Eastern Michigan Athletics
Tuesday, May 12
East Lansing, Mich.
1:02 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
Michigan State
Photo by: Steve King/KingStudios
Baseball Set for Non-Conference Finale at Michigan State Tuesday
5/11/2026 4:54:00 PM | Baseball
First pitch is scheduled for 1:02 p.m. at McLane Stadium in East Lansing, Mich.
| Eastern Michigan Baseball at Michigan State | |
| Date | Tuesday | May 12 |
| Venue | Jeff Ishbia Field at McLane Stadium | East Lansing, Mich. |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes | Record Book (PDF). |
| Watch | B1G+ |
| Listen | Eagle All-Access |
| Live Stats | Statbroadcast |
| Social Media | X: @EMU_Baseball | @EMUAthletics IG: @emu_baseball | @emuathletics |
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team is set for its non-conference season finale as it preps for a midweek contest at Big Ten Conference opponent Michigan State University Tuesday, May 12, at 1:02 p.m. at McLane Stadium.
Fans can stream the game live on B1G+ and access live stats on EMUEagles.com, where a post-game recap will be posted. Greg Steiner will have the radio call on Eagle All-Access. 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
» The Eagles and Spartans are meeting for the 144th time as EMU is 58-83-2 all-time against MSU.
» Eastern is facing former head coaches Jake Boss Jr. and Mark Van Ameyde.
» EMU last faced MSU earlier this season, dropping a 13-5 midweek tilt at home, March 10. It last faced the Spartans in East Lansing, May 6, 2025, a narrow 3-1 decision in favor of MSU.
» The contest against Michigan State will mark the 410th for Eastern against a Big Ten Conference opponent. Overall, the Eagles post a 151-253-5 record when facing Big Ten teams. EMU is 0-3 against the Big Ten this season.
» Eastern has earned Mid-American Conference individual honors in two of the last three weeks. John Carmichael was named MAC Pitcher of the week, May 4, and Ty Stecko was tabbed MAC Player of the Week, April 27.
» Eastern most recently dropped a three-game series, 2-1, at Kent State, May 8-10.
» Eastern concludes the season with a three-game series against Ohio at home, May 14-16.
» 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 MSU
The Eagles and Spartans will meet for the 144th time. Eastern posts a 58-83-2 record when facing MSU and a 6-17 mark when facing it in East Lansing since 1999. The Spartans have controlled the series in recent years as they have won eight of the last 10 matchups, including seven straight, which marks EMU's longest losing streak against the Big Ten foe. The last time Eastern won Michigan State in East Lansing was a 4-2 victory, Apr. 5, 2016, when Spartan pitching coach Mark Van Ameyde was the EMU head coach. The last five of the last six games have all been decided by two runs or less including last season's 3-1 loss in East Lansing, May 6.
LAST TIME AGAINST MSU
Eastern Michigan couldn't contain Michigan State, falling 13-5 as the Eagles debuted a new field at Oestrike Stadium against the Spartans, March 10. The Eastern pitching staff struggled to contain a high-octane Spartan offense that scored seven runs in the first two innings. Devan Zirwas led the EMU offense with one hit and three RBI off a three-run homer in the fifth inning to give the Eagles a spark on offense. Junior right-hander Aidan Norris stemmed the scoring with two innings of scoreless baseball, allowing only one hit alongside two strikeouts. MSU starting pitcher Bobby Crane earned the win while Eli Henderson was tagged with the loss.
LAST TIME AT MSU
Eastern Michigan fell to Michigan State, 3-1, as the Eagles battled difficult weather conditions throughout the game on a damp and dreary night in East Lansing, May 6, 2025. The Eastern pitching staff shined on a bullpen day as seven EMU hurlers combined to allow just two earned runs with four pitchers tossing a scoreless frame. Ty Stecko led the EMU offense with one hit and two walks as he reached base in 3-of-4 plate appearances. Emmett Gillies got the start and went two innings into the game, allowing one run off two hits while posting one strikeout and one walk. MSU starting pitcher Aidan Donovan earned the win while reliever Dominic Pianto secured the save. Gillies was tagged with the loss.
ALL-TIME AGAINST THE B1G
The contest against Michigan State will mark the 410th for Eastern against a Big Ten opponent. Overall, the Eagles post a 151-253-5 record when facing Big Ten teams. Additionally, the only four Big Ten institutions the Eagles have yet to face on the diamond are Maryland, Rutgers, USC, and UCLA. EMU is 0-3 against the conference this season, falling 13-5 against MSU, March 10, 15-4 (7) against Michigan, April 6, and 6-4 against Washington, April 28.
