Baseball Travels to New Mexico For Four Game Series

New Mexico Lobos
www.golobos.com
Record: 0-4 • Location: Albuquerque, N.M. • Enrollment: 28,800
Head Coach: Ray Birmingham • Alma Mater: NM State (1978)
Career Record: 927-395-2 • School Record: 109-67
2010 Record: 38-22 • Letterwinners returning/lost: 12/17

                                  ERA    W-L    App    GS    SV    IP    H    R    ER    BB    SO
Creighton
Fri. - Ty Blach, LHP    1.50    1-0    1    1    0    6.0    6    1    1    0    3
Sat. - Jonas Dufek, RHP    5.40    1-0    1    1    0    2.0    5    3    3    3    11
Sat - Greg Hellhake, LHP    3.38    0-1    1    1    0    5.1    3    2    2    2    6
Sun - Brandon Koenigstein, RHP    5.40    0-0    1    1    0    3.1    5    3    2    1    0

New Mexico
Fri. - Gera Sanchez, RHP    18.00    0-1    1    1    0    3.0    8    8    6    3    1
Sat. - Rudy Jaramillo, LHP    15.00    0-1    1    1    0    3.0    7    5    5    0    1
Sat. - Jake McCasland, RHP    6.00    0-1    1    1    0    6.0    10    5    4    2    1
Sun. - Bobby Mares, RHP    4.50    0-1    1    1    0    6.0    4    3    3    3    6

Last Time Out
Creighton won it's last game in dramatic fashion, coming back from a three to zero deficit, to earn the 4-3 win in 10 innings. The Bluejays took a while to get the offense going, not scoring until the fifth inning, but strong defense and the arm of Brandon Koenigstein helped to hold the Jayhawks scoreless until the third as well. The Jayhawks got on the board first in the bottom of the 4th, scoring three runs on an error, back to back doubles and a single. Creighton answered right back, however, scoring two of its own in the top of the fifth. Chance Ross singled to right field followed by an Anthony Bemboom single through the right side. Nick Judkins then drove a ball to the outfield, scoring Ross and advancing Judkins for Trever Adams to knock in two batters later. The next few innings were scoreless, but the Jays scored their 3rd run in the top of the eighth inning. Alex Staehely hustled out a double held up by the wind and was knocked in when Mike Gerber sent one right back up the middle. The Jays would win the game in the top of the 10th when Joey Bowens took a ball in the middle of the back to find himself on first base. Staehely then stepped in and again drove a ball to the outfield, this time for a triple, scoring Bowens and getting the game winning RBI.

Scouting Creighton
The Jays have started off the 2011 season strong, with wins over Toledo (4-1), Canisius (6-3) and Kansas (4-3 in 10 innings) and a loss to Canisius (4-1). Creighton was picked to finish fifth in the MVC this season, returning 20 players and just four starters from the team that went 27-25 last season. Creighton is being led offensively early this season by Michael Mutcheson, Alex Staehely and Jimmy Swift. Mutcheson leads the team with a .500 batting average and a .733 on base percentage, helped along by a team leading four hit by pitches. Staehely has exploded in the last few games, with a triple and game winning RBI in the 4-3 win over Kansas. Staehely leads the team in hits (6), doubles (2), triples (1) and total bases (10). Swift has been a solid force on the infield and at the plate, hitting .357 with five hits and a .526 on base percentage. He has a .947 fielding percentage, commiting one error in 13 attempts. The Jays have had solid pitching performances on the mound already this season. Jonas Dufek and Greg Hellhake set career strikeout records in their first outings, with 11 and six, respectively. Jack VanLeur and Kurt Spomer have pitched 6.0 and 4.1 innings, respectively, not allowing a hit or a run in any appearance. The pitching staff has a combined 2.50 ERA and is holding opponents to a .179 batting average against.

Meet the Coaches
Ed Servais (Creighton) - Ed Servais enters his eighth season leading the Creighton baseball program in 2011. He currently holds a .631 winning percentage while at the helm of the Jays, which is the second best in school history. Servais needs just 27 wins to move into second in Creighton history in wins by a head coach, as Jack Dahm (283) and Jim Hendry (289) sit in front of him. He has taken the Jays to two NCAA Tournaments and has won the MVS Coach of the Year award three times in his seven seasons.
Servais' teams pride themselves on defense, as they again ranked among the top teams in the Nation in defensive fielding percentage last season, boasting a .980 percentage as a team, good for second in the nation. Servais has coached three Gold Gloves in his time at Creighton.
Servais started his coaching career as an assistant at St. Mary's and then was the first head coach at Viterbo, starting up the program and leading them to a 23-6 record in the first year. He then moved back to St. Mary's as the head coach, went to Iowa State as an assistant and landed at Creighton as an assistant from 1998-2003 before being named head coach in 2004. Servais is assisted by Rob Smith, Craig Moore and Brandon Tormoehlen.

