Butler Heads To IPFW, UIC This Week

IPFW Time Change: Butler's contest at IPFW, originally scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. start time, has been bumped up to a 12:00 noon start to accommodate the extra game that was added due to the rain-out of the March 28 contest. The two games will each be scheduled for seven innings.

Some Much Deserved Down Time: Butler had a chance to catch its breath in the midst of its month-long road swing, as a double-header against soon-to-be Horizon League foe Valparaiso on May 1 served as its lone competition of the week. The Bulldogs were the only league team not in action last weekend.

Previewing The Bulldogs: Butler (18-26, 8-15 Horizon League), winners in six of its last eight games, touts one of the most consistent pitching staffs in the Horizon League along with a powerful offense. The Bulldogs are second in the conference with a 4.58 ERA while boasting a 1.76 strikeouts-to-walks ratio (254 strikeouts, 144 walks), the second-best rate in the league. Junior right-hander Jon Dages has been the most reliable pitcher of late, working into the seventh inning in seven of his last eight starts while posting a 3.39 ERA. Sophomore right-hander Ryan Kruszka leads the team and ranks second in the league with a 2.96 ERA. The team has combined to hold opponents to two runs or fewer in 11 games, including a pair of shut-outs. The Butler offense, meanwhile, ranks tied for second in the conference with 25 home runs, with senior outfielder Tony Barnes and senior catcher Joe Dempsey tied for fourth in the league with five homers each. Senior outfielder Dustin Bucalo paces the squad with a .326 batting average, while junior infielder Joe Pauley leads the team with a .399 on base percentage and 35 runs scored. Head coach Steve Farley (411-456-1) is in his 16th season at Butler.

Butler made the most of its only competition of the week against host Valparaiso on Tuesday (May 1), claiming a double-header sweep of the Crusaders at Emory G. Bauer Field. The Bulldogs used a six-run first inning in the opening game to power its way past the Crusaders, 10-5, before freshman right-hander Jamie Feldheiser hand-cuffed Valpo to just one run in helping Butler to a 3-1 victory in the night-cap. Alex Montagano put together his biggest offensive day of the year, going a combined 4-for-6 with a homer, five RBI and a run scored in both games. Meanwhile, Feldheiser kept the Valpo offense in check in the second game of the day, scattering five hits and allowing just one run in working the full seven innings for his second win of the year.

Brown Turns Pro: Former player and current assistant coach Jeff Brown has signed a professional contract with the Traverse City Beach Bums of the Frontier League. A four-year letterwinner as a utility player with the Bulldogs, Brown hit .295 with 12 doubles, 4 home runs and 27 RBI his senior season before moving to the coaching ranks this year.

From Alex To Ziegel: Not too many players in the Horizon League have had hotter bats in the last few weeks than Butler's Alex Montagano and Colin Ziegel. Since opening a home series against UIC on April 17, both Bulldogs are leading the squad in batting and slugging percentage. Montagano touts a .435 average (10-for-23), a .652 slugging percentage and five RBI on a homer and two doubles, while Ziegel boasts a .438 average (14-for-32), a .594 slugging percentage and seven RBI on a triple and three doubles.

Power Up: The Butler offense ranks tied for second in the Horizon League with 25 home runs this year, with 10 players hitting at least one. Tony Barnes and Joe Dempsey are each tied for third in the league with five a piece, while Joel Matheny and Joe Pauley find themselves in an 14th-place tie with three long balls each. Ricky Chomicz, Kyle Cox and Colin Ziegel have added two home runs, while Dustin Bucalo, Matt Ferguson and Alex Montagano have collected one.

...But Don't Forget The Arms: The Bulldogs not only have some of 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 254 and touts the second-fewest walks with 144, giving them 1.76 strikeouts for every walks. Meanwhile, the team's 4.58 ERA is the second-lowest in the conference. Ryan Kruszka ranks second in the league with a 2.96 ERA, while Jon Dages (3.39) and Bryan Bokowy (4.90) rank fourth and 11th, respectively.

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 4.58 for the second-best mark in the conference. That bodes well for Butler, as the Bulldogs are 15-6 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 3-20 when an opponent breaches the six-run mark.

Not Your Average Power Source: Senior catcher Joe Dempsey is a big reason for the Bulldogs' power output this season with a team-best five home runs and 35 RBI. Even more impressive is his ability to hit with power without sacrificing bat control, as the team co-captain has struck out only 16 times in 142 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 3.40 walks per nine innings this year, the second-lowest mark in the Horizon League. Meanwhile, Butler pitchers have combined to strike-out 254 batters, the second-most in the league, for a rate of 6.00 per game.

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 is one of the Twins' top options out of the bullpen, boasting a 2-0 record with a 1.76 ERA, 17 strikeouts and only six walks in 15.1 innings pitched.