Kent State University
Eastern Michigan University
Golden Flashes set to Host Eastern Michigan in Final Home Series of Season
5/7/2026 5:41:00 PM | Baseball
KENT, Ohio – Kent State baseball returns home to Schoonover Stadium this weekend for a three-game Mid-American Conference (MAC) series against Eastern Michigan, beginning Friday, May 8, and running through Sunday, May 10. Friday's game will honor the baseball graduates, Saturday's contest will celebrate the 2016 Kent State team, and Sunday's series finale will serve as Senior Day for the Golden Flashes.
The series brings together two programs headed in very different directions. Kent State enters at 35-11 overall and 20-7 in MAC play, the best winning percentage in the conference at .761, ranking 10th nationally, while Eastern Michigan comes in at 16-30 overall and 9-18 in the MAC. The Golden Flashes have won 10 of their last 12 games and arrive at Schoonover Stadium with the MAC's best pitching staff, a lineup scoring 8.3 runs per game, and three days of celebration ahead.
For Kent State, the weekend is another opportunity to build on one of the best seasons in program history. The Golden Flashes lead the MAC in ERA (4.57), WHIP (1.32), hits allowed per nine innings (8.18), stolen bases (117), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.26). Their pitching staff has been the anchor all season, the 1.32 WHIP ranks 23rd nationally, the 4.57 ERA sits 45th, and the offense has given them a comfortable margin for error, ranking 28th in scoring and 35th nationally in runs.
Eastern Michigan has struggled on both sides of the ball, carrying an 8.47 team ERA, 11th in the MAC and 289th nationally, while opponents are hitting .312 against the Eagles' pitching. But the offense does have genuine threats. Devan Zirwas (.262, 13 HR, 47 RBI) is second in the MAC in home runs and capable of changing a game with one swing. Ty Stecko (.298, 11 HR, 38 RBI) provides pop alongside him, and TJ Williams (.314, .434 OBP) has been one of the more consistent bats in the Eagles' lineup all season.Â
The opening game features Kent State's most unique statistical weapon on the mound. Easton Tumis (6-2, 5.31 ERA) leads the MAC and ranks 32nd nationally with just 1.67 walks allowed per nine innings, and his 3.91 strikeout-to-walk ratio is fourth in the conference. John Carmichael counters for Eastern Michigan with a 2-6 record and a 6.41 ERA across 12 starts, the most on the Eagles' staff. He has punched out 51 batters but allowed 73 hits and 12 home runs in 59.0 innings, and Kent State's patient lineup figures to make him work from the first inning on.
Saturday sends Ciaran Caughey to the mound against Cal Rutherford. Caughey (6-2, 3.60 ERA) has been one of the MAC's premier starters all season. His 1.07 WHIP leads the conference and ranks 40th nationally, his 4.20 strikeout-to-walk ratio is second in the MAC, and his 63 strikeouts are the most among Kent State's starters. Rutherford comes in at 2-3 with a 6.75 ERA in 38.2 innings, having allowed six home runs and walked 21.Â
Ben Rabatin (6-2, 4.42 ERA) will close out the series on Sunday against a yet-to-be-named Eastern Michigan starter, most likely left-hander Carter White, who carries a 9.00 ERA and a .297 opponent average in 23.0 innings. Rabatin has been a workhorse all season, logging 59.0 innings with 57 strikeouts across 12 starts.
Kent State's offense gives head coach Jeff Duncan several ways to put pressure on Eastern Michigan's struggling staff. Brody Williams (.328, 8 HR, 46 RBI) leads the club in average and RBI and has been one of the most consistent hitters in the MAC over the past month. Ripken Reese (.309, 9 HR) and Sawyer Solitaria (.290, 12 HR) give the middle of the order genuine power, and Brady Marshall (.282, .448 OBP, 40 runs) remains one of the MAC's most dangerous table-setters. Alejandro Covas (.321, 18 SB) has emerged as one of the lineup's hottest contributors, and Micah Rienstra-Kiracofe (.296, 35 RBI) provides steady production deeper in the order. Eastern Michigan's staff has issued 245 walks and hit 86 batters in 394.1 innings. Kent State will have every opportunity to do damage early and often.
The Golden Flashes have built something worth celebrating this weekend. With the MAC Tournament approaching and three days of recognition ahead for graduates, the 2016 team, and the senior class, Kent State will look to honor those moments the right way by continuing to play its best baseball of the season at home.
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