PREVIEW
This week, SLU will host SIUE at the Billiken Sports Center on April 9 at 6:00 p.m. The Billikens topped the Cougars in Edwardsville by a score of 14-5, in a contest played last week. The two teams have played 65 contests, with the Cougars owning the all-time series record 40-25.
The Cougars are led offensively by Joel Greatting. He leads SIUE in average (.345), slugging (.448) and on-base (.491). On the mound, RHP Sam Hopkins will start against the Bills. He has a 1-2 record with a 6.75 ERA. Hopkins was the starter in the previous game against SLU
LIVE STATS
Live Stats will be available for all Billiken home games. Go to slu.statbroadcast.com to see a list of the day's events. If you are following from a tablet or other mobile device, go to slustats.com for the mobile-optimized site.
LAST TIME OUT
The Billikens had a great week at the plate, knocking off SIUE in a mid-week tilt and sweeping conference foe Butler. On the week, SLU out-scored opponents 37-18. Braxton Martinez won Rookie of the Week honors for his performance after hitting .500 with a .550 on-base and an .812 slugging. With the sweep of Butler, SLU rose to 8-1 in A-10 action and sits atop the A-10 standings.
WALK LIKE A BILLIKEN
Entering the week, the Bills had drawn 153 walks in 2013, most in the Atlantic 10 and 20th nationally. Alex Kelly is tied for fourth in the A-10 with 20 walks drawn.
Since head coach Darin Hendrickson took over in 2008, the Billikens have ranked in the top three of the Atlantic 10 in walks drawn in each season. They led the league with 268 walks in 2012, which ranked 19th in the NCAA.
DOING SOME YARD WORK
Saint Louis has hit 19 home runs this season, most in the A-10. Alex Kelly leads the conference with five homers followed closely by Braxton Martinez with four (tied for fourth in A-10). Seven different Billikens have hit home runs this season.
LEADING IN LONGEVITY
Senior RHP Alex Alemann is the NCAA's active leader in career games started (54) and career innings pitched (358), while ranking third in career victories (26). His 237 career strikeouts are 23rd among all Division I pitchers and his nine complete games are 13th. Senior 2B Mike Levine is sixth in games played with 207. Levine's next game played will break the school's record for games played set by Pat Conreaux in 1994.
BULLPEN BULLIES
The Billiken bullpen has had a terrific season thus far. Six different pitchers have made 10 or more appearances and five separate hurlers have recorded saves. On the season, the Bills have 116.2 innings in relief with 101 hits, 35 earned runs and 99 strikeouts to 50 walks. The pen has a combined 2.70 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP.
#ObscureStatOfTheWeek
Billiken 1B Mike Vigliarolo has stolen three bases this season, all against left-handed pitching
SACRIFICING FOR THE TEAM
Saint Louis is ninth in the nation in sacrifice flies with 22 this season. Senior Mike Levine leads the team with five and is tied for the 22nd most in the nation this season. In his career, Levine has 18 sac flies, putting him third among active NCAA players.
STREAKS
Alex Kelly has the longest on-base streak of the season at 17 games, the eighth longest streak of the season in the A-10. Only two opponents have kept Kelly off base this season (Oral Roberts and South Dakota State). Kelly and Grant Nelson share the longest active on-base streak of 13 games.
Mike Vigliarolo had a 10 game hitting streak snapped against Butler on April 6. Mike Levine currently has an active 10-game hitting streak. Only 12 players in the A-10 have had hitting streaks of 10 games or greater this season.
KING OF THE HILL
Senior RHP Alex Alemann picked up the win against Western Michigan on March 1, marking the 23rd victory of his career, a Billiken record. He surpassed Saint Louis great Dave Sever's 22 career wins. Alemann is scattered throughout the career record book. He can be found in the all-time top ten in strikeouts, innings pitched, games started and complete games.
