Softball Takes on Kent State in Home and MAC Opener

Softball vs. Kent State
Date	Friday-Saturday, March 24-25 \| 1 p.m. \| 3 p.m.
Venue	Varsity Field \| Ypsilanti, Mich.
Game Notes	EMU Notes
Audio	Listen Live
Live Stats	Fan Stats
Twitter	@EMUSoftball \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University softball team is set to begin the home portion of its 2017 slate this weekend, March 24-25, when it opens Mid-American Conference play against Kent State University at Varsity Field. The three-game series gets underway with a Friday doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m., before the series finale at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
   Live stats will be available for EMU's games against Kent State, and can be found on EMUEagles.com, while EMU Eagles All-Access will also air the game. Additionally, fans can follow the action through Twitter by following @EMUSoftball.

CEREMONIAL FIRST PITCH: The Eagles will kickoff the home portion of their schedule in a special way Friday, March 24, when they battle the Golden Flashes of Kent State as EMU's Alyssa Feiler of Team IMPACT will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. Feiler, a 17-year old out of Brighton, Mich., signed with the team back in January and has been a part of the program throughout the season, attending practices and other events, as well as games.

TALE OF THE TAPE: The Eagles all-time series with the Golden Flashes dates back to the 1985 campaign when the two squads first squared off. EMU swept the inaugural twin bill, taking game one 8-3 before securing the sweep with a 3-1 win. The two teams have met on the diamond 80 times with KSU holding a 48-32 edge. While the Green and White trail by 16 in the all-time series, EMU split last season's doubleheader. Abbie Minsker was lights out, holding KSU to four hits, while throwing the first complete game shutout of her career in a 6-0 win. Brandice Olmos and Olivia Logan recorded RBI singles, while Amanda Akles' fifth-inning grand slam sealed the victory. The Eagles dropped the second game of the day, 3-1, after the Golden Flashes used a three-run fifth inning to stun EMU.

OLD FACES IN NEW PLACES: When the Green and White tangle with Kent State this weekend, a familiar face will be in the opposing dugout. The Golden Flashes are led by Eric Oakley, former EMU assistant and interim head coach.
   Oakley served several roles during his tenure at Eastern Michigan, including assistant hitting coach, pitching and catching coach, and recruiting coordinator. In his first season on staff, he helped guide the Eagles to a historic season in which they captured the MAC West Division title, MAC Tournament Championship, and their first NCAA Regional appearance.

EMU AGAINST THE MAC: Eastern Michigan owns a 391-489-2 all-time record against teams in the Mid-American Conference, and has been a member of the league since 1982. The Eagles have been the most successful against Ohio, Miami, and Toledo. The Green and White lead the series with the Rockets, 57-49, while holding 50-34 and 44-39 edges in series with Ohio and Miami, respectively. Meanwhile, EMU trails in the all-time series with Akron (20-30), Ball State (38-59), Bowling Green (39-54), Kent State (32-48), Northern Illinois (25-38), and Western Michigan (42-66-1).

HOME COOKING: Like most northern-based programs, Eastern Michigan was forced to head towards warmer weather for the early part of the season, resulting in a 23-game road trip to begin the 2017 campaign. This weekend's three-game set marks the first time the Eagles will play at Varsity Field this season. Since the 1998 season, EMU has compiled a 128-137-2 record at its home field.

WINNING THE CLOSE ONES: Eastern Michigan has seen more than its fair share of one-run games this season. In fact, exactly half of EMU's games this season have been decided by one run. The Green and White are 8-3 in one-run games this season, a vast improvement over last year's mark of 3-9 in games decided by one run.

THE THREE MUSKETEERS: Eastern Michigan is the only team in the Mid-American Conference to have three players ranked inside the league's top-15 in batting average as of the latest run of MAC stats. Taylor Wagner paces the Eagles, ranking second in the conference. Michelle Kriegshauser comes in sixth, while Lucy Lopez is slotted 15th.

GETTING BETTER WITH AGE: After injury kept her sidelined for a majority of 2016, senior Taylor Wagner is taking full advantage of her senior go-around and is amid one of the best seasons of her career. Currently, Wagner boasts a team-best batting average of .439, the second-best in the conference and 60th-ranked in the country. She's also slotted inside the top-100 in on-base percentage as her mark of .507 ranks 85th overall, as well as second in the MAC. In addition to cranking out hits, Wagner is also one of the best sacrifice hitters in the country. In fact, she is second in the league and second in the country with .41 sacrifices per game.

DEPENDS ON THE DAY: Through its first 23 games, Eastern Michigan has pieced together an 11-12 overall record.
   In wins, the Green and White are outscoring opponents 64-33, and own a .347 team batting average. EMU has cranked out 104 hits in wins, while holding opponents to 78. Additionally, the Eagles' hurlers hold a 2.46 ERA in wins.
   On the flip side, EMU has seen its struggles at the plate in losses. The Eagles are hitting just .226 as a team in their 12 setbacks this season, and have been outscored 70-20. In the circle, Eastern's pitching has seen its ERA jump to 5.25 in losses, while opposing pitchers are credited with a 1.31 ERA.

BASED ON THE BATS: Eastern Michigan's success this season has relied heavily on the Eagles bats and EMU's ability to manufacture hits. The Eagles are 9-2 this season when they outhit opponents, compared to 1-7 when the opposition leads in the hit column. Additionally, scoring three-or-more runs has become a true tale sign of EMU's success. In 10 of the Eagles' 12 losses, the Green and White have not plated more than two runs. Conversely, when the Eagles score at least three runs, they boast a 9-2 record.

ON DECK: Eastern returns to midweek action next week, March 29, when the Green and White travel to South Bend, Ind. for a Wednesday night game against Notre Dame. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m. at Melissa Cook Stadium.

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Players Mentioned

Amanda Akles

Michelle Kriegshauser

Olivia Logan

Lucy Lopez

Abbie Minsker

Brandice Olmos

Taylor Wagner

Eastern Michigan Athletics