Baseball Heads North for Crucial Rivalry Series at Central Michigan

Eastern Michigan Baseball at Central Michigan
Date	Friday-Sunday \| May 9-11
Venue	Keilitz Field at Theunissen \| Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Preview Info	EMU Notes (PDF) \| Media Guide
Live Stats	Live Stats
Watch Live	Game 1 \| Game 2 \| Game 3
Social Media	X: @EMU _Baseball \| @EMUAthletics IG: @emu_baseball \| @emuathletics

YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – On the outside looking in the Mid-American Conference playoff picture, the Eastern Michigan University baseball team aims to make a playoff push beginning with a crucial three-game road series against rivals Central Michigan University Friday-Sunday, May 9-11. The series will serve as the Eagles' first opportunity to claim consecutive Michigan MAC titles in program history as they claimed series-wins over both CMU (March 28-30) and Western Michigan University (March 23-24) last season, and have already topped the Broncos in a three-game set, 2-1, earlier this season, March 14-15.

Friday's game will start at 3 p.m. while Saturday's will begin at 2 p.m., and Sunday's first pitch is slated for 1 p.m.

Eastern enters the game standing seventh in the MAC with a 18-24 (10-14 MAC) record, has dropped eight of its last ten MAC games, is looking for its first series-win in Mount Pleasant since 2018, and is coming off a 3-1 loss to the Michigan State Spartans, May 6. Central Michigan comes in slotting eighth in the conference and is also on the outside looking out in the MAC playoff picture as it sits just one game behind the Eagles in the MAC standings with a 9-15 conference record (17-31 overall). It most recently dropped a tight 8-7 road game to the Michigan Wolverines, May 7.

Fans can follow along using the live stats, radio, and watch links that can be accessed on the EMU baseball schedule page here. Also, 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.

ON THE AIR
All three games between the Eagles and Chippewas will air live on Chippewas All-Access.

CMU CONNECTIONS
The Eagles will see two familiar faces in its series against the Chippewas. Current CMU sophomore Nathan Ball started his collegiate career with the Eagles last season as he batted .286 with an .842 OPS. In 63 at-bats he knocked 18 hits, seven extra-base hits (four doubles, one triple, two homers), drove in nine runs, and totaled 30 bases. Former Eagle turned CMU assistant Aaron Hilt spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons overseeing the Eastern pitching staff. Under his tutelage, the Eagles set the program strikeout record with 416 in the 2022 season and improved that figure to 451 strikeouts in 2023.

BACK-2-BACK MICHIGAN MAC CHAMPS FOR FIRST TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY?
EMU claimed the Michigan MAC title last season with series wins over Western Michigan and Central Michigan, marking their first time besting both fellow Michigan MAC programs in the same season since 2012. Should the Eagles win the series against CMU this weekend, it would mark the first time they have beaten both programs in a series in consecutive seasons in program history (1949-present) as they topped the Broncos in a three-game set earlier this season, March 14-15.

ALL-TIME AGAINST CMU
The Eagles and Chippewas will meet for the 183rd-185th time this weekend. Overall, Eastern holds the lead in the series with a 98-84 all-time record against CMU and a 12-28 record when facing it in Mount Pleasant. CMU has controlled the series in recent years as Eastern holds a 3-7 record against the Chippewas in the series' last 10 games. Central rattled off 12 straight against Eastern from 2018-22, marking the Eagles' longest losing streak against the in-state rival in the modern statistical era (1999-present).

LAST TIME AGAINST CMU
Eastern captured a 2-1 series-win over the Chippewas in Ypsilanti last season, March 28-30, marking its first time winning series over rivals Western Michigan and Central Michigan since 2012. Both wins came in walk-off fashion as Logan Hugo singled to center field to walk-off the Chippewas 5-4 in game one, and Aidan Arbogast scored a runner from third off a sacrifice fly in the 6-5 series-finale win. The series-win marked the first for the Eagles over CMU since 2018, and the first time beating them in a set in Ypsilanti since 2016.

