May 12, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

REDHAWKS TRAVEL TO INDIANA STATE FOR FINAL NON-CONFERENCE TILT: The RedHawks travel to Indiana State for a 6 p.m. contest on Tuesday, May 13. Following the RedHawks mid-week trip, Miami will return home for its final Mid-American Conference series of the season. Unlike all other home series this weekend, the RedHawks' series will take place Thursday, May 15 through Saturday, May 17.

ABOUT THE SYCAMORES: Indiana State comes into the mid-week tilt with a 14-32 overall record and a 6-15 MVC record. Chris Schmidt leads the Sycamores with a .360 batting average with four home runs and 34 RBIs. David Gurbach has a team-best 4.80 ERA in 30.0 innings.

THE SERIES WITH INDIANA STATE: The Sycamores lead the all-time series, 8-5, and Indiana State has won four straight contests over the RedHawks. Indiana State took the first meeting between the teams this season in Oxford by a score of 8-5. However, Miami is 4-3 all-time when playing in Terre Haute, Ind.

NURRE GOES FOR SEVEN: In the first game of Miami's doubleheader against Ohio on Saturday, May 10, junior Tommy Nurre had a game to remember. Nurre went 3-for-5 and drove in a career-high seven runs. Nurre hit a RBI double in the first inning, a grand slam in the second inning and a two-run home run in the sixth inning. Nurre's seven RBIs are the most RBIs in a game since Eric Darlage drove in five runs on April 1, 2007.

PETRAITIS EXTENDS HITTING STREAK: With junior Tommy Nurre having his hitting streak snapped at 14 games in the opener of a three-game set against Ohio on May 9, junior Jordan Petraitis now has the longest hitting streak of any RedHawk this season. Petraitis had a hitting streak of 14 games earlier this season and after hits in all three games this weekend, Petraitis has recorded a hit in 15 straight contests. During his 15 game hitting streak, Petraitis is batting .403 with three home runs and 12 RBIs.

HULA DRIVES IN FIVE: In Miami's three-game series against Ohio, junior Josh Hula was Miami's top hitter. Hula went 6-for-12 from the plate with two home runs and five RBIs. In the second game of the series, Hula matched a career-best with three hits, before matching a career-high three RBIs in the series finale. Hula improved his batting average from .208 to .237 over the weekend.

HOT STREAK: Despite having his 14-game hitting streak snapped in the opener of Miami's three-game set against Ohio, junior Tommy Nurre has been Miami's top hitter over the past 17 games. During that stretch, Nurre is batting .464 with 12 doubles, three home runs and 24 RBIs. Nurre also boasts a slugging percentage of .768 and an on-base percentage of .535 during that time frame. 12 conference games are included in Miami's last 17 contests and the Cincinnati native has been even more impressive in those games. In three games at Buffalo, three games versus Bowling Green, three games versus Akron and three games at Ohio, Nurre is batting .490 (24-for-49). In Miami's last four conference series, Nurre has recorded 11 two-baggers, scored 18 runs and driven in 18 runs. Nurre's slugging percentage over that period is .898, while his on-base percentage is .557.

ONE-TWO PUNCH: Over the past four conference weekends, juniors Tommy Nurre and Jordan Petraitis have been swinging hot bats for the RedHawks. Nurre is batting .490, while Petraitis is hitting .360. The two are also leading the Mid-American Conference in four statistical categories, while ranking among the top six in several other categories. Nurre is first in MAC-only play in batting average, doubles and on-base percentage, second in slugging percentage and fourth in hits and total bases. Petraitis ranks first in conference-only contests in triples, third in on-base percentage and tied for fifth in walks.

MOVING UP THE CHARTS: Juniors Tommy Nurre and Jordan Petraitis have both had career years this season and both players moved up the Miami single-season charts this week. Nurre moved into sole possession of second place on Miami's single season doubles list (20), while Petraitis sits in a tie for fifth place with 18 doubles this season. The most doubles hit by a RedHawk in a single season was 21 by Keith O'Hea in 1988. Petraitis also cracked the single-season triples chart with his fourth three-bagger of the season against Ohio.