TicketsApril 12, 2012
CINCINNATI at NOTRE DAME
FRIDAY, APRIL 13 | 5:35 p.m. | Watch | GameTracker
UC RHP Andrew Strenge 6-1/199 Jr. 2.70 ERA 1-1 W-L 23.1 IP 7 BB 25 SO
UND RHP Will Hudgins 6-4/200 Sr. 1.33 ERA 3-1 W-L 54.1 IP 15 BB 57 SO
SATURDAY, APRIL 14 | 2:05 p.m. | Watch |
UC Zach Morris 6-6/225 Fr. 2.76 ERA 2-2 W-L 42.1 IP 13 BB 25 SO
UND Adam Norton 6-1/190 Jr. 3.65 ERA 3-2 W-L 56.2 IP 3 BB 35 SO
SUNDAY, APRIL 15 | 1:05 p.m. | Watch |
UC TBA - - - - - - -
UND Pat Connaughton 6-5/205 Fr. 4.00 ERA 1-2 W-L 9.0 IP 6 BB 12 SO
The University of Cincinnati baseball team (11-21, 1-8 BIG EAST) resumes BIG EAST Conference action with a three-game roadtrip against Notre Dame (17-15, 4-5 BIG EAST) Friday through Sunday at Frank Eck Stadium in South Bend, Ind. Game 1 of the series is set for a 5:35 p.m. first pitch and will feature junior right-handed pitcher Andrew Strenge. The second game of the series will begin 2:05 p.m. when freshman left-hander Zach Morris takes the mound for the Bearcats. Sunday's ballgame will begin 1:05 p.m. with UC's starter to be announced. All three games can be seen at UND.com/allaccess (subscription required). Live stats will be available at GoBEARCATS.com.
SETTING THE SCENE
-Cincinnati has work to do to get back in the BIG EAST race after starting league play 1-8. The Bearcats will have to start compiling wins if they are to finish in the top eight of the conference standings and qualify for the BIG EAST Championship for the fifth consecutive season. Georgetown, Villanova and West Virginia are currently tied for eighth place in the conference with 3-6 records in league play, two games ahead of UC in the win column with 18 BIG EAST games left to play.
-UC is coming off a tough showing at the 2012 Joe Nuxhall Classic that saw the Bearcats drop two close games; 3-2 to Wright State in the opening round and 4-2 against Xavier in the third-place game.
-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 left-hander Zach Morris, who is set to start for the Bearcats on Saturday, 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
-Junior right-hander Andrew Strenge will take the ball for the Bearcats in the series opener on Friday. Strenge started for the first time since March 9 against USF last Friday and allowed two runs while striking out a pair in four innings pitched.
-Left-hander Zach Morris will climb the hill for UC on Saturday. Morris currently has a stretch of 18 1-3 innings pitched without allowing an earned run. In his previous start against USF last Saturday, the 6-foot-6 southpaw allowed just one unearned run on three hits and struck out two in seven innings pitched.
-Sunday's starter is to be announced.
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.
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.