Baseball Looks To Repeat At State Farm MVC Tournament
5/19/2008 9:45:00 PM | Baseball
On Deck - Creighton looks to defend its State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title this week in Wichita, Kan. The third-seeded Bluejays open tourney play against the sixth seed, Bradley, at 3 PM on Wednesday.
Follow Along - The Missouri Valley Conference website, www.mvc-sports.com, will provide live stats for all of the tournament games. In addition, each Creighton game can be heard on Omaha radio station KOZN (1620 AM) and at www.1620thezone.com, with John Bishop and David Gustafson on the call.
Television Coverage - Saturday's tournament championship game will be aired live at 12:30 PM on FSN Midwest (Cox Channel 47), Comcast Sportsnet, Fox College Sports and Metro Sports Kansas City. A potential second championship game at 4:30 PM would also be carried live by the same networks.
Creighton Season Review ? The Bluejays (35-19) enter the MVC Tournament as the third seed after posting a 16-8 league record. Creighton has now finished in the top-three of the league standings in four of head coach Ed Servais' five seasons.
Always a fundamentally sound team, Creighton leads the Valley in fielding percentage (.975) and sacrifice bunts (90). The Jays enter the tournament three sacrifices shy of matching their school and MVC record of 93 set last season. CU also leads the league and ranks among the national leaders with 108 hit batsmen, eight off the 2007 school record.
Pitching has been a strength of the team for much of the season. The Jays rank second in the MVC with a 3.79 team ERA. Creighton's top two starters are newcomers, as junior LHP Jeremy Hauer and sophomore RHP Mike Nihsen have combined for a 13-3 record. Nihsen's 1.88 ERA is the best in the Valley, and currently is tied for the best mark in a single season at Creighton. Hauer's eight wins rank among the MVC leaders, as he's posted a 7-0 record as a starter.
The Creighton bullpen is anchored by preseason All-American and reigning MVC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Pat Venditte. The ambidextrous pitcher is second nationally with 35 appearances this season and his 108 career outings are fourth-most in MVC history. Venditte has recorded at least one strikeout in 30 of his 35 appearances and leads the league with 95 K's overall, including 17 games where he's struck out a batter using his right and left arm. Venditte has seven wins to go with seven saves.
The offense is led by 2007 MVC Player of the Year Darin Ruf, who again leads the team with a .349 batting average, 48 walks and 16 doubles. Senior third baseman Steve Winkelmann paces the team with nine homers and 51 RBIs, while leadoff batter Robbie Knight is third in the MVC with 65 runs scored. Knight again leads the MVC and ranks among the nation's leaders with 23 hit-by-pitches, one of four Jays with at least 15 HBP. Senior Michael Lam leads the league and ranks in the top-10 nationally with 17 sacrifice bunts, while Joe Servais and Vicente Cafaro each own 16 sacrifices as the Jays lead the country with 90 overall.
The defending Rawlings Gold Glove recipient at first base, Ruf, has saved teammates from many errors this season. He has committed only two errors in 524 chances. Despite leading the league in fielding percentage, crucial errors have haunted the Bluejay defense at times this season.
Six Earn All-MVC Honors - First baseman Darin Ruf and relief pitcher Pat Venditte were repeat selections to the All-Missouri Valley Conference First Team, while junior pitcher Jeremy Hauer was named the league's newcomer of the year, the conference office announced Monday. Hauer was joined by sophomores Mike Nihsen and Robbie Knight on the all-conference second team, while senior Steve Winkelmann received honorable mention.
Newcomer of the Year - Left handed pitcher Jeremy Hauer is the second straight Bluejay to take home the newcomer of the year award, as Andy Masten was the recipient last year. Hauer has compiled an 8-2 record on the mound, including a 7-0 mark as CU's Friday starter.
Tournament Flashback - Creighton captured its first-ever MVC Tournament championship last spring in Springfield, Mo. The Jays defeated Southern Illinois and Bradley twice to advance to the championship game. After #12 Wichita State took a 2-1 victory to force a second championship, the teams played a classic to decide the title. After jumping to a 6-1 lead behind strong pitching from Pat Venditte in his first career start, the Shockers rallied and eventually took the lead in extra innings. However, CU fought back and won in the bottom of the 12th on a walk-off double by Andrew Small.
