Baseball Set For Three-Game Set at Evansville

Baseball at Evansville
Date	Friday-Sunday, Feb. 24-26
Venue	Charles H. Braun Stadium
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF) \| Media Guide (PDF)
Live Stats	Fan Stats \| Media Stats
Watch/Listen	ESPN+ (Friday/Saturday) \| ESPN3 (Sunday)

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University baseball team returns to action Friday-Sunday, Feb. 24-26, when it heads to the Hoosier State for a non-conference matchup against the University of Evansville.
   Eastern Michigan (1-2, 0-0 MAC) is looking to build momentum after claiming a victory in its most recent contest, against Northern Kentucky University, Feb. 19. Meanwhile, Evansville (0-3, 0-0 MVC) is looking for its first win after dropping three tight games against Troy University, Feb. 17-19.
   First pitch of Friday's series-opener is set for 3 p.m. CT Saturday's game will begin at 2 p.m. CT, with the series finale coming Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. The first two games of the series will be broadcast on ESPN+, while game three can be viewed on ESPN3. Live stats will also be available at EMUEagles.com/livestats.

EMU IN SEASON OPENERS: Eastern Michigan officially began its 75th season of baseball Friday, Feb. 17, when it opened the 2023 campaign with a game against Northern Kentucky University. After a 9-2 setback, Eastern moved to 36-39 in its all-time season openers. The Eagles have dropped consecutive lid-lifters after winning three in a row between 2019-21.

STARTING FAST: Eastern Michigan pushed one run across the board in the first inning in each of its contests against NKU, Feb. 17-20. It marks the first runs scored in three consecutive first innings to open a season since the 2017 campaign, when EMU scored in the first inning in three straight games, Feb. 17-18, against the University of Missouri, to begin the season in Fort Myers, Fla.

HUGE DAY AT THE DISH: Eastern recorded season-bests in runs (13), hits (10), and RBIs (12) against NKU in game three of the season-opening series, Feb.19. It marked the first time the Eagles have hit double digits in all three categories since they had 15 runs, 18 hits, and 15 RBIs against Kent State University, May 21, 2022. Shortstop Taylor Hopkins, designated hitter Josh Kross, and outfielder Matt Kirk all led the Eagles with two hits apiece. Additionally, Hopkins drove in four runs and Kross drove in three of his own, a career-best mark for the first year Eagle.

COMEBACK KIDS: Sunday, Feb. 19, marked the first come-from-behind win for Eastern Michigan since May 8, 2022, when Eastern erased a three-run deficit to defeat Northern Illinois University, 6-3.
    Eastern Michigan eliminated a four-run, 5-1, deficit in the game en route to the 13-9 victory. It is the first time EMU has come back from a deficit of four runs or more in a game since it fell behind, 6-2, in a game against Central Michigan University before rallying to win, 7-6, in 12 innings, May 4, 2018.

FUN WITH FIVES: Eastern Michigan scored five runs in both the seventh and eighth innings of its 13-9 win over NKU, Feb. 19. For Eastern Michigan, it was the first innings of five-or-more runs since May, 21, 2022, when the Eagles went for five runs in the second inning of their game against Kent State University. Additionally, Eastern Michigan had not recorded consecutive innings of five or more runs since March 19, 2021, when it did so in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, in a game against Butler University.

TEN RUN ROOFIE: Eastern Michigan has scored 10 or more runs 28 times under Head Coach Eric Roof (2018-Pres.). The Eagles have emerged victorious in 23 of those games. Additionally, 10 of those performances (36%) have come in the last 59 games for EMU meaning EMU has averaged a 10-run outing once every 5.9 games since the start of 2021. Between 2018-20, EMU averaged a 10-run game just once every 9.2 games (18 out of 165).

