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Bearcats Seek 30th Win During Weekend At Villanova

Bearcats Seek 30th Win During Weekend At VillanovaBearcats Seek 30th Win During Weekend At Villanova

May 4, 2006

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SETTING THE SCENE: Cincinnati, winner of nine of its last 10 contests, head to Villanova this weekend (May 5-7) for a three-game BIG EAST series that will mark the first-ever meeting between the squads. The Bearcats have won five of their last six in conference action to take sole possession of fourth place in the league at 10-8. UC is just one victory shy of 30 this year after a doubleheader sweep of Morehead State on Wednesday upped its record to 29-16. Villanova is 24-20 overall and in 10th place in the BIG EAST standings at 6-11. First pitch is set for Friday at 4 p.m., with a 1 p.m. start on Saturday and noon on Sunday.

NOTES FROM THE MOREHEAD STATE GAMES:

  • Adam Yeager improved his career-best hitting streak to 11 games. He is hitting .415 during the stretch.
  • Cincinnati improved its record in one-run games to 4-7 with the first game victory.
  • Parker's game one homer was his ninth of the season and 20th of his career, ranking him 18th in school history in the category. He also moved into 17th on the RBI chart with 109.
  • Nick Buscemi pitched a career-high 6.1 innings in game two, while tying his personal-best with five strikeouts.

NOTING THE BEARCATS:

  • True freshman Josh Harrison continues to pace the Bearcats in hitting, with a .348 average. After a rough stretch in the last seven games, Harrison went 4 for 6 in Wednesday's doubleheader vs. Morehead State. Logan Parker is tops in homers and RBI with nine and 56, respectively.
  • The Bearcats' offense continues to impress, ranking in the top-five in the BIG EAST in batting average, runs, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI and walks. UC is also the 34th-best scoring team nationally.
  • Team defense has been a strength for UC this season as the Bearcats are second in the BIG EAST with 49 double plays. UC ranks 25th nationally with 1.07 twin killings per contest.

NOTING THE WILDCATS:

  • Villanova has won 10 of its last 13 games to improve to 24-20 on the season, but a series defeat last weekend at West Virginia puts the Wildcats in 10th place in the BIG EAST at 6-11. VU was picked tied for seventh in the preseason BIG EAST Coaches poll, but secured a first place vote.
  • The Wildcats feature one of the nation's top sluggers in Jeremy Hunt who is first in the BIG EAST and 30th nationally with 14 home runs. He ranks second on the squad with a .360 batting average and leads the team with 49 RBI.
  • Villanova's pitching staff ranks sixth in the BIG EAST with a collective 4.56 ERA. Kevin Mulvey, the projected starter for game two of the series, ranks ninth in the league with a 3.46 ERA, despite a 3-5 record. Gus Guida is the bullpen ace with two saves and a 2.57 ERA.

WINS KEEP COMING: This season has been one of the best in recent Cincinnati baseball history as the Bearcats have earned 29 wins, tying for the sixth highest total in school history. UC's win count is the program's highest since 2001 when the Bearcats went 34-24. Included in the victories this season has been a pair of seven-game win streaks.

BEST OF THE OLD GUARD: Cincinnati has enjoyed the best season of the three new members of the BIG EAST this season (Louisville and USF are the other two), as the Bearcats are 5-1 against the other new members this year. UC won a series with Louisville for the first time since 2001, while toppling USF for the first time since 2002.

ANOTHER BULLPEN ACE: Jack Nelson has been a valuable member of the UC bullpen this season, while also serving as the club's DH. In 18 appearances this season, Nelson holds a 3-1 record and has three saves. He turned in two of his best outings on April 23 (4.1 innings, eight strikeouts) and April 29 (3.1 innings, five strikeouts).

MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF: In his first season as a collegiate pitcher, true freshman Steve Blevins is having an outstanding season. In 12 starts and one relief appearance, Blevins leads the Bearcats with 76.1 innings pitched, holding a record of 8-3 and a 4.95 ERA and striking out a team-high 55. With a win on April 28 at Louisville, Blevins broke Bruce Raible's (1968) freshman record for wins with eight. Blevins has been at his best as of late, moving into a first place in the BIG EAST in victories and securing second in innings pitched. He has won his last five starts, boasting a 2.92 ERA during the stretch. Blevins has tossed two straight complete games, including a shutout at Louisville on April 28, and has not allowed a run in his last 12.2 innings of work.

THE ART OF THE SLAM: When Brian Szarmach connected on a game-winning grand slam in UC's April 23 victory over Georgetown, the junior gave the Bearcats five of the big blasts this season. Over the last three years, UC has collected just two grand slams per season and have already matched the mark of five set by the 2002 squad. Szarmach is the active leader among the Bearcats with three career slams.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME: In its nearly two full 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 20-4 at home. UC is hitting 69 points higher at home than on the road and averages nearly four runs per game more. Of Cincinnati's 32 home runs this year, 24 have come at home. Since its opening, the Bearcats hold a 37-19 (.661) 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. Of Cincinnati's remaining 11 games this year, eight will be played at home.

GETTING COMFORTABLE: Prior to the season, UC head coach Brian Cleary stated that it often takes new players 100 at-bats to get acclimated to Division I pitching. When it comes to freshman shortstop Adam Yeager, it appears Cleary was right on target. Since passing the 100 AB mark in mid-April, Yeager is hitting .388 (19 for 49) in his last 13 games. Yeager had his best performance of the year April 21-23 vs. Georgetown, as he batted a team-best .545 (6 for 11). Yeager's offensive production has been improved all around as he has 10 runs scored and 11 RBI, along with two doubles, a triple and his first career homer during the stretch.

