Zips Travel East to Battle Kent State for Weekend #MACtion and Wagon Wheel Points

Zips Travel East to Battle Kent State for Weekend #MACtion and Wagon Wheel Points
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Akron travels to rival Kent State for a four-game weekend #MACtion series and points for the Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center Wagon Wheel Challenge against the Golden Flashes at Olga Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium.

Akron Zips [10-28, 4-24 MAC] at Kent State [19-20, 12-12 MAC]
Friday-Sunday, May 7-9 | Olga Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium | Kent, Ohio

GAME COVERAGE
GM1 Fri – 5 PM - https://bit.ly/3nRXWdY
GM2 Sat (1) – 1 PM - https://bit.ly/2PXyFCI
GM3 Sat (2) – 4 PM - https://bit.ly/33jh2jV
GM4 Sun – 1 PM - https://bit.ly/33jh2jV

Live Stats - https://bit.ly/3h3u7WB

WHAT'S AHEAD
The Akron baseball is back in #MACtion traveling to rival Kent State for a four-game Mid-American Conference series against the Golden Flashes on Friday-Sunday, May 6-9 at Olga Mural Field at Schoonover Stadium.

Friday's game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. first pitch while Saturday's doubleheader is slated to begin at 1 p.m. 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 KSU's GFTV 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 10-28 overall record and 4-24 league mark, defeating Eastern Michigan twice for a series split, Bowling Green and Northern Illinois once posting 1-3 record in both series while dropping four games to Western Michigan, Ball State, Toledo and Central Michigan.

The Zips are hitting .222 as a team through 28 league games led by Bryant Shellenbarger (.312 AVG) with a team-high 24-for-77 effort including two doubles, a homerun, six RBI and eight runs scored. Justin Barr (.239 AVG) and Bradley Goulet (.238 AVG) follow with 21-for-88 and 19-for-80 performances, respectively. Barr blasted three doubles and two homeruns with seven RBI and eight runs scored, while Goulet delivered two doubles and a homerun with four RBI and 10 runs scored.

On the mound, Taed Heydinger (4.74 ERA), Anthony Fett (6.48 ERA) and Connor Steinbaugh (4.19 ERA) have collected the most innings pitched at 38.0, 25.0 and 19.1, respectively. Heydinger is 0-5 in six appearances, while Steinbaugh is 1-2 in with four appearances. Steinbaugh recorded 23 strikeouts with no walks in league play and 34 K's with zero walks overall to lead the Zips.

Kent State
Kent State enters the weekend with an overall record of 19-20 and 12-12 in conference play. The Flashes have dropped the last two games after rattiling-off four consecutive wins. The won 3-of-4 at Miami and split a series with Ohio (2-2).

The Flashes have three players hitting over .300 for the season and one player just under as Cam Touchette (.357 AVG) leads the way. Touchette has 45 hits in 126 at-bats and tied for a team-high nine doubles with one homerun, one triple, 16 RBI and 21 runs scored. Collin Mathews (.336 AVG) is 42-of-125 with nine doubles, four homeruns, one triple 25 RBI and 24 runs scored, while Ben Carew (.314 AVG) has 43 hits in 137 at-bats with eight doubles, five homeruns, on triple, 27 RBI and 34 runs scored. Justin Miknis (.294 AVG) is 35-of-119 with eight doubles, two triples and a homerun with 21 RBI and 24 runs scored.

On the mound, Luke Albright (2.67 ERA) owns a 5-3 record in 11 starting appearances with one complete game. In 60.2 innings pitched he has allowed 48 hits and 22 runs (18 earned runs) while dishing out a team-high 83 strikeouts and 29 walks. Collin Romel (6.32 ERA) follows with 47.0 innings pitched and a 2-6 record on 8-of-11 starting appearances. He has allowed 57 hits and 41 runs scored with 41 strikeouts and 17 walks. Jack Zimmerman owns the team-high in appearances with 15 and has a 3-0 record. In 27.1 innings pitched, he allowed 20 hits and 11 runs with 34 K's and 16 BB's.

ZIPS QUICK HITS

Zips snapped a 25-game winless streak, Defeating NIU 7-4 on the road.
Bryant Shellenbarger leads the offense with 21 hits and a .328 BA
Tate Wargo went 3-of-3 against Ball State with BB and HBP
Zips are looking to snap a 22-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

Zips Travel East to Battle Kent State for Weekend #MACtion and Wagon Wheel Points

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Players Mentioned

Justin Barr

Anthony Fett

Bradley Goulet

Taed Heydinger

Bryant Shellenbarger

Conor Steinbaugh

Tate Wargo

The University of Akron Athletics