Omaha Visits No. 6 Louisville for Weekend Series
Feb 24, 2017 | Baseball
Leading Off
The Omaha baseball team visits No. 6 Louisville this weekend, playing a three-game series Feb. 24-26 at Jim Patterson Stadium in Louisville, Ky. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. CT on Friday, followed by Noon CT on Saturday and 11 a.m. CT on Sunday. All three games will be broadcast live on ACC Network Extra, and links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
Quick Hits
•No. 6 Louisville is the highest-ranked opponent Omaha has faced in the Division I era.
•Twenty-seven players have seen playing time in the Mavericks' first five games, with juniors Parker Smejkal and James Smith, sophomore Nate Mallott, redshirt freshman Andrew Hall and freshman Cole Thibodeau all making their first career starts.
•Three Mavericks are hitting .300 entering the second weekend of play: senior Sam Palensky (.350), Mallott (.333), Smejkal (.333) and junior Adam Caniglia (.300).
•Junior Ryan Cate was the only player in the Summit League to hit two home runs last weekend.
•The 2017 season marks Omaha's second with full NCAA Division I postseason eligibility for the Summit League and NCAA Tournaments. The Mavericks completed a required four-year Division I reclassification period from 2012 to 2015.
•UNO returns 19 letterwinners this year, including six position players with starting experience: Cate, Suponchick, Palensky, Caniglia and sophomores Riley Herold and Jack Kalina.
•Cate is the Mavericks' lone returning All-Summit selection.
•UNO was picked fourth in the Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll for the second straight season. In 2016, the Mavericks went on to finish as the league's regular-season runner-up.
•Omaha is 254-282 all-time against all opponents on the schedule this year and 145-123 all-time against the five other teams in the Summit League. The Mavericks have compiled a 65-45 record in Summit League play since 2013.
Scouting the Louisville Cardinals
Sixth-ranked Louisville carries a record of 4-0 (0-0 ACC) after defeating Alabama State (7-0), No. 22 Maryland (10-7), Ball State (10-4) last weekend and Eastern Kentucky (19-3) on Wednesday. The Cardinals, who went 50-14 (22-8 ACC) and played in the NCAA Louisville Super Regional in 2016, were picked second in the Atlantic Division in the conference's preseason poll.
Brendan McKay has hit .500 with three home runs over the first four games, scoring six runs and driving in nine more. Devin Hairston (.444), Logan Taylor (.438), Colby Fitch (.429) and Josh Stowers (.400) are also batting over the .400 threshold.
Head coach Dan McDonnell is in his 11th season at UL and owns a career record of 460-191.
Friday marks the first meeting all-time between Omaha and Louisville.
Mavericks Selected Fourth in Summit League Preseason Poll
Omaha was picked fourth in the 2017 Summit League Preseason Coaches Poll, the conference office announced Feb. 9.
Defending league champion Oral Roberts was tabbed the league favorite and received all five of its possible first-place votes for 25 total points. South Dakota State came in second with 18 points and one first-place vote, and North Dakota State was third with 17 points. With Omaha garnering 13 points for fourth, Western Illinois (nine) followed in fifth and Fort Wayne (eight) rounded it out in sixth.
Burke Boys Bashing
Omaha opened the season at the UNLV Classic last weekend, highlighted by an 8-2 win over UNLV Sunday night. Juniors Ryan Cate and Adam Caniglia -- both local products out of Omaha Burke -- combined for a trio of two-run home runs to power Omaha at the plate. Cate belted his first homer in the sixth inning, and he and Caniglia each hit another out in the seventh.
The last time UNO hit three or more home runs in a game was April 9, 2016, when Caniglia, Cate, Jack Kalina and former Maverick Clayton Taylor each blasted one at South Dakota State.
Additionally, Cate is the first player in two years to hit two home runs in a game. Previously, the last had been Clayton Taylor, who blasted two vs. Saint Leo on Feb. 26, 2015.
Binger Has Solid Start to Junior Campaign
Junior right-handed pitcher Corey Binger served as Omaha's Sunday starter last year, going 8-3 with a 4.06 ERA. The Victoria, Minn., native threw the second-most innings on the team (75.1) and was a two-time Summit League Pitcher of the Week. Binger issued 51 strikeouts to 19 walks and held his opponents to a .269 batting average, all while ranking third in the league for wins.
In his season debut Sunday vs. UNLV, Binger tossed 7.0 innings for the win while limiting the Rebels to one run on five hits with five strikeouts and no walks.
