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Woerner Field at Time Warner Cable Stadium will be dedicated on Friday. |
Woerner Field
University of Dayton Division of Athletics will dedicate its baseball field to honor former player and long-time donor Larry Woener ‘76 and his wife Rosemari on Friday ... The baseball facility will be called Woerner Field at Time Warner Cable Stadium to honor the Woerner’s dedication and support of the University ... There will be a dedication ceremony on at 1:30 p.m., on the field, followed by Woerner throwing out the first pitch for Friday’s 4 p.m. start.
Weekend Overview
-The Flyers will aim for an unprecedented sixth consecutive conference series victory this weekend when hosting rival Xavier in a three-game series at Woerner Field at Time Warner Cable Stadium.
-Friday will mark the dedication of Woerner Field, named after former pitcher and long-time supporter Larry Woerner ’76.
-Dayton ranks second in the nation in walks per nine innings (2.14).
-The Flyers boast the second-best team batting average in the A-10 during conference play (.315), outscoring conference foes 110-80.
-RHP Burny Mitchem will start on the mound on Friday, coming off back-to-back complete game outings. The Flyers are 5-0 in conference games when Mitchem starts.
-LHP Cameron Hobson is Dayton’s career strikeout leader with 299. Mitchem isn’t far behind with 221.
-Projected Sunday starter, RHP Mike Hauschild, has pitched 18 consecutive scoreless innings.
-Junior Brian Blasik has the second-best batting average in the A-10 (.414).
-Junior C.J. Gillman leads the A-10 in batting average during conference play (.443). Gillman has team-bests of 17 doubles and 17 stolen bases.
-Senior Jonathan Castine leads the Flyers in RBI (31) behind 15 extra-base hits – including five homeruns.
Xavier at a Glance
The Musketeers enter the weekend tied for sixth place in the Atlantic 10 standings with a 8-7 conference record and 23-20 overall record ... Ben Thomas has the fourth-best batting average in the conference at .390 and leads the conference in homeruns with 13 ... LHP Jon Richard is the Friday starter for Xavier, entering the weekend with a 3.63 ERA ... Xavier leads the A-10 with a .972 team fielding percentage, committing just 46 errors through 1,151 putouts ... XU has won six of its last eight games, including a series victory at St. Bonaventure last weekend ... Scott Googins is in his fifth year as head coach at XU with a 163-172 record ... The Musketeers were picked to finish second in the A-10 this season in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll.
Last Meeting vs. Xavier
In one of the highest scoring series of the season, Xavier took two of three games at Time Warner Cable Stadium last season by a combined score of 27-37 ... XU’s Ben Thomas had eight RBI in game one as the Musketeers defeated UD 21-5 ... The Flyers answered with an 11-2 win in game two behind a 3-for-3 performance from Brian Blasik ... Xavier took the one-run series finale, 12-11, despite a late 6-1 rally from the Flyers.
National Weather Service Forecast – Dayton, Ohio
Friday – Chance of showers and thunderstorms, mostly cloudy, high near 63 degrees, chance of precipitation is 50 percent. Saturday – Chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4 p.m., partly sunny, high near 66 degrees, chance of precipitation is 30 percent. Sunday – Chance of showers and thunderstorms, mostly cloudy, high near 70 degrees, chance of precipitation is 40 percent.
Hobson and Mitchem Go Back-and-Forth for UD Strikeout Records
| Dayton Strikeout Records |
Career
1. Cameron Hobson
2. Burny Mitchem |
229
221 |
Single-Season
1. Burny Mitchem (2010)
2. Cameron Hobson (2009) |
86
83 |
On April 15, junior LHP Cameron Hobson broke Dayton’s career strikeout record with his 219th strikeout against Richmond ... Last Friday junior RHP Burny Mitchem tied Hobson’s career strikeout total of 221 before Hobson added eight strikeouts on Saturday to bring Dayton’s current record to 229 ... Hobson has a conference-best 78 strikeouts this season and enters the weekend with 229 career strikeouts ... Mitchem stands behind Hobson with 221 career strikeouts and 61 this season ... Both pitchers have just 14 walks this season ... In 2009, Hobson had 83 strikeouts as a freshman to set the single-season UD record, but only for a year ... Last season, Mitchem broke Hobson’s single-season strikeout record with 86 Ks ... Luke Trubee (2003-06) was the former strikeout record holder with 218.
