Zips Baseball: Akron Opens MAC Play at Skeeles Field Against Eastern Michigan

Zips Baseball: Akron Opens MAC Play at Skeeles Field Against Eastern Michigan

Eastern Michigan [4-5] at Akron Zips [5-1]
Friday, March 19 | 3 p.m. | Skeeles Field | Akron, OH

GAME COVERAGE
Friday, March 19 vs. Eastern Michigan | 3 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Stream
Saturday, March 20 vs. Eastern Michigan | Noon | Live Stats | Live Stream
Saturday, March 20 vs. Eastern Michigan | 3 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Stream
Sunday, March 21 vs. Eastern Michigan | 11 a.m. | Live Stats | Live Stream

WHAT'S AHEAD
The Akron baseball team opens Mid-American Conference play this weekend, Friday-Sunday, March 19-21 at Skeeles Field against Eastern Michigan.

Akron continues the 14-game homestand to open the season with a 5-1 overall record. The series opener is slated for Friday, March 19, as the Zips and the Eagles battle in Game 1 of a four-game set. First pitch of the 9-inning contest is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Saturday's doubleheader features a pair of 7-inning games, starting at Noon followed by Sunday's final 9-inning showdown at 11 a.m.

Fans can follow the action on Zips Digital Network Live Stream each day or via live stats on GoZips.com. Links are also available on the baseball schedule page.

Under the guidance of second-year head coach Chris Sabo, the Zips return to the field with five seniors, 19 juniors, four sophomores, and 10 freshmen.

Cameron Tilly and Jerry Reinhart lead the Zips offense as both players own a team-high .421 batting average. Both, Tilly and Reinhart have eight hits apiece in 19 at bats. Tilly has nine RBI, four doubles and two homeruns, while has six RBI and one double. Justin Barr and Zac Granger also have eight hits, while both own a .364 batting averages.

On the mound, Connor Steinbaugh and John Creel lead the Zips in innings pitched. Steinbaugh is 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA with 11 strikeouts and no walks issued. He has allowed seven hits. Creel owns a team-best 16 K's en route to a 0.90 ERA. He has allowed eight walks and three hits. Jackson Hickert also has 11 strikouts with a 1.50 ERA in six innings of work.

The Zips are riding a three-game winning streak into the MAC Opener.

THE OPPONENT
Eastern Michigan leads the all-time series 29-21 as the two teams last met in 2015. Akron won 2-of-3 games, winning the opener 6-2, falling 1-3 in game two and taking the deciding game 3-1.

This season, EMU is off to a 4-5 start. The Eagles opened the season with three consecutive wins, sweeping a two-game series against Alabama State. EMU split a four-game series against Bellarmine and dropped three-straight games to No. 3 ranked Mississippi State.

Mark Kattula leads the Eagles in batting average (.333), hits (11), doubles (4) and homeruns (2). Jeff Timko also has two homeruns for the Eagles.

Justin Mels leads EMU with 18.0 innings pitched, allowing eight runs on 15 hits and five walks. Mels owns a team-best 13 strilkeouts with a 4.00 ERA. Davis Feldman and Luke McGuire follow with double-digit innings hurled. Feldman has tossed 15.2 innings with a 2.87 ERA, 12 strikeouts, 15 hits, seven walks and seven runs scored, while McGuire has 11.2 innings and a 5.40 ERA.

ZIPS QUICK HITS
Akron has 11 student-athletes on its roster from the state of Ohio.
Head coach Chris Sabo played third base for the Cincinnati Reds [1988-93, 1996-97]

THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Akron opens its 118th season in 2021 after a four-year hiatus and a shortened 12-game season. With the resurrection of baseball for the 2020 season on the University of Akron campus came the renovation of its home field.

A part of the Lee R. Jackson Athletics Complex, Skeeles Field underwent major renovation in the Fall of 2019. Thanks to the generous gift from Bill '77 and Mary Skeeles, the new playing surface is 110,00 square feet of playing area covered with Sprinturf Ultra-blade, including the pitching mound, batter's box, and bullpens. A complete re-grading of the infield surface took place first before a drainage system was added. A 25-foot Daktronics inning-by-inning scoreboard will be installed in March 2020. Future additions include bleacher seating and a pressbox.

MAC PREDICTIONS
Central Michigan was selected to win the 2021 Mid-American Conference title in a preseason poll conducted by the league's 11 head coaches.

The Chippewas won both the MAC regular-season and tournament championships in 2019, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995.

It was Jordan Bischel's first season in charge of the program, and he was named the MAC Coach of the Year after leading his club to a program-record-tying 47 victories. CMU's .770 win percentage (47-14) was the fifth best in the nation and the Chippewas improved their win total by 18 games over the previous season.

The MAC baseball season begins on Friday, February 19, while conference play starts up Friday, March 19. For more information visit getsomemaction.com or follow the MAC on Twitter at @MACSports.

2021 Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Central Michigan (4 first place votes) – 111 points
2. Kent State (5) – 110 points
T3. Miami (1) – 96 points
T3. Ball State – 96 points
5. Northern Illinois (1) – 72 points
6. Western Michigan – 63 points
7. Ohio – 56 points
8. Toledo – 45 points
9. Eastern Michigan – 36 points
10. Bowling Green – 28 points
11. Akron – 13 points

UP NEXT
Akron has a big week ahead as the Zips are scheduled to play a midweek game against Shawnee State on Wednesday, March 24 at Skeeles Field with first pitch at 3 p.m. before hosting Bowling Green for a four-game weekend series on Friday-Sunday, March 26-28. The games against the Falcons are slated for 3 p.m. (3/26),

Zips Baseball: Akron Opens MAC Play at Skeeles Field Against Eastern Michigan

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Players Mentioned

Justin Barr

John Creel

Zac Granger

Jackson Hickert

Jerry Reinhart

Cameron Tilly

The University of Akron Athletics