Baseball Heads to CMU for Regular Season Finale

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YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – With a berth in the 2010 Mid-American Conference Tournament already clinched, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team (25-27, 13-11 MAC) embarks on its final regular season road trip of the season, as the Eagles head to Mount Pleasant for a three-game set with Central Michigan University (30-20, 17-7 MAC), May 20-22, at Theunissen Stadium.

Games one and two are scheduled for Thursday and Friday, May 20-21, at 3:05 p.m., while game three is slated for 2:05 p.m.

MAC TOURNAMENT ON THE HORIZON: With Northern Illinois dropping all three games this past weekend, the Eagles clinched a post-season berth in the 2010 MAC Tournament. If the tournament started today, the Eagles would earn the No. 7 seed and face No. 2 Kent State. Ball State would earn the No. 1 overall seed, followed by KSU, CMU, Toledo, Bowling Green, Ohio, EMU, and Miami. The 2010 MAC Tournament is scheduled for May 26-30 at V.A. Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio.

LISTEN LIVE TO EMU AT THE MAC TOURNAMENT: For the second year in a row, the EMU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will audio stream the baseball games from the 2010 MAC Tournament, May 26-30, at V.A. Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio. All EMU games will be an Internet-only broadcast available exclusively on Eagle All-Access. Fans can access the broadcast by clicking here. Subscription packages are being offered for just $6.95 that will allow fans to tune in for every EMU contest at a discounted rate. Click here for more information.

PITCHING PROBABLES: In game one, sophomore right-hander Kendall Lewis (6-3, 3.97 ERA) will get the nod opposite CMU right-hander Jess Hernandez (7-2, 4.52 ERA). In game two, junior right-hander Corey Chaffins (4-5, 5.92 ERA) will start for EMU versus CMU right-handed pitcher Bryce Morrow (3-2, 5.10 ERA). In the series finale, the Eagles will start freshman right-hander Steve Weber (2-4, 5.87 ERA), while the Chippewas' starting pitcher has yet to be determined.

EMU VERSUS CMU: In a rivalry that dates back more than 60 years, the Eagles lead the all-time series, 84-53, versus their instate adversaries from CMU. Last year, the Eagles took two out of three from the Chips at Oestrike Stadium in the final series of the season en route to a MAC Tournament berth. The last time the two teams met in Mount Pleasant, the Chips went 2-0 versus the Eagles in a shortened series. The last time EMU won a season series at Central Michigan was 2003 when the Eagles claimed three out of four in Mount Pleasant.

THE COACHES: EMU Head Coach Jay Alexander enters Thursday's contest with a 211-210 career record, including a 50-62 mark in two seasons with the Eagles. CMU's Steve Jaksa enters Thursday's game with a 285-216-1 career record.

MARSHALL LAW: In four games last week, senior Andrew Marshall batted .467 (7-for-15) at the plate with one homer, three runs scored and four RBI. In his career, Marshall has hit 36 home runs, good for third all-time in EMU baseball history. He recently passed EMU Athletic Hall of Famer and former MLB player Chris Hoiles for the No. 3 spot, as he trails only Ryan Goleski (41 homers) and Derrick Peterson (51 homers) all-time. His 127 RBI are good for seventh all-time in EMU baseball history.

GOING THE DISTANCE: Junior right-hander Corey Chaffins went all nine innings to notch his MAC-best fifth complete game of the season last weekend versus Toledo. This season, Chaffins has pitched 92.2 innings and tallied 83 strikeouts. In three seasons, Chaffins has 194 strikeouts, good for 10th in EMU baseball history. His 83 strikeouts this season tie Anthony Tomey (2000-03) for the eighth most in a single season. In his career, Chaffins has pitched 199.2 innings pitched in his career, good for 17th all-time in EMU baseball history.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS: Junior infielder Zack Leonard has tallied a team-best 62 hits this season. In three seasons, Leonard has 220 hits, which puts him sixth all-time in EMU baseball history. Leonard needs three hits to pass former EMU All-American Byron Horn (1978-81) for fifth all-time in history. With a team-best 50 RBI this season and 136 in his career, Leonard recently passed EMU Athletic Hall of Famer Chris Hoiles for fifth all-time in history.

GOING STREAKING: For the second time this season, senior Aaron Crooks is riding a 10-game hitting streak. He is one game away from tying senior Todd Graves for the longest streak by an EMU player this season. Over the last 10 games, Crooks is batting .333 (12-for-36) with four doubles and seven runs scored.

WHAT A RELIEF: Junior left-hander Rob Wendzicki pitched well in three relief appearances last week, going three innings without surrendering a run, while giving up just one hit. Wendzikci missed all of last season due to Tommy Johnm surgery and missed most of summer league and fall baseball with an off-season illness.

SETTING THE TABLE: With junior Bo Kinder batting in the leadoff spot, the Eagles have an 18-10 record this season. After ending the month of March with a .197 batting average, Kinder raised is average all the way up to .314 going into last weekend's match-up with Toledo.

A PAINFUL RECORD SETTING MARK: As a team, the Eagles have been hit by 65 pitches this season – the most by any EMU team in school history. The 2008 EMU baseball team was hit by 64 pitches. Junior Zack Leonard has been hit by a team-best 14 this season, followed by Ben Magsig (10).

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