KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan baseball team heads down to Akron this weekend for a three-game Mid-American Conference series against the Zips. 

SERIES INFO: Western Michigan (21-16, 12-6 MAC) at Akron (9-31, 4-14)
Game One: Friday, April 26 | 2:05 pm | LIVE STATS
Game Two: Saturday, April 27 | 1:05 pm | LIVE STATS
Game Three: Sunday, April 28 | 1:05 pm | LIVE STATS

FOLLOW ALONG: @WMUBaseball

LEADING OFF

• Western Michigan hits the road this weekend for a three-game series at Akron
• The Broncos have won four straight true road games and are 10-3 overall in road games in 2024 
• WMU owns a 34-24 advantage in the all-time series against the Zips
• Last season, the Broncos took two out of three from the Zips in Kalamazoo
• The last time Western Michigan went down to Akron in 2022, the two teams split a four-game set
• The Broncos dropped two out of three to Ball State last weekend, their first MAC home series loss of 2024
• Brendan Harrity had multiple hits in all three games and hit .500 (9-for-18) in five total games last week
• As a team the Broncos are hitting .314, which leads the MAC and ranks 18th in NCAA Division I
• WMU is also top-30 in DI in on-base percentage, which is second in the conference at .420
• Cade Sullivan enters the weekend leading the MAC in both batting average (.411) and OBP (.508)
• Sullivan's .411 average ranks 20th nationally, while his OBP is 37th in the nation
• Dylan Nevar is tied for fourth in the MAC with a team-high 43 RBIs
• Sullivan (41) and CJ Richmond (40) rank 10th and 11th, respectively, in the conference in RBIs
• Nolan Vlcek enters the weekend with the second-lowest ERA in the MAC at 3.54

ON THE ROAD AGAIN
After having seven of its last eight at home, including each of the last two MAC weekends, Western Michigan hits the road this weekend for a three-game set at Akron. The Broncos end the regular season with 10 of their final 14 games on the road, including three of their last four conference series. The Brown and Gold have won four straight true road games and are 10-3 in road games in 2024. 

SERIES HISTORY
Western Michigan holds the upperhand in the all-time series against Akron, 34-24. The Broncos took two out of three from the Zips last season in Kalamazoo. WMU's most recent trip to Akron came in 2022, with the two teams splitting a four-game series. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Broncos are coming off of their first MAC home series loss since the end of the 2022 season, as they dropped two out of three to Ball State last weekend. The Cardinals took the first two games of the series, before WMU rallied to win game three thanks in part to a go-ahead, two-run homer by Greg Budig in the bottom of the fifth inning. 

OFFENSIVE ONSLAUGHT
The Western Michigan offense enters the weekend atop the MAC in batting average at .314, the 18th-best team batting average in NCAA Division I. The Broncos are second in the conference in on-base percentage at .420, which ranks 29th nationally, and total hits with 398.

COUNTING ON CADE
Cade Sullivan enters the weekend leading the MAC in batting average (.411, 20th nationally) and on-base percentage (.508, 37th DI). The senior is tied atop the league in hits with 60, and is among the leaders in OPS (1.152, 2nd), runs scored (47, 3rd), walks (28, T-5), slugging percentage (.644, 9th), RBIs (41, 10th) and doubles (10, T-10). 

WESTERN WORKHORSE
Brady Miller worked 5.0 innings in his start last weekend against Ball State, the seventh time in 10 starts he's logged at least 5.0 frames for the Broncos. The redshirt senior is third in the league in innings pitched with 55.1 and is tied for 14th with 47 strikeouts. The righty is currently fifth in Western Michigan program history in both innings pitched (274.0) and strikeouts (234), and is just 4.2 innings from passing current Baltimore Orioles left-hander Keegan Akin (2014-16) for fourth on WMU's career innings pitched list. 

NASTY NOLAN
Nolan Vlcek has been among the conference leaders in ERA for much of the season, and enters the weekend ranking second in the MAC at 3.54. The senior right-hander is just behind his teammate Miller in innings pitched at 53.1, fourth-most in the league. Vlcek leads the Broncos in strikeouts with 53, ninth-most in the conference. The starting duo has played a large role in Western Michigan ranking third in the conference in ERA (6.17) and second in ERA in league play at 4.86. The Brown and Gold are the lone team to have a pair of MAC shutouts in 2024.

TERRIFIC TRIFECTA
The trio of Cade Sullivan, CJ Richmond and Dylan Nevar has been a huge part of Western Michigan's offensive success, with all three among the top-11 in RBIs. Nevar is tied for fourth (43), Sullivan is 10th (41) and Richmond is 11th (40).

NOT JOSHING AROUND
Since returning to the lineup for the Kent State series at the end of March, Josh Swinehart has been one of WMU's hottest hitters. In the 14 games he's played during that time, the senior his hitting .375 with a team-high 14 RBIs, including the go-ahead grand slam at Michigan on April 9.