAA composite statistics released April 16, the Eagles rank in the top-50 in five offensive categories: triples (six, 18), triples-per-game (ninth, 0.51), base on balls (eighth, 183), sacrifice flies (13th, 21) and on-base percentage (29th, .394).
Additionally, EMU players own a top-50 ranking in nine different categories. Bo Kinder (0.14) and Daniel Russell (0.13) are 24th and 47th, respectively, in triples-per-game. Kinder, Russell and Brent Ohrman (4) are also tied for 36th in total triples.
Ben Magsig is seventh nationally in on-base percentage (.533) and 18th in walks with 31. The senior infielder is also 20th in walks-per-game (0.91), while Russell is 47th at 0.79.
BASE-IC THEORIES: Three players are currently on streaks of 10 games or more in which they have reached base safely. Brent Ohrman (23) is right behind Kinder, while Ben Magsig (20) and Sam Ott (13) round it out.
Bo Kinder's career-best streak of 28 contests reaching safely came to an end Wednesday, April 18, with an 0-for-4 game against Michigan. Kinder fell 14 games short of Jim Gulliver's 42-game stretch in 2009.
Jamie Simpson (17), Tucker Rubino (17), and Matt Hitt (10) all saw their on-base streaks end against CMU, but Simpson's came to a close when he failed to reach in a pinch hitting role in the April 14 loss to the Chippewas. Rubino has reached safely in 20-of-21 games.
SAMMY, SAMMY: Sam Ott had himself quite a weekend against Central Michigan, posting one hit Friday, two Saturday and three Sunday. The redshirt sophomore went 6-for-11 (.545) and drove in a trio of runs versus the Chippewas. He also displayed his versatility defensively, starting all three games at first base to give him 20 appearances at that position, 15 in the outfield and four as a designated hitter. Ott is the only EMU player to start and appear in all 36 games this season.
FREELANCERS: Patience is a virtue, especially when that virtue puts you 90 feet closer to home. In 36 games, the Eagles have drawn a MAC-best 191 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 (159).
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 15 stolen bases this season to run his career total to 47, 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 nine stolen bases to go before catching Whitford Boyd's (1976-79) career mark of 56 for 11th spot.
Ben Magsig's team-best 32 walks this season have increased his career total to 99 and have earned him soul possession of eighth place on the EMU all-time list in that category. He is now just seven walks behind Tony Palazzolo (2000-03), who racked up 106 free passes. The record for walks in a career is held by EMU great Glenn Gulliver, who received 140 free passes from 1973-76.
CLOSE CALL: Eastern Michigan is 3-5 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.
HERE'S WHAT'S LEFT: The Green and White have five MAC series remaining against Ball State (April 20-22), Northern Illinois (April 27-29), Bowling Green (May 4-6), Buffalo (11-13) and Toledo (May 17-19). Remaining non-conference tilts include Hillsdale (May 1) and Kent State (May 15). The game with the Golden Flashes will not count toward the MAC standings.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com)– The Eastern Michigan University baseball team will cross the halfway point of its 2012 Mid-American Conference slate when it faces Ball State University Friday-Sunday, April 20-22, in Muncie Ind.
EAGLES AND CARDINALS CLASH AT BALL DIAMOND: The Eagles (17-19; 8-4 MAC) enter the weekend with a two-game lead in the Mid-American Conference West Division and have won seven of their last eight contests. They will face a Cardinals (9-25; 4-8 MAC) team which occupies last place in the MAC West Division.
Friday's contest is slated for a 3 p.m. start at Ball Diamond. Saturday's and Sunday's games will each begin at 1 p.m.
THE BIRDS: The Eagles and Cardinals will meet for the 136th time Friday, with EMU holding a 72-62-1 advantage in the all-time series. EMU has won the last four games against BSU, including a three-game sweep last season at Oestrike Stadium. In that series, the Eagles outscored Ball State, 36-10, with scores of 13-1, 5-4 and 18-5.
The two squads feature similar statistics in terms of pitching; EMU has a 6.54 team ERA and BSU a 6.28 mark. However, Eastern Michigan carries a distinct advantage in several offensive categories: batting average (.292/.248), on-base percentage (.395/.311) and walks (191/85).
On Friday, Neil Butara (3-2) will try for his second straight quality start against T.J. Weir (1-6). Neil Butara (3-3) and Ryan Lavoie (3-1) are slated to toe the rubber Saturday and Sunday, respectively, with BSU starters yet to be named.
NOT SO B1G NOW: Jamie Simpson scored the game-winning run and the EMU defense turned a failed hit-and-run into a triple play during a 7-2 victory over the University of Michigan, April 19. With the win, the Eagles earned a season sweep over their Washtenaw County rival and a 3-2 record against Big Ten competition. EMU has posted a winning record against Big Ten teams in three out of the four years that Jay Alexander has been at the helm of the program.
BATTISTELLI RECOGNIZED: EMU reliever Joe Battistelli was named the MAC West Division Pitcher of the Week for the period ending April 15. Battistelli (2-4) was lights-out in his two relief appearances during the 2-1 series win against the Chippewas, April 13-15. The junior righty notched a win (April 15), a save (April 13) and seven strikeouts in 3.1 innings of work. He earned his team-best third save of the year in a 4-0 shutout, April 13, in which he pitched the final 1.1 innings and struck out all four batters he faced.
GO HOME: The Eagles sent Central Michigan packing Sunday, April 15, with a dramatic walk-off home run by Brent Ohrman to erase a one-run deficit and send the squad to an 8-7 victory and a 2-1 series win. Ohrman's homer was his first of the year and counted as his second game-winning knock of the series.
