Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, April 26
Oestrike Stadium
6 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
vs
Toledo
Baseball Continues Homestand with Weekend Series Against Toledo
4/24/2019 9:39:00 AM | Baseball
April 26-28 at Oestrike Stadium
| April 26-28 at Oestrike Stadium | |
| Date | Fri.-Sun., April 26-28 |
| Venue | Ypsilanti, Mich. | Oestrike Stadium |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes |
| Live Stats | EMU Live Stats |
| Watch | N/A |
| Listen | EMUEagles.com/Showcase |
| @EMU_Baseball | @EMUAthletics | |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University baseball team concludes its six-game homestand when it welcomes the University of Toledo to Oestrike Stadium for a three-game Mid-American Conference set, April 26-28. The series will feature three single-game contests, beginning Friday, April 26, at 6 p.m., with games to follow Saturday, April 27, at 3 p.m., and Sunday, April 28, at 1 p.m.
Make sure to follow the games via Twitter and live stats, at @EMU_Baseball, and EMUEagles.com. Radio coverage for individual games can be found in the official game notes and in the links provided above. As always, admission to Oestrike Stadium is free; directions can be found at EMUEagles.com
HATS OFF TO YOU: If not for its series-finale against Toledo, three Eastern players would be walking across the stage at commencement, Sunday, April 28. Seniors Alex Wolanski, Cameron Cruz, and Mitchell Sparks have all earned their degrees in mechanical engineering, economics and management, respectively. Although they will be dressed in pinstripes instead of robes, each player has demonstrated what it means to be a student-athlete and has represented EMU Baseball with class and pride.
When asked what it means to see his players earn their degrees, head coach Eric Roof said, "Its really cool to see the journey that they have had along the way," and "to see them grow and to see them mature and ultimately finish up with their degree its really cool to look back on that journey of them as a player and obviously as a player as well."
FRESHMAN FIREPOWER: Freshman Tyler Koons was impressive on the mound in Eastern's midweek game against the University of Dayton, April 16. In his career-best five-inning effort, Koons showed great command, allowing just two walks while striking out a career-high five Flyer batters. In total, Koons relinquished just three hits, all singles, and gave up zero runs in his no-decision, with opponents hitting just .167 against the talented freshman.
DIALED-IN: Freshman pitcher Justin Meis has found his stride as a weekend starter for the Green and White. In his last three starts, against BGSU, April 7, Ball State, April 13, and Ohio, April 21, the Pittsburgh, Pa. native has earned two wins and compiled a 3.26 ERA, the lowest of any EMU starter in their last three appearances. Meis, averaging over six innings-pitched in each of his last three starts, has blanked opponents in 15.2 of his 19.1 total innings over work.
CAREER-BEST STREAK: Redshirt sophomore Jeff Timko put together a career-best 13-game hitting streak between March 31-April 21, Eastern's second-longest of the season behind Zachary Owings' 14-game stretch between March 9-30.
Timko compiled a .390 batting average (23-for-59) during the span, knocking four extra-base hits and five RBIs along the way. While his hitting streak came to an end in Eastern's series finale against Ohio University, April 21, Timko's on-base streak has now climbed to 14 games, as the sophomore standout drew a walk in that game to keep that stretch intact.
HOPKINS HEATING UP: Freshman shortstop Taylor Hopkins has been sharp in the field all season, fielding the six-spot at a .948 clip. In addition to his sure-handed fielding, Hopkins has improved at the plate in the back-half of the season.
Most recently, Hopkins notched three hits, including a double, in EMU's Easter Sunday doubleheader against Ohio, April 21. Hopkins added three RBIs for the Eagles in the two games, the most of any Eagle.
The freshman has caught fire over his last 10 games, compiling a .321 batting average (9-for-28), tallying six RBIs, and racking up 10 total bases.
LEADING THE WAY: Redshirt sophomore Jeff Timko led the Eastern Michigan offense in its five games against the University of Dayton, April 16, Michigan State University, April 17, and Ohio University, April 19-21. Compiling a .474 batting average, the EMU standout knocked nine hits on the week, including his fourth home run of the year, tying him for the team lead. With 12 total bases and three walks, Timko gave Eastern scoring chances throughout its games, and was able to cross the plate on three occasions for the Green and White. On the season, Timko is now hitting at a blistering .352 clip, and has accounted for over 15 percent of the Eagles' extra-base hits in 2019.
OFFENSE ON THE RISE: The Eastern Michigan offense has struggled through the majority of 2019, but continues to show signs of heating-up at the end, something that will need to continue if the Eagles hope to make a late-season push for a Mid-American Conference Tournament bid.
In its last 10 games, Eastern has five players hitting north of .300, with an additional three players hitting comfortably over the .200 mark. Balanced over the 10-game period dating back to April 7, against Bowling Green State University, Eastern has racked up 31 RBIs off the bats of 11 different hitters, nine of which have recorded multiple RBIs. Additionally, eight Eagles have notched an extra-base hit in the span, demonstrating the power-potential throughout the lineup.
TRIPLE TRACKER: 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 33rd nationally in triples this season (fourth in MAC), and has two players ranked in the top-30 individually. Ranking 11th nationally is Zachary Owings, whose five triples leads the EMU offense and ranks second in the conference. Jeff Timko, a redshirt sophomore, ranks 27th nationally with four triples on the season, good for fifth in the league.
ALL-TIME VS TOLEDO: A rival of close proximity, the Eagles and Rockets have met 159 times on the baseball diamond. A historically favorable opponent for the Green and White, Eastern holds the all-time series edge, 95-64.
