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Promoted After Five Years As Assistant…

Muncie, IN – Alex Marconi, who has spent the last five years as an assistant baseball coach at Ball State University, has been named the school’s head baseball coach, according to Ball State athletics director Tom Collins.

Alex Marconi (courtesy Ball State)

“We had an outstanding pool of candidates for a very attractive head baseball coaching position at Ball State,” Collins say. “Coach Marconi’s knowledge of the program, Ball State University and the Muncie community played a key role in his being named our head coach. He is an outstanding person with great integrity and character who has a tremendous work ethic and desire to be the head baseball coach at Ball State. We welcome Coach Marconi and his family to this new position and look forward to his future with the Cardinals.”

Marconi was named a Ball State assistant coach to Greg Beals in August of 2005. He replaces Beals, who was named the head baseball coach at Ohio State in June. Marconi has worked with all phases of the Ball State baseball program and worked primarily with the Cardinals’ catchers and outfielders, plus serves as the first base coach and worked with the team’s base running and bunting as well in 2010.

“My family and I are very excited to continue our career at Ball State University,” Marconi says. “Ball State has been very good to us and we owe a lot to the people in this community. We want to thank President Gora, Tom Collins, Pat Quinn and Karin Lee for their faith and trust and giving us this wonderful opportunity. We also want to thank the Ball State athletics family for all their thoughts and support through the process. We are looking forward to continuing the progress of the Ball State baseball program.”

Marconi helped the Cardinals claim the 2009 Mid-American Conference West Division Championship with a 14-10 league record. Under his guidance, the Cardinals’ base runners ran through the league by recording a team-high 115 stolen bases that season. In his first season at Ball State in 2006, Marconi helped the Cardinals to the first MAC Tournament Championship in school history and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Marconi, then working with the hitters, coached the Cardinals to a .291 team batting average and 60 combined home runs as the team compiled an overall record of 38-20.

In addition to his coaching duties, Marconi is in charge of the Ball State baseball camps and handles team travel.

Prior to Ball State, Marconi spent the 2005 season as a volunteer assistant coach at North Carolina, where he worked with hitters, catchers and directed summer camps. He helped the Tar Heels advance to the NCAA Regionals with a 41-19-2 overall record and a 17-10-1 mark in Atlantic Coast Conference play. He was also responsible for on-campus recruiting and monitoring players’ academic progress.

Prior to joining the UNC staff, Marconi played four years of professional baseball, ending with a stint on the St. Paul Saints of the Northern League. A 27th-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2000 from Kent State, where he played four years under then KSU assistant coach Beals, Marconi spent three seasons with the club.

Marconi was called up to the Triple-A Durham Bulls in 2001 and 2002, and also saw action with the Devil Rays’ Orlando, Bakersfield, Hudson Valley and Princeton teams. He spent the 2003 season with the Elmira Pioneers of the Northeast League.

A four-year letterwinner for the Golden Flashes, Marconi was an All-MAC First Team catcher for KSU in 1999 and 2000. The 1999 Academic All-MAC selection earned his bachelor’s degree in general studies from the university in 2000. He also earned all-region honors for Kent State in 1999 and 2000 in addition to receiving preseason All-America recognition in 2000.

Marconi has also served as coach of the U.S. Athletic team in the Midwest Prospects Summer Wooden Bat League.

Marconi is married to the former Amanda Lescher, who was a one-year letterwinner for the Kent State women’s soccer team in 1999. They have one son, Maximus Blaise, and one daughter, Alexandra Rose.

(Ball State Release)

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Top Performers Shine During Opening Weekend

Max Willett (NewMexico/CF)

CollegeBaseball360.com has recognized a group of players from throughout the nation for their “primetime performances” during the season’s opening weekend (Feb. 19-21). Leading the way are three top honorees – as New Mexico senior centerfielder Max Willett (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) and Oregon sophomore second baseman Danny Pulfer (Cypress, Calif.) share the inaugural honor as Co-Primetime Players of the Week while Ball State senior righthander Morgan Coombs (West Terre Haute, Ind.) is the first Primetime Pitcher of the Week. These three players headline the first Primetime Performers Weekly Honor Roll (listed below).

