Baseball Set to Battle Pittsburgh in the Sunshine State

Feb. 21-23 in Sanford, Fla.
Date	Friday-Sunday, Feb. 21-23
Venue	Sanford, Fla. \| Sanford Memorial Stadium
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Live Stats
Watch	N/A
Listen	N/A
Twitter	@EMU_Baseball \| @EMUAthletics

SANFORD, Fla. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University baseball team is set to take the Mid-American Conference's best overall offense (by batting average) into the Sunshine State, where it will play a three-game series against the University of Pittsburgh Friday-Sunday, Feb. 21-23, at Sanford Memorial Stadium. Game one is set for 6 p.m. on Friday, with games to follow at 3 p.m. and 12 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
   Live stats will be available through the Eastern Michigan University Athletics website, EMUEagles.com/livestats. The team's Twitter, @EMU_Baseball will also have inning-by-inning updates throughout the weekend.

JONES LEADS THE WAY: Senior catcher Nick Jones paced the Eagles at the plate during their season-opening weekend at Austin Peay. The third-year captain compiled a team-best .462 batting average (6-for-13), and is third on the team with four RBIs. Jones' average is good for third in the MAC, and ranks 151st nationally.

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT HOPKINS?: Sophomore shortstop Taylor Hopkins opened the 2020 baseball campaign with a career-best game at Austin Peay, Feb. 15. The Mason, Ohio product finished the game with single-game career highs in hits (3), RBIs (6), and runs scored (4). He also had a career-high two home runs in the game, which both came at critical moments. Down two, 4-2, Hopkins tied the game with his first long ball. Tied again, 5-5, he gave EMU a three-run lead, 8-5, which propelled it to a 16-8 season-opening victory.
   Hopkins continued his success through the rest of the series. The second-year standout notched five hits, and led the team in total bases (12), RBIs (7), slugging percentage (.800), and home runs (two). Prior to his two-HR game, he had hit just two out of the park in his career.

GRAND SALAMI: Junior captain Shane Easter had a first-career home run to remember, as his first long ball came in the form of a grand slam, Feb. 15. The Kalamazoo, Mich. native is the first Eagles to hit a grand slam since former Eagle Zachary Owings belted one against Concordia, March 28, 2019.

16 RUN DAY: The Eagles used heavy hitting to notch its first season-opening victory since 2017, Feb. 15, versus Missouri. EMU notched 16 runs on 16 total hits, and got offensive production from seven different players. The 16 runs in the game were the most by any EMU baseball team since May 7, 2016, vs. Ball State.

TOPS IN THE MAC: EMU's .315 team batting average is good for first in the Mid-American conference, 11 points better than second-ranked, and defending league champion, Central Michigan. The Eagles 16 runs against Austin Peay, Feb. 15, is the most in a game by any league member, and its 41 at-bats in the same game ranks second in the MAC.

MR. McWINNER: Junior right-hander Luke McGuire was outstanding for the Green and White in his season debut, Feb. 15, at Austin Peay. He came on in relief and pitched the final six innings of the contest, facing 26 batters and allowing just five hits along the way. He also added four strikeouts. The six-frame outing is the second-longest of his career, and earned him his sixth-career win. After one weekend, he has a team-best 4.5 ERA (tied with Justin Meis).

SIX STUDS: A slew of Eagles had great offensive production during a season-opening weekend in which the Green and White totaled 28 runs on 34 hits. After three games, six players are hitting with an average that is above .300. Senior Nick Jones leads the team with a .462 mark, while junior Jared Kauffman (.400), redshirt juniors Drake Peggs (.364) and Jeff Timko (.357), sophomore Taylor Hopkins (.333), and junior Christian Bault (.333) follow behind with impressive numbers themselves.

