Mavs Take Off for Series at Grand Canyon
Mar 6, 2014 | Baseball
For complete notes, refer to the PDF version.
Leading Off
The Omaha baseball team returns to action this weekend, traveling to Grand Canyon for a four-game series at Brazell Stadium in Phoenix, Ariz. The Mavericks open against the Antelopes on Friday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. (CT), followed by a doubleheader on Saturday, March 8 at 1:30 p.m. (CT). The weekend closes with a single game on Sunday, March 9 at 2:30 p.m. (CT). Links for live stats will be available on OMavs.com.
Quick Hits
•Omaha brings a three-game win streak to Phoenix this weekend after consecutive wins over Villanova, Chicago State and Western Michigan.
•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 saw time at the Snowbird Classic.
•This weekend's trip to Phoenix marks Omaha's first time playing in the state of Arizona during the 15-year Bob Herold era.
•Sophomore Alex Schultz got on base in every game at the Snowbird Classic, now carrying with him an eight-game streak of reaching base.
•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 Grand Canyon Antelopes
Entering the weekend series with Omaha, Grand Canyon comes into play with a 4-7 record. This weekend's series will mark the second homestand for Grand Canyon, which has won three of its first four games at Brazell Stadium so far this year.
The 'Lopes are coming off a winless weekend at the Bourland-Ardoin Classic in Abilene, Texas. GCU went 0-3, losing two contests to defending Big 12 Champion Kansas State and an extra inning battle to host Abilene Christian.
On the hill, Grand Canyon is led by junior pitcher Jorge Perez, who has a team-best 3.32 ERA. In 21.2 innings pitched, he has limited opponents to a .247 batting average. Offensively, junior infielder Chad De La Guerra leads the charge for the 'Lopes, hitting .395 with a team-high 11 RBI and five extra-base hits.
Grand Canyon is in the first year of its four-year reclassification from NCAA Division II to Division I, and like the Mavericks, the Antelopes are ineligible for postseason play. Friday's game between Omaha and Grand Canyon will be the first meeting between the two schools.
Schultz Snags Mavericks' First Summit League Weekly Award
Sophomore Alex Schultz garnered his first career award after leading Omaha to a 4-1 record during the second half of the Snowbird Classic Tournament last week. The outfielder from Sioux Falls, S.D., went 5-for-6 with three RBI and three runs scored in Friday's win over Chicago State. He added a pair of hits vs. the Cougars on Thursday and two hits in a win over Villanova Friday.
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 Alex Schultz and Cole Gruber provided quite the 1-2 punch for Omaha over eight games last week at the Snowbird Classic, batting 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 duo 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.
Lefty Lockdown
Four lefties in Omaha's bullpen -- seniors Anthony Falcone and Dylan Casey, junior Cole Volkers and sophomore Sam Murphy -- came through in a big way at the Snowbird Classic last week. The foursome combined for a 1.75 earned-run average while holding opponents to a .156 batting average in a combined 12 relief appearances. Their stats for the week are listed below:
Anthony Falcone -- 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 SV, 4 APP, 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO, 0.67 B/AVG
Dylan Casey -- 1-0, 1.59 ERA, 2 APP, 5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 SO, 1 R, 1 ER, .150 B/AVG
Sam Murphy -- 1-0, 1.80 ERA, 3 APP, 5.0 IP, 5 H, 5 BB, 6 SO, 1 R, 1 ER, .263 B/AVG
Cole Volkers -- 1-1, 2.70 ERA, 3 APP, 6.2 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 SO, 3 R, 2 ER, .250 B/AVG
Falcone picked up his first save of the year in the tournament finale against Western Michigan, throwing one inning of scoreless, hitless relief. Volkers' first win of the season came in the same game, as he tossed 3.0 innings while allowing no runs or hits and striking out two.
On Feb. 28, Casey earned the win in relief against Villanova, going 3.2 innings with no hits, no runs and a season-high three strikeouts. Murphy snagged the win against Chicago State later that day, allowing just one hit over 2.1 innings with a season-best four strikeouts.
On the Hill: Notables About the Weekend Rotation
Sophomore righty Tyler Fox (0-1) will open for the Mavericks on Friday at Grand Canyon. Last week at the Snowbird Classic, Fox took the mound twice, first against Milwaukee and again with Chicago State. He threw a season-long 6.0 innings against CSU, allowing six hits but no runs. As a true freshman in 2013, Fox went 6-2 with a 3.99 ERA over a staff-leading 56.1 innings pitched and limited his opponents to a .263 batting average.
Junior righty Zach Williamsen (0-0) is slated to start in Saturday's first game. Williamsen made two starts at the Snowbird Classic against Northwestern and Villanova, issuing a season-high seven strikeouts against VU. Last season, the Omaha native compiled a record of 4-1 with a 3.38 ERA, striking out 42 batters over 56.0 innings of work.
True freshman Mitch Larson (0-0) will start the later game on Saturday. The right-hander made his first career start vs. Iowa on Feb. 23, then threw a second time against Western Michigan on March 1. Larson threw 4.0 innings in both games and held the Hawkeyes to one run on four hits with one strikeout.
Sophomore Marcus Ethen is set to start Sunday's finale after making his first mound appearance last week against St. Bonaventure. The Omaha native limited the Bonnies to four hits over 4.0 innings, striking out a career-high-tying five batters with no walks.
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 451-306-2. 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 14 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 175-198 against all teams on the slate this season.
