Baseball Opens MVC Play at Missouri State this Weekend
3/22/2012 3:30:00 PM | Baseball
2012 Creighton Baseball
Creighton (11-7) at Missouri State (16-6)
Friday, March 23 * 6:30 pm
Saturday, March 24 * 2:00 pm
Sunday, March 25 * 1:00 pm
Hammons Field * Springfield, Mo.
Missouri State Bears
www.missouristatebears.com
Record: 16-6 * Location: Springfield, Mo. * Enrollment: 22,866
Head Coach: Keith Guttin (30th Year)
Career Record: 1,008-636 * School Record: Same
Assistant Coaches: Brent Thomas, Paul Evans, Matt Lawson
2011 Record: 33-23 * Starters returning/lost: 8/1
Follow the Bluejays
Creighton opens Missouri Valley Conference play this weekend, traveling to Springfield, Mo., to play against Missouri State in a three-game series. The two teams are scheduled to play single games Friday, Saturday and Sunday. John Bishop and Dave Gustafson will also be making their 2012 debut, as all three games will be on the radio (KOIL 1180 AM). The games can be followed through live stats at www.gocreighton.com, as well as live Twitter updates (@gocreighton and @CU_baseball) during and after the games.
Familiar Foes
The two teams became familiar foes in 2010, playing each other six times in 10 days, all in Omaha. Creighton hosted the Bears to close out the MVC regular season, needing to win all three games to win the regular season out-right. The Jays squeaked by with 3-2, 3-1 and 3-1 wins in the final games of the regular season.
The two teams then met twice in the MVC Tournament. After having its opening game pushed back a day because of weather, Creighton won its opening game against Bradley, 4-1. The Jays then had to turn around and play the Bears that night, but MSU brought their bats in a 10-3 route, sending the Jays to the losers bracket. Creighton owned Southern Illinois in a complete game effort by senior Greg Hellhake, pitting the Bluejays with the Bears in the semifinal game. The two teams needed 12-innings to decide a winner, but Creighton came out with a 4-3 win, moving onto the MVC Tournament Championship and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
Meet Creighton
Meet Creighton
The Bluejays are coming off one of the most successful seasons in school history, finishing 2011 with a 45-16 overall record. Creighton won the Missouri Valley Conference both regular-season and tournament titles in 2011, marking the first time in program history the Jays have claimed both in a single season.
Creighton returns seven starting position players from the squad last season, led by centerfielder Mike Gerber and senior catcher Anthony Bemboom, both which have been tabbed preseason All-MVC picks. Gerber finished with a .280 average last season, playing flawless defense in center, while Bemboom shot down seven runners attempting to steal and finished with a .233 average.
Highlighting a deep pitching staff will be junior Ty Blach, who has already picked up preseason All-America nods. The southpaw held a 10-3 record last season, fanning 100 batters in 102.0 innings of work. Out of the pen, which lost just one pitcher from last season (Jack VanLeur), look for Kurt Spomer (13 saves in 2011),Mark Winkelman (35 appearances) and Reese McGraw (35 appearances, 5 saves) to headline one of the deepest staff's in Ed Servais'' tenure.
The Bluejays are led offensively on the season by Nick Judkins, the lone every-day player with a batting average above .300. Judkins holds a .386 batting average, starting all 18 games at first base. The senior is leads the team with 18 RBI and 35 total bases. He hit .474 over the week in California to lead the Bluejays to four wins. Judkins has 27 hits, accounting for 1/6th of the entire team's hits. Chance Ross has secured his role as the Bluejay leadoff hitter, as the senior has a team-leading 15 walks and sits in second with a .466 on-base percentage.
* The Bluejays had 12 hits combined in the mid-week games last week (a 2-0 win over BYU and 3-1 over La Tech), although only Chance Ross had multiple hits in one game. Seven different players had a single hit against BYU on Tuesday, while four different players had hits on Wednesday.
* Chance Ross has reached base safely to open a game in nine of the last 10 games, with his only blemish coming last Wednesday against La. Tech.
* Chance Ross has been walked a team-high 15 times this season, holding a .466 on-base percentage. He sits in a tie for second in the MVC in walks.
* Anthony Bemboom led the Bluejays over the last weekend, including a 4-4 game in the second game against North Dakota. Bemboom scored three runs and drove in two in that 16-3 win.
* Anthony Bemboom was named MVC Player of the Week last week, hitting .471 in the five-game homestand with a .824 slugging percentage.
* Anthony Bemboom is the toughest Bluejay to strike out this season. The senior catcher did not strike out at all last week, and has a team-low (among starters) with four on the season. He sits 66th in the country in the category.
* Nick Judkins has picked up a hit in 14 of the 18 games this season, including nine games with a crooked number.
* Nick Judkins finished the North Dakota series with a team-high six hits, driving in three runs and scoring two of his own.
* Nick Judkins reached base safely five of the six times in the Sunday game at Pacific, reaching twice by hit-by-pitch, twice by bunt and once with a single.
* Nick Judkins .494 on-base percentage ranks him second in the MVC and 81st in the country.
* Scott Thornburg reached base safely four times in the last game against North Dakota. The senior, who has made starts as both the DH and catcher, walked a season-high two times, was hit by a pitch and had a single.
