Akron Travels to Toledo for Weekend #MACtion

Akron Travels to Toledo for Weekend #MACtion
Follow Akron Baseball on Twitter and Facebook

Akron Travels to Toledo, Ohio for #MACtion Weekend Series Against the Toledo Rockets at Scott Park.

Akron Zips [9-17, 3-13 MAC] at Toledo [9-20, 7-9 MAC]
Friday-Sunday, April 16-18 | Scott Park | Toledo, Ohio

GAME COVERAGE
Friday ESPN+ - https://es.pn/3ttkNyo
Saturday (1) ESPN+ - https://es.pn/2P0nOre
Saturday (2) ESPN+ - https://es.pn/3dtnrPr
Sunday ESPN+ - https://es.pn/3uTMh0y

Live Stats - https://bit.ly/3uZxocX

WHAT'S AHEAD
The Akron baseball is back in #MACtion traveling to Toledo for a four-game Mid-American Conference series against the Toledo on Friday-Sunday, April 16-18 at Scott Park.

Friday's game is scheduled for a 3 p.m. first pitch while Saturday's doubleheader is slated to begin at Noon. The nightcap of the doubleheader will start approximately 30 minutes after game one, and Sunday's series finale is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start time.

Fans can follow the action on ESPN+ (with a subscription) 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 own a 9-17 overall record and 3-13 league mark, defeating Eastern Michigan twice for a series split and Bowling Green once posting a 1-3 series record while dropping four games to Western Michigan and Ball State.

Bryant Shellenbarger (.341) leads the Zips offense through the first two MAC series. He is 14-of-41 with one doubles, 3 RBI and five runs scored. Justin Barr (.283) follows in batting average but leads the squad in hits, 15-of-53 with five extra-base hits. He blasted three doubles and two homeruns with six RBI and five runs scored.

On the mound, Taed Heydinger (2.66 ERA) and Connor Steinbaugh (4.67 ERA) have collected the most innings pitched at 23.2 and 17.1, respectively. John Creel follows with 12.0 innings of work. Heydinger is 0-2 in four appearances, while Steinbaugh is 1-2 in with three appearances. Steinbaugh recorded 22 strikeouts with no walks in league play and 33 K's with zero walks overall to lead the Zips.

Toledo Rockets
Toledo enters the weekend with an overall record of 9-20 and 7-9 in conference play. The Rockets are coming off a 3-1 series win at Kent State last weekend, while earning a split with Ohio (2-2) and dropping series' to Miami (1-3) and Ball State (1-3).

In league play, Danny O'Reilly (.372), Chris Meyers (.351) and Nicky Winterstein (.344) have led the Rockets. O'Reilly is 16-of-43 Mid-American Conference series with four homeruns and three doubles, while Meyers dropped a team-high seven bombs with six doubles and one triple in a 14-of-57 showing and Winterstein collected a team-best 22 hits with six doubles, one homerun and one triple in 64 at-bats.

On the mound, Schnitz-Paxton (4.94 ERA) and Kyle Jones (7.48 ERA) lead the way with 23.2 and 21.2 innings pitched, while Connor Brandon (5.60 ERA) follows with 17.2 innings of work. Schnitz-Paxton (2-0) and Jones (0-4) recorded a team-best 31 and 27 strikeouts, respectively.

ZIPS QUICK HITS

Tate Wargo went 3-of-3 in the Zips last outing with BB and HBP
Zips are looking to snap a 14-game setback streak
SP Conor Steinbaugh has 33 K's with 0 BB and 2 HBP
Zips swept the MAC doubleheader against EMU, marking the first two league wins for head coach Chris Sabo and the first MAC win since 2015 for the program.
Barr went 8-17 against EMU with 3 RBI a homerun and a double, including a 4-for-6 performance in the extra-inning setback.
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 opened 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

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Justin Barr

John Creel

Taed Heydinger

Bryant Shellenbarger

Conor Steinbaugh

Tate Wargo

The University of Akron Athletics