Eagles Flock to Ohio for Series with Bobcats

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University baseball team hits the Mid-American Conference road after hosting the two previous conference series. Eastern (14-24, 2-13 MAC), fresh off a 14-6 non-conference victory over Hillsdale, April 22, will head to Athens, Ohio, to battle the Bobcats of Ohio University (6-31, 2-13 MAC), April 25-27. The series opener begins at 7 p.m. Friday, April 25, and the cross-divisional affair continues April 26 with a 3 p.m. first pitch. The finale at Bob Wren Stadium is scheduled to take place Sunday, April 27, at 1 p.m.

GREEN AND WHITE SERIES HISTORY: EMU leads the all-time series against Ohio, 63-48, as well as taking two-of-three in a set at Oestrike Stadium last season, March 29-31, 2013. The Bobcats took the opener, 5-3, in 13 innings, the longest game of the 2013 campaign for Eastern. Despite dropping the first contest of the series, the Eagles battled back to claim victories in the final two games, 5-4 and 13-6. Sam Ott knocked in six runs during the series, including belting a two-run homer in the finale. Teammate John Rubino had a strong series, batting at a .400 clip. Under the leadership of Head Coach Jay Alexander, EMU is an even 5-5 against OU. The last time the Green and White made the trip to Athens, the Bobcats won two-of-three in the 2012 regular season series.

AN OUTLOOK ON OHIO: It has been a tough season for the Bobcats, who will enter the cross-divisional series with a 6-31 mark, including a 2-13 record in MAC play. Mitch Longo, the brother of EMU first baseman Lee Longo, leads the OU bats in nearly every statistical category. The freshman is hitting .346 at the plate with team-highs in doubles (7), triples (2), home runs (2), RBI (16), total bases (63), slugging percentage (.474), on base percentage (.416) and steals (7). Jake Madsen follows Longo in the offensive categories but holds a Bobcat-best 48 hits throughout the 2014 campaign.

On the mound, the Bobcats have three right-handed arms that make up their weekend rotation. Freshman Jake Roehn is projected to start the series opener with a 2-6 record to go along with a 4.22 ERA and a team-high 45 strikeouts. Fellow classmate Jake Rudnicki (2-2, 3.93 ERA) will get the ball on Saturday, April 26, while sophomore Connor Sitz will close out the three-game set in search of his first win of the season (0-7, 5.60 ERA).

BATTLE OF THE LONGO BROTHERS: When the Eagles and Bobcats face off on the diamond this weekend, a pair of brothers will gaze across the field to see the other in the opposing dugout. EMU senior Lee Longo will travel to the stomping grounds of his younger brother, Ohio freshman Mitch Longo. Throughout the season, the Longo brothers have led their respective teams at the plate. Lee is finishing up a stellar EMU career, while Mitch is just beginning a promising one at Ohio. Looking at the side-by-side comparison, it seems that the elder Longo's experience at the collegiate level has given him the upper hand in the majority of the statistical categories.

Longo vs. Longo: Tale of the Tape

   Name        Team   AVG GP-GS   AB   R   H   2B   3B HR RBI TB   SLG% BB HP OB%
Lee Longo    EMU   .371   37-37   140   28 52   16   1    1   35   73   .521    5   10   .424
Mitch Longo Ohio   .346   34-34   133   14   46   7      2   2   16    63    .474     13   3   .416

A CHANGE AT LEADOFF: Six games ago, EMU Head Coach Jay Alexander decided to mix things up by inserting one of his best hitters, Sam Ott, into the leadoff position to try and spark the EMU offense. The starting right fielder, who usually bats in the three hole, has made a comfortable transition to the new spot in the order, doing his job by finding different ways to get on base. Since the switch, Ott has led the team with a .483 on-base percentage, including a team-high six walks. Ott's six walks are four more than any other Eagle in the five-game stretch since he has taken the leadoff spot in the order. As the first slugger at the dish for the Green and White, Ott is hitting at a .318 clip.

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES: In EMU's 14-6 victory over Hillsdale, April 22, three Eagles not in the everyday lineup took advantage of their playing opportunities in the mid-week contest. Freshman John Montgomery had the best game of his young career to the tune of two runs, two RBI and two hits, including a double that nearly cleared the fence for what would have been a grand slam. Another freshman, Andrew Mallon, contributed with a single in the seventh for his first collegiate hit as well as his first two RBI as an Eagle. Ann Arbor, Mich. native Miles Sorise took advantage of his playing time with a pair of extra-base hits, one of them being his first career triple.

