Bluejay Baseball Opens Season in Arkansas on Saturday
2/18/2010 10:45:00 AM | Baseball
The Coaches
Ed Servais (UW-La Crosse, 1981) is in his seventh season at the helm of the Bluejay baseball program in 2009-10. His .647 winning percentage is the best in school history and he has averaged nearly 40 wins a season during his time as head coach. Servais has taken the Jays to two NCAA Tournaments and has won the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year award three times in his five seasons. His career record stands at 409-206-1, with his Creighton mark standing at 227-124.
2009 marked Gary Collins' (SIUE, 1970) 32nd season as the head of Cougar baseball. Collins entered the '09 campaign with a career record of 959-676-7. Collins also ranks in the top 10 among Division II coaches, as 2009 also marked the first season of Division I play for the Cougars.
Doug Clark (Colorado, 1971) has led Central Arkansas to a 190-178-1 record over the past seven seasons, the highest win total over a seven-year period since UCA joined the NCAA in 1993.
The Series
Today's games mark the first time Creighton has played both Central Arkansas and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.
Scouting The Cougars
The Cougars are in the reclassification process, as 2010 marks their third season as a Division I program. They compete in the Ohio Valley Conference, but are not eligible for postseason and do not play a full slate of league games. Like UCA, the Cougars return plenty of players from last year squad, including six position starters. One offensive hole that will need to be filled is the departure of Josh Street, who hit .387 with 15 home runs and 59 RBI last season. The Cougars also return their top four starting pitchers, but will have to improve on a team ERA of 7.01 in 2009.
Scouting The Bears
The Bears are coming off a 22-30 season in which they finished 10-21 in the Southland Conference, good for ninth. The league's coaches and SIDs predicted a similar finish for UCA this season, as the coaches picked them ninth and the SIDs picked them 10th. They return their top hitter in Tye Throneberry and starting pitcher in Reece Cross, but will have to improve in the pitching category, as they finished last season with a team ERA of 5.58.
Jays Ready for 2010 Campaign
Creighton opens its 2010 season this weekend with two games on Saturday in Conway, Ark. The Jays will take on Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and Central Arkansas in a doubleheader, Saturday afternoon.
Narrow Miss in '09
The Bluejays came one win shy of their third MVC Championship since 2005. Wichita State prevented a regional appearance for the Jays, as they earned the league's automatic berth with a 4-2 victory.
Opener History
Opening day has been a near 50-50 proposition for the Jays. In the 41 recorded openers, the Jays are 19-22. In neutral site openers, the Jays are 18-13, but just 12-24 in the season-opening road contests. In the Ed Servais era, the Jays are an even .500 in their season-opening tilts. Below are a list of scores in those openers:
Date Opponent Score Location
2/20/09 Sam Houston St. L, 8-6 Huntsville, Texas
2/22/08 Washington St. W, 8-4 Pullman, Wash.
2/9/07 Gardner-Webb W, 4-3 Rock Hill, S.C.
2/11/06 Ark.-Little Rock L, 11-12 Little Rock, Ark.
2/11/05 Sam Houston St. W, 9-6 Huntsville, Texas
2/14/04 Southern Utah L, 10-5 Colorado Springs, Colo.
Creighton Picked Second in Preseason Coaches Poll
Creighton earned one first place vote in the preseason coaches poll, landing them in third overall. Last year, the Jays were picked second, but fell to fourth in the final regular season standings. Wichita State was picked first, followed by Missouri State.
Jays Land Three On Preseason MVC Team
Three Creighton players were named to the 2010 Preseason all-MVC Team. Elliot Soto, Robbie Knight and Bobby Lackovic all earned spots on the team, in a vote of the league's coaches. All three earned all-Valley honors last season, as Soto was a first team pick, Knight was a second team selection and Lackovic was an honorable mention.
What Would Harry Doyle Say?
