MAC Hands Out Weekly Baseball Honors
MAC Baseball Co-Players of the Week
Nick Drobushevich, Northern Illinois, OF
Freshman, Moline, Ill. (Moline)
Drobushevich extended his hitting streak to eight games this week with four multi-hit games against UIC and Western Michigan. The freshman opened the week going 2-for-4 with an RBI and two walks in NIU's 15-10 loss to the Flames at Ralph McKinzie Field. After going 3-for-5 in game one of the Huskies' series at Western Michigan, Drobushevich was a combined 6-for-9 with four RBI in Saturday's doubleheader. In NIU's 12-6 win in game two that day, the freshman rightfielder was a season-high 4-for-4 with two RBI and a stolen base. He was a home run away from the cycle, even though he hit one in game one of that twinbill. Drobushevich had a slashline last week of .688/.700/1.062.
Jordan Stephens, Miami, Second Base/Shortstop
R-Junior, Parker, Colo. (Legend)
Stephens helped the Miami offensive explosion during its 5-0 week. As a team, the RedHawks scored 56 runs in five games, with Stephens driving in a team-high nine of them. He hit .478 with an on-base percentage of .536 and a slugging percentage of .739. Stephens had at least two hits and one RBI in all five of Miami's games this week. Against Wright State on Tuesday he was 2-for-4 with on RBI and one run scored. He had a double and a solo home run in that game. To help lead the RedHawks to the Nuxhall Classic Championship the next night against Cincinnati, Stephens was 2-for-6 with three RBIs and two runs scored, getting what turned out to be the game-winning hit in the top of the 11th to put Miami in front on the way to the win. On Friday against Bowling Green, Stephens was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and one run scored. In game one of the doubleheader on Saturday he was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored. He helped Miami finish off the series sweep in game two on Saturday, going 2-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Stephens is now hitting .415 with 10 RBIs in MAC play this season.
MAC Baseball Pitcher of the Week
Spencer Mraz, Miami, Pitcher
Junior, Middleburg Heights, Ohio (Berea-Midpark)
Mraz was on the brink of history for Miami as he threw 7.0 innings of hitless ball against Bowling Green on Saturday. The Falcons ultimately broke it up with a double to lead off the bottom of the eighth. For the game BGSU hit only .045 against Mraz. The runs scored against him came after he departed. He made things easy for the RedHawk defense as well on Saturday, recording a career-high 13 strikeouts. Mraz improved his record to 5-2 with a 3.28 ERA with 48 strikeouts in 46.2 innings of work this season.
Others Nominated
John Ricotta, Ball State, 1B
Senior, Rochester, NY
Ricotta led Ball State to a 3-1 week that featured a series win over Eastern Michigan and a midweek rout of Butler. BSU's starting first baseman slugged .813, highlighted with 2 home runs and 2 doubles. He went 2-for-4 in each of the first pair of games against EMU. He doubled and homered and drove in all 3 runs in BSU's 3-2 win on Friday. He then hit a home run in the very next game on Saturday. Defensively, he made 2 backhand scoops at 1st base to save errors along with a tough unassisted play behind the bag and a running play in foul territory.
Nick Floyd, Ball State, RHP
Senior, Elkhart, Ind. (Jimtown)
Floyd had a win and a save as Ball State went 3-1 last week. He worked 7 innings in his 2 appearances, striking out 9 and allowing just 1 run. He started and earned the win against Butler on Tuesday, then earned a 4-inning save in a win on Saturday. Opponents hit just .192 off of Floyd, who is now 5-0 on the season.
Jacob Crum, Central Michigan, OF
Senior St. Johns, Mich. (St. Johns)
Crum flexed his muscle at the plate this past week as the Chippewas finished 2-2 over a four-game stretch including a 24-10 non-conference rout at Oakland and a 7-4 victory in game one of Saturday's MAC doubleheader at Kent State. The St. Johns, Mich., native finished the week batting .294 with five hits, eight RBI and two home runs to go along with a .706 slugging percentage. In Tuesday's victory over the Golden Grizzlies, Crum finished 1-for-5 with 3 RBI and a walk. On Friday's 7-4 series opening loss at Kent State, he finished 2-of-4 with a homer and RBI. On Saturday's twin bill split with the Golden Flashes, he finished 2-of-7 with a home run and 4 RBI.
John Rensel Jr., Eastern Michigan, 1B/DH
Senior, Tallmadge, Ohio (Tallmadge)
Rensel Jr. led the Eastern Michigan offense in its four games, April 10, at Oakland University, and April 12-13, at Ball State University. The EMU captain compiled a .600 batting average (6-for-10), and .800 slugging percentage on the week, knocking two extra-base hits and tallying three RBIs in the span. In addition to his hot bat, Rensel Jr. showed veteran poise at the dish, drawing seven of the team’s 16 total walks on the week, and scoring four runs for the Green and White. Rensel’s best performance came in EMU’s win over MAC-foe Ball State University, where he went 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs, helping Eastern to hand Ball State its first home loss of the season after it previously won 14 straight in Muncie.
