Omaha Hosts No. 18 Nebraska at Werner Park
Mar 31, 2015 | Baseball
Leading Off
The Omaha baseball team welcomes in-state rival Nebraska on Wednesday, April 1, with first pitch set for 6:35 p.m. at Werner Park. Links to live audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com, and student broadcasters Ryan Matheny, Adam Preister will have the call on the MavRadio.fm broadcasts. Fans may also access the audio on their smartphones by downloading the TuneIn Radio app.
Quick Hits
•UNO's six-game win streak was snapped last weekend after the Mavericks suffered a three-game sweep at Oral Roberts. The streak marked Omaha's most consecutive wins since seven straight, May 10-17, 2014.
•Junior Cole Gruber has made a splash since his return to the lineup March 13, hitting in the No. 2 spot for the first time this year. He has hit .486 (17-for-35) there over the last nine games, as compared to .300 (12-for-40) from the leadoff position.
•Redshirt freshman Ryan Cate is on an eight-game reaching base streak entering the week.
•Head coach Bob Herold sits just nine wins away from earning his 500th career victory in 16 seasons of directing the Omaha program.
•Senior right-hander Zach Williamsen has broken into the top 10 in school history in a variety of pitching categories: batters faced (fourth - 827), games started (eighth - 29) and innings pitched (seventh - 185.0).
•Junior right-hander Tyler Fox is also in the top 10 for batters faced (sixth - 726), games started (seventh - 31), wins (ninth - 18) and innings pitched (eighth - 172.0).
•The Mavericks return 19 letterwinners and five All-Summit selections from a year ago: Gruber, Fox, senior Daniel Jewett and juniors Clayton Taylor and Alex Schultz. Fox was also tabbed 2014 Summit League Pitcher of the Year.
•UNO's five returning all-conference selections are the most of any team in the Summit League.
•UNO ended the 2014 season on a seven-game win streak, and in two years in the Summit League, the Mavericks have compiled a 41-18 record in conference play.
•UNO is 120-94 all-time against the five other teams in the Summit League and 235-234 against all opponents on the schedule this year.
Scouting the Nebraska Huskers
Nebraska brings a record of 21-7 (3-0 Big Ten) into Wednesday night's non-conference tilt. The Huskers swept a three-game series from No. 16 Texas in Lincoln last weekend, defeating the Longhorns 3-1 on Friday, 1-0 in 15 innings on Saturday and 6-2 on Sunday. The 1-0 win over Texas also gave Nebraska hurlers Kyle Kubat, Jake Hohensee, Colton Howell and Jeff Chesnut a shared Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week nod on Monday. Additionally, NU tallied a season-high 16 hits in the weekend finale and has won 14 of its last 15 games since March 10.
The Huskers are led by head coach Darin Erstad (Nebraska, 1995) who holds a career record of 126-81 over four years in Lincoln.
Wednesday's game is the 62nd meeting between UNO and NU, and Nebraska leads the all-time series, 51-10. The two teams last met on April 30, 2014 at Werner Park, with the Huskers taking a 4-1 win.
Last Time Out: Oral Roberts Sweeps Weekend Series from Mavericks
Omaha traveled to Tulsa, Okla., last weekend, facing Oral Roberts for UNO's first conference road series of the year. The Golden Eagles swept the three games, defeating the Mavericks 2-0 on Friday, 11-1 in eight innings on Saturday and 14-6 on Sunday.
On Friday, junior right-hander Tyler Fox (3-2) took the loss after going 7.0 innings, surrendering two runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out four. On Saturday, senior right-hander Zach Williamsen (3-3) was tagged with the loss, giving up five runs on nine hits with three strikeouts.
On Sunday, the loss went to senior left-hander Cole Volkers (1-1), who allowed four runs on five hits and three walks in a 1.1-inning relief appearance. Juniors Alex Schultz and Alex Mortensen led Omaha at the plate in the weekend finale, with each registering a two-run home run for their first roundtrippers of the year. Mortensen finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI, while Schultz was 2-for-5 with a run and three RBI. Senior Daniel Jewett also had a multi-hit day, going 2-for-3 on the afternoon.
