INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler baseball team will travel to Valparaiso this weekend for a three-game series at Emory G. Bauer Field. The schedule now calls for a 1PM doubleheader on Saturday followed by a 2 PM first pitch on Sunday.
 
Weekend Schedule
Saturday, March 23 – 1 PM (Doubleheader)
Sunday, March 24 – 2 PM
 
Probable Starters
RHP Ryan Pepiot vs. RHP Jon Tieman
RHP Sam Hubbe vs. RHP Colin Fields
RHP Connor Schultz vs. RHP Mike Kornacker
 
BIG EAST Standings
Creighton 8-5
Butler 11-8
St. John's 8-9
Xavier 6-13
Georgetown 6-15
Seton Hall 4-12
Villanova 5-15
 
Scouting Valparaiso
The Crusaders will host the Bulldogs this weekend after posting a 4-12 record through the first month of the season. Valparaiso and sixth-year head coach Brian Schmack, are coming off a series win versus Northern Illinois where they took two of three games from the Huskies. The Crusaders offense is led by redshirt-senior Brent Jones who has posted a team-high .361 average, also good for fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference. Jones is followed by redshirt-senior Blake Billinger who leads the team with four home runs and 13 RBI. Billinger's slugging percentage of .623 in good for third in the MVC.
 
The Bulldogs will face a trio of right handers in this series. Valparaiso's game one starter is slated as Jon Tieman (1-2), a 6-foot-1 junior who has posted a 3.94 ERA in five starts this season. Tieman's 27 strikeouts and 29.2 innings pitched lead the team. Colin Fields is set to take the mound in game two for the Crusaders and looks to improve his 1-1 record so far this season. Fields has posted a 5.40 ERA in four starts, while striking out 23 batters in 20.2 innings pitched. Fields knows how to get outs on the mound, as his .192 opponent batting average is second-highest on the team. In the finale, the Bulldogs expect to see redshirt-senior Michael Kornacker, a 6-2 right hander who has started five games in 2019. Korancker (0-2) holds a 6.65 ERA with 18 strikeouts in 21.1 innings pitched.
 
Last Year vs. Valpo
Butler tried to host Valparaiso at Bulldog Park a year ago, but the weather did not cooperate. The Crusaders earned a 9-2 victory in game one. Games two and three were cancelled due to rain. Jon Tieman picked up the win on the mound for Valpo. He is slated to start again this year. In the 2018 meeting, Tieman tossed 7.1 innings. He limited BU to just two runs off seven hits.
 
19-for-19
Harrison Freed and Brody McGrath are the only two Bulldogs on the roster to start in all 19 games. McGrath has reached base safely in all 19 games.
 
Dingers
The Bulldogs have hit 19 home runs over the first 19 games of the 2019 season. BU ended the 2018 campaign with 20 total home runs. The school record for home runs in a single season is 56 set by the 1998 team.
 
Weekend Arms
Ryan Pepiot, Sam Hubbe, and Connor Schultz will return to their roles for the weekend series at Valparaiso. Pepiot is the strikeout leader on the team with 45 in just 28.1 innings of work. Hubbe and Schultz are each 3-0 at the start of 2019 with ERA's under 2.00.
 
Out of the Pen
Jack Myers and Kevin Napoleon have been great for Butler out of the Bullpen. Myers has 18 strikeouts over 13 innings and Napoleon has 13 in 15.2.
 
Freed is on Fire
Right fielder Harrison Freed is batting .408 this year with three doubles, three triples and six home runs. He holds a .494 on-base percentage and a .763 slugging percentage. Freed has 10 multi-hit games and six multi-RBI games. He also holds the longest hitting streak on the club at eight.
 
National Rankings
As a team Butler ranks 12th in the NCAA in ERA (2.63) and 20th in strikeouts per nine innings (10.4). Ryan Pepiot currently ranks 12th in the NCAA in strikeouts (45) and 10th in strikeouts per nine innings (14.29).