Eastern Michigan Athletics
Tuesday, May 15
Avon, Ohio
5 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
vs
Kent State
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Baseball Treks to Avon for Non-Conference Tilt with KSU
5/14/2012 5:16:00 PM | Baseball
All-Pro Freight Stadium is also the site of the 2012 MAC Tournament
Complete Release (.pdf)
FREE Audio Broadcast
Live Stats
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com)– The Eastern Michigan University baseball team will play its final non-conference game of the 2012 season Tuesday, May 15, against Kent State University at All-Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m.
EMU AND KSU TO PLAY NON-CONFERENCE TILT IN AVON: All-Pro Freight Stadium will serve as the site for the 2012 Mid-American Conference Tournament May 23-26. The Eagles (24-25; 14-10 MAC) clinched a seventh straight berth into the postseason event with a 2-1 series win over the University at Buffalo, May 11-13, and can finish no lower than the sixth seed. The Golden Flashes (33-17; 21-3 MAC) have already secured top spot in the tournament in runaway fashion by winning all but three MAC contests. Tuesday's game with KSU will not count toward MAC standings.
CHECKERED PAST: The Eagles and Golden Flashes will tangle for the 96th time Tuesday, with KSU holding a 54-41 series edge. These two clubs have faced each other 12 times over the last two seasons including on three occasions in last year's MAC Tournament. In that tournament, EMU won the middle game to force a semifinal rematch with the Golden Flashes before the Eagles were ousted by an 8-0 margin. Under Jay Alexander, the Green and White holds just a 3-12 mark against the three-time defending MAC Tournament champions.
SEE YOU IN AVON: Eastern Michigan's decisive 11-7 win over Buffalo, May 12, clinched the squad a spot in the MAC Tournament for a seventh straight time dating back to 2006. Thanks to a come-from-behind, 4-3 triumph over the Bulls the following afternoon, EMU locked up at least the No. 6 seed. The Eagles enter their final MAC series against West Division leader the University of Toledo by two games and second-place Central Michigan University by one.
Winning the West Division would guarantee the Eagles second place headed into the MAC Tournament since Kent State has already dashed away with top honors.
ONE OR THE OTHER: The MAC Tournament will call a new venue– All-Pro Freight Stadium– home for the first time in five years. From 2008-2011, VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio served as the host site of the event. EMU and KSU were the only two teams to celebrate a MAC Championship in Chilicothe as the Eagles captured the crown in 2008 and the Golden Flashes won the following three years.
FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: Tuesday's non-conference clash between the Eagles and Golden Flashes will mark the first time two MAC teams have played each other inside All-Pro Freight Stadium. EMU has played at the venue located in Avon, Ohio three times since the park opened in 2009 and has racked up a 2-1 record against Cleveland State University. The Vikings uses the stadium as their home ballpark before discontinuing the program after last season.
BIG BULLIES: After sustaining a lopsided 18-3 defeat Friday, May 11, to Buffalo, the Eagles hunkered down to take the final two games from the Bulls by scores of 11-7 and 4-3, respectively. On Saturday, Brent Ohrman posted a 6-for-6 outing and Steve Weber (7-3) notched his fourth straight win as EMU secured a spot in the MAC Tournament and evened up the series.
On Sunday, the Eagles were down to their final strike and trailing, 2-0, when they rattled off four straight hits and benefited from sloppy UB defense to score four times in the ninth and sneak away with a 4-2 win. With two runners on, Bo Kinder hit a pinch-hit single to right and ended up making it all the way around the bases on a botched relay throw by Buffalo's first baseman as Kinder tried to stretch his knock into a double. Collin Taylor made his first MAC start Sunday, but settled for a no-decision despite giving up just one earned run in 7.1 innings.
LIVING DANGEROUSLY: EMU's ninth-inning comeback Sunday against Buffalo was not only unexpected, it was downright rare. When trailing headed into the final inning this season, the Eagles are now 3-21. In contrast, the Green and White is 20-1 when it owns the lead with just three outs to make.
WEBER'S WORLD: With another win against Buffalo, May 12, Steve Weber (7-3) moved to 6-0 in his last seven starts which includes four straight wins and has dropped his season ERA from a 7.78 mark after his April 7 outing at Western Michigan to 5.42. The junior right hander earned his first-career complete game in a three-hit, 4-0, shutout of Ball State Saturday, April 21. It marked the first complete game for an EMU pitcher to that point this season.
He was then honored by the MAC as the Co-Pitcher of the Week for a second time in 2012 after tossing a second complete-game shutout in three starts Saturday, May 5, versus Bowling Green. Weber led the Eagles to a 6-0 decision over the Flacons to clinch the series for the Green and White.
