Tigers Welcome Cincinnati for Final Regular-Season Series

Thursday, May 19

FedExPark

6:30 PM

University of Memphis

Cincinnati

Photo by: Michael Gardner

Tigers Welcome Cincinnati for Final Regular-Season Series

May 18, 2016 | Baseball

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis will host Cincinnati at FedExPark for the final series of the regular season before both teams will head to Clearwater, Fla. for the American Athletic Conference Tournament. The seeding for the tournament is still up for grabs with the Tigers having the ability to finish as high as fifth.

SERIES INFORMATION:
Memphis (18-35) vs. Cincinnati (24-27-1)
Date: May 19-21, 2016
Location: Memphis, Tenn.
Venue: FedExPark
Twitter Updates: @MemphisBaseball

Thursday, May 19 | 6:30 p.m. CT
Audio: WUMR 91.7 FM
Video: Memphis Tiger Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
MEM: Fr.. RHP Alex Hicks (0-2, 5.19 ERA)
CIN: Jr. RHP Andrew Zellner (6-4, 2.23 ERA)

Friday, May 20 | 6:30 p.m. CT
Audio: WUMR 91.7 FM
Video: Memphis Tiger Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
MEM: So. RHP Connor Alexander (2-7, 5.50 ERA)
CIN: So. LHP J.T. Perez (6-4, 2.92 ERA)

Saturday, May 21 | 1 p.m. CT
Audio: WUMR 91.7 FM
Video: Memphis Tiger Network
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
MEM: TBA
CIN: TBA

All three games against Cincinnati at FedExPark will be part of "Military Appreciation Weekend." Any current or former military members will receive free admission with proper identification. Camo hats will be given out throughout the weekend on a first come, first served basis.

Directly following Saturday's game there will be a free on-field clinic open to all fans in the eighth grad and under hosted by the Memphis baseball coaches and players (weather permitting). For more information about the clinic please contact Ryan Wolfe at rwolfe1@memphis.edu.

Leading Off
• For a fifth consecutive weekend Memphis avoided being swept in an American Athletic Conference series. Memphis has not been swept in a three-game conference series since 2012 against Southern Mississippi.
• Cincinnati has had the Tigers' number since the two teams reunited in the American Athletic Conference in 2014. The Bearcats have won all four series played since then.
• Cincinnati was picked to finish last in the league in the preseason polls but the Bearcats have played well and previously spent several weeks in first place in the American.
• Six seniors – Corey Chafin, Damo DeMatteo, Matt Ferguson, Jake Little, Trey McNickle and Jake Overbey – will be playing in their final games at FedExPark this weekend. The seniors along with student assistant Erik Schoenrock and graduate assistant trainer Brock Potter will be honored before Saturday's regular season finale.
• Matt Ferguson has been dominant on the mound recently, recording career highs for innings pitched in three of his last four starts, culminating with his first career complete-game last week against Tulane.
• Jake Little suffered through an injury-plagued junior season in 2015 but has recovered to lead the team in hitting with a .323 batting average as a senior. He is one of the team's most productive offensive players with 34 runs scored, 27 RBI and 12 stolen bases.
• Next to Jake Little, newcomer Brandon Grudzielanek is the only other Tiger to start every game this season. The JuCo transfer is batting .289 with 31 RBI and 31 runs scored while starting games at second base, shortstop and third base.
• The Tigers started the season with a platoon at first base before sophomore Jacob Elliott took over at the position. Elliott has started the last 38 games at first base for Memphis and is batting .278 with 25 RBI and 21 runs scored.
• Preseason All-American Nolan Blackwood recorded his 22nd career save in the April 9 win over USF and now holds the program record for career saves.
• Memphis stands in the top 50 in the NCAA with 74 stolen bases this season. The Tigers have been successful on the base paths as an entire team and no Memphis player is in the individual top 50 in the country in stolen bases.
• One of Memphis' strengths last season was its bullpen which compiled a 3.50 ERA with a 15-6 record and 16 saves. This season the relief corps has struggled with a 6.05 ERA, a 4-9 record and only six saves.
• All home games are streamed live online by the Memphis Tiger Network at GoTigersGo.com/Watch. WUMR U 92-FM carries the radio broadcasts throughout the season. Jeff Brightwell, who is joined by Greg Gaston for home games, will be on the call.
• The Memphis baseball program is in its fourth season as a partner with Baden Sports and swings the Axe Bat exclusively.

