Wildcats begin tourney run against Nebraska-Omaha
5/14/2009 3:30:00 PM | Baseball
Live Stats
WARRENSBURG, Mo. -- The ACU Wildcats begin their run in the NCAA Division II South Central Region Baseball Tournament today at 3:30 p.m. when they take on Nebraska-Omaha. The game can be heard locally on KYYW 1470 AM
ACU (43-17) enters the tournament as the Lone Star Conference champion for the first time since 2002. ACU captured its first league championship in seven seasons last week in Abilene with a 6-0 win over Angelo State in the championship game at Crutcher Scott Field.
The Wildcats have now played in the LSC championship game nine times since 1999 and have four league titles to show for it since 2000. ACU is playing in its eighth regional tournament in the last 10 years and ninth in program history. The Wildcats won the 2003 regional tournament to earn the program's only College World Series berth.
OTHER ACU BASEBALL NOTES
About ACU head coach Britt Bonneau: The Wildcats' head coach is finishing up his 13th season at the helm of the ACU program, and it's been about as successful a 13-year run as any head coach in the nation. Bonneau's career mark stands at 541-232-1 (career winning percentage of .700). He captured his 500th career victory on Feb. 7, 2009, when the Wildcats knocked off New Mexico Highlands, 10-2, at Crutcher Scott Field in Abilene. Bonneau has led the Wildcats to four Lone Star Conference titles (2000, 2001, 2002, 2009), eight trips to the NCAA Division II South Central Region Tournament (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009), one trip to the College World Series (2003), and his teams have won at least 40 games in 11 of his 13 seasons as the head coach with a program-best 47 victories in 2007. Bonneau ranks among the top five coaches in NCAA Division II baseball as one of the winningest active coaches and among those active coaches with the best winning percentage.
WILDCATS' KEY PLAYERS
Jordan Schmitt, sr, C, Dallas, Texas: Schmitt has put together the best season of his career in 2009, posting single-season highs in batting average, runs scored, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBI, total bases and stolen bases. ... He has also become the Lone Star Conference career leader in hits (278), doubles (70), RBI (215) and total bases (464) this season, and he's closing in on becoming the all-time leader in at-bats (784; record is 806) and runs scored (206; record is 227). ... He is also ACU's new career leader in career home runs (30) and single-season RBI (90). ... He's also sixth in ACU history with 46 stolen bases. ... A three-time all-Lone Star Conference honoree, Schmitt was voted LSC co-Player of the Year in 2009, and was recently voted first team NCAA Division II South Central Region by Daktronics. ... He leads the Wildcats with 30 multi-hit games and 25 multi-RBI games in 2009.
Willie Uechi, jr, SS, San Antonio, Texas: Uechi is part of one of the top middle-infield duos in the nation, along with second baseman Chris Hall. ... ACU ranks second in the nation with 59 double plays turned in 2009, the large majority of those coming from is duo of Uechi and Hall. ... Uechi ? a walk-on for ACU's JV team in fall 2007 who earned his way on to the varsity with a strong fall ? has started all 181 games the Wildcats have played since 2007, playing second base, shortstop and even in the outfield. ... Uechi has 256 career hits, meaning he'll shatter the LSC career record that was broken this season by his teammate, Jordan Schmitt. .. Uechi is 10th in the country in hits with 91, and he also has career single-season highs in hits (91), doubles (18), triples (3) and total bases (115). ... A three-time all-Lone Star Conference selection, Uechi was recently voted first team NCAA Division II South Central Region by Daktronics. ... Last week, Uechi was voted to the all-tournament team at the Lone Star Conference Baseball Championship.
Chris Hall, jr, 2B, Abilene, Texas: Hall transferred to ACU in January from Texas Tech and has made an immediate impact on the Wildcats' defensively and at the plate. ... Hall ? who started 95 games for the Red Raiders in 2007 and 2008 ? teams with Uechi to form one of the top middle-infield duos in the nation. ... ACU has turned 59 double plays on the season, which is second in the nation. ... Hall has committed just five errors on the season, helping lead an ACU defense that has committed just 58 errors in 60 games. ... Hall has hit in the leadoff spot in 50 of the 53 games he's played this season and carries a .384 batting average into the regional tournament. He was recently voted second team NCAA Division II South Central Region by Daktronics.
Thomas Bumpass, sr, CF, Houston, Texas: Bumpass has put together the best season of his career in 2009, posting single-season highs in runs scored (62), hits (84), doubles (14) and total bases (98). ... A two-time all-Lone Star Conference selection, Bumpass this season was a first team all-LSC pick and last week was voted to the all-tournament team at the Lone Star Conference Baseball Championship in Abilene. ... Bumpass has made just three outfield on the season and has started 58 games this season, all of them in centerfield. ... Bumpass was recently voted first team NCAA Division II South Central Region by Daktronics.
Preston Vancil, sr, SP, Sacramento, Calif.: Despite his middling 5-4 record, Vancil has been the ace of the Wildcats' starting staff all season, posting a 3.63 ERA and leading the Lone Star Conference in strikeouts with 106 strikeouts. ... He was a first team all-LSC selection in 2009 and last week was voted the Most Valuable Player at the Lone Star Conference Baseball Championship in Abilene. ... In two starts in the tournament, Vancil pitched 13 innings and allowed just six hits and two runs while striking out 10 batters en route to two victories. ... He pitched seven strong innings on just two days' rest in the Wildcats' 6-0 win over Angelo State in the tournament championship game last Tuesday. ... He ranks fifth in the nation in strikeouts with 106.
Brad Rutherford, jr, RP, Missoula, Mont.: Rutherford continues the line of strong closers the Wildcats have utilized the last several years, joining Justin Whitlock (2003-05), Coy Polk (2004), Jameson Maj (2007) and Chris Wiman (2008). ... Rutherford ranks fifth in the nation in saves with 10 and 10th in the nation with 10 victories. ... He's the first pitcher in ACU history to record 10 wins and 10 saves in one season. ... He was a first team all-Lone Star Conference selection in 2009 and was voted to the all-tournament team at the Lone Star Conference Baseball Championship. ... He was recently voted second team NCAA Division II South Central Region by Daktronics.
ACU vs. THE TOURNAMENT FIELD
vs. #1 Central Missouri: The Wildcats and Mules have never met on the baseball field.
vs. #3 Angelo State: The Wildcats won five of six games against the Rams in 2009, including both meetings in the Lone Star Conference Baseball Championship. ... The Wildcats beat Angelo State 7-1 in the second round of the tournament and 6-0 in the championship game. ... The Wildcats lead the all-time series 26-12.
vs. #4 Emporia State: The Wildcats and Hornets have never met on the baseball field.
vs. #5 Nebraska-Omaha: The Wildcats and Mavericks haven't played since March 13-14, 2000, when the Wildcats took two games from the Mavericks, 7-4 and 4-0. ... The Wildcats led the all-time series 2-0.
vs. #6 Texas-Permian Basin: The Wildcats knocked off the Falcons, 12-2, in Abilene on April 21 in their only meeting this season. ... The Wildcats lead the all-time series 7-0.
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