Tournament History - Creighton is 10-7 in the MVC Tournament under head coach Ed Servais, including two title game appearances in four seasons. The last time the tournament was played in Wichita in 2006, the Jays finished 1-2.
The Mastermind - Creighton head coach Ed Servais is 194-97 (.667) in his fifth season with the Bluejays. His teams have averaged nearly 40 wins per season and he has been named MVC Coach of the Year three times in his first four seasons.
Only one baseball coach in MVC history has won more games in his first five seasons at a league school than Servais has picked up at Creighton so far. That coach is legendary Wichita State skipper Gene Stephenson, who won 290 games from 1978-82.
With 87 conference victories, Servais has won more league games in his first five years than any other coach in league history during their first five seasons in the MVC.
Scouting Bradley (26-26) - The Braves come into Wednesday's game on a three-game losing streak after being swept by Wichita State last weekend.
Bradley is led offensively by first team all-conference outfielder Dan Brewer. The outfielder hit .391 in league play and led the team for the year with 24 extra base hits and 18 stolen bases. Second-team all-MVC pick Colby Luttrell led the team with a .366 average, 68 hits and 46 RBI.
Bradley brings in the worst ERA (6.07) of the six teams in the tournament. The Braves have struggled to find consistent starting pitching, with only Rob Scahill (13) making more than 10 starts. The bullpen is led by Kori Jensen, who is 5-0 with seven saves in a team-high 21 appearances.
Defensively, Bradley fields at a .969 clip, second to only Creighton in the MVC.
Tournament Quick Hits
- Creighton is 4-0 all-time under Ed Servais in opening round games at the MVC Tournament. With a win on Wednesday, CU would become the first team to open with a win in five straight tournaments since Wichita State's 10 straight from 1980-89.
- Four current members of the Creighton team earned All-MVC Tournament Team honors last season in Springfield, Mo. -- First baseman Darin Ruf, second baseman Michael Lam and pitchers Zak Moore and Pat Venditte. Venditte would also take home Most Outstanding Player honors, the first Bluejay to ever claim such an honor.
- The last Creighton player to earn all-tourney honors in consecutive seasons was Kimera Bartee in 1992 and 1993.
- Creighton owns eight players on this week's 25-man roster who played on last year's MVC Tournament championship team. Michael Lam, Darin Ruf, Steve Winkelmann and Robbie Knight started all five games, T.J. Roemmich started in three of four games he played, and Brett Mieras played in one game off the bench. On the mound, Zak Moore made one start and Pat Venditte made two appearances (one start, one in relief). Two other Bluejay pitchers, Ben Mancuso and Casey Schmidt, also pitched for CU but are currently injured and not on the 25-man roster for the weekend.
- The Creighton men's basketball also opened up defense of its 2007 MVC Tournament title with a first-round game against Bradley on March 7th, 2008. CU's men's basketball team won that game, 74-70.
Making The Sacrifice - Creighton leads the country with 90 sacrifice bunts this season, 14 more than UC-Irvine's second-place total. With three more sacrifices, CU will tie the school and MVC record it established last season.
Senior Michael Lam leads the MVC and ranks among the national leaders with 17 sac bunts. Junior Vicente Cafaro and senior Joe Servais also rank in the top-10 nationally with 16 sacrifices apiece. Twelve different Jays have at least one sacrifice bunt in 2008.
Black and Blue(jays) - Creighton has been hit by 108 pitches this season, eight shy of its school record from last season. The total ranks in the top-five nationally. Eleven different Bluejays have been hit by a pitch this season, and four (Robbie Knight- 23, Vicente Cafaro- 19, Steve Winkelmann- 19, Brett Mieras- 15) have exceeded 15 HBP. CU has recorded at least one HBP in 48 of its 54 games.
Knight Needing Armor - Sophomore center fielder Robbie Knight has been hit by 21 pitches in 2008 after breaking the NCAA record last season with 35 bean balls. On March 29 against Illinois State, Knight was hit by three pitches to break the CU career record of 45 held by Dan Lawler (1998-01). With 58 career HBP, Knight is tied for 14th in NCAA history.
