UB's baseball team looks to turn the tide on their season when they face Akron this weekend at Amherst Audubon Field.
The four-game series begins Buffalo's Mid-American Conference schedule, which gives the struggling Bulls a chance to start a new season. All non-conference games scheduled up to this point serve the sole purpose of preparing the team for their match-ups against conference rivals.
Buffalo stumbled out of the blocks and started their season a disappointing 5-15 after dropping two games Tuesday to Le Moyne.
UB's offense hopes to rally behind red-hot leadoff-man Joe Mihalics, who continues to pound the ball. Mihalics leads the Bulls in most offensive categories, batting .410, with two homeruns and 17 runs batted in.
In order to move up in the MAC standings, the Bulls will need to improve on their 8.21 team ERA, the worst in the MAC. Akron seems to be just the team to do this against as they are batting a conference low .249 so far this season.
Akron comes into the contest singing a different tune than Buffalo. The Zips (9-8, 0-0 MAC) have won four out of their last five games with wins over West Virginia, Xavier, and two games against George Mason.
While the Zips do not pose much of an offensive threat, they know how to win. They stick to the fundamentals, like hitting singles and moving the runners over. The Zips rely on the offensive trio of Doug Kruthaupt, Craig Welch, and Andy Capraruolo to play small-ball.
Kruthaupt has a knack for making contact and finding the gaps in the defense. The junior shortstop returned this season as the Zips' leading hitter and currently is tops on the team with 17 hits.
Following Kruthaupt in the lineup, the Zips' pencil in free swinger Andy Capraruolo.
Despite his team-leading 18 strikeouts, Capraruolo finds a way to get on base. He has a .438 on base percentage and has drawn 16 walks; both are tops on the Akron ball club. Capraruolo packs power in his bat, leading the team with seven doubles.
Craig Welch provides Akron with an intimidating force in the middle of the lineup. His average has dropped from last year, but his power numbers are something any opposing team cannot ignore. Welch comes into the weekend after belting two homers and driving in 17 runs so far this season.
Akron's pitching staff deserves much of the credit for the team's solid start to the season, with a total ERA of 5.37, collectively.
The Zips are lead by right-handed pitcher Billy McKinney. McKinney has been designated the ace of the staff, throwing 31.1 innings for Akron so far this season.
Buffalo has to take advantage of the Zips' lack of power if they want to come out of this game with a conference victory. The first game of the series starts at 3 p.m. on Friday, with Saturday's and Sunday's contests beginning at 1 p.m.
