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Bearcats Open BIG EAST Slate At Pittsburgh

Bearcats Open BIG EAST Slate At PittsburghBearcats Open BIG EAST Slate At Pittsburgh

March 22, 2007

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SETTING THE SCENE: Cincinnati opens its second season of BIG EAST play when the Bearcats take on Pittsburgh at Trees Field this weekend. UC (11-9) will be out to snap a two-game losing streak when it takes to the field against the Panthers, beginning on Friday (March 23). Pittsburgh (7-10, 1-2 BIG EAST) is one of two BIG EAST teams the Bearcats did not play last season. Pitt lost two of three to USF last weekend.

NOTING THE BEARCATS:

  • The key to the Bearcats' offensive success this season has been the stolen base as UC leads the BIG EAST with 64 thefts. The mark is the most by a Cincinnati team since the 2001 team finished with 85 stolen bases. The Bearcats are on pace to set a school record for steals in a season, with the current mark at 119.
  • Junior speedster Tony Campana already ranks second in UC single season history with 31 stolen bases. Campana, who earlier this year set the single game record with six, needs just five more swipes to break Ken Schneider's mark of 35 set in 1991.
  • Campana holds UC's longest current hitting streak as he has hit safely in 16 consecutive games. The junior hit in 18 in a row as a freshman at UNC Asheville.
  • The Bearcat pitching has been anchored by sophomore starters Steve Blevins and Dan Osterbrock. The duo holds a combined 6-3 record and a 3.01 ERA.
  • Since returning from a wrist injury earlier this month, freshman Michael Earley has batted .378 with four home runs and nine RBI in 12 games.

NOTING THE PANTHERS:

  • The Panthers, picked to finish ninth in the BIG EAST prior to the season, stand at 7-10 overall and 1-2 in the league after opening last weekend at USF.
  • Pittsburgh is led at the plate by redshirt freshman 3B Gary Bucuren and his .365 batting average, along with a team-best 13 RBI. Senior 1B Seth Button has hit three homers for Pitt.
  • The pitching staff has been led by sophomore Kyle Landis and freshman Nate Reed. Landis has a sparkling 0.40 ERA in six appearances, while Reed is 1-3 with a 3.82 ERA. The latter is slated to start Sunday's contest for the Panthers.
  • The Bearcats and Panthers have met just once on the diamond, with UC winning an 8-7 decision in 2000. Pittsburgh, along with Notre Dame are the two league teams the Bearcats skipped in 2006.

ON CONFERENCE OPENERS: The Bearcats will be out to snap a four-year losing streak in conference openers. UC holds a record of 3-7 in conference openers under head coach Brian Cleary, including a 13-1 loss to Connecticut in the Bearcats' first-ever BIG EAST contest last year.

OFF AND RUNNING: The Bearcats' running game has quickly evolved into one of the team's biggest weapons and is on track to be one of the best efforts in school history. In 20 games this year, the Bearcats have swiped 64 bags, already more than any UC team since 2001. Tony Campana has been the catalyst as he already ranks second on the UC single-season list with 31 thefts. Seven times this year, Campana has swiped multiple bags in a game including a school-record six in the second half of a doubleheader at North Carolina A&T on Feb. 24, topping Ken Schneider's previous high of five set in 1991. If the Bearcats stick to their current pace, they will shatter the school record of 119 thefts established in 1992. Josh Harrison (12) and Adam Yeager (11) are also in double figures, with both representing career-high totals.

MILESTONE VICTORY: The Bearcats' victory over Chicago State on March 18 was a special one for UC head coach Brian Cleary as it marked the 250th triumph of his coaching career. Cleary ranks second in school history in coaching wins, trailing on the legendary Glen Sample who amassed 391 victories.

ROTATION MAINSTAYS: The Bearcats' starting pitching has excelled this season thanks to the play of sophomores Steve Blevins and Dan Osterbrock. The pair rank two-three in the BIG EAST in strikeouts and have each won a BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week award. The duo has now been joined by classmate Michael Hill in the rotation. A closer look at each player's contributions this year:

  • After being victimized by a lack of run support early in the season, Blevins has won three straight outings after starting the year 0-3. He had his best outing on March 9 vs. Cleveland State, hurling eight shutout innings with five strikeouts. Over the course of his last three starts, Blevins has allowed just two earned runs in 20.2 innings. Blevins has excelled in the walk-to-strikeout ratio with just six free passes and 34 K's in 39 innings of work. His ERA stands at 3.00.
  • Osterbrock has surrendered just three earned runs in his last 29.2 innings of work and has won three of his last four starts. The lefty holds a 3-0 record and a 3.03 ERA in 35.2 innings. His best outing came with a three-hit shutout of Dartmouth on March 3. With 33 strikeouts, Osterbrock is just five shy of his total from all of last season.
  • After using a variety of hurlers in the No. 3 spot in the rotation, Hill has now assumed the slot. Hill has been impressive this year with three wins and 26 strikeouts, while ranking sixth in the BIG EAST with a .217 opponents batting average. His start against Chicago State on Sunday was a good one as he fanned nine in just five innings of work.

