Complete Notes |
Conference Stats
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – No. 8 ECU and UCF both took down ranked opponents on Wednesday to highlight the midweek slate, as the American Athletic Conference baseball teams prepare for key conference series over the weekend. With eight of the nine American teams defeating at least one ranked team this year, the conference has combined for 16 victories against top-30 opponents. The league holds a .615 record against nonconference opponents this season and ranks fifth in the latest RPI report among the 31 NCAA Division I conferences.
After taking down No. 11 North Carolina on the road, ECU improved to No. 3 in the latest NCAA RPI report. UConn is listed at No. 26, while Houston is No. 37. With its 8-7 win at No. 17 Miami (Fla.), UCF shot up to No. 53, as The American boasts four top 60 RPI programs. In total, five of the league’s nine teams own top 100 RPI rankings. With ECU and UConn listed in the top 30, The American is one of six conferences (ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12, SEC) to have at least two top-30 RPI teams.
ECU is one win away from clinching its first American regular-season title. The Pirates head to Wichita State for a three-game series this weekend. ECU jumped out to an early lead with a six-run first inning against the Tar Heels. Alec Burleson worked four innings on the mound and drove in a pair of runs, while Jake Washer belted his first-career grand slam. ECU has the top pitching staff in The American averaging a 3.43 ERA. Jake Kuchmaner leads the Pirates on the mound with a 2.30 ERA, and five wins, holding an American-low .169 opponent’s batting average. Jake Agnos is the conference’s leader with 108 strikeouts in 71 innings pitched. He holds a 2.41 ERA with six wins.
Wichita State also enters the weekend coming off an exciting win. The Shockers scored five runs in the top of the 10th inning to break a 4-4 tie and defeat Missouri State 9-4 on the road Tuesday night. Senior Luke Ritter went 3-for-4 with a homer, two runs scored and two RBIs. The Shockers have won two-straight as they look to work their way up The American’s standings in their final six league games.
A six-run fifth inning guided UCF to an 8-7 win over the Hurricanes Wednesday night. The Knights improved to 13-1 in midweek games this season, including wins over No. 3 Florida, No. 14 Florida State and No. 17 Miami (Fla.). Jack Sinclair took the mound with two outs and the go-ahead run on base in the ninth and rolled off a seven-pitch strikeout to end the game and notch his first save of the year. The Knights have won eight of their last 10 games as UCF will have the weekend off.
Memphis split its midweek action in a pair of one-run games. The Tigers outlasted Arkansas Pine Bluff 11-10 on Tuesday night before narrowly falling to No. 5 Mississippi State 10-9 on the road Wednesday. The Tigers scored seven runs in the first inning against the Bulldogs and led for five frames of the game. Cale Hennemann turned in a 2-for-4 effort in Starkville as four Tigers drove in two runs. Freshman Hunter Goodman leads The American with 60 RBIs this season. Memphis welcomes Cincinnati to FedExPark in its home series finale this weekend.
Houston has won three in a row after sweeping UNLV in a two-game series last weekend. Houston closes its home slate against Tulane this weekend for a three-game American series. Righthander Fred Villarreal is tied for 10th in the nation in appearances (28) and is 18th outright in ERA (1.81), leading The American in both categories. He is also tied for second in the conference and tied for 31st nationally in saves (9) while sitting fourth the league in opponent batting average (.206). At the plate, Joe Davis ranks second in The American and is tied for 15th in the nation in home runs (16). He is also fourth in the conference in RBIs (50) and is fifth in slugging percentage (.618).
UConn took two of three against Wichita State a week ago to start the final month of the regular season on a high note. Closer Jacob Wallace had a pair of saves, totaling a conference-high 11 on the year. Michael Woodworth is hitting .490 (24-for-49) with runners in scoring position this season. UConn will look to keep it going over the weekend when it hosts USF in a three-game American series.
Cincinnati, USF and Tulane each look to get back on track after suffering Tuesday night losses. In its third meeting of the year with Miami (Ohio), Cincinnati dropped a 7-6 decision in 10 innings. It marked the second time this season the Bearcats and Redhawks went to extra innings. After defeating then-No. 5 Florida in Tampa in February, the Gators took the second game of the season series in Gainesville, 7-3. Despite the loss, the Bulls have won six of their last 10 games. The Green Wave are looking to maintain their hold on second place in The American after falling to Nicholls 5-3. Tulane is hitting .306 coming into the series, leading the conference in 10 offensive categories.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Friday, May 10
USF at UConn* - 1 p.m.
Cincinnati at Memphis* - 2 p.m.
ECU at Wichita State* - 7 p.m.
Tulane at Houston* - 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 11
USF at UConn* - 1 p.m.
ECU at Wichita State* - 3 p.m.
Cincinnati at Memphis* - 3 p.m.
Tulane at Houston* - 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 12
USF at UConn* - 1 p.m.
ECU at Wichita State* - 2 p.m.
Tulane at Houston* - 2 p.m.
Cincinnati at Memphis* - 2 p.m.
All times Eastern and are subject to change
* Denotes conference game