Willette batted 7-for-11 (RBI, 3R, 2B) in leading New Mexico to a series win at top-ranked Texas, while Pulfer hit .412 (7-for-17) and had a hand in nearly 40% of Oregon’s 32 runs (6 RBI, 6 R) during the Ducks’ breakout southern-California roadswing (highlighted by wins over #3 Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State). Coombs delivered in a pressure-packed situation at #15 Arkansas, closing Ball State’s 5-2 win with 5.0 strong innings (UER, 4H, 8K) despite 8,000-plus spirited Razorbacks fans cheering against him.

Danny Pulfer (Oregon/2B)

Similar to the weekly awards presented on sister site CollegeSoccer360.com, the CB360 Primetime Performer honors various players based on any/all of the following “primetime” criteria…not solely based on raw stats.

Primetime Performer Award Criteria

• Must have been playing for or against a CB360 top-50 team (in the Composite National Rankings)  or performed a high level in a game that could be key to a team’s conference/NCAA postseason qualification.

Morgan Coombs (Ball St./RHP)

• Involved in clutch performances, such as late game-winning hits, noteworthy comebacks, game-changing plays, team leadership, etc.

• Performing at a top level against a team rated highly nationally (or within its conference), with bonus consideration given for key performances away from home field.

• Overcoming adversity or extreme circumstances (for the team and/or individual).

Additional information and bio. data on the Primetime Performers, along with headshots and action photos, is being added to this release.

The other 17 members of the CB360 Primetime Performer Weekly Honor Roll include New Mexico senior 1B Justin Howard, two sophomores (LHP/1B Danny Hultzen and 3B Steven Proscia) from the Virginia team that took 2-of-3 at East Carolina en route to the #1 national ranking, and two players (so. RHP Jordan Pries, jr. SS Jake Schlander) from the Stanford team that swept Rice, along with the following clutch performers: Northwestern State so. OF/1B Colin Bear … Hawaii so. RF Collin Bennett … Georgia Tech so. LHP Jed Bradley … East Carolina so. LHP Kevin Brandt … Louisiana-Monroe jr. RHP Wil Browning … Pepperdine jr. LHP Matt Bywater … Florida sr. CF Matt den Dekker … TCU fr. RF/C Josh Elander … Gonzaga sr. CF Drew Heid … Kentucky so. RHP/1B Braden Kapteyn … Baylor sr. RHP Willie Kempf … and Fresno State jr. 1B Jordan Ribera.

The 20 honorees include nine pitchers (pair of 2-way players; 5 RHP/4 LHP), five first baseman (including both 2-way players, plus one who also played OF), three centerfielders, three corner outfielders (one also played 1B, one C), one second baseman, one shortstop, one third baseman and one catcher (also played OF). TCU’s Elander is the only freshman among the Primetime players, which also include a fifth-year senior, six seniors, three juniors and a big sophomore-class representation of nine honorees.

The group includes four Texas natives – Bear, Elander, Howard and Kempf – and four more from California (Bywater, Pries, Pulfer and Ribera), along with two Primetime players from Washington and one each from Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New York and North Carolina.

(from left) Oregon second baseman Danny Pulfer, Ball State closer Morgan Coombs and New Mexico centerfielder Max Willett headline CB360’s first group of Primetime Performers (photos courtesy of each school).

WILLETT – batting from the #6 spot – combined with Howard to lead a Lobos offense that hit .284 with 10 extra-base hits in a three-game road series versus #1-ranked Texas and its vaunted pitching staff. UNM shocked the college baseball world by taking the series in Austin (2-6/6-5/3-1), with Willett batting 7-for-11 (.636, RBI, 3 R, 3B, 2B, HBP, SF) and playing error-free in center field.

After a solid showing in the opener (2-for-4, 2B), Willett went 3-for-4 in UNM’s game-2 upset. He led off the 6th by placing and opposite-field triple into the right-center gap and scored moments later for a 5-4 deficit. Three innings later, moments after Howard’s game-tying home run, Willett delivered in a situational plate appearance – flying out the left field for a sacrifice fly that plated Devon Conley as the eventual winning run.

