Baseball Heads To Lonestar State For Lumberjack Classic
2/24/2010 3:15:00 PM | Baseball
Games 3-5 • Lumberjack Classic • Feb. 26-28
vs. ULM (Fri.) • vs. Northwestern State (La.) (Sat.) • at Stephen F. Austin (Sun.)
Jaycees Field • Nacogdoches, Texas
Radio: Friday only, available at www.ulmathletics.com
* Click on Warhawk Radio Network link on left side of page
Live Stats: available at www.gocreighton.com; link on baseball schedule page
* Click on Warhawk Radio Network link on left side of page
Live Stats: available at www.gocreighton.com; link on baseball schedule page
Series History: ULM: CU leads 2-1 • NWLA: First meeting • SFA: First meeting
Media Information
Live stats for all of Creighton's games can be accessed by going to the baseball schedule page at
www.gocreighton.com, and clicking on the icon to the right of the game's listing. An audio feed of Friday's game can be heard at www.ulmathletics.com, by clicking on the Warhawk Radio Network link on the left side of the page.
The Series
The matchups this weekend with Stephen F. Austin and Northwestern State will be the first in program history. The Bluejays are 2-1 all-time against ULM, taking two out of three in Omaha in May, 2008.
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 .649 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 411-206-1, with his Creighton mark standing at 229-124.
Jeff Schexnaider (ULM, 1987), the 2008 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year, has amassed a 96-81 record in his three seasons with ULM. The Warhawks won the Sun Belt regular season title in 2008 in just its second year in the league.
J.P. Davis (Memphis, 1994) is in his third year as head coach of Northwestern State after serving as pitching coach for the last seven seasons, three in which the Demons won Southland Conference championships. His career record stands at 55-56.
Johnny Cardenas (TCU, 1993) is entering his second season as head coach of the SFA baseball program and fifth overall in Nacogdoches. He put up a 23-32 record last year in his first season at the helm.
Scouting The Warhawks
ULM, picked sixth of 11 in the Sun Belt preseason poll, opened last weekend at No. 17 Mississippi. The Warhawks beat preseason All-American Drew Pomeranz in game one, but lost 14-0 and 13-2 in the final two games of the series. Nick Wade led the offense, going 4-for-11 with a home run and two RBI on the weekend. Will Browning picked up the save in the ULM's win, earning SBC Pitcher of the Week honors.
Scouting The Demons
Northwestern State was picked seventh of 12 in the preseason Southland Poll. They opened the '10 campaign with a three-game set at 2009 CWS participant Southern Miss. The Demons prevailed 7-5 in the opener, but dropped the final two games to the Golden Eagles. Trent Grondin and Aaron Munoz both went 3-for-9, while Jacob Williford pitched 2.2 innings of relief for the win in game one. Chad Sheppard got the final two outs for his first save of 2010.
Scouting The Lumberjacks
SFA was picked eighth in the preseason Southland Conference poll, one spot behind Northwestern State. The Lumberjacks opened 2010 with a sweep of Grambling in Nacogdoches. The Jacks hit .344 on the weekend, as Tanner Hines led the way with a 6-for-12 weekend. Bobby Loveless and Riley Huble both had four RBI, and the Jacks hit three home runs. The SFA pitching staff allowed just seven runs on the weekend and struck out 24 batters, compared to seven walks.
Live stats for all of Creighton's games can be accessed by going to the baseball schedule page at
www.gocreighton.com, and clicking on the icon to the right of the game's listing. An audio feed of Friday's game can be heard at www.ulmathletics.com, by clicking on the Warhawk Radio Network link on the left side of the page.
The Series
The matchups this weekend with Stephen F. Austin and Northwestern State will be the first in program history. The Bluejays are 2-1 all-time against ULM, taking two out of three in Omaha in May, 2008.
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 .649 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 411-206-1, with his Creighton mark standing at 229-124.
Jeff Schexnaider (ULM, 1987), the 2008 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year, has amassed a 96-81 record in his three seasons with ULM. The Warhawks won the Sun Belt regular season title in 2008 in just its second year in the league.
J.P. Davis (Memphis, 1994) is in his third year as head coach of Northwestern State after serving as pitching coach for the last seven seasons, three in which the Demons won Southland Conference championships. His career record stands at 55-56.
