Baseball Opens the Van Ameyde Era This Weekend in Arizona

TUCSON, ARIZ. (EMUEagles.com) -- With winter all but winding down, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team begins its season Friday, Feb. 13, as the Eagles trek to Tucson, Ariz. to battle the University of Arizona.
   Game one gets underway Friday afternoon at Hi Corbett Field at 6 p.m. MT. Saturday's game is slated for a 4 p.m. MT start, while Sunday's action will begin at 12 p.m. MT.

THE SERIES: Eastern Michigan and Arizona will meet for the 12th time Friday, with the Wildcats holding a 10-1 series advantage. The Eagles and Wildcats first met in the finals of the 1976 College World Series, when Arizona claimed its first national title in school history with a 7-1 win over the Eagles.
   The teams last met in 2012, with UA sweeping the three-game set, March 9-11.
   EMU's win against Arizona came in the 2007 campaign, when the Green and White claimed a 7-5 victory. The two clubs also met in 2008, when the Wildcats posted a 13-7 win in the consolation bracket of NCAA Tournament's Ann Arbor Region.

ON THE MOUND: This weekend's series with the Wildcats will test the EMU bats against some of the stingier pitchers in collegiate baseball. On Friday, Ryan Lavoie (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will square off against Wildcats' ace Austin Schnabel (0-0, 0.00 ERA). Saturday will pit Charlie Land (0-0, 0.00 ERA) against Robby Medel (0-0, 0.00 ERA), while Sunday features Jake Andrews (0-0, 0.00 ERA) battling Tyger Talley (0-0, 0.00 ERA).

WEST COAST SWING: The Eastern Michigan baseball team will begin its campaign on the western portion of the United States. In fact, the Eagles will spend their first 13 games in either the Mountain or Pacific time zones, playing 10-of-13 games to open the season in the state of California. The first three games will be played in Tucson, Ariz. at the University of Arizona. Eastern will not have to worry about playing in the cool Midwest winter until they travel to Indiana, March 10-11, for two games in Bloomington, Ind.

LEARNING TO FLY: Between Feb. 13 and March 15, the Eagles will play 19 games in 30 days and log 10,462 miles of travel. After an opening weekend series in Tuscon, Ariz. against the Arizona Wildcats, EMU heads to The Golden State for a series with Saint Marys, Feb. 20-22, before making their way to UC Davis, Feb. 24-25, and Santa Clara, Feb. 27-March 1. EMU then returns east to battle Georgia State University, March 6-7, Indiana University, March 10-11, and Northern Kentucky University, March 13-15.

A LOOK BACK AT LAST YEAR'S OPENING DAY WIN AT CLEMSON: Last year, Eastern Michigan snuck past the No. 16-ranked Clemson University Tigers, 6-5, in 10 innings, to open the 2014 campaign, Feb. 14. The Eagles used a four-run sixth to take their first lead of the game before scoring a run in the 10th to get the victory at Doug Kingsmore Stadium in Clemson, S.C.
   Prior to the win, EMU had not won its season opener since Feb. 22, 2010, a 3-1 decision over No. 25 Kansas in the Metrodome. The victory over the Tigers also marked the fifth win over a ranked team in the past seven years. Eastern upended No. 26 Notre Dame, 12-6, during the 2013 season, and the Eagles also defeated then-No.4 Clemson during the 2011 season-opening series. EMU knocked off No. 19 Tennessee as well, Feb. 10, 2007, by a final 6-3 tally.

WELCOMING IN A NEW REGIME: July 15, 2014 began the Mark Van Ameyde era for the Eastern Michigan baseball program. Van Ameyde brings 16 years of coaching experience to EMU, including one season as the Eagles' assistant coach in 2008 when the Green and White won the Mid-American Conference Tournament to clinch a berth to the NCAA Regionals. Following that season, he and former EMU Head Coach Jake Boss Jr. took their talents to East Lansing, Mich. to lead the MSU baseball program, where the duo has led the Spartans to continued success, going 194-137 (.586) in six seasons.
   Van Ameyde added Eric Roof to his coaching staff in just over two weeks of being the skipper of the EMU ball club. He later added Jordan Keur as an assistant coach Aug. 25, 2014 before announcing Spencer Schmitz would join the squad's coaching staff just two days later.

