University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Friday, March 24
Greeley, Colo.
2:00 pm
University of Northern Colorado
vs
Sacramento State
Photo by: Rob Trubia
@NCBearsBaseball Begins WAC Play With Sacramento State
3/23/2017 8:58:00 AM | Baseball
UNC starts WAC play this weekend at home against Sacramento State
GREELEY – The March to Mesa begins this weekend for Northern Colorado baseball as WAC play begins. The Bears will host Sacramento State at Jackson Field starting Friday for a three-game series.
Series Notes: Northern Colorado | Sacramento State | WAC
Leading Off
• Northern Colorado started a four-game homestand on Tuesday when they hosted Regis. The Rangers left Greeley with a 5-4 win in 10 innings.
• UNC is looking to snap a three-game losing streak. The team's last win came on March 9 at Omaha.
• The Bears finished its Midwest road trip with a 2-4 record, sweeping Omaha in a two-game series, but falling twice to both Nebraska and Wichita State.
• Both Cole Maltese and Evan Johnson saw their hit streaks come to an end on Tuesday, Maltese's streak ended at 15 games and Johnson's at 11 games.
• Jacob Howard has been a constant for UNC out of the pen this season. He is 3-0 on the year with a 2.66 ERA. He had another solid performance out in relief on Tuesday, going two strong innings allowing just one hit and facing the minimum.
• UNC's speed was on display against Regis, recording a season-high five stolen bases from five different Bears.
Scouting Sacramento State
Sacramento State goes into conference play with a 11-8 record, 3-3 on the road. The Hornets recently dropped two out of three games to Minnesota at home. Before coming to Greeley, they took on Wichita State in Wichita, hading the Shockers their first loss at home this year. The Hornets offense has lacked power with only seven home runs on the season, while recording a team batting average of .243. Junior outfielder, Ian Dawkins leads the team with a .338 average. The pitching staff for Sacramento State has been solid with a team ERA of 3.55, including two shutouts. Senior, Justin Dillon has been the ace for the Hornets with a 2-1 record with a 1.50 ERA in 36 innings pitched, including one shutout. His 35 strikeouts lead the team. Junior, Ty Fox has made 10 appearances out of the bullpen with one save; a 1.38 ERA and 16 strikeouts over 13 innings.
History Against Sacramento State
Sacramento State holds the upper hand in the series against Northern Colorado with a 17-3 mark. Of those 20 meetings only three have been played in Greeley. That came in 2007 when UNC took two of the three. Sacramento State was supposed to come to Greeley in 2015, but inclement weather changed the series to be played in California instead. The Hornets are currently riding an 11-game win streak over the Bears.
March to Mesa
With conference play beginning on Friday the Bears will look to make it three straight trips to Mesa, Arizona for the WAC Tournament at the end of May. The top six teams in the conference standings qualify for the tournament.
Along Came Pauley
Redshirt sophomore, Jack Pauley has made an instant impact for Northern Colorado this season. He leads the team in batting average (.347) and RBI (20).
He earned his first career WAC Hitter of the Week honor for his performance against NDSU at the beginning of March. He hit .538 in the series with three extra base hits including a pair of homers. He led the team seven RBI and six runs scored.
Bears Dig The Long Ball
UNC can hit the long ball. The team has 19 home runs this season including six of multi-home run games. They are ranked 41st in the NCAA in home runs hit.
Eight different Bears have hit a long ball this season, led by Cole Maltese's five, which puts him 54th in the nation.
Minnick Doubling Up
Brett Minnick has be a doubles machine this year for UNC. The junior has 10 doubles averaging one every other game. That ranks second in the WAC and 16th nationally.
Offensive Struggles
Northern Colorado's offense has been struggling in its past three games hitting .170 in two games against Wichita State and one against Regis. During that time the Bears have scored 13 runs, while leaving 26 on base.
