Omaha Set for Title Showdown With Jacks
May 15, 2013 | Baseball, General
Leading Off
The Summit League-leading Omaha baseball team sits on the verge of winning its first regular-season conference championship this weekend, hosting second-place South Dakota State, May 16-18, at the Ballpark at Boys Town. The series begins with a single game on Thursday, May 16 at 2 p.m., followed by a doubleheader on Friday, May 17 at 1 p.m. UNO and SDSU cap the weekend with a single game on Saturday, May 18 at 1 p.m., which also marks Senior Day for Omaha's five seniors. Links to live stats and audio will be available for all games at OMavs.com, and the games will also be broadcast live on KVNO 90.7 HD-2, with student broadcasters Jared Meyer and Paul Dobler on the call.
Omaha is in its second year as a reclassifying Division I school in 2012-13 and officially joined The Summit League in July 2012 with a full regular-season conference schedule on the slate. The Mavericks are led by head coach Bob Herold, who is in his 14th year at the helm of the UNO program with a career record of 444-301-2.
Mavericks in Contention for First Division I League Championship
This weekend's series between Omaha and South Dakota State will determine the Summit League's 2013 regular-season champion. The Mavericks, who are 17-5 in Summit League play, have led the conference all year, while SDSU sits in second-place entering the weekend with a 15-7 league mark. Through May 14, UNO holds a two-game lead over the Jackrabbits in the standings.
To win the league title outright, Omaha must win two games this weekend; to clinch a share of the championship, the Mavericks need one victory.
Should Omaha win the league crown, it would mark the first championship for any Maverick team in Division I competition. UNO began its reclassification to Division I in 2011-12 and officially joined its new conference this season with 14 teams competing against Summit League opponents. Previously, the UNO hockey program, which was established in 1997-98, was the Mavericks' only Division I sport.
As a Division II program, UNO won its last conference baseball championship in 2009 at the MIAA Tournament.
Scouting the South Dakota State Jackrabbits
South Dakota State is 30-18 (15-7 Summit League) after splitting a Tuesday doubleheader with North Dakota State. The Bison rallied to take game one, 11-10, before SDSU notched a 6-5 win in the nightcap.
In the opener, Aaron Machbitz was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI, while Eric Danforth also had a pair of hits. Paul Jacobson and Daniel Marra each scored twice, and Reid Clary drove in four runs as well. The second game saw Danforth go 2-for-4 with three RBI and a run, and Jacobson was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Shane Kraemer (3-2) earned the win on the mound, allowing one NDSU run on six hits with five strikeouts. J.D. Moore (11) earned the save, holding the Bison scoreless with four strikeouts in 1.2 innings of work.
Head coach Dave Schrage (Creighton, 1983) is in his second year at South Dakota State with a record of 48-51-1 and a career mark of 582-642-2 in 22 seasons.
Omaha leads the all-time series against South Dakota State, 65-54. The two squads last faced each other April 9-10, 2004, splitting a four-game series at Seymour Smith Park in Omaha. UNO won games one (5-0) and three (2-0), while SDSU took games two (7-6) and four (8-5).
Quick Hits
•Senior Day is set for Saturday, and the Omaha program will have a pregame presentation to celebrate its five seniors: Cory Buckley, Ryan Keele, Derek Landis, Connor McCrite and Matt Tew.
•The Mavericks own the top four batting averages among Summit League hitters: seniors Ryan Keele (.373) and Cory Buckley (.357), redshirt freshman Clayton Taylor (.352) and sophomore Alex Mortensen (.337).
•Mortensen ties for 46th nationally with 0.36 doubles per game, and he is second in the Summit League with 15 doubles. He is also second in hits (55) and fourth in on-base percentage (.409) and slugging percentage (.448).
•Keele hit two home runs last weekend, and his season total of five roundtrippers ties him for the league lead with South Dakota State's Daniel Telford. Keele is also first in total bases (79) and slugging percentage (.556) and second in on-base percentage (.453).
•Senior Derek Landis is third among Summit League hurlers with seven saves this year.
•Omaha's doubleheader sweeps of Fort Wayne and Oakland and series sweep of Western Illinois have highlighted the Mavericks' official Summit League debut as a member of the conference. All-time, UNO is now 99-83 against the five other teams in the league.
•UNO's doubleheader sweep at IPFW on May 4 was marked by two shutouts, 2-0 and 9-0. The last time Omaha had back-to-back shutouts was March 25, 2005, when the Mavericks defeated Missouri Southern, 2-0 and 2-0.
Last Time Out
Omaha swept a doubleheader from Western Illinois on Tuesday, defeating the Leathernecks, 7-6 and 7-4, at the Ballpark at Boys Town. In game one, freshman Marcus Ethen (1-1) earned the first win of his career, allowing two runs on six hits over 5.0 innings pitched. Senior Derek Landis earned his seventh save of the year, limiting the Leathernecks to one hit over 1.1 scoreless innings with one strikeout.
