TicketsMay 15, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format
Series Info vs. West Virginia:
Thursday, May 15-6:30 p.m.
Friday, May 16-6:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 17-1 p.m. (Senior Day prior to game)
SETTING THE SCENE: With the BIG EAST Regular Season Championship still up for grabs and important tournament seeding at stake, Cincinnati closes its regular season hosting West Virginia beginning on Thursday night (May 15) at Marge Schott Stadium. UC is 33-19 overall and sits in third place in the league standings at 16-8, two games behind St. John's and just one-half game back of Notre Dame. West Virginia is sixth in the standings at 36-15 overall and 13-11 in league play. After taking on the BIG EAST's best pitching staff last weekend at Seton Hall, UC must shift gears and tackle the league's top offensive squad this weekend. Cincinnati is also playing for a pair of records as it is two victories shy of the school single-season wins record and one shy of the conference wins mark.
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS: West Virginia (34-16, 13-11 BIG EAST) is the BIG EAST's most dangerous offense leading the league in nearly every offensive category, including average (.348) and runs per game (8.8). Tyler Kuhn paces the club with a .427 average and nine home runs, while Vince Belnome is tops with 64 RBI. Matt Yurish has been WVU's top starting pitcher with a 6-1 record and a 3.50 ERA. UC will try to exploit the Mountaineers' struggles on the road as WVU is just 3-8 away from home this year.
NOTING THE BEARCATS:
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.
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.
The Bearcats lead the BIG EAST in both home runs (57) and stolen bases (114).
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 100 points, from .274 to .366 by hitting a torrid 44-of-83 (.530) over his last 30 games. The junior shares the team lead with 26 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 .387 with two homers and 10 RBI through eight 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 2.19 stolen bases per game and have made good on 114-of-149 stolen base attempts (.765) this season. The Bearcats swiped 130 bases in 2007, ranking as the highest total ever by a UC team. This year's squad boasts a fourth-place ranking on UC's single season team list. Individually, Tony Campana (40-of-51), Jamel Scott (30-of-39) and Josh Harrison (26-of-33) rank Nos. 1, 2 and 3 in the BIG EAST.
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 30-of-39 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 .304 average and enters the regular season's final series riding an 11-game hitting streak in which he is hitting .378 (17-for-45). 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 .326 and is 40-of-51 in stolen base attempts this year. In addition to leading the BIG EAST in stolen bases, Campana also started off the week sharing 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 22 games and holds a 3-0 record with a 2.37 ERA and eight saves. Geglein has held opponents scoreless in 15 of his 22 outings this year and has 33 strikeouts and six walks in 38 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.
OSTERBROCK AMONG THE BEST: Dan Osterbrock has 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.
A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH: Cameron Satterwhite has enjoyed an outstanding junior season that sees him ranked third on the squad with a .354 batting average. The Cincinnati native has done his part in the power department as well, ranking second on the Bearcats with 10 home runs and sitting third with 45 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 .388 (54-for-139) clip in the 34 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 .358 (19-for-53) in his last 16 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 31 in 52 games. Against Baker individually, opponents are successful on just 53 percent of their steal attempts.