KENT STATE BASEBALL BASEBALL CONTACT: Dan Griffin | [email protected] | (Office) 330-672-8468 2021 Record Friday -Sunday 5pm | 1pm (DH) | 1pm 24-23 Kent State Golden Flashes | Mid-American Conference 2021 SCHEDULE Date Opponent Time/Result Overall Record 2020: 7-7 | 2021: 24-23(17-15 MAC) MAC Record (2019): 17-8 FEBRUARY MAC Finish (2019): L Mac Tournament (0-2) 19 @ Virginia Tech PPD 20 @ Virginia Tech PPD Head Coach: Jeff Duncan (8th) (249-149 at Kent State) 21 @ Virginia Tech (DH) L, 3-1 @ Virginia Tech (DH) L, 9-2 27 vs Tennessee Tech (DH) W, 6-1, 17-5 28 vs Tennessee Tech W, 8-1 Western Michigan Broncos | Mid-American Conference MARCH 5 @West Virginia PPD Overall Record : 20-22 19-13 MAC) |2020:9-6| 2019: 18-31 6 @West Virginia PPD 7 @West Virginia PPD Conference Records (2019): 11-13 5 @ #2 Mississippi St L, 8-3 Post Season Finish: N/A 6 @ #2 Mississippi St W, 9-5 Head Coach: Billy Gernon 7 @ #2 Mississippi St L, 13-0 Probable Starters 12 Salem University Canceled Friday 13 Grand Valley State Canceled Follow Along Luke Albright (R):Fourth in the MAC with 96 strikeouts 12 Seton Hall W, 10-7 Saturday 13 Seton Hall W, 12-4 GFTV @KentSt Collin Romel (L): 2ER allowed in each of last two starts (13IP) 14 Seton Hall L, 7-4 BOX CAST Baseball Saturday 19 vs Northern Illinois* L, 6-3 Richie Dell (R): Six innings and 1 ER last home start 20 vs Northern Illinois* (DH) L, 2-1 | L 3-0 Sunday 21 vs Northern Illinois* W, 8-4 TBA; Benny Roebuck or Jack Kartsonas 26 @Dayton L, 14-2 Series History:WMU leads 82-76 27 @Dayton W, 11-3 28 Dayton (DH) L, 10-5 | L, 4-0 APRIL 2 at Bowling Green* W, 14-1 3 at Bowling Green (DH) W, 10-6,W, 13-4 4 at Bowling Green* W, 10-5 9 Toledo* L, 8-7 FLASH FACTS 10 Toledo*(DH) W, 9-8 |L, 9-8 • Kent State earned a split at Ball State last weekend, and now sit 17-15 in the MAC and in fifth place with nine games 11 Toledo* L, 15-14 (10) remaining. WMU sits two games up on Kent State at 19-13 in the MAC and in third place. 16 at Central Michigan* L,10-0 • Luke Albright has risen up draft boards this season. The right-hander was #85 on MLB Draft Pipeline’s pre-season 17 at Central Michigan* (DH) L, 3-1, L. 2-1 top-100 but has risent to #58 in the latest mock draft. He sits fourth in the MAC with 96 strike outs this season 18 at Central Michigan* W, 6-4 • Albright most likely with his next start, will record the 11th 100-strikeout season in Kent State history, Joey Murray 23 at Miami (OH) (DH)* W, 3-2, L-10 owns the single season record with 141 strikeouts, Albright could move to 4th or 5th on the all-time list this season 24 at Miami (OH)* W, 4-1 • Outfielder Cam Touchette recorded the first six-hit game for Kent State since 2013, Touchette went 6-6 with 6 singles 25 at Miami (OH)* W, 6-3 30 vs Ohio * W, 3-2 on Sunday at Ball State and recorded 1 of 11 six-hit games in D1 this season. MAY • Not to be outdone, fellow outfielder Collin Mathews scored five times on Sunday at Ball State, the junior went 4-for-5 1 Ohio*(DH) W, 10-4 | L, 12-6 at the plate as well, its the first five-run game since Derek Toadvine in 2013 2 Ohio* L, 12-1 • Justin Miknis was the beneficiary of Touchette and Mathews on the bases, Miknis had the first two-homer day for the 7 vs Akron*& W, 13-3 Flashes on Sunday, driving in six runs, the most for a Kent State player since 2019 8 vs Akron* (DH)& L, 2-1| W 10-2 9 vs Akron*& W, 8-3 14 @Ball State* L, 8-2 15 @Ball State* (DH) W, 9-4 | L, 8-7 16 @Ball State* W, 19-8 21 vs Western Michigan* 5 p.m. 22 vs Western Michigan* (DH) 1 p.m. 23 vs Western Michigan * 1 p.m. 28 at Eastern Michigan * TBA POSSIBLE LINEUP 29 at Eastern Michigan*(DH) TBA # Player Pos. Yr. Notables 30 at Eastern Michigan * TBA 4 Kyle Jackson 3b Fr. Went 10-14 with 5 SB at Miami 47 multi hit games since 2019 (All times listed in Eastern Standard Time) 12 Ben Carew LF R-Sr. * MAC Opponent 13 Collin Mathews CF Jr. First 5-Run game since 2013 & Crystal Clinic Wagon Wheel Game 21 Cam Touchette DH Gr. Recorded first 6-for-6 game since 2013 6 Justin Miknis C R-Fr. First 2HR game of the season 14 Justin Kirby 1B Jr. Went 8-for12 vs Ball State 38 Michael McNamara SS Fr. Went 8-for-13 with 6rbi vs Ball St 11 Sam Thompson C/INF Jr. 4-6 with HR and 3 RBI in two games vs Ohio 9 Kevin Dobos 2b Sr Pair of RBI in the Flashes’ series win at Miami 11 Sam Thompson C/INF Jr. 4-6 with HR and 3 RBI in two games vs Ohio 2 Jake Reifsnyder INF So. First RBI of the season in win over Ohio Getting to Know Kent State QUICK FACTS • Kent State is located