Justin Meis, Eastern Michigan, RHP
Freshman, Pittsburgh, Pa. (Bethel Park)
Meis was impressive on the mound in Eastern’s series finale at Ball State University, April 13. Earning his second-consecutive win, Meis tossed 5.2 innings for the Green and White, allowing just three earned runs and two free passes while dusting three Cardinal hitters in his effort. After giving up two runs in the first, Meis settled in and dominated the Cardinal offense, allowing just one run through his final 4.2 innings of work. With the win, Meis dealt Ball State its first home loss of the season, as the Cardinals were previously a perfect 14-0 in Muncie.
Justin Kirby, Kent State, OF
Freshman, Alpharetta, Ga. (Alpharetta)
Kirby posted a .583 batting average and 1.417 slugging percentage, collecting seven hits with two home runs, a triple, and two doubles through four games on the week. The Alpharetta, Ga. native has worked his way into the heart lineup and a starting position in the outfield in his freshman campaign, recording a .667 on-base percentage with five runs scored and three RBIs. The freshman was pivotal in a MAC series win against a tough CMU team, reaching base three times in the series opener and knocking a home run in each of the final two games. In the first game of a twin bill on Saturday, Kirby scored two of Kent State’s four runs with two RBIs, hitting a game-tying two-run blast in the sixth inning. In the series finale, Kirby went 3-for-3 at the plate, and was just a single short of hitting for the cycle. He legged out a triple in his first at bat that forced CMU to dip into its bullpen in the first inning of the game. He doubled in the third inning and walked in his third trip to the plate. In the seventh inning, he rocketed his second home run of the day to left field and nearly came to the plate for the fifth time, ending the day in the on-deck circle. On the season, Kirby has a .351 average and .635 slugging percentage, totaling 15 RBIs and 22 runs scored. His conference numbers lead the team with a .474 average and 18 hits with 10 extra-base knocks and an .868 slugging percentage.
Luke Albright, Kent State, RHP
Freshman, Fishers, Ind. (Fishers)
Albright made a dazzling appearance in long relief for the Flashes in the series finale against Central Michigan Saturday evening, collecting the win with a career-high 6.1 innings of work. Entering the game in the top of the third inning with runners on second and third and just a 6-3 lead, Albright shut down the Chippewas and worked out of the inning. He went on to hold CMU scoreless until the top of the ninth inning when the Chippewas managed one meaningless run as the Flashes walked away with the MAC series win. Albright allowed just one run on four hits while striking out three in the victory. The Fishers, Ind. native is 3-1 (2-0 in conference) in nine appearances on the season, tossing 30.0 innings with 30 punch outs. He ranks sixth in the MAC in opposing batting average, holding opponents to a .181 average.
Rudy Rott, Ohio, 1B
Senior, Holmen, Wis.(La Crosse Aquinas)
Rott was sensational in Ohio's week against Ohio State and Toledo. Rott hit two home runs and two doubles in the week. Rott had a home run and double against Ohio State, and also in Ohio's 16-5 win over Toledo on Friday. Rott drove in one RBI against OSU and two against Toledo. UT pitched around Rott in the final two games of the series, walking him three times with two being intentional walks. Rott had a team-best .500 on-base percentage in the past week.
Jack Liberatore, Ohio, RHP
Redshirt freshman, Greensburg, Pa. (Greensburg Central Catholic)
Liberatore was phenomenal in Ohio's 5-2 win over Toledo on Saturday. Liberatore struck out a career-high eight batters in 7.2 innings. The Greensburg, Pa. native did not allow a run to score while allowing just five batters to reach base. Liberatore did not walk a batter and gave up just two extra base hits.
Jimmy Roche, Western Michigan, Third Baseman
Senior, Orland Park, Ill. (Sandburg)
Roche helped propel the Broncos to a 3-1 record on the weekend with a series victory over Northern Illinois and a win on Wednesday at Notre Dame. Roche led the Broncos with 8 RBIS on the week and ranked third on the team with a .389 batting average. In the four games, Roche had two multi-hit games and recorded an RBI in three of the four. Offensively, Roche led the Broncos to a win over Notre Dame last Wednesday going 3-for-4 with a career-high six RBIs. Roche against the Fighting Irish had five of his career-high six RBIs in his first two at-bats and finished a home run away from completing the cycle. Against the Huskies over the weekend, Roche was 4-for-14 with two RBIs and a double to give WMU its first MAC series victory of the season. At the plate Roche had just one strikeout in 18 at-bats during the week and in the field had 0 errors and 8 assists.
Will Mullen, Western Michigan, RHP
Redshirt Junior, Rochester, Mich. (Notre Dame Prep)
In his only appearance of the week, redshirt junior Will Mullen dominated in game one against Northern Illinois on Friday to pick up his second win of the season. Mullen threw a career-high 4.2 innings allowing no runs on 11 hits while matching his career-high with four strikeouts. The Rochester, Mich., native has not allowed a run in his last four appearances and has accumulated eight strikeouts in 10.1 innings of work. In 17 appearances this season, Mullen has a 2-3 record with a team-low 3.66 ERA in 32 innings pitched.