With the win, EMU maintained a two-game lead over Toledo and Central Michigan for top spot in the MAC West Division. UT and CMU each have 6-6 records in conference play.
Ben Magsig was down to his final strike with two gone in the bottom of the ninth. But the ever-patient infielder found a pitch to hit and drilled it up the middle to reach base. Ohrman then turned on a 1-0 fastball and tucked it just inside the left-field foul pole to earn the Green and White a win in the rubber match of the three-game set.
HE'S ABOUT DONE IT ALL NOW: Brent Ohrman's two-run walkoff blast Sunday against CMU was his first of the season. A round tripper was essentially the only thing missing from the senior's season stats, since he already had 44 hits, five doubles and four triples to his credit. The Adrian, Mich. native extended his hitting streak to 20 games Sunday with a 2-for-6 effort which also earned him his team-leading 11th multiple-hit game.
DEFENSE AT LAST: After sitting near the bottom of the MAC in fielding percentage for most of the non-conference season, the Eagles' commitment to defensive improvement has been well documented since the beginning of conference play. The Eagles boast a .974 fielding percentage over 12 MAC games. Additionally they have also turned the second-most double plays (10) in conference tilts.
FOLLOW THE LEADER: The Eagles' .394 on-base percentage is tops in the MAC, while Ben Magsig's .535 is the best individual mark in the conference. Sam Ott is tied for ninth in the conference with a .430 on-base clip.
NINTH INNING HEROICS: For a second straight weekend the Eagles mounted a ninth-inning comeback to win a game. EMU put up four runs in the ninth inning to take a 15-14 decision over Western Michigan, April 6, and beat CMU in walkoff fashion, 8-7, April 15.
NO DISCONNECT HERE: Shortstop Tucker Rubino is quietly putting together a solid season at the dish during his senior season. Rubino recently enjoyed a stretch of 17 games in which he reached base safely and has amassed a .287 batting average after finishing .263 last season.
With just nine strikeouts against him in 115 at bats this season, Rubino strikes out less than eight percent of the time and has become one of the toughest hitters in the nation to fan. Coming into the series with Ball State, the Scottsdale, Ariz. native is also sixth on the team with a .404 OBP.
THE YOUNGER RUBINO: It turns out that senior co-captain Tucker Rubino is not the only important Rubino to remember on the EMU roster. Tucker's younger brother, John Rubino, made a significant impact as the team's starting second baseman in all three games against CMU. In Saturday's contest, John went 3-for-4 with a double to earn his first three-hit game in his young career. He also made several key defensive plays over the weekend.
NATIONAL RANKINGS: According to the latest NCAA composite statistics released April 16, the Eagles rank in the top-50 in five offensive categories: triples (six, 18), triples-per-game (ninth, 0.51), base on balls (eighth, 183), sacrifice flies (13th, 21) and on-base percentage (29th, .394).
Additionally, EMU players own a top-50 ranking in nine different categories. Bo Kinder (0.14) and Daniel Russell (0.13) are 24th and 47th, respectively, in triples-per-game. Kinder, Russell and Brent Ohrman (4) are also tied for 36th in total triples.
Ben Magsig is seventh nationally in on-base percentage (.533) and 18th in walks with 31. The senior infielder is also 20th in walks-per-game (0.91), while Russell is 47th at 0.79.
BASE-IC THEORIES: Three players are currently on streaks of 10 games or more in which they have reached base safely. Brent Ohrman (23) is right behind Kinder, while Ben Magsig (20) and Sam Ott (13) round it out.
Bo Kinder's career-best streak of 28 contests reaching safely came to an end Wednesday, April 18, with an 0-for-4 game against Michigan. Kinder fell 14 games short of Jim Gulliver's 42-game stretch in 2009.
Jamie Simpson (17), Tucker Rubino (17), and Matt Hitt (10) all saw their on-base streaks end against CMU, but Simpson's came to a close when he failed to reach in a pinch hitting role in the April 14 loss to the Chippewas. Rubino has reached safely in 20-of-21 games.
SAMMY, SAMMY: Sam Ott had himself quite a weekend against Central Michigan, posting one hit Friday, two Saturday and three Sunday. The redshirt sophomore went 6-for-11 (.545) and drove in a trio of runs versus the Chippewas. He also displayed his versatility defensively, starting all three games at first base to give him 20 appearances at that position, 15 in the outfield and four as a designated hitter. Ott is the only EMU player to start and appear in all 36 games this season.
FREELANCERS: Patience is a virtue, especially when that virtue puts you 90 feet closer to home. In 36 games, the Eagles have drawn a MAC-best 191 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 (159).
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 15 stolen bases this season to run his career total to 47, 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 nine stolen bases to go before catching Whitford Boyd's (1976-79) career mark of 56 for 11th spot.
Ben Magsig's team-best 32 walks this season have increased his career total to 99 and have earned him soul possession of eighth place on the EMU all-time list in that category. He is now just seven walks behind Tony Palazzolo (2000-03), who racked up 106 free passes. The record for walks in a career is held by EMU great Glenn Gulliver, who received 140 free passes from 1973-76.
CLOSE CALL: Eastern Michigan is 3-5 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.
HERE'S WHAT'S LEFT: The Green and White have five MAC series remaining against Ball State (April 20-22), Northern Illinois (April 27-29), Bowling Green (May 4-6), Buffalo (11-13) and Toledo (May 17-19). Remaining non-conference tilts include Hillsdale (May 1) and Kent State (May 15). The game with the Golden Flashes will not count toward the MAC standings.
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