Senior Ryan Keele extended his hitting streak to 11 games with his effort in the opening contest, finishing 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Freshman Cole Gruber and redshirt freshman Clayton Taylor each registered two hits, a run scored and an RBI, and senior Tyler Splichal added two hits and a run.
In game two, Gruber finished 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI in the second game, and Taylor was 2-for-4 with an RBI. The win went to junior Anthony Falcone (4-0) who threw 2.2 innings of scoreless relief with just two hits and three strikeouts. Senior Matt Tew nabbed his first save of the season, holding the Leathernecks hitless in the final inning and striking out one.
Keele Honored as Summit League Player of the Week
Senior outfielder Ryan Keele was honored as Summit League Player and Pitcher of the Week awards for his performance May 6-12, the conference office announced Monday.
Keele captures his second straight Player of the Week award and third this season after leading Omaha to a 4-1 record. In a 6-5 win over Iowa, the senior had two hits, a walk and stolen base. In the game two win at Oakland, he went 3-for-6 with a double, home run and a pair of RBI. He added a hit in game one of the series along with two hits each in games three and four. For the week, Keele batted .500 (10-for-20) with five RBI, four runs scored, three walks, two homers, a double and stolen base. He had an .850 slugging percentage and .565 on-base percentage for the week.
Omaha, which leads the Summit League standings, has had a total of seven weekly conference award winners this season. Keele was previously named Summit League Player of the Week on March 18 and May 6, junior Brett Bass earned the honor on April 8, and senior Tyler Splichal garnered the same recognition on April 29. Senior Matt Tew was honored as Summit League Pitcher of the Week on April 8.
On the Hill: Notables About the Weekend Rotation
True freshman Tyler Fox (5-2) has moved into Omaha's Friday starter role in his first season as a Maverick. He most recently earned a 9-6 win at Oakland on May 9, allowing three runs on six hits over 6.0 innings while striking out two batters. Fox has 34 strikeouts in his inaugural campaign, ranking third on the squad.
Senior righty Matt Tew (3-5) had the most starting appearances of any pitcher on the 2012 staff, totaling 13 starts over 14 appearances as a junior with a team-leading 38 strikeouts. This season, Tew paces Omaha's hurlers with 47 strikeouts in 13 appearances and nine starts. He threw a complete-game, one-hit shutout against Oakland on April 7 for his longest appearance of the year at 7.0 innings. Tew's most recent outing was against Oakland on May 10, when he limited the Golden Grizzlies to one run on four hits with six strikeouts in 5.0 innings of work.
Junior southpaw Steven Schoonover (3-3) will throw game three for Omaha this weekend. Schoonover was last in action at Oakland on May 10, surrendering three unearned runs on eight hits in the loss. The week prior, he threw a 9-0 shutout at Fort Wayne for the first complete game of his career, giving up six hits while striking out a career-high four batters. For his performance, Schoonover was named Summit League Pitcher of the Week.
Sophomore righthander Zach Williamsen (3-1) enters the weekend with a 3.40 ERA, the lowest of any starter on staff, and his 37 strikeouts rank second on the team. He threw a career-long 7.1 innings in the win over Oakland last Saturday, allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts. For the season, opponents are hitting just .216 against Williamsen.
Herold at the Helm
Head Coach Bob Herold is in his 14th year as the skipper of the Nebraska Omaha baseball program in 2013, having compiled a career record of 444-301-2. Herold earned his 400th career win on April 22, 2011 against Fort Hays State, becoming the third coach in school history to reach the milestone. He joined Bob Gates (464-473) and Virgil Yelkin (439-196) in the prestigious club, and Herold needs 23 more wins to pass Gates as the all-time winningest coach in UNO history.
Over his Maverick career, Herold has guided Omaha to seven NCAA Division II postseason appearances and three conference championships.
Herold's most recent draft pick was righthanded pitcher Joe Holtmeyer, who was taken in the 22nd round (No. 682 overall) of the 2011 Major League Baseball amateur draft by the Boston Red Sox. Holtmeyer was the fifth Maverick drafted under Herold and the second-highest pick of any player during the Herold era.
Herold is assisted by assistant coaches Chris Gadsden, in his 14th year, and Evan Porter, in his first year, as well as volunteer pitching coach Dan McGinn, who is in his 13th year.
Going Streaking
Seniors Cory Buckley and Ryan Keele own the two longest hitting streaks on the team this season, as Buckley had 16 straight games with a hit (April 5 to May 7), and Keele went 12 straight games with a hit (April 28 to May 14) through the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader. Buckley's streak was the seventh-longest of any player in the Bob Herold era before it was snapped last week at Oakland.
The longest current streak belongs to freshman Cole Gruber, who is on a seven-game stint (May 5-14).
Call on Casey
Junior reliever Dylan Casey has made a strong impression in his first season on the Maverick pitching staff, posting a 3-0 record with one save and a 3.98 ERA in 12 appearances. Opposing batters are hitting .291 against Casey, who has 21 strikeouts with just eight walks for a 2.63 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He made two appearances over the North Dakota State series, picking up the Sunday win. Over both games combined, Casey held the Bison to five total hits in 3.2 scoreless innings and tied his career best of four strikeouts in the last contest.
