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Bearcats Continue Homestand With Cleveland State

Bearcats Continue Homestand With Cleveland StateBearcats Continue Homestand With Cleveland State

March 7, 2006

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SETTING THE SCENE: An 11-game homestand continues for Cincinnati when the Bearcats and Cleveland State square off in a three-game series this weekend (March 10-12) in the UC Baseball Stadium. UC has won seven of its last nine games to improve to 7-6 on the year. CSU is 0-3 heading into a Tuesday battle at Ohio. The three-game set will be contested at 4 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday, with a 1 p.m. first pitch slated for Sunday. The set marks the second consecutive year the teams have met on the diamond. Cincinnati will be trying to improve upon its win streak of nine over the Vikings.

NOTES FROM THE NIAGARA SERIES:

  • The 1-0 defeat to Niagara on March 4 marks 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.
  • Cincinnati won its first-ever meeting with Niagara. It was also UC's first-ever win over a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference school.
  • Mark Muscenti's first inning single on Sunday moved him into a tie for 20th on UC's career hits chart with 167.
  • Muscenti also moved into a three-way tie for 19th on the school career walks list with 78.

NOTING THE BEARCATS:

  • Jack Nelson leads the Bearcats in hitting at .405. The senior is riding a five-game hit streak in which he is batting .500 (10 for 20).
  • A.J. Upton's three saves this year tie him for 18th place on UC's career saves list and 15th on the single season chart.
  • Kyle Rapp has allowed just two earned runs and five hits in his last 14.2 innings of work.
  • The Bearcats have won six of their last eight games at the UC Baseball Stadium.

NOTING THE VIKINGS:

  • The Vikings were swept in their opening weekend of play by former Conference USA member Charlotte. Charlotte outscored the Vikings by a 38-6 count in the series. CSU plays Ohio on Tuesday.
  • Steve Chinn is batting .500 to lead Cleveland State through three games.
  • Cleveland State was picked to finish last in the six-member Horizon League in a preseason poll of league coaches. CSU was 14-36 last season.
  • Viking freshman pitcher Mike Carney was a high school teammate of UC's Adam Calez at Lorain Southview High.

UC AGAINST THE HORIZON: The Bearcats have faced five of the six current members of the Horizon League, holding a combined record of 68-46-1 (.596) against the schools. In addition to a 16-2 mark against Cleveland State, UC has also faced Butler (15-8), Illinois-Chicago (1-0), Wright State (27-32-1) and Youngstown State (9-4). Wisconsin-Milwaukee is the only current member of the Horizon UC has never faced.

SCORING MACHINE: The Bearcats have turned into a scoring machine as of late, averaging 8.6 runs per game in their last 10 outings, despite being shutout twice. 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.

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 have be back on track during his senior year. Nelson has been red hot as of late, carrying a five-game hitting streak into the weekend in which he has batted .500 (10 for 20). The surge has raised Nelson's average to a team-high .405. Nelson has also gotten back his knack for extra-base hits as he ripped four doubles in a five at-bat span last week, after failing to double in his first 22 at-bats of the year. Nelson is tied with Mark Muscenti with a team-high four doubles and has driven in five runs.

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. This year, Muscenti is hitting .386, well above his career average of .277. He also has recorded 10 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 .967 in 170 games and has started 83 consecutive games at second base.

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 fifth on the team in hitting at .298, while adding three doubles, three homers and 13 RBI. He has also shown great patience at the plate, drawing a BIG EAST-leading 13 walks and striking out just seven times in 47 at-bats.

STARTERS ARE STRONG: A key factor in UC's recent success (the Bearcats have won seven of their last nine 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 two of his last three starts, holding a 2-0 record and a 1.37 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.
  • 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 two starts and one relief appearance, Blevins has allowed only three runs in 11.1 innings, while striking out eight and lowering his ERA from 15.58 to 8.10

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 with a .388 average through 13 games. 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 11 runs. On March 1 at Kentucky, Harrison recorded the second four-hit day of his short career. Harrison's play fills a void left by Mark Haske who was drafted by the Detroit Tigers following last season.

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 nine of his last 11 games, Hayes has raised his batting average to .315. 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. 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.

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.

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 early 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 also holds a 3.21 ERA and is limiting batters to a .216 batting average. Minus a rough outing at Florida on opening weekend, Nelson has allowed just two runs and three hits in his last 5.2 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.

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.

BUCKEYE STRENGTH: The Bearcats will try to continue there recent success against in-state rivals in 2006, with 10 games against Ohio schools scheduled. UC gets its first crack at an in-state rival this weekend when Cleveland State visits Cincinnati for a three-game series. 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.

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 2-3 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

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.

WHAT IF...: Cincinnati opened this season with a three-game series at last season's National-Runner Up Florida. Needless to say, it was a rough beginning to the new year as the Bearcats were swept and outscored by a combined, 40-8. Removing those three games from the Bearcats' 2006 statistics makes for some interesting comparisons:
2006 Stats 2006 Without Florida
Batting Average .299 .319
Earned Run Average 5.25 3.11 Some of the individual highlights include: