Baseball Hosts Kent State in Final Regular Season MAC Series

May 13 | Baseball

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Akron vs. Kent State Game Notes in PDF Format | Diamond Classic for the Kids Flyer

AKRON, Ohio – The University of Akron baseball team (24-26, 12-12 MAC) welcomes crosstown rival Kent State (29-19, 16-8 MAC) for a pivotal three-game Mid-American Conference series beginning on Thursday, May 14 with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch at Canal Park in downtown Akron. The game will serve as the annual Diamond Classic for the Kids.

The Zips will then return to Lee R. Jackson field for the final two games of the set. The series continues on Friday, May 15 at 4 p.m. and will conclude on Saturday at 4 p.m.

Each game will be played as part of the PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge.

In addition, Akron's nine seniors, Pat Dyer, Andrew Fanning, Joey Havrilak, Zak Knettel, Matt LaRocca, Dan Lawrence, Jon Pusateri, Matt Rembielak and Darius Washington, will be recognized on the field prior to Friday's 4 p.m. first pitch in a special Senior Day ceremony.

Gameday Information:

Thursday, May 14 • 6:30 p.m. - Canal Park - Live stats | Video

Kent State: Jr., RHP Nick Jensen-Clagg (7-4, 3.15 ERA, 80.0 IP)

Akron: Jr., LHP John Valek III (6-5, 2.98 ERA, 87.2 IP)

Friday, May 15 • 4 p.m. - Lee R. Jackson Field - Live Stats | Video

Kent State: So., LHP Eric Lauer (5-3, 1.69 ERA, 74.2 IP)

Akron: Jr., RHP JT Brubaker (5-4, 3.55 ERA, 78.2 IP)

Saturday, May 16 • 4 p.m. - Lee R. Jackson Field - Live Stats | Video

Kent State: So., RHP Andy Ravel (6-2, 3.15 ERA, 68.2 IP)

Akron: RSr., RHP Jon Pusateri (3-5, 2.79 ERA, 67.2 IP)

FOLLOW ALONG

Live stats will be available for each game of the series, along with a live video stream with David Suntup on play-by-play and former Akron infielder James Sheltrown on color analysis via GoZips.com.

DIAMOND CLASSIC FOR THE KIDS

All of the proceeds from Thursday's 6:30 p.m. game at Canal Park will benefit the School Health Services at Akron Children's Hospital. Tickets are $5 each for everyone attending the game (children six years of age and younger are free). You may purchase a ticket online here or at the gate when you arrive. Gates open at 5:30 p.m.

PNC WAGON WHEEL CHALLENGE

Each game will serve as part of the PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge. The winner of the three-game series will be awarded one point for its school.
Each time the Zips and Golden Flashes meet in any sport, the winner of the series is awarded one point. Kent State currently leads Akron in the race, 7.0-5.0.

MAC STANDINGS

The top eight teams in the MAC will compete in the double-elimination 2015 MAC Tournament May 20-23 at All Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio.
The current top eight teams heading into this weekend are as follows:

Central Michigan (17-7)
Kent State (16-8)
Ohio (15-9)
Toledo (14-10)
Western Michigan (13-11)
Ball State (12-12)
Akron (12-12)
Bowling Green (11-13)

Akron (12-12) sits in third in the MAC East and is trailed closely by Bowling Green (11-13) and Miami (Ohio) (10-14).
Kent State is first in the MAC East and has locked in a MAC Tournament seed.

SERIES ACTION

Akron owns a 55-106-1 record against Kent State since the first meeting in 1931.
The Zips and Golden Flashes met in the MAC Championship last season, with Kent State claiming a 3-0 victory in a pitchers' duel where Akron starter Pat Dyer turned in 7.1 innings with one run allowed.
Akron won last season's Diamond Classic game at Canal Park, 8-7, but dropped the next two games as Kent State took the series.

SEVEN-GAME HOMESTAND

The Zips wrap up a season-ending seven-game homestand this weekend against Kent State. The Zips have gone 2-2 in the homestand after a midweek loss to Canisius and a pair of wins against Buffalo to take the three-game series.

LAST TIME OUT

Akron last competed when it played host to Canisius on Tuesday, May 12. The Zips fell 3-5 despite a 7.0 inning outing from freshman starting pitcher Josh Lapiana where the lefty allowed just one earned run. Darius Washington led the Zips' offense with two hits and three RBI.
The Zips' last MAC series took place at Akron's Lee Jackson Field where the Zips won the Buffalo series, 2-1.

AKRON NOTES

Akron owns a staff ERA of 3.82 and is batting .274 as a team. In conference play, Akron has posted a 3.14 ERA and a .277 batting average.
Following strong performances from Zips pitchers last weekend, Akron also improved to 57th in the NCAA in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 2.44 entering the week.
The Zips pitching staff has walked the fewest batters in the MAC at 132 while striking out 314 entering the week. They are led in strikeouts by JT Brubaker with 64, who has issued 24 walks.
In 29 of Akron's 50 contests, the pitching staff has combined to walk no more than two batters.
Akron averages 2.80 walks per nine innings, the 35th best mark in the NCAA following the Buffalo series.
Among MAC staffs, Akron pitchers have consistently ranked in the top five in multiple categories this season, including top-five stats in ERA (3.86), opposing batting average (.260), wins (24), saves (15), hits allowed (429), runs allowed (228), earned runs allowed (182), walks allowed (132) and triples allowed (nine).
After providing a walk-off single in the ninth inning of Sunday's game against Buffalo, sophomore catcher Brian Lees has now batted in a game-winning run in the ninth inning on three occasions this season; the others coming in a 5-4 win over Northern Illinois (April 12) and a 5-4 comeback victory against Charlotte (Feb. 22).
Redshirt senior outfielder Joey Havrilak leads Akron in batting average (.342), slugging percentage (.511), on base percentage (.436), runs scored (41), hits (65), stolen bases (16) and at bats (190).
Sophomore infielder Dom Iero is Akron's RBI leader with 32. He is followed by Joey Havrilak with 30 while Daulton Mosbarger and Kris Simonton are tied with 22.
Brian Lees has seen his batting average shoot up to .310 as he just saw a nine-game hit streak come to a close against Canisius, which included a double in five-straight games.
Joey Havrilak leads the team in plate appearances with 231, and has just the seventh-most strikeouts on the team with 24. He has walked more times than struck out, and stands second on the team in free passes with 28. Daulton Mosbarger leads in walks with 29.
Seventeen of Akron's 50 games have come down to one run, accounting for 12 of Akron's 26 losses.
Joey Havrilak and Dom Iero are the only Zips to appear in all 50 games this season. They have each started every contest.

SCOUTING KENT STATE

The Golden Flashes sit atop the MAC East and have punched a ticket to the MAC Tournament. They enter the contest with a 29-19 overall record and are 16-8 in the MAC.
As a team, Kent State is batting .279 with a conference-best ERA of 3.39. They are holding opponents to a .240 clip.
KSU is first in the MAC with 37 home runs and 97 doubles. Conner Simonetti leads with a MAC-best 11 home runs while Tommy Monnot has clubbed 15 doubles. Simonetti also leads Kent State in RBI with 39 and also owns a MAC-best .639 slugging percentage.
Zarley Zalewski leads the Kent State offense with a .363 batting average (66-of-182), which was good for fifth in the conference entering the week. He also leads with a .457 on base percentage.
Kent State's Thursday starter, RHP Nick Jensen-Clagg (7-4) has accrued a 3.15 ERA across a team-high 80.0 innings. Jensen-Clagg is set to make his 14th start. He leads the MAC with 95 strikeouts.
LHP Eric Lauer (5-3) is set to make the start for Kent State on Friday. Lauer owns a team-best 1.69 ERA, good for second in the MAC. He has recorded 74.2 innings pitched and is set to make his 12th start and 14th appearance overall. The lefty is holding batters to a .210 average. Lauer tossed a complete game shutout against Miami (Ohio) on April 26.
RHP Andy Ravel (6-2) will take to the mound on Saturday for his 13th start. Ravel has logged 68.2 innings pitched and has served up 68 hits and 36 runs, 28 earned. He has walked 14 and struck out 51. Batters are averaging .250 against the righty.

