Baseball Set For Three-Game Weekend Series Versus Toledo

Baseball vs. Toledo
Date	Friday-Sunday, April 21-23
Venue	Oestrike Stadium (Ypsilanti, Mich.)
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF) \| Media Guide (PDF)
Live Stats	Live Stats
Listen	Eagle All-Access

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University baseball team will play host to the University of Toledo Rockets in a three-game conference series beginning this Friday, April 21, at 6 p.m. The Eagles are coming off two stand-alone weekday games, where they dropped contests to the University of Akron, 14-10 and Oakland University, 9-7.
Last season, the Eagles were swept in a four-game series versus the Rockets, from April 22-24, 2022, at Scott Park. Eastern Michigan will enter the weekend with the all-time series lead, holding a 100-70 record when facing the Rockets. All three games will be streamed on Eagle All-Access via EMUEagles.com/watch with Greg Steiner and Alex Jewell on the call.

EIGHT STRAIGHT WITH AN RBI: Josh Kross grounded out to shortstop in the top of the third to score Glenn Miller, versus Oakland, April 19. The RBI goes down as number 44 for Kross on the year, placing him second in the Mid-American Conference. Secondly, with his RBI, the first baseman has recorded an RBI in eight straight games, the longest streak of the season for both Kross and Eastern Michigan as a team.

DOLNEY DOES IT TWICE: Aaron Dolney sent a two-run shot over the center field wall in the top half of the second inning in a 13-10 loss to Oakland, April 19. The homer goes down as the catcher's sixth of the 2023 campaign, bringing his RBI total to 26. The Plymouth, Mich. native built on his already strong performance with another two-run blast, this time to right field. Dolney ended the day going 3-for-4 at the plate with two homers and four RBIs. His performance marks the second time this season Dolney has recorded two home runs in a single game, also doing so against Ohio University, in a 7-6 decision in favor of the Bobcats, April 1.

50 IN BACK-TO-BACK SEASONS: Josh Kross' solo home run in the bottom of the first inning, against Akron, April 18, was Eastern Michigan's 50th home run of the 2023 season. After leading the Mid-American Conference in home runs a season ago (81), the Eagles have hit 50+ home runs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2009-10, respectively. EMU hit 100 home runs in 2009 before following it up with an even 50 in 2010. The 100 single-season home runs for the 2009 club stand as a program record.

80 IN BACK-TO-BACK SEASONS?: Eastern Michigan has now hit 52 home runs on the season as a team. The Eagles are averaging 1.5 home runs per game in the 2023 season. If EMU can keep that pace over its final 19 contests, it would finish with 80 home runs in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history.

MULTIPLE GAMES WITH MULTIPLE DOUBLES: Kyle Schroedle rocketed a two-bagger off the right field wall of the Oakland Baseball Field in the top of the fifth inning, April 19 versus the Golden Grizzlies. This marks the former junior college All-American's sixth double of the 2023 regular-season and his eighth extra-base-hit overall. The Redding, Calif. native sent another double down the right field line, scoring Logan Hugo. Finishing the day 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk, this marks the second multi-extra-base-hit performance for the outfielder. With his two doubles today, Schroedle became the only Eagle to record multiple games with two doubles as the 6-foot-3 outfielder also tabbed two doubles in a 9-2 win over the Akron Zips, April 4.

DOUBLE DIGITS IN SEVEN STRAIGHT: Eastern Michigan recorded 12 hits in the effort against the Akron Zips, April 18, to record 10 or more hits in seven consecutive games, a streak that began April 9th against Miami University. It is the first time they had seven-straight games with at least 10 or more hits since they did the same from April 24-May 3, 2011, against Western Michigan, Michigan State, Ball State and Louisville.

KROSS REACHES DOUBLE DIGITS: Josh Kross sent a solo shot to right field in the top of the first inning, versus Akron, April 18, for his team-leading 10th home run of the season. The Brunswick, Ohio native has picked up his slugging as of late, with five long balls in his last seven games. What's more, Kross became the first Eagle to reach double digit home runs on the 2023 season.

