Series Recap: Northwestern Baseball Swept by UAB in Season Opener
The excitement and optimism that comes with a new season was on full display during Northwestern’s first game of the 2022 campaign against UAB on Friday. After surrendering three runs in the bottom of the first, the ‘Cats offense came to life in the second inning, scoring six runs capped by an Anthony Calarco three-run homer that sent the dugout into a frenzy.
From that point on, the Blazers outscored Northwestern 30-11 this weekend, taking all four games in the first series of the season for both teams. The ‘Cats return to Evanston still searching the team’s first win after a disappointing start to the year.
UAB plated two runs in the bottom of the ninth in Game 1, overcoming a one-run Northwestern lead to walk it off 8-7 on Opening Day. Northwestern’s offense never woke up during Saturday’s seven-inning affair, totaling only four hits in a 4-1 defeat. In the second game on Saturday, the Wildcats took an early 3-0 lead, only to see it evaporate during a back-breaking seven-run sixth inning for the Blazers, eventually falling 10-4. Sunday’s series finale was more of the same for the visitors, dropping Game 4 11-5.
With only four games in the books, it’s too early to jump to conclusions about Northwestern’s 2022 season. But before the team hits the road again this coming weekend to take on Santa Clara, here are five takeaways from the UAB series:
Calarco off to a fast start
Senior infielder Anthony Calarco picked up right where he left off from his All-Big Ten First Team season in 2021. Calarco hit .400 in the series, crushing Northwestern’s only two homeruns of the weekend and starting the new season on a four-game hit streak. Calarco hit in seven runs and scored three more, accounting for 59% of the ‘Cats runs in the series. Reynolds placed Calarco in the two-hole in the lineup every game, forcing UAB pitchers to pitch to him with the middle-of-the-order power bats following behind. Expect Calarco to be the centerpiece of Northwestern’s lineup for the entire season.
Free passes kill pitching staff
Northwestern’s pitching was its Achilles heel a season ago, with the second-worst batting average against and the third-highest ERA in the Big Ten Conference in 2021. Northwestern pitchers were their own worst enemies this weekend, issuing 21 walks and beaning seven Blazer batters in the series. For Josh Reynolds’ team to have any success in 2022, the pitching staff will have to limit free baserunners to give the offense a chance.
Newcomers show potential
Reynolds added three graduate transfers and nine first-year players to the roster this year, and eleven of the twelve newcomers saw the field in the first series. Davidson transfer Ruben Fontes reached base in all four games, manning the right field position for the entirety of the series. While Saint Mary’s transfer JC Santini has a quiet series in the batter’s box (1-9, 3 SO), he did record two assists from behind the plate, including throwing out a would-be base stealer in Game 1. Santini will be competing for the lead catching role with first-year Bennett Markinson, who drew three starts on the weekend and collected his first two collegiate hits. On the mound, first-year Sean Sullivan started Game 3, striking out six Blazers over three innings in a no decision. Jacob Scharm made his collegiate debut in relief of Sullivan, scattering five baserunners over two innings and only allowing one run.
Offense sputters against UAB’s bullpen
Usually, offenses rejoice when they knock out an opponent’s starting pitcher, ready to pounce on a team’s secondary pitchers. Northwestern’s offense failed to capitalize against a UAB pitching staff that had a lowly 5.95 ERA and 1.61 WHIP last season. UAB’s bullpen held Northwestern hitters to six runs in 16.2 innings this weekend. Credit the UAB bullpen for stifling the ‘Cats offense, but 10 hits in 16.2 innings against a below-average bullpen is not a good sign for Northwestern early in 2022.
Roles in the rotation up for grabs
If he’s healthy, Mike Doherty will be Northwestern’s Friday night starter throughout the season. As for the rest of the weekend rotation and the key bullpen roles, it remains to be seen. Doherty was the only starting pitcher to pitch into the 5th inning, with the other three starters combining for only nine innings pitched this weekend. Some pitchers on Northwestern’s staff may be limited by a pitch count in the early stages of the season, so next weekend’s series against Santa Clara could paint a clearer picture of what the starting rotation might look like in Big Ten play. Michael Farinelli, who transferred from Division-III Middlebury College, logged four innings in a relief outing during Saturday’s first game, showing signs that he could be a member of the starting rotation.
As for the bullpen, Northwestern only held a late lead in Game 1, with Coby Moe and David Utagawa unable to slam the door in the ninth inning. Reynolds trusted Moe as the first man out of the bullpen this season and let him start the ninth inning in Game 1, so look for Moe to play an important part of the ‘Cats bullpen in 2022.
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