Baseball Returns to MAC Play With Trip to Ohio University

Baseball at Ohio University
Date	Friday-Sunday, March 31-April 2
Venue	Bob Wren Stadium \| Athens, Ohio
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF) \| Media Guide (PDF)
Live Stats	Live Stats
Watch	YouTube

ATHENS, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) - Following a midweek game against Oakland University, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team will return to Mid-American Conference play Friday-Sunday, March 31-April 2, when it travels to Ohio University for a three-game set. The series gets underway with a 6 p.m. first pitch Friday inside Bob Wren Stadium.
    Eastern (11-10, 4-5 MAC) is looking to get back on track in league play after most recently being swept in a three-game series against Ball State University, March 24-26. Ohio (7-14, 5-4 MAC) is looking to build upon a series win against Northern Illinois, where it took two of three from the Huskies, March 24-26.
   The games will be broadcast on YouTube. Fans can also tune into the Varsity Network App where Russ Eisenstein will have the call via the Ohio Sports Network.
Moreover, the games can be followed through live stats by visiting EMUEagles.com/livestats or on EMU's Twitter, @EMU_Baseball.

HOPKINS WITH THE HOMERS: Shortstop Taylor Hopkins displayed his power against Oakland, March 28, blasting two solo shots in the contest. The second multi-homer game by an EMU player this season, Hopkins is the first to do it since teammate Matt Kirk also hit a pair in a game against Akron, March 11.
   Hopkins has twice previously recorded multiple home runs in a game. Prior to this week, he most recently did it in a game against Alma College, which was played at Comerica Park, April 27, 2022. The Mason, Ohio native also did in against Austin Peay University in the first game of the 2020 season, Feb. 15.
   Hopkins' 22 career home runs is tied for the most by any Eagle on the current roster, with Kirk. He is tied with Kirk for the team lead in home runs this season, with five.

MULTI-HIT HOPKINS: Taylor Hopkins notched his ninth multi-hit game of the 2023 campaign against Oakland, a number which ties for second on the team, just behind Josh Kross, who has 10. He finished the day with a team-leading three hits. That total ties his season high, previously set in games at Western Michigan, March 19, and Towson, March 4. Hopkins leads all current Eagles with 12 career games with three or more hits.

SCHROEDLE DELIVERS: First-year Eagle Kyle Schroedle came up big against Oakland, March 28. The Redding, Calif. native blasted a game-tying, three-run home run in the top half of the eighth inning. In addition to keeping EMU's comeback hopes alive, it marked the first home run of Schroedle's EMU career, and the team's third of the day. Schroedle finished the day with two hits, his first since EMU's game at Butler, March 21.

ANOTHER COMEBACK WIN: Eastern Michigan erased a three-run, 5-2 deficit to defeat Oakland, 7-5, March 28. The victory marked the fifth come-from-behind win of three or more runs this season by the Eagles, and first since it erased a five-run deficit to defeat Western Michigan, 12-11, March 18.

KROSS KEEPS ROLLING: First-year Eagle Josh Kross delivered two hit and an RBI in EMU's game against Oakland, March 28. Kross now has 10 multi-hit games on the season, the most of any Eagle. Additionally, his RBI was the 25th of the season for Kross, which leads the team and ranks sixth in the Mid-American Conference.

REED WAS ROLLING: Freshman pitcher Sam Reed had a season-best outing at Oakland, March 28. The left-hander struck out a season-high six batters in six innings of work. His previous high in strikeouts was two, which he has recorded in three separate outings. Reed's 6.0 IP was the longest stint on the bump in his EMU career, more than his previous best of 4.0 innings at Butler, March 21.

SKIDS SNAPPED: With its win over Oakland, EMU snapped its four-game losing skid that dated back to March 21 at Butler. The four-game slide was the longest of the season for EMU. Moreover, the win ended a three-game slide against Oakland, specifically, a team EMU had not beat since May 8, 2018 prior to Tuesday's win. Despite the recent stretch, EMU leads Oakland in the all-time ledger between the two institutions, 29-18.

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Eastern Michigan has had no problem finding second base this year. The Green and White average 2.2 doubles per contest in 2023, which ranks 46th in the nation. Eastern averaged just 1.8 doubles per game a season ago.

MORE DOUBLE TROUBLE: One season after leading the nation in doubles (25), Matt Kirk is pacing towards similar numbers in 2023. The Milford, Ohio native ranks eighth in the nation and first in the MAC with 12 doubles this season. He ranks third in the nation with a doubles per game average of 0.57.

NINE FOR ERIC: Eastern Michigan has nine wins so far this March, the most in the month for Head Coach Eric Roof, in his fifth season at the helm of the program (2018-Pres.). Prior to 2023, Roof's best month-of-March total was seven, which came in 2022. EMU has not had nine wins in March since the 2013 season, when the team recorded 11 wins en route to a 26-28 season.

