Baseball to Play Two Big 12 Foes in Kansas City
4/25/2006 7:00:00 AM | Baseball
Best of the Midwest College Baseball Tournament
Creighton vs. Missouri (18-20, 7-11 Big 12) • Tuesday, 7:00 pm
Creighton vs. Kansas (29-16, 9-9 Big 12) • Wednesday, 3:00 pm
CommunityAmerica Ballpark (4,365) • Kansas City, Kan
Leading Off...
• Both games this week can be heard locally on KOZN 1620 AM and globally at www.1620thezone.com. John Bishop and Kevin Kugler will call the action.
• Live stats for the games will be available by visiting www.gocreighton.com. They can be viewed by clicking the "Live Stats" tab at the top of the page or the link on the sidebar.
• Creighton is 18-1 this season and 78-6 under Ed Servais when out-hitting its opponent.
• Zach Daeges has reached base in all but two games this season and in 97 of his last 108 games. He has been on base at least twice in all but nine games this season. Daeges has started the last 164 games he has played in.
• Ryan Urzendowski has been quietly productive at the bottom of the lineup and ranks ninth in the league with a .426 on base percentage.
• Creighton has thrown a left-hander in 54 consecutive games less Adam Schaecher's complete game at Bradley on March 24.
• Pat Venditte has pitched both right- and left-handed in 16 games this season and has a 2.62 ERA in a team-leading 22 appearances. Despite being a natural right-hander, Venditte sports an 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings ratio with his left arm.
• Freshman reliever Zak Moore has tossed five consecutive hitless innings over his last two appearances.
• Chase Odenreider has struck out just four times in his last 78 at bats (87 plate appearances).
• Creighton has won Marc Lewis' last nine starts.
• Creighton has lost the last nine games it has trailed in at any point.
• Darin Ruf leads the team with 21 two-out RBI. Last season, Zach Daeges led the team with 20 all season and 61 in all.
• Scott Reese recently moved into 13th in Valley history with his 85th career appearance and into a tie with Brandon Bird for third place on Creighton's all-time list with his 15th career save.
• Trevor Benson has been another reliable arm out the pen this season, allowing just 2-of-17 inherited runners to score.
• Creighton batters have been hit by 50 pitches in all this season but just one thrown by a left-hander.
• Creighton leads the league in home runs (27) and sacrifice bunts (55).
• Creighton hitters have struck out the fewest times of any team in the league, but Creighton pitchers have struck out the fewest opposing batters.
Scouting Creighton
The Bluejays are 22-14 on the season and 7-8 in MVC play after losing the series to Evansville at home over the weekend. Zach Daeges (.391-9-37) leads the way at the plate, and has drawn 34 walks and scored 47 runs. Six of Creighton's everyday players hit .298 or better, and the team hits .295.
On the mound, Adam Schaecher (4-2, 1.87 ERA) leads the league in ERA, and Pat Venditte (2-1, 2.62 ERA) leads the way with 22 appearances. Reliever Trevor Benson has also shined with a 3-1 record and a 2.28 ERA, and Zak Moore (1-1, 2.30) has pitched exceptionally well of late, not allowing a hit in his five innings. Scott Reese has registered a team-high five saves.
Defensively, the Jays have turned 32 double plays and own a .965 fielding percentage. Chris Gradoville has also thrown out 43 percent (16-37) of steal attempts.
Scouting Missouri
The Tigers began the season ranked in the national polls but are 18-20 and 7-11 in the Big 12 this season. The offense is hitting .280, led by Evan Frey's .385 average and .477 on base percentage. Five regulars hit over .300, and Jacob Priday has driven in a team-high 34 runs.
The pitching staff has a 3.68 ERA, led by Nathan Culp's 2.96 ERA and 76 innings. Preseason All-American Max Scherzer (3-1, 2.67) has fought through injuries all season. Taylor Parker has registered five of Missouri's six saves.
The Tigers are fielding .965 as a team.
Scouting Kansas
The Jayhawks are in the middle of one of their best seasons in recent memory, currently sitting at 29-16 overall and 9-9 in the Big 12. KU has a balanced offense that hits .291 as a unit. Outfielder John Allman (.353-4-33) leads the team in average, Gus Milner (.347-7-47) tops the squad in RBI and Erik Morrison has belted a team-high 10 homers. Three Jayhawks hit .347 or higher.
