This Weekend
The Omaha baseball team returns to Emerson, Ga., this weekend for four more games at the Perfect Game Spring Swing at Perfect Game Complex. The Mavericks open with a single game against Saint Louis on Friday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. (CT), followed by a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 27 with Morehead State beginning at Noon (CT). UNO closes with a final game on Sunday, Feb. 28 against Arkansas State at 11 a.m. (CT). Links to live stats and audio, when available, will be posted on OMavs.com.

Quick Hits
•Last weekend, head coach Bob Herold earned his 500th career victory in 17 seasons of directing the Omaha program.
•The Mavericks open the year with 18 straight road games, their most since 21 away from home in 2009.
•The 2016 season marks Omaha's first with full NCAA Division I postseason eligibility for the Summit League and NCAA Tournaments. The Mavericks completed a required four-year Division I reclassification period from 2012 to 2015.
•UNO played 200 games during their Division I transition, going 91-109 in that span.
•The Mavericks return 18 letterwinners, including five position starters: senior infielder Clayton Taylor, senior outfielders Cole Gruber and Alex Schultz, senior catcher Collin Leif and sophomore infielder Ryan Cate. Two starting pitchers also return with senior right-hander Tyler Fox and junior right-hander Shane Meltz.
•Four All-Summit selections highlight the Mavericks' returning corps: Taylor, Gruber, Schultz and Fox.
•UNO was picked fourth in the Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll.
•Omaha is 126-109 all-time against the five other teams in the Summit League and 214-240 against all opponents on the schedule this year. The Mavericks have compiled a 46-31 record in Summit League play since 2012-13.

Scouting the Saint Louis Billikens
Saint Louis brings a record of 0-4 into Friday's game after a series sweep by BYU last weekend. Freshman infielder Cole Dubet was named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week on Monday after batting .455 with a run scored and three walks.

Saint Louis was tabbed the 2016 preseason favorite in the A-10 at the start of the season. The Billikens finished 2015 with a 35-21 overall record and a 16-8 mark in conference play.

Head coach Darin Hendrickson (Southern Illinois, 1992) is in his ninth season at SLU with a record of 267-194-1 and a 602-294-1 career mark over 17 years. Omaha leads the all-time series with Saint Louis 1-0, having last faced the Billikens in 1976, when the Mavericks won 4-3.

Scouting the Morehead State Eagles
Morehead State carries a record of 3-1 into the weekend after having swept North Carolina Central last weekend, then falling 7-5 to No. 8 NC State on Tuesday. Junior infielder Alex Stephens was named OVC Player of the Week Monday after hitting .429 on opening weekend with two doubles, a triple, a home run and five RBI.

Earlier this month, Morehead State was predicted to finish fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference's preseason poll. Last season, the Eagles finished 38-22 overall and 20-10 OVC play. The Eagles won the OVC Tournament and went 0-2 in the NCAA Louisville Regional.

Head coach Mike McGuire (South Carolina, 1993) is in his fourth season at Morehead State with a record of 86-91 and a career mark of 176-170 over seven years. This weekend marks the first meeting between Omaha and MSU.

Scouting the Arkansas State Red Wolves
Arkansas State is 2-1 on the season after winning two games in its opening series with UAB. Sophomore infielder Jeremy Brown leads ASU into the weekend, as he is batting .375 with one home run and three runs scored.

The Red Wolves were selected to finish eighth in the Sun Belt preseason poll. Last year, ASU finished 27-30 overall and 12-17 in Sun Belt play.

Head coach Tommy Raffo (Mississippi State, 1990) is in his seventh season at Arkansas State with a career record of 203-201-1. UNO leads the all-time series 1-0, and the two schools last faced each other in 1963, when the Mavericks won 5-2.

Last Time Out: Mavericks Drop 8-1 Decision in Weekend Finale
Omaha concluded its first weekend of play Sunday afternoon, falling 8-1 to Eastern Michigan at the Perfect Game Complex. Junior right-hander Shane Meltz (0-1) took the loss, giving up four runs on four hits and four walks in 2.1 innings of work.

Freshman catcher Josh Scribner tallied the Mavericks' only multi-hit effort at the plate, finishing 2-for-3. Senior Clayton Taylor was 1-for-3 and drove in pinch runner Isaac Holt for UNO's only run of the day.

