Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Host Purdue at Rocky Miller Park
4/10/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 10, 2003
EVANSTON, Ill. -
Purdue Game Notes in PDF Format
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Live Stats on NUsports.com
Northwestern baseball has improved its game day Internet operations with the addition of live pitch-by-pitch updates for the rest of the 2003 home schedule. The live stat system hosted by OCSN (Official College Sports Network) provides Internet operators the ability to follow NU baseball games from anywhere in the world.
The newly developed Gametracker for baseball is the next generation in live stat presentation. The system automatically exports from the scoring software as the game happens, allowing the user to follow up-to-the-minute changes. The live baseball Gametracker link can be found on the NUsports.com home page or on the Northwestern baseball schedule page.
Finally, NU Plays at Home
With 20 games already gone this season, Northwestern will finally display its talents at Rocky Miller Park as Purdue comes calling for a four-game conference series beginning at 3 p.m., April 11. Purdue is 15-12 overall, 4-4 in Big Ten play while NU is 10-10, 3-3. NU has played 24 straight games on the road, dating back to last year's Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis, Minn. The first game will be Purdue's 14th road game this season, as the Boilermakers have played 10 games (6-4) at Lambert Field in West Lafayette, Ind.
A Year Ago
The last time these two teams competed against one another was a year ago in West Lafayette. The two teams met for a four-game conference series, with Purdue coming out ahead with a three games to one advantage. NU avoided the series sweep by winning the fourth game 10-5. While game four was a high-scoring affair, games one, two and three were all decided by one run. The final score of the first three games in order: 1-0, 3-2, 2-1. All four games were seven-inning contests as inclement weather prevented the first day of competition to be played.
Pitcher of the Week
Sophomore J.A. Happ was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week last week for his performance at Michigan State on Sunday afternoon. It is Happ's second conference distinction this season. Happ threw a complete game, two-hit shutout against the Spartans, striking out eight. Both hits were singles as he lowered his season ERA to 2.85. Happ has struck out 42 hitters in 41.0 innings pitched.
Mikrut Atop the Big Ten
Sophomore shortstop Jon Mikrut is leading the Big Ten conference in hitting. The Carmel high school standout is hitting .414 with 10 multi-hit games and a team-leading 13 RBI. Mikrut was just 1-for-5 in the two-game series with Michigan State last weekend, going 0-3 in the first game. It was only the fourth game this season Mikrut was held without a hit.
Stevens vs. Schreiber
Wildcat skipper Paul Stevens is in his 16th season at the Northwestern helm. Boilermaker head coach Doug Schreiber is in his fifth year in West Lafayette. In the four years these two head coaches have been in the same league, Schreiber holds the series edge, 11-5.
Mr. Consistent
Since earning Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors for the week of Feb. 17, junior right-hander Dan Konecny has been an example of consistency. So far this season, Konecny has logged a Big Ten-leading 50.1 innings, giving up 13 runs on 44 hits for a 2.23 ERA. Opponents are hitting a measly .240 as he has gone more than six innings in all seven of his outings this season.
The Last 10
Northwestern and Purdue have played 40 games in the last 10 years of competition. Remarkably, the two teams have never had a game canceled for any reason including weather. While three-day series have been changed to two-day series all four games have been played every year. NU is 15-25 in those 40 games.
Four-Man Rotation
So far this season, Northwestern's four-man rotation of Dan Konecny, J.A. Happ, Mark Ori and Dan Brauer have pitched 129.0 of NU's 165.0 innings. The four starters have an ERA of 2.51, giving up 36 earned runs. They have struck out 111 hitters and walked 51. Opposing batters are hitting a meager .233 in 473 at-bats, while the four hurlers have a combined record of 10-5.
Team Pitching
As a staff, NU has pitched 165.0 innings this season. In those 165.0 innings, the Wildcat hurlers have given up 168 hits. They own a 3.71 overall ERA, good for third in the conference, and also boast a Big Ten leading 2.60 ERA in league play. The 2.60 earned-run average is almost a full point ahead of second place Penn State (3.52).
Right On Cue
As of April 8, NU was second in the Big Ten in fewest errors committed with 22. After not committing any in two games vs. Michigan State last weekend, only Penn State has committed fewer miscues on the field (21). The Wildcats have seven games in which they have not commited an error, and they have had only two flaws total in their last eight games and three in their last nine.
In Big Ten action, NU has played six games (3-3) and committed only one error. That lone error came in a 13-4 win over Ohio State. The next lowest error total is four by Minnesota, also in six games.
Extra Extra, Read All About It
As a team, Northwestern has 163 hits this season. Of those 163 hits, 48 of them have been for extra bases (29.4 percent). Junior center-fielder David Gresky leads the way with five doubles while sophomore shortstop Jon Mikrut leads the team with two triples. Junior left-fielder Dan Pohlman is atop the Wildcat home run list swatting three round-trippers this season.
