Baseball Slated for Big Ten Matchup with Ohio State

Baseball at Ohio State
Date	Tuesday \| March 11
Venue	Bill Davis Stadium \| Columbus, Ohio
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF) \| Media Guide
Live Stats	EMUEagles.com/livestats
Watch Live	Big Ten Plus
Social Media	X: @EMU _Baseball \| @EMUAthletics IG: @emu_baseball \| @emuathletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – In search of its first four-game win streak since the 2023 season, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team will face the Ohio State University Buckeyes in a non-conference, midweek showdown Tuesday, March 11, at Bill Davis Stadium, in Columbus, Ohio. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.

Eastern enters the game standing third in the MAC with a 7-6 record (3-0 Mid-American Conference) while the Buckeyes come in with a 4-9 (0-0 Big Ten) record.

Fans can follow along using the live stats and watch links that can be accessed on the EMU baseball schedule page here. Also, stay tuned to EMU baseball socials including EMU_Baseball on X, and emu_baseball on Instagram for live in-game updates and additional EMU baseball content.

ALL-TIME AGAINST OHIO STATE
The Eagles and Buckeyes will meet for the 16th time Tuesday. The series dates back to April 12, 2000, a game resulting in a 9-1 win for OSU. Overall, the Eagles hold a 5-10 record against the Buckeyes and a 4-10 record when facing them on the road. Eastern enters the game having won the past two match ups against OSU, March 4, 2018, and April 12, 2017. Should the Eagles win against the Buckeyes, it would mark their longest winning streak against a Big Ten Conference team since it won seven straight against Michigan from 2011-14, out scoring the Wolverines, 62-24, in those seven games.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE B1G
The contest against Ohio State will mark the 395th for Eastern against a Big Ten opponent. Overall, the Eagles post a 146-243-5 record when facing Big Ten teams.

GOING FOR FOUR STRAIGHT
The Eagles are aiming for their fourth-straight win against the Buckeyes. Should they win, it would mark the longest winning streak in Head Coach Robbie Britt's tenure, and the longest since the Eagles won five straight in the 2023 season against Toledo (one), Alma (one), and Niagara (three), April 23-30.

NOTABLES FROM AKRON SERIES
Many notables came out of the sweep of the Akron Zips, March 7-9. It marked the third straight season the Eagles have won their conference-opening series, the first time they have done so since 2010-12, as well as the program's first sweep in the conference-opening series since it swept Bowling Green to open MAC play in the 2016 season. The sweep also marked the first road sweep in a MAC series since Eastern swept BGSU in a four-game MAC tilt on the road in the 2021 season, May 7-8. The Eagles won the first game of the series, improving Britt's record in conference-openers to a perfect 6-0. Finally, the sweep was the first in the Britt era, and elevated the Eagles' record north of .500 (.538) for the first time under Britt.

KINGS OF THE FIFTH
The Eagles have thrived in the fifth inning, scoring nearly 40 percent (37.6%) of their runs in the frame as they have scored 38 runs in the fifth, their highest total in any inning this season. Conversely, Eastern has allowed just seven runs in the fifth inning, accounting for just 7.7 percent of its total runs allowed (90). Most recently, EMU scored four runs in the fifth, its highest-scoring inning of the day in the series finale against Akron, March 9. Defensively, they allowed zero runs in that inning.

THE FIRST IN PROGRAM HISTORY
After besting the Ball State Cardinals in 2024's MAC-opening series, 2-1, March 8-10, and sweeping the Zips this past weekend, March 7-9, Britt became the first coach in program history to win the MAC-opening series in each of his first two seasons. The first head coach in program history, Bill Crouch, won his first two conference-opening games in 1949 and 1950, but they did not play series, just standalone games.

OSU TIES
Two Eastern student-athletes will be making their return to their former school in the game against Ohio State. Drew Jones is in his second year with the Eagles but spent his first season of collegiate baseball with the Buckeyes in 2023. He saw action in two games and scored one run against Cal State Bakersfield, March 12. Ben Schechterman also made his way over to Eastern after spending one year with the Buckeyes in 2024. Schechterman did not play in his freshman season, but excelled in the classroom as he earned the OSU Scholar Athlete recognition.