The pitching staff has a 4.55 ERA and is led by closer Don Czyz (5-0, 1.21). The senior leads the nation with 13 saves and is tops in Big 12 history in appearances, with 25 coming already this season. Don's younger brother Nick (2-1, 5.53) will take the hill against Creighton on Wednesday.
Defensively, Kansas has a .965 fielding percentage and has allowed 56 stolen bases this season.
The Coach
Ed Servais is in his third year at the helm after bringing home the school's first-ever regular season MVC title in 2005. His 105-55 record and .656 winning percentage rank atop Creighton's all-time list for coaches at this point in their careers. He is also the only coach in Valley history to win Coach of the Year honors in each of his first two seasons. Coach Servais is 0-1 all-time against Kansas and 1-2 against Missouri.
Star Watch
Chase Odenreider is 3-for-5 lifetime against Kansas, 2-for-3 as a Bluejay and 1-for-2 while playing for Nebraska in 2003. The senior outfielder has an RBI and has scored two runs to go along with his hits.
Looking Ahead
Creighton returns home for three more non-conference games against South Dakota State this weekend before taking a week off for final exams.
Last Meeting With Missouri
The Bluejays and Tigers last met for a three-game set in March 2003 with Mizzou taking two of three games in Columbia. Eric Wordekemper picked up CU's win on the mound and Ryan Fitzgerald hit a two-run double in Creighton's three-run first to send the Jays to a 6-4 victory. Missouri won the bookends of the series, 9-0 and 6-1.
Last Meeting With Kansas
Creighton and Kansas were snowed out of a March 22 scheduled meeting this season and will meet Wednesday for the first time since February 22, 2004, when the Jayhawks walked away with a 5-1 win in Lawrence. Steve Grasley took the loss for the Jays and Zach Daeges hit an RBI single in the sixth for Creighton's only run.
Last Time Out
The Bluejays dropped the series against Evansville beginning with a 9-2 defeat Friday in Omaha. CU rebounded with 13-3 run-rule victory on Saturday but could not carry the momentum as it suffered yet another Sunday conference loss, 7-1.
V For Venditte
Sophomore Pat Venditte has the unique ability to pitch both right and left-handed. The Omaha native is one of two known switch pitchers in Division I college baseball, joining Harvard senior Matt Brunnig. Here is a look at Venditte's appearances and which arm he threw with:
Opponent Innings Arm
UALR 1.1 Right
UIC 2.0 Both#*
UIC 2.0 Both
Saint Louis 1.0 Both
Saint Louis 1.1 Both*
SELA 1.0 Right
Vanderbilt 3.0 Both
Tennessee Tech 3.0 Both
Tennessee Tech 1.0 Right
North Dakota St. 0.2 Right
North Dakota St. 2.0 Right
Northern Colorado 2.0 Both
Bradley 4.0 Both*
Wichita State 4.0 Both*
Nebraska 2.0 Both*
Illinois State 2.1 Both*
Illinois State 1.1 Both
Kansas State 1.2 Both
Southern Illinois 2.1 Both
Southern Illinois 1.0 Right
Nebraska 2.0 Both
Evansville 3.2 Both*
# First time to switch in his career
* Indicates strikeouts with each arm
More on Switch Pitching
There are four known switch pitchers in the history of major league baseball. Greg Harris was the last to do it, throwing a scoreless ninth inning with both arms as a member of the Montreal Expos on Sep. 28, 1995. Harris is the only pitcher to throw switch in the Modern Era (Post-1900), but three hurlers did it prior to that; Tony Mullane (1882-1893), Elon Chamberlain (1888) and Larry Corcoran (1884). Corcoran's four inning appearance is the longest appearance for a switch pitcher in major league history.
College records are much less detailed, but some do exist of ambidextrous pitchers in addition to Venditte and Brunnig. Currently, Pete Taraskevich of Division II Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., throws with both arms for the Sharks in a relief role. Harvard had another switch pitcher in the early 1990s. Jamie Irving threw with both arms from 1992-93, starting several games. Ricky King also threw switch for Alabama State in 1989.
No records are available to determine when the last time a pitcher struck out batters with each arm in the same inning prior to Venditte. However, Harvard's Brunnig has not accomplished that feat, meaning the last likely candidate would be Irving in 1993.
