Mavericks In the Hunt at MIAA Tournament
May 11, 2011 | Baseball, General
MIAA Tournament Postseason Guide
Live Stats
Live Audio
The No. 3-seeded UNO baseball team travels to the MIAA Tournament, May 12-15, taking on sixth-seeded Washburn on Thursday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan.
Nebraska Omaha is 32-18 on the season after splitting a four-game series with Missouri Western last weekend. Junior Mark Waldron had a solid performance at the plate against the Griffons, going 6-for-13 with seven runs driven in and three runs scored. Junior Brady Hohl also scored six times and had four RBI, as well as his fifth home run of the season. Senior Ben Brown and sophomore Matt Tew both earned complete-game wins on the mound, with Brown limiting MWSU to three hits and one unearned run.
Earlier this year, the Mavericks enjoyed an 11-game win streak from March 18 to April 2. UNO finished the regular season at third place in the MIAA with a 28-16 conference record, ahead of fourth-place Fort Hays State (28-22, 25-19 MIAA).
Last Time Out
UNO leads the all-time series with Washburn, 40-36. The two teams last squared off March 18-19 at the Ballpark at Boys Town, where the Mavericks earned a four-game sweep -- 5-3, 5-2, 6-1 and 14-4.
In the 2010 MIAA Tournament, Nebraska Omaha dropped a pair of games to Fort Hays State (4-1) and Central Missouri (10-9 in 12 innings) before playing in the NCAA South Central Regional in Warrensburg, Mo.
Postseason Success
UNO's two victories last weekend helped the squad to its seventh straight season with 30 or more wins. As a program, Nebraska Omaha has made 10 NCAA postseason appearances, including six straight from 2005 to 2010. The Mavs have won four conference regular-season or tournament titles, most recently capturing the NCC championship in 2008. They advanced to the NCAA Division II College World Series in 2007, marking the longest run of any UNO baseball squad in school history.
Scouting the Opponent: Washburn Ichabods
Washburn enters Thursday's contest with an overall record of 22-27 and a mark of 20-23 in the MIAA. The Ichabods made the tournament field for the first time since 2006 and earned their seventh postseason tournament trip in school history. Last weekend against Pittsburg State, WU dropped three games -- 9-3, 8-3, 5-1 -- and took a 3-2 opening victory in 11 innings.
Head coach Steve Anson reached a notable milestone two weeks ago, as he earned his 800th career victory. Anson is in his 32nd year as skipper over the Washburn program and his 33rd year as a head coach.
League Releases MIAA Tournament Bracket
Seedings and game times have been set for this week's MIAA Tournament, the league office announced Monday. Nebraska Omaha, which earned the No. 3 seed, will face sixth-seeded Washburn on Thursday, May 12 at 3 p.m. at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan.
Game Opponents -- Time
Thursday, May 12
Game 1 No. 4 Fort Hays State vs. No. 5 Missouri Western -- 11 a.m.
Game 2 No. 3 Nebraska Omaha vs. No. 6 Washburn -- 3 p.m.
Friday, May 13
Game 3 Winner of Game 1 vs. No. 1 Central Missouri -- 11 a.m.
Game 4 Winner of Game 2 vs. No. 2 Emporia State -- 3 p.m.
Game 5 Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 -- 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 14
Game 6 Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 -- 11 a.m.
Game 7 Loser of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 5 -- 3 p.m.
Sunday, May 15 -- Championship
Game 8 Winner of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 7 -- 1 p.m.
Game 9 (if necessary -- 30 minutes following conclusion of Game 8) -- TBA
Splichal Garners Academic All-District Honors
Sophomore Tyler Splichal was named to the 2011 Capital One Academic All-District VII Third Team, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced May 6. It marks the first academic all-district honor of his career.
Splichal, an infielder from Bellevue, carries a 3.41 grade-point average in chemistry with emphases in medicinal chemistry and pre-pharmacy. A UNO Regents Scholar, he is a member of Delta Epsilon Iota Honors Fraternity and is a member of the Dean's List.
