Central Michigan University Athletics
Saturday, March 22
DeKalb, Ill.
Noon ET / 11 a.m. CT
Central Michigan University
8-15, 4-1
11
at
6
Northern Illinois
7-12, 1-7
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
R
H
E
Central Michigan
0
0
2
0
3
0
1
0
0
0
5
11
19
1
Northern Illinois
0
0
0
0
3
0
0
2
1
0
0
6
10
1
Freshman Cayden Smith hit two homers and was the winning pitcher in the opener Saturday as CMU swept a MAC doubleheader at Northern Illinois.
Photo by: @Simon Barbre 2023
Power Surge: Baseball Rips 6 Homers in Doubleheader Sweep at Northern Illinois
3/22/2025 8:51:00 PM | Baseball
Chippewas improve to 5-1 in MAC with series sweep
DeKALB, Ill. – Central Michigan hit six home runs and got solid pitching throughout on Saturday in sweeping Northern Illinois, 11-6 and 8-4, in a Mid-American Conference doubleheader at the Huskies' Ralph McKinzie Field.
The wins gave the Chippewas a sweep of the series as they improved to 9-15, 5-1 MAC. The first game went 11 innings.
It is CMU's first MAC series sweep since April 21-23, 2023, when the Chippewas took three at Akron.
The Chippewas, who have won seven of their last eight after a 2-14 start, entertain Grace Christian in a nonconference game on Tuesday, March 25, and then open a three-game MAC series with Bowling Green in Mount Pleasant on Friday, March 28.
The Chippewas, who had just one multi-homer game in their first 23 contests, hit three home runs -- their season high -- in each game and pounded out 32 hits on the day. They never trailed in either game.
CMU has posted double-digit hit totals in six of its last eight games and in the two games in which it failed to reach double digits, it finished with nine. The Chippewas outhit the Huskies, 41-26, in the series and had 17 extra-base hits to NIU's eight.
"I think it's just the guys sticking together and sticking with the process, really," second-year CMU coach Jake Sabol said. "When I took over a year and a half ago, this is kind of the offense we envisioned.
"Obviously it's taken a little bit longer than we would have liked to show, but I think this weekend was kind of the first time we were able to do it repetitively. We were on attack mode and guys felt comfortable and looking to do damage. They were seeing the ball well and they were tough outs."
Freshman Cayden Smith homered twice – once in each game – to lead CMU's power surge. His homer in game one, a fifth-inning solo shot, was his first as a Chippewa.
Aaron Piasecki and Nathan Ball also homered in the opener, and Mikey Murphy and Rees Campanale each homered in the nightcap.
NIU (7-13, 1-8) scored two runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to forge a 6-6 tie in the opener. Campanale homered leading off the 10th to break the tie but was called out for missing first base.
The Chippewas responded with five runs on six hits in the 11th and then Smith (1-0), who moved from shortstop to the mound in the ninth, closed it out for his first career victory.
"I'm just so proud of the guys," Sabol said. "One, we blew the lead in the ninth and then we came out in the 10th and then (Campanale's home run) happened.
"Those are two demoralizing things in a row. It could have been very easy for us to say, man we just gave this game away, to lose our energy and let them just walk us off and for us to dig down and be tough there was just something else.
"That was a fun one to be a part of. I'm not sure I've been a part of a game like that in 13 years of coaching."
Campanale, who homered in the series opener on Friday, hit a two-run homer and Murphy followed with a two-run shot to highlight the Chippewas' five-run third that gave the Chippewas a 6-0 lead in the nightcap.
Smith homered in the sixth to up CMU's lead to 7-1.
Starter Jared Hanson (1-1) allowed one run on three hits and struck out four over six innings. Jack Bach, Max Hammond and Liam Stumpf worked in relief.
A.J. Kostic started the opener and struck out nine over 4 2/3 innings. Nate Ross worked four innings in relief before giving way to Smith.
The Chippewas were without their No. 1 starter, Evan Waters, for the weekend, yet still managed to sweep the series.
"Having this happen without having Waters this weekend is a big testament to those guys stepping up and being ready," Sabol said.
Junior Aydin Wright had three doubles among five hits – both career highs – in the opener, while Cole Prout had three doubles and Piasecki finished with three hits.
First baseman Brady Krzciok, who returned the lineup for the series after missing 18 games with an injury, had three hits in game two and five in 12 at-bats in the series.
"They're having fun in the dugout and on the field," Sabol said. "They're bouncing around and creating energy, they're being great teammates and it's easy to do that when you're performing. They're getting the results that we all thought we were probably going to have.
"They see that they can win a couple different ways and I think that gives them confidence. They can come back when they're kicked in the teeth, they can hold a lead all the way through nine, they can come back in extra innings. We've won in multiple different ways so I think that gives you confidence to play all the way through and good things can happen when you do that."
The wins gave the Chippewas a sweep of the series as they improved to 9-15, 5-1 MAC. The first game went 11 innings.
It is CMU's first MAC series sweep since April 21-23, 2023, when the Chippewas took three at Akron.
The Chippewas, who have won seven of their last eight after a 2-14 start, entertain Grace Christian in a nonconference game on Tuesday, March 25, and then open a three-game MAC series with Bowling Green in Mount Pleasant on Friday, March 28.
