The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Miami (Ohio)
Baseball Opens Weekend Series on Friday Against Miami
April 05 | Baseball
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron baseball team will welcome Miami University for a Mid-American Conference matchup in a three game series set to begin on Friday at 3 p.m. on Lee R. Jackson Baseball Field. The series will continue on Saturday and Sunday with 1 p.m., game times on both days.
Game Day Information
Friday – 3 p.m.
Miami: Sr., RHP Brooks Fiala (3-3, 3.31 ERA)
Akron: Fr., RHP JT Brubaker (0-5, 5.14 ERA)
Saturday – 1 p.m.
Miami: Sr., RHP Mac Thoreson (2-3, 6.61 ERA)
Akron: Fr., RHP John Valek III (2-4, 4.81 ERA)
Sunday – 1 p.m.
Miami: So., RHP Nathan Williams (3-1, 3.44 ERA)
Akron: So., LHP Pat Dyer (0-3, 7.25 ERA)
*Links to live stats and a video stream will be available through the Akron baseball schedule page.
Series Overview
Akron baseball comes into the weekend series against the Miami RedHawks with an overall record of 5-21 and 2-4 within the MAC. UA played two mid-week, non-conference games this week against Pittsburgh and Youngstown State.
The Zips fell to Pittsburgh in an 11-7 slugfest on Tuesday, but rebounded on Wednesday to defeat YSU by a score of 5-4. Akron's most recent conference action was this past weekend against Northern Illinois. The three game series resulted in a series sweep by NIU, defeating UA by scores of 4-3, 2-1 and 14-4.
The RedHawks head into the series against Akron atop the standings in the MAC East with an overall record of 12-2 and 5-1 within the MAC. Miami played one game this week against Ohio State, which resulted in a 1-0 loss for Miami.
Miami's last conference matchup was against Toledo last weekend for a three game series. The RedHawks fell in the series opener, but bounced back to win the next two games by scores of 13-4 and 4-1.
So far this season, the RedHawks own a team batting average of .277 with six home runs and 125 RBI. The Miami lineup features four batters hitting over .300, six batters with over 10 RBI, and six players with on-base percentages over .350.
The Rotation
Freshmen JT Brubaker and John Valek have combined for strong starts in past weeks. This past weekend against NIU, Brubaker tossed 6.0 innings with one earned run allowed and five strikeouts.
Valek pitched 8.0 innings against NIU – a career high – with five strikeouts and two earned runs. The native of Parkland, Fla., currently leads the UA rotation with 39.1 innings pitched.
Sophomore Pat Dyer will be on the bump for the series finale on Sunday for the third weekend series in a row. This season, Dyer has 22.1 innings pitched with 11 strikeouts.
The Lineup
Sophomore Matt LaRocca has provided the Zips lineup with strong support hitting out of the cleanup spot in the order. LaRocca owns a season batting average of .315 with two home runs, 14 RBI and five walks, leading the Zips in batting average and RBI. He is currently riding a nine-game hit streak over which he has batted .342 (13-for-38), with seven RBI, one double, one triple and three runs scored.
Senior Jared Turocy also has a consecutive game hit streak, which sits at seven games following a one hit, three RBI performance against Youngstown on Wednesday. Turocy is hitting .379 in 12 games played with three runs scored, one homer and six RBI.
Over Turocy's seven-game hit streak, he has registered a .417 batting average with five RBI, one double and one homer.
Centerfielder Devan Ahart has hit consistently at the top of the Akron lineup. Ahart owns a batting average of .268 with five doubles, five runs scored. The junior recently recorded four base hits over the past two games including one double and one RBI.
