UW-Milwaukee's Goetz, UIC's Babineaux take places among baseball stat leaders

April 19, 2006

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INDIANAPOLIS -- A pair of Horizon League outfielders rank among the nation's elite baseball players, according to statistics released by the NCAA on Tuesday (April 18).  Seniors Mike Goetz of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Bart Babineaux of the University of Illinois at Chicago combine to stand on the Division I charts in five major offensive categories, headlining a growing group of Horizon League entries among the national leaders.

Goetz owns the nation's top batting average, a .524 clip which includes 65 hits in 124 at-bats (through April 16).  The Panther outfielder is the only Division I player above .500, and holds a 45-point lead over Kellen Kulbacki of James Madison University.  Tom King of Troy University is third at .476, with Jackson State University's Joaquin Rodriguez fourth at .462.

Goetz also stands 32nd with an average of 0.42 doubles per game (13 in 31 games), but teammate Ross McCoy is 20th on that list.  McCoy has 12 doubles in 23 appearances, a rate of 0.44 per contest.

Babineaux has raced up the charts and currently stands seventh with an average of 0.41 home runs per game.  The Flame senior has 13 homers in 32 games this season, with 12 of those coming during a 14-game stretch since March 25.  Babineaux's recent hot streak also put him ninth in slugging percentage (.793) and 49th with 1.16 runs batted in per game (37 in 32 outings).  Kulbacki stands ahead of the crowd with 0.51 home runs per game (20 in 39 appearances) and a 1.014 slugging percentage, while New Mexico State University's Luke Hopkins has compiled a 1.69 RBI-per-game pace.

Only two players have been tougher to strike out than Babineaux's teammate Mark Hallberg, who has fanned four times in 127 official at-bats (one per 31.8).  Matt McBride of Lehigh University (one per 36.8) and Nick Kliebert of Pepperdine University (one per 35.0) are just ahead of the sophomore infielder, while Youngstown State University senior catcher Brandon Caipen rates 35th with nine K's in 143 official trips (one per 15.9).

Wright State University boasts a trio of players on the national leader boards.  That group includes junior infielder Ross Oeder, whose 0.13 triples-per-game pace (four three-baggers in 30 contests) is 35th-best in the nation.  Senior right-hander Robert Barrett carries a perfect 5-0 record and enters the week with a 1.79 earned-run average which is 33rd nationally.  He has allowed only seven earned runs in 35.2 innings this spring, while junior right-hander Joe Smith ranks 25th with his seven saves.

As a team, UW-Milwaukee boasts a .324 batting average which is 22nd in the nation and includes a rate of 2.55 doubles per game.  UIC's .968 fielding percentage establishes the Flames as the 45th-best fielding team in Division I.

For more information and a complete list of team and individual statistical leaders, log on to the NCAA statistical database at http://ncaasports.com/baseball/mens/stats.

League competition resumes this weekend with three-game sets featuring UIC at Butler University, Youngstown State at Wright State, and UW-Milwaukee at Cleveland State University.  The Flames (19-14 overall) lead the League standings, bringing a 11-4 loop ledger to Indianapolis to take on Butler (14-21, 8-10 in the League).  Youngstown State (15-21, 7-8) tries to narrow the gap behind second-place Wright State (18-15, 10-8), while UW-Milwaukee (15-17, 7-8) looks to get back over .500 when the Panthers face Cleveland State (6-23, 5-10).

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NCAA Individual Statistical Leaders

through games of April 16, 2006

Batting Average                                                  AB          H        Avg.

   1.  Mike Goetz, UW-Milwaukee                        124        65         .524

   2.  Kellen Kulbacki, James Madison                   146        70         .479

   3.  Tom King, Troy                                              164        78         .476

   4.  Joaquin Rodrguez, Jackson State                106        49         .462

   5.  Matt McBride, Lehigh                                     147        66         .449

Home Runs Per Game                                         G        HR       HR/G

   1.  Kellen Kulbacki, James Madison                     39        20         0.51

   2.  Steven Strausbaugh, Western Carolina         32        15         0.47

   3.  Luke Gorsett, Nebraska                                  32        14         0.44

   3.  Alex Buchholz, Delaware                               32        14         0.44

   7.  Bart Babineaux, UIC                                       32        13         0.41

RBI Per Game                                                         G       RBI      RBI/G

