CMU baseball returns home Tuesday to face Davenport
The baseball team will look to continue its recent success in mid-week games when it hosts the Davenport Panthers at 4:05 Tuesday at Theunissen Stadium.
The Chippewas have won their last two mid-week games at home against Oakland on April 10 and Calvin College on April 16. But, they lost two of three games over the weekend, winning the finale of their series with Toledo.
“We’ll be ready to play,” head coach Steve Jaksa said. “We’re looking forward to it. We aren’t getting down. It’s too early to get down. We just have to go out there and play our game.”
That might not be easy against Davenport, which is coming off a four-game sweep over Lourdes College. The Panthers did not allow a run in the two games on Sunday between the teams, winning 4-0 and 2-0.
Offensively, the Panthers have seven players who are batting at least .300, led by senior catcher Michael Allen. He is batting .364 with a team-high 35 RBI. Junior first baseman Edward Grochowalski Jr. is also a top contributor. He comes into Tuesday’s game batting .325 with 29 RBI’s and a team-leading three home runs.
The Chippewas have yet to announce who will start the game on the mound, but past mid-week games suggest it will be freshmen Adam Aldred or Jimmy McNamara. Aldred was sharp in his last start against Calvin College, striking out five batters over six scoreless innings.
McNamara is 0-2 with a 3.09 ERA this season. His last start was in the Chippewas rain-suspended game at Comerica Park against Michigan State on April 17.
That game will be made up on May 14 when the Spartans visit Theunissen Stadium. The game will start with MSU up 1-0 and CMU with runners on first and second and nobody out in the bottom of the fifth. The two teams will play the third game of the season-long series following the makeup game.
