| Friday Ace
Senior Zach Cooper has picked up right where he left off in Mid-American Conference play last season, starting MAC play in 2012 with a perfect 3-0 record while also grabbing back-to-back MAC West Pitcher of the Week honors the first two weeks of conference play. In his first three starts, Cooper has allowed just four runs - two earned - more a miniscule earned run average of just 0.75. He has struck out 22 batters in 24 innings pitched and is holding his opponents to just a .165 batting average. Chasing Collmenter
Cooper moved into sole possession of eight place all-time in CMU history with 225 career strikeouts last weekend and can continue to move up the charts this Friday versus the Eagles. The senior can surpass former Chippewa greats Ralph Darin, Bob Veach, Tim McDonald and Dick Lange and move into fourth place if he records five strikeouts in the contest. Cooper still has a shot at breaking 2007 MAC Pitcher of the Year and current Arizona Diamondbacks starter Josh Collmeter's record of 288 strikeouts if he averages nine strikeouts per game over his projected seven remaining starts this season. Solidifying Saturday
Junior Pat Kaminska made his first career start last Saturday versus Toledo, earning his second win of the season in the process. Kaminska pitched 7.1 strong innings, holding the Rockets to just three runs, only one earned, to lower his team best ERA from 2.05 to 1.84. He has made four appearances during MAC play this season, striking out 11 in 18 innings pitched and holding opponents to a .209 batting average. Among the Best in the Country
Junior Jordan Dean ranks among the best in the country in Division I this season in hits and runs scored. Dean entered the week ranked fourth in hits and ninth in runs scored, as well as 14th in runs per game. The junior leads the Chippewas in nearly every offensive statistic and has recorded at least two hits in 20 of 33 games this season. The Perfect Lead Off Man
Redshirt freshman Nick Regnier has found his niche as the Chippewas' every day leadoff man, reaching base safely in 17 consecutive contests prior to seeing the streak snapped Wednesday at Oakland. Regnier is reaching base at a .400 (18-for-45) clip when he leads off an innings and has reached base safely in 28 of CMU's 33 games. He has been hit a team-high eight times at the plate and is second on the team with 20 walks on the season. Defense Key
Much of Central Michigan's success has been based on its play in the field defensively in 2012. The Chippewas are 10-3 in games in which tye make an error or less, but just 4-16 when making two-plus errors. In contrast, the Chippewas have also taken advantage of their opponents' errors this season, as eight of their 14 wins have come when the opponents make two or more errors. Chippewas Tabbed to Win Third-Straight MAC West Title
Central Michigan was picked to win its third-straight Mid-American Conference West Division title by the league's head coaches. CMU received 54 points to edge Toledo's 45 and Eastern Michigan's 43. The Maroon and Gold also received one vote to win the 2012 MAC Tournament, which will be played at Pro-Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio for the first time. Former Coach Waldo Sauter Remembered
The Chippewas will wear a patch with the initials "WS" the remainder of the season in commemoration of former CMU baseball head coach Waldo Sauter, who passed away on February 22. Sauter was the first coach in CMU history to earn 200 wins in any sports and left as the program's all-time leader in wins with 210 in 1970. He was inducted into the CMU Athletics Marcy Weston Hall of Fame in 1994 and selected the Maroon and Gold's "Fan of the Year" in 2010. One of the Nation's All-Time Winningest Programs
According to the NCAA's annual baseball record book, the Central Michigan baseball program ranks 26th on the list of all-time winningest programs with a minimum of 25 years in Division I. The Chippewas entered the season 1,956-1,175-17 for a clip of .624, ranking above programs such as the back-to-back National Champs South Carolina perennial power Florida. Big Ten Network to Air Second ‘Clash at Comerica'
The Big Ten Network announced its 2012 baseball television schedule on February 16, one that features the second ‘Clash at Comerica' game between Central Michigan and Michigan State. The game will be moved to 7 p.m. to accommodate the T.V. schedule after originally being slated for 6:35 p.m.
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