PREVIEW - Xavier:
The Billikens take on Xavier in their first game of the A-10 tournament on May 23 at 9:00 a.m. CT. Xavier won its first game, 8-2 over George Washingon. Earlier in the season, SLU took two of three games against the Musketeers.
Xavier is led at the plate by Mark Elwell. Elwell was a second-team All-Conference selection after hitting .333 with a .388 slugging percentage and a .429 on-base percentage. Against SLU this season, he was 5-13 with two runs, two RBIs and two steals. Pitching for the Musketeers will be RHP Scott Klever. In 69.1 IP this year, Klever posts a 3.37 ERA with 26 Ks and 21 BB.
LAST WEEKEND
The Billikens clinched the top seed in the A-10 tournament after taking two of three games against Charlotte. The 49ers jumped out early in the series, winning the first game and sealing a share of the Atlantic 10 Regular Season title. The Bills rebounded to take the next two games, tying Charlotte and earning a share of the Regular Season title for the second year in a row. It is the first time Saint Louis has won consecutive titles since 1966 & 1967, when the Billikens were in the Missouri Valley Conference.
BILLIKENS DOMINATE ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Saint Louis had six Billikens named to the All-Conference team, two to the All-Rookie team, one to the All-Academic team and the co-Player of the Year. Mike Vigliarolo was named the co-Player of the year, the first time a Billiken has won the honor in the A-10 and is believed to be the first such honor in school history. He was joined on the first team by Grant Nelson, Alec Solé and Alex Kelly. Clay Smith and Mike Levine were named to the second team. Freshmen Braxton Martinez and Matt Eckelman were All-Rookie selections. Alex Alemann earned Academic All-Conference plaudits.
WALK LIKE A BILLIKEN
Entering the tournament, SLU has 227 walks this season, second in the Atlantic 10 and 47th nationally. Alex Kelly is fifth in the A-10 with 33 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.
WE'VE GOT THE POWER
Saint Louis has hit 35 home runs this season, the most in the A-10 and 42nd in the NCAA. Alex Kelly leads the A-10 with nine homers and is followed closely by Mike Vigliarolo with seven (tied for second in A-10).
LEADING IN LONGEVITY
Senior RHP Alex Alemann is the NCAA's active leader in career games started (60) and career innings pitched (394.1), while ranking fourth in career victories (27). His 262 career strikeouts are 19th among all Division I pitchers and his 10 complete games are 18th.
BULLPEN BULLIES
The Billiken bullpen has had a terrific season thus far. Five different pitchers have made 16 or more appearances and five hurlers have recorded at least one save. On the season, the Bills have 181.1 innings in relief with 160 hits, 61 earned runs and 161 strikeouts to 86 walks. The pen has a combined 3.03 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP.
#ObscureStatOfTheWeek
The Billikens are undefeated this season (10-0) when committing exactly one error in a game
BILLIKEN DYNASTY
With a 2-0 win over Richmond on April 28, SLU sealed its 30th win of the season. It is the sixth time in school history a Billiken team has reached the 30-win plateau. Four of these seasons have come under head coach Darin Hendrickson.
STREAKING THROUGH THE A-10
Mike Levine had a 14-game hitting streak broken on April 16 against Wash U. He went on to have a season-best 22 game on base streak that was broken on May 5 at VCU. The longest hitting streak for the Billikens this season belongs Mike Vigliarolo, who is on a 15-game streak, the longest active streak in the A-10. This streak is also the longest active on-base streak for SLU.
STELLAR SENIORS
Marco Mejia has accepted a larger role as a senior. He has a team-best five saves this season and is holding batters to a .238 batting average against him in 23.2 innings of work. Jon Levin is the top lefty out of the bullpen for Saint Louis, and with good reason. He has posted a 1.50 ERA in 25 appearances, recording 13 strikeouts and six walks. Levin has only had two appearances this season in which he allowed more than one hit. Levin recently set the Saint Louis record for career appearances with 85.
FRESHMAN PHENOMS
Saint Louis has five freshmen hitters and three freshmen pitchers who are contributing for the Billikens this season. Braxton Martinez leads SLU freshmen in batting average (.318) and slugging percentage (.450) and leadoff man Michael Bozarth leads in on-base percentage (.394). On the hill, Matt Eckelman has been one of the Bills' top relievers posting a 6-0 record and a 1.71 ERA in 42 IP. All said, the Billiken freshmen are hitting .295 with a .416 slugging percentage and a .386 on-base percentage. On the mound, they are 10-2 with a 3.11 ERA, 105 strikeouts and 51 walks.
BILLIKEN POWER CORE
Saint Louis has four big hitters that are leading the Billikens' juggernaut offense. Mike Vigliarolo (.520), Alex Kelly (.490), Braxton Martinez (.450) and Grant Nelson (.475) are each in the top 15 in the A-10 in slugging percentage. The foursome has combined for 27 home runs this season, more than any other TEAM in the A-10 (Saint Joseph's has 27).
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.
GOLDEN ARMS
The Billikens' recent success is due largely in part to great pitching. Only four teams in SLU history have finished the season with a sub-4.00 ERA. Saint Louis has achieved the feat in each of the past two seasons, and currently has a 3.64 ERA in 2013. Additionally, five pitchers have had seasons of sub-4.00 ERAs in the past three seasons.
SMITH EARNS SECOND WEEKLY PLAUDIT
Junior RHP Clay Smith earned his second Pitcher of the Week honor on May 20, the last honor of the 2013 season. A day after Charlotte claimed a share of the A-10 regular season title, Smith threw a complete-game one-hitter against the Niners, giving SLU a chance to earn a share of the regular-season crown. Entering the series, the 49ers were hitting .292 as a team, but Smith held them to a .034 average against him.
BILLIKEN DUO EARNS WEEKLY HONORS
Mike Vigliarolo and Clay Smith were named the A-10 Player and Co-Pitcher of the Week, respectively on April 29. Against Richmond, Vigliarolo was 8-12 with three doubles, three home runs, four RBIs and four runs scored. He posted a slugging percentage of 1.667 and a .667 on-base percentage. Smith closed out the series with a complete game shutout with eight strikeouts and only two hits. Smith carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning.
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.
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 11 doubles away from most on all-time list (54, Adam Gabris)
LHP Jon Levin is two appearances from Saint Louis single season record (27, Travis Parker 2012)
LHP Jon Levin and RHP Marco Mejia are each three saves away from third all-time (8, Chad Tayton/B.J. Rodrigue)
RHP Clay Smith and RHP Nick Bates are two wins away from SLU single season record (9, Alex Alemann 2009)
