Baseball Seeks Revenge Against Kansas at Rosenblatt On Wednesday
4/7/2010 12:00:00 PM | Baseball
Creighton
Baseball Game Notes
Game #23 • Kansas (18-10-1, 3-2-1 Big 12) at Creighton (14-8, 3-3 MVC)
KOIL 1180 • NET
Channel 11 and HD Channel 712
April 7, 2010 • 6:37
p.m.
Rosenblatt Stadium (23,100)
The Series
Creighton holds a 17-9 advantage over Kansas in the all-time series. Kansas took the only meeting in 2009, a 7-6, 10-inning affair at Rosenblatt Stadium, and topped the Jays on March 23 in Lawrence, 5-4. Kansas' media guide has the first meeting coming in 1903; a 15-13 win for the Jayhawks. Last year's game at the 'Blatt was the first Kansas trip to Omaha, since 1997.
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 .646 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 423-214-1, with his Creighton mark standing at 241-132.
Ritch Price (Willamette, 1978) is in his eighth season with Kansas. Price is the only coach in KU history to lead the Jayhawks to a conference championship and multiple NCAA Tournament appearances in his tenure. The 2006 Big 12 Championship was the school's first conference title in baseball in nearly 50 years. He has led his Jayhawk teams to the NCAA Tournament twice (2006, 2009) and 30-plus win seasons in six of his first seven years at KU. He was named the school's 32nd head baseball coach on July 1, 2002.
Scouting The Jayhawks
Kansas is off to an 18-10-1 start to the 2010 campaign. Brian Heere is leading the team in hitting with a .393 mark, while Jimmy Waters has posted four home runs and 33 RBI. Cameron Selik and T.J. Walz have posted four and five wins respectively, while Brett Bochy, son of San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy, has five saves and a 0.78 ERA in 23.0 innings. Kansas is currently fourth in the Big 12 with a 3-2-1 mark in the league.
Last Time Out
Creighton posted its second win over Big 12 competition this season, with a 13-5 drubbing of Nebraska in Lincoln. It was the first time Creighton had won back-to-back games in Lincoln since 1992-93, as the Jays have won three of their last four games at Haymarket Park.
A Glance at the Series
Creighton hasn't defeated the Jayhawks since 2000, but since 2001 the teams have met just three times; twice in Lawrence and once in Kansas City. Prior to those three losses, the Jays had won six straight over KU, including a three-game weekend sweep in 2000. The Jays lead the all-time series 17-9 and are 7-2 against in Omaha, but KU has won two of the last three here.
The Last Meeting
Creighton made the trek to Lawrence on March 23, falling 5-4. Creighton got out to an early lead but three runs in the fifth, and a walk-off single from Brandon Macias with two outs in the ninth gave the Jayhawks the 'W'. Trever Adams had three hits in the ball game, while T.J. Roemmich recorded a home run, double and two RBI. The game was the first of the season for KU's preseason All-American Tony Thompson, after an injury kept him out of the team's first 19 games.
Bluejays vs. KU
Current Bluejays have played two games against the Jayhawks. Below are their results:
Player GP-S AVG R AB-H 2B 3B HR RBI SB
Trever Adams 1-1 .600 1 3-5 0 0 0 0 0-1
T.J. Roemmich 2-2 .375 1 3-8 1 0 1 2 0-0
Alex Staehely 1-1 .333 0 1-3 0 0 0 0 0-0
Jimmy Swift 2-2 .286 2 2-7 1 0 0 0 1-1
Robbie Knight 2-2 .286 2 2-7 1 0 0 0 0-0
Elliot Soto 2-2 .273 0 3-11 0 0 0 1 0-0
Carson Vitale 2-2 .200 0 2-10 0 0 0 1 0-0
Scott Thornburg 2-2 .167 0 1-6 1 0 0 1 0-0
Ian Dike 2-1 .000 0 0-5 0 0 0 0 0-0
Pitcher ERA W-L A-S SV IP R ER BB SO
Matt Patterson 0.00 0-0 1-0 0 2.0 0 0 0 2
Ty Blach 0.00 0-0 1-1 0 1.0 0 0 0 0
Jack VanLeur 2.25 0-2 2-0 0 4.0 2 1 3 2
B. Koenigstein 2.25 0-0 1-0 0 4.0 1 1 0 1
Bobby Lackovic 9.00 0-0 1-0 0 1.0 1 1 1 1
Mark Winkelman 9.00 0-0 1-0 0 1.0 1 1 1 1
Mike Nihsen 13.50 0-0 1-0 0 2.0 3 3 1 1
Turning The Tables?
Creighton will look for its third win of the season against Big 12 competition on Wednesday. Of the current Big 12 teams Creighton has faced, the Jays have their only winning record against Kansas, with a 17-9 mark. Below is how CU has fared in games with the Big 12.
