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Szczur Leads Villanova To FCS Semis

Sean Stires — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 01:59:59 +0000

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Baseball/Football Star Has Record-breaking Day…

BOONE, N.C. – Senior wide receiver Matt Szczur had a career-high four touchdowns and threw for another score to lead Villanova (9-4) into the semifinals of the Division I Football Championship with a 42-24 victory at No. 1 seed Appalachian State (10-3) at Kidd Brewer Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The defending national champion Wildcats won on the road for the second straight week to reach the semifinals for the second year in a row and third time in program history.

Villanova two-sport standout Matt Szczur

Villanova had never won a true road game in the postseason before last week but has now won two straight playoff road games by lopsided margins. That turnaround matches the way the team has turned around its season, going from the brink of elimination from postseason contention to being one step away from returning to the national championship game. In the process, the Wildcats have won a road game against then-No. 1 Delaware in the final game of the regular season, defeated Southland Conference champion Stephen F. Austin on their home turf and eliminated the top playoff seed with today’s victory.

In the semifinals next week, Villanova will face No. 5 seed Eastern Washington. The game will take place this Friday night (Dec. 17) at 8 p.m. at Roos Field in Cheney, Wash. The contest will be nationally televised on ESPN2.

For the first time in his career, Szczur registered touchdowns by way of rushing, receiving and passing in the same game. He did all that in the first half alone as Villanova built a 28-10 lead by halftime before staving off numerous attempts by the Mountaineers to start a rally in the second half. This was the 32nd consecutive game since 2003 in which the Wildcats have defended a double-digit halftime lead en route to a victory.

Szczur played in the minor leagues last summer with the Peoria Chiefs.

Szczur wound up running for 105 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries, caught a team-high five passes for 45 yards and a score and went 2-of-2 through the air for 58 yards and a touchdown. He had 207 all-purpose yards and this was the second time in his career that he found three different ways to score a touchdown in the same game; the other was in the first round of the playoffs in 2008 and included touchdowns via a rush, pass and kick return.

Villanova is the defending FCS national champion, with Szczur leading the Wildcats to last year’s crown. He signed a professional contract with the Chicago Cubs and played minor league baseball this past summer after being drafted in June in the 5th round of the MLB draft. Szczur is joined on the football team by fellow baseball players Marlon Calbi and Christian Culicerto.

(From Villanova release and staff reports)

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Villanova’s Szczur To Donate Bone Marrow

Sean Stires — Mon, 03 May 2010 20:26:47 +0000

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Two-Sport Star To Help Leukemia Patient

(Courtesy Villanova)

VILLANOVA, Pa.- Right fielder Matt Szczur was not available to play during the Villanova baseball three-game series against Georgetown last weekend at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth. Szczur has begun taking medication in preparation for a bone marrow donation in the near future.

Szczur is a two-sport star in football and baseball for the Wildcats. He was selected as a match for a patient with leukemia last November and is currently prepared to donate his bone marrow in the near future.

On the baseball diamond this spring, Szczur (click link to listen to a podcast interview with Szczur) is batting a team-best .435 in 36 games. He has been the team’s best all-around offensive player and leads Villanova in on-base percentage (.483), slugging percentage (.634), doubles (11), triples (6) and home runs (3). He hit for the cycle last week in Villanova’s 17-10 win over Temple.

This past fall, Szczur helped lead the football team to its first-ever national championship, as the Wildcats defeated

(Courtesy Villanova)

Montana by a score of 23-21 in the title game of the Division I Football Championship. Szczur ran for a career-high 159 yards against Montana and was named the MVP of the championship game for his performance.

Szczur is a match for a 19-month old girl with leukemia. There are 20 million people worldwide who are registered as potential marrow donors. Still, there are only about 250 matches found each year, making it a 1-in-80,000 chance that a registered donor will be a match. For more information on the National Marrow Donor Program, please visit www.marrow.org.

(Courtesey Villanova sports information.)

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2010 Big 10/Big East Baseball Challenge Preview

Sean Stires — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:01:43 +0000

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Second Annual Event Starts Friday

Three frost-free days of baseball await teams from the Big Ten and Big East Conferences in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater, FL area this weekend at the second annual Big Ten/Big East Baseball Challenge. Most of the teams playing this weekend started their seasons last weekend, but a handful will play their season-openers this Friday-Sunday.

Collegebaseball360.com will provide live webcasts of 9 games at this year’s Challenge. CLICK HERE for the video streaming schedule. We will also provide continuous coverage of the event throughout the weekend on our Big Ten/Big East Challenge Page. All 30 of this weekend’s match-ups can currently be found on that page.

Below are capsules for every team participating in this weekend’s event (for the second time in as many years Georgetown and Pittsburgh will not participate). We have included results for each team from last week’s games.

Cincinnati

2009 Record: (29-29, 13-14)

Mascot: Bearcats

Head Coach: Brian Cleary

Location: Cincinnati, OH

Vitals: .285 BA, 72 HR, .382 OBP, .965 Fld%…6.73 ERA, 1 CG, 12 SV, 376 K, 194 BB, .318 opp. BA

Thefts Are Down: After stealing 130 and 133 bases in 2007 and 2008, respectively, the Bearcats swiped just 33 bases last year. The only Big East team with fewer stolen bases was West Virginia with 23.

Long Gone Spina: Cincinnati has a big hole to fill in the middle of the order with the loss of Mike Spina (.342, 23 HR, 69 RBIs). The third baseman was taken in the 11th round of last year’s MLB Draft by the Oakland A’s. His home run total was second in the Big East to Louisville’s Chris Dominguez (25). Spina had an 1.121 OPS last year.

More Losses: The Bearcats also lose Lance Durham, whose .427 average was the second-best in the conference last year. Durham was drafted in the 14th round by Toronto last June. His 99 hits set the UC single-season record formerly held by Boston Red Sox infielder Kevin Youklis. Cincinnati also loses its top pitcher, Jake Geglein (6-1, 2.97 ERA, 9 SV), who signed a free agent contract with the Texas Rangers. Geglein was the only Bearcat pitcher with either a winning record or a sub-3.00 ERA last year.

Across The Pond: Cincinnati head coach Brian Cleary served as the pitching coach for the British National Baseball Team at the 2009 Baseball World Cup. He served in the same role when the team won the silver medal at the 2007 European Championships.

Opening Weekend: The Bearcats were 1-2 last weekend in a 3-game series vs. Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton, FL. Cincy won the opener 5-3, but lost the last two games by a combined 12-0.

Connecticut

2009 Record: (36-24, 14-13)

Mascot: Huskies

Head Coach: Jim Penders

Location: Storrs, CT

Vitals: .318 BA, 51 HR, .393 OBP, .959 Fld%…4.39 ERA, 1 CG, 14 SV, 455 K, 197 BB, .269 opp. BA

Hungry Huskies: UConn returns eight batters from a scrappy line-up who hit .301 or better last year, including George Springer (.358, 16 HR, 57 RBIs, 1.133 OPS), Mike Nemeth (.346, 6 HR, 47 RBIs, 22 doubles), Pierre LePage (.340, 1 HR, 38 RBIs), and Mike Olt (.301, 8 HR, 40 RBIs). LePage helped the Bourne Braves win the Cape Cod League Championship last summer. The biggest loss is that of Pete Fatse (.354, 11 HR, 54 RBIs). CLICK HERE to listen to a podcast interview with LePage.