LAST TIME IN MOUNT PLEASANT
Eastern dropped a 2-1 series its last time in Mount Pleasant in the 2023 season, May 5-7, as they were out scored by the Chippewas, 32-12. EMU won the series opener, 3-1, before losing game two 24-4, and game three, 7-5. Just five Eagles who played in that series are still on the team in 2025. EMU's 20-run loss in game two of the series was its largest since losing by 22 runs in the first game of a doubleheader to Marshall, 25-3, March 10, 2019, and its largest loss in a conference game since it was bested by Ball State, 22-2, May 8, 1999.

CONFERENCE WOES
Both Eastern Michigan and CMU are looking to get back on track in conference play as each school has dropped eight of its last ten MAC games and is on the outside looking in when it comes to the MAC Tournament. Additionally, Eastern has not won a road MAC game since March when it sealed a 2-1 series win with an 18-13 win over Ohio, March 29.

PLAYOFF SITUATIONS: TO GET TO #6
Currently standing seventh in the MAC (10-14), Eastern would need to win at least two games this weekend and Western Michigan would have to lose its series against Kent State to get back into the MAC playoff field. Toledo, who bested both Eastern and Western in a series would remain ahead of both schools even if it was swept by Northern Illinois this weekend as it would hold a 12-15 record along with Eastern and Western, but hold the tiebreaker as it went a combined 5-1 against the two schools this season.

PLAYOFF SITUATIONS: TO GET TO #5
In order to make it to the five spot in the MAC standings this weekend, Eastern would have to sweep CMU and Toledo would have to get swept by NIU as EMU would hold a 13-14 MAC record and Toledo's would go to 12-15. Western would have to lose at least one game this weekend to get EMU to the five spot as it would hold a 13-14 record but EMU would own the tiebreaker with a series win over the Broncos.

KAPA & BECKNER: MAC'S 1 & 2 IN Ks
Pitchers Tyler Kapa and Drew Beckner rank first and second in the MAC in strikeouts, as Kapa posts 74 and Beckner has 67. The duo is the only in the conference from the same school to rank inside the top five in strikeouts. Eastern is also the only school in the conference with two pitchers above 65 strikeouts on the season, one of 13 Division I schools in the country to have two pitchers that rank inside the conference top-three in strikeouts, and one of eight pitching duos in Division I to rank first and second in their respective conference.

KAPA's Ks
Senior right-hander Tyler Kapa has demonstrated high strike-throwing ability in ten appearances this season. He has sat down a total of 74 batters, good for the most in the conference. Kapa's 11 strikeouts at Albany, April 19 stand as the most in a single game in the MAC this season and a Division I career high for the Waterford, Mich., native. He also struck out nine two other times this season, making him the only pitcher in the MAC to fan at least nine batters on three different occasions.

The 6-foot-2 righty ranks highly in strikeouts per nine innings as he slots second in the conference and 23rd in the nation, averaging 12.18 Ks per nine.

HUGO CAREER HOMERS
Logan Hugo has hit 29 home runs in his career, tying him for the eighth-most in program history. Ryan Goleski (2001-03) holds the program's career record with 51 long balls.

HUGO BREAKOUT SEASON
Logan Hugo is in the midst of a breakout season. After winning the MAC Player of the Week award for the first time in his career, Feb. 25. Hugo is currently posting career highs in batting average (.308), slugging (.562), and OPS (.971).

His 12 doubles, 52 hits, 39 runs, 50 RBI, and 27 walks mark career highs, while his home runs (nine) are one away from tying his career high set in 2024 (10). Hugo needs one more run to surpass his career high of 39 (2024/25), one more hit to pass his career best of 52 (2024/25), and three stolen bases to match his career high of 18 (2024).

HUGO CAREER DAY
Senior outfielder Logan Hugo had a career day in the 19-12 win over the RedHawks, March 22. Hugo went 5-for-6 from the plate with two home runs, two doubles, six RBI, and three runs. His five hits, two home runs, and six RBI all marked career-highs. The five hits - and 13 total bases stand as the most from an individual in the MAC this season while his two home runs stand as the second-most, and six RBI rank as the fourth-most in the conference.

SLAMMIN' EAGS
EMU excels in hitting grand slams as they have hit five this season with Harrison Travis recording the team's fifth in the 14-4 run-ruling win over YSU, April 22. EMU's five grand slams are its most since at least the 2018 season, and stand three short of tying for the sixth-most in NCAA Division I history in terms of value. Should it reach eight grand slams, EMU would be the seventh team in NCAA history to do so in a season. It would be the only MAC team on the list.