Ray Birmingham (New Mexico) – Birmingham is in his fourth year as head coah of the Lobo baseball team. He has coached three Mountain West Conference second-place finishes in the last three seasons, posting 30-win seasons in each season. Last season, the squad finished with a 38-22 record and a berth in the NCAA tournament. Birmingham has coached 34 All-America honors and nine players who have been drafted, just in his time at New Mexico. Birmingham's athletes excel in the classroom as well, as they posted a 3.03 team gpa in the Spring of 2009, the highest in program history. Birmingham was a successful coach in the junior college circuit, leading the New Mexico Junior College to a 756-255-2 record and a national title. He is assisted by Ken Jacome, Dave Martinez, Ryan Barba, Adam Courcha and volunteer assistant Coby Shields.

The Series
Creighton vs. New Mexico - Friday's game marks the 14th meeting all time for Creighton against the Lobos, with New Mexico holding a 10-3 advantage. The two teams have not met since March 6, 1996, a 3-2 Creighton victory. Creighton has scored five runs against the Lobos seven different times, but New Mexico scored 27 over the Jays in a1971 meeting.

Jays vs. the Mt. West
The Mountain West holds a 29-23 edge over the Bluejays, including the 10-3 lead the Lobos hold. Creighton went 0-2 against the Mountain West last season, dropping both games of a double header to Air Force. This season, the Jays take on New Mexico in a four game series, Air Force in a double header and BYU in a two game series.

Traveling to New Mexico
The Jays are 1-5 when traveling to New Mexico to play baseball. Five of the six games were played to open the 1981 season, with the Lobos winning four of the five. Creighton's lone win was a 5-4 victory in the second game of the season.

Sticky Gloves
Creighton has been known for it's outstanding defense under Ed Servais. Creighton's defense finished second in the country last season with a .980 fielding percentage. They led the nation in errors per game, with just 41 errors in 52 games. Coach Servais has coached three gold gloves in seven seasons. His teams have had above a .965 fielding percentage every season he has been at the helm of Bluejay baseball. The Bluejays have committed the fewest errors in Division I since 2004, with just 370 (28 less than the second place team). The Jays are also sixth in the country in the last seven years in double plays per game, turning 1.02 per game.

Scouting the Lobos
The Lobos are coming off their first NCAA appearance since the 1962 season, going 1-2 in the tournament last season, but have a lot of rebuilding to do after losing 17 letterwinners from last years squad and returning just one starting position player. The Lobos are lead by Ray Birmingham, in his fourth year of coaching at the school, but 24th year overall. Birmingham led his squad to a 38-22 finish in the 2010 season, including a 2nd place finish in the Mountain West conference. Leading returners for the Lobos are 1B Jacob Nelson and outfielder John Twichell, who hit .378 and .350 last season, respectively. On the mound, Rudy Jaramillo (LHP) and Richard Olson (RHP) return with a combined 35 appearances under their belts to lead the pitching staff. The Lobos are 0-4 on the season and 0-1 in the Mountain West. They are hitting .237, led by Kyle Stiner with .417 batting average and a team high five hits.

In Their Last Outing...
New Mexico welcomed in-state rival New Mexico State to Isotopes Park for a battle on Tuesday, Feb. 22, looking to erase the memory of 12 errors on the weekend at Arizona State and earn their first win of the season. The Lobos weren't so lucky, falling to 0-4 on the season after a 13-8 loss at home. New Mexico pounded 11 hits in the game, but couldn't stop the scoring parade in the eighth inning for New Mexico State, as they gave up seven in just that inning.

Isotopes Park
Isotopes Park, home of Lobo baseball, was named the top collegiate baseball field in 2004 by the SportsTurf Managers Association. Isotopes Park (formerly Albuquerque Sports Stadium) was most recently used as a Triple-A baseball stadium by the Albuquerque Dukes, with a multi-use field. The City of Albuquerque has renovated the existing facility to continue as a baseball-only stadium.

