TicketsBearcats Open Week With Local Foe
UC battle Mount St. Joseph tonight
Contact: Shawn Sell
4/25/2005
Mark Haske hit .500 last week for UC. |
SETTING THE SCENE: A pair of local schools that haven?t met on the diamond since 1999 will square off tonight (April 25) when the University of Cincinnati baseball team entertains the College of Mount St. Joseph. The game, scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch in the UC Baseball Stadium, was a late addition to the Bearcats? schedule after weather caused the squad to lose four games earlier this season. UC is coming off a weekend that saw them win one of three at UAB to improve to 17-19 on the year. Mount St. Joseph battled weather all weekend, playing just once and falling to Manchester College to drop to 18-12 on the year. Tonight?s pitching match-up will feature a pair of local prep products as Wyoming High grad David Theobald takes the ball for UC, being opposed by MSJ?s Chris Waite of Northwest.
APPROACHING 200: UC head coach Brian Cleary is closing in on a coaching milestone, as he is just one win shy of the 200-victory plateau for his career. Already the second winningest coach in school history, Cleary holds a career record of 199-289-1 (.408). The legendary Glenn Sample heads the list with 391 career victories.
PLAYING ?EM TIGHT: UC has shown improvement in close games this year, as they are 6-7 in games decided by two runs or less. The Bearcats were just 5-10 in those games last year. UC played the closest game possible on April 24 at UAB, picking up a 1-0 victory. The last time the Bearcats won by a 1-0 score came 14 years ago to the day when UC stopped Morehead State in 1991.
ABOUT MOUNT ST. JOSEPH: The Lions enter tonight?s contest with an 18-12 record after dropping a 12-3 decision to 21st-ranked Manchester College on Friday. The Mount, losers of three straight, are in sole possession of third place in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Lions are hitting a stout .304 as a team, led by Marc Terwilliger who enters the day hitting .407. Michael Mayer is at the top of the RBI chart with 21, just one better than Terwilliger and Dave Sheeran?s total. MSJ has hit just six home runs this season, but ranks third in the HCAC with 47 stolen bases. Chris Waite has been the Lions? most reliable starting pitcher, holding a 4-2 record and a 2.83 ERA in six starts.
BUCKEYE STRENGTH: UC?s win over Xavier on April 13 improved the Bearcats? record to 6-1 against Ohio schools this season. In addition to the Xavier win, Cincinnati has also swept three games from Cleveland State, while taking a prior single contest from Xavier and one vs. Toledo. The Bearcats will have more chances to battle fellow Buckeye schools as they are scheduled to meet Miami (twice), Kent State, Mount St. Joseph, and Xavier (once each) before season?s end. UC has won 10 of its last 12 games against Ohio adversaries, including three straight against Xavier.
WELCOME ADDITIONS: The Bearcats have enjoyed the contributions of newcomers Mark Haske, LaFringe Hayes and Logan Parker as the trio have been mainstays in the line-up. As a group, the threesome is batting .330 (139-for-421), with 26 doubles, eight triples, seven home runs, 57 RBI and 16 stolen bases. Hayes leads the team in hitting at .392 and is also tops in triples (five) and stolen bases (10) and is second with 47 hits and 31 runs. Haske leads the squad with 50 hits and 32 runs and is second in hitting (.336), triples (two) and stolen bases (four). Parker is second on the squad with five homers and is second with 25 RBI.
NOT SO FRIENDLEY RIVALS: Despite both schools being housed within the Cincinnati city limits, UC and Mount St. Joseph have met just twice on the diamond since 1958. The Bearcats hold a 2-0 advantage in the series, having picked up home victories in both 1998 and 1999.