April 27, 2006

Chicago, Ill.- UIC sophomore second baseman Mark Hallberg (Barron, Wis./Barron) headlines a list of Flames in this week's NCAA baseball statistical rankings as the toughest hitter to strike out in the nation.

Hallberg has struck out only four times in 144 at-bats this season, a rate of one per 36 trips to the plate. The second-year infielder has gone 105 at-bats through 24 games since his last strikeout, which came on March 18th against Indiana.

During his two seasons at UIC, Hallberg has fanned just 15 times in 440 plate appearances. Last season Hallberg fanned once every 21.5 at-bats to rate as the fourth-toughest hitter in the nation to strike out.

Hallberg came to UIC with a reputation as a patient hitter who gets contact on the ball. During his junior and senior seasons at Barron High School, Hallberg did not strike out once during his junior and senior seasons.

Currently Hallberg is hitting 345 with three home runs, 28 RBI and 13 doubles.

Along with Hallberg's ranking as the nation's toughest batter to strike out, senior right fielder Bart Babineaux (New Iberia, La./Catholic H.S./El Camino College) has his name among the nation's elite hitters.

The UIC outfielder ranks 14th in the country with a Horizon League-leading .758 slugging percentage. Babineaux is also ninth in the nation with a rate of 0.39 home runs per contest, thanks to his 14 round-trippers in 36 games.

Babineaux also ranks 32nd in RBI per game with an average of 1.22 runs driven in per contests. He leads the Horizon League with 45 RBI.

On the mound, junior right-hander Zach Peterson (Minnetonka, Minn./Minnetonka) ranks 48th in the nation in earned run average, owning a 2.15 ERA in a conference-high 71.2 innings pitched.

UIC is 45th in the country with a team ERA of 3.73, which leads the Horizon League, while holding a team fielding percentage of .968, good for 40th overall.

The Flames host Cleveland State in a three-game series at Les Miller Field beginning this Saturday with a doubleheader starting at noon.