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UC-Oakland To Meet In Weekend Diamond Set

UC-Oakland To Meet In Weekend Diamond SetUC-Oakland To Meet In Weekend Diamond Set

March 14, 2006

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SETTING THE SCENE: Cincinnati will be out to stretch its four-game winning streak when it returns to the UC Baseball Stadium this weekend for a three-game series with Oakland. Instead of the traditional three games in three days, UC and OU will complete a doubleheader on Saturday (March 18), beginning at 1 p.m., then wrap up the set with a single game at 1 p.m. on Sunday. UC brings a 10-6 record into the weekend after completing a three-game sweep of Cleveland State last weekend. Oakland brings a 1-9 mark into the series after losing two of three at Dayton. The games continue a season-long 11-game homestand for the Bearcats.

NOTES FROM THE CLEVELAND STATE SERIES:

  • Cincinnati swept Cleveland State to claim its fourth consecutive series win. UC hasn't accomplished the feat since taking the first four series of the 2000 season. The Bearcats won just four series all of last year.
  • The Bearcats stretched their win streak over Cleveland State to 12 in a row.
  • Jack Nelson's two home runs match his total from all of the 2005 season. He also becomes the first Bearcat to homer twice in a game since Logan Parker on May 13, 2005 vs. Memphis. Nelson last homered twice in a game on May 1, 2004 against Saint Louis.
  • Cory Hodskins became the third Bearcat to hit his first collegiate home run this season.

NOTING THE BEARCATS:

  • Jack Nelson brings a career-best eight-game hitting streak into the weekend. He is batting .469 (15 for 32) during the stretch and has raised his season average from .294 to .408.
  • Mark Muscenti and Adam Yeager have each hit safely in five consecutive games, with the latter's representing a career high.
  • Muscenti has moved into a tie for 19th place on UC's career hits list with 170, sharing the spot is Aaron Moll (2001-04).
  • The Bearcats feature one of the BIG EAST's most dangerous offenses, ranking third in team batting average, second in runs and doubles, first in triples and third in home runs.

NOTING THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES:

  • The Grizzlies fell to 1-9 this season after losing two out of three last weekend at Dayton. Oakland had previously dropped three in a row to sixth-ranked Tennessee.
  • Oakland was picked to finish fifth in the seven-member Mid-Continent Conference in a preseason poll of league coaches. The Grizzlies finished 14-38 last year.
  • Junior Ryan Heath tops OU with a .276 batting average, while returning all-conference performer Chad Winkler has a team-high eight RBI and a pair of home runs.
  • Oakland's interim athletic director and head men's basketball coach is Greg Kampe, the father of Cincinnati freshman outfielder Keith Kampe.

UC AGAINST THE MID-CON: The Bearcats have faced just two of the seven current members of the Mid-Continent Conference, holding a record of only 1-10 (.100) against the schools. Valparaiso has been the most frequent opponent, as the Crusaders hold a 9-1 series lead over the Bearcats. UC is also 0-1 against Chicago State.

MR. VERSATILITY: Freshman Josh Harrison produced one of the top storylines of UC's series with Cleveland State, March 10-12. After Nick Maragas, the Bearcats' only healthy catcher went down with an injury, Harrison was forced to don the catcher's gear for the first time in a game in his life. Harrison held his own behind the plate, handling 21 chances without an error or passed ball. The versatile freshman received high marks for his play from UC head coach Brian Cleary and the Bearcat pitching staff.

SCORING MACHINE: The Bearcats have become one of the BIG EAST's most dangerous offensive teams this season, averaging just over seven runs per game and hitting .304 as a team. In the 13 games this year excluding the season-opening Florida series, the Bearcats are averaging 8.2 runs per game and hitting .327. This numbers come despite being shutout twice during the stretch. UC started the outburst with a 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. In 13 games this season, the Bearcats have reached double-figure scoring five times, after doing so just seven times in 55 games last year.

