Leading Off
The Omaha baseball team makes its home debut and opens Summit League play this weekend, hosting Fort Wayne for a three-game series, March 18-20. First pitch all three days is set for 1 p.m. at the Ballpark at Boys Town, and links to live stats and audio will be available on OMavs.com. Student broadcasters Noah Sullinger, Justin Idelman and Max Edmonds will have the call on the MavRadio.fm broadcasts, and fans may also access the audio on their smartphones by downloading the TuneIn Radio app.

Quick Hits
•Omaha started its season with an 18-game opening road stretch, its most away from home to start a season since 21 straight in 2009.
•Senior outfielder Cole Gruber became Omaha's all-time career stolen base leader on March 9 with his 72nd and 73rd swiped bags at Air Force.
•Gruber is sixth in school history for career hits (196), while Schultz is seventh (190) and Taylor is tied for eighth (189). Taylor is also tied for fourth for career RBI (135).
•On Feb. 20, head coach Bob Herold earned his 500th career victory in 17 seasons of directing the Omaha program.
•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.
•The Mavericks return 18 letterwinners, including five position starters: Gruber, senior infielder Clayton Taylor, senior outfielder 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 with Taylor, Gruber, Schultz and Fox.
•UNO was picked fourth in the Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll.
•Omaha is 221-247 against all opponents on the schedule this year and 126-109 all-time against the five other teams in the Summit League. The Mavericks have compiled a 46-31 record in Summit League play since 2012-13.

Scouting the Fort Wayne Mastodons
Fort Wayne enters the weekend with a record of 9-8 (0-0 Summit League) after falling 4-1 at Butler on Wednesday. Kendall Whitman leads the Mastodons with a .300 batting average, while Shane Trevino has team highs of 13 RBI and 13 runs scored.

Head coach Bobby Pierce (New Mexico State, 2001) is in his eighth season at IPFW with a record of 141-252 and a career mark of 196-306 over 10 years. Fort Wayne leads the all-time series against UNO, 12-9, and took the last matchup 7-1 on April 26, 2015 to conclude a three-game weekend sweep in Omaha. The Mavericks' last win over IPFW was April 11, 2015, with a 13-3 triumph in eight innings in Fort Wayne.

Last Time Out: Seton Hall Edges Mavericks in Walkoff, 2-1
A ninth-inning rally took down Omaha Sunday morning, as Seton Hall defeated the Mavericks 2-1 on a walkoff single at the Perfect Game Complex. The win went to Matt Leon (1-0), who threw the final inning for Seton Hall with no hits, no runs, one walk and a strikeout. Junior right-hander Brett Sasse (0-2) was tagged with the loss, surrendering two runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

It was a pitchers' duel to start, as junior left-hander Sam Murphy threw a career-long five shutout innings with two hits, no walks and four strikeouts in his first start of the season and the second of his career.

Senior Clayton Taylor went 1-for-4 with a run scored, and junior Sam Palensky was 1-for-4 with an RBI.

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. Gruber has steadily worked his way up Omaha's career stolen bases chart, and on March 9 at Air Force became the Mavericks' all-time career stolen base leader. He registered two in the game, passing previous record holder Bryan Frew, who had 72 from 2005-08.

Gruber's career mark is now up to 74, and he ranks seventh in Summit League history.

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 23-8 with a 2.88 ERA, and he ranks second in school history for career games started (43) and innings pitched (253.1), fourth for wins (23) and batters faced (1,057) and sixth for strikeouts (189). Entering the weekend, he needs to throw 2.1 innings in his Friday start to tie Mike Metz (1975-78) for the most innings pitched in program history.

League Leaders
Entering the first week of conference play, senior infielder Clayton Taylor leads the Summit League in home runs (five), RBI (27), total bases (41), on-base percentage (.494) and slugging percentage (.651). Senior outfielder Cole Gruber also paces the league for batting average (.365), hits (27), stolen bases (12) and fielding percentage (1.000). Senior Collin Leif is first for hit-by-pitches (four) and sacrifice hits (four), as is senior Alex Schultz for at-bats (78) and doubles (seven). Sophomore Adam Caniglia tops the conference in triples (two), and junior infielder Sam Palensky is first in assists (64).

On the mound, senior Tyler Fox and sophomore Corey Binger have a league-high three wins, while Fox's ERA of 2.19 is also first among conference hurlers.

As a team, Omaha leads the league in batting average (.289), runs (97), hits (184), RBI (83), total bases (242), sacrifice hits (11) and stolen bases (24).

