Baseball Release #7

April 7, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

Horizon League Player of the Week

Jeff Mercer, Wright State
Junior DH * Bargersville, Ind.
Mercer led the Raiders to a 4-1 week, batting .400 (8-for-20) with three doubles, a home run and nine RBI in five games. He also scored six runs. Mercer homered during a three-hit outing at Xavier on Tuesday, and plated four runs in WSU's 5-4 victory over Cleveland State in the night-cap of Saturday's doubleheader. He scored the game-winning run Sunday as Wright State defeated the Vikings 3-2 in the rubber game of the series.

Previous Players of the Week: Zach Rodeghero (Valpo), Feb. 26; Jeff Mercer (WSU), Mar. 4; Ross Vagedes (WSU), Mar. 11; Josh Wallace (Valpo), Mar. 18; Brett Schaefer (UIC), Mar. 25; Steve McGuiggan (UIC), Apr. 1.

Horizon League Pitcher of the Week

Corey Vukovic, Youngstown State
Sophomore RHP * McDonald, Ohio
Vukovic pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing six hits in the Penguins' 6-0 victory over Valparaiso on Saturday. He logged a career-high seven strikeouts for his first victory of the season. Vukovic also pitched out of three jams in 2.1 innings of scoreless relief versus Duquesne on Wednesday, as YSU defeated the Dukes 8-7 in 14 innings.

Previous Pitchers of the Week: Brian Long (CSU), Feb. 26; Bryce Shafer (Valpo), Mar. 4; Grant Kohlstaedt (UIC), Mar. 11; Josh Hungerman (CSU), Mar. 18; Aaron Swenson (YSU), Mar. 25; Elliott Gibbs (Valpo), Apr. 1.

Other Top Performances for the Week Ending April 6

Ryan Neat, Butler
Sr. * 1B * Speedway, Ind.
Neat hit .471 (8-for-17) for the week, including a 3-for-5 effort with two runs scored and his third home run of the season versus Marian on Tuesday. He had five hits in three games versus UIC, including three in Sunday's series finale.

Kyle Bischof, Cleveland State
Sr. * LF * Louisville, Ky.
Bischof hit three home runs and drove in seven runs, posting a .533 (8-for-15) average for the week. His three-run blast in the ninth inning tied Tuesday's game at Ohio. He added two round-trippers in a weekend set versus Wright State.

Nick Wichser, Milwaukee
Sr. * OF * Waukesha, Wis.
Wichser extended his hitting streak to 17 games, collecting six hits in 16 at-bats with a homer and four RBI during the week. He also scored four times for the Panthers and raised his season average to .358.

Brett Schaefer, UIC
Jr. * 1B * Orland Park, Ill.
Schaefer batted .400 (6-for-15) in five games, scoring five runs and driving in six. He also drew six walks for a .583 on-base percentage to go with a .800 slugging clip. Schaefer was 5-for-6 in Saturday's doubleheader versus Butler.

Zach Rodeghero, Valparaiso
Sr. * OF * New Lenox, Ill.
Rodeghero collected six hits in 16 at-bats over four games. He scored four runs, including three in Friday's 4-3 victory at Youngstown State. Rodeghero had three hits in that game and carries an eight-game hitting streak into the week.

Eric Marzec, Youngstown State
So. * OF/P * Canton, Ohio
Marzec had 12 hits in 30 at-bats, including four doubles and a triple. He drove in nine runs and scored five, while also pitching five scoreless innings in two appearances. Marzec had three three-hit games during the week.

Matt Sokolowski, Butler
Jr. * LHP * Fort Wayne, Ind.
Sokolowski took a tough-luck loss at UIC on Friday, being charged with two unearned runs on a game-ending error in the bottom of the ninth inning. He took a shutout into the frame, allowing four hits---all singles---and one walk.

Sam Suitca, Cleveland State
Jr. * LHP * Chicago, Ill.
Suitca went the distance Sunday versus Wright State, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits for the first complete game of his collegiate career. He struck out three batters and walked two in the game.

Derrick Miramontes, UIC
Jr. * RHP * Durham, Calif.
Miramontes logged his second consecutive complete game, allowing one run in the Flames' 2-1 victory over Butler on Friday. He took a shutout into the ninth inning and struck out seven Bulldogs for his fourth victory of the season.

Elliott Gibbs, Valparaiso
Sr. * RHP * Munster, Ind.
Gibbs allowed three runs (two earned) on nine hits in his start at Youngstown State on Friday, striking out three batters. He had a stretch of 16 innings without allowing an earned run snapped, but lowered his season ERA to 3.82.

Michael Meintel, Wright State
Fr. * RHP * Shadyside, Ohio
Meintel saved three games for the Raiders last week, pitching scoreless final frames versus Xavier and Cleveland State while tossing a pair of innings at Bowling Green. The three saves move him into a tie for the League lead for the year.