PLAYERS/PITCHERS OF THE WEEK
Eastern has earned four MAC weekly honors, doubling the two it had last season. Most recently, Tyler Kapa was named MAC Pitcher of the Week, April 21. The honor marked the Eagles' fourth player of the week award of the season as Logan Hugo (Feb. 25) and Devan Zirwas (March 4) previously earned the recognition as position players, and Drew Beckner was named MAC Pitcher of the Week, April 14.

After Beckner's pitcher of the week nod, April 14, and Kapa's, April 21, the Eagles' have earned consecutive MAC Pitcher of the Week awards for the first time since the 2017 season when Brad Allen won it, March 27, followed by Brent Mattson the next week, April 3.

CONSECUTIVE POTW AWARDS
Eastern is one of three MAC schools to earn consecutive MAC Player/Pitcher of the Week honors, and the only school in the conference to do so for both the player and pitcher of the week award. Logan Hugo and Devan Zirwas won the player of the week award in consecutive weeks, Feb. 25, March 1, while Drew Beckner and Tyler Kapa recently won back-to-back pitcher of the week honors, April 14, and April 21.

POTENT OFFENSE
Through 42 games, the Eagles offense ranks inside the MAC top five in six categories, including pacing the MAC with the fewest strikeouts, as they have gone down on strikes just 303 times, 19 fewer than the second-least strikeout total (Ohio - 322).

Stat                        Figure          MAC Rnk.
Strikeouts (Least) 303               1st
Ks Per Nine            8.6                4th
Runs Per Game     7.7                4th                                                                   On-Base %       0.403     4th
Hit by Pitch            76                 5th
Average                 .289             5th
PITCHING RANKINGS
Through 42 games, Eastern pitching ranks inside the top five in the conference in value in seven categories, most notably ranking first in home runs allowed (38) and sacrifice hits allowed (nine).

Stat                        Figure          MAC Rnk.
Homers Allowed   38                1st
Sac Hits Allowed   9                   1st
XBH Allowed         133              2nd
At-Bats                   1,445           2nd
Hits Allowed          432              5th
Doubles Allowed   82                4th
Triples Allowed     13                3rd

ZIRWAS BREAKOUT YEAR
Junior infielder Devan Zirwas is excelling after seeing just 48 at-bats in his redshirt freshman season at VCU in 2024. He has set career highs in at-bats (161), runs (38), hits (56), doubles (15), home runs (eight), RBI (46), total bases (97), walks (27), and stolen bases (two). He is also posting career best numbers in average (.348) and OPS (1.056). Zirwas has also improved his discipline at the plate as he struck out in 30% of his at-bats in 2024 and currently strikes out just 18.6% of the time this season.

Additionally, his batting average, hits, doubles, total bases, and walks totals all lead the team while his 15 doubles stand as the fifth-most in the conference and are the most from the program since 2022 MAC Player of the Year Matt Kirk hit 24 in the 2023 campaign.

COMPLETE GAME
Eastern posted double-digit runs (15), hits (13), RBI (15), walks (offensive) (12), and strikeouts (pitching) (15) in the same game for the first time in 21 years in a 15-6 win at Albany, April 17. The Eagles last accomplished the feat against the NCAA Division II Wayne State Warriors, March 22, 2004. Eastern recorded 13 runs, 11 hits, 10 RBI, 10 walks (offensive), and 10 strikeouts (pitching) enroute to a 13-3 win. Additionally, the walks and strikeouts totals marked the most in the Head Coach Robbie Britt era.

JELLISON SACRIFICE FLIES
Junior infielder Bruce Jellison excels in hitting sacrifice flies as he ranks second in the MAC and 19th in the nation with six on the season. He most recently tallied his sixth SF of the season when he drove in Ty Stecko with a fly-out to right field in a 9-7 win over Albany, April 19. A first-year transfer from the highly-touted Wabash Valley College Junior College program, Jellison led all of JuCo with nine sacrifice flies in 2024.