WINNING ON THE WEEKEND
Saint Louis is one of five teams in the NCAA that returns 20 or more pitcher wins to the weekend rotation from last season. Senior RHP Alex Alemann (7-2), junior RHP Clay Smith (7-2) and sophomore RHP Nick Bates (6-1) combined for 20 victories in 2012. The only other schools to match this feat are Florida State (25 wins), Louisville (22), North Carolina (22) and Georgia Tech (20).
TURNING TWO
Senior 2B Mike Levine has been a defensive stalwart for the Bills in his career. Since joining the team in 2010, Saint Louis has lead the A-10 in double plays turned. Additionally, two of the top three single-season assist totals have come from Levine. The only player to have more assists in a single season than Levine: his double play partner, Alec Solè, who set the record last season with 197 assists.
MARTINEZ NAMED ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Braxton Martinez was named the A-10 Rookie of the Week on April 8 after leading the Bills to a series sweep of Butler. He hit .500 with a .550 on-base percentage and a .812 slugging on the week. Martinez is one of the top freshman hitters in the A-10 and leads all rookies in average, on-base and slugging.
KELLY NAMED A-10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Alex Kelly earned weekly honors on March 25 for his efforts the week ending March 24. Kelly opened conference play with a bang, leading SLU to a sweep of defending A-10 tournament champion Dayton. Against the Flyers, he was 5-12 with two doubles, a home run and eight RBIs. Additionally, Kelly had a home run and three RBIs against in-state foe Southeast Missouri State.
NELSON EARNS CONFERENCE ACCOLADE
Grant Nelson was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week for the week ending March 10. Nelson helped lead the Billikens to wins over San Diego and Michigan in the University of San Diego Tournament. In five games, he hit .467 with a .619 on-base percentage and a .533 slugging percentage. Against powerhouse San Diego, Nelson went two-for-three against All-America pitcher Michael Wagner
PRESEASON ACCOLADES
Saint Louis was selected by the coaches of the Atlantic 10 Conference as the preseason favorites. Multiple publications also have projected the Billikens to win the A-10 this season. Additionally, the Bills are receiving votes in the Collegiate Baseball national poll. College Baseball Daily ranked the Billikens no. 15 in its mid-major poll.
BILLS RETURN FROM RECORD-SETTING 2012
The Billikens return seven starters and the entire weekend rotation from a squad that won a school-record 41 wins a year ago. The team will be led at the plate by the senior trio of OF Alex Kelly, 2B Mike Levine and 3B/C Grant Nelson. Kelly was the team's top offensive threat in 2012, leading the team in average (.326), home runs (8), slugging percentage (.487) and RBIs (41). Nelson will look to build off of his impressive 2012 season, where he hit .314 with a .429 slugging percentage and a .409 on-base percentage. Levine will contribute defensively as well as at the plate, where he had a team-best 14 doubles a year ago.
HEAD COACH DARIN HENDRICKSON
Darin Hendrickson entered his sixth season with a career record of 492-227 at NCAA four-year institutions (157-127 at Saint Louis). Entering the 2013 season, his career win percentage was .684, ranking him tenth among active NCAA Division I head coaches. Hendrickson is the reigning Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year after leading the Billikens to a school-record 41 wins and a A-10 Regular Season Co-Championship.
UPCOMING MILESTONES
2B Mike Levine is 14 doubles away from most on all-time list (54, Adam Gabris)
2B Mike Levine has tied the all-time mark for games played (207, Johnny Sweeney/Pat Conreaux)
2B Mike Levine is two starts away from tying most starts all-time (203, Pat Conreaux)
LHP Jon Levin is 10 appearances away from tying all-time mark (84, John Moriarty)
LHP Jon Levin is four saves away from third all-time (8, Chad Tayton/B.J. Rodrigue)
RHP Alex Alemann is two starts away from most all-time (56, Ryan Bird)
RHP Alex Alemann is 13 strikeouts from fourth all-time (250, Ben Hutton)
SS Alec Solé is 46 assists away from 10th all-time (355, Pat Steinhoff)
