Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Akron
Baseball Hosts Akron for Home-Opening Series
3/23/2022 3:02:00 PM | Baseball
Series 6 • March 25-27 • Ypsilanti, Mich. • Oestrike Stadium (2,500)
| Baseball vs Akron | |
| Date | Friday-Sunday, March 25-27 | Game 1 - 3 p.m.; Games 2/3 (DH) - 1 p.m.; Game 4 - 1 p.m. |
| Venue | Oestrike Stadium | Ypsilanti, Mich. |
| Preview Info | EMU Game Notes | EMU Program |
| Live Stats | EMUEagles.com |
| @EMU_Baseball | @EMUAthletics | |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University baseball team will continue its nine-game homestand with a four-game series versus the University of Akron, March 25-27. First pitch for Friday is set for 3 p.m., while Saturday's doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. The Sunday series finale is set for a 1 p.m. start inside Oestrike Stadium. The contest can be followed via live stats on EMUEagles.com/livestats.
Eastern (5-12, 1-3 MAC) dropped its home opener earlier this week, Tuesday, March 22, to Oakland, 5-4. Meanwhile, the Zips (5-12, 4-4 MAC) are coming off a four-game series against Northern Illinois University, March 18-20. Akron and NIU split the weekend series with the Zips taking the final game of the series, 4-2.
DROPPIN' TANKS: The Eagles belted two home runs in the series against Butler, March 18-20. Eastern Michigan has hit 24 home runs in its first 17 games of the 2022 season. That number equates to a 1.41 home runs per game average. EMU has not had a season with a home runs per game average of better than 1.0 since 2009, when the Eagles belted 100 total home runs, a 1.69 per game average.
EMU leads the MAC in homers per game and total home runs (24). Senior Gabe Denton paces Eastern, rounding the pillows seven times this season.
Furthermore, two Eastern Michigan batters sit inside the top-10 in home runs in the league. Denton (7) and junior Matt Kirk (5) rank first and fourth, respectively.
TWO HITS, THAT'S IT: The Eagles' pitching staff allowed just two hits in the shutout victory over Butler, March 20. The two-hit shutout marks the second time this season Eastern has blanked its opposition. Junior Frankie Volkers struck out five Bulldogs hitters and senior Thomas House fanned five for the Eagles. Additionally, the win is House's first of the season and his first victory since the 2019 season (missed last season due to injury). Furthermore, the save is Volkers' first of his collegiate career.
House finished with his best outing of the season, allowing only one hit and five strikeouts in 5.0 shutout innings. Volkers did the same, going 4.0 shutout innings of relief, striking out five and surrendering only one hit.
LEADING BY EXAMPLE: Captain Shane Easter is currently second on the squad in batting average (.317) and hits (20). Additionally, Easter has started all 17 games this season and has yet to record a fielding error (1.000 FLD%).
In the matchup against Oakland, March 22, Easter opened up the scoring for Eastern Michigan, belting a two-run RBI single to right field. The runs batted in were Easter's 12th and 13th of the 2022 campaign, respectively. That mark ranks Easter second on the squad in RBIs this season.
Additionally, it is Easter's third multi-RBI game of the season (2 at Winthrop, Feb. 18; 2 at Morehead State, March 5).
MATT'S BAT: Junior Matt Kirk has begun his EMU career on fire at the plate. The outfielder leads the team in batting average (.391), hits (27), slugging percentage (.710), total bases (49), and extra base hits (12). Additionally, Kirk is second on the squad with five home runs.
The junior drove in three runs, totaling four hits, including a double, in the three-game series against Butler, March 18-20.
Kirk's .391 batting average (27-for-69) ranks sixth in the Mid-American Conference, while his 27 hits lead the league. The Milford, Ohio native's five homers also tie for fourth in the MAC.
CHITTUM'S CAREER OUTING: Sophomore Nick Chittum was a bright spot out of the bullpen for EMU against Oakland, March 22, going 4.2 shutout innings while allowing just two hits, and striking out a season-best three batters.
The right-hander got the nod for the third time this season and it is the most innings he has pitched in an outing in his career. The Grosse Ile, Mich. native's three-strikeout outing was the first time this season Chittum has recorded multiple strikeouts in a contest. It was the third such game of his career at Eastern, and first with multiple strikeouts since he picked up two in a game against Toledo, May 18, 2021.
SCORING IN BUNCHES: The Eagles tallied four runs on three hits in the first inning versus Oakland, March 22. Six members of the Green and White got on base in the first frame, and the four runs mark the sixth time this season EMU has scored at least four-or-more runs in an inning.
