Senior standout on fire

Casual UNO baseball fans, meet your star centerfielder. Through the first 29 games of his senior season, Chris Weimer has a sparkling .414 batting average. His 11 home runs and 36 RBIs are towering numbers that no other player in the North Central Conference is threatening to touch.

Weimer's .901 slugging percentage is second in the nation, and his 1.41 runs per game and .38 home runs per game averages are also top five national numbers.

As if his offensive prowess isn't striking enough, Weimer has 51 putouts with just two errors this season as the leader of the UNO outfield.

"He can run, hit and field," said UNO Head Coach Bob Herold. "There's no if's, and's or but's - he's a draftable player."

Herold likened the senior season Weimer is having to that of former UNO great, Chad Leon, whose .374 average, 13 home runs and 44 RBIs in 2006 led the Mavs to a 45-14 record.

Leon's senior year was memorable, but Weimer is on a pace this season that the UNO baseball program has yet to witness.

"He's having a monster, monster year," Herold said.

Although this may be the season that propels him into definite draft status, Weimer is no spring chicken.

His 18 home runs from the clean-up spot a year ago set a single-season school record.

But make no mistake; Weimer has taken his game to a whole new level in 2008.

"He's a lot better hitter this year," Herold said. "He's a lot tougher out with two strikes, he stays inside himself, he hits the ball the other way, he's learned his strike zone a little bit better and he's more disciplined."

It's an overall improvement that Herold said comes from hard work and determination.

"He wasn't satisfied with having a great year last year. He wanted to have an even better one," Herold said. "He's that kind of individual."

Weimer is batting second in the order this season and is sandwiched between a gang of all-conference talent. UNO upper-classmen Bryan Frew, Mat Eikmeier, Josh Shirk, Evan Porter and Dustin Koca are all batting well over .300 as mainstays in the heart of, arguably, the North Central Region's most powerful lineup.

The success of those around him has ensured Weimer that he is going to get pitched to, whether opponents like it or not.

"You got Frew batting in front of him, and he's a real hard out and a real good hitter," Herold said. "Then you got Porter, and we got Josh Shirk back, and those guys can knock you in, so if you just pitch around [Weimer], those guys can hit."

After a road-sweep of Drury Wednesday afternoon, UNO's intimidating lineup and upstart pitching staff are now riding an eight-game winning streak.

During the run, the Mavs have outscored their opponents 75-32. Fifteen of those runs can be directly attributed to Weimer.

UNO will carry its momentum and its gaudy offensive numbers into an eight-game home stand that begins this Saturday. UNO (20-9, 4-0) will play a two-day, four-game set with conference rival Minnesota Duluth in what should be a chilly weekend series.

The temperature in Omaha may be expected to drop this weekend, but don't expect Weimer's numbers to follow suit.