Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Open Big Ten Season at Indiana
4/1/2005 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 1, 2005
EVANSTON, Ill. -
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After playing 17 straight games on the road, and winning five of its last seven, the Northwestern baseball team opens the Big Ten season at Indiana University. Game one of the four-game series is set to begin at 1 p.m. (CST) Saturday. The two teams opened the 2004 season in Evanston, splitting four games. IU holds an 82-65-2 edge in the all-time series.
While on the road to start the 2005 season, junior catcher Pat McMahon (Mundelein, Ill./Carmel) seems to have fully recovered from Tommy John surgery a year ago. McMahon missed the 2004 season because of the surgery, but has made the most of his opportunities so far this season.
Starting 15 of NU's first 17 games at the catcher position, McMahon leads the Big Ten with eight runners thrown out stealing and has one pick off to first base. With excellent blocking and receiving skills, McMahon's biggest contribution this season has come at the plate. The junior is leading the team with a .377 batting average, and his .547 slugging percentage and .492 on-base percentage are also team highs. In NU's 9-5 win at Cal-State Northridge, McMahon went 2-for-5 with two home runs, three runs scored and three RBI. Last week in Northwestern's come-from-behind 8-7 win over Cornell, McMahon threw out a would-be base stealer to end the game.
Junior outfielder Stanley Finch (Lubbock, Texas/Cooper) is also a major contributor this season after Tommy John surgery also ended his 2004 season. Both McMahon and Finch spent the entire 2004 season rehabbing. But like McMahon, Finch finds himself atop numerous offensive categories. He is second to McMahon with a .353 batting average, starting 13 games in both center and right field. He is second on the team with 11 runs scored and has knocked in eight RBI.
Juniors Mark Ori (Niles, Ill./Maine South) and Anthony Wycklendt (Glendale, Wis./Nicolet) lead the team with 12 RBI apiece. McMahon and freshman Jake Owens (Stevens Point, Wis./Pacelli) each have 10.
With the loss of two left-handed starters from 2004 that threw over 180 innings, the NU pitching staff had some question marks entering the season. Through 17 games, a lot of the questions have been answered.
The biggest question mark was the starting pitching. Entering the 2005 season, the Wildcats had only one starter with more than five starts in any season. That player was 2004 Big Ten batting champion Mark Ori, and those came during his freshman year. So far, a trio of sophomores and a senior have stepped up to fill those roles.
After missing the second half of his freshman year due to mono, Andrew Smith (Fort Mitchell, Ky./Beechwood) leads the team with a 2.30 ERA in five starts. Smith owns a 1-3 record, but has been the victim of costly errors this season. Classmate George Kontos (Lincolnwood, Ill./Niles West), who has been clocked above 90 mph throughout the season, has a 2.79 ERA and is 3-1. He has thrown 29.0 innings and has struck out 22 hitters. Already tabbed National Player of the Week for his 15-strikeout performance against Cornell on March 20, Ryan Myers (Lake Villa, Ill./Carmel) has the most impressive numbers. In 25.1 innings pitched, Myers has struck out 37 hitters and walked only seven. He is second in the Big Ten in strikeouts. Senior Evan Blesoff (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park River Forest) is 2-3 and has pitched 27.0 innings in four starts.
'Cat Nips
* Sophomores Ryan Myers was named `Louisville Slugger' National Player of the Week for his performance against Cornell on March 21. He struck out a career-best 15 batters in seven and two-third innings of relief to allow Northwestern to rally for an 8-7 victory. Myers entered the game in the second inning with NU trailing 7-0 and runners on second and third with only one out. He ended the inning with two strikeouts and proceeded to strike out the first six batters he faced, holding Cornell to only four hits while walking only one batter to pick up the victory. His 15 punch-outs are the most for a Wildcat hurler since J.A. Happ posted 16 K's against Iowa on May 3, 2003.
* Northwestern's 30 runs and 29 hits against Mount St. Mary's (Md.) are the highest totals in both categories since beating Chicago State 36-10 on April 15, 2003. NU had 31 hits in that game.
* Senior Jon Mikrut has 16 saves in his first three-plus seasons as a Wildcat. He is just one shy of the NU career record of 17 held by Greg Ziesemer (1993-96).