* Alex Staehely is gradually getting back to where he was at the end of his sophomore season, picking up a hit in the last three games straight and five of the last six games. He has raised his batting average 30 points in the last six games.
* Alex Staehely finished the homestand with a .250 average, the best five-game series for the junior this season.
* Mike Gerber became the first Bluejay since Darin Ruf in 2008 to hit a grand slam. Gerber drove one out in the first inning of the 12-3 win over North Dakota.
* Gabriel Thibodeaux drove out a pair of home runs in game two against North Dakota. The senior, who has seen most of his time as the designated hitter, is now tied for the team lead with a pair of bombs.
* Petr Zyma's number was called for the first time this season, but the junior from the Czech Republic wouldn't get an at-bat. Zyma was plunked in the side, one of nine batters to be hit by a pitch on the weekend at Pacific.
* Brennan Murphy was a perfect 3-3 in stolen bases while in California last week and now sits 5-5 on the season. The school record for stolen bases in a season is 52, but a player hasn't stolen more than 27 bases since 2002.
On the pitcher's mound, four different Bluejay pitchers have made starts this season. Ty Blach continues to lead the team, holding a 1.60 ERA in his five starts. The junior southpaw has tossed a team-high 33.2 innings this season, striking out 25 batters and holding opponents to a .231 average against. Mark Winkelman leads the staff with 11 appearances on the season, holding a 1-0 record in relief on the mound. The Bluejays posted their first shutout of the season last Tuesday, baffling the BYU hitters in the 2-0 win.
* The Creighton pitching staff has a combined 0.50 ERA in the first two games at home this season, allowing just one earned run in the two games combined.
* Eight different pitchers posted flawless 0.00 ERA's in the midweek games last week, with four different pitchers making a pair of appearances.
* Brandon Koenigstein picked up his first win of the season on Wednesday night, tossing 2.0 scoreless innings and allowing just one hit.
* Chase Webb tied his career high with three strikeouts in the 3-1 win over La. Tech on Wednesday. Webb threw 1.1 innings, not allowing a hit or a run.
* Ty Blach and Reese McGraw have each been named MVC Pitchers of the Week already this season.
*Shane Liska has made four appearances this season, tossing a career-long 3.0 innings at Sacramento State.
*Andrew Urban became the first Bluejay newcomer since Ty Blach's freshman year to make it into the starting rotation in his first year on campus. The JUCO transfer is the first since Jeremy Hauer to make it into the starting rotation since 2008-09.
* Ty Blach and Nick Musec had long outings in their last starts, Musec going 7.0 innings and Blach 6.2 innings. They both faced the minimum batters in five innings, and are the lone two pitchers on the staff with three wins on the season.
* Nick Musec tossed a career-high 7.0 innings in the 12-2 win over Pacific last week. He struck out two and allowed just two earned runs.
* Kurt Spomer picked up his second save on the trip to California, tossing 1.0 scoreless inning at UC Davis.
* Freshman Mark Lukowski and senior Ryan Knott both made their first appearances on the mound last week; Lukowski tossed a pair of innings at Sacramento State and Pacific, while Knott came in in relief against Sacramento State.
Meet Missouri State
The Bears are off to one of their best seasons in program history, holding a 16-6 overall record heading into MVC play. MSU returns eight starting position players from the team that finished 33-23 a season ago, finishing fourth in regular season play and nearly upsetting the Bluejays in the MVC Tournament.
MSU comes into the game on Friday with a four game winning streak, with three wins over Oral Roberts last weekend and a midweek, 8-1 win over SEMO. The Bears won 12 of 14 at one point this season.
Going into conference play, MSU is led offensively by Spiker Helms and Brock Chaffin. The tandem is hitting .33 and .310, respectively, accounting for 56 hits and 34 RBI on the year. Helms is tied with Luke Voit and Brent Seifert for the lead in home runs (three each), while Voit has a team best 23 RBI.
As a whole, the Bears are hitting .263, with 54 extra base hits on the year (40 doubles, four triples and 10 home runs).
On the mound, the starting trio (Pierce Johnson, Nick Petree and Clay Murphy) has combined to hold a 8-5 record, striking out 122 batters in 112.1 innings of work. Johnson, who will be starting Friday night, leads the team with 50 fanned batters in just 37.1 innings of work, while Murphy is holding opponents to a .215 average against. Closer Tyler Burgess holds a flawless 0.00 ERA in 13.1 innings, picking up four saves to add to his 3-0 mark.
The Bears have a 2.63 ERA and have struck out a combined 195 batters this season, while issuing 63 walks.
Hammons Field
On April 2, 2004 the Missouri State Bears moved into their new home, Hammons Field. Hammons Field is located just blocks from the Missouri State campus.
The 8,000 seat, natural grass stadium includes 28 luxury suites, five party decks, six food and beverage outlets, a souvenir shop and a club lounge.
One of the premier college ballparks in the country, Hammons Field was built by Missouri State alumnus John Q. Hammons. The facility features offices for the Missouri State coaching staff as well as separate dressing room and training facilities for the Bears. A 120-feet by 120-feet indoor practice facility that includes retractable batting cages and a FieldTurf surface is also available for the Bears.
Hammons Field also became the home of the St. Louis Cardinals AA affiliate, the Springfield Cardinals, in 2005.
