Kent State baseball eyes first conference title since 2018 after win over Akron
It didn’t count in the Mid-American Conference baseball standings, but Kent State’s 7-2 win over Akron on Tuesday had everything to do with the league race.
The Golden Flashes (35-13, 19-5) sit alone in the MAC standings with Central Michigan (31-15, 17-7) and Ball State (30-17, 17-7) behind them.
The magic number for the regular-season title and home-field advantage in the MAC Tournament is four with six conference games remaining.
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“This team has been special since the fall,” Kent State third baseman Kyle Jackson said. “We all knew we could trust one another. We have great team chemistry going on. We all play for the guy next to us. There are no selfish teammates. We’re all here to win.”
The Flashes have been doing plenty of that lately, which is why they’re on such a high.
It didn’t matter that the Flashes, who swept Akron in league play, made it 4-for-4 against the Zips (18-30, 10-17) with the win at Canal Park.
All that mattered was the fourth win in a row and ninth victory in the last 10 games.
“It’s just take care of each day,” Kent State first baseman Aidan Longwell said. “One day at a time. Today’s the most important day. If you try to get better today, then that will happen for you again when it’s time.”
What's left for Kent State baseball in the Mid-American Conference race
If the Flashes can indeed do what they set out to accomplish, it will be their first regular-season title since 2018.
It will also give them a chance to win the conference tournament and return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years.
They’ll have to do on the road with a three-game series at Eastern Michigan (22-23, 8-16) this weekend and three-game set May 18-20 at Ball State to close out the regular season.
“I mean, it’s hard not to think about it, right?” Kent State coach Jeff Duncan said. “But, honestly, we’re not thinking past the last game. We’re thinking about Eastern Michigan now. That’s been our whole mentality all year long. Right now is a good time to be playing well.”
On a night when Jackson (home run, three RBIs), Jake Casey (double, triple, RBI), Brody Williams (double, RBI) and Josh Johnson (two singles, double, two runs) provided the pop, thoughts immediately after the win were about winning the MAC.
“Playing at home during the tournament would be a big advantage for us,” Jackson said. “We all play with so much pride at that place. We’ve all worked so hard and know what we can do when we’re at home. We’re all together and we all have that that common goal to win the MAC.”
Contact Brad Bournival at bbournival@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @bbournival
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Golden Flashes strike fast in win over Akron, turn attention to title