Taylor Tabbed Summit League Player of the Week
Senior infielder Clayton Taylor was named Summit League Player of the Week for his performance Feb. 19-21, the conference office announced Monday. The honor marked his first weekly league award of the season and the second of his career.

Taylor batted .538 for the weekend with seven RBI, three runs scored, three walks, a double and a homer. He compiled an .846 slugging percentage and a .647 on-base percentage over the four games, registering at least one hit in every contest. Taylor belted a two-run home run in the season opener Friday against Eastern Michigan, which pushed him into the top 10 in school history with 19 career homers. The Mount Michael product also added two hits in Saturday's opening win over EMU, then went 3-for-4 with a double, four RBI and two runs scored in a 9-3 win over NJIT in Saturday's nightcap.

Georgia On My Mind
Omaha plays 10 of its first 18 games of the season in the state of Georgia as part of the Perfect Game Spring Swing at Perfect Game Park in Emerson, Ga. The complex is a familiar place for the Mavericks, who played a three-game series against Chicago State there early in 2015, going 2-1.

Four Returning All-League Picks Highlight 2016 Roster
Four returning All-Summit selections highlight Omaha's 2016 roster: a three-time pick in senior infielder Clayton Taylor, two-time honorees in senior outfielders Cole Gruber and Alex Schultz and the 2014 Summit League Pitcher of the Year and all-league pick in senior right-hander Tyler Fox. Taylor, Gruber and Schultz combined to hit .338 last season with 27 doubles, four triples, 13 home runs and 79 walks drawn, and they went 37-of-48 on the basepaths.

Fox became Omaha's first player to be named Summit League Pitcher of the Year in his sophomore season, recording a league-leading nine wins to go 9-1 with a 2.59 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 78.2 innings pitched. The Thornton, Colo., native was a perfect 5-0 in league play with a 2.40 ERA in seven appearances. Fox followed up with a 5-4 record with a 2.88 ERA in his junior campaign, tossing a league-leading 93.2 innings in 15 starting appearances. He held opponents to a .243 batting average and ranked second in the conference for ERA while issuing a team-high 72 strikeouts.

Taylor, a Mount Michael graduate, started every game last season and became Omaha's first three-time All-Summit pick. He led the Mavericks with a .490 slugging percentage and ranked in the top five in the Summit League for home runs, triples and hit-by-pitches. Taylor batted .308 with eight doubles, two triples, a team-leading eight home runs, 42 runs scored, a team-high 42 RBI, 25 walks and nine hit-by-pitches, and he owned 17 multi-hit games and a team-best 11 multi-RBI games.

Gruber, out of Papillion-LaVista, was the Summit League's leading hitter with a .399 batting average alongside seven doubles, a triple, two home runs, 43 runs scored, 23 RBI, 32 walks and six hit-by-pitches. He ranked eighth nationally for on-base percentage (.495), ninth for batting average and 38th for stolen bases per game (0.47), finishing 22-of-28 on the basepaths. Gruber had 18 multi-hit games, including four single-game performances with four hits.

Schultz, who hails from Sioux Falls, S.D., batted .316 with a team-best 12 doubles, one triple, three home runs, 42 runs scored, 23 RBI and 22 walks in 2015. He went 12-for-16 in stolen base attempts and had a team-high 22 multi-hit games with five multi-RBI performances.

League Leaders
After the Mavericks' opening weekend, senior infielder Clayton Taylor leads the Summit League in batting average (.538), hits (seven), RBI (seven), on-base percentage (.647). Senior outfielder Cole Gruber also paces the league in stolen bases (four), and junior infielder Sam Palensky is first in assists (12).

Stealing the Spotlight
Senior Cole Gruber has made a name for himself in the Summit League for his sneaky work on the basepaths, as he led the league with 34 stolen bases in 2014 and was second with 22 swiped bags in 2015. Now in the fourth year of his career, Gruber has worked his way up Omaha's career chart for stolen bases with 66 as a Maverick, which ranks third in school history. The Papillion-LaVista product is behind only Jake Wurth's 70 from 2001-04 and Bryan Frew's 72 from 2005-08.