Furthermore, the four scores are the most runs the Eagles have tallied in the first inning this season.
HITTING FOR POWER: EMU hit home runs in eight consecutive games, March 5-20. That streak was the second stretch of at least five-straight games with at least one home run this season. Prior to this season, EMU had not seen multiple five-contest home run streaks since 2009, when the team put together three streaks of five-or-more consecutive games (12 games, 6 games, 6 games) with a home run.
PUTTIN' IN WARK: Senior Daniel Warkentin paced the Eagles' offense in the series at Butler, March 18-20, driving in five runs over the three-game span, including a home run and going 5-for-12 at the plate. The Leamington, Ontario native finished the Sunday doubleheader with a total of four RBIs on three hits and a home run.
Warkentin followed the series with another strong performance against Oakland, March 22. The senior finished 1-for-4 with an RBI single in the first inning. Warkentin has recorded RBIs in four consecutive contests and multiple RBIs in two consecutive contests (March 20 at Butler (DH)).
GOOD EYE!: The Eagles have been disciplined at the plate as the Green and White sit second in the Mid-American Conference in fewest strikeouts (122). Additionally, EMU currently ranks seventh in the league in on-base percentage (.363) and is tied for the league lead in home runs (24).
RED HOT RUBNER: After going hitless in his two games with the Green and White, freshman Coltrane Rubner has been dialed in as of late. He has recorded hits in eight of his last 10 games, including a season-best two knocks against Ball State in the final game of EMU's four-game set with the Cardinals, March 14.
KEEPING THE GLOVE DOWN: Eastern committed just one error in the three games at Butler, March 18-20. The Eagles have now recorded five games without an error thus far in 2022.
CALLED UP AND SHOWED OUT: Freshman Logan Hugo recorded his first collegiate hit, run scored, stolen base, and walk in his first career start versus Butler, March 20. Hugo finished the weekend series going 3-for-5 with an RBI, a walk, and three runs scored for the Green and White.
The first-year player followed the series with a strong performance in the midweek matchup against Oakland, March 22. Hugo finished 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI single. The base hit on Tuesday extends Hugos' hitting streak to three games. Additionally, in just four games played, Hugo is batting .500 (4-for-8) with two RBIs and three runs scored.
ALL-TIME AGAINST THE MAC: Eastern Michigan is 616-600-3 overall against the Mid-American Conference. Head Coach Eric Roof holds a record of 36-62 against opposing MAC programs.
ALL-TIME AGAINST AKRON: EMU and Akron will meet for the 56th time this Friday, March 25. Eastern leads the all-time series by a record of 32-23. Despite the series lead, the Eagles have won just three of the last 10 meetings with the Zips, dating back to 2014.
LAST GAMES VERSUS AKRON: The two programs met for a four-game series last season, March 19-21, 2021. The Zips and the Eagles split the series with EMU taking the final game of the series in extra-innings, 8-6 (11). Senior Eli Gora stepped to the plate with two on and one out. Dialed in, he carried an outside pitch to deep right field that dropped for an RBI, go-ahead double. Not done yet, the Eastern offense took advantage of timely walks and a wild pitch to add another pair of runs and take an 8-5 lead into the bottom of the 11th.
Classmate Justin Reinkall took the hill in the bottom of the 11th and handled the rest. Although Akron was able to cross the plate one time in its final at-bat, Reinkall shut the Zips down before they could mount a comeback, and secured Eastern's 8-6 victory.
LAST TIME IN YPSI: The weekend series at Oestirke Stadium will be the first time the Eagles host the Zips since 2015. Back in 2015, Akron won a three-game series over EMU, winning two of three, March 20-22. In the most recent game in Ypsilanti, the Zips defeated the Eagles, 3-1.
HISTORY AT OESTRIKE: Opening in 1971, Oestrike Stadium will hold its 51st season of baseball inside the park in 2022. EMU holds a 544-408-2 all-time record at the venue, and has compiled just 12 losing seasons at Oestrike since its opening.
The home of EMU baseball is 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 during his tenure leading the Green and White.
HOME OPENERS: In its last 12 debuts at home, Eastern has been successful in its home-openers, compiling a 7-5 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 fell to Oakland during its home opener in 2022, dropping the contest to the Golden Grizzlies, 5-4, March 22.
ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan will return to Oestrike to conclude its nine-game homestand with a four-game series versus Western Michigan, April 1-3.