Husky Hurlers: The Huskies lose key relievers David Erickson (3.21 ERA, 12 SV), Dusty Odenbach (2-3, 3.34 ERA) and Dennis Accomando (1-1, 3.46 ERA), who combined to make 75 relief appearances last year. They also lose John Folino whose six wins led the staff. Top returnees to the staff include Soph. Scott Oberg, who was 4-0 with a team-best 1.78 ERA, Matt Barnes (5-3), and Elliott Glynn (5-4, 4.76 ERA). Glynn led the team with 12 starts and also hit .266 while making 24 starts as an outfielder.

Coast To Coast: After opening its season in Florida at the Big Ten/Big East Challenge UConn heads to California for a four-game series with Cal State Northridge followed by a game at USC. The Huskies then play Tennessee, Marshall and Ohio State in Knoxville, TN.

Illinois

2009 Record: (34-20, 16-8)

Mascot: Fighting Illini

Head Coach: Dan Hartleb

Location: Champaign, IL

Vitals: .316 BA, 42 HR, .394 OBP, .970 Fld%…5.32 ERA, 2 CG, 11 SV, 297 K, 201 BB, .298 opp BA

Thunder Sticks: Illinois returns seven of its top nine hitters from a 2009 team that came-up just short of an NCAA Regional bid. Senior catcher Aaron Johnson (.333, 10 HR, 52 RBIs) and sophomore OF Willie Argo (.355, 12 HR, 47 RBIs, 1.072 OPS) provide the biggest pop among the returnees who combined for 34 of the team’s 42 home runs last year. Junior Pete Cappetta’s .382 average also ranked sixth among Big 10 batters in ‘09

Big Splash: Argo homered in his first three collegiate at-bats in a March 7 loss at LSU last year. The Illini shocked the eventual national champions by winning the other two series games in Baton Rouge.

Solid Arms: Sophomores Bryan Roberts (5-4, 6.72 ERA) and Will Strack (6-1, 3.84 ERA) are Illinois’ top returning starters from a year ago. Strack made 9 starts and picked-up a pair of saves as well with six relief outings. Three other pitchers who combined for six saves and six wins return as well.

South Carolina Swing: While Illinois doesn’t play the likes of LSU this year they start their spring trip on March 5 in Greenville, SC vs. 2009 Super Regional team East Carolina. The Illini also plays two games vs. Big South Conference preseason favorite Coastal Carolina in Conway, SC

Opening Weekend: After the start date to the 2010 season was pushed-up a week Illinois scheduled two home games vs. Bradley. Those game were cancelled last weekend due to snow and freezing temperatures.

Indiana

2009 Record: (32-27, 16-7)

Mascot: Hoosiers

Head Coach: Tracy Smith

Location: Bloomington, IN

Vitals: .321 BA, 62 HR, .402 OBP, .960 Fld%…5.15 ERA, 7 CG, 10 SV, 439 K, 216 BB, .284 opp. BA

Arnett-less: The Hoosiers lose staff ace Eric Arnett (12-2, 2.50 ERA) who tied the IU record for wins and set a new program mark with 109 Ks, which ranked second in the Big 10. He was named co-Big 10 Pitcher of the Year with Ohio State’s Alex Wimmers. Arnett, who also pitched six of the staff’s seven complete games last year, is the first Indiana pitcher to earn conference pitcher of the year honors and to be named All-American. He was a first round pick by Milwaukee in last year’s MLB Draft.

Hoosier Holes: Arnett is among eight Hoosier players who signed professional contracts after their 2009 Big Ten Tournament Championship seson. Leading hitter Kipp Schutz (.392) and slugging catcher Josh Phegley (.344, 17 HR, 66 RBIs) are the top offensive losses.

Young Slugger: Freshman All-American outfielder Alex Dickerson (.370, 14 HR, 57 RBIs, 1.044 OPS) heads a list of four returning starters who hit .314 or better last season.

On The Mound: Senior reliever Chris Squires (2-2, 3.93 ERA, 8 SV) and weekend starter Blake Monar (5-3, 4.64 ERA) are the top returning IU pitchers. Freshman Casey Smith and redshirt sophomore Matt Ernest are two newcomers to the Hoosier staff in 2010. Smith is head coach Tracy Smith’s son, while Ernest has played wide receiver for the IU football team for the last two seasons. He had seven catches for 69 yards and a TD in 2009.

Opening Weekend: Lost their first three games at #24 San Diego by a combined 34-16 before winning the series finale 7-5.

Iowa

2009 Record: (16-36, 4-19)

Mascot: Hawkeyes

Head Coach: Jack Dahm

Location: Iowa City, IA

Vitals: .293 BA, 40 HR, .380 OBP, .951 Fld%…6.25 ERA, 0 CG, 7 SV, 330 K, 230 BB, .312 opp. BA

Line-Up Losses: The Hawkeyes return six of their top nine batters from a year ago, but they lose both Justin Toole (.346, 15 SB) and Wes Freie (.289, 9 HR, 44 RBIs).

Key Returns: All-Big Ten outfielder Ryan Durant (.370) is back to lead the offense. He’s joined by Mike McQuillan (.363), team stolen base leader Kurtis Muller (19) and Sean Flanagan (.310), who played in 27 games and started just 18, but still managed 6 home runs. Flanagan had a .696 slg % in Big Ten games.

Young Arms: No Iowa pitcher made more than nine starts last year, but the three who each started nine games all return. Sophomores Phil Schreiber (2-2, 4.57 ERA), Jarred Hippen (3-4, 4.87 ERA) and Nick Brown (2-4, 6.35 ERA) combined to win seven of Iowa’s 13 wins in 2009.

Big 12 Bound: Iowa plays eight straight games vs. a pair of Big 12 teams that made the NCAA Tournament in early March. The Hawkeyes start a four-game series at Kansas on March 5, and then head to Austin, TX to start another four-game set vs. 2009 College World Series runner-up Texas. Each series includes a day two doubleheader. They host another Big 12 team, Nebraska, on April 27.

Opening Weekend: Iowa split two games in Clarksville, TN to open the season. The Hawkeyes debuted with a 19-11 win over Illinois State and lost to Austin Peay 13-8.

Louisville

2009 Record: (47-18, 19-7)

Mascot: Cardinals

Head Coach: Dan McDonnell

Location: Louisville, KY

Vitals: .304 BA, 85 HR, .394 OBP, .970 Fld%…4.32 ERA, 2 CG, 13 SV, 536 K, 182 BB, .261 opp. BA

Cardinals Trending Hot: Louisville enters 2010 with two straight Big East Tournament championships, and the Cardinals are fresh off their second Super Regional appearance in the last three years. They won the BE regular season & tournament titles last year. The program’s 135 wins over the last three seasons rank sixth in the nation. The Cardinals have made three straight NCAA appearances, including two Super Regionals and a College World Series trip, under head coach Dan McDonnell. Cal State Fullerton beat Louisville last year in the Fullerton Super Regional to advance to Omaha.