Shutout Mark ? Creighton pitchers have thrown eight shutouts this season, which currently leads the country. The total is one shy of the school record of nine set by the 1983 squad.
Stopper of the Year - On April 17, senior ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte was among 45 relievers named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Midseason Watch List. Venditte has compiled six saves and seven wins so far in 2008. Last year, Creighton closer Andy Masten was a finalist for the award.
Mr. Versatility - As the nation's only ambidextrous pitcher, Pat Venditte has a unique advantage in that he is available to throw in almost every game. He enters the MVC Tournament tied for the national lead with 35 appearances.Venditte has pitched in 108 career games, fourth-most in MVC history.
Strikeout King ? Pat Venditte leads the MVC with 95 strikeouts in 81 innings. He has recorded at least one strikeout in 30 of his 35 appearances. Last season, Venditte led the team with 99 Ks and he is bidding to lead the team in strikeouts for the third straight season. He is one of only three pitchers in school history to have two different seasons of 90+ strikeouts.
Righty AND Lefty - So far this season, Pat Venditte has used both arms in 32 of his 35 appearances. He has struck out a batter using his right and left arm in 17 of those outings. In 108 career appearances, Venditte has fanned batters using both arms 39 times, including 10 times last year and on 12 occasions as a sophomore.
Always Available - Pat Venditte's NCAA-leading 35 appearances are three shy of his school record of 38 from last season. He is the only player in Creighton history to appear in 30 games on the mound in three different seasons.
ERA Records - During his standout 2007 campaign, Pat Venditte established a new school record with a 1.88 earned run average. This number was aided by a 43.2-inning scoreless streak from April 11 to May 26, which spanned 17 appearances. Venditte currently owns a 2.93 career ERA to rank fourth in school history.
Late-Inning Leads - Rice's two-run eighth-inning rally to defeat Creighton on March 9 marked the first time the Jays had lost a game when leading after the sixth inning since 2006. CU was 35-0 when leading after the sixth inning last season, and are 27-2 so far in 2008.
Closing the Door - Creighton had won 65 straight games when taking a lead into the ninth inning before falling to #14 Missouri on May 6. The streak dated back to a 5-4 loss to Kansas State on April 11, 2006. CU took a 4-3 lead into the ninth against the Tigers with Pat Venditte on the mound, but Steve Gray's pinch-hit walk off homer gave MU the come-from-behind victory.
Rally Starter - Creighton has used big innings to score many of its runs this season. The Jays have compiled 24 different innings with four or more runs, including seven with six or more tallies. On April 27 against Evansville, CU tallied a season-high eight runs in the fifth inning of its win.
Mancuso Sidelined - Senior pitcher Ben Mancuso has been out of action since making a season-opening start at Washington State on Feb. 22 with an injury to his throwing arm. The preseason All-American and 2007 MVC Pitcher of the Year was 10-3 with a 2.34 ERA last season. He will not pitch the remainder of the season.
Senior CLASS Nominees - Senior pitchers Pat Venditte and Ben Mancuso were two of 30 nominees for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. The honor recognizes seniors for their success both on and off the field, including work in the classroom and community, and overall character. Neither were named among the 10 finalists.
Ruf Reaches 15 - Darin Ruf compiled a career-long 15-game hitting streak from April 12 to May 4, the longest for any player on the team this year. During his streak, Ruf was 23-for-55 (.418) with 15 RBI, six doubles, a triple and a homer.
MVC Players of the Week
- Center fielder Robbie Knight was named the MVC Player of the Week on May 12 and was selected to the “National All-Star Lineup” by the College Baseball Foundation after he reached base in 15 of his 21 plate appearances during four games the previous week. The sophomore began the week with a 5-for-5 day at the plate against #14 Missouri (May 6), homering in each of his first two at bats. He reached base in nine straight plate appearances dating back to May 4 after a single and walk vs. Indiana State on Friday (May 9).