Robbie Knight has enjoyed a fine career thus far for the Jays. Knight has gone 1-for-3 in season-opening at-bats, leading off in all three of his seasons with the Jays. The year he got the hit? The Jays went on to win the MVC Championship and earn a berth in the NCAA Regional at Fayetteville, Ark. Here's how those three at bats have gone:
Date Opponent Score At-Bat Result
2/20/09 Sam Houston St. L, 8-6 Strike out, looking
2/22/08 Washington St. W, 8-4 Flyout, right field
2/9/07 Gardner-Webb W, 4-3 Single, center field
This Knight Could Use Some Armor
The aforementioned Robbie Knight will look to make a serious push at quite possibly the most painful record in baseball. Knight currently sits at eighth on the NCAA's all-time hit by pitch list, and holds the single season record of 35, set in 2007. He will need to be plunked 38 times in 2010 to break the record of 109, held by Brett Lilley of Notre Dame.
Player Years G HBP
Brett Lilley, Notre Dame 2005-08 231 109
Tony Hurtado, San Francisco 1997-00 221 92
Cody Rizzo, Notre Dame 2003-06 233 84
Gabe Somariba, Fla. Atlantic 1999-02 226 81
Mark Muscenti, Cincinnati 2003-06 211 76
Logan Johnson, Louisville 2004-07 225 74
Jeff Ontiveros, Texas 1999-02 258 74
Robbie Knight, Creighton 2007-pr. 174 72
Razorbacks, Red Wolves, Trojans and Bears
The Jays have had mixed results against squads hailing from the Yellowhammer State, as they are 14-13 all-time. Creighton is 5-8 against Arkansas, 2-2 against Arkansas State and an impressive 7-3 against Arkansas-Little Rock. The meeting between the Central Arkansas will be the squad's first.
The OTHER Valley
Creighton has enjoyed plenty of success against the Ohio Valley Conference (where SIUE hails from), going 8-2 in 10 games against teams from that conference. The .800 winning percentage has been buoyed by six straight wins over the last four seasons.
Date Opponent Score Location
3/2/08 Tennessee-Martin W, 8-2 Martin, Tenn.
3/1/08 Tennessee-Martin W, 9-4 Martin, Tenn.
3/1/08 Tennessee-Martin W, 12-1 Martin, Tenn.
3/12/06 Tennessee Tech W, 8-5 Cookeville, Tenn.
3/11/06 Tennessee Tech W, 18-10 Cookeville, Tenn.
3/10/06 Tennessee Tech W, 17-3 Cookeville, Tenn.
3/14/03 Eastern Illinois L, 2-1 (12) Jacksonville, Fla.
2/21/99 SE Missouri State W, 11-1 Cape Giarardeau, Mo.
2/20/99 SE Missouri State W, 3-2 Cape Giarardeau, Mo.
2/20/99 SE Missouri State L, 3-2 Cape Giarardeau, Mo.
South of .500 Land
The Jays haven't had the same success against teams from the Southland Conference, however. The Jays are 11-17 all-time against those squads. The only Southland team the Jays have a winning record against is Texas State, with a 4-3 mark.
SLC Team Last Game CU Record
Lamar 2007 1-1
McNeese State 1995 0-2
Sam Houston State 2009 2-6
Southeastern Louisiana 2006 1-1
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 2005 1-2
Texas State 2002 4-3
UT-Arlington 1992 2-2
Overall Record 11-17
Sacrificing Will Suffice
Creighton has been known for its small-ball ways, which has landed the Jays in the NCAA Division I record books. In three of the last four seasons (2006-08), Creighton's sacrifice hit totals have landed them top-15 marks in the NCAA record books. Below is a list of the top-15. 5-12-07 six sacs vs. Illinois State ties NCAA record, combined total of seven, tied for second all-time.
Team Year G SH
Texas 2000 67 126
UC Irvine 2007 65 118
Pepperdine 1997 59 114
Texas 2009 67 104
Creighton 2008 58 95
UC Irvine 2008 60 95
College of Charleston 2004 63 94
Creighton 2007 61 93
UC Irvine 2006 60 90
Cal State Fullerton 1994 63 90
West Virginia 2009 55 88
Cal State Fullerton 1995 66 88
Cal State Fullerton 1996 61 85
North Carolina 1990 65 83
Creighton 2006 52 81
Servais-ing Victories
Creighton's 31-25 overall record last year marked head coach Ed Servais' sixth winning season in as many years on the job. In his time as the Bluejay skipper, Servais has amassed a 409-207-1 record, good for a .664 winning percentage. That mark ranks 20th among active coaches. Listed below are those current top-20 coaches (records prior to 2010 season).
