Baseball Faces Pirates this Weekend in New Jersey
4/30/2015 4:02:00 PM | Baseball
OMAHA, Neb. - The Creighton Baseball Team battles the Seton Hall Pirates in a pivotal BIG EAST series this weekend in South Orange, N.J.
Creighton at Seton Hall
May 1 @ 5:00 pm
CU - Rollie Lacy (RHP) 1.80 5-0 vs. SHU - Zach Prendergast (RHP) 2.75 5-3
May 2 @ 12:00 pm
CU - Keith Rogalla (RHP) 3.02 3-1 vs. SHU - Shane McCarthy (RHP) 2.19 4-4
May 3 @ 11:00 am
CU - Matt Warren (RHP) 3.09 4-2 vs. SHU - Anthony Pacillo (LHP) 3.14 3-2
Creighton Leads Series, 3-1
Media Coverage
TV: None
Webstream ($): http://www.shupirates.com/collegesportslive/
Audio: http://www.iheart.com/live/WSOU-895-FM-5252/
Stats: http://www.shupirates.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/043015aaa.html
Creighton vs. Seton Hall Series:
The Bluejays and Pirates met for the first time last season, but the rivaly is certainly a budding one. Creighton leads the series, 3-1, taking the final three matchups in 2015. After dropping an 8-2 game in the first game of three game set last year, the Bluejays topped the Pirates in back-to-back 10-inning contests in Omaha. Creighton also posted a one-run decision, 2-1, in the lone meeting of the two squads in the BIG EAST Tournament.
This weekend will be the Bluejays first trip to South Orange, N.J.
2014:
May 2 vs. Seton Hall L, 2-8
May 3 vs. Seton Hall W, 4-3 (10)
May 4 vs. Seton Hall W, 8-7 (10)
^May 23 vs. Seton Hall W, 2-1
^ = BIG EAST Tournament (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
About Seton Hall
- Located in South Orange, N.J.
- Seton Hall has an enrollment of 9,700.
- Known as the Pirates.
- Seton Hall finished 2014 with an 39-15 record and an 11-7 mark in the BIG EAST.
- Seton Hall was picked to finish third in the BIG EAST preseason poll, behind St. John's and Creighton.
Seton Hall Head Coach: Rob Sheppard
- A Seton Hall graduate in 1992, Sheppard was named Seton Hall's 17th head coach in 2004.
- He took over the Pirates from his father, Mike Sheppard, who remains a head coach emeritus.
- Rob was an assistant coach for the Pirates for seven seasons as well as the associate head coach for two years.
- He led the Pirates to the NCAA Tournament in 2011.
- Sheppard also led Seton Hall to the NCAA Tournament as the Pirates interim head coach in 2001 as his father recovered from triple bypass heart surgery.
Scouting Seton Hall (20-18, 5-4 BIG EAST)
The Pirates have been a difficult team to figure out in 2015. Seton Hall returned a strong core from a 39-win team last season, but the Pirates have struggled at the plate (hitting just .255 as a team).
The 2014 Co-BIG EAST Player of the Year D.J. Ruhlman and slugging first basement Sal Annunziata, Seton Hall's 3-4 hitters, are averaging .273 and .245 respectively.
Seton Hall's pitching staff took a hit early in the season as the BIG EAST preseason Co-Pitcher of the Year Luke Cahill was sidelined by injury. Cahill has returned to the mound, but has not yet found his form with a 7.71 ERA. As a team the Pirates own a 3.55 ERA.
Seton Hall's numbers improve in BIG EAST play as the Pirates have a .263 average in conference and a 2.69 ERA.
One thing about the Pirates that has not changed is their ability to run. Seton Hall has 70 stolen bases on the season in 88 chances.
Scouting Creighton (25-13, 8-3 BIG EAST)
After splitting the two midweek games with Nebraska and South Dakota State, the
Bluejays head to Seton Hall for a critical BIG EAST series.
With a 10-4 record over its last 14 games, Creighton has been relying heavily on their young pitching. Freshmen Rollie Lacy and Keith Rogalla have taken over as the front line of the Bluejay staff. Each hurler has claimed a BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week nod over the past three weeks, while Lacy is riding an 18-inning scoreless streak.
The pitching staff got a boost this week with the return of Jack Rogalla and Mark Lukowski from injuries.
On the season Creighton is hitting .263 as a team and boasts a BIG EAST leading 3.14 ERA.
Junior Reagan Fowler has reclaimed the team lead in hits with 44, including four during the two midweek battles. Fowler also leads Creighton with a .324 average.
Bluejay Starters Set the Tone
Creighton's starting pitching has come on strong of late, owning a 7-1 record and an ERA of 1.94 in 15 games during the month of April.
Overall, Creighton has had a starting pitcher allow more than two runs in just 6-of-38 contests this season, going 1-5 in such scenarios.
Creighton has not had a starting pitcher allow more than two earned runs in any of its last 14 games, when Rollie Lacy allowed three runs on April 2nd.
Creighton has allowed a total of 11 runs in its last three weekends, all against league
opponents (Xavier, St. John's and Butler).
The weekend rotation of Rollie Lacy, Keith Rogalla and Matt Warren own a collective 1.03 ERA in those eight starts, allowing just six runs in 52.1 frames.
Lamb Heating Up with the Weather
Catcher Kevin Lamb started the season mired in a 2-for-30 slump (.067) through games of March 14th, but he's heated up of late. The junior backstop is hitting .407 (11-27) in his last nine games while also walking three times and throwing out 5-of-11 would-be baserunners.
Servais Prefers Chess to Checkers
For head coach Ed Servais managing his pitching staff is much more like a game of chess rather than checkers. He is not merely thinking about winning the current game, but also keeping his staff fresh for the next four games. Not to mention the BIG EAST Tournament and beyond.
Staked to a 5-0 early against Omaha on April 21, Servais used 10 different Creighton hurlers in the Bluejays' 8-2 win.
The 10 pitchers used in one game is tied for the sixth most in a single game in NCAA history and the most since Texas Tech used 11 pitchers against Howard Payne on May 14, 2004.
Lacy's Out to Extend Scoreless Streak
Freshman Rollie Lacy currently has a scoreless streak of 18-innings (18.2 to be exact). That number moved past teammate Matt Warren, who recorded 18 scoreless innings (18.0) last season. The Creighton record for consecutive scoreless innings was set by Pat Venditte during the 2007 season at 43 (43.2, but who's counting).
Return Tour Continues
After getting senior Jack Rogalla back in the bullpen mix on Tuesday, April 21 another senior arm saw action on Wednesday, April 29 in Mark Lukowski. Out since March 1, Lukowski needed just two pitches to retire the only man he faced in Creighton's 8-5 win over South Dakota State.
If Lukowski and Rogalla can continue to build up arm strength, the duo could have a significant impact for the Bluejays' stretch run.
Tempted by the Dark Side?
Credit the Seton Hall marketing department with a creative effort as the series opener with Creighton on May 1 will be Star Wars night at Owen T. Carroll Field. The question is which team is tempting the other to turn?
