Leading Off
The Omaha baseball team opens Summit League play this weekend, hosting South Dakota State for a three-game series, March 13-15. First pitch all three days is set for 1 p.m. at the Ballpark at Boys Town. Links to live stats and audio will be available on OMavs.com, and student broadcasters Ryan Matheny, Adam Priester and Alex Abler will have the call on the MavRadio.fm broadcasts.

Quick Hits
•Freshman Adam Caniglia has reached base in 11 straight games, which has put him on at least once in every appearance he has made in his young career.
•Senior right-hander Tyler Hamer leads the Summit League with a 1.23 ERA, while junior right-hander Tyler Fox and senior right-hander Zach Williamsen are tied for the league lead for wins (two). As a staff, Omaha's 3.66 team ERA is also the best in the conference.
•Omaha's 15-game road stretch the open the season was its most since 15 in 2012.
•The Mavericks return 19 letterwinners and five All-Summit selections from a year ago: Taylor, Jewett and juniors Cole Gruber, Tyler Fox and Alex Schultz. Fox was also tabbed 2014 Summit League Pitcher of the Year.
•UNO's five returning all-conference selections are the most of any team in the Summit League.
•UNO ended the 2014 season on a seven-game win streak, and in two years in the Summit League, the Mavericks have compiled a 35-15 record in conference play.
•UNO is 114-91 all-time against the five other teams in the Summit League and 227-230 against all opponents on the schedule this year.

Scouting South Dakota State
South Dakota State enters the weekend with a record of 7-6 (0-0 Summit League) after defeating Mississippi Valley State on Wednesday, 7-4. The Jackrabbits played a four-game series at Southern last weekend, taking three of four.

Dave Schrage (Creighton, 1983) is in his fourth season at SDSU with a record of 88-92-1. In 24 years as a head coach, Schrage carries a career mark of 622-683-2.

Omaha leads the all-time series with South Dakota State, 72-63-1. The Mavericks split a series with the Jackrabbits last season in Brookings, S.D., opening with a 3-2 win. SDSU then swept a doubleheader, 1-0 and 3-0, before Omaha rebounded for a 6-3 victory in the weekend finale.

Last Time Out: Omaha vs. North Dakota
Omaha hosted North Dakota for a three non-conference games last weekend, taking the series 2-1. The Mavericks opened with a doubleheader sweep on Saturday, 8-5 and 6-1. In the opener, junior Alex Mortensen led UNO by going a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored and three more driven in.

Junior right-hander Tyler Fox (2-1) earned the win on the mound, allowing four runs on eight hits. The Thornton, Colo., native threw 5.0 innings, striking out four and walking three. Senior left-hander Cole Volkers picked up his first save of the year, holding North Dakota to one run on one hit and a walk in 2.0 innings, fanning two.

The Maverick pitching staff gave a strong performance in the second game of the twinbill, as senior right-hander Zach Williamsen threw 7.0 scoreless innings in the start and allowed just three hits. He earned the win to improve to 2-2 on the season and struck out a career-high-tying eight batters while walking two. Junior Marcus Ethen held UND to one run on three hits in relief, issuing no walks and striking out three.

Omaha's hot hitting continued in game two as well, as the Mavericks tallied 12 hits as a team, led by Taylor's 3-for-5 effort with an RBI. Redshirt freshman Ryan Cate and Volkers also went 2-for-3 with a run scored apiece, with Cate driving in one run and Volkers adding two more RBI. Junior Alex Schultz and sophomore Mark Handberg also both went 2-for-4, with Handberg scoring twice with two RBI.

Volkers and Handberg both delivered home runs in the second game, with Volkers' marking the first hit of his Maverick career and Handberg's designating his first homer of the season.

In Sunday's series finale, Cate carried Omaha at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with an RBI.

Volkers' Big Day
Senior left-handed pitcher Cole Volkers was key to Omaha's success in two ways last Saturday: on the mound and at the plate. In the opening game of a doubleheader against North Dakota, he picked up his first save of the year by holding UND to one run on one hit and a walk in 2.0 innings, fanning two. In game two, Volkers occupied the designated hitter's spot in the lineup, going 2-for-3 with his first career hit -- a two-run home run in the fourth inning.

Hamer, Williamsen Nab Weekly League Honors
Senior right-handed pitcher Tyler Hamer was selected as Summit League Pitcher of the Week for his performances Feb. 23 – March 1, the conference office announced March 2. Hamer earned the first weekly league honor of his career after tossing a complete game against ACC opponent Boston College at the Snowbird Classic last week. The Elburn, Ill., native surrendered just five hits in a career-long nine innings pitched with one run scored and a career-high-tying four strikeouts.

Senior right-handed pitcher Zach Williamsen was also named Summit League Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 23.

Hamer the Hammer
Senior right-handed pitcher Tyler Hamer has thrown the second-most innings of any pitcher on the Maverick staff this season with 22.0 innings pitched. Over four appearances, the Elburn, Ill., native has gone 1-0 with a 1.23 ERA, and opponents are hitting just .173 against him.