Johnny Cardenas (TCU, 1993) is entering his second season as head coach of the SFA baseball program and fifth overall in Nacogdoches. He put up a 23-32 record last year in his first season at the helm.
Scouting The Warhawks
ULM, picked sixth of 11 in the Sun Belt preseason poll, opened last weekend at No. 17 Mississippi. The Warhawks beat preseason All-American Drew Pomeranz in game one, but lost 14-0 and 13-2 in the final two games of the series. Nick Wade led the offense, going 4-for-11 with a home run and two RBI on the weekend. Will Browning picked up the save in the ULM's win, earning SBC Pitcher of the Week honors.
Scouting The Demons
Northwestern State was picked seventh of 12 in the preseason Southland Poll. They opened the '10 campaign with a three-game set at 2009 CWS participant Southern Miss. The Demons prevailed 7-5 in the opener, but dropped the final two games to the Golden Eagles. Trent Grondin and Aaron Munoz both went 3-for-9, while Jacob Williford pitched 2.2 innings of relief for the win in game one. Chad Sheppard got the final two outs for his first save of 2010.
Scouting The Lumberjacks
SFA was picked eighth in the preseason Southland Conference poll, one spot behind Northwestern State. The Lumberjacks opened 2010 with a sweep of Grambling in Nacogdoches. The Jacks hit .344 on the weekend, as Tanner Hines led the way with a 6-for-12 weekend. Bobby Loveless and Riley Huble both had four RBI, and the Jacks hit three home runs. The SFA pitching staff allowed just seven runs on the weekend and struck out 24 batters, compared to seven walks.
Double Deuce
Creighton used an 18-hit barrage and a 13-run seventh inning to demolish SIU-Edwardsville, last Saturday in Conway, Ark. The 22 runs were the most in a season opener for Creighton and the most since the Jays put a 20-1 hurting on Grand View in 1995. To put that in perspective, it wasn't until the sixth game of last season that the Jays scored their 22nd run of the season. The last time the Jays scored 22 or more runs was March 20, 2004 in a 26-4 win over Winona State (MN). The Creighton record for runs in an inning is 15, scored in the first inning against Delaware State on March 9, 1998
Dealing
The Creighton pitching staff was on in both games Saturday as it allowed just two runs on a combined 11 hits Saturday. The two runs allowed in the season's first two games is the fewest to start a season in CU history. The previous low was three runs, which was accomplished in 1990 in two victories over Grand View by counts of 7-1 and 5-2.
Opener Notes
Four pitchers combined for just the third opening day shutout in Bluejay history. Jonas Dufek (5.0 IP), Jack VanLeur (2.0 IP), Mark Winkelman (1.0 IP) and Kurt Spomer (1.0 IP) all had a hand in the blanking of SIU-Edwardsville. The other two shutouts were in 1984, a 12-0 win over Xavier, and in 1970, a 3-0 triumph over Wichita State.
Lucky Number 13
With the Jays already holding a 9-0 lead over SIU-Edwardsville on Saturday, the Jays went off in the seventh inning. They tallied 13 runs on nine hits, finishing off the Cougars. The last time Creighton scored that many runs in an inning? That was March 11, 2006 in the third inning at Tennessee Tech.
It's About Time!
Elliot Soto has been a mainstay in the Bluejay lineup over the last 2+ seasons. On Saturday, Soto accomplished a long-awaited career first, as the junior shortstop hit his first career home run. The fence-scraper happened in Soto's 404th career at-bat.
Patience Is Overrated
Unlike Soto, Michael Blatchford took considerably less time to take his first home run trot. Blatchford got all of a fastball on the first pitch of his first collegiate at-bat for his first career round-tripper. Since 1999, Blatchford is one of four Jays to homer in their first at-bat, and one of five to record a home run as their first hit those players are:
Date Player Score Opponent
2/20/10 Michael Blatchford W, 22-0 SIU-Edwardsville
4/18/04 Jeff Daneff (Pitcher) W, 9-7 (14) vs. Illinois St.
2/19/02 Dan Norquist L, 10-9 at Kansas St.
