Series Preview
- Friday: 4:00 p.m., CU Sports Complex
- Saturday: 2:00 p.m., CU Sports Complex
- Sunday: 1:00 p.m., CU Sports Complex
The Bluejays and Redbirds meet for a three-game series in Omaha at the venerable, if not comfortable, CU Sports Complex. Creighton’s 1-0 in Valley play this season at the on-campus diamond, picking up the third of three games against Indiana State last weekend. The Bluejays are 3-3 in MVC games, with two series under their belts. Illinois State has just one conference series in the bag, though; the Redbirds took two of three from Indiana State.
Weather Forecast
There are few better places in Omaha to work on your neck burn/tan than the CU Sports Complex bleachers on a sunny spring afternoon. So, all you pasty Midwesterners are in luck this weekend. Plenty of sunshine Friday and Saturday; don’t forget the sunscreen and a few nickels for some fresh grilled hot dogs and sausages. (OK, it won’t be that warm, but it sure beats February.)
Last weekend… Creighton competed in Missouri Valley action against Indiana State, while the Redbirds traveled to Nashville for a non-conference series.
After taking two of three from Southern Illinois in Carbondale the previous weekend, the Bluejays opened their home portion of the Valley schedule with a thud. Indiana State touched up Jonas Dufek for 6 hits and 4 runs in 7.1 innings, and the previously undefeated Friday starter suffered his first loss of the season. TJ Roemmich was the only Bluejay with multiple hits, and Ian Dike hit a big home run, but CU dropped the home opener 8-5. Saturday’s game went extra innings after the Bluejays were unable to close out a 3-1 lead after 7 innings. The Sycamores pushed 2 runs across in the 10th frame, and took the second game of the series 5-3. The consternation caused by the bullpen increased again on Sunday, after the Sycamores scored 3 runs in the 9th inning to forge a 6-6 tie. Matt Patterson gave up 3 runs in just one-third of an inning, spoiling Ty Blach’s gem (8.0 innings, 5 hits, 3 runs, 4 Ks), but the offensive picked him up with a walk-off win in the 9th, 7-6.
Meanwhile, Illinois State couldn’t build momentum from a mid-week home win against Illinois. The Redbirds suffered a sweep at the hands of Lipscomb. After dropping the opener 5-3 on Friday, ISU finished on the wrong end of a doubleheader sweep Saturday (8-1; 9-8 in 10 innings). The Redbirds returned to Normal for a midweek game against Northern Illinois but dropped that, too, 11-4.
Last year… The Bluejays bashed the Redbirds, sweeping ISU in Normal. Creighton posted 8-3, 12-2, and 10-6 wins the first weekend of May, pushing their midseason win streak to 7 straight games.
Historically… Just like last weekend’s opponent, the Bluejays hold a resounding all-time record against Illinois State. CU is 66-29 against the Redbirds, including a 15-1 record in the teams’ last 16 meetings. The Bluejays haven’t lost a home series to Illinois State since 1986, and currently claim a 9-game win streak against ISU.
On the Mound
- Friday: CU’s Jonas Dufek vs. ISU’s Corey Maines
- Saturday: CU’s Brandon Koenigstein vs. ISU’s Brad Sorkin
- Sunday: CU’s Ty Blach vs. ISU’s TBA
Dufek, Creighton’s Friday starter, suffered his first loss of the season against Indiana State. Koenigstein and Blach each pitched well enough to win their respective weekend starts but didn’t earn Ws. Those two Bluejays hurlers are locked in an intriguing battle for the team’s lowest ERA among regularly used pitchers: Blach leads CU with a 2.63 ERA in 27.1 innings, while Koenigstein is right behind him with a 2.70 ERA in 40.0 innings. Jack VanLeur is in the conversation, too, with a 2.73 ERA in 26.1 innings.
ISU’s Friday starter Maines was excellent in his only MVC start of 2010. He picked up a win against Indiana State two weeks ago, going 6 innings and allowing just 7 hits and 1 earned run. And while Maines has been the Redbirds’ best starter, Kenny Long takes over games from the bullpen. He was recognized for his efforts and earned Valley Pitcher of the Week honors two weeks ago, after recording the first three saves of his career without allowing a run. Two of those saves came in conference games against the Sycamores.
Overall, Creighton bests Illinois State in team ERA (4.77 vs. 6.12) and opponent batting average (.272 vs. .294).
At the Plate
The Redbirds feature two of the better hitters in the Valley. Kevin Tokarski ranks in the top 10 nationally in batting average (.467) doubles, doubles per game, and on-base percentage. Matt Mirabal rakes at a .408 clip. Tokarski leads the Valley in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs scored, and doubles.
Trever Adams continues to pace the Bluejays offensively. His .364 batting average is good for 7th in the league, and he also shows up in the Valley’s top 10 lists in slugging percentage (8th), total bases (9th), and unfortunately strikeouts (t-2nd). A few other Bluejays hit north of .300, including freshman Alex Staehely (.325, 2nd on the team).
As a team, ISU posts a .296 average, slightly ahead of Creighton’s .293 average. The Redbirds lead the Valley with a .399 on-base percentage and walks. The Bluejays trend toward the middle of the MVC pack in most offensive statistics, including average (5th), on-base percentage (5th), runs scored (6th), RBI (6th), and total bases (6th). But the Bluejays’ bats pack some power, as CU is 2nd in the conference in slugging percentage (.480), 3rd in doubles (58), and 2nd in home runs (27).
In the Field
Perhaps the biggest disparity between these two teams is their defensive play so far this season. Creighton leads the conference in fielding percentage (.978), while only Wichita State is a worse defensive squad than Illinois State (.951). The Redbirds have committed 48 errors to just 21 miscues by Creighton.
Illinois State likes to steal bases, but no team in the Valley is harder to swipe bags against than CU — the Jays have permitted just 16 stolen bases, far and away the fewest in the Valley.
Facts, Figures, and Fodder
This might feel like an in-state rivalry game for some of the Bluejays, as Illinois is home to more CU players (10) than any other state besides Nebraska (12)… first-year ISU head coach Mark Kingston is no stranger to Omaha. He advanced to the College World Series as a player for North Carolina in 1989, as an assistant coach for the 2001 national championship Miami team, and an assistant coach for the national #1 seeded Tulane Green Wave in 2005… Creighton used a predetermined pitching rotation for the Jays’ midweek game against Kansas and used 10 different pitchers. The nine relievers used in the game is tied for the 6th most all-time in NCAA history…TJ Roemmich and Scott Thornburg are both hitting .429 against Illinois State for their careers. Both scored 3 runs, collected 3 doubles, and knocked in 5 RBI against the Redbirds in 3 games last season… Trever Adams his hitting .436 with runners on base, leading a CU team that hits .321 with ducks on the pond… The Bluejays might be happy they aren’t playing at Rosenblatt this weekend, as Creighton is currently mired in a 4-game losing streak at the home of the CWS.
Media Menu
Creighton fans can tune all three games in on their radios this weekend. John Bishop and Dave Gustafson will have the call on 1180 AM KOIL on Friday and 1620 AM the Zone, Omaha’s ESPN Radio affiliate Saturday and Sunday. You can also find game audio and live stats for all three games at www.gocreighton.com