Baseball Game Notes (Lamar) in PDF Format
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GAME DATES
Feb. 23, 6:30 p.m.--at Lamar (3-3, 0-0 Southland)
Feb. 24, 6:30 p.m.--vs. Akansas State (1-3, 0-0 Sun Belt)
Feb. 25, 11 a.m.--vs. Creighton (1-2, 0-0 MVC)
STADIUM
Vincent-Beck Stadium (3,500)
Feb. 22, 2007
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern's baseball team heads back to the state of Texas after a 12-day layoff. This time the Wildcats compete in the Cardinal Classic hosted by Lamar University in Beaumont. NU opened the 2007 season with a 1-2 record at the Red Raider Classic in Lubbock, Texas two weeks ago. Texas Tech was the host.
NU will play its first night game of the season with a scheduled 6:30 p.m. first-pitch Friday night against host Lamar. The Cardinals are 3-3 this season and boast a .381 team batting average. Lamar has won its last two games, winning 2-of-3 against Holy Cross one week ago. They outscored the Crusaders 36-18 in the three-game series. This will be the first ever meeting between NU and Lamar.
The Wildcats' second opponent of the Cardinal Classic is a more familiar face. Arkansas State no-hit Northwestern, winning 4-0 on Feb. 19, 2005.That game was played at Clay Gould Ballpark in Arlington, Texas, home of the University of Texas-Arlington. ASU leads the all-time series 9-8-1.
The Indians (1-3) enter the tourney with a 4.36 team ERA. They gave up eight earned runs in their opening weekend, but eight more during a 14-5 mid-week loss to Central Arkansas. Offensively, they have a .208 team average with nine extra base hits.
Northwestern's third and final opponent is Missouri Valley Conference representative Creighton. The Bluejays are 1-2, winning their opener against Gardner-Webb (4-3) before falling at Winthrop (4-3, 10 innings) and Maryland (10-4). They are hitting .229 as a team, while the pitching staff has a 5.06 ERA. Creighton is 2-0 all-time versus Northwestern.
The Wildcats enter the weekend after a successful opening three games at the plate. NU averaged just under 16 hits per game, which included nine doubles. They hit .379 (47-for-124) and drove in 19 RBI. Leading the charge was freshman Jake Goebbert. The Illinois native earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors for hitting .500 (7-for-14) in his first collegiate weekend. He was one of three Wildcats with two doubles and he drove in two RBI. Junior Antonio Mulé led NU with four RBI and four runs scored. Senior lefty Dan Schwartz was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week.
GAME NOTES
Big Ten Players of the Week
Senior pitcher Dan Schwartz and freshman first baseman Jake Goebbert were named Big Ten Pitcher and Player of the Week. This is Schwartz's second career award as he also was honored on Feb. 14, 2006. Goebbert garnered his first career award and the first for a Northwestern freshman since Feb. 15, 2005 (Max Mann).
Adjusting Just Fine
With just one week under their collegiate belts, Northwestern's freshmen class (and one new sophomore) needed little time to adjust to collegiate baseball. In three games at the Red Raider Classic in Lubbock, Texas, the Wildcat newcomers went a combined 15-for-34 (.441) with seven runs scored, five RBI and five doubles. Jake Goebbert, Kenneth Avila, Chad Noble and Jim Grieco all saw time in the field. Grieco--the lone sophomore--was a defensive replacement and did not record an at-bat.
Swinging the Sticks
Unlike last season's slow offensive start, Northwestern hitters are putting the bat on the ball. Through three games in 2006, NU's batting average was a measly .222 (26-for-117). After three games in 2007, NU's batting average is .379 (47-for-124), an increase of 157 points. They are averaging 8.0 runs per game this season, compared to 4.0 in 2006. NU has nine doubles in 2007, they tallied just three after three games in 2006.
We're Going Streaking!
Junior Jake Owens has started every game he has played since walking on campus in 2005. His consecutive games started streak is at 91 games and counting. As a freshman, Owens started the first 29 games of the season before being sidelined with a season-ending injury. But the Wisconsin native bounced back and started all 59 games in 2006 and was third on the team with a .319 average. Owens' 75 hits last season was eighth best in school history and one behind Antonio Mulé's team-leading 76. Owens has started all three games in 207.
Batting Around
Every player who stepped to the plate in NU's three games in Lubbock, Texas got a hit. Only one player, Jim Grieco, did not register a hit, and that was because he did not register an at-bat. He was a defensive replacement in the Wildcats' 13-9 loss to Western Illinois (2/18).
3-2-1 Contact
Through its first three games in 2006, NU had struck out a total of 39 times, while being issued 16 free passes. Through the first three games of 2007, the Wildcats have struck out only 13 times and walked 10.
Kicks Like a Mulé
Junior Antonio Mulé led the Big Ten with 11 home runs in 2006, which included two in the Big Ten postseason tournament. Those two round-trippers earned him all-tournament team honors, NU's first distinction since Gabe Ribas earned the honor in 2002.
A Starting Role
Senior Dan Schwartz appeared in 47 games the last two seasons, the most by any Wildcat. In those 47 games, Schwartz posted a 7-3 record and tallied seven saves. This season, Schwartz has moved to the starters role. In his debut in 2007, the lefty pitched six innings of no-hit baseball. He did end up losing the no-no, but earned NU's first win of 2007 with a 12-7 win over Texas Tech in the season opener.
Freshmen Hurlers
On the mound, four freshmen got their taste of collegiate baseball. Lefty reliever David Jensen saw action in two games, earning a save in his collegiate debut. He pitched a total of three innings, did not give up a run on one hit. Right handed starter Cole Livermore pitched five innings in his debut, giving up three runs (only one earned) and striking out five. He got a no decision. He did walk four, but gave up just two hits. Left hander Matt Diedrich started the first game of his collegiate career and pitched five and two-third innings. He gave up four runs on 10 hits and struck out four. Lastly, right handed reliever Jonathan Purcell pitched two and two-third innings in his first outing. He gave up one run on three hits and struck out two. In all, freshmen pitched 16 and one-third innings out of a total of 26 for a 3.35 ERA. They struck out 12 and gave up 16 hits, only two for extra bases (both doubles).
Newcomers
Northwestern's 2007 recruiting class has eight freshman and one transfer from John Carroll University. This class of nine follows a 2006 class that also equaled nine. Fourteen of the Wildcats' 28-man roster are underclassmen.
Out-of-State Talent
Four of this year's nine newcomers hail from the state of Illinois (Matt Diedrich, Jake Goebbert, Jim Grieco and Cole Livermore). Two rustled up from Texas (Kenneth Avila and Chad Noble) while another pair surfed over from California (David Jensen and Jonathan Purcell). The final member of the 2007 recruiting class sliced down from Wisconsin (Joe Muraski).
Encore Performance
After a record breaking 2006 Big Ten season, Northwestern looks to build on last year's success. In 2006, NU won a school record 21 Big Ten games, demolishing the previous best of 15 (done five times, most recently in 2003). With those 21 wins, NU placed second in the regular season standings. The race for first--with Michigan--came down to the last weekend of the regular season. Northwestern split a four-game series with Purdue, while Michigan swept four games versus Iowa.
Longevity
Head coach Paul Stevens and his entire staff have been together for 12 years. Stevens is working on his 20th season as the skipper, while pitching coach Tim Stoddard is in his 14th season. Ron Klein enters his 12th season, while volunteer assistant Joe Keenan enters his 20th.