TicketsUC Hosts Memphis In Final C-USA Home Series
Bearcats to honor seniors, Sample this weekend
Contact: Shawn Sell
5/13/2005
Justin Minges is one of nine seniors that will be honored this weekend. |
SETTING THE SCENE: Cincinnati plays host to its next-to-last Conference USA series when Memphis comes to town for a three-game set starting tonight. Action gets underway in the UC Baseball Stadium at 6:30 p.m. Saturday?s contest will be proceeded by Senior Day ceremonies with first pitch coming at 4 p.m. The weekend will cap off with a ceremony honoring legendary coach Glenn Sample, prior to Sunday?s 1 p.m. start. The Bearcats enter the weekend still in a position to earn a berth in the C-USA Tournament presented by POWERade. UC is four games out of the eighth and final position with an 8-15 C-USA mark and a 22-26 overall record. Memphis is 11-37 overall and 4-20 in league play.
NOTES FROM MIAMI/XAVIER:
? UC extended its winning streak over Xavier to four straight and capped a season sweep of the Musketeers with Wednesday?s 9-2 win.
? Erik Eitel tallied a career-high with four RBI vs. Xavier and hit his first triple since 2002 in the victory.
? Jon DeLuca?s double vs. Xavier gives him 32 for his career, moving him into a tie for 20th place on the school?s career list. DeLuca is also nearing cracking the top-20 in at-bats, hits and RBI.
? Mark Muscenti played in the 150th game of his career against Xavier.
? Josh Kay moved into a tie for 13th place on UC?s single season appearances chart with his 25th game appearance of 2005.
ABOUT MEMPHIS: The Tigers have struggled all season long and enter the weekend in 12th place in the Conference USA standings at 4-20, with an 11-37 overall mark. Memphis won its last outing, topping Tennessee-Martin on Wednesday, but has dropped 13 of its last 15 contests. Ryan Martin has been a bright spot offensively for the Tigers, leading the team in virtually every category including average (.340), doubles (10), home runs (eight) and RBI (44). Memphis is batting just .266 as a team, ranking near the bottom of C-USA in hitting and scoring. Pitching has also been a problem for Memphis, as the team?s ERA of 7.11 ranks 11th in the conference. Drew Jaudon and Chris South have both been solid out of the bullpen, holding a combined 5-4 record and a 3.63 ERA. The Tigers will be looking to extend upon their current six-game winning streak over the Bearcats.
UC AGAINST CONFERENCE USA: In their 10th and final season of Conference USA play, the Bearcats hold an all-time conference record of 75-185-1 (.289). UC has played a total of 570 games against current C-USA members since 1958, holding a record of 223-345-1 (.392), including a 26-54 mark against Memphis. UC?s record against other C-USA opponents includes Charlotte (15-13), East Carolina (3-8-1), Houston (7-24), Louisville (63-63), Saint Louis (47-43), Southern Miss (9-37), TCU (2-10), Tulane (7-35), UAB (20-38), and USF (6-20). Per conference rules, UC will not face one member of the league this year and this season, will skip Tulane.
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, with the first opportunity coming on Friday.
MUSCENTI EARNS ACADEMIC HONOR: Junior Mark Muscenti has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District second team for his success on and off the field. Muscenti is a chemical engineering major carrying a 3.527 GPA.
PLAYING ?EM TIGHT: UC has shown improvement in close games this year, as they are 9-9 in games decided by two runs or less. The Bearcats were just 5-10 in those games last year.
HONORING A LEGEND: UC will honor longtime baseball coach Glenn Sample by naming the walkway outside the grandstand of the new UC Baseball Stadium Glenn Sample Way. Formal dedication of the walkway will take place on Sunday, May 15 preceding UC?s 1 p.m. home baseball game with Memphis. Sample will also throw out the first pitch. The walkway will serve both as a tribute to Sample's 37 years of service to UC athletics and for eventually honoring Bearcat baseball greats. Plaques recognizing the exploits of UC diamond stars will be placed along the walkway.
THE RACE IS ON: The race for a berth in the 2005 Conference USA Tournament presented by POWERade is red hot as no less than eight conference teams are vying for the five spots still remaining in the May 25-29 event. The chart at right shows the conference standings, along with each team?s remaining two opponents.
BIG DAY AT THE DISH: Logan Parker turned in a monster performance in the Bearcats? near upset of No. 28 TCU on May 8. For the day, Parker was 3-for-5 at the plate, scoring twice and driving in a career-best seven runs. Parker started the day with an RBI double in the first, added a three-run homer in the second and tacked on a bases-clearing triple in the third. Needing just a single to become the first Bearcat since 1999 to hit for the cycle, Parker was intentionally walked in his fourth plate appearance, before grounding out in his final two. Parker?s seven RBI was just one off of the school record of eight, which has been achieved four times, most recently by Steve Pickerell in 2003.