First to 100
Ed Servais recently reached the 100 win mark sooner than any coach in Creighton history with the 2-1 win over Wichita State on March 31, his 146th game as head coach. Dave Underwood held that distinction prior to Servais, reaching the 100 win plateau in 162 games from 1981-83.
Grand Weekend in Tennessee
Creighton had a weekend to remember against Tennessee Tech, hitting 11 home runs, including three grand slams, in the three game series. The Jays hit two in Friday's game and one Saturday. Here is a list of notable team and individual achievements against the Golden Eagles:
• Chris Gradoville hit six home runs, two in each game
• Freshman Darin Ruf's grand slam was the first homer of his career
• Chase Odenreider hit the second grand slam of his career
• Creighton hit three grand slams combined from 2002-05
• The Jays hit four home runs in the third inning of Saturday's contest, including an NCAA record-tying two from Gradoville
• Gradoville's first five hits of the series were home runs
Gradoville Named National POW
Junior catcher Chris Gradoville was named the national player of the week by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and the NCBWA for the week of March 6-12. Gradoville batted .500 (11-22) with six homers and 18 RBI during Creighton's five games in Tennessee. In the Tennessee Tech series alone, he hit .643, blasted two homers in each of the three games and drove in 13 runs while slugging 1.929.
Is Ruf the Next Daeges
Freshman first baseman Darin Ruf has had a terrific rookie season, drawing comparisons by some to another CU slugger, Zach Daeges. Here is a look at how Ruf and Daeges compare through 36 games in their careers:
Category Ruf (2006) Daeges (2003)
Average .301 .294
At bats 133 102
Hits 40 30
Runs 17 16
RBI 35 27
Doubles 6 13
Triples 0 0
Home runs 3 1
Walks 12 8
Strikeouts 18 11
Sac bunts 7 1
Sac flies 3 2
4-RBI games 3 3
Two-out RBI 21 10
Starts 36 25
Fielding % .995 .765
Daeges Moves Up Career Lists
Zach Daeges is on pace to finish in the top 10 of nearly every major offensive category at Creighton. Listed below is his current ranking on the school's all-time list and a look at what he still needs to do to crack the top 10 in each category.
Category Rank Stat Needed For Top 10
At bats -- 659 728
Runs -- 164 178
Hits -- 225 238
Doubles T-4th 59 --
Home runs T-8th 27 --
RBI 6th 162 --
Total Bases 7th 379 --
Slugging % -- .575 .589
Walks T-5th 125 --
Sacrifice Flies -- 9 10
Record Win Streak
Creighton's 15 game winning streak from Feb. 18-March 18 was the second-longest in school history. The 1983 team won 18 games in a row to set the mark, and the 1990 squad won the first 15 games of that season. The Bluejays were tied for the longest streak in the nation on March 18 before James Madison pulled ahead with its 16th straight victory as weather cancellations prevented Creighton's opportunity to extend the streak. Also on March 18, Creighton led the country with an eight game road winning streak. Both streaks were snapped on March 24 at Bradley.
Reese Record Watch
Scott Reese is quickly rising on several career record lists. Below is a list of Reese's current standing in several career pitching categories:
Category Rank Stat Leader
Appearances 3rd 85 Steve Grasley - 97
Winning % T-6th .667 Steve Neneman - .867
Saves T-3rd 15 Steve Grasley - 24
ERA 10th 3.43 Rick Heiserman - 2.68
Schaecher, Daneff Join Reese
Seniors Adam Schaecher and Jeff Daneff both join Reese on the winning percentage list. Currently, Daneff sits in eighth with a .650 (13-7) winning mark and Schaecher is tied for 11th with a .636 percentage (14-8).
Run it Out
The Bluejays have beaten out an impressive 49 infield hits so far this season. Below is a look at who leads the way:
Name Number
Chase Odenreider 9
John Nowaczyk 9
Ryan Urzendowski 8
Darin Ruf 5
Chris Gradoville 4
Ross Sinclair 4
Zach Daeges 3
Andrew Small 3
Chad Ogden 2
Mark Wellwood 1
Michael Lam 1
Bluejays Jump Into National Rankings
Creighton was ranked 27th on March 20 by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and 23rd on April 3, as well as earning a No. 21 ranking on April 3 by Baseball America. The No. 21 spot is the highest ranking achieved by a Bluejay team since being tabbed as high as 15th during the 2000 campaign. CU reached as high as 28th on four separate occasions last season, including the final poll.
