The University of Akron Athletics
Zips Set to Face Cleveland State; Kent in Diamond Classic
May 17 | Baseball
The UA baseball team embarks on the final week of the 2010 season tomorrow (May 18), starting with a game at Cleveland State's All Pro Freight Stadium at 4 p.m. Akron (20-31) is looking for the season sweep against Cleveland State (12-39), having already beat the Vikings 8-2 at Lee Jackson Field on May 4.
Akron finished the week 0-3 against Ohio despite two gut-wrenching extra-inning losses against the Bobcats. Following a 6-1 defeat in game one, the Zips and 'Cats went to extra frames to decide the winner in the final two games with OU prevailing 5-3 in 14 frames Saturday and 13-10 in 11 innings on Sunday. Akron senior catcher John Turk had an active weekend for the Zips, leading the squad with a .533 batting average and .600 slugging percentage. Turk's eight hits were a team-high as the catcher extended his active and career-long hitting streak to 16 games. The Zips enter the game with a .309 batting average while the pitching staff holds a 5.95 ERA.
Live statistics will be available for tomorrow's game on www.GoZips.com.
Diamond Classic For Kids
The Zips will wrap up the 2010 campaign this weekend when
they faces Kent State in the fourth annual Diamond Classic for Kids
at Canal Park on Thursday (May 20) at 6 p.m. in the Mid-American
Conference series opener. Tickets are available at the gate for $5
with all proceeds benefiting the Akron Children's Hospital. Today,
members of both the Akron and Kent State baseball teams, including
head coach Pat Bangtson, Turk, Kyle
Hallett, Danny Fawcett, Jake Plata
and Zach Yike visited with
patients at the Akron Children's Hospital to raise spirits and show
support.
Akron currently holds a 2-1 advantage in the series after defeating
then-no. 26 Kent State in a 12-5 slugfest. The Zips also won the
first annual meeting, 3-1 in 2008 before the Golden Flashes nabbed
the third game, 16-15 in 2009.
The series shifts back to Lee Jackson Field on Friday (May 21) for
Senior Day and Saturday (May 22) for the season and series finale
with respective start times slated for 3 p.m. and 1 p.m.
respectively.
Thursday and Saturday's games will both be broadcast on Fox Sports
1350 AM while the entire series will also be available online on
the Akron ISP Network.
