Baseball To Host Central Michigan in Final Homestand of 2022

Baseball vs. Central Michigan
Date	Friday-Sunday, May 13-15 \| Game 1 - 4 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 compete in its final home series of the 2022 campaign Friday-Sunday, May 13-15, when EMU battles Central Michigan University. Friday's action is set to get underway at 4 p.m., with a Saturday doubleheader and Sunday series finale also on the docket in Oestrike Stadium.

Eastern (21-27, 15-17 MAC) is one spot out of the league's top-4, the cut off point to earn a bid into the upcoming MAC Tournament. The Eagles currently sit behind Ball State, Central Michigan, Ohio, and Toledo. A series victory over Central (32-15, 24-6 MAC) can help the Eagles stay in contention for postseason play.

Catch this weekend's action via Eagle All-Access, where Greg Steiner and Alex Jewell will have the call. Fans can follow the action via live stats by visiting EMUEagles.com/livestats. The team's official Twitter account, @EMU_Baseball, will also provide in-game updates.

SENIOR DAY 2022: The Eastern Michigan University Athletic Department will honor EMU baseball's nine seniors prior to the contest on Sunday, May 15.

MATT'S BAT: Junior Matt Kirk has some of the best numbers in the Mid-American Conference this season. The Milford, Ohio native leads the league in hits (68), doubles (23) and slugging percentage (.670), tied for second in the league in home runs (13), second in OBP + slugging (1.073) and ranks inside the league's top-10 in batting average (8th - .351) and RBIs (4th - 43).
   A testament to his mastery at the plate, Kirk remains a part of the high ranks in the league in batting average while leading the MAC in at-bats (194).
   In the series finale at Northern Illinois, May 8, Kirk served up an impressive stat line, going 4-for-4 with two doubles, a home run, and two RBIs. The outfielder leads the Green and White with 36 extra-base hits on the year. Additionally, the outfielder's four hits ties a season-high. It was the second time Kirk has amassed four hits in a contest since tallying four base knocks in the season-opener at Winthrop, Feb. 18.
   Furthermore, Kirk's 130 total bases on the year is tied for 10th all-time in EMU's history books (Matt Skirving - 2009). Former Eagle Ryan Goleski is EMU's all-time leader in total bases in a single-season with 172 in the 2022 season.

INSIDE EXTRA BASEBALL: Game one of Sunday's doubleheader, May 8, was Eastern's third contest that went into extra innings, and the second game of the series against NIU that offered free baseball. The Eagles own a 1-2 record in those games. EMU has been outscored by its opposition 3-6 in innings beyond the ninth.

DOLNEY HITS DINGERS: Dolney finished this past week 5-for-16 (.313) with four extra-base hits (two home runs, a double, and a triple), five RBIs, and five runs scored, helping EMU split a four-game series with Northern Illinois, May 8-9.
   Dolney finished the weekend with an on-base percentage of .389 and led EMU with a slugging percentage of .875. Additionally, Dolney led the Eagles with 14 total bases. Dolney now has six home runs on the season after belting two this week.
   In the final game, May 8, Dolney amassed a game-high three RBIs in the victory. It is Dolney's seventh multi-RBI game of the season. Additionally, Dolney currently rides a three-game hitting streak.

RUSSO RACKING UP W's: Junior Luke Russo is tied for the team lead with four wins on the year. The wins have come on four consecutive appearances for the right-hander. It marks the first time in his career that he has notched four consecutive victories. In his last four appearances (two starts), Russo has amassed 25 strikeouts, allowing just four earned runs on nine hits in 18.0 innings of work.
   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 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. For his efforts, he was awarded MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week honors, April 19.
   The right-hander went five shutout innings, giving up two hits, two walks, and striking out seven for his third win of the season over Bowling Green, May 1.
   Russo's most recent win came in relief, allowing no earned runs on just one hit and two strikeouts in 2.0 IP out of the bullpen in a win over NIU, May 8.

SIXTH FROM BEHIND: Down three runs in the seventh inning, Eastern tabbed three runs on two hits to tie with Northern Illinois, May 8. The game would head into extras where the Green and White tabbed three runs in the 10th inning to defeat the Huskies, 6-3. It is EMU's sixth come-from-behind victory this season (see page 8 for the full list).

DROPPIN' TANKS: EMU hit four more home runs in its weekend series against Northern Illinois, May 8-9. Eastern Michigan has hit 70 home runs in 48 games this season. That number equates to a 1.46 home runs per game average. Eastern 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. Moreover, the Eagles rank 27th in the nation in dingers and 33rd in home runs per game. Senior Daniel Warkentin paces the Mid-American Conference with 14 homers this season.

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 (311). Additionally, EMU owns the league lead in home runs (70) and home runs per game (1.46).

WALK IT OFF: Down 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth, EMU's Daniel Warkentin came up big for the Green and White against BGSU, April 29, hitting a walk-off single to give Eastern the win. It was Eastern's first walk-off win of the season and the first time EMU has notched a walk-off hit since former Eagle Nick Jones tallied an RBI single to defeat Ball State, 2-1, April 17, 2021. Furthermore, it is Warkentin's first career walk-off hit.
   Moreover, the game-winning base knock was the first time Eastern had won a game in walk-off fashion since Taylor Hopkins tabbed a two-run walk-off home run to defeat Kent State 5-4, May 28, 2021.

