Eastern Michigan Athletics
Kross Named MAC Freshman of the Year; Kirk Earns First Team
5/23/2023 11:00:00 AM | Baseball
Josh Kross becomes the third EMU player to collect freshman of the year accolades
CLEVELAND, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University baseball standout Josh Kross (Brunswick, Ohio-Brunswick-Toledo) became just the third EMU player to take home Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year honors, as the league office announced its postseason awards Tuesday, May 23. Kross was also given First Team All-MAC honors while senior Matt Kirk (Milford, Ohio-Milford-Toledo) also garnered First Team All-MAC honors for the second consecutive season.
Kross joins Brian Bixler (2002) and Don DeDonatis (1994) as the only players to collect the MAC's freshman award while donning the script E. Furthermore, it is just the 15th time since joining the conference, that Eastern Michigan has multiple first team honorees, the last occurrence came in 2021 when Taylor Hopkins and Mike Monahan collected the honor.
Kross ranked fifth in the MAC with a .376 batting average, finishing first in RBI (70), third in hits (86), fourth in doubles (18), and fifth in home runs (15). His 70 runs knocked ranks 16th in the nation while his 149 total bases is 33rd-best in the NCAA Division I ranks. Not a prototypal slugger, Kross was the second hardest player in the MAC to strikeout, fanning once every 8.8 at-bats.
The Brunswick, Ohio, native's 70 RBIs tied for second-most in a single season at EMU. He finished tied Chris Hoiles (1986) and Ryan Goleski (2002), one shy of the record held by Derrick Peterson (71 - 2004). All told, Kross had 30 multiple-hit games to go along with a pair of four hit performances. He also had 22 multi-RBI games over the course of the year, including driving in five against Western Michigan, March 18.
Kirk became just the 11th player in EMU history to twice collect first team accolades from the league's head coaches. He is also the first to do so since 2007 when Jeff Fischer garnered the accolades in back-to-back seasons. The 2022 MAC Player of the Year, Kirk led the league in doubles (24), while ranking second in slugging percentage (.683), fourth in hits per game (1.42), sixth in batting average (.360), and sixth in total bases (129).
Kirk, a former walk-on, finished one double shy of his 2022 single-season record of 25 doubles to finish with 98 in his EMU career. The Milford, Ohio, native ranks sixth in the EMU annals in two-base hits, while finishing fifth in batting average (.357) and ninth in home runs (28).
EMU's offense was electric, finishing the regular season second in the Mid-American Conference in average (.297), hits (556), doubles (125), runs (409), and scoring per game (7.7). The team also cranked 78 home runs, a total that ranks fourth-best in EMU history.
Eastern notched its first winning season since the 2011 campaign by sweeping Northern Illinois, May 18-20, to close the regular season.
To stay up to date with all things EMU baseball throughout the offseason, continue to check EMUEagles.com, or follow the team on Twitter, @EMU_Baseball.
2023 MAC Baseball Specialty Award Winners & All-Conference Teams
Coach of the Year: Jeff Duncan, Kent State
Player of the Year: Jeron Williams, Toledo
Pitcher of the Year: Joe Whitman, Kent State
Defensive Player of the Year: Cooper Weiss, Miami
Freshman of the Year: Josh Kross, Eastern Michigan
Freshman Pitcher of the Year: DJ Newman, Bowling Green
First Team
C – Justin Miknis, Kent State
1B – Aiden Longwell, Kent State
2B – Luke Sefcik, Central Michigan
SS – Jeron Williams, Toledo
3B – Ryan Peltier, Ball State
OF – Matt Kirk, Eastern Michigan
OF – Collin Mathews, Kent State
OF – Decker Scheffler, Ball State
DH – DJ Newman, Bowling Green
SP – Joe Whitman, Kent State
SP – Adam Mrakitsch, Central Michigan
SP – Ben Cruikshank, Kent State
SP – Kenten Egbert, Miami
RP – Mitchell Scott, Kent State
At-Large – Josh Kross, Eastern Michigan
Second Team
C – Kyle Gurney, Bowling Green
1B – Cade Sullivan, Western Michigan
2B – Mack Timbrook, Kent State
SS – Adam Tellier, Ball State
3B – Christian Mitchelle, Central Michigan
OF – Garret Pike, Toledo
OF – Mason Sykes, Toledo
OF – Nathan Archer, Bowling Green
DH – Owen Jackson, Toledo
SP – Trennor O'Donnell, Ball State
SP – Brady Miller, Western Michigan
SP – Connor Oliver, Miami
SP – Keegan Batka, Central Michigan
RP – Cal McAnnich, Toledo
At-Large – Jimmy Allen, Western Michigan
All-Defensive Team
C – Hunter Dobbins, Ball State
1B – Aidan Longwell, Kent State
2B – Brian Fry, Toledo
SS – Cooper Weiss, Miami
3B – Ryan Peltier, Ball State
OF – Nathan Archer, Bowling Green
OF – Jacob Donahue, Central Michigan
OF – Collin Mathews, Kent State
P – Adam Mrakitsch, Central Michigan
Kross joins Brian Bixler (2002) and Don DeDonatis (1994) as the only players to collect the MAC's freshman award while donning the script E. Furthermore, it is just the 15th time since joining the conference, that Eastern Michigan has multiple first team honorees, the last occurrence came in 2021 when Taylor Hopkins and Mike Monahan collected the honor.