On Feb. 21, Hamer was part of UNO's no-hit shutout of Chicago State, going 3.0 innings with a walk and four Ks. He earned his first win of the year with a complete-game victory over Boston College on Feb. 28, allowing one run on five hits in 9.0 innings with four strikeouts.

Going the Extra Mile
When registering three or more extra-base hits in a game, UNO went 14-7 last season, and the Mavericks have started the 2015 in similar fashion with a 3-1 mark. The 2014 Omaha squad finished with 107 extra-base hits, the most  of any team since registering 159 in 2011, the Mavericks' last year in Division II.

Turning to the Bullpen
Omaha's bullpen has traditionally held its own late in the game, as the Mavericks are 414-34-1 in the Bob Herold era when leading after the sixth inning. UNO was 25-4 in such games in 2014 and 23-1 in the 2013 season, both of which were years in which the Mavericks went on to win Summit League regular-season titles. This season, they are 5-0 when leading after the sixth.

Offense Keying Wins
In the last three seasons in 2013, 2014 and 2015, Omaha has gone a combined 45-7 when outhitting its opponent. In 2014, the Mavericks were 21-2 when registering more hits than its opposition, up from 20-5 in 2013. This year, UNO has started out 5-1 in such games.

Over 16 seasons in the Bob Herold era, UNO is 397-69-1 when outhitting the other team.

Fox, Williamsen Hit the Century Mark
Junior right-hander Tyler Fox and senior right-hander Zach Williamsen both issued their 100th career strikeout in a Feb. 20-22 series with Chicago State. Fox's came in the opener, while Williamsen's was his final of five Ks in game two.

Double Digits
As a team, Omaha produced double-digit hits in 22 games last season, including a season-high 23 hits against Chicago State on Feb. 28, 2014. Last year, UNO was 18-4 when producing 10 or more hits in a game, similar to its mark of 18-6 for double-digit hits in 2013. Already this season, the Mavericks are 4-1 with a double-digit hit total.

Home Sweet Home
The 2015 season will see Omaha play 23 home contests, including 15 conference tilts. UNO will play at three venues, with 18 games at the Ballpark at Boys Town, three this weekend that were moved to Millard North High School and a pair of premier games at Werner Park with Nebraska (April 1) and Kansas State (April 8).

Since moving to Division I in 2011-12, UNO has enjoyed a combined record of 27-20 at home.

Herold at the Helm
Head Coach Bob Herold is in his 16th year as the skipper of the Omaha baseball program in 2014, having compiled a career record of 485-330-2. Herold earned his 400th career win on April 22, 2011 against Fort Hays State, becoming the third coach in school history to reach the milestone. He joined Bob Gates (464-273) and Virgil Yelkin (439-196) in the prestigious club, and with Omaha's 7-0 shutout at Bradley on April 22, 2014, he officially became the winningest coach in UNO history with his 465th victory.

Over his Maverick career, Herold has guided Omaha to seven NCAA Division II postseason appearances and four conference championships. In 2013 and 2014, he was honored as Summit League Coach of the Year.

Herold's most recent draft pick was right-handed pitcher Joe Holtmeyer, who was taken in the 22nd round (No. 682 overall) of the 2011 Major League Baseball amateur draft by the Boston Red Sox. Holtmeyer was the fifth Maverick drafted under Herold and the second-highest pick of any player during the Herold era.

Herold is assisted by assistant coaches Chris Gadsden, in his 16th year, and Evan Porter, in his third year, as well as volunteer assistant coach Brian Strawn, who is in his first year.

Mixed Schedule Takes Mavericks Around the Nation
Omaha's 2015 schedule includes 53 games against 18 different opponents, and the team will play in 11 states and three time zones across the country. UNO will match up with opponents from 13 other conferences: the ACC, Big 12, BIG EAST, Big Sky, Big Ten, Colonial, Missouri Valley, Mountain West, Northeast, SEC, Southland, Sunshine State and WAC.

Two foes -- North Dakota State and Nebraska -- were 2014 NCAA Tournament qualifiers. NDSU, which finished fifth in the Summit League's regular-season standings and went on to win the tournament championship for a berth to the NCAA Tournament, lost to Oregon State and UNLV in the Corvallis Regional. Nebraska played in the Stillwater Regional, where it defeated Binghamton and lost twice to Cal State Fullerton.

Additionally, three opponents finished in the top 100 for RPI in 2014: Nebraska (No. 32), Creighton (No. 70) and Oral Roberts (No. 96).

The Mavericks have never faced six of their 2015 opponents: Saint Leo, Kentucky, Boston College, Mount St. Mary's, Oral Roberts and Incarnate Word. Omaha holds a combined all-time record of 229-231 against all teams on the slate this season.

Next Up
Omaha hosts another three-game conference series next weekend, welcoming North Dakota State, March 20-22. First pitch for all three games is set for 1 p.m. at the Ballpark at Boys Town, and links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.