Mitchem is Money in Conference Play
When Burny Mitchem starts on the mound, the Flyers are 5-0 in conference games ... In his last two outings, Mitchem has gone the full nine innings to help defeat Saint Joseph’s and George Washington on the road ... All three starting pitchers (Mitchem, Hauschild, Hobson) recorded complete games in the George Washington series ... The Farmington, Mich., native is coming off an outing in which he struck out a career-high nine batters at George Washington ... Mitchem started the season in the closer role – amassing three saves before making his first start of the season on March 13 against Canisius.
Hauschild Scoreless Streak at 18 Innings
With his first career complete-game shutout last Sunday, junior RHP Mike Hasuchild notched his second consecutive scoreless outing – having not allowed a run in the last 18 innings ... Hauschild struck out a career-high 13 batters last Sunday against George Washington to fuel a 5-0 Dayton victory ... The Beavercreek, Ohio native pitched eight scoreless innings at Saint Joseph’s (4/24) to help guide UD to a 6-1 win – pitching all but the last inning ... In a no-decision outing against Richmond (4/15) Hauschild’s last inning was scoreless to begin his streak of 18 consecutive scoreless innings entering this weekend ... Hauschild has pitched four complete-games this season.
Strikeouts Plenty; Walks Few
Dayton ranks second in the nation in walks allowed per nine innings (2.14) ... The Flyers stand behind only Florida with 1.84 walks allowed per nine innings ... The Flyer pitching staff has total of 332 strikeouts with just 93 walks through 44 games this season ... For every walk Dayton averages a conference-best 3.57 strikeouts (or strikeout-to-walk ratio) ... Mike Hauschild leads the way with 70 strikeouts and just nine walks in 79 1/3 innings pitched.
Gillman Eying a Pair of Single-Season Records
Junior C.J. Gillman enters the weekend with 17 doubles and 17 stolen bases – needing six more to tie Dayton’s single-season record for both categories ... Galen Schumm (2006) holds the single-season doubles record with 23 ... Jake Long (1999) holds the single-season stolen bases record with 23 ... Gillman leads the Atlantic 10 in batting average during conference play with a .443 clip and has the third-most overall doubles in the A-10.
Don’t Cross Welch Behind the Plate
During conference play Dayton has stolen 34 bases, opponents have stolen just eight ... When senior catcher Danny Welch is behind the plate, conference opponents have just five steals ... Welch has caught 17 runners stealing base this season and only given up 33.
Blasik, A Hitting Machine
Junior Brian Blasik is hitting .414 on the season with the second-most hits on the team despite missing the first 15 games of the season ... Blasik’s batting average currently ranks second in the A-10 ... Blasik has gone hitless in just two games this season ... In 29 games played this season, Blasik has 16 multi-hit games ... The Germantown, Ohio native had a hit in his first 11 games to extended his hitting streak to a career-best 18 games dating back to last season ... Blasik returned from injury to make his first start of the season on March 15 against Wittenberg, tying his career-high four runs scored in five at-bats ... In 2010, Blasik was a First Team All-Conference selection and was voted the team MVP after recording a .346 batting average, 75 hits, 18 doubles, eight homeruns and 37 RBI ... He earned All-Conference honors in the designated hitter spot.
Flyers’ Road Results Improving
Dayton won four games during its most-recent six-game road swing, improving to 13-9 in road contests this season ... Dayton has doubled its road win total of six from last season ... In 2010 the Flyers finished 6-18 on the road ... The Flyers broke a nine-game road losing streak after defeating Lipscomb on Feb. 18.
Pro Tracker
LHP Jerry Blevins ‘04 – Oakland A’s
0-0, 4.09 ERA, 11 GP, 11 IP, 10 K, 11 BB, .237 opponent BA
Made the A’s opening day active roster for the second consecutive season ... Longest relief outing of the season was 2 1/3 scoreless innings at Chicago with one strikeout (4/12) ... Three strikeouts in two innings against Seattle (4/3) ... Has 11 middle-relief appearances through Thursday, May 5, with 10 strikeouts and a 4.09 ERA in 11 innings ... Drafted in the 17th round by the Cubs in 2004 ... Made major league debut on Sept. 16, 2007 with the A’s ... In his fifth season at the major league level.
