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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)

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KENT, Ohio - The Kent State University Athletics Department and extended baseball family mourns the loss of Richard Schoonover, who passed away Monday (Dec. 7). Schoonover, 81, served as an assistant coach at Kent State on 1986 and 1989 and pitching coach from 1990-1996.

Richard Schoonover

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife JoAnn and his entire family.”

Schoonover first served the Golden Flashes as an assistant coach under former head coach Bob Todd. He followed Todd to Ohio State for the 1988 season, but returned to Kent State for the 1989 season and was the Golden Flashes pitching coach for the next seven seasons on the staffs of both Danny Hall from 1989-1993 and Rick Rembielak from 1994-96.

During his time with the Golden Flashes, the Kent State pitching staffs recorded the best seasons in program history. In 1992, KSU finished second in the NCAA in overall team ERA (2.61) and ranked first in the country in team ERA (2.37) during the 1993 campaign. Under his tutelage at KSU, three pitchers were named All-Americans by the American Baseball Coaches Association (Dustin Hermanson and Mike Nartker in 1993, Ted Rose in 1996). Schoonover mentored 12 All-Mid-American Conference pitchers, eight Mid-East Regional Team selections, six MAC Pitchers of the Year, four Kent State Varsity “K” Hall of Fame pitchers and three first round draft selections, including the third pick overall in 1994 (Hermanson).

Schoonover also served as pitching coach in the prestigious Cape Cod Summer Baseball League in 1994-96, 1998 and 2003. During the summer of ’03, the Bourne Braves recorded the league’s lowest ERA.

The Akron native also is well known as pitching coach in the international circles. In the summer of 1989, Schoonover was selected to coach in the Netherlands for six months. During the fall of 1989, the U.S. Sports Information Service asked him to teach pitching to coaches and players in four major Nicaraguan cities. In the fall of 1991, Schoonover returned to Nicaragua, working with the country’s Olympic team as well as instructing in clinics for coaches and players.

Most recently, Schoonover served as pitching coach and consultant for the Dick Schoonover Academy of Pitching Instruction and Professional Consulting. He was also inducted into the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame, the Akron Baseball Hall of Fame and was a Dapper Dan honoree.

Visitation will be Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Redmon Funeral Home at 3633 Darrow Road in Stow, Ohio. Rev. Arthur Cubbon will conduct service Friday, 2 p.m. at St. Stephen Lutheran Church, 3725 Kent Road, Stow, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Stewart’s Caring Place, 2955 W. Market Street, Akron, OH 44333 or St. Stephen Lutheran Church.

Former Kent State baseball coach Danny Hall: “Dick Schoonover was the most positive person I have ever been around. Even though he has passed away, his legacy will live on forever just because of the lives he has touched. In particular for me, he has had a major influence on my coaching career. Any success I was able to enjoy at Kent State, he deserves much of the credit. He did a tremendous job not only with the pitching staff, but he made a better person out of anyone that came in to contact with him. He is definitely going to be missed but his legacy will live on forever. Between he and his brother Hal, they have done so much for the baseball program at Kent State in particular as a coach and their donation to upgrade the facilities. He has contributed a lot to Kent State baseball over the years.”

Former Kent State baseball coach Rick Rembielak: “The first thought that I had after his passing is that I never met a more positive person. It was never about him but the other person, even his passing. He always got the most out of every player by making them feel as if they were the best person in the world. He had that golden touch.”

Kent State athletic director Laing Kennedy: “Dick Schoonover to me represents the heart and soul of any great program. His relationship with me personally, when I first became athletic director, was very helpful and supportive. As I got to know him, I understood his tremendous knowledge about intercollegiate baseball and in particular pitching.”

(Release)