March 29, 2006

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NOTRE DAME BASEBALL – GAMEDAY NOTES (vs. Western Michigan; March 29, 2006)

SERIES NOTES – Tonight marks the 126th meeting between ND and WMU (3rd-most common opponent in ND history) – and a win by the Irish would tie the series at 63-63-1 … ND holds a 42-30 series edge at home and is 7-2 vs. WMU in the Mainieri era … WMU beat ND in 2000 (11-7, at Sutherland Field in Kalamazoo) and ’01 (7-6, at ND) but the Irish have won four straight in the series (5-4, 7-1, 12-3 and 9-5 from ’02-’05) … tonight’s ND starter Wade Korpi beat WMU in the 2005 game (5 IP, 3 R, 6 H, 2 BB, 3 Ks) … the Broncos own wins in ’06 over North Florida (3-2, 1-0), Kennesaw St.(7-2), UNC Greensboro (7-3), Ohio St. (12-11), Evansville (6-2, 4-1), Morehead St.(12-5, 13-3, 14-3) and Kent St. (3-1) while losing to UNF (0-3), Kennesaw (9-12), Jacksonville (4-10, 0-7), Bethune Cookman (8-10) and Kent St. (4-5, 4-6).

Probable Starters
ND soph. LHP Wade Korpi (4.15, 1-1, 25 Ks, 6 BB, 20 H/.286, 17.1 IP, 4 GP/3 GS)
WMU soph. RHP Bryan French (4.91, 0-2, 9 Ks, 4 BB, 18 H/.316, 14.2 IP, 3 GP/2 GS)

UPDATED ND NOTES – The Irish matched their highest-scoring inning of the season with seven runs in the 2nd while five pitchers combined to 3-hit Valparaiso last night (12-0) … Alex Nettey had two of ND’s seven hits in the big inning while David Gruener had the win in a planned rotation (3 IP, H, BB, 3 Ks) … it marked the fewest hits allowed by ND since Jeff Samardzija, Joey Williamson and Mike Dury combined on the 2-hit win at Pittsburgh on May 16, 2005 (21-1) … ND has scored 1st-inning runs in six straight games … the Irish pitchers have not allowed a home run in the past 16 games while allowing just 3 HRs all season (0.14 per game), ahead of the ND record set in 1975 (0.16; 5 HRs in 31 games) … ND now owns a 22-5 first-inning scoring margin … sophomore 3B Brett Lilley’s 9 HBPs give him 39 in his career, 2nd in ND history behind current senior RF/C Cody Rizzo (74; 3rd in NCAA history) …senior CF Alex Nettey’s BIG EAST-leading 12 HBP put him on pace to be the third ND player to set the team record in the past four seasons (Rizzo had 28 HBP in `03, Lilley had 30 in `05) and he ranks 8th in ND history with 31 career HBPs (Greg Lopez is 9th, with 30, and Craig Cooper 12th with 23).

Wade Korpi CAREER STATS (see PDF)

Wade Korpi 2006 GAME-BY-GAME (see PDF)

THE LAST TIME OUT – Wade Korpi had one rocky inning and suffered the 4-2 loss to Wright State in the 2006 opener, despite a career-best nine strikeouts … he allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits and three walks, locating 73 of his 104 pitches for strikes in six innings of work … Korpi’s season totals now include 25 strikeouts and six walks in 17.1 innings, with his 4.2 K-to-walk ratio marking a significant improvement from his freshman season (when he totaled 32 Ks but 33 walks in 54.1 innings) … his strikeout average of 13.0 Ks per 9 IP has nearly tripled from 2005, when he averaged just 5.3 Ks over 9-innings.

WMU vs. Korpi in 2005
Matt Bolton – 0-for-3 (KS … 5-3 … 4-3)
Nathan Marquardt – 0-for-2 (F-8 … BB … KS)
Mark Abro – 1-for-2 (6-3 … 2B-LL)
Kyle Maunus – 1-for-2 (1B-RC … F-9)
R.C. Dickerson – 1-for-1 (1-4 SAC BU … 1B-RS)

CAREER STATS vs. WESTERN MICHIGAN
Alex Nettey – .500 (2-for-4), RBI, 4 R, BB, HBP, K
Matt Bransfield – .375 (3-for-8), 3 RBI, 2 R, HR, BB
Steve Andres – .333 (1-for-3), R, BB
Danny Dressman – .333 (2-for-6), RBI, 2 R, SB, K
Greg Lopez – .300 (3-for-10), 2 RBI, 2 R, SAC, SF, 2 Ks
Brett Lilley – .250 (1-for-4), R, RBI, SAC
Cody Rizzo – .250 (2-for-8), RBI, 3 R, BB, 2 HBP, 2 Ks, E, CS
Craig Cooper – .125 (1-for-8), RBI, R, HR, BB, 2 Ks
Sean Gaston – .000 (0-for-3), R, K, SAC
Mike Dury – win (’04), 2 GP, 3.1 IP, H, 3 Ks
Jess Stewart – 4 IP, 3 R/2 ER, 5 H, BB

CAREER STATS vs. NOTRE DAME
Travis May – 1-for-1 RBI
R.C. Dickerson – .333 (3-for-9), 3 Es (in ’04), K, SAC
Mark Abro – .250 (3-for-12), 2 R, 2 2B, BB, K, E
Nathan Marquardt – .250 (1-for-4), 2 R, BB, 2 Ks
Kyle Maunus – .250 (1-for-4), K
Matt Bolton – .125 (1-for-8), BB, 2B, 2 Ks
Cole Rathbun – 0-for-3, K, 2 PB
Derek Schecker – loss (’05), 3 IP, 4 R, 4 H, BB, 2 Ks
Brian Kross – 2 BF, 2 R, H, BB

Here’s a look at ND’s record in various situations:
ND scores in 1st inning – 7-4
Opponent scores in 1st inning – 2-2
ND scores first – 10-4
ND leads after 8th inning – 13-1
ND hits a home run – 5-1
Opponent hits a home run – 0-3
ND does not make an error – 5-1
ND is outhit by the opponent – 0-5
One-run games – 1-2
Extra-inning games – 0-2

MILESTONE MARKERS – The following individuals are approaching (or recently reached) statistical milestones:
Greg Lopez – 100 runs
Paul Mainieri – 501 wins (at ND)
Matt Bransfield – 100 RBI
Alex Nettey – 100 hits
Cody Rizzo – 94 RBI
Steve Andres – 94 runs, 88 RBI, 92 walks
Brett Lilley – 95 hits
Craig Cooper – 189 hits

TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADOFF (MAN) – Senior 1B Craig Cooper shifted into the leadoff spot starting with the Texas A&M game (that opened the Spring Break trip) and responded with a nine-game hit streak that ended in an 0-for-1 game vs. Central Michigan (3 BB, SF) … Cooper has reached base on 11-of-12 first-inning plate appearances since taking over the leadoff spot (3 singles, 3 walks, 2 doubles, HBP) … he also has reached on a team-best 63.2% of his overall plate appearances when leading off any inning (12-of-19).