Willett’s game-3 effort (2-for-3, 2R, 2B) helped produce another win over the Longhorns. He hit a 1-out single up the middle and scored the game’s first run in the 4th, later adding the game’s final run in the 8th (after a 2-out double down the leftfield line).

A second team all-Mountain West Conference selection in 2009 (.355, 46 RBI, 4 HR, 15 2B, 12-13 SB, 15 sac. bunts, 0 errors), Willett played sparingly in his first three seasons at UNM – totaling only 59 games played and 31 starts spanning the 2006-08 seasons. He batted only .229 as a sophomore in 2007 before seeing his junior season (12 GS) cut short by a hand injury. He is a product of Colorado’s Thunder Ridge High School, where he played on state-championship teams in both baseball and football.

Primetime Performer Weekly Honor Roll (Feb. 19-21)

“It’s not so much what you do, as it is when you do it.”

Player (Pos.) … School … Yr., Ht./Wt. … Hometown … Stats & Notes

Colin Bear (OF) … Northwestern St. … So., 6-3/210 … Houston, TX

Collin Bennett (RF) … Hawaii … So., 6-1 … Bellevue, WA

Jed Bradley (LHP) … Georgia Tech … So., 6-4/210 … Huntsville, AL

Kevin Brandt (LHP) … East Carolina … So., 6-2/190 … Fuquay Varina, NC

Wil Browning (RHP) … La. Monroe Jr., 6-3/200 … Kosciusko, MS

Matt Bywater (LHP) … Pepperdine … Jr., 6-2/195 … Thousand Oaks, CA

*Morgan Coombs (RHP) … Ball State … Sr., 6-1/190 … West Terre Haute, IN

Matt den Dekker (CF) … Florida … Sr., 6-1/210 … Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Josh Elander (RF/C) … TCU … Fr., 6-0/205 … Round Rock, TX

Drew Heid (CF) … Gonzaga … Sr., 5-10/175 … Touchet, WA

Justin Howard (1B) … New Mexico … Sr., 6-0/205 … Ennis, TX

Danny Hultzen (LHP/1B) … Virginia … So., 6-3/200 … Bethesda, MD

Braden Kapteyn (RHP/1B) …Kentucky … So., 6-4/220 … Lansing, IL

Willie Kempf (RHP) … Baylor … Sr., 6-0/195 … Castroville, TX

Jordan Pries (RHP) … Stanford … So., 6-0/190 … Alameda, CA

Steven Proscia (3B) … Virginia … So., 6-2/215 … Suffern, NY

*Danny Pulfer (2B) … Oregon … So., … 5-10/190 … Cypress, CA

Jordan Ribera (1B) … Fresno State … Jr., 6-0/220 … Fresno, CA

Jake Schlander (SS) … Stanford … Jr., 6-2/195 … Scottsdale, AZ

*Max Willett (CF) … New Mexico … Sr., 5-10/190 … Highlands Ranch, CO

* – Note: Pulfur and Willett shared the CB360 Primetime Player of the Week award, while Coombs was the inaugural Primetime Pitcher of the Week

More Games To Be Televised This Season

CHICAGO, IL – The Big Ten Network has nearly doubled its coverage plans for the Big Ten’s baseball and softball seasons. The network will produce at least 102 baseball and softball games for the Big Ten Network or www.BigTenNetwork.com this spring.

The network will nationally televise up to 33 Big Ten baseball games, including the entire Big Ten Baseball Tournament, and stream an additional 20 games for www.BigTenNetwork.com. Twenty Two Big Ten softball games will be televised this spring, plus an additional 29 games for the internet. A selected number of streamed games will be televised on delay through the network’s Student U initiative.

Every telecast will be produced in high definition.

“We’re thrilled to expand our coverage of Big Ten baseball and softball this spring through our streaming initiative and to provide these student-athletes with a national and international stage for their talents,” Big Ten Network president Mark Silverman said.

The network’s live baseball coverage begins with the Penn State-Illinois series in Champaign.  Game one of the series is slated for 7 PM ET on Friday, April 2, and will be streamed live at www.BigTenNetwork.com.  The network’s first telecast of the season will be at 7 PM ET on Friday, April 9, as Michigan hosts Purdue.

