TicketsBearcats Battle Miami In Local Match-Up
UC seeking to get to .500
Contact: Shawn Sell
4/27/2005
Josh Kay has six saves for the Bearcats this season. |
SETTING THE SCENE: Cincinnati will welcome local rival Miami (Ohio) to the UC Baseball Stadium tonight (April 27) for a 6:30 p.m. contest. The game marks Miami?s first trip to Cincinnati since the 2002 season. The Bearcats enter the contest just a victory shy of evening their record at .500 with an 18-19 overall mark. The RedHawks are enjoying a 25-12 campaign that has most recently seen them take a 16-0 win over Butler on Monday. Tonight?s contest marks the first of two meetings between the schools this season, with a May 10 game also on the docket.
NOTES FROM UAB/MOUNT ST. JOSEPH:
? Josh Kay recorded saves on back-to-back days to give him six for the season. The total is tied for the fifth-highest single season mark in school history and puts Kay in a tie for 10th in career annals.
? UC faced local foe Mount St. Joseph for the first time since 1999, improving to 3-0 all-time vs. the Lions with the 5-3 win.
? UC won a 1-0 game for the first time since April 24, 1991 with Sunday?s victory. The Bearcats last topped Morehead State by a 1-0 score 14 years ago to the day.
? Sean Munninghoff, making his first start since March 26, held UAB scoreless for 5.1 innings in Sunday?s finale. After running into trouble in the second inning, the freshman bounced back to retire 11 straight hitters into the sixth inning.
ABOUT MIAMI (OHIO): The RedHawks have won 11 of their last 12 contests to improve to 25-12 on the year, including a 16-0 thrashing of Butler on Monday. Miami (Ohio) is one of the Mid-American Conference?s top hitting teams, batting .299 and averaging 7.0 runs per game. They are also dangerous on the base paths, leading the conference and ranking 11th nationally with 86 stolen bases. Brian Canada has been MU?s top hitter, batting at a .382 clip, with a team-best 13 doubles. Paul Frietch leads the squad with seven home runs and is second with 32 RBI. On the bases, Ryne Robinson has swiped 23 bases in 29 tries and is hitting .328. Miami?s pitching has also been outstanding, ranking second in the MAC with a 3.29 ERA and a .247 opponents batting average. Freshman Matt Erwood will make the start for the RedHawks against UC, holding a 3-1 record and a 3.43 ERA.
UC AGAINST THE MAC: Cincinnati has played 282 games against current members of the Mid-American Conference since 1958, with Miami (Ohio) and Ohio being the most frequent opponents. The Bearcats hold a record of 131-148-3 (.470) against members of the MAC, including a 28-37-1 mark against Miami. Other MAC teams the Bearcats have played against include Akron (7-5), Ball State (13-10-1), Bowling Green (11-29), Central Michigan (3-3), Eastern Michigan (3-3), Kent State (4-3), Marshall (17-10), Northern Illinois (4-0), Ohio (26-32) Toledo (13-13-1) and Western Michigan (2-3). Buffalo is the only current member of the MAC the Bearcats have never met in baseball. During the 2005 season, the Bearcats are set to face MAC representatives Kent State and Miami (twice) and have already faced Toledo (March 23;10-4 win) and Ohio (March 30; 8-3 loss).
A FAMILIAR FACE: A familiar face will be in the Miami (Ohio) dugout tonight, as Ty Neal, the Bearcats? pitching coach in 2004, returns to UC. Neal returned to his alma mater in Oxford following his one-year stint at Cincinnati.
MILESTONE WIN: UC head coach Brian Cleary reached a coaching milestone on April 25 as he picked up the 200th win of his coaching career in the Bearcats? victory over Mount St. Joseph. Already the second winningest coach in school history, Cleary holds a career record of 200-289-1 (.409). The legendary Glenn Sample heads the list with 391 career victories.
FRESH ARMS: A trio of freshmen hurlers have made significant contributions to the Bearcats? pitching staff this season as true freshmen Matt Heber and Sean Munninghoff and redshirt David Theobald have all logged many innings. Heber has developed into one of the Bearcats? most reliable middle relievers, holding opponents without a run in 10 of his 14 appearances. For the year, Heber holds a 1-0 record and a 3.43 ERA. Munninghoff has split time between the rotation and the bullpen, appearing in 15 contests with six starts. In the latest Conference USA rankings, Munninghoff is 11th with a 3.65 ERA. He turned in his best outing of the year on April 24 at UAB, shutting out the Blazers and holding them to just two hits in 5.1 innings. Theobald has started three straight midweek contests for the Bearcats, picking up wins in all three. He holds a 3-1 record and a 5.40 ERA after tossing five innings with a career-best four strikeouts on April 25 vs. Mount St. Joseph.