Palensky Settling In
After starting all 56 games at second base as a junior, senior Sam Palensky made the switch to shortstop for his 2017 campaign. The Papillion, Neb., native has batted a team-leading .350 over the first five games, scoring three times and driving in three more runs. He owns three multi-hit performances so far, including a 2-for-4 day at UNLV on Feb. 19, when he scored twice and added two RBI.
Palensky is following in the steps of his older brother, Caleb, a four-year starting infielder from 2011-14.
More on Mallott
Sophomore Nate Mallott made his Maverick debut last Friday vs. UNLV and served as Omaha's starting catcher in four of the first five games. The transfer from Scottsdale CC hit .375, bolstered by a 1-for-2 showing with a run scored vs. Saint Mary's and a 2-for-3 night with a run scored against the Rebels on Sunday.
A "Cole-giate" Debut
Freshman Cole Thibodeau started all four games last weekend at the UNLV Classic, making his collegiate debut Friday night as Omaha's starting right fielder. The Elkhorn, Neb., native also played second base over three games Sunday and Monday and made a relief appearance on the mound.
It marked the second straight year Omaha has had a true freshman in its opening day lineup, as sophomore Riley Herold was also an opening day starter in 2016.
Road Warriors
Omaha opens the 2017 season with 13 straight road games in four different states, visiting Nevada once, Kentucky once, Texas once and Kansas three times. Out of the gate, the Mavericks see two 2016 NCAA Tournament teams in the first two weekends, having faced Saint Mary's last Sunday, then visiting Louisville for a three-game series this weekend.
Maverick Mound Notes
•Omaha returns two starters from its 2016 weekend rotation with senior southpaw Sam Murphy and junior right-hander Corey Binger. Murphy was primarily the Mavericks' Saturday starter, while Binger had the Sunday spot.
•Both Murphy and Binger were honored with Summit League Pitcher of the Week awards last year, as Binger earned the recognition on March 14 and May 16, and Murphy was tabbed on April 4.
•The duo finished in the top 10 in the Summit League in multiple categories in 2016. Binger was first for complete games (two) and shutouts (one), third for wins (seven) and seventh for ERA (4.06) and innings pitched (75.1). Murphy was fifth for ERA (3.86), strikeouts (65) and strikeouts per game (8.09) and ninth for innings pitched (72.1).
•Binger's two complete games came vs. Bowling Green (March 12) and at Western Illinois (May 15), with the latter a 14-0 shutout.
•Sophomore right-hander Grant Suponchick is slated to start Sunday's game at Louisville. In his freshman campaign, he made four mound appearances with 10.1 innings pitched, including two starts. He got the ball for his first career start at Wichita State (March 1), throwing a season-long 4.0 innings while allowing one run on four hits and a walk with one strikeout.
•Junior right-hander James Smith, who started on Monday vs. UNLV, is a transfer from Trinidad State JC. In 2016, he went 11-1 on the mound with a 3.42 ERA last season for the Trojans, totaling a team-high 84.1 innings of work and issuing 79 strikeouts to 22 walks.
•Junior right-hander Ryan Cate led the Mavericks with five saves in 15 relief appearances last season.
•The Omaha bullpen returns four more experienced arms in junior right-hander David Flattery and senior right-handers Shane Meltz, Brett Sasse and Eric Moreno. Flattery made 17 appearances with four starts and two saves, totaling 45.2 innings of work, while Meltz made 16 appearances with four starts, one win and one save over 34.1 innings. Moreno also made 16 appearances with one save over 23.1 innings, and Sasse tallied two wins in 14 appearances and four starts, compiling 37.2 innings.
•Omaha's 2016 pitching staff was better on the bump in Summit League play, lowering its ERA to 4.17 in league contests from 5.98 in non-conference games.
2017 Slate Takes Mavericks Around the Nation
Omaha's 2017 schedule includes 55 games, and the team will play in 12 states against schools from 10 other Division I conferences. Four opponents – Louisville, Nebraska, Saint Mary's and Oral Roberts – played in the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
Entering the season, the Mavericks have never faced three of their opponents: UC Davis, Saint Mary's and Louisville. Omaha holds a combined all-time record of 254-282 over all teams on the regular-season slate.
Porter Enters First Season as Head Coach
Head coach Evan Porter enters his first year as the skipper of the Omaha baseball program in 2017 after serving four years as an assistant coach. One of the most decorated players in UNO history, Porter was four-year starter at shortstop from 2005-09 and a two-time All-American. He was also a three-time all-region selection from 2007-09, earning awards from Daktronics and Rawlings/ABCA. Additionally, Porter was a two-time All-NCC pick (2007-08) and was first-team All-MIAA in 2009.
