CMU baseball plays Kent State for first time since exit in MAC tournament
For the first time this season, the CMU baseball team has a weekend series at home.
But this is not just any weekend Mid-American Conference series. The Chippewas are facing Kent State this weekend. The same Kent State team that ended their season last May in the MAC championship game.
At 3:05 p.m. on Friday at Theunissen Stadium, the two teams will face off for the first time since that game.
“We have a bit of a rivalry going with them,” said senior left-hander Trent Howard. “They ended our season and we want to go back after them.”
Howard will get things started on the mound for CMU today. Howard is 3-3 this season and has lowered his earned run average to 2.04 with his recent success. He also leads CMU in innings pitched and strikeouts.
“I just have to go out and keep doing what I have been doing lately,” Howard said. “There is a bunch of excitement about this series and we finally have our first home series.”
On the offensive side junior Tyler Hall continues to thrive in the leadoff spot with a .344 batting average and 11 stolen bases.
Sophomore Jordan Dean sits right behind Hall with a .313 batting average.
The Chippewas (16-17 overall, 5-4 MAC) have won seven of their last eight games and have been playing some of their best baseball of the season.
“We just have to go out and play like we have been playing as of late,” said sophomore left-hander Dietrich Enns. “It is exciting to be playing at home in front of the home crowd and the fans.”
Enns has been the shutdown man for CMU this season, striking out 30 batters in just 22 2/3 innings pitched. He also leads the team with four saves on the season.
The Kent State Golden Flashes (21-10 overall, 8-1 MAC) have won 11 games in a row and are currently in first place in the MAC.
They are led by Ben Klafczynski, who boasts a .377 batting average and has knocked out seven home runs this season. He also leads the team with 31 runs batted in on the season.
The Chippewas are still playing catch up in the MAC standings after being swept in the first series of the season. CMU is currently two games back from the west division leader Toledo.
“Friday’s game is definitely important and a win on Friday sets you up for the rest of the series,” Howard said. “We know this is a big one.”
The middle game of the series will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday and the series will wrap up at 1:05 p.m. on Sunday.
The series will mark the first of just three home series that the Chippewas have all season long as they try to get themselves back in the mix of the MAC.
