Baseball Closes Season With Series Against Kent State

May 16-18 at Oestrike Stadium
Date	Thursday-Saturday, May 16-18
Venue	Ypsilanti, Mich. \| Oestrike Stadium
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Live Stats
Watch	N/A
Listen	EMU All Access
Twitter	@EMU_Baseball \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University baseball team concludes its 2019 season with a three-game Mid-American Conference series against Kent State University, May 16-18, at Oestrike Stadium. The series begins Thursday, May 16, at 6 p.m., with games to follow Friday, May 17, at 3 p.m. and Saturday, May 18, at 1 p.m. Saturday's game will include baseball's annual Senior Day celebration. The ceremony will honor Eastern's five-man senior class, and will begin approximately 15 minutes before first pitch.
   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.

THANK YOU SENIORS: Saturday, May 18, is not only the final day of the 2019 regular season, but it also marks baseball's annual Senior Day celebration. Although it is bittersweet to say goodbye to five pivotal members of the Eastern Michigan baseball program, their accomplishments on and off the diamond are ones that should be celebrated and honored.
   Among its many accomplishments, the group of 2019 seniors, consisting of Cameron Cruz, John Rensel Jr., Jackson Shaver, Mitchell Sparks, and Alex Wolanski, led the Eagles to 32 Mid-American Conference wins over the last three seasons as well as to three consecutive appearances in the MAC Tournament for the first time since 2010-2012.
   A Senior Day ceremony will be held prior to first pitch of Eastern's game against Kent State, Saturday, May 18, at 1 p.m.

A DAY WE WONT FORE GET: In addition to playing a game against Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan baseball held its 11th-annual golf outing, Saturday, May 11, at the Washtenaw Golf Club in Ypsilanti, Mich. A day filled with laughs, memories, and 18 holes of golf was highlighted by the gathering of 70-plus members of the Eastern Michigan baseball family, including donors, alumni, staff, and fans alike.
   EMU baseball's director of operations, Brendan Cach, commented "We're extremely thankful for all of our alumni, family, friends, and donors of the program who help make the event a successful one year after year. Each supporter, no matter the capacity, serves as key member our storied program, and we appreciate everything they do to ensure the success of EMU baseball."

A MOTHER'S DAY TO REMEMBER: Love was in the air for Eastern's series-finale against CMU, May 12, as Mothers Day day was celebrated across the country.
   While the Eagles did not win their game, they were able to participate in an event that will surely become a lifetime memory, as 14 of the players' mothers threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game. There were certainly some wild pitches, but each one was thrown to their son for a touching and heartwarming pregame moment. Perhaps the sweetest image was the hug each student-athlete shared with their loved one before the game began, which reminded each spectator that behind every player and coach, there is a support system that has helped them reach their goals and strive to achieve their dreams.

SPARKING SUCCESS: Senior Mitchell Sparks was outstanding for EMU in two performances against top-tier offenses, making appearances against Michigan, May 8, and Central Michigan, May 11.
   The southpaw tossed 5.2 innings in relief, allowing just four hits and one earned run against two teams thank rank inside the nation's Top-40 in runs scored, Michigan (38th) and Central Michigan (5th). Sparks also held the two squads to a .200 batting average, well below their Top-50 season clips of .289, and .299, respectively. The veteran showed command and the ability to overpower opponent hitting, allowing just two walks while striking out three in his outings. With his impressive week, Sparks continues a stellar season for the Green and White. In his last four outings, the senior has allowed just one run on five hits while compiling a 0.87 ERA.

RENSEL RED HOT: Senior captain John Rensel Jr. had a strong week at the dish in his four games against Michigan, May 8 and Central Michigan, May 10-12. The Tallmadge, Ohio native paced the Green and White with a .385 batting average (5-for-13), tallying six total bases and a .462 slugging percentage in his efforts.

OWINGS ADDS ANOTHER: With his 3-for-5 effort at the dish in Eastern's game against Central Michigan, May 12, junior Zachary Owings tabbed his team-leading 25th multi-hit game of the season. Owings is having a career-best season as he has compiled a .341 batting average, knocked 31 RBIs, and has 67 total hits for the Green and White in 2019.

ALL-TIME VS KENT STATE: A matchup between two of the storied programs in the Mid-American Conference, Eastern and Kent State will meet for the 116th time when they play Thursday, May 16. The Golden Flashes hold a 70-45 tab in the all-time series.
   Most recently, EMU fell to Kent State, 6-4, in a game played May 13, 2018, in Kent, Ohio. The Eagles' last victory over the Flashes came May 11, 2018, when the Green and White doubled-up KSU in an 8-4 win.

COMING TO A CLOSE: Following the conclusion of its three-game series against Kent State, the Eagles will begin their 2019 offseason. The baseball program thanks all of the fans, staff, donors, media, and family that supported, covered, and contributed to the program in 2019. Head coach Eric Roof, and the rest of the team look forward to seeing everyone back at Oestrike Stadium for the 2020 season!

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cameron Cruz

Zachary Owings

John Rensel Jr.

Jackson Shaver

Mitchell Sparks

Alex Wolanski

Eastern Michigan Athletics