“All three teams down at the tournament are going to be pretty good,” said coach Erik Olson. “It will be a good test and we are going to have to be ready to play good ball right away.”

The host Seminoles swept the competition last season, dropping only one set in three games. CMU did not compete in the invitational last year, opting instead for the Virginia Commonwealth Tournament. CMU will open the tournament against North Dakota State on Friday, August 28.

The season will finish with two home matches, including one against defending Mid-American Conference West champion Western Michigan.

“Our attendance against Western is always one of our best,” Olson said. “I think we will be playing our best ball by that time in the season. We always play our best against Western Michigan … it will be good for us to head into the playoffs playing our best ball.”

The Chippewas split a two-match series against WMU last season and fell just two matches short of winning the MAC West.

Western Michigan fell one game short of a MAC Tournament title, losing to Ohio in the finals. The Broncos went on to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament, before losing to the 2008 National champion Penn State Nittany Lions.

Central will have a chance to avenge last season’s loss to the University of Illinois-

Chicago. The loss was the first in program history to UIC.

CMU ended its season last year in the MAC quarterfinals, losing 3-1 to Bowling Green. It finished the year with a 19-10 regular season record, 12-4 in the MAC.

Central will open its conference play with two matches, one on the road, against defending MAC champion Ohio. The Chippewas lost in three straight sets the last time it made the trip to Athens.

Olson pointed toward the long stretches of consecutive home games and road games on the schedule.

“Clearly this schedule is quite unique,” Olson said. “We play at home in early October and then we don’t come back until near the end of the month. That is going to be a tough stretch for us, but last season our away record was pretty good.”

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Junior designated hitter Billy Anderson displayed some speed on the basepaths. He beat out a ground ball to the shortstop for his first hit in the top of the first inning, before stealing second base and scoring on a single by freshman left fielder Sam Russell for the first run of the game.

“I was just trying to get on base,” Anderson said. “I haven’t been doing so well lately and I just needed to get my hands around faster.”

Anderson scored his second run in the bottom of the third inning to break a one-run tie. The run was scored after a single by junior third baseman Dale Cornstubble. Anderson finished the game 3-for-3 with three runs and one RBI.

The Chippewas also showed superb defensive play in the beginning of the game. Tom Howard made a diving stop in the top of the first inning to end the inning. He made another diving catch to lead off the top of the third inning. CMU began to pull away from Concordia in the bottom of the third inning, scoring two runs with the scored tied 1-1. The Chippewas scored two more runs in the fourth inning to make the score 7-1.

“We have been working on being more consistent,” said coach Steve Jaksa. “When the guys are more consistent, they see more opportunities. It is late enough in the season that when we have a situation, I need to know who is going to be able to come through for us.”

Concordia scored in the fifth inning with back-to-back triples. However, the 7-2 score was the closest the game got, as CMU put three more runs on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning for an eight-run lead.

The game featured 15 pitchers between the teams and CMU played 24 position players.

“Pitching wise, we wanted to throw everybody for at least one inning,” Jaksa said. “We have guys that just haven’t had a lot of time throwing. We needed to get them out there, and we did that today.”

Emmett returns

Sophomore infielder Brendan Emmett recorded his first hit of the season on Tuesday against Concordia.

Appearing in only his fourth game of the season because of Tommy John surgery, Emmett singled to center field in the seventh inning, scoring redshirt freshman Harvey Martin from second base.

“It was a big monkey off my back,” he said. “I feel like I have been swinging the bat pretty well, but it feels good to get that first hit.”

Before missing the last two weeks of last season, Emmett started 37 games last season and batted .261.

He played well for us last year and we are glad to have him back in the lineup,” said coach Steve Jaksa. “I knew he has been able to play. We have just been waiting on the doctors to give him the OK.”

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Surrounded by the people who came to witness the historic day in 2002, Nate knew at that moment he was going to play on that same field.

Mike Theunissen, the redshirt freshman’s father, brought him to CMU baseball games at the original Theunissen Stadium, which was located near where the Health Professions Building now stands.

The original stadium was named in Bill Theunissen’s honor in 1986. Mike always hoped his son could carry on the legacy.

“I grew up with CMU baseball,” Mike Theunissen said. “I remember going on road trips with my father when he coached there. And now I have great pride in that Nate decided to go there.”

Bill Theunissen played for the CMU in 1946 before coaching the team from 1953-1962. He also spent time as the dean of the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.

At the time, the baseball still competed at Alumni Field. The new stadium opened in 2002 and retained the Theunissen name.

A destiny

Nate Theunissen grew up near the place he would play. He attended close-by Mount Pleasant High School and played first base.

“As a kid, Nate knew that his name was on the side of the stadium because of his grandfather,” Mike Theunissen said. “Now his grandfather is so proud of him and everything he has accomplished.”

