University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Tuesday, March 15
Grand Junction, Colo.
6:00 pm
University of Northern Colorado
at
Colorado Mesa
Photo by: Wichita State Athletic Deparment
@NCBearsBaseball Heads Over The Western Slopes
3/14/2016 4:16:00 PM | Baseball
Northern Colorado baseball heads over to the western slopes to take on Colorado Mesa for a pair this week
GREELEY, Colo. – The Northern Colorado baseball club will head over to the western slopes to take on Colorado Mesa for a pair or mid-week games. The Bears and Mavericks will start their series on Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. and quickly turn around for the series final on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m.
Series Notes: Northern Colorado | WAC
Leading Off
• Northern Colorado went 1-4 last week, dropping its two game series against Nebraska and taking one in a three game series vs South Dakota State.
• The Bears lone win of the week came in thrilling comeback, walk-off fashion against South Dakota State on Sunday. Freshman Corey Nakakura had the game winning hit with two outs to bring home Dean Lawson.
• Nick Tanner has been the team's ace so far, putting up a 1.50 ERA over four outings with a 1-0 record. When he has been on the mound this year, UNC is 3-1.
• Northern Colorado's pitchers have been very sly with their pick-off moves this year, leading the WAC in runners picked off with seven.
• Senior reliever Allen Cook had himself a busy and successful week for UNC. He picked up the win on Sunday in his last of four appearances of the week. He also struck out the side twice, once against Nebraska and the other against South Dakota State.
• Dan Reese has really taken off recently, going 10-for-26 in this last seven games, scoring eight times and driving in three. Three of those 10 hits have gone for extra bases.
• Brett Minnick put together quiet the weekend vs South Dakota State. In the two games he played, he was never put out. He went 3-for-3 with a single, double and triple on Friday plus a walk. On Saturday he drew a walk all three times up.
Scouting Colorado Mesa
Colorado Mesa is ranked No. 3 in the NCBWA Division II ranks and has a strong history as a program. This year the Mavericks have dropped just three games, all of them coming to other ranked teams.
Coming into this week's games, CMU is on an eight game win streak, having split it in half with four against Colorado Christian and the other four vs Metro State-Denver.
Colorado Mesa has a talented lineup, led by James Young III and Alex Fife at the plate. Both players lead the team in hitting with a .450 and .420 batting average, respectively. Young also leads the team in runs scored and RBIs with 17 and 13.
On the mound, starters JR McDermott and reliever Nick Borowski both have sub 2.00 ERAs. McDermmott is 2-0 with a 0.89 ERA, striking out 34 hitters so far. Borowski, has a 3-0 record with two saves and a 1.76 ERA in seven appearances.
Series History vs the Mavericks
This week's two game series will mark the 99th and 100th all-time matchup between the Bears and Mavericks. In the first 98 meetings between the clubs, CMU holds a 67-31 record. The series began in 1972 when UNC defeated Colorado Mesa 15-1. It has been a few years since the teams met, the most recent series was in 2014 in Greeley. The Bears would take the three game series 2-1.
Turning Two
UNC has been doing a good job of getting two outs in one play this season. The Bears have turned 15 double plays already for the year. Those 13 double plays rank 33rd overall in the NCAA and second in the WAC behind New Mexico State's 18.
Yamane The Man
After missing last year with a foot injury, Ryan Yamane has a few different UNC baseball records within reach. Coming into the 2016 season, he ranks fifth in at bats with 660, tied for12th in hits (190) and now first in walks with 122. Yamane broke the program record of 121 set by Jeff Cheek who played from 1972-75.
Every Day is Sunday
UNC may want to name every day of the week Sunday since that is when the Bears have won all of their games this year. The team is 4-1 on Sunday and 0-10 on any other day of the week.
Swing and a Miss
Northern Colorado has struggled with strike outs so far this year. The team leads the WAC in strike outs, being sat down via a K 148 times this year.
Swiping Bags
The Bears have been on the run this year, swiping 20 bags so far this season, to rank 76th nationally and second in the WAC. Jake Ek leads the team with five stolen bases. Those five steals ranks him third in the conference and 132nd in the NCAA.
Yamaguchi Doubles Up
Freshman infielder Tyler Yamaguchi has been a doubles machine so far this season for UNC. He leads the team and is tied for third in the conference lead with six doubles this season. That also places him in the Top 100 in the NCAA, 77th to be exact, for doubles.
All Arms in
Playing five straight games can take a toll on any pitching staff, for UNC they were able to string together a staff in the final game at Kansas. The Bears used eight pitchers lasting no more than 1 2/3 of an inning, but did see positive results. The eight pitchers combined to allow just two runs and six hits in the game.
Moving Runners Over
Senior Jake Ek moved plenty of runners over last year, finishing the season ranked 18th in the nation with 15 sacrifice bunts. Those 15 bunts helped produce nine runs for the team last year.
Following the Bears
Want to stay up to date with all things UNC Bears Baseball? There are a few ways to. During all games this year there will be live updates on the team's Twitter account @NCBearsBaseball.For home games there will also be a live audio broadcast of the games as well as live stats on UNCBears.com.
