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Kent State baseball looking to get back to success in 2021 after shortened season
The Kent State baseball team poses for a team picture before its game on Feb. 19, 2020 at the University of Miami. (Courtesy: Kent State University Athletics)

Kent State baseball looking to get back to success in 2021 after shortened season

KENT, Ohio (BVM) — While baseball as a whole has declined in popularity over the last several years, the Kent State baseball team has thrived.

Since 1992, the team has won 12 Mid-American Conference (MAC) championships, including winning three out of four titles from 2001-2004 (lost to Eastern Michigan in the semifinals 7-4 in 2003).

Kent State’s baseball team plays at Schoonover Stadium. The stadium is located on Campus Center Dr. on the south end of campus and has a max capacity of 1,148 fans.

In its history, the team has produced 14 All-Americans, including eight since 2001. 

The most recent All-American, Eric Lauer — who won the award in 2016 — was chosen by the San Diego Padres with the No. 25 selection in the 2016 MLB draft. 

The team has had 17 head coaches in its history. Since 1994, they have only had three head coaches.

Rick Rembielak took over for Danny Hall in 1994. Rembielak, a former shortstop and third baseman at the minor league level with the Orioles and Cubs in the early 1980’s, posted a 373-252-1 record as head coach of the Flashes in his 11 seasons, making the regional tournament four times.

Scott Stricklin, a Kent State alumni, coached the Flashes from 2004-2013. With Stricklin at the controls, the team won its first-ever Super Regional in 2012 as the No. 3 seed, defeating No. 5 Oregon 2-1 in a best-of-three series. They would go on to lose in their only College World Series appearance, losing two of the three games.

Since 2014, Jeff Duncan — who played two seasons as a centerfielder for the New York Mets in 2003 and 2004 — has led the Flashes to three division titles and two regional appearances in his five seasons.

On March 8, 2020, Kent State lost to Liberty University 7-0, dropping its record to 7-7. Little did anybody know that game would be the last time Kent State would play baseball in 2020 as four days later, the season was put on pause and eventually cancelled due to the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Having to tell his team the season was over was a conversation Duncan did not want to have.

It was very tough to even know what to say in a meeting like that,” Duncan said. “Ultimately, our message to the team was to not take anything for granted.”

While the 2020 season ended prematurely, there’s reason for Kent State baseball to feel optimistic about getting back to the MAC tournament in 2021.Twenty out of the team’s 38 players are either juniors, seniors or graduate students, so it is a veteran group. The team also has eight incoming freshmen, including three infielders, three pitchers, a catcher and a utility player.

The most talented player on the team entering 2021 may be right-handed reliever Luke Albright. The junior from Fishers, Ind. led the team in strikeouts and innings pitched in the 2020 abbreviated season and was named a top-100 draft prospect for the 2021 MLB Draft.

Kent State’s season begins on Friday, Feb. 19 when they travel to take on Virginia Tech.