Eastern Michigan Athletics
Saturday, March 8
Cincinnati, Ohio
5:30 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
vs
Youngstown State
Photo by: Walt Middleton Photography
Baseball Adds Two Games This Weekend
3/7/2014 5:59:00 PM | Baseball
Eagles begin the weekend against Youngstown State Saturday, March 8, at 5:30 p.m. in Cincinnati, Ohio
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- After cancelling the weekend series at the University of Evansville due to inclement weather, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team will attempt to play a pair of games down in Cincinnati, Ohio, March 8 and 9. The Green and White will square off against Youngstown State University Saturday, March 8, at Marge Schott Stadium on the campus of the University of Cincinnati. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. following a game between YSU and UC.
The Eagles and Penguins will be meeting on the diamond for the first time in the history of the two programs. EMU enters the contest with a 4-7 record while YSU is 1-7 on the 2014 campaign.
On Sunday, March 9, Eastern will face either YSU again or Cincinnati. That matchup is set to begin at 4:30 p.m. after another contest between the Bearcats and Penguins.
LEADERS OF THE MAC: Through the first two and a half weeks of the 2014 season, the EMU bats have proven to become a huge threat to opposing pitchers. Eastern leads the MAC in several hitting categories: runs (75), doubles (29), RBI (75) and walks (49). Moreover, the Eagles rank second in the conference in steals (20). Individually, three Eagles top the MAC charts. Sam Ott leads the league in runs scored (13), and fellow co-captain Adam Sonabend paces the conference with 11 walks on the season. Lee Longo leads the MAC with nine doubles while his 18 hits and 30 total bases are second out of all MAC hitters.
LONGO LEADS THE NATION: First baseman Lee Longo has had an incredible start to his final season as an Eagle. As of March 3, 2014, Longo leads the nation in doubles as he is the only NCAA Division I baseball player who has recorded nine two-baggers just three weeks into the season. Overall, the two-time MAC West Player of the Week paces a team that is fourth in the country in doubles. The Eagles' mark of 29 doubles during the 2014 campaign is just four behind national leader Georgia Southern. Not only does Longo lead the country in doubles, but he also is the team leader in nearly every batting category: Average (.419), hits (18), doubles (9), RBI (12), slugging percentage (.698), hit by pitch (4) and on-base percentage (.468).
IRON MAN OTT: EMU looks to have its own Cal Ripkin Jr. as one Eagle has emerged as a baseball iron man. Since the end of his redshirt-freshman season in 2011, Sam Ott has started every game for Head Coach Jay Alexander. The Canton, Mich. native started the last 18 games of the 2011 season while starting all 110 games his sophomore and junior campaigns. He got in the lineup for all 56 games in 2012 primarily as the designated hitter while he had 54 starts in 2013 with the majority of them coming in right field. To kick off the 2014 slate, Ott has started all 11 games in right field to total 139 straight starts and counting for the EMU redshirt-senior.
Ott is one-of-23 NCAA Division I baseball players that boats an active streak of over 100 starts. His 139 consecutive starts rank eighth in that category behind: Ryan Lindemuth, William & Mary (181), Justin Glass, Cincinnati (178), Jordan Betts, Duke (177), Ethan Gross, Memphis (163), Ross Kivett, Rutgers (154) and John Howell, Binghamton (152).
WEATHER CAUSES CHANGES: Weather has wreaked havoc on the early baseball season as the Green and White has had to make several changes to the original schedule. First, unplayable field conditions at UT Martin forced the three-game series to be moved to a neutral site in Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 21-23. Two days later, Feb. 25, the Eagles faced Austin Peay in a doubleheader that was supposed to be two games on back-to-back days. Remaining in the south, EMU was scheduled to play three games over three days against No. 30 Kentucky. While the three games were played, the series finale was moved up one day, making the two teams play a doubleheader Saturday March 1. Finally, the two-game set against Morehead State, scheduled March 4-5, was called off due to snow covering the field.
THE MOST IMPORTANT INNING: A good indicator of the outcomes of EMU baseball games this season is to see how the Eagles fare after the sixth inning. The Green and White is 3-0 when leading after the sixth as well as 1-0 when tied with its opponent through the first two-thirds of the game. In contrast, Eastern is 0-7 when they are behind through six innings of play.
NOTABLE STREAKS: Two-time MAC West Player of the Week Lee Longo extended his streak to 19-straight games of reaching base, dating back to last season. Catcher Adam Sonabend has the next longest streak with eight in-a-row as the team co-captain is the conference leader in walks. Teammate Mitchell McGeein also has found a way to get on base in the past seven contests.
FIELDING WOES: While the EMU bats have been on fire to begin the season, the same cannot be said for the Eagles' gloves. Through 11 games, Eastern has committed 26 errors that have led to 26 unearned runs by EMU pitching. In back-to-back Sunday contests, errors in the eighth inning have propelled the opposition ahead, leading to losses for the Green and White. Clemson scored three runs on EMU miscues, Feb. 16, while UT Martin followed with a pair of runs on Eastern errors, Feb. 23. EMU's .941 fielding percentage ranks 11th in the MAC.