Mike Theunissen, also a first baseman, joined the CMU baseball program in 1973. He played on the first CMU team to compete in the Mid-American Conference. Mike’s brother Chris also played for CMU from 1975-77.

“We are baseball oriented to say the least,” Bill Theunissen said. “We haven’t missed many games over the years.”

Nate had opportunity to play at Theunissen Stadium for the first time during summer ball as a member of the 2006 Central Michigan High School All Stars. He also played there in the 2007 state semifinals for MPHS on his way toward a state championship.

“CMU baseball means a lot to my family,” Nate Theunissen said. “I have been watching it for my entire life. Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to play here. It was a dream to come here.”

That dream became a reality on March 18, when Nate Theunissen was introduced in front of the home crowd as the starting designated hitter.

Mike Theunissen attended that game and felt pleased his son had made it to this level.

“It was tremendously satisfying to see him on the field,” Mike said. “He has worked so hard and put so many hours into perfecting his game, and it is paying off right now.”

Nate has started 33 of CMU’s 36 games, and his six home runs and 35 RBIs lead the team. His .326 average ranks third.

Leaders

Nate also comes from a line of coaches. His grandfather coached for many years at CMU and his father coaches at Mount Pleasant High School.

“Nate got me back into coaching,” Mike Theunissen said. “I am still coaching at Mount Pleasant High School. But I originally was just doing it for him.”

Nate is not interested in coaching on a professional level. However, he said he’s not ruling it out. “I would definitely get into coaching for my son or daughter’s team if the opportunity came up,” he said.

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Losing 20-3 to MSU on April 1 in East Lansing, the two teams will meet at Dow Diamond in Midland, Mich., home of the Great Lakes Loons, a Low Class A minor league affiliate of the Los Angelos Dodgers. CMU is considered the home team and the first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

“We love our stadium here, but we wanted to do something in the Mid-Michigan area,” said coach Steve Jaksa. “Dow Diamond has never had a Division I game in there. We would like to have a good presence over there. And it is a nice change of pace for our guys.”

Sophomore shortstop Robbie Harman said he will get an extra boost playing at Dow Diamond. He saw his eight-game hit streak end Saturday in an 0-for-3 performance against Ball State. Harman went

11-for-34 during the stretch (.324 batting average), improving his batting average to .260 on the season.

“It is going to be exciting,” he said. “I haven’t been to the stadium before, but I have heard a lot of good things about it. Hopefully it lives up to its reputation.”

Central controls the all-time series against MSU 58-44. The team has not lost to MSU twice in one season since the 2005 season.

“We are disappointed with how we played against them the first time,” Harman said. “We are a better team than that and hopefully we can show how much we have improved since then.”

Despite being labeled the home team for the game, CMU’s last game at Theunissen Stadium was on April 4, an 11-4 loss to Bowling Green.

Michigan State recently won two-of-three games against rival Michigan. However, the team suffered its first home loss of the season last Sunday in a 9-2 loss to the Wolverines.

The game is the second of three meetings between the two schools this season. This is first time since the 2003 season the programs have met more than twice.

CMU students will have free admission with their student I.D. The doors to the stadium will open at 5:30 p.m.

“We are approaching it like any other three-game series,” Jaksa said. “They won the first game of the series. This is game two. We want to even the series at one apiece and hopefully win the series on May 12.”

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Central won the first two games of the series, but did not complete the sweep, losing the second game of a Saturday doubleheader 12-4 to close the series in Muncie, Ind.

Central’s last trip to Muncie, Ind., came in 2007 where the Chippewas lost two of three games against the Cardinals.

“Playing Ball State in Muncie, in my 11 years here, is a very tough thing to do,” said coach Steve Jaksa. “They have had a very good team. I was just really pleased with how we played and how we competed.”

CMU collected 16 hits and committed no errors in the final game despite the 8-run loss.

Sophomore right fielder Matt Faiman gave the Chippewas a late lift with a three-run home run in the top of the eighth inning. He went 2-for-3 on the day with three RBIs.

Freshman left-hander Trent Howard started but only lasted three innings after giving up four earned runs. The CMU pitchers had a tough time stopping Ball State sophomore Kolbrin Vitek who went 4-for-5 with three doubles and four runs scored.

Central was able to score 12 runs off 16 hits in the first game of the Saturday doubleheader. The 12-8 victory was the team’s ninth game this season reaching double digits.

Junior second baseman Tyler Kipke led the offense with four hits and three runs.

“I felt pretty good all weekend,” Kipke said. “I felt like I was seeing the ball pretty well. I was trying to get a good pitch to hit and good things happened.”

