TicketsMay 13, 2008
SETTING THE SCENE: Cincinnati will open a regular season-concluding four-game homestand when the Bearcats take on area rival Wright State on Tuesday night at Marge Schott Stadium. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. UC, which has already clinched a spot in next week's BIG EAST Championship, brings a 32-19 record into the contest, the second of the season against the Raiders. The Bearcats took two of three over the weekend at Seton Hall to hold onto sole possession of third place in the BIG EAST standings. A victory against Wright State (27-19) will bring the Bearcats within two of matching the single season wins total of 35 established in 2000. Wright State will be out to avenge a 9-5 defeat to the Bearcats on April 9.
UP NEXT: The 2008 regular season comes to a close with a three-game set against West Virginia beginning on Thursday at Marge Schott Stadium. First pitch for the first two games of the series is set for 6:30 p.m., with a 1 p.m. start on tap for Saturday. The series finale will also be Senior Day as UC seniors Ryan Baker, Adam Calez, Tony Campana, Matt Heber, Michael Obyc, and A.J. Upton will be honored prior to the game.
SCOUTING THE RAIDERS: Wright State comes to Cincinnati having won eight of its last 10 contests, climbing to the top of the Horizon League standings at 27-19 overall and 16-6 in league play. The Raiders have completed their league schedule and hold a two-game lead in the win column, with second place Illinois-Chicago still having one series remaining. Leading the Raiders is junior 1B Jeremy Hamilton, a high school teammate of UC's Josh Harrison, with a .433 average. Hamilton has added 20 doubles, seven home runs and 45 RBI for Wright State.
NOTING THE BEARCATS:
- Cincinnati is in third place in the BIG EAST standings at 16-8 and is just one win away from tying a school record for conference wins in a season. The 1995 Great Midwest Champions hold the record of 17 victories.
- Tony Campana, Jamel Scott and Josh Harrison are ranked Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in the BIG EAST in the stolen base department. Campana has been safe on 40-of-50 tries, while Scott owns 29 thefts on 38 attempts and Harrison is 25 of 32. The trio helps UC lead the BIG EAST with 112 stolen bases.
- UC is closing in on the school record for wins in a season of 35. The mark was set in 2000 and nearly equalled a year later when the Bearcats went 34-24.
- Michael Hill became UC's second BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week award winner, earning the distinction on Monday. Hill was honored after a complete game, three-hitter that featured a career-best 10 strikeouts in the series finale at Seton Hall.
HARRISON RIDING HIGH: Josh Harrison has raised his batting average over 90 points, from .274 to .366 by hitting a torrid 40-of-78 (.513) over his last 29 games. The junior shares the team lead with 25 multiple-game hits, including a team best nine three-hit performances and is among the BIG EAST leaders in average, runs, hits, doubles, total bases, RBI and stolen bases.
SPINA HITS HIS STRIDE: After seeing his average dip to .256 early in the month, Mike Spina concluded April on a terror. For the month, Spina hit at a .432 clip, belting six doubles and nine home runs, while driving in 32 runs. In 22 games in the month, Spina collected at least one hit in all but three of the contests, posting 13 multi-hit games along the way. Spina hasn't let up as the calendar flipped over, hitting .296 with two homers and 10 RBI through seven games in May.
OFF AND RUNNING: The Bearcats' running game has been one of the nation's best for the second straight year and was listed ninth nationally last week. The Bearcats have reached safely on 2.20 stolen bases per game and have made good on 112-of-146 stolen base attempts (.767) this season. The Bearcats swiped 130 bases in 2007, ranking as the highest total ever by a UC team. This year's squads boasts a fourth-place ranking on UC's single season team list.
OSTERBROCK AMONG THE BEST: Dan Osterbrock was made himself into one of the BIG EAST's best hurlers in the past two seasons and on May 10 at Seton Hall left his mark on Cincinnati annals as well. Against the Pirates, Osterbrock earned the 19th win of his career, tying him for first place all-time among UC hurlers. In 2008, Osterbrock is the owner of a 7-2 record and a 3.50 ERA. The junior has won six straight decisions and has shown masterful control all year, striking out 57 and walking just nine in 78.2 innings of work.
SPEEDY SCOTT: Jamel Scott has shown plenty of speed this year, trailing only teammate Tony Campana in the BIG EAST Conference in stolen bases, having made good on 29-of-38 attempts this season. Scott started the campaign with a string of 14 consecutive steals before being caught. The Bearcats' No. 2 hitter for much of the year, Scott boasts a .307 average. Scott pulled off one of baseball's most exciting plays with a straight steal of home plate against Chicago State on March 2.
LEAD-OFF TERROR: Tony Campana continues to be a big impact at the top of the Bearcats' lineup, while patrolling center field in every game since transferring to Cincinnati. A spark plug at the top of the order, Campana is hitting .323 and is 40-of-50 in stolen base attempts this year. In addition to leading the BIG EAST in stolen bases, Campana also shares sixth place among league players with 74 hits. After leading the country in steals per game last year, Campana is among the best again in 2008 and has stretched his UC career record total to 100 thefts.
BULLPEN ANCHOR: Junior Jake Geglein has blossomed into the stopper in the Bearcats' bullpen, enjoying a phenomenal season in his new role. The Cincinnati native has appeared in a team-best 21 games and holds a 3-0 record with a 2.43 ERA and eight saves. Geglein has held opponents scoreless in 15 of his 21 outings this year and has 32 strikeouts in 37 innings of work. He is also making a name for himself in UC history, ranking third on the single season saves list and holding a tie for fourth with 10 career saves.
A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH: Cameron Satterwhite has enjoyed an outstanding junior season that sees him ranked second on the squad with a .358 batting average. The Cincinnati native has done his part in the power department as well, ranking second on the Bearcats with nine home runs and sitting third with 43 RBI. Satterwhite really started to turn it on in late March. After hitting a respectable .271 through the first 18 games, Satterwhite has been hitting at a .396 (53-for-134) clip in the 33 games since March 25, with all but one of his home runs and all but eight of his RBI.
COMING ON STRONG: Head coach Brian Cleary's theory on new players needing 100 at-bats to get accustomed to Division I competition has another supporter in freshman shortstop Chris Peters. Since nearing and surpassing the mark in recent weeks, Peters is hitting .367 (18-for-49) in his last 15 games. Peters lashed three hits for the second time this year in game one of the May 3 doubleheader with Rutgers, including a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning.
NOT ON MY WATCH: Senior catcher Ryan Baker has quietly been one of the Bearcats' most important contributors this season, especially with his work behind the plate. For the year, Cincinnati ranks third in the BIG EAST in stolen bases allowed, having yielded just 30 in 51 games. Against Baker individually, opponents are successful on just 52 percent of their steal attempts.