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PREVIEW | Baseball Set to Host Colorado Christian in Conference Opener

3/4/2020 10:00:00 AM

By: Jake Wise - Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant
This Week's Matchup
  • The University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball team starts conference play this weekend as they will host Colorado Christian University in a four-game series.
  • On Friday, March 6, the series will kick-off with a game at 2 p.m. at Mountain Lion Park/.
  • Saturday, March 7, will feature a double-header. First pitch for each game will be at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively.
  • Sunday, March 8, will showcase the series finale at 12 p.m.
Game Coverage Last Time Out
  • The Mountain Lions won both their games against New Mexico Highlands University on Sunday, bringing their record to 7-6 overall as they get set to enter Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) play.
  • The Mountain Lions scored 11 runs on 17 hits in the two games, which included three doubles and one home run. UCCS also stole five bases in the two games. Jake Anderson led the team offensively, going 5-for-7 with a double and two RBI. John Mallon followed suit with three hits in eight at-bats while driving in a team high four RBI.
  • The UCCS pitching staff ended the two games with a 4.50 ERA after allowing eight runs on 13 hits while striking out 13 as well.
  • The first game got off to a quick start as UCCS drew first blood with a run in the first inning off an RBI single from Anderson. NMHU answered with a solo home run in the second to tie things up. Two innings later, UCCS reclaimed the lead off another RBI single from Anderson, making the score 2-1. However, NMHU again answered with a four-run sixth inning off four hits to take a 5-2 lead.
  • After scoring one in the seventh off an Aaron Faragallah RBI single and another in the eighth off a solo blast from Evan Richards, UCCS had cut the deficit to one with one inning to go. Parker Gregory shut down the Cowboys in the top of the ninth, giving UCCS a chance to take the win. Matt Barg, Matt Clarke and Anderson all drew walks to load the bases with no outs. NMHU was able to get two outs after loading the bases, setting the stage for Mallon. Mallon delivered in heroic fashion as he roped a single out to center, effectively scoring Berg and Clarke to give UCCS the walk-off win in game one, 6-5.
  • Game two also got started quickly as NMHU took a 2-0 lead after the first inning. The Mountain Lions responded in kind with a three-run inning in the bottom of the second inning, which featured a two-run single from Mallon, to give themselves a 3-2 lead. NMHU was able to tie the game in the fifth off another solo home run.
  • Then in the bottom of the sixth, Clarke and Anderson tallied a single and double, respectively, to put runners on second and third with no outs. That brought Michael Bennin to the plate and he striped a double down the right field line to score Clarke and Anderson and effectively seal the game for UCCS.
  • Creede Jeffers came in for the final inning and set the Cowboys down in order to earn his third save of the season.
RMAC Standings
  • UCCS currently sits in the fifth spot of the RMAC as they head into conference play. The four teams ahead of them are Dixie State University (11-3, First), Colorado Mesa University (10-4, Second), Colorado State University – Pueblo (8-4, Third) and Regis University (8-6, Fourth).
The Series
  • UCCS has played well against CCU in the past as they own a 9-3 all-time record against the Cougars. UCCS is on a four-game winning streak against CCU and in their most recent game, the Mountain Lions smashed the Cougars 17-2, which is the largest margin of victory in the series.
Scouting Report
  • CCU has finished their non-conference schedule with a record of 4-6. The Cougars won four of their first six games but have since lost four in a row. As a team, CCU is batting .300 and has accumulated 107 hits including 13 doubles, two triples and six home runs.
  • Blake Mattey leads the team with a .463 batting average and also has a team high 19 hits and three doubles. Zayne Willems and Michael Spain rank second and third on the team in batting average at .395 and .364, respectively. Spain leads the team with eight RBI and ranks second in hits and home runs with 16 and two, respectively. Willems leads the team with three home runs and ranks second in RBI with six and third in hits with 15.
  • Defensively, CCU has a collective ERA of 5.09 and have given up 57 runs (49 earned) while racking up 80 strikeouts.
  • Justin Kiedinger (1-0) is the top starting pitcher for CCU with his 2.65 ERA. Kiedinger has started three games, pitched 17 innings and allowed five runs (all earned) of 12 hits and racked up a team high 21 strikeouts. Of the remaining starters on the team Tyler Henning has the second most strikeouts on the team with 20 and Connor McCollum has the second-best ERA at 4.50.