GET THOSE BATS GOING: After hitting a season-high .293 batting average following the series against Central Michigan, April 13-15, the EMU bats have cooled a bit to the tune of a .279 clip. Brent Ohrman (.355), Ben Magsig (.314) and Sam Ott (.314) are the only three EMU players batting above .300 despite the Eagles holding the second-best on-base percentage in the MAC (.382). KSU is first in that category at .384.
OHRMAN'S CLAIM TO FAME: With an outstanding senior season, outfielder Brent Ohrman has solidified his spot in the EMU record books. The Adrian, Mich. native is just completed a career-best 23-game hitting streak which extended from March 16-April 26 and also posted a stretch of 26 games in which he reached base safely. With 50 career stolen bases including 18 this season, he is12th all-time at EMU. He is also 13th with 37 career doubles, eighth in runs scored with 146, tied for third in at-bats with 742, and fifth in hits with 226.
MIGHTY MAGSIG: Ben Magsig's team-best 46 walks this season have increased his career total to 113 and have earned him a fifth place on the EMU all-time list in that category. The record for walks in a career is held by EMU great Glenn Gulliver, who received 140 free passes from 1973-76.
The Okemos, Mich. native has notched several other important feats up to this point in 2012. His .493 on-base percentage is the best in the MAC by .043 and his walk total is tops by five free passes. A 32-game on-base streak from March 11-May 12 was the best in his stellar three-year career and was the longest such stretch for an EMU player since Jim Gulliver reached 42 consecutive times in 2009.
TAKE YOUR BASE: EMU is on pace to walk 278 times this season, which would fall just shy of the school's single-season record of 286 set in 1982. In 49 games, the Eagles have drawn a MAC-best 257 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 (233).
Eastern Michigan walked a total of 234 times last season for second-most in the Mid-American Conference to trail only CMU (235).
STOLEN GOODS: Outfielder Brent Ohrman has recorded 18 stolen bases this season to run his career total to 50, 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 six stolen bases to go before catching Whitford Boyd's (1976-79) career mark of 56 for 11th spot.
GO ON, SAMMY: It has been difficult to classify Sam Ott as an infielder, outfielder or designated hitter this season, seeing as how the redshirt sophomore has spent so much time at all three of those positions. A walk-on in 2010, Ott is the only EMU player to start in every game this season and has spent 21 games at first base, 15 in the outfield and 13 as the designated hitter. All the while, Ott maintains the second-best batting average on the team (.314) and put together a 14-game hitting streak earlier this season. He entered the series against Buffalo second in on-base percentage during MAC games (.490).
FREE Audio Broadcast
Live Stats
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com)– The Eastern Michigan University baseball team will play its final non-conference game of the 2012 season Tuesday, May 15, against Kent State University at All-Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m.
EMU AND KSU TO PLAY NON-CONFERENCE TILT IN AVON: All-Pro Freight Stadium will serve as the site for the 2012 Mid-American Conference Tournament May 23-26. The Eagles (24-25; 14-10 MAC) clinched a seventh straight berth into the postseason event with a 2-1 series win over the University at Buffalo, May 11-13, and can finish no lower than the sixth seed. The Golden Flashes (33-17; 21-3 MAC) have already secured top spot in the tournament in runaway fashion by winning all but three MAC contests. Tuesday's game with KSU will not count toward MAC standings.
CHECKERED PAST: The Eagles and Golden Flashes will tangle for the 96th time Tuesday, with KSU holding a 54-41 series edge. These two clubs have faced each other 12 times over the last two seasons including on three occasions in last year's MAC Tournament. In that tournament, EMU won the middle game to force a semifinal rematch with the Golden Flashes before the Eagles were ousted by an 8-0 margin. Under Jay Alexander, the Green and White holds just a 3-12 mark against the three-time defending MAC Tournament champions.
SEE YOU IN AVON: Eastern Michigan's decisive 11-7 win over Buffalo, May 12, clinched the squad a spot in the MAC Tournament for a seventh straight time dating back to 2006. Thanks to a come-from-behind, 4-3 triumph over the Bulls the following afternoon, EMU locked up at least the No. 6 seed. The Eagles enter their final MAC series against West Division leader the University of Toledo by two games and second-place Central Michigan University by one.
Winning the West Division would guarantee the Eagles second place headed into the MAC Tournament since Kent State has already dashed away with top honors.
ONE OR THE OTHER: The MAC Tournament will call a new venue– All-Pro Freight Stadium– home for the first time in five years. From 2008-2011, VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio served as the host site of the event. EMU and KSU were the only two teams to celebrate a MAC Championship in Chilicothe as the Eagles captured the crown in 2008 and the Golden Flashes won the following three years.
FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: Tuesday's non-conference clash between the Eagles and Golden Flashes will mark the first time two MAC teams have played each other inside All-Pro Freight Stadium. EMU has played at the venue located in Avon, Ohio three times since the park opened in 2009 and has racked up a 2-1 record against Cleveland State University. The Vikings uses the stadium as their home ballpark before discontinuing the program after last season.
