March 4, 2009

DAYTON - The University of Dayton Flyers open their season at home this afternoon when they play the Butler Bulldogs at Time Warner Cable Stadium at 3:00 p.m.

The Flyers are coming off a 1-2 showing at the Phoenix Classic in which they beat the Creighton Bluejays on Friday before dropping their next two to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Gonzaga Bulldogs to close out the weekend.

Despite having a rough go at it in the final two contests, the Flyers showed a lot of promise with Burny Mitchem pitching 8.0 scoreless innings. Mitchem has not allowed a single run in any of his appearances this season.

Cameron Hobson will start on the mound today for Dayton. Hobson, a left-handed pitcher from Crawfordsville, Ind. enters the game with a 2.45 ERA after walking two and striking out two in 3.2 innings pitched this season. Hobson picked up his first collegiate save against the Bluejays last Friday.

Junior Zach Jacob, a junior college transfer from San Joaquin Delta Community College has been swatting the ball with fury for UD. Jacob leads the team with 10 hits, in that same time he has hit one double and one homer as well as driven in four runs for the Flyers.

Ryan Salvino is expected to start for the Bulldogs this afternoon. He enters the day with only one inning under his belt this season, which was enough to earn Butler's lone win against Marian College. Salvino had one strikeout during his time on the mound in BU's season opener.

Butler's first baseman Kyle Schultz is hitting .313 this season, pounding out five RBI and two doubles while starting all four games thus far for the Bulldogs. Schultz is also one of Butler's most walked players earning five bases on balls this season.