Mavs Make Midweek Trip to Manhattan
Mar 11, 2014 | Baseball
For complete notes, refer to the PDF version.
Leading Off
The Omaha baseball team returns to action this Wednesday, March 12, traveling to Kansas State for a single midweek game at Tointon Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kan. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m., and links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
Quick Hits
•Omaha looks to snap its three-game losing streak after its weekend series at Grand Canyon in Phoenix, Ariz. The Mavs opened with a 6-0 shutout of the Antelopes, followed by losses of 9-2, 14-0 (7 inn.) and 5-2.
•The Mavericks return 20 letterwinners from 2013, including eight who saw the field as position starters and three returning starting pitchers. Fifteen newcomers are also on the 2014 roster, 11 of whom have seen the field.
•Sophomore Cole Gruber's .408 batting average ranks second in the Summit League. The Papillion, Neb., native has a team-best five multi-hit games so far this year.
•Sophomore Alex Schultz has gotten on base in all 11 games he has played, now carrying with him a team-leading 11-game streak of reaching base. Schultz also has a team-long seven-game hitting streak.
•A two-year starter and first-team All-Summit honoree, junior Alex Mortensen will miss the 2014 season due to injury.
•After going 20-6 in Summit League play last year, UNO is 100-84 all-time against the four other teams in the league.
Scouting the Kansas State Wildcats
Entering Wednesday's game with Omaha, defending Big 12 Champion Kansas State holds a record of 7-7 (0-0 Big 12). The midweek game marks the fourth home contest of the season for the Wildcats, who have posted a perfect 3-0 record at Tointon Family Stadium to start the year.
K-State is coming off a weekend home sweep of Iowa. The first two games of the Iowa series were low-scoring affairs, with the Wildcats winning 3-2 on Friday and 5-2 on Saturday. On Sunday, both teams pounced offensively, and KSU picked up a 12-8 win.
On the hill, Kansas State is led by senior pitcher Jared Moore, who has a team-best 3.63 ERA. In 22.1 innings pitched, he has limited opponents to a .287 batting average. Offensively, junior infielder Austin Fisher leads the charge for the Wildcats, hitting .392 with a team-high 20 hits and three stolen bases.
Tuesday's game between Omaha and Kansas State will be the fifth meeting between the schools. The Wildcats lead the all-time series 4-0, having last earned a 3-2 win in Manhattan on April 3, 2013.
On the Hill: Notables About Starter Steven Schoonover
Senior left Steven Schoonover (0-0) will start for Omaha at Kansas State on Wednesday, making his first appearance of the season. In last year's game against the Wildcats on April 3, the Olympia, Wash., native threw 6.0 innings in Manhattan, his first start of the year. He allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits with three strikeouts and no walks.
As a junior, Schoonover made 10 appearances with four starts, compiling a record of 3-4 with a 4.68 ERA. He totaled 17 strikeouts over 42.1 innings of work.
Schultz, Fox Earn Summit League Weekly Awards
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Tyler Fox was named Summit League Co-Pitcher of the Week for his performance March 3-9, the conference office announced Monday. He shared the honor with South Dakota State's Adam Bray.
Fox recorded the second Pitcher of the Week award of his career after guiding Omaha to game one's 6-0 win at Grand Canyon March 7. The Thornton, Colo., native tossed seven innings, surrendering two hits with a career-high-tying six strikeouts and one walk for the victory. Fox picked up his first win of the year and improved to 1-1.
Sophomore Alex Schultz garnered his first career award on March 3 after leading Omaha to a 4-1 record during the second half of the season-opening Snowbird Classic Tournament. The outfielder from Sioux Falls, S.D., went 5-for-6 with three RBI and three runs scored in UNO's win over Chicago State. He added a pair of hits vs. the Cougars and two hits in a win over Villanova. For the week, Schultz batted .455 (10-of-22) with four runs scored, three RBI, two doubles and two walks. He also had a .545 slugging percentage and .500 on-base percentage in the five games.
The 1-2 Punch
Sophomore outfielders Cole Gruber and Alex Schultz have provided quite the 1-2 punch for Omaha to start the 2014 season. Gruber leads the team in batting average (.408) and runs scored (nine), while Schultz is second on the squad with a .364 average and eight runs on the year.
In eight games at the season-opening Snowbird Classic, the duo batted an identical .364 (12-for-33). Schultz, who was named Summit League Co-Player of the Week on March 3, had two doubles, scored five runs, drove in three more and drew three walks. Gruber had one double, six runs scored, six RBI and two walks while going 1-for-2 on the basepaths.
