Baseball Welcomes Bobcats for Weekend MAC Series

Baseball vs Ohio (16-16, 3-3 MAC)
Date	Friday-Sunday, April 14-16
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Oestrike Stadium
Game Notes	EMU Notes
Live Stats	emueagles.com
Audio	Eagle All-Access (Friday) \| ohiobobcats.com (Sat/Sun)
Twitter	@EMUBaseball

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University baseball team returns home for its third Mid-American Conference weekend series of the season, as the Bobcats of Ohio come to Oestrike Stadium for a three-game set, April 14-16. The series will run Friday-Sunday, with start times of 6, 3, and 1 p.m., respectively.
   The action can be tracked live on Twitter by following @EMU_Baseball. Live stats will be available through EMUEagles.com. Audio will be provided on Friday though Eagle All-Access while Saturday and Sunday will be streamed through Ohio's radio service. EMU's Chad Bush and Ohio broadcaster Russ Eisenstein will be on on the call.

ALL-TIME VS THE BOBCATS: The Eagles and Bobcats have met 117 times in their respective histories, with EMU owning the series lead, 64-53. This marks the first time the two have met since 2015, when OU swept a three-game series in Ypsilanti. EMU has not defeated Ohio since
April 27, 2014.

BATTLING THE BOBCATS: Ohio enters the weekend with an even 16-16 overall record, as well as a 3-3 mark in MAC play. The Bobcats swept Ball State in the conference opening weekend, but were swept by Central Michigan the following weekend in Athens.
   Ohio's offense is fourth in the MAC with a .260 team batting average. They are out-hitting opponents, 291-258, and out-scoring them, 159-144. Leading the way is Spencer Ibarra, who bats at a .320 clip with 20 RBIs and five home runs.
   Defensively is where Ohio is the best, as the pitching staff has the top ERA in the conference at 3.59, which is also the 45th best in the country. They only allow 7.92 hits per game, the 33rd best mark in the land, and have tossed a conference-best four shutouts. Leading the rotation is Saturday starter Michael Klein, who has a 1.86 ERA in seven starts. The fielding is also tops in the MAC and country, with just 21 errors and a .983 fielding percentage, good for first in the conference and eighth in the NCAA.

EAGLES ARE HEATING UP: Eastern Michigan has won 10 of its last 15 games after starting 3-15 on the year. This includes series wins over Bowling Green and Miami, as well as midweek wins over Michigan State and Ohio State. In the 15 game stretch, the pitching staff has led the way, throwing to a 2.99 ERA while holding opponents to a .242 batting average and striking out 116. The defense has also seen an up-tick in that time-frame, fielding to a .975 percentage with just 15 errors. In the 15 game stretch, EMU has reduced its staff ERA from a 7.29 to a season-low 5.38.

BULLYING THE BIG TEN: In the last two weeks, EMU has played three midweek games against Big Ten competition, coming away with wins over Michigan State and Ohio State, and dropping a 2-1, 13-inning game to No. 13 Michigan. In the three games, EMU pitching has allowed just six total runs, for a staff ERA of 1.78. They have also held the Big Ten foes to just a .216 batting average.

WALK-OFF HEARTBREAK: Eastern Michigan has lost on a walk-off hit four times in 2017, including twice in 13 innings to nationally ranked opponents. EMU dropped a 3-2 game to then No. 6 Louisville, March 4, as well as a 2-1 game to No. 13 Michigan, April 11. The other two walk-off defeats came to Missouri, 6-5, on Feb. 18, and Samford, 4-3, March 17.

A WINNING ROTATION: After some shifting in the Eagles' weekend starting rotation, Head Coach and pitching coach Mark Van Ameyde has found the right combination midway through the season. EMU's Friday-Sunday starters, Sam Delaplane, Brad Allen, and Brent Mattson, have combined for some impressive accomplishments. Delaplane and Allen are currently eighth and ninth in the MAC with 3.34 and 3.45 respective ERA's. Allen's 0.67 ERA in conference games is also tops in the MAC. Meanwhile, Mattson leads EMU with a 3-2 record, and Eastern holds a 6-2 mark in his eight starts this season.

ALL-TIME IN THE MAC: 2017 marks the 45th season EMU has participated in the Mid-American Conference as a program. Eastern holds a 569-525-3 all-time record in conference play. The program owns five regular season championships, as well as four tournament championships, most recently in 2008.

ALL-TIME AT OESTRIKE: 2017 marks the 47th season at the friendly confines of Oestrike Stadium. In the long standing history of the field, EMU holds a 519-367-2 record at the stadium. Of the 46 previous seasons, 33 have resulted in winning home records for Eastern.

MASHING MONTGOMERY: Senior John Montgomery has been the spark plug in the EMU offense in his final season, leading EMU in six offensive categories. He is also the team leader with nine multi-hit games, and eight multi-RBI games. He enters the weekend with a seven-game hitting streak, and 11-game reached base streak.

RACKING UP THE K's: Now in his fourth season in the EMU pitching staff, senior Sam Delaplane's high strikeout numbers have placed him among EMU's elite in the category. His 157 career strikeouts rank 14th in Eastern Michigan laurels. In his start against Chicago State, March 31, he set his career mark for strikeouts in a game with 10 punch outs. Delaplane is also ranked tied for fourth in all-time saves with 10.

GEARING UP ON THE BASEPATHS: Just a year removed from finishing in the top-10 in the nation in steals, EMU has not been able to match that pace this season, but are beginning to ramp up the action. In its last 10 games, EMU has stolen 17 bags, including a season-best five vs Butler, April 2. EMU now has 38 steals as a team, which is second in the MAC and 73rd in the country.

IMPACT FRESHMEN IN THE INFIELD: So far this season, EMU has relied early and often on 'true' freshmen in starting roles. In 33 games, freshmen have combined to make 94 starts in the infield, led by Devin Hager who has 25 starts at 2B, 3B, and SS.

GOLDEN GRIZZLIES ON THE HORIZON: Eastern and Oakland will finish a home-and-home series on Tuesday, April 18, when EMU treks up to Rochester, Mich. for a solo game against the Golden Grizzlies. First pitch from OU Baseball Field is set for 3 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Brad Allen

Sam Delaplane

Devin Hager

Brent Mattson

John Montgomery

Eastern Michigan Athletics