Strong performance by CMU baseball isn't enough against Northern Illinois
The Chippewas have no more room for error in race to the finish
Central Michigan University redshirt senior pitcher Nate Ross throws a strike at the baseball game at Keilitz Field in Theunissen Stadium on Saturday, May 2, 2026. Ross pitched for five innings allowing two runs and one error. (CM-Life | Jasmine Brookins)
Nate Ross is making a name for himself with the Central Michigan baseball team.
CMU lost 10-5 to Northern Illinois Saturday, ultimately awarding the Huskies another series victory against a Mid-American Conference opponent. However, Ross and many of the Chippewas’ batters had nothing to be ashamed of.
Ross, a redshirt senior and relieving pitcher for Central Michigan, threw for three strikeouts while allowing just one earned run in his five innings atop the mound.
“That was one of the best performances I’ve ever seen him have,” CMU head coach Jake Sabol said of Ross. “He competed. He gave us chances, he made some big pitches. … That performance by Nate was outstanding, and I’m really proud of him for doing that as a fifth-year guy.”
With other rotational pitchers such as Max Hammond and Cameron Neihaus currently sidelined by injuries, the Ross' recent success has filled a void at the position.
Along with his accomplishments, the Chippewas’ batting was effective against NIU, who currently sit at third in the MAC standings.
CMU reshuffled the batting lineup, and it was effective with nine total hits for the day. Catcher Spencer Verburg logged two hits for two runs with a home run. Meanwhile, left fielder Cole Prout added onto his season totals with three hits of his own.
Sabol chose to focus on these positives despite the defeat.
“The effort in which we played, how we played, I thought was night and day compared to yesterday,” Sabol said, referencing Friday’s 12-1 blowout loss. “I love the effort and the fight back, but we’ve got to keep going.”
For the second game in a row, NIU scored four runs in the top of the first inning. Unlike the day prior, the Chippewas didn’t let this shake them. Three consecutive CMU base hits were eventually capped off by a Harrison Bowman double down the third base line to clear the bases.
Following the offensive explosion from both teams in the first, the game quickly shifted into a tight duel between pitchers.
The Huskies got back on the board in the fourth. Central Michigan did not see any scoring action until the bottom of the seventh, as Verburg fired one over the left field wall for his fifth home run of the season.
“Verburg, man, he deserves to get up there and get a bunch of at bats,” Sabol said. “We felt like finding a way to switch some things up to jump start our offense, and there was a lot of good from how it went today.”
Sitting at two outs in the top of the eighth, the Chippewas allowed three NIU runs to push the game even further out of reach. This time around they could not close the gap, and a Huskies homer in the ninth sealed CMU’s fate.
“Being at your home field playing for a playoff spot, that should say everything,” Sabol said. “We played well, we were in it all the way to the end. Just got to find a way to finish.”
The Chippewas will get the opportunity to avoid a sweep at home Sunday at 1 p.m. As the tenth-place team in the MAC with seven conference games left to play, there’s no longer room for mistakes during this final push towards the tournament.
