College Baseball 360 » Valparaiso baseball

Day Two Gary Regional Notebook

Sean Stires — Sun, 03 Jun 2012 14:59:30 +0000

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Gary, Ind. — After playing the second-longest game in NCAA Tournament history Friday night Kent State and Kentucky showed no hangovers on Saturday. It took six hours and 38 minutes for Kent State to win that game 7-6, and not many thought either the Wildcats or Golden Flashes would come out of it with much left in the tank on Saturday.

They were wrong.

The Wildcats bounced back with a convincing 8-1 elimination game victory over Valparaiso, while No. 3 seed Kent State improved to 2-0 in the Gary Regional with its 7-3 win over No. 1 seed Purdue. Here are some more notes from Saturday’s action at the Steel Yard.

The Road To Omaha leads to TD Ameritrade Park and The Dugout – located right across the street from TDA’s home plate entrance. The Dugouthas a ton of authentic college baseball caps – just like the ones the players wear on the field.

If you’re going to Omaha for the College World Series make sure to make your first stop The Dugout for all officially licensed CWS apparel. If you can’t make it to Omaha just follow our red links to The Dugout!

Big League players shake teammate's hands after a game, but in college they still shake the other team's hands.

#2 Kentucky – 8 … # 4 Valparaiso – 1

(Video Interviews Below)

The best news for head coach Gary Henderson was after using five pitchers Friday night Kentucky used just two arms in Satuday’s win. Starter Jerad Grundy allowed just a run in 6.0 innings, while Chandler Shepherd worked the final 3.0 innings to earn his first save of the season.

“I don’t know the right word, but it was huge,” Henderson said of only needing two pitchers to get through the game. “We were set to throw anybody and everybody to win the game. We made that decision early this morning. This gives us a chance now to win a couple ball games tomorrow.”

The Wildcats now play Purdue in Sunday’s 4 p.m. ET elimination game and if they win that game they move into the championship round for a rematch with the Golden Flashes.

Kentucky’s Mike Williams caught all 21 innings of Friday’s 7-6 loss to Kent State. The senior was behind the plate for all nine innings of Saturday’s game. “He’s Superman,” is how Henderson referred to Williams after Saturday’s game.

In addition to going 21 innings, Friday’s game also lasted six hours and 38 minutes. In stark contrast, Saturday’s Kentucky-Valpo game was over in a tidy two hours and 24 minutes.

The final score is not as close as it actually was for almost two third of the game. The score was tied 1-1 until Kentucky erupted for five runs in the top of the 6^th. They added two more runs in the 8^th and 9^th.

The Wildcats have scored runs in nine of the 30 innings they have played in the regional. Their pitchers have posted goose eggs in 24 of the 30 innings they have pitched.

Kentucky players & head coach Gary Henderson discuss Saturday’s 8-1 elimination game win over Valparaiso at the Gary Regional.

Valparaiso head coach Tracy Woodson discusses his team’s loss to Kentucky in the Gary, IN Regional as well as the bright future of his program.

Purdue basketball great Robbie Hummel (talking to a fan) was at Saturday's baseball game.

#3 Kent State – 7…#1 Purdue – 3

(Video Interviews Below)

Like Kentucky, Kent State went through five pitchers in Friday’s 21-inning game. But while the Wildcats used two pitchers to eliminate Valparaiso, the Golden Flashes needed just Ryan Bores to get the job done against Purdue.

Bores tossed Kent State’s first complete game of the season to improve to 9-2 in the victory.

Meanwhile, Purdue starter Lance Breedlove lasted just 1 2/3 innings, while surrendering six earned runs in the loss.

“He wasn’t getting ahead of hitters like he usually can,” Purdue head coach Doug Schreiber said of Breedlove’s short outing. “He was down, so they weren’t even some challenge pitches I thought. They were getting barrel on the ball…it was just one of those days for Lance.”

Breedlove was knocked-out of the game in a five-run Kent State outburst in the bottom of the second inning that began with two outs.

The uncharacteristic short outing means Schreiber may bring Breedlove back this weekend.

“Possibly tomorrow,” Schreiber said when asked if he would send Breedlove to the mound again before the regional concludes. “If we get this thing going and rolling we haven’t seen the last of him this weekend.”

Joe Haase, who pitched 7.0 innings in Friday’s late night/early morning win over Valpo is the only pitcher Schreiber ruled out for Sunday.

