Gene's Blog: Numbers tell story of UST success

April 26, 2012

St. Thomas spring teams are looking to close out another strong year for Tommie athletics.

The Tommies are making a run at a top-10 Division III finish in the NACDA Director’s Cup all-sport race and have a chance to tie the record number of MIAC team championships for one school year.

UST is nationally ranked in baseball (second) and softball (16th) and is looking to repeat as MIAC champions is each sport. Track and field teams will have some top athletes in this weekend’s Drake Relays and will contend for conference crowns in early May.

Here’s a quick look at some numbers that help explain the Tommies’ spring success:

7/5

Hits/RBI by St. Thomas’ Kimmy Hassel in 28 games as a sophomore in 2011

64/36

Hits/RBI by Hassel in 38 games as a junior thus far in 2012

1

Errors this season by Hassel at second base in 38 games and 157 defensive chances

22

Career home runs by UST sophomore catchers Emily Gregory of softball (16) and J.D. Dorgan of baseball (six)

77-2

Tommie softball record against conference foes since April 2009

85-0

Tommie softball record against conference foes since April 2009 when it scores at least two runs in a game

3

Runs allowed by Tommie softball pitchers over last seven games

0

Number of senior starters for 2012 Tommie softball

13

Consecutive 30-plus win seasons for UST softball

32-2

UST softball record when it scores three or more runs

22-1

UST softball record when it holds opponents to three or less runs

.697

Career slugging percentage for UST softball sophomore Tisa Phinney in 38 games (21 singles, nine doubles, one triple, five HRs)

13

Current game hitting streak for Phinney

46

Number of successful pinch-hits by Tommie softball players in last two seasons (86 games)

276-11

Tommie softball record against conference opponents in 12 seasons under Coach John Tschida

PHOTO: Tisa Phinney (Thomas Whisenand photo)

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25-23-19-13-7-5-3-2

Last eight national rankings for UST in D3baseball.com weekly national poll after Toms were unranked in first poll of 2012

7-12

Tommie baseball 2011 record in games decided by one or two runs

12-0

Tommie baseball 2012 record in games decided by one or two runs

38-1

Combined Tommie baseball/softball record since March 23

23-1

UST baseball record when it holds opponents to five or less runs

PHOTO: Jon Kinsel (Greg Smith photo)

26-2

UST baseball record when it scores three or more runs

5-1-2010

Last time UST baseball lost an on-campus game

5-2-2010

UST baseball started current 24-game home-field win streak with victory over St. Scholastica

14

Number of multi-hit games, out of 30 played, for Tommie freshman Ben Podobinski

24-5

Career pitching record for senior Bryce Gapinski

8

Number of 2012 comeback wins thus far for UST baseball

177

Consecutive defensive plays without an error by UST infielders, covering last 10 games

206

Strikeouts by UST pitchers this season, in 220 innings

1

Number of home runs allowed by UST pitchers in current 17-game win streak

.467

Batting average for Dylan Thomas (14 hits, 13 RBI) in 10 conference games as DH

3-0

W-L mark for Dylan Thomas in MIAC play, with a save, 1.29 ERA, and 26 strikeouts to two walks in 21 innings

PHOTO: Dylan Thomas (Greg Smith photo)

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12

Number of track and field events, out of 22, where Tommie men athletes are seeded first or second in MIAC

8

Number of track and field events, out of 22, where Tommie women athletes are seeded first or second in MIAC

75.0

Stroke average in 2011-12 in 16 rounds for Tommie freshman men’s golfer Alex Kapraun

7

Number of different UST men’s golfers to shoot a round of 71 or lower in competitions this school year

1

Place out of 37 players from UST freshman women’s golfer Katie Kruchten (86-80/166) in last week’s six-team Bethel tournament

12-for-12

MIAC playoff trips for Tommie men’s and women’s tennis since format change to six qualifying teams in 2007

43

Career singles wins in 62 tennis matches for UST senior Dan Cooper

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92-6

UST combined record thus far in 2011-12 in games/matches played in the Twin Cities and suburbs in Tommie football (10-0), baseball (18-2), softball (18-2); women’s basketball (20-0); volleyball (12-0); and men’s basketball (14-2)

PHOTO: Dan Cooper (Greg Smith photo)

6

Number of St. Thomas teams ranked in top 10 nationally so far this school year : Baseball, second; football, third; women’s basketball, third; men’s hockey, fifth; volleyball, seventh; men’s basketball, eighth

2

Longest losing streak by any Tommie men’s sports team thus far in 2011-12

13-for-13

Streak of MIAC playoff berths for UST baseball since format began in 2000

9-for-9

Streak of MIAC playoff berths for UST softball since format began in 2004

8-for-8

Tommies' MIAC playoff qualifying rate this school year in winter and spring sports (basketball, hockey, tennis, baseball, softball) 

18

Number of weeks until Tommie football, soccer and volleyball open 2012 fall seasons

730,292,345

YouTube views of Justin Bieber video "Baby" (seriously)

730,292,346

Cliches uttered this week by talking heads on ESPN and NFL network draft coverage (exaggeration)