A SCORING MACHINE: The Bearcats have become one of the BIG EAST's most dangerous offensive teams this season, averaging 7.6 runs per game and hitting .296 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 45 games this season, the Bearcats have reached double-figure scoring 15 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 (343), boasts three of the top-six individual run scorers in the league.
  • The Bearcats have climbed to 34th nationally in runs per game.
  • UC has recorded five-plus run innings 18 times.

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 .348 batting average. The Cincinnati native has helped the Bearcats in a number of ways, stealing nine bases, notching four home runs, including his first career grand slam, scoring 53 runs and driving in 34. Harrison's 19 multi-hit games help him rank among the BIG EAST leaders with 62 total hits, while his run total is second in the league. After a tough seven-game stretch recently, Harrison went 4 for 6 (.667) in the May 3 doubleheader with Morehead State. In the field, Harrison has drawn starts at shortstop, second base, catcher and in the outfield.

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 holds the position they were tabbed to finish in prior to the season. Connecticut, picked ninth, has been the biggest surprise as the Huskies are in second. Pittsburgh, selected second, has been the biggest disappointment, as the Panthers are currently 11th.

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 tied for second on the team in hitting at .343, while adding 12 doubles, six triples, nine homers and a team-leading 56 RBI. He has also shown great patience at the plate, drawing a BIG EAST-leading 44 walks, which ranks second nationally. Parker is making waves in the new league, where he ranks among the conference leaders in RBI (1st, 56), total bases (5th, 109), triples (1st, 6), runs (T-4th, 49), home runs (T-3rd, 9), on-base percentage (7th, .468) and slugging percentage (6th, .645). Additionally, Parker, who stole just three bases all of last year, has swiped a team-leading 11 in 2006. Parker has been on a tear as of late, hitting safely in 10 of his last 11 games, accumulating a .415 (17 for 41) average, with four doubles, three home runs and 22 RBI.

OFF TO THE RACES: The Bearcats have enjoyed a collective improvement in team speed this season, having collected 43 stolen bases through 45 games, topping the Bearcats' total of 30 from last season. Logan Parker has been the surprise speed merchant as he has swiped a team-leading 11 bases after posting just three last season. Josh Harrison and LaFringe Hayes are also among the leaders with nine and seven.

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 tied for third in the BIG EAST this year with six saves. He holds a 2-1 record and a 3.22 ERA, while limiting batters to a .192 batting average in 18 appearances. A former walk-on, Upton is already making his mark on the UC record books with his save total, ranking sixth on the single season list and 11th on the career chart.

COMING AROUND: After struggling for much of this season, Brian Szarmach has been on a tear as of late. The junior has hit safely in 12 of his last 14 games, including a career-best nine-game hit streak. In the recent hot stretch, Szarmach is batting .346 (18 for 52) with 17 RBI and nine runs scored to raise his average from .188 to .237. The success has come after Szarmach worked with associate head coach Brad Meador on mental approach and a slight modification in his swing.

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 .318, well above his career average of .277 entering the season. He also has recorded a career-high 29 RBI, topping his previous best of 28. Muscenti's knack for getting on base ranks him third in the BIG EAST with a .490 on-base percentage, while his 37 walks are second only to teammate Logan Parker for the top spot in the league. Always a steady fielder, Muscenti has a career fielding percentage of .968 in 202 games and has started 115 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 (5th, 202), at-bats (7th, 695), walks (11th, 101), hits (T-10th, 199), on-base percentage (12th, .426), runs (14th, 128) and doubles (T-18th, 35). Muscenti is also the school record holder with 72 career hit by pitch and is just one hit shy of 200 for his career.

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, as he is third on the team with a .322 average. His power numbers are also back up as Nelson has connected on a team-leading 13 doubles and five home runs, both surpassing his 2005 totals. His 33 RBI this year, also match his career-best. 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, including doubles (T-13th, 38), hits (15th, 183), walks (16th, 86), at-bats (17th, 624) and games (19th, 175).

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 7-2 against in-state teams this year, after an April 25 win over Xavier. UC's final Ohio battle is May 16 vs. Miami. Last year, UC posted an 8-4 mark against in-state foes and has won 19 of its last 26 games against Ohio adversaries.

BEARCATS EARN REGIONAL RANKING: Having won nine of their last 10 games, the Bearcats have climbed to ninth in the latest Northeast Baseball Review weekly rankings, released on May 1. UC became eligible for the list as a member of the BIG EAST Conference. Cincinnati is one of five BIG EAST schools ranked, joining Notre Dame (1st), Connecticut (6th), St. John's (7th) and West Virginia (8th).

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, is tied for fourth with 49 runs scored and is tied for fifth with 30 walks.

TIGHT GAME BLUES: Close games have been the Bearcats' achilles heel this season as seven of UC's 16 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 were victorious in their most recent one-run game, snagging a 12-11 win over Morehead St. on May 3. 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.

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 is fifth on the Bearcats with a .297 batting average, much higher than the .261 career average he began the season with. He has also been strong with the glove, starting 44 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 one hit shy of becoming the 10th player in school history with 200 career hits.

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.

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.

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.