University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Tuesday, March 29
Colorado Springs, Colo.
3:00 pm
University of Northern Colorado
at
Air Force
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LHP
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RHP
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RHP
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INF
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OF
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Photo by: Rob Trubia
@NCBearsBaseball, Air Force Have First of Four Meetings On Tuesday
3/28/2016 4:27:00 PM | Baseball
Northern Colorado baseball and Air Force are set for their first of four meetings, this year on Tuesday.
GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado's baseball team will final get back onto the playing field Tuesday when they take on in-state rival, Air Force. It will be the first of four meetings between the two teams this year, two in Colorado Springs and two in Greeley.
Leading Off
• Northern Colorado played only one game last week due to the snow, defeating Regis 9-4.
• With regular second baseman Ryan Yamane getting the day off, Dean Lawson took advantage of his opportunity, going 3-for-4 with a run scored.
• UNC's pitching staff kept the Regis hitters in check, holding them hitless through the first 5 1/3 innings.
• Brett Minnick hit his fourth home run of the season on Tuesday. He leads the team in long balls this season, and the WAC.
• Junior pitcher Cody Carroll ended the game on Tuesday by striking out the side. The three strike outs raised his season total to 10.
• Jacob Ek extended his hit streak to four games, with a well hit RBI double on Tuesday.
Scouting Air Force
Air Force was able to escape the snow in cold in Colorado last weekend, taking on UC Davis in California last weekend, going 2-1 in the series. The Falcons came back to win the series after dropping the first game of it. So far this season, the Falcons have compiled a 12-5 record, including a 4-1 Mountain West record.
USAFA possesses one of the top offenses in the nation to help lead to that record. The Falcons have the fifth best batting average in the nation at .333, along with ranking in the top 25 in doubles per game, 2.47 (13th), and scoring, 8.4 (10th). Leading the charge for this offense is Adam Groesbeck and his .486 average to go with 24 runs, 18 RBIs, 12 steal, five doubles and five triples. Besides Groesbeck, Air Force has four other regulars hitting above .300.
On the mound, Air Force is boasting a 4.14 team. Griffin Jax has been hard on hitters so far this year, with a 5-1 record to go with his 0.88 ERA and 41-9 strike out to walk ratio. Tuesday's starter in lefty Jacob Devries is 2-2 on the year with a 7.36 ERA.
The Falcons pitchers are backed up by one of the top double play turning defenses in the nation averaging the sixth most with 1.18 a game.
Series History vs the Falcons
The series between Northern Colorado and Air Force is the longest standing in UNC's program career with 165 games between the teams. The Bears hold a 96-69 record in those games. Despite having the all-time lead in the series the Bears have struggled against the Falcons as of late with a 2-8 record over the last 10 games between the two teams, including going 1-3 against them last season.
Turning Two
UNC has been doing a good job of getting two outs in one play this season. The Bears have turned 16 double plays already for the year. Those 16 double plays rank 155th overall in the NCAA and fifth in the WAC.
Crafty Lefty
Nick Tanner may not light up the radar gun, but he knows how to pain the corners, which has shown so far this year. Tanner leads the team with a 1.50 ERA. That places him in the top 100 for ERAs in the nation (56th) and top 5 in the WAC (4th).
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.
• Having taken over the all-time walks record, Yamane is one of the top players to draw a walk this season. His 18 walks are the second most in the WAC and 73rd most in the NCAA.
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 1-14 on any other day of the week.
Swing and a Miss
Northern Colorado has struggled with strike outs so far this year. The team ranks fourth the WAC in strike outs, being sat down via a K 174 times this year. Utah Valley leads the lead with 194 strike outs
Swiping Bags
The Bears have been on the run this year, swiping 24 bags so far this season, to rank 125th nationally and fourth in the WAC. Jake Ek leads the team with five stolen bases.
All Arms in
The Bears have had a few staff days, producing some good results when they have.
• On Tuesday the team used seven different pitchers who would hold the Rangers hitless for the first 5 1/3 innings
• 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. Finally after all of the team's home games make sure to get on Facebook and look for the update on the live look at the postgame press conference.
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 will finally be able to start WAC play this weekend when the travel to Sacramento State for a three game series beginning on Friday.
In the Hole
UNC and Air Force will faceoff for the second time this season, with the first meeting in Greeley of the year at 3:00 p.m. next Tuesday.
Around the Den
Track and field hosts its annual Tom Benich Invite on Saturday. The event will take all day at Nottingham Field and free for fans to attend.
Softball continues Big Sky play when they head to Ogden, Utah for three games beginning on Friday.
