Leading Off
The Omaha baseball team plays its first game at Werner Park this Wednesday, April 6, hosting in-state foe Nebraska. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m., and links to live stats and audio will be available on OMavs.com. Student broadcasters Noah Sullinger, Max Edmonds and Alex Abler 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 has won its last five games when scoring the first run.
•Senior infielder Clayton Taylor is second in the nation with 44 RBI. He drove in a season-high five runs vs. North Dakota State on March 27, the most of any Maverick in a single game this year.
•Taylor's team-leading and career-long 15-game hitting streak came to an end March 19 at K-State, but he remains on a 19-game reaching base streak.
•Senior outfielder Cole Gruber (.404) and Taylor (.359) own the two highest batting averages in the Summit League. Gruber also led the league for average in 2015.
•Gruber became Omaha's all-time career stolen base leader on March 9 at Air Force, while senior right-hander Tyler Fox became UNO's all-time leader for innings pitched on March 18 vs. Fort Wayne and batters faced on March 25 vs. North Dakota State.
•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, Taylor, senior outfielder Alex Schultz, senior catcher Collin Leif and sophomore infielder Ryan Cate. Two starting pitchers have also returned with 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 227-251 against all opponents on the schedule this year and 132-112 all-time against the five other teams in the Summit League. The Mavericks have compiled a 52-34 record in Summit League play since 2012-13.

Scouting the Nebraska Huskers
Nebraska, which plays Kansas State Tuesday night, enters the week with a record of 19-8 (5-1 Big Ten) after taking two of three from Illinois at home last weekend. The Huskers fell 6-4 on Friday before completing two come-from-behind victories on Saturday and Sunday to win the series. Ben Miller leads NU with a .377 batting average, while Scott Schreiber has a team-high seven home runs and 31 RBI.

Head coach Darin Erstad (Nebraska, 1995) is in his fifth season at his alma mater with a record of 158-105.

Nebraska leads the all-time series against Omaha, 53-10, after Nebraska won both matchups last season. The Huskers won 8-6 on April 15, 2015 at Haymarket Park and 3-2 in 10 innings on April 1, 2015 at Werner Park.

Last Time Out: Western Illinois Downs Mavericks, 10-2
Omaha capped its weekend series with Western Illinois Sunday afternoon, falling 10-2 at the Ballpark at Boys Town.

Ian Koch (1-3) earned the win, allowing two runs -- one earned -- on three hits and three walks with two strikeouts over 6.0 innings of work. The loss went to sophomore right-hander Corey Binger (4-1), who allowed four runs on four hits and four walks over 2.0 innings with two strikeouts.

Freshman Grant Suponchick (2-for-4) and sophomore Adam Caniglia (2-for-5) each had multi-hit efforts for the day for Omaha.

Mavericks Look to Meltz
Junior right-hander Shane Meltz is slated to take the mound against Nebraska Wednesday night, his first start since Feb. 21 vs. Eastern Michigan. The Thornton, Colo., native has not allowed a run since that game, totaling 8.0 innings pitched over five relief appearances.

Meltz has made two previous starts at Werner Park in his Maverick career, throwing against Nebraska on April 1, 2015 and K-State on April 8, 2015. Over those appearances, he has tossed a combined 10.0 innings with a 1.80 ERA, allowing three runs -- two earned -- on 10 hits with three walks and six strikeouts for two no-decisions.

Schultz's Success at Werner Park
Over his six career games at Werner Park, senior Alex Schultz has batted a team-best .375 with five runs scored, two RBI, four doubles and a home run. He propelled Omaha to its first win at the facility on April 1, 2014, coming through with the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the 10th for a 6-5 win over Kansas State.

Murphy Earns Summit League Pitcher of the Week Nod
Junior left-hander Sam Murphy was named Summit League Co-Pitcher of the Week for his performances the week of March 28 to April 3, the conference office announced Monday.

Murphy collected the first pitcher of the week honor of his career after a standout effort on the mound against Western Illinois on Saturday. The Lake Worth, Fla., native threw a career-long 7.0 shutout innings in the no-decision with two hits, two walks and a career-high 11 strikeouts. It was the most strikeouts in a game for any Omaha pitcher since Tyler Fox had 13 against Fort Wayne on April 24, 2015.

Senior infielder Clayton Taylor was previously honored as Summit League Player of the Week on Feb. 22 and March 14, as was senior outfielder Cole Gruber on March 28. Senior Tyler Fox was named Summit League Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 29, and sophomore Corey Binger earned the same award March 14.

Maverick Mound Notes
•All three pitchers in Omaha's weekend rotation have earned Summit League Pitcher of the Week awards, with senior righty Tyler Fox on Feb. 29, sophomore righty Corey Binger on March 14 and junior southpaw Sam Murphy on April 4.
•Fox (32), Murphy (28) and Binger (27) all rank in the top 10 in the Summit League for strikeouts, coming in at sixth, eighth and ninth, respectively. The trio is also in the top 10 for ERA, with Murphy first (0.87), Fox second (3.22) and Binger seventh (4.54).
•Sophomore right-hander Ryan Cate has not allowed a run since March 6 at Grand Canyon, earning a pair of saves while totaling 2.1 innings in three relief appearances since then.
•Junior right-hander Eric Moreno has not issued a walk since March 5 at Grand Canyon. He has made four relief appearances since then, totaling 4.0 innings of work.
•Sophomore left-hander Brad Olsen's three relief appearances have totaled 3.0 innings, and he has yet to allow a hit or a run this season.
•Sophomore right-hander Riley Sweeney has no walks in any of his three relief appearances this year, and he has not allowed a hit since Feb. 26 vs. Saint Louis.

