Baseball Heads to Athens for Matchup With Ohio

On Apr 7, 2021

ATHENS, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University baseball team returns to the road to take on Ohio University, Friday-Sunday, April 9-11, at Bob Wren Stadium in Athens, Ohio. Friday’s first pitch is set for 5 p.m., while Saturday’s doubleheader is scheduled for 1 and 4 p.m. Sunday’s final contest will take place at 1 p.m.
Fans can listen to the action on WOUB radio, or follow the action via live stats. Links for both can be found on the baseball schedule page of EMUEagles.com. In addition, updates will be posted on the team’s Twitter account, @EMU_Baseball.

CAPTAIN CASHES IN: Senior captain Nick Jones led the offensive effort for the Eagles in its series against Miami, April 2-4. Jones posted a team-high .308 batting average with a team-leading four hits, and tied for the team top with two runs scored and four total bases. Additionally, his .308 slugging percentage and .357 on-base percentage finished second on the team. The senior also recorded one-of-two multi-hit games of the weekend by the Eagles.
In addition, the Battle Creek, Mich. native extended his reached base streak to 11 games after the first two contests against Miami, but failed to keep it going in the third game of the series. After reaching in game four, Jones looks to re-start the streak.

WALK THIS WAY: In his outings against Miami, April 2-4, senior Eli Gora showcased impressive discipline at the plate, drawing a team-leading four walks over the series. That number ties the most drawn in a series by any Eagle this season (Jared Kauffman, Western Michigan). The senior finished with a team-high .400 on-base percentage.
In addition, the Cincinnati, Ohio native added two hits, which tied for second-best on the team, and scored two runs, which tied for the team lead over the series.

WELCOME TO THE SHOW: Eastern Michigan true freshman Nick Chittum made his debut against Miami, April 3. The No. 1 RHP prospect in the state of Michigan, and No. 4 overall player according to Prep Baseball Report, had a great inning of work in his first appearance, tossing 1.0 inning of scoreless baseball against the RedHawks. Although surrendering two walks and hit, the freshman kept his composure and got the outs.

IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT: Eastern Michigan junior Jared Kauffman was the main contributor to the Eagle offense in its series against Miami, April 2-4. Posting a team second-best two hits, the Springboro, Ohio native finished with a team-high two RBIs to lead the Green and White.

PEN DAY: In its second game of a doubleheader against Miami, April 3, the Eastern Michigan baseball team had a true “bullpen day,” seeing seven pitchers touch the mound over the seven innings of the contest.
Luke McGuire started the game for EMU, taking the first inning. He was followed by Justin Reinkall in the second, who was one of three pitchers that game to not allow a walk.
The following five pitchers combined to allow no runs, give up only two hits, and surrender four walks over the next five innings. John Holt pitched the third, followed by Holden Cook in the fourth, who put zero’s on the board not allowing any runs, hits, or walks, and striking out one. Nick Chittum made his debut in the fifth, followed by Luke Russo in the sixth, who recorded a career-high and team-leading two strikeouts and surrendered no walks in the game. Closing it out was Tyler Helgeson in the seventh.

MEIS AND EASY: Making his first start at home in 2021, junior Justin Meis threw his second-longest outing of the season (6.0 innings), retiring the RedHawks in order in back-to-back innings (2nd and 3rd), while also tallying a season-high eight strikeouts and not giving up a walk in his appearance.

DOUBLE PLAYS: To open the series against Miami, April 2, the Eastern Michigan defense turned a season-high four double plays, completing them all in four consecutive innings (4, 5, 6 and 7).
The previous season-high for EMU was three double plays in a game, doing so at Akron, March 21. While three were completed, they were not in consecutive innings.

BAULT-ING IT: One-of-two Eagles to record a multiple hit game against Miami, April 2-4, Christian Bault notched his second such performance of the season and team’s 18th. Putting together one of the team’s best offensive outings of the series, April 4, the Maineville, Ohio native finished with two base knocks, one RBI, scored one run, and drew two walks in the final game against the RedHawks.

FELDMAN GOES THE DISTANCE: In his Friday night start against Miami, April 2, veteran hurler Davis Feldman tossed 7.0 innings for the second time this season, striking out five and giving up a season-low one walk against the RedHawks.
Feldman’s 2.60 ERA is the lowest of any starter for the Green and White, and he leads the team in innings pitched (34.2) and strikeouts (32).

MADE FOR MACTION: Eastern Michigan senior Nick Jones has had an impressive start to the conference slate. After tallying just three hits through the first 11 games of the season in non-conference action, the Battle Creek, Mich. native leads the team in MAC play with 14 hits, two of which were extra-base, and has driven in a second-best four runs through the first 12 games of league play.
Jones’ 17 total hits and .258 batting average leads the Green and White.

ONE RUN TROUBLES: Through 21 games in 2021, Eastern Michigan has found themselves in one-run games eight times, compiling a 3-5 record in those games.
Starting off with a pair of one-run wins at Alabama State, Feb. 27-28 (2-1, 4-3), the Eagles also notched a win over Western Michigan, 5-4, March 29.
However, Eastern fell to Bellarmine, 2-1, March 6, and 10-11, March 7, to Akron, 2-3, March 20, and to Miami, 3-4 and 4-5, April 2 and 4.

WHAT’S OHIO BEEN UP TO?: The Bobcats enter the weekend sitting at .500, with an 11-11 record on the season, and 5-7 mark in conference play.
To start conference play, Ohio split series with Central Michigan and Toledo, while taking one game in four meetings with Bowling Green.

LAST MEETING: Eastern and Ohio last met Easter weekend, April 19-21, 2019. Playing one game Friday and doubleheader Sunday, the Bobcats came away with all three wins, 6-1, 8-2, and 6-3 at Oestrike Stadium.

SERIES HISTORY: Eastern Michigan leads the all-time series between the two sides, 69-58. Ohio has won the last four games between the two teams, including sweeping the series April 19-21, 2019, at Oestrike Stadium. EMU won the series prior, April 13-14, 2018, in Athens.
Over the last five series in Athens, all have been decided two games to one, with Eastern claiming three of the five sets (2006, 2008, 2018).

#MACTION MATTERS: The Mid-American Conference announced that, due to circumstances onset by the COVID-19 pandemic, it would be eliminating conference tournaments for eight sports, with baseball being one of them. The result? The MAC regular season champion will receive the conference’s automatic bid to a NCAA Regional. With the conference also adapting a 40-game schedule consisting of four-game series, every contest proves critical to staying in the hunt for the league crown.

MAC PRESEASON POLL: Eastern was selected to finish ninth overall in the Mid-American Conference preseason poll, as announced by the league office, Feb. 17. EMU finished with 36 points, while Central Michigan finished in the top spot for the second consecutive season with 111 points and four first-place votes. Kent State garnered five first-place votes and finished just shy of CMU with 110 points.

MAC Baseball Preseason Poll
1. Central Michigan (4) – 111 points
2. Kent State (5) – 110 points
T3. Miami (1) — 96 points
T3. Ball State – 96 points
5. Northern Illinois (1) – 72 points
6. Western Michigan – 63 points
7. Ohio – 56 points
8. Toledo – 45 points
9. Eastern Michigan – 36 points
10. Bowling Green – 28 points
11. Akron – 13 points

ON THE HORIZON: Eastern Michigan returns to Oestrike Stadium to host the Ball State Cardinals, Friday-Sunday, April 16-18. Games are set for 6 p.m. Friday, 3 and 6 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. Sunday.