ONE WEEK, TWO SAVES
Junior right hander Ethan Davis is coming off a strong week as he earned a save in both of his appearances out of the bullpen. Davis tallied 3.1 innings pitched and allowed just one run while issuing zero walks and striking out two. Davis' two saves lead the Eagles and stand as the third most in the MAC. Furthermore, Davis is the first Eastern hurler to earn two saves in one week since Trevor House did so in the 2021 season against Toledo in the first game of a doubleheader, May 11, and against Northern Illinois, May 15.

ZIRWAS MAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior infielder Devan Zirwas earned the first conference player of the week award of his career, and the Eagles second consecutively as senior outfielder Logan Hugo won the award the previous week, Feb. 25. Zirwas paced the Eagles in nearly all offensive categories. In 17 at-bats, he batted .529, knocked nine hits, four of which went for extra bases (three doubles, one home run), driving in three runs, and totaling 15 bases.

Zirwas struck out just twice on the week as he posted a 1.411 OPS (.882 slugging, .529 on-base) and played a perfect first base, totaling 28 putouts, three assists, and a 1.000% fielding clip. Zirwas tallied multiple hits in 3-of-4 games on the week, starting the series with a 3-for-5 performance with one run, two doubles, and one RBI, before batting 2-for-3 with one run scored in game two, 1-for-4 with one double in game three, and 3-for-5 in the series finale with one run scored, one home run, and two RBI.

SERIES IN REVIEW: AT AKRON, MARCH 7-9
The Eagles most recently swept the Akron Zips in a three-game set to open MAC play, March 7-9.

Game One
EMU triumphed over Akron, 6-5, Offensively, Eastern was led by senior outfielder Logan Hugo who knocked three hits and drove in two runs with one homer in a 3-for-5 day from the plate.

Drew Norris earned his first NCAA Division I win out of the bullpen, tossing 2.2 innings, tying an EMU career high with three strikeouts and one walk while allowing two earned runs.

Game Two
Eastern earned its first comeback win of the season after erasing a 4-0 deficit in the second game, winning, 12-5. The game was highlighted by a Devan Zirwas sixth-inning grand slam, Eastern's first of the season.

Game Three
The Eagles won comfortably in game two, 9-2, on the backs of a Drew Jones three-run homer in the second in his first at-bat of the season while Ethan Davis earned his second save of the week.

POTENT OFFENSE
Through 13 games, the Eagles offense is pacing the MAC in three categories, ranking first in average (.304), home runs (18), and slugging percentage (.480). EMU ranks second in hits (142), and fielding percentage (0.985), while standing third in runs (101), doubles (26), RBI (92), TB (224), on-base percentage (0.397). Eastern has also struck out 108 times, the third fewest in the MAC.

HUGO MAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior outfielder Logan Hugo was named MAC Player of the Week for the first time in his career, Feb. 25. In 13 at-bats, Hugo batted .538 with a 1.000 slugging percentage and 1.600 OPS. He notched seven hits, four of which went for extra bases (three doubles, one homer), while driving in seven runs, and totaling 13 bases. The Essexville, Mich., native also worked one walk and one hit by pitch while going strikeout free for the week.

Hugo started the week with a 4-for-5 performance from the plate with a MAC single-game high three doubles and four RBI while scoring one run. His four hits that day also tied for the most in the conference in a single game. He then went 1-for-4 from the dish in game two with one home run, two RBI, and two runs scored, before batting 2-for-4 in the series finale, driving in one run.

POP IN THE BATS
Eastern's 18 home runs ranks 66th in the nation and second in the MAC. The Eagles rank 48th nationally and second in the conference in home runs per game (1.38), and slot 69th in America and first in the MAC with a .480 slugging percentage. The output has powered the Eagles to 101 total runs, the third most in the conference.

DEV'S DOUBLES
Junior infielder Devan Zirwas slots second in the MAC with seven doubles on the year, a figure that ranks him 49th in the country. With at least one two-bagger in six of his 12 games played this season, the Imperial, Pa. native stands 17th nationally and second in the MAC, averaging 0.58 doubles per game. Zirwas has at least one extra-base hit in eight of his 12 games this season and has doubled and homered in the same game once this season (at Central Arkansas, Feb. 22). He recently went 2-for-4 with a grand slam and career-best four RBI in the Eagles win over Akron, March 8.

