Baseball Readies for Midweek Game at Youngstown State Wednesday

Eastern Michigan Baseball at Youngstown State
Date	Wednesday \| May 6
Venue	717 Credit Union Field at Eastwood \| Niles, Ohio
Preview Info	EMU Notes \| Record Book (PDF).
Listen	1390 WNIO
Live Stats	Sidearm Live Stats
Social Media	X: @EMU _Baseball \| @EMUAthletics IG: @emu_baseball \| @emuathletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team looks for a season sweep of the Youngstown State University Penguins and its fourth win in the last six games at 717 Credit Union Field at Eastwood Wednesday, May 6, at 5 p.m.

Fans can tune into an audio stream and access live stats 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
» The Eagles and Penguins will meet for the seventh time. The series is tied at 3-3.
» Eastern won the last contest over the Penguins earlier this season with an 8-7 walk-off victory, March 24.
» Eastern has 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.
» Eastern most recently earned a series win (2-1) over Bowling Green, May 1-3.
» Eastern next travels to MAC first-place Kent State, May 8-10.
» 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 YOUNGSTOWN STATE
The Eagles and Penguins are meeting for the seventh time in the all-time series. Overall, Eastern is tied 3-3 against YSU after a 8-7 victory on March 24, marking two consecutive wins over the Penguins for the first time. A third consecutive win over the Penguins would mark the longest in the series.

LAST TIME AGAINST YSU
A late surging comeback propelled Eastern to an 8-7 walk-off victory over Youngstown State after a two hit, four RBI performance from Demir Heidelberg Tuesday, March 24 at Oestrike Stadium. Heidelberg's two RBI single in the sixth inning cut what was a five score deficit down to two. A tied game in the ninth ended in a walk-off victory after Tristan Crane drew a walk with bases loaded to seal the victory. Greg Kennedy earned the win on the mound, pitching two scoreless innings while allowing only one hit with no walks and striking out three opposing batters.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE HORIZON
Eastern will face off against a Horizon League opponent for the 100th time in program history. The Eagles typically perform well against the conference, holding a 59-40 all-time record with a majority of its games (71) against the fellow mid-major coming against Oakland, whom EMU holds a 49-22 all-time mark against and most recently beat 11-10 (10), April 22.

MOST RECENTLY: VS. BOWLING GREEN
Eastern earned a 2-1 series win, its third of the season, against Bowling Green, May 1-3. Pitching and defense shined throughout the weekend as a total of just 20 runs were scored, 14 coming from EMU. There was just four extra-base hits all weekend with just coming come off an Eastern bat in Ty Stecko's first-inning home run in the 7-3 series-finale win, May 3.

Game One, W, 6-1, May 1
John Carmichael nearly went the distance as he tossed 8.2 innings in the Eastern's win over Bowling Green State Friday, May 1. The junior righty earned his second win of the season (2-6) while Ty Stecko led the Eagles' offense with two RBI as Nick Weaver recorded a multi-hit day, going 2-for-4 from the plate with a pair of runs scored.

Game Two, L, 2-1, May 2
Eastern welcomed back its 1976 College World Series Runner-Up Team as it dropped a narrow 2-1 decision to Bowling Green State in the second game of a three-game Mid-American Conference series Saturday, May 2. Eastern pitching thrived once again, allowing two runs or less for the second consecutive game for the first time since 2022. Cal Rutherford, Tommy Rose, Brian Henson, and Landon Mueller combined to allow just two runs off five hits while striking out eight batters and walking four.

Game Three, W, 7-3, May 3
Eastern clinched a Mid-American Conference series victory over Bowling Green with a 7-3 win over the Falcons Sunday, May 3. Carter White got the start and went a career-long 4.2 innings while Jack Angus (1-0) earned his first win of the season with a scoreless 1.1 innings of work. Brian Henson came on to get the final out, earning the first save of his NCAA career. Offensively, both Ty Stecko and Kriss Sydlowski each drove in a pair of runs while Stecko crushed his 11th home run of the season, tying a season-long career-high.

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 this 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.

CONSECUTIVE WEEKLY MAC HONORS
Eastern has 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 10 Games
.366 BA, 15 H, 3 2B, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 1.269 OPS

Over the last 10 games, the senior's 16 RBI, six home runs, nine extra-base hits, and .878 slugging percentage leads the Eagles while his . 366 batting average and 15 hits rank second.

Stecko Before 10-Game Stretch (32 Games)
.270 BA, .900 OPS, 31 H, 14 XBH, 5 HR, 21 RBI

Stecko has surpassed his extra-base hit total from 2024, totaling 23 (11 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs) compared to 19 last season. His 37 RBI tie his 2025 mark while he has become a threat on the base paths, posting 10 stolen bases after swiping just three last season.

LOW-SCORING SERIES
Pitching and defense shined throughout the weekend as a total of just 20 runs were scored, 14 coming from EMU in the 2-1 series win against Bowling Green, May 1-3. Eastern held BGSU to three or fewer runs in all three games of the series. The last time it did so in three straight games against any team was May 1-7, 2021, in 13-2, 13-2, and 8-0 wins over St. Bonaventure, Toledo, and Bowling Green, respectively.