We Play Small Ball Too
Northern Colorado not only hits the long ball, but can play small ball too. The Bears have 10 sacrifice bunts this year. That places them second in the WAC for sac bunts and 123rd in the NCAA.
14 K Gold Performance
Aaron Hamilton turned in a performance for the ages against San Jose State. He pitched a complete game two-hit shutout striking out 14, and allowing no walks. The 14 strikeouts tied a school-record, with Donnie Alexander.
Since that game Hamilton has made three more appearances including two starts. He has an 0-0 record and 5.23 ERA. He has going 10.1 innings striking out nine and walking two.
For the season Hamilton is 1-1 with a 4.22 ERA, he has struck out 24 and walked eight over 21.1 innings pitched.
Close Calls
One or two run ball games have been common for Northern Colorado this season, through 20 games, eight have been decided by that margin. UNC is 4-4 in those games.
Three of them have gone into extra innings all lasting just 10 innings. UNC is 1-2 in those games winning at San Francisco while falling to BYU and Regis.
New Faces
Fans are going to need to keep a roster page handy for the first few weeks of the season as UNC welcomes 19 newcomers this year. The group of 19 is a mixture of true freshmen and junior college transfers.
Three of the fresh faces for the Bears are receiving some attention nationally. They are RHP Aaron Hamilton, OF Jack Pauly and RHP Troy Watson. DIBaseball.com rated both Hamilton and Pauly as some of the top draft prospects for the 2017 and 2018 draft, respectively from the WAC. Watson was ranked the No. 3 impact freshman for this season.
UNC also welcomes Nate Rasmussen as a volunteer assistant to staff. Rasmussen will serve as outfield coach, first base coach, and camp director as well as assisting hitters.
Interesting Ending
Northern Colorado's final game against San Francisco had a very interesting ending. First, the conclusion of the game was pushed to two days after it began due to darkness and weather. Then in the bottom of the 10th San Francisco's final two outs came when they were caught trying to steal second base.
Schedule Additions
UNC added a pair of games to its schedule after weather has canceled some. The Bears will now play a doubleheader against Metro State at Metro on April 15 starting at noon. There is also an additional game at Jackson Field this season on April 18. UNC will welcome first year DII program UCCS at 3 pm on the date.
Exceeding Expectations
In the preseason WAC coaches poll, Northern Colorado has been picked to finish eighth in the conference for the second consecutive year. The Bears will need to surprise the teams in the conference in order to book a trip to Mesa, Arizona at the end of May.
UNC has been able to exceed expectations the past two seasons. Last year the team was picked to finish eighth and ended up fifth in the conference. While in 2014 Northern Colorado was picked last, but finished seventh in the WAC.
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 stram and live audio broadcast of the games as well as live stats on UNCBears.com.
Making the Grades
There were seven UNC players who earned spots on the 2016 Academic Honors list. Those earning honors are Jake Garcia, Cam Huber, Brett Minnick, Cole Maltese, Dan Reese, Payton Tapia, Corey Nakakura.
Wild Wild West
The Bears roster is comprised of almost every state in the western part of the US. Eleven different states are represented on the roster, as far east as Nebraska and as west as Hawaii.
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 35 hail from the Centennial State.
Hawaiian Connection
The Bears have four players who hail from Hawaii plus head coach Carl Iwasaki and assistant Kaiona Correa all coming to Colorado from the islands.
Class of 2018
Help arrives for Northern Colorado with eight new players joining their roster for the 2018 season. The Bears add three infielders, a catchers, two utility players and a pair of right handed pitchers.
On Deck
Northern Colorado goes on its first road trip in WAC play next week when they head to Arizona. The Bears will take on Grand Canyon for a three-game series starting Friday.
In the Hole
UNC will play its first of three games against Air Force on Tuesday, April 4. It will be the first of three meetings between the teams this season, two at the Academy and one in Greeley.