DREW BECKNER ON THE BUMP
Senior left hander Drew Beckner has gotten off to a hot start on the mound. Through four starts, he posts a 2.53 ERA (fourth in the MAC), has held opponents to a .200 batting average (second in the conference), allowed 16 hits (fourth in the MAC), six earned runs (fourth in the MAC), and has struck out 21 (fourth in the conference). With a 2-0 record on the year, his two wins are tied for the second most in the MAC.

IMPROVED DEFENSE
After tallying the MAC's worst fielding percentage in 2024 (0.959), the Eagles appear to be significantly improved defensively as they currently post a 0.985 clip in the field, ranking second in the MAC and eighth in the nation. Eastern is tied for the fewest errors in the conference, having committed just seven all season. The current rate stands as a 2.6-percent improvement from 2024 to 2025. Last season, the Eagles had 18 errors through 13 games.

HARRISON TRAVIS: POWER HITTER
Graduate student catcher Harrison Travis leads the Eagles and has the third-most home runs in the MAC with four on the season. He is one of eight MAC student-athletes to tally multiple homers in a game this season as he left the playing field twice in Eastern's second game of the season against Pitt, Feb. 15. Travis most recently homered in the series-opening win over Presbyterian (Feb. 28), going 1-for-5 from the dish.

HUGO HITS
Senior outfielder Logan Hugo is in the midst of a breakout season as he leads the Eagles and the conference with hits. Outside of hits, He ranks inside the MAC top-five in slugging (4th - .692), RBI (4th - 16), doubles (4th - five), and OPS (5th - 1.160). He is currently posting career highs in average (.393), slugging (.750), on-base percentage (.478), and OPS (1.228).

KAPA's Ks
Senior right hander Tyler Kapa has demonstrated high strike-throwing ability in four starts this season. He has sat down a total of 28 batters, good for the most in the conference. Kapa's nine strikeouts against Pitt, Feb. 15, stand as the third most in a single game in the MAC this season and a Division I career high for the Waterford, Mich., native. Kapa ranks 48th nationally in strikeouts while his 12.19 strikeouts per nine innings figure stands as the best in the conference and ranks 72nd in the nation.

JOHN HALE ON THE BASE PATHS
A threat on the base paths, junior outfielder John Hale ranks second in the MAC and 64th in the country with eight stolen bases while slotting second in the conference and 53rd in America, averaging 0.62 swipes per game.

KAPA'S COMPLETE GAME
Tyler Kapa pitched a seven-inning complete game against Presbyterian in the first game of a doubleheader, March 1, becoming the first EMU hurler to throw a complete game since his teammate, Bobby Jones threw an eight-inning complete game last season against Northern Illinois (May 16). Kapa is one of 41 pitchers nationally and three in the MAC to have thrown a complete game this season. He allowed seven hits and three earned runs, while striking out nine and walking two. Additionally, with his nine strikeouts that day, he is the only pitcher in the MAC to strike out at least nine batters in two games this season.

ON THE HORIZON
The Eagles will resume MAC play with a three-game set at Western Michigan Friday-Sunday, March 14-16.

FOLLOW US
For all things EMU Baseball, be sure to check out the team's social media accounts, including EMU_Baseball on X (formerly Twitter) and emu_baseball on Instagram.

Previously Noted
YEAR TWO UNDER BRITT
Head Coach Robbie Britt enters his second season at the helm of the program in 2025. The 2025 campaign marks Britt's sixth overall season as a collegiate head coach. In 225 career games, Britt posts a 139-86 record and .617 career winning percentage. The Eagles went 14-38 in Britt's first season.

BRITT PRIOR TO EASTERN
Robbie Britt's hiring was announced by EMU, June 16, 2023. A highly-accomplished program leader with four seasons as a Division II head coach, Britt arrived in Ypsilanti after serving as the head coach at the University of Charleston (W. Va.) from 2020-23. Posting a .722 career winning percentage (125-48), he has an extensive coaching resume which includes stops at the NCAA Division I, II, and III ranks along with high school and club baseball. Britt was the head coach at the University of Charleston (W. Va.) from 2020-23. The Maryville, Tenn., native owned the seventh-best winning percentage among active Division II head coaches. He had built the Golden Eagles into a perennial power at the Division II level with three NCAA appearances, three conference regular season championships, and two conference tournament titles. The third-winningest coach in program history, Britt's Charleston teams were dominant at home, posting a 72-14 record (.837 winning percentage) on their own field.