Seating Capacities: 11,124
Dimensions:
    Left Field — 340 ft (103.6 m)
    Left Center Field — 428 ft (130.5m)
    Center Field — 400 ft (122.0 m)
    Right Center Field — 428 ft (130.5 m)
    Right Field — 340 ft (103.6 m)

He's Got Brains Too
Creighton senior Jimmy Swift has been named the Prairie Farms MVC Scholar Athlete of the Week for his work in the classroom and his play on the field for the week ending Feb. 22. Swift batted .400 in the opening weekend (4-for-10) and had an on base percentage of .571, leading Creighton to a 2-1 opening weekend. Swift, from Des Moines, Iowa, got a hit in all three games and reached base 4-of-5 times in the 6-3 win over Canisius (two singles and a walk and basehit.) The fifth year senior has a 3.34 gpa in Finance.

Two for One
Through Ed Servais' first six seasons, the Jays ranked among the top in the nation in double plays turned each season. The Jays sat at 11th in most double plays turned from 2004-10 with 411, putting them at sixth in double plays per game at 1.02. This season, the Jays have already turned five double plays in the first four games, including forcing opponents to ground into four double plays.

Tops of the Charts
The Jays have played competitive and solid baseball in the first four games, going 3-1 in the games. They have found themselves high up on the early statistical charts in the MVC.
Sac Hits in a Game    1st    3 (2/22/11)
Hit by Pitch in Game    1st    5 (2/19/11)
Team Pitching    2nd    2.50 ERA
Team Fielding    T-1st    .987 Fielding %
Mutcheson    T-3rd    .667 ind. batting avg.
Staehely    T-2nd    3 stolen bases
*Leads in most stolen bases in single game (2)
Dufek    2nd    11 strikeouts
*Leads in most strikeouts in a single game (11)

Make it Three
With the dramatic win on Tuesday over Kansas, Creighton is now 3-1 to open the 2011 season. It marks the second time in Coach Ed Servais' career at Creighton that the Jays have started 3-1.
2011        3-1
2010        3-1
2009        0-4
2008        2-2
2007        2-2
2006        1-3
2005        2-2
2004        1-3

Keeping Our Bags Packed
Even though the weather in Omaha has been unseasonably warm, with temperatures making it into the 60's on some days and the snow off the field, Creighton will play a total of 13 games away from home in the opening road swing, traveling to North Carolina, Kansas, New Mexico and Arkansas. The Jays will travel just under 7,000 miles in the opening trip, detailed below.
Omaha to Cary, N,C. and back    2,500 mi.
Omaha to Lawrence, Kan. and back    414 mi.
Omaha to Albuquerque, N.M and back    1, 748 mi.
Omaha to Conway, Ark.    585 mi.
Conway, Ark. to Jonesboro, Ark.    130 mi.
Jonesboro, Ark. to Omaha    574 mi.

Going Streaking
While it is nothing like the NCAA record of consecutive games with a hit (like the 56 games straight Garrett Wittels had last season), two Bluejays have put together offensive streaks in the early part of the season. Newcomer Nick Judkins and senior Jimmy Swift have each gotten at least one hit in each of the opening four games. Judkins has also scored a run in each of the games. Last season, Alex Staehely put together a 14 game hit streak from March 13 to April 9, the longest on the team last season. The Creighton record is 23, put together by Elliot Soto from March 24-April 9, 2009.

Back to the Bench
Senior pitcher Jack VanLeur and junior hurler Kurt Spomer have combined to pitch 10.1 innings of scoreless baseball. They have not allowed a hit or a run in their time on the mound, and just two batters have been walked and reached base. VanLeur went 14.1 innings last season before allowing a walk.

We've Got A Closer
Bluejay junior Reese McGraw has stepped up early as a possible full time closer for the Jays. He finished his career at Garden City Community College with a school record 14 saves and 37 strikeouts in 36.2 innings in the 2010 season. McGraw has a team high three appearances this season, and the submarino pitcher has yet to allow a run, striking out two and earning the win in the 4-3, 10-inning win over Kansas on Tuesday, Feb. 22.

Welcome to College
Creighton's addition of seven junior college transfers has proved to be a good investment, as all seven have seen playing time. Nick Judkins and Chance Ross have earned every-day starting positions on the infield, at first and third, respectively, while Anthony Bemboom, Erik Mattingly and Gabriel Thibodeaux have each found themselves in the starting lineup in the first four games. Reese McGraw and Chase Webb have each earned time in the deep Bluejay pitching staff, with McGraw making a bid for the closer position.

