Kostic, Smith Combine to Shut Down RedHawks; Chippewas Even Series

Friday, April 18

Mount Pleasant, Mich.

2 p.m.

Central Michigan University

16-23, 8-9

Miami (Ohio)

20-18, 15-5

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Miami (OH)	0	0	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	3	7	2
Central Michigan	2	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	X	4	8	1

Kostic, Smith Combine to Shut Down RedHawks; Chippewas Even Series Image

CMU pitcher Cayden Smith (11) and catcher Aydin Wright react after the final out Friday of the Chippewas' 4-3 victory over Miami (Ohio) on Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium. Smith, a freshman, earned his first career save.

Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw

Kostic, Smith Combine to Shut Down RedHawks; Chippewas Even Series

4/18/2025 6:09:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

CMU seizes early lead and solid pitching makes it stand up

By: Andy Sneddon

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Solid on the mound, opportunistic at the plate, and the Central Michigan baseball team got a monkey off its back.

Central Michigan did all of its scoring in the first two innings and pitchers AJ Kostic and Cayden Smith combined to hold in check a strong Miami (Ohio) lineup as the Chippewas posted a 4-3 victory over the RedHawks on Friday at windy Theunissen Stadium.

It was CMU's first home MAC victory of the season as the Chippewas evened the three-game series at a game apiece. The Chippewas (16-23, 8-9 MAC) and RedHawks (20-18, 15-5) play the rubber match on Saturday (1 p.m.).

It was a big win for CMU over the MAC's second-place team, both from a tangible standpoint and from an emotional one. Of the Chippewas' nine MAC loss, seven have come by three runs or less.

The eight league wins equals the number of MAC victories the Chippewas posted last season.

"To be able to show these guys that if they play a clean game and do the things that we want and we work on all the time -- to be able to do that and capitalize and get one, should fire them up for tomorrow to get their first MAC series at home," second-year CMU coach Jake Sabol said. "You feel those moments as the game goes on; you're like, we've felt this before, and we haven't been on the right side of it. For us to be able to do that and pull it out was big."

Kostic (1-4) allowed three runs on six hits over seven innings, matching his longest outing as a Chippewa. It was the first career win for the redshirt junior right-hander, who didn't appear in a game during his first two seasons at CMU because of injuries.

"I keep saying that he's getting better and better and it's the same thing today," Sabol said. "Him coming off Tommy John (surgery) last year, to build himself back up and come out here and give us seven against a really good opponent. He works really hard and I'm just proud of him to be able to do that."

Smith, a freshman who starts at shortstop, pitched the final two frames, shaking off a two-out walk in the eighth and a leadoff double in the in the ninth for his first save.

"He's just tough, a tough kid," Sabol said. "He gave up that leadoff double (in the ninth) and he was just calm and cool and filled up the zone and we're on to the next guy.

"Most guys hit the panic button and for him to come right back and get the next three guys in a row … He doesn't show any emotion, good, bad, indifferent, and when you're in those situations, that's what's you need. It's fun to watch him compete."

On a day that the wind was blowing in stiffly from right field, the goal was to limit walks and make the RedHawks put the ball in play. Kostic and Smith walked just one each.

"That's a great offensive team that has power numbers and this wasn't a day to drive the baseball," said Sabol of the RedHawks, who are fourth in the MAC in home runs and second in slugging percentage. "Our plan was just to get the ball in play and let the defense work, limit your free passes, and you're going to like where you're at towards the end of the game."

The Chippewas seized a 4-0 lead with two runs in the first and two in the second. They loaded the bases in the first and then Nathan Ball hit a shot that bounced off Miami starter Patrick Mastrian for an infield RBI single and a 1-0 lead.

Mastrian, a right-hander, left the game with an injury, and lefty Carson Byers relieved. Smith then hit a sacrifice fly to up CMU's lead to 2-0.

The Chippewas added two in the second when Bryson Webb singled, took second on a wild pitch and scored on an Aydin Wright single. Wright took second on an error and scored on an Aaron Piasecki double.

Miami got a run in the fourth and then loaded the bases in the fifth and got a two-out, two-run single to cut CMU's lead to 4-3. Kostic then got an inning-ending groundout and then set down the RedHawks in order in the sixth and the seventh.