Bull Run - 2014 MAC Baseball PostseasonWhere Buffalo Fans Hang Outhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48083/bullrun-fave.png2014-05-23T15:23:59-04:00http://www.ubbullrun.com/rss/stream/54990432014-05-23T15:23:59-04:002014-05-23T15:23:59-04:00Buffalo tops Miami 4-0, advances to MAC Semis
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<p>Mike Burke obliterates the Miami offense and UB manages an efficient 4 runs on 5 hits to advance another round to the semifinals of the MAC Tournament. </p> <p>UB will get another shot at the Akron Zips in the MAC Tournament.</p>
<p>After falling to the Zips yesterday afternoon, UB topped Miami 4-0 for their second win over the favored Redhawks in this tournament. With the loss, Miami was eliminated, and by the end of today UB will be one of four teams remaining with a shot at the MAC title.</p>
<p>Needing a win to stay alive, Coach Torgalski turned to staff ace Mike Burke, who delivered in a big way all game, even if late insurance runs in the 8th and 9th helped. <span>Burke would ultimately pitch the full nine innings in just 102 pitches, striking out 4, walking none and spreading 7 Miami hits across the afternoon. </span></p>
<p>On the offensive side, the Bulls were able to take advantage of a walk, hit by pitch, and a sac fly in the first inning to plate a run, and then add three insurance tallies in the final two innings to keep Burke comfortable in the deepest stretches of the game.</p>
<p>In the 8th, doubles from Jimmy Topps and Matt Pollock sandwiched around a Nick Sinay sac bunt scored another run, and Pollock would score a few batters later on a Miami error. A leadoff double in the 9th by Kyle Brennan turned into a fourth run when Brian Dudek was able to drive him in with a single, and all that was left was for Burke to trot back out to the hill and retire the Redhawks for the final time on just 8 pitches to ice it for Buffalo.</p>
<p>UB advances to face Akron tomorrow, needing two wins over the Zips to reach the MAC Championship. Go Bulls!</p>
https://www.ubbullrun.com/2014/5/23/5745786/buffalo-baseball-ub-takes-down-miami-to-advance-to-mac-semisMatt Gritzmacher2014-05-22T23:30:36-04:002014-05-22T23:30:36-04:00Buffalo Falls to Akron 7-1
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<p>I'll be honest, when Akron beat CMU last night I thought the fast lane for the quarterfinals was open for UB. But the Bulls found out something they already know. John Valek is one hell of a pitcher.</p>
<p>Just as he did a month ago Valek contained the UB offense, even more so this time around. While the Zip scored single runs in the first, third and fourth innings UB was for the most part kept out of scoring position. Down 3-0 UB's pitchers tried to keep the Bulls in the game but the offense never showed up.</p>
<p>Then in the eighth inning Akron put the Bulls away with four runs. The UB offense, fresh off a 15-hit game in an upset win over Miami on Wednesday, would record just three hits through the first eight innings of the game as Akron starter John Valek was effective throughout.<br><br>Jimmy Topps led off the game for UB with a single, but a walk immediately after to Nick Sinay, a second-inning single from Mike Burke and a single from Mike Burke in the fifth would be all the offense UB would offer while the Zips put up the seven runs.<br><br>Anthony Magovney would only last into the fourth inning, and Cory Folk was effective in his first three innings of relief before running into bad luck in the eighth. Brent Cleland threw two hitless innings to close out the game from the 'pen. The lone UB run would come in the bottom of the ninth.</p>
<p>Nick Sinay led off with a single, then moved to third on a double from Matt Pollock. After a walk loaded the bases, Tom Richards would get an RBI on a ground out.<br><br>Burke will likely take the ball tomorrow for UB's rematch with Miami. The winner of tomorrow's game must then win two straight games over the Zips in order to earn a trip to the championship round.</p>
https://www.ubbullrun.com/2014/5/22/5743870/ncaa-baseball-ub-falls-to-akron-will-face-miamiTim Riordan2014-05-22T01:18:53-04:002014-05-22T01:18:53-04:00MAC Baseball Tournament Buffalo vs Akron Preview
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<p>For the first time in UB's MAC era they have won a game in the opening round of the MAC tournament. A solid effort by Kevin Hughes along with some very timely hitting set the #6 seeded UB Bulls past the #3 seeded Miami and into the winners bracket of the second round.</p>
<p>Buffalo's win over Miami was the upset of the day until #7 Akron took down the Chips. Akron jumped out early on CMU at on point building up an 8-2 lead. Central Michigan would charge back bringing the score to 8-6 going into the 9th inning. Akron got a security run in the 9th but CMU still would not go down quietly.</p>
