Wednesday, May 4
Chicago, Ill.
6 p.m.
Northwestern
at
UIC
Wildcats Travel to UIC for Midweek Action
5/3/2016 2:01:00 PM | Baseball
EVANSTON, Ill. — For the second time this season, Northwestern will make the trip across town tomorrow, Wednesday, May 4, to Curtis Granderson Stadium to take on UIC at 6 p.m. CT.
Wednesday night will be the third meeting between Northwestern (10-33) and UIC (19-23) this season. UIC won the first meeting between the programs at Granderson Stadium, 11-2, on March 8, before taking a 7-0 victory from the 'Cats at Miller Park on April 5. Northwestern holds a 69-25-1 lead in the all-time series history.
Northwestern will start Dan Kubiuk (0-5, 6.41 ERA) on the bump Wednesday evening. The right-hander has made eight starts in 15 appearances this season, racking up 39.1 innings pitched in those outings.
UIC will send Reid Birlingmair (1-3, 10.07 ERA) out to the bump to face the Wildcats. Birlingmair has appeared in 13 games on the campaign, which includes two starts, and has collected 19 strikeouts in 19.2 innings pitched. Opponents are batting .321 against Birlingmair on the year.
The Wildcats dropped three one-run contests over the weekend (April 29 – May 1) at Indiana. Joe Hoscheit hit .400 (4-for-10) against the Hoosiers with 5 RBIs, while posting a .700 slugging percentage. The St. Charles, Ill., native belted a grand slam in Sunday's series finale for his sixth home run of the season.
Following Northwestern's game at UIC, the Wildcats open up the first leg of a seven-game homestand when it welcomes Purdue to Miller Park for a three game series this weekend. The series against the Boilermakers will get underway on Friday with first pitch slated for 3 p.m. CT.
OF NOTE…
HOSCHEIT AT UIC
Hoscheit has two home runs in three games against UIC at Granderson Stadium for his career, which includes the solo shot he hit on March 8. Hoscheit went deep against the Flames as a freshman with a two-run shot to help lead NU to a 8-4 victory.
CHASING 200
Senior first baseman Zach Jones is just two hits shy of reaching the 200-hit plateau for his career. The Glenview, Illinois native is batting .268 on the season with 44 hits, including 11 extra-base knocks.
Jones has a .303 batting average for his career.
HOPPY BEING HOPPY
Since the Wildcats opened Big Ten Conference play on March 25, junior Matt Hopfner has ranked in the Big Ten's top 10 for batting averages every week. Currently, the Edina, Minn., native has a team-best .369 average, which places him sixth in the Big Ten. For the season, Hopfner has 21 multiple-hit games and a total of 59 knocks.
AS OF LATE
In Northwestern's last ten games, five members on the roster are hitting above the .300 mark. Jake Schieber has been hitting .333 during the stretch with 11 hits and five runs scored, while Hopfner and Hoscheit have 12 and 11 knocks, respectively.
IRON 'CATS
Northwestern's left side of the infield has not changed its look this season. Sophomore third baseman Connor Lind and freshman shortstop Jack Dunn have started and played in all 43 of the #B1GCats games.
Freshman second baseman Willie Bourbon has started 42 games and played in all 43, while junior Matt Hopfner has started and played in 41 contests.
Wednesday night will be the third meeting between Northwestern (10-33) and UIC (19-23) this season. UIC won the first meeting between the programs at Granderson Stadium, 11-2, on March 8, before taking a 7-0 victory from the 'Cats at Miller Park on April 5. Northwestern holds a 69-25-1 lead in the all-time series history.
Northwestern will start Dan Kubiuk (0-5, 6.41 ERA) on the bump Wednesday evening. The right-hander has made eight starts in 15 appearances this season, racking up 39.1 innings pitched in those outings.
UIC will send Reid Birlingmair (1-3, 10.07 ERA) out to the bump to face the Wildcats. Birlingmair has appeared in 13 games on the campaign, which includes two starts, and has collected 19 strikeouts in 19.2 innings pitched. Opponents are batting .321 against Birlingmair on the year.
The Wildcats dropped three one-run contests over the weekend (April 29 – May 1) at Indiana. Joe Hoscheit hit .400 (4-for-10) against the Hoosiers with 5 RBIs, while posting a .700 slugging percentage. The St. Charles, Ill., native belted a grand slam in Sunday's series finale for his sixth home run of the season.
Following Northwestern's game at UIC, the Wildcats open up the first leg of a seven-game homestand when it welcomes Purdue to Miller Park for a three game series this weekend. The series against the Boilermakers will get underway on Friday with first pitch slated for 3 p.m. CT.
OF NOTE…
HOSCHEIT AT UIC
Hoscheit has two home runs in three games against UIC at Granderson Stadium for his career, which includes the solo shot he hit on March 8. Hoscheit went deep against the Flames as a freshman with a two-run shot to help lead NU to a 8-4 victory.
CHASING 200
Senior first baseman Zach Jones is just two hits shy of reaching the 200-hit plateau for his career. The Glenview, Illinois native is batting .268 on the season with 44 hits, including 11 extra-base knocks.
Jones has a .303 batting average for his career.
HOPPY BEING HOPPY
Since the Wildcats opened Big Ten Conference play on March 25, junior Matt Hopfner has ranked in the Big Ten's top 10 for batting averages every week. Currently, the Edina, Minn., native has a team-best .369 average, which places him sixth in the Big Ten. For the season, Hopfner has 21 multiple-hit games and a total of 59 knocks.
AS OF LATE
In Northwestern's last ten games, five members on the roster are hitting above the .300 mark. Jake Schieber has been hitting .333 during the stretch with 11 hits and five runs scored, while Hopfner and Hoscheit have 12 and 11 knocks, respectively.
IRON 'CATS
Northwestern's left side of the infield has not changed its look this season. Sophomore third baseman Connor Lind and freshman shortstop Jack Dunn have started and played in all 43 of the #B1GCats games.
Freshman second baseman Willie Bourbon has started 42 games and played in all 43, while junior Matt Hopfner has started and played in 41 contests.
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