COLUMN: Things looking up for baseball team
Central Michigan Life File Photo
Baseball has a long season. There’s always room for improvement. For now, the Central Michigan University team looks to be playing its best baseball so far.
The Chippewas (21-12, 7-2 MAC) are tied for first place in the Mid-American Conference West Division and are winners of eight of their last 11 games.
With 56 games in the season, a team is bound to go on a hot streak now and then. It’s how this team is winning these games that is a great sign.
Offensively, CMU is peaking at the right time and looking very strong.
Since opening the MAC portion of their season, the Chippewas are averaging seven runs per game while going 8-4. In those eight wins, CMU averaged 8.9 runs per game.
Junior right fielder Logan Regnier has been leading that offensive charge. He is top in batting average , hits , doubles, triples, runs batted in, and slugging percentage.
Senior second baseman Pat MacKenzie is hitting .339 and has a team-high 13 stolen bases.
The flexibility of this lineup has been one of the pleasant surprises.
Fifteen Chippewas have started at least four games with each taking advantage of the chance they have on the field.
MacKenzie is the only player on the Chippewas’ roster to start all 33 games this season.
Pitching has been very good and very consistent and it all begins with the starters.
Sophomore pitcher Nick Deeg has been the strongest of the bunch. Juniors Jason Gamble and Adam Aldred along with freshman Pat Leatherman and sophomore Jordon Grosjean have all started games for CMU as well.
It’s hard to win without a bullpen that can come in and shut-down games. For the most part, it has been smooth sailing for this group.
Freshman Sean Martens, freshman Braxton Markle and junior Sean Renzi lead the bullpen that has a combined 3.49 earned run average.
Everything seems to be going as planned right now but with baseball anything can change–and fast.
That time has not come yet. There are still 23 games to play.