THE ROTATION

Akron's Thursday starter, junior LHP John Valek III (6-5), will be making his 14th start on the mound. He has collected a team-leading 87.2 innings pitched, the second-most in the conference. The lefty has held opponents to a .219 clip, which is third in the MAC. He owns a 2.98 ERA and has allowed 29 earned runs and 70 hits. Valek has fanned 52 and walked 24. Against conference opponents, Valek has allowed 13 earned runs in 60.1 frames as MAC batters are averaging .208 against the lefty. In his last outing, Valek picked up the win after allowing just one run and three hits in 7.0 innings in a 4-1 win against Buffalo. In six of his eight MAC starts, Valek has twirled at least 7.0 innings, not allowing more than two earned runs.
Junior RHP JT Brubaker (5-4) is set to start on the mound on Friday for the 14th time. Brubaker leads Akron with 64 strikeouts to just 25 walks. He has accrued a 3.55 ERA over 78.2 innings pitched. Hitters are averaging .243 against Brubaker, who has allowed 21 earned runs in 50.2 innings pitched against conference opponents. In his last start, the righty turned in 6.0 innings in a no decision against Buffalo. He allowed four hits and three runs while fanning six.
Redshirt senior RHP Jon Pusateri (3-5) will take to the mound on Saturday for his ninth start after taking over in the Sunday role following an injury to Pat Dyer. Pusateri is this week's MAC East Pitcher of the Week after tossing 7.0 innings without an earned run against Buffalo. Pusateri is second on the team with a 2.79 ERA. Pusateri has held opponents to a .220 clip to rank in the top five in the MAC. He has tossed 67.2 innings and has allowed just 21 earned runs and 56 hits. Pusateri has fanned 54 and walked 19. In conference action, Pusateri has allowed 13 earned runs in 46.1 innings.

KENT STATE CONNECTIONS

Fourth-year head coach Rick Rembielak, a Cleveland native, served as the head coach of the Golden Flashes from 1994-2004. He won four MAC regular season championships and three league tournament titles at KSU, where he is the second all-time winningest coach in school history with a career record of 373-251-1 (.597). In 11 seasons as the Golden Flashes' head coach, Rembielak was 200-100 (.667) against league members and led KSU to 11 consecutive MAC Tournament appearances. Rembielak is in his 20th season overall as a head coach after a stint at Wake Forest from 2005-09.
Additionally, pitching coach Kyle Smith was a three-year letter winner on the Kent State baseball team, and graduated in 2012. Smith registered a 17-3 career record with the Golden Flashes, while also earning First Team All-MAC and First Team All-Midwest Region awards in the 2008 season.

MAC EAST PITCHER OF THE WEEK

In a key rubber match against Mid-American Conference opponent Buffalo, redshirt senior starting pitcher Jon Pusateri led Akron to a 4-3 victory to take the three-game series against the Bulls. Pusateri tossed 7.0 innings, allowing just five hits and no earned runs. The righty struck out a career-high eight batters and walked two. One unearned run crossed against Pusateri in the third inning. With a pair of runners in scoring position, the redshirt senior fanned the next two batters to avoid further damage. Pusateri picked up a no decision after leaving the game in line for the win.

THREE WINS AWAY

After leading the Zips to 28 victories last season, fourth-year head coach Rick Rembielak started this year's campaign 27 wins shy of reaching 600 in his career. With three regular-season games left and a shot at Akron's second-straight MAC Tournament appearance, Rembielak is just three wins from 600. He stands at 84-130 at Akron and 597-523-1 in his 20th season overall as a head coach.