Playing Ahead
Creighton went a stretch of 106 innings without trailing at the end of the frame from Feb. 25-March 24 before Bradley scored in the bottom of third in game one of that series. Creighton had a streak of 77 innings without trailing at any point broken on March 15 against North Dakota State when the Bison took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.
Jays Picked Fifth by Coaches
Creighton is picked to finish fifth in The Valley according to the league's coaches. Wichita State once again is the favorite, receiving six first-place votes and 68 points. Southern Illinois earned one first-place vote and is picked second. Missouri State (59) and Evansville (47) come in at third and fourth, followed by Creighton in fifth with 43 points. Indiana State is predicted to finish sixth, but did receive a pair of first-place votes.
Super Starters in St. Louis
Creighton's three starters against Saint Louis; Adam Schaecher, Marc Lewis and Ben Mancuso, were remarkable in the three game set with the Billikens. They combined to go 3-0 while allowing seven hits over 15 innings and giving up just one unearned run.
Three Wins in a Week
Senior reliever Trevor Benson went on a tear in March, winning three games over a seven day stretch. Benson earned wins against Belmont (March 8), Tennessee Tech (March 11) and North Dakota State (3/14).
One-Hitter Through 10
Sophomore pitcher Ben Mancuso allowed just one hit through his first 10 innings in 2006. The southpaw began the year with five hitless frames before allowing a single to the leadoff hitter in his start against Saint Louis on Feb. 26. Mancuso bounced back to go another five hitless innings en route to picking up the win over the Billikens. Dating back to the final three outs of last season, Mancuso recorded 33 outs, or 11 full innings, while allowing only one hit.
Lam Slam
Add Michael Lam to the list of Bluejays to make their first hit a home run. Lam went yard against Saint Louis in the third at bat of his career, joining Jeff Daneff as the only two current CU players to have a home run be their first hit. Daneff did it in 2004 in his first at bat.
Been There, Done That, Won The Valley
The 2005 season started similar to this year. The Bluejay bullpen suffered two losses at Sam Houston State, just as it did against Arkansas-Little Rock. The good news is, the relievers bounced back to finish 2005 with a 26-1 record in its last 27 decisions.
First Time Ever
Head Coach Ed Servais was named MVC Coach of the Year for the second time in as many years in 2005. He is the first coach in Valley history to win the award in each of his first two seasons.
Reese Receives National Acclaim
Scott Reese has received preseason All-America honors from three publications after his record-setting 2005 season. The junior took the mound a school-record 37 times, finishing with a 12-0 mark. The NCBWA gave Reese a spot on the first team, while Collegiate Baseball and Rosenblatt Report named him to the second team. Reese is also on the initial watch lists for the Roger Clemens Award, given annually to the nation's top pitcher, and the Wallace Award for the nation's top player.
History Making Summer
Senior Zach Daeges became the first player in Northwoods League history to win the Triple Crown this past summer. Daeges hit .366 with 13 home runs and 48 RBI for the Waterloo (Iowa) Bucks. Daeges was named to Baseball America's Summer All-America Team for his efforts.
First Hit RBIs
Seven players on the roster have driven in a run with their first career hit so far this season. Darin Ruf and Chad Ogden each hit RBI singles against Arkansas-Little Rock, while Ross Sinclair knocked in John Nowaczyk with his first hit against UIC. Michael Lam did it with a solo home run against Saint Louis, and Curtis Smith knocked an RBI single against the Billikens as well. Justin Mosley joined the group with a game-winning RBI double to beat Wichita State. Although it was not a hit, Wes Castle was credited with an RBI after drawing a bases loaded walk in his first career plate appearance.
New Faces
The 2006 roster includes a total of 19 newcomers. That group consists of 11 freshmen, seven junior college transfers and one transfer from a four-year institution (Dan Stanley, St. John's). In all, 19 of Creighton's 38 players were not part of the program in 2005.