Loaded Line-Up: The Cardinals return seven of eight everyday players from last year’s Super Regional squad. All-American junior Phil Wunderlich (.367, 18 HR, 68 RBIs, 1.113 OPS) leads the group of returnees. Seniors Andrew Clark (.350, 9 HR, 55 RBIs) and Adam Duvall (.328, 11 HR, 51 RBIs, 12 SB) are back as well.

Ready To Return: Outfielder Stewart Ijames is back after last season with a shoulder injury. Ijames was a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American in 2008 after hitting .351 with 8 home runs, 11 doubles and 39 RBIs. He led the Coastal Plain League with 12 home runs for the Thomasville HiToms last summer.

Pitching Prowess: Louisville returns 12 of the 15 pitchers who saw action last year, but they do lose their ace, Justin Marks (11-3, 3.77 ERA, 129 K in 105 IP). The left was taken by Oakland in the 3rd round of last year’s MLB draft. Dean Kiekhefer (6-5, 5.00 ERA), Gabriel Shaw (3-1, 3.73 ERA, 3 SV), Tony Zych (6-2, 3.25 ERA, 2 SV) and Thomas Royse (3-2, 3.48 ERA, 2 SV) lead the group of returnees.

Gone But Not Forgotten: The Cardinals also lose 6′4, 240 lb. Chris Dominguez (.345, 25 HR, 82 RBIs) who hit 61 home runs with a school record 218 RBIs in his three-year career (he only played three games in 2006 due to a broken forearm). He was taken in with the 86th overall pick by San Francisco in last year’s draft. His 25 home runs in ‘09 are a single-season school record, while his 61 career long balls are second in the Louisville record books.

Opening Week: Louisville swept a 3-game series vs. Bowling Green last weekend. The improved to 4-0 with a 7-2 win Tuesday night over Morehead State.

Michigan

2009 Record: (30-25, 9-15)

Mascot: Wolverines

Head Coach: Rich Maloney

Location: Ann Arbor, MI

Vitals: .294 BA, 55 HR, .387 OBP, .968 Fld%…4.82 ERA, 3 CG, 12 SV, 421 K, 205 BB, .293 BB

Out Of The Blue: Michigan has been one of the most successful teams from the north over the last seven years, but 2009 broke that recent trend. After winning three straight Big Ten titles from 2006-2008 Michigan didn’t even qualify for the league’s postseason tournament last year.

Dominant Duo: Preseason All-American OF Ryan LaMarre (.344, 12 HR, 62 RBIs) and 2009 All-Big Ten first baseman Mike Dufek (.304, 17 HR, 59 RBIs, 19 doubles) head the list of seven returning Wolverines who started at least 30 games last year. Dufek was also 1-1 on the mound with a 2.70 ERA and three saves.

Plethora Of Pitching: The Wolverines return 11 of their 14 pitchers who saw action last year, although staff ace Chris Fetter (7-3, 3.26 ERA) is the top loss. Fetter had all three of the pitching staff’s complete games last year, and he struckout 103 in 94 IP. Senior LHP Eric Katzman (7-4, 3.53 ERA) returns to lead the rotation, while Matt Miller (3.70 ERA, 3 SV) and Tyler Burgoon (4-2, 4.84 ERA, 4 SV) join Dufek in the bullpen.

Carolina Challenge: Michigan plays a 3-game series at North Carolina, which has made four straight College World Series Appearances, March 5-7. The Wolverines also play two games vs. Coastal Carolina in Myrtle Beach March 13 & 14.

Crankin’ It: Coley Crank hit .467 (7-for-15) with four home runs and nine runs batted in at the Red Raider Invitational (Feb. 19-21). He is believed to be the first player in the modern era of Division I baseball to hit three home runs on opening day after blasting out a trio of balls against Jacksonville State (Feb. 19). Crank reached base in all four games, playing primarily as a designated hitter. Named a Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week.

Opening Weekend: Went 2-2 at the Red Raider Shootout in Lubbock, TX. Won first two games vs. Jacksonville State, but lost last two games vs. Texas Tech.

Michigan State

2009 Record: (23-31, 13-11)

Mascot: Spartans

Head Coach: Jake Boss, Jr.

Location: East Lansing, MI

Vitals: .284 BA, 30 HR, .366 OBP, .966 Fld%…5.19 ERA, 2 CG, 7 SV, 302 K, 244 BB, .294 opp. BA

Who’s The Boss: Second year Michigan State head coach Jake Boss, Jr.’s dad, Jake Boss, Sr., is the Spartans’ volunteer assistant coach. The elder boss has 29 years of head coaching experience was inducted into the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1994. He has also served as a Major League scout for the Toronto Blue Jays and L.A. Dodgers.

Sparty’s Charges: The Spartans return the bulk of their starting position players, although they do lose their top overall hitter Eric Roof (.345, 6 HR, 41 RBIs), who led the team in nearly every offensive category. Outfielder Eli Boike (.310, 36 RBIs, 12 SB), who led MSU with 8 home runs heads the list of returnees. Jeff Holm (16), Jonathon Roof (11) and Brandon Eckerle (13) combined with Boike to help the Spartans steal 71 bases last year.

Two For One: Two of three weekend starters, Soph. Tony Bucciferro (5-2, 3.55 ERA) and Jr. A.J. Achter (3-6, 3.76 ERA), return to spearhead the pitching staff. They do lose Nolan Moody (6-5, 4.53 ERA), who led the staff with his six wins and tossed the team’s only two complete games.

Opening Weekend: Beat Furman & Miami (OH), but lost 10-2 to Clemson in Greenville, SC. MS. Shortstop Jonathon Roof was named Big Ten Player of the Week. Roof went 7-for-11 at the plate over the weekend with two homers, three RBIs and four runs scored.

Minnesota

2009 Record: (40-19, 17-6)

Mascot: Golden Gophers

Head Coach: John Anderson

Location: Minneapolis, MN

Vitals: .314 BA, 55 HR, .391 OBP, .971 Fld%…4.85 ERA, 1 CG, 18 SV, 392 K, 192 BB, .285 opp. BA

Slow And Steady: Minnesota didn’t make a big early splash like Illinois, but the Gophers had just a pair of two-game losing streaks and one three-game skid during the regular season en-route to 40 wins in 2009. Minnesota has won at least 40 games and gone to an NCAA Regional in two of the last three seasons.

Minnesota Milestone: Head coach John Anderson got his 1,000th career win last May with a 7-6 win at Penn State. Anderson is the 20th head coach to win 1,000 games with the same team and the first Big Ten coach to accomplish the feat.

Iron Men: Senior Michael Kvasnicka (.341, 10 HR, 65 RBIs) leads trio of returning Minnesota players who started all 59 games last year. Redshirt Soph. Nick O’Shea (.287, 11 HR, 44 RBIs) started every game last year as well, while A.J. Petterson (.353) started all but one game. The Golden Gophers do lose Derek McCallum (.409, 18 HR, 86 RBIs), who also started every game last year and then was taken by the Minnesota Twins in the fourth round of last year’s MLB Draft.