Kent State players relax before Saturday's game.

Kent State’s game lasted just two hours and 20 minutes, meaning the combined total of Saturday’s two games was 4:44 and 18 innings, compared to the 6:38 and 21 innings it took to play the first game of the regional.

Kent State has won 19 straight games after the win over Purdue.

The Golden Flashes are one of three No. 3 seeds in the NCAA Tournament to start 2-0. St. John’s, which upset North Carolina Saturday in Chapel Hill, and Ole Miss, with a Saturday win over Texas A&M, are the others.

This is the fourth straight regional appearance for Kent State. The Golden Flashes also started 2-0 at the Austin Regional last year before dropping their last two games to host Texas.

“We’ve got good baseball players,” head coach Scott Stricklin said of his feisty squad. “Guys play hard and believe in what we’re doing. They’re experienced.”

While they might be experienced, they are far from intimidating looking in their uniforms.

“Jimmy Rider (a 5’10, 170 pound senior) looks like Opie Taylor,” Stricklin joked when asked about the unimposing look of his players compared to the more robust looking Purdue and Kentucky teams they’ve beaten so far. “He’s the all-time hit leader in our conference. He’s the best shortstop I’ve seen all year and I know there are good shortstops here, but I wouldn’t trade him for anybody in the country.”

Rider was 3-for-5 with 3 RBIs while hitting his team-leading 27^th double of the season in the victory. George Roberts, a 6’0 195 pound first baseman, collected five RBIs to give him five in two games and a team-best 62 in 2012.

With a win over either Purdue or Kentucky Sunday night Kent State would become the first MAC team to advance to a Super Regional.

Purdue’s Angelo Cianfrocco is the son of former Major Leaguer Archie Cianfrocco. The younger Cianfrocco is a junior first baseman/outfielder/LHP for the Boilermakers. The elder Cianfrocco also played at Purdue before going on to a career with the Montreal Expos and San Diego Padres. Angelo was 2-for-4 with a double Saturday.

Eric Charles was suspended from Purdue’s first NCAA Tournament game since 1987 Friday night for his part in a fight at last weekend’s B1G Tournament. The red shirt second baseman was back in the lineup Saturday though. He was 1-for-4 at the plate in the loss.

Former Purdue basketball player Robbie Hummel was in attendance watching Saturday’s game at the Steel Yard in Gary. Hummel is a Valparaiso, Ind native. He finished his career as the 9^th leading scorer in Boilermaker history with 1,772 career points.

Sunday’s Schedule

Elimination Game: No. 1 Purdue vs. No. 2 Kentucky 4 pm ET

Championship Round: No. 3 Kent State vs. Elmination Game winner – a Kent State win would send the Golden Flashes to a Super Regional to face the Eugene Regional winner. A loss would force a Monday winner take all game with the same team.

Kent state head coach Scott Stricklin discusses his win over Purdue as well as the state of his program on Saturday at the Gary, IN Regional.

Purdue head coach Doug Schreiber discusses his team’s loss to Kent State on Saturday at the Gary, IN NCAA Regional.

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Valparaiso Adds Piotrowicz To Coaching Staff

Sean Stires — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:46:05 +0000

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Schmack Promoted As Well…

Valparaiso, IN — Valparaiso University head baseball coach Tracy Woodson has announced the hiring of Adam Piotrowicz as an assistant coach while also promoting Brian Schmack to associate head coach.

The past two seasons Piotrowicz coached at Heidelberg University, where he was the hitting and catching coach. In addition, his primary duties included recruiting and designing a strength and agility program. The Heidelberg baseball program finished fourth at the 2010 NCAA DIII World Series and in the past two years has won the Ohio Athletic Conference regular season and conference tournament titles. Additionally, Heidelberg was a participant in the NCAA DIII Mideast Regional in 2009 and 2010. Under Piotrowicz guidance, Heidelberg’s offense set nine school records and led the conference in numerous offensive categories. In addition, five of Heidelberg’s position players received DIII All-American honors.

In 2010 Piotrowicz was the head coach for the Ty Cobb Reds in the Great South Summer Collegiate League, guiding the team to a third place finish.

As a player, Piotrowiczi was a standout at Manchester College from 2005-2008. As a senior in 2008, he was elected team captain and helped lead his team to a NCAA DIII Mideast Regional and Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference championship. He graduated from Manchester College in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science degree in business and earned a Masters degree in Education from Heidelberg University in 2010.

