Broncos trample Chippewas baseball in weekend series
Central Michigan now has an overall record of 17-30 and a conference record of 9-15
Central Michigan University junior outfielder Rees Campanale steps up to home plate at Theunissen Stadium on Friday, April 25, 2025. Campanale was at bat one time, serving as a pitch hitter. (CM Life | Jasmine Brookins)
Central Michigan baseball traveled to Kalamazoo to face off against in-state rival Western Michigan over the weekend. In the end, the Broncos were too much for the Chippewas, sweeping the series.
Game 1
The weekend got off to a rough start for the Chippewas. On Friday, the two teams clashed for the opening game of the series.
The Chippewas did score the first run of the game. In the second inning, junior right fielder Cole Prout hit a single to right field, and freshman shortstop Cayden Smith was able to score because of an error by the Broncos.
After the second inning, however, things began to trend downward very quickly for Central Michigan. Western Michigan exploded in the third and scored eight runs in the dominant inning.
Central Michigan scored a couple more runs in the fifth, but the Broncos continued to pile on the points. After the dust had settled, it was Western Michigan that held the superior 14-5 lead.
In total, the Chippewas pitched six players in the first game, and the crew gave up 16 hits and eight walks.
Game 2
The second game of the series, the first of a Saturday doubleheader, didn’t go much better for Central Michigan.
The Chippewas were shut down for the entire game, as Western’s junior left-handed pitcher Joey Wizceb pitched all nine innings, giving up only three hits and two walks.
Western to waltzed to the 6-0 win.
Game 3
The final game of the weekend was a much closer affair. Western scored the first two runs of the game off of a home run in the first inning. From there, both teams put zeros on the scoreboard until the sixth inning, when the Chippewas tied the game.
A wild pitch from the Broncos gifted the Chippewas their first run when junior second baseman Aaron Piasecki crossed home plate. Sophomore designated hitter Jake Kutella grounded out to the pitcher later in the inning, allowing Smith to score.
In the seventh, Western Michigan scored two more runs, the fourth of the game scored on a walk with the bases loaded by CMU.
Those two runs were all the Broncos needed. Western Michigan finished off the Chippewas with a 4-2 victory to complete the weekend sweep.
The Chippewas now find themselves behind both Western and Eastern Michigan in the Mid-American Conference standings. In eighth place, Central Michigan has work to do if it hopes to stay in contention for the MAC tournament.
Up next, the Chippewas travel to Ann Arbor on Tuesday to face the University of Michigan. The Wolverines are fresh off of a dominant series win over Big 10 rival Ohio State that included a 23-1 smackdown on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
