TicketsThe tenth annual Joe Nuxhall Classic is set to be held Tuesday, April 10 and Wednesday, April 11 in Oxford, Ohio. The University of Cincinnati Bearcats will open up the event with a 3 p.m. game against Wright State on Tuesday. UC will then face either host Miami or Xavier on Wednesday at 3 p.m. or 6:30 p.m.
// ABOUT THE JOE NUXHALL CLASSIC
• The tournament began in 2009 to honor its namesake, the legendary Reds player and announcer Joe Nuxhall, as well as promote and celebrate amateur baseball in southwest Ohio
• Cincinnati, Miami, Wright State and Xavier have participated in the classic every year
• UC hosts in odd years while Miami hosts in even years
• Wright State has won four titles, UC three and Xavier and Miami one each
• Nuxhall became the youngest player ever to appear in a MLB game when he took the mound for the Cincinnati Reds against the St. Louis Cardinals at Crosley Field on June 10, 1944 at the age of 15
• He played for 16 years in the Major Leagues and immediately upon retiring, began a 40-year broadcasting career with the Reds
• UC is 9-9 all-time in the event and won it in 2010, 2011 and 2014. The Bearcats were the runner-up in 2013 and 2015
• Miami won the event last season. The RedHawks beat Wright State 4-3 then beat Xavier 12-6. Xavier beat Cincinnati 9-1 to make it to the title game
// COVERAGE
• Matt Noonan will provide the play-by-play for both of UC's games at GoBearcats.com/watch
• Live stats will be available at MiamiRedHawks.com
• Video will only be available for games that Miami is playing in
// SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Wright State
• Cincinnati is 38-44-1 all-time against Wright State
• The two teams have already met twice this season. The Raiders won 14-8 at home then took a 5-1, weather-shortened game at Marge Schott Stadium last Tuesday
Miami
• The Bearcats are 73-101-1 all-time against the RedHawks
• The two teams were supposed to meet earlier this season, but that contest was canceled due to weather
• Last season UC took both meetings, winning 1-0 at home and 8-6 on the road
Xavier
• UC is 93-54-1 all-time against Xavier
• Last season the teams met three times. A Coach Googins-led Musketeers team took the first meeting 9-1 in the Joe Nuxhall Classic. The Bearcats took the next matchup 10-8 at home before falling 7-1 down the road
// THE AMERICAN STATUS
• After the weekend sweep of Memphis, Cincinnati is in a tie for first place in the American Athletic Conference
• UC and Houston are both 6-3 while ECU is tied in win percentage at 4-2
• The Bearcats took the series against the Cougars earlier this year and play at the Pirates' park in May
• Starter J.T. Perez ranks eighth in ERA in the conference and is third in innings pitched
• Manny Rodriguez is tied for fifth in doubles, fourth in triples, seventh in total bases and seventh in slugging percentage
• A.J. Bumpass is third in the AAC in triples
• When looking at conference-only statistics, UC leads in team ERA with a 2.73
• Cam Alldred leads the conference with a 0.48 ERA through three starts while ranking fourth in strikeouts and tied for seventh in innings pitched
• Nathan Kroger has the eighth-lowest conference-only ERA
• Kyle Mottice is fourth in runs scored while Rodriguez is fifth in the same category. Mottice is also third in walks
• Rodriguez is also tied for second in homeruns, tied for first in doubles, fifth in stolen bases, third in total bases and sixth in slugging percentage
• Bumpass is tied for the lead in triples and is tied for ninth in total bases
• Connor McVey ranks second in stolen bases
• Jarod Yoakam leads the league with three saves in conference play
• The trio of A.J. Kullman, Alldred and Perez rank first, second and third, respectively, in opposing batting average. Through nine conference games, none have a mark over .188 led by Kullman's .133 in five appearance
• Both Bumpass and Kroger were named to the AAC Honor Roll this week
// NOTABLE NUMBERS
• 34: The Bearcats' pitching staff threw 34 consecutive innings without giving up an earned run, the longest streak in the nation this season
• 31: Rodriguez has reached base safely in 31 consecutive games. He has achieved the feat in every game this year and the final two of 2017
• 7: About the number of years since UC had swept a conference series prior to this past weekend (April 22, 2011 over Villanova)
• 6: The number of games in a row that Rodriguez had an extra-base hit, tying for the third-longest extra-base hit streak in the country this year
• 2: The number of years since the previous three-game series sweep by the Bearcats (March 22, 2016 versus Northwestern)