FRIENDLY CONFINES

Akron owns a 10-6 record at home, which included a six-game win streak highlighted by a series win over Toledo and a three-game sweep against Northern Illinois.
Akron has posted a .293 average in 16 games at home, compared to its .274 average overall.
Mason Mamarella is a stand-out player on the Zips' turf, batting .362 with 17 of his 31 hits coming in 14 games at home versus 24 on the road. Similarly, Brian Lees owns a .407 clip at home as he has gone 22-of-54 in 15 games at Lee Jackson Field.
Zips pitchers own a 2.98 ERA on the bump at home and average 8.70 strikeouts per home game versus 5.89 on the road. The staff has allowed 49 earned runs and 128 hits in 148.0 innings pitched at home.

RECORD WATCH

Junior starting pitcher John Valek III has pitched 87.2 innings this season to bring his career total to 265.1 innings. His mark is good for sixth overall in Akron program history. Valek trails Frank Turocy who tossed 278.0 innings from 2005-09. The category is led by Andrew Brown (2009-12) with 360.2.
Additionally, Valek twirled 91.0 innings last season, the eight-most in a single season in Akron program history. He is 1.1 innings shy of tying that mark and 5.0 frames shy of tying for sixth at 95.1. Ross Liersemann is the program leader after twirling 112.0 innings in the 2006 season.
Joining Valek in record-setting is closer Matt LaRocca. LaRocca has nine saves so far this season, good for the third-most in a single season in Akron program history. LaRocca passed up Chris Bassitt (2011) with seven. His nine this season brings his career total to 18, good for the second-most in Akron history. Derek Stanfield (2004-05) leads the category with 26.

BRIGHT FUTURE

The Zips have two freshman who have contributed to the season's success. Redshirt freshman Mason Mamarella has made 32 starts in center field for the Zips. The speedy outfielder is second on the team with 14 stolen bases on 17 attempts. At the dish, Mamarella has 31 hits, six RBI, eight walks and a .350 on base percentage. His season has been highlighted by a six-game hit streak beginning against Eastern Michigan in Akron's first MAC series of the season. Mamarella went 13-for-20 with two RBI and five multi-hit games in his six-game hit streak.
True freshman pitcher and midweek starter, Josh Lapiana, saw his first collegiate starts against ACC foe Pittsburgh and Big-Ten opponent Ohio State early this season. In each of his last five outings, including four starts, Lapiana has not allowed more than one earned run. The left-hander has allowed just four earned runs total in his last 28.1 innings, which included a pair of victories against Western Michigan and Youngstown State. He twirled a career-high 7.0 frames against Canisius on Tuesday, allowing just one earned run to bring his ERA to 4.22.

SMALL BALL

The Zips own a .467 clip in successfully advancing runners with the help of 42 sacrifice bunts.
Since an April 4 contest at Ball State, Akron has posted 20 sacrifice bunts. The runner that advanced on a sacrifice bunt has gone on to score 14 times in that span.
Akron registered five sacrifice bunts against Buffalo in game three on Sunday. All four of Akron's runs scored came from base runners that advanced on a sacrifice bunt earlier in the inning.
Matt Rembielak and Mason Mamarella have each recorded seven sac bunts.

CLEANING UP NICELY

Redshirt junior infielder Gerrad Rohan has started in the clean-up spot for Akron over the past six games. In that span, Rohan has batted .409 (9-of-22) and has raked in seven of his 21 total RBI.
Rohan batted clean-up in each game of the Buffalo series, where he went 4-for-9 (.444) with five RBI. Between a pair of victories against the Bulls, Rohan was responsible for batting in half of Akron's runs after a pair of multi-RBI showings.

BACK-TO-BACK WEEKENDS

Sophomore catcher Brian Lees has batted .522 over Akron's last two MAC series against Bowling Green and Buffalo. He saw a team-best nine-game hit streak come to a close on Tuesday against Canisius, which includes six multi-hit games. Additionally, Lees has hit a double in five-straight MAC games and has seen his overall batting average rise .032 in that span.