Kross ranked fifth in the MAC with a .376 batting average, finishing first in RBI (70), third in hits (86), fourth in doubles (18), and fifth in home runs (15). His 70 runs knocked ranks 16th in the nation while his 149 total bases is 33rd-best in the NCAA Division I ranks. Not a prototypal slugger, Kross was the second hardest player in the MAC to strikeout, fanning once every 8.8 at-bats.
The Brunswick, Ohio, native's 70 RBIs tied for second-most in a single season at EMU. He finished tied Chris Hoiles (1986) and Ryan Goleski (2002), one shy of the record held by Derrick Peterson (71 - 2004). All told, Kross had 30 multiple-hit games to go along with a pair of four hit performances. He also had 22 multi-RBI games over the course of the year, including driving in five against Western Michigan, March 18.
Kirk became just the 11th player in EMU history to twice collect first team accolades from the league's head coaches. He is also the first to do so since 2007 when Jeff Fischer garnered the accolades in back-to-back seasons. The 2022 MAC Player of the Year, Kirk led the league in doubles (24), while ranking second in slugging percentage (.683), fourth in hits per game (1.42), sixth in batting average (.360), and sixth in total bases (129).
Kirk, a former walk-on, finished one double shy of his 2022 single-season record of 25 doubles to finish with 98 in his EMU career. The Milford, Ohio, native ranks sixth in the EMU annals in two-base hits, while finishing fifth in batting average (.357) and ninth in home runs (28).
EMU's offense was electric, finishing the regular season second in the Mid-American Conference in average (.297), hits (556), doubles (125), runs (409), and scoring per game (7.7). The team also cranked 78 home runs, a total that ranks fourth-best in EMU history.
Eastern notched its first winning season since the 2011 campaign by sweeping Northern Illinois, May 18-20, to close the regular season.
To stay up to date with all things EMU baseball throughout the offseason, continue to check EMUEagles.com, or follow the team on Twitter, @EMU_Baseball.
2023 MAC Baseball Specialty Award Winners & All-Conference Teams
Coach of the Year: Jeff Duncan, Kent State
Player of the Year: Jeron Williams, Toledo
Pitcher of the Year: Joe Whitman, Kent State
Defensive Player of the Year: Cooper Weiss, Miami
Freshman of the Year: Josh Kross, Eastern Michigan
Freshman Pitcher of the Year: DJ Newman, Bowling Green
First Team
C – Justin Miknis, Kent State
1B – Aiden Longwell, Kent State
2B – Luke Sefcik, Central Michigan
SS – Jeron Williams, Toledo
3B – Ryan Peltier, Ball State
OF – Matt Kirk, Eastern Michigan
OF – Collin Mathews, Kent State
OF – Decker Scheffler, Ball State
DH – DJ Newman, Bowling Green
SP – Joe Whitman, Kent State
SP – Adam Mrakitsch, Central Michigan
SP – Ben Cruikshank, Kent State
SP – Kenten Egbert, Miami
RP – Mitchell Scott, Kent State
At-Large – Josh Kross, Eastern Michigan
Second Team
C – Kyle Gurney, Bowling Green
1B – Cade Sullivan, Western Michigan
2B – Mack Timbrook, Kent State
SS – Adam Tellier, Ball State
3B – Christian Mitchelle, Central Michigan
OF – Garret Pike, Toledo
OF – Mason Sykes, Toledo
OF – Nathan Archer, Bowling Green
DH – Owen Jackson, Toledo
SP – Trennor O'Donnell, Ball State
SP – Brady Miller, Western Michigan
SP – Connor Oliver, Miami
SP – Keegan Batka, Central Michigan
RP – Cal McAnnich, Toledo
At-Large – Jimmy Allen, Western Michigan
All-Defensive Team
C – Hunter Dobbins, Ball State
1B – Aidan Longwell, Kent State
2B – Brian Fry, Toledo
SS – Cooper Weiss, Miami
3B – Ryan Peltier, Ball State
OF – Nathan Archer, Bowling Green
OF – Jacob Donahue, Central Michigan
OF – Collin Mathews, Kent State
P – Adam Mrakitsch, Central Michigan
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