Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Niagara
Baseball Set for Weekend Non-Conference Series at Niagara
4/26/2023 2:24:00 PM | Baseball
Series Will Last Friday-Sunday, April 28-30
| Baseball vs. Niagara | |
| Date | Friday-Sunday, April 28-30 |
| Venue | Niagara University, N.Y. | Bobo Field |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes (PDF) | Media Guide (PDF) |
| Live Stats | Live Stats |
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University baseball team is ready for a three-game, non-conference series against the Niagara University Purple Eagles. The series begins this Friday, April 28, with the first pitch slated for 3 p.m. Saturday's game will take place at 2 p.m. and Sunday's at 1 p.m. The Eagles are coming off a 15-12 win over the Alma College Scots at Comerica Park, April 25. The win marked the second consecutive for the Green and White as they now hold a 2-1 record when playing at Comerica Park. The Purple Eagles enter the series holding an 18-14 overall record and are coming off a 2-1 series loss to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference leaders, the Fairfield University Stags. The series can be streamed live on ESPN+. Fans can also follow along with stats at EMUEagles.com/livestats, and follow @EMU_Baseball on Twitter for live in-game updates.
15+ SIX TIMES: With their 16-hit outing resulting in a 15-12 victory versus Alma, April 25, Eastern Michigan has eclipsed the 15 hit mark six times in the 2023 campaign. The Green and White hold a perfect 6-0 record in those games this season. Last season, it took the Eagles all 54 games to tally their fifth 15+ hit outing, producing a 4-1 record in such games.
KROSS CHRISTENS RIGHT FIELD BUSHES: Josh Kross sent a home run over the right field wall in the fourth inning in a 15-12 decision over Alma, April 25. Kross has now pushed his team lead in home runs to 12. With the homer, the switch hitter is now tied for fourth in the Mid-American Conference. Additionally, Kross' fourth inning homer is the first home run hit to right field in Comerica Park since the walls were moved in prior to the start of the 2023 Major League Baseball season.
POSITIVE RECORD AT COMERICA: This past Tuesday, April 25; marked the third time Eastern Michigan has taken the diamond at Comerica Park. After Tuesday night's win over Alma, the Eagles hold a 2-1 record when playing at the major league ball park.
THESE CLEATS WERE MEANT FOR WALKIN': Eastern Michigan batters displayed great plate discipline as they were issued a season-high nine base-on-balls Tuesday, April 25, when they topped Alma, 15-12, at Comerica Park.
GONE IN GRAND FASHION: EMU left fielder Matt Kirk delivered the hit of his career against Toledo Sunday, April 23. With EMU down, 11-8, Kirk blasted his first-career grand slam to lift the Eagles past the Rockets, 12-11, inside Oestrike Stadium.The grand slam was the third for Eastern this season. Darren Kraft notched one against Toledo in game two of the series, April 22. For Eastern, it marked the first walk-off winner since April 29, 2022, when former Eagle Daniel Warketin drove in the game-winner in a 6-5 decision over Bowling Green. Additionally, it was the first walk-off home run for the Green and White since Taylor Hopkins did it against Kent State, May 28, 2021 in a 5-4 victory. The EMU slugger finished the day with six RBIs, tying a season-high for the Eagles as a team and setting a career-high for the Milford, Ohio, native.
TWO HOME RUN DAY: Matt Kirk's heroics against Toledo were part of a two-home run day for the graduate student. It was the first by an Eagle since Aaron Dolney notched a pair of long balls against Oakland, April 19. The second multi-homer day of the season for Kirk, he previously did it against Akron, March 11. The reigning MAC player of the year has four career games with two home runs.
RECORD WATCH: One year after tying the all-time EMU record in single-season doubles (25), a number which led the country, Matt Kirk is on pace to break his own record in 2023. The second-year Eagle currently leads the Mid-American Conference and ranks ninth in the nation with 18 doubles this season, a 0.49 doubles per game average. If Kirk keeps pace over the Eagles' final 15 contests, he would finish the season with 25 two-baggers this season, tying his all-time EMU record set in the 2022 season.