2/23/02 Gabe Lapito L, 23-10 UC Santa Barbara
First hit only
2/25/06 Michael Lam (3rd AB) W, 9-5 at Saint Louis
Game Saver
After giving up the game-tying home run two innings earlier, T.J. Roemmich redeemed himself. Roemmich threw out the potential tying run at the plate to secure a 3-2 win over Central Arkansas on Saturday. The last time a Creighton game had ended is such a manner was on March 7, 2005 when Colin Shockey threw a Texas A&M-Corpus Christi out at the plate in the 11th inning to give CU a 3-2 win.
Put Me In Coach!
Several Jays played in their first game in the white and blue last Saturday. All-in-all, newcomers put up a .304 average (7-for-23) six runs, a home run and five RBI, with pitcher Mark Winkelman throwing a scoreless, hitless inning. Here are the newcomers that saw action Saturday:
Player, Year Results
Michael Blatchford, Fr. 1-2, HR, 2 RBI
Clay Cuno, Jr. 3-7, 2 runs,
Trever Adams, Jr. 3-8, run, 3 RBI
Alex Staehely, Jr. 0-6, 2 runs, SH
Mark Winkelman, Jr. 1.0 IP, 0 H, 1 BB
More On Soto
Elliot Soto had a career day in the season opener against SIU-Edwardsville. Along with hitting his first career home run, Soto set single-game highs with four runs, five RBI and six total bases.
South of .500 Land
The Jays take on two current Southland teams (SFA, NWLA) and a former one in ULM this weekend. The Jays are 12-17 all-time against current Southland squads. The only SLC team the Jays have a winning record against is Texas State, the defending league champ, with a 4-3 mark.
SLC Team Last Game CU Record
Central Arkansas 2010 1-0
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 12-17
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. 176 72
Sacrificing Will Suffice
Creighton has been known for its small-ball ways, which has landed them in the NCAA Division I record books. In three of the last four seasons, Creighton's sacrifice hit totals have landed them top-15 marks in the NCAA record books. Below is a partial list of the top-15.
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
15. Creighton 2006 52 81
Creighton Players vs. ULM
While the Jays have never faced Stephen F. Austin and Northwestern State, they did face ULM in 2008. Several players on this year's squad saw action against the Warhawks in 2008. Here is how they fared:
Player GP-S AB R H XBH RBI SB
Elliot Soto 3-3 10 2 4 0 3 1
Robbie Knight 3-3 10 1 1 1 2 1
T.J. Roemmich 1-1 2 0 0 0 0 0
Pitcher ERA W-L A-S SV IP BB SO
Mike Nihsen 3.00 1-0 1-1 0 6.0 1 2
Bob Lackovic 0.00 0-0 1-0 0 0.2 2 0
Matt Patterson 0.00 0-0 1-0 0 1.1 1 2
Jack VanLeur 6.00 0-0 2-0 0 3.0 0 0
Greg Hellhake 9.00 0-0 1.0 0 1.0 1 1
Double Dip Anyone?
CU currently has three 2010 dates scheduled with multiple games. The Ed Servais era has seen great success on such dates, as the Jays are 60-22 in twinbills since 2004, good for a .732 winning percentage. That mark includes 24 Jay sweeps and 12 splits.
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. Coming into the 2010 season, Servais had 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
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 overall with 69, and eighth in double plays per game with 1.23. World Series qualifier Southern Miss led the overall category with 83 and Morehead State posted a 1.35 mark in the per game department to lead all schools.
Several Jays played in their first game in the white and blue last Saturday. All-in-all, newcomers put up a .304 average (7-for-23) six runs, a home run and five RBI, with pitcher Mark Winkelman throwing a scoreless, hitless inning. Here are the newcomers that saw action Saturday:
Player, Year Results
Michael Blatchford, Fr. 1-2, HR, 2 RBI
Clay Cuno, Jr. 3-7, 2 runs,
Trever Adams, Jr. 3-8, run, 3 RBI
Alex Staehely, Jr. 0-6, 2 runs, SH
Mark Winkelman, Jr. 1.0 IP, 0 H, 1 BB
More On Soto
Elliot Soto had a career day in the season opener against SIU-Edwardsville. Along with hitting his first career home run, Soto set single-game highs with four runs, five RBI and six total bases.