RED HOT: Three Bearcat hitters have been lights out at the plate as of late as Jon DeLuca, Mark Haske and LaFringe Hayes all bring hitting streaks of at least eight games into the game with Miami (Ohio). A look at the streaks:
? After a career-best 12-game hit streak earlier this year, DeLuca has now hit safely in nine consecutive games. During the streak, DeLuca has batted .316 (12-for-38) with seven RBI.
? Haske is riding a career-best 10-game hit streak that has seen the senior hit .390 (16-for-41). Included in the run was his first career-four hit game and nine runs scored.
? Hayes has put together an eight-game hitting streak after totalling an 11-gamer earlier in 2005. During the streak, Hayes is hitting .314 (11-for-35) with four runs, five RBI and three doubles.
BUCKEYE STRENGTH: UC?s win over Mount St. Joseph on April 25 improved the Bearcats? record to 7-1 against Ohio schools this season. In addition to the Mount win, Cincinnati has also swept three games from Cleveland State, while taking two 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 and Xavier (once each) before season?s end. UC has won 11 of its last 13 games against Ohio adversaries, including three straight against Xavier.
MAKING A CASE: Long valued as a reliable utility player, senior Jim Olds has made a case recently to be the Bearcats? starting catcher for the balance of the season. This season, Olds, junior Neall French and freshman Dustin Alvey have all shared time behind the plate, but as of late, its been Olds that has had the hot hand. Olds has started eight of the last 10 games behind the plate and is hitting .320 (8-for-25) during the stretch. In addition to his first career triple, Olds also has two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored, while also picking up his first career three-hit game on April 22 at UAB.
BACK TO FORM: Coming into this season, senior Kyle Markle was expected to be an integral part of the Bearcats? bullpen, but the former Freshman All-American struggled in the early stages of the season, holding an 18.69 ERA in his first four appearances covering 4.1 innings. But since the beginning of March, Markle has become one of UC?s most reliable relievers. In his last 14 appearances, Markle has allowed just seven runs and 17 hits in 26.2 innings, lowering his ERA to 4.65. His opponents batting average during the run is only .189, while his ERA is 2.36. On April 16 vs. Charlotte, Markle earned his first win since May 3, 2002, also against the 49ers. In his next appearance on April 20 vs. Kentucky, Markle tossed 3.1 shutout innings for his first career save.
SERIES SUCCESS: The Bearcats have reversed their series fortunes of the past two seasons this year with a total of four series triumphs. Early this season, UC picked up sweeps at Duke and at home vs. Cleveland State, snapping a nearly two-year drought without a non-conference series win. In recent weeks, the Bearcats have taken two of three games against both Saint Louis and Charlotte for their first back-to-back conference series wins since beating Tulane and Charlotte in 2002.
SNAPPING A STREAK: Cincinnati?s win in game one of an April 3 doubleheader vs. Houston marked the end of a frustrating stretch for the Bearcats. Prior to that victory, UC had dropped its last seven straight to the Cougars, its longest streak against any Conference USA opponent entering the season. With that streak behind them, the Bearcats will next try to end a six-game losing streak to Memphis. That series will take place at home, May 13-15.
IRON MEN: The Bearcats? infield has shown their durability during the 2005 season as the foursome of 1B Logan Parker, 2B Mark Muscenti, 3B Jon DeLuca and SS Mark Haske have combined to play all but three innings at their respective positions. DeLuca was the first to get a break as he sat down for the ninth inning of UC?s win over Toledo on March 23. The continuity has proved valuable as the infield holds a combined .978 fielding percentage and is tied for second in Conference USA with 45 double plays. In the NCAA rankings, the Bearcats are fourth in double plays per game with 1.25. Muscenti had one of his best performances on April 15 vs. Charlotte, as he totaled the second most assists by any player in a Conference USA contest with 10.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES: After struggling through a tough 2004 season that saw UC post a record of just 8-29 in the first 37 games of the year, the Bearcats have shown a huge turnaround through 37 games this season. In addition to winning 10 more games, the Bearcats have also shown great improvement on the mound. With a win in game one of an April 3 doubleheader vs. Houston, UC reached 10 wins in their 23rd contest of the year, a feat that didn?t come until game number 44 last season. The Bearcats? April 16 win over Charlotte was the team?s 15th of the year, matching the win total of each of the past two seasons.
TWICE AS NICE: With a solo home run on April 24 at UAB, sophomore OF Brian Szarmach now has a team-best eight longballs this season. While Szarmach has developed into one of the Bearcats? most consistent power threats, the majority of his home runs have been coming two at a time. At Wake Forest Feb. 25-27, Szarmach blasted the first two homers of his collegiate career. He did the same thing March 25-27 at Southern Miss and repeated the feat once more at Saint Louis, April 8-10. In addition to the power numbers, Szarmach has also shown more consistency at the plate, hitting .321 (26-for-81) in his last 20 games to raise his batting average to a season-high .293. Included in the recent hot streak for Szarmach was a career-long seven game hit streak that saw him bat .387 (12-for-31).
