Friday, May 10
Ypsilanti, Mich.
6 p.m.
Central Michigan University
at
Eastern Michigan
Photo by: Allissa Rusco
First-Place Chippewa Baseball Team Hits The Road
5/9/2019 6:50:00 PM | Baseball
CMU holds 1-game lead over second-place Ball State
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Central Michigan baseball team returns to Mid-American Conference play this weekend with a three-game series at Eastern Michigan.
The Chippewas are 36-12 overall and lead the MAC with a 16-5 record. They hold a one-game lead over second-place Ball State, which is 14-5 in conference games and is scheduled to play a three-game set this weekend at home against Ohio.
CMU's series at EMU's Oestrike Stadium is scheduled to begin on Friday at 6 p.m. Game 2 is set for Saturday at 6 p.m. with the finale slated for Sunday at 1 p.m.
THE MATCHUPS
Friday: CMU senior Pat Leatherman (7-1, 2.56 ERA) vs. senior Jackson Shaver (0-3, 7.98); Saturday, Cameron Brown (8-0, 3.00) vs. sophomore Thomas House (1-4, 7.50); Sunday, sophomore Jordan Patty (2-2, 3.00) vs. freshman Justin Meis (3-7, 7.17). All are right-handers.
WHERE THEY STAND
The Chippewas ranked second in the MAC in both team batting average (.299) and team ERA (4.31), and are tied for first with a .973 fielding percentage.
They lead the nation with 315 walks and are ranked third nationally with a .422 on-base percentage and fifth nationally with 409 runs. They have scored 69 more runs than Miami (Ohio), which ranks second with 340.
Individually, Chippewas are among the MAC leaders in virtually every statistical hitting and pitching category.
• Griffin Lockwood-Powell (home runs, RBI), Zavier Warren (run, doubles, on-base percentage, walks) and Jacob Crum (triples, slugging percentage) are first in multiple categories.
• Zach Gilles is third and Warren is fourth in batting average, while Warren and Crum are second and third, respectively, in RBI. Warren and Gilles are tied for second in hits. Gilles is fifth in triples.
• Warren and Zach Heeke are first and second, respectively, in runs, while four others – Crum, Lockwood-Powell, Jason Sullivan and Gilles – are also in the top 10.
• Crum is fifth and Sullivan 10th in doubles. Warren is fifth and Crum is sixth in homers.
• Brown leads the league in wins and innings pitched, and Leatherman is tied for second in wins.
• Leatherman is third and Brown is fifth in ERA, while Leatherman is third and Brown is fourth in opponent batting average.
LAST TIME OUT
The Chippewas ran their win streak to eight games with a 3-2 nonconference win over Concordia on Wednesday at Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium. David Cole's one-out single scored Ty Rollin to cap a two-run ninth inning and give the Chippewas the walk-off win.
STREAK
The Chippewas have won eight consecutive MAC games, six of which have come over the past two weeks in sweeps of Western Michigan and Bowling Green.
The Chippewas have won six of their seven league series this season. Their lone series loss came at Kent State April 12-13, when they dropped two of three.
DOWN THE STRETCH
The Chippewas and Ball State each have two league series (six total games) remaining. CMU closes the regular season at home May 16-18 against Miami (Ohio). The Cardinals entertain Toledo next weekend.
The CMU-Miami series shapes up to be a big one. The RedHawks are 13-7 in MAC play. They play host to Western Michigan in a three-game set this weekend.
SCOUTING
Zachary Owings, a junior first baseman/third baseman, leads the Eagles in most offensive categories, including batting average (.344), slugging percentage (.528) and hits (67). He ranks eighth in the MAC in batting average, 10th in slugging percentage and fourth in hits.
The Eagles are tied for eighth place in the MAC. The top eight teams earn a berth to the league tournament in Avon, Ohio.
The Chippewas are 36-12 overall and lead the MAC with a 16-5 record. They hold a one-game lead over second-place Ball State, which is 14-5 in conference games and is scheduled to play a three-game set this weekend at home against Ohio.
CMU's series at EMU's Oestrike Stadium is scheduled to begin on Friday at 6 p.m. Game 2 is set for Saturday at 6 p.m. with the finale slated for Sunday at 1 p.m.
THE MATCHUPS
Friday: CMU senior Pat Leatherman (7-1, 2.56 ERA) vs. senior Jackson Shaver (0-3, 7.98); Saturday, Cameron Brown (8-0, 3.00) vs. sophomore Thomas House (1-4, 7.50); Sunday, sophomore Jordan Patty (2-2, 3.00) vs. freshman Justin Meis (3-7, 7.17). All are right-handers.
WHERE THEY STAND
The Chippewas ranked second in the MAC in both team batting average (.299) and team ERA (4.31), and are tied for first with a .973 fielding percentage.
They lead the nation with 315 walks and are ranked third nationally with a .422 on-base percentage and fifth nationally with 409 runs. They have scored 69 more runs than Miami (Ohio), which ranks second with 340.
Individually, Chippewas are among the MAC leaders in virtually every statistical hitting and pitching category.
• Griffin Lockwood-Powell (home runs, RBI), Zavier Warren (run, doubles, on-base percentage, walks) and Jacob Crum (triples, slugging percentage) are first in multiple categories.
• Zach Gilles is third and Warren is fourth in batting average, while Warren and Crum are second and third, respectively, in RBI. Warren and Gilles are tied for second in hits. Gilles is fifth in triples.
• Warren and Zach Heeke are first and second, respectively, in runs, while four others – Crum, Lockwood-Powell, Jason Sullivan and Gilles – are also in the top 10.
• Crum is fifth and Sullivan 10th in doubles. Warren is fifth and Crum is sixth in homers.
• Brown leads the league in wins and innings pitched, and Leatherman is tied for second in wins.
• Leatherman is third and Brown is fifth in ERA, while Leatherman is third and Brown is fourth in opponent batting average.
LAST TIME OUT
The Chippewas ran their win streak to eight games with a 3-2 nonconference win over Concordia on Wednesday at Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium. David Cole's one-out single scored Ty Rollin to cap a two-run ninth inning and give the Chippewas the walk-off win.
STREAK
The Chippewas have won eight consecutive MAC games, six of which have come over the past two weeks in sweeps of Western Michigan and Bowling Green.
The Chippewas have won six of their seven league series this season. Their lone series loss came at Kent State April 12-13, when they dropped two of three.
DOWN THE STRETCH
The Chippewas and Ball State each have two league series (six total games) remaining. CMU closes the regular season at home May 16-18 against Miami (Ohio). The Cardinals entertain Toledo next weekend.
The CMU-Miami series shapes up to be a big one. The RedHawks are 13-7 in MAC play. They play host to Western Michigan in a three-game set this weekend.
SCOUTING
Zachary Owings, a junior first baseman/third baseman, leads the Eagles in most offensive categories, including batting average (.344), slugging percentage (.528) and hits (67). He ranks eighth in the MAC in batting average, 10th in slugging percentage and fourth in hits.
The Eagles are tied for eighth place in the MAC. The top eight teams earn a berth to the league tournament in Avon, Ohio.
Players Mentioned
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