DREW BECKNER ON THE BUMP
Senior left hander Drew Beckner has pitched well this season. Through 12 starts (64.1 IP - 5th most in the MAC), he has struck out 67 batters (2nd in the MAC) while walking just 31, has allowed 34 earned runs (8th in the MAC), 40 total runs, (9th in the conference), held opposing batters to a .251 average (7th in the conference), and given up 63 hits (7th in the MAC). With a 3-1 record on the year, his three wins are tied for the sixth-most in the conference. Expected to make a minimum of two more starts this season, Beckner is on pace to set NCAA Division I career-best marks as a starter in innings pitched (75), strikeouts (78), and walks (36). He is currently averaging NCAA Division I career-bests in ERA (4.76) and WHIP (1.46).

BECKNER PUNCH OUTS
Drew Beckner recorded at least eight strikeouts in three consecutive outings, April 4-17. He is the first EMU pitcher to do so since Sam Delaplane (10, 8, 12) did in the 2017 season, March 31-April 14, posting 30 strikeouts total in the three starts. Beckner struck out eight in his start against Ball State, April 4, eight against Toledo, April 11, and 10 at Albany, April 17, for a total of 26 strikeouts.

CARDIAC EAGLES
Eastern has four comeback wins when trailing by at least three runs this season, surpassing the three it had in the 2024 campaign. Two of the four comeback wins have come in the ninth inning with the Eagles putting up eight runs in the frame for the victory. Eastern trailed Western Michigan, 7-2, entering the ninth, March 14, before putting up eight runs to win, 10-8. The Eagles accomplished the feat again in a 9-5 win over Ohio, March 29, as they entered the ninth down, 5-1, and rattled off eight to secure the 9-5 victory.

BETTER THAN PROJECTED
The Eagles were predicted to finish 10th in the conference in the MAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. They have soared past that prediction, as they currently stand seventh in the conference with a 10-14 MAC record and at one point tied for the top spot in the conference.

AHEAD OF SCHEDULE (2024 WIN TOTAL)
The Eagles won 14 games in Robbie Britt's first season last year. Forty-two games into the 2025 campaign, the Eagles have already surpassed that total with 18 wins. They have also surpassed their 2024 win total when it comes to conference play, as their 13-3 win over NIU in the first game of a doubleheader, May 3 marked their 10th in the MAC after posting nine MAC wins in 2024.

EMU posted 13 wins in its first 42 games last season, eight of which came in conference play.

OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
The Eagles exploded for a season-best offensive performance in game three against the RedHawks, March 22. Eastern set season highs in runs (19) and RBI (18), while also knocking 18 hits and drawing 11 walks, both of which are its second-highest total of the season. Eastern Michigan's 19 runs and 18 RBI stand as the sixth-most in a single game in the MAC, while its five doubles are the fourth-most, hits are the fifth-most, and walks are the sixth-most. Furthermore, its runs and RBI total all serve as the most in the Robbie Britt era.

Eastern's bats particularly popped off in the second inning, scoring nine runs. Its nine runs that inning are the most under Britt and the most since Eastern plated 10 against Toledo, May 4, 2021.

Eastern nearly matched that performance in its 18-13 win over Ohio, March 29. It tied a season best with 18 RBI while setting a season best with 19 hits.

TEAM TRIPLE DOUBLES
The Eagles have reached double-digit marks in runs, hits, and RBI 11 times this season. They hold a 10-1 record in such games. Most recently, Eastern posted 10+ in each category in the 13-3 run-ruling win over Northern Illinois, May 3. Eastern scored 13 runs off 13 hits with 12 RBI.

BIG FISCH IN A LITTLE POND
Freshman right-hander Fischer Hendershot has the most saves of any freshman in the MAC as he ranks second on the team and sixth in the conference in terms of value with three behind Ethan Davis' four. Hendershot's three saves are the most from an Eastern freshman since Thomas House recorded four in his freshman campaign in 2018. He most recently earned a save in the Eagles' 9-7 win over Albany, April 19, as he got the final out of the game.

LIMITING POWER
Eastern pitching has allowed 133 extra-base hits (XBH) this season, ranking second in the conference as Kent State and Miami have allowed 132 XBH.