League Leaders
Junior Clayton Taylor leads the Summit League with four home runs this season, while junior Cole Gruber's recent offensive push has him ranked second for both batting average (.387) and stolen bases (11). Junior Alex Schultz is right behind Gruber for swiped bags, coming in third with eight stolen bases. On the pitching side, right-handed pitchers Zach Williamsen and Tyler Fox are second for wins (three), and senior southpaw Cole Volkers is second for saves (three).
Gruber Swiping Bags
Junior Cole Gruber has made a name for himself in the Summit League for his sneaky work on the basepaths, as he ranks second in the conference with 11 stolen bases. Now two-and-a-half years into his career, Gruber has worked his way up Omaha's career chart for swiped bags with 51 as a Maverick, which ranks fourth in school history. The Papillion-LaVista product is just one away from tying former Maverick Patrick Johnston (2000-03), who had 52.
Production Up Top
Omaha's 1-4 batters in the lineup this year have produced a significant portion of the Mavericks' offense through 24 games, combining to hit .300. The 1-4 hitters have accounted for 52 percent of UNO's hits, including 60 percent of its extra-base hits, as well as 63 percent of all runs scored and 49 percent of all walks drawn.
Home Sweet Home
The 2015 season will see Omaha play 23 home contests, including 15 conference tilts. UNO will play at three venues, with 18 games at the Ballpark at Boys Town, three this weekend that were moved to Millard North High School and a pair of premier games at Werner Park with Nebraska (April 1) and Kansas State (April 8).
Since moving to Division I in 2011-12, UNO has enjoyed a combined record of 33-20 at home.
Turning to the Bullpen
Omaha's bullpen has traditionally held its own late in the game, as the Mavericks are 420-34-1 in the Bob Herold era when leading after the sixth inning. UNO was 25-4 in such games in 2014 and 23-1 in the 2013 season, both of which were years in which the Mavericks went on to win Summit League regular-season titles. This season, they are 11-0 when leading after the sixth.
Going the Extra Mile
When registering three or more extra-base hits in a game, UNO went 14-7 last season, and the Mavericks have started the 2015 in similar fashion with a 5-1 mark. The 2014 Omaha squad finished with 107 extra-base hits, the most of any team since registering 159 in 2011, the Mavericks' last year in Division II.
Offense Keying Wins
In the last three seasons in 2013, 2014 and 2015, Omaha has gone a combined 49-7 when outhitting its opponent. In 2014, the Mavericks were 21-2 when registering more hits than its opposition, up from 20-5 in 2013. This year, UNO has started out 9-1 in such games.
Over 16 seasons in the Bob Herold era, UNO is 401-69-1 when outhitting the other team.
Double Digits
As a team, Omaha produced double-digit hits in 22 games last season, including a season-high 23 hits against Chicago State on Feb. 28, 2014. Last year, UNO was 18-4 when producing 10 or more hits in a game, similar to its mark of 18-6 for double-digit hits in 2013.
Already this season, the Mavericks are 8-1 with a double-digit hit total. They keyed a season-best 19 hits most recently on March 15 against South Dakota State, sparking four straight games with double-digit hits.
Herold at the Helm
Head Coach Bob Herold is in his 16th year as the skipper of the Omaha baseball program in 2014, having compiled a career record of 491-333-2. 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 with Omaha's 7-0 shutout at Bradley on April 22, 2014, he officially became the winningest coach in UNO history with his 465th victory.
Over his Maverick career, Herold has guided Omaha to seven NCAA Division II postseason appearances and four conference championships. In 2013 and 2014, 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 16th year, and Evan Porter, in his third year, as well as volunteer assistant coach Brian Strawn, who is in his first year.
Next Up
Omaha returns to action on Friday, April 3, hosting Western Illinois. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at the Ballpark at Boys Town, and links to live stats and audio will be available on OMavs.com.
