Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Host Purdue This Weekend
4/15/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 15, 2004
Purdue Game Notes in PDF Format
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EVANSTON, Ill. - In recent years, Northwestern has been a slow starter in the Big Ten. This year is no different. After splitting the opening series with Indiana, NU traveled to Penn State and lost three of four games. Now with a 3-5 Big Ten record, NU faces an uphill battle for one of the top six spots at the end of the season.
With that uphill battle looming, NU will be looking to the offense for some help. While the pitching staff still hasn't shown the consistency that head coach Paul Stevens would like, the offense continues to put up impressive numbers. So far this season, NU has a .299 team batting average (third in the Big Ten) and hit 20 home runs, 47 doubles, 14 triples while driving in 152 runs. That batting average is 32 points higher than the end of last season, 14 home runs shy of 2003's total and seven more triples than all of last season. Not to mention, the Wildcats need just 30 doubles to reach 77, last year's total.
While the offense improves week-to-week, so does the NU pitching staff. Through 28 games this season, Northwestern leads the Big Ten in strikeouts (226). Penn State is second with 212. While the pitching has been inconsistent, the team ERA continues to go down. Entering Big Ten play with a 5.26 ERA, NU has lowered its earned-run average to 4.89 in all games. The Wildcats' 4.34 conference ERA is rated fourth in the Big Ten.
With all those numbers improving as the year goes along, in come the Purdue Boilermakers. Purdue owns a 13-15 overall record and is sixth in the Big Ten with a 4-4 record. NU is tied with Indiana (19-12, 3-5) and Illinois (10-17, 3-5) for seventh. The Boilermakers have split with Penn State (in State College) and Ohio State (at home) so far this season. Both PSU and OSU are tied for second place in the conference with 5-3 records.
Purdue is led by Mitch Holligoss who is second in the Big Ten with a .400 (30-for-75) batting average. Eric Osborn is hitting .327 but leads the team with 24 RBI. As a team, they are hitting .294 with 17 home runs. Mike Coles leads the team with four round-trippers.
On the mound for Purdue, a pair of relievers lead the way as Trae Dauby and Jason Driscoll each have sub 3.0 ERA's. Dauby has 11 appearances and boasts a 2.20 ERA with 25 Ks in 28.2 innings pitched. Driscoll trails only NU's Chris Hayes (18) in appearances this season and has a 2.88 ERA in 15 trips to the mound. He has thrown 25.0 innings. Starter Scott Byrnes has accumulated the most innings, pitching 38.1 in seven starts. He has a 3.76 ERA and has struck out 41. Byrnes is slated to throw game one on Friday.
Northwestern junior J.A. Happ will face Byrnes in Friday's 3 p.m. (CDT) game at Rocky Miller Park. Leading the Big Ten in strikeouts (65), Happ will be making his ninth start of the season. In those nine starts, Happ has accumulated 52.0 innings pitched, holding opposing batters to a dismal .199 batting average. Not to be outdone, sophomore Dan Brauer is close behind, throwing 51.0 innings and striking out 58. Happ has a 2.42 ERA, compared to Brauer's 2.65.
Offensively, senior Josh Lieberman is leading not only Northwestern but the entire Big Ten with his .467 conference batting average. In the Penn State series last weekend, Lieberman hit a blistering .563 (9-for-16), and at one point reached base safely on six consecutive trips. He singled his final four at-bats in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, before walking and singling in his first two at-bats of game two. Lieberman had an on-base percentage of .632 over the weekend. Sophomore Mark Ori had almost as impressive of a weekend, ending the four games with a .471 batting average. Ori belted two doubles, hitting safely in eight of his 17 at-bats.
As a team in Big Ten games only, Northwestern leads the conference with eight home runs-seniors Jason Krynski, Dan Pohlman and sophomore Anthony Wycklendt each have hit two. Pohlman is second in the league with eight RBI. The Wildcats' .292 batting average is third, while NU's 4.34 Big Ten ERA is currently fourth.
As always, don't forget about 'The Rock's' Baseball Weekend Promotions!
APRIL 16 FRI. PURDUE 3 P.M.
NU $5 Friday Happy Hours at Rocky Miller Park
$5 meal deals (Pepsi, Hot Dog, Chips) for all NU students/staff presenting a WildCARD
APRIL 17 SAT. PURDUE 1 P.M. (DH)
Dollar Dog Doubleheader
$1 Vienna Beef hot dogs will be available.
APRIL 18 SUN. PURDUE 1 P.M.
Ice Cream Sunday
$1 Ice Cream Sandwiches will be available.
1. Wildcat Lucky Numbers
All game programs will contain a lucky number. A sponsored lucky number will be called for a prize after select innings. Prizes will be redeemed at the press box.
2. Wildcat Baseball Trivia
A Wildcat baseball trivia question will be read in the middle of the 3rd inning of every game. The first person to make it to the press box with the correct answer will win a prize.
3. United Airlines Grand Slam Roundtrip Sweepstakes
A designated inning each game will be the United Airlines Grand Slam Roundtrip Sweepstakes. A lucky # program will win a roundtrip for two on United if a Wildcat player hits a grand slam in that inning. (Sponsor: United Airlines)
4. NUsports.com Roundtrip T-shirt Toss
A Northwestern Athletics t-shirt will be tossed into the crowd after every Wildcat Home Run. (sponsored by NUsports.com)