LEFT FIELD PLATOON: While Head Coach Jay Alexander has been comfortable with the majority of his starting lineup this season, there is one position where changes have been made frequently. Four different Eagles have started in left field through the first 11 games of the season. Dae Bowden leads the platoon with five starts while Michael Mioduszewski's three starts follow closely behind the senior veteran. When he has been the team's designated hitter, Adam Dennison has made two starts in left field while teammate Jackson Martin earned a start against UT Martin, Feb. 22.
The Eagles and Penguins will be meeting on the diamond for the first time in the history of the two programs. EMU enters the contest with a 4-7 record while YSU is 1-7 on the 2014 campaign.
On Sunday, March 9, Eastern will face either YSU again or Cincinnati. That matchup is set to begin at 4:30 p.m. after another contest between the Bearcats and Penguins.
LEADERS OF THE MAC: Through the first two and a half weeks of the 2014 season, the EMU bats have proven to become a huge threat to opposing pitchers. Eastern leads the MAC in several hitting categories: runs (75), doubles (29), RBI (75) and walks (49). Moreover, the Eagles rank second in the conference in steals (20). Individually, three Eagles top the MAC charts. Sam Ott leads the league in runs scored (13), and fellow co-captain Adam Sonabend paces the conference with 11 walks on the season. Lee Longo leads the MAC with nine doubles while his 18 hits and 30 total bases are second out of all MAC hitters.
LONGO LEADS THE NATION: First baseman Lee Longo has had an incredible start to his final season as an Eagle. As of March 3, 2014, Longo leads the nation in doubles as he is the only NCAA Division I baseball player who has recorded nine two-baggers just three weeks into the season. Overall, the two-time MAC West Player of the Week paces a team that is fourth in the country in doubles. The Eagles' mark of 29 doubles during the 2014 campaign is just four behind national leader Georgia Southern. Not only does Longo lead the country in doubles, but he also is the team leader in nearly every batting category: Average (.419), hits (18), doubles (9), RBI (12), slugging percentage (.698), hit by pitch (4) and on-base percentage (.468).
IRON MAN OTT: EMU looks to have its own Cal Ripkin Jr. as one Eagle has emerged as a baseball iron man. Since the end of his redshirt-freshman season in 2011, Sam Ott has started every game for Head Coach Jay Alexander. The Canton, Mich. native started the last 18 games of the 2011 season while starting all 110 games his sophomore and junior campaigns. He got in the lineup for all 56 games in 2012 primarily as the designated hitter while he had 54 starts in 2013 with the majority of them coming in right field. To kick off the 2014 slate, Ott has started all 11 games in right field to total 139 straight starts and counting for the EMU redshirt-senior.
Ott is one-of-23 NCAA Division I baseball players that boats an active streak of over 100 starts. His 139 consecutive starts rank eighth in that category behind: Ryan Lindemuth, William & Mary (181), Justin Glass, Cincinnati (178), Jordan Betts, Duke (177), Ethan Gross, Memphis (163), Ross Kivett, Rutgers (154) and John Howell, Binghamton (152).
WEATHER CAUSES CHANGES: Weather has wreaked havoc on the early baseball season as the Green and White has had to make several changes to the original schedule. First, unplayable field conditions at UT Martin forced the three-game series to be moved to a neutral site in Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 21-23. Two days later, Feb. 25, the Eagles faced Austin Peay in a doubleheader that was supposed to be two games on back-to-back days. Remaining in the south, EMU was scheduled to play three games over three days against No. 30 Kentucky. While the three games were played, the series finale was moved up one day, making the two teams play a doubleheader Saturday March 1. Finally, the two-game set against Morehead State, scheduled March 4-5, was called off due to snow covering the field.
THE MOST IMPORTANT INNING: A good indicator of the outcomes of EMU baseball games this season is to see how the Eagles fare after the sixth inning. The Green and White is 3-0 when leading after the sixth as well as 1-0 when tied with its opponent through the first two-thirds of the game. In contrast, Eastern is 0-7 when they are behind through six innings of play.
NOTABLE STREAKS: Two-time MAC West Player of the Week Lee Longo extended his streak to 19-straight games of reaching base, dating back to last season. Catcher Adam Sonabend has the next longest streak with eight in-a-row as the team co-captain is the conference leader in walks. Teammate Mitchell McGeein also has found a way to get on base in the past seven contests.
FIELDING WOES: While the EMU bats have been on fire to begin the season, the same cannot be said for the Eagles' gloves. Through 11 games, Eastern has committed 26 errors that have led to 26 unearned runs by EMU pitching. In back-to-back Sunday contests, errors in the eighth inning have propelled the opposition ahead, leading to losses for the Green and White. Clemson scored three runs on EMU miscues, Feb. 16, while UT Martin followed with a pair of runs on Eastern errors, Feb. 23. EMU's .941 fielding percentage ranks 11th in the MAC.
LEFT FIELD PLATOON: While Head Coach Jay Alexander has been comfortable with the majority of his starting lineup this season, there is one position where changes have been made frequently. Four different Eagles have started in left field through the first 11 games of the season. Dae Bowden leads the platoon with five starts while Michael Mioduszewski's three starts follow closely behind the senior veteran. When he has been the team's designated hitter, Adam Dennison has made two starts in left field while teammate Jackson Martin earned a start against UT Martin, Feb. 22.
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