South of .500 Land
The Jays take on two current Southland teams (SFA, NWLA) and a former one in ULM this weekend. The Jays are 12-17 all-time against current Southland squads. The only SLC team the Jays have a winning record against is Texas State, the defending league champ, with a 4-3 mark.
SLC Team Last Game CU Record
Central Arkansas 2010 1-0
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 12-17
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. 176 72
Sacrificing Will Suffice
Creighton has been known for its small-ball ways, which has landed them in the NCAA Division I record books. In three of the last four seasons, Creighton's sacrifice hit totals have landed them top-15 marks in the NCAA record books. Below is a partial list of the top-15.
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
15. Creighton 2006 52 81
Creighton Players vs. ULM
While the Jays have never faced Stephen F. Austin and Northwestern State, they did face ULM in 2008. Several players on this year's squad saw action against the Warhawks in 2008. Here is how they fared:
Player GP-S AB R H XBH RBI SB
Elliot Soto 3-3 10 2 4 0 3 1
Robbie Knight 3-3 10 1 1 1 2 1
T.J. Roemmich 1-1 2 0 0 0 0 0
Pitcher ERA W-L A-S SV IP BB SO
Mike Nihsen 3.00 1-0 1-1 0 6.0 1 2
Bob Lackovic 0.00 0-0 1-0 0 0.2 2 0
Matt Patterson 0.00 0-0 1-0 0 1.1 1 2
Jack VanLeur 6.00 0-0 2-0 0 3.0 0 0
Greg Hellhake 9.00 0-0 1.0 0 1.0 1 1
Double Dip Anyone?
CU currently has three 2010 dates scheduled with multiple games. The Ed Servais era has seen great success on such dates, as the Jays are 60-22 in twinbills since 2004, good for a .732 winning percentage. That mark includes 24 Jay sweeps and 12 splits.
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. Coming into the 2010 season, Servais had 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
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 overall with 69, and eighth in double plays per game with 1.23. World Series qualifier Southern Miss led the overall category with 83 and Morehead State posted a 1.35 mark in the per game department to lead all schools.
Pair Of Wins? Not For a Decade
Creighton's 2-0 start to the season has been a long time coming. The Jays haven't won their first two games of the season since 2000. The Jays won 15 of their first 16 games that year and qualified for their second straight NCAA regional. The Creighton record for most victories to start a season is 15, which was set back in 1995. The last time the Jays won four games to start the season was in 1999, and the last team to win five or more games to start the season was the 1991 world series team, which started 6-0.
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 97 straight starts and has appeared in 144 straight games. In his three years with CU, he has missed just one game, and has started all but three.
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 42 (8)
Jonas Dufek, Jr. Innings 100 84.1 (15.2)
Greg Hellhake, Jr. Wins 10 8 (2)
Robbie Knight, Sr. Doubles 50 41 (9)
RBI 100 99 (1)
BB 100 89 (11)
HBP 75 72 (3)
Bobby Lackovic, Sr. Wins 10 9 (1)
Mike Nihsen, Jr. Wins 10 8 (2)
Elliot Soto, Jr. Hits 150 123 (27)
RBI 50 49 (1)
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
2010 2-0
You Close at Six?!?
Since 2008, Creighton has won 32 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.
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.
Slow Start For The Valley
Creighton was one of only three MVC teams to win on opening weekend. Indiana State opened with a three-game sweep of Texas Southern, and Illinois State topped Austin Peay on Sunday to capture its first win of the campaign. Overall, The Valley started 6-10, with Bradley and Wichita State having its games cancelled.
Local Flavor
Creighton has taken advantage of the rich baseball talent in the Omaha-metro area by recruiting several local players. In all, there are five Omaha natives, and several others from outlying cities.
Player, Year Hometown / HS
Robbie Knight Omaha / Millard North
Zane Hinkel Omaha / Creighton Prep
Vince Bellino Papillion / Creighton Prep
Austin Cole Omaha / Skutt Catholic
Bobby Lackovic Omaha / Skutt Catholic
T.C. Manning Omaha / Creighton Prep
Jonas Dufek Omaha / Millard West
Saturday in Perspective
Creighton's 22 runs against SIUE was impressive. Here are some quick facts on that game.
• Creighton has scored 20+ runs 32 times in its history.
