March 19, 2009

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis baseball squad will get a tough test this weekend as it opens its 2009 Conference USA schedule with a three-game battle versus Marshall, Mar. 19-21 at USA Stadium in Millington, Tenn. Game times are set for 6:30 p.m. (Friday) and 1 p.m. (Saturday and Sunday).

Scouting the Tigers
After handing Indiana State a 20-1 drubbing last Saturday, Memphis has dropped three-straight to fall to two games below .500 at 8-10. The Tigers offense batting average has dipped 10 points in the two midweek losses and now sits at .282. Memphis regulars continue to swing the bat aggressively, as six everyday players hit .300 or better. Junior first baseman Trey Wiedman leads the team with a .381 clip at the plate. Freshman Drew Martinez's average is up to .333. Martinez leads the club with 26 hits, seven doubles and five stolen bases. He has posted multiple hits in eight of the Tigers' 18 contests this year. Junior catcher Shawn Ablett has quietly posted a .305 average at the plate, while senior Cole Shelton hits .305 as well. Shelton extended his hit streak to six games with his first home run of the year in Wednesday's loss at Ole Miss. He paces the team with 15 RBI. Senior Brett Bowen hits .302 and is the team's leader with 18 runs scored, four home runs, 38 total bases and a .603 slugging percentage. Fifth-year senior Chris Newsom has had a fine start to his final season, hitting .385. All 10 of his hits have been singles.

The Memphis pitching staff is led by its weekend starting corps of Brennon Martin, Ryan Fraser and Brach Davis. The trio combines for a 3.79 ERA in weekend action. Martin has a team-best 22 strikeouts and is 2-0, with a 1.52 ERA. The lefty holds opposing hitters to a .232 average and has walked just two batters in 29.2 innings. Fraser sports a 5.49 ERA after a pair of solid outings that resulted in Tiger wins. He is 2-2 with 14 strikeouts. Davis is 1-2 with a 7.41 ERA. Senior Duke Williams anchors the U of M bullpen with a 4.66 ERA and 14 strikeouts.

Memphis is 8-3 in 11 weekend bouts. The offense hits .308 and has outscored the opposition 68-59. Meanwhile, the pitching staff holds a 4.68 ERA.

Last Time Out
#12 Ole Miss 7, Memphis 4

Memphis (8-1)           301 000 000 - 4  8 2
#12 Ole Miss (13-4)     140 010 01X - 7 13 1

OXFORD, Miss. -- Memphis scored three runs in the first inning, but could not maintain its early-game success as it suffered a 7-4 setback to 12th-ranked Ole Miss at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field on Wednesday evening. The Tigers drop to 8-10, while the Rebels improve to 13-4.

The loss was Memphis' 11th-straight to Ole Miss.

The U of M falls to 0-7 in midweek action, but played perhaps its most competitive midweek game yet. The Tiger bullpen had its strongest midweek performance of the season as Heith Hatfield, Matt Yokley and Marcus Barnes held the stout Ole Miss offense to three run in 6.2 innings. The trio struck out five Rebels.

Memphis was out hit 13-8 in the game. Drew Martinez, Cole Shelton and Shawn Ablett had two hits each. Ablett had two RBI, while Shelton scored twice.

Scouting Marshall
Marshall enters Conference USA's opening weekend with an 8-9 overall record and a 1-5 mark on the road. The Thundering Herd returns 21 letterwinners from last year's squad that went 30-30-1 and advanced as far as the C-USA Tournament title game. Marshall retains 11 players who saw time in the starting lineup and 10 pitchers.

The Herd's pitching staff is the team's anchor, checking in with a 4.42 ERA. Marshall's pitchers limit opposing hitters to a .262 clip at the plate and have fanned 138 batters. Reliever Austin Coan's stiff 1.54 ERA leads the way. Coan is 1-1 in seven relief outings and has the squad's two saves. Friday night starter Dan Straily has a 2.12 ERA in three starts. He holds opponent's to a .254 batting average. Saturday starter Ryan Kiel showcases a 3.54 ERA and is 2-1 in five appearances. He leads the staff with 20 strikeouts. Shane Farrell will make his fourth start of the year on Sunday. Farrell is winless in four decisions and has a 5.82 ERA.

At the plate, the Herd is led by C-USA Preseason Player of the Year honoree Nate Lape. Lape has been selected as a Preseason All-American by College Baseball Insider, Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball, National Collegiate Baseball Writers (NCBWA) AND Rivals.com. He has struggled early on, hitting just .241. However, he leads the team with 14 RBI and four home runs. Preseason All-C-USA selection Adam Yeager hits .275, but has 10 stolen bases. Ben Jurevicius hits a team-best .386, with 22 hits. Marshall hits .261 as a team and has banged out 20 home runs in 17 games.

Last Time vs. Marshall
Marshall 11, Memphis 1 (7)

Memphis (11-15; 3-3 C-USA)      000 000 1 -  1  2 1
Marshall (12-12; 3-3 C-USA)     100 352 x - 11 12 1

CHARLESTON, W. Va. -- Marshall starting pitcher Dan Straily struck out three and held Memphis to just one hit in a strong six-inning performance to lead Marshall to a seven-inning 11-1 win in the Conference series finale on Sunday morning. The loss completed the sweep for the Herd and extended the Tigers' losing streak to five games.

Straily was masterful, giving up a first inning single to Brett Bowen. He then retired Memphis in order in the third, fourth and fifth innings, before Eric Farrell reached on an infield error. However, holding an 11-0 leading heading into the seventh and the C-USA get-away-day run rule in effect, he was denied the complete-game shutout in favor of reliever Chad Johnson.

Chad Zurcher and Bowen were the lone Tigers to produce hits in the contest. Memphis starter Ryan Holland was tagged with the loss. He struck out six in 4.1 innings.

All-Time Series vs. Marshall
Memphis trails the all-time series 4-5, dating back to Marshall's addition to Conference USA in 2006. The Tigers swept the inaugural series, but since then, it has been all Thundering Herd. The Herd swept the Tigers in last year's series in West Virginia and took two of three in the 2007 series. Marshall has won each of the last five games.