20 WINS

Fourth-year head coach Rick Rembielak led Akron to its 20th win, which came in the Zips' midweek match-up at Youngstown State on April 29.
Rembielak has now led the Zips to their second-straight 20-plus-win season.
Prior to last season's 28-29 record under Rembielak, Akron had not recorded 20 wins since the 2010 season when the squad went 21-34.
Additionally, the Zips have claimed 12 conference victories to match last year's mark.
Akron has not eclipsed 12 wins in conference play since 1997 when the Zips went 14-17. In addition to last year, UA has notched 12 league game victories in 2000 and 2003.

ZIPS' STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE MONTH

Junior left-handed pitcher John Valek III (Parkland, Fla.) has been named the Zips' Student-Athlete of the Month for April.
Throughout the month of April, Valek made four starts against Mid-American Conference opponents, totaling 30.2 innings on the mound. Valek held opponents to just 18 hits and eight runs, six earned, to post a 1.76 ERA on the month. He fanned 19 total batters and issued eight walks.
Valek tossed at least 7.0 innings in each start and allowed a single earned run in three of his four outings. Additionally, Valek allowed no more than five hits in three out of four starts. At the conclusion of the month, Valek was second in the MAC in innings pitched and batting average against, as he had held opponents to a .204 clip.

LaROCCA NAMED TO OLERUD AWARD WATCH LIST

Redshirt senior infielder and right-handed pitcher Matt LaRocca (Stony Brook, N.Y.) is one of 36 players named to the watch list for the 2015 John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award, presented by the National College Baseball Hall of Fame.
On the mound, LaRocca leads the bullpen with a 3.18 ERA and nine saves, the third-most in the MAC and 37th-most in the NCAA. He has made 16 appearances out of the bullpen and has tossed 17.0 innings. He has has fanned 23 batters while issuing just three walks.
LaRocca, the only Mid-American Conference player on the Olerud Award watch list, has started 22 games at first base, eight at the hot corner and two as the designated hitter. Offensively, the redshirt senior is batting .236 with 17 runs scored and 14 RBI.
LaRocca has nine saves so far this season, good for the third-most in a single season in Akron program history. LaRocca passed up Chris Bassitt (2011) with seven. His nine this season brings his career total to 18, good for the second-most in Akron history. Derek Stanfield (2004-05) leads the category with 26.

STREAKING

Joey Havrilak has reached base safely in all but two of the Zips' 50 contests for a team-high .436 on base percentage. Havrilak opened the season on an 18-game hit streak and rode a season-best 23 game streak from March 22 to April 28. Havrilak has also hit safely in 41 games, including a team-leading 18 multi-hit games. He has reached base off 65 hits, six hit by pitches and 28 walks.

RUNNING WILD

Entering the week, Akron was ranked 52nd in the NCAA with 68 stolen bases and 1.39 steals per game. The Zips' 68 stolen bases ranks third in the MAC. Three Zips have double figures in stolen bases led by redshirt senior outfielder Joey Havrilak, who upped the team total to 69 on Tuesday. Havrilak is 16-of-18 in steal attempts. Junior outfielder Kris Simonton (13-of-16) and redshirt freshman outfielder Mason Mamarella (14-of-17) follow.

PLAYING THE FIELD

After starting at second base in each of the first 13 games this season, sophomore infielder Dom Iero moved to third base where he started in 13 then moved to shortstop for 17 games to cover for injured Zips. In the Zips' last series against Bowling Green and Buffalo, Iero moved back to third base to bring his total to 20 at the hot corner. Iero has far and away the most assists on the team with 147.

DYER RETURNS

After exiting a March 15 contest against Davidson due to a concussion sustained after being struck by a line drive, right-handed pitcher Pat Dyer made his first appearance back on the mound in a game against Northern Illinois on April 12. Dyer pitched 3.2 scoreless innings of relief to pick up the win. He allowed three hits and struck out three to improve to 3-0.
In his first four appearances back on the mound, Dyer pitched 12.1 innings, allowing four earned runs and 12 hits. He pitched 3.0 scoreless innings of relief in game three against Ohio and allowed one hit.

ON DECK

Entering the weekend, the Zips currently sit in seventh place in the MAC with a 12-12 record. The top eight teams after this weekend will advance to the 2015 MAC Tournament May 20-23 at All Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, Ohio.