Baseball Battles In-State Rival Western This Weekend

Baseball vs Western Michigan
Date	Friday-Sunday, April 1-3 \| 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
Watch	Eagle All-Access
Live Stats	EMUEagles.com
Twitter	@EMU_Baseball \| @EMUAthletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University baseball team will conclude its nine-game homestand this weekend with a four-game series versus in-state rival Western Michigan University, April 1-3. 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. All games are free to the public, and will also be streamed via Eagle All-Access at EMUEagles.com/watch. The contests can also be followed via live stats on EMUEagles.com/livestats.

Eastern (8-13, 4-4 MAC) claimed three-of-four this past weekend, March 25-26, defeating Akron in the four-game series. Meanwhile, the Broncos (4-15, 2-4 MAC) dropped two to Ball State University, March 28. WMU will look to break a four-game losing skid this weekend at Oestrike Stadium.

DANNY DEEPSHOTS: Senior Daniel Warkentin blasted five home runs in the four-game series versus Akron, March 25-26. The weekend performance earned Warkentin his first career Mid-American Conference Player of the Week honor, March 29.

He is the first Eastern Michigan player to hit five deep shots in a four-game stretch since the 2009 season, when Jim Gulliver did it between May 8-12. The senior finished the weekend 7-for-17 with 10 RBIs on five homers, including 10 runs scored and three walks. Warkentin has recorded two multi-home run games this season.

Additionally, the infielder rides a 10-game hitting streak, recording a hit in every game dating back to March 14 when Warkentin went 2-for-3 in a win at Ball State, 4-2. That streak is the longest of the season for EMU.

Furthermore, Warkentin's six home runs on the season is tied for second on the squad. He has also recorded RBIs in seven of the last eight contests and multiple RBIs in five of the last seven games.

DROPPIN' TANKS: The Eagles belted nine homers in the series against Akron, March 25-26. Eastern Michigan has hit 33 home runs in its first 21 games of the 2022 season. That number equates to a 1.57 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 homers, a 1.67 per game average. This year's squad is on pace to round the pillows 88 times this season.

Additionally, the Eagles launched five-or-more home runs in a game for the second time this season when Eastern recorded five Friday, March 25, versus Akron.

EMU leads the MAC in homers per game and total home runs (33). Senior Gabe Denton paces Eastern, rounding the pillows eight times this season.

Furthermore, three Eastern Michigan batters sit inside the top-10 in homers in the league. Denton (8), senior Daniel Warkentin (6), and junior Matt Kirk (6) rank first and tied for fourth, respectively.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE: Captain Shane Easter is currently third on the squad in batting average (.295) and hits (23). Additionally, Easter has started all 17 games this season and has a fielding percentage of .984.

In the series against Akron, March 25-26, Easter tallied three RBIs on three hits and five runs scored. The senior has now recorded an RBI in eight straight games, March 14-26, after driving in classmate Daniel Warkentin in game three of the series.

MATT'S BAT: Junior Matt Kirk has begun his EMU career on fire at the plate. The outfielder leads the team in batting average (.364), hits (32), slugging percentage (.659), total bases (58), and extra base hits (14). Additionally, Kirk is tied for second on the squad with six home runs.

The junior went 5-for-19 with two RBIs on a home run and a double, scoring five times for the Green and White. Kirk notched a hit in every contest over the weekend, extedning his current hitting streak to four games.

HITTING FOR POWER: EMU hit a homer in every contest of the four-game series versus Akron, March 25-26. Eastern has now tallied a home run in four-straight games.

Previously, the Eagles belted homers in eight consecutive games, March 5-20, amassing 17 round-trippers in that span. 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.

GOOD EYE!: The Eagles have been disciplined at the plate as the Green and White are tied for first in the Mid-American Conference in fewest strikeouts (142). Additionally, EMU currently ranks fourth in the league in on-base percentage (.379) and owns the league lead in home runs (33).

CALLED UP AND SHOWED OUT: Freshman Logan Hugo has continued his hot start to the 2022 season. After sitting out the first three games of the season, and playing in just eight contests this season, the freshman has gone 9-for-19 with five RBIs, five walks, six runs scored, and two stolen bases.

In the most recent series against Akron, March 25-26, Hugo finished 5-for-11 with three RBIs, three walks, and three runs scored.

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.

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.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE MAC: Eastern Michigan is 619-601-3 overall against the Mid-American Conference. Head Coach Eric Roof holds a record of 39-63 against opposing MAC programs.

ALL-TIME AGAINST WESTERN MICHIGAN: EMU and WMU will meet for the 184th time this Friday, April 1. Western leads the all-time series by a record of 89-94. The Eagles have played the Broncos the most out of any team in the Mid-American Conference (183). Furthermore, Eastern baseball has only played the University of Michigan more times (188) than the Broncos.

LAST GAMES VERSUS WMU: In the most recent meeting between the two programs, the Eagles defeated the Broncos 5-4 last season, March 29, 2021, at Kalamazoo, Mich. Junior Will Oberg tallied two RBIs and a run scored. Oberg recorded a two-run double in the fourth inning, scoring teammates Jared Kauffman and Eli Gora. Those two runs would end being the deciding scores in the victory for the Eagles. The two ball clubs would later split the four-game series.

LAST TIME IN YPSI: EMU and WMU have not played one another at Oestrike Stadium since 2018. The weekend series at Oestirke Stadium, April 27-29, 2018, saw Western take two of three from the Eagles. In the most recent game, the Broncos took the rubber match 12-5.

HISTORY AT OESTRIKE: Opening in 1971, Oestrike Stadium will hold its 51st season of baseball inside the park in 2022. EMU holds a 547-409-2 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.

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan will travel to Oxford, Ohio to battle Miami University, April 8-10.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Gabe Denton

Shane Easter

Eli Gora

Logan Hugo

Jared Kauffman

Matt Kirk

Will Oberg

Daniel Warkentin

Eastern Michigan Athletics