Baseball Drops Rubber Match to Western Michigan

EMU falls 12-3 in series finale against conference rival

Apr. 20, 2026 at 3:18am

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A fractured, geometric painting in vibrant colors depicting the dynamic movements and energy of a baseball game, with players and the field deconstructed into overlapping planes.A cubist interpretation of the high-intensity action on the baseball diamond as EMU and Western Michigan battled in a key conference matchup.DeKalb Today

The Eastern Michigan University baseball team lost to Western Michigan University, 12-3, on Sunday, April 19, in the final game of a three-game Mid-American Conference series at Oestrike Stadium. Western Michigan jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back, adding three more runs in the third and two each in the seventh and eighth innings to put the game out of reach for EMU.

Why it matters

The loss drops EMU's record to 11-26 overall and 6-15 in MAC play, while Western Michigan improves to 19-16 and 14-7 in conference. This was the 201st meeting between the two programs, with Western Michigan now holding a 101-100 advantage in the all-time series.

The details

EMU starter Tristan Crane struck out a season-high five batters but was tagged for seven runs in 2.2 innings. The Eagles got on the board in the fourth inning when John Hale doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly, and they added two more runs in the sixth on RBI singles from Stecko and Hale. However, the early deficit proved too much to overcome as Western Michigan added insurance runs late.

  • The game took place on Sunday, April 19, 2026.
  • EMU and Western Michigan have met 201 times, with this being the latest matchup in their long-standing rivalry.

The players

Tristan Crane

EMU starting pitcher who struck out a season-high five batters.

John Hale

EMU outfielder who went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and an RBI.

Avery Thielman

Western Michigan player who hit a two-run home run in the third inning to extend the Broncos' lead.

Tanner Mally

The nation's batting average leader, who was struck out twice by EMU pitchers, becoming just the fourth pitcher in the country to do so.

Stecko

EMU player who recorded an RBI single in the sixth inning.

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What’s next

Eastern travels to DeKalb, Ill., for the final MAC series between EMU and Northern Illinois Friday-Sunday, April 24-26.

The takeaway

This loss highlights the continued struggles for the Eastern Michigan baseball team, who have now dropped to 11-26 overall and 6-15 in conference play. The early deficit proved too much to overcome against a strong Western Michigan squad, but the Eagles will look to rebound in their final MAC series against Northern Illinois.