I'd Like a Degree, Please
Freshman centerfielder Mike Gerber was drafted straight out of high school last season, being takin in the 40th round. But Gerber decided he wanted to get his education, and the Bluejay staff couldn't be happier. Not only did they find a defensive talent to fill in the void left by All-MVC selection Robbie Knight, Gerber is hitting .214 with three hits and two RBI on the season.

We've Got Ice
The Creighton baseball team was hit seven times in the season opening weekend, including five times in the 6-3 win over Canisius on Saturday, February 19. Michael Mutcheson leads the team with four hit-by-pitches on the season. Creighton was hit 62 times last season, led by Jimmy Swift and Robbie Knight leading the way with nine each.

This Canadian Can Play, Eh?
In Michael Mutcheson's first weekend getting into a Bluejay game, the junior from Manitoba, Canada, went four-for-six in the leadoff, designated hitter spot. He reached base four out of five times in the opener against Toledo, with three hits and a hit by pitch. Mutcheson then went one-for-two in the second game on Saturday against Canisius, with a single to right field, but was hit by pitch two more times.

Opening Day History
The Jays are looking to move one step closer to evening the opening day record to .500. In the 42 recorded openers, Creighton is 20-22, including the 22-0 victory over SIU Evansville last season.   The Jays are 19-13 in neutral site openers but just 12-24 in the season-opening road contests. Creighton has won four of the seven season openers under Ed Servais. Below is a list of those games:
Date    Opponent    Score    Location
2/19/11    Toledo    W, 5-1    Cary, N.C.
2/20/10    SIU Edwardsville    W, 22-0    Conway, Ark.
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.

Swift Stick
Bluejay senior Jimmy Swift has had great success in the two season openers he has played in, going a combined 5-of-9. In the opener a year ago, a 22-0 win over SIU Edwardsville, Swift went 4-for-6 from the plate, with three runs scored and four RBI. In Swift's sophomore debut, an 8-6 loss to Sam Houston State, Swift went 1-for-3 from the plate.

I'll Bet on a Nine
Creighton has had multiples of nine hits in its last three season openers. In 2010, Creighton had 18 hits, scoring 22 runs in a 22-0 shut out of SIU Edwardsville. In the 2009 opener against Sam Houston State, the Jays finished with nine hits and six runs in an 8-6 loss. The 2008 opener proved the same, with the Jays scratching out nine hits and eight runs in an 8-4 win over Washington State.

Everyone in on the Fun
In last year's season opener, eight of the nine starters got at least one hit, with freshman Alex Staehely being the only Jay not to get a hit. Creighton knocked out 18 hits, second most on the season, en route to a 22-0 win over SIU Edwardsville.

Get 'em Some Fresh Air
The Jays have taken advantage of the unseasonably warm temperatures the past week to get outside and practice on the turf. Head Coach Ed Servais has remarked this is the nicest since his first year with the Jays, when they opened with Iowa State, Servais' former school. With snow still down the foul lines and in patches in the outfield, the field looked like a scene from a movie - maybe the beginning of the feel good story of the year.

Iron Men
Five Bluejays played and started in all 52 games last season, including returners Trever Adams, Jimmy Swift and Alex Staehely. Joining those three were T.J. Roemmich and Ian Dike, both lost to graduation. Swift has started every game the last two seasons, 108 straight, and has played in 122 games over his career.

He'll Rob Ya
Senior Jimmy Swift led the team in stolen bases last season, going 10-of-13 on the season. Swift has 14 stolen bases in his Bluejay career. Creighton, as a team, stole 44 bases last season and was caught stealing 22 times.

No Free Tickets
Under pitching coach Rob Smith the Jays have had one of the top pitching staffs in the MVC. Last season marked the fourth straight season in which the Jays ranked in the top-25 nationally for fewest walks per nine innings. Over that same period, the Jays have combined for a 4.14 ERA which ranks 19th overall in the country.

Give Him the Ball
Last year, southpaw Ty Blach was named a Freshman All-American, the fifth selection during Rob Smith's four years. Blach finished the 2010 season with a 3.11 ERA, with one complete game in 75.1 innings pitched. Blach was second on the team in strikeouts (58) and held opponents to a .231 batting average. He will be one of the series starting pitchers for the Jays this season.