PLAYING THE OLD BENCH BOSS
Current Michigan State Head Coach Jake Boss Jr. had a short stint as the head coach at Eastern Michigan as Boss' 2008 EMU squad had a rollercoaster season. After starting the campaign 0-17, the Eagles went on to win the next 21-of-34 contests en route to being crowned MAC West Champions and eventual MAC Tournament Champions, marking the last time the Eagles have won a MAC Tournament.
MORE MSU CONNECTIONS
Jake Boss Jr. is not the only former Eagle on the Spartans' staff. Former Eastern Michigan Head Coach Mark Van Ameyde (2015-17) is currently in his second stint at Michigan State as he, like Boss Jr., joined the Spartans' staff after his time at EMU. In his time at Eastern, Van Ameyde posted a 6-6 mark against State and led the Eagles to the MAC Tournament Championship game in 2017, finishing as the runner-up to Ohio University, marking the last time Eastern Michigan appeared in the game. Eastern is 6-19 when facing the Spartans under Boss and 3-16 when both Boss and Van Ameyde are in the same dugout.
LAST SEASON/THIS SEASON
In a year filled with untimely staff changes and injuries, the Eagles have fought hard and have a chance to match the 2025 team's win totals in the last four games of the season. Currently with 17 wins, Eastern needs to win out to match its 21 wins last season and three to meet its 2025 regular season total (20), as its 21st win came in the MAC Tournament against Bowling Green, its first postseason win since 2018. Conference wise, EMU needs two more wins to match its 12 from 2025.
MOST RECENTLY: AT KENT STATE
Eastern fell 2-1 in the final road conference series against Kent State, May 8-10. Offensive prowess and pitching took center stage, with 34 total runs scored in the series, 15 scored by the Eagles. EMU took advantage of their opportunities along the bases, recording 11 stolen bases in the series. Devan Zirwas led the Eastern offense with a .500 batting average, knocking six hits (one double), while driving in four runs and walking three times with zero strikeouts.
Game One, L, 6-5, May 8
John Carmichael pitched a gem against Kent State in a heartbreaking 6-5 series-opening loss Friday, May 8. Eastern took a 5-2 lead into the ninth inning but couldn't withstand the Kent State comeback. Carmichael went 7.0 IP, allowing just two runs off eight hits while striking out a career-high nine with zero walks. Devan Zirwas and TJ Williams each had multi-hit days with one RBI, while Tristan Crane drove in a pair of runs.
Game Two, W, 10-7(10), May 9
Eastern stormed back from an early four-run hole to defeat Kent State, 10-7, in 10 innings Saturday, May 9. The Eagles outscored Kent State 10-3 over the final six innings as Devan Zirwas was prolific for the Eagles, going 3-for-3 with three RBI and three walks, reaching base in all six plate appearances. Michael Pfeiffer (3-4) earned the win after pitching a scoreless 0.2 innings in the ninth inning. Landon Mueller came on to earn the save, his second of the year with a scoreless bottom of the 10th.
Game Three, L, 6-0, May 10
Eastern dropped the series finale against Kent State, 6-0, Sunday, May 10. Relief pitchers Greg Kennedy and Emmett Gillies held the Golden Flashes scoreless through the final four innings. Kennedy tied his career-high of 3.0 IP, allowing two hits alongside two strikeouts, while Gillies went one inning with no runs. Devan Zirwas extended his hitting streak to five games after recording his team-best 55th hit of the season in the top of the first inning.
CARMICHAEL'S COOKIN
Friday starter John Carmichael has excelled in his past two starts, pitching a total of 15.2 innings, allowing three runs, with 17 strikeouts and three walks. He nearly tossed a complete game in a 6-1 win against Bowling Green, May 1, going a career-long 8.2 innings, allowing just one run off three hits while striking out eight, walking three, and limiting batters to a .107 average, earning MAC Pitcher of the Week accolades for his efforts. Most recently, Carmichael struck out a career-best nine batters while walking none, allowing just two earned runs at Kent State, May 8. He became the first EMU pitcher to strikeout nine or more batters with zero walks since 2023, when current Philadelphia Phillies' prospect Luke Russo fanned 12 with zero walks in a 12-2 win at Niagara, April 29, 2023.