Splichal is the third student-athlete in program history to earn academic all-district honors, as Brian Goliber and Bryan Frew were both named to the second team in 2008.
League Leaders
UNO ranks second among MIAA teams with a .336 batting average through the regular season, just behind nationally-ranked Emporia State (.339) and ahead of Central Missouri (.333). Nebraska Omaha also tops the conference in home runs with 48 roundtrippers. Defensively, the Mavericks are third with a .965 fielding percentage.
Individually, junior Brady Hohl ranks third with a .400 batting average, as well as third in total hits (74) and fourth in runs scored (53). Senior Jed Hanson is third with eight home runs and second in RBI (43), while junior Colby McCord is ninth with 39 runs driven in.
Herold Captures 400th Career Win
Head Coach Bob Herold earned his 400th career win in game two of the Mavericks' doubleheader at Fort Hays State two weekends ago. With the victory, he became the third coach in school history to match the 400-win mark, joining Bob Gates (464-273) and Virgil Yelkin (439-196) in the prestigious club. Herold now needs 60 more wins to pass Gates and become the winningest skipper in UNO history.
In his 12 seasons at UNO, Herold has guided the Mavs to seven NCAA postseason appearances and three conference championships.
Mavs Rank Among Nation's Best
UNO ranks 10th nationally in team batting average in the NCAA's most recently released statistical rankings through games of May 8. The Mavericks, who have a team batting average of .336, are also 14th in home runs per game (0.96), 14th in total home runs (48), 16th in total hits (527) and 10th in slugging percentage (.499). In addition, the Nebraska Omaha pitching staff is 33rd in strikeouts per nine innings (7.9).
Individually, junior Joe Holtmeyer, the defending Division II strikeout leader, rates sixth with 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Junior Brady Hohl comes in at 49th with a .400 batting average, 26th in runs scored (53) and 23rd in total hits (69), and sophomore Tyler Splichal is the seventh most-difficult batter to strike out.
Going Streaking
Junior Brady Hohl saw his hitting streak snapped in game three of the Truman series, as he previously had 18 consecutive games with a registered hit since April 8. Eleven of those contests resulted in multiple-hit performances, including five three-hit games, and Hohl accounted for 34 hits, 23 runs, 15 RBI, two doubles and a grand slam -- the first of his career -- in the 18-game span. The Millard North product set the bar high, as his streak was the longest individual hitting streak of any Maverick this season.
Mavs Welcome 20 Fresh Faces to Roster
UNO's 2011 roster features 20 newcomers, made up of nine true freshmen and 11 transfers. Fifteen are Nebraska natives, while 13 hail from the Omaha metropolitan area.
The list also includes multiple former teammates who have been reunited, as Derek Landis, Brandon Winkelmann, Scotty Donner and Ben Brown played together at Iowa Western to begin their collegiate careers. Brown, Kyle Kruger, Anthony Falcone and Zach Williamsen are all products of Millard West, while Caleb Palensky and Beau Suponchick played together at Papillion-LaVista South.
Holtmeyer Eclipses Career Strikeout Record
Junior Joe Holtmeyer (7-2) had his most dominant strikeout performance of the season at No. 1 Emporia State on April 2, striking out 12 batters in a seven-inning, complete-game performance for the 5-2 win. The victory also marked an important milestone for Holtmeyer, as he became UNO's all-time career strikeout leader. He has now amassed 316 strikeouts in three years, ahead of former Maverick Tim Huber (2005-08), who had 277 in his four-year career.
Holtmeyer leads the Mavericks and the MIAA with 87 Ks on the year. He had three consecutive outings with double-figure strikeouts against Washburn, Lincoln and ESU and another 11-strikeout performance at Fort Hays State.
Swiping Bags
Junior Brady Hohl is the Mavericks' leading base-stealer through the regular season, swiping 12 bags on 16 tries. Hohl doubled his production on the basepaths from a year ago, when he was 6-for-8 in stolen bases.
