TicketsWhen Bearcats baseball takes the field tonight, they'll do so with a top-25 ranking attached to their name. The team was ranked 25th by D1Baseball.com, a first for the program in that publication's poll. But one can't talk about Bearcats in the rankings without talking about the 1971 team. That squad bounced back from a slow start to earn a place in the postseason top 25, leaving their mark on UC history.
A new era was dawning in Cincinnati, and a familiar face led the way for the Bearcats. Glenn Sample was heading into his eleventh season as head coach of the program, with five regular-season Missouri Valley championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances under his belt. He was no stranger to Clifton. As a student, he played football under Sid Gillman's legendary teams in the MAC each fall. He was on the diamond in the spring after Gillman let Sample play baseball, even with football's spring practices underway. When he returned to campus as the baseball coach about a decade later, his ability to wear multiple hats endured, as he was also the wrestling coach and the assistant athletic director. He had seen almost everything that you could see in Clifton.
But, in 1971, change was in order. The Bearcats were going independent again after spending more than a decade in the Missouri Valley Conference, bringing hurdles to UC's race to postseason play. The two tourney appearances during Sample's tenure were thanks to conference championships––no longer an option. If Cincinnati wanted to play postseason baseball, they would need a regular season impressive enough for an at-large bid.
The season opened with a trip across the south, which did not go well. The Bearcats kicked off the campaign with a 7-6 loss at South Carolina on March 16, then dropped six of their next eight games, starting the season with a less-than-ideal 2-7 record. Heading back home, Sample realized he needed to change some things around. The roster had the talent; he just had to find a way to unlock it. He decided to move players around on the diamond, including shifting co-captain Mike Pastura from left field to shortstop. He also gave some opportunities to pitchers who did not make the travel squad for the trip to open the season, including Paul Collett.
The decisions paid off immediately. The 'Cats reeled off a six-game winning streak, including a three-game sweep of Toledo in which they outscored the Rockets 26-2. Ohio State snapped the streak on April 9 with a 6-5 defeat, but Cincinnati bounced back the next day and won both games of a Saturday doubleheader to take the series. Over the next six games, the Bearcats won two and dropped four, bringing their record to 12-12. While the team had picked up their play over the last couple of weeks, Sample knew they needed a big run to give themselves a chance. And that's where the magic began.
On April 23, Cincinnati bounced back from a two-game losing streak with a 3-1 win at Xavier. They followed that up by taking a two-game series on the road over Marian on the 24th, followed by a 6-0 win over Dayton on the 27th. The Bearcats took down Xavier with a 3-1 victory on the 30th, this time at home. The next day was a Saturday doubleheader against Wright State that resulted in another Bearcats sweep, this time outscoring the Raiders 13-2 over two games.
The win streak was up to seven. It didn't stop there.
Cincinnati dominated Hanover in another doubleheader the following Tuesday, with an 8-3 win in the first game and a 12-2 win in the second. The second victory of the day––led by Butch Alberts' four RBI performance––tied the record for most wins in a season in program history.
The Bearcats were on a roll, but their next test would be the biggest––a May 5 showdown with nationally ranked Ohio. The Bobcats were on a nine-game win streak of their own. It would be a statement win for Sample's Bearcats, who desperately needed one to play in the NCAA Tournament.
Cincinnati opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the first. The Bobcats responded with two runs in the top of the second. UC hit back the following inning with two runs, making it 3-2 Bearcats after three frames. Ohio tied it in the fourth and had the chance to blow the game wide open in the fifth, with the bases loaded and nobody out.
With the help of a double play, Denny Nagel got out of the jam with three straight outs. The offense rode the momentum to another run in the bottom of the inning, making it 4-3 with four innings to go.
Nagel took over from there. He dominated with four shutout frames, earning the win in a game the Cincinnati Post called "one of the biggest UC baseball victories" the following day. Not only did it set the record for most wins in a season for the program, but it also gave them a victory on the resume that could push them over the edge for an at-large bid.
The Bearcats won two of their last five games to end the regular season with a record of 24-16. Their bounce back from the start of the campaign did not go unnoticed, and the Cats earned the invite to the District 4 Playoffs, their first tournament appearance since 1967.
Their first opponent? Third-ranked Michigan State, that season's Big Ten champion. Facing what may have been their best team all season, UC fought to a 3-3 tie through seven innings. However, the Spartans exploded for four runs in the eighth, putting the game in doubt.
The Bearcats pulled off their greatest magic trick yet in the bottom of the ninth, still trailing 7-3. Pastura and first baseman Tom Schaefer knocked in two runs each, tying the game at seven. The Spartans then committed an error on defense, allowing the winning run to score in one of the most improbable wins in Bearcats baseball history.
Unfortunately, that's where the magic ended. After the Bearcats took the series' opening game against the Salukis, Southern Illinois took both legs of a doubleheader on May 30, ending UC's season. The final record of 26-18 was by far the best in team history, with the program making its deepest run in the postseason to that point.
They earned their respect in more ways than one. Richard Jones, SIU head coach, called those Bearcats "the guttiest team we've ever faced." And, after being unranked for the entire season, the Collegiate Baseball newspaper gave the Bearcats their flowers, awarding them an impressive #13 ranking in the season's final poll.
