Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, March 22
Oxford, Ohio
4 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Miami
Photo by: EMU Athletics/Randy Mascharka
Eagles and RedHawks Square Off in MAC Opener, March 22-23
3/21/2013 12:35:00 PM | Baseball
Friday's game moved to 4 p.m., doubleheader Saturday at noon
Complete Release (.pdf)
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team opens the 2013 Mid-American Conference slate Friday-Saturday, March 22-23, against Miami University at McKie Field at Hayden Park. Friday's contest is slated for a 4 p.m. start, while Saturday will feature a doubleheader beginning at noon.
The Eagles (9-10) have played solid baseball lately, winning six of their last seven games despite having to play 19 consecutive road games. Miami (7-10) is coming off a pair of losses after being swept in a home-and-home set with Indiana Tuesday and Wednesday, March 19-20.
DON'T THINK WE'VE FORGOTTEN: Eastern Michigan and Miami will be meeting for the 102nd time Friday evening. The Eagles own a 57-44 advantage in the all-time series, but it was the RedHawks who prevailed in the last meeting, 2-1, May 24, 2012, in an extra-innings affair at the MAC Tournament. In that game, Steve Weber, tied a tournament record with 10 innings pitched, but his complete-game effort ended with a loss as the No. 7 RedHawks scored the winning run in the 10th to hand the No. 6 Eagles their first loss of the competition.
These two clubs also kicked off the 2012 MAC season, March 23-25, at Oestrike Stadium, where the Eagles took two-of-three games. Miami won the first game, 9-1, but the Eagles claimed 3-1 and 4-2 victories to take the series.
EAGLES TABBED THIRD IN MAC WEST DIVISION: The Eagles were picked by the Mid-American Conference coaches to finish third in the West Division in 2013. Central Michigan earned 65 points to be tabbed as preseason favorites followed by division champion Toledo (60), Eastern Michigan (54), Western Michigan (36), Ball State (23), and Northern Illinois (15).
In the East, defending conference champion and 2012 College World Series participant Kent State was chosen to repeat as East Division champions, garnering 72 points. The Golden Flashes were followed by Miami (58), Bowling Green (44), Ohio (34), Akron (25) and Buffalo (19).
Kent State was also picked to repeat as tournament champions for a fifth-straight year, earning nine of the 12 first place votes. Three additional teams – Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan and Toledo – each received one vote.
SETTING THE PACE: The Green and White rank in the top-half of MAC teams in several critical categories including batting average (third; .267), on-base percentage (third; .355), ERA (fifth; 5.15) and opponent batting average (fourth; .276).
Individually, Sam Ott is first in the conference with Buffalo's Jason Kanzler for hits with 19 and second in slugging percentage (.532). Ott is also tied for third in runs scored (16) and owns the third-most RBI (15) while sharing the fourth-best on-base percentage (.430) with teammate Adam Sonabend.
Jamie Simpson's three home runs are tied for second in the MAC, while Daniel Russell holds the third-best output for walks (14). On the mound, Joe Battistelli's three saves rank third; one shy of a conference-best four.
MAC TEAMS STRUGGLE IN NON-CONFERENCE GAMES: As a whole, the 12 MAC teams have struggled in non-conference games through the first month of the season, amassing a 75-143 record for a .344 winning percentage. The Eagles enter the first weekend of MAC play with the third-best ledger of any conference team at 9-10. Buffalo (10-9) and Ball State (10-8) are the only two clubs with winning records headed into conference action.
THE PERILS OF WINTER: The Eagles and Michigan Wolverines were poised to ring in the first day of Spring Wednesday, March 20, with a 3 p.m. game at Oestrike Stadium. However, due to continued wintry weather conditions, the Eagles were forced to postpone the game to a date yet to be determined. Wednesday's postponement was one of several this season, as series against Campbell, Washington State, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Morehead State, Butler and Northern Kentucky have all been altered in some fashion due to unsuitable weather. The only series that went completely according to plan was the three-game set against Cincinnati, March 8-10.
DAMAGE AT THE DISH: Ten EMU players have posted at least one two-hit game this season and nine have notched a multiple RBI game at least once. Sam Ott, who also had a nine-game hitting streak earlier this year, has the most multi-hit games (10) and multi-RBI games (four) of any EMU player this year, while Jamie Simpson has six games of two hits-or-more and Lee Longo and Adam Sonabend each have five.
CLUTCH NUMBERS: Head Coach Jay Alexander's club is quickly building a killer instinct at the plate. EMU is batting a blistering .614 with runners on third and less than two out. With the bases loaded, the Eagles are batting .300 (6-for-20) thanks in large part to Jamie Simpson's 3-for-4 showing in that situation.
BATTISTELLI RACKING UP THE SAVES: Senior hurler Joe Battistelli notched his 14th-career save and third of the season in a 10-9 win against Butler, March 17. Battistelli moved into a second-place tie all-time in EMU history with Matt Shoemaker, who posted 14 saves from 2007-08. Steve Herbst (1992-95) had the most saves (23) of any Eagles' pitcher from 1992-95.
SPEND EASTER WEEKEND WITH THE EAGLES: The Green and White open up its home conference slate against Ohio Easter weekend, March 29-31. The three-game series will mark the first of five MAC series at Oestrike Stadium in 2013, with games against Buffalo (April 12-14), Western Michigan (April 19-21), Ball State (May 3-5) and Toledo (May 16-18) also on the docket for Jay Alexander's club.