“Coach Piotrowicz joins our staff from the highly successful Heidelberg University program,” said Woodson. “He has been successful in his years as a college player and coach and we have no doubt that mentality will carry over to our program. He will be working with all of our hitters as well as defensively with our catchers and outfielders. We are also excited about his recruiting connections in Ohio and much of the Midwest. His energy, enthusiasm, and work ethic will be a great addition to our baseball staff.”

Entering his fifth season at Valpo, Schmack has served as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator since joining the Crusader program.

“This title better describes what Coach Schmack has done for our program the last four years and what he will continue to do hopefully for a long time,” Woodson said. “I feel very lucky to have Brian working at my side and this promotion to associate head coach is one that is well-deserved and well-earned.”

For the 2010 season, the Crusader pitching staff finished the year with a 5.82 earned run average, ranking third in the Horizon League. Most notably, junior right-handed pitcher Bryce Shafer was named the 2010 Horizon League Pitcher of the Year and was drafted in the 2010 Major League Baseball draft by the Chicago Cubs.

In 2009, Schmack guided a pitching staff which led the Horizon League in earned run average at 4.47. In addition, junior closer Jarad Miller became the school’s save leader in just two years, while earning Third Team All-America accolades that same season.

“Brian is an extremely knowledgeable individual with a pro ball background,” Woodson concluded. “He continues to do a standout job with our pitchers in developing them to not only succeed at Valparaiso, but also has the ability to help them make the transition to professional baseball.”

(Valparaiso Release)

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Horizon League Baseball 2010 Preseason Poll

Sean Stires — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:20:18 +0000

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Wright State Picked To Continue Success

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Wright State has been picked to win the 2010 Horizon League Baseball Championship in balloting by the conference’s seven head coaches. The Raiders received the maximum of 36 points and six first-place votes as coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams.

UIC, the League’s 2009 regular-season champion, notched the other first-place vote and earned 31 points to place second in this year’s preseason poll. Milwaukee (24), Valparaiso (22), Youngstown State (15), Cleveland State (12) and Butler (7) rounded out spots three through seven.

CLICK HERE to see the full Collegebaseball360.com 2010 Horizon League Baseball Preview.

Wright State posted a 33-30 overall record and 14-12 Horizon League mark a season ago en route to its third conference tournament crown and third NCAA Tournament appearance in school history.

The Raiders return four All-League performers for the 2010 campaign in sophomore Michael Schum and seniors Quentin Cate, Casey McGrew and R.J. Gundolff.

Schum, a right-hander who was named Relief Pitcher of the Year, ranked among the League leaders in ERA (1st, 1.95), batting average against (1st, .225), appearances (1st, 34), games finished (1st, 32) and saves (2nd, 13) in 2009.

Cate, an infielder who was chosen Newcomer of the Year, placed among the circuit’s best in home runs (1st, 12), hits (2nd, 88), RBI (2nd, 57), runs (4th, 47), slugging percentage (4th, .572), doubles (T-5th, 17), batting average (6th, .352) and on-base percentage (7th, .422).

Junior pitcher Phil Klein, senior infielder Jacke Healey, junior infielder David Leon and senior utility player Eric Marzec, who earned All-League honors a year ago, all return for Youngstown State in 2010.

UIC features three returning All-League picks in senior pitcher Chris Kovacevich, sophomore catcher Nathan Orf and junior infielder Jason Ganek. Milwaukee welcomes back two All-League selections in junior outfielder Doug Dekoning and senior outfielder Tim Patzman.

Schum and Valparaiso junior Jarad Miller have both been named Louisville Slugger Division I Preseason Third-Team All-Americans by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper for the 2010 campaign.

Milwaukee’s Scott Doffek was named Horizon League Coach of the Year in 2009. He led UWM to a 28-27 overall record, 14-9 League mark and No. 2 seed in the conference tournament.

Cleveland State, UIC, Valparaiso and Wright State open the 2010 season the weekend of Feb. 19-21, while Butler, Milwaukee and Youngstown State begin play the weekend of Feb. 26-28.

