Bearcats Host Hoyas In Important BIG EAST Set

April 21, 2006

Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

SETTING THE SCENE: Cincinnati opens an important BIG EAST series on Friday (April 21) when Georgetown visits for a three-game set. The Bearcats and Hoyas, along with West Virginia, are deadlocked in a three-way tie for seventh place in the BIG EAST standings at 5-7. Only eight teams will qualify for next month's BIG EAST Tournament in Clearwater, Fla. Overall, the Bearcats stand at 21-15 after an 11-8 win over Dayton on Wednesday. Georgetown is 17-21 after dropping mid-week contests to Mount St. Mary's and George Washington. The series gets underway with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch on Friday and continues at 4 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.

NOTES FROM THE DAYTON GAME:

• The game marked the renewing of Cincinnati's second-longest rivalry. The Bearcats and Flyers have met 98 times since 1958, matching Xavier for the second-longest.
• Matt Heber became the fourth Bearcat to record his first career save this season, joining Sean Munninghoff, Jack Nelson and A.J. Upton.
• LaFringe Hayes tied Billy Wolff's school record with his 12th career triple. He has matched the mark in just 84 career games.
• Mark Muscenti moved into a tie for eighth on UC's career games played list with 183, sharing the spot with Mike Kinnett (1984-87). He also climbed into 11th on the walks list with 98.

NOTING THE BEARCATS:

• True freshman Josh Harrison continues to pace the Bearcats in hitting, with a .362 average. He has also matched his career-best with a seven-game hit streak. Logan Parker is tops in homers and RBI with seven and 38, respectively. Parker snapped a 16-game homerless streak on Wednesday vs. Dayton.
• The Bearcats are ranked in the top-six in the BIG EAST in batting average, runs, triples, home runs and RBI.
• The sixth inning has been great to the Bearcats this season, as UC is outscoring its opponents 62-17 in that frame. The 62 runs is nearly twice the total of any other single inning UC scoring output.
• Team defense has been a strength for UC this season as the Bearcats are third in the BIG EAST with 40 double plays. UC ranks 15th nationally with 1.11 twin killings per contest.

NOTING THE HOYAS:

• After sweeping Seton Hall last weekend to move into a tie for seventh in the BIG EAST, Georgetown dropped mid-week match-ups to Mount St. Mary's and George Washington to slip to 17-21 this season. The Hoyas are 5-7 in league play after being picked last in the preseason coaches' poll.
• Ryan Craft, a first team All-BIG EAST selection last year, once again leads the Hoyas at the plate this season. The senior 1B is hitting a team-high .305, while also pacing the squad in doubles (15), homers (four) and RBI (27).
• The Hoyas' roster features Hamilton-native brothers Warren and Darren Sizemore. Warren, a senior, was this week's BIG EAST Co-Pitcher of the Week and is 3-2 with a 2.31 ERA. Darren, a freshman, leads the Hoyas with five wins, despite a 6.08 ERA. Warren will start Friday night's opener, while Darren is slated to start on Sunday.

SCHEDULE CHANGE: Due to a scheduling conflict at Xavier, the UC-XU game scheduled for May 9 has been cancelled. The Bearcats may add a game in its place, but have no plans at this time.

COMING AROUND: After struggling for much of this season, Brian Szarmach has been on a tear in the last five games. During the stretch in which the junior has hit safely in each game, Szarmach is batting .421 (8 for 19) with eight RBI and three runs scored. The recent success has come after Szarmach worked with associate head coach Brad Meador on mental approach and a slight modification in his swing.

SUDDENLY A STRUGGLE: The Cincinnati pitching staff has found the going rough as of late, as the Bearcats have dropped three of their last six contests. In the six-game stretch, UC hurlers hold a collective 8.83 ERA, while opponents are hitting a robust .333. Wildness has also contributed to the cause as Cincinnati has issued 44 walks, while striking out just 32, in the last 54 innings of action.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME: In its nearly two seasons of existence, the state-of-the-art UC Baseball Stadium has provided a solid home field advantage for the Bearcats. At no time has the edge been more significant than this year as the Bearcats are 14-4 at home. UC is hitting 60 points higher at home than on the road and averages nearly three runs per game more. Of Cincinnati's 28 home runs this year, 20 have come at home. Since its opening, the Bearcats hold a 31-19 (.620) record at home. Prior to a loss to Rutgers on April 14, the Bearcats had a 12-game home winning streak, the second-longest in school history, behind a 17-game streak in 1960-61.

MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF: In his first season as a collegiate pitcher, true freshman Steve Blevins is having an outstanding season. In 10 starts and one relief appearance, Blevins leads the Bearcats with 58.1 innings pitched, holding a record of 6-3 and a 6.02 ERA and striking out a team-high 45. Without two rough starts at the beginning of the year, Blevins would have a 6-1 record and a 4.35 ERA. He is also within striking distance of the UC record (7) for wins by a freshman pitcher.

FILLING A HOLE: Freshman Josh Harrison has excelled since taking over the number two position in the batting order from the graduated Mark Haske. This season Harrison leads the team with a .362 batting average. The Cincinnati native has helped the Bearcats in a number of ways, stealing a team-high eight bases, notching four home runs, including his first career grand slam, scoring 40 runs and driving in 29. Harrison's 18 multi-hit games help him rank among the BIG EAST leaders with 54 total hits, while his run total is third in the league. Since March 31, a span covering 12 games, Harrison has been hot, hitting .357 (20 for 56). In the field, Harrison has drawn starts at shortstop, second base, catcher and in the outfield.

TIGHT GAME BLUES: Close games have been the Bearcats' achilles heel this season as seven of UC's 15 losses have come by a single run. At no point was it more evident than March 24-26 at Connecticut, when UC opened BIG EAST play with a pair of one-run losses. The Bearcats followed that up with a 4-3, 11-inning defeat at Miami (Ohio) on March 29, but earned an 11-10 win over USF on April 2. UC has been hurt by a pair of 1-0 losses this season, something that hasn't happened since accurate records were kept beginning in 1958.

A SCORING MACHINE: The Bearcats have become one of the BIG EAST's most dangerous offensive teams this season, averaging 7.4 runs per game and hitting .291 as a team. These numbers come despite being shutout four times and being held to a single run once. A sampling of some other UC scoring notes:

• In 36 games this season, the Bearcats have reached double-figure scoring 12 times, after doing so just seven times in 55 games last year.
• In UC's Feb. 19 game at North Carolina A&T and again on March 19 vs. Oakland, the Bearcats scored 10 runs in the sixth inning.
• UC has scored over 20 runs twice this season, a feat that hasn't been accomplished by a UC team twice in a year since 2001.
• The Bearcats' 23 runs on March 19 vs. Oakland were the most by a UC team since the school record of 26 against UAB on April 24, 1993.
• In an April 19 contest against Dayton, UC scored nine second inning runs before an out was recorded. In the frame, the Bearcats collected seven hits, including five straight at one point.
• UC, ranked third in the BIG EAST in runs scored (266), boasts three of the top-eight individual run scorers in the league.

ANOTHER GOOD SEASON: Senior 3B Jon DeLuca is enjoying another good season after shaking off a slow start that plagued him at the beginning of 2006. This year, DeLuca ranks third on the Bearcats with a .326 batting average, much higher than the .261 career average he began the season with. He has also been strong with the glove, starting 35 games at third. DeLuca hit .800 in the Bearcats' sweep of Oakland on March 18-19 and was instrumental in UC's sweep of USF, March 31-April 2. Against the Bulls, DeLuca hit .583 (7 for 12) and tallied seven RBI to earn BIG EAST Player of the Week honors on April 3. He was also placed on the College Baseball Foundation Honor Roll, joining Logan Parker as UC players named to the list this season. This season has also seen DeLuca match the school record for doubles in a game with three vs. USF on March 31. He is also just six hits shy of becoming the 10th player in school history with 200 career hits.

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 is back on track during his senior year, ranking second on the team with a .327 average. His power numbers are also back up as Nelson has connected on nine doubles and five home runs, both surpassing his 2005 totals. The long balls have mostly come in pairs as Nelson has a pair of multi-homer games to his credit this year (March 10, vs. Cleveland State and April 12, vs. Akron), giving him three for his career. Nelson has also started to move onto the UC career leaders lists, tying for 20th in both hits (174) and doubles (34).

NOT SO FAST: Three new members of the BIG EAST have led to a big shakeup in the current league standings vs. the preseason coaches' poll. Only BIG EAST-leading Notre Dame, fourth-place Louisville and 11th place Seton Hall are currently holding the position they were tabbed to finish in prior to the season.

