Schedule (EST)
4/5: Butler at Dayton – 4:00 PM

Projected Starters
Tuesday: LHP Bobby Napoleon vs. LHP Mason Kutruff

INDIANAPOLIS – Butler will get a single game in at Dayton on Tuesday just days before the start of the BIG EAST season. First pitch is slated for 4 PM.

About Butler (8-19)
The Bulldogs will try to snap a four-game losing streak on Tuesday at Dayton before traveling to Villanova for the start of conference play. The good news for BU is the return of Tyler Houston. Houston missed time recently with a leg injury, but appeared in the lineup last weekend as Butler's designated hitter. The sophomore is leading the team with a .351 batting average to go along with a team-high 14 RBIs. The second Bulldog to post an BA over .300 is Michael Hartnagel. The junior has nine multi-hit games this season and therefore has raised his average to .315 on the season.

Drew Small and Jordan Lucio are two more names to keep an eye on this week. Small is batting .264 this season (28-106) and leads the team in both runs scored (19) and stolen bases (7). Lucio is a newcomer that leads the team in doubles with nine.

On the mound for Butler this Tuesday will be Bobby Napoleon. The left-hander is 0-2 on the year with a 7.47 ERA. The contest at Dayton will be Napoleon's third start of the season. He has 12 strikeouts in 15.2 innings of work while only issuing three walks.

Scouting Dayton (7-20)
The Flyers are 7-20 overall and 1-5 through the first two weeks of the A-10 Conference. Saint Louis swept the Flyers in a three-game series and the VCU Rams would take two of three on their home field just last weekend. Dayton's record at home is far better than when the team plays on the road. The Flyers are 4-6 at Woerner Field and just 3-12 when playing as visitors (0-2 neutral).

The top offensive weapon in the Dayton batting order is outfielder Robbie Doring. The junior is batting .344 on the year with six doubles, one triple and a team-high seven home runs. His power from the plate has boosted his slugging percentage up to .646. Pitchers have walked Doring 12 times and the right-hander has been hit by a pitch five times to raise his on-base percentage to .431. Once on base, Doring can run well as he leads the team with 22 runs scored and doubles as the team leader in steals with four.

Dayton's arm on Tuesday will be left-hander Mason Kutruff. The 6-4 Martinsville, Ind. native will make his fifth start of the season. Kutruff is 1-3 on the year with a 7.06 ERA. He has 11 strikeouts in 21.2 innings pitched and has also walked a team-high 17 batters.

Recent Matchups
Butler has held the upper hand against Dayton in recent matchups. Winners of seven-straight, Butler beat Dayton three times during the 2015 season and also swept the three-game series against the Flyers in 2013 when each program was part of the A-10 Conference. Dayton's last win over BU came during the 2011 season when they shutout the Bulldogs 4-0.

BIG EAST Standings
1) Creighton, 18-6 Overall
2) Seton Hall, 20-8 Overall
3) St. John's, 14-9-1 Overall
4) Georgetown, 13-16 Overall
5) Villanova, 11-17 Overall
6) Xavier, 10-18 Overall
7) Butler, 8-19 Overall

Midweek Play
Butler is 2-2 this season during midweek action if you eliminate their spring break trip to Port Charlotte Fla. The club defeated Marian 15-4 at Grand Park in the 2016 home opener, and the true home opener would follow on March 16 with Butler defeating IPFW 4-1 at Bulldog Park. Indiana put an end to the 2-0 start as they defeated Butler at home on March 23. The team's most recent midweek game went down as a loss with Northern Kentucky winning on their home turf 8-3.

Team Leaders
BA: Tyler Houston (.351), Hits: Michael Hartnagel (29), RBI: Tyler Houston (14)
ERA: Nick Morton (3.73), Wins: Zach Barnes (2), Strikeouts: Danny Pobereyko (33)

National Rankings
As a team Butler ranks 38th in the NCAA in double plays (25) and 97th in triples (7). Individually, Nick Morton and Jeff Schank each come in tied at 22nd with seven games started. Zach Barnes ranks 37th in pitching appearances with 15 and comes in at 119th in saves with three. Finally, second baseman Connor Dall ranks 19th in sacrifice flies with four.

Not So Fast
The Bulldogs lead the BIG EAST Conference in runners picked off. Through 27 games, Butler has picked off 10 baserunners. Danny Pobereyko and Zach Barnes share the team lead with two each.

Extra Innings
Butler is 2-1 this year in games that reach extra innings. Their first win of the season was a 4-3 victory at Charleston Southern that ended in the 11th inning. The second victory came against BIG TEN foe Northwestern as the Bulldogs knocked off the Wildcats in 10 innings. BU tasted defeat for the first time in extra's with a 13-9 loss at Indiana State on April Fool's Day. The Sycamores ended the game with a grand slam in the bottom of the 14th inning.

Grand Slam 2x
The Bulldogs won in style this year in the 2016 home opener vs. Marian. Playing at nearby Grand Park due to field and weather conditions at Bulldog Park, Butler posted 15 runs off 13 hits to earn the lopsided victory. The first grand slam of the game came in the third inning when Chris Maranto sent a ball over the wall in leftfield. The 'Dawgs didn't stop there as Michael DiViesti came to the plate in the fifth to deliver the second grand slam of the game. The hit was the first of the year for DiViesti, who got the start at catcher while Chris Marras played as the DH. 

Spring Break
Butler played six games in Port Charlotte Florida over spring break (March 5 – 12) against tough competition. The 'Dawgs won two of their first three games on the trip, but ended by falling in each of their last three contests. The field included Northwestern, Indiana, Boston College, Central Michigan, Michigan State and Illinois State.

Signature Win
Butler defeated an ACC team for the first time in 20 years with a 12-10 win over Boston College on March 7. The last time BU came out on top vs. an ACC team was in 1996 when the 'Dawgs won 3-1 at North Carolina.

Up Next
BIG EAST play will start this weekend with Butler traveling to Villanova for a three-game series against the Wildcats. Friday's tilt will begin at 3:15 while games two and three of the series will start with a 1:15 first pitch.