Senior left-hander Dan Taylor earned his third win of the season. Taylor gave up five runs in the first three innings, but was able to hold the Cardinals scoreless in the next three.

CMU opened the series against BSU with a 9-6 win on Friday, giving Ball State starter Brad Piatt his first loss of the year. Freshman designated hitter Nate Theunissen started a four-run rally in the eighth inning with a two-run home run to take the lead for good.

Jaksa said losing the final game does not tarnish a positive weekend for CMU.

“When you are sitting in the series 2-and-0 it is natural to get greedy and want the sweep,” he said. “I know we didn’t do everything we wanted to do. We are disappointed we didn’t get the sweep, but we accomplished a lot.”

Central goes back on the road Tuesday to play Oakland University. The game will conclude a stretch of nine consecutive road games that began April 8.

“It is always more comfortable being at home,” Kipke said. “But I don’t think anyone on the team really minds being on the road. We come home after all the mid-week games, so it doesn’t feel like we have been gone for too long.”

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The game, originally scheduled for a 6 p.m. start in Ann Arbor, may move to Mount Pleasant. However, the teams may opt to move the game to Theunissen stadium in Mount Pleasant at 4 p.m. because a snowstorm deposited more than five inches of snow in Ann Arbor on Monday.

“Obviously we want to play in front of our fans. They give us an advantage,” said junior pitcher Jesse Hernandez. “But, we are not really hoping for one way or another. We are just looking forward to playing ball.”

The Chippewas defeated Michigan last season in a 7-3 upset at Theunissen Stadium. The Wolverines came into the game ranked No. 22 in the nation. The team was also on a six-game winning streak before making the trip to Mount Pleasant.

Senior pitcher Steve Teno got the start in the game, but senior Chris Kupillas pitched six innings and allowed no earned runs.

“We know we can win,” said coach Steve Jaksa. “So, now we just want to do it again. What happened last year really doesn’t matter any more. The only game that matters is your next one.”

CMU has seen some changes to its roster since last season’s meeting with Michigan. Five of the starters from that game are no longer on the team this year.

Coach Jaksa said the younger guys on the team will be excited to compete against the school’s rival for the first time.

“There is always going to be a natural rivalry when you play these in-state team,” Jaksa said. “But with Michigan and Michigan State, those guys are not in our conference. We usually get only one shot to play them a year. Anytime you only play somebody once, then you have to sit on that win or loss for the rest of the year.”

Both teams are coming off a losing series. CMU dropped two games in a series against Bowling Green. Michigan lost two games to Big Ten-rival Penn State.

Central’s Tuesday game against the University of Illinois-Chicago postponed. The game has yet to be rescheduled.

“When you play baseball, you are going to lose a game to weather,” Jaksa said. “You roll with the punches. We don’t really want to have a long layoff, but we do what we got to do.”

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Weather and field conditions had put the game’s location and time in question. But the University of Michigan has decided that their field will be ready for the 6:05 p.m. start.

“It was already scheduled that way so it really doesn’t change anything for us,” said coach Steve Jaksa. “It was just a matter of which way we were heading.”

Freshman pitcher Rick Dodridge will make his fourth start in the game against Michigan. He comes into the game with a 1-2 record.

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CMU (13-17 overall, 4-5 Mid American Conference) lost game one against the Falcons, but split Saturday’s doubleheader. CMU used a four-run rally in the ninth inning to take the game from BGSU.

“I think that said a lot about our team,” said coach Steve Jaksa. “It also said a lot when we were down 14-0 on Friday and we scored 10 runs. In the third game, we just couldn’t do it.”

The Chippewas lost the last game of the series 11-4. CMU fell behind in the second inning after first base umpire Mike Wallace determined right fielder Matt Faiman dropped the ball on an attempted diving catch at the warning track. The call reversed a double play and BGSU scored six runs in the inning.

Bowling Green’s offense was a consistent threat in the third game, recording 20 hits. Freshman pitcher Trent Howard lasted only 1 1/3 innings and gave up seven hits. Howard allowed five runs after Faiman’s attempted diving-catch at the warning track.

“We are battling from behind and it is tough to do that every single game,” Jaksa said. “I would like to always be ahead but we just haven’t been. But, our guys never quit and we showed that in the second game.”

In Saturday’s come-from-behind win, freshman third baseman William Arnold brought the Chippewas within two runs with a RBI double to left-center field in the ninth inning. Junior catcher Dale Cornstubble tied the game with a two-run home run over the left field wall.

The next CMU batters loaded the bases, and Faiman hit a ground ball through the gap between first and second base to drive in the game-winning run.

“Our biggest success comes when we start getting into the other team’s bullpen,” said junior outfielder Billy Anderson. “The only way to do that is to get on the starting pitcher early and knock him out of the game.”

