The University of Akron Athletics
Baseball Ready for Pivotal Series against Kent State
May 14 | Baseball
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AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron baseball team is set for a three-game series against Mid-American Conference rival Kent State University, beginning on Thursday at 6:30 p.m., in Canal Park for the annual Diamond Classic for the Kids. The series will continue on Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m., on the Kent State campus.
Gameday Information
Thursday – Canal Park – 6:30 PM
Akron: So., LHP John Valek III (4-4, 2.50 ERA, 75.2 IP, 18 BB, 26 SO)
KSU: Fr., LHP Eric Lauer (7-3, 3.04 ERA, 68.0 IP, 30 BB, 56 SO)
Coverage: Video and play-by-play with Bill Morgan, along with live stats, will be available through GoZips.com.
Friday – Schnoover Stadium – 6 PM
Akron: So., RHP JT Brubaker (3-5, 3.92 ERA, 59.2 IP, 33 BB, 39 SO)
KSU: So., RHP Nick Jensen-Clagg (4-2, 4.78 ERA, 64.0 IP, 15 BB, 59 SO)
Saturday – Schnoover Stadium – 6 PM
Akron: Jr., LHP Pat Dyer (3-4, 4.88 ERA, 52.1 IP, 16 BB, 42 SO)
KSU: TBD
Diamond Classic for the Kids…
Akron and Kent State will play Thursday's game to benefit Akron Children's Hospital, which is the eighth annual Diamond Classic event. Tickets for the game are available for five dollars with all proceeds going towards the Akron Children's Hospital.
Midweek action…
Akron played the final 2014 regular season home game on Tuesday afternoon against the University of Dayton. The Zips started strong as Joe Cochran and Josh Davis hurled two scoreless innings apiece to start the game. However, the Flyers staged a six-run rally in the fifth en route to a 9-2 win.
Redshirt senior James Sheltrown drew a bases loaded walk and redshirt junior Devan Ahart had a sacrifice fly to lead the Akron offense.
Sophomore Daulton Mosbarger and redshirt junior Andrew Fanning also had strong appearances out of the bullpen. Mosbarger went 1.2 innings with one hit allowed, while Fanning fanned three with no hits allowed in two innings.
Last weekend…
The Zips traveled to Northern Illinois for a three-game MAC series, and came away with one win. Akron opened the weekend with a 7-4 13-inning win. Sophomore Kris Simonton went 3-for-5 with his first collegiate homerun, two runs scored, two RBI and two walks. Simonton also scored on the go-ahead run in the top of the 13th on an NIU error.
UA received strong pitching performances on Friday, including John Valek III, who made the start, and provided six innings with one run allowed. Valek ranks fifth in the MAC with a 2.50 ERA, while also holding a 2.65 ERA in league games. The Zips pitching staff owns a 3.99 ERA this season, good for third in the conference.
Redshirt junior Myles McVeigh picked up the win, tossing 3.0 scoreless innings with three strikeouts to close out the game. McVeigh also registered his first career RBI base hit in the 13th inning to aid the three-run rally.
Akron dropped game two on Saturday, 4-1. Redshirt junior Matt LaRocca hit an RBI double, while Simonton went 2-for-4. Relievers Evan Jensen and Andrew Fanning tossed 2.1 scoreless innings after JT Brubaker's start.
Junior Pat Dyer made his longest start of the season on Sunday with an 8.0-inning, three hit performance. Despite incurring the loss with two earned runs allowed, Dyer struck out five compared to one walk. Freshman James Meeker III and Simonton had base hits for the Zips.
Akron is now eighth overall in the MAC with an 11-13 record in league play.
Walk it out…
Akron has a drawn a total of 199 walks as a team this season, good for fifth in the conference and 84th in the country. Sheltrown (30) and Ahart (28) lead the squad in walks this season. Heading into the week, the duo had 28 walks, ranking 185th in the nation and ninth in the league.
