TicketsApril 10, 2012
2012 Joe Nuxhall Classic notes
2012 JOE NUXHALL CLASSIC
DAY 1: WRIGHT STATE vs. CINCINNATI
DAY 2: CINCINNATI vs. TBD
Probable Starting Pitchers
TUESDAY, APRIL 10 | 3 p.m. | Watch (Subscription Required) | Listen |
UC RHP Ryan Atkinson 6-3/197 Fr. 2.38 ERA 1-0 W-L 11.1 IP 2 BB 16 SO
WSU RHP Joey Hoelzel 6-0/180 So. 10.70 ERA 2-3 W-L 17.2 IP 6 BB 12 SO
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11 | TBD | Watch (Subscription Required) | Listen | GameTracker
UC - TBA - - - - - - - - - -
TBD - - - - - - - - - - - -
The University of Cincinnati baseball team (11-19, 1-8 BIG EAST), the reigning two-time Joe Nuxhall Classic champions, will look to make it a three-peat at the fourth annual tournament when the Bearcats play Wright State University (19-10, 10-2 Horizon League) in a 3 p.m. Tuesday first-round matchup at Hayden Park's McKie Field in Oxford, Ohio. Cincinnati will give the ball to freshman right-hander Ryan Atkinson, who is fresh off BIG EAST honors for his April 3 performance at Ohio University where the former Colerain Cardinal struck out 11 and allowed just three hits in seven shutout innings to earn his first career win. Wednesday's game time and opponent will be based on Tuesday's results. Regardless of Tuesday's outcomes, host Miami University will play the 6:30 p.m. game Wednesday. All four Joe Nuxhall Classic games can be viewed live on MURedhawks.com/allaccess (subscription required). Real Talk 1160 WQRT-AM will broadcast both of the Bearcats ballgames, including 30-minute pregame coverage.
SETTING THE SCENE
-The Bearcats will look to defend their Joe Nuxhall Classic Championship after winning the four-team tournament each of the past two seasons.
-After winning three of five ballgames, including wins over intra-state rivals Dayton and Ohio, the Bearcats fell to 1-8 in BIG EAST play after getting swept by USF in a three-game series.
-Head coach Brian Cleary earned his 405th career win after UC topped Ohio 11-2 on April 3. The 405 wins surpassed UC hall-of-famer and longtime Cincinnati Reds scorekeeper Glenn Sample's program standard of 404 career victories, which Sample accrued from 1961-1981.
-Freshman right-hander Ryan Atkinson made his first collegiate start against the Bobcats April 3 and pitched a gem after striking out 11 batters and tossing eight scoreless innings.
-Freshman left-hander Zach Morris has gone his last 18 1-3 innings pitched without allowing an earned run. The stretch includes seven innings vs. USF and eight shutout innings against Pitt.
ON THE MOUND FOR THE BEARCATS
-Freshman right-hander Ryan Atkinson will make his second career start on Tuesday against Wright State. If start No. 2 goes anywhere near as well as his first, the Bearcats will be playing for their third straight Joe Nuxhall Classic crown on Wednesday. In his first start at Ohio University on April 3, Atkinson struck out 11 Bobcats and allowed only three hits in seven shutout innings pitched.
-Wednesday's starter for Cincinnati is to be determined.
CLEARY ATOP UC'S ALL-TIME WINS MARK
-Bearcats baseball head coach Brian Cleary earned career win No. 405 after UC defeated Ohio 11-2 April 3.
-With 405 career wins, Cleary surpassed UC hall-of-famer and longtime Cincinnati Reds official scorekeeper Glenn Sample, who from 1961-1981 recorded 404 career wins, 13 of which occurred during the autumn season.
-The career milestone is the second Cleary has achieved this year after he earned career win No. 400 when the Bearcats defeated Chicago State 6-0 in the first game of a March 10th doubleheader.
FRESHMEN HURLERS CARRY THE LOAD
-Cincinnati has received a ton of production from its freshman pitching class in 2012, as the group has accounted for 63 percent of the team's wins, 47 percent of the team's starts, 45 percent of innings pitched and 36 percent of the team's strikeouts.
-Freshmen have started the past seven of the past eight games for the Bearcats heading into the Joe Nuxhall Classic.
-Freshmen Ryan Atkinson (April 9) and Zach Morris (April 2) have been named to the BIG EAST Conference weekly honor roll in the last two weeks.