Series Notes: Northern Colorado | Sacramento State | WAC
| Game | Probable Starters | Game Links |
| Friday, March 24 at 2 pm | RHP Aaron Hamilton (1-1, 4.22 ERA) vs RHP Justin Dillon (2-1, 1.50 ERA) | Video | Audio | Live Stats |
| Saturday, March 25 at 12 pm | RHP Troy Watson (2-1, 6.06 ERA) vs RHP Parker Brahms (2-2, 2.67 ERA) | Video | Audio | Live Stats |
| Sunday, Match 25 at 12 pm | TBA vs RHP Max Karno (0-2, 5.87 ERA) | Video | Audio | Live Stats |
Leading Off
• Northern Colorado started a four-game homestand on Tuesday when they hosted Regis. The Rangers left Greeley with a 5-4 win in 10 innings.
• UNC is looking to snap a three-game losing streak. The team's last win came on March 9 at Omaha.
• The Bears finished its Midwest road trip with a 2-4 record, sweeping Omaha in a two-game series, but falling twice to both Nebraska and Wichita State.
• Both Cole Maltese and Evan Johnson saw their hit streaks come to an end on Tuesday, Maltese's streak ended at 15 games and Johnson's at 11 games.
• Jacob Howard has been a constant for UNC out of the pen this season. He is 3-0 on the year with a 2.66 ERA. He had another solid performance out in relief on Tuesday, going two strong innings allowing just one hit and facing the minimum.
• UNC's speed was on display against Regis, recording a season-high five stolen bases from five different Bears.
Scouting Sacramento State
Sacramento State goes into conference play with a 11-8 record, 3-3 on the road. The Hornets recently dropped two out of three games to Minnesota at home. Before coming to Greeley, they took on Wichita State in Wichita, hading the Shockers their first loss at home this year. The Hornets offense has lacked power with only seven home runs on the season, while recording a team batting average of .243. Junior outfielder, Ian Dawkins leads the team with a .338 average. The pitching staff for Sacramento State has been solid with a team ERA of 3.55, including two shutouts. Senior, Justin Dillon has been the ace for the Hornets with a 2-1 record with a 1.50 ERA in 36 innings pitched, including one shutout. His 35 strikeouts lead the team. Junior, Ty Fox has made 10 appearances out of the bullpen with one save; a 1.38 ERA and 16 strikeouts over 13 innings.
History Against Sacramento State
Sacramento State holds the upper hand in the series against Northern Colorado with a 17-3 mark. Of those 20 meetings only three have been played in Greeley. That came in 2007 when UNC took two of the three. Sacramento State was supposed to come to Greeley in 2015, but inclement weather changed the series to be played in California instead. The Hornets are currently riding an 11-game win streak over the Bears.
March to Mesa
With conference play beginning on Friday the Bears will look to make it three straight trips to Mesa, Arizona for the WAC Tournament at the end of May. The top six teams in the conference standings qualify for the tournament.
Along Came Pauley
Redshirt sophomore, Jack Pauley has made an instant impact for Northern Colorado this season. He leads the team in batting average (.347) and RBI (20).
He earned his first career WAC Hitter of the Week honor for his performance against NDSU at the beginning of March. He hit .538 in the series with three extra base hits including a pair of homers. He led the team seven RBI and six runs scored.
Bears Dig The Long Ball
UNC can hit the long ball. The team has 19 home runs this season including six of multi-home run games. They are ranked 41st in the NCAA in home runs hit.
Eight different Bears have hit a long ball this season, led by Cole Maltese's five, which puts him 54th in the nation.
Minnick Doubling Up
Brett Minnick has be a doubles machine this year for UNC. The junior has 10 doubles averaging one every other game. That ranks second in the WAC and 16th nationally.
Offensive Struggles
Northern Colorado's offense has been struggling in its past three games hitting .170 in two games against Wichita State and one against Regis. During that time the Bears have scored 13 runs, while leaving 26 on base.