In 2004, in the Bears' first year at Hammons Field, Missouri State averaged 3,759 fans per game. With 20 home games and 75,186 total fans attending Bears games, MSU ranked ninth in the NCAA in attendance average, and 26th in total attendance.
In 2005, the Bears had 38,294 fans turn out for the 28 home games at Hammons Field with crowds as high as 3,415. Missouri State ranked 41st in the country in average attendance and 42nd overall in total home attendance.
The 2006 season saw 25,407 fans pass through the gates for 25 home games with a season-high attendance of 3,892, while 29,027 fans attended games in 2007 with a high of 3,712.
In four years at Hammons Field, 167,554 fans have attended games.
Against the Bears
While the two schools met six times to close out the 2011 season, Creighton and Missouri State have met a total of 78 times on the baseball diamond, with the Bluejays holding a 40-38 lead. Under coach Ed Servais, Creighton is 17-13 overall, 6-6 when playing in Springfield.
The two teams first met in 1991, a 7-1 Bluejay win, and have most recently faced each other in the Missouri Valley Tournament, Creighton victorious 4-3 in 12-innings.
The Bluejays and Bears have always had close games (three of the six meetings last season were by one-run), with 24 games decided by one-run. Creighton holds the 24-10 advantage, including all three last season.
Meet the Coaches
Creighton: Ed Servais (9th Season): Ed Servais enters his ninth season leading the Creighton baseball program in 2012. He is the winningest coach in program history, surpassing Jack Dahm (283) and Jim Hendry (289) in 2011, when he led his team to a 45-16 overall record, Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament titles and a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007. Servais was named the MVC Coach of the Year following the 2011 season, the fourth time he has earned the award in his eight years at Creighton.
Servais currently holds a .644 winning percentage at the helm of the Jays, the top number in school history. He has taken the Bluejays to three NCAA Tournaments, including 2011. He has also led the Bluejays to an average of 37 wins in each of the last eight seasons.
Servais' tenure has ranked among the best as a Creighton head coach, as he has guided the team to a 306-171 record, placing him second in the Missouri Valley Conference, fifth in the Midwest, and in the top 20 in the nation in winning percentage during that time. The Bluejays are one of just 10 schools in the Midwest to earn five or more NCAA Regional berths in the last 13 years, and one of two in the MVC along with Wichita State. Servais also has led the Jays to the MVC Tournament title in 2007 and regular-season crown in 2005, and both in the 2011 season.
His teams have finished among the nation's best in fielding percentage and sacrifice bunts every season, including 2011, when the Bluejays finished fourth in fielding percentage (.980) and fourth in sacrifice bunts, with 84. Since coming to Creighton, Servais' teams have committed the fewest errors in the nation, while holding a .977 fielding percentage in the last eight seasons, which also leads the country.
Missouri State: Keith Guttin (30th Season): Beginning his 30th year of guiding the Missouri State baseball program, Guttin continues to build the Bears into one of the top programs, not just in the Missouri Valley Conference or the Midwest, but in all of NCAA Division I.
Under Guttin, the Bears are 992-630 (an average of 34 wins and 22 losses per season) and have won 61 percent of their games. Guttin has had eight 40-win seasons.
The Bears will be poised for a breakout season in 2012 with eight regular starters and a deep pitching corps returning from last year's 33-23 campaign that saw MSU fall just short of its first NCAA Tournament berth in eight years.
In the Conference Opener
Creighton holds an 11-13 overall record in Missouri Valley Conference openers since 1984. The Bluejays are an even 4-4 in the opening game under head coach Ed Servais.
2011 L 4-5 Illinois State
2010 W 4-2 Southern Illinois
2009 W 7-3 Indiana State
2008 L 8-9 Missouri State
2007 L 0-6 Evansville
2006 L 0-4 Bradley
2005 W 8-2 Illinois State
2004 W 2-0 Missouri State
In the Conference Series Opener
Head coach Ed Servais is 6-2 in the MVC series opener in his first eight years, with the lone series losses coming at Missouri State in 2008 and at Bradley in 2006. The Bluejays have swept just once in the series opener under Servais, a three-game sweep of Illinois State in 2005. Overall, Creighton holds a 13-9-3 record in MVC Opening series.
Conference Series Openers Under Servais
2011 2-1 @ Illinois State
2010 2-1 @ Southern Illinois
2009 2-1 @ Indiana State
2008 1-2 @ Missouri State
2007 2-1 @ Evansville
2006 1-2 @ Bradley
2005 3-0 @ Illinois State
2004 2-1 @ Missouri State
Life on the Road
Creighton has opened the Missouri Valley Conference portion of their schedule on the road each of the last eight years under Ed Servais. The Bluejays haven't hosted the opening MVC weekend since 2003, when they hosted Missouri State in a four game series. The Jays split with the Bears, Creighton winning the first two games (3-2 and 4-3) and MSU taking the final two (11-1, 4-2). The Bluejays have also hosted MVC opening weekends in 1993, 1992, 1991 and 1989
Fore or Four
Creighton and Missouri State have met up in the conference opening weekend three different times, with the Bears holding a 6-3 edge in games won. The two teams opened the MVC schedule in 1996, with an MSU sweep (11-10, 14-9, 5-4), played again in 2004, with Creighton taking two of three (2-0 Jays, 5-0 Bears and 3-2 Jays). The two teams played most recently on the opening weekend in 2008, when Missouri State won the first two games (9-8 and 3-1) and Creighton broke up the sweep with the 8-4 win in game three.