UC ALL-TIME JOE NUXHALL CLASSIC RESULTS
-2009: Apr 14, 2009, Marge Schott Stadium
Xavier 12, Cincinnati 8
Apr 15, 2009, Marge Schott Stadium
Miami 6, Cincinnati 1
-2010: Apr 13, 2010, McKie Field
Cincinnati 6, Wright State 5
Apr 14, 2010, McKie Field
Cincinnati 3, Miami 2
-2011: Apr 12, 2011, Marge Schott Stadium
Cincinnati 6, Xavier 5
Apr 13, 2011, Marge Schott Stadium
Cincinnati 7, Wright State 4
ATKINSON EARNS UC'S FOURTH BIG EAST HONOR ROLL
-Freshman right-handed pitcher Ryan Atkinson was named to the BIG EAST Conference weekly honor roll on Monday for his performance at Ohio University last Tuesday.
-Atkinson pitched a gem against the Ohio Bobcats in his first collegiate start, throwing seven scoreless innings, striking out 11 batters and allowing just three hits. The 11 strikeouts were the most by a Bearcats pitcher since April 30, 2010 when Nick Johnson punched out 11 against West Virginia University.
-On the season, Atkinson has appeared in four games with one start, totaling 11 1-3 innings. The 6-foot-3 hurler owns a 2.38 ERA with two walks and 16 strikeouts while limiting opponents to a .214 batting average.
-Atkinson is the fourth Bearcat to be named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll in 2012 and the second in as many weeks. Sophomore outfielder Justin Glass (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll) received the distinction April 2, freshman left-hander Zach Morris (Edgewater, Md./DeMatha Catholic) earned the honor March 12 and freshman third baseman Joey Bielek (Scottsdale, Ariz./Chapparal) won the award March 6.
MORRIS LIGHTS OUT
-Freshman left-hander Zach Morris has gone the last 18 1-3 innings without allowing an earned run.
-In his previous start against USF, Morris allowed one unearned run on three hits in seven innings.
-Against Pitt on March 9, Morris threw eight shutout innings.
-Morris last surrendered an earned run with two outs in the third inning at No. 21 Louisville on March 24.
GLASS NAMED TO BIG EAST HONOR ROLL
-Sophomore right fielder Justin Glass was named to the weekly BIG EAST Conference honor roll on Monday for his performance March 28-April 1.
-Glass recorded a .500 batting average (8 for 16) with one home run and nine RBIs, while slugging .688 and reaching base at a .524 clip in four ballgames against Dayton and Pittsburgh.
-On March 28 at Dayton, Glass produced a career-high five RBIs and scored twice after hitting 5 for 6, including his first longball of the season. The five hits were also a career-best for Glass.
A CAREER DAY IN DAYTON
-Several Bearcats recorded multiple career highs during the Bearcats' 17-8 shellacking of Dayton on Wednesday.
-Sophomores Justin Glass and Matt Williams each produced five RBIs, which are new career highs for both.
-Glass (7) and Williams (6) also set career highs in total bases while Glass and tied his career best in at-bats (6).
-Senior outfielder Braden Kline scored four runs against the Flyers to set a new personal best.
-Junior center fielder Jake Proctor tied his career best with two doubles and set a new career standard for at-bats with seven.
-Sophomore infielder Ryan Quinn scored twice for a career high and tied his career best in hits with two.
-Senior first baseman Nic Spence's six at-bats were a career high for the Australian.
GLASS & BIELEK GO STREAKING
-Freshman third baseman Joey Bielek (13 games) and sophomore right fielder Justin Glass (12 games) have the two highest hitting streaks for the Bearcats in 2012.
-Glass saw his streak, which began during the second game of a doubleheader against Oakland, come to end against Louisville on March 24. During the streak, Glass batted .408 (20 of 49) with six RBIs, 12 runs scored and a .491 on-base percentage.
-Freshman third baseman Joey Bielek saw his 13-game hitting streak that began Feb. 26 vs. UMBC at the Wake Forest Invitational in Winston-Salem, N.C. come to end Wednesday against No. 2 Kentucky after he recorded an 0-for-4 day.
-During the streak, Bielek hit .415 (22 of 53) with 13 RBIs and .429 on-base and .547 slugging percentages.
-Twice during the streak, Bielek recorded a 4-for-5 game: Game 1 of a March 3 doubleheader vs. Oakland; and the second game of a doubleheader on March 10 vs. Chicago State.