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
• Stay connected with Bearcats Baseball on Facebook (GoBearcatsBase), Twitter (@GoBearcatsBase) and Instagram (GoBearcatsBase)
// ABOUT THE JOE NUXHALL CLASSIC
• The tournament began in 2009 to honor its namesake, the legendary Reds player and announcer Joe Nuxhall, as well as promote and celebrate amateur baseball in southwest Ohio
• Cincinnati, Miami, Wright State and Xavier have participated in the classic every year
• UC hosts in odd years while Miami hosts in even years
• Wright State has won four titles, UC three and Xavier and Miami one each
• Nuxhall became the youngest player ever to appear in a MLB game when he took the mound for the Cincinnati Reds against the St. Louis Cardinals at Crosley Field on June 10, 1944 at the age of 15
• He played for 16 years in the Major Leagues and immediately upon retiring, began a 40-year broadcasting career with the Reds
• UC is 9-9 all-time in the event and won it in 2010, 2011 and 2014. The Bearcats were the runner-up in 2013 and 2015
• Miami won the event last season. The RedHawks beat Wright State 4-3 then beat Xavier 12-6. Xavier beat Cincinnati 9-1 to make it to the title game
// COVERAGE
• Matt Noonan will provide the play-by-play for both of UC's games at GoBearcats.com/watch
• Live stats will be available at MiamiRedHawks.com
• Video will only be available for games that Miami is playing in
// SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Wright State
• Cincinnati is 38-44-1 all-time against Wright State
• The two teams have already met twice this season. The Raiders won 14-8 at home then took a 5-1, weather-shortened game at Marge Schott Stadium last Tuesday
Miami
• The Bearcats are 73-101-1 all-time against the RedHawks
• The two teams were supposed to meet earlier this season, but that contest was canceled due to weather
• Last season UC took both meetings, winning 1-0 at home and 8-6 on the road
Xavier
• UC is 93-54-1 all-time against Xavier
• Last season the teams met three times. A Coach Googins-led Musketeers team took the first meeting 9-1 in the Joe Nuxhall Classic. The Bearcats took the next matchup 10-8 at home before falling 7-1 down the road
// THE AMERICAN STATUS
• After the weekend sweep of Memphis, Cincinnati is in a tie for first place in the American Athletic Conference
• UC and Houston are both 6-3 while ECU is tied in win percentage at 4-2
• The Bearcats took the series against the Cougars earlier this year and play at the Pirates' park in May
• Starter J.T. Perez ranks eighth in ERA in the conference and is third in innings pitched
• Manny Rodriguez is tied for fifth in doubles, fourth in triples, seventh in total bases and seventh in slugging percentage
• A.J. Bumpass is third in the AAC in triples
• When looking at conference-only statistics, UC leads in team ERA with a 2.73
• Cam Alldred leads the conference with a 0.48 ERA through three starts while ranking fourth in strikeouts and tied for seventh in innings pitched
• Nathan Kroger has the eighth-lowest conference-only ERA
• Kyle Mottice is fourth in runs scored while Rodriguez is fifth in the same category. Mottice is also third in walks
• Rodriguez is also tied for second in homeruns, tied for first in doubles, fifth in stolen bases, third in total bases and sixth in slugging percentage
• Bumpass is tied for the lead in triples and is tied for ninth in total bases
• Connor McVey ranks second in stolen bases
• Jarod Yoakam leads the league with three saves in conference play
• The trio of A.J. Kullman, Alldred and Perez rank first, second and third, respectively, in opposing batting average. Through nine conference games, none have a mark over .188 led by Kullman's .133 in five appearance
• Both Bumpass and Kroger were named to the AAC Honor Roll this week
// NOTABLE NUMBERS
• 34: The Bearcats' pitching staff threw 34 consecutive innings without giving up an earned run, the longest streak in the nation this season
• 31: Rodriguez has reached base safely in 31 consecutive games. He has achieved the feat in every game this year and the final two of 2017
• 7: About the number of years since UC had swept a conference series prior to this past weekend (April 22, 2011 over Villanova)
• 6: The number of games in a row that Rodriguez had an extra-base hit, tying for the third-longest extra-base hit streak in the country this year
• 2: The number of years since the previous three-game series sweep by the Bearcats (March 22, 2016 versus Northwestern)
// FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
• Stay connected with Bearcats Baseball on Facebook (GoBearcatsBase), Twitter (@GoBearcatsBase) and Instagram (GoBearcatsBase)