DOUBLING DOWN: Two current Eagles are climbing up the program's all-time doubles list. Seniors Lee Longo and Sam Ott have recorded 49 and 47 doubles, respectively throughout their careers at Eastern, ranking fourth and fifth in EMU laurels. Longo leads the team in doubles this season with 16 while Ott has smacked nine two-baggers throughout the 2014 campaign. Ott is tied with Scott Barrett, and the two are chasing Derrick Peterson, who sits in third with 54 career doubles, looking to reach his total before season's end. Eastern Michigan hit king Zack Leonard holds the all-time record with 63 doubles during his four-year career.

LOVE SCHAAK'S STRIKEOUTS: Head Coach Jay Alexander and pitching coach Eric Peterson have to be pleased with the strikeout rate of senior southpaw Paul Schaak. In four of his seven appearances this season, the Winkler, Manitoba native has struck out six-or-more opposing hitters, including a season-high seven strikeouts in 3.2 innings against Austin Peay, Feb. 25. In the Eagles' latest victory over Michigan, April 16, Schaak lasted a season-long six innings and set down six Wolverines on strikes. The lefty has 32 strikeouts on the season, including 15 looking, both team highs. After a week in which he held a 1.59 ERA, Schaak has dropped his earned run average down to the lowest on the EMU pitching staff at 2.84.

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 11-1 when leading after the sixth as well as 3-1 when tied with its opponent through the first two-thirds of the game. In contrast, the Eagles are 0-22 when they are behind through six innings of play. Moreover, Eastern is currently outscoring the opposition, 33-15, in the sixth inning.

LEE'S CLUTCH HITTING: When the Eagles need a hit with runners on base, there is not anyone that Head Coach Jay Alexander would rather have at the plate than senior first baseman Lee Longo. While he leads the team with a .371 average at the plate, the Mayfield, Ohio native thrives in pressure situations. With runners in scoring position, Longo is batting an impressive .463 (25-for-54), including a .667 clip of knocking in the runner on third with less than two outs (8-for-12). Another impressive stat is Longo's clutch hitting; with two outs in the inning as he has hit at an incredible .531 rate (26-for-49) with 20 RBI.

FINDING THE NATIONAL RANKS: The EMU sluggers have found the charts in the the latest national rankings (April 21, 2014). Eastern's highest rank is 34th with 1.97 doubles per game, trailing nation-leading William & Mary which averages 2.95 per contest. In terms of total doubles, EMU's 73 two-base hits are 45th in the country, 42 behind the top mark. Tallying 5.8 runs per game, the Green and White is the 83rd-best scoring team in the nation. The Eagles also have been effective on the base path, stealing 1.57 bases per game, which stands at No. 36 in all of NCAA Division I baseball.

IRON MAN OTT: EMU looks to have its own Cal Ripken, 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 38 games in right field to total 166 straight starts and counting for the EMU redshirt-senior. Ott is one-of-27 NCAA Division I baseball players that boasts an active streak of over 100 starts. His 166 consecutive starts rank sixth in that category behind: Ryan Lindemuth, William & Mary (210); Justin Glass, Cincinnati (207); Ethan Gross, Memphis (193); Ross Kivett, Kansas State (192); Nick Favatella, Rutgers (183).

BETTER WITH DUCKS ON THE POND: With runners on the base, the pressure may seem to rise for hitters as they try to find a way to get their teammates around to score. However, the Eagles welcome the pressure by hitting at a better average with runners on than with the bases empty. EMU sluggers are hitting at a .300 clip with Eagles on the base path, including a .342 average with the bases loaded. When the bases are empty, Eastern is hitting .227 as a team.

LONGO LEADS THE WAY: First baseman Lee Longo has had an incredible start to his final season as an Eagle. He is the team leader in multiple hitting categories, pacing the Green and White in batting average (.371), hits (52), RBI (35), total bases (73), doubles (16), hit by pitch (10), slugging percentage (.521) and on base percentage (.424). Moreover, Longo's stats have found the top of the Mid-American Conference rankings. His 16 doubles are tied for the most in the conference while he ranks fourth in the MAC in RBI and total bases. Longo is also tied for fifth in slugging percentage and sixth in hits.

FIVE GAMES IN SIX DAYS: Following the weekend road trip to Ohio, the Green and White will return home for a pair of mid-week non-conference contests. EMU will host in-state foe Madonna, April 29, in search of the program's 500th win at Oestrike Stadium. The next day, April 30, the Eagles will welcome fellow MAC member Bowling Green for a rare non-conference matchup between two MAC institutions. Eastern will wrap up the week with a three-game set at Western Michigan, May 2-4, in a MAC West showdown.

Eastern Michigan Athletics

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