Bear in the Big Leagues
For the first time since 2011, Northern Colorado had a player drafted in the MLB draft last June. Senior Jensen Park was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 32nd round. Before Park was drafted last year, Jarod Berggren was the last UNC player drafted back in 2011.
Making the Grades
Northern Colorado baseball had seven players earn their spot on the WAC All-Academic team for 2015. Those players were Allen Cook, Caleb Kirkman, Cole Maltese, Dan Reese, Reyn Sugai, Zach Heath and Brett Minnick.
Home Grown
Head coach Carl Iwasaki and his staff have done a good job of keeping the home grown talent in the state. 12 of UNC's 32 hail from the Centennial State.
Hawaii Five-0
The Bears have a little Hawaii flair to them with three players plus head coach Carl Iwasaki and assistant Kaiona Correa all coming to Colorado from the islands.
Exceeding Expectations
For the second straight year, UNC is going to have to exceed the expectations of the WAC coaches to make another trip to Mesa, Arizona for the conference tournament. The WAC coaches pegged the Bears to finish eighth in the conference. Last year the team was picked to finish last in the preseason, but exceed those expectations finishing 7th to make it to Mesa.
New Faces
Northern Colorado not only welcomes 11 new players to this year's ball club, but also has some new faces on the coaching staff. Kai Correa moves up to a full-time assistant after being a volunteer last season, while Coach Iwa also brought on Jordan Stouffer and Dan Siegfried as a volunteer assistant and director of baseball operations.
Class of 2017
While the 2016 season is just about to kick-off, UNC has already secured eight new players for its 2017 team. During the early signing period this year the Bears have brought in three infielders, a catchers, two utility players and a pair of right handed pitchers.
On Deck
The Bears have a weekend off before hosting Regis University on Tuesday, March 22 at 2 pm in Greeley.
In the Hole
UNC starts its march back to Mesa on Easter weekend. The Bears will host UT-Rio Grande Valley on Thursday, March 24-Saturday March, 26 at Jackson Field. The series is bumped up a day due to Easter Sunday on the 27th.
Around the Den
Softball host in-state rival CSU in Greeley on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. They will then go to Logan, Utah to play against Utah State for the weekend.
Men's tennis continues its spring break trip, with a pair of tough junior college teams on Monday and Wednesday, before heading to Nebraska on Saturday.
Wrestling will send Trent Noon to the NCAA championships inside Madison Square Garden from Thursday to Saturday.
Women's Tennis has a pair of Big Sky matches, facing Southern Utah and Northern Arizona on the road this weekend.
Men's golf heads to Goodyear, Arizona to compete in the Desert Shootout hosted by the University of Denver over the 17th, 18th and 19th.
Series Notes: Northern Colorado | WAC
Leading Off
• Northern Colorado went 1-4 last week, dropping its two game series against Nebraska and taking one in a three game series vs South Dakota State.
• The Bears lone win of the week came in thrilling comeback, walk-off fashion against South Dakota State on Sunday. Freshman Corey Nakakura had the game winning hit with two outs to bring home Dean Lawson.
• Nick Tanner has been the team's ace so far, putting up a 1.50 ERA over four outings with a 1-0 record. When he has been on the mound this year, UNC is 3-1.
• Northern Colorado's pitchers have been very sly with their pick-off moves this year, leading the WAC in runners picked off with seven.
• Senior reliever Allen Cook had himself a busy and successful week for UNC. He picked up the win on Sunday in his last of four appearances of the week. He also struck out the side twice, once against Nebraska and the other against South Dakota State.
• Dan Reese has really taken off recently, going 10-for-26 in this last seven games, scoring eight times and driving in three. Three of those 10 hits have gone for extra bases.
• Brett Minnick put together quiet the weekend vs South Dakota State. In the two games he played, he was never put out. He went 3-for-3 with a single, double and triple on Friday plus a walk. On Saturday he drew a walk all three times up.
Scouting Colorado Mesa
Colorado Mesa is ranked No. 3 in the NCBWA Division II ranks and has a strong history as a program. This year the Mavericks have dropped just three games, all of them coming to other ranked teams.
Coming into this week's games, CMU is on an eight game win streak, having split it in half with four against Colorado Christian and the other four vs Metro State-Denver.
Colorado Mesa has a talented lineup, led by James Young III and Alex Fife at the plate. Both players lead the team in hitting with a .450 and .420 batting average, respectively. Young also leads the team in runs scored and RBIs with 17 and 13.
On the mound, starters JR McDermott and reliever Nick Borowski both have sub 2.00 ERAs. McDermmott is 2-0 with a 0.89 ERA, striking out 34 hitters so far. Borowski, has a 3-0 record with two saves and a 1.76 ERA in seven appearances.
