Baseball Takes 2 of 3 from Western Michigan

Central Michigan University Athletics

Apr. 4, 2026 at 1:49am

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A fragmented, geometric painting depicting a baseball game, with players and the field broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of color and form, capturing the dynamic energy of the sport.An abstract, cubist interpretation of the high-intensity baseball rivalry between Central Michigan and Western Michigan.Mount Pleasant Today

In a marathon day of baseball, the Central Michigan Chippewas took two of three games from their rival Western Michigan Broncos, winning the series opener and the nightcap of a doubleheader.

Why it matters

This series win over Western Michigan is an important conference victory for the Chippewas, who have struggled to a 11-16 overall record and 5-10 mark in Mid-American Conference play so far this season. The Chippewas were able to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss in the first game of the doubleheader to secure the series win.

The details

The Chippewas opened the day by completing a suspended game from the previous night, winning 8-7 on a walk-off double by senior Cole Prout. In the first game of the doubleheader, CMU built an 8-2 lead going into the 9th inning but blew the lead, losing 9-8. However, the Chippewas bounced back in the nightcap, getting a strong pitching performance from Gavin Moczydlowsky and a grand slam from Prout in the 7th inning to win 6-3.

  • The day began at 11 a.m. with the completion of the suspended game from the previous night.
  • The doubleheader was played on Friday, April 3, 2026.

The players

Cole Prout

A senior from Standish, Prout was the hero for the Chippewas, hitting a walk-off double in the first game and a grand slam in the nightcap.

Gavin Moczydlowsky

A junior transfer from Michigan State, Moczydlowsky made his first start for CMU and pitched 5 scoreless innings in the nightcap.

Jake Sabol

The third-year head coach of the Central Michigan Chippewas.

Hayden Bailey

The senior right-handed starting pitcher for CMU, who allowed just 1 run over 7 innings in the first game of the doubleheader.

Jared Hanson

The relief pitcher who got the win in the nightcap for the Chippewas.

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What they’re saying

“I've never been a part of a day, even in Little League or travel ball, where I got three results at the end of one day. I knew it was going to be a grind. Coming out of here with two out of three is great. The goal is to win the series every weekend. We were one inning away from having a pretty darn good weekend.”

— Jake Sabol, Head Coach

“Everything is what you make it. You get used to it every day growing up, playing those tripleheaders in travel ball and whatnot, so we just treated it as that. I was struggling before, and I went in the lab and looked at a few things, tried to fix a few things up. That (first-game) double got me going, and I rode through it with the next game and went up to plate with confidence and went on from there.”

— Cole Prout, Senior Outfielder

“It's really nice because we don't like those (Western) guys. They don't like us at all. That's the nice way to put it.”

— Cole Prout, Senior Outfielder

What’s next

The Chippewas will look to build on this series win as they continue their Mid-American Conference schedule. Their next game is on Tuesday, April 8th against Eastern Michigan.

The takeaway

This marathon day of baseball showcased the resilience of the Central Michigan Chippewas, who were able to bounce back from a tough loss in the first game of the doubleheader to secure the series win over their rival Western Michigan. The performance of senior Cole Prout was a key factor, and the Chippewas will look to carry this momentum forward as they aim to climb the standings in the MAC.