in Kent, Ohio, about 50 miles southwest of Cleveland. • The school and community are both named after Marvin Kent, who was influential in making UNIVERSITY INFO. the area a hub for the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad. Location.................................Kent, Ohio • The university, which had a fall 2017 enrollment of 39,367, is the third-largest in the state of Ohio behind Ohio State and Cincinnati. • 54 miles SW of Cleveland • KSU boasts notable alumni in the fields of sports and entertainment, including Nick Saban, • 140 miles NE of Columbus Julian Edelman, Lou Holtz, James Harrison, Antonio Gates, Drew Carey, Arsenio Hall and • 100 miles NW of Pittsburgh Michael Keaton. Founded..........................................1810 • In baseball, Thurman Munson and Steve Stone are famous alumni. Current major leaguers Enrollment....................................23,178 are headlined by Eric Lauer (Brewers) and Travis Shaw (Brewers). Nickname.........................Golden Flashes Pride in the Program Mascot..........................................Flash Kent State’s baseball tradition dates back more than 100 years. Originally called the “Normal Colors........................Navy Blue and Gold Nine,” it first tasted post-season success in 1964. In 1993, the Golden Flashes came within one Affiliation..........................NCAA Divsion I win of winning the regional title, knocking off eventual national champion LSU in the process. Conference........................Mid-American Kent State re-emerged onto the national stage in 2011 with a stunning 7-5 win at Texas in the Home Venue.............Schoonover Stadium NCAA Regional tournaments, then compiled a 21-game winning streak in 2012 en route to the Year Built........................................2005 school’s first ever regional title and appearance in the Super Regionals. There, in a decisive third • Lights added 2013 game in Oregon, all-time hits leader Jimmy Rider floated a single into left field in the bottom of • Indoor facility added 2014 the ninth to send Kent State to the College World Series. • Shaw sports turf added 2015 The Golden Flashes have spun 11 no-hitters -- including Eric Lauer’s 2016 gem which also clinched University President...... Todd Diacon the regular season conference crown. Director of Athletics...Randale L Richmond COACHING STAFF Decade of Dominance Kent State has been one of the preeminent college baseball teams, none more so than in the Head Coach...........................Jeff Duncan 2010s. From 2010-2019, Kent State totaled 386 wins and a .655 winning percentage. Over the Alma Mater..........Arizona State last 10 seasons, the Flashes won six Mid-American Conference titles and five MAC tournament Pro Career......NY Mets (03-04) championships. The five trips to the NCAA Regionals was highlighted in the program’s Record at KSU.............249-149 appearance in the 2012 College World Series. 247 Sports tagged the Golden Flashes as #29 in their “teams of the decade” rankings, one of just five “non-power 5” schools to rank inside the MAC Record.................125-61 top-30. Associate Head Coach.........Mike Birkbeck Assistant Coach................Barrett Serrato Developing Pros Volunteer Assistant................Alex Miklos Kent State has seen 112 players selected in the MLB Draft and 25 reach the Major League level. Of Sports Medicine.......................Drew Fillis the 45 players drafted under head coach Jeff Duncan’s watch, 15 have come in the top 10 rounds. Four former Flashes are currently playing in the MLB: Andrew Chafin (P, Cubs), Eric Lauer (P, Brewers), Travis Shaw (3B, Brewers), Taylor Williams (P, Mariners). LHP Eric Lauer was selected TEAM INFO. in the first round of the 2016 Draft following a standout year with the Flashes (named Collegiate 2019 Record..................................30-24 Baseball’s National Player of the Year) and made his Big League debut in April 2018. The Padres 2020 Record...................................7-7 announced Lauer to be the 2019 Opening Day starter on Sunday, March 24. Lauer was traded in 2019 MAC Record/Finish............17-8/Third the 2019 offseason from San Diego to Milwaukee as part of a four-player deal. 2020 MAC Record/Finish....................N/A Newcomers........................................10 Carew-sin’ Ben Carew has been a hit machine in his Kent State career. In 2019, Carew hit .406 and was PROGRAM HISTORY first-team All-MAC and Academic All-District.