The Omaha baseball team welcomes in-state rival Nebraska on Wednesday, April 1, with first pitch set for 6:35 p.m. at Werner Park. Links to live audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com, and student broadcasters Ryan Matheny, Adam Preister will have the call on the MavRadio.fm broadcasts. Fans may also access the audio on their smartphones by downloading the TuneIn Radio app.
Quick Hits
•UNO's six-game win streak was snapped last weekend after the Mavericks suffered a three-game sweep at Oral Roberts. The streak marked Omaha's most consecutive wins since seven straight, May 10-17, 2014.
•Junior Cole Gruber has made a splash since his return to the lineup March 13, hitting in the No. 2 spot for the first time this year. He has hit .486 (17-for-35) there over the last nine games, as compared to .300 (12-for-40) from the leadoff position.
•Redshirt freshman Ryan Cate is on an eight-game reaching base streak entering the week.
•Head coach Bob Herold sits just nine wins away from earning his 500th career victory in 16 seasons of directing the Omaha program.
•Senior right-hander Zach Williamsen has broken into the top 10 in school history in a variety of pitching categories: batters faced (fourth - 827), games started (eighth - 29) and innings pitched (seventh - 185.0).
•Junior right-hander Tyler Fox is also in the top 10 for batters faced (sixth - 726), games started (seventh - 31), wins (ninth - 18) and innings pitched (eighth - 172.0).
•The Mavericks return 19 letterwinners and five All-Summit selections from a year ago: Gruber, Fox, senior Daniel Jewett and juniors Clayton Taylor and Alex Schultz. Fox was also tabbed 2014 Summit League Pitcher of the Year.
•UNO's five returning all-conference selections are the most of any team in the Summit League.
•UNO ended the 2014 season on a seven-game win streak, and in two years in the Summit League, the Mavericks have compiled a 41-18 record in conference play.
•UNO is 120-94 all-time against the five other teams in the Summit League and 235-234 against all opponents on the schedule this year.
Scouting the Nebraska Huskers
Nebraska brings a record of 21-7 (3-0 Big Ten) into Wednesday night's non-conference tilt. The Huskers swept a three-game series from No. 16 Texas in Lincoln last weekend, defeating the Longhorns 3-1 on Friday, 1-0 in 15 innings on Saturday and 6-2 on Sunday. The 1-0 win over Texas also gave Nebraska hurlers Kyle Kubat, Jake Hohensee, Colton Howell and Jeff Chesnut a shared Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week nod on Monday. Additionally, NU tallied a season-high 16 hits in the weekend finale and has won 14 of its last 15 games since March 10.
The Huskers are led by head coach Darin Erstad (Nebraska, 1995) who holds a career record of 126-81 over four years in Lincoln.
Wednesday's game is the 62nd meeting between UNO and NU, and Nebraska leads the all-time series, 51-10. The two teams last met on April 30, 2014 at Werner Park, with the Huskers taking a 4-1 win.
Last Time Out: Oral Roberts Sweeps Weekend Series from Mavericks
Omaha traveled to Tulsa, Okla., last weekend, facing Oral Roberts for UNO's first conference road series of the year. The Golden Eagles swept the three games, defeating the Mavericks 2-0 on Friday, 11-1 in eight innings on Saturday and 14-6 on Sunday.
On Friday, junior right-hander Tyler Fox (3-2) took the loss after going 7.0 innings, surrendering two runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out four. On Saturday, senior right-hander Zach Williamsen (3-3) was tagged with the loss, giving up five runs on nine hits with three strikeouts.
On Sunday, the loss went to senior left-hander Cole Volkers (1-1), who allowed four runs on five hits and three walks in a 1.1-inning relief appearance. Juniors Alex Schultz and Alex Mortensen led Omaha at the plate in the weekend finale, with each registering a two-run home run for their first roundtrippers of the year. Mortensen finished 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI, while Schultz was 2-for-5 with a run and three RBI. Senior Daniel Jewett also had a multi-hit day, going 2-for-3 on the afternoon.