Golden Arm: Closer Scott Matyas (0-1, 2.22 ERA, 15 SV) is back to lead the pitching staff. The junior finished second in the Big Ten with his 15 saves last year to Ohio State’s Jake Hale. He struckout 45 of the 104 batters he faced in 28 1/3 innings last year. Matyas was drafted by the Yankees last year in the 29th round, but he opted to return for his jurnio season (he redshirted in 2007). Fellow junior Seth Rosin (7-1, 4.21 ERA) is the lone returning weekend starter.

Opening Weekend: Took 2 of 3 games from Akron in Ft. Myers, FL. The two wins were by finals of 6-0 and 1-0. Michael Kvasnicka scored the only run of the series finale with a walk-off home run. It was the Golden Gopher’s first walk-off HR since 2005.

Northwestern

2009 Record: (14-35-1, 5-17)

Mascot: Wildcats

Head Coach: Paul Stevens

Location: Evanston, IL

Vitals: .264 BA, 35 HR, .333 OBP, .964 Fld%…6.39 ERA, 6 CG, 4 SV, 274 K, 182 BB, .318 opp. BA

Big League Digs: The Wildcats will play a doubleheader vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Milwaukee’s Miller Park on April 28. The twin bill will be played after the Milwaukee Brewers play the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 12:10 pm game.

Wildcat Workhorses: Northwestern returns it entire weekend pitching rotation from 2009. Senior LHP Joe Muraski (3-5, 5.31 ERA) led the staff with 65 Ks in 81 1/3 IP, while posting a team-best .276 opponent batting average, junior LHP Eric Jokisch (4-7, 5.48 ERA) pitched five of the staff’s six complete games en-route to a team-leading 88 2/3 IP and sophomore RHP Eric Morton (2-7, 5.65 ERA) was the only other Wildcat to pitch more than 57 innings in ‘09. Relievers Michael Jahns (1-1, 3.56 ERA) and Francis Brooke (2-2, 3.68 ERA) are back as well.

Long Ball Loss: The Wildcats return most of their line-up from 2009, but they lose home run and RBI leader Tony Vercelli (.258, 11 HR, 40 RBIs). Paul Snieder (.244, 6 HR, 25 RBIs) is the team’s top returning home run hitter, Kenneth Avila (.293) hit for the best average last year, while Chris Lashmet (.296, 5 HR, 30 RBIs) returns as well.

No Home Cookin’: For the second straight year Northwestern will play just 15 home games.

Opening Weekend: Northwestern went 0-4 at the Bojangles Baseball Classic in Rock Hill, SC. The Wildcats were outscored 58-9 in their four games vs. Winthrop, Marist and George Mason (twice).

Notre Dame

2009 Record: (36-23, 15-12)

Mascot: Fighting Irish

Head Coach: Dave Schrage

Location: Notre Dame, IN

Vitals: .309 BA, 51 HR, .392 OBP, .966 Fld%…5.36 ERA, 7 CG, 12 SV, 328 BB, 220, .286 opp. BA

Line-Up Losses: The Irish lose their top three hitters, including their top two run producers from 2009. CF A.J. Pollock (.365, 10 HR, 52 RBIs, 21 SB) was taken by Arizona with the 17th overall pick in last year’s MLB draft. He was the highest Irish player drafted since 1965. SS Jeremy Barnes (.353, 15 HR, 70 RBIs) was drafted in the 11th round by Philadelphia. Barnes was Notre Dame’s RBI leader in 3 of his 4 years. Meanwhile, OF Golden Tate (.329, 45 R, 13 SB), who won the Biletnikoff Award on the football field last fall, won’t play baseball this year to prepare for April’s NFL Draft.

Solid Nucleus: Despite the significant losses Notre Dame still returns six players who hit .301 or better in 2009, including Jr. INF Mick Doyle (.327) and Sr. OF David Mills (.325), who was also 2-1 with a save as a relief pitcher.

Plenty Of Pitching: Virtually every significant pitcher from 2009 is back this season, including the entire weekend rotation of Jr. Cole Johnson(7-3, 4.47 ERA), Jr. Brian Dupra (6-5, 3 CG) and Sr. Eric Maust (6-3, 4.94) who has also doubled as a punter on the Irish football team. Relievers Will Hudgins (2-0, 3.65 ERA, 3 SV), Todd Miller (1-2, 5.40 ERA, 5 SV) and Ryan Richter (5-2, 3.85 ERA) return as well. RHP Ryan Sharpley is also back after missing all of 2009 due to injury.

Addition By Addition: Collegiate coaching veteran Dave Dengler joins the Irish staff as the pitching coach for 2010. As a head coach he led Linn-Blinton CC and Yavapai JC to a combined five Junior College World Series appearances, including the 1993 NJCAA National Championship (Yavapai). Dengler was also the head coach at Portland State for four years before the program was disbanded. In his 23 years as a college coach Dengler had 23 pitchers, including World Series MVP Curt Schilling, selected in the MLB Draft.

Opening Weekend: The Fighting Irish swept three games vs. Mississippi Valley State. Notre Dame swept the games played in Itta Bena and Greenville, MS by a combined 39-10. First baseman Casey Martin was named Big East Player of the Week after going 8-for-16 with two home runs and 7 RBIs.

Ohio State

2009 Record: (42-19, 18-6)

Mascot: Buckeyes

Head Coach: Bob Todd

Location: Columbus, OH

Vitals: .328 BA, 66 HR, .400 BA, .963 Fld%…6.39 ERA, 5 CG, 21 SV, 462 K, 265 BB, .300 opp. BA

Dynamic Duo: Reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Dan Burkhart (.354, 10 HR, 62 RBIs) and co-Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Alex Wimmers (9-2, 3.27 ERA) return to spearhead the Buckeyes in 2010. The juniors were not only high school teammates at Cincinnati’s Archbishop Moeller high school, but also teammates back to their Little League days. Burkhart started 57 of OSU’s 61 games last year, while serving as the battery mate for Wimmers’ May 2, 2009 no-hitter in a 6-0 win over arch-rival Michigan.

Buckeyes Back: Including Burkhart OSU returns 8 of its top 10 hitters from last year’s NCAA Regional team. Among them are outfielder Michael Stephens (.346, 14 HR, 63 RBIs), team batting leader Ryan Dew (.388), Zach Hurley (.346, 14 SB), Cory Kovanda (.341), and Matt Streng (.308, 8 HR). Starting pitchers Eric Best (7-4, 5.95 ERA) and and Dean Wolosiansky (11-2, 6.04 ERA) are back as well.

There’s A Hole In The Pen: The biggest hole to fill for the Buckeyes in 2010 will be the one left by closer Jake Hale (0-1, 1.31 ERA, 18 SV). The All-American led the Big Ten and ranked second in the nation last year with his 18 saves.

Bad Aftertaste: Despite the thrill of a trip to the Tallahassee NCAA Regional last year, Ohio State ended the season on a sour note with a 37-4 loss to host Florida State. The Seminoles set NCAA Tournament records for runs, hits (38), total bases (66), and doubles (15) against a team that was playing its fourth game in three days. 33 of the FSU runs were earned. Without those runs the OSU staff ERA would drop nearly half a run to 5.93.

