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Bearcats Begin Final Week Hosting RedHawks

Bearcats Begin Final Week Hosting RedHawksBearcats Begin Final Week Hosting RedHawks

May 16, 2006

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SETTING THE SCENE: Cincinnati will host its final mid-week contest of the year when local rival Miami (Ohio) visits the UC Baseball Stadium tonight for a 6:30 p.m. match-up. The Bearcats will be trying to snap a season-long five-game losing streak that has seen the squad fall to seventh in the BIG EAST standings at 11-13. UC is 30-22 overall. Miami is 27-23 and 14-10 in Mid-American Conference play after taking two of three from Ohio over the weekend. The game marks the second meeting this season between the teams after Miami took a 4-3, 11-inning win on March 29 in Oxford.

NOTES FROM THE WEST VIRGINIA SERIES:

  • Logan Parker tied UC single game records with six hits and three doubles in game two of Saturday's doubleheader.
  • Parker became the fifth player in school history with six hits in a game and the first since Nate Fish in 2002. He also becomes the 10th player to record three doubles in a game, joining Jon DeLuca as record holders this year.
  • Brian Szarmach's game two grand slam was Cincinnati's seventh slam of the year and his third this season.
  • Cincinnati dropped to 4-9 in one-run games this season with the 13-12 game two loss.
  • After leaving in the top of the first inning on Sunday, Mark Muscenti had his consecutive games started streak snapped at 121.

NOTING THE BEARCATS:

  • True freshman Josh Harrison continues to pace the Bearcats in hitting, with a .354 average. After a rough stretch in late April, Harrison has gone 15 for 34 (.441) in his last nine games. Logan Parker is tops in homers and RBI with 10 and 63, respectively.
  • The Bearcats' offense continues to impress, ranking in the top-six 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 59 double plays. UC ranks eighth nationally with 1.15 twin killings per contest.
  • After Mark Muscenti's consecutive games started streak ended on May 14, Parker now boasts the team's longest such streak at 107.

NOTING THE REDHAWKS:

  • Miami (Ohio) has been red hot as of late, winning 10 of its last 11 games to improve to 27-23 overall and take second place in the East Division of the Mid-American Conference at 14-10.
  • Freshman Jordan Petraitis leads the RedHawks in hitting at .333, while senior Geoff Orr is tops in home runs (five) and RBI (35).
  • Miami will start sophomore Connor Graham on the hill against the Bearcats, the same hurler that started the March 29 contest. In the last meeting, Graham pitched seven innings, allowing three runs, with six walks and eight strikeouts.

WINS KEEP COMING: This season has been one of the best in recent Cincinnati baseball history as the Bearcats have earned 30 wins, tying for the fifth-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. With four regular season games remaining, the Bearcats have assured themselves the first winning season at UC since 2001. With five more victories this season, the Bearcats will also tie the school record for wins in a season of 35, set in 2000.

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 20-8 at home. UC is hitting 63 points higher at home than on the road and averaging over runs per game more. Of Cincinnati's 36 home runs this year, 27 have come at home. Since its opening, the Bearcats hold a 37-22 (.627) 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 seven games this year, all of them will be played at home.

MAKING A NAME FOR HIMSELF: In his first season as a collegiate pitcher, true freshman Steve Blevins is having an outstanding season. In 14 starts and one relief appearance, Blevins leads the Bearcats with 88.2 innings pitched, holding a record of 8-4 and a 5.58 ERA and striking out a team-high 58. 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 first place in the BIG EAST in both victories and innings pitched. He has won his last five decisions over seven starts. Blevins has also tossed two complete games, including a shutout at Louisville on April 28.

THE ART OF THE SLAM: When Brian Szarmach connected on a fourth inning grand slam the second game of the May 13 West Virginia doubleheader, the junior gave the Bearcats seven of the big blasts this season. Over the last three years, UC had collected just two grand slams per season. This year's team has passed the mark of five set by the 2002 squad. Szarmach is the active leader among the Bearcats with four career slams, while Josh Harrison has two.

BEST OF THE OLD GUARD: Cincinnati has enjoyed the best season of the three new members of the BIG EAST (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.

A SCORING MACHINE: The Bearcats have become one of the BIG EAST's most dangerous offensive teams this season, averaging 7.3 runs per game and hitting .291 as a team. These numbers come despite being shutout four times and being held to a single run three. A sampling of some other UC scoring notes:

  • In 52 games this season, the Bearcats have reached double-figure scoring 16 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 (379), boasts two of the top-seven individual run scorers in the league.
  • The Bearcats have climbed to 34th nationally in runs per game.
  • UC has recorded five-plus run innings 19 times this season.
  • The Bearcats' 379 runs ranks as the fifth-highest single season mark in school history.