  • Jarrod Rivera looks to be the best relief pitcher on the staff as he as pitched 7 and 2/3 innings and allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits with 10 strikeouts for his 2.35 ERA.
Hot Takes
  • UCCS has now won five straight games to close out their non-conference schedule. The Mountain Lions are riding a hot streak entering RMAC play, which bodes well for the team's moral as they enter the bulk of their schedule.
  • As a team, the Mountain Lions are hitting .288 with 125 hits, including 28 doubles, two triples and 14 home runs. UCCS is also holding their opponents to a collective batting average of .226.
  • Jake Anderson recorded a team high five hits over the weekend and finished with a batting average of .714. He now ranks second on the team in RBI (seven, tied), third in hits (17, tied) and fourth in batting average at .333. Anderson also is tied with Matt Clarke and John Mallon for the team lead in doubles with four.
  • Mallon had the second most hits on Sunday as he went 3-for-8 with a team high four RBI, including the two most important RBI in game one which came in walk-off fashion. Mallon now ranks second on the team in batting average (.362) and RBI (seven, tied). He also ranks third in hits with 17 as he is tied with Anderson for that mark.
  • Matt Berg Still leads the team in batting average (.412), hits (21), home runs (four) and RBI (14, tied). Berg had a 12-game hit streak come to an end in the second game on Sunday, the longest of any player this season.
  • Evan Richards hit his second home run of the season on Sunday, which was the only home run recorded by the Mountain Lions in the two games. Richards is now tied with Michael Bennin for the third most home runs on the team.
  • Defensively, Christian Manmano pitched well in his start, going four complete innings and allowed only one run (earned) off one hit in what resulted in a no-decision effort. Manmano now has a 3.32 ERA this season.
  • Parker Gregory (1-0) earned his first win of the season in relief of Manmano thanks to a shutout ninth inning performance. Jon Sotto (2-2) got his second win of the season in relief of Jonathan Cowles, who went five innings and allowed three earned runs on three hits with eight strikeouts in his start.  
  • Creede Jeffers earned his third save of the season on Sunday as well, which leads the team.
RMAC Leaders
  • Heading into conference play, UCCS ranks first in the RMAC in stolen bases (26), third in doubles (28), fourth in hits (125) and home runs (14) and fifth in batting average (.288).
  • Matt Berg ranks third in the RMAC in RBI (14, tied) and hits (21, tied), fourth in home runs (four, tied), fifth in stolen bases (four, tied) and ninth in batting average (.412).
  • Matt McDermott ranks third in the RMAC in RBI (14, tied) and stolen bases (five, tied).
  • Walker Rumsey ranks second in the RMAC in triples with two.
  • John Mallon ranks fifth in the RMAC in stolen bases (four, tied) and ninth in doubles (four, tied).
  • Matt Clarke also is in a tie for the fifth most stolen bases in the RMAC with four.
  • Jake Anderson is tied with Mallon and others for the ninth most doubles in the conference with four.
  • Jonathan Cowles ranks second in the RMAC in opponent's batting average (.169) and runs allowed (six, tied), third in ERA (2.35), fifth in hits allowed (14, tied) and earned runs allowed (six, tied), and sixth in strikeouts (23).
  • Christian Manmano ranks sixth in the RMAC in walks allowed (three, tied) and ninth in ERA (3.32).
  • Brian Marquez ranks fourth in the RMAC in opponent's batting average (.186) and hits allowed (13) and sixth on walks allowed with three.
  • Creede Jeffers leads the RMAC with three saves this season.
Weather
  • The forecast for this coming weekend of March 6-8 shows high temperatures of 60, 62 and 58 degrees for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Friday and Saturday show mostly sunny skies with wind gusts up to nine miles per hour, while Sunday predicts more cloudy conditions and winds up to 11 miles per hour.
UCCS Under Coach Dave Hajek
  • UCCS improves to 85-80 under coach Hajek's fourth year as head coach. In the previous three seasons, UCCS has a 10-2 record in their first RMAC series of the year. Last season, UCCS swept CCU in their four-game series, totaling 50 runs in those four games. Coach Hajek will look to keep the momentum going heading into this series.
Upcoming Matchup
  • UCCS will host Dixie State University next weekend in a four-game series at Mountain Lion Park.
  • The first game is scheduled for Friday, March 13 at 3 p.m.
  • Saturday, March 14 will again feature a double-header, with the games set to begin at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.
  • The series finale will be on Sunday, March 15 at 12 p.m.
 
 
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