Miami Starts MAC East Play Friday vs. Bowling Green
4/19/2012 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 19, 2012
After four straight weekends of inter-divisional play, Miami faces its first MAC East opponent this weekend when Bowling Green visits McKie Field. The Alumni Weekend games will start at 6 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
The RedHawks (18-19, 4-8) snapped a season-long four-game losing streak with a 13-8 victory over Dayton on Wednesday. Miami broke a 6-6 tie with its biggest seventh inning of the season -- six runs. In league play, the RedHawks have won only once in their last six outings and were swept at home by Northern Illinois last weekend.
Bowling Green (15-21, 4-8) has won four of its last five games overall, including an 8-6 victory at Wright State on Tuesday. The Falcons took two of three at home over MAC East leader Kent State last weekend.
Despite an 0-for-6 night against Dayton, freshman Matt Honchel continues to lead the team in hitting. He is batting .393, the first time he has been below .400 since March 30. Honchell had an eight-game hitting streak -- his third that length this season -- snapped by the Flyers.
Junior Kevin Bower has moved into third on the team in hitting (following injured Alex Johnson) at .353, while catchers John Crummy (.336) and Nate Bowles (.333) are fourth and fifth, respectively.
Bower leads the club with 36 runs batted in, followed by Bryce Redeker, who has 32 plus a team-best four home runs.
Miami will stick with its usual weekend rotation, keeping the order it first used last weekend. Junior right-hander Brooks Fiala (2-4, 6.39) will open on Friday, while senior lefty Shawn Marquardt (4-3, 4.50) draws Saturday's assignment. Mac Thoreson, who was the RedHawks' Friday starter for the first eight weeks, is now slated to throw on Sunday. He stands 3-3 with a 6.90 ERA.
As a team, Miami is hitting .301, but has an overall earned-run average of 5.14.