Forty-four games on the Big Ten Network baseball schedule will be conference matchups, including the entire Big Ten Baseball Tournament, played Wednesday, May 26, through Saturday, May 29. The 2010 tournament will be played at Bill Davis Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

Ohio State finished atop the 2009 Big Ten regular season baseball standings with an 18-6 conference record, but Indiana took home the tournament title.  The Buckeyes and Hoosiers were joined in last year’s NCAA Tournament by Minnesota.

The Big Ten Network’s live softball coverage begins with the Illinois State-Iowa game in Iowa City.  First pitch is scheduled for 5 PM ET on Wednesday, March 24, and the game will be streamed live. The network’s first live softball telecast of the year is set for 1 PM ET on Saturday, April 3, as Michigan State takes on Minnesota in East Lansing.

The Big Ten features three teams listed in the USA Softball preseason top 25, including No. 3 Michigan, No. 16 Ohio State and No. 17 Northwestern.  The Wolverines won the Big Ten in 2009 with a 17-3 conference mark and a season record of 47-12. Overall, six Big Ten teams earned NCAA Tournament bids in 2009, including Illinois, Iowa, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue and Women’s College World Series participant, Michigan.

2010 Big Ten Network Baseball Schedule

April 2 Penn State at Illinois Champaign, Ill. 7 PM BTN.com
April 3 Penn State at Illinois Champaign, Ill. 4 PM BTN.com
April 4 Penn State at Illinois Champaign, Ill. 1 PM BTN.com
April 7 Central Michigan at Michigan Ann Arbor, Mich. 3 PM BTN.com
April 9 Indiana at Ohio State Columbus, Ohio 6:30 PM BTN.com
April 9 Illinois at Iowa Iowa City, Iowa 7 PM BTN.com
April 9 Purdue at Michigan Ann Arbor, Mich. 7 PM Big Ten Network
April 10 Purdue at Michigan Ann Arbor, Mich. 1 PM Big Ten Network
April 10 Indiana at Ohio State Columbus, Ohio 1 PM BTN.com
April 10 Illinois at Iowa Iowa City, Iowa 2 PM BTN.com
April 11 Purdue at Michigan Ann Arbor, Mich. 12 PM Big Ten Network
April 11 Indiana at Ohio State Columbus, Ohio 1 PM BTN.com
April 11 Illinois at Iowa Iowa City, Iowa 2 PM BTN.com
April 13 Toledo at Michigan Ann Arbor, Mich. 3 PM BTN.com
April 16 Michigan at Illinois Champaign, Ill. 7 PM BTN.com
April 17 Ohio State at Michigan State East Lansing, Mich. 1 PM Big Ten Network
April 17 Michigan at Illinois Champaign, Ill. 4 PM BTN.com
April 18 Michigan at Illinois Champaign, Ill. 2 PM BTN.com
April 20 Notre Dame at Michigan Ann Arbor, Mich. 6:30 PM BTN.com
April 23 Indiana at Minnesota Minneapolis, Minn. 7 PM Big Ten Network
April 24 Indiana at Minnesota Minneapolis, Minn. 7 PM Big Ten Network
April 25 Indiana at Minnesota Minneapolis, Minn. 2 PM Big Ten Network
April 27 Bradley at Illinois Champaign, Ill. 7 PM BTN.com
April 30 Northwestern at Illinois Champaign, Ill. 7 PM Big Ten Network
May 1 Northwestern at Illinois Champaign, Ill. 4 PM Big Ten Network
May 2 Northwestern at Illinois Champaign, Ill. 4 PM Big Ten Network
May 4 Louisville at Ohio State Columbus, Ohio 7 PM Big Ten Network
May 7 Illinois at Ohio State Columbus, Ohio 6:30 PM BTN.com
May 7 Iowa at Penn State State College, Pa. 7 PM Big Ten Network
May 8 Illinois at Ohio State Columbus, Ohio 1 PM BTN.com
May 8 Iowa at Penn State State College, Pa. 4 PM Big Ten Network
May 9 Iowa at Penn State State College, Pa. 11 AM Big Ten Network
May 9 Illinois at Ohio State Columbus, Ohio 1 PM BTN.com
May 12 Ball State at Ohio State Columbus, Ohio 6 PM BTN.com
May 14 Indiana at Michigan State East Lansing, Mich. 2 PM Big Ten Network
May 15 Indiana at Michigan State East Lansing, Mich. 12 PM Big Ten Network
May 15 Purdue at Illinois Champaign, Ill. 1 PM Big Ten Network
May 16 Indiana at Michigan State East Lansing, Mich. 1 PM Big Ten Network
May 20 Minnesota at Ohio State Columbus, Ohio 7 PM Big Ten Network
May 21 Minnesota at Ohio State Columbus, Ohio 7 PM Big Ten Network
May 22 Minnesota at Ohio State Columbus, Ohio 1 PM Big Ten Network

