Creighton at Evansville Preview
- Friday: 6:00 p.m., Braun Stadium
- Saturday: 2:00 p.m., Braun Stadium
- Sunday: 1:00 p.m., Braun Stadium
Media Menu
You can find the radio broadcast of the Bluejays-Aces games on KOZN 1620 AM in Omaha and surrounding areas. If you need an Internet stream of the game, go to GoCreighton.com and click the “KOZN 1620 AM” link on the daily schedule. You’ll find a link to the live stats for the games on the daily schedule, too.
Last weekend…
The Bluejays went to Wichita and came back without a series win. Despite picking up a victory in the Saturday game behind Jonas Dufek, Creighton couldn’t figure out the Shockers pitching staff on Friday or Sunday. Meanwhile, Ty Blach gave up a career- high 13 hits in an 8-0 loss in game one and Jays pitchers walked 10 Shox in Sunday’s 12-3 loss. CU retained its lead in the conference standings, but the margin ahead of WSU is now just one game.
The Aces traveled to Terre Haute to face in-state rival Indiana State, picking up one win on the weekend. After dropping the Friday opener 6-3, Evansville battled through 13 innings to win 10-9 on Saturday. But the Aces dropped the rubber match Sunday 4-1, leaving them in sixth place (6-8) in MVC play with two weekends worth of games left to play.
Last year…
Creighton swept Evansville in Omaha last season, the third time CU has taken the season series against UE during the Ed Servais era.
Historically…
Friday’s game will be the 60th between the two programs. Creighton holds a 37-22 advantage all-time, with 58 of the games coming since 1995 when the Aces joined the Valley. The two teams are even at 14 apiece in games played at Braun Stadium, which hosts its final three games this weekend.
On the Mound
- Friday: Jonas Dufek (8-1 / 2.46) vs. Kyle Lloyd (4-5 / 4.60)
- Saturday: Ty Blach (8-1 / 2.77) vs. Cole Isom (5-4 / 4.95)
- Sunday: TBA vs. Cody Fick (6-3 / 2.57)
Ty Blach moves from Friday to Saturday after being Creighton’s series opener starter all season. The reason? He started Tuesday night against Nebraska in a game the Bluejays had to win if they wanted even the slightest chance to entertain a possible at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. Blach picked up the win after being staked to a 9-0 lead in the first three innings.
So, Jonas Dufek gets the ball Friday night in Evansville, in a change that shows the true strength of Creighton’s team. Dufek, like Blach, is 8-1, and both pitchers’ 8 wins are just one behind the league leader (WSU’s Charlie Lowell). Opposing batters are hitting just .199 against Dufek, the best mark among Valley hurlers, and he is second in the league in strikeouts.
As long as the Bluejay bullpen can keep its composure and throw strikes, Creighton usually has a good shot at picking up a series win thanks to its two aces.
In the other dugout, the pitching production isn’t as consistent. The Aces sit squarely in the middle or at the bottom of almost every meaningful league pitching statistic. Their most successful starter is also their best position player: Cody Fick is fourth in the league in ERA (2.57) and eighth in opponent batting average (.238).
At the Plate
Three Valley regulars are hitting above .400 for the season, and two of those players will be in action in this weekend series. Cody Fick leads the league with a .409 batting average, while Trever Adams is close behind at .407. One weekend after Adams squared off with Wichita State’s Chris O’Brien (the other .400-plus hitter in the MVC), Creighton’s top slugger will go toe-to-toe with Fick, who is seemingly poised to repeat as a first-team All-Valley selection.
Fick and Adams are in the top three league-wide in batting average, slugging percentage, hits, runs batted in, home runs, and total bases.
Facts, Figures, and Fodder
UE coach Wes Carroll is a 2001 alumnus of the school, and one of the best players in program history. He was a freshman All-American in 1998 and is in the career top 10 in six different categories. After seven years of professional baseball, he took over the Aces program in 2009… Jimmy Swift (8 hits), Scott Thornburg (6 hits), and Adams (4 hits) are all hitting better than .300 for their careers against Evansville pitching… Adams is in the thick of a possible Triple Crown season. He leads the league in home runs and is third in batting average and runs batted in. Only one Valley player has won the Triple Crown since 1975, Missouri State’s Matt Cepicky… For the season, Creighton pitchers hold a 2.30-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Weather Forecast
If you’re headed to Braun Stadium, pack some rain gear. It could get stormy.