TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati baseball team will take on Xavier for the fourth game in a row, this time in the first round of the Joe Nuxhall Classic. The game will be the second leg of a double header at UC Baseball Stadium with Miami (OH) and Wright State playing the first game at 2:00 p.m. ET. Cincinnati's game will begin at 6:00 p.m.
The Cincinnati-Xavier game will air on ESPN+ and live stats will be available at BearcatStats.com.
CINCINNATI
2022 Record: 9-13, 0-0 AAC
Head Coach: Scott Googins
Record at UC: 104-106 (5th)
Career Record: 445-463 (17th)
XAVIER
2022 Record: 12-13, 0-0 Big East
Head Coach: Billy O'Conner
School Record: 92-115 (5th)
Career Record: Same
PITCHING MATCHUP
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30
6 p.m. • ESPN+
RHP Ben Vore vs. RHP Miles Halligan
SERIES BUSINESS
UC leads the all-time series against Xavier, 99-61-1.SETTING THE STAGE
- After winning three-straight against Saint Joseph's, the Bearcats had a tough weekend, losing to Xavier three times by a total of three runs.
- Xavier has beaten UC in three-straight one-run ballgames.
ABOUT THE BEARCATS
- The Bearcats average 7.1 runs per game, which is good for third in the conference.
- Redshirt junior outfielder Griffin Merritt continues to crush the ball. In the conference, UC's left fielder ranks third in batting average (.392), first in slugging percentage (.861) and is tied for first in home runs (9).
- Cincinnati currently has five starters with four or more home runs - Merritt (9), redshirt junior outfielder Paul Komistek (4), redshirt sophomore infielder Ryan Nicholson (5), redshirt sophomore JP Sponseller (4) and sophomore outfielder Cole Harting (4).
- Merritt (1.303), Komistek (1.031) and Powell (1.131) each have over a 1.000 OPS, and Merritt (.392) and Komistek's (.360) batting averages ranked third and fourth in the AAC, respectively.
- As a team, UC has hit 35 homers and 1.59 homers per game, both of which are best in the conference and in the top-26 nationally.
JOE NUXHALL CLASSIC
- This will be the 12th annual Joe Nuxhall Classic (2020 and 2021 canceled due to COVID-19).
- Miami (OH) has won the past three classics for its only three titles. UC has three as well, while Wright State leads the group with four classics won. Xavier has won once.
- UC is 11-11 all time in the event and won in 2010, 2011 and 2014.
- The tournament began in 2009 to honor Joe Nuxhall, legendary Reds player and announcer. 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.
ELITE OFFENSE
- The Bearcats rank 26th in the nation with 35 homers after last weekend and 22nd in homers per game (1.59), both of which are tops in the AAC.
- In the conference, UC leads in slugging % (.501), is third in runs scored per game (7.1), first in batting average (.286) and first in total bases (373).
- Griffin Merritt is leading the charge at the plate. His nine homers are good for 21st-most in the country and his 24 RBIs rank third in the conference.
- Merritt's .859 slugging percentage is the ninth-highest in the nation and by far the most in the AAC. The next closest slugging percentage in the conference is .724.
GOING, GOING, GONE
- After the first weekend of college baseball this year, UC led the nation in home runs with nine. They now rank first in the conference and 26st in the nation with 35.
- Komistek, Harting and Sponseller have four each, Nicholson has five and Merritt has 8 long balls.
- Catchers Cam Scheler Joe Powell have two and infielders Kerrington Cross (2) and Kameron Guidry (1) have pitched in a little bit too..
- The Bearcats launched 67 homers during the 2021 season, which ranked third in the conference. They are on pace for 84 right now.
HOME COOKING
- UC won its first home game against Ohio State, 5-4. That marks the sixth-straight year it has won its home opener.
- Cincinnati followed that up by winning three of four against Northwestern. starting the year 4-1 at home.
- The Bearcats have a 291-183 (.614) all-time record at UC Baseball Stadium and have only had three seasons with a .500 winning percentage or lower at home.
- Since 2016, the team's home record is 99-52 (.656).
- Seven of the team's next eight games are at home.
THE BULLPEN CREW
- Jackson Murphy (22), Max Bergmann (16), Beau Keathley (14) and Aiden Bradbury (10) were all among the team leader bullpen appearances last season. They are all back this year in hopes to anchor UC's bullpen.
- Murphy has only given up one run in his last four innings on the mound and Bergmann has thrown 24.1 innings, including four outing where he's gone four or more innings in relief.
- In his first seven outing this season, Ryan Steckline had 3.12 ERA. Ben Vore has been another pleasant surprise, pitching to a 2.84 ERA in four appearances.
Season tickets for the 2022 season are now on sale! To purchase season tickets, visit cpaw.me/SeasonTickets or call 1-877-CATS-TIX (1-877-228-7849).
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For up-to-the-minute updates, follow @GoBearcatsBASE on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
NOTE: All dates and times are subject to change due to weather. All schedule changes will be announced on Twitter at @GoBearcatsBASE.