Big East Challenge, Part II: In addition to its games vs. Notre Dame, USF and Cincinnati at the Big Ten/Big East Challenge Ohio State has five more match-ups with Big East teams during the regular season. The Buckeyes play UConn on March 14 in Knoxville, TN, USF again in Winter Haven on March 24, two games vs. Louisville in Columbus May 4 & 5, and then welcome Pittsburgh to town for a May 18 contest.

Opening Weekend: The Buckeyes were 3-0 last weekend in Jacksonville, FL. They out scored North Florida, Florida A&M and Richmond by a combined 40-12. The three wins gave head coach Bob Todd 1,000 career victories. Alex Wimmers earned Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors he fanned 9 with one walk in 6 innings in the season-opening 4-2 win over North Florida.

Penn State

2009 Record: (25-26, 8-16)

Mascot: Nittany Lions

Head Coach: Robbie Wine

Location: State College, PA

Vitals: .294 BA, 29 HR, .371 OBP, .964 Fld%…5.78 ERA, 1 CG, 10 SV, 339 K, 219 BB, .300 opp. BA

Staying & Going: Penn State returns its top two hitters, but loses two of its top run producers from last year’s team. sophomore Jordan Sternaka led the Nittany Lions in batting average (.365), home runs (6), RBIs (42), slg% (.536), and triples (3) as a true freshman. He also tied fellow returnee Blake Lynd (.356) for the team lead with 39 runs scored. PSU does lose coach’s son Cory Wine (.307, 5 HR, 41 RBIs) and Mike Deese (.301, 5 HR, 40 RBIs).

PSU Pitching: The pitching staff loses its top three starters from 2009, but three top relievers return. Sophomore Ryan Ignas (5-1, 5.31 ERA, 5 SV) led the staff in wins and saves last year, Sr. LHP David Lutz (4-2, 3.38 ERA, 3 SV) had the staff’s best ERA and Jr. Jesse Alfreno’s (1-0, 4.44 ERA, SV) 20 appearances were the team’s third-most behind Lutz (26) and Ignas (22). Alfreno is also a cornerback on the Penn State football team.

Texas Two Step: Penn State plays five straight games against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams in March with two games vs. Texas A&M in College Station, TX followed by a 3-game set vs. Texas State in San Marcos.

Opening Weekend: Penn State’s three scheduled games last weekend were canceled due to snow. The Nittany Lions were to have played a neutral site game vs. Coppin State and two games at Longwood.

Purdue

2009 Record: (25-26, 11-12)

Mascot: Boilermakers

Head Coach: Doug Schreiber

Location: West Lafayette, IN

Vitals: .316 BA, 40 RBIs, .405 OBP, .954 Fld%…5.96 ERA, 4 CG, 10 SV, 341 K, 199 BB, .301 opp. BA

Big Boiler Losses: Purdue loses three vital cogs from last year’s team. Brandon Haveman (.422, 20 doubles), John Cummins (.400) and slugger Dan Black (.310, 15 HR, 51 RBIs) are all gone. Black’s 62 walks were second in the nation in 2009.

Top Returners: Sophomore infielder Eric Charles (.371, 45 Runs) is the Boilermakers top returning hitter. He’s joined in the line-up by David Blount (.322) and Drew Madia (.290, 6 HR, 32 RBIs), whose home run and RBI totals were both second to Black last year.

Plenty Of Pitching: All three weekend starters, seniors Matt Bischoff (4-5, 5.54 ERA) & Matt Jansen (4-6, 6.62 ERA) and junior Matt Morgan (6-5, 4.75 ERA), are back for the Boilermakers this year. Bischoff has received All-Big Ten recognition in each of his first three seasons. Saves leader Kevin Cahill (3-2, 6.40 ERA, 6 SV) is back in the bullpen along with Drew Wurdack (4-1, 5.45 ERA, 2 SV)

Home Grown: 23 players on Purdue’s official web site roster are from the state of Indiana.

Out Of The Gate: Purdue’s three games this weekend vs. Villanova, Cincinnati and Rutgers are its first three games of the 2010 season.

Rutgers

2009 Record: (22-31, 8-19)

Mascot: Scarlet Knights

Head Coach: Fred Hill

Location: Piscataway, NJ

Vitals: .292 BA, 35 HR, 52 SB, .374 OBP, .956 Fld%…6.24 ERA, 1 CG, 10 SV, 311 K, 236 BB, .310 opp BA

King Of The Hill: Entering his 27th season at Rutgers, Fred Hill is easily the longest tenured head coach in the Big East. Hill became just the third person to have his jersey retired at Montclair State at a Feb. 13 ceremony. He started his head coaching career there and guided Montclair to the 1983 NCAA Division III World Series. Hill enters 2010 just 20 wins away from 1,000. Hill’s brother Brian is currently an assistant coach for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons, and his son, Fred, is the head coach of the Rutgers men’s basketball team.

A Lot In The Line-Up: The Scarlet Knights return eight position players, a DH and 10 of their top 11 hitters from last year’s team. Michael Lang (.343, 8 HR, 38 RBIs, 10 SB and Jaren Matthews (.328, 6 HR, 28 RBIs, 10 SB) head the pack.

Mound Presence: 2009 Cape Cod All-Star Casey Gaynor (2-9, 5.54 ERA) is among the pitching staff’s top three pitchers who return. Gaynor was the pitching staff’s workhorse, with the team’s only complete game. Willie Beard (0-2, 2.28 ERA) thrived as the team’s closer with 8 saves as a freshman, while senior RHP Matt Giannini returns after missing 2009 due to injury.

Challenges Abound: Rutgers makes its Big Ten/Big East Challenge debut this year, but it has a pair of challenges sandwiched around the second weekend of the season. The Scarlet Knights open 2010 with three games vs. the Miami Hurricanes in Coral Gables, FL and then face another ACC power with three more games vs. Georgia Tech in Atlanta March 5-7.

Opening Weekend: The Scarlet Knights lost their three games to Miami last weekend. The Hurricanes outscored Rutgers 31-16 in the series.

St. John’s

2009 Record: (30-22, 16-11)

Mascot: Red Storm

Head Coach: Ed Blankmeyer

Location: Queens, NY

Vitals: .349 BA, 42 HR, .422 OBP, .963 Fld%…6.20 ERA, 1 CG, 10 SV, 328 K, 235 BB, .315 opp. BA

Red, White & Blue: Head coach Ed Blankmeyer will serve as an assistant coach this summer for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. The 2010 schedule is highlighted by the V FISU World University Championships in Japan.

Red Storm Regulars: St. John’s returns five players who made at least 34 starts and hit .331 or better. Soph. OF Jimmy Parque (.360, 5 HR, 61 RBIs) and Jr. third baseman Greg Hopkins (.349, 7 HR, 45 RBIs). They lose Tim Morris (.415, 12 HR) and Matt Kemp (.379, 16 SB) who were selected in the 11th and 19th rounds, respectively, in last year’s MLB Draft.

