Central Michigan baseball stalls in series against Kent State
Offense struggles as the Golden Flashes sweep the Chippewas
Central Michigan senior outfielder Cole Prout runs to first base after ball four is thrown at Theunissen Stadium on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. During the 2025 season Prout led the team with nine home runs and 17 doubles. (CM Life | Jasmine Brookins)
Another competitive series for the Central Michigan baseball team bore no fruit, and the Chippewas suffered a series sweep against Kent State from March 13 to 15.
Coming into the series, CMU was already facing what was sure to be a challenging opponent. Previously, the Golden Flashes took a series win against nationally ranked Tennessee, as well as defeating another Power Four program, Ohio State.
Despite Kent State's resume, the Chippewas kept the series close, but each game’s result would fall just out of their reach.
Game One
With the bases loaded for Kent State, batter Kolton Schaller stepped up to the plate. He was then hit by a pitch from CMU’s Max Hammond, allowing the final run and cementing the Chippewas’ fate in an 11-10 heartbreaker.
The momentum shifted strongly in Central Michigan’s favor after a five-run seventh inning, and by the bottom of the ninth, the Chippewas led 10-4. However, CMU allowed six runs to tie everything up and send it to extra innings.
It was another encouraging performance for freshman pitcher Luke Neiswonger, who pitched 14 strikeouts and only six hits during his 111 total pitches on the day. It was his largest workload of the season, staying on the mound for seven innings.
Game Two
The bats for Central Michigan didn’t heat up to the same degree in their second matchup with the Golden Flashes, and the Chippewas dropped this one 3-2. This game also resulted in Kent State head coach Jeff Duncan’s 400th career victory.
CMU third baseman Bryson Webb kept his team alive throughout the afternoon, logging two RBIs and a home run on the day. Webb currently leads the team with a .395 batting average.
The rest of the offense struggled to find a rhythm, however, with Kent State pitcher Easton Tumis only allowing six hits in his eight innings of pitching.
Game Three
Three home runs would not be enough for the Chippewas in their final showdown of the series, suffering yet another defeat against the Golden Flashes, 6-4.
An early two-run homer put Kent State ahead, yet CMU battled back with blasts out of the park from Cole Prout and Webb. The home team responded in the seventh inning by scoring four runs, which would be too much for Central Michigan to overcome.
Harrison Bowman, right fielder for CMU, hit a solo home run in the ninth in one last attempt to come back. This brought his season total to a team-leading six homers.
After suffering this sweep, the Chippewas now sit at 7-10 overall and 1-5 in the Mid-American Conference for the season. Central Michigan will now prepare for its home-opening series against the Toledo Rockets, taking place from March 20-22 at Theunnisen Stadium.
