EMU Athletics

Baseball.NIU.Now!

2009-04-24T16:59:00.002-04:00

Yes, hello EMU Athletics. Ravioli here, student assistant with the outstanding cast and crew at Sports Information with my first Blog.

Allow me to break the month and a half lull that has come over the EMU Sports Info Blog with some uncanny baseball commentary starting with a preview of this weekend's home series with the Huskies of Northern Illinois (the "Fightin' Husks")!

Corey Chaffins (2-2) looks to get the Eagles started off on the right track in this weekend tussle with his seventh start of the season. Chaffins leads the team in strikeouts with 36 and has only walked 16 batters through 36.2 innings of work. He'll go against... somebody... I don't have the lineup cards yet but I'm sure Chaffins will win anyways.

The "Super Fans" are already in full force today with just under an hour to go before game time. They account for roughly 94% of the crowd that has made its way in thus far. Props to them.

As a snack today I have brought sunflower seeds, an apple and a banana.

Anyways, predictions for today: EMU 4 : 2 NIU. Kyle Rhoad is due for a couple stolen bases (he's 20-for-21 on the year). I'm going solo today with StatCrew and all that good stuff for the first time today so wish me luck that I don't mess it up!

GO EAGLES!

~Ravioli

Final Score: Central Michigan 62, Eastern Michigan 49

2009-03-10T13:48:00.004-04:00

Well that will about do it for this one from Cleveland, as Central Michigan takes home the 62-49 victory over Eastern Michigan Tuesday afternoon here in the FirstEnergy Mid-American Conference Tournament opener.

Things got a little "chippy" at the end with a technical fouls being whistled on both sides as emotions ran high between the two rivals.

The Eagles end the season at 8-24 overall and 6-10 in the league. The Chippewas (12-18, 7-9 MAC) will now square off versus second-seeded Ball State University Thursday, March 12, at noon. The game came be seen on Fox Sports Ohio and Fox Sports Detroit - check your local listings for exact channels.

Check EMUEagles.com for the complete recap - and check back tomorrow for action of the women's contest as they take on Miami Wednesday, March 11, at noon

Waning Moments in MAC Opener

2009-03-10T13:39:00.002-04:00

A 7-0 run by Eastern cuts the deficit to six, 48-42, but a pair of free throws by CMU combined with an easy layup by Jacolby Hardiman makes the run for naught.

Justin Dobbins heads to the charity stripe for a pair with 5:02 to go - and its 52-44. However, Marcus Vans gets the hoop and the harm down on the other end to expand the advantage to 11 points.

Maybe I Spoke too Soon

2009-03-10T13:25:00.002-04:00

Just as quick the CMU lead has ballooned back to 10 points, 43-33. The game has turned into the Robbie Harom show for the Chips, who now has 13 points with 9:26 still to go in the period.

Things Change Quickly...

2009-03-10T13:14:00.002-04:00

After trailing by as many as nine points just moments ago, the Eagles have roared back on a 6-0 to pull withing three, 32-29, with 13:08 remaining. Bowdry shot from the top of the key as forces the Chippewas to use another timeout. Central burned the timeouts early to save possessions so CMU with only one remaining with a lot of time still to go.

Second Half Action Underway

2009-03-10T12:57:00.002-04:00

Second half action underway here at the Q - Eagles still trailing 32-25 with 15:41 showing on the clock.

Down Five at the Half, 26-21

2009-03-10T12:29:00.004-04:00

Central Michigan takes a26-21 advantage into the locker room at the half. CMU had to burn its third timeout of the first half with 33 seconds left. After the timeout CMU tossed the long pass for the easy dunk, but EMU unable to convert in the trip back down the floor.

The Eagles and Chippewas have faced each other the most times in the schools histories. However, this is just the second meeting between the in-state rivals in MAC Tournament history.

Missing the Experience

2009-03-10T12:19:00.004-04:00

The unfortunate part of playing these first rounds games in Cleveland instead of campus sites is that you lose the home court advantage and crowd. It is tough for people to make it down on a Tuesday afternoon is tough and that certainly makes for a friends and family crowd. To make matters even worse this year is the MAC decided to keep costs down by not traveling the band, cheerleaders, dance team and mascots until the quarterfinal round.

EMU does have a few rowdy students cheering behind us but other than them it is pretty quiet in here.

On the court, Central shooting the lights out in the early going and are up 18-13 with just about seven minutes to play in the first half.

Underway at the Q

2009-03-10T11:53:00.002-04:00

Action is underway here at Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland. The men's basketball team has the early 6-5 advantage to with 15:17 to go in the first half.

For those of you that can't make it down to the Q - the playing floor sporting a new look in 2009. The old floor which predominately consisted of the color yellow (thanks en large part to the fact the the building's logo is a giant yellow Q) has been replaced by the MAC's new color scheme of green, blue and white.

At mid-court is the giant MAC shield with the MAC athletic logo in the lanes. The area inside the three-point line is now a lighter wood shade than the rest of the court. The word Cleveland runs both baselines and the FirstEnergy logo appears at midcourt near the scorers table as well.

Live From Downtown Cleveland

2009-03-10T11:47:00.003-04:00

Live court side from the 2009 Mid-American Conference Basketball Tournament, Greg Steiner and Dan Wyar for the first round of men's basketball action. The Eagles, the 10th seed, take on the MAC West Division co-champions and seventh seeded Central Michigan Chippewas.