CLOSE CONNECTIONS: The Eagles and Panthers have plenty of close connections.
Current Pittsburgh Athletic Director Heather Lyke held the same role at Eastern Michigan directly before moving to the Steel City. A native of Canton, Ohio, she held the top role at EMU from 2013-17. Perhaps her most notable accomplishment at Eastern is the hiring of none other than Chris Creighton.
With Lyke at Pittsburgh are both Christian Spears and Chris Hoppe. Spears, who was Lyke's Deputy AD at Eastern, holds the same role for the Panthers. Hoppe, the former Senior Associate AD for Administration at EMU, now serves as Pitt's Executive Associate Athletic Director for Sport Administration, and Student-Athlete Support Services. Additionally, Jennifer Brown spent three years as the head athletic trainer for the EMU football team before making the move to the Steel City.
The EMU-Pitt connection runs deeper than administration, as Derek Moos, the Assistant AD of Equipment for the Panthers, spent various years at EMU. A two-time graduate of Eastern Michigan, Moos completed his undergraduate degree while serving as the Director of Operations for the EMU baseball program. Following graduation, he shifted to the equipment room, where he served a two-year stint as a graduate assistant, earning his master's degree along the way. While in equipment, Moos worked for Benjamin Herman, Eastern's Associate AD for Equipment, and alongside Dominic Velotta (both were graduate assistants), who now serves as an Assistant Equipment Manager under Herman.
Rounding out the list of ties, Ed Whited was EMU's Director for Athletic Equipment from 1993-2001.

REMATCH...OF SORTS: While EMU and Pitt have not met on the diamond since the 1998 campaign, the two schools did play for the 2019 Quick Lane Bowl title on the gridiron. Pittsburgh claimed a 34-30 victory inside Detroit's Ford Field. The largely Green and White-clad crowd of 34,765 had EMU's back throughout the contest, and the strong turnout helped set a new Quick Lane Bowl attendance record.

ALL-TIME AGAINST PITT: EMU and Pitt have met just three times in baseball. Pitt took the first meeting by way of a 4-3 decision, March 10, 1989. The Eagles bounced back with a doubleheader sweep of the Panthers (15-12, 4-3), March 3, 1998.

ALL-TIME VS. THE ACC: Eastern Michigan has played in 53 contests against the Atlantic Coast Conference, compiling a 21-32 record. Eastern holds winning records against three of the ACC's most notable members, including Florida State (2-0), Boston College (2-0), and Pittsburgh (2-1). EMU's last win against the conference was over Notre Dame, 4-2, Feb. 22, 2019.

EMU IN SEASON OPENERS: Eastern Michigan is in its 72nd season as a varsity program, with its start dating back to 1949. In its 71 previous seasons, Eastern is 35-37 in season openers. The Eagles claimed their first season-opening win since 2017 when they defeated Austin Peay, 16-8, Feb. 15.

RACKING UP THE FLYER MILES: As with most northern-based teams, EMU is tasked with playing its early-season games in warmer climates before it can play at home. The Eagles will play its first 17 games away from Ypsilanti this season. At its longest, the Eagles will play nearly 1,083 miles from the comfort of home, as it travels to Fort Myers, Fla. for a single game against Florida Gulf Coast.

NEW YEAR, NEW FACES: With every year, a crop of new talent arrives in Ypsilanti. This season, the Eagles will welcome a total of 10 new players to campus, adding a slew of talent to an already promising roster. In all, the Eagles have added five right-handed pitchers, two infielders, one catcher, one outfielder, and one left-handed pitcher. A total of 34 players will don the "Script E" in 2020.

THE SEASON AHEAD: The Eagles will play a 53-game slate in 2020, including 16 contests at Oestrike Stadium. While not in the Mitten, the Eagles will do their fair share of sight-seeing, as they will travel to six different states for games: Tennessee, Florida, Ohio, Kansas, Illinois, and Indiana.

A LOOK BACK AT 2019: Last year's season saw the Eagles win just 11 games, including six in conference play, en route to a 11-43-1 overall record. The squad finished ninth-overall in the league, and failed to participate in the MAC Tournament for the first time since the 2015 season. EMU's six conference wins came in the form of sweeps, as it bested both Toledo and Bowling Green in perfect 3-0 fashion.

