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2012 NCAA D-II CHAMPIONSHIP, OPENING ROUND
11 Indianapolis (46-14) vs. 4 Catawba (43-15)
Sunday, May 27, 1 PM, Cary, N.C.
live stats  |  video  |  audio

ON TAP
After recently moving up to No. 11 in the Division II Poll, the UIndy baseball team makes its second-ever appearance at the NCAA D-II Championship in Cary, N.C., this weekend.  The Greyhounds open the double-elimimation tournament versus Southeast Region-champ and 4th-ranked Catawba Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.

MEDIA COVERAGE
In addition to the normal live stats link, live video webcasts will be provided for every game at this year's D-II Championship.  The free broadcasts will be available at ncaa.com and will feature play-by-play from UIndy-alum Greg Rakestraw.  Audio broadcasts of UIndy's games will also be available at 88.7 WICR FM and online on wicr.uindy.edu.

ABOUT CATAWBA
As the No. 5 seed at the Southeast Regional, Catawba was not favored to advance to Cary, but the Indians fought through one of Division II's toughest brackets.  Catawba bested with four of the nation's top-10 teams on the way to winning its first-ever regional title.

As a result, the Indians leapfrogged from 21st in last week's Collegiate Baseball News D-II Poll to No. 4 this week.  Click here to see the complete national poll.

HOUNDS AT THE NCAAs
This year marks UIndy's 13th NCAA D-II Tournament appearance, with eight coming under the guidance of Head Coach Gary Vaught.  

The team's deepest NCAA run came in 2000, when the Hounds swept through the regional and picked up two more wins at the D-II Championship to finish third in the nation.

UIndy's NCAA Appearances

YEAR	SEED	RECORD
2012*	1	4-0
2010	6	1-2
2009^	5	3-2
2003^	3	2-2
2001^	1	2-2
2000*	n/a	5-2
1999	n/a	0-2
1998	n/a	1-2
1984	n/a	0-2
1982	n/a	1-2
1981	n/a	0-2
1978	n/a	0-2
1973	n/a	2-2
TOTAL		21-24

_{* regional champ
^ regional finalist}

THE ROAD TO CARY
As one of only three championship-qualifying teams to sweep through its regional bracket, UIndy brings a nine-game winning streak into the finals.  The Greyounds won the Midwest Region in the minimum four games, notching wins varying from a 2-1 pitchers' duel to a 21-14 slugfest.

Staff ace Donovan Drake picked up two of the team's four Ws by allowing two earned runs in 12 innings pitched, while leftfielder Ryan Wides went 10-for-17 (.588) at the plate and was named the tournament MVP.

In addition to Drake and Wides, catcher Brandon Stevens, shortstop Mike Page, third baseman Tyler O'Daniel, DH Scott Mourey also made the all-tournament team.

GETTING OFFENSIVE
Since the start of NCAA postseason play, the Greyhounds rank No. 1 in Division II in a slew of offensive categories.  Of the 48 teams to play in last week's D-II regionals, UIndy tops them all in team batting average (.369), on-base percentage (.484), slugging (.475) and runs per game (10.0).

GRAND SEASON
Long-time UIndy head coach Gary Vaught hit a pair of milestones this season.  First, the 18-year skipper won his 600th game at UIndy with a 2-1 win versus Saint Joseph's Apr. 18.  Five days later, Vaught managed in game No. 1,000 in a Greyhound uniform -- a 5-4 win against Bellarmine Apr. 21.

THE BIG 4-0
UIndy recorded its fourth-ever 40-win season this year.  Its 46 victories heading to the championship marks the second-highest total in team history, with only the 2001 club's 51 wins besting it.

UIndy's 40-win seasons

YEAR	RECORD	PCT.	NCAA FINISH
2012	46-14	.767	?
2009	43-21	.672	Regional final
2001	51-15	.773	Regional final
2000	42-23	.646	3rd

"LOVE THE DRAKE"
Starting pitcher Donovan Drake is having a dominant senior season for UIndy.  The Whiteland, Ind., native is 9-2 on the year and ranks 12th in Division II in strikeouts (99) and 13th in ERA (1.58).  

Drake was named the Midwest Region Pitcher of the Year by three organizations, including the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and the National College Baseball Writers' Association (NCBWA).

HAVE A HART
First baseman Jake Hartley continued his patient ways at the plate at the regional.  After coming into NCAA play as the GLVC's leader in walks, Hartley coaxed eight free passes in Ypsilanti, two more than any player at any of the eight regionals.

Hartley's 52 walks on the season are good for fourth in Division II.  The Indianapolis native, who also leads the team in RBI (50), needs just four bases on balls to break the program's single-season record of 55, set by current Assistant Head Coach Al Ready in 2000.

RELIEF EFFORTS
UIndy received a pair of solid long-relief performances on the way to the Midwest title last weekend.

In Saturday's regional semifinal that featured a total of nine pitchers and 35 runs, senior Patrick Kraft took the mound in the fifth and got 15 big outs.  Though he allowed five runs in the five-inning appearance, Kraft kept Rockhurst off the board in three of the final four frames and was credited with the win.  He was the only pitcher to last more than 2 2/3 innings on the day.

A day later, UIndy needed relief even sooner, turning to junior Phil Wheeler in the second.  Wheeler came on to pitch a much-needed six innings of one-run ball and left with a two-run lead.  He struck out four batters and walked just one.

WHEELIN' & DEALIN'
A week earlier, Wheeler made history, as the Decatur, Ill., native tossed the first-ever recorded no-hitter at the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament in a 3-0 win versus Rockhurst in the tourney semifinals on May 12.

The historic performance marked the first UIndy no-hitter in 17 years, as the future major-leaguer Jim Crowell tossed a no-no for the Greyhounds in 1995.  Wheeler threw 136 pitches in the complete-game effort, striking out a career-high 11 and walking six.

No-No Notes
- First no-hitter in GLVC Tournament history
- First UIndy no-hitter since 1995 (Jim Crowell)
- With four first team all-conference players in the lineup, Rockhurst hitters were a combined 0-25 at the plate.
- Rockhurst was ranked third in the latest Midwest Region poll and came into the game with a .316 team batting average and a .390 on-base percentage.
- Wheeler struck out the side in the both the sixth and the eighth innings, while fanning five in a row at one point.
- His 11 Ks marked just the third double-digit strikeout game for a Greyhound this season.

SACRIFICIAL HOUNDS
UIndy's leads all Division II teams with 39 sacrifice flies on the year.  Of the teams still alive, only West Chester's 31 sac flies come close.  Senior Matt Maringer's six  -- which ranks 26th in D-II -- leads the team.

In addition, the Greyhounds rank fourth in D-II in sacrifice bunts with 69.  Individually, three Hounds rank in the nation's top 20, including Scott Lawley (16 sac bunts, 6th), Adam Rusche (14, 13th) and  Maringer (12, 19th).