Baseball Begins 2019 Home Campaign with Midweek Set

March 26-27 at Oestrike Stadium
Date	Tue.-Wed., March 26-27
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Oestrike Stadium
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch	N/A
Listen	N/A
Twitter	@EMU_Baseball \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - After 23 road games to begin the season, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team is set to play its 2019 home opener when it takes on the University of Northwestern Ohio in a single game, Tuesday, March 26, at Oestrike Stadium. Eastern will play a second-consecutive home game, Wednesday, March 27, when it welcomes neighboring Concordia University (Mich.) to campus. Both games are scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.
   Make sure to follow the games via Twitter and live stats, at @EMU_Baseball, and EMUEagles.com. Admission to Oestrike Stadium is free; Directions to the park can be found at EMUEagles.com.

WELCOME HOME: As are many teams from the northern states, the Eastern Michigan baseball team was tasked with playing its first 23 games of the season away from Ypsilanti. Embracing the grind, the Eagles have traveled to five states in the early-going, competing against nine different opponents along the way.
   Tuesday, March 26, will mark the first of 19 home games, played inside historic Oestrike Stadium, that the Eagles will play in 2019.

ALL ABOUT OESTRIKE: Named after legendary EMU baseball head coach Ron Oestrike, who led the Green and White from 1965-87, winning an NAIA national championship and four Mid-American Conference titles along the way, Oestrike Stadium is one of the best baseball facilities in the conference.
   Opening in 1971, this year marks 49 years of play inside the park, where EMU holds a 530-382-2 all-time record. Since its opening, Eastern has compiled just 10 losing seasons at Oestrike, winning nearly 60 percent of its home games during the stretch.
   With the capacity to hold 2,500 fans, Oestrike Stadium offers a fully-covered seating section, lawn-seating options, and full concessions, making it one of the best venues to enjoy a game in the MAC.

STRONG STARTS: In its last 10 seasons, Eastern has been successful in its home-openers, compiling a 6-4 record during the span. In their best stretch, the Eagles took four-consecutive home openers, winning their first game at Oestrike in each season from 2011-14.
   Most recently, EMU was victorious during its home opener in 2017, when it defeated MAC-foe Bowling Green, 7-6, in a game played March 24. The Eagles knocked 12 hits in the contest, while Justin McMurtrey earned his first win of the season.

KAUFFMAN CLICKING: After hitting just .111 through the first 17 games of the season, sophomore Jared Kauffman has blistered opponent pitching in each of the last two series, against TCU and Northern Illinois.
   Beginning in Texas, the three-game Lone Star State rodeo with TCU proved successful for the sure-handed infielder, as he delivered hits in all three contests. His best performance of the weekend came in the Friday opener against the Horned Frogs, where Kauffman went 2-for-4 at the plate and delivered an RBI for EMU.
   Following suit, Kauffman was impressive in Eastern's first Mid-American Conference series of the season against NIU, March 22-24. Kauffman led the Eagles with a .333 batting average, collecting four hits in 12 tries, including a triple. He also drove in a pair of runs and scored another in the weekend set against the Huskies. Over the last four games, he has raised his batting average .052 with six hits in his last four contests. In Sunday's finale, Kauffman notched the third triple of his career as he collected the third two-hit game of the year. He also opened the series with a pair of hits while scoring a run.

ALL TIME VS NORTHWESTERN OHIO: When Eastern takes the field at Oestrike Stadium for the first time this season, March 26, it does so against an unfamiliar opponent. Tuesday will mark the first meeting between EMU and the University of Northwestern Ohio.
   A member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), UNOH competes in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference. Off to an 8-16-1 start in 2019, the Racers have built a successful baseball program in recent years, winning WHAC championships in 2015, and 2017.

ALL TIME VS CONCORDIA (MICH): Residing in neighboring Ann Arbor, Mich., the Concordia Cardinals have been a regular opponent for EMU over the years. In their seven previous meetings, Eastern has played all-but perfect, winning every contest thus far.
   In its last contest against CUAA, April 11, 2018, Eastern bested the Cardinals, 6-1, at Oestrike Stadium. A balanced attack, the Eagles took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. Riding the pitching of Luke McGuire, EMU never looked back, allowing just one run, while scoring six of their own during the game.
   Concordia, like Northwestern Ohio, competes in the WHAC, within the NAIA.

TRIPLE TAKE: While the Eastern offense has been strong in many categories throughout the season, its three-bagging efforts are especially noteworthy, both individually and as a collective unit. EMU ranks 37th nationally in triples this season (fourth in MAC), and has two players ranked inside the top 100 individually. Ranking 4th nationally is Zachary Owings, whose four triples leads the EMU offense and ranks second in the MAC. Jeff Timko, a redshirt sophomore, ranks 93rd nationally with two triples on the season, good for seventh in the MAC.

FUN-DAMENTALS: Eastern ranks 74th nationally in fielding percentage (.974) with just 20 errors this season. Doing the small things has been critical for Eastern, as the team ranks inside the top 10 in the MAC with six sacrifice bunts and 10 sacrifice flies.
   Individually, sophomore Nate Jones has poked five sacrifice flies for EMU, ranking second nationally and first in the MAC.

SAC IT TO EM': While fellow EMU star Maxx (Saxx) Crosby is busy working his way up the NFL draft boards, Eastern Michigan center-fielder, sophomore Nate Jones, has quickly notched the most sacrifice flies in the MAC (5) and ranks second nationally in that category. Jones' efforts have been key for the Eagles offense thus far. In all, the second-year stud has driven in five for the Green and White, and continues to impact the EMU defense as a go-to outfielder.

ON THE HORIZON: Following its two-game home set with UNOH and CUAA, Eastern will return to Mid-American Conference play with a three-game weekend series against Miami, March 29-31, in Oxford, Ohio. The series will get underway Friday, March 29 at 5 p.m., with games to follow at 4 p.m., Saturday, March 30, and 1 p.m., Sunday, March 31.

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Players Mentioned

Nate Jones

Jared Kauffman

Luke McGuire

Justin McMurtrey

Zachary Owings

Jeff Timko

Eastern Michigan Athletics