Baseball to Face Southern Indiana in Three-game Weekend Series

Baseball at Belmont
Date	Friday, Feb. 23-Sunday, Feb. 25
Venue	Evansville, Ind. \| USI Baseball Field
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF) \| Media Guide (PDF)
Live Stats	EMUEagles.com/livestats
Listen	ESPN 97.7 (Game 1 and 3)
Social Media	@EMU _Baseball \| @EMUAthletics \| Hype Video

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (EMUEagles.com) -- The Eastern Michigan University baseball team is set to travel to the Hoosier State for a three-game series against the University of Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles, Friday-Sunday, Feb. 23-25. Friday's game will begin at 4 p.m. CT, with Saturday's starting at 2 p.m. CT, and Sunday's first pitch being thrown at 1 p.m. CT.
There is no video stream for the series, however, fans can follow along with the action in all three games via a live stats link at EMUEagles.com/livestats and tune in to a radio stream found on the EMU baseball schedule page.

FIRST PITCHES
» First-year Head Coach Robbie Britt earned the first win of his Division I career in the first game of a doubleheader, Feb. 18, Britt's Eagles topped the Bruins of Belmont, 16-6.
» Eastern will look to bounce back from their season-opening series against the Belmont Bruins, Friday-Sunday, Feb. 16-18, a series that saw the Bruins take three-of-four.
» Eastern posted a conference-leading 16 runs in its 16-6 win over the Bruins, Feb. 18.
» The upcoming series between the Eagles and Screaming Eagles will mark the first time the two have met on the baseball diamond.
» Eastern will next take on the Houston Christian University Huskies in a four-game set, Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 29-March 2.

THE FIRST OF MANY
First-year head coach Robbie Britt earned his first Division I win against Belmont in the first game of a doubleheader, Feb. 18, besting the Bruins, 16-6.

MAC LEADERS: RUNS IN A SINGLE GAME
The Eagles' offense erupted for a conference-leading 16 runs in the first game of a doubleheader against the Belmont Bruins, Feb. 18. After plating five runs in the first, the Eagles grabbed 11 more runs throughout the remainder of the game, scoring in six-of-seven innings. The 16 runs mark the most for the Eagles since they scored 17 in a 17-8 win over Oakland, May 16, 2023.

OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
In Eastern's 16-6 win over Belmont in the first game of a doubleheader, Feb. 18, the Eagles scored a conference-leading 16 runs, while also knocking a MAC-best seven doubles in the game. EMU also notched the second-most home runs in a single game in the MAC with three, as well as securing the second-most RBIs with 14. The last time the Eagles recorded seven doubles came last season in a 12-2 win over the Niagara Purple Eagles, April 29. Eastern previously notched 14 or more RBIs twice last season, in a 17-8 win over Oakland (17 RBIs), May 16, and a 21-5 win over Western Michigan (19 RBIs), April 11.

KYLE SCHROEDLE: TIED FOR MAC LEAD IN HOME RUNS
Graduate student Kyle Schroedle had a day in the first game of a doubleheader against Belmont, Feb. 18, a game which saw the Eagles best the Bruins, 16-6. Schroedle went 2-for-3 from the dish with two home runs, four 4 RBIs, and two runs scored, marking his second Division I game with multiple home runs. Schroedle last homered twice in one game against Oakland, May 16, 2023. With the outing, Schroedle is tied for the MAC lead in homers, and is one of three MAC players to record multiple homers in a single game this season. Furthermore, the Redding, Calif. native's four RBIs in a single game ties for the MAC single-game lead.

HARD TO HIT
Green and White pitching has made it difficult on their opponents as the Eagles rank first in the MAC, limiting batters to a .224 average. Additionally, Eastern has given up the second-lowest amount of extra-base hits (8).