RHP Craig Stammen ‘05 – Washington Nationals (AAA Syracuse Chiefs)
1-1, 3.20 ERA, 4 starts, 25.1 IP, 22 K, 4 BB, .198 opponent BA
Made season debut with the Nationals’ triple-A club, Syracuse Chiefs ... Started in his first outing on April 11, going five innings with three strikeouts and one earned run in the no-decision ... Has six or more strikeouts in his last three outings ... Totals 22 Ks with just four walks ... Drafted in the 12th round by the Nationals in 2005 ... Made major league debut on May 21, 2009 ... Has an 8-11 record, 5.12 ERA, 133 strikeouts in 54 appearances and 38 starts at the major league level ... Left Dayton as a junior with what was then UD’s career strikeout record (185) ... Versailles (OH) High School graduate.
SS Cole Tyrell ‘10 – San Diego Padres (extended spring training)
Listed on the Padres’ class A affiliate Eugene Emeralds opening day roster ... Will make season debut on June 17 ... Until then is in extended spring training with the club in Arizona ... Had 18 hits, two homeruns and 10 RBI in 31 games in the minors last season ... Drafted in the 42nd round by the Padres in 2010 ... Finished in the top five in four career statistic categories at Dayton ... Had a .326 batting average with 10 homeruns and 49 RBI as a senior.
Atlantic 10 Performers of the Week
Brian Blasik
Player of the Week – April 11
Junior Brian Blasik was named Player of the Week after hitting .500 with five RBI, nine hits and three stolen bases through four games ... Blasik’s week at the plate was headlined by a season-high four hits – including his second homerun of the season – and three runs scored in the leadoff spot to guide UD to an 8-6 win over UMass on April 9 ... Blasik followed with a 3-for-5 performance in the series finale with a double and three RBI.
Mel Skochdopole
Rookie of the Week – April 4
Freshman shortstop Mel Skochdopole recorded his first career homerun and maintained a .400 batting average during the week to help guide Dayton to a 4-1 record ... The Indianapolis, Ind., native registered his first homer against the Owls on April 3, finishing the game 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored ... He also drove in three runs against Temple on Saturday on two hits ... After beginning the season 2-for-19 (.105), Skochdopole had a .319 average on April 4 as UD’s only starting true freshman.
Mike Hauschild
Pitcher of the Week – Feb. 21
Junior right-handed pitcher Mike Hauschild was named the season’s first Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week on after throwing a complete game against Lipscomb (2/18) ... It is the first A-10 Pitcher of the Week for Hauschild, becoming UD’s first A-10 Pitcher of the Week since 2009 and second in five years ... Junior Burny Mitchem was the last Flyer to be named Pitcher of the Week on March 2, 2009 ... It was the Beavercreek native’s third career complete-game, allowing just two earned runs and one walk with eight strikeouts in nine innings of work ... Hauschild was strongest late in the game, retiring his last nine batters in order – three consecutive 1-2-3 innings in the seventh, eighth, and ninth ... Four of his eight strikeouts came in the final three innings to close out Dayton’s 8-3 win.
Cameron Hobson
Pitcher of the Week – March 21
Hobson threw a dominating complete game shutout against Siena to earn A-10 Pitcher of the Week honors ... Hobson recorded 14 strikeouts, allowing no walks in the seven-inning game called short due to rain ... Hobson was also named one of “Louisville Slugger’s” National Players of the Week for his complete game shutout.
Triple Play
The Flyers turned a triple play in the third inning of an 8-3 win against Lipscomb on Feb. 18 ... The play was started by junior third baseman C.J. Gillman ... With runners on first and second, Gillman caught a line drive, tagged the runner on the base path between second and third, and threw out the runner from first base before tagging up.
Moeller Connection
Dayton has four players who graduated from the esteemed Archbishop Moeller High School baseball program (Kevin Thamann, Ian Hundley, Robby Sunderman, Willy Balbach) ... The Cincinnati-area high school has produced six first-round draft picks including major leaguers such as Ken Griffey, Jr., Barry Larkin, and former player and manager Buddy Bell.
Flyers Picked Third in Preseason Poll
Dayton was picked to finish third in the 2011 Atlantic 10 Conference season, according to a vote of the A-10 coaches ... The Flyers return four players in the starting lineup and all three weekend starting pitchers, including 37th-Round MLB Draft pick left-handed pitcher Cameron Hobson and First Team All-Conference DH Brian Blasik ... With 10 first-place votes Charlotte was picked to repeat as Atlantic 10 regular season champions ... The 49ers are one of four conference teams UD will not play in the regular season ... Xavier received one first-place vote to garner a predicted second-place finish in the league.