The Chippewas, who had just one multi-homer game in their first 23 contests, hit three home runs -- their season high -- in each game and pounded out 32 hits on the day. They never trailed in either game.
CMU has posted double-digit hit totals in six of its last eight games and in the two games in which it failed to reach double digits, it finished with nine. The Chippewas outhit the Huskies, 41-26, in the series and had 17 extra-base hits to NIU's eight.
"I think it's just the guys sticking together and sticking with the process, really," second-year CMU coach Jake Sabol said. "When I took over a year and a half ago, this is kind of the offense we envisioned.
"Obviously it's taken a little bit longer than we would have liked to show, but I think this weekend was kind of the first time we were able to do it repetitively. We were on attack mode and guys felt comfortable and looking to do damage. They were seeing the ball well and they were tough outs."
Freshman Cayden Smith homered twice – once in each game – to lead CMU's power surge. His homer in game one, a fifth-inning solo shot, was his first as a Chippewa.
Aaron Piasecki and Nathan Ball also homered in the opener, and Mikey Murphy and Rees Campanale each homered in the nightcap.
NIU (7-13, 1-8) scored two runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to forge a 6-6 tie in the opener. Campanale homered leading off the 10th to break the tie but was called out for missing first base.
The Chippewas responded with five runs on six hits in the 11th and then Smith (1-0), who moved from shortstop to the mound in the ninth, closed it out for his first career victory.
"I'm just so proud of the guys," Sabol said. "One, we blew the lead in the ninth and then we came out in the 10th and then (Campanale's home run) happened.
"Those are two demoralizing things in a row. It could have been very easy for us to say, man we just gave this game away, to lose our energy and let them just walk us off and for us to dig down and be tough there was just something else.
"That was a fun one to be a part of. I'm not sure I've been a part of a game like that in 13 years of coaching."
Campanale, who homered in the series opener on Friday, hit a two-run homer and Murphy followed with a two-run shot to highlight the Chippewas' five-run third that gave the Chippewas a 6-0 lead in the nightcap.
Smith homered in the sixth to up CMU's lead to 7-1.
Starter Jared Hanson (1-1) allowed one run on three hits and struck out four over six innings. Jack Bach, Max Hammond and Liam Stumpf worked in relief.
A.J. Kostic started the opener and struck out nine over 4 2/3 innings. Nate Ross worked four innings in relief before giving way to Smith.
The Chippewas were without their No. 1 starter, Evan Waters, for the weekend, yet still managed to sweep the series.
"Having this happen without having Waters this weekend is a big testament to those guys stepping up and being ready," Sabol said.
Junior Aydin Wright had three doubles among five hits – both career highs – in the opener, while Cole Prout had three doubles and Piasecki finished with three hits.
First baseman Brady Krzciok, who returned the lineup for the series after missing 18 games with an injury, had three hits in game two and five in 12 at-bats in the series.
"They're having fun in the dugout and on the field," Sabol said. "They're bouncing around and creating energy, they're being great teammates and it's easy to do that when you're performing. They're getting the results that we all thought we were probably going to have.
"They see that they can win a couple different ways and I think that gives them confidence. They can come back when they're kicked in the teeth, they can hold a lead all the way through nine, they can come back in extra innings. We've won in multiple different ways so I think that gives you confidence to play all the way through and good things can happen when you do that."
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Smith, Cayden (1-0)
L: D. Cihocki (1-3)
Batting:
2B: Murphy, Mikey 1 ; Prout, Cole 3 ; Kwiatkowski, Cole 1 ; Wright, Aydin 3
HR: Smith, Cayden 1 ; Piasecki, Aaron 1 ; Ball, Nathan 1
RBI: Prout, Cole 2 ; Smith, Cayden 2 ; Piasecki, Aaron 2 ; Ball, Nathan 2 ; Wright, Aydin 1 ; Krzciok, Brady 1 ; Webb, Bryson 1
SF: Krzciok, Brady 1 ; Webb, Bryson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Prout, Cole 1 ; Smith, Cayden 2 ; Piasecki, Aaron 3 ; Ball, Nathan 1 ; Kwiatkowski, Cole 1 ; Wright, Aydin 1 ; Krzciok, Brady 1 ; Knowlton, Zach 1
SB: Murphy, Mikey 1 ; Piasecki, Aaron 1
HBP: Prout, Cole 1 ; Knowlton, Zach 1
PO: Ball, Nathan 1
Batting:
2B: C. Parcell 1 ; L. Gregorio 1 ; B. Loyd 1 ; J. Gauthier 1 ; N. Sandee 1
HR: W. Couchman 1
RBI: C. Parcell 1 ; A. Smart 1 ; B. Loyd 2 ; W. Couchman 2
Base Running:
RUNS: C. Parcell 1 ; L. Gregorio 1 ; J. House 1 ; B. Loyd 1 ; W. Couchman 1 ; J. Gauthier 1
SB: J. House 1
CS: L. Gregorio 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
1
H
5
RBI
1
AB
6
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
7
R
3
H
3
RBI
2
ss/p
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
IF/OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballIF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
IF/RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ BaseballC
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