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April 30, 2002
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REDHAWKS WELCOME INTRA-STATE RIVAL OHIO INTO TOWN FOR A CONFERENCE SERIES DURING GRADUATION WEEKEND: After settling for a split last weekend at Marshall, the Miami University baseball team is poised to improved its standing in the Mid-American Conference with a series this graduation weekend against Ohio University. The RedHawks and their 9-7 league mark are third in the MAC's East Division behind Kent State (12-2) and Bowling Green (11-6), and a strong weekend performance could vault them back into the hunt for the divisional crown.
After tying for second in the East Division last year and getting knocked out of the tournament by the RedHawks, Ohio has not faired quite as well in 2002 with a 5-10 conference mark. The Bobcats, however, hold a 100-59-1 advantage over Miami in the all-time series. Prior to Miami's 10-4 victory in the tournament OU had taken three out of four games against the RedHawks in the regular season. Head Coach Tracy Smith is 11-12 in his career against the Bobcats.
RECENT REDHAWK ACTION: The RedHawks returned from Huntington, W.Va. this weekend with a sour taste in their mouths after splitting a MAC series with the Marshall Thundering Herd. Miami swatted 17 home runs in four games at University Heights, a four-game best for the RedHawks this season.
Miami opened the Marshall series with an eye-catching 16-8 victory that included seven bombs over the 20-foot high outfield fence. Senior hurler Shawn Landis (Pleasant Hill, Ohio/Dayton) tossed the complete-game victory for the RedHawks, striking out a career-high eight batters en route to his fourth win.
With an unfavorable weather report, the Saturday doubleheader was started an hour earlier and the move worked in favor of the Thundering Herd. The Herd jumped all over Miami by scoring seven runs in the first inning, and maintained their advantage to win the first game 11-5. All five Miami hits were solo home runs. Miami retaliated in the nightcap by scoring three runs in the top of the tenth inning to put away the home team 13-10. Junior Michael Carlin (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon), who hit three home runs on Friday, connected for his fourth dinger of the series in the contest.
The RedHawks were defeated in the series closer 6-5, and were recipients of bad luck in the eighth frame. With one out Carlin ripped a double into the left-field wall, which appeared to be fair, but was ruled foul and he would eventually strike out. The next Miami batter, freshman Paul Frietch (Montgomery, Ohio/Moeller) hit a solo home run that could have been a game-tying round-tripper if Carlin were on base.
SCOUTING THE BOBCATS: The Bobcats are coming off their strongest weekend of the season, taking three of four against Buffalo, since a five-game winning streak earlier in the campaign against Columbia and Cleveland State. Ohio is 5-10 in the MAC and desperately needs to put some wins together in its next three series against Miami, Marshall and Northern Illinois if it wants to appear in the MAC Tournament.
Pacing the Bobcats' bats this season is senior outfielder Mike Arbinger. Arbinger boasts a .434 batting average, 14 home runs and 43 RBI, all of which are tops for Ohio. He also has a team best .825 slugging percentage and has received 21 free passes, three more than any other Bobcats' player. A transfer from Alleghany College, junior Rob Shrawder, is second on the squad with a .426 clip in 20 games. In the three games that he started against Buffalo last weekend Shrawder was seven-for-12 with seven RBI, which includes a six-RBI performance on Saturday.
The Ohio pitching staff, much like Miami's, has struggled to find consistency this season as it has a 7.83 team earned run average. Sophomore righty Marc Cornell flaunts the lowest ERA with a 5.07 mark in eight starts and ten appearances. His 5-3 record also is the best mark in the OU pitching staff. Flourishing in relief duties with three saves is freshman Dan O'Rourke.
LIVESTATS NOW AVAILABLE: All home Miami baseball games are available now on the internet via www.MURedHawks.com. The gamecast is very similar to what ESPN.com and CBS.Sportsline.com run on their websites.
MIAMI IN THE MAC: Miami junior Mike Galloway (St. Thomas, Ontario/Central Michigan) remains in the sixth slot in the conference in batting average (.404) after going 7-for-18 at Marshall. He still holds the lead in the conference with 65 hits and 51 runs scored. Galloway is in the top ten in home runs (t-8th), triples (t-5th), RBIs (3rd), total bases (5th), on-base percentage (t-5th) and slugging percentage (7th).
Cracking the MAC top ten this week is Carlin whose 12 home runs, which lead Miami, are good enough to tie for fifth in the conference. Carlin also is ninth in the conference in slugging percentage (.683) and tenth in total bases (95). His classmate David Cook (Columbus, Ohio/St. Francis DeSales), who batted .316 at Marshall with five RBI, is ninth in the MAC with 40 RBI and 97 total bases.
Also figuring into the mix is sophomore Ryan Edginton (Chester Springs, Pa./Arizona State) who is tied for third in the conference, with Galloway, with three triples.
CARLIN EARNS FIRST CAREER WEEKLY HONOR: For the second time this season Miami earns MAC Player of the Week kudos. This time it was junior Michael Carlin, who paced the team in every major statistical category minus hits. The award is the first of his career.
Carlin played both first base and left field this week in six games against Wright State, Cincinnati and Marshall, going 11-for-21 from the dish to lead the Red and White with a .524 batting average. He also led the team in runs scored (8), doubles (3), triples (1), home runs (5), RBI (10), total bases (31), slugging percentage (1.476) and on-base percentage (.583).
He matched his single-game record of three home runs at Marshall on Friday when he left the park three times in a 16-8 RedHawks' victory. Carlin continued to swing for the fences in the next three games swatting two more out of the park en route to finishing the weekend with seven dingers. He was 3-for-4 from the plate in Miami's come-from-behind victory at Marshall on Saturday, and was a triple short of the cycle.
Over a six-game span last week Carlin led the Red and White with four multiple-hit and three multiple-RBI games. Nine of his 11 hits went for extra bases, while he raised his batting average 33 points, from .305 to .338. He leads Miami with 12 home runs.
COOK-IE CRUNCH: Junior David Cook has been on a tear for the RedHawks in the last 12 games hitting at a .377 clip (20-53). The only RedHawk hotter than Cook is Carlin, who is batting .500 (16-32) during this stretch. Since going hitless in the first game of a doubleheader against Buffalo on April 20, Cook has reached base safely in eight games. His eight game hitting streak is two games away from tying Miami's longest streak of the season at ten. Also, Cook has been Miami's most efficient batter at getting men home during this stretch with 16 RBI.
LANDIS MAKES THE CONVERSION LOOK EASY: Senior right-hander Shawn Landis started the season expecting to be Miami's primary reliever, but in recent weeks he has been called upon as a starter. In his new role Landis has thrived winning both of his starts against MAC foes Buffalo and Marshall. Despite allowing six earned runs at Marshall, Landis struck out a career-eight batters in his second career start. Landis has a 4.50 ERA this season with a perfect 4-0 record along with two saves.
KIENINGER MAKING AN APPEARANCE: Senior Billy Kieninger (Xenia, Ohio/Xenia) has appeared in 15 out of 42 games for the RedHawks, the most of any Miami pitcher. He has posted a 3-3 record in these 15 games, but more importantly has accumulated 64 career appearances to move into a tie for third all time at Miami.
BAD CONNECTION AT THE DISH: Through 42 games the RedHawks have made that long walk back to the dugout 317 times. At their current pace of 7.55 strikeouts per game the RedHawks will surpass last season's mark of 398 by 55 (453).
Miami also has not been very good at avoiding the double play, hitting into 31 of them compared to last year's mark of 25. The defense is better though, successfully turning 34 DP's, and is just five away from last year's mark of 39.
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