ANOTHER 11 K DAY: Freshman hurler Adam Falinski was outstanding on the bump against Bowling Green in game one of EMU's Saturday doubleheader against the Falcons, April 30. Falinski fanned 11 Falcons hitters. The 11 K's ties a season-high for Falinski and ties the most an Eagle hurler has notched in a contest this season (Falinski - 11; Luke Russo (Howell, Mich.-Howell) - 11).
   Additionally, the 11 punch outs by Falinski is tied for second in EMU's modern statistical history (1999-Pres.) for strikeouts in an outing (Falinski - 11, Russo - 11, and Ryan Lavoie -11).

DID YOU SAY EIGHT?!: EMU blasted eight home runs en route to its 19-4, series-finale victory over BGSU, May 1. The eight home runs are a season-high for the Eagles, surpassing the previous season-high of six at Morehead State, March 5. Additionally, it is the third time this season EMU has amassed five homers-or-more in a contest (6 at Morehead State, March 5 and 5 vs. Akron, March 25). Before the 2022 campaign, the Eagles did not hit five homers in a game since 2009 when Eastern launched six vs. Ohio, May 22.
   Furthermore, the eight homers is the seventh-most by a team in a contest in the NCAA Division I this season. EMU is the fourth NCAA DI program to hit eight deep shots. Eastern's eight home runs is the second-highest mark in the program's history. EMU totaled nine homers versus Bowling Green, April 8, 2009.

HUEBBE HUNDREDS: With three hits against BGSU Sunday, May 1, senior Brady Huebbe surpassed 100 career hits (51 hits at Northern Illinois). Huebbe joins teammate Shane Easter as the only two active Eagles to reach the 100 career hit mark. Easter has recorded the feat solely at EMU.

TAKE A BOWWWWWWWWWWW: EMU took its series against Bowling Green, 3-1. EMU has now taken 11 consecutive series from Bowling Green, dating back to 2005.

WOWZERS, WILL: Senior Will Oberg had a career day for Eastern against BGSU, May 11. The third baseman went 3-for-4 with three RBIs on a home run and a double. The round-tripper was Oberg's first of the season. Furthermore, his three hits and three RBIs are both career-highs.

19 RUNS OF FUN: Eastern put up 19 runs against Bowling Green, May 1. The 19 runs by the Eagles is a season-best. The last time EMU earned 19-or-more runs was May 1, 2021, when the Green and White amassed 20 at St. Bonaventure.

THE BIG 20: The Eagles notched a season-high 20 hits in their game, May 1. It is the most hits Eastern has recorded since the Eagles tallied 23 at St. Bonaventure, May 1, 2021.

FIVE GUYS: Five different Eagles tabbed a home run against BGSU, May 1. It is the second time this year five EMU batters have tallied a homer (at Morehead State, March 5).

TRIPLE THREAT: Senior Daniel Warkentin led the Eagles at the plate Sunday, May 1, going 3-for-5 with three home runs and three RBIs. His three round-trippers are a career-high for the second baseman. Additionally, it was Warkentin's third multi-home run game of the 2022 campaign.
   Warkentin's three long shots are tied for third-most in the NCAA Division I ranks this season. Additionally, Warkentin is the 37th player in the nation this season to total three homers in a game. Moreover, the second baseman is the first Eagle to round the pillows three times in a game since former Eagle Jordan Peterson did it at NIU, May 14, 2017.
   The Leamington, Ontario native now leads the Eagles, and the Mid-American Conference, with 14 homers on the year. His 14 round-trippers are tied for ninth-most in EMU's history in a single season.

SCORING IN BUNCHES: EMU scored four runs in three separate innings against Bowling Green, May 1. The Eagles have scored four-or-more runs in a single inning 21 times this season.

ALL-TIME AGAINST CENTRAL MICHIGAN: EMU and CMU will meet for the 173rd time on Friday afternoon. Eastern holds a 95-77 record over Central. Despite the series lead, the Eagles are looking to snap an eight-game losing skid against the Chippewas, the longest active losing streak against any Mid-American Conference team.
   Additionally, EMU is 2-8 in its last 10 meetings against CMU, being outscored by the Chippewas 69-30 in those 10 contests. Prior to the eight-game skid, EMU defeated CMU in four-straight contests between the 2017-18 seasons.

LAST TIME IN YPSI: The last time the two programs met inside Oestrike Stadium, Central swept Eastern in three games, May 10-12, 2019.

ON THE HORIZON: The Eagles will travel to Kent, Ohio to face Kent State University, May 19-21, in the team's final series of the 2022 season.

Baseball To Host Central Michigan in Final Homestand of 2022

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Players Mentioned

Shane Easter

Adam Falinski

Taylor Hopkins

Brady Huebbe

Nick Jones

Matt Kirk

Will Oberg

Luke Russo

Daniel Warkentin

Eastern Michigan Athletics