Central has a two-day break before taking on the University of Illinois-Chicago on Tuesday at Theunissen Stadium.

“We haven’t played a team that was better than us,” Anderson said. “We just have to play the same every day.”

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Freshman Rick Dodridge calmly walked off the mound Tuesday after striking out the first three batters in the seventh inning and securing a 9-1 lead.

The left-handed pitcher finished the day with 11 strikeouts and gave up only one earned run in seven innings against Wayne State. Dodridge earned his first win of the season in the 9-1 game.

“It was kind of cold today so I wanted to throw strikes and get out of the inning quickly,” Dodridge said. “My teammates supported me today with nine runs and I was just hoping to support them with some good pitches.”

Dodridge struck out Wayne State right fielder Kyle Vesey three times. Vesey came into the game batting more than .300 and had only eight strikeouts on the season.

“(Dodridge) had pretty good velocity,” said coach Steve Jaksa. “As the game went on he was gaining confidence and he started throwing in some breaking balls for strikes. At the MAC Tournament we are going to need at least four guys who can pitch.”

CMU moved to 12-14 overall with the win against Wayne State. The team scored nine runs despite collecting only six hits and four RBIs.

The Warriors committed seven errors and one did immediate damage. Second baseman Jamie Bailey threw a ball into the dugout on an attempted throw to first base. It brought in a CMU run. CMU committed four errors of its own.

Junior center fielder Billy Anderson was CMU’s only player to have multiple hits, going 2-for-4. Anderson also drew a walk, which boosted his on base percentage to a team-best .477.

Sophomore shortstop Robbie Harman had two RBIs and scored two runs despite going 0-for-5 from the plate. Harman reached base off Wayne State errors twice.

“It is always good when you can put some runs on the board, but they did help us out a little,” Jaksa said. “We ran the bases well and we got some big hits.”

The Chippewas play Michigan State today at 3:05 p.m. in East Lansing. CMU beat the Spartans twice last season, 10-7 and 14-6.

Junior pitcher Jesse Hernandez (0-2) is scheduled to make his second start of the season.

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The baseball team jumped out of the dugout as junior Ricky Clark executed a hit-and-run to give CMU its first lead of the day in the eighth inning of game two Saturday against Buffalo.

With the scored tied 3-3 and Clark up to bat, redshirt freshman Andrew Thomas was brought in to pinch-run for freshman third baseman Reid Rooney. Clark showed bunt to draw in the defense, but as the pitch approached the plate, he corrected his stance and hit a line drive into right field with both runners in motion.

Before the eighth inning, CMU was held to no runs on just five hits and was down 3-0 six outs away from a series loss.

“The biggest thing you can do in that situation is to keep the same approach,” Clark said. “Keep that same blue collar mentality at the bat and do what you always do.”

CMU’s seven-run inning allowed it to pull away for a 7-3 win after dropping the first game 6-1.

The win gave CMU a split in the doubleheader Saturday and a 2-1 series win. The Chippewas are now 11-14 overall and 3-3 in the Mid-American Conference. Clark said the team expected to have a better start against MAC competition.

“We wanted to be 6-0 in the MAC at this point,” Clark said. “Our young guys have come a long way, and we are still a team who can do big things in the MAC.”

Freshman pitcher Trent Howard earned a no-decision despite not giving up his first hit until the fifth inning. Buffalo got its first hit on a single to shallow left field. Howard walked the next batter and then gave up a three-run home run to Buffalo’s Eric Glynn.

Coach Steve Jaska said Howard was pitching on three days of rest.

“I am glad that we could get the win for him and keep that one bad inning from haunting him,” he said. “The guys who came in after Howard did a great job at keeping them at three runs. They kept it within reach for us to come back.”

Freshman catcher Rhett Goodmiller got on base four times for the Chippewas in the second game. He went 1-for-2 with three walks. Goodmiller was the seventh and final run to cross the plate in the eighth inning.

“I stay relaxed at the plate and wait for a good pitch to hit,” he said. “In the eighth inning, I was just trying to come through with a base hit. I wanted to do anything I could to keep the rally going.”

CMU was held scoreless in 15 innings in the two games on Saturday. The Chippewas dropped the first game of the doubleheader 6-1.

Buffalo pitcher Pierre Miville-Deschenes earned his third win of the season with six strikeouts in nine innings of work. The right-hander was able to hold CMU to one run on four hits.

Sophomore right fielder Matt Faiman had CMU’s lone RBI with a single to right field that brought in junior center fielder Billy Anderson in the third inning.

CMU hosts its fourth consecutive game 3:05 p.m. Tuesday against Wayne State. The game will be the 50th meeting between the two programs. CMU has dominated the series 41-8 and won last year’s game 14-8.

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