Senior Jed Hanson has also been among UNO's leading baserunners, as he is 9-for-13. His senior year total marks a jump in his performance from 2010, when he finished the year 7-for-8 on stolen base attempts.
Mavericks Return Division II Strikeout Leader
Junior right-handed pitcher Joe Holtmeyer had a stellar sophomore season in 2010, fanning 152 batters, the most of any pitcher in NCAA Division II. The Creighton Prep product was honored as a first-team All-American and was the Rawlings/ABCA South Central Regional Pitcher of the Year. He also earned MIAA Pitcher of the Year plaudits and was a first-team all-conference selection after going 9-2 with a 2.89 ERA over 87.1 innings of work.
All-MIAA Trio Leads Mavs Into 2011 Season
UNO returns a trio of all-conference performers from 2010 on this year's squad in junior right-handed pitcher Joe Holtmeyer, sophomore infielder Tyler Splichal and junior infielder Brady Hohl. Holtmeyer, the MIAA Pitcher of the Year, was a first-team honoree, while Splichal and Hohl garnered second-team honors.
Holtmeyer led the conference in nearly every major pitching category, compiling a 9-2 record, a nation-leading 152 strikeouts and a 2.89 ERA over 87.1 innings on the mound.
Splichal batted .410 in his inaugural campaign with 22 doubles, five home runs and 42 RBI. En route to MIAA Freshman of the Year plaudits, he started all 51 games he played in and had a team-leading 200 at-bats, scoring 35 runs with 82 hits.
Hohl also started all 51 of his appearances, hitting .354 with 10 doubles, two triples and a home run as a sophomore. He led the Mavericks with 45 runs scored and had 42 RBI while drawing 16 walks and stealing six bases Hohl was also second on the team in hit-by-pitches, as he was plunked 15 times over the year.
Next Up for the Mavs
UNO awaits its fate for the NCAA Tournament, with the championship field will be announced on NCAA.com.
Live Stats
Live Audio
The No. 3-seeded UNO baseball team travels to the MIAA Tournament, May 12-15, taking on sixth-seeded Washburn on Thursday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan.
Nebraska Omaha is 32-18 on the season after splitting a four-game series with Missouri Western last weekend. Junior Mark Waldron had a solid performance at the plate against the Griffons, going 6-for-13 with seven runs driven in and three runs scored. Junior Brady Hohl also scored six times and had four RBI, as well as his fifth home run of the season. Senior Ben Brown and sophomore Matt Tew both earned complete-game wins on the mound, with Brown limiting MWSU to three hits and one unearned run.
Earlier this year, the Mavericks enjoyed an 11-game win streak from March 18 to April 2. UNO finished the regular season at third place in the MIAA with a 28-16 conference record, ahead of fourth-place Fort Hays State (28-22, 25-19 MIAA).
Last Time Out
UNO leads the all-time series with Washburn, 40-36. The two teams last squared off March 18-19 at the Ballpark at Boys Town, where the Mavericks earned a four-game sweep -- 5-3, 5-2, 6-1 and 14-4.
In the 2010 MIAA Tournament, Nebraska Omaha dropped a pair of games to Fort Hays State (4-1) and Central Missouri (10-9 in 12 innings) before playing in the NCAA South Central Regional in Warrensburg, Mo.
Postseason Success
UNO's two victories last weekend helped the squad to its seventh straight season with 30 or more wins. As a program, Nebraska Omaha has made 10 NCAA postseason appearances, including six straight from 2005 to 2010. The Mavs have won four conference regular-season or tournament titles, most recently capturing the NCC championship in 2008. They advanced to the NCAA Division II College World Series in 2007, marking the longest run of any UNO baseball squad in school history.
Scouting the Opponent: Washburn Ichabods
Washburn enters Thursday's contest with an overall record of 22-27 and a mark of 20-23 in the MIAA. The Ichabods made the tournament field for the first time since 2006 and earned their seventh postseason tournament trip in school history. Last weekend against Pittsburg State, WU dropped three games -- 9-3, 8-3, 5-1 -- and took a 3-2 opening victory in 11 innings.