Plus Pitching: The Red Storm returns a group of pitchers that accounted for 44 of the staff’s 52 starts last year, including Nick Cenatiempo (5-3, 7 starts), Eddie Medina (5-3, 4 starts, 1 SV), Brendan Lobban (4-2, 7 starts) and Bruce Kern (5-4, 11 starts) who had the team’s only complete game. Senior closer Ryan Cole (2-0, 3.49 ERA, 5 SV) is back as well.

Opening Weekend: St. John’s opened its season by sweeping a 3-game series at New Orleans. The weekend was highlighted by a 31-6 win in the series finale. The 31 runs scored are the most in a game for the Red Storm since 1954. Paul Karmas was 4-for-7 in the game with 3 home runs and 10 RBIs. This will be the Privateers’ last season of Division I competition as they transition to Division III in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Seton Hall

2009 Record: (25-24, 13-14)

Mascot: Pirates

Head Coach: Rob Sheppard

Location: South Orange, NJ

Vitals: .274 BA, 20 HR, .371 OBP, .954 Fld%…4.33 ERA, 9 CG, 5 SV, 307 K, 199 BB, .282 opp. BA

All In The Family: Head coach Rob Sheppard’s brother, Mike Sheppard, Jr., is the head baseball coach at Seton Hall Prep. Their father, Mike Sheppard, Sr., coached the Pirates from 1974-2003.

All In The Family II: Seton Hall volunteer assistant Zach Porcello’s younger brothers, Rick and Jake Porcello, both played for Mike Sheppard, Jr. at Seton Hall Prep. Rick Porcello was a first round draft pick by the Detroit Tigers in 2007. He was 14-9 with a 3.96 ERA for the Tigers last year. Jake Porcello is now a freshman pitcher on the Seton Hall roster.

Tale Of The Tape: The Pirates lose their top two hitters, Matt Smedberg (.382, 2 HR, 26 RBIs) and Chris Affinito (.324, 9 HR, 50 RBIs), as well as two of their weekend starters, Sean Black (4-6, 3.99 ERA, 2 CG) and Keith Cantwell (6-3, 3.48 ERA, 5 CG), from last year’s team. Their top returners are Sr. OF Michael Rogers (.299, HR, 23 RBIs), Jr. SS A.J. Rusbarsky (.271, 1 HR, 20 RBIs) and Jr. RHP Joe DiRocco (4-3, 4.46 ERA, 2 CG).

Opening Weekend: Seton Hall opened the season by being swept in a 3-game series at Texas A&M. The Aggies outscored the Pirates 30-11.

South Florida

2009 Record: (34-25, 18-9)

Mascot: Bulls

Head Coach: Lelo Prado

Location: Tampa, FL

Vitals: .315 BA, 36 HR, .407 OBP, .968 Fld%…4.79 ERA, 8 CG, 11 SV, 402 K, 204 BB, .274 opp. BA

Big Plans: Plans are in the works for a new baseball stadium at USF. The stadium is part of a $30 million facilities upgrade that will benefit other sports as well. The overall capacity of the stadium is expected to exceed 3,000 and is being designed to accommodate additional seating that will enable USF to host NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals.l The new home plate and press box area will be built on what is currently the right field foul pole area of Red McEwen Field.

Sophomore Slump: Junior OF Ryan Lockwood will look for a big bounce-back season in 2010. He hit .415 and was named Collegiate Baseball’s 2008 National Freshman of the Year, but slumped to just a .289 average last year.

The Champ Is Back: Lockwood and 2009 Big East batting champion (conference games only) Junior Carlin (.384 overall/.471 Big East games)) are among five line-up regulars who return in 2010. 57 of Carlin’s hits last year were singles, which contributed to USF’s .441 ranking 8th in the 12-team Big East.

Great Expectations: League coaches named Jr. RHP Randy Fontanez (7-3, 3.09 ERA, 6 CG) the Preseason Big East Pitcher of the Year. Fontanez made 13 starts in 2009, while holding opponents to a .250 average. He tossed six of the staff’s eight complete games. USF also returns starters Derrick Stultz (5-4, 4.48 ERA) and Teddy Kauffman (3-5, 5.86 ERA) as well as reliever Kevin Quackenbush (2-2, 3.94 ERA, 6 SV).

Opening Weekend: USF lost three games in Gainesville, FL last weekend. The Gators outscored the Bulls 22-9.

Villanova

2009 Record: (22-28, 6-20)

Mascot: Wildcats

Head Coach: Joe Godri

Location: Villanova, PA

Vitals: .282 BA, 23 HR, .384 OBP, .970 Fld%…6.15 ERA, 4 CG, 8 SV, 283 K, 206 BB, .308 opp. BA

Hail Szczur: OF/C Matt Szczur (pronounced like Julius Caesar) helped lead the Villanova football team to the 2009 FCS Division I National Championship in December. He was named both the CAA’s Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Year this for the season. The junior ran for 810 yards and 10 touchdowns, passed for 22 yards and 2 TDs, averaged 27.2 yards on 30 kickoff returns, and had 51 catches for 610 yards and 4 more TDs in 2009. Szczur missed his freshman baseball season due to injury, but he led the Wildcats with a .346 average and 18 stolen bases last year. More Experience: Szczur is one of five returning position playing starters for VU, including Jr. INF David Koczirka (.340, HR, 39 RBIs) 12 of 14 pitchers who saw action for the Wildcats last year are back as well. The group combined to make all 50 starts in 2009. Senior RHP Brian Streilein (5-8, 5.46 ERA, 2 CG) leads the rotation, while Jr. LHP Mike Francisco (1-2, 4.24 ERA, 4 SV) leads the relief corps.

Challenge Debut: Villanova opened the 2009 season by playing eventual national champion LSU in the first games in the new Alex Box Stadium, making this year the team’s debut in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge.

Opening Weekend: The Wildcats opened the 2010 season by sweeping a 3-game series at Norfolk State. They outscored the Spartans by a combined 30-6. Brian Streilein earned Big East Pitcher of the Week recognition by pitching 6 2/3 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts in the season-opening 13-2 win. Ten Wildcats had at least one hit in the game.

West Virginia

2009 Record: (37-18, 17-10)

Mascot: Mountaineers

Head Coach: Greg Van Zant

Location: Morgantown, WV

Vitals: .360 BA, 68 HR, .443 OBP, .966 Fld%…5.40 ERA, 7 CG, 10 SV, 375 K, 199 BB, .300 opp. BA

Dinging It: The Mountaineers led the Big East in batting average (.360), slugging percentage (.564), on-base percentage (.443), and runs scored (525) in 2009.

.400 Or Bust: Two of the top three hitters in the Big East return to lead the West Virginia offense this year. Dan DiBartolomeo’s .439 overall average led the conference, while Jedd Gyorko’s .421 avg. was third. Gyorko is a 2009 Cape Cod League All-Star who was the 2008 Big East Freshman of the Year. Big East coaches voted him the 2010 Preseason Player of the Year. Line-Up Losses: WVU loses its top two home run hitters in Justin Parks and Austin Markel who hit 12 and 15 HR, respectively last year.