League Leaders
Junior Clayton Taylor leads the Summit League with four home runs this season, while junior Cole Gruber's recent offensive push has him ranked second for both batting average (.387) and stolen bases (11). Junior Alex Schultz is right behind Gruber for swiped bags, coming in third with eight stolen bases. On the pitching side, right-handed pitchers Zach Williamsen and Tyler Fox are second for wins (three), and senior southpaw Cole Volkers is second for saves (three).
Gruber Swiping Bags
Junior Cole Gruber has made a name for himself in the Summit League for his sneaky work on the basepaths, as he ranks second in the conference with 11 stolen bases. Now two-and-a-half years into his career, Gruber has worked his way up Omaha's career chart for swiped bags with 51 as a Maverick, which ranks fourth in school history. The Papillion-LaVista product is just one away from tying former Maverick Patrick Johnston (2000-03), who had 52.
Production Up Top
Omaha's 1-4 batters in the lineup this year have produced a significant portion of the Mavericks' offense through 24 games, combining to hit .300. The 1-4 hitters have accounted for 52 percent of UNO's hits, including 60 percent of its extra-base hits, as well as 63 percent of all runs scored and 49 percent of all walks drawn.
Home Sweet Home
The 2015 season will see Omaha play 23 home contests, including 15 conference tilts. UNO will play at three venues, with 18 games at the Ballpark at Boys Town, three this weekend that were moved to Millard North High School and a pair of premier games at Werner Park with Nebraska (April 1) and Kansas State (April 8).
Since moving to Division I in 2011-12, UNO has enjoyed a combined record of 33-20 at home.
Turning to the Bullpen
Omaha's bullpen has traditionally held its own late in the game, as the Mavericks are 420-34-1 in the Bob Herold era when leading after the sixth inning. UNO was 25-4 in such games in 2014 and 23-1 in the 2013 season, both of which were years in which the Mavericks went on to win Summit League regular-season titles. This season, they are 11-0 when leading after the sixth.
Going the Extra Mile
When registering three or more extra-base hits in a game, UNO went 14-7 last season, and the Mavericks have started the 2015 in similar fashion with a 5-1 mark. The 2014 Omaha squad finished with 107 extra-base hits, the most of any team since registering 159 in 2011, the Mavericks' last year in Division II.
Offense Keying Wins
In the last three seasons in 2013, 2014 and 2015, Omaha has gone a combined 49-7 when outhitting its opponent. In 2014, the Mavericks were 21-2 when registering more hits than its opposition, up from 20-5 in 2013. This year, UNO has started out 9-1 in such games.
Over 16 seasons in the Bob Herold era, UNO is 401-69-1 when outhitting the other team.
Double Digits
As a team, Omaha produced double-digit hits in 22 games last season, including a season-high 23 hits against Chicago State on Feb. 28, 2014. Last year, UNO was 18-4 when producing 10 or more hits in a game, similar to its mark of 18-6 for double-digit hits in 2013.
Already this season, the Mavericks are 8-1 with a double-digit hit total. They keyed a season-best 19 hits most recently on March 15 against South Dakota State, sparking four straight games with double-digit hits.
Herold at the Helm
Head Coach Bob Herold is in his 16th year as the skipper of the Omaha baseball program in 2014, having compiled a career record of 491-333-2. 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 with Omaha's 7-0 shutout at Bradley on April 22, 2014, he officially became the winningest coach in UNO history with his 465th victory.
Over his Maverick career, Herold has guided Omaha to seven NCAA Division II postseason appearances and four conference championships. In 2013 and 2014, 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 16th year, and Evan Porter, in his third year, as well as volunteer assistant coach Brian Strawn, who is in his first year.
Next Up
Omaha returns to action on Friday, April 3, hosting Western Illinois. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at the Ballpark at Boys Town, and links to live stats and audio will be available on OMavs.com.
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