Eastern Michigan Athletics
Tuesday, March 5
Columbia, Mo.
4 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Missouri
EMU Baseball Set for Pair Against Missouri, March 6
3/4/2013 4:07:00 PM | Baseball
Eagles look to keep Mizzou winless in Tigers' home-opening series
COLUMBIA, Mo. (EMUEagles.com) – Following a successful weekend away from Ypsilanti, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team continues its season-opening road trip with a pair of games against the University of Missouri Wednesday, March 6, beginning at 1 p.m. The Eagles (3-7) will face the winless Tigers (0-6) in a doubleheader for Mizzou's home opener at Taylor Stadium.
ALL-TIME WITH THE TIGERS: The Eagles and Tigers last met in 2005, when the Green and White took one game in a four-game set at Taylor Stadium. Over 14 all-time contests between the two programs, Mizzou holds a 10-4 series lead and has won eight of the last 10 games. Back in 2005, current Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Max Scherzer started the game one of the series, and struck out 13 Eagles batters in a 7-1 victory.
BY COMPARISON: From an offensive standpoint, the Eagles and Tigers are at the opposite ends of the spectrum early on this season. EMU is batting .265 as a team with four players averaging .333 or better. The Green and White also get on base at a .343 clip. Mizzou has only one starter with an above .300 batting average (Dylan Kelly; .412) and reaches base at a collective .278 pace.
The two squads' pitching staffs are comparable, with Mizzou holding down a 5.25 team ERA and Eastern Michigan a 5.53 team mark. Opponents have batted .268 against Tigers pitching through six games and .277 against the Eagles after 10 contests.
FIRING SQUAD: Three EMU hitters batted at a better-than .400 clip in the four-game set against the Jayhawks. Adam Sonabend hit an even .500 (7-for-14) with seven singles and a pair of RBI. Jamie Simpson cranked out six hits including a double to go 6-for-13 (.462) with a trio of walks and two RBI. Sam Ott hit .438 (7-for-16) including a homer and a double. He also racked up five RBI, five runs scored and 11 total bases.
BUTARA FINDS IT VERSUS KANSAS: After starting the year 0-2, senior starter Neil Butara (1-2) notched his first victory of 2013 in EMU's 6-4 win against Kansas, March 1. Butara kept Jayhawks hitters off balance for seven innings, scattering just seven hits and giving up one earned run with five strikeouts.
THE KID'S GOT POWER: Freshman infielder Mitchell McGeein launched his second homer of the season, a two-run shot, in the fifth inning of EMU's 11-6 victory against Kansas, March 3. McGeein has provided two-thirds of Eastern Michigan's home runs this year, with Sam Ott counting as the only other player to have one.
EAGLES AND JAYHAWKS SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE: Eastern Michigan and Kansas played to a 2-2 series draw over the weekend, March 1-3, at QuikTrip Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. The Eagles won the opener and the finale by scores of 6-4 and 11-6, respectively, while the Jayhawks got the better of EMU in a Saturday doubleheader, 5-4 (10 innings) and 8-0. The series was close in several categories including: runs scored (23-21 KU), hits (40-37 KU), strikeouts (28-27 EMU) and walks (16-15 KU).
Despite a rash of hit batters and wild pitches from both pitching staffs, the two clubs combined to commit only three errors the entire weekend.
TEN GAME BAROMETER: Just as in 2012, the Eagles completed their first 10 games of the regular season with a 3-7 record. EMU hitters are averaging .265 at the dish compared with a .264 mark last season. Defensively, the Green and White has committed three less errors (16) than a year ago for a .957 fielding percentage. The biggest improvement has been on the mound, where the 2013 Eagles' 5.53 team ERA is nearly two full runs better than 2012's 10-game mark of 7.26.
THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT: As a staff, EMU pitchers have combined to hit 21 batters with arrant pitches this season. Seven opposing batters have been plunked by EMU starters, while the remaining 14 have been grazed and stung by relievers.
ALL-TIME WITH THE TIGERS: The Eagles and Tigers last met in 2005, when the Green and White took one game in a four-game set at Taylor Stadium. Over 14 all-time contests between the two programs, Mizzou holds a 10-4 series lead and has won eight of the last 10 games. Back in 2005, current Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Max Scherzer started the game one of the series, and struck out 13 Eagles batters in a 7-1 victory.
BY COMPARISON: From an offensive standpoint, the Eagles and Tigers are at the opposite ends of the spectrum early on this season. EMU is batting .265 as a team with four players averaging .333 or better. The Green and White also get on base at a .343 clip. Mizzou has only one starter with an above .300 batting average (Dylan Kelly; .412) and reaches base at a collective .278 pace.
The two squads' pitching staffs are comparable, with Mizzou holding down a 5.25 team ERA and Eastern Michigan a 5.53 team mark. Opponents have batted .268 against Tigers pitching through six games and .277 against the Eagles after 10 contests.
FIRING SQUAD: Three EMU hitters batted at a better-than .400 clip in the four-game set against the Jayhawks. Adam Sonabend hit an even .500 (7-for-14) with seven singles and a pair of RBI. Jamie Simpson cranked out six hits including a double to go 6-for-13 (.462) with a trio of walks and two RBI. Sam Ott hit .438 (7-for-16) including a homer and a double. He also racked up five RBI, five runs scored and 11 total bases.
BUTARA FINDS IT VERSUS KANSAS: After starting the year 0-2, senior starter Neil Butara (1-2) notched his first victory of 2013 in EMU's 6-4 win against Kansas, March 1. Butara kept Jayhawks hitters off balance for seven innings, scattering just seven hits and giving up one earned run with five strikeouts.
THE KID'S GOT POWER: Freshman infielder Mitchell McGeein launched his second homer of the season, a two-run shot, in the fifth inning of EMU's 11-6 victory against Kansas, March 3. McGeein has provided two-thirds of Eastern Michigan's home runs this year, with Sam Ott counting as the only other player to have one.
EAGLES AND JAYHAWKS SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE: Eastern Michigan and Kansas played to a 2-2 series draw over the weekend, March 1-3, at QuikTrip Park in Grand Prairie, Texas. The Eagles won the opener and the finale by scores of 6-4 and 11-6, respectively, while the Jayhawks got the better of EMU in a Saturday doubleheader, 5-4 (10 innings) and 8-0. The series was close in several categories including: runs scored (23-21 KU), hits (40-37 KU), strikeouts (28-27 EMU) and walks (16-15 KU).
Despite a rash of hit batters and wild pitches from both pitching staffs, the two clubs combined to commit only three errors the entire weekend.
TEN GAME BAROMETER: Just as in 2012, the Eagles completed their first 10 games of the regular season with a 3-7 record. EMU hitters are averaging .265 at the dish compared with a .264 mark last season. Defensively, the Green and White has committed three less errors (16) than a year ago for a .957 fielding percentage. The biggest improvement has been on the mound, where the 2013 Eagles' 5.53 team ERA is nearly two full runs better than 2012's 10-game mark of 7.26.
THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT: As a staff, EMU pitchers have combined to hit 21 batters with arrant pitches this season. Seven opposing batters have been plunked by EMU starters, while the remaining 14 have been grazed and stung by relievers.
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