Eagles Wrap Up Non-Conference Play Against No. 16 Michigan

Baseball at No. 16 Michigan (39-12, 14-7 B1G)
Date	Tuesday, May 16 \| 6 p.m.
Venue	Ann Arbor, Mich. \| Ray Fisher Stadium
Game Notes	EMU Notes
Live Stats	MGoBlue.com
Audio	Eagle All-Access
Twitter	@EMUBaseball

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University baseball team wraps up the non-conference portion of the schedule when it heads down the road to Ann Arbor for a game against the University of Michigan, Tuesday, May 16. First pitch from Ray Fisher Stadium is set for 6 p.m.
The action can be tracked live on Twitter by following @EMU_Baseball. Live stats will be available through MGoBlue.com. Audio will also be streamed through Eagle All-Access with Greg Steiner on the call.

ALL-TIME VS THE WOLVERINES: Eastern and UM have met 184 times since EMU began keeping records in 1949, which is the most meetings all-time for Eastern against any opponent. Michigan holds the 118-64-2 advantage in the series. The two schools have met each season since 1964. Earlier this year, No. 13 Michigan outlasted EMU, 2-1, in a 13 inning game in Ann Arbor. Eastern will look for its first win over a ranked opponent since 2014.

BATTLE FOR WASHTENAW: The Wolverines are still ranked within the top-25, coming in at No. 16 according to D1Baseball.com. Since the two squads last met in April, UM is 13-5, and now sit at 39-12 overall on the season. UM is a solid 21-5 at Fisher Stadium.
The offense has cooled down slightly, but still hit at a .285 clip. They out-score opponents, 344-183, and out-hit them, 488-382. They also remain one of the top base stealing threats in the country, swiping 111 bags. Leading the offense is Ako Thomas, who bats .371 with 53 hits, while swiping 20 bases.
The defense still leads the way for the Wolverines, pitching to a staff ERA of 3.16, good for 11th in the nation. They hold opponents to just a .226 batting average, and strikeout 479 batters to just 167 walks. Tuesday's starter, Jayce Vancena, has a 2.43 ERA in 37 innings, inlcuding four starts.

HOW SWEEP IT IS: EMU swept its second MAC series of the season with three consecutive wins over Northern Illinois, May 12-14. The Eagles won their fourth MAC series of the season, and currently sit in third overall with a 12-9 record. The wins also clinched a spot in the 2017 MAC Tournament, EMU's first consecutive appearances since going to seven straight from 2006-12. The 12 conference wins are also the most in Head Coach Mark Van Ameyde's three-year tenure, and are the most for EMU since 2013.

PETERSON'S MONSTER WEEKEND: Redshirt senior Jordan Peterson had a huge game in the 14-3 sweep clinching victory over NIU, May 14. The outfielder finished the day with four hits, three home runs and a double, while setting the EMU program record for RBIs in a single game with nine. One of his dingers was a grand slam as part of a two-home run inning in the third. It was the first grand slam for an Eagle player since the 2010 MAC Tournament. Additionally, Peterson is one of just 13 players in the country to have nine or more RBIs in a game this season, as well as one of just 38 to hit three or more home runs in a single game. In total on the weekend, Peterson hit .412 with 11 RBIs.

RAKING IN THE AWARDS: For his efforts, Jordan Peterson was named both the MAC West Division Player of the Week, as well as a Collegiate Baseball News National Player of the Week. It was the first weekly awards of Peterson's career, and the fifth time EMU has been tabbed for a MAC Player of the Week in 2017. That marks the most for the Eagles since 2012. Peterson's highlights were also featured on the NCAA's official baseball social media accounts, garnering thousands of views and shares across the country.

COMPLETE WEEKEND DOMINATION: EMU was firing on all cylinders in the three-game sweep, with both the offense and defense coming through with clutch performances. The offense had three straight double-digit hitting performaces, batting .289 as a team with 33 hits, while also scoring 30 runs over the three-game span. The pitching staff, meanwhile, held NIU to a .173 batting average, and just six runs, five earned, resulting in a staff ERA of 1.67. The defense was also steady, only recording two errors, for a sterling .983 fielding percentage.

DELAPLANE DELIVERING THE GOODS: Senior Sam Delaplane is putting together a fine final season in the Green and White. The closer turned Friday night starter leads EMU with a 2.69 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 17 appearances (nine starts) and 70.1 innings. His ERA ranks third in the conference, while his strikeout total is second in the MAC. His 195 career strikeouts rank 11th in Eastern Michigan laurels. In six of his last seven outings, Delaplane has recorded at least six K's, totaling 56 overall. Delaplane is also ranked tied for fourth in all-time saves with 10.

MIODUSZEWSKI REWRITING THE RECORD BOOK: Redshirt senior Mike Mioduszewski has been one of EMU's top offensive threats in his four years at EMU, and he is beginning to see it pay off by seeing his name etched in the EMU record book in multiple offensive categories. Currently he ranks in the top-25 for hits (24th, 188), RBIs (t-18th, 108), doubles (t-17th, 35), and home runs (t-25th, 17). He has done this in the eighth most at bats in EMU history with 714.

MASHING MONTGOMERY: Senior John Montgomery has been the spark plug in the EMU offense in his final season, leading EMU in five offensive categories. He is also the team leader with 13 multi-RBI games as well as six three-hit contests. Additionally, Montgomery is second in the MAC with 11 home runs. His 19 career homers ranks 22nd all-time at EMU.

GOTTA EARN THOSE RUNS: Since entering MAC play, Matthew Beaton has been almost unhittable. The senior relief pitcher has not allowed an earned run in 10.1 MAC innings, the highest inning total without yielding an earned run in conference this season. For his career, Beaton holds a 3.36 ERA in 101.2 innings pitched.

TAKE YOUR BASE: Thus far on the season, EMU has taken what the opposing pitching staffs have offered, drawing 209 walks as a team, which ranks fourth in the MAC and 83rd in the country. The Eagles have already shattered last year's walk total, as EMU had just 175 bases on balls in 2016. The program record for walks in a single season was 286, set by the 1982 team.

IMPACT FRESHMEN IN THE INFIELD: This season, EMU has often relied on 'true' freshmen in starting roles. In 52 games, freshmen have combined to make 142 starts in the infield, led by Nick Jones, who has 41 starts at third base and catcher.

ROCKETS ON THE HORIZON: EMU will wrap up the 2017 regular season when it welcomes the University of Toldeo to Oestrike for a three-game series. The busy weekend gets underway Thursday, May 18, with a 6 p.m. first pitch.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Matthew Beaton

Sam Delaplane

Nick Jones

Mike Mioduszewski

John Montgomery

Jordan Peterson

Eastern Michigan Athletics