BIG BULLIES: After sustaining a lopsided 18-3 defeat Friday, May 11, to Buffalo, the Eagles hunkered down to take the final two games from the Bulls by scores of 11-7 and 4-3, respectively. On Saturday, Brent Ohrman posted a 6-for-6 outing and Steve Weber (7-3) notched his fourth straight win as EMU secured a spot in the MAC Tournament and evened up the series.
On Sunday, the Eagles were down to their final strike and trailing, 2-0, when they rattled off four straight hits and benefited from sloppy UB defense to score four times in the ninth and sneak away with a 4-2 win. With two runners on, Bo Kinder hit a pinch-hit single to right and ended up making it all the way around the bases on a botched relay throw by Buffalo's first baseman as Kinder tried to stretch his knock into a double. Collin Taylor made his first MAC start Sunday, but settled for a no-decision despite giving up just one earned run in 7.1 innings.
LIVING DANGEROUSLY: EMU's ninth-inning comeback Sunday against Buffalo was not only unexpected, it was downright rare. When trailing headed into the final inning this season, the Eagles are now 3-21. In contrast, the Green and White is 20-1 when it owns the lead with just three outs to make.
WEBER'S WORLD: With another win against Buffalo, May 12, Steve Weber (7-3) moved to 6-0 in his last seven starts which includes four straight wins and has dropped his season ERA from a 7.78 mark after his April 7 outing at Western Michigan to 5.42. The junior right hander earned his first-career complete game in a three-hit, 4-0, shutout of Ball State Saturday, April 21. It marked the first complete game for an EMU pitcher to that point this season.
He was then honored by the MAC as the Co-Pitcher of the Week for a second time in 2012 after tossing a second complete-game shutout in three starts Saturday, May 5, versus Bowling Green. Weber led the Eagles to a 6-0 decision over the Flacons to clinch the series for the Green and White.
GET THOSE BATS GOING: After hitting a season-high .293 batting average following the series against Central Michigan, April 13-15, the EMU bats have cooled a bit to the tune of a .279 clip. Brent Ohrman (.355), Ben Magsig (.314) and Sam Ott (.314) are the only three EMU players batting above .300 despite the Eagles holding the second-best on-base percentage in the MAC (.382). KSU is first in that category at .384.
OHRMAN'S CLAIM TO FAME: With an outstanding senior season, outfielder Brent Ohrman has solidified his spot in the EMU record books. The Adrian, Mich. native is just completed a career-best 23-game hitting streak which extended from March 16-April 26 and also posted a stretch of 26 games in which he reached base safely. With 50 career stolen bases including 18 this season, he is12th all-time at EMU. He is also 13th with 37 career doubles, eighth in runs scored with 146, tied for third in at-bats with 742, and fifth in hits with 226.
MIGHTY MAGSIG: Ben Magsig's team-best 46 walks this season have increased his career total to 113 and have earned him a fifth place on the EMU all-time list in that category. The record for walks in a career is held by EMU great Glenn Gulliver, who received 140 free passes from 1973-76.
The Okemos, Mich. native has notched several other important feats up to this point in 2012. His .493 on-base percentage is the best in the MAC by .043 and his walk total is tops by five free passes. A 32-game on-base streak from March 11-May 12 was the best in his stellar three-year career and was the longest such stretch for an EMU player since Jim Gulliver reached 42 consecutive times in 2009.
TAKE YOUR BASE: EMU is on pace to walk 278 times this season, which would fall just shy of the school's single-season record of 286 set in 1982. In 49 games, the Eagles have drawn a MAC-best 257 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 (233).
Eastern Michigan walked a total of 234 times last season for second-most in the Mid-American Conference to trail only CMU (235).
STOLEN GOODS: Outfielder Brent Ohrman has recorded 18 stolen bases this season to run his career total to 50, 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 six stolen bases to go before catching Whitford Boyd's (1976-79) career mark of 56 for 11th spot.
GO ON, SAMMY: It has been difficult to classify Sam Ott as an infielder, outfielder or designated hitter this season, seeing as how the redshirt sophomore has spent so much time at all three of those positions. A walk-on in 2010, Ott is the only EMU player to start in every game this season and has spent 21 games at first base, 15 in the outfield and 13 as the designated hitter. All the while, Ott maintains the second-best batting average on the team (.314) and put together a 14-game hitting streak earlier this season. He entered the series against Buffalo second in on-base percentage during MAC games (.490).
16th Annual EMU Baseball Golf Outing
Sunday, October 05
Oestrike Stadium Turf Replacement Time lapse
Friday, October 03
Oestrike Stadium Upgrades Reveal
Thursday, October 02
Alumni Achievement Award - Anthony Tomey
Friday, September 26