Baseball Welcomes UMass to Ypsilanti for First Meetings in Program History Friday-Sunday

Eastern Michigan Baseball vs. UMass
Date	Friday-Sunday \| April 10-12
Venue	Oestrike Stadium \| Ypsilanti, Mich.
Preview Info	EMU Notes \| Record Book (PDF).
Watch	Game One \| Game Two \| Game Three
Listen	Game One \| Game Two \| Game Three
Live Stats	Game One \| Game Two \| Game Three
Social Media	X: @EMU _Baseball \| @EMUAthletics IG: @emu_baseball \| @emuathletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team and the University of Massachusetts Minutemen are slated for the first match up in each program's histories as the Eagles will host the Mid-American Conference newcomer in a three-game set at Oestrike Stadium, Friday-Sunday, April 10-12.

Friday and Saturday's games are scheduled for 3:05 p.m. while Sunday's first pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.

Admission is free at Oestrike Stadium. Fans can stream game one of the series live on ESPN+ as Greg Steiner and Evan Stockton will have the call from the booth while Elena Davis will report from the sideline. Games two and three can be streamed live on Eagle All-Access. Live stats will be available on EMUEagles.com, where a post-game recap will be posted. 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.

FIRST PITCHES
» Eastern and UMass are meeting for the first time in each program's histories.
» UMass marks EMU's 274th all-time opponent. It is 153-120 when facing a foe for the first time and a perfect 10-0 when playing the current members of the MAC for the first time.
» UMass is just the third Massachusetts-based opponent in program history.
» EMU has thrived in late-inning situations as four of its last six wins have come in walk-off fashion.
» Most recently, Eastern was run-ruled in a home midweek contest against Michigan, 15-4, April 6.
» Eastern was swept at Toledo in its most recent conference series, April 2-3.
» After hitting .193 before the Ball State series, March 13-15, Eastern's offense has vastly improved, batting .307 since.
» Eastern next completes a home-and-home series at Michigan Wednesday, April 15, at 4 p.m.
» Eastern totals 22 newcomers, including seven freshmen and 15 transfers. The Eagles bring back 18 players from the 2025 season.
» Eastern returns key players in Devan Zirwas and Ty Stecko. Zirwas was named a top-150 outfielder by D1 Baseball and Stecko earned Preseason All-MAC honors from Perfect Game.
» 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.
» At 30 years old, Interim Head Coach Trevor Beerman is the youngest known coach at the NCAA Division I level.

ALL-TIME AGAINST UMASS
The Eagles and Minutemen are meeting for the first time in each program's histories.

RECORD IN FIRST ALL-TIME MEETING
Eastern will be facing its 274th all-time opponent in UMass Friday-Sunday. EMU is 153-120 all-time when facing an opponent for the first time and a perfect 10-0 when facing current members of the MAC for the first time.

LAST TIME FACING A TEAM FROM MASS
Eastern is facing a team from the state of Massachusetts for the first time since the Covid-shortend 2020 season when it was swept in a two-game series by Northeastern, Feb. 29-March 1, 2020, in Port Charlotte, Fla. Overall, EMU is 8-5-1 when facing teams from the Bay State with 10 of those games coming against NCAA Division II Assumption College and two against both Northeastern and Boston College.

UMASS TIES
The series between the Eagles and Minutemen features a high school reunion between EMU's Tristan Crane and UMass' Ty Fox. Both graduated from Brother Rice High School in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

Crane's Senior Year at Brother Rice
Led his team to a 43-2 record as a senior...Batted at a blistering .360 with a 1.194 OPS as a senior...Totaled 45 RBIs while hitting 10 home runs (finished 29th in nation)...Led the Warriors to a state finals appearance in 2024, and a Catholic League Championship...Named 2023 and 2024 All-Catholic Team...Named 2024 All-State First Team.

LAST TIME: VS. MICHIGAN, APRIL 6
Tristan Crane homered as Eastern fell to Michigan, 15-4 at Oestrike Stadium. Crane led the EMU with one home run and one double while scoring twice in his first career start behind the plate. Greg Kennedy (1-1) got the start for the Eagles and was tagged with the loss while Michigan's Wyatt Novara (1-0) was credited with the win.
Notables
» Tristan Crane went 2-for-3 with one double, one two-run home run, two runs scored, and two RBI, recording his second multi-hit game and second homer of the year.
» Drew Jones reached base twice, scored two runs and stole his seventh base of the season.
» Bruce Jellison notched his 17th RBI and was hit by one pitch.
» Phillip Thigpen registered his first collegiate RBI in just his fourth start.
» Leewood Molessa added one hit, one stolen base and seven putouts at first base.
» The Eagles left four runners on base, matching their season low.

