The defending Mid-American Conference regular season champions took the field at Theunissen Stadium Friday for the first time in nearly four months for the annual international game.

It’s fall ball, to say it simply.

In a sloppy, 10-error, 11-inning, four-and-a-half hour exhibition game, the Chippewas topped the Ontario Blue Jays, an amateur club from the Canadian Premiere Baseball League, 25-10.

Central Michigan University Head Coach Steve Jaksa said there was nothing he particularly liked or disliked about the way his team played, but knows where improvements needs to be made.

“We’re going to get better. I think these guys are hungry to get better," Jaksa said. “I think there’s some things fundamentally we’re going to do better. We’re certainly going to field that ball better. The guys that made them (errors) are going to get nothing but better.”

Jaksa said he also expects his team’s mental approach at the plate, especially batting with two strikes, to improve and become more consistent over time.

“We will continue to practice. That’s what baseball is, it’s a daily thing,” Jaksa said. “We have to play it daily and be consistent daily in what we’re doing. It becomes a mental thing and we have to go about it that way.”

For redshirt freshman infielder, outfielder and right-handed pitcher Dazon Cole, it was his first time adorning the maroon and gold at Theunissen. Cole, a junior college transfer from Pontiac said it was a great feeling to finally play for CMU, where he was originally recruited.

“I hadn’t played baseball for like eight months (prior to this summer),” Cole said. "It felt good to be back home. I didn’t think I’d be playing anything today, but it was fun get work at every position today.”

The Chippewa took the game’s first run in the bottom of the second inning.

With bases loaded, senior outfielder Ryan Heeke grounded into a fielders’ choice, bringing senior third baseman Joe Houlihan across the plate.

Two Blue Jay errors and a fielders’ choice allowed the Chippewa to tack on three more runs in the bottom fourth inning—making it 4-0.

The Blue Jays weren’t done, however, answering back in the top of the fifth inning after CMU true freshman pitcher Michael Brettell loaded the bases.

A fielders’ choice, base hit and Chippewa throwing errors allowed the Jays, a team mainly consisting of high school juniors and seniors and some college students, to tie the game at four.

In the bottom half of that same inning, Dearborn Heights native senior Zack Fields put the Chippewa back in front driving Houlihan in from third base—putting the tally at 8-4 Chippewa.

But the lead wouldn't hold up for long.

Errors and a pitching jam in the sixth inning allowed the Jays to score six runs on one hit—retaking the lead 10-8.

In the seventh inning, sophomore Zach McKinstry provided the big hit the Chippewas needed, driving the left center gap for an RBI triple. McKinstry later scored on an Alex Borglin base hit. The Chippewas never looked back, finishing with 22 hits.

Pitching

The reigning MAC Coach of the Year Coach Jaksa gave work to six pitchers Friday—each getting close to two innings of work.

True freshman left-handed pitcher Grant Wolfram got the start on the mound for the Chippewas. The 6-foot-6, 210 pound Hamilton native recorded two strikeouts and topped out at 85 miles per hour in two innings of work before being relieved by senior right-hander Connor Kelly.

Kelly was followed by the true freshman right-hander Brettell, who limped off the field after taking a hard ground ball off his foot in the fourth inning, but returned for the next inning.

Brettell was followed by junior lefty hurler Brady Williams, who gave up six runs while struggling to find the strike zone in two innings pitched.

After Williams’ departure, infielder and right-handed thrower Colton Bradley got his chance to toe the rubber. After telling coaches last season he could throw, Bradley impressed in his first stint as a pitcher striking out four batters in two innings of work.

Infielder, outfielder and right-handed pitcher “do-it-all” player Dazon Cole finished his two innings without letting up a run.

Senior right-handed pitcher Sean Renzi wrapped the game up with one scoreless inning.