Coach, Team Yrs. W L T %
1 Mike Fox, North Carolina 26 1,039 349 5 .748
2 Mike Martin, Florida State 30 1,583 538 4 .746
3 Gene Stephenson, Wichita St. 32 1,683 577 3 .744
4 Rob Walton, Oral Roberts 6 254 93 0 .732
5 Wayne Graham, Rice 18 830 317 0 .724
6 Brad Hill, Kansas State 15 611 237 3 .720
7 Brian O'Connor, Virginia 6 265 104 1 .718
8 Jim Morris, Miami (FL) 28 1,237 522 4 .703
9 Ray Tanner, South Carolina 22 975 439 3 .689
10 Pat Murphy, Arizona State 25 1,000 457 4 .686
11 Augie Garrido, Texas 41 1,718 793 9 .684
12 Rick Jones, Tulane 21 847 393 2 .683
13 Danny Hall, Georgia Tech 22 898 430 1 .676
14 Steve Owens, Le Moyne 18 559 272 1 .672
15 Gary Gilmore, Coastal Carolina 20 806 396 2 .670
16 Sunny Golloway, Oklahoma 13 505 254 0 .665
17 Brian Shoop, UAB 20 781 393 1 .665
18 Dave Van Horn, Arkansas 16 647 326 0 .665
19 George Horton, Oregon 12 504 254 1 .665
20 Ed Servais, Creighton 14 409 207 1 .664
Sticky Fingers…and Gloves
Defense has also been a staple of recent Creighton teams, as last season the Jays put up a .984 fielding percentage, good for second all-time in NCAA Division I history. The Jays also have the fifth-best single-season mark, with a .982 showing back in 2004, along with being the nation's best defensive team since 2007.
Team Fielding % (2007-09)
Creighton .978
Oregon State .975
South Carolina .974
Texas Christian .973
Double Dip Anyone?
CU currently has four 2010 dates scheduled with multiple games. The Ed Servais era has seen great success on such dates, as the Jays are 58-22 in twinbills since 2004, good for a .829 winning percentage. That mark includes 23 Jay sweeps and 12 splits.
Creighton Outs Come in Pairs
Sticking with the themes of twos and defense, Creighton's nifty glove work resulted in a top-10, national ranking in double plays. The Jays finished seventh in double plays with 69, and eighth in double plays per game with 1.23. World Series qualifier Southern Miss led in double plays with 83 and Morehead State posted a 1.35 mark in the per game department to lead all schools.
Milestone Markers
Several Jays are coming up on career milestones. Listed below are several career markers to be mindful of in the upcoming games:
Player, Year Stat Mark Current (# left)
Ian Dike, Sr. Hits 50 40 (10)
Jonas Dufek, Jr. Innings 100 79.1 (20.2)
Greg Hellhake, Jr. Wins 10 8 (2)
Robbie Knight, Sr. Doubles 50 40 (10)
RBI 100 97 (3)
SB 30 28 (2)
BB 100 88 (12)
HBP 75 72 (3)
Bobby Lackovic, Sr. Wins 10 8 (2)
Mike Nihsen, Jr. Wins 10 8 (2)
Elliot Soto, Jr. Hits 125 121 (4)
RBI 50 44 (6)
Iron Men
When last year's lineup card was made out before games, it was a sure bet you would see Darin Ruf, Vicente Cafaro, Robbie Knight, Elliot Soto, Jimmy Swift and T.J. Roemmich in starting slots. All six of those players played in, and started every game last season. Even more impressive, Knight currently has a streak of 95 straight starts and has appeared in 142 straight games. In his three years with CU, he has missed just one game, and has started all but three.