BREAKOUT BRUCE
Bruce Jellison has swung a hot bat as of late, after batting .438 with a 1.190 OPS with seven hits, one home run, and 10 RBI in four games, March 24-29, Jellison batted .462 with a 1.255 OPS, knocking six hits, with one home run, five RBI, and three run scored in Eastern's last four contests. Over the last eight games, Jellison leads the Eagles with a .448 batting average, 1.219 OPS, 13 hits, two home runs, 15 RBI, and 19 total bases.

Jellison First 23 Games of the Season
.158 BA, .525 OPS, 9 Hits, 3 XBH, 6 RBI

Jellison Last Eight Games (All Team Highs)
.448 BA, 1.219 OPS, 13 Hits, 2 HR, 15 RBI

ALL HALE JOHN
John Hale has been seeing the ball well over his last five games. He is 7-of-15 and has recorded a team high four runs in the process. Hale has also worked one walk, been hit by two pitches, and stolen two bases in the five-game span. With 22 games remaining, the center fielder is on pace to surpass his walk total from last year as he has 16 this year, just five less than his 2025 total. He is also on pace to pass his amount of doubles last season as he has six this year compared to last year's nine.

CONFERENCE-ONLY STANDINGS
The Eagles are at or near the top in a number of statistics in conference games. Eastern boasts the fourth-best batting average in MAC competition (.302) and the second-most hits in conference games with 168 in total. EMU has been effective on the basepaths as its 24 stolen bases ranks third in MAC games and its 85.7% stolen base percentage ranks first in conference play. Lastly, on defense, Eastern is tied for first in runners caught stealing with 10. Individually, Nathan Borchardt and Ty Stecko tie for the third-most doubles by value in MAC play with six, Devan Zirwas slots third with five homers, TJ Williams ranks fifth with 22 hits and Zirwas' 19 RBI rank sixth as Bruce Jellison's 18 rank seventh.

NEXT MAN UP
Dealing with a high-level of injuries among the starting lineup (catcher, right field, shortstop, etc...), Phillip Thigpen, Drew Jones, and Tristan Crane are expected to see more playing time this weekend.

Phillip Thigpen (Fr. INF)
6 GP, .333 BA, .917 OPS, 4 H, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Drew Jones (Sr. UTIL)
23 GP, .226 BA, .657 OPS, 12 H, 3 2B, 1 HR 10 RBI

Tristan Crane (So. UTIL)
18 GP, .174 BA, .598 OPS, 8 H, 2 2B, 2 HR, 7 RBI

BASE STEALING CONSISTENCY
Eastern has nine-straight games with at least one stolen base, its second-longest streak of the season. It previously had at least one stolen base in 11-straight games from Feb. 27-March 14. EMU swiped two bases in its most recent game against Michigan, April 6, one each from Lewood Molessa and Drew Jones.

CARDIAC EAGLES
Eastern has four walk-off wins, tying for the second-most nationally and are the most in one season since EMU walked off its opponent five times in the 2011 campaign. TJ Williams wore a bases-loaded hit by pitch to lift EMU to victory over Akron, 9-8 (10), March 21, before Tristan Crane worked a bases-loaded walk to seal the comeback against Youngstown State, 8-7, March 24. Leewood Molessa hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Drew Jones from third base in the 15-inning series opener against CMU, ending the game in a 9-8 final, March 27. Ty Stecko possesses the most recent walk-off with a two-run double down the left-field line in game two against the Chippewas, concluding the contest in a 12-11 decision, March 28.

WELCOME BACK LEEWOOD MOLESSA
After making a comeback from injury against Central Michigan, March 27-29, Leewood Molessa stepped up to the plate to aid the Eagles in a series sweep. Batting .333 with a .891 OPS, knocking four hits, including one for extra bases while driving in six runs. Molessa also stayed disciplined at the plate, drawing a team-leading four walks in the series with one hit by pitch and three strikeouts. Molessa's resurgence is a far cry from the beginning of the season whilst dealing with an injury: one hit and one walk in 15 at-bats, including nine strikeouts in the first five games of the season. Molessa recently homered for the first time as an Eagle with a solo shot to left field in the fourth inning at Toledo, April 3.

LETHAL ARM BEHIND THE PLATE
Nick Weaver continues to rank among the top defensive catchers in college baseball entering the series against UMass. Weaver has thrown out 14 runners attempting to steal in 39 attempts. That total places him tied for third nationally by value in caught stealing. The national leaders sit at 18.

