Baseball Takes Break From MAC Play With Midweek Game vs Notre Dame

Baseball vs. Notre Dame (23-15, 9-10 ACC)
Date	Wednesday, April 27
Location	South Bend, Ind. \| Frank Eck Stadium
Game Notes	EMU Notes
Live Stats	und.com
Live Stream	watchnd.tv
Twitter	@EMU_Baseball

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University baseball team gets back into action this Wednesday, April 27, with a mid-week non-conference contest versus the University of Notre Dame. First pitch against the Fighting Irish from Frank Eck Stadium is set for 6 p.m.

    The action can be followed via live stats or live stream, as well as by following our Twitter account, @EMU_Baseball.

ALL-TIME SERIES VS NOTRE DAME: The Eagles and Fighting Irish have met just six times in their respective histories, with UND holding the slight edge in the series, 4-2. The two teams first met in 1992 and most recently in 2015, a 6-0 Notre Dame win. EMU last claimed victory in 2013 when the Eagles knocked off the nationally ranked Irish with a 12-6 victory.

FACING OFF WITH THE FIGHTING IRISH: Notre Dame enters the week with a 23-15 record, with a game Tuesday versus Indiana still yet to be played. ND is a stellar 12-2 at Frank Eck Stadium, and have won their last six games at home. Most recently they are coming off of a three-game weekend series with No. 7 Florida State in which they were swept in Talahassee.
   The Fighting Irish are hitting .280 as a team on the season and are out-hitting opponents at a 368-343 margin. They are also patient at the plate, drawing 171 walks on the year. The team is led by Ricky Sanchez, who hits for a .345 clip with 49 hits, including 10 doubles. Cavan Biggio has also drawn 42 walks on the season, which is sixth in the nation.
   Defensively, ND sports a 4.38 team ERA, and are allowing opponents to hit .268 against them. Beyond pitching, they are one of the most stout defensive teams in the nation, owning a .978 team fielding percentage which is the 14th best in the country. Wednesday's projected starter, David Hearne, will be making his first start of the season in 10 appearances. He holds a 6.75 ERA in 14.2 innings, while striking out 15 and walking 13.

EXTRA INNING MAGIC: With the 5-3 11-inning win over Western Michigan, April 24, the Eagles moved to 2-1 in extra inning games this season. All three extra frame contests have occurred on the road this year, with wins over WMU and Purdue, and a walk-off loss to Arizona State in 2016.

GOING BACK-TO-BACK: The Eagles did something they haven't done since 2012 in the 5-3 win over Western Michigan, April 24. Mitchell McGeein and Brennan Williams went back-to-back with solo home runs, which was the first time EMU had accomplished the feat since April 14, 2012 against Central Michigan. Not only did they hit home runs in consecutive at-bats, but they did so on consecutive pitches.

DAZZLING ROOKIE: Freshman Tyler Butzin has been the brightest star of a talented class of newcomers for the Eagles this season. The 'true' freshman ranks sixth in the conference in ERA with a 2.88 mark, which is also the top ERA for any freshman in the conference. He leads the team with 50.0 innings pitched, including six starts, and also has a save to his credit this season. He also holds opponents to a .242 batting average, which ranks 9th in the MAC.

RUN EAGLES RUN: EMU has been alert and impactful on the base paths this season, as the team currently ranks third in the country in steals (91). In addition, redshirt junior Marquise Gill is fifth in the nation in steals with 29 on the season. With 91 steals this season, the team aims to break the program record of 147 stolen bags, set in 1981, and tied in 2004.

TRACKING THE TATERS: Senior Mitchell McGeein entered his final season with 19 career homers, good for 20th on the all-time EMU list. He currently leads the team with seven home runs this season, putting him in a tie for 9th-place all-time.

REACHING THE CENTURY MARK: A trio of Eagles reached career milestones this season. Senior Mitchell McGeein reached 100 RBI's vs Western Michigan, April 24, becoming just the 24th EMU player to reach that mark. Meanwhile, junior Sam Delaplane struck out three batters against Purdue, April 12, to get to 100 for his career. The duo joined redshirt junior Michael Mioduszewski at the century mark after he notched his 100th career hit earlier in the season, March 5, versus Arizona State. McGeein is also just one run scored away from reaching 100 in that category as well.

MOVING UP THE RECORD BOOK: A trio of Eagles are rewriting the record books in 2016 with their season and career performances. In addition to being on the career home runs list, senior Mitchell McGeein is on the career list for walks with 78 (15th), doubles with 36 (16th) RBI's with 100 (T-23) and at-bats with 577 (24th). Junior closer Sam Delaplane is eighth on the career saves list with nine in his three years, while redshirt junior Marquise Gill is already tied for fifth in single-season stolen bases with 29, with his career total of 39 ranking 15th all-time.

EAGLES DIG THE LONG BALL: EMU currently ranks 82nd in the nation, and fourth in the MAC, in home runs with 28 as a team this season. Individually, senior Mitchell McGeein has hit a team-high seven so far, which is tied for seventh in the MAC. The Eagles hit a season-high four home runs in the win over BGSU, March 27.

THREE-BAG BACKSTOP: Junior Jeremy Stidham leads EMU and is T-37th in the nation with four triples on the season. The catcher is one of just eight backstops in the country to have 4 triples on the year.

DO IT ALL WORKHORSE: Senior lefty Michael Marsinek has been the go-to guy in on the mound this season for the Eagles. The veteran leads EMU with a 2.22 ERA in 15 appearances, including one start. In his first start since 2014, against WMU, April 22, Marsinek went a career-high 5.1 innings, striking out five batters, which tied his career high set earlier this season against Dayton.

COACH VAN AMEYDE TO SERVE SUSPENSION: EMU Head Baseball Coach Mark Van Ameyde will serve a two-game NCAA suspension following an ejection from the Eagles' 5-3 victory at Western Michigan, April 24. Van Ameyde will miss the Green and White's Wednesday, April 27, contest at Notre Dame, as well as Eastern's series opener with Central Michigan Friday, April 29.

CHIPPEWAS ON THE HORIZON: After the road non-conference game versus ND, EMU returns to the friendly confines of Oestrike Stadium for a three-game weekend set against in-state MAC rival Central Michigan University, April 29-May 1. Game one on Friday is set for a 6 p.m. first pitch.

Baseball Takes Break From MAC Play With Midweek Game vs Notre Dame

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Players Mentioned

Tyler Butzin

Sam Delaplane

Marquise Gill

Michael Marsinek

Mitchell McGeein

Mike Mioduszewski

Jeremy Stidham

Brennan Williams

Eastern Michigan Athletics