STRONG AT THE FRONT...: The Bearcats have found the ace to their starting rotation in senior Tony Maynard. The former Freshman All-American has been solid this season, posting a 5-3 record and a 3.99 ERA. Against Xavier on March 13, Maynard turned in the best outing of his collegiate career, holding the Musketeers hitless into the eighth inning. For the day, Maynard worked eight innings, surrendering just one hit and one walk and striking out a career-high seven. Maynard had another outstanding outing April 15 vs. Charlotte as he crafted a four-hit complete game. The nine-inning outing was the longest of Maynard?s career and represented his second career complete game. In this week?s Conference USA rankings, Maynard finds himself ranked among the league leaders in innings pitched (7th-70.0), wins (T9th-5) and ERA (12th).
...AND AT THE BACK: UC has also solved the issue of who will serve as the closer based on senior Josh Kay?s performance this year. Kay has proven to be nearly unhittable as he is holding opponents to a .198 batting average. The senior has appeared in a team-best 21 games, recording six saves and striking out 42 hitters in just 29 innings. Kay?s 1.86 ERA ranks first on the team. His six saves this season are tied for the fifth highest single season total in school history and also tie him for 10th on the UC career lists.
PLAYING ?EM TIGHT: UC has shown improvement in close games this year, as they are 7-7 in games decided by two runs or less. The Bearcats were just 5-10 in those games last year.
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 .325 (141-for-434), with 28 doubles, eight triples, seven home runs, 59 RBI and 17 stolen bases.
HANDLING THE HOT CORNER: Junior Jon DeLuca has been rock solid at third base for the Bearcats this season, both at the plate and in the field. At the dish, DeLuca is hitting a career-high .275 and is leading the team with 29 RBI, just four off of his previous season best. He has also ably manned the hot corner, committing just six errors in 37 games, while making numerous spectacular plays.
CONFERENCE KILLERS: In spite of a 6-11 Conference USA record, several Bearcats find themselves ranked high in the conference-only stats. A summary of those players? performances follows:
? Brian Szarmach is tied for fourth with five home runs during league play.
? Logan Parker is one of five players tied for 10th with six doubles.
? Kyle Markle is first in both opponents batting average (.161) and ERA (2.33). The senior is also tied for tied for fourth with nine appearances.
? Josh Kay is tied for third with three saves and is tied for fourth with nine appearances.
CONTINUING TO HIT: While junior 2B Mark Muscenti is enjoying a season that has seen him hit a career-best .302, he is also doing what he has gotten a reputation for, getting hit by pitches. In the last six games, Muscenti has been hit eight times, pushing him to the top of the conference rankings with 17. For his career, Muscenti has been hit a school record 54 times.
TRIPLE THE FUN: Three-base hits came in bunches for the Bearcats March 4-6 vs. Cleveland State as they accounted for seven in the three-game series. LaFringe Hayes was at the center of the output, recording four. In the March 4 win, Hayes tied a school and Conference USA record with a pair of triples, while helping the Bearcats match a conference mark with four in the game. Hayes? first triple also went down as the first in UC Baseball Stadium history. After ranking last in C-USA in 2004 with just five triples, the Bearcats have already bettered the total with 13 three-baggers in 37 games this year and are tied for third in the conference in the category. UC made the jump back up to second with four April 15-17 vs. Charlotte, including the first of Jim Olds, Logan Parker and Brian Szarmach?s respective careers. Hayes has a shot at the school record for triples in a season as his five already tie him for fourth in school annals. Billy Wolff set the record with nine in 1965.
FIRST WINS: A total of five Bearcat hurlers have broken into the win column for the first time in their careers in 2005. Bryan Wood was the first to earn his initial triumph, getting a relief win on Feb. 19 at Duke. One day later, it was Sean Munninghoff picking up a W against the Blue Devils. Kevin Schrader then beat Cleveland State on March 5, prior to Matt Heber getting a relief triumph April 10 at Saint Louis. David Theobald was the latest first-time winner, beating Xavier on April 14.
BEARCATS PICKED 10TH IN C-USA: In a preseason poll of conference coaches, the Bearcats have been chosen to finish 10th in Conference USA this season. Tulane, ranked No. 1 nationally in the preseason by Baseball America, earned all 12 of the first place votes as the favorite to win the conference. Defending C-USA Tournament Champions TCU were picked second, with last year?s regular season titlists East Carolina rounding out the top three.