Just about 10 minutes to go before tip off and fans are slowly filtering into the Q for a Tuesday afternoon matinee

What a wonderful day!!

2009-02-24T16:46:00.004-05:00

Hello Eagle Nation! Amanda Decker back behind the keyboard for another riveting edition of Inside the Eagle Nation Sports Information Blog. I do apologize on behalf of the office about our lack of updating the Blog. It has been pretty hectic with spring sports beginning and winter sports coming to a close.

First I would like to say that it is a great day for me personally!! My women's track and field media guides came back from the printer and I couldn't be happier with them. I'm pretty proud of them. I put in a lot of hard work researching various items for the guide. It was two years in the making and it will be a wonderful resource for years to come. Now if I could just get the men's team to get their guide printed. To see a copy of the guide online, follow the link below:
http://emueagles.com/sports/2009/2/19/WTRACK_0219093107.aspx?path=wtrack

I know it was short, but I must get back to work and not procrastinate any longer. I promise my next blog will be much longer. Have a wonderful day Eagle fans!

And I am back

2009-02-13T12:36:00.003-05:00

For all of you loyal readers, I am sure that you were all wondering if I was still employed at Eastern...and the answer is a resounding yes! It is Sarah back from a looooooong hiatus. Part of that was that I was busy with work and the other part of it was that I forgot about the awesomeness of the blog.

Now that I am back on the blog scene, you all can sleep soundly at night. I am preparing for the beginning of softball season, which kicks off Feb. 20. I have spent the better part of this year working on the softball media guide, notes and pretty much everything related to softball that there is. The team heads to Florida next week for a 10-day tour of the Sunshine State. I, unfortunately, will not be with the team because of basketball obligations back here. My skin could have used the sun...but I will survive.

Besides that, things are going pretty well in room 307. Winter sports are in the process of winding down while spring sports are preparing for their seasons. The overlap of both during February and March gets to be a little hectic around here, but we all can deal with it.

In pop culture news, we were able to make it back up here after yesterday's men's game to almost catch the full episode of The Office. We definitely have priorities in this office.

No home basketball games this weekend, but the annual "Beauty and the Beast" event takes place Sunday at Bowen Field House. The gymnastics team and wrestling team will both be competing at the same time, with the event beginning at 4 p.m. The gymnasts are set to take on Ball State, while the wrestlers grapple with Kent State.

Everyone have a lovely Valentine's Day tomorrow....we have had some treats in the office today as part of the festivities. I know we all have some memories of picking out the perfect valentine cards to give everyone in elementary school...and we all had that one person who we didn't want to give one to, but the teacher made us. But then it was okay to give that special someone an extra special card. Those were the days...

Until next time Eagle Nation...

Do You Have the Urge to Post on this Blog?

2009-02-10T15:34:00.004-05:00

Eastern Michigan University is accepting applications for two Sports Information Graduate Assistants for the 2009-10 academic year. Located in Ypsilanti, Mich., Eastern Michigan is a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and sponsor of 21 Division I sports.

Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree required. Preferred qualifications include a minimum of two years experience in intercollegiate media relations/sports information work, experience in desktop publishing with Adobe InDesign and PhotoShop software, experience in writing, editing and designing effective publications, familiarity with Stat Crew software, and strong communications skills. All candidates should possess an ability to meet deadlines and work nights/weekends.

For more information, contact Greg Steiner.

PinkZone set for Feb. 21

2009-02-06T15:38:00.000-05:00

The Eastern Michigan University Department of Athletics is teaming up with the university’s Colleges Against Cancer organization in an effort to raise awareness in the fight against breast cancer through the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association ‘Pink Zone’ program.

The EMU Women’s Basketball team is one of over 1,250 teams across the country participating in the ‘Pink Zone’ program, which benefits the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer FundTM. Kay Yow is the former head women’s basketball coach at North Carolina State University, who passed away Jan. 24 after a lengthy battle with breast cancer.

The event will take place during the EMU Basketball doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 21, at the Convocation Center. The EMU women will play host to Northern Illinois at 2 p.m. and the EMU men will host Georgia State at 4 p.m. Only one ticket is needed for admission to both games.

In addition to the team wearing pink jerseys, the first 1,500 fans through the door will receive a pink t-shirt. EMU Athletics will also be donating $1 to the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer FundTM for each ticket purchased using the designated ‘Pink Zone’ flier; all ticket purchased with the flier will receive the discounted ticket price of just $3. In addition, donation tables will also be stationed throughout the Convocation Center during both games.

Welcome to the New Blog

2009-02-06T09:45:00.004-05:00

Greeting loyal bloggers,
As you can tell, we have upgraded this whole blog concept in a big way. Thanks to our friends at Internet Consulting Servies we have moved to Blooger.com and now allow you to better interact with us here at EMU by commenting directly to our posts. Plus this will allow better archiving and the ability for more people to become contributors to the blog.

The stuff from the Old Blog

2009-01-19T10:46:00.003-05:00

Click Here to View the Old Stuff...

The Inside the Eagle Nation Sports Information Blog is a new initiative provided by the Sports Information Office to offer Eastern Michigan fans an even more in-depth look into the everyday happenings here in Ypsilanti. The intent of this blog is to keep readers informed with a light, personal touch that will further enhance the fan experience. Please enjoy and send any comments, questions or concerns to emu_sportsinfo@emich.edu. We welcome as much feedback as possible!