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 after recording a three-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts over North Carolina A&T.
  • Senior outfielder LaFringe Hayes earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Feb. 20 after batting .545, scoring six runs and driving in four in the N.C. A&T series. He also stole three bases and matched a school record with two triples in the Feb. 17 series-opener.
  • Freshman shortstop Josh Harrison earned a BIG EAST Honor Roll mention on Feb. 27 after batting .545 (6-for-11) with a double, a home run, three RBI and four runs scored vs. High Point.
  • Senior DH Jack Nelson was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on March 6 after hitting .600 (9-for-15), with four doubles, three RBI and two runs scored. Nelson helped UC to a 3-1 week, including a win over Kentucky and two vs. Niagara.
  • Senior 1B Logan Parker was placed on the BIG EAST Honor Roll on March 13 after hitting .500 (5-for-10) in UC's sweep of Cleveland State. Parker added a double, a triple and five RBI during the series.
  • Simon was also on the March 13 Honor Roll after a dominating pitching performance against CSU. The junior limited the Vikings to just two hits in seven shutout innings to earn his third win of the year.

FINDING HIS STROKE: As a sophomore, Jack Nelson was one of the most dangerous hitters in Conference USA with a .360 batting average. After struggling as a junior, Nelson seems to be back on track during his senior year. Nelson has been red hot as of late, carrying a career-best eight-game hitting streak into the weekend in which he has batted .469 (15 for 32). The surge has raised Nelson's average to a team-high .408, which ranks sixth in the BIG EAST this week. Nelson has also gotten back his knack for extra-base hits as he has four doubles and two home runs this year, with both of the longballs coming against Cleveland State on March 10. The multi-homer game was the second of Nelson's career and first since May 1, 2004 vs. Saint Louis.

UNDER THE RADAR: Throughout his career, senior 2B Mark Muscenti has flown under the radar, but if he continues the play he has this season, that won't be the case for long. This year, Muscenti is hitting .377, well above his career average of .277. He also has recorded 11 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 173 games and has started 86 consecutive games at second base. Muscenti has also made waves on UC's career lists as of late, moving into the top-20 in on-base percentage (T-15th, .419), games played (T-18th, 173), walks (18th, 80), hits (T-19th, 170) and at-bats (20th, 594).

THE ANCHOR: Logan Parker has been the anchor of the Bearcats' line-up in 2006, beating opponents with both his bat and his patience. This year, Parker is fourth on the team in hitting at .333, while adding four doubles, two triples, three homers and a team-leading 18 RBI. He has also shown great patience at the plate, drawing a BIG EAST-leading 16 walks and striking out just eight times in 57 at-bats. Parker is also making waves in the BIG EAST, where he ranks among the conference leaders in RBI (T-1st, 18), total bases (T-4th, 36) and slugging percentage (5th, .632).

A NICE COMPLIMENT: Freshman SS Josh Harrison has been a nice compliment to LaFringe Hayes at the top of the line-up, as he ranks second on the squad and eighth in the BIG EAST with a .393 batting average. The Cincinnati native has helped the Bearcats in a number of ways, stealing a team-high four bases, notching his first career home run and scoring 15 runs. On March 1 at Kentucky, Harrison recorded the second four-hit day of his short career. Harrison's seven multi-hit games help him share the lead in the BIG EAST with 24 total hits.

HIGH ON HAYES: After a slow start, senior OF and lead-off hitter LaFringe Hayes is back to his old tricks at the top of the UC line-up. Having hit safely in 12 of his last 14 games, Hayes has raised his batting average to .323. In game one of UC's Feb. 19 doubleheader at North Carolina A&T, Hayes scored five runs, becoming the first UC player to reach the total since Craig Tewes on March 7, 2001 vs. Xavier. During that same weekend, Hayes once again tied the school record for most triples in a single game, a mark that Hayes has already achieved one other time in his career as he ripped two. With 10 triples in just over one season at UC, Hayes is just two back of Billy Wolff's career record. In addition to leading the BIG EAST with three triples, Hayes is also first with 20 runs scored.