- Right fielder Nick Nordgren recorded 12 RBI and three home runs in five games from April 22-27 to earn the MVC Player of the Week award. He was also named to the College Baseball Foundation's “National All-Star Lineup.” The Norway, Iowa, native homered in both midweek games against Nebraska (April 22 & 23) and notched five RBI in Wednesday's contest at Rosenblatt Stadium. Nordgren then tallied three RBI in the series-opener against Evansville on Friday (April 25) and finished the week with a two-run homer in Sunday's (April 27) win over the Purple Aces.
- Ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte was named the MVC Pitcher of the Week on April 14, after recording saves in both games of CU's doubleheader sweep of North Dakota State (April 9) and a win over #5 Wichita State (April 12). He struck out 14 batters in his four appearances that week, including seven against the Shockers.
- Third baseman Steve Winkelmann was honored on March 10 as the MVC Player of the Week after collecting 17 RBI in five games the previous week. On March 12, Winkelmann was selected by CollegeBaseballInsider.com as its Co-National Player of the Week. He recorded eight RBI in a doubleheader sweep of Memphis (3/5), blasting a grand slam in game one and a three-run homer in the nightcap. He then hit three-run doubles in consecutive games against Western Carolina (3/7) and Michigan State (3/8) at the Rice Classic, and tallied five RBI total against the Spartans. He concluded his impressive week with a solo home run against No. 6 Rice on March 9.
Historic Knight - In CU's May 6 loss to #14 Missouri, sophomore Robbie Knight turned in a memorable performance. He became the first Bluejay since Chris Gradoville (March 12, 2006 vs. Tennessee Tech) to notch five hits in a game by going 5-for-5 against the Tigers. His leadoff homer was the first by a CU player since Chase Odenreider led off a game vs. Missouri State with a long ball on May 6, 2006. Knight homered in his next at bat in the second inning to give him more round trippers in two innings (2) than in his previous 106 games at Creighton combined (1).
Who Needs A Day Off? - Junior first baseman Darin Ruf, the 2007 MVC Player of the Year, has started all 167 games he has played in his career. This includes every one of Creighton's games over the past three seasons.
Gold Glove - A tremendous player defensively, Darin Ruf was awarded a Rawlings Gold Glove last season as the nation's best fielding first baseman. He committed only two errors in 611 chances. So far in 2008, he has just two errors in 524 fielding chances, and maintains a .996 career fielding percentage.
Turning Two - Creighton led the MVC last season with 77 double plays. In 2005, the Bluejays led the country in the category with 85 twin-killers. CU ended last season with at least one double play in 38 of its last 41 games. So far in 2008, CU has turned just 43 double plays in 54 games.
Television Exposure - Creighton will play at least nine games this season on TV, including five games that were carried nationally by CBS College Sports TV. Nebraska Educational Television aired games against Wichita State (4/13), Kansas State (4/15), Iowa (4/16) and Nebraska (4/22 & 5/13). NET's feed was sent to a national audience on CBS College Sports TV.
In addition, WOWT 6.20 (Cox Channel 120) televised two games of the Wichita State series (April 12 & 13) and aired the April 23rd Nebraska game at Rosenblatt.
Radio Coverage - KOZN (1620 AM) will broadcast 23 regular-season Bluejay baseball games, including 14 home games, nine road games and all postseason contests. John Bishop and David Gustafson will call most games, with Nick Handley filling in on occasion. All games can also be heard online at www.1620thezone.com.
2007 Season Review - Creighton finished 2007 with its second 45-win season in the past three years, ending with a 45-16 record. The Bluejays placed second in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 19-5 mark, then captured its first MVC Tournament title in school history, defeating 12th-ranked Wichita State in the championship game. The Jays advanced to their eighth NCAA Tournament in school history, finishing with a win over Albany and losses to Oklahoma State and Arkansas. The team featured the MVC Player of the Year (Darin Ruf), Pitcher of the Year (Ben Mancuso), Newcomer of the Year (Andy Masten), Coach of the Year (Ed Servais) and Tournament Most Outstanding Player (Pat Venditte).
