Baseball takes on Toledo at home in three-game series
Coming off a three-game series and blowout loss against top-ranked Kent State, the Central Michigan baseball team has three conference games to get back on track.
The Chippewas (10-20-1) return to Theunissen Stadium for a three-game series against Toledo (9-18) from April 13-15.
“We will be fine against anybody as long as we play the way we are supposed to play,” said CMU head coach Steve Jaksa. “It’s not about what they do against us, it’s about we prepare against them.”
CMU is currently fourth in the MAC standings behind Miami (Ohio), Kent State and Toledo. The Chippewas are one of three teams in the MAC who are tied with five conference wins.
Heading into the series with Toledo, junior right-hander Pat Leatherman (1-4, 3.86 ERA) takes the mound on Friday. He will be followed by junior right-hander Michael Brettell (4-3, 4.03 ERA). In the series finale on Sunday, sophomore left-hander Tyler Hankins will return to the mound.
“(Brettell) has been pretty good,” Jaksa said. “Some of it is confidence, but he has a good feel for what works for him. We keep it to a simplified game plan for him because it doesn’t have to be complicated. He has figured it out.”
CMU's offense is led by redshirt freshman catcher Griffin Lockwood-Powell, who has played in 26 games this season. He has a .291 batting average with two home runs and 17 RBIs. Right behind him is freshman utility man Zavier Warren.
Warren, an infielder, outfielder and catcher, is batting .295 with two doubles and 13 RBIs in 23 games.
After a slow start to the season, junior outfielder Daniel Robinson now leads the team with 26 hits. Robinson, along with his .232 batting average, has one home run and 15 RBIs.
Junior infielder Jason Sullivan is right behind Robinson with 25 hits.
CMU’s bullpen, led by sophomore right-hander Cameron Brown, has pitched 137.2 innings this season, allowing 112 runs. Brown is 1-1 with a 7.06 ERA through 21.2 innings. He said the bullpen needs to improve going forward.
“It’s going to be big for us to get back on the winning side of things,” Brown said. “The guys just have to come to play and we will be fine. Against Toledo, that’s a series we should get.”
At the plate for Toledo, the Rockets fashion freshman outfielder John Servello, who has knocked six doubles, two triples, two home runs and 14 RBIs while maintaining a .337 batting average.
“(Toledo) is an aggressive team with a lot of power,” Brettell said. “I know they have a lot of home runs, so it should be a good series against them. We are expecting success. We want to win and are ready to go.”
There is a possibility for the Chippewas' weekend games to be rescheduled or delayed due to weather in Mount Pleasant. Like some other games this season, the team may be forced to cancel the game, but they must play it eventually because it is against a conference opponent.
On Friday, there is a 90 percent chance of rain in Mount Pleasant with thunderstorms in the forecast. It is also unlikely the Chippewas will reschedule a double-header on Saturday or Sunday, because of the rain forecasted.
There is a 100 percent chance of precipitation on Saturday and Sunday.
Next week, the Chippewas remain at home for games against Cornerstone at 3:05 p.m. April 17 and Concordia at 3:05 p.m. April 18.
