Central Michigan baseball takes important series win against Eastern
The Chippewas keep their playoff hopes alive with series win
Central Michigan baseball players sway their hands in the dugout at Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (CMLife | Alivia Cranick)
With the season nearing its conclusion, Central Michigan faced in-state rival Eastern Michigan in a weekend series in Mount Pleasant that started on Friday and ended on Sunday. In the end, the Chippewas picked up two wins that could be pivotal in deciding who makes the playoffs.
Despite the two victories, Central Michigan finds itself just outside, but still within reach of, the playoff picture. Currently, Eastern, Western and Central Michigan all have identical conference records of 11-16, but the Eagles hold the last tournament spot, making the remaining games for all three squads important.
Game 1
The series got off to an explosive start, as eight total runs were scored in the first inning of game one on Friday, four by each side. Eastern Michigan rattled off the first four before Central Michigan responded.
Singles from junior catcher Aydin Wright, graduate third baseman Cole Kwiatkowski and junior right fielder Cole Prout were enough to tie the game.
The Chippewas added to their run total in the second and third. Wright and Prout collected their second RBIs each to give Central Michigan a 6-4 lead in the bottom of the third.
Eastern Michigan tied the game in the top of the fourth, before the Chippewas scored three of their own in the bottom of the inning.
The Eagles scored three runs in the fifth inning to tie the game at nine. However, Central Michigan would have the last laugh with two runs scored, one in the fifth and one in the seventh, taking the 11-9 victory to kick off the weekend.
Game 2
Eastern Michigan took hold of game two early Saturday, with three runs scored in the first four innings. Central Michigan found two runs with a single from freshman shortstop Cayden Smith in the bottom of the fourth.
The Eagles answered with four runs in the fifth, taking a 7-2 lead. Central Michigan’s junior second baseman Aaron Piasecki collected an RBI with a triple in the bottom of the fifth.
Eastern Michigan added another run to its total in the seventh before Central Michigan began a furious comeback attempt.
In the bottom of the seventh, another RBI from Piasecki brought the deficit to four. In the eighth, the Chippewas collected three runs to bring the Eagles' lead to just one.
Despite the surge in offense toward the end of the game, the Chippewas were unable to catch up, dropping game two with a final score of 9-7.
Game 3
With the series win on the line, the Chippewas and Eagles faced off once more on Sunday. Continuing the trend from the first two games, EMU got on the board first with a run scored in the first inning.
Central Michigan took the lead with three runs in the second inning. Neither team could add to their total until Eastern Michigan took a 4-3 lead with three runs scored in the top of the sixth.
In the bottom of the inning, Prout sent a double into right field to tie the game, before Eastern retook the lead in the seventh.
The Chippewas ended the game with three unanswered-runs in the eighth to take the series win with a 7-6 victory.
Central Michigan finishes the season with a game against Oakland on Tuesday and a series against Toledo that begins Thursday.