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 .278 and is second the team with 36 RBI, which is also a career-best. DeLuca has made the most of his opportunities, hitting .328 with runners in scoring position. He has also ably manned the hot corner, committing just six errors in 48 games, while making numerous spectacular plays.
POWER OUTAGE: While the Bearcats have enjoyed the many luxuries that the UC Baseball Stadium brings, one thing that hasn?t been so friendly to the squad this year is home run capability. Of UC?s 30 home runs this season, just seven have been hit at home. In the same 25-game span, Bearcat opponents have belted 15 homers in the stadium.
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 6-3 record and a 3.90 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 (8th-83.0), opponents batting average (9th-.242) and wins (T7th).
...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 .194 batting average. The senior has appeared in a team-best 25 games, recording a win and seven saves and striking out 50 hitters in just 37.2 innings. Kay?s 1.43 ERA ranks first on the team. His seven saves this season are tied for the third highest single season total in school history and also tie him for sixth on the UC career lists.
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 204-296-1 (.408). The legendary Glenn Sample heads the list with 391 career victories. Cleary reached a second banner achievement on May 10 vs. Miami as he coached in his 500th game at Cincinnati.
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 six innings at their respective positions. DeLuca and Parker have both been given breathers, while Haske and Muscenti are the only UC players to play every inning this season. The continuity has proved valuable as the infield holds a combined .976 fielding percentage and is first in Conference USA with 62 double plays. In the NCAA rankings, the Bearcats are second nationally in double plays per game with 1.26 and 17th with a .972 team fielding percentage. Twice this season Muscenti has tallied the second most assists in a game by a C-USA player with 10. UC had one of its best defensive days of the season on May 1 at East Carolina, turning a season-high four double plays.
BUCKEYE STRENGTH: The Bearcats wrapped up another successful campaign against Ohio school?s this year, finishing with an 8-4 mark against in-state foes. For the year, the Bearcats picked up three game sweeps of Cleveland State and Xavier, while also toppling Ohio and Mount St. Joseph. Over the past two seasons, UC has won 12 of its last 17 games against Ohio adversaries, including four straight against Xavier.
CONTINUING TO HIT: While junior 2B Mark Muscenti is enjoying a season that has seen him hit a career-best .303, he is also doing what he has gotten a reputation for, getting hit by pitches. In the last 17 games, Muscenti has been hit 11 times, pushing him to the top of the conference rankings with 20. For his career, Muscenti has been hit a school record 57 times. On the strength of the hit by pitches, Muscenti ranks first on the team and 12th in Conference USA with a .437 on-base percentage.
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 .316, with 115 runs, 34 doubles, 10 triples, 11 home runs, 87 RBI and 18 stolen bases.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES: After struggling through a tough 2004 season that saw UC post a record of just 13-35 in the first 48 games of the year, the Bearcats have posted a huge turnaround through 48 games this season. In addition to winning nine more games, the Bearcats have 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. If the season were to end now, the Bearcats? staff ERA of 5.19 would be the lowest by a UC team since the 1995 squad that turned in a 4.82 mark.
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 bettered the total with 16 three-baggers in 48 games this year and are second 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 six tie him for third in school annals. Billy Wolff set the record with nine in 1965.
CONFERENCE KILLERS: In spite of a 8-15 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 six home runs during league play.
? Logan Parker is one of nine players tied for seventh with eight doubles. His two triples also tie him for fifth.
? Mark Muscenti ranks third in on-base percentage at .510, due in part to a league-leading 10 hit by pitch.
? Josh Kay is tied for second with four saves and is tied for ninth with 11 appearances. Kyle Markle is in the appearance category, also tied for ninth.
? Tony Maynard is 12th with 47.1 innings pitched in C-USA play.
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.
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 18 appearances. For the year, Heber holds a 1-0 record and a 4.32 ERA. Munninghoff has split time between the rotation and the bullpen, appearing in 17 contests with eight starts and a 4.63 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 primarily a midweek starter, winning three of his four starts. He holds a 3-2 record and a 5.44 ERA after tossing five innings with a career-best four strikeouts on April 25 vs. Mount St. Joseph.
GIVING A LIFT: A pair of Bearcat pitchers have given the staff a lift in recent weeks, as senior Mike Foley and sophomore Nick Buscemi have started to shine. Working out of the bullpen, Foley has allowed just two earned runs in his last 10.2 innings, spanning six appearances. The run has dropped the southpaw?s ERA to 5.21. Buscemi has won two straight midweek contests, allowing just one run in nine innings on the hill. For the year, Buscemi is 3-2 with a 3.24 ERA after missing all of last season, while rehabbing an elbow injury.