The 2010 Horizon League Baseball Championship is slated for May 26-30 at the U.S. Steel Yard in Gary, Ind. The event will feature the League’s top six schools in a double-elimination format at the home of the Northern League’s Gary SouthShore RailCats. The winner receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

2010 Horizon League Preseason Baseball Poll (1st Place Votes)

1. Wright State (6)

2. UIC (1)

3. Milwaukee

4. Valparaiso

5. Youngstown State

6. Cleveland State

7. Butler

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Horizon League 2010 Baseball Preview

Sean Stires — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:01:11 +0000

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Wright State And Illinois-Chicago Look To Continue Dominance

2009 Regular Season Champ: Illinois-Chicago (UIC)

2009 Tournament Champ: Wright State defeated UIC 6-2 to win its 3rd league title and first since 2006.

The two most successful programs in the Horizon League for the past several years battled it out again in 2009. Wright State and UIC, winners of 5 of the last 6 Horizon League Tournament titles squared off in the championship game where Wright State won the championship and earned their ticket to the NCAA tournament.

The Horizon League also saw three players earn national recognition. Wright State’s Casey McGrew made the 22-man USA Collegiate National Team that played teams from around the world last summer. Jared Miller from Valparaiso and Wright’s State’s Michael Schum both garnered Louisville Slugger Preseason All-American honors.

2010 Horizon League Preview

Butler

2009 Record: (13-41, 6-20)

Mascot: Bulldogs

Head Coach: Steve Farley

Location: Indianapolis, IN

Vitals: .253 BA, 18 HR, .340 OBP, .952 Fld. %…7.59 ERA, 6 SVs, 346 K, 174 BB, .350 Opp. BA

Junior Achievers: Butler’s top two offensive threats juniors Luke Duncan (.308 BA, 25 R, 4 triples) and Grant Fillipitch (.302 BA, 17 doubles, 7 HR) return to lead the Bulldogs lineup in 2010.

Boys of Winter: The Bulldogs open their home schedule March 3rd against Indiana Tech. They also host Marian College and Buffalo before the calendar officially turns to spring.

Outside All-Pro Freight Stadium

2009 Record: (21-31, 12-13)

Mascot: Vikings

Head Coach: Kevin Kocks

Location: Cleveland, OH

Vitals: .297 BA, 50 HR, .365 OBP, .959 Fld. %…6.56 ERA, 9 SVs, 290 K, 228 BB, .300 Opp. BA

Brand New Park: Cleveland State has a new place to call home for 2010. The Vikings will play their home games at All-Pro Freight Stadium in Avon, OH, the home stadium of the Lake Erie Crushers of the Frontier League. They open the park March 24th against Eastern Michigan.

Team of the Rise: The 21 wins a year ago are the second most for one season in the past decade. The most were the 22 wins in 2008.

Key Returners: Sr. Ryan Franks (.380 BA, 12 doubles) and So. Tyler Wynn (.303 BA, 11 HR) lead the Viking offense, while Sr. Travis Miller (1-0, 3.48 ERA, 4 SVs) and So. Nate Dick (4-1, 4.13 ERA) return to headline the pitching staff.

Wisconsin-Milwaukee

2009 Record: (28-27, 14-9)

Mascot: Panthers

Head Coach: Scott Doffek

Location: Milwaukee, WI

Vitals: .306 BA, 44 HR, .373 OBP, .965 Fld. %…6.33 ERA, 10 SVs, 346 K, 201 BB, .301 Opp. BA

Big Tests: UW-Milwaukee travels to Minnesota, Arkansas, and Kansas State during their non-conference schedule.

In Good Hands: Head Coach Scott Doffek was the Horizon League Coach of the Year after leading the Panthers to a second place finish last year. He’s guided

Tim Patzman

his team to 25 wins in 12 of the last 13 seasons and currently has a 13-game home winning streak carrying over into this season.

Looking for More: Two 1st team All-Horizon League players return in 2010 for UW-Milwaukee. Sr. OF Tim Patzman hit the team Triple Crown for the Panthers last year with a .389 BA, 11 HR, and 44 RBI. He’s joined by Jr. OF Doug Dekoning (.338, 44 R, 5 HR) to lead the offensive attack.

Illinois-Chicago

2009 Record: (29-23, 17-6)

Mascot: Flames

Head Coach: Mike Dee

Location: Chicago, IL

Nathan Orf

Vitals: .297 BA, 36 HR, .383 OBP, .968 Fld. %…4.62 ERA, 7 SVs, 292 K, 136 BB, .290 Opp. BA

Leading the Way: A pair of 2nd team All-Horizon League selections are back to lead UIC this year. Jr. INF Jason Ganek (.333 BA, 3 HR, 35 RBI) and So. C Nathan Orf (.429 BA, 10 doubles in 36 games) solidify the lineup. Orf was named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America team for his effort.

