2019 Quick Facts
INDIANAPOLIS – Opening day is here for baseball fans and the Butler Bulldogs will head South for a three-game series against Rider at a neutral field. Game times are set for 4 PM, 6 PM, and 11 AM. Any adjustments to that schedule will be announced on ButlerSports.com and on Twitter @ButlerUBaseball.
Weekend Schedule
Friday, Butler vs. Rider – 4 PM
Saturday, Butler vs. Rider – 2 PM
Saturday, Butler vs. Rider – 6 PM
*All games played on a neutral field in Lexington, S.C.
Projected Starters
Friday – RHP #13
Ryan Pepiot vs. LHP #32 Pete Soporowski
Saturday – RHP #27
Sam Hubbe vs. RHP #40 Vincent Vitacco
Sunday – RHP #30
Connor Schultz vs. LHP #41 Joe Papeo
Scouting Rider
The Broncs went 12-35 last year with a 7-16 record in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Head Coach Barry Davis returns 17 letterwinners from the 2018 club including six starters. Joe Simone and Mike Ionta earned preseason recognitions in the MAAC. Simone is a junior outfielder that hit .331 a year ago with a .480 slugging percentage. Ionta is a graduate transfer catcher that joined Rider after playing at St. Peter's. On the mound, Butler will see Pete Soporowski on Friday. He is coming off a 3-7 season in 2018 that included a 5.35 ERA. Soporowski did lead the team in strikeouts with 48. Vincent Vitacco will take the hill on Saturday. The sophomore went 0-5 as a rookie with a 7.60 ERA. The projected starter for Rider on Sunday is another sophomore in Joe Papeo. A starter in nine games as a freshman, Papeo went 2-6 overall with a 5.72 ERA.
Schrage Eyes 800 Wins
Dave Schrage has 797 wins as a head coach during his 30-year coaching career. He got his start at Waldorf (Iowa) in 1988 and made stops at Northern Iowa and Northern Illinois before landing at Evansville in 2003. Schrage was named head coach at Notre Dame in 2007 and would spend five years at South Dakota State before taking over at Butler in 2017.
Pepiot Puts His Name in the Record Book
Ryan Pepiot went 6-0 on the mound last year matching an effort that had only been accomplished at Butler once before. The best winning percentage on the mound for BU is now shared by Pepiot and Tom Ehrsam who went 6-0 for Butler during the 1958 season. Pepiot struck out 101 batters in 2018 which was just 17 strikeouts shy of the school record set by Pat Neshek in 2001. Pepiot now has 180 career strikeouts which is exactly 100 behind Neshek and his all-time record of 280 set from 2000-02.
1… 2.. 3. You're Out
The 2018 Butler baseball team set a new school record for most strikeouts recorded in a single-season. BU ended the year with 454 strikeouts, breaking the old record set in 2017 of 405 strikeouts.
Pilcher Pounds the Zone
Jack Pilcher was great for Butler out of the bullpen in 2018. He tied the school saves record with 10. The other Bulldog to record 10 saves in a single-season was Chase Byerly who accomplished the feat in 2012.
Back-to-Back 30 Win Seasons
Head Coach
Dave Schrage has guided the Bulldogs to back-to-back 30 win seasons in his first two years at the helm of the program. Butler notched 31 wins in 2017 after recording just 14 the year before. In 2018, Butler tied the all-time school record for most wins recorded in a single-season with 34. They made their first BIG EAST Tournament berth and won a 13-inning game over Seton Hall in the first round.
One Year Ago
Butler started the 2018 season by winning their first nine games. They posted victories over Lehigh, UNCW, Eastern Kentucky, George Mason and St. Peter's. Nine-straight wins tied the school record at Butler for the longest winning streak recorded during a season. The 2015 squad also won nine-straight.
