Tuesday, March 26
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
4 p.m.
Central Michigan University
15-7
6
vs
2
Grand Valley
8-12
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Grand Valley
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
2
5
1
Central Michigan
3
1
2
0
0
0
0
0
X
6
7
2
Photo by: Benjamin Suddendorf
Chippewas Give New Coach A Win In Home Debut
3/26/2019 8:46:00 PM | Baseball
CMU plays small ball in downing Grand Valley
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Central Michigan built a 6-1 lead through three innings and used eight pitchers in topping nonleague Grand Valley State, 6-2, on Tuesday in the Chippewas' home opener and the Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium debut of first-year coach Jordan Bischel.
Jason Sullivan singled and doubled and Zach Gilles had two hits as the Chippewas improved to 16-7.
"It's nice to be home," Bischel said. "Twenty-two road games to start the year is a little bit of a challenge for the guys. They had a lot of energy today, which is always nice to see."
The Chippewas finished with seven hits, a relatively low number for a team that came in averaging 11.2 per game and was hitting .307 as a team. Just one of those seven hits went for extra bases.
"Today was probably one of our worst days swinging the bat this spring," Bischel said. "We picked it up by bunting, running the bases, doing the little things."
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Chippewas scored three runs in the first inning on a Griffin Lockwood-Powell sacrifice fly, his team-high 29th RBI of the season, and a Laker error, which allowed two more runs to score.
A Gilles sacrifice fly in the second made it 4-1, and then the Chippewas added two more runs in the third on a Sullivan run-scoring double and a Blake Cleveland RBI groundout.
GETTING ON
CMU's Zavier Warren reached base five times without recording an official at-bat. He drew four walks and was hit by a pitch.
ON THE MOUND
Senior left-hander Jack Collins (1-1) started and earned his first win of the season, allowing one unearned run in his one and only inning.
Seven more pitchers followed Collins to the mound for the Chippewas. They combined to allow four hits, walk four and strike out nine. Freshman Garrett Willis was the lone Chippewa to log more than one inning. He struck out three in two innings of work.
Cleveland, the Chippewa catcher, said CMU not only put on display its bullpen depth, but it gave him a chance to work with each in a live situation, which will serve the Chippewas well.
"Getting used to these guys early (in the season) is a big thing," he said. "Once you get to know them it's like riding a bike. It all clicks."
NEXT
The Chippewas begin a three-game Mid-American Conference series with Northern Illinois at Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium on Friday (3 p.m.). CMU is 2-1 in MAC play. The Huskies are 7-17 overall, 3-0 MAC after sweeping Eastern Michigan last weekend.
Jason Sullivan singled and doubled and Zach Gilles had two hits as the Chippewas improved to 16-7.
"It's nice to be home," Bischel said. "Twenty-two road games to start the year is a little bit of a challenge for the guys. They had a lot of energy today, which is always nice to see."
The Chippewas finished with seven hits, a relatively low number for a team that came in averaging 11.2 per game and was hitting .307 as a team. Just one of those seven hits went for extra bases.
"Today was probably one of our worst days swinging the bat this spring," Bischel said. "We picked it up by bunting, running the bases, doing the little things."
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Chippewas scored three runs in the first inning on a Griffin Lockwood-Powell sacrifice fly, his team-high 29th RBI of the season, and a Laker error, which allowed two more runs to score.
A Gilles sacrifice fly in the second made it 4-1, and then the Chippewas added two more runs in the third on a Sullivan run-scoring double and a Blake Cleveland RBI groundout.
GETTING ON
CMU's Zavier Warren reached base five times without recording an official at-bat. He drew four walks and was hit by a pitch.
ON THE MOUND
Senior left-hander Jack Collins (1-1) started and earned his first win of the season, allowing one unearned run in his one and only inning.
Seven more pitchers followed Collins to the mound for the Chippewas. They combined to allow four hits, walk four and strike out nine. Freshman Garrett Willis was the lone Chippewa to log more than one inning. He struck out three in two innings of work.
Cleveland, the Chippewa catcher, said CMU not only put on display its bullpen depth, but it gave him a chance to work with each in a live situation, which will serve the Chippewas well.
"Getting used to these guys early (in the season) is a big thing," he said. "Once you get to know them it's like riding a bike. It all clicks."
NEXT
The Chippewas begin a three-game Mid-American Conference series with Northern Illinois at Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium on Friday (3 p.m.). CMU is 2-1 in MAC play. The Huskies are 7-17 overall, 3-0 MAC after sweeping Eastern Michigan last weekend.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Collins, Jack (1-1)
L: C. Sidoti (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Drake Ellens 1 ; Blake-Jones 1
RBI: Blake-Jones 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Drake Ellens 2
Batting:
2B: Sullivan, Jason 1
RBI: Gilles, Zach 1 ; Lockwood-Powell, Griffin 1 ; Sullivan, Jason 1 ; Cleveland, Blake 1
SF: Gilles, Zach 1 ; Lockwood-Powell, Griffin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Heeke, Zach 1 ; Warren, Zavier 1 ; Gilles, Zach 1 ; Crum, Jacob 1 ; Sullivan, Jason 1 ; Williams, Gaoshua 1
SB: Heeke, Zach 1 ; Warren, Zavier 1 ; Rollin, Chase 1 ; Williams, Gaoshua 1
HBP: Warren, Zavier 1 ; Rollin, Chase 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
dh/1b
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
C
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
C/INF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballDave Keilitz interview on Zach McKinstry
Friday, July 11
Jake Sabol Interview on Zach McKinstry
Friday, July 11
Baseball vs Oakland
Tuesday, May 13
Baseball vs Eastern Michigan
Sunday, May 11