Mound Men: Weekend starters Jr. RHP Jarryd Summers (7-3, 3.06 ERA, 2 CG) andLHP Jonathon Jones (6-2, 6.57 ERA) are joined by workhorse closer Chris Enourato (6-2, 3.66 ERA, 6 SV) as the top returnees on the pitching staff. Enourato made 20 relief appearances last year and averaged more than two innings per outing. The senior has been named to the NCBWA’s Preseason Stopper of the Year watch list.

Phantom Starts: WVU pitchers Jarryd Summers, Jonathon Jones and Billy Gross were credited with a combined 15 “starts” on the offensive scorecard last season, but none of them had an at-bat or any offensive stat during the year. Head coach Greg Van Zant’s custom is to substitute his DH for the pitcher when that spot in the batting order is due at the plate for the first time in a game.

Opening Weekend: The Mountaineers lost three games in Conway, SC to Coastal Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia Tech. They were outscored 24-5 in the trio of losses.

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Get Ready For 2010 With A College Baseball Podcast

Sean Stires — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:01:38 +0000

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Plenty Of Player Interviews To Get Fans Primed For The Season

The 2010 college baseball season starts Friday, and Collegebaseball360.com has spent the off-season talking with plenty of players for our “College Baseball Podcasts”. We will have plenty more player podcasts throughout the season along with weekly analysis with our “College Baseball 360 Radio Podcasts” beginning in March.

For now here’s a list of interviews you can listen to before the season starts:

LSU Head Coach Paul Mainieri – Reflects on winning the 2009 National Championship.

UT Arlington’s Michael Choice – Talks about his summer with Team USA & upcoming season.

Washington State’s Chad Arnold – On his summer & last year’s record-setting Cougar season.

George Washington’s Marshall Seedorf – Talks about balancing being a college pitcher and swimmer.

UConn’s Pierre LePage – Discusses big plans for 2010 & winning a Cape Cod League title.

Southern Mississippi’s B.A. Vollmuth – On the College World Series run & playing on The Cape last summer.

East Carolina’s Kyle Roller – Cape Cod MVP talks about going farther with ECU this year.

West Virginia’s Jedd Gyorko – On Cape Cod & getting the Mountaineers over the hump.

Florida Gulf Coast’s Chris Sale – Cape Cod Pitching MVP talks about FGCU being NCAA eligible this year.

Middle Tennessee’s Bryce Brentz – The 2009 NCAA hitting & HR leader on growing as a college baseball player.

Villanova two-sport star Matt Szczur – On winning a football national title & plans for the future.

Michigan’s Ryan LaMarre – The preseason All-American on returning Michigan to NCAA Tourney.

OVC Baseball Coaches - A handful talk about moving the OVC Tourney to Pringles Park this year.

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Webcasting Set For 2010 Big Ten/Big East Challenge

Sean Stires — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:00:28 +0000

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Collegebaseball360.com To Stream Nine Games Live

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Collegebaseball360.com, the fastest-growing college baseball website on the internet, will be providing live video webcasts for nine of the 30 scheduled games of the 2010 Big Ten/BIG EAST Baseball Challenge, hosted by the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission Feb. 26-28, Scott Lowe, CEO of event manager API Sports announced today, The webcasts commence with one of the Challenge’s opening contests, Rutgers vs. Iowa, Friday, Feb. 26 at 10 a.m. at Al Lang Stadium in St. Pete.

“Last year we teamed up with the participating schools’ sports information directors to provide links to their live in-game statistics on our website at www.BigTenBIGEASTChallenge.com,” said API CEO Scott Lowe. “The amount of traffic generated that weekend indicated that there was tremendous interest in the event, so we decided to team up with CollegeBaseball360.com to provide live streaming action in 2010. We are very excited by the partnership and see this as a natural evolution as the Challenge continues to grow.”

In addition to the Rutgers-Iowa clash, other games available on the opening Friday include Cincinnati vs. Penn State at 1 p.m. from Al Lang Stadium as well as St. John’s vs. Minnesota (4 p.m.) and Louisville vs. Michigan (7:30 p.m.) from Dunedin Stadium. The Saturday Feb. 27 webcast slate features Villanova vs. Indiana (10 a.m. from Al Lang), Purdue vs. Cincinnati (4 p.m. from Jack Russell) and Ohio State vs. Notre Dame (4 p.m. from Bright House Field). Challenge webcasts wrap up with Northwestern vs. Seton Hall at 10 a.m. and Michigan State vs. West Virginia at 1 p.m. Sunday from Al Lang. In addition, interviews with players and coaches and other interesting features will be provided from the 2010 Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge.

Award-winning broadcaster Sean Stires will handle the bulk of the play by play duties during the 2010 Big Ten/Big East Challenge. Tampa Bay Rays Broadcasting Coordinator Sean Houston will pitch-in with play by play duties at the Challenge as well.

The 2010 Challenge gets under way on Friday, Feb. 26, 2010, with 10 a.m. starts at the Naimoli Complex, Jack Russell and Al Lang. Naimoli hosts 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. games on Friday and Saturday, with Jack Russell and Al Lang offering starts at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. those days. St. John’s takes on Minnesota at 4 p.m. Friday at Dunedin Stadium, followed by a matchup of traditional NCAA Tournament contenders when Michigan faces Louisville at 7:30 p.m. Saturday’s doubleheader at Bright House Field features Notre Dame against Ohio State at 4 p.m., with USF taking on Illinois in the nightcap at 7:30 p.m. Sunday there will be 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. games at Jack Russell, Al Laing and Naimoli.

2010 Big Ten/BIG EAST Baseball Challenge Webcast Schedule

Friday Feb. 26

10 am Rutgers vs. Iowa Al Lang Stadium

1 pm Cincinnati vs. Penn State Al Lang Stadium

4 pm St. John’s vs. Minnesota Dunedin Stadium

7:30pm Louisville vs. Michigan Dunedin Stadium

Saturday Feb. 27

10 am Villanova vs. Indiana Al Lang Stadium

1 pm Purdue vs. Cincinnati Jack Russell Stadium

4 pm Ohio State vs. Notre Dame Bright House Field

Sunday Feb. 28

10 am Northwestern vs. Seton Hall Al Lang Stadium

1 pm Michigan State vs. West Virginia Al Lang Stadium

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Big East Baseball 2010 Preview

Sean Stires — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 13:01:32 +0000

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Louisville Looks To Continue Recent Dominance

2009 Regular Season Champion: Louisville

2009 Tournament Champion: Louisville

Louisville enters 2010 with two straight Big East Tournament championships, and the Cardinals are fresh off their second Super Regional appearance in the last three years. UL has a loaded line-up back this season, but teams with veteran offenses like West Virginia and Connecticut along with talented pitching staffs at USF and Notre Dame are poised to challenge as well.

Ten Big East teams will take part in the 2010 Big Ten-Big East Baseball Challenge, hosted by the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission. The second annual event takes place Feb. 26-28. For tickets visit www.BigTenBIGEASTChallenge.com.