CARMICHAEL MAC PITCHER OTW
Junior right-hander John Carmichael was named MAC Pitcher of the Week, May 4. Carmichael nearly tossed a complete game in a 6-1 win against Bowling Green, May 1. He went a career-long 8.2 innings, allowing just one run off three hits while striking out a career-high eight, walking three, and limiting batters to a .107 average. The right-hander added a 0.73 WHIP as his 8.2 innings pitched were the most by a MAC arm last weekend. Carmichael earned the honor for the first time as his 8.2 innings pitched are the longest by an Eagle this season and the longest since Nick Chittum tossed a complete game shutout against Western Michigan in the second game of a doubleheader, March 24, 2024. Carmichael was in large part responsible for EMU allowing a season-low one run off a season-low three hits.
CONSISTENT CARMICHAEL
John Carmichael has provided consistency in his first year as an Eagle. The McLennan C.C. transfer has gone at least five innings in 10 of his 13 starts and six or more in four of his last six. His longest outing was a near complete game as he went 8.2 innings, allowing just three hits and one earned run while striking out eight and walking three in a 6-1 win against Bowling Green, May 1. Among qualified pitchers, Carmichael has issued the seventh-fewest walks in the conference (19), allowed the sixth-fewest doubles (10), pitched the 10th-most innings (66.0), and struck out the ninth-most batters (60) . Overall, he posts a 6.00 ERA and has 60 strikeouts compared to 19 walks this season.
CONSECUTIVE WEEKLY MAC HONORS
Eastern earned Mid-American Conference individual honors in consecutive weeks. John Carmichael was named MAC Pitcher of the week, May 4, and Ty Stecko was tabbed MAC Player of the Week, April 27. The awards mark the first time EMU collected consecutive weekly honors since Drew Beckner and Tyler Kapa did so with respective pitcher of the week accolades, April 14 and April 21, 2025. EMU is one of three MAC teams to earn a weekly honor in consecutive weeks, joining Kent State and Ball State.
STECKO TRENDING UP
Following a rocky start to the season, Ty Stecko has settled in and become a leading bat in the lineup.
Stecko's Last 15 Games
.339 BA, 21 H, 4 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 18 RBI, 1.124 OPS
Over the last 15 games, the senior's 18 RBI, six home runs, 11 extra-base hits, and .726 slugging percentage leads the Eagles while his .366 batting average and 21 hits rank second.
Stecko Before 15-Game Stretch (31 Games)
.261 BA, .890 OPS, 29 H, 13 XBH, 5 HR, 21 RBI
Stecko has surpassed his extra-base hit total from 2024, totaling 24 (11 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs) compared to 19 last season. His 39 RBI are two more than his 2025 mark (37) while he has become a threat on the base paths, posting 14 stolen bases, including a career-high three, tied for the most from an Eagle in one game this season in the 15-5 win at Youngstown State, May 6. Stecko notched just three swiped bags last season.
CARTER THE STARTER
Junior left-hander Carter White has earned a Sunday start in each of the last two weekend series, producing solid outings both times. White started for the first time in his Division I career at Northern Illinois, April 29, pitching a season-long 3.2 innings, allowing one run or less for the sixth time while striking out and walking three batters. Against Bowling Green, May 3, White pitched 4.2 innings, a career high, allowing six hits and two runs, striking out three batters along the way. Most recently at Kent State, May 10, White tossed 3.0 innings, allowing four earned runs off eight hits with two strikeouts and zero walks. As a starter, White holds a 5.56 ERA with 11.1 innings pitched, allowing seven earned runs off 18 hits with eight strikeouts and five walks.
THE SWINGMAN
Ty Stecko homered in four consecutive games with five home runs in the four-game span, April 22-26. He is the first Eagle to homer in four straight games since program career home runs leader Ryan Goleski (2001-03) did so from May 17-19 in the 2002 season. He homered once more in the 7-3 win against Bowling Green, giving him six home runs over a nine-game stretch. The stretch has elevated the senior to a career-best 11 home runs this season, tying his mark from 2025. Stecko's 11 bombs rank second on the team and fifth in the conference by value. He totals 22 career home runs in 90 career games as an Eagle, tying for 14th by value in program history.
STECKO'S NUMBERS, APRIL 22-26
In 18 at-bats against Oakland, April 22, and Northern Illinois, April 24-26, Stecko recorded a .500 batting average and 1.968 OPS. He had nine hits, seven of which went for extra bases (two doubles and five home runs), equaling 10 RBI and 26 total bases.