Men's tennis has a pair of road Big Sky matches at Southern Utah Friday and Northern Arizona on Saturday.
Women's tennis hosts Big Sky powerhouse Sacramento State on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.
| Game Information |
| 3:00 First Pitch | Alex Werbach (0-1, 4.91 ERA) vs Jacob Devries (2-2, 7.36 ERA) | Gameday Central |
Leading Off
• Northern Colorado played only one game last week due to the snow, defeating Regis 9-4.
• With regular second baseman Ryan Yamane getting the day off, Dean Lawson took advantage of his opportunity, going 3-for-4 with a run scored.
• UNC's pitching staff kept the Regis hitters in check, holding them hitless through the first 5 1/3 innings.
• Brett Minnick hit his fourth home run of the season on Tuesday. He leads the team in long balls this season, and the WAC.
• Junior pitcher Cody Carroll ended the game on Tuesday by striking out the side. The three strike outs raised his season total to 10.
• Jacob Ek extended his hit streak to four games, with a well hit RBI double on Tuesday.
Scouting Air Force
Air Force was able to escape the snow in cold in Colorado last weekend, taking on UC Davis in California last weekend, going 2-1 in the series. The Falcons came back to win the series after dropping the first game of it. So far this season, the Falcons have compiled a 12-5 record, including a 4-1 Mountain West record.
USAFA possesses one of the top offenses in the nation to help lead to that record. The Falcons have the fifth best batting average in the nation at .333, along with ranking in the top 25 in doubles per game, 2.47 (13th), and scoring, 8.4 (10th). Leading the charge for this offense is Adam Groesbeck and his .486 average to go with 24 runs, 18 RBIs, 12 steal, five doubles and five triples. Besides Groesbeck, Air Force has four other regulars hitting above .300.
On the mound, Air Force is boasting a 4.14 team. Griffin Jax has been hard on hitters so far this year, with a 5-1 record to go with his 0.88 ERA and 41-9 strike out to walk ratio. Tuesday's starter in lefty Jacob Devries is 2-2 on the year with a 7.36 ERA.
The Falcons pitchers are backed up by one of the top double play turning defenses in the nation averaging the sixth most with 1.18 a game.
Series History vs the Falcons
The series between Northern Colorado and Air Force is the longest standing in UNC's program career with 165 games between the teams. The Bears hold a 96-69 record in those games. Despite having the all-time lead in the series the Bears have struggled against the Falcons as of late with a 2-8 record over the last 10 games between the two teams, including going 1-3 against them last season.
Turning Two
UNC has been doing a good job of getting two outs in one play this season. The Bears have turned 16 double plays already for the year. Those 16 double plays rank 155th overall in the NCAA and fifth in the WAC.
Crafty Lefty
Nick Tanner may not light up the radar gun, but he knows how to pain the corners, which has shown so far this year. Tanner leads the team with a 1.50 ERA. That places him in the top 100 for ERAs in the nation (56th) and top 5 in the WAC (4th).
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.
• Having taken over the all-time walks record, Yamane is one of the top players to draw a walk this season. His 18 walks are the second most in the WAC and 73rd most in the NCAA.
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 1-14 on any other day of the week.
Swing and a Miss
Northern Colorado has struggled with strike outs so far this year. The team ranks fourth the WAC in strike outs, being sat down via a K 174 times this year. Utah Valley leads the lead with 194 strike outs
Swiping Bags
The Bears have been on the run this year, swiping 24 bags so far this season, to rank 125th nationally and fourth in the WAC. Jake Ek leads the team with five stolen bases.
All Arms in
The Bears have had a few staff days, producing some good results when they have.
• On Tuesday the team used seven different pitchers who would hold the Rangers hitless for the first 5 1/3 innings
• 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. Finally after all of the team's home games make sure to get on Facebook and look for the update on the live look at the postgame press conference.
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 will finally be able to start WAC play this weekend when the travel to Sacramento State for a three game series beginning on Friday.
In the Hole
UNC and Air Force will faceoff for the second time this season, with the first meeting in Greeley of the year at 3:00 p.m. next Tuesday.
Around the Den
Track and field hosts its annual Tom Benich Invite on Saturday. The event will take all day at Nottingham Field and free for fans to attend.
Softball continues Big Sky play when they head to Ogden, Utah for three games beginning on Friday.
Men's tennis has a pair of road Big Sky matches at Southern Utah Friday and Northern Arizona on Saturday.
Women's tennis hosts Big Sky powerhouse Sacramento State on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.
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