All three series have been played in Springfield, Mo.
Putting up a Donut
Erik Mattingly has made appearances on the mound in five different games this season, holding a 1.23 earned run average. The senior, who also sees playing time in the outfield and as the designated hitter, has made scoreless appearances four of the five outings this season, allowing just one earned run on four hits this season.
* Mattingly went a season-high 3.0 innings against BYU on March 13. He struck out five batters and allowed just one hit in his scoreless outing.
* Tuesday at Kansas State was set to mark Mattingly's first start of the 2012 season, just the second of his career as a Bluejay. He made his solo start at New Mexico (2/27) last season, surrendering seven hits and six earned runs. The game was canceled due to inclement weather in Manhattan.
* Mattingly is holding his opponents to a .077 batting average against, allowing just four hits this season, including one extra-base hit (a triple at UC Davis).
Pitching Dominance
The Bluejay pitching staff has had its struggles early this season, but turned things around immensely last week, holding a combined 1.20 earned run average and posting a 4-1 record. Nine different Bluejays posted flawless outings on the mound, with seven of the nine pitching at least 2.2 innings. Andrew Urban made a pair of starts, throwing 6.2 scoreless innings with a 1-0 record, while Mark Winkelman, Reese McGraw and Kurt Spomer combined out of the bullpen to make nine appearances and surrender seven hits total in 10.1 innings of work. The trio did not surrender a run through the week.
Roll It
The Bluejays have turned a combined 21 double plays on the season, nearly doubling the 12 they have hit into. Last week, Creighton turned eight compared to hitting into four. The double play ball has helped to limit opponents runs, as five times in the games last week the Bluejays used the double plays as inning ending/run stranding plays.
Valley's Best
Creighton baseball senior Anthony Bemboom was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week, as announced by the league office Monday. It marks the first time the senior from Sauk Rapids, Minn., has earned the award.
Bemboom led the Bluejays offensively last week, picking up a team-high eight hits and scoring five runs to lead the Jays to a 4-1 week. In the five-game homestand, Bemboom hit .471, starting all five games. He had a .824 slugging percentage, picking up 14 total bases on the week thanks to three doubles and a home run. Bemboom went a perfect 4-4 from the plate with a pair of singles, a double and a solo home run in the 16-3 win over North Dakota on Saturday afternoon. The senior did not strike out on the week, the only Bluejay in the starting lineup to accomplish the feat last week. He led the Bluejays with a .550 on-base percentage with three walks.
Season Tallies
On the season, Anthony Bemboom is hitting .284, starting in 17 of the 18 games either behind the plate or in the outfield. He has a team-leading seven doubles, leading to a .462 slugging percentage. Bemboom is one of the toughest batters to strikeout in the lineup, as he has just four strikeouts in 67 at-bats on the year. He has also played flawless defense, not committing an error in 90 chances.
Five-O
The Sunday starting pitcher, Nick Musec picked up his third win of the season against North Dakota on Saturday, March 17, going 5.0 innings and allowing three earned runs. The right hander struck out three batters in the game, allowing a pair of runs in the second and a single one in the fifth.
In his three starts on the season (the junior has five appearances), Musec has finished with at least 4.0 innings, striking out five batters and allowing 10 combined runs. He now holds a 5.12 ERA.
3/6 at Cal 4.0 IP 5 runs 0 k
3/11 at Pacific 7.0 IP 2 runs 2 k
3/17 North Dakota 5.0 IP 3 runs 3 k
Offensive Explosion
The Bluejays put up a combined 28 runs on 27 hits in the doubleheader wins over North Dakota on Saturday. It is the largest output of runs in two consecutive games since 2006, when the Jays scored 30 runs in wins over Belmont and Tennessee Tech.
Ain't Life Grand
Sophomore Mike Gerber hit Creighton's first grand slam since 2008 (Darin Ruf) in the win over North Dakota on Saturday. The Bluejay centerfielder had seven home runs last season in his rookie campaign and already has two this season.
Well-Rounded
Creighton's pitching staff highlighted the middle of the week, while their bats took over in the final two games of the homestand. The Jays pitching staff had a combined 0.50 ERA in the first two games at home, allowing just one run in the two games combined, with eight different pitchers posting flawless marks in the two games. The Bluejay offense tripled its home run total in one day on Saturday, hitting six home runs in the two wins over North Dakota. Coming into the day, the Jays had just three round-trippers on the season.
Earning Recognition
After his dramatic entrance onto the scene in last year's MVC Tournament, Erik Mattingly has emerged as a go-to guy in the Bluejay bullpen. The senior out of Garden City CC made a pair of appearances on the weekend, striking out six batters in 4.0 innings of work. Mattingly was a part of the Bluejays first shutout of the season, a 2-0 win over BYU on Tuesday. He held his opponents to just a .077 batting average and was one of seven different pitchers in the Bluejay 'pen to go at least two innings and not allow a single run.
Five Centuries
Bluejay head coach Ed Servais is quickly approaching his 500th career win. The skipper eclipsed his 300th win at Creighton in the 2012 season opener, but is now just eight wins away (492-254-1) from his 500th overall win as a college head coach.
This and That
* Creighton has now won the opening home series in nine of the last 10 seasons. The Bluejays have now hit at least one triple in four straight games, one in four of the five home games this homestand.
