After the departure of its three most experienced starters, Northwestern has found some relief — in its relief pitchers.
NU’s bullpen has been throwing flames this season in the absence of three 10-game starters from 2004. The relievers’ combined ERA is 3.74 — down from last year’s 6.53 mark.
“Last year, when relief pitching came in, that was pretty much a downfall for us,” coach Paul Stevens said.
This year, behind pitchers like sophomore right-hander Bobby Ferla (1-0), senior right-hander Chris Hayes (1-0) and sophomore southpaw Dan Schwartz (1-0), the Wildcats have found themselves saved — not sunk — by their relievers. Ferla leads the trio with a 1.50 ERA, followed by Hayes with a 1.62 mark and Schwartz with a 3.60 ERA.
In last weekend’s Big Ten-opening series at Indiana, the trio threw a combined 10-and-two-thirds innings, allowing only one earned run. NU (12-9, 3-1 Big Ten) won all three games in which one of these pitchers appeared.
Even some starters have provided effective relief. In late March, with the Cats trailing Cornell 7-0 in the second inning, sophomore right-hander Ryan Myers took the mound in relief. He proceeded to strike out 15 over seven-and-two-thirds innings as NU came back to win 8-7.
Myers was named National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
“If that’s not a key to giving your offense an opportunity to come back the way that we did,” Stevens said, “I don’t know what is.”
Slumped and stumped
Amid NU’s recent offensive scoring outburst, senior shortstop Jon Mikrut has seen his numbers fall from last season.
His batting average is .233, down from .311, and he is on pace for three home runs and 15 RBIs, compared to six home runs and 41 RBIs last year.
“Things aren’t really falling, and I’m having some tough at-bats,” Mikrut said. “It’s hard to stay focused and get up for the next at-bat.”
Stevens said Mikrut has been hit the hardest by the problem that has been plaguing the Cats all season — hitting the ball hard at fielders.
“That’s the toughest thing to work through — when you’re hitting the ball on the screws and you’re not getting anything to show for it,” Stevens said.
Mikrut did save his best performance for the series’ finale against Indiana, going 2 for 5 on Monday with a double and a run scored.
“I’m hoping I can build off of it,” he said. “I just go up there hoping to get a hit every time. I know the guys trust me and they know I’ll turn it around eventually.”
Hoosier leadoff hitter?
Freshman center fielder Aaron Newman was moved into the leadoff role Sunday, which was manned by freshman second baseman Jake Owens the 14 previous games.
“We just wanted to give (Owens) a little room to breathe because we thought he was starting to pressure himself just a tad,” Stevens said.
Newman went 4 for 14, scoring four runs and knocking in three. Owens excelled in the ninth spot in the order, hitting 6 for 13 with four runs and an RBI.
Reach Patrick Dorsey at [email protected].
