Box Score EMERSON, Ga. -- The Omaha baseball team opened its 2016 season Friday afternoon, falling 16-3 to Eastern Michigan at Perfect Game Park. The Mavericks are now 0-1 (0-0 Summit League) on the year, while the Eagles improve to 1-0 (0-0 MAC).

The win went to Sam Delaplane (1-0), who threw 6.2 innings in his start and gave up three runs on six hits with no walks and eight strikeouts. Senior right-hander Tyler Fox (0-1) took the loss, allowing 10 runs -- three earned -- on 11 hits with one walk and three strikeouts.

Freshman Riley Herold finished 2-for-3 at the plate in his collegiate debut, while senior Clayton Taylor was 1-for-3 with his first home run of the season. Sophomore Ryan Cate also knocked out a roundtripper to finish 1-for-3, and senior Cole Gruber joined him with another 1-for-3 performance with a double and two stolen bases.

Jackson Martin led Eastern Michigan with a 4-for-5 showing, driving in four runs and scoring three times. Michael Mioduszewski was 3-for-4 with three runs, and Austin Wilson was 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. David Lett also finished 3-for-5, scoring three times and driving in two more.

Omaha got off to a hot start in the top of the first, with Gruber lacing a one-out double to right center. Taylor followed immediately with a two-run bomb to right, giving the Mavericks a swift 2-0 lead.

In the fourth, Cate sent a solo homer to left center, extending Omaha's advantage to 3-0.

EMU lashed back promptly, scoring 16 unanswered runs over the remaining innings. The Eagles plated 10 in the bottom of the fourth, keying nine hits and capitalizing on four Maverick miscues to go ahead 10-3. A two-run homer in the fifth from Wilson made it 12-3, and identical two-run, three-hit innings in the sixth and eighth brought the final tally to 16-3.

Omaha resumes play with Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Feb. 19 at 11 a.m. (CT), then faces NJIT at 6 p.m. (CT) at Perfect Game Park.

NOTES
-Senior Clayton Taylor's home run in the first inning was the 19th of his career and moved him into the top 10 in school history for career homers.
-Freshman Riley Herold earned the starting nod at shortstop, and he is the first true freshman to start at that position on opening day since former Maverick and current assistant coach Evan Porter in 2006.
-Senior Cole Gruber now has 64 career stolen bases. He is six away from tying Jake Wurth (2001-04), who had 70, and eight away from matching school recordholder Bryan Frew (2005-08), who had 72.