RedHawks Take Down Akron 15-8 to Secure MAC Regular-Season Title

Saturday, May 16

Akron, Ohio

11 a.m.

Miami University

38-15, 25-8

Akron

21-34, 11-22

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Miami (Ohio)	3	0	4	1	0	3	3	1	0	15	18	0
Akron	0	1	0	0	0	4	2	0	1	8	13	1

RedHawks Take Down Akron 15-8 to Secure MAC Regular-Season Title

5/16/2026 5:45:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

AKRON, Ohio – Miami secured its second straight MAC regular-season title in a 15-8 victory over Akron on Saturday afternoon. With this win, Brian Smiley has now reached 100 career victories as a head coach. The RedHawks improve to 38-15 (25-8 MAC) with the victory, while the Zips fall to 21-34 (11-22 MAC).

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Marcus Dierks opened play by doubling down the left field line, and Evan Appelwick followed up with an RBI single up the middle to give Miami a 1-0 lead. Tommy Harrison and Ignacio Gonzalez each walked to load the bases for the RedHawks. Ryan Novak hit a sacrifice fly to score Appelwick and Diego Cruz grounded out to score Harrison, extending the lead to 3-0 in the top of the first inning.
After a Zip reached first base on a fielder's choice and stole second, Akron got on the board in the second inning with a single to trail 3-1.
Cruz opened the third inning by walking, and Dominic Krupinski singled through the right side to advance Cruz to third base. Matthew Buffington used a sac bunt to score Cruz and regain a three-run advantage at 4-1. Dierks walked to put two RedHawks on base and Harrison went on to smash a home run to break the game open at 7-1.
The Red and White scored one run in the top of the fourth inning. Ryan Novak smacked a double down the right field line and Cruz hit an RBI single to center field to increase the scoring gap to 8-1.
In the sixth inning, a pair of singles from Carson Raether and Cruz put the RedHawks in scoring position. A Krupinski double scored Raether and advanced Cruz to third base. A sac fly from Buffington and a single from Dierks added two more runs to make it an 11-1 ball game. Akron responded with a pair of home runs to cut their deficit to 11-5.
The RedHawks started the top of the seventh inning with the bases loaded after Novak and Raether hit a pair of singles, as well as Cruz making it to first after being hit by a pitch. A sac fly from Krupinski scored Novak. A wild pitch by the Zips advanced Cruz to second and Raether to third. Buffington brought in two more runs after singling to right field and making it a 14-5 advantage. Akron answered back with two runs to trail 14-7.
A Novak single that was followed by a Cruz single led to Novak scoring and pushing Miami's lead to 15-7 in the eighth inning. Carson Byers recorded a one-two-three inning in the bottom of the eighth to end the inning.
Austin Berggren came in to pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning, and Akron managed to add one run. Although, Berggren used a strikeout and a pair of groundouts to end the game.

MIAMI GAME NOTES:

Dierks went 3-for-4 with two BB, two runs and one RBI.
Harrison went 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs and two BB.
Novak went 3-for-4 with three runs, one BB and an RBI.
Cruz went 3-for-4 with three runs, three RBI and one BB.
Krupinski went 2-for-4 with two runs, two RBI and one BB.
Buffington went 2-for-4 with four RBI.
Troy Benko earned the win as he pitched 5.2 innings, holding the 21 batters he faced to six hits in 87 pitches.

UP NEXT:
Miami has clinched the number one seed and a first-round bye in the MAC Tournament in Avon, Ohio. They begin tournament play on Thursday, May 21 at 2 p.m.