• Creighton has scored 20+ four times under Servais.
• The 22 runs is the tied for just 17th most all-time.
• 13 runs in tied for third most scored in an inning.
Moving Just Down the Block
The 2010 season will mark the last season in Rosenblatt Stadium for Creighton. The Jays will play a handfull of games in 2011 in the new TD AMERITRADE Park before moving there full-time in 2012.
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.
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 Sign Four In Early Signing Period
Creighton inked four players during this fall's early signing period. Anthony Bemboom, Matthew Hartmann, Mike Gerber and Andrew Holt will all don the Blue and White in 2011.
Bemboom, a catcher, is the lone junior college transfer, coming from Iowa Western Community College. Hartmann comes from Lincoln Way East HS in Mokena, Ill., Gerber hails from Neuqua Valley HS in Naperville, Ill. and Holt attends Central Catholic HS in Bloomington, Ill.
Creighton's 2-0 start to the season has been a long time coming. The Jays haven't won their first two games of the season since 2000. The Jays won 15 of their first 16 games that year and qualified for their second straight NCAA regional. The Creighton record for most victories to start a season is 15, which was set back in 1995. The last time the Jays won four games to start the season was in 1999, and the last team to win five or more games to start the season was the 1991 world series team, which started 6-0.
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 97 straight starts and has appeared in 144 straight games. In his three years with CU, he has missed just one game, and has started all but three.
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 42 (8)
Jonas Dufek, Jr. Innings 100 84.1 (15.2)
Greg Hellhake, Jr. Wins 10 8 (2)
Robbie Knight, Sr. Doubles 50 41 (9)
RBI 100 99 (1)
BB 100 89 (11)
HBP 75 72 (3)
Bobby Lackovic, Sr. Wins 10 9 (1)
Mike Nihsen, Jr. Wins 10 8 (2)
Elliot Soto, Jr. Hits 150 123 (27)
RBI 50 49 (1)
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
2010 2-0
You Close at Six?!?
Since 2008, Creighton has won 32 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.
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.
Slow Start For The Valley
Creighton was one of only three MVC teams to win on opening weekend. Indiana State opened with a three-game sweep of Texas Southern, and Illinois State topped Austin Peay on Sunday to capture its first win of the campaign. Overall, The Valley started 6-10, with Bradley and Wichita State having its games cancelled.
Local Flavor
Creighton has taken advantage of the rich baseball talent in the Omaha-metro area by recruiting several local players. In all, there are five Omaha natives, and several others from outlying cities.
Player, Year Hometown / HS
Robbie Knight Omaha / Millard North
Zane Hinkel Omaha / Creighton Prep
Vince Bellino Papillion / Creighton Prep
Austin Cole Omaha / Skutt Catholic
Bobby Lackovic Omaha / Skutt Catholic
T.C. Manning Omaha / Creighton Prep
Jonas Dufek Omaha / Millard West
Saturday in Perspective
Creighton's 22 runs against SIUE was impressive. Here are some quick facts on that game.
• Creighton has scored 20+ runs 32 times in its history.
• Creighton has scored 20+ four times under Servais.
• The 22 runs is the tied for just 17th most all-time.
• 13 runs in tied for third most scored in an inning.
Moving Just Down the Block
The 2010 season will mark the last season in Rosenblatt Stadium for Creighton. The Jays will play a handfull of games in 2011 in the new TD AMERITRADE Park before moving there full-time in 2012.
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.
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 Sign Four In Early Signing Period
Creighton inked four players during this fall's early signing period. Anthony Bemboom, Matthew Hartmann, Mike Gerber and Andrew Holt will all don the Blue and White in 2011.
Bemboom, a catcher, is the lone junior college transfer, coming from Iowa Western Community College. Hartmann comes from Lincoln Way East HS in Mokena, Ill., Gerber hails from Neuqua Valley HS in Naperville, Ill. and Holt attends Central Catholic HS in Bloomington, Ill.
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/ Baseball2013 Creighton Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee Dan Smith
Friday, October 30
Jim Hendry & Alan Benes (4/11/11)
Friday, October 30
CREIGHTON BASEBALL
Thursday, October 15
Ambidextrous Pitcher
Thursday, October 15