BOBBY JONES: ALL-MAC RETURNER
Eastern returns one All-MAC player in senior right-handed pitcher Bobby Jones. Earning a second-team nod last season, Jones led the team in ERA (6.28), WHIP (1.31), wins (five), innings pitched (86.0), and strikeouts (79), while issuing the second-least amount of walks of any EMU starter (24), and allowing the lowest opposing batting average of all starters (.255). Additionally, Jones' 86.0 innings on the mound ranked as the most in the MAC, while ranking seventh in the conference in opposing batting average, strikeouts, and walks allowed.

PG PRESEASON ALL-MAC
Bobby Jones and Drew Jones were named Preseason First Team All-MAC by Perfect Game. Entering his second season with the Eagles, Drew Jones batted .265 last season with a .730 OPS. He drove in 14 runs, totaled two homers, and 10 multi-hit games. He also walked-off the regular season MAC Champs, Bowling Green, via a two-run double, May 10.

KEY RETURNERS: POSITION PLAYERS
The Eagles return key position players in Giano Zuccaro and Logan Hugo.

Zuccaro averaged .341 from the plate with a .946 OPS, adding 57 hits and 12 doubles along with 30 RBI. His hits, doubles, and triples (two) all ranked as the second-most on the team while playing a clean outfield with a 1.000 fielding percentage and two assists.

Hugo averaged .284 from the dish with a .857 OPS, adding 52 hits and a team-high 10 home runs, totaling 19 extra base hits, along with 30 RBI. Also a threat on the base paths, Hugo led the team with 18 stolen bases on 22 attempts in 2024, and was second on the squad with 92 total bases.

KEY RETURNERS: PITCHERS
Along with Second Team All-MAC selection Bobby Jones, the Eagles return veteran left-hander Drew Beckner. In 15 total appearances and 10 starts last season, he posted a 6.52 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, held opposing batters to a .262 average, and stuck out 62 while walking 50. In 69 innings of work, Beckner allowed 59 runs (50 earned), 70 hits, and 21 extra-base hits (eight homers).

KEY TRANSFERS: POSITION PLAYERS
Among 17 other transfers, Eastern brings in junior outfielder John Hale and graduate student catcher Harrison Travis.

By way of Motlow State Community College, Hale batted .347 with a .999 OPS and totaled 50 hits, 14 of which went for extra bases while four left the yard. Hale showed discipline at the dish, working 35 walks and striking out just 26 times. He was dangerous on the base paths as well, stealing 18 bases in 24 attempts all while playing a perfect outfield in 90 chances.

Entering his sixth year of collegiate baseball, Travis spent five seasons at Carson-Newman where he earned two SAC Player of the Week Awards and was named Preseason Second Team All-SAC prior to the 2023 season. Most recently in 2024, Travis posted career numbers nearly across the board. He averaged .297 from the plate with a 1.066 OPS while drilling 25 extra-base hits (13 homers, 12 doubles), driving in 39 runs and working 21 walks while striking out 29 times.

KEY TRANSFERS: PITCHERS
The Eagles most notably added right-handers Tyler Kapa and Michael Pfeiffer from the portal.

Kapa made the move up to Division I from Davenport University (Mich.). In 2024, Kapa had 19 appearances, all in relief, posting a 5.17 ERA and holding opposing batters to a .230 average. In 15.2 innings of work, he struck out 28 while walking 17 and allowed 14 hits, just four of which went for extra bases (two doubles, one triple, one homer).

Pfeiffer made the move to Eastern from Alabama JuCo, Northwest Shoals Community College. Last season as a sophomore, he had 14 appearances, posted a 4-3 record, totaled 75 innings on the mound with a 3.72 ERA and 1.25 WHIP, struck out 66 while walking 25 for an average of 7.92 strikeouts per game, allowed 31 earned runs, and gave up 69 hits with just three going for extra bases (three home runs).

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Players Mentioned

Drew Beckner

Ethan Davis

John Hale

Logan Hugo

Bobby Jones

Drew Jones

Tyler Kapa

Drew Norris

Michael Pfeiffer

Ben Schechterman

Harrison Travis

Devan Zirwas

Giano Zuccaro

Eastern Michigan Athletics