BIG START BECKNER
First-year Eagle Drew Beckner had a strong outing against Belmont, Feb. 17. The junior left-hander went six innings, allowing just one hit and two earned runs while fanning eight Bruins, finishing one strikeout shy of tying a career-high. Beckner's performance marks the second time he has allowed just one hit through six innings in his career, also doing so during his freshman season at the University of Charleston (W. Va.), March 6, 2022, in just the third appearance of his career. Furthermore, the Westerville, Ohio, native ranks third in the MAC in opposing batting average (0.50); is tied for third in the conference in innings pitched (6); fourth in the conference in strikeouts (8); and is tied for first in the MAC in hits and home runs allowed (1).

BACK-TO-BACK HOME RUNS
During 16-6 win over Belmont in the first game of a doubleheader, Feb. 18, the Eagles crushed consecutive home runs as Giano Zuccaro secured a two-run blast while Kyle Schroedle notched a solo shot immediately after. This marks the first time Eastern tabbed back-to-back home runs since former Eagles Josh Kross and Taylor Hopkins went back-to-back against Ohio, April 2, 2023.

ZUCCARO'S STRONG START
In his first Division I series, first-year Eagle Giano Zuccaro excelled. The junior hit .455 over the four-game series, with one double and one home run, coupled with a team-high five RBIs and 1.389 OPS. Zuccaro is tied for second in the conference with five RBIs, and fifth in the MAC in OPS.

LOGAN HUGO: SECOND IN MAC IN STEALS
Junior Logan Hugo has added base stealing to his game in the 2024 season. Hugo stole two bases in the second game of the doubleheader against Belmont, Feb. 18. Hugo's two swiped bags are tied for the second most in the MAC, and mark the first time Hugo has accomplished the feat in his career as well as the first time an Eagle has done so this season.

THERE'S A NEW SKIPPER IN TOWN
Eastern Michigan University Vice President/Director of Athletics Scott Wetherbee announced the hiring of new Head Baseball Coach, Robbie Britt, June 16, 2023. A highly-accomplished program leader with four seasons as a Division II head coach, Britt arrived in Ypsilanti after most recently serving as the head coach at the University of Charleston (W. Va.) from 2020-23. Posting a .722 career winning percentage (125-48), he has an extensive coaching resume which includes stops at the NCAA Division I, II, and III ranks along with high school and club baseball.

WELCOME TO DIVISION I
Six Eagles made their Division I debut in the series against Belmont, Feb. 16-18. Aidan Arbogast, Drew Beckner, Andrew Dukesherer, Brendan Kleiman, Isiah Lindsey, and Giano Zuccaro all saw their first DI action in the series against the Bruins.

COLLEGIATE DEBUT
Two freshmen saw their collegiate debut this weekend in the series against the Bruins, Feb. 16-18. Freshman infielder Nathan Ball saw action in Eastern's contest against Belmont, Feb. 17, and gained an at-bat as a pinch hitter in the first game of a doubleheader, Feb. 18. Niko Kreuzer also saw the field for the first time in college, pitching the final two innings of the first game of the doubleheader, striking out one Bruin, Feb. 18.

IN THE SERIES: EAGLES vs. SCREAMING EAGLES
The series will mark the first all-time between the Eagles and Screaming Eagles.

SCOUTING THE SCREAMING EAGLES
The Screaming Eagles were selected to finish eighth in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) preseason poll. USI has yet to make a scratch in the win column this season as they dropped games to Lamar, Feb. 16; Northern Alabama, Feb. 17; and two games to Southern Alabama, Feb. 18-19. Altogether, the Screaming Eagles have been out scored 12-33 through four games played.

ON THE HORIZON
Eastern will head back down south for a four-game set against the Houston Christian Huskies, Thursday-Saturday, Feb. 29-March 2. The Eagles and Huskies will play a doubleheader, Friday, March 1, beginning at 12 p.m. CT.

Baseball to Face Southern Indiana in Three-game Weekend Series

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Players Mentioned

Aidan Arbogast

Nathan Ball

Drew Beckner

Andrew Dukesherer

Taylor Hopkins

Logan Hugo

Brendan Kleiman

Niko Kreuzer

Josh Kross

Isiah Lindsey

Kyle Schroedle

Giano Zuccaro

Eastern Michigan Athletics