Baseball Wins, 4-3, to Take Season-Opening Series at Baylor

Sunday, February 19

Waco, Texas

2 p.m.

Central Michigan University

2-1

Baylor

1-2

Central Michigan

Baylor

Robby Morgan IV homered and doubled to lead CMU at the plate on Sunday in a 4-3 win at Baylor.

2/19/2023 7:57:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

Morgan homers for second straight day; Chippewas get solid pitching

By: Andy Sneddon

WACO, Texas – Robby Morgan IV homered and Central Michigan got strong pitching on Sunday in defeating Baylor, 4-3, in the finale of a three-game season-opening baseball series at Baylor Ballpark.

The Chippewas (2-1) took two of three games from the Bears (1-2) and next head to Texas Rio Grande Valley where they will play a five-game series beginning on Tuesday (7:30 p.m.).

"Obviously it's a long year and two months from now those results won't feel like they matter a whole lot, but that's significant," CMU coach Jordan Bischel said of winning a series from Baylor, which plays in the Big 12 Conference.

"I don't overstate things or get too excited, but yeah, the Big 12 is an incredibly strong conference and Baylor is an incredibly strong program," he said, "and to get a couple on wins on opening weekend is certainly rewarding. Feels good after the preparation we've put in."

Morgan hit his second homer in as many games with one out in the second inning, tying the game 1-1. CMU then added three more runs in the frame for a 4-1 lead.

That big inning would stand up as Nate Ross came on to get the final four outs for his first career save.

Ross, a sophomore transfer from Kellogg Community College, got John Ceccoli, Baylor's cleanup hitter, on a first-pitch groundout with two out and the tying run at first base to end the eighth inning.

Ross then surrendered a one-out single in the ninth but got a strikeout and a groundout to end it, stranding the potential tying run at second base.

In Friday's series opener, a 6-5 Baylor win, Ross took the loss when he issued a walk, balked, and threw a wild pitch that led to the winning run in the 10^th inning.

"I really think Nate's going to do some high-level things for us," Bischel said. "We talked (Saturday) about the importance of handling adversity and bouncing back and there was no better example of that than Nate.

"I'm really excited that he got an opportunity to come right back out there and throw in a close game and obviously he did a great job."

The Chippewas got their second consecutive outstanding start. Keegan Batka (1-0), a junior right-hander in his first year at CMU after also transferring from Kellogg CC, allowed one run on three hits and struck out seven over five innings for the win. He threw 73 pitches, 50 for strikes.

He allowed a leadoff single in the first inning and the Bears got a run on a sacrifice fly. He then surrendered another hit and another hitter reached on an error – CMU's only error of the series – but he settled down to get back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning, stranding two.

After that, he was nearly untouchable, allowing just a one-out single in the fourth inning.

"He had a little bit of a rocky start, a couple of hard-hit balls and we made an error behind him," Bischel said. "That game could have easily been three or four to nothing in the first instead of 1-0. And then we come right back and score the four in the top of the second. That stretch, bottom of one, top of two, was huge and then after that (Batka) was outstanding. Really pitched about as well as you could ask."

After Morgan's homer in the second inning, the Chippewas got back-to-back doubles from Jake Brill and Luke Sefcik to go ahead, 2-1. Cole Prout had a two-strike swinging bunt RBI base hit to make it 3-1. Prout moved to second on an error and then scored on a Garrett Navarra base hit.

Baylor drew to 4-3 in the sixth on a Ceccoli two-run homer off reliever Ryan Palmblad.

Outside of the homer, the Chippewa pitching was superb. The four CMU hurlers combined to strike out 11 and did not issue a walk.

"You live with the home run they hit off of (Palmblad)," Bischel said. "He made a poor pitch, but he was attacking hitters, getting after guys. If you force them to earn their runs, you're going to give yourself a good chance."

Morgan also doubled to complete an outstanding opening weekend. He had four hits in the series including two home runs and drove in three runs. He also drew three walks for a .533 on-base percentage.

Morgan's Saturday homer cleared the batter's eye in straight-away center field, 400 feet from home plate. And his Sunday round-tripper came on a two-strike breaking ball "which is something that gave him fits last year," Bischel said.

"I don't know all the teams in the country, but it's not hyperbole to say he might be the most improved player in the country the last two years," he said. "To go from a redshirt who barely stuck around the roster to working his way into the lineup to becoming a difference-making hitter last year to now where he's at.

"Now it's a long season, you've got to keep working, but where he's at now versus two years ago, it's just startling and it's a credit to the work he's put in."