PREVIEW
Saint Louis will finish up the 2012 regular season with a mid-week game against Southern Illinois. They get a quick day off before traveling to Evanston, Ill. to take on Nortwestern for the final series of 2012. The Bills will then head to the A-10 conference tournament in the Bronx, hosted by Fordham.
LAST WEEK
The Billikens wrapped up their 2012 A-10 schedule with a series sweep over preseason favorite Charlotte. The three wins locked up the top seed in the Atlantic 10 tournament for the first time in school history. The Bills also slammed three home runs in a mid-week game against Eastern Illinois. It is the most round-trippers SLU has hit in a game this season.
BILLIKEN RECORD BOOK:
• Senior Travis Parker holds SLU's all-time mark in career saves with 21. He also broke his own single season save record with his 11th save on May 13.
• Junior Mike Levine is second all-time in career assists with 526. Nick Steiner holds the all-time mark at 562.
• Junior Alex Alemann is second all-time in career wins with 21. Dave Sever holds the all-time mark with 22.
• Freshman Alec Solé is second in single season assists with 177, Levine is third with 175. Levine holds the single season record with 187 in 2010.
• Alemann is tied for eighth in single season wins with 7.
• Parker is second in single season appearances with 25. One more appearance matches the SLU standard of 26 set by Joe Buehler in 2004.
• On March 6, 2012 against Southeast Missouri State, the Billikens set a school record for runs scored in a contest with 22. They also set the standard for HBP with 7.
• From March 4 through March 25, Saint Louis recorded 13 straight victories, a program-best win streak.
• The 1-0 victory over St. Bonaventure on May 6 was Saint Louis' 33rd win of the season, matching the school's all-time win mark.
ACROSS THE DIAMOND
Southern Illinois
The Salukis have been a thorn in the side of the Billikens, with a 51-10 series advantage. This year, SIU is led by Chris Serritella, a dangerous .393 hitter. He has a .672 slugging percentage with a .459 on-base percenage, both team bests. On the hill, RHP Aaron Snyder will get the start. Snyder has been the top bullpen option for the Salukis, making 23 appearances with a 4.00 ERA, 27 SO and 13 BB. This will be his first start of the season.
Northwestern
Northwestern will host the Billikens after a mid-week game against Notre Dame. The Wildcats are powered by Kyle Ruchim, who hits .271 with a .388 slugging percentage and a .364 on-base percentage. RHP Francis Brooke is the staff ace in Evanston. He touts a 2.66 ERA with 60 SO to 12 BB.
A-10 PLAYOFF PICTURE
The Billikens have locked up the top seed in the postseason tournament at Fordham. As the top seed, they receive a first-round bye and will take on the winner of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 seed game. Seeding is still TBA.
COMMANDING THE ZONE
The Billikens pitching staff has the fewest walks allowed (120) in the A-10 and is second in strikeouts (352). In 84 innings pitched, Alex Alemann has allowed 19 free passes, fifth in the A-10 among starting pitchers.
SHUTTING THE DOOR
At the end of the game, Travis Parker has thrown 34.2 innings over 25 appearances, notching 11 saves. He has also struck out 30 and has not allowed an earned run this season. Parker has now gone 37.1 innings without allowing an earned run, dating back to last season.
AK LEADS THE WAY
Alex Kelly has had a terrific junior year for Saint Louis. The left fielder leads the team in batting average, slugging percentage, runs scored, hits, RBIs and home runs. He and fellow transfer Grant Nelson are the only Bills to start all 52 contests this season.
WALK LIKE A BILLIKEN
The Billikens own a .385 on-base percentage this season, best in the A-10. Their 240 walks also leads the A-10. Senior Marco DiRoma leads the team with 35 free passes, third in the conference. Junior Mike Levine is second in the A-10 with 17 hit by pitches. The Billikens have finished in the A-10 top three in walks in every season of head coach Darin Hendrickson's tenure
SEASON OF THE STREAK
Saint Louis has had streaks of all varieties this season. Senior Marco DiRoma, junior Alex Kelly and junior Mike Levine have had the longest hitting streaks of the year at eight games. Grant Nelson is in the midst of a 25-game on base streak. Earlier this season, the Bills rattled off 13 consecutive wins, a SLU record winning streak. Junior Alex Alemann had a 32.1 inning streak without allowing an earned run to start the season. Senior Travis Parker is currently on a similar streak of 37.1 innings.
NATIONAL RESPECT
The Billikens were ranked 30th in the Mar. 26 Collegiate Baseball Newspaper to earn the first national ranking in school history. The Bills have made the NCAA postseason tournament three times, but have never earned a spot in any of the national polls.
VIGLIAROLO EARNS A-10 ROOKIE OF THE WEEK ACCOLADES
Vigliarolo powered the Billikens to a conference sweep of St. Bonaventure to put Saint Louis in a tie for first place in the A-10. TAgainst the Bonnies, the Smithtown, N.Y., native hit .500 (5-10) with a .600 slugging percentage and .545 on-base percentage. In addition to his balanced production at the plate, he showed prowess in the field, going error-free in 26 chances on the week.
ALEMANN NAMED A-10 PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Junior RHP Alex Alemann earned Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week honors for his efforts in the series opener against Northern Illinois. It is the second time he has been honored. Alemann also received accolades on Mar. 5 for his game against St. Mary's College.
KELLY EARNS CONFERENCE HONOR
Junior Alex Kelly won Atlantic 10 Player of the Week on Feb. 27 for his series against Mount St. Mary's. In the four-game series, the Fort Collins, Colo., native ripped his second home run of the season, while maintaining a .583 average. He also crossed the plate eight times, while adding a double and a RBI.