FIVE-HIT TJ
TJ Williams had five hits against Central Michigan, March 27. The five knocks are the second most in a single game for the Eagles since 1999. His five hits are a season-high for the team, tie for the most by a MAC player in one game this season, and stand second nationally.

ONE-RUN DUBS
Eastern thrives in close games as it is 6-2 in one-run games this season. Its last one-run contest was of the winning variety as Ty Stecko's two-run double lifted the Eagles to a 12-11 walk-off win over Central Michigan, March 29. The six one-run victories are the most since it also put up six in the 2024 season. It last recorded seven in the 2021 season. Eastern's six one-run wins tie Akron for the most in the MAC as its eight one-run contests rank third in the conference.

BATS ARE BACK
After struggling offensively in the season's early-going, the Eastern bats have heated up significantly since.

EMU Offense Prior to BSU Series (17 games)
.193 BA , .336 SLG%, .323 OB%, .659 OPS

EMU Offense Since the BSU Series (14 games)
.307 BA, .456 SLG%, .416 OB%, .872 OPS

The improvement features a 114-point increase in batting average, 120-point jump in slugging percentage, 93-point surge in on-base percentage, and a 213-point advancement in OPS. The offense had its best weekend of the season against Central Michigan, March 27-29. It batted .341 with a .921 OPS, scoring 34 runs off 44 hits, 13 extra-base hits, while driving in 32 runs and totaling 62 bases. It was disciplined from top to bottom as EMU walked 20 times, was hit by six pitches, and struck out just 16 times. EMU most recently batted .287 with a .791 OPS, eight extra-base hits, and 14 RBI in the series at Toledo, April 2-3.

HITTING CONSISTENCY
EMU has posted nine or more hits 15 times this season with 11 of those occurrences coming in the last 15 games. Eastern posted double-digit hits in three consecutive games for the first time this season with 21 hits against Central Michigan Friday, March 27, 12 Saturday, March 29, and 11 Sunday, March 11. Eastern last recorded double-digit hits in three consecutive games in the 2025 season when it accomplished the feat in five straight contests, May 9-15. EMU had eight or more hits in all three games against Toledo (eight, nine, 12), and knocked six hits against Michigan, April 6.

ZIRWAS' INCREASED POWER
After knocking 20 doubles last season (fifth in program history), Devan Zirwas has added even more power to his bat in 2026. What was a double last year is a homer in 2026 as he leads the Eagles and ranks second in the MAC with 10 bombs, surpassing his season total from 2025 just 27 games into the 2026 slate. The left-handed bat earned seven RBI on five hits last weekend against Central Michigan, recording one double and one home run. His home run in the final game of the series was a grand slam to give the Eagles a commanding 10-1 lead in the third inning. Zirwas' grand slam was the second of the season for him, the first came against Little Rock, February 24.

EXTRA BASE ZIRWAS
Devan Zirwas leads the team with 19 extra-base hits (seven doubles, two triples, 10 home runs) as his 10 home runs rank second in the conference. Thirty-one games into the season, he is 10 extra-base hits away from tying his 29 from last season (20 doubles, one triple, eight homers). With 22 regular-season games remaining and factoring in Zirwas' 0.61 extra-base hits per game, he is expected to end the season with 33 extra-base knocks, four more than he had in 2025.

DEV'S CAREER SLUGGING
Devan Zirwas posts a .557 slugging percentage in 82 games in the Script E, currently ranking 11th in program history. He posted a .561 slugging percentage in 2025 and holds a .551 clip this season.

ZIRWAS 100 RBI
Senior outfielder Devan Zirwas is approaching the 100 RBI milestone as he sits with 93 in his career, requiring seven more to reach the century mark. Zirwas drove in seven runs as a VCU Ram in 2024 before totaling 53 in his first EMU season in 2025. He currently leads the team and ranks fourth in the MAC with 33 RBI.

RUTHERFORD RAMPING UP
Sophomore righty Cal Rutherford has stepped up his game this season. In six appearances (four starts), Rutherford posts a 4.39 ERA and holds a 2-0 record. In 26.2 innings, he's allowed 13 earned runs off 20 hits while striking out 22 batters and walking 10 as opponents are batting .215 off him. Rutherford earned his second consecutive win in his start against Central Michigan, March 29, going a career-long six innings, allowing four earned runs off seven hits while striking out six and walking two. He most recently started in the second game of a doubleheader at Toledo, April 3, going 3.1 innings with four earned runs off two hits while striking out and walking two Rockets each.