Big 12 Team Last Game CU Record
Kansas 2010 17-9
Oklahoma 2007 5-6
Kansas State 2010 35-47-1
Nebraska 2010 38-70-2
Oklahoma State 2007 3-9
Missouri 2008 2-6
Baylor 1999 1-3
Texas A&M 2003 0-2
Texas 2000 0-8
Overall Record 101-160-3
Big 12 To Big Dance
Success against Big 12 opponents has been synonymous with a trip to the postseason. In the two seasons CU has gone to a regional under Ed Servais, the Jays have had a winning record in the regular season against Big 12 teams. Here's the Jays regular season results against Big 12 teams since 2004:
Year Record
2004 4-5
2005 3-1
2006 0-5
2007 4-3
2008 1-5
2009 2-3
2010 2-1
Tough To Get Rolling
Creighton has played its fair share of games against Big 12 teams, but have found it tough to get a streak of any kind going. Since the Big Eight re-formed into the Big 12 in 1997, the Jays have won three straight games over league opponents twice. The last was in 2007, when the Jays took two from Nebraska (9-2, 2-1) and one from Kansas State (3-1). The other time came in 2001, when the Jays took two from Oklahoma (14-12, 9-3) and a 7-6 decision from Kansas State.
Postseason Years
While Creighton has had the upper hand in the series, KU has gotten the best of the Jays in years they have gone to a regional, as they are 3-0 in years they have advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Blast From The Start
Alex Staehely and Elliot Soto's dingers to start Tuesday's game at Nebraska marked the third set of back-to-back home runs for the Jays this season. The Jays have had just three sets of back-to-back shots in the first inning since 1999; none of which were to start the game. The last time it happened was March 25, 2008 when Darin Ruf and Steve Winkelman did it against South Dakota State. Before that it was Scott Allen and Ovid Valentin who went deep against Bradley on May 8, 1999
Mix and Match
With injuries, the Creighton lineup has seen its fair share of juggling. The starting nine against Nebraska on Tuesday was the 16th different order and ninth different defensive alignment Ed Servais has put together this season.
We're The Bomb!.
Even with Creighton's recent offensive success at Haymarket Park, the Jays weren't exactly knocking the walls down. Before its four homers last night, Creighton owned just five homers in its first 11 games at Haymarket Park against the Huskers.
Three: It's The Magic Number
While a three-run first inning may not seem all that impressive, it certainly was for the Jays on Tuesday. The three spot in the first was the first time the Jays had scored multiple first inning runs against the Huskers since April 27, 1999.
Dodging Bullets
Even with Creighton cruising with the 13-5 victory over Nebraska, the Huskers still had their opportunities. Creighton pitchers left the bases loaded twice, while stranding 13 runners. The mark was tied for most on the season, as the Jay pitchers stranded that mark on March 7 against Northern Colorado in Texas.
Home Opener Streak Ends
Another CU streak fell by the wayside Friday, as the loss to Indiana State marked the first home opener loss since the 2001 season (a 5-3 loss to Northern Iowa). It was just the second home opener loss since 1995 for the Bluejays.
Rubber Arms
When Jonas Dufek (7.1 IP), Brandon Koenigstein (7.1 IP) and Ty Blach (8.0 IP) all worked at least seven innings this past weekend, it marked the first time Creighton had three starters throw at least seven innings in the same series since April of 2003 vs. Wichita State. Tom Oldham (7.2 IP), Jeff Daneff (7.0 IP) and Chris Appuhn (7.0 IP) did it over the course of that four-game set.
Blach-ing Out The Offense
Ty Blach's 8.0 innings yesterday was the longest appearance by a CU baseball freshman pitcher since Steve Grasley on May 12, 2001. The eight innings was the longest outing by a Creighton pitcher, while the 123 pitches were also the most by a Creighton starter in 2010. Brandon Koenigstein is the only other pitcher to throw 100 pitches in an outing this season. He did it twice; first at Minnesota on March 13 (102) and then again on Saturday (104) against Indiana State.
Staehely's Swingin'
Alex Staehely's 12-game hitting streak is the longest by a Creighton freshman since Dave Schultz hit safely in 15 straight games from March 14 - April 5, 2003.
Staehely has waited until the ninth inning to extend his streak in three of the past seven games, including Sunday's double to lead off the bottom of the ninth in CU's walk-off 7-6 win. His streak has highlighted a turnaround, as he is 21-for-51 (.412) after a 2-for-22 start to the season.
Run Producer
Alex Staehely not only continued his hit streak on Tuesday, but also set a standard for RBI. His three RBI and two sacrifice flies went for season highs.
Hinkel Heroics
Zane Hinkel had just two career hits in limited action going into Sunday's game. Hinkel blasted a momentum-swinging two-run homer after replacing an injured Robbie Knight for his first career long ball. The shot also gave him single-game highs in RBIs and total bases.
Two It Is
T.J. Roemmich has been the most consistent member of the Bluejay lineup. The senior's run of eight, two-hit games in nine outings ended Tuesday, but he still recorded a hit and RBI. Roemmich has a hit in all but two of Creighton's games this season, with a total of nine multi-hit games.