What Does the Fox Say?
Senior right-handed pitcher Tyler Fox is back as Omaha's Friday starter in 2016, and he has been the Mavericks' most celebrated hurler over the last three seasons. The Thornton, Colo., native was the 2014 Summit League Pitcher of the Year and an All-Summit selection as a sophomore, and he has led UNO in both strikeouts and innings pitched each of the last two years. His 93.2 innings thrown as a junior were the third-highest single-season total in school history, behind only Ben Percival (100.1) in 2009 and Troy Cloyd (96.0) in 2005.

Fox has compiled a career record of 20-7 with a 3.02 ERA, and he ranks third in school history for career games started (40), fourth for batters faced (980) and innings pitched (232.1) and fifth for wins (20). In the opening weekend of play, he UNO's top 10 for career strikeouts and ranks ninth with 171.

Herold Gets the Start
Freshman infielder Riley Herold made his collegiate debut last weekend, starting all four games at shortstop and batting .333. He was the first true freshman to start at that position on opening day since former Maverick and current assistant coach Evan Porter in 2006.

Suponchick Steps Up
Freshman infielder/right-handed pitcher Grant Suponchick came up big in his first career at-bat last Saturday, as his pinch-hit RBI double in the sixth inning drove in the Mavericks' go-ahead run. Omaha went on to take the 2-1 win from Eastern Michigan, which was head coach Bob Herold's 500th career victory.

Murph on the Mound
Junior left-handed pitcher Sam Murphy (1-0) returned to the mound for the first time in nearly a year last Saturday, picking up the win in UNO's 2-1 victory over Eastern Michigan. The Lake Worth, Fla., native threw three innings of scoreless relief, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out two. Murphy had been sidelined since early in the 2015 season due to injury.

Production Up Top
Omaha's 1-4 batters in the lineup this year have produced a significant portion of the Mavericks' offense so far, combining to hit .322. The 1-4 hitters accounted for 51 percent of UNO's hits last weekend, including 57 percent of its extra-base hits, as well as 80 percent of all runs scored, 64 percent of all RBI and 88 percent of all walks drawn.

Turning to the Bullpen
Omaha's bullpen has traditionally held its own late in the game, as the Mavericks are 428-38-1 in the Bob Herold era when leading after the sixth inning. Last season, UNO was 17-5 when holding a lead after the sixth, and this year it is 2-0.

Offense Keying Wins
In the last four seasons (2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016), Omaha has gone a combined 57-11 when outhitting its opponent. Last year alone, UNO was 15-4 in such games, and this season the Mavericks are off to a 1-0 showing.

Over 16 seasons in the Bob Herold era, UNO is 408-72-1 when outhitting the other team.

Double Digits
As a team, Omaha produced double-digit hits in 23 games last season, going 15-8 in those games. This season, UNO is 1-0 with double-digit hits, and the Mavericks posted a season-high 15 hits vs. NJIT on Feb. 20.

Over the last five years of Division I play, UNO is a combined 69-29 when keying at least 10 hits.

What Makes Up the Mavericks
•UNO returns much of its offensive production from last season, as this year's returners accounted for 68 percent of the Mavericks' hits, 73 percent of their runs scored, 67 percent of their RBI, 68 percent of their extra-base hits and 82 percent of their stolen bases in 2015.
•Omaha's returning pitchers were credited with 51 percent of the team's innings pitched last year, 52 percent of its strikeouts, 48 percent of its wins and 50 percent of its saves.
• The Mavericks return their top three hitters from a year ago with senior outfielders Cole Gruber (.399) and Alex Schultz (.316) and senior infielder Clayton Taylor (.308).
•Schultz had 215 at-bats in his junior season, the most of any hitter on the team.
•UNO's 2016 roster includes seven seniors, seven juniors, 10 sophomores, two redshirt freshmen and nine freshmen.
•The Mavericks hail from eight different states. Nineteen are from Nebraska, five are from Minnesota, and two apiece are out of Iowa and Missouri, while Florida, South Dakota and Utah are all represented once on the roster.