HELLO, MR. HOPKINS: Taylor Hopkins had an exceptional opening weekend for EMU as the Mason, Ohio, product slashed .400 (4-for-10) versus the Norse with a .500 on-base percentage and a .900 slugging percentage. He finished with two doubles, a home run, and two walks in the neutral site series. Hopkins collected at least one RBI in every game, driving in eight RBIs total, while scoring three times as well.
In Saturday's game, Feb. 18, Hopkins smoked a three-run home run to right center for his 20th career jack. He followed it up with a four RBI day, Sunday, Feb. 19, including the eventual game winning runs in the eighth inning with a double to left center. Overall, the four RBIs are the second-most in Hopkins' career, only bettered by a Feb. 15, 2020, performance at Austin Peay University when he plated six runs. Furthermore, it is the most RBIs by an EMU player since Brady Huebbe brought in six in a game versus Kent State, May 21, 2022.
Additionally, Hopkins' eight RBIs are the most by an EMU student-athlete in a three-game series since Jordan Peterson collected 11 against Northern Illinois University, May 12-14, 2017. That series Peterson plated nine runs alone in the finale against the Huskies, as he belted three home runs on the day.

NOTICED NATIONALLY: Taylor Hopkins currently ranks 38th in the nation with eight RBIs through EMU's first three contests. That number ranks second in the conference, behind only Alec Patino of Ohio University (11). Hopkins is off to a hot start in 2023. Last season, it took him 13 games to record his first eight RBIs.

BIG BAT MATT: Graduate student Matt Kirk earned his first multi-hit game of the 2023 season against NKU, Feb. 17, making him the first Eagle to achieve the feat in the 2023 regular season. The reigning MAC Player of the Year led the Eagles with 24 multi-hit games last season. Additionally, Kirk is in the top-five in the MAC in on-base percentage through the first weekend, notching a 0.615 clip in the category.

POWER SURGE: Outfielder Matt Kirk blasted a home run over the right field wall in the first inning of the final game of the series against NKU, Feb. 19. The second of the season for EMU and the first for Kirk, it marked his 18th career home run in an Eastern Michigan uniform, and first since he blasted one against Kent State, May 21, 2022. In the 2022 season, Kirk hit 17 home runs, which was good for the top mark in the Mid-American Conference and 78th in the NCAA Division I ranks.

NOTCH ONE FOR NICK: Righty Nick Chittum earned his second collegiate victory with his decision in the third game of the series against NKU, Feb. 19. He tossed the final 1.1 innings of the game against the Norse without giving up a run and picking up the win. The 17th appearance of his career was his first victory since April 27, 2022, against Alma College. Chittum, who earned his first win against a Division I opponent against NKU, has won both of his collegiate decisions on a neutral field. His win over the Scots came at Comerica Park in Detroit, Mich.

ROCKING RUSSO: Senior Luke Russo got the ball as the starting pitcher for EMU in the second game against NKU, Feb. 18. The Howell, Mich. native went five scoreless innings to begin the contest, the longest stretch of scoreless innings by any EMU pitcher this season. His five scoreless innings are tied for the most in his career after he hit the same mark against Ohio University, April 17, 2022. Additionally, Russo sat down nine consecutive NKU hitters between the second and fifth innings. That number is the most by any EMU hurler this year.

MILLER MAGIC: Senior Infielder Glenn Miller notched his fourth hit of the season in game three against NKU, Feb. 19. That number which ranks second on the team behind only Kirk (5). The Pentawater, Mich. product has opened up the 2023 regular season on a three-game hit streak, which is currently the longest on the team and marks the first time Miller has opened a season on a hitting streak in his EMU career. After knocking 20 base hits throughout his entire 2022 campaign, Miller has already gotten to 20 percent of that total through just three games.

LEFT ALABAMA WITH A WIN: Eastern Michigan has now played 14 games in the state of Alabama since the beginning of the 1998 season. After last weekend, the Green and White hold a 5-8-1 record in those games. Prior to EMU's victory over NKU, Feb. 19, the Green and White had not won in the state since 2021, when it swept Alabama State University in a short, two-game set, Feb. 27-28.

ALL-TIME AGAINST EVANSVILLE: Eastern Michigan and Evansville have met just one prior time on the baseball diamond. The meeting came during the 1999 campaign, where the Purple Aces came away with a 10-2 victory in a home game for Evansville.

ON THE HORIZON: The Eagles will continue their season-opening road trek when they head to Towson, Md. to take on Towson University in a four-game set beginning Friday, March 3 at 2 p.m

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Players Mentioned

Nick Chittum

Taylor Hopkins

Brady Huebbe

Matt Kirk

Josh Kross

Glenn Miller

Luke Russo

Eastern Michigan Athletics