"Some felt we had no business on the same field with the Ohio Us, Michigan States and Southern Illinois," said Coach Sample, a 1982 UC Hall of Fame inductee. "But I can tell you this: When the tournament ended, everyone had respect for our Bearcats."
A new era was dawning in Cincinnati, and a familiar face led the way for the Bearcats. Glenn Sample was heading into his eleventh season as head coach of the program, with five regular-season Missouri Valley championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances under his belt. He was no stranger to Clifton. As a student, he played football under Sid Gillman's legendary teams in the MAC each fall. He was on the diamond in the spring after Gillman let Sample play baseball, even with football's spring practices underway. When he returned to campus as the baseball coach about a decade later, his ability to wear multiple hats endured, as he was also the wrestling coach and the assistant athletic director. He had seen almost everything that you could see in Clifton.
But, in 1971, change was in order. The Bearcats were going independent again after spending more than a decade in the Missouri Valley Conference, bringing hurdles to UC's race to postseason play. The two tourney appearances during Sample's tenure were thanks to conference championships––no longer an option. If Cincinnati wanted to play postseason baseball, they would need a regular season impressive enough for an at-large bid.
The season opened with a trip across the south, which did not go well. The Bearcats kicked off the campaign with a 7-6 loss at South Carolina on March 16, then dropped six of their next eight games, starting the season with a less-than-ideal 2-7 record. Heading back home, Sample realized he needed to change some things around. The roster had the talent; he just had to find a way to unlock it. He decided to move players around on the diamond, including shifting co-captain Mike Pastura from left field to shortstop. He also gave some opportunities to pitchers who did not make the travel squad for the trip to open the season, including Paul Collett.
The decisions paid off immediately. The 'Cats reeled off a six-game winning streak, including a three-game sweep of Toledo in which they outscored the Rockets 26-2. Ohio State snapped the streak on April 9 with a 6-5 defeat, but Cincinnati bounced back the next day and won both games of a Saturday doubleheader to take the series. Over the next six games, the Bearcats won two and dropped four, bringing their record to 12-12. While the team had picked up their play over the last couple of weeks, Sample knew they needed a big run to give themselves a chance. And that's where the magic began.
On April 23, Cincinnati bounced back from a two-game losing streak with a 3-1 win at Xavier. They followed that up by taking a two-game series on the road over Marian on the 24th, followed by a 6-0 win over Dayton on the 27th. The Bearcats took down Xavier with a 3-1 victory on the 30th, this time at home. The next day was a Saturday doubleheader against Wright State that resulted in another Bearcats sweep, this time outscoring the Raiders 13-2 over two games.
The win streak was up to seven. It didn't stop there.
Cincinnati dominated Hanover in another doubleheader the following Tuesday, with an 8-3 win in the first game and a 12-2 win in the second. The second victory of the day––led by Butch Alberts' four RBI performance––tied the record for most wins in a season in program history.
The Bearcats were on a roll, but their next test would be the biggest––a May 5 showdown with nationally ranked Ohio. The Bobcats were on a nine-game win streak of their own. It would be a statement win for Sample's Bearcats, who desperately needed one to play in the NCAA Tournament.
Cincinnati opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the first. The Bobcats responded with two runs in the top of the second. UC hit back the following inning with two runs, making it 3-2 Bearcats after three frames. Ohio tied it in the fourth and had the chance to blow the game wide open in the fifth, with the bases loaded and nobody out.
With the help of a double play, Denny Nagel got out of the jam with three straight outs. The offense rode the momentum to another run in the bottom of the inning, making it 4-3 with four innings to go.
Nagel took over from there. He dominated with four shutout frames, earning the win in a game the Cincinnati Post called "one of the biggest UC baseball victories" the following day. Not only did it set the record for most wins in a season for the program, but it also gave them a victory on the resume that could push them over the edge for an at-large bid.
The Bearcats won two of their last five games to end the regular season with a record of 24-16. Their bounce back from the start of the campaign did not go unnoticed, and the Cats earned the invite to the District 4 Playoffs, their first tournament appearance since 1967.
Their first opponent? Third-ranked Michigan State, that season's Big Ten champion. Facing what may have been their best team all season, UC fought to a 3-3 tie through seven innings. However, the Spartans exploded for four runs in the eighth, putting the game in doubt.
The Bearcats pulled off their greatest magic trick yet in the bottom of the ninth, still trailing 7-3. Pastura and first baseman Tom Schaefer knocked in two runs each, tying the game at seven. The Spartans then committed an error on defense, allowing the winning run to score in one of the most improbable wins in Bearcats baseball history.
Unfortunately, that's where the magic ended. After the Bearcats took the series' opening game against the Salukis, Southern Illinois took both legs of a doubleheader on May 30, ending UC's season. The final record of 26-18 was by far the best in team history, with the program making its deepest run in the postseason to that point.
They earned their respect in more ways than one. Richard Jones, SIU head coach, called those Bearcats "the guttiest team we've ever faced." And, after being unranked for the entire season, the Collegiate Baseball newspaper gave the Bearcats their flowers, awarding them an impressive #13 ranking in the season's final poll.
"Some felt we had no business on the same field with the Ohio Us, Michigan States and Southern Illinois," said Coach Sample, a 1982 UC Hall of Fame inductee. "But I can tell you this: When the tournament ended, everyone had respect for our Bearcats."