Eastern Michigan baseball legends reunite 50 years after College World Series

As Eastern Michigan University wraps up the baseball regular season this weekend, it honors a pair of teams that were anything but regular.

In 1975 and 1976, EMU was blessed with a great coach in Ron Oestrike, the only two College World Series appearances in program history and a lifetime of memories.

Depending on who you asked before Friday’s game against Kent State, the achievement feels like just yesterday or an entire lifetime ago.

“It’s like, how did that happen? It’s like a dream,” team captain and pitcher Ken Bruchanski said.

“All the guys you know were just kids,” third baseman and outfielder Jeff Washington added. “We were just kids playing baseball, having a good time.”

They were guys who had enough talent to make school history, making it as far as the CWS Finals in 1976 before losing to Arizona. In the case of players like pitchers Bob Welch and Bob Owchinko, shortstop Glenn Gulliver, catcher jerry Keller and outfielder Thomas Boutin, they were talented enough to get drafted. Against great odds, they achieved CWS berths as a northern school, something no other program managed until the Michigan Wolverines in 2019.

“We had good pitching and good fielding and enough hits to win a lot of games, but I guess you just develop camaraderie,” Bruchanski said.

The significance is appreciated by those who have followed in their footsteps.

“I love hearing their stories about back in the day throwing in the gym, shoveling snow, all the challenges along the way,” current Eagles head coach Robbie Britt said. “They saw it as an opportunity. We definitely stand on the shoulders of those guys that came a long time ago.”

EMU greats lined up along the diamond just as they had 50 years prior to receive recognition from fans. Just as important to the pregame ceremony are those who have passed on, such as late AL Cy Young Award winner Bob Welch and head coach Ron Oestrike, whose grandson, Jad, caught the first pitch.

“There’s sadness when you think about that,” catcher Jerry Keller said. “I mean, Welch left too soon. Coach O has left a great legacy.”

“It was gospel to us,” third baseman Glenn Gulliver said of his former coach. “What he said, we did, and we did it extra. We did it all because we wanted to. He was like a second father to us.”

The Hurons (Eastern Michigan’s athletic nickname until 1991) left a legacy and a foundation for present and future day Eagles to follow.

“After 50 years, people still remember it,” Washington mused. “How many things do you remember you did 50 years ago?”

Entering the final game of the season on Saturday afternoon against Kent State, EMU could clinch a MAC Tournament appearance for the first time since 2017 with a win or Central Michigan loss to Toledo.