MVC Preseason Poll - Creighton finished third in the league standings after being picked second in the preseason poll. In addition, first baseman Darin Ruf, starting pitcher Ben Mancuso and relief pitcher Pat Venditte were named to the 14-member all-MVC Preseason Team. Ruf and Venditte both received first-team all-MVC honors on Monday.
Preseason Recognition - Senior ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte, the 2007 MVC Tournament MVP, received a multitude of preseason honors. He was chosen to the Golden Spikes and Brooks Wallace player of the year watch lists. He was also named a first-team preseason All-American by Rivals.com and Ping! Baseball and a second-team choice by the NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball. Fellow senior pitcher Ben Mancuso, the reigning MVC Pitcher of the Year, was also named to the Brooks Wallace Watch List and was voted a third-team preseason All-American by the NCBWA and Ping! Baseball.
Jays in the Pros - Three players from the 2007 squad were selected in last June's MLB Draft. Pitcher Marc Lewis was a 20th-round selection of the Florida Marlins, catcher Chris Gradoville was selected in the 24th round by the Texas Rangers and pitcher Pat Venditte was chosen in the 45th round by the New York Yankees. Infielder Chad Ogden also signed a free agent contract with the Rangers. In addition, freshman shortstop Elliot Soto was a 13th-round pick of the Minnesota Twins. Venditte and Soto both turned down the opportunity to play professionally and are part of the 2008 Bluejay team.
No-Hit Winner - Creighton was no-hit for the first time in recorded school history in game one of a doubleheader with North Dakota State on April 9, but won the game 2-0 thanks to nine walks and a hit batsman. According to Boyd Nation, this freak no-hitter scenario was the first in college baseball since Maryland-Baltimore County's Eddie Bach held Hartford hitless and lost 1-0 in a seven-inning game on April 30, 2006.
According to Baseball-Reference.com, there have also been two Major League games in which a team has had a no-hitter thrown for them but lost. The first occurred on April 23, 1964, as Ken Johnson of the Houston Colt .45's was beaten 1-0 by the Cincinnati Reds. Three years later, in 1967, Steve Barber and Stu Miller of the Baltimore Orioles pitched a combined no-hitter, but lost 2-1 to the Detroit Tigers.
More Quick Hits
? The last team to repeat as MVC Tournament champions was Wichita State, who won four years in a row from 2002-05.
? The career record of Creighton head coach Ed Servais vs. teams in the 2008 MVC Tournament:
Bradley 15-5
Missouri State 10-6
Northern Iowa 8-8
Southern Illinois 9-9
Wichita State 11-11
? The Bluejays have won 35 games or more four times in the five years under Ed Servais. In the 38 years prior, it had done so only 12 times.
? Creighton leads the country with 90 sacrifice bunts this season, three shy of its Valley record set last year. With its next sacrifice, Creighton will become the only team in NCAA history with 91 or more sacrifices in consecutive seasons..
? Junior Darin Ruf enters the MVC Tournament with 1,589 career putouts, second in Creighton and fourth in MVC history. With 14 more putouts, he will move into the top-20 in NCAA history. Ruf has started all 167 of Creighton's games the past three years at first base.
? Darin Ruf has been walked in each of the last seven games, owning 12 free passes in that time. He leads the team with nine intentional walks and owns an MVC-best 48 walks overall this year. CU has lost just once this year when he's been intentionally walked.
? Creighton's top two starters have been nearly impossible to homer against. Mike Nihsen has gone 61.1 innings since the last home run he's allowed. Jeremy Hauer has allowed only one long ball in 78.1 innings this season.
? Robbie Knight saw his career-long 11-game hitting streak come to an end in game on of the Louisiana-Monroe series on May 15. During the streak, he owned 21 hits, five walks, four HBP and scored 19 times.
? Robbie Knight homered in each of his first two at bats against #14 Missouri on May 6. Prior to the power display in Columbia, he had homered only once in 106 career games.
? Pat Venditte became the third pitcher in Creighton history to record two different seasons of 90 or more strikeouts. The other two hurlers in this elite company, Dan Smith and Alan Benes, were first-round major league draft picks.