HARRISON BACK AT IT: Josh Harrison has picked up where he left off last year early in 2007, hitting .303 and leading the team in home runs (five) and RBI (22). At Austin Peay on Feb. 18, Harrison saw his career-best 18-game hit streak come to an end, but he bounced back with his fourth long ball one day later. In the 78 games making up his UC career, Harrison has failed to gather a hit in just 12 contests. The sophomore has shown his blend of speed and power this year, adding 11 stolen bases to his home run total. For his play at Florida Atlantic (Feb. 9-11), Harrison became the first Bearcat this season to be named to the College Baseball Foundation National Honor Roll.

BULLPEN LOCKDOWN: The Bearcats have enjoyed solid performances from the bullpen, with a returning ace, a newcomer and a surprising returnee leading the way.

  • Junior A.J. Upton, a candidate for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award shrugged off allowing a walk-off homer at Florida Atlantic with scoreless outings in three of his last four appearances. Despite a tough outing at Kentucky on March 7, Upton is still limiting opponents to a .190 batting average this season.
  • Junior Billy Welsh has gotten his short stay off to a fine start, holding opponents to two runs in 14.1 innings (1.26 ERA) over seven appearances. The righty got his first win at UC with 2.2 innings of relief against Cleveland State and he is tied for third in the BIG EAST with three saves. Opponents are hitting just .119 against him.
  • Junior southpaw Adam Calez has come on strong of late, holding opponents to just one unearned run in 10.1 innings, spanning six appearances. Calez holds a 1-1 record and has struck out 15 this season, while limiting opponents to an .061 batting average.

OUTFIELD IN GOOD HANDS: With LaFringe Hayes gone to graduation and Josh Harrison moved to the infield, UC entered the season needing someone to step up in the outfield. With the additions of Tony Campana and Cameron Satterwhite, the Bearcats have found the cogs to fill the holes.

  • Campana has been a sparkplug at the top of the line-up, swiping 31 bases and hitting a team-best .341. Now riding a 16-game hit streak in which he has batted .391 (25-for-64), Campana has hit safely in all but two of UC's 20 games this season.
  • Satterwhite is off to a good start ranking fourth in the BIG EAST with eight doubles. On the strength of a career-best nine-game hit streak, Satterwhite has raised his average to .319. On March 10, the sophomore hit a game-winning two-run homer to beat Cleveland State.

A MUCH NEEDED LIFT: With Logan Parker's big bat lost in the middle of the line up, seniors Neall French and Brian Szarmach and freshman Michael Earley have stepped up to fill the hole:

  • French has been hot of late, hitting safely in nine of his last 13 games at a .366 clip (15-for-41). His power numbers have been up as he has hit five doubles and four home runs and driven in 18 during the span. He is tied for third among BIG EAST players with 22 RBI. French had his best day as a Bearcat at Kentucky on March 7, as he hit a pair of three-run homers for a career-best six RBI.
  • Szarmach is hitting a career-high .311 and is tied for sixth in the BIG EAST with 18 RBI. He has added five doubles, a triple and three home runs, including a solo shot on March 18 vs. Chicago State.
  • Since returning from a wrist injury earlier this month, Earley has batted .378 with four home runs and nine RBI in 12 games.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME: In its two-plus seasons of existence, Marge Schott Stadium has provided a solid home field advantage for the Bearcats. Since its opening, the Bearcats hold a 47-26 (.644) record at home. Prior to a loss to Rutgers on April 14, 2006 the Bearcats had a 12-game home winning streak, the second-longest in school history, behind a 17-game streak in 1960-61. As was the case last season, the Bearcats' team numbers have been better at home than on the road. Both UC's team batting average (.296 to .255) and ERA (2.41 to 6.56) are significantly better at Marge Schott Stadium.

BUCKEYE STRENGTH: In recent years, Cincinnati has enjoyed success against its in-state rivals, winning 22 of its last 32 games against Ohio adversaries, including three of five this season. The Bearcats will work to continue that success again in 2007 with eight match-ups against Ohio schools remaining on the 2007 slate.