Next Up
Omaha returns to action March 12, traveling to Kansas State. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. in Manhattan, Kan., and links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
Leading Off
The Omaha baseball team returns to action this weekend, traveling to Grand Canyon for a four-game series at Brazell Stadium in Phoenix, Ariz. The Mavericks open against the Antelopes on Friday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. (CT), followed by a doubleheader on Saturday, March 8 at 1:30 p.m. (CT). The weekend closes with a single game on Sunday, March 9 at 2:30 p.m. (CT). Links for live stats will be available on OMavs.com.
Quick Hits
•Omaha brings a three-game win streak to Phoenix this weekend after consecutive wins over Villanova, Chicago State and Western Michigan.
•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 saw time at the Snowbird Classic.
•This weekend's trip to Phoenix marks Omaha's first time playing in the state of Arizona during the 15-year Bob Herold era.
•Sophomore Alex Schultz got on base in every game at the Snowbird Classic, now carrying with him an eight-game streak of reaching base.
•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 Grand Canyon Antelopes
Entering the weekend series with Omaha, Grand Canyon comes into play with a 4-7 record. This weekend's series will mark the second homestand for Grand Canyon, which has won three of its first four games at Brazell Stadium so far this year.
The 'Lopes are coming off a winless weekend at the Bourland-Ardoin Classic in Abilene, Texas. GCU went 0-3, losing two contests to defending Big 12 Champion Kansas State and an extra inning battle to host Abilene Christian.
On the hill, Grand Canyon is led by junior pitcher Jorge Perez, who has a team-best 3.32 ERA. In 21.2 innings pitched, he has limited opponents to a .247 batting average. Offensively, junior infielder Chad De La Guerra leads the charge for the 'Lopes, hitting .395 with a team-high 11 RBI and five extra-base hits.
Grand Canyon is in the first year of its four-year reclassification from NCAA Division II to Division I, and like the Mavericks, the Antelopes are ineligible for postseason play. Friday's game between Omaha and Grand Canyon will be the first meeting between the two schools.
Schultz Snags Mavericks' First Summit League Weekly Award
Sophomore Alex Schultz garnered his first career award after leading Omaha to a 4-1 record during the second half of the Snowbird Classic Tournament last week. The outfielder from Sioux Falls, S.D., went 5-for-6 with three RBI and three runs scored in Friday's win over Chicago State. He added a pair of hits vs. the Cougars on Thursday and two hits in a win over Villanova Friday.
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 Alex Schultz and Cole Gruber provided quite the 1-2 punch for Omaha over eight games last week at the Snowbird Classic, batting 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 duo 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.
Lefty Lockdown
Four lefties in Omaha's bullpen -- seniors Anthony Falcone and Dylan Casey, junior Cole Volkers and sophomore Sam Murphy -- came through in a big way at the Snowbird Classic last week. The foursome combined for a 1.75 earned-run average while holding opponents to a .156 batting average in a combined 12 relief appearances. Their stats for the week are listed below:
Anthony Falcone -- 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 SV, 4 APP, 4.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO, 0.67 B/AVG
Dylan Casey -- 1-0, 1.59 ERA, 2 APP, 5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 SO, 1 R, 1 ER, .150 B/AVG
Sam Murphy -- 1-0, 1.80 ERA, 3 APP, 5.0 IP, 5 H, 5 BB, 6 SO, 1 R, 1 ER, .263 B/AVG
Cole Volkers -- 1-1, 2.70 ERA, 3 APP, 6.2 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 2 SO, 3 R, 2 ER, .250 B/AVG
Falcone picked up his first save of the year in the tournament finale against Western Michigan, throwing one inning of scoreless, hitless relief. Volkers' first win of the season came in the same game, as he tossed 3.0 innings while allowing no runs or hits and striking out two.
On Feb. 28, Casey earned the win in relief against Villanova, going 3.2 innings with no hits, no runs and a season-high three strikeouts. Murphy snagged the win against Chicago State later that day, allowing just one hit over 2.1 innings with a season-best four strikeouts.
On the Hill: Notables About the Weekend Rotation
Sophomore righty Tyler Fox (0-1) will open for the Mavericks on Friday at Grand Canyon. Last week at the Snowbird Classic, Fox took the mound twice, first against Milwaukee and again with Chicago State. He threw a season-long 6.0 innings against CSU, allowing six hits but no runs. As a true freshman in 2013, Fox went 6-2 with a 3.99 ERA over a staff-leading 56.1 innings pitched and limited his opponents to a .263 batting average.
Junior righty Zach Williamsen (0-0) is slated to start in Saturday's first game. Williamsen made two starts at the Snowbird Classic against Northwestern and Villanova, issuing a season-high seven strikeouts against VU. Last season, the Omaha native compiled a record of 4-1 with a 3.38 ERA, striking out 42 batters over 56.0 innings of work.
True freshman Mitch Larson (0-0) will start the later game on Saturday. The right-hander made his first career start vs. Iowa on Feb. 23, then threw a second time against Western Michigan on March 1. Larson threw 4.0 innings in both games and held the Hawkeyes to one run on four hits with one strikeout.
Sophomore Marcus Ethen is set to start Sunday's finale after making his first mound appearance last week against St. Bonaventure. The Omaha native limited the Bonnies to four hits over 4.0 innings, striking out a career-high-tying five batters with no walks.
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 451-306-2. 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 14 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 175-198 against all teams on the slate this season.
Next Up
Omaha returns to action March 12, traveling to Kansas State. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. in Manhattan, Kan., and links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
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