<p>The Chips loaded the bases with no outs but Akron would get the next three batters.</p>
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<th align="center">UB</th> <th align="center">Category</th> <th align="center">AKR<br>
</th>
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<tr>
<td align="center">0.270</td>
<td align="center">AVG</td>
<td align="center">0.258</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">282</td>
<td align="center">R</td>
<td align="center">257</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">432</td>
<td align="center">H</td>
<td align="center">468</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">21</td>
<td align="center">HR</td>
<td align="center">12<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">68-86</td>
<td align="center">SB-ATT</td>
<td align="center">72-86</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">4.47</td>
<td align="center">ERA</td>
<td align="center">4.37<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">184</td>
<td align="center">BB</td>
<td align="center">196<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">309</td>
<td align="center">SO</td>
<td align="center">275<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">0.953</td>
<td align="center">FPCT</td>
<td align="center">0.966</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>After a hot start to the season Akron fails to win a MAC series since their home sweep over Ohio in mid-April.One of those conference trips was to Buffalo where the Zips were swept. Two of the games were pretty lopsided while the other was a nail biter.</p>
<p>Akron's James Sheltrown plays the plate tight and should give UB's pitchers a challenge. He is top five in the conference in both on base percentage and the number of times he took a pitch for the team.</p>
<p>On the bases Devan Ahart is pretty much a carbon copy of Buffalo's Nick Sinay. Sinay has 28 steals on 31 attempts while Ahart has 26 steals on 31 attempts.</p>
<p>In terms of Pitching the Zips are neither remarkably good or bad. The are a slightly better team on the mound than Buffalo.</p>
<p>Akron's John Valek is their strongest option on the mound and the Zips did not use the sophomore hurler in their opening game.</p>
<p>When he faced UB back in April he held the Bulls to two runs through six innings of work. The Bulls eventually prevailed 3-2 over the Zips. On the season Valek has an ERA under three and 27 strikeouts against just 19 walks.</p>
<p>Buffalo will go with either Magnovey or Burke, the other two components of their "Weekend Lineup".</p>
<p>The Bulls will be taking on Akron today at 4:30, the winner of the game gets a day off on Friday before resuming play in the quarterfinals on Saturday, more importantly the winner will enter the quarterfinals of this tournament with no losses.</p>
https://www.ubbullrun.com/2014/5/22/5740536/mac-baseball-tournament-buffalo-vs-akron-previewTim Riordan2014-05-21T12:15:58-04:002014-05-21T12:15:58-04:00MAC Baseball - Buffalo downs Miami
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<p>Buffalo's draw in the first round of this seasons MAC tournament meant facing off against the conference pitcher of the year, Seth Varner. Early on it looked like Varner would coast. The Batavia Ohio native struck out three in the first, allowing a single hit. In the bottom of the first Miami would go to work with a man on first and two out. A walk and a pair of singles gave Miami a 2-0 lead after the first inning.</p>
<p>UB finally found an answer for Varner though. The Bulls played small ball in the second and third inning as tpiled up seven hits for four runs, two runs in each inning.</p>
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<td>Buffalo</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>6</td>
<td>15</td>
<td>1</td>
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<td>Miami</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>9</td>
<td>0</td>
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<p>Kyle Brennan would add a solo shot in the 5th to up UB's lead to 5-2. Then fielding, the bane of UB's season, came into play.</p>
<p>With one out in a 5-3 game a fielding error by Tyler Mautner allowed Miami to score, bringing the game to a 5-4 mark after the 5th. For the next two innings it was a pitching Duel between Huhges, last weeks MAC Pitcher of the week and Varner, the conferences Pitcher of the year.</p>
<p>After three scoreless innings of Mike Richards would up UB's lead to 6-4 with a single that scored Tyler Mautner. UB would need that insurance run as Miami got a pair of one out hits to put runners on second and third. UB countered by sending in Mike Kaelin to relieve Hughes.</p>
<p>Kaelin would give up a sac fly, intentionally walk a batter and then close out the game with another flyout.</p>