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 .316 (24 for 76) in his last 20 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 13 runs scored and 11 RBI, along with four doubles, a triple and his first career homer during the stretch.

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 and fourth place Louisville hold 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 second on the team in hitting at .337, while adding a team-leading 15 doubles, six triples, 10 homers and 63 RBI. He has also shown great patience at the plate, drawing a BIG EAST-best 46 walks, which ranks seventh nationally. Parker is making waves in the new league, where he ranks among the conference leaders in RBI (1st, 63), total bases (4th, 125), triples (1st, 6), runs (T-7th, 53), home runs (T-4th, 10) and slugging percentage (6th, .619). 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 14 of his last 18 games, accumulating a .365 (27 for 74) average, with seven doubles, four home runs and 29 RBI. In UC annals, Parker's season RBI total is the fifth-highest season performance in school history. Parker turned in one of the top hitting performances ever at UC in game two of the May 13 West Virginia doubleheader, tying school single game records for hits (six) and doubles (three). He also homered and drove in six during the contest.

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 .354 batting average. The Cincinnati native has helped the Bearcats in a number of ways, stealing nine bases, notching five home runs, including his first two career grand slams, scoring 59 runs and driving in 40. Harrison's team-leading 23 multi-hit games help him rank among the BIG EAST leaders with 73 total hits, while his run total is second in the league. He is also eighth in the league in on-base percentage at .465. After a tough stretch recently, Harrison is back on track, hitting .441 (15 for 34) in his last nine games. In the field, Harrison has drawn starts at shortstop, second base, third base, catcher and in the outfield.

THE BIG "O" DELIVERS: Lost in Steve Blevins' outstanding season has been the success enjoyed by another freshman starting pitcher, Cincinnati native Dan Osterbrock. In his last four starts, Osterbrock has been outstanding, winning three of the four outings and turning in a 3.62 ERA during the stretch. At Villanova on May 6, Osterbrock out dueled Wildcat ace Kevin Mulvey, turning in the first complete game of his career.

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 a team-leading 21 appearances this season, Nelson holds a 3-1 record and has three saves. He turned in two of his best outings on April 23 vs. Georgetown (4.1 innings, eight strikeouts) and April 29 at Louisville (3.1 innings, five strikeouts), earning saves in both.

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 fourth in the BIG EAST this year with six saves. He holds a 2-2 record and a 3.52 ERA, while limiting batters to a .203 batting average in 20 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.

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 .322, well above his career average of .277 entering the season. He also has recorded a career-high 30 RBI, topping his previous best of 28. Muscenti's knack for getting on base ranks him third in the BIG EAST with a .500 on-base percentage, while his 43 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 209 games. At Villanova on May 5, Muscenti made history, becoming the 10th player in school history with 200 career hits. Muscenti has made waves on UC's career lists, moving into the top-20 in games played (4th, 209), walks (T-5th, 107), at-bats (7th, 715), on-base percentage (9th, .431), hits (10th, 206), runs (11th, 135) and doubles (T-16th, 37). Muscenti is also the school record holder with 76 career hit by pitch. An ankle injury sustained on May 14 against West Virginia has sidelined Muscenti and also snapped his consecutive games started streak at 121.

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 fourth on the team with a .308 average. His power numbers are also back up as Nelson has connected on 14 doubles and five home runs, both surpassing his 2005 totals. His doubles total, along with his 37 RBI are both his career-highs. 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-12th, 39), hits (14th, 190), walks (T-15th, 91), at-bats (15th, 650), games (16th, 182) and RBI (20th, 103).

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.

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.

TIGHT GAME BLUES: Close games have been the Bearcats' achilles heel this season as nine of UC's 22 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 most recent one-run setback came in the second game of the May 13 doubleheader with West Virginia, as UC fell 13-12. 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.

PATIENCE PAYS OFF: Patience has been a key to the Bearcats' success this season, as UC paces the BIG EAST with 273 walks. Individually, the Bearcats have the top two walkers in the league and three of the top six as Logan Parker has 46 Mark Muscenti 43 and Jack Nelson 36. Parker's total puts him among the nation's leaders in seventh with 0.96 per game. The team total ranks as the fourth-highest single season mark in program history.