Head coach Steve Anson reached a notable milestone two weeks ago, as he earned his 800th career victory. Anson is in his 32nd year as skipper over the Washburn program and his 33rd year as a head coach.
League Releases MIAA Tournament Bracket
Seedings and game times have been set for this week's MIAA Tournament, the league office announced Monday. Nebraska Omaha, which earned the No. 3 seed, will face sixth-seeded Washburn on Thursday, May 12 at 3 p.m. at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan.
Game Opponents -- Time
Thursday, May 12
Game 1 No. 4 Fort Hays State vs. No. 5 Missouri Western -- 11 a.m.
Game 2 No. 3 Nebraska Omaha vs. No. 6 Washburn -- 3 p.m.
Friday, May 13
Game 3 Winner of Game 1 vs. No. 1 Central Missouri -- 11 a.m.
Game 4 Winner of Game 2 vs. No. 2 Emporia State -- 3 p.m.
Game 5 Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4 -- 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 14
Game 6 Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 -- 11 a.m.
Game 7 Loser of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 5 -- 3 p.m.
Sunday, May 15 -- Championship
Game 8 Winner of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 7 -- 1 p.m.
Game 9 (if necessary -- 30 minutes following conclusion of Game 8) -- TBA
Splichal Garners Academic All-District Honors
Sophomore Tyler Splichal was named to the 2011 Capital One Academic All-District VII Third Team, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced May 6. It marks the first academic all-district honor of his career.
Splichal, an infielder from Bellevue, carries a 3.41 grade-point average in chemistry with emphases in medicinal chemistry and pre-pharmacy. A UNO Regents Scholar, he is a member of Delta Epsilon Iota Honors Fraternity and is a member of the Dean's List.
Splichal is the third student-athlete in program history to earn academic all-district honors, as Brian Goliber and Bryan Frew were both named to the second team in 2008.
League Leaders
UNO ranks second among MIAA teams with a .336 batting average through the regular season, just behind nationally-ranked Emporia State (.339) and ahead of Central Missouri (.333). Nebraska Omaha also tops the conference in home runs with 48 roundtrippers. Defensively, the Mavericks are third with a .965 fielding percentage.
Individually, junior Brady Hohl ranks third with a .400 batting average, as well as third in total hits (74) and fourth in runs scored (53). Senior Jed Hanson is third with eight home runs and second in RBI (43), while junior Colby McCord is ninth with 39 runs driven in.
Herold Captures 400th Career Win
Head Coach Bob Herold earned his 400th career win in game two of the Mavericks' doubleheader at Fort Hays State two weekends ago. With the victory, he became the third coach in school history to match the 400-win mark, joining Bob Gates (464-273) and Virgil Yelkin (439-196) in the prestigious club. Herold now needs 60 more wins to pass Gates and become the winningest skipper in UNO history.
In his 12 seasons at UNO, Herold has guided the Mavs to seven NCAA postseason appearances and three conference championships.
Mavs Rank Among Nation's Best
UNO ranks 10th nationally in team batting average in the NCAA's most recently released statistical rankings through games of May 8. The Mavericks, who have a team batting average of .336, are also 14th in home runs per game (0.96), 14th in total home runs (48), 16th in total hits (527) and 10th in slugging percentage (.499). In addition, the Nebraska Omaha pitching staff is 33rd in strikeouts per nine innings (7.9).
Individually, junior Joe Holtmeyer, the defending Division II strikeout leader, rates sixth with 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Junior Brady Hohl comes in at 49th with a .400 batting average, 26th in runs scored (53) and 23rd in total hits (69), and sophomore Tyler Splichal is the seventh most-difficult batter to strike out.