Big Ten Baseball Tournament (Columbus, Ohio)

May 26 Big Ten Tournament Game 1 TBD Big Ten Network

May 26 Big Ten Tournament Game 2 TBD Big Ten Network

May 27 Big Ten Tournament Game 3 TBD Big Ten Network

May 27 Big Ten Tournament Game 4 TBD Big Ten Network

May 27 Big Ten Tournament Game 5 TBD Big Ten Network

May 28 Big Ten Tournament Game 6 TBD Big Ten Network

May 28 Big Ten Tournament Game 7 TBD Big Ten Network

May 28 Big Ten Baseball Tournament Semifinals TBD Big Ten Network

May 29 Big Ten Baseball Tournament Semifinals TBD Big Ten Network

May 29 Big Ten Baseball Championship TBD Big Ten Network

May 30 Big Ten Baseball Championship (if necessary) TBD Big Ten Network

All Times Eastern

Ball State & Bowling Green Picked As Division Favorites

Cleveland, Ohio – Defending MAC Regular Season Champion Bowling Green and defending West Division Champion Ball State have been chosen by the league’s head coaches to win their respective divisions, released today by the league office. The Cardinals were also selected by six of the leagues head coaches to take home the 2010 MAC Tournament title.

The Falcons were followed by 2009 MAC Tournament Champion Kent State in the East, while Ohio was picked to finish third. Miami was selected to finish in fourth place, while Akron was tabbed to place fifth. Buffalo rounded out this year’s East Division predictions.

2009 MAC Tournament runner-up Toledo was picked to finish second in the West Division and was followed by Central Michigan in third place. Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan rounded out the remaining sports in the West.

Ball State returns 16 letterwinners, including six position starters and eight pitchers from its 2009 squad that went 26-26 (14-10 MAC). Among those returning are 2009 All-MAC first-team selections Zach Dygert and Kolbrin Vitek. Ian Nielsen will also return for the Cardinals after being named to the Freshman All-America team last season. Earlier this month Vitek was named to the 2010 Ping!Baseball Preseason All-America Third Team. Vitek finished second on the team and sixth in the MAC with a .389 batting average. He also led the MAC in doubles (25), was second in RBI (67), third in slugging percentage (.736), third in total bases (153) and was fourth on the mound in opponent batting average (.268).

The Falcons and 2009 MAC Coach of the Year Danny Schmitz welcome back 20 letterwinners, including 12 position starters and eight pitchers from last year’s MAC Regular Season Champion squad that finished with a 28-22 overall record (18-8 MAC). Among those returning are 2009 MAC Pitcher of the Year and All-MAC first-team selection Brennan Smith. Joining Smith are first-team selections Logan Meisler, Matt Malewitz and second-team honorees Tyler Elkins and Derek Spencer.

The MAC baseball season begins on February 19th, while conference play starts up March 26. The season will culminate with the MAC Baseball Tournament, which takes place May 26-29 at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio.

2010 MAC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll

East Division
1. Bowling Green – 64 points
2. Kent State – 61 points
3. Ohio – 49 points
4. Miami – 39 points
5. Akron – 25 points
6. Buffalo – 14 points

West Division
1. Ball State – 72 points
2. Toledo – 52 points
3. Central Michigan – 44 points
4. Eastern Michigan – 35 points
5. Northern Illinois – 29 points
6. Western Michigan – 21 points

Tournament Champion:
Ball State (5), Kent State (3), Bowling Green (2), Eastern Michigan (1), Miami (1)