Around the Horizon League

Flames keep on rolling
UIC swept Butler in a three-game series, moving to 8-1 in League play. The Flames are three and one-half games ahead of the pack and start the week at 18-9 overall, including 13-1 at Flames Field, where UIC has won 12 home games in a row.

The Flames improved to 8-3 in one-run games after outlasting Butler 7-6 in 13 innings to close the series. Freshman shortstop Jason Ganek drove in the winning run for UIC.

Freshman outfielder Steve McGuiggan carries an 11-game hitting streak into the week, owning a .389 batting average for the season. He leads the circuit with 42 hits and ranks second with a .451 on-base percentage.

Junior right-hander Derrick Miramontes had a 15-inning shutout streak snapped in the ninth inning of Friday's start versus Butler but registered his fourth victory in as many decisions. Miramontes allowed one run on eight hits to lower his League-best earned-run average to 1.69. He logged his second consecutive complete game and leads the League with 53 innings pitched this season.

Junior first baseman Brett Schaefer ranks fifth on the League batting charts at .348, with sophomore outfielder Ty Rubio tenth at .321.

UIC visits Central Michigan on Tuesday and hosts Rockford College on Wednesday before a three-game weekend set at Youngstown State.

Raiders rally for four one-run victories
Wright State moved to 10-14 overall and leveled its League ledger at 4-4 after winning two of three games at Cleveland State.

All five of WSU's outings were one-run affairs, with the Raiders coming from behind to defeat Xavier (12-11) and Bowling Green (11-10) in mid-week action. Cleveland State took the series opener 6-5 before Wright State won Saturday's nightcap 5-4 and posted a 3-2 victory on Sunday.

Junior designated hitter Jeff Mercer had eight hits and nine RBI in the five games, including a four-RBI effort Saturday. Mercer is batting .340 for the season, seventh-best in the League.

Junior first baseman Jeremy Hamilton broke two school fielding records over the weekend. Hamilton has 1,222 putouts in 1,313 chances during his three-year career. Hamilton leads the League with a .391 batting average despite having a 12-game hitting streak snapped in Sunday's series finale.

Freshman right-hander Michael Meintel posted three saves last week. Fellow freshman Michael Woytek pitched eight innings Sunday, the longest outing for a Raider hurler this season. Woytek earned his second victory of the year, allowing two runs on five hits.

Wright State hosts Urbana and Cincinnati in mid-week play before traveling to Butler for a three-game weekend series.

Vikings come up short
Cleveland State dropped three of four games last week, slipping to 8-12 overall and 3-3 in loop play. CSU fell 9-8 at Ohio on Tuesday before losing two of three at home to Wright State over the weekend.

All four of CSU's games were decided by one run last week. The Vikings are 1-5 in one-run games and 3-3 in two-run contests this season.

Senior outfielder Kyle Bischof homered in each of the first three games last week, giving him round-trippers in five consecutive contests. The streak ended Sunday, when we went 2-for-4 with two singles. Bischof was 8-for-15 with seven RBI last week, including a three-run homer in the ninth inning to highlight a six-run comeback against Ohio. CSU rallied from an 8-2 deficit, only to lose in the bottom of the inning.

Viking starting pitchers pitched 25 of the 27 innings against Wright State, with junior left-hander Sam Suitca pitching a complete game on Sunday. Junior southpaw Josh Hungerman earned the victory with eight innings of work in Saturday's opener, with junior right-hander Brian Long pitching eight frames in the nightcap.

Cleveland State has a busy schedule this week, with stops at Eastern Michigan on Monday and at Canisius on Tuesday before a home game with Malone on Wednesday. The Vikings then head to Milwaukee for a three-game weekend series with the Panthers.

Penguins moving up individually, as a team
Youngstown State carries a 9-17 record into the week, climbing to 3-3 in League play after winning two of three games from Valparaiso over the weekend.

Senior catcher/DH Erich Diedrich became YSU's all-time RBI leader over the weekend. Diedrich has 140 RBI in his career to pass Jim Lipinski for that mark, and needs four home runs to set the standard in that category.

Seven players hit .350 or better last week, including Diedrich (.370). As a team, the Penguins compiled a .325 batting average. Sophomore catcher Anthony Porter leads the team with a .329 average for the season, with Lucas at .324.

Starting pitching carried the Penguins, with Chuck Schiffhauer, Corey Vukovic and Aaron Swenson combining for 23.2 innings of work over the weekend. The trio allowed only two earned runs, with Vukovic pitching seven scoreless innings in a 6-0 victory. Swenson is third in the League with a 2.90 ERA, with Schiffhauer fourth (2.90) and Vukovic fifth at 3.42.

Sophomore outfielder Eric Marzec had four doubles and nine runs batted in last week, hitting .400 (12-for-30) with the game-winning hit to end Wednesday's marathon. He also pitched five scoreless innings in two relief stints.

YSU visits Toledo on Tuesday and hosts Akron on Wednesday prior to a three-game home set against UIC.