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. Most recently 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. As a starter, White holds a 3.24 ERA with 8.1 innings pitched, allowing three earned runs off 10 hits with six strikeouts and five walks. Notably, just one of his 10 hits allowed have gone for extra bases (one double).

FACING THE OLD COLLEGE COACH
Last weekend's series against Bowling Green brought familiar faces together as EMU Interim Head Coach Trevor Beerman faced off against his collegiate head coach in BGSU's Kyle Hallock. Beerman played for Hallock at Malone University from 2015-17. During Beerman's time there, Hallock helped rebuild the program by focusing on elite pitching development. Malone went from a losing record before his arrival to four straight winning seasons, posting a 124-83 record across his tenure. The pitching staff became one of the best in the region, finishing in the top two in conference ERA three times and ranking inside the top 25 nationally twice.

NEW BULLPEN BRIGHT SPOTS
Eastern has seen new contributors rise in the bullpen. Jack Angus and Brian Henson have emerged as productive arms recently. Angus most recently tossed his sixth scoreless outing of the season and third consecutively against Bowling Green, May 3. He has not allowed a run since his season-long 3.1-inning appearance at Northern Illinois, April 24, where he relinquished just one. He was credited with the win for his first victory of the season against the Falcons. Henson recently earned his first save of the season, forcing a flyout to center field to slam the door on the Falcons, May 3. He has allowed just one earned run in his last three outings as three of his last five appearances have been of the scoreless variety.

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 in his past eight games. 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 fourth in the conference by value. He totals 22 career home runs in 87 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 and was the designated hitter on NCAA Baseball's Lineup of the Week after his five-home run week that saw him drive in 10 runs off a .500 batting average and 1.968 OPS. The honor marks Stecko's first player of the week award in his collegiate career and EMU baseball's first of the season.

TWO WITH 10+ HOMERS
Eastern's Devan Zirwas (12) 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 has 13, Evan Appelwick has 12, and Ryan Novak totals 11. Akron's Easton Amundson has hit 12 home runs and Brody Chrisman boasts 10, while NIU's Caden Robertson leads the conference with 14 long balls and Gavin Baldwin has 10.

CRANE'S INCREASED PRODUCTION
Seeing an increased role lately, Tristan Crane has been productive as a catcher and shortstop, starting 12 of the last 14 games he's played in. In those 12 contests, Crane is batting a team-best .388 (19-of-49) with three home runs, five doubles, and 12 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 serving 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 eight of the last 13 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 second-most in the MAC. Overall, Borchardt has walked 13 times in the previous 13 contests, producing a team-best .491 on-base percentage. Borchardt's 26 walks leads the Eagles and ranks 14th in the MAC by value.

BORCHARDT'S BIG WEEK
Nathan Borchardt had his best offensive week as an Eagle, 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.

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 66 pitches this season, ranking fifth in program history. John Hale has been beaned 13 times, leading the team and tying his 13 from last season, which stands sixth in program history by value.

100 RBI
Devan Zirwas reached the 100 career RBI mark as he drove in two runs against Western Michigan, April 18. The left-handed bat totals 95 RBI as an Eagle and 102 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. Stecko currently totals 96 RBI while Borchardt posts 97.

CLIMBING CAREER LEADERBOARDS
With Devan Zirwas' third inning homer against Western Michigan, April 18, he totals 20 home runs as an Eagle, tying for 15th by value in program history and joining five other players. Joining him is Ty Stecko, who is up to 22 homers as an Eagle, ranking 14th. He also compiles a .590 slugging clip, ranking fifth in program history and needs four more hits to reach 100 in his EMU career. Zirwas has 32 doubles as an Eagle, ranking 19th in program history as he needs nine RBI to break into the career leaderboards in runs driven in, holding 95 as an Eagle.

STRIKING OUT 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 (.468) and on-base percentage (.579) 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 19.3 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 6-2 record when doing so. Eastern most recently struck out five times or less with five strikeouts in the 15-9 loss at NIU, April 24, losing for just the second time when doing so. Conversely, the Eagles are 6-26 when striking out six times or more.

ALL HALE JOHN
John Hale has been seeing the ball well over his last 18 games. He is batting .329 while leading the team in hits (23) and ranking among the team leaders in runs 13), doubles (seven), and extra-base hits (10), with a .557 slugging percentage and .974 OPS. With eight 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 22 after walking 19 times in 2025. Hale is six hits from tying the 49 he had last season and eight 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 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.

CONSISTENT CARMICHAEL
Friday starter John Carmichael has provided consistency in his first year as an Eagle. The McLennan C.C. transfer has gone at least five innings in nine of his 12 starts with his longest being his most recent start, 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 ninth-fewest walks in the conference (19) and allowed the sixth-fewest doubles (9). Overall, he posts a 6.41 ERA and has 51 strikeouts compared to 19 walks this season.

