Baseball Crosses Border for Three-Game Set with Bearcats

March 6-8 at Cincinnati
Date	Friday-Sunday, March 6-8
Venue	Marge Schott Stadium \| Cincinnati, Ohio
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Live Stats	Live Stats
Watch	GoBearcats.com
Twitter	@EMU_Baseball \| @EMUAthletics

CINCINNATI, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) - After a safe return home from the Sunshine State, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team is back on the diamond for a three-game set with the University of Cincinnati, Friday-Sunday, March 6-8, at Marge Schott Stadium.
   Both teams will have the opportunity to avenge a slow start to the season, as both Eastern (1-10) and Cincinnati (4-7) have not played in-tune with their respective preseason expectations as of yet.
   For those who can't make the trip across the border, the games will be televised, courtesy of GoBearcats.com. 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.

50-YEAR ANNIVERSARY: The 2020 season marks 50 years since the Eastern Michigan baseball program captured the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national championship. The then-Hurons won five out of six games to capture the title, as they defeated Emporia State, New Haven, Northeast Louisiana (twice), and Livingston to capture the crown.
   Jeff Peck was named the Tournament MVP after setting a national tournament mark at the plate, where he went 13-for-23 (.565) with three RBIs. Eastern Michigan shortstop Terry Collins was named the Outstanding Defensive Player of the Tournament, as the then-Hurons finished the season with a 41-11 mark.

JOLT FROM JONES: Senior captain Nick Jones put together a strong offensive week for the Green and White in a single game at Florida Gulf Coast, Feb. 25, and four games at the Snowbird Classic, Feb. 28-March 1. The Battle Creek, Mich. native led the team in hits (8), runs (5), batting average (.471) and on-base percentage (.526). Jones is first on the team and eighth in the MAC with a .366 batting average on the season.

ABOVE .350: EMU had a trio of players hit at .350-or-above in its five games last week. Juniors Nate Jones and Daniel Warkentin hit .350, and .368, respectively, while senior Nick Jones finished at .471. The trip accounted for eight of the team's 18 RBIs during the stretch, and notched 22 of the squad's 40 total hits.
HURLERS HEATING UP: EMU saw five pitchers go 2.0+ innings last week (five games) without giving up an earned run. Juniors Shane Easter and Holden Cook were joined by senior John Holt and freshman Tyler Helgeson to go a combined 8.2 innings of no-run baseball during the week. The group gave up just five total hits and four free passes. Junior Thomas House was also impressive. He allowed just one earned run in nine innings of work over the course of two starts, at FGCU, Feb. 25, and vs. Northeastern, Feb. 29. The Ross, Ohio native gave up just four hits and struck out nine during his outings.

WE SEE YOU, MIKEY!: Redshirt junior Mike Monahan had a career-best game against Northeastern, March. 1. The fourth-year Eagle notched a personal-best two RBIs in the contest, and had EMU's best hit of the day, a double down the left field line. Monahan's three RBIs this season is already a career-best for the Saline, Mich. native.

AMONG THE BEST IN THE MAC: EMU's .970 fielding percentage is the second-best of any school in the Mid-American Conference. EMU has just 11 errors in 372 chances this season.

STILL AMONG LEAGUE LEADERS: Although the EMU offense scored just two runs against FGCU, the EMU club is still one of the best in the MAC when it comes to hitting. EMU's .245 average is fourth-best in the conference, while its 43 total strikeouts are third-lowest in the league.

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 their first 17 games away from Ypsilanti this season. At its longest, the Eagles played nearly 1,083 miles from the comfort of home, when it traveled to Fort Myers, Fla. for a single game against Florida Gulf Coast.

ALL-TIME AGAINST CINCINNATI: The Eagles and Bearcats have met 10 times previously on the diamond. A favorale series for the Green and White, Eastern holds a 7-3 advantage in the all-time set. EMU swept the Black and Red, 3-0, in the last series matchup between the two schools, which occurred during the 2013 campaign.

AGAINST THE AMERICAN: Eastern is no stranger to American Athletic Conference competition. EMU has faced AAC league members 30 times in its respective history, and has a 13-17 overall record against the conference. EMU has been most successful against the Bearcats (7 wins), and also has victories over South Florida (3), Memphis (2), and Tulsa (1).

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.

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."

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.

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)

ON THE HORIZON: EMU is back on the road for a three-game set at Kansas State University, Friday-Sunday, March 13-16.

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Players Mentioned

Holden Cook

Shane Easter

Tyler Helgeson

John Holt

Thomas House

Nate Jones

Nick Jones

Mike Monahan

Zachary Owings

Max Schuemann

Cameron Wagoner

Daniel Warkentin

Eastern Michigan Athletics