Baseball ready to face Oakland — and hoping the rain stops


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File Photo by Taylor Ballek Sophomore outfielder Nick Reignier swings at bat during Fridays game against Northern Illinois at Theunissen Stadium.

A three-hour break in the rain today is what head baseball coach Steve Jaksa has his fingers crossed for.

The team is scheduled to play Oakland at 3:05 p.m. Wednesday at Theunissen Stadium, but Mother Nature might not have gotten the memo.

“I’m not a big fan of this rain,” Jaksa said. “The sooner it stops, the better.”

With Mount Pleasant having experienced constant rain all week and an 80-percent chance of showers predicted for game day, CMU worked quickly Tuesday to keep the field ready for play.

Tuesday morning, a tarp was put on before heavy rain began, and Jaksa said the field is in great shape—it's the weather that will determine if the game goes on.

“If we can just get a window of opportunity with a little clear weather, we can play,” Jaksa said. “It won’t be really warm, but it’ll be good enough.”

Jaksa said, in the morning, the coaches will frequently check the radar, and Oakland will delay its leave time in case the game is called off.

The Chippewas hold a 12-18 overall record compared to the Grizzlies' record of 7-20.

Freshman left-handed pitcher Jimmy McNamara is set to start on the mound for CMU.

Scheduled to pitch for the Grizzlies is right-handed pitcher Chris Van Dyke.

Van Dyke holds a 2-2 record this season with a 5.96 ERA.

The top three hitters for OU are junior Jared Theisen, senior Nolan Jacoby and senior Mike Carson.

For the Chippewas, junior Noel Santos boasts the third-best batting average, a .256, higher than all of the top hitters for the Grizzlies.

Regnier brothers, freshman Logan and junior Nick, still sit in the top two spots, leading their team with a .336 and .306 batting average.

Jaksa said both teams are hoping to  be able to play versus practicing at this point in the season.

The Chippewas are coming off a 5-3 loss on Sunday to Northern Illinois, going 1-2 in the three-game series against the Huskies.

“We just need to get back on the field and play,” Jaksa said. “That is the best treatment and therapy. We need to continue to compete and keep learning.”

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