GAME DETAILS
Saint Louis (22-29, 12-9 A-10) vs. Southern Illinois
Tuesday, May 17 | 5 9.m. | Live Stats
St. Louis, Mo. (Billiken Sports Center)
PROBABLE STARTERS
RHP Nick Bates (SLU) vs. RHP Bryce Sablotny (SIU)
PREVIEW
The Billikens host Southern Illinois at the Billiken Sports Center for SLU's final mid-week game of the 2016 season. The Bills are tied for fourth in the Atlantic 10 while the Salukis are tied for second in the Missouri Valley Conference
#ObscureStatOfTheWeek
In his career, Michael Bozarth has a .400 AVG, .857 SLG and .511 OBP with 11 runs, 4 HR and 14 RBIs during the last series of the season.
ABOUT THE BILLIKENS
At the plate, Saint Louis is led by Josh Bunselmeyer, who leads the team in on-base percentage (.413) and slugging percentage (.576). He is third in the A-10 with 12 HR and leads the conference with 50 RBIs. Lead off hitter Michael Bozarth leads the Atlantic 10 with 22 stolen bases. On the mound, Saint Louis will start veteran right hander Nick Bates. This season, Bates has a 2.31 ERA over 11.2 innings of work. He is seeking his 20th career win. Bates would be the sixth Billiken to achieve 20 career wins.
ASSISTING FROM BEYOND
Saint Louis is 15th in the NCAA in outfield assists with 12. Trent Leimkuehler leads the Billikens with six assists (17th in NCAA).
ATLANTIC 10 PLAYOFF PICTURE
There is one weekend remaining in the 2016 baseball season. Entering the weekend, the Billikens are tied for fourth in the conference with a 12-9 record. Rhode Island and VCU lead the conference at 15-6, followed by Saint Joseph's (14-7), Saint Louis, Fordham (12-9), George Washington (12-9), Davidson (10-11), Richmond (11-13) and St. Bonaventure (9-12). The top seven teams make the A-10 Tournament on May 25-29 with the top seed receiving a first-round bye.
CONFERENCE KILLERS
Devin Mahoney is SLU's top hitter in A-10 games this season. He has a .391 average with a .418 on-base percentage and a .578 slugging percentage. On the mound, Miller Hogan has a 1.54 ERA with 36 strikeouts and nine walks in 41 IP. As a team, the Billikens are hitting .289 (first in A-10) in conference games and holding opponents to a .245 average. Saint Louis pitchers have a 2.61 ERA in Atlantic 10 games.
CATCHING ON
Braxton Martinez is thriving in his first season as a catcher. When he catches for the Billikens, he hits .325 with a .417 on-base percentage and a .518 slugging percentage (24 games). Martinez has seven doubles, three home runs and 20 RBIs in that role.
BILLIKEN BLAST
The Billikens' power hitters of Josh Bunselmeyer, Trent Leimkuehler and Braxton Martinez have been among the top power threats in the Atlantic 10 this season. Bunselmeyer is third in the A-10 with 12 home runs, Leimkuehler has nine and Martinez has six. Saint Louis is second in the A-10 with 40 homers this season and Bunselmeyer leads the A-10 with 50 RBIs. Leimkuehler is third in the A-10 with seven home runs in conference play.
STREAKING
Braxton Martinez has the Billikens' longest on-base and hitting streaks this season at 18 and 15 games respectively. Devin Mahoney has the team's longest active on-base streak at eight games.
BLAZING BOZARTH
Michael Bozarth leads the Billikens and Atlantic 10 with 22 steals so far this season. It is the 15th 20-steal season by a Billiken and the first since he achieved the feat in 2014 (previously was 2010 by J.D. Dunn). In his career, Bozarth has 69 steals, the fourth most in SLU history, and 13th among active NCAA Division I student-athletes. He is on pace to be the third Billiken with 70 career steals.