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team opens the 2013 Mid-American Conference slate Friday-Saturday, March 22-23, against Miami University at McKie Field at Hayden Park. Friday's contest is slated for a 4 p.m. start, while Saturday will feature a doubleheader beginning at noon.
The Eagles (9-10) have played solid baseball lately, winning six of their last seven games despite having to play 19 consecutive road games. Miami (7-10) is coming off a pair of losses after being swept in a home-and-home set with Indiana Tuesday and Wednesday, March 19-20.
DON'T THINK WE'VE FORGOTTEN: Eastern Michigan and Miami will be meeting for the 102nd time Friday evening. The Eagles own a 57-44 advantage in the all-time series, but it was the RedHawks who prevailed in the last meeting, 2-1, May 24, 2012, in an extra-innings affair at the MAC Tournament. In that game, Steve Weber, tied a tournament record with 10 innings pitched, but his complete-game effort ended with a loss as the No. 7 RedHawks scored the winning run in the 10th to hand the No. 6 Eagles their first loss of the competition.
These two clubs also kicked off the 2012 MAC season, March 23-25, at Oestrike Stadium, where the Eagles took two-of-three games. Miami won the first game, 9-1, but the Eagles claimed 3-1 and 4-2 victories to take the series.
EAGLES TABBED THIRD IN MAC WEST DIVISION: The Eagles were picked by the Mid-American Conference coaches to finish third in the West Division in 2013. Central Michigan earned 65 points to be tabbed as preseason favorites followed by division champion Toledo (60), Eastern Michigan (54), Western Michigan (36), Ball State (23), and Northern Illinois (15).
In the East, defending conference champion and 2012 College World Series participant Kent State was chosen to repeat as East Division champions, garnering 72 points. The Golden Flashes were followed by Miami (58), Bowling Green (44), Ohio (34), Akron (25) and Buffalo (19).
Kent State was also picked to repeat as tournament champions for a fifth-straight year, earning nine of the 12 first place votes. Three additional teams – Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan and Toledo – each received one vote.
SETTING THE PACE: The Green and White rank in the top-half of MAC teams in several critical categories including batting average (third; .267), on-base percentage (third; .355), ERA (fifth; 5.15) and opponent batting average (fourth; .276).
Individually, Sam Ott is first in the conference with Buffalo's Jason Kanzler for hits with 19 and second in slugging percentage (.532). Ott is also tied for third in runs scored (16) and owns the third-most RBI (15) while sharing the fourth-best on-base percentage (.430) with teammate Adam Sonabend.
Jamie Simpson's three home runs are tied for second in the MAC, while Daniel Russell holds the third-best output for walks (14). On the mound, Joe Battistelli's three saves rank third; one shy of a conference-best four.
MAC TEAMS STRUGGLE IN NON-CONFERENCE GAMES: As a whole, the 12 MAC teams have struggled in non-conference games through the first month of the season, amassing a 75-143 record for a .344 winning percentage. The Eagles enter the first weekend of MAC play with the third-best ledger of any conference team at 9-10. Buffalo (10-9) and Ball State (10-8) are the only two clubs with winning records headed into conference action.
THE PERILS OF WINTER: The Eagles and Michigan Wolverines were poised to ring in the first day of Spring Wednesday, March 20, with a 3 p.m. game at Oestrike Stadium. However, due to continued wintry weather conditions, the Eagles were forced to postpone the game to a date yet to be determined. Wednesday's postponement was one of several this season, as series against Campbell, Washington State, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Morehead State, Butler and Northern Kentucky have all been altered in some fashion due to unsuitable weather. The only series that went completely according to plan was the three-game set against Cincinnati, March 8-10.
DAMAGE AT THE DISH: Ten EMU players have posted at least one two-hit game this season and nine have notched a multiple RBI game at least once. Sam Ott, who also had a nine-game hitting streak earlier this year, has the most multi-hit games (10) and multi-RBI games (four) of any EMU player this year, while Jamie Simpson has six games of two hits-or-more and Lee Longo and Adam Sonabend each have five.
CLUTCH NUMBERS: Head Coach Jay Alexander's club is quickly building a killer instinct at the plate. EMU is batting a blistering .614 with runners on third and less than two out. With the bases loaded, the Eagles are batting .300 (6-for-20) thanks in large part to Jamie Simpson's 3-for-4 showing in that situation.
BATTISTELLI RACKING UP THE SAVES: Senior hurler Joe Battistelli notched his 14th-career save and third of the season in a 10-9 win against Butler, March 17. Battistelli moved into a second-place tie all-time in EMU history with Matt Shoemaker, who posted 14 saves from 2007-08. Steve Herbst (1992-95) had the most saves (23) of any Eagles' pitcher from 1992-95.
SPEND EASTER WEEKEND WITH THE EAGLES: The Green and White open up its home conference slate against Ohio Easter weekend, March 29-31. The three-game series will mark the first of five MAC series at Oestrike Stadium in 2013, with games against Buffalo (April 12-14), Western Michigan (April 19-21), Ball State (May 3-5) and Toledo (May 16-18) also on the docket for Jay Alexander's club.
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