Porter's name runs through the Omaha record books, as he remains the program's all-time leader in games played (239), at-bats (869), hits (323), doubles (75), home runs (43), runs batted in (249) and total bases (527). His 97 hits recorded as a senior were a UNO single-season record that still stands.
A member of the UNO squad that earned a berth to the 2007 NCAA Division II College World Series, Porter was part of two Maverick teams (2006, 2008) that set a school record with 45 wins. During his time, UNO made four straight NCAA regional appearances and won the 2008 NCC championship.
Following his senior campaign, Porter was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 23rd round. He has played professionally overseas for the Solingen Alligators in Germany (2010), Gothenburg Sharks in Sweden (2011), Victoria Park Reds in Australia (2011-12), ADO AamigoO Lakers in Holland (2012) and Sölvesborg Firehawks in Sweden (2014, 2016).
Porter is assisted by assistant coach Chris Gadsden, in his 18th year, and pitching coach Brian Strawn, in his second year, as well as volunteer assistant coach Brett Swain, who is in his first year.
Counting on Cate
Junior utility man Ryan Cate is Omaha's leading returning hitter from the 2016 squad, as he batted .317 with 21 runs scored, seven doubles, one triple, five home runs and 31 RBI. Cate also made 15 relief appearances on the mound and tallied a team-leading five saves as a sophomore, which ranked fourth in the league and helped him to first-team All-Summit honors.
Cate picked up his fifth save of the 2016 season on April 26 against Air Force, which moved him into the top 10 in school history for career saves. His mark matches former Mavericks Mike Jones (1985-86) and Anthony Falcone (2011-14) for eighth in that category.
Murph on the Mound
Left-handed pitcher Sam Murphy is a veteran on the Omaha's pitching staff, as the fifth-year senior is the Mavericks' active career leader for appearances (50), wins (eight), innings pitched (124.0) and strikeouts (108). Last year, the Lake Worth, Fla., native went 4-6 with one save and a 3.86 ERA and held his opponents to a .254 average.
In his junior campaign, Murphy returned to the mound for the first time in nearly a year on Feb. 20, 2016, picking up the win in UNO's 2-1 victory over Eastern Michigan. He threw three innings of scoreless relief, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out two. Murphy had previously been sidelined since early in the 2015 season due to a broken hand.
Murphy threw a season-long 7.0 shutout innings last season vs. Western Illinois (April 2), giving up just two singles and two walks while striking out a career-high 11. The performance netted him Summit League Pitcher of the Week recognition for the first time in his career. Later that month, Murphy took a loss vs. Fort Wayne (April 29) but recorded his second double-digit strikeout performance of the year with 10 Ks.
What Makes Up the Mavericks
•In terms of offensive production, Omaha's 2017 returners accounted for 57 percent of the Mavericks' hits, 46 percent of their runs scored, 48 percent of their RBI, 47 percent of their extra-base hits and 14 percent of their stolen bases last season.
•Omaha's returning pitchers are credited with 70 percent of the team's innings pitched last year, 70 percent of its strikeouts, 61 percent of its wins and 100 percent of its saves.
•Adam Caniglia was third on the team for at-bats (210) in his sophomore season, the most of any returner.
•UNO's 2017 roster includes seven seniors, eight juniors, 11 sophomores, one redshirt freshman and eight freshmen.
•The Mavericks hail from eight different states. Twenty-two are from Nebraska, four are from Minnesota, three hail from Colorado and two are out of Iowa, while Florida, Kansas, Illinois and Missouri are all represented once on the roster.
All in the Family
Omaha baseball is a family affair for a handful of Mavericks, two of whom have followed in their fathers' footsteps by playing at UNO. Senior infielder Sam Palensky's father, Jim Palensky, played from 1984-85 and also served as an assistant coach with the Mavericks. Sophomore infielder Riley Herold's father, Bob Herold, was an NAIA All-American at UNO in 1971 and served as head coach for 17 seasons.
On the sibling side, Palensky's older brother, Caleb, was an All-Summit infielder and lettered from 2011-14, and his younger brother, Ben, has signed a National Letter of Intent to join the program in 2018. Sophomore infielder Jack Kalina's grandfather, Phil Gradoville, also played at UNO, and sophomore right-handed pitcher/infielder Grant Suponchick's brother, Beau Suponchick, lettered two seasons for Omaha (2011-12).
In addition, freshman infielder Adam Gadsden's father is current Maverick assistant coach Chris Gadsden.
Up Next
Omaha continues its opening road swing with a single midweek game at Wichita State on Wednesday, March 1. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Eck Stadium in Wichita, Kan., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3. Links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.
