Eastern Michigan Athletics
Tuesday, February 17
Nashville, Tenn.
5:30 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Vanderbilt
Baseball Travels to Nashville, Faces Vanderbilt in Midweek Series
2/16/2026 4:26:00 PM | Baseball
First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. ET Tuesday and Wednesday
| Eastern Michigan Baseball at Vanderbilt | |
| Date | Tuesday-Wednesday | Feb. 17-18 |
| Venue | Hawkins Field | Nashville, Tenn. |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes (PDF) |
| Watch Live (SECN+) | Game One | Game Two |
| Live Stats | Game One | Game Two |
| Social Media | X: @EMU_Baseball | @EMUAthletics IG: @emu_baseball | @emuathletics |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – In search of its first series win over a Southeastern Conference opponent since 2002, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team faces the Commodores of Vanderbilt University for a two-game midweek series Tuesday-Wednesday, Feb. 17-18, at Hawkins Field in Nashville, Tenn.
Fans can follow along using the watch and live stats links that can be accessed on the EMU baseball schedule page at EMUEagles.com. Also, stay tuned to EMU baseball socials including EMU_Baseball on X and emubaseball on Instagram for live in-game updates and additional EMU baseball content.
FIRST PITCHES
» Following the departure of Robbie Britt to the Boston Red Sox, former assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Trevor Beerman was promoted to interim head coach for the 2026 season.
» Interim Head Coach Trevor Beerman is the youngest known coach at the NCAA Division I level.
» Eastern and Vanderbilt are meeting for the fifth time in program history. EMU is 1-3 all-time against the Commodores and is looking for its first win over them since Feb. 24, 1994.
» Eastern last faced Vanderbilt in the 2024 season, a 6-2 win for the Commodores, March 5.
» A win over Vanderbilt would mark the first power-conference win for Beerman while serving as EMU's first win over an SEC opponent since the 2007 season. If the Eagles win the series, it would be their first against an SEC foe since 2002. If they sweep, it would be their first time doing so against a power-conference opponent since 2013.
» Eastern most recently dropped a three-game series at Little Rock, 2-1, Feb. 13-15. The offense struggled, scoring eight of its 12 runs in the series in the seventh inning of the second game, an 11-6 EMU victory, Feb. 14.
IT'S BEEN AWHILE
A win over Vanderbilt would mark the first power-conference win for Beerman while serving as EMU's first win over an SEC opponent since the 2007 season, when it topped Tennessee on the road, 6-3, Feb. 10. If the Eagles win the series, it would be their first against an SEC foe since 2002, when they bested the Tennessee Volunteers in a three-game set, 2-1, Feb. 22-24. If they sweep, it would be their first time doing so against a power-conference opponent since 2013, when they swept Cincinnati in a three-game series, March 8-10. Eastern has never swept an SEC opponent.
ALL-TIME AGAINST VANDERBILT
Eastern and Vanderbilt are meeting for the fifth time in program history. Eastern is 1-3 all-time against the Commodores, with the lone win coming Feb. 24, 1994, a 6-5 decision.
LAST TIME AGAINST VANDERBILT
Eastern last faced Vanderbilt in the 2024 season, a 6-2 win for Vanderbilt that saw the Eagles outhit the Commodores, 7-6, March 5. Vanderbilt jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings and a 6-0 advantage after seven, before Eastern scored its only two runs of the contest with a two-run homer to left field in the eighth.
LAST TIME OUT: AT LITTLE ROCK, FEB. 13-15
Eastern opened the 2026 season with a three-game set at Little Rock, Feb. 13-15. Little Rock took the series, 2-1.
Game One, Friday, Feb. 13
The Eagles took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning off a Devan Zirwas RBI double before Little Rock scored six unanswered runs, resulting in a 6-1 win for the Trojans.
Game Two, Saturday, Feb. 14
Devan Zirwas and Ty Stecko each launched key home runs as the Eagles used an eight-run outburst in the seventh inning to earn an 11-6 win, Feb. 14. The win marked the first of the season and the first of the Interim Head Coach Trevor Beerman era. Stecko's three-run homer cut the Eastern deficit to two runs in the sixth inning, before Zirwas blew the game open with a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh. Entering the game in relief effort in the fifth inning, Eli Henderson earned the win after pitching the fifth and sixth innings.
Game Three, Sunday, Feb. 15
After falling behind 2-0 in the fourth inning, Eastern threatened multiple times but was unable to score, leaving 11 baserunners stranded as the game concluded in a 2-0 win for Little Rock. The game was highlighted by a strong first outing for senior right-hander Michael Pfeiffer, who allowed two runs while striking out three and walking two Trojan batters. First-year Eagle Tristan Crane knocked two hits, while Nick Keane and Fischer Hendershot tossed scoreless outings out of the bullpen.
8-RUN INNING AT LITTLE ROCK
Eastern erupted for eight runs in the seventh inning of the second game at Little Rock, propelling the Eagles to an 11-6 victory, Feb. 14. The eight-run inning is the highest-scoring inning of the season in its early going, and the highest-scoring frame of the Beerman era. The eight runs in the seventh are the most since EMU scored nine runs in the second inning against Miami, March 22, 2025.
FIVE-RUN COMEBACK AT LITTLE ROCK
Eastern came back from down five runs in the second game at Little Rock, Feb. 14, besting the Trojans, 11-6. The comeback win is the first of the season and largest since the Eagles erased a six-run deficit to beat the Towson Tigers, 11-6, March 5, 2023.
ZIRWAS/STECKO HOMERS AT LITTLE ROCK
Devan Zirwas and Ty Stecko each recorded one home run in the 11-6 comeback win against the Trojans, Feb. 14.
» Devan Zirwas' seventh-inning grand slam was his first home run of the season, ninth of his career, and his second career grand slam.
» Ty Stecko's sixth-inning home run represented EMU's first home run of the 2026 season and the 12th of his Eastern career.
RUNS COME IN SPURTS AT LITTLE ROCK
Eastern scored eight of its 12 total opening-weekend runs in the seventh inning of the second game at Little Rock. Furthermore, 11 of its 12 total runs came in the sixth and seventh innings combined, scoring three in the sixth, and eight in the seventh.
EMU DEBUTS AT LITTLE ROCK
Leewood Molessa, Nathan Borchardt, Tristan Crane, Kriss Sydlowski, TJ Williams, Cole Egan, John Carmichael, Landon Mueller, Nick Weaver, Carter White, Eli Henderson, Tommy Rose, and Keegan Knupp made their respective Eastern Michigan debuts during the Little Rock series. Borchardt, Sydlowski, Carmichael, Weaver, White, Henderson, Rose, and Knupp made their respecitve NCAA Division I debuts.
SITUATIONAL WOES AT LITTLE ROCK
Despite getting runners on base, Eastern struggled to push runs across in the series at Little Rock. The Eagles batted .171 (7-for-41) with runners on base and .192 (5-for-26) with runners in scoring position. EMU left 11 baserunners stranded in the 2-0 loss to the Trojans, Feb. 15.
ON THE HORIZON
Eastern remains in the State of Tennessee for a three-game set at Austin Peay, in Clarksville, Friday-Saturday, Feb. 20-22.
FOLLOW US
Keep up with all things Eastern baseball by following the team on X @EMU Baseball, and on Instagram @emu baseball.
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