May 12, 2011
Northwestern (17-27, 7-11 Big Ten) vs. Michigan (15-33, 6-12 Big Ten)
Friday, May 13, 2011; 3 p.m.
Saturday, May 14, 2011; 1 p.m.
Sunday, May 15, 2011; 1 p.m.
Rocky Miller Park (1,000)
Evanston, Ill.
Streaming Video: Wildcats All Access (Friday and Sunday)
Audio: sports.wnur.org (all 3 games) and 89.3 FM WNUR (Saturday and Sunday)
Gametracker: NUsports.com
In-game Twitter updates: @NU_SportsLIVE
Northwestern Game Notes (PDF)
Probable Pitching Matchups
Friday
RHP Luke Farrell (5-2, 3.82 ERA, 66 IP, 55 K) vs. RHP Brandon Sinnery (2-3, 2.68 ERA, 53.2 IP, 35 K)
Saturday
RHP Michael Jahns (1-4, 3.91 ERA, 46 IP, 37 K) vs. LHP Matt Broder (1-2, 5.72 ERA, 28.1 IP, 17 K)
Sunday
TBA vs. TBA
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern concludes it 2011 home season this weekend as it squares off against Michigan on the penultimate weekend of the Big Ten campaign. Friday's opener is set for 3 p.m. first pitch, while Saturday's and Sunday's games get underway at 1 p.m.
On Saturday, the Wildcats will welcome members of the Evanston Baseball and Softball Association to Rocky Miller Park. Admission is free to all youth players who come to the game in their uniform. All others associated with ESBA will receive the discounted group admission rate of $3. Kids will have the opportunity to get autographs from Wildcat players and run the bases after the game.
NU will honor Brant Cavagnaro, Matt Gailey and Chris Lashmet in Senior Day ceremonies following Sunday's contest.
The Wildcats are tied for eighth place in the conference standings, one game back of the necessary sixth-place spot to earn a trip to the Big Ten tournament.
Northwestern won the middle of three games at Indiana last weekend. After dropping Friday's opener 5-0, the 'Cats bounced back for a 9-6 win on Saturday behind a four-hit, two-homer performance by Lashmet. The Hoosiers pulled away late to defeat NU 8-2 in Sunday's finale. The Wildcats won a pair of midweek nonconference home games, defeating UIC 3-2 on Tuesday before downing Chicago 4-3 on Wednesday.
Michigan won two of three meetings with Northwestern in Ann Arbor last season. The 'Cats won 10-8 on Saturday while the Wolverines won 4-3 on Friday and 15-14 on Sunday.
Chris Lashmet takes the field at Rocky Miller Park for the final time in his career this weekend. A four-year starter at third base and a first-team All-Big Ten selection last season, Lashmet ranks in the top 10 in school history in multiple offensive categories. He ranks tied for second with 46 doubles, fourth with 723 at-bats, sixth with 345 total bases, seventh with 231 hits and tied for 10th with 20 home runs.
Junior Paul Snieder has had a flair for the dramatic in each of Northwestern's last two home finales, hitting walk-off homers both times. As a freshman, Snieder's solo blast in the bottom of the ninth defeated Michigan 6-5. A year ago, his three-run shot stunned Michigan State, 8-6, and earned the Wildcats a berth in the Big Ten tourney.
Scouting Michigan
The Wolverines (15-33, 6-12 Big Ten) come into the series having dropped their last five games and their last six Big Ten contests. Michael O'Neill leads Michigan with a .306 batting average and 24 stolen bases. Coley Crank tops the squad with 14 doubles, seven homers and 28 RBI. On the mound, Brandon Sinnery paces all starters with a 2.68 ERA to go along with a 2-3 record. Head coach Rich Maloney is in his ninth season at Michigan.
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