   1.  Luke Hopkins, New Mexico State                   32        54         1.69

49.  Bart Babineaux, UIC                                       32        37         1.16

Doubles Per Game                                               G        2B        2B/G

   1.  Tom King, Troy                                                37        25         0.68

20.  Ross McCoy, UW-Milwaukee                        23        12         0.44

32.  Mike Goetz, UW-Milwaukee                          31        13         0.42

Triples Per Game                                                 G        3B        3B/G

   1.  Cody Montgomery, Dallas Baptist                   37          8         0.22

35.  Ross Oeder, Wright State                              30          4         0.13

Slugging Percentage                               G       AB        TB       Slg%

   1.  Kellen Kulbacki, James Madison         39      146      148       1.014

   9.  Bart Babineaux, UIC                           32      111        88         .793

30.  Mike Goetz, UW-Milwaukee              31      124        89         .718

Stolen Bases Per Game                                      G        SB       SB/G

   1.  Zach Penprase, Mississippi Valley St.            38        49         1.29

        (no Horizon League player among top 50)

Toughest to Strike Out                                     AB          K       AB/K

   1.  Matt McBride, Lehigh                                     147          4         36.8

   2.  Nick Kliebert, Pepperdine                              105          3         35.0

   3.  Mark Hallberg, UIC                                      127          4         31.8

35.  Brandon Caipen, Youngstown State             143          9         15.9

Runs Per Game                                                     G          R          R/G

   1.  Corey Brown, Oklahoma State                       30        45         1.50

        (no Horizon League player among top 50)

Earned Run Average                                G         IP        ER         ERA

   1.  Zachary Groh, Binghamton                   6     35.0          2         0.51

33.  Robert Barrett, Wright State              11     35.2          7         1.79

Victories                                                                 G         IP         W-L

   1.  Tyler Chambliss, Florida State                         12     75.0          9-1

   1.  Mitch Harris, Navy                                           10     63.2          9-1

   1.  Patrick McGuigan, San Francisco                   14     77.2          9-1

        (no Horizon League player among top 50)

Saves                                                                      G         IP     Saves

   1.  Don Czyz, Kansas                                          23     41.2            13

25.  Joe Smith, Wright State                                 16     25.2              7

Strikeouts Per Nine Innings                   G         IP          K          K/9

   1.  Tim Lincecum, Washington                 14     79.0      129         14.7

        (no Horizon League player among top 50)

Times Hit By Pitch                                                 G     HBP     HBP/G

   1.  Colt Sedbrook, Arizona                                   33        18         0.55

        (no Horizon League player among top 50)

NCAA Team Statistical Leaders

through games of April 16, 2006

Batting Average

   1.  Jackson State                                  .370

22.  UW-Milwaukee                                .324

54.  Youngstown State                            .309

Home Runs Per Game

   1.  Delaware                                         2.18

80.  UW-Milwaukee                                0.81

86.  Butler                                               0.76

91.  Youngstown State                            0.74

Doubles Per Game

   1.  Delaware                                         2.94

   7.  UW-Milwaukee                                2.55

26.  Youngstown State                            2.20

64.  Butler                                               2.03

83.  Wright State                                     1.97

Triples Per Game

   1.  Dallas Baptist                                   0.66

49.  UW-Milwaukee                                0.35

53.  Wright State                                     0.34

Slugging Percentage

   1.  Delaware                                         .596

25.  UW-Milwaukee                                .484

68.  Youngstown State                            .447

Stolen Bases Per Game

   1.  Prairie View A&M                             4.29

        (no Horizon League team among top 100)

Runs Per Game

   1.  UNC Wilmington                                10.0

73.  UW-Milwaukee                                  6.8

85.  Youngstown State                              6.7

Earned Run Average

   1.  Cal State Fullerton                            2.44

51.  UIC                                                   3.74

Strikeouts Per Nine Innings

   1.  Texas Christian                                  9.8

        (no Horizon League team among top 100)

Fielding Percentage

   1.  South Carolina                                  .988

45.  UIC                                                   .968

94.  Wright State                                     .963

Double Plays Per Game

   1.  New Mexico                                     1.46

14.  Wright State                                     1.13

31.  UW-Milwaukee                                1.03

58.  Butler                                               0.97

86.  UIC                                                   0.91

Win-Loss Percentage

   1.  Nebraska (28-5)                               .848

90.  UIC (19-13)                                      .594