RETURNING PRODUCTION: The Eagles return a slew of key production from a season ago to this year's squad.
   Offensively, redshirt junior Jeff Timko will look to build on an impressive redshirt sophomore season that saw him lead all Eagles in home runs (five), and tie for the team lead in triples (five).
   Junior Scott Granzotto, sophomore Justin Meis, and redshirt junior Davis Feldman highlight the key returners on the bump. Granzotto tied for the team lead, with Meis, in wins (three), led the team in ERA (3.88), and was the only Eagle to toss a complete game in 2019. Meis was the only freshman to earn a win for the Green and White, and led the team in innings pitched (58.0). While Feldman was out due to injury last season, the Warren, Mich. native is considered the ace of the staff. In his last fully-healthy season, 2017, he made 19 appearances on the mound, including three starts. The fifth-year product totaled a 4.79 ERA in 47 innings, racking up 28 strikeouts, and notched a pair of wins as well as a pair of saves.

EAGLES ADD 35th PLAYER TO ROSTER: Together with Team IMPACT, a national nonprofit that connects children facing serious or chronic illnesses with local college athletic teams, the EMU baseball program welcomed Bentley "Bennie" Booth, a nine-year old from Belleville, Mich., as its newest team member, Friday, Jan. 31.
   With his mom, Marguerita, and brother, Bradley standing by, Booth entered the Convocation Center media room to participate in a full-scale press conference and official signing. Nearly 50 guests, made up of EMU student-athletes, staff members, and local media, were in attendance to watch as the wide-smiling boy suffering from short bowel syndrome penned his name on his official "letter of intent."
BIG LEAGUE SUCCESS: Head Coach Eric Roof has proven his ability to develop pro-level talent in his two seasons patrolling the dugout. Each season, the Eagles have had a player drafted in the annual MLB Draft. 2018 saw shortstop Max Schuemann go to the Oakland Athletics, before Zachary Owings was selected by the Miami Marlins in 2019.
   This year, Roof has already shown the ability to lure top talent to Ypsilanti. Despite being drafted in the 22nd round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers, freshman Cameron Wagoner still chose to enroll at EMU. This top-prospect will now don the "Script E," for the foreseeable future.

MAC PRESEASON POLL: Eastern was selected to finish eighth-overall in the Mid-American Conference preseason poll, as announced by the league office, Feb. 12. EMU finished just behind Ohio (67 points), and Western Michigan (57 points), after receiving 38 points in the poll. The Eagles finished the 2019 season ninth-overall with a 11-43-1 mark, including a 6-21 record in league play. Toledo (33 points), Bowling Green (30 points), and Akron (20 points) rounded out the poll in the No. 8 through No. 10 spots, respectively.

MAC Baseball Preseason Poll
1. Central Michigan (3) – 109 points
2. Kent State (2) – 106 points
3. Ball State (3) -- 105 points
4. Miami (2) – 93 points
5. Northern Illinois (1) – 68 points
6. Ohio – 67 points
7. Western Michigan – 57 points
8. Eastern Michigan – 38 points
9. Toledo – 33 points
10. Bowling Green – 30 points
11. Akron – 20 points

Tournament Champion: Kent State (6), Miami (2), Ball State (1), Central Michigan (1), Northern Illinois (1)

THE LEAGUES THE EAGLES WILL FACE: The Eagles will face Division I competition from a total of 12 different conferences this season. In addition to games against its Mid-American Conference-counterparts, EMU will see teams from the: Ohio Valley Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference, Big East Conference, Atlantic Sun Conference, Colonial Athletic Association, American Athletic Conference, Big 12 Conference, Horizon League, Missouri Valley Conference, Atlantic 10 Conference, and the Big Ten Conference.

ON THE HORIZON: EMU stays in Florida as it travels to Florida Gulf Coast University for a single game, set for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25. EMU will then head to Port Charlotte for a four-game stint at the 2020 Snowbird Classic.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Christian Bault

Shane Easter

Davis Feldman

Scott Granzotto

Taylor Hopkins

Nick Jones

Jared Kauffman

Luke McGuire

Justin Meis

Zachary Owings

Drake Peggs

Max Schuemann

Jeff Timko

Cameron Wagoner

Eastern Michigan Athletics