Who Are Those Guys?

If you saw the "OPS Animals" entry last week you saw a name that is at once uncommon and possibly out of place. Brett Nommensen led the nation last week with a 1.536 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage), and he was ahead of such names as Alabama's Kent Matthes (national home run leader) and Rich Poythress of then #1 Georgia.

So what did Nommensen do for an encore last week? The Eastern Illinois centerfielder reached base safely in his first 13 trips to the plate, and ended-up batting 10-for-13 (.769) with 3 home runs, two doubles, 9 RBIs, and 7 runs to help his Panthers go 5-0 against St. Louis, Chicago State and Murray State.

Entering this week the 5'10, 190 pound senior leads the nation with a 1.022 slugging percentage and .642 on-base percentage to swell his OPS to 1.664. Nommensen is 17th nationally with his 11 home runs, his .516 batting average is second in the country, and he has 20 walks, 12 times hit by pitch, with just seven strikeouts this season.

Nommensen has scored a team-high 36 runs, and he's also tied for third on his team with 26 RBIs...and he's doing it from the lead-off spot.

While his numbers are eye-popping, it's not like Nommensen is a one-man wrecking crew. Eastern Illinois has tough outs throughout its line-up that include: Richie Derbak (.455-24 RBIs), Jordan Kreke (.408-6 HR-29 RBIs*), Curt Restko (.383), Zach Skidmore (.330-4 HR-23 RBIs), and Jordan Tokarz (.324-6HR-27 RBIs).

Eastern Illinois (21-5) has wins this season over then #15 Oklahoma, South Florida and Indiana. The Panthers have also won 11 straight games coming into this week, and Nommensen has excelled during the current stretch of success as well batting .606 (20-33) with 10 extra-base hits, 13 RBIs and 17 runs.

The Panthers are the defending Ohio Vally Conference Tournament champs, but they didn't win the crown as the front-runner in 2008. They had to win their last regular season game just to get into the OVC Tournament, and then beat four teams in four days to gain the conference's automatic NCAA bid. (Sound anything like the Fresno State team that had to win the WAC Tourney to make an NCAA regional and then won the national title after starting as a #4 regional seed?)

While Eastern Illinois' season didn't end with the same fairytale ending as FSU, the Panthers did put up a fight before bowing out at the Lincoln, NE regional. EIU scored 17 runs in their two losses (Nebraska 13-10 and Oral Roberts 8-7 in 10 inn.) to end their own storybook season.

Coming into the eighth week of the season EIU sports a .370 team batting average with 110 walks and just 127 strikeouts. They also have a respectable 4.34 team ERA with two pitchers who are 5-0 (Mike Recchia-0.92 ERA in 6 starts and Josh Mueller) as well as two-way standout Richie Derbak who has 5 saves and a 2.00 ERA to go along with his aforementioned .455 batting average.

They'll be the team to beat entering the OVC Tournament this year, but they'll be a major headache if they go to Ohio State or any other regional in the midwest. So don't wait until May or June to ask what Butch asked Sundance: "Who are those guys?"