March 31, 2011
Northwestern (7-14) at Ohio State (8-10)
Friday, April 1, 2011; 5:35 p.m. CT
Saturday, April 2, 2011; 2:05 p.m. CT
Sunday, April 3, 2011; 1:05 p.m. CT
Bill Davis Stadium (4,450)
Columbus, Ohio
TV: Big Ten Network (Sunday) (Eric Collins and Scott Pose)
Streaming Video: BigTenNetwork.com (Friday) and OhioStateBuckeyes.com (Saturday)
Live State: ohiostatebuckeyes.com
In-game Twitter updates: @NU_SportsLIVE
Northwestern Game Notes (PDF)
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern opens its 2011 Big Ten season this weekend as it travels to Ohio State for a three-game series. Friday's opener gets underway at 5:35 p.m. Central time, while Saturday's contest is set for 2:05 p.m. first pitch. Sunday's game is being televised live by Big Ten Network beginning at 1 p.m.
It is the second straight year that the Wildcats and the Buckeyes have opened up conference play against one another. OSU took two of the three meetings in Evanston a year ago.
After playing its first 20 games of the season on the road, the Wildcats opened their home season at Rocky Miller Park on Wednesday, but dropped a 5-2 decision to Valparaiso. Paul Snieder led the NU offense with three hits. The 'Cats got the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning, but couldn't complete the comeback.
Senior third baseman Chris Lashmet has paced the Northwestern offense so far this season. A first-team All-Big Ten pick a year ago, he leads the team with a .361 batting average, 30 hits, eight doubles and 16 runs scored.
Scouting Ohio State
The Buckeyes (8-10) opened their home season with a 4-1 win over Xavier on Tuesday. Junior infielder Ryan Cypret leads Ohio State with a .366 batting average, 12 runs scored, six doubles, two home runs and 14 RBI. Senior right-hander Drew Rucinski, who is slated to get the start in Friday's series opener, paces all OSU starters on the mound with a 2-1 record and a 2.53 ERA. Greg Beals is in his first season as the head coach of the Buckeyes. He was previously the head coach for eight years at Ball State.
Control Freak
Few pitchers in the country can boast the command that Northwestern junior right-hander Francis Brooke possesses. As a sophomore, he ranked second in the nation with an average of 0.71 walks per 9 innings pitched. Brooke allowed only seven walks (one intentional) while striking out 48 in 89.1 innings of work. This season, he has picked up right where he left off, fanning 21 batters with only three walks in 28 innings pitched.
Going Streaking
Both junior Trevor Stevens and senior Chris Lashmet have put together extended hitting streaks so far this season. Stevens started the 2011 season by hitting safely in the Wildcats' first 11 games, batting .447 (17-38) over that span. Additionally, Lashmet collected at least one hit in nine straight games from March 11-23. He had at least two hits in five consecutive games during the streak.
Son of a Bird
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Luke Farrell hails from a baseball family. His father, John, is in his first year as the manager of the Toronto Blue Jays. John was most recently the pitching coach for the Boston Red Sox. Luke's brother Jeremy played collegiately at Virginia and plays professionally in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization, while another brother, Shane, is a pitcher at Marshall. After battling illness prior to his freshman year, Luke has gotten his 2011 campaign off to a good start. He is 2-0 with a 3.71 ERA and leads the team with 24 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings pitched.
All in the Family
Much like the Farrells, baseball is a family affair for the Stevens clan. Northwestern boast three Stevens on its team this year. Paul Stevens is in his 24th season as the Wildcats' head coach. Trevor Stevens is a junior infielder/outfielder who is NU's starting center fielder and earned second-team All-Big Ten honors at shortstop in 2010. Cody Stevens has joined the mix as a freshman infielder this season.
Oh Brother!
In addition to Trevor Stevens and Cody Stevens, the Northwestern roster features numerous other players whose brothers are or have been Wildcats. Junior Francis Brooke and freshman Henry Brooke are the other pair of brothers currently on the NU roster. Junior Chris Kontos' brother, George, was a standout pitcher for Northwestern from 2004-06 and was a fifth-round draft pick of the New York Yankees. George is currently a member of the Yankees' Triple-A team at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Additionally, Jack Havey's brother, Matt, pitched for the Wildcats from 2006-09.
Snieder Earns Preseason All-America Recognition
Junior Paul Snieder was outstanding both on the mound and at the plate in 2010. His efforts were rewarded by being named a preseason third-team All-American. Louisville Slugger tabbed Snieder to its third team as a relief pitcher, while College Baseball Lineup tabbed him for his efforts as a utility player. A first-team All-Big Ten pick as a reliever in 2010, Snieder led the Big Ten with 12 saves during his sophomore season. He posted a 2-3 record with a 1.79 ERA in a team-high 25 appearances. Snieder was equally impressive at the plate for NU last season. He ranked third on the team with a .353 batting average, while leading the squad with 15 doubles and a .540 slugging percentage. He was also second on the Wildcats with seven home runs, 36 RBI and a .440 on-base percentage.
Youth is Being Served
Northwestern's roster is jam-packed with youth this season. Of the 26 players on the Wildcats' roster, 12 of them are freshmen.
Up Next...
The Wildcats return to action at 3 p.m. Tuesday as they host Milwaukee. NU then hosts Penn State in Big Ten play next weekend.
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