Baseball Set for Four-Game Weekend Series at Toledo

Baseball at Toledo
Date	Friday, April 22 (12 p.m.) \| Saturday, April 23 (DH) (12 p.m. & 3 p.m.) \| Sunday, April 24 (1 p.m.)
Venue	Scott Park Baseball Complex \| Toledo, Ohio
Preview Info	EMU Game Notes (PDF)
Live Stats	EMUEagles.com
Twitter	@EMU_Baseball \| @EMUAthletics

TOLEDO, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) - After a pair of midweek games, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team is set to return to Mid-American Conference play this weekend. The Eagles will tangle with the nearby University of Toledo in a four-game set at Scott Park in the Glass City. Game one of the series gets underway Friday, April 22, at noon, with a doubleheader Saturday, April 23, and a single game Sunday, April 24, also on the schedule of events.
   Eastern (15-20, 10-10 MAC) comes into the weekend following an even midweek slate. EMU took down Siena Heights, 14-1, Tuesday, April 19, before falling at Michigan State, 7-6, Wednesday. Meanwhile, Toledo (18-17, 12-11 MAC) is coming off an impressive series against Kent State, April 15-17, in which it took three of four games against the Golden Flashes.
   The games will not include a live stream. Fans can follow the action via live stats by visiting EMUEagles.com/livestats. The team's official Twitter account, @EMU_Baseball, will also provide inning-by-inning updates.

HAVE YOU MISSED ME?: Junior Matt Kirk, a Toledo transfer, will return to the Glass City with some of the best numbers in the Mid-American Conference this season. The Milford, Ohio native is first in the league in hits (51), doubles (16), and home runs (tied - 11), and ranks inside the league's top-10 in batting average (7th - .354), slugging percentage (2nd - .694), OBP + slugging (3rd - 1.109), runs (7th - 32), and RBIs (7th - 33).

TWO-HIT TAYLOR: Junior shortstop Taylor Hopkins put together a two-hit day against Michigan State, April 20. That total tied for the team lead, and gave Hopkins his eighth multiple-knock contest of the season, including his first since EMU's game at Miami, April 9.

DOLNEY EXPRESS: Freshman Aaron Dolney tied for the team lead with two hits at Michigan State, April 20. It was Dolney's 10th multi-hit effort of the season, including his second straight. After hitting just .267 over his first 18 games of the season, Dolney has found his rhythm as of late. The first-year Eagle has 13 hits in his last eight games, good for a .464 average.

HUGO IS HOT: Freshman Logan Hugo tallied a pair of RBIs Wednesday night at Michigan State. It is the fourth time this season Hugo has earned multiple RBIs in a contest. Additionally, it is Hugo's 16th RBI on the year. Hugo's base knock also extended his hitting streak to three games.

RUN, RUN, RULE: EMU needed just six and a half frames to close out a 14-1 victory over Siena Heights University Tuesday, April 19. The Eagles combined for 14 hits (by nine different players) en route to their 14 runs. The Eastern pitching staff limited Siena Heights to just one run on three hits.

A PAIR FOR ELI: Senior Eli Gora notched two hits in EMU's games against Siena Heights, April 19. It was the fourth time this season Gora recorded a multiple-hit game, halfway to his 2021 total of eight, which is his career-best for a single season.

SCORING AT WILL: Senior Will Oberg crossed the plate three times against Siena Heights, April 19. The three runs are the most he has scored in a game this season, and the second-most of his career, just one behind the four he scored in a game at St. Bonaventure, May 1, 2021.

SCORING 14: Eastern Michigan's offense scored 14 runs in its game against SHU, April 109. The effort is tied for the third-most runs EMU has scored in a game this season. The Eagles scored 18 runs against Akron, March 25, and 15 runs at Butler, March 19.

ALLOWED JUST ONE: Eastern Michigan allowed one run to Siena Heights, April 19. It marked the fifth time this season EMU has allowed one run or fewer in a game (Winthrop, Feb. 20; Butler, March 20; Miami, April 10; Ohio, April 17). Additionally, it marked the first set of back-to-back games this season in which EMU has held an opponent to one run or less. In fact, It is the first such occurrence for the program since it tossed consecutive shutouts against Bowling Green (May 8), and Toledo (May 11), during the 2021 campaign.

DROPPIN' TANKS: EMU hit two more home runs in its midweek games against Siena Heights, April 19, and Michigan State, April 20. Eastern Michigan has hit 48 home runs in its first 35 games of the 2022 season. That number equates to a 1.37 home runs per game average. EMU has not had a season with a home runs per game average better than 1.0 since 2009, when the Eagles belted 100 total homers, a 1.67 per game average.
   EMU leads the MAC in total home runs (48). Moreover, the Eagles rank 48th in the nation in dingers and 44th in home runs per game. Junior Matt Kirk and senior Daniel Warkentin pace the team with 11 apiece.

HITTING THE 100-MARK: With a base hit on Sunday, April 17, senior captain Shane Easter tabbed his 100th career hit donning the Green and White. He now has 35 hits on the season for Eastern Michigan, which is the third-highest mark on the team.