Stacking Up Nationally
In the latest NCAA statistical release, senior Clayton Taylor ranks fourth nationally for RBI (27) and ninth for RBI per game (1.50), and senior Cole Gruber is ninth for stolen bases (12) and 17th for stolen bases per game (0.67).

Taylor, Binger Garner Weekly Summit League Honors
Senior infielder Clayton Taylor was named Summit League Baseball Co-Player of the Week and sophomore right-hander Corey Binger was selected Summit League Pitcher of the Week for their performances the week of March 7-13, the conference office announced Monday.

Taylor collected his second player of the week honor this season and the third award of his career. He batted .381 over six games last week, registering at least one hit in each contest. The Mount Michael product went 2-for-4 in Tuesday's win at Air Force and added a pair of hits with four RBI and his league-leading fifth homer of the season in Saturday's victory over Bowling Green. Taylor tallied a .647 slugging percentage and a .565 on-base percentage with seven RBI, four runs scored and four walks along with a double, home run and a stolen base for the week.

Binger notched his first career pitcher of the week award after tossing a complete-game three-hitter in Omaha's 10-1 win over Bowling Green on Saturday. The Victoria, Minn., native recorded a career-high six strikeouts, no walks and just one earned run over nine innings to pick up the win and improve to 3-0 on the year.

Taylor was previously honored as Summit League Player of the Week on Feb. 22, while senior Tyler Fox was named Summit League Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 29.

Mission: Complete
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Corey Binger had a standout mound effort last Saturday, tossing a complete game three-hitter in Omaha's 10-1 victory over Bowling Green. Binger gave up one run and struck out six to improve to 3-0 on the season.

The last Maverick to throw a complete game was Tyler Fox in his final appearance last season, May 22, 2015 against Incarnate Word.

Murph on the Mound
Junior left-handed pitcher Sam Murphy (1-0) returned to the mound for the first time in nearly a year on Feb. 20, 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.

On March 4 at Grand Canyon, Murphy earned his first save of the season, throwing 2.0 innings and holding the Lopes to one run on three hits with three strikeouts.

Last Sunday vs. Seton Hall, Murphy threw a career-long five shutout innings with two hits, no walks and four strikeouts in his first start of the season and the second of his career.

Home Sweet Home Advantage
The 2016 season will see Omaha play 18 home contests, including 15 conference tilts. UNO will play at two venues, with 12 games at the Ballpark at Boys Town and a trio of premier games at Werner Park with Nebraska (April 6), Kansas State (April 20) and Air Force (April 26).

Since moving to Division I in 2011-12, UNO has enjoyed a combined record of 37-30 at home.

Herold Gets the Start
Freshman infielder Riley Herold made his collegiate debut during Omaha's opening weekend, Feb. 19-21, 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.

On Feb. 26, Herold hit the first home run of his career with a three-run shot vs. Saint Louis. He is one of five Mavericks batting over .300 this season, holding a .313 average through 18 games.

Georgia On My Mind
Omaha played 12 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., going 7-5. The complex was a familiar place for the Mavericks, who previously played a three-game series against Chicago State there early in 2015 with a 2-1 showing.

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).

Production Up Top
Omaha's 1-3 batters in the lineup this year have produced a significant portion of the Mavericks' offense so far, combining to hit .330. The 1-3 hitters have accounted for 39 percent of UNO's hits, including 48 percent of its extra-base hits, as well as 46 percent of all runs scored, 51 percent of all RBI, 57 percent of all walks drawn and 75 percent of all stolen bases.

Turning to the Bullpen
Omaha's bullpen has traditionally held its own late in the game, as the Mavericks are 434-39-1 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 8-1.

Offense Keying Wins
In the last four seasons (2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016), Omaha has gone a combined 62-11 when outhitting its opponent. Last year alone, UNO was 15-4 in such games, and this season the Mavericks are off to a 6-0 showing.

Over 16 seasons in the Bob Herold era, UNO is 413-72-1 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 7-2 with double-digit hits, and the Mavericks posted a season-high 21 hits vs. Saint Louis on Feb. 26.

Over the last five years of Division I play, UNO is a combined 75-31 when keying at least 10 hits.

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 508-362-2. 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.

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 221-247 over all teams on the regular-season slate.

Next Up
Omaha returns to action on Friday, March 25, opening a three-game Summit League series against North Dakota State. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at the Ballpark at Boys Town, and links to live stats and audio will be available on OMavs.com.