* Brad McKewon, Gabriel Thibodeaux and Petr Zyma each hit their first career home run as a Bluejay in game two on Saturday, March 17 vs. North Dakota.
* Anthony Bemboom had four hits in game two on Saturday, coming just a triple short of hitting for the cycle. The last player to do that was Ryan Fitzgerald in 2003
* Anthony Bemboom tied his single-game high with eight bases in the second game.
* Creighton hit six home runs total in the afternoon series, doubling their total on the season (3) in one afternoon.
* Nick Musec improves to 3-0 following the win on Saturday, joining Ty Blach as the only Jays with three wins on the season.
The Real Stuff
The Bluejays have spent a good amount of time this preseason practicing outside, thanks to beautiful weather and a mild winter. The Jays played the opening weekend on a field with turf infield and grass outfield. They then played on all grass in the lone game played at Portland, but made the switch back to a combination field when playing at Lower Columbia College for the final game against the Pilots (switched due to rain). TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, the home of the Bluejays, is a completely natural field.
Opening Day at Home
In the past 10 years, Creighton has a 9-1 record on opening day. This marks the first season that opening day will be played at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, even though the team will make a return appearance at the CU Sports Complex at the end of the week. Under head coach Ed Servais, the Jays are 8-1 on opening day. The only blemish on Servais' opening day mark came in 2010, in an 8-5 loss to Indiana State. Below are the opening day scores from the past 10 seasons.
3/13/12 BYU W 2-0
3/11/11 South Dakota State W 6-0
4/2/10 Indiana State L 5-8
3/14/09 South Dakota State W 8-2
3/15/08 Chicago State W(7) 11-0
3/9/07 Saint Louis W 6-1
3/14/06 North Dakota State W 13-4
2/25/05 Saint Louis W 13-12
3/19/04 North Dakota State W 14-2
3/25/03 Kansas State W 11-6
3/5/02 Dana College W 16-7
Home Series
The Jays have also had good success in the opening series in the last 10 years. Creighton is 26-7 in the first home series of the season. In 2002, 2003 and 2004 the Jays opened with a single game at home followed by a conference home series in each season. Below are the opening series opponents and results
2012 North Dakota 2-1
2011 South Dakota State 3-0
2010 Indiana State 1-2
2009 South Dakota State 2-1
2008 Chicago State 4-0
2007 Saint Louis 3-0
2006 North Dakota State 2-0
2005 Saint Louis 2-0
2004 Evansville 3-0
2003 Missouri State 2-2
2002 Illinois State 2-1
Putting Fans in the Seats
Creighton has played 176 home games in Ed Servais' tenure at CU, with 116 of them being played at the CU Sports Complex , 43 held at Rosenblatt Stadium and most recently 17 played at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha. In games played on campus, Creighton averages 401 fans per game. In the games played at the new home of Bluejay baseball, Creighton averaged near 8,000 fans a game last season.
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 opened up the 2012 season with 13 straight road games. The Bluejays spent time in Arkansas, Oregon, and a week in California, traveling 8,629 miles.
Omaha to Conway, Ark. and back 1160 mi.
Omaha to Portland Ore. and back 2732 mi.
Portland, Ore. to Longmont, Wash. and back 96 mi.
Omaha to Sacramento, Calif. 2688 mi.
Sacramento, Calif. to Berkeley, Calif. and back 156 mi.
Sacramento, Calif. to Stockton, Calif. 48 mi.
Stockton, Calif. to San Francisco, Calif. 83 mi.
San Francisco, Calif. to Omaha 1666 mi.
Top Three
After the first week of rating teams in college baseball, the Bluejays sat in second place in the NCAA with a .988 fielding percentage. After the California trip, the Bluejays sit at .985, third in the NCAA.
Anthony Bemboom ranks 16th in sacrifice bunts per game (0.38 per game), while Scott Thornburg is 22nd in Hit By Pitch per games (0.5) and Chance Ross is 25th in base on balls per game, averaging one a game.
The Top of the Charts
Ty Blach was tabbed the Missouri Valley Conference Pitcher of the Week following the opening weekend of play, the first time in his career he has earned the award. Blach picked up the first win on the mound in 2012, striking out six batters in 5.0 innings of work on Friday, Feb. 17.
Give Us Another
Reese McGraw was named the MVC Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 28, after the second weekend of play. McGraw made a pair of appearances on the weekend at UC Davis, each one a scoreless affair on the mound. The right-hander picked up his first save of the season in the 7-6 win on Friday, tossing 2.0 scoreless, hitless innings in relief. He struck out a pair of batters and faced just the minimum in his two innings. In the win on Sunday, McGraw threw another 2.1 innings of scoreless baseball, surrendering just two hits and striking out one to pick up his second win of the season (2-1).
Free Baseball
The Bluejays have already been a part of a pair of extra inning games this season, defeating Central Arkansas 7-3 but falling 3-2 at Portland. The Bluejays have played at least four extra inning games the last five years, with six extra frame games in each of the last three years.
It's Was Good to be Back
A Creighton baseball team hasn't made a trip to California since 2000, when the Bluejays took part in the Pepsi/Johnny Quik Classic held at Fresno State. In the final year of participation, the Bluejays went 5-1, with wins over Bowling Green (4-1), Temple (15-0), Fresno State (12-3), Gonzaga (11-2), and UNC-Asheville (5-3), before dropping the final game to host Fresno State 5-1.