The pair fueled Omaha's hit parade in UNO's Feb. 28 doubleheader with Villanova and Chicago State, combining for 14 hits. Both had seven hits in the two games, including five apiece against CSU in game two alone.
Herold at the Helm
Head Coach Bob Herold is in his 15th year as the skipper of the Nebraska Omaha baseball program in 2013, having compiled a career record of 452-309-2. 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 (464-273) and Virgil Yelkin (439-196) in the prestigious club, and Herold needs 13 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 four conference championships. In 2013, he was honored as Summit League Coach of the Year.
Herold's most recent draft pick was right-handed 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 15th year, and Evan Porter, in his second year, as well as volunteer pitching coach Dan McGinn, who is in his 14th year.
Mixed Schedule Takes Mavericks Around the Nation
Omaha's 2014 schedule includes 50 games against 18 different Division I opponents, and the team will play in seven states across the country. UNO will match up with opponents from 10 different conferences: the Atlantic 10, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Horizon League, Ivy League, MAC, Missouri Valley, Mountain West and WAC.
Two foes -- South Dakota State and Kansas State -- were 2013 NCAA Tournament qualifiers. SDSU, which finished second to UNO in the Summit League's regular-season standings and went on to win the tournament championship for a berth to the NCAA Tournament, lost to Oregon and San Francisco in the Eugene Regional. K-State nearly knocked off Oregon State in game three of the Corvallis Super Regional, rallying for two runs in the eighth inning before the Beavers snagged a 4-3 win.
The Mavericks have never faced six of their 2014 opponents -- Milwaukee, St. Bonaventure, Villanova, Western Michigan, Grand Canyon and Dartmouth -- and they hold a combined all-time record of 176-201 against all teams on the slate this season.
Next Up
Omaha returns to action March 14-16, hosting Air Force at the Ballpark at Boys Town for the Mavericks' first home series this season. First pitch for all three games is set for 1 p.m., with one game each day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Student broadcasters Paul Dobler and Ryan Matheny will have the call on MavRadio.fm, and links to live stats and audio will be available on OMavs.com. Fans may listen live with the online broadcast or by downloading the TuneIn app to listen via smartphone.
Leading Off
The Omaha baseball team returns to action this Wednesday, March 12, traveling to Kansas State for a single midweek game at Tointon Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kan. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m., and links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
Quick Hits
•Omaha looks to snap its three-game losing streak after its weekend series at Grand Canyon in Phoenix, Ariz. The Mavs opened with a 6-0 shutout of the Antelopes, followed by losses of 9-2, 14-0 (7 inn.) and 5-2.
•The Mavericks return 20 letterwinners from 2013, including eight who saw the field as position starters and three returning starting pitchers. Fifteen newcomers are also on the 2014 roster, 11 of whom have seen the field.
•Sophomore Cole Gruber's .408 batting average ranks second in the Summit League. The Papillion, Neb., native has a team-best five multi-hit games so far this year.
•Sophomore Alex Schultz has gotten on base in all 11 games he has played, now carrying with him a team-leading 11-game streak of reaching base. Schultz also has a team-long seven-game hitting streak.
•A two-year starter and first-team All-Summit honoree, junior Alex Mortensen will miss the 2014 season due to injury.
•After going 20-6 in Summit League play last year, UNO is 100-84 all-time against the four other teams in the league.
Scouting the Kansas State Wildcats
Entering Wednesday's game with Omaha, defending Big 12 Champion Kansas State holds a record of 7-7 (0-0 Big 12). The midweek game marks the fourth home contest of the season for the Wildcats, who have posted a perfect 3-0 record at Tointon Family Stadium to start the year.
K-State is coming off a weekend home sweep of Iowa. The first two games of the Iowa series were low-scoring affairs, with the Wildcats winning 3-2 on Friday and 5-2 on Saturday. On Sunday, both teams pounced offensively, and KSU picked up a 12-8 win.
On the hill, Kansas State is led by senior pitcher Jared Moore, who has a team-best 3.63 ERA. In 22.1 innings pitched, he has limited opponents to a .287 batting average. Offensively, junior infielder Austin Fisher leads the charge for the Wildcats, hitting .392 with a team-high 20 hits and three stolen bases.
Tuesday's game between Omaha and Kansas State will be the fifth meeting between the schools. The Wildcats lead the all-time series 4-0, having last earned a 3-2 win in Manhattan on April 3, 2013.
On the Hill: Notables About Starter Steven Schoonover
Senior left Steven Schoonover (0-0) will start for Omaha at Kansas State on Wednesday, making his first appearance of the season. In last year's game against the Wildcats on April 3, the Olympia, Wash., native threw 6.0 innings in Manhattan, his first start of the year. He allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits with three strikeouts and no walks.
As a junior, Schoonover made 10 appearances with four starts, compiling a record of 3-4 with a 4.68 ERA. He totaled 17 strikeouts over 42.1 innings of work.
Schultz, Fox Earn Summit League Weekly Awards
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Tyler Fox was named Summit League Co-Pitcher of the Week for his performance March 3-9, the conference office announced Monday. He shared the honor with South Dakota State's Adam Bray.
Fox recorded the second Pitcher of the Week award of his career after guiding Omaha to game one's 6-0 win at Grand Canyon March 7. The Thornton, Colo., native tossed seven innings, surrendering two hits with a career-high-tying six strikeouts and one walk for the victory. Fox picked up his first win of the year and improved to 1-1.
Sophomore Alex Schultz garnered his first career award on March 3 after leading Omaha to a 4-1 record during the second half of the season-opening Snowbird Classic Tournament. The outfielder from Sioux Falls, S.D., went 5-for-6 with three RBI and three runs scored in UNO's win over Chicago State. He added a pair of hits vs. the Cougars and two hits in a win over Villanova. For the week, Schultz batted .455 (10-of-22) with four runs scored, three RBI, two doubles and two walks. He also had a .545 slugging percentage and .500 on-base percentage in the five games.
The 1-2 Punch
Sophomore outfielders Cole Gruber and Alex Schultz have provided quite the 1-2 punch for Omaha to start the 2014 season. Gruber leads the team in batting average (.408) and runs scored (nine), while Schultz is second on the squad with a .364 average and eight runs on the year.
In eight games at the season-opening Snowbird Classic, the duo batted an identical .364 (12-for-33). Schultz, who was named Summit League Co-Player of the Week on March 3, had two doubles, scored five runs, drove in three more and drew three walks. Gruber had one double, six runs scored, six RBI and two walks while going 1-for-2 on the basepaths.
The pair fueled Omaha's hit parade in UNO's Feb. 28 doubleheader with Villanova and Chicago State, combining for 14 hits. Both had seven hits in the two games, including five apiece against CSU in game two alone.
Herold at the Helm
Head Coach Bob Herold is in his 15th year as the skipper of the Nebraska Omaha baseball program in 2013, having compiled a career record of 452-309-2. 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 (464-273) and Virgil Yelkin (439-196) in the prestigious club, and Herold needs 13 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 four conference championships. In 2013, he was honored as Summit League Coach of the Year.
Herold's most recent draft pick was right-handed 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 15th year, and Evan Porter, in his second year, as well as volunteer pitching coach Dan McGinn, who is in his 14th year.
Mixed Schedule Takes Mavericks Around the Nation
Omaha's 2014 schedule includes 50 games against 18 different Division I opponents, and the team will play in seven states across the country. UNO will match up with opponents from 10 different conferences: the Atlantic 10, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Horizon League, Ivy League, MAC, Missouri Valley, Mountain West and WAC.
Two foes -- South Dakota State and Kansas State -- were 2013 NCAA Tournament qualifiers. SDSU, which finished second to UNO in the Summit League's regular-season standings and went on to win the tournament championship for a berth to the NCAA Tournament, lost to Oregon and San Francisco in the Eugene Regional. K-State nearly knocked off Oregon State in game three of the Corvallis Super Regional, rallying for two runs in the eighth inning before the Beavers snagged a 4-3 win.
The Mavericks have never faced six of their 2014 opponents -- Milwaukee, St. Bonaventure, Villanova, Western Michigan, Grand Canyon and Dartmouth -- and they hold a combined all-time record of 176-201 against all teams on the slate this season.
Next Up
Omaha returns to action March 14-16, hosting Air Force at the Ballpark at Boys Town for the Mavericks' first home series this season. First pitch for all three games is set for 1 p.m., with one game each day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Student broadcasters Paul Dobler and Ryan Matheny will have the call on MavRadio.fm, and links to live stats and audio will be available on OMavs.com. Fans may listen live with the online broadcast or by downloading the TuneIn app to listen via smartphone.
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