Not So 'Fresh'men
Freshmen Dan Brauer and Mark Ori don't seem to be fazed by the transition from high school to college. While both will admit the talent level is very different, both are thriving at the opportunity to compete. Ori is second in the conference with an ERA of 2.21 in 20.1 innings pitched, while Brauer has a 2.60 ERA and two saves. Brauer, a left-hander has thrown 17.1 innings, striking out 22, while Ori has sent down 14. Believe it or not, these two are not just pitchers. Both hail from Illinois and terrorized high school pitching a year ago. This season, Ori has had a few more opportunities, starting all 20 games as the designated hitter or as the pitcher, sometimes both. He is third on the team with a .292 average in 65 chances. He has eight RBI and eight runs scored. Brauer has had just nine plate appearances with one hit, an RBI and a run scored.
Bean Ball
Senior catcher Ken Padgett has been hit four times so far this season. Those four plunks bring his career total up to 28, good for second on the all-time hit-by-pitch chart at NU. Neil Piacenti (1993-96) leads the way with 31. Freshman Mark Ori leads the team with five HBP's this season.
Lay It Down Lieberman
As a team, Northwestern is averaging just less than one sacrifice hit/fly per game. NU has 19 sacrifice hits or flies this season, while opponents have totaled 13. Leading the way for the 'Cats is junior third-baseman Josh Lieberman, who has four sacrifice bunts and two sacrifice flies in 16 games this season. His four sac bunts is tied with four other players for the Big Ten lead.
Run Comparison
Through 20 games a year ago NU had a 7-13 record and scored 103 runs. Through 20 games this season, NU is 10-10 and has plated 97 runs.
From Deep In the Hole
Sophomore Jon Mikrut has started every game at shortstop this season and leads the everyday starters in batting average (29-for-70, .414), slugging percentage (.614), on-base percentage (.438), total bases (43), hits (29), RBI (13) and triples (2).
Streaking
Not only is Jon Mikrut leading the team in most offensive categories, the Illinois native has already enjoyed hitting streaks of eight and six games. On the season, Mikrut has hit safely in 16 of NU's 20 games.
I Got Five On It
Senior first-baseman Travis Tharp had five RBI against St. John's, a game NU won 18-12. Tharp went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and five RBI. Tharp singled twice, hit a home run and was hit by a pitch in the game. The last Wildcat to have five RBI in a single game was Jason Krynski, who belted two home runs in a April 19, 2002 game against Penn State.
Finding a Fourth
Freshman Dan Brauer pitched the fourth game against Ohio State, winning 13-4. It was the first time Brauer had been used as a game four starter. Until the Ohio State weekend, NU had not needed a fourth starter as all pre-conference series were only three games. The four spot, which was originally slated for Dan Pohlman, was turned over to Brauer on the saying 'you'll pitch the fourth game if we don't use you in relief in any of the first three games'; NU did not use Brauer in relief, and the Illinois native upped his record to 2-0 and dropped his ERA to 2.60 after pitching six innings in his first collegiate start.
Multiplicity
Shortstop Jon Mikrut had a career-high eight-game hitting streak earlier this year. For the season, Mikrut has 10 games in which he has recorded two or more hits. Second baseman Eric Roeder and left-fielder Dan Pohlman each have six.
Shutouts
A year ago, NU played in seven shutout games. In those games, the Wildcats went 3-4 overall and 1-2 in the Big Ten. So far in 2003, NU is 4-1 overall, 1-0 in the Big Ten. The four wins are over Brigham Young (1-0), Temple (3-0), Army (3-0) and Michigan State (2-0). NU's lone loss came in its first game against Ohio State (1-0).
Roeder/Konecny Sweep Big Ten Weekly Awards
Senior second baseman Eric Roeder and junior right-handed pitcher Dan Konecny were named Big Ten Player and Pitcher of the Week by the conference for the week of Feb. 18.
Roeder recorded a batting average of .600 to lead the Wildcats to their first 2-0 start since 1986, when the team produced a 39-14 record. The senior was 3-for-5 on the weekend with a walk and was also hit by a pitch for an on-base percentage of .714. He produced two RBI, including the game-winner in Northwestern's 1-0 shutout of Brigham Young. Roeder becomes the first Wildcats player in the last two years to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors, as no NU players were selected in 2001 or 2002.
Konecny went seven strong innings in his first start of 2003, shutting out BYU on the way to a 1-0 victory. The junior right-hander scattered four hits and notched three strikeouts while facing only 27 batters. Konecny was making his first start since April 20, 2002, as he missed the second half of the last season with mononucleosis. He started six games in 2002, pitching one complete game and striking out 26 batters on his way to a 1-4 record.
POW Double Time
Senior catcher Ken Padgett was named Big Ten Player of the Week by the conference office for the week of Feb. 25.
Padgett batted .727 (8-for-11) at the South Alabama Coca-Cola Classic, as NU went 2-1 in the tournament and improved to 4-1 on the season. The senior recorded six runs, five runs batted in, three doubles and a home run to post an imposing slugging percentage of 1.273. Padgett turned in his most impressive performance against St. John's, going 3-for-4 with a double, a two-run homer and four RBI to spark NU to the 18-12 victory.
Returning Honorees
Northwestern returns two all-conference honorees and one nationally recognized student-athlete. Senior Travis Tharp and sophomore J.A. Happ were both recognized by the conference office as All-Big Ten players a year ago; Happ received first-team distinction as a reliever, and Tharp garnered third-team honors as a first baseman. Happ was also recognized as a second-team Mideast Region and a freshman All-America by Collegiate Baseball. Happ is NU's first freshman All-America since Ryan Bos in 1999.