The Bluejays finished the Spring Break Trip to California 4-4, taking two-of-three in both weekend series, but falling in the two midweek games at California and Sacramento State.
Flocks of Jays
Creighton stranded 18 runners on base on the weekend at Portland, nine in each game. Creighton dropped the first game 3-2 in 10 innings before falling 5-3 in the final game of the series. Overall on the season, the Bluejays have left 45 players on base, with opponents stranding 39.
Peg Leg
The Bluejays had a hard time picking up the pick off motion by the Portland staff, getting pegged off first base four times in the two games with the Pilots. In total, Creighton had 12 players picked off last season.
Playing With Swagger
Freshman Jake Peter led the Bluejays offensively in the pair of games at Portland on the weekend, starting both games at second base and posting a .429 (3-for-7) average from the plate. Two of Peter's hits were doubles, giving him a slugging percentage of .714 through the two games. Peter also played flawless defense, not committing an error in 16 chances.
On the season, Peter has a .444 batting average and a .667 slugging percentage, as two of his four hits are doubles.
Blach on Top
The Feb. 20 MVC Pitcher of the Week, Ty Blach put together one of his best pitching performances at Creighton in the series opener against Portland. Blach tossed 8.0 complete innings of work, tying his career high for innings pitched, and allowing just a pair of hits and one earned run while also striking out a pair of batters. Blach kept the Pilots baffled from the plate through the first eight innings, facing a single batter in the ninth before the Bluejays went to the bullpen.
Eight is Great
Ty Blach threw 8.0 complete innings of work in the game on Friday at Portland, allowing just one earned run and two hits. It marks the fifth time in his career the junior has gone for 8.0 innings, although he did it just once last season. The five outings, including hits surrendered and strikeouts, are listed below:
Date Opponent K Hits
2/24/12 @ Portland 2 2
2/20/11 vs. Missouri State 8 4
4/4/10 vs. Indiana State 4 5
4/18/10 at Bradley 6 6
4/25/10 at Missouri State 6 6
Domination Nation
Ty Blach has started as the most dominant pitcher in the Bluejay rotation early this season. As the Friday night starter, Blach has a pair of starts on the mound for the Jays, holding a 0.69 earned run average in 13.0 innings of work. He has struck out eight batters and only allowed one earned run on the season.
Not Getting Overtime
The opening game between the Bluejays and Pilots last Friday was on pace to be one of the quickest games in the last three seasons for the Bluejays, as Ty Blach and Kyle Kraus were at the seventh inning stretch just 1:17 into the game. It helped that Blach threw a first-pitch strike to 21 of the 28 batters he faced. Below are the five fastest recorded games in the last three seasons for the Jays:
Date Opponent Pitcher of Record Time
3/19/11 vs Valparaiso Jonas Dufek 1:25
5/6/11 at Wichita State Ty Blach 1:36
6/3/11 vs Georgia Jonas Dufek 1:50
4/27/10 Air Force Jack VanLeur 1:54
4/25/10 at Missouri State Ty Blach 1:57
Clearing the Bullpen
Creighton used seven pitchers in the two games at Portland, tossing five different Jays in the rain-delayed second game. On the opening weekend, the Jays used 10 different pitchers in the three games, none tossing more than 5.0 innings. Below shows the innings pitched per player over the last weekend.
Ty Blach 8.0 1.12
Brandon Koenigstein 3.1 8.10
Chase Webb 2.1 0.00
Reese McGraw 1.2 5.40
Kurt Spomer 1.0 9.00
Nick Musec 0.2 0.00
Mark Winkelman 0.2 27.00
Walk This Way
Chance Ross has been the leadoff batter for the Bluejays in all 18 games, and has done a good job at getting himself on base. The senior third baseman leads the team with 15 walks on the season and reached with a hit by pitch six times. He holds a .466 on-base percentage, second on the team to Nick Judkins.
In comparison, Ross had 13 total walks last season.
Two For One
After a down year in terms of turning double plays in 2010 (Creighton led the nation in double plays/game for three years straight) the Bluejay infield has turned 13 double plays already in the first 13 games. The Jays turned 45 double plays last season.
Switching it Up
Creighton used three different defensive starting lineups on opening weekend, as Ed Servais looks to find the perfect combination. Brad McKewon, Anthony Bemboom and Erik Mattingly all saw time in left field, while Michael Mutcheson and Jake Peter were each in at second base. Bemboom and Scott Thornburg split catching duties through the weekend.
Midevil Warrior
Head coach Ed Servais surpassed the first of a pair of milestones he will be looking to overcome in the 2012 season. Servais earned his 300th as a Bluejay head coach (306-171 after the first two weekends). The skipper needs just eight wins to get his 500th of his career (492-254-1).
Big Dog
Ed Servais became the winningest coach in program history last season, surpassing both Jim Hendry and Jack Dahm to post a 306-171 overall record at the helm of the Jays. He now is in the top-20 in winning percentage among active head coaches, holding a .644 overall record. Servais was also named the MVC Coach of the Year, picking up the honor for the fourth time in his first eight years at Creighton.