STECKO MAC POTW/NCAA HONORS
Ty Stecko was named MAC Player of the Week, April 27, and was the designated hitter on NCAA Baseball's Lineup of the Week, April 28, after his five-home run week that saw him drive in 10 runs off a .500 batting average and 1.968 OPS. The honor marked Stecko's first player of the week award in his collegiate career and EMU baseball's first of the season.
CLIMBING CAREER LEADERBOARDS
With Devan Zirwas' ninth-inning homer against Youngstown State, May 6, he totals 21 home runs as an Eagle, tying for 15th by value in program history. Joining him is Ty Stecko, who is up to 22 homers as an Eagle, ranking 14th. He also compiles a .578 slugging clip, ranking fifth in program history. Zirwas has 34 doubles as an Eagle, ranking 17th in program history as his 104 RBI rank 21st.
ZIRWAS' INCREASED POWER
After knocking 20 doubles and eight home runs last season (fifth in program history), Devan Zirwas has added even more power to his bat in 2026. He leads the Eagles and ranks third in the MAC with 13 bombs, surpassing his season total from 2025 just 27 games into the 2026 slate as he has five more long balls than last season. The left-handed bat homered for the 13th time this season against Youngstown State, May 6, as his 13 homers are the most by an Eagle in one season since St. Louis Cardinals' prospect Josh Kross had 15 in 2023, a year that saw him earn MAC Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-American status from the CBN.
TEAM-LEADING ZIRWAS
Devan Zirwas leads the roster with 29 extra-base hits (14 doubles, two triples, and 13 home runs), 51 RBI, 112 total bases, two triples, and 45 runs. He currently ranks third in the MAC in home runs (13) and third in triples (two), while slotting sixth in doubles (14) and RBI (51). 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.
TWO WITH 10+ HOMERS
Eastern's Devan Zirwas (13) and Ty Stecko (11) each have recorded double-digit home runs this season, making EMU one of four MAC schools with multiple players with 10+ homers. Miami leads the way with three as Tommy Harrison and Evan Appelwick each have 13, while Ryan Novak totals 12. Akron's Easton Amundson has hit 13 home runs and Brody Chrisman boasts 12, while NIU's Caden Robertson has 14 long balls and Gavin Baldwin has 11.
LETHAL ARM BEHIND THE PLATE
Nick Weaver continues to rank among the top defensive catchers in college baseball entering the game at Michigan State. Weaver has thrown out 26 runners attempting to steal in 57 attempts. That total places him tied for second nationally by value in caught stealing, ranking first in the MAC. The national leader, LaSalle's Jayden Novak, sits at 30. Weaver most recently caught two runners stealing against Kent State, May 9, his sixth time with multiple CSB in 2026. His 26 CSB are the most by an Eagle in one season since Tony Dielo caught 33 in the 2015 campaign.
HITTING THE CENTURY MARK
Devan Zirwas reached the 100 career RBI mark as he drove in two runs against Western Michigan, April 18. The left-handed bat totals 104 RBI as an Eagle and 111 in his collegiate tenure after driving in seven at VCU in the 2024 season. He is the first Eagle to reach the mark this season as Ty Stecko and Nathan Borchardt are the next Eagles slated to reach the milestone, both totaling 98 in their collegiate tenure. Stecko totals exaclty 100 hits as an Eagle and 129 in his NCAA career as 29 hits came at Mount St. Mary's from 2023-24. John Hale is also approaching a milestone as he is five hits from reaching 100 as an NCAA Division I student-athlete.
BASE STEALING CONSISTENCY
Eastern has been aggressive on the base paths as of late as it stole five or more bags in three straight games against Youngstown State, May 6, and Kent State, May 8-9. EMU stole 16 throughout the week, ranking third nationally and first in the MAC. Ty Stecko and TJ Williams each stole a trio of bases, the most from an individual Eagle this season as Stecko swiped three in the 15-5 win at Youngstown State, May 6, and Williams did so at Kent State, May 8. Additionally, EMU is 3-1 when stealing five or more bases this season.
COMEBACK KIDS
Eastern earned its fifth comeback win of the season as it rebounded from four down to win, 10-7, in 10 innings at Kent State, May 9. The win marks the second road comeback of the season as the first came in the first series of the year in a 11-6 win at Little Rock where the Eagles rallied from five down, Feb. 14.