A Winning Percentage
Greg Hellhake and Mike Nihsen were two regulars for the Jays pitching staff last season. The two played a big part in CU's success last season, as the Jays won 67 percent of the time in the hurlers appearances. Here is a look at their numbers in winning Creighton efforts:
Player ERA W-L A-GS IP BB SO
Greg Hellhake 3.54 5-0 10-10 48.1 18 25
Overall 4.73 5-3 15-15 70.1 28 39
Mike Nihsen 4.26 3-0 6-5 25.1 13 11
Overall 4.95 3-1 9-7 36.1 19 13
You Close at Six?!?
Since 2008, Creighton has won 30 straight games when leading after six innings. The Jays were a stellar 25-0 last year and last lost in that situation on May 6, 2008 at Missouri. In that game, the Tigers rallied for two runs in the eighth and two in the bottom of the ninth to top Creighton, 5-4.
Multiples with Multiples
Elliot Soto led all Creighton players last season with 21 games with multiple hits. Here is the list of 2010 returners with multiple-hit games from last season.
Player Multi-hit Games
Elliot Soto 22
Robbie Knight 20
T.J. Roemmich 17
Jimmy Swift 15
Carson Vitale 10
Ian Dike 9
Scott Thornburg 5
Fast Start in February
In his first three years on the job, head coach Ed Servais posted .500 records or better in the month of February. Since then, the Jays have been below .500 in each of their last three Februarys. Here are Creighton's records in the month since 2004:
Year Record
2004 3-3
2005 6-2
2006 5-3
2007 2-4
2008 1-2
2009 0-6
Through the Quad and Into the Gymnasium...
Creighton has two players that will have hit streaks carry over into 2010. Elliot Soto and Robbie Knight both have active streaks, as Soto comes into the season with a four-game run while Knight has a three-game mark. Listed below are the longest hitting streaks from the 2009 season.
Player Longest Current
Elliot Soto 23 4
Robbie Knight 16 3
Vicente Cafaro 14 -
Nick Becker 10 4
T.J. Roemmich 8 1
Jimmy Swift 7 -
Carson Vitale 5 -
Scott Thornburg 5 -
Darin Ruf 5 3
Ian Dike 4 -
Ryan Barban 1 -
Zane Hinkel 1 1
Dan Blair 1 -
Valley Leaders
Another 30+ win season in 2009 meant several players at or near the top of several MVC statistical categories. Creighton
Player Stat Rank Total
Robbie Knight On Base % 3rd .460
Walks 5th 36
Plate Appearances T-1st 277
At-Bats 5th 224
Fielding % T-1st 1.000
Elliot Soto Sacrifice Bunts T-2nd 11
Plate Appearances 3rd 271
At-Bats 1st 239
Assists 2nd 197
Double Plays 3rd 51
Jack VanLeur Saves 4th 6
Appearances 1st 36
Games in Relief 1st 36
Bobby Lackovic Appearances 2nd 34
Games in Relief 2nd 34
Greg Hellhake Games Started T-1st 15
Pickoffs T-2nd 3
Jonas Dufek Losses T-2nd 7
Walks Allowed T-4th 18
Active Leaders
Robbie Knight enters 2010 near the top of several active leaderboards. He currently is second among active players in runs, ninth in hits and first in hit by pitches. Jonas Dufek also joins a long list of players that are tied for second in shutouts, with two
Runs
Player School Total
Tyler Holt Florida State 170
Robbie Knight Creighton 163
Kevin Nieto Manhattan 159
Blake Dean Louisiana State 159
Bradley Logan Georgia State 155
Hits
Player School Total
Blake Dean Louisiana State 245
Shaun Kort Nevada 229
Bryan Altman The Citadel 225
Wes Hobson Appalachian State 223
Diego Seastrunk Rice 221
Chuck Opachich Jacksonville 213
Bradley Logan Georgia State 209
Jonathan Merritt UAB 206
Robbie Knight Creighton 203
Anthony Gallas Kent State 203
The Wins Keep Coming
Seasons of 30+ wins have become the norm for Creighton, as their 31-win season in 2009 marked the sixth straight season of breaking the 30-win barrier. Between 1994 and 2002 the Jays had just four such, seasons, but from 1985 through 1993 the Jays posted no fewer than 32 games.
