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April 1, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill. - After winning five of its seven games in Florida, and seven of its last nine, the Northwestern baseball team opens its home and Big Ten schedule this weekend. The Wildcats host the Indiana Hoosiers at Rocky Miller Park, beginning at 3 p.m. (CST) Friday in Evanston. IU holds an 80-63-2 edge in the all-time series, winning 3-of-4 in 2003.
Over the last 10 years, NU has a 6-4 record in opening day games. The last time NU hosted Indiana as their home opener was in 1994 when the two teams split a four-game series. Brad Niedermaier and Chad Schroeder earned victories over IU that season. The 1994 team went on to a 34-22 overall record.
Senior Jason Krynski leads a talented 2004 squad, leading the team with a .373 batting average, while starting all 19 games. He has three home runs, 10 doubles and 19 RBI, all team highs. Krynski's 10 two-baggers ranks third in the Big Ten. Junior Matt Brimmer has played in 16 games, starting nine, and is hitting .333 in 48 at-bats. The Iowa native hit his first collegiate home run in NU's 11-6 win over Dartmouth. In that game, Brimmer scored four runs and drove in three. Freshman Caleb Fields has adjusted to the collegiate level, after winning the Catholic League MVP at Fenwick High School last year. All he has done as a collegian is hit .323, with 16 RBI (second to Krynski's 19), and has started every game at second base. He also has turned 12 of NU's 24 double plays. Junior Jon Mikrut is hitting .304 with 15 RBI, while senior Dan Pohlman is hitting .293. Pohlman, who moved to catcher at the beginning of the year, has thrown out nine would-be base stealers so far this season. Both Pohlman and Mikrut have two home runs apiece.
On the mound for NU, sophomore Dan Brauer (3-1, 2.15 ERA) and J.A. Happ (2-1, 2.48 ERA) lead a veteran squad that led the Big Ten with a 3.99 ERA a season ago. Brauer and Happ are Nos. 1+2 in total strikeouts, according to the latest Big Ten statistics. Brauer holds a slight edge at 48-44. Junior Chris Hayes has 12 appearances so far this season and boasts a 1.98 ERA. Hayes has one save and Mikrut two, giving him 13 for his career. Mikrut needs just four more to tie Greg Ziesemer for the NU career record for saves at 17.
WILDCAT GAMEDAY PROMOTIONS
APRIL 2 FRI. INDIANA 3 P.M.
NU $5 Friday Happy Hours at Rocky Miller Park
$5 meal deals (Pepsi, Vienna Beef hot dog, chips) available for all NU students/staff presenting a WildCARD
APRIL 3 SAT. INDIANA NOON (Doubleheader)
Dollar Dog Doubleheader
$1 Vienna Beef hot dogs will be available throughout the day.
APRIL 4 SAT. INDIANA 1 P.M.
Ice Cream Sunday
Specially-priced ice cream products will be available throughout the day.
The Wildcat marketing staff will also be doing the following in-game promos at all games this weekend...
1. Wildcat Lucky Numbers
All game programs will contain a lucky number. A sponsored lucky number will be called for a prize after select innings. Prizes will be redeemed at the press box. (Sponsors vary)
2. Wildcat Baseball Trivia
A Wildcat baseball trivia question will be read in the middle of the 3rd inning of every game. The first person to make it to the press box with the correct answer will win a prize. (Sponsors vary)
3. United Airlines Grand Slam Roundtrip Sweepstakes
A designated inning each game will be the United Airlines Grand Slam Roundtrip Sweepstakes. A lucky # program will win a roundtrip for two on United if a Wildcat player hits a grand slam in that inning. (Sponsor: United Airlines)
4. NUsports.com Roundtrip T-shirt Toss
A Northwestern Athletics t-shirt will be tossed into the crowd after every Wildcat Home Run. (sponsored by NUsports.com)
GAME NOTES
9 -- Number of base stealers Dan Pohlman has thrown out this season (12-for-21).
19 -- Number of RBI senior Jason Krynski has in NU's first 19 games of the 2004 season, four shy of his single-season career high (23).
8-6 -- NU's record on neutral fields.
14 -- Sacrifice bunts this season. Doug Beatty has four. The NU single-season record is 11, held by Steve Geffner in 1995.
48 -- Dan Brauer's number of strikeouts in 37.2 innings pitched, which leads the Big Ten. J.A. Happ is number two, striking out 44 in 36.2 innings.
15 -- Number of double plays shorstop Jon Mikrut has turned. The team total is 24.
* Senior Jason Krynski already has more hits in NU's first 19 games then he has had in any single season as a collegian. He currently has 31 hits, including 10 doubles and three home runs. Besides leading the team and being tied for second in the Big Ten, his 10 two-baggers is one shy of his career total entering this season.
* Junior J.A. Happ and sophomore Dan Brauer have combined to pitch 74.0 innings, each starting six games. Brauer leads the left-handed duo with 48 Ks, compared to 44 for Happ, which happen to be the top two strikeout totals in the Big Ten. Opponents are hitting a combined .199 in 271 at-bats.
* Junior Jon Mikrut has 13 saves in his first two-plus seasons as a Wildcat. He is just four shy of the NU career record of 17 held by Greg Ziesemer (1994-96).
* Lefthander J.A. Happ is seventh on NU's career ERA list with a 2.91 earned-run average in 170.2 innings pitched.
* Sophomore Anthony Wycklendt has his picture in the 2004 NCAA Baseball Record Book for hitting safely in seven of his eight at-bats vs. Chicago State (4/15/03) last year. His seven hits in one game tied the third-best single-game total in NCAA history.
* Assistant Coach Tim Stoddard is the only man in history to win an NCAA Basketball Championship and a Major League Baseball World Series Ring. Stoddard was part of N.C. State's 1974 NCAA Championship basketball team and a pitcher for the 1983 World Champion Baltimore Orioles.