Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Host Jayhawks in Final Midweek Showdown
5/4/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
| NORTHWESTERN Wildcats (15-31) KANSAS Jayhawks (20-28) |
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| Date | Time | Tuesday, May 5 (3 p.m.) Wednesday, May (3 p.m.) |
| Location | Rocky Miller Park | Evanston, Ill. |
| Media | Game 1: Watch | GameTracker Game 2: Watch | GameTracker |
| Social | @NUCatsBaseball | @NU_SportsLIVE |
| Game Notes | coming soon |
| Pitching Matchups | Game 1: RHP Joe Schindler vs. LHP Blake Weiman Game 2: RHP Justin Yoss vs. RHP Colin Toalson |
SCOUTING KANSAS
· Kansas enters the weekend with a 20-28 overall record sits tied for sixth in the Big 12 rankings with a 7-11 league play.
· The Jayhawks hold a slight 5-3 advantage in the overall series against the Wildcats.
· KU enters Tuesday matchup with a 5-11 mark in true road games this year.
· As a team, the Jayhawks are hitting .287 to lead the Big 12. The squad also ranks among the league's top three in doubles (61), hits (353) and on base percentage (.378).
· Connor McKay, who has played in 47 of the Jayhawks' 48 games this year, paces the squad's offense with a .362 batting average. The junior leads the team with 41 runs on 71 hits with 21 RBI, 18 doubles and five home runs this spring.
· KU heads to Evanston after dropping a series 1-2 to Big 12 rival Baylor. Kansas won the series opener, 2-0, thanks to a combined 13 strikeouts from the pitching staff before dropping back-to-back games.
PITCHING MATCHUPS
Game 1: RHP Joe Schindler (2-4, 6.17 ERA) vs. LHP Blake Weiman (1-7, 7.02 ERA)
Game 2: LHP Justin Yoss (1-0, 6.43 ERA) vs. RHP Colin Toalson (0-0, 8.47 ERA)
PORTLAND NAMED BIG TEN PITCHER OF THE WEEK
For the first time this season, a Northwestern Wildcat has been named the Big Ten pitcher of the Week, the league office announced Monday. This week's accolade goes to junior Matt Portland, who shut down Nebraska on Saturday, May 2. This marks the first weekly honor for the Victor, N.Y., native.
The high-powered Huskers entered the weekend with the second highest RPI ranking in the conference and sat just below Ohio State at No. 12, but that did not deter the junior southpaw.
Portland tossed 132 pitches in his 12th start this spring to fire his first career complete-game shutout. He tied a career-best eight strikeouts and walked just one batter to boost Northwestern to a 5-0 win over the Huskers.
HOME SWEET HOME
Northwestern finally returned home to the newly renovated Rocky Miller Park on Tuesday, April 21 when it hosted Milwaukee in its home opener. The Wildcats played 37 road games before opening play in Evanston. NU is 9-18 in true road games this year and is currently 3-5 at home.
DOUBLING UP
Junior Zach Jones ranks second in the Big Ten with 19 doubles so far this spring. Fifth-year senior Scott Heelan sits fourth with 17, while classmate Kyle Ruchim is fifth (16). As a team, the Wildcats are second in the league with 78 doubles on the year and average 2.36 doubles per game to rank 11th in the country.
SUPER SCOTT
Super senior Scott Heelan has been a key contributor to the Wildcats' offense this spring. Hitting .324, he has only struck out nine times in 179 at bats this year, to rank him as the fifth toughest batter to strike out in the country.
ZACH ATTACK
Junior first baseman Zach Jones has played a critical role in the Wildcat's offense this year. The Glenview, Ill., native is hitting .332 and has tallied 23 runs on 61 hits, including 28 RBI and 19 doubles. On March 20, Jones tied a school record for hits in a single game when he recorded seven against UNLV. Jones hit his first career home run in a 9-5 win over Milwaukee on Tuesday, April 21.
HOT BATS
Northwestern ranks among the Big Ten top five in multiple offensive categories including second in doubles (100), fourth in hits (462), and sixth batting average (.274). On Sunday, March 29, the Wildcats clinched their first Big Ten series with a commanding 19-7 win over Minnesota. The 19 runs scored were the most by NU since 2006 when the squad edged past Illinois in a 19-18 slugfest. The Wildcats have registered double-digit hits in 24 games this year.
MILESTONE MAGS'
Senior Brandon Magallones recorded his 200th-career strikeout in a 19-7 win over Minnesota (March 29). The right-handed pitcher earned the win after pitching five innings and fanning five batters. On Friday, April 17th, Magallones pitched seven shutout innings and cracked Northwestern all-time top 10 for career strikeouts against Iowa. The senior now sits eighth all-time with 218 career strikeouts.
NEXT UP FOR THE WILDCATS
Northwestern will close out its road slate with a three-game set at Michigan, beginning Friday, May 7. The Wildcats will then host Big Ten newcomer Maryland the following weekend for their regular-season finale.
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