KIRK'S BIG WEEK: Matt Kirk had an impressive four-game stretch against Oakland, April 19, and Toledo, April 21-23. The reigning Mid-American Conference Player of the Year defended his crown, totaling eight hits including five for extra bases (two doubles and three home runs), producing 10 RBIs and 19 total bases. Moreover, Kirk posted a slugging percentage of 1.118 and an on-base percentage of .550. Lastly, Kirk proved difficult to strike out the past week as he tallied three base-on-balls to his two strikeouts for the Eagles. Those numbers led all Eagles.
SCORING IN BUNCHES: Eastern scored four or more runs in a frame twice in a 15-12 win over Alma, April 25. The Green and White have now tallied 25 innings of four or more runs this season. This marks Eastern's fourth consecutive game with at least one inning of four or more runs, tying a season high for the Green and White. EMU scored four runs in a single inning in four straight games versus Towson University, March 3-5.
STREAK OF SIGNIFICANCE: Six different Eagles (Josh Kross, Matt Kirk, Aaron Dolney, Logan Hugo, Blake McRae, Darren Kraft) are currently riding three-game hit streaks, the most of any point this season for the Green and White.
BASHING AND MASHING: Eastern Michigan has seen 117 multi-hit performances amongst its players in its first 39 games this season. On average, the team sees three multi-hit efforts per game, by far the highest average for the program in the modern statistical era (1998-Pres.). The 2009 EMU team totaled 164 such efforts in 60 games, a 2.73 per-game average. Josh Kross leads Eastern Michigan with 21 multi-hit games this season, just ahead of Matt Kirk (18), and Taylor Hopkins (14).
TOP-5 WATCH: Taylor Hopkins is approaching EMU's all-time top-5 list in multiple categories. With 752 at-bats, he is just seven away from overtaking Mike Mioduszewski (2014-17) for the No. 5 spot. Additionally, his 209 hits leave him just 24 away from Lee Longo (2011-14), who notched 233 in his storied career. Hopkins (121) is 17 RBIs away from cracking the list, and six long balls away (currently 26) from the fifth spot in the EMU record book. Matt Kirk currently has 26 home runs as well.
ADDED MORE RUNS: Eastern Michigan scored 15 runs in it's win against Alma, April 25. It is the 10th time this season the Eagles have scored double-digit runs. EMU possesses a record of 9-1 in those games. Last season the Eagles recorded their 10th game with double-digit runs the last game of the season, a 15-8 win over Kent State University, May 21, 2022. This season, EMU reached that mark in just 39 games.
FUN RUN: Eastern Michigan is one of the most aggressive base running teams in the nation, ranking tied for 45th nationally and fifth in the Mid-American Conference with 66 stolen bases this season. Last season, EMU was 157th in the country with just 52 stolen bags for the season.
EXCELLENT EXIT VELOCITY: Aaron Dolney drilled a single through the right side of the infield in the second inning against Alma, April 25. Dolney's single clocked in at 105.9 miles per hour, this is the hardest known hit ball by any EMU batter this season.
FIVE TOSS A SCORELESS FRAME: Eastern Michigan had 10 different pitchers pitch April 25 versus Alma. Five of these pitchers (Tyler Helgeson, Zach Gillig, Jagger Jefferis, Cam'ron McCoy, Dylan Wolff) pitched a scoreless inning. This marks both the most pitchers used in a game this season for EMU and the most pitchers to throw a scoreless inning in a single game this season.
ALL-TIME VERSUS NIAGARA: The upcoming weekend series marks just the second time the Eagles and Purple Eagles have met for a three-game set. The last time was back in 2012, when Eastern swept Niagara, 3-0, at Oestrike Stadium. This weekend will be the first time EMU has made the trek to Niagara University.
ON THE HORIZON: Eastern will return home to Ypsilanti after their three-game series against the Purple Eagles to face cross town foe, the Concordia University Cardinals in a stand alone game, Tuesday, May 2. The first pitch is slated for 6 p.m.