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, except for a .750, three-for-four February record last season. 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    3-1
2011    3-1

Dropping Bombs
While Creighton isn't typically know for its long-ball power hitting, the Jays have hit a homerun in five of the last ten season openers, including two last season. Below is a list of the players and the season they hit them in.
2010        Elliot Soto and Trever Adams
2009        Jimmy Swift
2008        None
2007        Tim Gradoville
2006        None    2005        None
2004        None
2003        Ryan Fitzgerald
2002        Dan Norquist (pinch hit)
2001        None

Middle of the Pack
Creighton was picked to finish fifth in the MVC preseason poll, as voted on by the league's coaches. The Jays were picked second in last season's preseason poll and finished sixth. Creighton finished with 35 points, just two points behind Indiana State at number five.
Place    Team    Points
1    Illinois State (4)    58
2    Wichita State (4)    53
3    Evansville    41
4    Indiana State    37
5    Creighton    35
6    Missouri State    27
7    Southern Illinois    25
8    Bradley    13

Adams Tabbed Preseason All-MVC
Creighton outfielder Trever Adams is the only Bluejay to be named to the preseason all-Valley team, earning the nod in the outfield. Adams, an all-Valley honorable mention selection last season, hit .356 last season with a team high 74 hits, 12 home runs and 58 RBI. Adams is slated to see most of his time in right field this season.

20-Years Later
This year marks the 20 year reunion of the NCAA College World Series team from 1991. It is the only time in Bluejay history the Jays have made it to the CWS. Creighton was eliminated by Wichita State, finished 2-2 in the tournament.

High Fives
Creighton seniors Jimmy Swift, Greg Hellhake and Jack VanLeur are all in their fifth-year of competition, after redshirting one year in their stay. The three have compiled 140-87 record, making it to one NCAA Regional and winning one MVC Tournament (both in 2007),

Double Dip Anyone?
CU currently has four 2011 dates scheduled with multiple games, inlcuding this weekend's opening Saturday games. The Ed Servais era has seen great success on such dates, as the Jays are 60-24 in twinbills since 2004, good for a .829 winning percentage. That mark includes 23 Jay sweeps and 14 splits.

Extra Credit
Creighton sophomore Ty Blach wasn't named to any of the Missouri Valley postseason teams last season, but did earn Freshman All-American honors. The left hander, who will be one of the top Jays pitchers this season, has been named “The Most Underrated Pitcher in the MVC” by collegebaseballinsider.com. On the same site, Bluejay senior Jonas Dufek has been named one of the top starting pitchers in the conference.

We Win Around Here
The 27-25 winning record last season gave Creighton it's seventh straight winning season under Ed Servais. The Jays high in wins in a season under Servais is 48, during the 2005 season in which they made the NCAA Tournament, finishing 48-17.

Bluejay Statistical Leaders

Batting
Batting Avg. Mutcheson (.500)
On Base % Mutcheson (.733)

Runs Judkins (4)

Hits Staehely (6)

RBI Adams and Staehely (4)

Doubles Staehely (2)

Triples Staehely (1)

Home runs    None
Total Bases    Staehely (10)
Walks    Judkins and Mutcheson (3)
Hit by Pitch    Mutcheson (4)
Sac Bunt    Judkins (3)

Sac Flies Adams (1)

Stolen Bases Staehely (3)

Strikeouts Adams and Ross (5)

Game Starts    6 players (4)

Pitching
ERA    VanLeur and Spomer (0.00)
Opp. BA    VanLeur and Spomer (.000)
Won-loss pct    Dufek and Blach (1.000)
Wins    Dufek, McGraw and Blach (1)
Losses    Hellhake (1)
Saves    VanLeur (1)
Innings Pitched    Blach and VanLeur (6.0)
Strikeouts    Dufek (11)
Appearances    McGraw (3)
Starts    Dufek, Blach,            Hellhake and Koenigstein (1)
Games Finished    McGraw (3)
Batters SO looking    Dufek (2)
Fewest Runs    VanLeur and Spomer (0)

Fielding
Fielding pct    5 players (1.000)
Chances    Judkins (43)
Putouts    Judkins (39)
Assists    Swift (13)
Errors    Mattingly and Swift (1)
Fielding DP's    Judkins (5)

Baseball Travels to New Mexico For Four Game Series

Players Mentioned

Joey Bowens

Ian Dike

Jonas Dufek

Mike Gerber

Greg Hellhake

Robbie Knight

T.J. Roemmich

Elliot Soto

Alex Staehely

Jimmy Swift

Jack VanLeur

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