Offseason Pays Off
Nick Judkins was named to the All-Star team of the Northwoods League this summer, Judkins hit .309 with a .414 on-base percentage for the Mankato MoonDogs and has continued his success at the start of this season.
Judkins finished the weekend 4-for-12 (.333) from the plate, scoring three runs and driving in three. His two-run home run put the Bluejays on the board first in the final game of the series, the first round-tripper of the season for the Jays. Judkins added a double and finished with a .667 slugging percentage to add to his .429 on-base percentage. Judkins was one of three Bluejays with a stolen base on the opening weekend. The senior also played flawless defense, error-free in 31 chances at first base.
New Kids On The Block
Andrew Urban became the first fresh face to make it into the starting rotation since Ty Blach earned a spot as the Sunday starter midway through his freshman season (2010). Urban is the first junior college transfer to start in the rotation since Jeremy Hauer started in 2008-09 (Hauer transferred from Indian Hills, Urban from Hutchinson CC).
Jake Peter earned his first start on Sunday, Feb. 19 at Central Arkansas, finishing 1-2 from the plate, while playing second base. Peter drove in a run and picked up his first collegiate basehit in the same at-bat. Alex Staehely, who has made the switch to second base, also started at second base as a true freshman.
Making his first appearance for the Bluejays on opening weekend was Shane Liska. The graduate student and transfer from Duke tossed 0.2 inning in the Sunday, Feb. 19 game, striking out one and hitting a batter.
Replacing Trever Adams in right field, Brennan Murphy started every game on the weekend, finishing 4-for-12 with an RBI and two runs scored. He also finished 2-for-2 on the basepaths to pace the Jays on the first weekend
Bigger, Stronger, Faster
Nick Judkins needed just three games to send out Creighton's first home run of the season, lining a two-run shot over the right field fence in the 5-1 win over Central Arkansas on Feb. 19. Creighton didn't have a home run until the seventh game of the season last year, when Anthony Bemboom drove out a three-run shot in the seventh inning at New Mexico on Feb. 26.
Second-Best
Creighton was picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Conference this season, picking up three votes in the preseason coaches poll. The Bluejays will aim to repeat as regular-season champions and then head to Springfield, Mo., to try to repeat as Tournament champions.
Four Bluejays were named to the preseason all-conference team, with Ty Blach, Anthony Bemboom, Mike Gerber and Kurt Spomer all earning preseason nods.
On the 2012 Schedule
Games against three teams who played in the 2011 NCAA Baseball Tournament, including the California Golden Bears who made it to the College World Series, highlight the 2012 Creighton baseball spring schedule. The Bluejays will meet up with the Cal Bears in a single game as part of the spring break trip in California, while also traveling to Kansas State (Fullerton Regional) and hosting Dallas Baptist (Ft. Worth Regional).
The Bluejays will also host four different Missouri Valley Conference weekend series, kicked off by hosting Evansville at the end of March and closing the regular season hosting Wichita State just prior to the MVC Tournament.
Wild Thing is Back
Kurt Spomer has earned a spot on the NCBWA preseason Stopper of the Year Award list. Spomer, who led the league with 13 saves a season ago, was named to the second team All-MVC in 2011. The senior made 35 appearances last season, 34 from the bullpen and one start against Nebraska. In 48.2 innings of work, Spomer surrendered 35 hits and held a 2.22 earned run average, including two stretches of six-plus appearances without an earned run allowed. He held a 37-13 strikeout-walk ratio, finishing the season with a 3-4 record along with his 13 saves.
In Mid-season Form
Ty Blach opened the 2012 campaign with 5.0 flawless innings of baseball, striking out six batters in his first start, a 4-3 win at Central Arkansas. The junior finished last season with a 10-3 record, striking out 100 in the process.
Chase Webb and Reese McGraw both started off their seasons perfectly on the mound, striking out the first two batters they saw. Webb did it by throwing six straight strikes for two strikeouts.
Pinching In
Junior Jordan Makovicka became the first Bluejay to have a pinch hit in 2012, when he hit a pop-up in the top of the ninth inning of the Feb. 18, 7-3 win over Central Arkansas. Makovicka led the squad in pinch hits last season, asked to come in off the bench in 15 different games. Makovicka hit .400 in pinch hit situations last year, bested only by Scott Thornburg, who hit .429 in seven pinch hit at bats last season.
Player AB Avg. OB%
Thornburg 7 .429 .429
Makovicka 10 .400 .571
Thibodeaux 10 .400 .400
Cuno 8 .375 .500
Bemboom 4 .250 .400
Within Reach
The National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America have released their 2012 preseason baseball poll, and the Creighton baseball squad is among the teams receiving votes. After finishing the 2011 season with a 45-16 overall record and a spot in the NCAA Tournament, the Bluejays have high expectations for the 2012 season.
Blach Among Best
Bluejay junior southpaw Ty Blach has picked up a pair of preseason accolades, being named to the 2012 Louisville Slugger Preseason All-America team and earning NCBWA Preseason All-America honors. The Friday night starter turned in one of the top pitching performances in the league last season, sitting ninth in the country and leading the Valley with 18 games started on the mound. He finished with a 10-3 record, owning the second most wins on the Bluejay staff and in the conference. Blach's 100 strikeouts placed him second on the Bluejay squad, and ninth on the Creighton all-time charts.
