The Eastern Michigan University baseball team traveled to Edwardsville, Ill., this past weekend for a four-game non-conference set against the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) Cougars. The series, held at the Simmons Baseball Complex from Feb. 27 to March 1, ended in a 2-2 split, moving the Eagles' overall record to 4-8. Throughout the weekend, the Eagles displayed significant power at the plate and resilience on the mound under interim head coach Trevor Beerman.
Friday: Late rally falls short in high-scoring opener
The series began on Friday, Feb. 27, with a high-scoring 12-7 loss for the Eagles. Keegan Knupp ignited the Eastern offense early, launching his first collegiate home run in the top of the first inning to provide an initial lead. However, SIUE responded aggressively, capitalizing on three home runs of their own to build a commanding 9-1 lead by the sixth inning.
The Eagles did not go quietly, erupting for six runs in the top of the sixth to trim the deficit to 9-7. Devan Zirwas started the rally with an RBI triple, followed by a two-run home run from Ty Stecko, his team-leading fourth of the season. John Hale capped the explosive inning with a three-run blast to center. Despite this power surge, SIUE added three insurance runs in the later innings to secure the win. On the mound, Ethan Rowland made his debut as an Eagle, pitching one scoreless inning.
Saturday game one: Dominant pitching keys first win
The Eagles bounced back in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, securing a dominant 9-1 victory. Senior pitcher Michael Pfeiffer delivered the strongest start of his Division I career, tossing six innings and allowing only one run on two hits to earn his first win of the season. Cole Egan followed with three scoreless innings of relief to earn the save.
Offensively, EMU outhit the Cougars 7-4. Keegan Knupp drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the third, and John Hale extended the lead to 4-1 with a two-run single in the fourth. The Eagles pulled away late as Ty Stecko hit a solo home run in the seventh, and Drew Jones sealed the win with a three-run homer in the ninth. This game marked the first time this season the Eagles outhit their opponent.
Saturday game two: Resilience leads to doubleheader sweep
The second game of the doubleheader, a scheduled seven-inning contest, saw the Eagles showcase their toughness in an 8-7 win. EMU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning behind an RBI double from Zirwas and a two-run single by Kriss Sydlowski. Devan Zirwas added a solo home run in the third—his fourth of the year—to make it 4-1.
SIUE fought back with six unanswered runs, including a three-run homer in the fourth, to take a 7-5 lead. The Eagles responded immediately in the fifth. John Hale doubled in a run before senior TJ Williams delivered a clutch two-run single up the middle to reclaim an 8-7 lead. The bullpen locked down the win, with Emmett Gillies tossing 2.1 scoreless innings and Fischer Hendershot earning his second save of the season. This victory marked the first time in 2026 that the Eagles won consecutive games.
Sunday: Cougars edge Eagles in tightly contested finale
The series finale on Sunday, March 1, was a defensive battle that ended in a narrow 4-3 loss for Eastern Michigan. Tommy Rose made his first career start on the mound, allowing two earned runs over 3.2 innings. SIUE took an early 3-0 lead by the third inning through a sacrifice fly and an RBI single.
The Eagles attempted a late-game comeback, starting in the fifth inning when Keegan Knupp crushed a two-run homer to deep center field. SIUE added a run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth to lead 4-2. In the eighth inning, Kevin Krill delivered a pinch-hit RBI double to score Bruce Jellison, bringing the Eagles within one run. Landon Mueller provided stellar relief, tying a season-long with three scoreless innings without issuing a walk. However, the Eagles were unable to find the tying run in the ninth.
Weekend takeaways
Several Eagles reached personal milestones during the series. Ty Stecko extended his reached-base streak to 11 games, the longest on the team. Both TJ Williams and John Hale extended their hitting streaks to four games. The Eagles also demonstrated improved discipline on the mound, issuing a season-low two walks in the Sunday finale.
Following the series split, the Eagles are scheduled to travel to South Bend, Ind., to face the University of Notre Dame on Tuesday, March 3, at 4:30 p.m.
