The University of Akron Athletics
Baseball Travels to Toledo for Three-Game Series
March 27 | Baseball
AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron baseball team is headed to the University of Toledo for a three-game set of Mid-American Conference play, beginning on Friday with a doubleheader at 1 p.m., at Mercy Field. UA will wrap up with weekend on Saturday with a 1 p.m., matchup at UT.
Due to field conditions, the series was moved from the UT campus, which caused a change of venue and game times.
Gameday Information
Friday – 1 PM
Akron: So., LHP John Valek III
Toledo: TBA
Friday
Akron: So., RHP JT Brubaker
Toledo: TBA
Saturday – 1 PM
Akron: R-Jr., RHP Myles McVeigh
Toledo: TBA
Recapping last week…
- Zips baseball went 3-2 in five games this past week, including a series sweep of Eastern Michigan over the weekend.
- Akron fell to Ohio State last Tuesday, 6-5, in 11 innings.
- Last Wednesday, Zips rallied for three-runs in the ninth, but ended up losing to the Pitt Panthers, 11-8.
- On Friday, Akron opened Mid-American Conference play with 6-3 win over EMU. Freshman Masashi Sakamoto worked 4.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen and sophomore Kris Simonton led the team with three base hits.
- UA completed the series sweep with two wins in the doubleheader on Saturday against Eastern Michigan. Akron won game one, 10-5, and then shutout the Eagles in game two, 6-0. Zips posted 24 hits in the two games.
Myles ahead…
- Redshirt junior Myles McVeigh captured his first career MAC East Pitcher of the Week honor, after a spectacular, 6.0 inning shutout performance with nine strikeouts and one hit allowed.
- In the first three innings, McVeigh struck out two batters apiece, and did not have a runner reach base until allowing his lone hit of the game in the fourth inning.
- EMU's offense totaled just a .050 batting average against McVeigh on Saturday. This season, he has allowed one run and two hits over 10.0 innings on the mound.
- McVeigh's conference award was the second award earned by an Akron baseball player. Devan Ahart was named player of the week earlier this season.
Opening strong in MAC…
- Akron registered 32 hits in three games against EMU on Friday and Saturday to go along with 22 runs scored, nine doubles, 11 walks, and nine stolen bases.
- Through 20 games in 2014, Akron owns a 10-10 overall record and 3-0 within the MAC. In the first 21 games last season, the Zips were 4-17 overall and 2-1 in the league.
- Akron last opened MAC play with an undefeated record in 2004, when the team swept Buffalo in a doubleheader to open the conference slate. UA is one of three teams in the conference with a 3-0 record after the first weekend of league play.
Consistency at the dish…
- This season, the Zips are batting .289 as a team, led by redshirt junior Devan Ahart at .390. Brian Lees (.323), Kris Simonton (.316), Joey Havrilak (.286) and Brady Stewart (.282) round out the top five.
- Akron's .289 batting average ranks second among all teams in the MAC.
- Ahart ranks seventh in the league for individual batting average at .390, while also ranking among the top five in homers (3, T-4th), runs (19, 4th), hits (30, T-4th), stolen bases (14, 2nd), total bases (46, T-2nd), on-base percentage (.478, 4th) and slugging percentage (.597, 4th).
- Stewart leads the squad with 15 RBI, while also adding seven walks, three doubles and 11 runs scored.
- Havrilak has given strong production throughout the season, accruing two homers, 11 RBI, 10 walks, six steals and 18 runs scored.
- In the three-game series sweep over EMU, Simonton batted .538 (7-for-13) with five runs scored, three RBI, one double and one walk out of the leadoff spot for the Zips.
Scouting the Rockets…
- Toledo comes into the weekend series with an overall record of 8-12 and 1-2 within the MAC.
- Last week, Toledo took one of three games from Kent State in their first conference series.
- The Rockets are batting a collective .225, with Deion Tansel leading the squad at .421.
- The Zips hold an all-time series record of 19-28 with the Rockets. The last matchup occurred in the 2011 campaign, and ended in Toledo's favor with a three-game sweep.
Players Mentioned
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