Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Gear Up for No. 22 Florida
2/27/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 27, 2004
Florida Game Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern and the University of Florida are meeting for the first time in baseball this weekend as NU travels to Gainesville for a three-game set. Game one is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. (EST) Saturday, Feb. 28. The Wildcats are coming off a 1-1-1 weekend in which they lost to then-No. 23 Nebraska (19-3), defeated Kent State (8-3), and played to an extra-inning tie with New Mexico (3-3).
Florida enters the weekend having played two mid-week games vs. Michigan at the Gators' Perry Field. U-of-F routed the Wolverines, winning the first game 9-4 and the second game 20-7. Florida is 8-3 and ranked 22nd in the nation by Baseball America.
Florida went 37-20-1 a season ago, finishing third in the SEC East, and won three games (3-2) at the NCAA Coral Gables Regional. They currently have a 7-1 record at Perry Field and will play 36 home games this season. By comparison, NU plays its first 20 games on the road and is scheduled to play just 18 games at Rock Miller Park, home of the Wildcats.
NU's three-game series with Florida is three of eight games the Gators are playing against Big Ten opponents this season. (The two Michigan games played this week and three vs. Purdue beginning March 5.)
The Gators' offense is led by first baseman C.J. Smith, who through nine games has hit four home runs and knocked in 16. While Smith leads the team in RBI and home runs, outfielder Jeff Corsaletti leads the team with a .417 (15-for-36) batting average, starting all nine games. In fact, five Gators with 20 or more at bats, are hitting above .350. The team is hitting .319 and have hit 10 home runs and 15 doubles.
The Wildcats enter the weekend after ending a three-game tournament series with a 3-3 tie with New Mexico. The reason for the tie? Northwestern had to catch a flight back to Evanston, and as the game wore on, both coaches agreed to stop the game after the 10th inning.
In Albuquerque, playing at the Ultimate Dugout Baseball Fiesta, senior Jason Krynski hit safely in seven of his 12 at bats for a .583 batting average. He tallied three RBI and scored three runs. Junior Doug Beatty went 4-for-10 (.400) and drove in two. Second baseman Mike Phelps hit his first collegiate home run, in a pinch-hit at-bat vs. Nebraska. On the season, Krynski is hitting .417 (10-for-24) with six RBI.
Sophomore Dan Brauer, fresh off his Big Ten Pitcher of the Week performance, leads the team with a 2.08 ERA in 13.0 innings. The Illinois native has given up just two hits all season and is tops on the team with 15 Ks. Junior J.A. Happ has an ERA of 2.84 in 12.2 innings pitched and has struck out 12. Happ is 1-0 while Brauer has been part of two no-decisions.
'Cat Nips
* Junior J.A. Happ and sophomore Dan Brauer have combined to pitch 25.2 innings, each starting two games. Brauer holds a slight lead in strikouts, totaling 15, compared to 12 for Happ. Opponents are hitting a combined .149 off the two left-handers.
* Starting all six games so far this season, senior Jason Krynski is taking full advantage of his opportunities. Krynski currently leads the team with a .417 batting average. Four of his 10 total hits are for extra bases, including one home run.
* Junior Jon Mikrut has 11 saves in his first two seasons as a Wildcat. He is just six shy of the NU career record of 17 held by Greg Ziesemer (1994-96).
* Lefthander J.A. Happ is seventh on NU's career ERA list with a 3.00 earned-run average in 147.0 innings pitched.
* Sophomore Anthony Wycklendt has his picture in the 2004 NCAA Baseball Record Book for hitting safely in seven of his eight at-bats vs. Chicago State (4/15/03) last year. His seven hits in one game tied the third-best single-game total in NCAA history.
* Assistant Coach Tim Stoddard, who mainly works with the pitchers, is the only man in history to win an NCAA Basketball Championship and a Major League Baseball World Series Ring. Stoddard was part of NC State's 1974 NCAA Championship basketball team and a pitcher for the 1983 World Championship Orioles.
* Junior Chris Hayes pitched in nine games in 2003, boasting a 0.77 ERA in 11.2 innings. But Hayes is best known for being able to play every position on the field. A true 'utility' player, Hayes played all six infield positions in 2003. Hayes leads the team with four appearances in 2004.
