Bearcats Carry Momentum To High Point

Feb. 22, 2006

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SETTING THE SCENE: Cincinnati, armed with a two-game winning streak, returns to non-conference baseball action this weekend, facing High Point of the Big South Conference in a three-game set. The Bearcats are 2-4 on the year after taking two of three at North Carolina A&T last weekend. The Panthers are 5-6 this season. Action from HP's George S. Erath Field gets underway on Friday (Feb. 24), with a 2:30 p.m. first pitch. Action continues with 1 p.m. contests on both Saturday and Sunday. The series marks the first ever meeting on the diamond for the schools.

NOTES FROM THE N.C. A&T SERIES:

• LaFringe Hayes' two triples on Friday tied the school record for a single game, accomplished nine times. Hayes was also the last player to reach the feat, pulling the trick on March 4, 2005 vs. Cleveland State.
• Hayes moved into a tie for sixth place on UC's career triples list with nine. He is tied with Nick Hodge and Jerry Lux and is just one back of second place.
• Glen Simon's 13 strikeouts in game two of Sunday's doubleheader were the most by a Bearcat hurler since Sean Munninghoff fanned 12 Memphis batters on May 14, 2005.
• In UC's 19-4 rout in game one of Sunday's doubleheader, the Bearcats tallied their highest run total since a 21-8 win over Xavier on April 29, 2004. The 10 runs scored in the sixth inning were the most since a 10-run third on May 5, 2005 vs. Kentucky State.

NOTING THE BEARCATS:

• Logan Parker brings a seven-game hit streak into the weekend series, having hit safely in all six games this season and the final game of 2005. The senior is batting .391 during the stretch.
• After not stealing a base in their season-opening series at Florida, UC swiped eight against North Carolina A&T. LaFringe Hayes and Josh Harrison, batting 1-2 in the line-up, stole three and two, respectively, during the series.
• Parker sits atop UC's hitting stats with a season average of .333. Mark Muscenti is tops in RBI with six through six games, after recording 28 in 55 games in 2005.

NOTING THE PANTHERS:

• The Panthers are 5-6 this season after dropping an 8-7 decision to UNC Greensboro on Tuesday. HP won two of three at Furman last weekend.
• High Point was selected to finish seventh in a preseason poll of the Big South Conference coaches. The Panthers were 19-36 in 2005.
• Sophomore 2B Chris Norwood leads the team with a .475 batting average and 11 RBI. Senior OF Mark Shorey has nine RBI and a team-leading two home runs.
• The High Point pitchers have yielded a collective 6.22 ERA this year. Sophomore reliever Bubba O'Donnell has been the top hurler, holding a 1.88 ERA with two saves in six appearances.

UC AGAINST THE BIG SOUTH: Cincinnati has faced just three members of the Big South Conference since 1958, holding a collective record of 3-3 (.500). UC played a four-game series at Winthrop (1-3) in 2003 and has also battled Charleston Southern (1-0) and Coastal Carolina (1-1).

BEARCATS EARN CONFERENCE HONORS: During the 2006 baseball season, UC has seen its players honored by the BIG EAST Conference. A look at the award winners:

• Junior pitcher Glen Simon was chosen Co-Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 20. Simon pitched a three-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts over North Carolina A&T to earn the award.
• Senior outfielder LaFringe Hayes earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Feb. 20 for his performance during a series at North Carolina A&T. For the series, Hayes batted .545, scoring six runs and driving in four. He also stole three bases and matched a school record with two triples in the Feb. 17 series-opener.

SIMON SAYS SIT DOWN: In just his second outing in a Cincinnati uniform, junior RHP Glen Simon turned in one of the most dominating performances in recent memory. On Feb. 19 at North Carolina A&T, the Florida State transfer tossed a three-hit shutout over seven innings, while striking out a career-high 13 Aggie hitters. Simon's shutout also was an achievement as it was the first crafted by a UC starter since Chad Pennington shut out Saint Louis on May 18, 2002. The 13 strikeouts by Simon were the most by a Bearcat pitcher since Sean Munninghoff registered 12 against Memphis on May 14, 2005. Making the outing even more impressive was the fact that Simon did not make it out of the first inning in his previous start at Florida. For his efforts, Simon was named BIG EAST Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week.

DRASTIC IMPROVEMENT: The Bearcats' hitting and pitching performances showed a dramatic improvement last weekend at North Carolina A&T after a less than impressive start the week before at Florida. The improved performance also led to victories as UC took two of three at NC A&T after being swept by Florida. A look at the team's statistics by series is shown to the right.

HIGH ON HAYES: Senior OF and lead-off hitter LaFringe Hayes was back to his old tricks at North Carolina A&T (Feb. 17-19) after a slow start to the season the week before at Florida. For the weekend, Hayes hit a team-leading .545, collecting six hits, including a pair of triples, and scoring six runs, including five in game one of the Feb. 19 doubleheader, becoming the first UC player to reach the total since Craig Tewes on March 7, 2001 vs. Xavier. Hayes showed his speed in a number of ways, legging out a pair of triples in the Feb. 17 series opener and swiping three bases in three tries. The two three-baggers once again tied the school record for most in a single game, a mark that Hayes has already achieved one other time in his career. Hayes also sparked a renewed Bearcat running game that notched eight stolen bases as he teamed with No. 2 hitter Josh Harrison to steal five. UC failed to steal a base in its first four contests of 2006. On the strength of the performance at N.C. A&T, Hayes lifted his batting average to .318 for the year.

UNDER THE RADAR: Throughout his career, senior 2B Mark Muscenti has flown under the radar, but if he continues the play he has early this season, that won't be the case for long. Through the first six games of the year, Muscenti is hitting .304, well above his career average of .277. He also leads the team with six RBI, putting him on pace to easily top his career-high of 28 set last season. Always a steady fielder, Muscenti has a career fielding percentage of .968 in 163 games. He has also started 76 consecutive games at second base.