Crusaders win two, lose two
Valparaiso moved to 8-20 overall with a 2-2 week. The Crusaders defeated Illinois Tech 9-4 on Wednesday but dropped two of three games at Youngstown State to slip to 3-5 in League play.

Senior outfielder Zach Roeghero finished 3-for-6 at the plate with three runs scored in Friday's 4-3 victory at YSU. Rodeghero owns a .381 batting average and leads the League in runs scored (25), RBI (25), doubles (10) and on-base percentage (.459) this season.

Sophomore infielder Josh Wallace boasts as six-game hitting streak. He has hit safely in 21 of 25 games this year, compiling a .319 batting average for the season. Freshman infielder Damon McCormick added five hits in 15 at-bats last week, after starting the week with a .154 average (10-for-65).

Freshman Steve Godawa earned the victory in relief Friday. Godawa has not allowed a run in his last eight outings (including three last week), covering 8.2 innings since March 12.

Senior right-hander Elliott Gibbs was not involved in the decision Friday but lowered his season earned-run average to 3.82.

After Tuesday's game at Notre Dame, the Crusaders are scheduled to play 12 of the following 13 games at home. That stretch begins Wednesday versus Northern Illinois and includes a three-game weekend set versus Chicago State.

Close not good enough for Bulldogs
Butler stands at 6-17 overall and 3-6 in League play after being swept in a three-game series at UIC. BU's overall ledger also includes a 14-2 victory over cross-town rival Marian on Wednesday.

Butler took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning Friday but two errors and a hit batter paved the way for two Flame runs and a 2-1 decision. On Saturday, Butler scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning to force extra innings, but fell 7-6 on a walk-off single. UIC won Saturday's first game, 11-6.

Senior shortstop Joe Pauley homered to give Butler the lead on Friday. Pauley shares the team lead in home runs (three) and RBI (13) while batting .287 for the season.

Junior outfielder Colin Ziegel is batting .423 (11-for-26) with seven runs scored and ten RBI in League play.

Junior left-hander Joe Ochs is 3-0 with a 3.00 earned-run average this season. Ochs was the winner on Wednesday with two scoreless innings and has pitched 17 consecutive shutout frames over six outings since being touched for seven runs in his season debut on Feb. 29. Ochs started the year with a 2-3 record in his first two seasons in a Bulldog uniform.

Butler hosts Indiana Tech on Tuesday before a three-game home series with Wright State over the weekend.

Panthers' tough luck continues
Milwaukee dropped to 5-20 with four losses last week, including a three-game sweep at Southern Illinois. The Panthers lost the first two games of the set by scores of 10-9 (Friday) and 5-4 (Saturday) before a 5-2 defeat on Sunday.

UWM opened the week with a 3-2, ten-inning loss at Northern Illinois. Milwaukee is 0-9 in one-run games, including the three consecutive defeats last week and a similar three-game run at UIC on March 22-23. Prior to that weekend, the Panthers had gone 17 years without losing three consecutive games by one run apiece.

Senior outfielder Nick Wichser stretched his hitting streak to 17 games with safeties in all four contests last week. He carries a .448 average (30-for-67) during that time, with 19 runs scored, three home runs and 17 RBI. Sophomore catcher Shaun Wegner is batting .452 (14-for-31) with a .553 on-base clip during the same span.

Senior second baseman Jesse Hart recorded his tenth double of the season Sunday, tying Valparaiso's Zach Rodeghero for the League lead in that category. Hart has reached double-digits in two-baggers in each of the last three seasons, with 14 last year and 19 in 2006. He has 48 doubles in his career, trailing only Ross McCoy (58 from 2004-07) on the all-time Panther charts.

UWM plays a doubleheader at Chicago State on Wednesday before returning to League action at home against Cleveland State this weekend.

Penguins' marathon sets records
Youngstown State's 8-7, 14-inning victory over Duquesne on Wednesday was one for the (NCAA) record books. The teams set NCAA single-game marks with 13 batters hit by pitches---nine by YSU hurlers---while 43 runners were left on base.

The 13 HBPs were one more than the previous mark set by Nevada (9) and New Mexico State (3) on March 9, 1997, while the 43 LOBs tied the total of the 15-inning affair between San Diego State (24) and Hawai'i (19) on April 22, 1994. Youngstown State stranded 22 runners, leaving the bases losed in the fifth and 13th innings while Duquesne left the bases full in the seventh, eighth and 13th frames.

Little room for error in League play
Only one game separates second place from fifth in the League standings, adding importance to this weekend's action as teams attempt to move up the League ladder.

Wright State (4-4), Cleveland State (3-3) and Youngstown State (3-3) share second place, with WSU visiting Butler (3-6) and Cleveland State at Milwaukee (2-4) this weekend. Youngstown State hosts front-runner UIC (8-1) in a weekend set, while Valparaiso (3-5) plays Chicago State in non-League action.

The 2008 Horizon League Baseball Championship, presented by the U.S. Army, is set for May 20-25 at Eastwood Field in Niles, Ohio.