BREAKOUT BRUCE
After struggling in the season's early going, Bruce Jellison has found his rhythm. In the last 20 games, he is batting .347 with 25 hits, one double, two home runs, with a .917 OPS and 17 RBI while working 10 walks with 10 strikeouts. He has added more power compared to last season, totaling six extra-base hits through 41 games after knocking seven in 49 games last season.

Jellison First 21 Games of the Season
.158 BA, .525 OPS, 9 Hits, 3 XBH, 6 RBI, 14 SO, 12 BB

Jellison Last 20 Games
.347 BA, .917 OPS, 25 Hits, 2 HR, 17 RBI, 10 SO, 10 BB

CONFERENCE-ONLY STANDINGS
The Eagles are at or near the top in a number of statistics in conference games. Eastern boasts the third-most hits (279), fourth-most doubles (62), fifth-best batting average (.289), while posting the sixth-most walks (120) and seventh-most total bases (429). Pitching wise, EMU hurlers have 217 strikeouts, the sixth-most in the MAC. On defense, Eastern has the most runners caught stealing with 19 and totals the fifth-most putouts (710). Individually, Devan Zirwas is tied for third in MAC play with seven homers and eighth in RBI with 27. Nathan Borchardt places fifth with 10 doubles while Ty Stecko, John Hale, and Zirwas all slot sixth with nine. Hale also ranks sixth in hits (35).and Borchardt's 17 walks rank 10th.

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.

LETHAL ARM BEHIND THE PLATE
Nick Weaver continues to rank among the top defensive catchers in college baseball entering the game against Youngstown State. Weaver has thrown out 23 runners attempting to steal in 53 attempts. That total places him tied for third nationally by value in caught stealing, ranking first in the MAC. The national leader, LaSalle's Jayden Novak, sits at 29. Weaver most recently caught at least one runner stealing each game against Bowling Green, May 1-3, as he caught three Falcons, May 2, tying for the second-most in one game in program history in the modern statistical era (1999-present).

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 8-3 in one-run games this season. It dropped its last one-run contest with a 2-1 loss at the hands of Bowling Green, May 2. 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 11 one-run contests tie for the second most in the league behind Akron 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 (28 games)
.289 BA, .442 SLG%, .390 OB%, .832 OPS

The improvement features a 96-point increase in batting average, 106-point jump in slugging percentage, 67-point surge in on-base percentage, and a 173-point advancement in OPS. The EMU offense had one of its best weekends of the season at NIU, April 24-26, batting .340 with 53 hits, 15 doubles, one triple, and seven home runs, totaling 35 RBI and 91 total bases with a .973 OPS in the 2-1 series loss.

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 12 bombs, surpassing his season total from 2025 just 27 games into the 2026 slate as he has four more long balls than last season. The left-handed bat homered for the 12th time this season against Western Michigan, April 18, as his 12 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.

MUELLER OUT OF THE PEN
Junior righty Landon Mueller has excelled out of the bullpen in 11 of his last 12 outings, excluding his appearance against Central Michigan, March 28. Outside of his appearance against the Chippewas, he totals 21.2 innings pitched out of the pen, posting a 6.23 ERA while allowing 15 earned runs off 28 hits and striking out 26 opposing batters while walking 13. 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.

POWER PRODUCTION
Eastern Michigan has hit 46 home runs through 45 games, ranking fifth in the Mid-American Conference. Devan Zirwas and Ty Stecko lead the way with 12 and 11 home runs, respectively, as Stecko hit five home runs from April 22-26. John Hale has five, while Tristan Crane and Nathan Borchardt each have four after Borchardt homered twice in the game against Washington, April 28. Nick Weaver has a trio of bombs, two that came at Ball State, March 15. Bruce Jellison and Keegan Knupp, have each chipped in two long balls.

STRONG PLATE DISCIPLINE
The Eagles have drawn 211 walks in 45 games. That total ranks fifth in the Mid-American Conference. Forty-five games into the season, Nathan Borchardt's 26 walks lead the Eagles and ranks 14th in the MAC by value.

TEAM-LEADING ZIRWAS
Devan Zirwas leads the roster with 26 extra-base hits (12 doubles, two triples, and 12 home runs), 42 RBI, 97 total bases, two triples, and 40 runs. He currently ranks third in the MAC in home runs (12) and triples (two), while slotting seventh in doubles (12) and ninth in RBI (42). 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.

ON THE HORIZON
Eastern travels to Kent, Ohio, for a three-game Mid-American Conference series against MAC first place Kent State Friday-Sunday, May 8-10, at Schoonover Stadium.

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

Baseball Readies for Midweek Game at Youngstown State Wednesday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Jack Angus

Drew Beckner

Nathan Borchardt

John Carmichael

Tristan Crane

John Hale

Demir Heidelberg

Fischer Hendershot

Brian Henson

Bruce Jellison

Drew Jones

Tyler Kapa

Greg Kennedy

Keegan Knupp

Leewood Molessa

Landon Mueller

Tommy Rose

Cal Rutherford

Ty Stecko

Kriss Sydlowski

Nick Weaver

Carter White

TJ Williams

Devan Zirwas

Eastern Michigan Athletics