Aces Gone: UIC must replace Horizon League Pitcher of the Year Adam Worthington (4-5, 3.48 ERA, 3 CG) and closer Derrick Miramontes (6-2, 2.58 ERA, 7 SVs). Worthington was drafted 606th overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks, while Miramontes signed a professional contract with the independent Southern Illinois Miners.

Tough Tests: A challenging schedule awaits the Flames. UIC makes road trips to Alabama, Western Kentucky, Notre Dame and Baylor and play host to Georgia Tech for a three game series in early May.

Valparaiso

2009 Record: (28-24, 12-11)

Mascot: Crusaders

Head Coach: Tracy Woodson

Location: Valparaiso, IN

Vitals: .275 BA, 25 HR, .361 OBP, .957 Fld. %…4.47 ERA, 20 SVs, 316 K, 135 BB, .275 Opp. BA

Everyone’s All-American: Valpo closer Jarad Miller (2.16 ERA, 17 SVs, .178

Jarad Miller

Opp. BA) is a preseason Louisville Slugger 3rd team All-American.
Key Returners: Jr. RHP Bryce Shafer (7-3, 3.59 ERA, 2 CG) leads the Crusader pitching staff, while Horizon League All-Newcomer OF Kyle Gaedele (.278, 3 HR) will provide pop in the lineup. This past summer, he stole 30 bases, hit .278 and cracked a league-leading 5 homers in The Prospect League.

Hit the Road: Valpo spends the first 23 games on the road before opening their home schedule March 30th against Central Michigan.

Wright State

2009 Record: (33-30, 14-12)

Mascot: Raiders

Head Coach: Rob Cooper

Location: Dayton, OH

Vitals: .318 BA, 49 HR, .375 OBP, .969 Fld. %…4.97 ERA, 15 SVs, 385 K, 183 BB, .296 Opp. BA

Big Hitters: As a team, Wright State hit over .300 for the fourth straight season led by Horizon League Player of the Year Jeff Mercer who hit .357 with 21

Michael Schum

doubles, 8 HR, and 74 RBI. Newcomer of the Year Quentin Cate returns to the lineup after hitting .352 with 12 HR and 57 RBI.

That’s a Relief: Horizon League Relief Pitcher of the Year So. RHP Michael Schum (5-7, 1.95 ERA, 13 SVs) is back to lead the pitching staff. The Raiders also welcome back three starters and see the return of Sr. LHP Jon Durket, a 1st team All-Horizon League pitcher in 2008, who missed 2009 due to injury.

Tough Tests: Wright State prepares for a challenging 2010 schedule. The Raiders travel to Clemson, Virginia, Kentucky and Oklahoma State.

Youngstown State

2009 Record: (16-35, 10-14)

Mascot: Penguins

Head Coach: Rick Pasquale

Location: Youngstown, OH

Vitals: .279 BA, 32 HR, .347 OBP, .954 Fld. %…6.62 ERA, 4 SVs, 300 K, 210 BB, .314 Opp. BA

Pocket Aces: Youngstown State returns two of the top pitchers in the Horizon League in Jr. RHP Phil Klein and Sr. RHP Aaron Swenson. Klein was a 1st team All-Horizon League selection after going 5-2 with a 4.62 ERA and 80 K in 76 innings. Swenson (3-6, 6.10 ERA), the 2008 Horizon League Pitcher of the Year, looks to rebound after a down year in 2009.

Big Return: Three key position players are back in 2010. Sr. C Anthony Porter (.316 BA, 4 HR), So. 1B Jeremy Banks (.302 BA, 4 HR, 30 RBI), and Sr. INF Jacke Healey (.293 BA, 17 doubles, 8 HR) return to lead the Penguins offense.

No Place Like Home: Youngstown State doesn’t open their home slate until a March 31st game against Canisius. The Penguins then spend 21 of the next 23 games at the friendly confines of Eastwood Field.

2010 Horizon League Predictions

Champion: Wright State, with UIC and UW-Milwaukee challenging

Player of the Year: Tim Patzman–UW-Milwaukee

Pitcher of the Year: Michael Schum—Wright State

(By Collegebaseball360.com contributor Shawn Lewallen)