Baseball Opens Month-Long Road Trip At Marian On Tuesday

Previewing The Bulldogs: Butler (13-24, 6-14 Horizon League) continues to feature one of the most powerful offenses in the Horizon League along with a commanding pitching staff. The Bulldogs' 22 home runs and 151 walks lead the league, while their .363 slugging percentage is third-best. Catcher Joe Dempsey and outfielder Tony Barnes are tied for second in the conference with five home runs each, while infielders Joel Matheny and Joe Pauley have each added three. Outfielder Dustin Bucalo paces the squad with a .318 batting average and five stolen bases. The Butler pitching staff also ranks among the best in the league, logging a conference-best 322 innings while recording the second-most strikeouts and yielding the second-fewest walks. Right-hander Ryan Kruszka is third in the league with a 3.12 ERA, while righty Jon Dages touts a league-high 50 strikeouts. Southpaw Bryan Bokowy has been steady as the team's third starter, while right-hander Brian Deter has returned to his strong form in his last two starts. Head coach Steve Farley (406-454-1) is in his 16th season at Butler.

Trailing by one in the top of the ninth, Butler loaded the bases with two outs but was unable to push the tying run across as Wright State held off the Bulldogs for a 5-4 decision on April 17. Butler held a 4-1 advantage in the fourth inning before the Raiders rallied for the go-ahead run in the seventh.

Colin Ziegel delivered a three-run double in the fourth inning to give Butler its first lead of the game, but UIC rallied in the late innings to claim a 6-3 decision over the Bulldogs in the series opener on April 20). The Bulldogs got another strong outing from starting pitcher Jon Dages, who allowed just three runs on six hits before being pulled in the fifth after being struck in the leg by a batted ball for the final out of the inning.

After UIC pitching held the Bulldogs to just one run in the first game of a double-header on April 21 in falling to the Flames 6-1, Butler came out swinging in the night cap, romping for seven unearned runs in the seventh before holding on for a wild 19-10 victory at Bulldog Park. Butler collected 20 hits in the final game of the series with the Flames after being limited to just a single run on seven hits in the day's opening contest. Butler's offense was unable to provide the same support in the first contest as it did in the second, as the Bulldogs tallied only one run on seven hits.

Hit Parade: Butler's 20 hits against UIC on Saturday (April 21) are the most for the Bulldogs in a single game this season, topping the previous high of 19 against Morehead State on Feb. 25. Butler has collected double-figure hit totals in 14 games this season, including four with 15 or more.

On The Road Again: Butler opens what will amount to a nearly month-long road swing this week beginning with its non-league contest at Marian on Tuesday (April 24). From there, the Bulldogs will travel to Cincinnati, Youngstown State, Valparaiso, IPFW, UIC and Xavier before returning home to Indianapolis for a four-game set with conference foe UW-Milwaukee to close the regular season. During the four-week span, Butler will play 13 games, including four double-headers. Before it is all said and done, the Bulldogs will have played 21 of 24 games on the road from April 7 through May 12 after playing 13 of 14 at home from March 13 through April 5.

Power Up: The Butler offense leads the Horizon League with 22 home runs this year, with eight players hitting at least one. Tony Barnes and Joe Dempsey are each tied for second in the league with five a piece, while Joel Matheny and Joe Pauley find themselves in a ninth-place tie with three long balls each. Kyle Cox and Colin Ziegel have added two home runs, while Matt Ferguson and Ricky Chomicz have collected one.

...But Don't Forget The Arms: The Bulldogs not only have the most powerful bats in the Horizon League but they also tout some of the most effective arms. The Butler pitching staff is currently second in the league in strikeouts with 214 and touts the second-fewest walks with 122. Meanwhile, the team's 4.67 ERA is the third-lowest in the conference. Ryan Kruszka ranks third in the league with a 3.12 ERA, while Jon Dages (3.78) and Bryan Bokowy (4.53) rank seventh and 12th, respectively. Additionally, Dages is tied for the league lead with 50 strikeouts.

What A Difference Six Makes: The Bulldog pitching staff has been one of the best in the league this year, touting a team ERA of 4.67 for the third-best in the conference. That bodes well for Butler, as the Bulldogs are 11-6 on the year when holding its opponent to five runs or less. It's the sixth run that tends to cause problems, as Butler is only 2-18 when an opponent breaches the six-run mark.

Not Your Average Power Source: Senior catcher Joe Dempsey is a big reason why the Bulldogs lead the Horizon League with 22 home runs this year, tied for second in the league with five long balls. Even more impressive is his ability to hit with power without sacrificing bat control, as the team co-captain has struck out only 14 times in 124 at bats, a rate of only one punch-out in nearly every nine at bats. HIs strikeout total is also the lowest of all of the Butler starters and the fewest among the top-10 home run hitters in the league.

Control Freaks: Butler opponents have not been given too much of a free ride this season. The Bulldog pitching staff has allowed only 3.41 walks per nine innings this year, the second-lowest mark in the Horizon League. Meanwhile, Butler pitchers have combined to strike-out 214 batters, the second-most in the league, for a rate of 5.98 per game.

Earning His Keep: Sophomore right-hander Ryan Kruszka has been one of the Bulldogs top pitchers of late. In three of his last four starts, he has gone 8.0 innings while allowing no more than two earned runs in each of the games.

Major League Calling: Former Butler pitcher Pat Neshek reached baseball's highest stage last summer, as the Minnesota Twins called him up from Triple-A Rochester on July 6. He earned his first relief appearance against the Texas Rangers, allowing just one hit in two innings of relief, and became a vital part of the Twins' post-season run in the final months of the season. He finished his initial season with 37.0 innings pitched, recording a 4-2 record and a 2.19 ERA while striking out 53. This season, Neshek boasts a 2-0 record with a 3.24 ERA, 12 strikeouts and only four walks in nine games.