Bracket A:
Game 1: #4 Illinois State vs. #5 Evansville — 9:00 a.m. Tuesday
Game 2: #1 Indiana State vs. #8 Creighton — 12:30 p.m. Tuesday
Game 5: Illinois State-Evansville loser vs. Indiana State-Creighton loser
Game 7: Illinois State-Evansville winner vs. Indiana State-Creighton winner
Game 9: Game 7 loser vs. Game 5 winner
Game 11: Game 7 winner vs. Game 9 winner
Game 13: (If necessary)
Bracket B:
Game 3: #3 Wichita State vs. #6 Southern Illinois — 4:00 p.m. Tuesday
Game 4: #2 Missouri State vs. #7 Bradley — 7:30 p.m. Tuesday
Game 6: Wichita State-Southern Illinois loser vs. Missouri State-Bradley loser
Game 8: Wichita State-Southern Illinois winner vs. Missouri State-Bradley winner
Game 10: Game 8 loser vs. Game 6 winner
Game 12: Game 8 winner vs. Game 10 winner
Game 14: (If necessary)
Championship Game: 7:00 p.m. Saturday
—
Can Creighton do the unthinkable? A year ago, the Bluejays spent the week before Memorial Day in Omaha hosting the MVC Tournament and winning the league’s championship. Now Ed Servais’ team enters the league tournament as the last place team in the Valley, pitted against top-seeded Indiana State. Can the Jays pitch well enough and get a timely hit or ten to successfully defend their league title?
Even the most positive of CU boosters has to feel that scenario is an unlikely one. While the Bluejay bats are capable of inflicting death by a dozen base hits, Creighton lacks the pop and power that can turn a bad pitch into a three-run mistake. Thus, the pressure for a possible run through the Valley tourney in Springfield, Missouri, rests on the shoulders of Ty Blach, Erik Mattingly, Shane Liska, and the experienced arms in the CU bullpen.
The good news? In a season full of frustrating missed chances in league play, Creighton handcuffed Indiana State’s potent bats in a weekend series won by the Sycamores 2-1. CU pitchers held the big ISU bats to just six earned runs over Easter weekend, posting a 1.80 ERA over the three games. And that included Ty Blach not pitching his best against the Trees.
Still, before forecasting a crazy run for Creighton through Bracket A, one must consider the lack of offense in 2012. Jays fans have seen it all season: the pitching staff does as much as it possibly can, but the Creighton bats don’t scrape together enough runs to make a difference. Can Nick Judkins, Alex Staehely, Chance Ross, and the rest of the CU regulars find their collective swing at the same time and make a magical run? Or, given how the season turned out, would simply watching the Jays take a game while at Hammons Field, site of their 2007 league title, be a positive note on which to end a frustrating 2012?
[We’ll eschew the typical On Deck content in an effort to better preview Creighton’s MVC Tournament trip.]
Creighton (22-28, 6-14 MVC) vs. Indiana State (41-15, 14-7 MVC)
- Season Series: Indiana State 2, Creighton 1 (recaps here)
- Pitching Matchup: CU’s Ty Blach (5-5, 2.60 ERA) vs. ISU’s Sean Manaea (5-1, 3.25)
- Media Options: 1180 AM KOIL in Omaha area; ESPN3 for online video webcast (here)
Two lefties will square off Tuesday, with Creighton’s Blach taking on Indiana State’s Sean Manaea. Blach struggled in his start against the Sycamores in April, giving up five earned runs on six ISU hits. Manaea battled Erik Mattingly in an ultimate pitchers dual Easter weekend, as both hurlers went 9 innings and didn’t allow a run. Neither Manaea nor Mattingly factored into the decision in the 12-inning ISU win, however.
CU's Anthony Bemboom tries to apply a tag to a Sycamore at home plate (Mike Spomer/WBR)
Indiana State finished the regular season second in the league in both batting average (.294) and earned run average (3.11). The Trees plated more runs (364) than any other MVC school. ISU boasts the league’s Player of the Year, Jeremy Lucas; the league’s Coach of the Year, Rick Heller; and the league’s Newcomer of the Year, Dakota Bacus. Rob Ort joined Lucas and Bacus on the All-MVC first team, while Tyler Wampler, Kyle Burnam, and Manaea earned second-team consideration.
The Bluejays finished fourth in the league in team ERA (3.49), but dead last in almost offensive category that matters — runs, average, slugging and on base percentages, hits, RBI. No Bluejays earned All-MVC first team honors; Anthony Bemboom wound up on the second team, while three Jays (Judkins, Ross, and Mike Gerber) finished on the all-defensive team.
Tournament Facts, Figures, Fodder
Indiana State has beaten the Bluejays in six of the teams’ eight first round meetings in the MVC tournament, including an 8-7 extra-inning affair in 2010… Indiana State eliminated CU in that same tournament, and the Sycamores are 13-9 all-time in MVC tournaments against the Jays… Indiana State eliminated Creighton from the 2003 tournament in Wichita, after the Bluejays went 0-2 in what would be Jack Dahm’s final season at CU…Lucas didn’t record a hit against the Bluejays in the teams’ three meetings this year, and Ort only collected two hits during the same games… CU is 7-1 in opening games in the MVC tournament under Ed Servais… CU is 5-3 in tournament games in Springfield, including a 4-1 record in their championship run in 2007.