Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Travels to 2007 CWS Participant Louisville
3/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 6, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. -
Northwestern's start to the 2008 season doesn't get any easier this weekend as it travels to 2007 College World Series participant Louisville for a three-game series. The teams play Friday at 1 p.m. Central and Saturday and Sunday at noon.
Behind a red-hot offense, the Wildcats have posted a 3-3 record through their first six contests. NU has scored at least eight runs in four of its six games and is atop the Big Ten with a team batting average of .350.
Northwestern won one of three games in Tampa, Fla., last weekend, splitting a pair of contests with No. 21 Oklahoma State before dropping a tight finale against host South Florida.
The Wildcats fell to the Cowboys 13-3 in Friday night's opener despite only being out-hit 14-12. NU stranded 11 baserunners in the contest.
However, the 'Cats got their revenge against OSU Saturday as freshman Nate Roberts' two-run single in the top of the 10th inning was the difference. Northwestern pounded out 20 hits in the game, led by four apiece by Mike Kalina and Tommy Finn.
The Wildcats were on the verge of finishing with a winning record on the weekend as it led South Florida 7-6 going into the bottom of the eighth inning of Saturday's nightcap. The Bulls put together a three-run rally in the eighth and NU was only to push one run across in the ninth to come up just short, 9-8.
Series History: Northwestern leads, 8-6. The Cardinals won two of three games Feb. 24-25, 2006 in Louisville. The Wildcats won five of the first six meetings between the teams.
'Cats With Bats
The fact that Northwestern has yet to practice outside has had little to no effect on its offense. Through six games, the Wildcats lead the Big Ten with an impressive .350 batting average. NU is tied with Penn State for the conference lead with four home runs and is second with 16 doubles (Michigan, 21). Mike Kalina ranks first in the Big Ten with a .593 batting average.
Kalina's Hot Start
There are good starts to a season and then there's the start that Mike Kalina is off to. The senior outfielder is batting a whopping .593 (16-27) through the team's first six games, collecting multiple hits in each of those contests. In addition to leading the Big Ten in batting average, he is also tops in on-base percentage (.621), hits (16) and total bases (24), is second in RBI (12) and third in runs scored (10).
Instant Impact
A trio of freshmen have stepped in and immediately contributed to the lineup during the opening two weekends of play. Chris Lashmet and Nate Roberts have started all six games at third base and right field, respectively. Roberts is second on the team and 10th in the Big Ten with a .409 batting average and second on the squad and tied for third in the conference with 10 RBI. He has already proven to be a clutch hitter, collecting the game-winning hit in the ninth inning of the Wildcats' 3-2 victory over Cal State Northridge Feb. 23 and then hit the decisive two-run single in the top of the 10th inning in the victory over Oklahoma State. Lashmet hit .545 in NU's three games last weekend, including hitting three run-scoring singles in the 14-12 win over No. 21 Oklahoma State. Though he doesn't have a decision to his credit yet, the 'Cats have won both of its games that southpaw Eric Jokisch has started. In his collegiate debut at CSUN, he didn't allow an earned run and just gave up just two hits to go along with six strikeouts in six innings of work.
Scouting Louisville
• The Cardinals are coming off their first College World Series appearance in school history last season. Louisville was 47-24 in 2007.
• Louisville is off to a 5-3 start this year, most recently posting a 13-5 win Wednesday over Eastern Kentucky. Senior second baseman Justin McClanahan paces the Cardinals with a .438 batting average. On the mound, senior right-hander Zack Pitts is 2-0 with a 0.73 ERA.
• The Cardinals were picked to finish second in the Big East this season, behind only St. John's and one spot in front of USF who Northwestern faced last weekend.
Up Next...
Northwestern returns to the Chicagoland area next week as it heads to UIC to face the Flames in single games scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