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 tied for 10th in the nation and first in the MAC with 16 doubles this season. He ranks seventh in the nation with a doubles per game average of 0.48.

FUN RUN: Eastern Michigan is one of the most aggressive base running teams in the nation, ranking tied for 31st nationally and fourth in the Mid-American Conference with 65 stolen bases this season. EMU is 28th nationally with a 1.91 steals per game average. Last season, EMU was 157th in the country with just 52 stolen bags for the season, a 0.96 steals per game average.

GOOD EYE GLENN: Glenn Miller is one of the hardest players in the nation to strike out in 2023. The second-year Eagle has fanned just once every 10.4 at bats this season, the 53rd-best figure in the nation.

COMING UP AT COMERICA: Eastern Michigan and Alma will face off for the 49th time this Tuesday, April 25, at Comerica Park at 6:30 p.m. The Eagles hold the series advantage with a 38-10 record when facing the Scots. Last season, The Green and White emerged victorious in their matchup against Alma, 5-1. General admission will be $10. There will be no pre-sale of tickets. Gates will open an hour before first pitch (5:30 p.m.)

TONS OF RUNS: Eastern Michigan scored 25 total runs in the series against Bowling Green during its three-game set with the Falcons, April 14-15. The total production was the team's second-best series total this season (three-game set), just behind the 30 it scored against Western Michigan, March 18-19. EMU scored at least eight runs in each game against the Falcons, its first series of three or more games with eight or more runs in each game since the 2017, when the Eagles scored 8, 12, and 12, respectively in a trio of games against Ohio University, April 14-16.

COMEBACK COMPLETE: EMU came back from down 3-0 in the first inning to win, 8-6, at BGSU Friday, April 14. It marked the sixth comeback win of the season after being down three or more runs for EMU, the first since erasing a three-run deficit to beat Oakland, 7-5, March 28. 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.

MOVES LIKE JAGGER: First-year Eagle Jagger Jefferis earned his first win as an Eagle Friday, April 14, a 8-6 win over Bowling Green. Jefferis went 2.0 innings, allowing three hits, en route to the victory. He has now gone 2.0 innings or more in three appearances this season, including each of his last two (season-best stretch). He is the ninth EMU pitcher this season to record at least one win.

STREAK SNAPPED: EMU dropped its first series to Bowling Green since the 2005 season with its pair of setbacks last weekend. The stretch of 11 straight series wins over the Falcons was the longest for the team in the modern statistical era (1998-Pres.).

FIVE RUN FUN: Eastern Michigan scored five runs in the fourth inning in the third game against BGSU, April 15. It was Eastern Michigan's 19th inning with four or more runs this season.

KROSS CONNECTS: First-year Eagle Josh Kross singled in the top of the ninth inning in game three against BGSU; the hit marked his team-leading 40th RBI of the season. Additionally, he has now recorded an RBI in six straight games, the longest stretch in his collegiate career.

HUGE HUGO: Sophomore Logan Hugo hit two home runs against Bowling Green in game one of the series, Friday, April 14. The seventh and eighth home runs of his career, respectively, it was the Essexville, Mich. native's first multi-home run game of his collegiate career. Additionally, it marked two home runs in a three-game stretch for Hugo (1 vs. Western Michigan, April 11), the best such stretch of his collegiate career.

ALL-TIME VERSUS TOLEDO: Eastern Michigan enters the weekend holding a 30-game advantage (100-70) in the all-time series between the Eagles and the Rockets.

ON THE HORIZON: Upon completion of their series versus Toledo, Eastern Michigan will make their annual trip to Comerica Park, to take on the Alma College Scots, this Tuesday, April 25, at 6:30 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Aaron Dolney

Logan Hugo

Jagger Jefferis

Matt Kirk

Josh Kross

Glenn Miller

Kyle Schroedle

Eastern Michigan Athletics