Central Michigan University Athletics
Sunday, April 28
Mount Pleasant, Mich.
1 p.m.
Central Michigan University
15-29, 6-15
2
vs
0
Northern Illinois
15-28, 9-12
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Northern Illinois
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
0
Central Michigan
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
X
2
7
0
CMU pitcher Keegan Batka (right) gets a handshake from assistant coach Garrett Navarra after Batka's shutout of NIU on Sunday on Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium.
Photo by: Sydney Kline '26 - @sydney.kline.photography
Brilliant Batka Baffles NIU With Complete Game 3-Hitter as Chippewas Take Series Finale
4/28/2024 5:21:00 PM | Baseball
Senior right-hander fans career-high 14 in 2-0 shutout
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Keegan Batka has put together some outstanding pitching performances in his two years with the Central Michigan baseball team.
On Sunday, he was perhaps at his very best. And his most emotional.
The senior right-hander who transferred to CMU from Kellogg Community College before the 2023 season, struck out a career-high 14 in tossing his first complete game as a collegian as the Chippewas downed Northern Illinois, 2-0, in the finale of a three-game Mid-American Conference series on Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium.
"One of my grandparents passed away this past week," Batka said, his voice catching. "I did that for her.
"From the get-go something felt different today. Nothing was really going through my head. I just kind of when out there and did it. Each and every inning I just went back out there, and I wasn't thinking that much, just went out and competed."
The Chippewas, who dropped the first two games of the series, improved to 15-29, 6-15 MAC. They entertain Akron next weekend in a three-game MAC series.
CMU staked Batka (2-4) to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Ely Stuart's RBI double and Danny Wuestenfeld's run-scoring single.
That took the pressure off Batka, and the two runs proved to be enough. He allowed just three hits, walked two and hit a batter in earning his first win since March 29 at Eastern Michigan.
Batka's strikeout total is the most by a Chippewa since at least 2018 as he recaptured some of the magic he put on display a year ago, when he finished 8-3 with a 3.67 earned run average and earned Second Team All-MAC honors.
"He has had a tough week," CMU coach Jake Sabol said. "For him to have the weight of all that on his shoulders this week and to go out there and gut it out …
"He's had a tough year for the most part. He's been up and down, he's been fighting some injuries, and he's been fighting the Keegan Batka of last year and trying to figure out if he can get back to that form. We saw it today. His stuff is too good to be as inconsistent as he's been."
Batka said he felt some stiffness midway through the game and took it inning by inning. Sabol left it up to his pitcher as to whether or not to summon help from the bullpen.
"It was kind of a battle each and every inning," Batka said. "I was starting to tighten up around the fifth and I told the coaches 'I don't know how much I've got, but I'm going to give you all I got.'"
Said Sabol, himself a former pitcher: "At that point adrenaline kicks in and you want to go finish it. Maybe he was losing a little bit on the (velocity) but the command was really good. I feel really happy for a kid like that. He's a good kid, he works hard, and he deserves it and after a tough week for him. I was just happy he was able to go do it on his own."
Batka struck out the first two Huskies in the ninth and then hit a batter, bringing the tying the run to the plate and Sabol to the mound.
"He just came out and made sure everything was OK and made sure I wanted the ball," Batka said, "and I was like, 'hell yeah, give me that thing.' I never had a complete game in college. I wanted to finish that one out. Felt really good."
Batka got the final out on a fly ball to right fielder Marquis Jackson, who presented Batka with the ball.
"Especially the way the year's gone, having something like this really means a lot to me," Batka said, "and having the team behind my back and (they) keep pushing me forward. That's the biggest thing. Everyone still believes in me, and I'm just glad I could go out there and do that for them today."
On Sunday, he was perhaps at his very best. And his most emotional.
The senior right-hander who transferred to CMU from Kellogg Community College before the 2023 season, struck out a career-high 14 in tossing his first complete game as a collegian as the Chippewas downed Northern Illinois, 2-0, in the finale of a three-game Mid-American Conference series on Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium.
"One of my grandparents passed away this past week," Batka said, his voice catching. "I did that for her.
"From the get-go something felt different today. Nothing was really going through my head. I just kind of when out there and did it. Each and every inning I just went back out there, and I wasn't thinking that much, just went out and competed."
The Chippewas, who dropped the first two games of the series, improved to 15-29, 6-15 MAC. They entertain Akron next weekend in a three-game MAC series.
CMU staked Batka (2-4) to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on Ely Stuart's RBI double and Danny Wuestenfeld's run-scoring single.
That took the pressure off Batka, and the two runs proved to be enough. He allowed just three hits, walked two and hit a batter in earning his first win since March 29 at Eastern Michigan.
Batka's strikeout total is the most by a Chippewa since at least 2018 as he recaptured some of the magic he put on display a year ago, when he finished 8-3 with a 3.67 earned run average and earned Second Team All-MAC honors.
"He has had a tough week," CMU coach Jake Sabol said. "For him to have the weight of all that on his shoulders this week and to go out there and gut it out …
"He's had a tough year for the most part. He's been up and down, he's been fighting some injuries, and he's been fighting the Keegan Batka of last year and trying to figure out if he can get back to that form. We saw it today. His stuff is too good to be as inconsistent as he's been."
Batka said he felt some stiffness midway through the game and took it inning by inning. Sabol left it up to his pitcher as to whether or not to summon help from the bullpen.
"It was kind of a battle each and every inning," Batka said. "I was starting to tighten up around the fifth and I told the coaches 'I don't know how much I've got, but I'm going to give you all I got.'"
Said Sabol, himself a former pitcher: "At that point adrenaline kicks in and you want to go finish it. Maybe he was losing a little bit on the (velocity) but the command was really good. I feel really happy for a kid like that. He's a good kid, he works hard, and he deserves it and after a tough week for him. I was just happy he was able to go do it on his own."
Batka struck out the first two Huskies in the ninth and then hit a batter, bringing the tying the run to the plate and Sabol to the mound.
"He just came out and made sure everything was OK and made sure I wanted the ball," Batka said, "and I was like, 'hell yeah, give me that thing.' I never had a complete game in college. I wanted to finish that one out. Felt really good."
Batka got the final out on a fly ball to right fielder Marquis Jackson, who presented Batka with the ball.
"Especially the way the year's gone, having something like this really means a lot to me," Batka said, "and having the team behind my back and (they) keep pushing me forward. That's the biggest thing. Everyone still believes in me, and I'm just glad I could go out there and do that for them today."
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Batka, Keegan (2-4)
L: Dominic Hann (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Charlie Parcell 1
Base Running:
CS: Eric Erato 1
HBP: CJ Cepicky 1
Batting:
2B: Stuart, Ely 1
RBI: Stuart, Ely 1 ; Wuestenfeld, Danny 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jackson, Marquis 1 ; Stuart, Ely 1
SB: Jackson, Marquis 1 ; Loikits, Drew 1
CS: Campau, Carter 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
RHP
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