<p>Buffalo will move on to play the winner of tonight's game between Akron and Central Michigan. This season the Bulls swept Akron in Buffalo and lost their seriece at Central Michigan 2 games to one. First Pitch is at 4:30 eastern time tomorrow.</p>
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https://www.ubbullrun.com/2014/5/21/5738260/mid-american-conference-baseball-tournament-resultsTim Riordan2014-05-20T12:39:15-04:002014-05-20T12:39:15-04:00Preview - Buffalo vs Miami
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<p>First congratulations to the UB baseball team for reaching the MAC tournament for the third straight year. It was not too long ago that yours truly thought that baseball, as a placeholder, was only a necessary evil for MAC Membership. The team seemed destined to always be doormats.</p>
<p>But this is now the third straight season where the Bulls are in the championship tournament and <a href="http://www.ubbullrun.com/2014/2/15/5412216/ub-facility-improvement-the-low-priority-project-breakdown">UB Athletic Director Danny white has a new stadium for the team up on his drawing board</a>. They even have a couple of recent alumni working their way through the MLB farm system.</p>
<p>This is a program which still has a lot of growing to do but they have proven to the naysayers that Base-Bull can be a valuable part of the student athlete and student fan experience.</p>
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<th align="center">UB</th>
<th align="center">Category</th>
<th align="center">MOH</th>
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<tr>
<td align="center">0.270</td>
<td align="center">AVG</td>
<td align="center">0.285</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">282</td>
<td align="center">R</td>
<td align="center">304</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">432</td>
<td align="center">H</td>
<td align="center">535</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">21</td>
<td align="center">HR</td>
<td align="center">26</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">68-86</td>
<td align="center">SB-ATT</td>
<td align="center">55-97</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">4.47</td>
<td align="center">ERA</td>
<td align="center">5.01</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">184</td>
<td align="center">BB</td>
<td align="center">201</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">309</td>
<td align="center">SO</td>
<td align="center">376</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center">0.953</td>
<td align="center">FPCT</td>
<td align="center">0.960</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
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<p><i><b>Now onto the game:</b></i></p>
<p><i><b></b></i>In terms of this seasons performances you could not have picked a worse pairing for Buffalo than the RedHawks. Miami of Ohio was the only team this season to sweep the Bulls during conference play and they did it with three heartbreaking games, two of which saw UB rally's come up just short and one of those games went into extra innings.</p>
<p>Either Buffalo is cursed against Miami this season or the Bulls are well overdue for a win against the Redhawks. Let's hope it's the later.</p>
<p>Outside of Ball State Miami is just about the best power hitting team in the conference. They lead everyone else but most of that is behind Gary Russo. His 10 Home runs lead the conference and figures huge in the RedHawks 26 home runs. Russo is also fourth in the conference when it comes to hitting doubles.</p>
<p>Miami also has a great one two punch on the mound. Junior Ryan Powers is 8-3 in 15 appearences and Senior Seth Varner is 7-2. Varner is throwing an overpowering 10.26 strikeouts per game. He was part of an 18 strikeout effort against Buffalo two weeks ago.</p>
<p>For the Bulls things begin and end with Mike Burke and Tyler Mautner. Burke is perhaps the teams best pitcher Tyler Mautner is someone that is going to have to produce at the plate for Buffalo. Mautner is among the top five batters in the MAC in seven different categories.</p>
<p>Buffalo and Miami lead are the first teams to go at it during this years tournament. First pitch is at 9:30 am you can watch all of these games via live stream on the <a href="http://www.mac-sports.com/Sports/Baseball/ScheduleResults.aspx">MAC Digital Network</a>.</p>
https://www.ubbullrun.com/2014/5/20/5731140/mac-baseball-championship-preview-buffalo-vs-miamiTim Riordan2014-05-19T15:08:19-04:002014-05-19T15:08:19-04:00UB Baseball's 90's Movie Marathon
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<p>Last year before the Boys in Blue headed down to Avon Ohio for the MAC Championship tournament <a href="http://www.ubbullrun.com/2013/5/19/4346516/ub-baseball-1980s-mix-tape">Bull Run was nice enough send them off with an 80's mix tape</a>. This season were moving to the 90's and moving from Music to Movies. So queue up Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, or Vudu and check out our "Must Watch" List...</p>
