Baseball Hosts Morehead State in Weekend Set
3/16/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 16, 2012
OXFORD, Ohio -- Miami wraps up a five-game homestand this weekend when it welcomes Morehead State to Oxford and McKie Field. The teams will play a doubleheader beginning Saturday at 1, then finish with a single game Sunday at the same time.
A year ago, the RedHawks took two of three from the Eagles in the same format.
Miami (9-7) has won five straight games since a 4-3 loss at Miami (Fla.) last Wednesday, including a sweep of Canisius in a two-game series earlier this week.
Morehead State enters the weekend with a 9-8 record, having won three of its last four. The Eagles defeated Marshall 11-8 on Tuesday.
The RedHawks' offense is led four relative newcomers to the scene. Sophomore John Crummy, who played in only five games last year, is hitting .447 with 14 runs batted in, the second-most on the team. Freshman Matt Honchel ranks second on the club with a .404 average with seven RBIs. Sophomore Nate Bowles stands third with a .370 average and four runs batted in.
As a team, the RedHawks are out-hitting their opponents .306 to .302, although they have been outscore 101-94 in total.
On the mound, RedHawk pitchers hold a 5.65 ERA, but have struck out 108 batters, compared to 42 walks.
Miami has used the same rotation on all four previous weekends and the Morehead State series is no different.
Junior Mac Thoreson stands 1-2 with a 9.15 ERA, but rebounded from three lackluster starts with a complete-game, seven-hitter for an 8-2 win over Sacred Heart on March 8. Junior Brooks Fiala (2-2, 9.87) was roughed up in his two previous starts before allowing only three runs in a 7-5 win over Seton Hall last Friday.
The ace of the staff so far has been senior Shawn Marquardt (2-1, 2.28), who has surrendered only 13 hits in his last three outings, which totaled 25.0 innings and include two complete games.
