Miami grabbed a share of the MAC regular season title — its first since 2005 — and was given the top spot in this week’s conference tournament.
The RedHawks are set to play the lowest seed to advance from the first round games at 2 p.m. Thursday at Avon’s Crusher Stadium.
“Our mentality as a team is not really going to change much,” Byers said. “We’re going to stick to what’s worked to us all year. That’s just really grinding out at-bats, going on the mound throwing strikes. But the excitement for the tournament is as high as ever.
“Last year, we were excited just to make the tournament. But going in as a No. 1 seed, we have high expectations — not only for ourselves but from the outsiders as well — and we’re looking to fulfill those expectations.”
Miami (32-21) finished 23-7 in MAC play, the most conference wins in school history. The RedHawks went undefeated in conference series, taking at least two games from every MAC opponent this season.
Miami had seven players earn All-MAC recognition, including Byers, redshirt junior first baseman Evan Appelwick, redshirt senior shortstop Dillon Baker, senior designated hitter Ty Batusich, redshirt sophomore pitcher Cooper Katskee, sophomore outfielder Ryan Novak and senior outfielder Anthony Zarlingo.
“What we do has worked,” Byers said. “We’re going to stick to our plan — stick to our processes. Just because the stage is bigger doesn’t mean we change what we do, and we’re just going to stick to what we’ve been doing and let it all shine on the field.
“Being here for three years, I’ve kind of experienced a little bit of everything here at Miami,” Byers added. “So it just means even more — kind of coming from the bottom where I kind of started my freshman year and as a team we started my freshman year.
“Being where we’re at now, it just means everything just to be able to do it with the same group of guys that was here my freshman year as well as the guys that we brought in. Then all of the work we’ve put in together and just letting it shine on the field has been super special, and I look forward to keeping it rolling.”
Byers, a Second-Team All-MAC selection as a relief pitcher, finished the regular season with five saves and a 2.81 ERA, the lowest in the MAC. He pitched 67.1 innings in 20 appearances and struck out 67 batters to lead Miami’s pitching staff. Byers was second in the MAC in opponent batting average (.220) behind Katskee.
Katskee was named the MAC Pitcher of the Year and selected to the All-MAC First Team as a starting pitcher after making eight starts and 14 total appearances. He is the first RedHawk to be recognized as the MAC Pitcher of the Year since Seth Varner in 2014.
Katskee is tied for the fourth-most wins across Division I baseball with a 10-1 record and leads the MAC in wins by three. He boasts the second-lowest ERA in the MAC (2.86) behind Byers.
“How important it is to win,” Byers said of what he’s taken away from his experience leading up to this point in his collegiate career. “When you get in that loser’s bracket, it’s hard to get out of it. So you keep winning as much as we can. And we’re the one seed, so we’ve got the bye, which is a huge help for us. So we’re just looking forward to taking that to our advantage and just winning as many games as possible and making it a quick three-game tourney with three wins.”
Baker has tied the program’s single-season record for doubles with 22 and leads the RedHawks with 70 hits.
“I’m very excited. I think our team as a whole is very excited,” Baker said. “Getting that one or two seed is crucial coming into the MAC tournament. We saw as a four seed last year it’s pretty difficult to come out there. I think there’s a situation where you have to win six or seven games if you’re not a one or a two seed. Now being in the position where we can run the table in three games is pretty exciting.
“I think this group of guys is experienced in general. I think in the lineup, on the mound, we’ve got a lot of experience. A lot of these guys were here last year, and I think that’s going to help us a lot knowing that it’s not just going to be an easy sail to win the tournament. We’re going to have to play some really good games against some good teams.”
Brian Smiley, who is in his second season at the Miami helm, was named the 2025 MAC Coach of the Year.
“The culture has changed drastically over the last two or three years,” Baker said. “Since Smiley’s come in here, he’s had a huge impact on everybody that’s here. I think it really goes to show that when a lot of the guys that are out here were here before Smiley was here.
“He hasn’t changed the team and changed everybody. He’s come in here, brought his culture that he wanted to see, and guys have bought into it.”
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