The Series with Cincinnati
Memphis leads the series with Cincinnati 53-29 since 1978, despite some recent struggles against the Bearcats. The Tigers have dropped all four series against the Bearcats since the teams joined the American Athletic Conference. Cincinnati has won eight of the last 13 games. Despite losing both series last season, Memphis was able to eliminate Cincinnati from the conference tournmanet with a 14-9 win.

Scouting the Bearcats
Cincinnati used a 1-0 shutout and a 16-4 blowout win to claim the series back in April at Marge Schott Stadium. Starting pitchers Andrew Zellner and J.T. Perez were both solid in the wins, especially Zellner who tossed a complete-game shutout. The team has an overall batting average of just .232 but they lead the conference with 87 stolen bases. Connor McVey leads the Bearcats offensively with a .292 batting average, 33 runs scored and 26 RBI, 26 stolen bases.

Avoiding the Sweep
Memphis hasn't been swept in a three-game conference series since 2012 and has narrowly avoided being swept for five consecutive weekends this season. The last time the Tigers were swept was at Southern Mississippi from April 20-22, 2012. Memphis hasn't been swept in a home conference series since 2008 against Rice.

Youth on the Mound
The names Jonathan Bowlan, Alex Hicks, James Muse, Colton Neel, Alex Smith and Hunter Smith are ones that Memphis baseball fans can likely expect to hear for years to come. These six true freshmen have already contributed on the mound for the Tigers early in their collegiate careers. They have combined to make 72 appearances and log 137 2/3 innings. Only the Memphis sophomore class, which includes starters Connor Alexander and Colton Hathcock, has pitched more innings this season. As can be expected with some inexperienced arms, they have been wild at times with 87 walks, 20 hit batters and 33 wild pitches. More than 70% of the Tigers' innings pitched have come from either a freshman or sophomore.

Speed on the Bases
Memphis hasn't been as consistent offensively as they would have liked this season, but the team has still managed to swipe 74 bases which ranks them in the top-50 nationally. Darien Tubbs leads the team with 19 stolen bases, Chris Carrier is second with 13 swiped bags. Jake Little has 12 stolen bases and Zach Schritenthal is also in double figures with 10. In all, 10 different Tigers have at least one stolen base.

One Inning in March
Memphis held a 4-2 record heading into its first midweek game of the season, at Ole Miss on March 2. The Tigers jumped out to a 6-0 lead over the Rebels before things turned in the bottom of the third inning. After four walks, three wild pitches and two errors the Rebels had taken a 7-6 lead and sent the Tigers into a stretch in which they won just one of the next eight games. Since that game, erratic pitching and shaky defense have kept Memphis from competing at the high levels that have come to be expected of the program that has won 30 or more games in each of the previous five seasons.

Blackwood in the Record Book
Junior closer Nolan Blackwood recorded his fifth save of the season and 22nd of his career in the win over USF on April 9 to set the program record for career saves. Blackwood passed Jonathan Van Eaton, who pitched for Memphis from 2010-13. This record comes after he already set the school record for saves in a season with 14 in 2015. Blackwood went more than a month without a save before shutting down UT Martin May 17 for his 23rd career save.

Tubbs in the Record Book
Darien Tubbs has used his speed to put his name in the Memphis baseball record book. The junior center fielder is third all-time with 12 career triples and is fourth in career stolen bases with 63. Tubbs has a chance to move up to second in stolen bases with three regular season games remaining and the conference tournament. Rene White (1973-76) is currently second with 68 stolen bases.

Axe Bats
Take a close look at the bats that the Tigers swing and you'll notice a distinct difference from bats you've picked up in the past. The University of Memphis baseball program is in its fourth season as a partner with Baden Sports and swings the AXE Bat exclusively. The patented Axe handle puts the bat in the fingertips for a consistent swing plane and a freer release. The Axe shape gives a better grip with less tension and delivers important benefits through the swing. The handle's oval shape prevents hitters from over-gripping the bat, thus providing the tension-free swing and greater energy through the ball.

Follow the Action
Visit GoTigersGo.com and follow @MemphisBaseball on Twitter and Instagram for all the latest news on the team. All home games will be streamed live online by the Memphis Tiger Network at gotigersgo.com/watch. WUMR U 92-FM will carry the radio broadcasts throughout the season both home and away.

Up Next
Memphis closes out the regular season this weekend and will next head to Clearwater, Fla. for the American Athletic Conference Tournament, from May 24-29.