<p><b>Nick Sinay</b><b> - Forrest Gump</b></p>
<p>Sinay has been a base stealing machine. He's went running 31 times this season and 28 of those attempts ended with the Buffalo Sophomore 90 feet further than where be started. He's not going to catch Bob Amico's single season record of 37 stolen bases in 1976 but with two seasons of UB Ball left Sinay is just two stolen bases short of UB's top ten list for career theft.</p>
<p>So for Sinay all we can say is "Run, Nick, Run!"</p>
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<p><b>Mike Burke - Eyes Wide Shut</b></p>
<p>Once again Mike Burke is among the MAC's top five in total strikeouts, last year he set batters into darkness, this season it looks like the guy in the batting box has his eyes wide shut!</p>
<p><b>Tyler Mautner - Seven</b></p>
<p>Mautner is among the MAC's top five in seven different categories. His ranking in Average, Slugging, On Base Percent, doubles, RBIs, Walks, and Sacrifice flies is just sinful!</p>
<p><b>Matt Pollock - The Professional</b></p>
<p>The best line of this movie is "No women, no kids". With Matt Pollock you can add "No Errors"... The UB Senior's perfect fielding percentage is one of the reasons the Bulls are once again a top 8 team in the MAC.</p>
https://www.ubbullrun.com/2014/5/19/5731150/ub-baseballs-90s-movie-marathonTim Riordan2014-05-17T22:27:47-04:002014-05-17T22:27:47-04:00Buffalo makes ready for the MAC Tourney
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<p>It's not the strong finish that fans would have liked but it was enough for UB to land the #6 seed in the field of eight MAC teams.</p> <p>Buffalo came into this weekend series with Bowling Green needing only a win or a loss by one of two teams to secure their spot in the MAC Championship for the third straight season. Despite a rain delay in the Friday game Buffalo got the help they needed to clinch their spot.</p>
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<p>When the field was playable again on Sunday the Bulls finished their first game by beating up on Bowling Green 8-1, but it was all down hill from there for the Boys in Blue and White. Twice in the early innings of a scoreless game two UB left the bases loaded and eventually the Falcons made UB pay, defeating Buffalo by a score of 8-5.</p>
<p>By the time the third game rolled around UB was playing to preserve their depth for the tournament. UB Senior Ryan Goodell will make 1st career start here in game three. It was a pleasant coincidence that UB needed to save their big three and that it was Senior day.</p>
<p>Elsewhere around the MAC things shook out to put Buffalo against Miami, the Redhawks hold the #3 seed after wining the Mid American Conference East division. Last weekend Miami swept UB in a trio of one run games. The MAC tournament is a double elimination affair so after UB beats Miami the Redhawks will have another chance ;)</p>
<p>Here is the full schedule:</p>
<p>2014 MAC Baseball Schedule Of Events</p>
<p>Wednesday, May 21st</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Game 1 - No. 3 Miami vs. No. 6 Buffalo, 9:30 a.m.</p>
<p>Game 2 - No. 4 Kent State vs. No. 5 Bowling Green, 1 p.m.</p>
<p>Game 3 - No. 1 Ball State vs. No. 8 Western Michigan, 4:30 p.m.</p>
<p>Game 4 - No. 2 Central Michigan vs. No. 7 Akron, 8 p.m.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Thursday, May 22nd</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Game 5 - Game 2 Loser vs. Game 3 Loser, 9:30 a.m.</p>
<p>Game 6 - Game 1 Loser vs. Game 4 Loser, 1 p.m.</p>
<p>Game 7 - Game 1 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner, 4:30 p.m.</p>
<p>Game 8 - Game 2 Winner vs. Game 3 Winner, 8 p.m.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Friday, May 23rd</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Game 9 - Game 6 Winner vs. Game 7 Loser, 1 p.m.</p>
<p>Game 10 - Game 5 Winner vs. Game 8 Loser, 4:30 p.m.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Saturday, May 24th</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Game 11 - Game 7 Winner vs. Game 9 Winner, 9:30 a.m.</p>
<p>Game 12 - Game 8 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner, 1 p.m.</p>
<p>*Game 13 – Game 11 Winner vs. Game 11 Loser, 4:30 p.m.</p>
<p>*Game 14 – Game 12 Winner vs. Game 12 Loser. 8 p.m.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Sunday, May 25th MAC Baseball Championship Game</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Game 15 -- Game 11/13 Winner vs. Game 12/14 Winner, Noon (TWCS/ESPN3)</p>
<p>*MAC Championship Game Replay, 3:30 p.m.</p>
</blockquote>
https://www.ubbullrun.com/2014/5/17/5727526/buffalo-baseball-secures-their-place-in-the-mac-championshipTim Riordan