All in the Family
 “Like father, like son” holds true for three current Mavericks who have followed in their fathers' footsteps by playing baseball at UNO. Senior infielder Clayton Taylor's father, John Taylor, lettered from 1981-82 and was an All-NCC selection. Freshman infielder Riley Herold will now play for his father, head coach Bob Herold, who was an NAIA All-American at UNO in 1971. And junior infielder Sam Palensky's father, Jim Palensky, played from 1984-85 and also previously served as an assistant coach with the Mavericks.

On the sibling side, Sam Palensky's brother, Caleb, was an All-Summit infielder and lettered from 2011-14. Freshman infielder Jack Kalina's grandfather, Phil Gradoville, played at UNO, and freshman right-handed pitcher/infielder Grant Suponchick's brother, Beau Suponchick, lettered two seasons for Omaha (2011-12).

Herold at the Helm
Head Coach Bob Herold is in his 17th year as the skipper of the Omaha baseball program in 2016, having compiled a career record of 501-355-2. Herold earned his 500th career win on Feb. 20, 2016 against Eastern Michigan, becoming the first coach in school history to reach the milestone. He previously became the winningest coach in UNO history with Omaha's 7-0 shutout at Bradley on April 22, 2014, which gave him 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 17th year, and Evan Porter, in his fourth year, as well as volunteer assistant coach Dan McGinn, who is in his 15th year.

Fresh Faces
A total of 17 newcomers -- freshmen, redshirts or transfers -- are on the Omaha roster in 2016. Nine true freshmen are in the mix: Eric Watters (Des Moines, Iowa), Cal Hehnke (Grand Island, Neb.), Riley Herold (Omaha, Neb.), Grant Suponchick (Papillion, Neb.), Henry Wittren (Rochester, Minn.), Jack Kalina (Papillion, Neb.), Andrew Hall (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Josh Scribner (Peculiar, Mo.) and Connor Clark (Omaha, Neb.). Nick Lawson (Omaha, Neb.), Brad Olsen (Omaha, Neb.) and TJ Graumann (Brainerd, Minn.) all redshirted in 2015, with Olsen having transferred from Wayne State College.

Five transfers also join the Mavericks this season: David Flattery (Fort Dodge, Iowa) from Iowa Central CC, Sam Palensky (Papillion, Neb.) Colton Adams (Beatrice, Neb.) from Southeast CC), Eric Moreno (Scottsbluff, Neb.) from Lamar CC) and Skyler Sylvester (Salt Lake City, Utah) from Williston State College.

In the first weekend of play, 11 newcomers saw the field: Herold, Scribner, Kalina, Palensky, Wittren, Hehnke, Moreno, Flattery, Suponchick, Adams and Sylvester. Herold and Palensky both started all four games in the infield, with Herold hitting .333 to lead all newcomers at the plate. Flattery paced all pitchers with five strikeouts over 2.2 innings of relief vs. Eastern Michigan.

Omaha Homaha
Fifteen of the 35 players on UNO's 2016 roster hail from the Omaha area. The local pipeline has brought three Mavericks apiece from Millard North and Millard West, two each from Burke, Papillion-LaVista and Papillion-LaVista South and one apiece from Bellevue West, Mount Michael and Gross Catholic.
    
Summit League Preseason Poll Released
Omaha was picked fourth in the 2016 Summit League Preseason Coaches Poll, the conference office announced Feb. 11. Defending league champion Oral Roberts was tabbed the league favorite and received all five of its possible first-place votes for 25 total points. Fort Wayne, last season's tournament runner-up, came in second with 19 points, and South Dakota State was third with one first-place vote and 17 points. With Omaha garnering 15 points for fourth, North Dakota State (eight) followed in fifth and Western Illinois (six) rounded it out in sixth.

2016 Slate Takes Mavericks Around the Nation
Omaha's 2016 schedule includes 56 games, and the team will play in 12 states against schools from 12 other Division I conferences. Three opponents – Iowa, Morehead State and defending Summit League champion Oral Roberts – played in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

Entering the season, the Mavericks have never faced five of their opponents: NJIT, Morehead State, Presbyterian, Bowling Green and Seton Hall. Omaha holds a combined all-time record of 214-240 over all teams on the regular-season slate.

Next Up
Omaha returns to action on Tuesday, March 1 for its first midweek game, visiting Wichita State. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. in Wichita, Kan., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN3. Links to live stats, audio and video will be available on OMavs.com.