Going Streaking
Junior Brady Hohl saw his hitting streak snapped in game three of the Truman series, as he previously had 18 consecutive games with a registered hit since April 8. Eleven of those contests resulted in multiple-hit performances, including five three-hit games, and Hohl accounted for 34 hits, 23 runs, 15 RBI, two doubles and a grand slam -- the first of his career -- in the 18-game span. The Millard North product set the bar high, as his streak was the longest individual hitting streak of any Maverick this season.
Mavs Welcome 20 Fresh Faces to Roster
UNO's 2011 roster features 20 newcomers, made up of nine true freshmen and 11 transfers. Fifteen are Nebraska natives, while 13 hail from the Omaha metropolitan area.
The list also includes multiple former teammates who have been reunited, as Derek Landis, Brandon Winkelmann, Scotty Donner and Ben Brown played together at Iowa Western to begin their collegiate careers. Brown, Kyle Kruger, Anthony Falcone and Zach Williamsen are all products of Millard West, while Caleb Palensky and Beau Suponchick played together at Papillion-LaVista South.
Holtmeyer Eclipses Career Strikeout Record
Junior Joe Holtmeyer (7-2) had his most dominant strikeout performance of the season at No. 1 Emporia State on April 2, striking out 12 batters in a seven-inning, complete-game performance for the 5-2 win. The victory also marked an important milestone for Holtmeyer, as he became UNO's all-time career strikeout leader. He has now amassed 316 strikeouts in three years, ahead of former Maverick Tim Huber (2005-08), who had 277 in his four-year career.
Holtmeyer leads the Mavericks and the MIAA with 87 Ks on the year. He had three consecutive outings with double-figure strikeouts against Washburn, Lincoln and ESU and another 11-strikeout performance at Fort Hays State.
Swiping Bags
Junior Brady Hohl is the Mavericks' leading base-stealer through the regular season, swiping 12 bags on 16 tries. Hohl doubled his production on the basepaths from a year ago, when he was 6-for-8 in stolen bases.
Senior Jed Hanson has also been among UNO's leading baserunners, as he is 9-for-13. His senior year total marks a jump in his performance from 2010, when he finished the year 7-for-8 on stolen base attempts.
Mavericks Return Division II Strikeout Leader
Junior right-handed pitcher Joe Holtmeyer had a stellar sophomore season in 2010, fanning 152 batters, the most of any pitcher in NCAA Division II. The Creighton Prep product was honored as a first-team All-American and was the Rawlings/ABCA South Central Regional Pitcher of the Year. He also earned MIAA Pitcher of the Year plaudits and was a first-team all-conference selection after going 9-2 with a 2.89 ERA over 87.1 innings of work.
All-MIAA Trio Leads Mavs Into 2011 Season
UNO returns a trio of all-conference performers from 2010 on this year's squad in junior right-handed pitcher Joe Holtmeyer, sophomore infielder Tyler Splichal and junior infielder Brady Hohl. Holtmeyer, the MIAA Pitcher of the Year, was a first-team honoree, while Splichal and Hohl garnered second-team honors.
Holtmeyer led the conference in nearly every major pitching category, compiling a 9-2 record, a nation-leading 152 strikeouts and a 2.89 ERA over 87.1 innings on the mound.
Splichal batted .410 in his inaugural campaign with 22 doubles, five home runs and 42 RBI. En route to MIAA Freshman of the Year plaudits, he started all 51 games he played in and had a team-leading 200 at-bats, scoring 35 runs with 82 hits.
Hohl also started all 51 of his appearances, hitting .354 with 10 doubles, two triples and a home run as a sophomore. He led the Mavericks with 45 runs scored and had 42 RBI while drawing 16 walks and stealing six bases Hohl was also second on the team in hit-by-pitches, as he was plunked 15 times over the year.
Next Up for the Mavs
UNO awaits its fate for the NCAA Tournament, with the championship field will be announced on NCAA.com.
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
INF/C
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP/INF
/ BaseballWednesday, August 26
Wednesday, August 26
Friday, August 21
Tuesday, April 21