We Play Small Ball Too
Northern Colorado not only hits the long ball, but can play small ball too. The Bears have 10 sacrifice bunts this year. That places them second in the WAC for sac bunts and 123rd in the NCAA.
14 K Gold Performance
Aaron Hamilton turned in a performance for the ages against San Jose State. He pitched a complete game two-hit shutout striking out 14, and allowing no walks. The 14 strikeouts tied a school-record, with Donnie Alexander.
Since that game Hamilton has made three more appearances including two starts. He has an 0-0 record and 5.23 ERA. He has going 10.1 innings striking out nine and walking two.
For the season Hamilton is 1-1 with a 4.22 ERA, he has struck out 24 and walked eight over 21.1 innings pitched.
Close Calls
One or two run ball games have been common for Northern Colorado this season, through 20 games, eight have been decided by that margin. UNC is 4-4 in those games.
Three of them have gone into extra innings all lasting just 10 innings. UNC is 1-2 in those games winning at San Francisco while falling to BYU and Regis.
New Faces
Fans are going to need to keep a roster page handy for the first few weeks of the season as UNC welcomes 19 newcomers this year. The group of 19 is a mixture of true freshmen and junior college transfers.
Three of the fresh faces for the Bears are receiving some attention nationally. They are RHP Aaron Hamilton, OF Jack Pauly and RHP Troy Watson. DIBaseball.com rated both Hamilton and Pauly as some of the top draft prospects for the 2017 and 2018 draft, respectively from the WAC. Watson was ranked the No. 3 impact freshman for this season.
UNC also welcomes Nate Rasmussen as a volunteer assistant to staff. Rasmussen will serve as outfield coach, first base coach, and camp director as well as assisting hitters.
Interesting Ending
Northern Colorado's final game against San Francisco had a very interesting ending. First, the conclusion of the game was pushed to two days after it began due to darkness and weather. Then in the bottom of the 10th San Francisco's final two outs came when they were caught trying to steal second base.
Schedule Additions
UNC added a pair of games to its schedule after weather has canceled some. The Bears will now play a doubleheader against Metro State at Metro on April 15 starting at noon. There is also an additional game at Jackson Field this season on April 18. UNC will welcome first year DII program UCCS at 3 pm on the date.
Exceeding Expectations
In the preseason WAC coaches poll, Northern Colorado has been picked to finish eighth in the conference for the second consecutive year. The Bears will need to surprise the teams in the conference in order to book a trip to Mesa, Arizona at the end of May.
UNC has been able to exceed expectations the past two seasons. Last year the team was picked to finish eighth and ended up fifth in the conference. While in 2014 Northern Colorado was picked last, but finished seventh in the WAC.
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 stram and live audio broadcast of the games as well as live stats on UNCBears.com.
Making the Grades
There were seven UNC players who earned spots on the 2016 Academic Honors list. Those earning honors are Jake Garcia, Cam Huber, Brett Minnick, Cole Maltese, Dan Reese, Payton Tapia, Corey Nakakura.
Wild Wild West
The Bears roster is comprised of almost every state in the western part of the US. Eleven different states are represented on the roster, as far east as Nebraska and as west as Hawaii.
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 35 hail from the Centennial State.
Hawaiian Connection
The Bears have four players who hail from Hawaii plus head coach Carl Iwasaki and assistant Kaiona Correa all coming to Colorado from the islands.
Class of 2018
Help arrives for Northern Colorado with eight new players joining their roster for the 2018 season. The Bears add three infielders, a catchers, two utility players and a pair of right handed pitchers.
On Deck
Northern Colorado goes on its first road trip in WAC play next week when they head to Arizona. The Bears will take on Grand Canyon for a three-game series starting Friday.
In the Hole
UNC will play its first of three games against Air Force on Tuesday, April 4. It will be the first of three meetings between the teams this season, two at the Academy and one in Greeley.
Players Mentioned
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