In the series' most recent affair, Toledo eliminated Eastern from the 2018 Mid-American Conference Tournament, as it hung on to defeat the Eagles in extra innings, 2-1, in a game played May 24, in Avon.
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 534-387-2 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.
ON THE HORIZON: Following its three-game weekend series against the Rockets, Eastern will travel to the Buckeye State for a midweek game against Youngstown State University, Wednesday, May 1. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern returns to Mid-American Conference action when it travels to Kalamazoo for a three-game weekend series against Western Michigan University, Fri.-Sun., May 3-5.
Make sure to follow the games via Twitter and live stats, at @EMU_Baseball, and EMUEagles.com. Radio coverage for individual games can be found in the official game notes and in the links provided above. As always, admission to Oestrike Stadium is free; directions can be found at EMUEagles.com
HATS OFF TO YOU: If not for its series-finale against Toledo, three Eastern players would be walking across the stage at commencement, Sunday, April 28. Seniors Alex Wolanski, Cameron Cruz, and Mitchell Sparks have all earned their degrees in mechanical engineering, economics and management, respectively. Although they will be dressed in pinstripes instead of robes, each player has demonstrated what it means to be a student-athlete and has represented EMU Baseball with class and pride.
When asked what it means to see his players earn their degrees, head coach Eric Roof said, "Its really cool to see the journey that they have had along the way," and "to see them grow and to see them mature and ultimately finish up with their degree its really cool to look back on that journey of them as a player and obviously as a player as well."
FRESHMAN FIREPOWER: Freshman Tyler Koons was impressive on the mound in Eastern's midweek game against the University of Dayton, April 16. In his career-best five-inning effort, Koons showed great command, allowing just two walks while striking out a career-high five Flyer batters. In total, Koons relinquished just three hits, all singles, and gave up zero runs in his no-decision, with opponents hitting just .167 against the talented freshman.
DIALED-IN: Freshman pitcher Justin Meis has found his stride as a weekend starter for the Green and White. In his last three starts, against BGSU, April 7, Ball State, April 13, and Ohio, April 21, the Pittsburgh, Pa. native has earned two wins and compiled a 3.26 ERA, the lowest of any EMU starter in their last three appearances. Meis, averaging over six innings-pitched in each of his last three starts, has blanked opponents in 15.2 of his 19.1 total innings over work.
CAREER-BEST STREAK: Redshirt sophomore Jeff Timko put together a career-best 13-game hitting streak between March 31-April 21, Eastern's second-longest of the season behind Zachary Owings' 14-game stretch between March 9-30.
Timko compiled a .390 batting average (23-for-59) during the span, knocking four extra-base hits and five RBIs along the way. While his hitting streak came to an end in Eastern's series finale against Ohio University, April 21, Timko's on-base streak has now climbed to 14 games, as the sophomore standout drew a walk in that game to keep that stretch intact.
HOPKINS HEATING UP: Freshman shortstop Taylor Hopkins has been sharp in the field all season, fielding the six-spot at a .948 clip. In addition to his sure-handed fielding, Hopkins has improved at the plate in the back-half of the season.
Most recently, Hopkins notched three hits, including a double, in EMU's Easter Sunday doubleheader against Ohio, April 21. Hopkins added three RBIs for the Eagles in the two games, the most of any Eagle.
The freshman has caught fire over his last 10 games, compiling a .321 batting average (9-for-28), tallying six RBIs, and racking up 10 total bases.
LEADING THE WAY: Redshirt sophomore Jeff Timko led the Eastern Michigan offense in its five games against the University of Dayton, April 16, Michigan State University, April 17, and Ohio University, April 19-21. Compiling a .474 batting average, the EMU standout knocked nine hits on the week, including his fourth home run of the year, tying him for the team lead. With 12 total bases and three walks, Timko gave Eastern scoring chances throughout its games, and was able to cross the plate on three occasions for the Green and White. On the season, Timko is now hitting at a blistering .352 clip, and has accounted for over 15 percent of the Eagles' extra-base hits in 2019.
OFFENSE ON THE RISE: The Eastern Michigan offense has struggled through the majority of 2019, but continues to show signs of heating-up at the end, something that will need to continue if the Eagles hope to make a late-season push for a Mid-American Conference Tournament bid.
In its last 10 games, Eastern has five players hitting north of .300, with an additional three players hitting comfortably over the .200 mark. Balanced over the 10-game period dating back to April 7, against Bowling Green State University, Eastern has racked up 31 RBIs off the bats of 11 different hitters, nine of which have recorded multiple RBIs. Additionally, eight Eagles have notched an extra-base hit in the span, demonstrating the power-potential throughout the lineup.
TRIPLE TRACKER: 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 33rd nationally in triples this season (fourth in MAC), and has two players ranked in the top-30 individually. Ranking 11th nationally is Zachary Owings, whose five triples leads the EMU offense and ranks second in the conference. Jeff Timko, a redshirt sophomore, ranks 27th nationally with four triples on the season, good for fifth in the league.
ALL-TIME VS TOLEDO: A rival of close proximity, the Eagles and Rockets have met 159 times on the baseball diamond. A historically favorable opponent for the Green and White, Eastern holds the all-time series edge, 95-64.
In the series' most recent affair, Toledo eliminated Eastern from the 2018 Mid-American Conference Tournament, as it hung on to defeat the Eagles in extra innings, 2-1, in a game played May 24, in Avon.
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 534-387-2 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.
ON THE HORIZON: Following its three-game weekend series against the Rockets, Eastern will travel to the Buckeye State for a midweek game against Youngstown State University, Wednesday, May 1. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern returns to Mid-American Conference action when it travels to Kalamazoo for a three-game weekend series against Western Michigan University, Fri.-Sun., May 3-5.
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