BULLIES IN THE BULLPEN
The Billikens have two pitchers in the bullpen with at least 20 appearances and sub-3.00 ERAs: Brett Shimanovsky and Ryan Lefner. Lefner posts a .221 batting average against. Shimanovsky posts a team-best 2.54 ERA.
APPEARING OFTEN
Billiken bullpen arms Sean Frontzak, Ryan Lefner, Brett Shimanovsky and Nick Vichio have each made at least 21 appearances this season. In SLU history, 30 pitchers have recorded 21 or more appearances. Only the 2013 squad has had four pitchers with 21 or more appearances in a season. That team won the Atlantic 10 and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
ECK'S GONNA GIVE IT TO YA
Saint Louis starting pitcher Matt Eckelman has been solid in A-10 games this season. He has a 1.78 ERA with 39 strikeouts and 13 walks in 55.2 innings pitched. Eckelman has a 5-2 record with three complete games against conference foes.
UPCOMING MILESTONES
• Michael Bozarth has 69 career steals. He is the fourth Billiken to reach 60 career steals. SLU's record is 80.
• Braxton Martinez has 254 career hits, fifth among active NCAA DI student-athletes. He is the third Billiken to have ever surpassed 250 hits: Mike Vigliarolo (2012-15) and Pat Conreaux (91-94)
• Martinez's next double will be the 50th of his career.
• Martinez's next home run is the 25th of his career, which would move him to seventh all-time.
• Martinez has 377 total bases, sixth among NCAA DI athletes and sixth all-time at SLU.
• Bozarth has 157 runs scored in his career, third all-time at SLU and 14th among active NCAA DI athletes. Only four other Billikens have ever scored 150 times.
• Josh Bunselmeyer just hit the 20th of his career. He is the 15th Billiken to notch 20 career round-trippers.
• Matt Eckelman recently recorded his eighth of the season, fifth on SLU's single season list. It also is the 23rd of his career, third all-time at SLU.
• Eckelman has 212.1 innings pitched in his career, making him the 19th Billiken to surpass 200 career IP.
BILLKENS IN THE TOP 100
Over the summer, D1Baseball.com named Saint Louis as one of the top 100 baseball programs of the “modern era.” Programs were rated by recent success (within 5-10 years), coaching staff quality, facilities, scholarship/financial aid situation, conference dynamics and recruiting/player development.
IT'S GETTING DRAFTY
Perfect Game named Braxton Martinez as the 16th-best senior in the NCAA entering the season. In its preseason Atlantic 10 preview, D1Baseball named Michael Bozarth, Matt Eckelman and Martinez among the top prefessional prospects in the Atlantic 10 for the 2016 draft. James Morisano and Nick Vichio were mentioned for the 2017 draft.
FOUR-PEAT
The 2015 SLU baseball team was the first team to win four consecutive Atlantic 10 regular-season titles since the Billikens joined the A-10 in 2006. Only four other teams have won four consecutive A-10 regular season titles in conference history:
2003-06 Rhode Island
1994-99 UMass
1986-93 Rutgers
1984-88 West Virginia
(From 1981-92, 1996-2000 and 2002-05 the Atlantic 10 played with a divisional format in which two champions were named)
HEAD COACH DARIN HENDRICKSON
Darin Hendrickson enters his ninth season with a career record of 602-290-1 at NCAA four-year institutions (267-190-1 at Saint Louis). Entering the 2016 season, his career win percentage is .674, ranking him 10th among active NCAA Division I head coaches. Hendrickson is second all-time at SLU with 267 wins, trailing only Bob Hughes (361 career wins).
SCOUTING SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
The Salukis are led by Logan Blackfan, who leads the MVC with 20 doubles. He also hits .281 with a .376 on-base percentage and a .464 slugging percentage. On the mound SIU will start RHP Bryce Sablotny. He has a 5.26 ERA with a 3-4 record. Sablotney has notched 28 strikeouts and 20 walks in 51.1 innings pitched.