Fresh Faces Seeing the Field
Twenty-nine Mavericks have seen the field this season, 16 of whom are newcomers. Six true freshmen have made their way into the lineup: Cole Gruber, Alex Schultz, Collin Leif, Sam Murphy, Marcus Ethen and Tyler Fox.
Senior Ryan Keele, who redshirted in 2012 after transferring from Northwestern State, is leads the team with a .373 batting average, while redshirt freshman Clayton Taylor (.352) and freshman Cole Gruber (.315) also sit above the .300 mark.
Mortensen Named First-Team Academic All-District
Sophomore Alex Mortensen earned Capital One Academic All-District 7 distinction, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced May 3. The team was selected by a vote of sports information directors whose institutions are located within CoSIDA District 7, which includes the states of Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming
Mortensen's inclusion on the team marks his first academic all-district honor. As a first-team honoree, he advances to the Academic All-America ballot and will be considered for national accolades later this month. Mortensen is Omaha's fourth academic all-district selection in baseball program history and the first to garner such recognition as a Division I student-athlete. The Mavericks' last academic all-district pick was Tyler Splichal, who earned third-team accolades in 2011.
A native of Omaha and a product of Millard North, Mortensen has been a two-year starter and moved into the starting catching role this season. He ranks ninth nationally with 0.45 doubles per game, and he leads the Summit League with a .352 batting average and 15 doubles. Mortensen is also second among conference hitters in slugging percentage (.492) and third in hits (44) and total bases (62).
Mortensen carries a 3.93 grade-point average with a major in business management. He is a member of the UNO Chancellor's List and Dean's List and participates on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Falcone Nearly Flawless vs. Hawkeyes
In UNO's 9-6 victory over Iowa on March 16, the win went to junior reliever Anthony Falcone, who threw 3.2 innings of hitless relief and allowed no walks. He entered the game in the sixth inning and was nearly flawless over 3.2 innings, holding the Hawkeyes to nine straight groundouts before the ninth-inning leadoff reached on an error and one batter was hit by a pitch in the last inning.
Home Sweet Home
After playing just five games at home last year, the 2013 season will see the Omaha baseball team play 24 home contests, including 14 conference tilts. UNO has played at three different venues around town: Westside High School for its first home series in March, followed by time split between Werner Park and the Ballpark at Boys Town.
Palensky, Mortensen Earn Preseason Recognition from College Sports Madness
Junior Caleb Palensky and sophomore Alex Mortensen earned preseason all-league recognition from College Sports Madness, the online publication announced on Jan. 21. Both players were named to the All-Summit Second Team.
In 2012, Mortensen's .292 batting average as a freshman was fourth on the team, and he finished with a squad-leading 26 RBI, nine doubles, one triple and a team-best four home runs. Palensky hit .250 in his sophomore year with nine doubles, two triples, two homers and 17 RBI, and he drew a team-leading 19 walks.
Welcome to The Summit League
The 2013 season marks UNO's first year with a full regular-season Summit League schedule. UNO will play all five of its Summit League foes, once in Omaha and once on the road. Although the Mavericks will appear in the Summit League standings, they cannot qualify for the Summit League Championship or the NCAA Tournament until 2015-16.
Summit League Preseason Poll Announced
In its first year as a member of the Summit League, Omaha was picked to finish sixth in the preseason poll released by the conference office last month.
North Dakota State was favored to capture its first Summit League Baseball Tournament title in a preseason vote among the league's six head coaches. The Bison received five first-place votes and a total of 25 points. South Dakota State placed second with 17 points, followed closely by Oakland who received the final first-place vote and 16 points. Western Illinois (15 points), Fort Wayne (nine points) and league newcomer Omaha (eight points) round out the poll.
Phillies Call Up Former Maverick Cloyd
Former Maverick Tyler Cloyd was called up from the Philadelphia Phillies' Triple-A affiliate Lehigh Valley last week, making his 2013 season debut against the Diamondbacks. He kept Arizona hitless from the second to sixth innings during his start, going 6.1 innings with two hits and two runs allowed with four strikeouts.
Cloyd made his Major League debut last fall, as he was called up by the Phillies on Aug. 29. He debuted against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park, giving up three runs on seven hits over six innings of work, striking out five and walking two. Cloyd became just the second Maverick to play in the Majors, joining Bruce Benedict, who played 12 seasons with the Atlanta Braves.
A native of Bellevue, Neb., and the Phillies' 18th-round pick in the 2008 Draft, Cloyd also went 15-1 overall in the Minor Leagues last season. His stint with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs resulted in a 12-1 record with a 2.35 earned-run average, which led all pitchers the International League.
Cloyd lettered two seasons at UNO (2006-07), earning third-team All-America honors and first-team all-region recognition in his final season. A two-time All-NCC honoree, he was twice named NCC Most Valuable Pitcher.