ALL THE WAY: During the 2005 season, Cincinnati's pitchers turned in only one complete game, but the 2006 staff doubled that total in just one day with its Feb. 19 doubleheader performance at North Carolina A&T. In the twinbill, juniors Kyle Rapp and Glen Simon each pitched all seven innings, leading the Bearcats to a sweep. In the first complete game of either pitcher's career, each struck out a career-high with Rapp fanning seven and Simon 13. The back-to-back complete games were the first for Bearcat hurlers since B.J. Borsa and Nate Bouldin each went all the way on April 5-6, 2003 vs. Southern Miss.

BEARCATS 10TH IN BIG EAST POLL: In its first season as a member of the BIG EAST Conference, the Bearcats have been tabbed to finish 10th in a poll of the league's 12 coaches. Notre Dame, the defending champions of the conference tournament, were the overwhelming favorites to win the 2006 title. The Fighting Irish picked up a total of nine first place votes, finishing with a total of 117 points. Pittsburgh picked up two first place nods, taking second in the rankings with 103 tallies. Villanova, chosen in a tie for seventh, earned the last first place marker.

WALK THE LINE: UC's hitters and pitchers used the base on balls to their advantage in the second weekend of play at North Carolina A&T after struggling with it the week prior at Florida. Against the Aggies, UC drew 23 walks after picking up only nine vs. the Gators. Logan Parker and LaFringe Hayes were the catalysts at the plate, drawing seven and four walks apiece in the series, including four each in game one of the Feb. 19 doubleheader. Cincinnati's pitchers also showed huge improvement, as the group cut its walk total from 27 at Florida to 13 against N.C. A&T.

KEEPING IT GOING: Senior 1B Logan Parker has gotten his 2006 season off to a good start after ending 2005 red hot. This year, Parker is hitting a team-best .333, with two doubles and five RBI. He has also shown great patience at the plate, drawing a BIG EAST leading eight walks. The start compliments an outstanding end to 2005 as over the final 17 games of the year, Parker hit at a .420 clip, with 17 runs scored, eight doubles, a triple, six home runs and 27 RBI. He enters the High Point series carrying a seven-game hitting streak dating to last season that has seen the senior bat .391.

START OF SOMETHING NEW: The Bearcats move to the BIG EAST this season marks the opening to UC's sixth conference affiliation since 1949. The move is also noteworthy for UC senior OF LaFringe Hayes. A transfer from the University of Oklahoma (a member of the Big 12) prior to last season, Hayes will be playing in his third Division I Conference in three years.
Conference Inaugural Game Result
Mid-American April 19, 1948 at Miami (OH) Miami (OH) 14, UC 6
Missouri Valley April 26, 1957 at UC UC 9, Bradley 8
Metro May 14, 1976 at Memphis Tulane 4, UC 1
Great Midwest April 4, 1992 at Saint Louis UC 4, Saint Louis 3
Conference USA March 29, 1996 at UAB UAB 4, UC 2
BIG EAST March 24, 2006 at Connecticut TBA

UNFAMILIAR FOES: The start to the 2006 season marks the dawning of many new rivals for the Bearcats, as the squad will face 11 first time opponents. In addition to six members of the BIG EAST, five of Cincinnati's first seven non-conference opponents are new. In conference play, UC will face Connecticut, Georgetown, Rutgers, St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova for the first time. West Virginia, along with Conference USA defectees Louisville and USF, are the only BIG EAST teams on the Bearcats' 2006 docket to battle UC prior to this year. On the non-conference side of the slate, UC will battle Florida, High Point, Niagara, North Carolina A&T and Oakland for the first time in 2006.

BUCKEYE STRENGTH: The Bearcats will try to continue there recent success against in-state rivals in 2006, with 10 games against Ohio schools scheduled. Last year, UC posted an 8-4 mark against in-state foes and have won 12 of its last 17 games against Ohio adversaries, including four straight against Xavier.

MUSCENTI WINNER OF STEPHENS AWARD: Senior 2B Mark Muscenti received one of the UC Athletic Department's highest honors at halftime of the Feb. 6 men's basketball game when he was announced as the 2006 winner of the Jean Stephens Memorial Award. Named in honor of the former Athletic Department employee, the Stephens Award honors one senior student-athlete each year that exemplifies excellence on and off the field. Muscenti was nominated for the award by UC head coach Brian Cleary.

FRESH FACES: The Bearcats have enjoyed the early season contributions of many players new to the UC roster for 2006. A look at some of those players with their achievements thus far:

• Freshman Josh Harrison has started all six games (four in right field, two at shortstop) and is batting .292. The speedy Harrison has also stolen two bases, scored four runs and tallied four RBI.
• Junior LHP Kyle Rapp has been solid in both of his starts, holding a 1-1 record and a 4.50 ERA. Rapp was at his best on Feb. 19 against North Carolina A&T, striking out a career-high seven in a complete game, 19-4 UC win.
• Junior RHP Glen Simon was sensational in a Feb. 19 start against North Carolina A&T. In a seven inning, three-hit shutout, Simon fanned 13 batters to improve to 1-1 on the year. After getting roughed up in his first outing at Florida, Simon now has a 5.87 ERA.

SCORING MACHINE: The Bearcats turned into a scoring machine during its 19-4 rout of North Carolina A&T in game one of a Feb. 19 doubleheader. UC's 19 runs were the most by the Bearcats since a 21-8 thrashing of Xavier on April 29, 2004. The Bearcats exploded for 10 runs in the sixth inning against the Aggies, marking the first 10-run frame for UC since May 5, 2005 vs. Kentucky State.