OFF TO THE RACES: The Bearcats have enjoyed a collective improvement in team speed this season, having collected 35 stolen bases through 36 games, already topping the Bearcats' total of 30 from all of last season. Josh Harrison and LaFringe Hayes have been the catalysts of the speed outbreak, with eight and seven, respectively. Logan Parker has been the surprise speed merchant as he has swiped seven bases after posting just three last season.

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 .321, while adding nine doubles, six triples, seven homers and a team-leading 38 RBI. He has also shown great patience at the plate, drawing a BIG EAST-leading 34 walks. Parker is making waves in the new league, where he ranks among the conference leaders in RBI (2nd, 38), total bases (3rd, 86), triples (1st, 6), runs (T-7th, 37), home runs (4th, 7) and slugging percentage (7th, .628). Additionally, Parker, who stole just three bases all of last year, has swiped seven in 2006. Parker's homer on Wednesday vs. Dayton ended a stretch of 16 consecutive games without a long ball for the slugger.

BUCKEYE STRENGTH: The Bearcats are out to continue their recent success against in-state rivals in 2006, with 10 games against Ohio schools scheduled. UC is 6-2 against in-state teams this year, after an April 19 win over Dayton. UC's next Ohio battle is April 25 vs. Xavier. Last year, UC posted an 8-4 mark against in-state foes and has won 18 of its last 25 games against Ohio adversaries.

UNDER THE RADAR: Throughout his career, senior 2B Mark Muscenti has flown under the radar, but that hasn't been the case in 2006. This year, Muscenti is hitting .311, well above his career average of .277 entering the season. He also has recorded 21 RBI, putting him on pace to top his career-high of 28. Muscenti's knack for getting on base ranks him second in the BIG EAST with a .506 on-base percentage, while his 34 walks tie teammate Logan Parker for the top spot in the league. Always a steady fielder, Muscenti has a career fielding percentage of .968 in 193 games and has started 106 consecutive games, with all but one coming at second base. Muscenti has also made waves on UC's career lists, moving into the top-20 in games played (T-8th, 193), walks (11th, 98), at-bats (12th, 660), on-base percentage (12th, .426), hits (T-13th, 187), runs (14th, 123) and doubles (T-17th, 35). Muscenti is also the school record holder with 70 career hit by pitch.

UPTO(N) THE TASK: Redshirt sophomore A.J. Upton has provided the biggest surprise of the 2006 season for the Bearcats as he has evolved into the Bearcats' closer. After seeing limited action last season, Upton is now tied for third in the BIG EAST this year with five saves. He holds a 3.00 ERA and is limiting batters to a .188 batting average in a team-best 15 appearances. A former walk-on, Upton is already making his mark on the UC record books with his save total, ranking seventh on the single season list and 13th on the career chart.

HIGH ON HAYES: LaFringe Hayes has been a catalyst at the top of UC's line-up much of this season, using his speed to contribute in many ways. 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 a triple on April 19 vs. Dayton, Hayes has matched Billy Wolff's career record with 12 three-baggers. Hayes ranks second in the BIG EAST with five triples and is fourth with 39 runs scored. In addition, Hayes is tied for second behind only Josh Harrison for team-high honors with seven stolen bases.

BIG COMEBACK: When Mark Muscenti's single through the middle scored Logan Parker in the ninth inning of UC's come-from-behind win over USF on April 2, the Bearcats not only finished off a sweep of the Bulls, but they also put an end to a lengthy dry spell. Trailing 10-8 heading into the ninth, Cincinnati put together five consecutive singles, capped by Muscenti's hit, to rally for an 11-10 win. The ninth inning comeback snapped a streak of 98 consecutive games the Bearcats had lost when trailing after eight innings. Before the win, the last victory of the kind came on May 16, 2002 vs. Saint Louis as Chris Hamblen's two-run, walk-off home run sent UC to an 8-7 victory.

PARKER HONORED FOR PLAY: Logan Parker's big weekend against Oakland March 18-19 earned him recognition from both the BIG EAST and on the national scene. In addition to being named BIG EAST Player of the Week, Parker also earned a spot on the College Baseball Foundation National Honor Roll. For the series, Parker hit .462 (6 for 13), with all but one of his hits going for extra-bases. The senior ripped three home runs in the series, including a pair of three-run shots in the series-opener, while also recording 11 RBI, including seven in one game. Parker slugged an incredible 1.385 in the wins, while scoring six runs, walking four times and stealing two bases.

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.

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, while Pittsburgh picked up two first place nods. Villanova, chosen in a tie for seventh, also earned a first place vote.