Bearcats Open Busy Week With Visit From Marshall

April 9, 2007

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SETTING THE SCENE: A hectic week kicks off for the University of Cincinnati baseball team tonight when it hosts Marshall at 6:30 p.m. The contest is a replacement game for the Bearcats' Feb. 17 rainout against Central Arkansas. UC (17-14, 4-5 BIG EAST) brings momentum into the contest, having won four of its last six, including two of three over the weekend vs. Notre Dame. By virtue of its first BIG EAST series win of 2007, the Bearcats have climbed into a sixth place tie in the league standings. Marshall (14-16) has dropped 11 in a row after starting the year with a 14-5 mark.

NOTING THE THUNDERING HERD:

• Marshall finds itself in last place in Conference USA with an 0-6 league mark and a 14-16 overall record. The Herd have dropped 11 in a row, including being swept in non-conference action by Liberty over the weekend.
• Freshman OF Mason Chapman leads Marshall with a .298 batting average, while Conference USA preseason all-conference selection Brendan Murphy paces the club in homers (seven) and RBI (23).
• Marshall will go with sophomore lefty Ryan Kiel on the mound against the Bearcats. Kiel is 3-2 this season with a 7.77 ERA in six appearances, including four starts. He was roughed up by Louisville in his previous start last Tuesday, yielding eight runs in two-plus innings.

NOTING THE BEARCATS:

• The key to the Bearcats' offensive success this season has been the stolen base as UC leads the BIG EAST with 83 thefts. The mark is the most by a Cincinnati team since the 2001 team finished with 85 stolen bases and is the sixth highest single season total in UC history.
• On April 1 at Georgetown, junior speedster Tony Campana set a new UC single season record for steals with 36, eclipsing Ken Schneider's previous mark. Campana already ranks 12th on the career list in the category, holding a current total of 39.
• The Bearcats' pitching has been anchored by sophomore starters Steve Blevins and Dan Osterbrock. The duo holds a combined 10-5 record and a 3.03 ERA.
• The 17 men left on base by the Bearcats on Saturday vs. Notre Dame marked the most by a UC team since leaving 18 stranded on April 15, 2001 against UAB.
• Freshman Michael Earley holds the longest current hit streak among the Bearcats, having hit safely in a career-high seven games. He is hitting .375 (9-for-24) during the streak.
• John Baird will make his sixth start of the year on the mound tonight. He is 0-0 with a 3.38 ERA this season.