? Reliever Kevin Dooley has recorded 33 outs in the ninth inning or later but has not given up a run in those innings all season.
? Creighton had been 18-0 when Vicente Cafaro recorded an RBI this season before the loss to Nebraska on May 13. Cafaro drove in CU's lone run in the 8-1 loss to the Huskers. Still, 29 of his 30 RBI have come in Bluejay victories.
? Mike Nihsen's current ERA of 1.88 is tied for the best single-season mark in Bluejay history (min. 50 IP) with Pat Venditte, who posted a 1.88 ERA last season. Nihsen has allowed only 14 earned runs in his 13 starts.
? Mike Nihsen threw 24.2 consecutive innings from April 13 to May 11 without allowing an earned run, a span of six appearances and five starts.
? Pat Venditte's 249 career strikeouts are sixth-most in school history. He needs nine Ks to catch Mike Heathcott (1988-91) for fifth place on the all-time list. Venditte is also tied for eighth place in CU history with 13 career saves.
? Creighton is 11-1 when MVC Newcomer of the Year Jeremy Hauer starts on the hill this season. Hauer owns a 7-0 record in 11 starts, including three games in which CU shut out the opposition.
? Jeremy Hauer has five of the team's six outings of seven innings or longer on the mound this season. He also owns eight of CU pitcher's 17 quality starts (At least 6 IP, 3 ER or less).
? Zak Moore has allowed four runs or less in 28 of 33 career starts on the mound.
? Creighton owns four grand slams this season -- Darin Ruf most recently went yard with the sacks full at Southern Illinois on May 3. Three of the Jays' last six hits with the bases loaded have been home runs.
? Notre Dame's Brett Lilley holds the NCAA record for times hit by a pitch in a career with 107 HBP in 229 games. That averages out to .47 HBP/game. Robbie Knight has been hit 58 times in 114 games for a .51 HBP/game average.
? Left-handed batters have 113 at bats against Pat Venditte, with 39 strikeouts. He had not allowed a home run pitching left handed until he gave up two in the May 6 loss to #14 Missouri.
? Creighton has hit back-to back homers twice this season: Darin Ruf and Steve Winkelmann in the first inning of CU's win over South Dakota State (March 25) and Winkelmann and Nick Nordgren in the second inning vs. #6 Rice on March 9. Even more interesting, on both occasions the home runs came on consecutive pitches.
? In home games this season, Creighton finished 18-1 on campus at the CU Sports Complex and 4-5 at Rosenblatt Stadium.
? Creighton is 13-0 this year in games that last 2:15 or less after going 19-4 in 2007. In the five-year tenure of Ed Servais, Creighton is 73-29 in games lasting 2:15 or less.
? Creighton owns 43 homers on the season through 54 games. By comparison, last year's NCAA regional club hit 37 long balls all season in 61 contests and the 2006 team had just 36 homers in 52 games.
? Last season, Darin Ruf led Creighton and ranked in the top-five of the MVC last season in 10 different offensive categories to earn the Joe Carter MVC Player of the Year. This season, Ruf has better totals in walks (48 vs. 33) and on-base percentage (.490 vs. .463) and similar numbers in home runs (7 vs. 8) and doubles (16 vs. 19).
? When Pat Venditte takes to the hill, NCAA rules dictate that he declare which arm he will throw with before the batter steps into the box. Venditte is only allowed to switch pitching arms between batters, and not in the middle of a pitch count.
? Pat Venditte has been featured in many national publications during his career. He has appeared on the front cover of the New York Times, the “Leading Off” section of Sports Illustrated, in USA Today and Baseball America. He has also made appearances on ESPN's Cold Pizza, the CBS Evening News, Rogers Sportsnet in Canada, CSTV and the George Michael Sports Machine.
? Creighton took two of three games earlier this season over Wednesday's opponent, Bradley. Jeremy Hauer picked up the win in CU's 9-3 Friday night victory, while Zak Moore was victorious in Saturday's 12-3 win. BU took the Sunday game, 4-3, in 12 innings. Steve Winkelmann led the way with five hits and six RBI for the weekend. Joe Servais launched his only homer of the season, a grand slam, in the Saturday game.