Rutherford when starting
17.1 IP, 17 H, 12 ER, 19 K's, 7 BB

MUELLER OUT OF THE PEN
Junior righty Landon Mueller has excelled out of the bullpen in his last five of his last six outings, excluding his most recent appearance against Central Michigan, March 28. Prior to his appearance against the Chippewas, he totaled 12.2 innings pitched out of the pen, posting a 4.26 ERA while allowing just six earned runs off 12 hits and striking out 17 opposing batters while walking five. Opponents hit .235 off him in the stretch. As a starter in his first three outings of the season, Mueller went 5.2 innings with a 17.47 ERA while striking out five and walking eight.

NINTH INNING COMEBACK EFFORTS
Eastern has outscored its opponent 14-8 in the ninth inning this season and 30-19 in the eighth and ninth innings combined. Eastern scored one run in the eighth and ninth innings at Toledo in the first game of a doubleheader, April 3.

POWER PRODUCTION
Eastern Michigan has hit 31 home runs through 31 games, ranking fifth in the Mid-American Conference. Devan Zirwas and Ty Stecko lead the way with 10 and five home runs, respectively. Nick Weaver has a trio of bombs, two of which came at Ball State, March 15, while Nathan Borchardt, John Hale, Keegan Knupp, and Tristan Crane have each chipped in two long balls. Zirwas' 10 homers rank second in the MAC and 10th by value in the country.

TJ'S BEST D1 SEASON
After seeing limited playing time at Kansas in the 2025 season, TJ Williams has been one of the most consistent contributors in the lineup. In 28 games played, he's hitting .315 with a .439 on-base percentage, both of which rank inside the top three on the team. He leads the team with 34 hits and ranks among the top offensive producers in total bases (40), while also showing plate discipline with 22 walks (sixth in the MAC) and 16 strikeouts, the best walk-to-strikeout ratio on the squad among qualified batters. On the base paths, Williams has been a key weapon, leading the team with 10 stolen bases in 13 attempts, ranking 10th in the MAC. He has been effective situationally, hitting .390 (16-of-41) when leading off, .326 (15-of-46) with runners on base, and advances runners at a .509 clip (28-of-55).

STRONG PLATE DISCIPLINE
The Eagles have drawn 159 walks in 31 games. That total ranks 90th nationally and fourth in the Mid-American Conference. Thirty-one games into the season, TJ Williams has worked 22 walks, leading the Eagles and ranking sixth in the MAC. Also showing a good eye at the dish are John Hale (16 walks, 16 strikeouts) and Bruce Jellison (17 walks, 18 strikeouts).

TEAM-LEADING ZIRWAS
Devan Zirwas leads the roster with 19 extra-base hits (seven doubles, two triples, and 10 home runs), 33 RBI, 70 total bases, 26 runs, and a .551 slugging percentage. Currently ranking second in the MAC in home runs (10), third in triples (two), fourth in RBI (33), and eighth in doubles (seven), Zirwas looks to build off a season where he totaled 69 hits, 20 doubles (fifth in program history), eight homers, and 53 RBI off a .337 batting average and .997 OPS.

BULLPEN PRODUCTION
Outside of the Vanderbilt series, Feb. 17-18, the Eastern bullpen has allowed 128 earned runs in 142.0 innings of work. Tommy Rose is a highlight out of the bullpen with a 5.03 ERA in nine total appearances with nine walks and 15 strikeouts. Cole Egan has a 7.53 ERA as the most used bullpen arm with 12 relief appearances as he totals 16 strikeouts and just five walks. Fischer Hendershot joins him with 11 relief appearances with a 7.11 ERA, striking out 19 while walking six with three saves, which ranks second in the MAC.

ON THE HORIZON
Eastern finishes the home-and-home series against the University of Michigan Wolverines Wednesday, April 15. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. from Ray Fisher Stadium in Ann Arbor.

FOLLOW US
Keep up with all things Eastern baseball by following the team on X @EMU Baseball, and on Instagram @emu baseball.

Baseball Welcomes UMass to Ypsilanti for First Meetings in Program History Friday-Sunday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Nathan Borchardt

Tristan Crane

Cole Egan

John Hale

Fischer Hendershot

Bruce Jellison

Drew Jones

Greg Kennedy

Keegan Knupp

Leewood Molessa

Landon Mueller

Tommy Rose

Cal Rutherford

Ty Stecko

Phillip Thigpen

Nick Weaver

TJ Williams

Devan Zirwas

Eastern Michigan Athletics