Series History vs the Mavericks
This week's two game series will mark the 99th and 100th all-time matchup between the Bears and Mavericks. In the first 98 meetings between the clubs, CMU holds a 67-31 record. The series began in 1972 when UNC defeated Colorado Mesa 15-1. It has been a few years since the teams met, the most recent series was in 2014 in Greeley. The Bears would take the three game series 2-1.
Turning Two
UNC has been doing a good job of getting two outs in one play this season. The Bears have turned 15 double plays already for the year. Those 13 double plays rank 33rd overall in the NCAA and second in the WAC behind New Mexico State's 18.
Yamane The Man
After missing last year with a foot injury, Ryan Yamane has a few different UNC baseball records within reach. Coming into the 2016 season, he ranks fifth in at bats with 660, tied for12th in hits (190) and now first in walks with 122. Yamane broke the program record of 121 set by Jeff Cheek who played from 1972-75.
Every Day is Sunday
UNC may want to name every day of the week Sunday since that is when the Bears have won all of their games this year. The team is 4-1 on Sunday and 0-10 on any other day of the week.
Swing and a Miss
Northern Colorado has struggled with strike outs so far this year. The team leads the WAC in strike outs, being sat down via a K 148 times this year.
Swiping Bags
The Bears have been on the run this year, swiping 20 bags so far this season, to rank 76th nationally and second in the WAC. Jake Ek leads the team with five stolen bases. Those five steals ranks him third in the conference and 132nd in the NCAA.
Yamaguchi Doubles Up
Freshman infielder Tyler Yamaguchi has been a doubles machine so far this season for UNC. He leads the team and is tied for third in the conference lead with six doubles this season. That also places him in the Top 100 in the NCAA, 77th to be exact, for doubles.
All Arms in
Playing five straight games can take a toll on any pitching staff, for UNC they were able to string together a staff in the final game at Kansas. The Bears used eight pitchers lasting no more than 1 2/3 of an inning, but did see positive results. The eight pitchers combined to allow just two runs and six hits in the game.
Moving Runners Over
Senior Jake Ek moved plenty of runners over last year, finishing the season ranked 18th in the nation with 15 sacrifice bunts. Those 15 bunts helped produce nine runs for the team last year.
Following the Bears
Want to stay up to date with all things UNC Bears Baseball? There are a few ways to. During all games this year there will be live updates on the team's Twitter account @NCBearsBaseball.For home games there will also be a live audio broadcast of the games as well as live stats on UNCBears.com.
Bear in the Big Leagues
For the first time since 2011, Northern Colorado had a player drafted in the MLB draft last June. Senior Jensen Park was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the 32nd round. Before Park was drafted last year, Jarod Berggren was the last UNC player drafted back in 2011.
Making the Grades
Northern Colorado baseball had seven players earn their spot on the WAC All-Academic team for 2015. Those players were Allen Cook, Caleb Kirkman, Cole Maltese, Dan Reese, Reyn Sugai, Zach Heath and Brett Minnick.
Home Grown
Head coach Carl Iwasaki and his staff have done a good job of keeping the home grown talent in the state. 12 of UNC's 32 hail from the Centennial State.
Hawaii Five-0
The Bears have a little Hawaii flair to them with three players plus head coach Carl Iwasaki and assistant Kaiona Correa all coming to Colorado from the islands.
Exceeding Expectations
For the second straight year, UNC is going to have to exceed the expectations of the WAC coaches to make another trip to Mesa, Arizona for the conference tournament. The WAC coaches pegged the Bears to finish eighth in the conference. Last year the team was picked to finish last in the preseason, but exceed those expectations finishing 7th to make it to Mesa.
New Faces
Northern Colorado not only welcomes 11 new players to this year's ball club, but also has some new faces on the coaching staff. Kai Correa moves up to a full-time assistant after being a volunteer last season, while Coach Iwa also brought on Jordan Stouffer and Dan Siegfried as a volunteer assistant and director of baseball operations.
Class of 2017
While the 2016 season is just about to kick-off, UNC has already secured eight new players for its 2017 team. During the early signing period this year the Bears have brought in three infielders, a catchers, two utility players and a pair of right handed pitchers.
On Deck
The Bears have a weekend off before hosting Regis University on Tuesday, March 22 at 2 pm in Greeley.
In the Hole
UNC starts its march back to Mesa on Easter weekend. The Bears will host UT-Rio Grande Valley on Thursday, March 24-Saturday March, 26 at Jackson Field. The series is bumped up a day due to Easter Sunday on the 27th.
Around the Den
Softball host in-state rival CSU in Greeley on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. They will then go to Logan, Utah to play against Utah State for the weekend.
Men's tennis continues its spring break trip, with a pair of tough junior college teams on Monday and Wednesday, before heading to Nebraska on Saturday.
Wrestling will send Trent Noon to the NCAA championships inside Madison Square Garden from Thursday to Saturday.
Women's Tennis has a pair of Big Sky matches, facing Southern Utah and Northern Arizona on the road this weekend.
Men's golf heads to Goodyear, Arizona to compete in the Desert Shootout hosted by the University of Denver over the 17th, 18th and 19th.
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