Thanks in part to the team-lead in walks, Sheltrown is tops on the roster with a .446 on-base percentage. His OBP sits at fourth in the MAC and 108th in the NCAA. Sheltrown has had two walks or more in seven contests this season, including a career-high three walks against Canisius (April 2).
As a team, Akron has registered a .351 on-base percentage. Following Sheltrown on the roster to round out the top five is Simonton (.405), Joey Havrilak (.388), Ahart (.387), and Salem (.362).
Running free…
The Zips have swiped 70 bases this season led by Ahart with 26 stolen bases in 2014 and nine steals in MAC play. He ranks third in the conference and is tied for 16th in the nation for stolen bases. Sheltrown (12) and Simonton (11) have also reached double digits in steals this season.
Hot at the right time…
Sophomore Kris Simonton has been one of the most consistent hitters in the Akron lineup since the beginning of MAC play, totaling a .383 batting average with 21 runs scored and 13 RBI in 24 starts in leftfield. In MAC games, Simonton is third in the league with a.383 batting average.
Over the past eight games, he has batted .333 (13-for-39) with eight RBI, seven walks, three runs, one double and one homer out of the cleanup spot in the order. Simonton is currently tied for the team lead in runs scored at 33 with Ahart and Sheltrown.
20 wins…
The Zips are currently 24-25 heading into the Dayton game. UA picked up the 20th win of the season on April 16 in a non-conference matchup against Western Michigan.
Akron has had five 20-win campaigns in the past 10 seasons.
Future looking bright…
Four freshmen have made an immediate impact on the Zips success this season, including position players Dom Iero, Brian Lees, and James Meeker III along with relief pitcher Masashi Sakamoto.
Meeker has appeared in the most games (49) this season split between first and third base, while also totaling 20 runs, 21 RBI and 20 walks. He is currently batting .282 with a .357 on-base percentage heading into the weekend.
Lees has seen action in 29 games this season for Akron split between catcher and designated hitter. He has totaled five doubles, 12 RBI, and 12 walks in his rookie season. Lees has also thrown out 14 stolen base attempts.
Iero has received playing time in 32 games this season at shortstop and second base. He has a .241 batting average with 13 runs and 10 RBI. On March 2 vs. Delaware State, Iero clubbed his first career homerun – a grand slam – and finished the game with two hits, two runs and six RBI. His six RBI are a single game high for the conference this season.
Sakamoto has been one of the more consistent pitchers out of the Akron bullpen, as the Dublin, Ohio native has posted a 1.78 ERA over 30.1 innings pitched. He has a record of 3-2 in 18 relief appearances with one save, while also collecting 10 strikeouts.
Scouting the Flashes…
Kent State comes into the three-game series with an overall record of 30-20 and 14-10 within the conference, good for a fourth-place standing in the MAC. KSU had five batters hitting above .300, led by Zarley Zalewski, hitting a .362 clip, and Cody Koch, who has six homers and 46 RBI.
The Golden Flashes have a team ERA of 4.01. Eric Lauer (3.04 ERA) leads the rotation, with Michael Clark (1.40 ERA) setting the tone in the bullpen. KSU is led by first-year head coach Jeff Duncan.
Akron holds an all-time series record of 53-104-1 with Kent State. The Zips fell in all three games last season to the Flashes.
PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge...
The final points of 2013-14 are up for grabs this weekend in the third-annual PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge, as Akron and Kent State compete in baseball and track and field. Kent State currently leads, 6.5. to 5.5, with three points yet to be determined.
Looking ahead…
The current top eight teams in the MAC heading into the weekend are:
1. Ball State
2. Central Michigan
3. Miami
4. Kent State
5. Bowling Green
6. Buffalo
7. Northern Illinois
8. Akron
The conference tournament is scheduled for May 21-25 in Avon, Ohio at All Pro Freight Stadium, home of the Frontier League's Lake Erie Crushers. Akron has not made the MAC Tournament since the 2005 campaign.