FUN RUN: Eastern Michigan is one of the most aggressive base running teams in the nation, ranking 22nd nationally and second in the Mid-American Conference with 48 stolen bases this season. Last season, EMU was 157th in the country with just 52 stolen bags for the season, a 0.96 steals per game average. This year, the Green and White average 2.3 swipes per game, more than double its 2022 number. Last season, it took EMU 48 games to record its 48th stolen base, compared to just 21 this season.

SURE HANDED: Eastern Michigan ranks second in the MAC and 58th nationally in fielding percentage (0.976). Eastern went three consecutive games without an error at Evansville, Feb. 24-26, its first such stretch since April 17-20, 2022, in games against Ohio, Siena Heights, and Michigan State.

OBSCURE, YET PAINFUL: Eastern Michigan has earned 36 free bags via hit by pitch this season, the second highest total of any Mid-American Conference team. EMU has been hit an average of 1.7 times per game this season, up from 1.4 HBP per contest a season ago. The current number is the 73rd highest in NCAA Division I baseball.

PICK YOUR POISON: The Green and White have displayed the ability to score in bunches in a single inning this season. EMU has scored four runs or more in a single inning 12 times this season. Eastern's best single inning of the season came in its series against Western Michigan, where it pushed across seven runs in the third inning of the series finale, March 19.

COMEBACK KIDS: EMU has come back to win four games when trailing by four or more runs this season. The most recent came against WMU, March 18, when the Eagles erased a five-run deficit to secure a 12-11 victory. Last season, EMU did not come back from any such deficits, and only came back from a deficit (one run or more) to win in six total games.

GOOD EYE JOSH: Josh Kross is one of the hardest players in the nation to strike out in 2023. The first-year Eagle has fanned just once every 16.6 at bats this season, the 15th-best figure in the nation.

KING KIRK DELIVERS AGAIN: Graduate student Matt Kirk was a combined 9-for-15 (.600 average) against Butler, March 21, and Ball State, March 24-26, driving in four RBIs and scoring a trio of runs. Overall, he had five extra-base hits with four doubles and a home run. All told, Kirk slugged 1.067 with an OBP of .667.
On Sunday, March 26, Kirk had an RBI double in the first inning for Eastern Michigan. Scoring Glenn Miller, it was Kirk's team-leading 12th double of the season, which also leads the Mid-American Conference. Furthermore, the reigning MAC Player-of-the-Year nabbed a stolen base in the first inning, marking his third stolen bag of the year and continuing his perfect steal percentage. Moreover, Kirk had three hits Sunday, marking his fifth three-hit game this year. By also knocking three hits in consecutive contests, the graduate student tallied three hits in back-to-back games for the first time in his career.

ROCKIN' RUSSO: Senior Luke Russo threw 8.1 innings against Ball State in a pair of contests (Friday, March 24; Sunday, March 26), allowing just two runs to the defending MAC regular season champions. Russo struck out 10 while not walking a batter in the two appearances. On Sunday, he started the ballgame and went six innings, surrendering one run on five hits, walking none, and striking out eight. The eight punchouts tied the season-best of any EMU hurler this season. On Friday, the righty made an impact on the mound for the Eagles, throwing 2.1 innings, giving up one run on two hits, with no walks and two strikeouts.

MILLER HITS HIS FIRST: Senior Glenn Miller came up big for the Green and White against BSU Sunday, March 26. With the game tied at two, Miller blasted his first EMU home run, a shot to left field, to put the Eagles in front. Miller notched two home runs as a student-athlete at Spring Arbor University before making the jump to EMU.

BIG ON THE BASE PATHS: The Eagles were aggressive on the base paths March 26 as they set a new season high with five bags swiped against BSU. Furthermore, EMU stole 11 total bases throughout the three-game series, tying their series-high in stolen bags as the Green and White also nabbed 11 bases in their series sweep versus Towson University, March 3-5. The game was the first for Eastern Michigan with five or more steals since the Green and White stole the same number at Northern Illinois, May 7, 2022.

ALL-TIME AGAINST OHIO: EMU and Ohio will meet for the 135th time this Friday. The Eagles lead the all-time series by a record of 70-65. In the last meeting, April 17, 2022, Eastern snapped an 11-game losing streak against the Bobcats. Prior to the win, Eastern had not beat Ohio since 2018 when EMU took down the Bobcats 4-3, April 14.

LAST GAME IN ATHENS: The Eagles fell, 3-2, April 11, 2021, in Athens, Ohio. Eastern was able to notch seven hits, although just two provided the Eagles with runs as a pair of solo home runs by Gabe Denton and Taylor Hopkins were the extent of EMU's run production for the day. With the victory, Ohio swept the four-game series.

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan will travel to Akron, Ohio for a midweek, non-conference game against the Zips. First pitch is set for 3 p.m., Tuesday, April 4.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Gabe Denton

Taylor Hopkins

Matt Kirk

Josh Kross

Glenn Miller

Sam Reed

Luke Russo

Kyle Schroedle

Eastern Michigan Athletics