EXTRA-INNINGS SUCCESS
After the 10-7 10-inning win against Kent State, May 9, Eastern is 4-1 in extra-innings contests. Eastern's four wins in extras are the most by the program since the 2011 team went 8-1 in extra-inning games. The five extra-innings contests are the most the team's played since the 2021 season, when it played in six, producing a 2-4 record.
CRANE'S INCREASED PRODUCTION
Seeing an increased role lately, Tristan Crane has been productive as a catcher and shortstop, starting 15 of the last 17 games he's played in. Among qualified batters In those 17 contests, Crane is batting a team-best .375 (24-of-64) with three home runs, five doubles, and 16 RBI. Prior to the stretch, Crane batted .140 (6-of-43) in 17 games played (12 starts), with one double, one homer, and five RBI while striking out 16 times and walking three. 2026 serves as Crane's first year playing as a full-time position player as he was a two-way player last season at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, totaling just 32 at-bats for the Islanders.
TWO NUKE NATE
Nathan Borchardt went yard twice in the game against Washington, April 28. The game marked his first two-homer game as an Eagle as he is the fourth of the season to record two home runs in a game, joining Ty Stecko, Nick Weaver, and John Hale. Borchardt finished the day 2-for-3 at the plate for his 10th multi-hit game of the season and fifth consecutive game doing so. He also matched a career high with four RBI for the second straight game.
BORCHARDT'S EYE
Junior Nathan Borchardt has excelled in working walks as of late. He has earned at least one base-on-balls in nine of the last 17 games, highlighted by a career-best four walks against UMass, April 11, the second-most in one game by an individual Eagle since 1999 and the most in the MAC. He also notched a three-walk game in the 15-5 win at Youngstown State, May 6. Overall, Borchardt has walked 16 times in the previous 17 contests, producing a team-best .458 on-base percentage. Borchardt's 29 walks leads the Eagles and ranks 10th in the MAC by value.
BORCHARDT'S BIG WEEK/CONSISTENCY
Nathan Borchardt had his best offensive week as an Eagle in one game against Oakland and a three-game series at Northern Illinois, April 22-26. Borchardt recorded multiple hits in all four games, marking the longest multi-hit streak of his career. He also doubled in all four games and recorded RBI in 3-of-4, including a season-high four RBI in the 9-7 win at Northern Illinois, April 26. He has recorded at least one hit in eight of his last 13 games with six of them being of the multi-hit variety.
OUCH!
Eastern was hit by seven pitches in the 11-10 win at Oakland, April 22, tying for the most by an EMU team in the modern statistical era (1999-present). The total ranks third in the MAC single-game leaderboards this season and fifth in the nation. The figure tied EMU's program record set in a 5-4 loss at Arizona State, March 5, 2016. EMU has been hit by 78 pitches this season, tying the 2022 sqaud for second in program history since 1999. John Hale has been beaned 15 times, ranking third in program history by value and eighth in the MAC. Moreover, EMU was hit by a robust 12 pitches last week, the most in the conference and fourth-most nationally.
K'ING ONE OF THE NATION'S BEST
EMU struck out Western Michigan's Tanner Mally twice in the series finale against the Broncos, April 19, making EMU and Miami the only teams to strikeout the nation's batting average (.465) and on-base percentage (.573) leader twice as Mally went down on strikes twice in the series final against the RedHawks, May 3. Mally ranks third in the nation in toughest to strikeout as he fans once every 18.9 at-bats. Mally had struck out just three times prior as Fischer Hendershot K'd the right-handed bat on a 2-2 count in the fourth inning before Brian Henson caught him looking on a 2-2 breaking ball to end the WMU half of the seventh.
SUCCESS WITH LESS STRIKEOUTS
EMU has success when striking out five times or less this season, holding a 6-3 record when doing so. Eastern most recently struck out five times or less with four strikeouts in the 6-0 loss at Kent State, May 10, losing for just the third time when doing so. Conversely, the Eagles are 11-29 when striking out six times or more. EMU won when striking out more than five times for the 11th time this season in the 10-7 extra-inning victory at Kent State, May 9, where it struck out 11 times, its second-highest strikeout total in a win this season.