STARTERS ARE STRONG: A key factor in UC's recent success (the Bearcats have won 10 of their last 12 games) has been UC's starting pitching trio of juniors Kyle Rapp and Glen Simon and true freshman Steve Blevins. An up close look at each hurler's recent success:

  • Rapp has allowed just two earned runs and five hits in his last 14.2 innings of work, but has dropped two straight decisions. He has been the victim of a lack of run support by the UC bats as the Bearcats have failed to score a run in each of his last two starts, resulting in a pair of 1-0 losses.
  • Simon has been dominant in three of his last four starts, holding a 3-0 record and a 1.01 ERA during the span. Simon twirled a three-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts at North Carolina A&T on Feb. 19 and worked eight one-run innings to score a win on March 3 vs. Niagara. After the Niagara start, Simon pitched seven shutout innings against Cleveland Staet to extend his scoreless innings streak to 14.
  • Blevins has shown the ability that made him UC's opening day starter over his last two starts as he has won two straight decisions. In his last three starts and one relief appearance, Blevins has allowed seven runs in 16.1 innings, while striking out 13 and lowering his ERA from 15.58 to 7.92.
  • The successes have gained the trio recognition in the BIG EAST weekly statistics, led by Simon who is tied for first in wins (3), eighth in opponent batting average (.190) and fifth in innings pitched (27.1).

STEADY ARMS: Junior lefty Jack Nelson and sophomore right-hander A.J. Upton have formed a solid 1-2 punch out of the Bearcat bullpen in 2006, helping UC overcome the loss of graduated relievers Josh Kay and Kyle Markle. After tossing a combined 10.1 innings last year, Nelson and Upton have been UC's most reliable relievers thus far. Upton has been one of the biggest surprises of 2006 as he has evolved into the Bearcats' closer. After preserving the Bearcats win on March 5 vs. Niagara, Upton is tied for first place in the BIG EAST with three saves. He holds a 3.00 ERA and is limiting batters to a .204 batting average. Minus a rough outing at Florida on opening weekend, Nelson has allowed just two runs and four hits in his last 7.2 innings of work. In UC's two wins at High Point Feb. 24-26, Nelson earned his first career victory, while Upton gathered his first career save.

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. For his efforts, Simon was named BIG EAST Conference Co-Pitcher of the Week.

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.

BUCKEYE STRENGTH: The Bearcats are out to continue there recent success against in-state rivals in 2006, with 10 games against Ohio schools scheduled. UC got its first crack at an in-state rival March 10-12, sweeping Cleveland State in three-game set. UC's next Ohio battle is March 21 vs. Xavier. Last year, UC posted an 8-4 mark against in-state foes and have won 15 of its last 20 games against Ohio adversaries, including four straight against Xavier.

ENDING A SLUMP: Junior OF Brian Szarmach found a big way to end a 0-for-13 slump with his performance at High Point on Feb. 26. With UC trailing 4-3 in the sixth inning, the junior launched his second career grand slam to put the Bearcats ahead to stay. He would add two RBI later in the game to give him a career-high six. The grand slam was the first by a UC player since Mark Haske's on May 14, 2005 vs. Memphis and was also Szarmach's second long ball of 2006.

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.

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.

PLAYING `EM TIGHT: The Bearcats picked up their first close win of the season on March 1 at Kentucky, taking a 10-9 victory and are now 3-3 in games decided by two runs or less this year. The victory was another step towards reversing a trend that hurt the Bearcats prior to last season. Improved performance in close games helped UC better its win total by 10 in 2005, as the Bearcats finished the year with a record of 10-10 in games decided by two runs or less. The Bearcats were just 5-10 in those games in 2004 and 5-17 in 2003. UC has been hurt by a pair of 1-0 losses this season, including the 1-0 defeat to Niagara on March 4 which marked the second time UC has fallen by that score this season, something that hasn't happened since accurate records were kept beginning in 1958. The Bearcats also dropped a 1-0 decision to High Point on Feb. 25.

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