Clayton's the Catalyst
Omaha is a perfect 11-0 this season when senior Clayton Taylor registers a multi-hit game. The Mount Michael product is a catalyst for the Mavericks' offensive production, hitting a team-high .476 with runners on base, and he has success advancing runners 61 percent of the time. In games when Taylor has at least two hits, UNO as a team averages 9.6 runs scored per game.

Climbing the Career Charts
Seniors Cole Gruber, Clayton Taylor and Alex Schultz have been four-year starters at Omaha and have steadily climbed their way up the UNO career charts. Gruber is first in school history for stolen bases (86), second for sacrifice hits (28), third for walks (90), fourth for runs scored (142), fifth for career hits (213), eighth for games started (164) and ninth for at-bats (602).

Taylor is third for RBI (152), fifth for home runs (25) and total bases (330), sixth for hits (204) and walks (85), seventh for doubles (40) and games started (166), eighth for at-bats (607) and ninth for sacrifice flies (nine).

Schultz is fifth for games started (172) and at-bats (659), seventh for hits (198), doubles (38) and walks (84) and ninth for runs scored (136) and games played (173).

Breaking Out the Bats
UNO put together a big offensive push in its first two Summit League series vs. Fort Wayne and North Dakota State, as the Mavericks hit .360 as a team with 52 runs, 49 RBI and 33 walks during that span.

The Mavericks have hit .284 in non-conference games and .306 in their first nine league contests. They have also increased their team slugging percentage from .375 to .426 and their on-base percentage from .349 to .417 in conference play. Omaha's league batting burst has been led by senior Cole Gruber's .516 average in those games.

Better on the Bump
While Omaha's offense has come alive in Summit League play, so has its pitching staff. In non-conference games, UNO's staff has a 6.03 ERA but has lowered that to 3.83 in league contests. Omaha hurlers have also gone from a 1.84:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio to 2.18:1 in Summit League games.

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 86, which ranks fifth in Summit League history.

Stacking Up Nationally
In the latest NCAA statistical release, senior infielder Clayton Taylor is second in the nation in for RBI (44) and third for RBI per game (1.57). Senior outfielder Cole Gruber is fourth for stolen bases (24) and stolen bases per game (0.86), 11th for runs (34) and 19th for runs per game (1.21). Senior right-hander Tyler Fox is also second for wins (six), and junior left-hander Sam Murphy is 10th for ERA (0.87) and 21st for WHIP (0.84).

League Leaders
Senior infielder Clayton Taylor leads the Summit League in RBI (44), total bases (67) and slugging percentage (.650), while senior outfielder Cole Gruber paces the league for batting average (.404), hits (44), runs scored (34), stolen bases (24) and on-base percentage (.496). Senior Collin Leif is also first for hit-by-pitches (seven), and junior infielder Sam Palensky is first in assists (93). On the mound, senior Tyler Fox has the league lead for wins (six), games started (seven) and innings pitched (44.2), and junior Sam Murphy owns a league-low 0.87 ERA.

As a team, Omaha leads the league in at-bats (960) and stolen bases (41).

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 15 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 43-33 at home.

Scoring Summary
Omaha has been the most productive this year in the sixth inning, posting 27 total runs in that frame. The Mavericks have plated 60 runs between the first and third innings, 69 between the fourth and sixth innings and 32 between the seventh and ninth innings.

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 -- seniors Alex Schultz, Cole Gruber and Clayton Taylor -- have produced a significant portion of the Mavericks' offense this year, combining to hit .339. The 1-3 hitters have accounted for 40 percent of UNO's hits, including 48 percent of its extra-base hits, as well as 49 percent of its runs scored, 48 percent of its RBI, 52 percent of its walks and 80 percent of its stolen bases.

Turning to the Bullpen
Omaha's bullpen has traditionally held its own late in the game, as the Mavericks are 440-40-1 in the Bob Herold era when leading after the sixth. Last season, UNO was 17-5 when leading after the sixth, and this year it is 14-2.

Offense Keying Wins
In the last four seasons (2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016), Omaha has gone a combined 65-11 when outhitting its opponent. Last year alone, UNO was 15-4 in such games, and this season the Mavericks are off to a 9-0 showing.

Over 16 seasons in the Bob Herold era, UNO is 416-72-1 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 12-2 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 80-31 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 514-366-2. 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 had never faced five of their opponents: NJIT, Morehead State, Presbyterian, Bowling Green and Seton Hall. Omaha holds a combined all-time record of 227-251 over all teams on the regular-season slate.

Next Up
Omaha returns to action on Friday, April 8, opening a three-game road series at South Dakota State. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. in Brookings, S.D., and links to live stats and audio will be available on OMavs.com.