TicketsCINCINNATI – The University of Cincinnati baseball team hosts Memphis for its last three home conference games of the season. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. ET Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and noon on Sunday.
The games will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats will be available at BearcatStats.com.
About 30 minutes before first pitch on Sunday, at approximately 11:30 a.m., 13 seniors will be honored on the field for Senior Day.
CINCINNATI
2022 Record: 20-25, 9-9 AAC
Head Coach: Scott Googins
Record at UC: 115-118 (5th)
Career Record: 456-475 (17th)
MEMPHIS
2022 Record: 21-25, 5-13 AAC
Head Coach: Daron Schoenrock
School Record: 437-505 (16th)
Career Record: Same
PITCHING MATCHUP
FRIDAY, MAY 13
5 p.m. • ESPN+
RHP Beau Keathley vs. RHP Landon Gartman
SATURDAY, MAY 14
2 p.m. • ESPN+
LHP Conner Linn vs. LHP Dalton Fowler
SUNDAY, MAY 15
12 p.m. • ESPN+
LHP Tristan Weaver vs. RHP Connor Shamblin
SERIES BUSINESS
UC trails in the all-time series, 50-66. The Bearcats have won nine of the past 11 matchups dating back to 2018 and are 22-12 against the Tigers since 2014.
SETTING THE STAGE
- The Bearcats took a huge series against Tulane over the weekend and took down NKU Wednesday. The Bearcats seem to be getting hot at the right time, winning three of their last four.
- Memphis has lost four in a row and six of its last seven games. The Tigers got swept by East Carolina this past weekend and dropped a mid-week game to Arkansas State.
ABOUT THE BEARCATS
- The Bearcats average 7.0 runs per game, which leads the American Athletic Conference.
- Griffin Merritt leads the conference with 16 homers and 1.07 RBIs per game while Joe Powell (.355) ranks fourth in the AAC in batting average.
- UC has seven players with five or more home runs. Those seven players, Merritt (16), Nicholson (10), Komistek (8), Cole Harting (8), JP Sponseller (5), Kerrington Cross (5) and Joe Powell (5), have accounted for over 82% of the team's home runs and over 75% of the RBIs.
- Merritt (1.101) and Powell (1.086) each have over a 1.000 OPS, while their slugging percentages rank first and third in the AAC, respectively (Merritt: .716, Powell: .637)
- As a team, UC has hit 69 homers and 1.53 homers per game, both of which are best in the conference.
CINCINNATI SLUGGERS
- The Bearcats rank 32nd in the nation with 69 homers and 25th in homers per game (1.53), both of which are tops in the AAC.
- In the conference, UC leads in slugging % (.480) and in total bases (749). Its .370 on-base percentage is good for fourth in the AAC.
- Griffin Merritt (.716) and Joe Powell (.637) rank first and third, respectively, in the AAC in slugging %. Merritt's numbers are good for 22nd in the nation.
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 298-190 (.611) 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 106-59 (.642).
- The Bearcats had a stretch of games from March 18 to April 10 where they played 13 of 15 games at home, going 7-6 in those games.
LAST TIME VS THE TIGERS
- These two teams last played four games from April 16-18, 2021, with UC taking three of four.
- Merritt had two homers, an .875 slugging %, six RBIs and four runs scored in the four games.
- Nicholson batted .538 and had four RBIs while Komistek drew five walks, six hits and four RBIs.
- UC outscored Memphis, 34-20, in the four games.
- UC trails in the all-time series, 50-66.
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 32nd in the nation with 69.
- UC has three players with five each, Harting has 8, Nicholson has 10, Komistek has eight and Merritt has 16.
- Merritt's 16 homers have come in 162 at-bats, averaging one every 10.1 ABs.
- The Bearcats launched 67 homers during the 2021 season, which ranked third in the conference. They are on pace for 79 right now.
AAC PLAY
- The Bearcats are 9-9 in AAC play, but are coming off a huge series win at Tulane.
- Early on, UC took two of three from Houston at home before traveling to Wichita State to sweep the Shockers.
- Coming into this week, head coach Scott Googins has a 52-46 (.531) record at UC in conference play.
- The Bearcats will take on Memphis before ending AAC play with a series against UCF, with the conference tournament beginning on May 24.
BIG BEAU
- Beau Keathley earned AAC pitcher of the week after throwing six shutout innings against Saint Joseph's while striking out 12 batters on March 19.
- He threw a complete game against Houston on April 9, and just threw eight innings on one-run ball at Tulane.
- He's thrown at least five innings in eight-straight starts.
SHUT 'EM DOWN
- Conner Linn pitched a quality start in his first-ever start, going 6.1 innings while only giving up three runs. He now has a 3.40 ERA in eight starts and threw seven innings against ECU on April 30, giving up just one earned run.
- Tristan Weaver threw a seven-inning complete game against Northwestern on March 4, striking out six.
- In his first home start, Garrett Harker was one out shy from throwing a seven-inning complete game. He was also just named the AAC pitcher of the week for throwing six shutout innings in a 14-inning win on April 15.
To purchase single-game tickets or flex packs, visit GoBearcats.com/Tickets or call 1-877-CATS-TIX (1-877-228-7849).
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
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NOTE: All dates and times are subject to change due to weather. All schedule changes will be announced on Twitter at @GoBearcatsBASE.