KINGS OF THE FIFTH
The Eagles have thrived in the fifth inning, scoring roughly 19.5% of their total runs (322) in the frame as they have scored 63 runs in the fifth, their highest total in any inning this season and 11 runs more than their second-highest scoring inning (3rd - 52 runs).

STRONG IN THE NINTH
Eastern has allowed just 18 runs in the ninth inning, its least amount of runs allowed in any inning this season. The 18 runs allowed in the ninth account for just 5.2% of its total runs allowed (345).

IMPORTANCE OF THE SIXTH
The sixth inning has provided insight on whether the Eagles will win or lose the game. When leading after six innings, Eastern posts a 13-4 record. Conversely, when trailing after six, EMU is 2-18. EMU earned its 13th win of the season when leading after six innings in the first game of a doubleheader against Northern Illinois, May 3, as it concluded the sixth with a 10-1 advantage and won the game, 13-3 (8 innings). Most recently, the Eagles came back to win for the second time after being down after six innings against Ohio, March 29. Eastern concluded the sixth inning in the first game of the doubleheader that day trailing, 5-1, and came back to win, 9-5.

Eastern lost for the fourth time after leading after the sixth inning in game two of a doubleheader at BGSU, April 26. EMU led, 6-4, after six, but lost, 10-9.

UPCOMING MILESTONES
Cooper Vance is eight hits away from reaching 100 in his career. Giano Zuccaro is 13 hits away from reaching the 200 mark, two home runs away from posting 20 in his career, and three doubles from 50. Brendan Kleiman needs 16 knocks to reach 100 in his NCAA career. Drew Beckner reached the 200 strikeouts milestone with his eight against Ball State, April 4. He currently has 226 in his career.

ONE WEEK, TWO SAVES
Junior right-hander Ethan Davis' four saves lead the Eagles and stand as the fifth-most in the MAC. Furthermore, he is the first Eastern hurler to earn two saves in one week since Trevor House did so in the 2021 season against Toledo in the first game of a doubleheader, May 11, and against Northern Illinois, May 15 as he earned one save in both of his appearances out of the bullpen against Akron, March 7-9. Davis tallied 3.1 innings pitched and allowed just one run while issuing zero walks and striking out two.Davis plays a large role in the much improved Eastern bullpen that through 42 games has doubled its save total from last season (four). Davis had a strong week

KAPA'S COMPLETE GAME
Tyler Kapa pitched a seven-inning complete game against Presbyterian in the first game of a doubleheader, March 1, becoming the first EMU hurler to throw a complete game since his teammate, Bobby Jones threw an eight-inning complete game last season against Northern Illinois (May 16). Kapa is one of 219 pitchers nationally and seven in the MAC to have thrown a complete game this season. He allowed seven hits and three earned runs, while striking out nine and walking two. Overall, he is tied for 46th in the nation with his one complete game.

GAME IN REVIEW: AT MSU, MAY 6
The Eagles dropped a tough 3-1 non-conference tilt to the Michigan State Spartans, May 6. The day was highlighted by the EMU bullpen as seven Eastern hurdlers combined to allow just two earned runs with four pitchers tossing a scoreless frame.

MSU took a 2-0 lead into the fourth before the Eagles made up one run in the inning. The game remained scoreless until the eight when the Spartans tacked-on an insurance run to increase their lead to two at 3-1. Ty Stecko led the EMU offense with one hit and two walks as he reached base in 3-of-4 plate appearances.

ON THE HORIZON
Eastern's final regular-season non-conference game is up next as it will travel to South Bend, Ind., for a tilt against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame Tuesday, May 13, 4:30 p.m.

FOLLOW US
For all things EMU Baseball, be sure to check out the team's social media accounts, including EMU_Baseball on X (formerly Twitter) and emu_baseball on Instagram.

Baseball Heads North for Crucial Rivalry Series at Central Michigan

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Players Mentioned

Aidan Arbogast

Nathan Ball

Drew Beckner

Ethan Davis

Fischer Hendershot

Logan Hugo

Bruce Jellison

Bobby Jones

Tyler Kapa

Brendan Kleiman

Ty Stecko

Harrison Travis

Cooper Vance

Devan Zirwas

Giano Zuccaro

Eastern Michigan Athletics