Returning Wins
The pitching staff returns 39 wins from last year's squad, the most a Creighton team has ever returned. That number ranks third nationally. Below is a list of the top five staffs in terms of returning victories:
Team Returning wins 2005 record
Miami (Ohio) 43 45-18
Oregon State 41 46-12
Creighton 39 48-17
Arkansas 39 39-22
Wichita State 38 51-24
Less is More
As Creighton's team ERA has gone down, its win total has increased (with the exception of 2003). The Jays current pitching coach Travis Wyckoff took over before the 2004 season and has extended the downward trend.
Year ERA Wins
2001 7.53 21
2002 5.85 30
2003 5.38 20
2004 4.56 35
2005 4.13 48
2006 3.51 22
Check Your Schedules
So far, two games this season have been canceled due to inclement weather and have not been made up:
Date Opponent Reason
2/10 UALR Rain and Snow
3/5 SE Missouri St. Rain
3/19 N. Colorado Snow
3/22 Kansas Snow
Private Success
CU's regular season Valley title marks the first time a private school won an MVC baseball title since former MVC-member Tulsa did it in 1974. Tulsa was also the last private institution to win the Valley Tournament (1975). No current MVC private school had won a title since Bradley won both the division and tournament titles in 1968.
Professional Experience
The Jays will play a total of 20 games this season in professional stadiums. Noteworthy destinations include Hohokam Park, the spring training home of the Chicago Cubs in Mesa, Ariz., and Greer Stadium, home to the Nashville Sounds, AAA affiliate to the Milwaukee Brewers. Creighton is 4-5 so far this year at those locations.
Long Way From Home
Creighton began the 2006 season with 14 games away from Omaha. The Jays have started the season with a road game every year since 1998, and away from Omaha each season since 1999. Creighton opened the 1999 season at Nebraska-Omaha.
National Leaders
Creighton has led the nation in a major defensive category in each of the past two seasons. In 2004, the Jays led the country with a .982 fielding percentage, ranking second in NCAA history. It was also the best fielding percentage since the NCAA began using aluminum bats. In 2005, Creighton led the nation with 85 double plays turned. CU's 85 double plays was the most since Florida State turned 91 during the 1999 season. In 2006, Creighton has turned 32 double plays and owns a .965 fielding percentage.
Holding a Lead
Bluejay relievers have done a remarkable job holding late inning leads during the past three seasons. Since the beginning of 2004, the Jays are 75-3 when leading after eight, 76-3 when leading after seven and 87-6 when leading after six innings.
Turning the Program Around
Creighton is the most improved team in the country over the past two seasons, with a combined increase of 24 games since 2003. Creighton ranked 14th on the list of the NCAA's most improved teams in 2005. The Jays improved 13 games in the win column and 10 overall, from 35-24 to 48-17. In Servais' first year at the helm, he guided the Bluejays to the seventh-best turnaround in the country, from 20-37 to 35-24. All told, the Bluejays have improved 28 wins and 24 games overall over the past two years. Though unlikely, a similar improvement in 2006 would give the Jays a final record of 64-7. Below is a list of the top improvements from 2004 to 2005:
2005
Team Increase
1. Nebraska +14.5
2. Towson +14
T3. Morehead State +13.5
T3. Southern Cal +13.5
T5. Oregon State +12.5
T5. San Francisco +12.5
T7. Baylor +12
T7. Tulane +12
T9. Brigham Young +11
T9. Liberty +11
T9. Southern Illinois +11
T12. Florida International +10.5
T12. Illinois +10.5
T14. Creighton +10
Five Alive
Creighton is 81-10 when scoring at least five runs over since Ed Servais took over the program in 2004. The record improves consistently when the Jays score more runs. Here is a look at Creighton's records when scoring 5-10 or more runs under Ed Servais:
When CU Scores Record Pct.
5+ 81-10 .890
6+ 74-6 .925
7+ 68-5 .932
8+ 57-3 .950
9+ 46-2 .958
10+ 35-2 .946
Fast Start=Postseason
Getting off to a fast start is always critical to how the season will play out. Over the last eight seasons, Creighton has made the postseason all three times that it has had winning record after 10 games. The Jays have missed the NCAA Tournament the five times they have finished the initial 10 games at .500 or worse.
Year Start Final Record Postseason
1998 5-5 27-27-1 No
1999 8-2 38-25 Yes
2000 9-1 38-23 Yes
2001 5-5 21-31 No
2002 4-6 30-24 No
2003 2-8 20-37 No
2004 3-7 35-24 No
2005 7-3 48-17 Yes
2006 7-3