DANNY DEEPSHOTS: Senior Daniel Warkentin blasted three home runs in the four-game series versus Miami, April 9-11. The weekend performance included a homer in three consecutive games for the second baseman.
   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.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE: Captain Shane Easter is third on the team with 35 hits this season. Additionally, Easter is third on the team in RBIs (26) and doubles (8). Furthermore, the captain has started all 34 games this season and has a fielding percentage of .991.
   In the series finale against Miami, April 11, Easter drove in four runs for Eastern Michigan. The four RBIs tie a career-high for the captain (4 at Austin Peay, Feb. 15, 2020). It was Easter's fourth multi-RBI game of the 2022 season.

HISTORIC PERFORMANCES ON THE BUMP: Senior Zach Fruit (vs. Ohio, April 16), junior Luke Russo (at Miami, April 11) and freshman Adam Falinski (at Miami, April 10) each totaled 11 strikeouts in their respective outings.
   The 11 K's marks a career-high for all three hurlers. Additionally, the 11 punch outs by the trio is tied for second in EMU's modern statistical history (1999-Pres.) for strikeouts in an outing, tying with former Eagle Ryan Lavoie (11; at WMU, April 8, 2012). Sam Delaplane holds the top spot with 12 strikeouts versus Ohio, April 14, 2017.
   Fruit also made a notable occurrence in his start Saturday, April 16, versus Ohio when he struck out 10 batters in the first three innings of his start.

RUSSO RACKING UP W's: Junior Luke Russo had a perfect 2-0 week for the Green and White as he helped the Eagles to pair of wins and earned his first two collegiate victories. Against Miami, April 11, he etched his name in the record book, racking up 11 strikeouts in just 5.0 innings of work, including a stretch of nine consecutive K's. His 11 strikeouts tie for the second-most in a single game at EMU since 1999
   Russo was incredible in his second start of the season for Eastern Michigan Sunday, April 17, as he propelled the Eagles to a series-finale victory over the visiting Ohio Bobcats.
   Nearly untouchable, Russo put together a career-best 6.0 innings on the bump, using 77 pitches to hold Ohio to just two hits and one earned run. The Howell, Mich. native had everything working, as he twice erased bases-loaded jams and worked to fan five different opposing hitters. The effort was good enough to earn Russo his second collegiate win, and his second in as many outings. The junior has battled two season-ending surgeries during his time at EMU, and returned Sunday to toss a special performance for the Green and White. It marks the first time in his career that he has notched consecutive victories.
   The righty has held opposing teams to two hits or less on four different occasions this season. For his efforts, he was awarded MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week honors, April 19.

LOGAN'S HEROES: Freshman Logan Hugo has been outstanding for Eastern Michigan since entering into the everyday lineup during mid-March. The Essexville, Mich. native has 22 hits in 19 starts this season, and is currently hitting at a .333 clip. Through 66 collegiate at-bats, Hugo has manufactured a slugging percentage of .379, an on-base percentage of .458, and has recorded 14 RBIs. Already showing discipline beyond his years, he has also drawn more walks (14) than strikeouts (13) this season.
   Hugo's most memorable moment came Sunday, April 10, at Miami, when he notched his first collegiate extra-base hit. Not only was it a home run, but it was a grand slam that helped EMU take the lead in the ballgame, for good, after being down, 7-6, in the seventh inning. Hugo finished the weekend series going 3-for-5 with an RBI, a walk, and three runs scored for the Green and White.

GOOD EYE!: The Eagles have been disciplined at the plate as the Green and White are second in the Mid-American Conference in fewest strikeouts (238). Additionally, EMU currently ranks fourth in the league in on-base percentage (.381) and owns the league lead in home runs (48).

SCORING IN BUNCHES: EMU scored four runs in both the second and sixth inning of its game against Siena Heights. It is the sixth time this season that EMU has put up four-or-more runs in a pair of innings, in a single game. The Eagles have scored four-or-more runs in a single inning 17 times this season.

EMU BATS TOP THE MAC: Two Eagles lead the team and the league with 11 homers as senior Daniel Warkentin and junior Matt Kirk pace Eastern. Additionally, only five student-athletes in the Mid-American Conference have totaled double-digit homers thus far, three of which reside on Eastern's roster (Gabe Denton - 10).
    Additionally, Warkentin (.713), and Kirk (.694), top in the MAC in slugging percentage.

HISTORY AT OESTRIKE: Opening in 1971, Oestrike Stadium will hold its 51st season of baseball inside the park in 2022. EMU holds a 550-414-2 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 travels to downtown Detroit where it will take on Alma College Wednesday, April 27, inside Comerica Park. Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on Eagle All-Access (EMUEagles.com/watch).

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Players Mentioned

Gabe Denton

Aaron Dolney

Shane Easter

Adam Falinski

Zach Fruit

Eli Gora

Taylor Hopkins

Logan Hugo

Matt Kirk

Will Oberg

Luke Russo

Daniel Warkentin

Eastern Michigan Athletics