What a Ride
The Bluejays are coming off one of the best season's in program history, finishing with a 45-16 overall record, and claiming the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament championship in the same season for the first time in program history. The tournament title gave Creighton the MVC's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament, the fifth time in 13 seasons and the third time in Ed Servais' career at Creighton.
Among the Best in 2011
As is true to any Ed Servais coached team, the 2011 Bluejays thrived on the team-game concept, highlighted by solid defense and offensive execution. The Jays led the MVC and finished fourth in the nation in fielding percentage with a .980, led by first baseman Nick Judkins, who finished with just two errors in 596 chances. Offensively, the junior tied a school record with 22 sacrifice bunts on the year. Trever Adams provided the power for the Bluejays, earning All-American nods from Baseball America, NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball after finishing the season with a .387 batting average, 14 homeruns and 57 runs driven in. Freshman Mike Gerber earned Freshman All-American honors from Collegiate Baseball after stepping in as the every-day starting centerfielder, playing flawless defense and blasting a .488 slugging percentage on offense.
Energizer Batteries
On the mound, Creighton finished the season as one of three teams (Creighton, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech) with two pitchers with over 10-wins and 100 strikeouts, with Jonas Dufek finishing with a 12-1 record (128 strikeouts) and southpaw standout Ty Blach held a 10-3 record (100 strikeouts). The starter
Out of the Pen
Junior Kurt Spomer emerged as a closer for the pitching staff in 2011, moving into second on the Creighton all-time charts with 13 saves on the year. Three different pitchers made 35 appearances on the season, with Spomer, Mark Winkelman and Reese McGraw used as workhorses out of the bullpen. Jack VanLeur, who sits second in all-time appearances, finished the season with 34 appearances and his Bluejay career with 115.
Dancing
Creighton entered the NCAA tournament as the 25th ranked team in the nation, and rode a stellar pitching performance from Jonas Dufek in the opening round to defeat Georgia 2-1. Dufek, who earned MVC first team honors, fanned 10 batters in his second complete game of the season. Creighton then hit a pair of road blocks, falling to #13 Oregon State 5-1 before being eliminated by Georgia, 5-4 in 11 innings.
For the Mantel
Any time a team has such a successful season, individual accolades are sure to follow, and 2011 was no different. Head coach Ed Servais was named the MVC Coach of the year for the fourth time in his career following 2011, highlighting the Missouri Valley Conference awards handed out to the Bluejays following the season. Jonas Dufek, Trever Adams and Jimmy Swift were named first teamers, while Ty Blach, Mike Gerber and Kurt Spomer were named to the second team. Adams and Dufek were named All-Americans, while Gerber picked up Freshman All-America honors. Blach also became just the seventh Creighton baseball player to garner CoSIDA Academic All-American honors.
Big Shoes to Fill
Creighton will look to replace All-America outfielder Trever Adams and Friday night pitcher Jonas Dufek, who also received All-America honors, as they were both drafted following the season. Jimmy Swift, Creighton's starting shortstop and Jack VanLeur (34 appearances out of the bullpen last season, 115 career appearances) also signed professional contracts, while Greg Hellhake and Joey Bowens both ended their Bluejay careers due to graduation.
In the Field
Creighton returns seven position starters and one member from its starting rotation this season, padded by a full return of the Bullpen staff. Freshman All-American Mike Gerber will be counted on to expand his offensive numbers, stepping immediately into the starting centerfield position last season. The Bluejays return 75% of their infield in Chance Ross (3B), Alex Staehely (SS) and Nick Judkins (1B). Senior catcher Anthony Bemboom returns behind the dish, leading the squad with seven runners caught stealing last season.
Starting Rotation
On the mound, Ty Blach will enter the season as one of the most feared pitchers in the conference, aiming to improve on his 10-3 record a season ago. Replacing Jonas Dufek will be a major concentration leading up to the season, but expect Brandon Koenigstein and newcomer Andrew Urban to step into the big shoes. The Bluejays return nearly all of their bullpen from last season, including three players who made 35 appearances last season (Kurt Spomer, Reese McGraw and Mark Winkelman).
Feeling at Home Again
Creighton made the move into their new home at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha on April 19, 2011. The $128 milliion dollar facility will be Creighton's new stadium, replacing the CU Sports Complex, where the Bluejays have called home since 1977. The Bluejays finished 14-4 in the new ballpark, winning the MVC Tournament to complete the first season of play. Below are a list of firsts from the new move.
First Game: April 19, 2011
Nebraska 2, Creighton 1
Ceremonial First Pitch: Fred Tomczyk, TD CEO
First Pitch: 6:42 pm by CU's Ty Blach (4/19/11)
First Hit: NU's Cody Asche (4/19/11)
First Double: NU's Tanner Krietemeier (4/19/11)
First Run: Creighton's Trever Adams (4/19/11)
First RBI: Creighton's Mike Gerber (4/19/11)
First Home run: Creighton's Mike Gerber (4/22/11)
First Strikeout:: NU's Bryan Peters by Blach (4/19/11)
First Double play: CU (Swift-Staehely-Judkins) (4/19/11)
First Win: NU's Logan Ehlers (4/19/11)
First Loss: CU's Mark Winkelman (4/19/11)
First Telecast: NET Sports/CBS Sports Netwprl (4/19/11)
First CWS: 2011
First CWS Champions: South Carolina