NO STRANGER TO YPSI: Even though Head Coach Mark Van Ameyde is in his first year in Ypsilanti, he is no stranger to the EMU campus having previously worked as the Eagles' assistant coach in 2008 when the Green and White won the Mid-American Conference Tournament title. That season, EMU got off to a slow 0-17 start before rebounding to take home the league's tournament title and advance to the NCAA Tournament.

NEW FACES IN THE CROWD: The EMU baseball squad will have a new look, not only from the coaching staff, but on the field as well. Eastern is bringing in 15 new faces to the EMU roster this season. The 2015 version of the Eastern Michigan Eagles will feature 11 freshmen to go along with four junior college transfers. The freshmen class consists of: Josh Birnberg, Matthew Church, Luke DeVenney, Chase Flanery, Adam Hornstra, Kyle Huckaby, Danny Kerr, David Lett, Brent Mattson, Brennan Williams and Alex Wolanski. The four transfers include: Augie Gallardo, Keith Phillips, Jordan Peterson and Justin Williams.

LOSING LEE: Lee Longo's spot will most likely be the hardest to fill during the 2015 campaign. The All-MAC Second Team award winner led the team in batting average (.379), hits (75), doubles (20), RBI (49), slugging percentage (.545) and on-base percentage (.464).

COACHES POLL: EMU has been predicted to finish fifth in the Mid-American Conference West Division, the conference announced Feb. 11, after releasing its preseason coaches' poll. Ball State was picked to sit atop the West while the coaches around the conference felt Kent State would claim the East Division as well as the 2015 MAC Tournament.
   The Cardinals earned 67 points to emerge as the West's perennial preseason favorites over Central Michigan (55) and Western Michigan (46). Toledo (43), followed by EMU (23) and Northern Illinois (18).
   In the East, Kent State was chosen to be named East Division champions, garnering 68 points. Selected to finish behind the Golden Flashes were defending MAC East regular season champion Miami (59), Akron (41), Bowling Green (36), Buffalo (27) and Ohio (19).

EMU BASEBALL ALL-TIME: The club won the 1970 NAIA National Championship, finished fifth at the 1975 NCAA College World Series and took home runner-up honors at the 1976 CWS. The Eagles have four MAC Tournament titles to their credit (1981, '82, 2003, '08) to go along with seven regular-season crowns (1975, '76, '78, '81, '82, 2003, '07).

EAGLE ALL-ACCESS RETURNS TO BROADCAST 15 BASEBALL GAMES: Building off the success of Eagle All-Access through winter 2015, the Eastern Michigan University Department of Athletics has continued the growth of the broadband channel with the announcement of the school's spring broadcast schedule Tuesday, Feb. 10. The productions are a combined effort between the EMU Athletic Media Relations Office and SIDEARM Sports.
   The baseball team will have a minimum of 16 games audio-streamed via Eagle All-Access, beginning with the team's Wednesday, April 1, game at Oestrike Stadium versus Michigan State University.
   Chad Bush and Greg Steiner return as the primary voices of the Eagles on the audio-only broadcasts. The baseball and softball schedule will be available free-of-charge for the fourth consecutive season.
   Check EMUEagles.com/watch for further updates as additional games may be added as the season progresses.

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Players Mentioned

Jake Andrews

Matthew Church

Luke DeVenney

Chase Flanery

Augie Gallardo

Adam Hornstra

Kyle Huckaby

Danny Kerr

Charlie Land

Ryan Lavoie

David Lett

Lee Longo

Brent Mattson

Jordan Peterson

Keith Phillips

Brennan Williams

Alex Wolanski

Eastern Michigan Athletics