ALL HALE JOHN
John Hale has been seeing the ball well over his last 22 games. He is batting .313 while leading the team in doubles (seven) and ranking second on squad in hits (26), and runs (17). Hale also ranks among the team leaders in extra-base hits (10) and (42) with a .506 slugging percentage and .928 OPS. With four games remaining, the center fielder has already eclipsed his extra-base hit total from 2025, as he has 18 compared to 13 while also eclipsing his walk total from last year with 25 after walking 19 times in 2025. Hale is three hits from tying the 49 he had last season and five knocks from reaching 100 as an NCAA Division I student-athlete.
TWO WITH FIVE HITS
Both John Hale (vs. UMass, April 12) and TJ Williams (vs. Central Michigan, March 27) have recorded five-hit games this season, making EMU the only MAC team with two players who have each knocked five hits in a game in 2026. Furthermore, the achievement marks EMU's first time having two players with five-hit games in one season since 2013, when Sam Ott did so against Ohio, March 31, and John Rubino tallied five hits against Northern Illinois, May 12.
TWO HOMERS IN ONE INNING
Both Devan Zirwas and John Hale went yard in the second inning in the series finale against UMass, April 12. The outburst marked the second time this season EMU has homered twice in one inning. The first came at Austin Peay, Feb. 20, when Zirwas and Ty Stecko did so in the third inning in a 7-6 win.
MORE INNINGS, MORE STRIKES
Fischer Hendershot threw a career-high 4.1 innings out of the bullpen and recorded a career-high seven strikeouts against UMass, April 12. The performance continues Hendershot's improvement in his second season as he has increased his strikeout total by 12, totaling 30 after recording 18 in 2025. He has cut his walks in half, issuing just eight this season after handing out 16 free passes last year. Hendershot has also improved on his save total, posting four thus far this season, the fourth-most in the conference by value and one more than he had in 2025. He most recently earned a save with a scoreless 1-2-3 ninth inning in the win over WMU, April 17.
BREAKOUT BRUCE
After struggling in the season's early going, Bruce Jellison has found his rhythm. In the last 24 games, he is batting .310 with 17 hits, one double, three home runs, with a .871 OPS and 21 RBI. He has added more power compared to last season, knocking seven extra-base hits through 45 games to tie his 2025 season total of seven in 49 games.
Jellison First 21 Games of the Season
.158 BA, .525 OPS, 9 Hits, 3 XBH, 6 RBI, 14 SO, 12 BB
Jellison Last 24 Games
.310 BA, .871 OPS, 27 Hits, 3 HR, 21 RBI
CONFERENCE-ONLY STANDINGS
The Eagles are at or near the top in a number of statistics in conference games. Eastern boasts the fifth-most hits (304), doubles (66), and walks (134), while posting the seventh-most total bases (460) and batting seventh-best average (.283). Pitching wise, EMU hurlers have 242 strikeouts, the fifth-most in the MAC. On defense, Eastern has the most runners caught stealing with 22 and totals the fourth-most putouts (788). Individually, Devan Zirwas ranks fourth by value in MAC play with seven homers, eighth with 39 hits, and ninth in RBI and runs with 31 and 30. Nathan Borchardt and Devan Zirwas place sixth by value with 10 doubles while Ty Stecko and John Hale slot seventh by value with nine. Hale also ranks ninth by value in hits (38).
CARDIAC EAGLES
Eastern has four walk-off wins, tying for the fourth-most nationally by value, the most by a MAC team, and 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.
ONE-RUN DUBS
Eastern thrives in close games as it is 8-4 in one-run games this season. It dropped its last one-run contest with a 6-5 loss at Kent State, May 8. The eight one-run victories are the most since it put up seven in the 2021 season. It last recorded nine or more in the 2011 campaign, a season that saw EMU post a 12-6 record in such contests. Eastern's eight one-run wins rank second in the MAC as Akron paces the conference with nine one-run victories. The 12 one-run contests ranks third in the league behind Akron's 15 and Western Michigan's 14.
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 (32 games)
.286 BA, .435 SLG%, .391 OB%, .826 OPS
The improvement features a 93-point increase in batting average, 99-point jump in slugging percentage, 68-point surge in on-base percentage, and a 167-point advancement in OPS.
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.
STRONG PLATE DISCIPLINE
The Eagles have drawn 231 walks in 49 games. That total ranks fifth in the Mid-American Conference. Forty-nine games into the season, Nathan Borchardt's 29 walks lead the Eagles and ranks 10th in the MAC by value.
ON THE HORIZON
Eastern returns home to close out the regular season and conference schedule with a three game series against Ohio University, Thursday-Saturday, May 14-16, at Oestrike Stadium.
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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