2010 Big East Baseball Preview

Cincinnati

2009 Record: (29-29, 13-14)

Mascot: Bearcats

Head Coach: Brian Cleary

Location: Cincinnati, OH

Vitals: .285 BA, 72 HR, .382 OBP, .965 Fld%…6.73 ERA, 1 CG, 12 SV, 376 K, 194 BB, .318 opp. BA

Connecticut

2009 Record: (36-24, 14-13)

Mascot: Huskies

Head Coach: Jim Penders

Location: Storrs, CT

Vitals: .318 BA, 51 HR, .393 OBP, .959 Fld%…4.39 ERA, 1 CG, 14 SV, 455 K, 197 BB, .269 opp. BA

George Springer

Georgetown

2009 Record: (17-34, 8-18)

Mascot: Hoyas

Head Coach: Pete Wilk

Location: Washington, D.C.

Vitals: .279 BA, 45 HR, .354 OBP…6.04 ERA, 0 CG, 9 SV, 269 K, 163 BB, .311 opp. BA

Key Returns: Georgetown returns six of its top seven batters from a year ago. Junior Erick Fernandez led the team in average (.349, doubles (16) and OPS (.970). The catcher also hit five home runs. Fellow junior Sean Lamont hit just .267, but he smacked a team-best 14 home runs while driving-in 50 runs. The players Georgetown returns this year combined to hit 37 of the club’s 45 home runs in 2009.

Pitching: Senior Tim Adleman(4-8, 5.40 ERA) is the only returning weekend starter from 2009. His four wins were a team-high. The Hoyas do return a quartet of solid relievers, Pablo Vinent (0-1, 4.24 ERA), Bobby Kirby (1-1, 5.09 ERA), Billy Concannon (1-0, 5.12), and Tommy Isaacs (2-2, 5.40 ERA), who combined to make 55 appearances with six starts and three saves last year. They’ll likely take-on more significant roles with the departures of Jimmy Saris and Will Harris who combined to make 24 starts.

No Challenge: For the second straight year Georgetown will not participate in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge.

Louisville

2009 Record: (47-18, 19-7)

Mascot: Cardinals

Head Coach: Dan McDonnell

Location: Louisville, KY

Vitals: .304 BA, 85 HR, .394 OBP, .970 Fld%…4.32 ERA, 2 CG, 13 SV, 536 K, 182 BB, .261 opp. BA

Cardinals Trending Hot: Louisville’s 135 wins over the last three seasons rank sixth in the nation. The Cardinals have made three straight NCAA appearances, including two Super Regionals and a College World Series trip, under head coach Dan McDonnell.

Phil Wunderlichappearances with two Super Regionals and a 2007 College World Series appearance during his tenure. Cal State Fullerton beat Louisville last year in the Fullerton Super Regional to advance to Omaha.

Gone But Not Forgotten: The Cardinals also lose 6’4, 240 lb. Chris Dominguez (.345, 25 HR, 82 RBIs) who hit 61 home runs with a school record 218 RBIs in his three-year career (he only played three games in 2006 due to a broken forearm). He was taken in with the 86th overall pick by San Francisco in last year’s draft. His 25 home runs in ’09 are a single-season school record, while his 61 career long balls are second in the Louisville record books.

Reunion Time: Louisville plays a 3-game series in Oxford, MS vs. 2009 Super Regional team Ole Miss March 12-14. McDonnell was a Rebel assistant for five seasons prior to his current tenure.

Notre Dame

2009 Record: (36-23, 15-12)

Mascot: Fighting Irish

Head Coach: Dave Schrage

Location: Notre Dame, IN

Vitals: .309 BA, 51 HR, .392 OBP, .966 Fld%…5.36 ERA, 7 CG, 12 SV, 328 BB, 220, .286 opp. BA

Solid Nucleus: Despite the significant losses Notre Dame still returns six players who hit .301 or better in 2009,

Cole Johnson

including Jr. INF Mick Doyle (.327) and Sr. OF David Mills (.325), who was also 2-1 with a save as a relief pitcher.

Pittsburgh

2009 Record: (28-21, 13-15)

Mascot: Panthers

Head Coach: Joe Jordano

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Vitals: .307 BA, 60 HR, 77 SB, .376 OBP, .971 Fld%…6.35 ERA, 4 CG, 8 SV, 304 K, 189 BB, .314 opp. BA

Needed Facelift: The Big East baseball facility that was most in need of an upgrade will finally get one. Pittsburgh announced a “generous and substantial gift” last fall for the construction of the Peterson Sports Complex, which will be built on 12 acres of Pitt’s upper campus. The complex will benefit baseball, softball and soccer. Baseball upgrades include a press box, team dugouts, synthetic playing surface, practice areas, and lighting. Completion is scheduled to be ready for next season.

So Long Sedon: Junior college transfer Chris Sedon made the most of his only year at Pitt. The second baseman led the Panthers in average (.398), HR (22), RBIs (62), Slg% (.796), OBP (.449), and SB (19). He signed professionally after being taken by Detroit in the 10th round of last year’s MLB Draft.

Panthers Back: Pitt returns five players, Kevan Smith (.363), Danny Lopez (.323), John Schultz (.319), Joe Leonard (.316), and Frank Mercurio (.306), who will try to make-up for the loss of Sedon’s production. However, their combined home run total was just 19, while Leonard’s 35 RBIs led the group. The Panthers also return two-thirds of their weekend rotation with Corey Baker (6-3, 5.91 ERA) and David Kaye (3-4, 5.74 ERA). They combined for three of the staff’s four complete games.

Un-Challenged: For the second straight year Pittsburgh will not compete in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge. The Panthers open their season with three games at Wofford and then play Bradley, Memphis and Toledo at the Service Academy Classic in Memphis, TN Feb. 26-28.

Rutgers

2009 Record: (22-31, 8-19)

Mascot: Scarlet Knights

Head Coach: Fred Hill

Location: Piscataway, NJ

Vitals: .292 BA, 35 HR, 52 SB, .374 OBP, .956 Fld%…6.24 ERA, 1 CG, 10 SV, 311 K, 236 BB, .310 opp BA

King Of The Hill: Entering his 27th season at Rutgers, Fred Hill is easily the longest tenured head coach in the Big East. Hill will become just the third person to have his jersey retired at Montclair State at a Feb. 13 ceremony. He

Jaren Matthews

started his head coaching career there and guided Montclair to the 1983 NCAA Division III World Series. Hill enters 2010 just 20 wins away from 1,000. Hill’s brother Brian is currently an assistant coach for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons, and his son, Fred, is the head coach of the Rutgers men’s basketball team.

Seton Hall

2009 Record: (25-24, 13-14)

Mascot: Pirates

Head Coach: Rob Sheppard

Location: South Orange, NJ

Vitals: .274 BA, 20 HR, .371 OBP, .954 Fld%…4.33 ERA, 9 CG, 5 SV, 307 K, 199 BB, .282 opp. BA

Texas 3-Step: Seton Hall opens the season with a 3-game series in College Station, TX vs. Texas A&M.

St. John’s

2009 Record: (30-22, 16-11)

Mascot: Red Storm

Head Coach: Ed Blankmeyer

Location: Queens, NY

Vitals: .349 BA, 42 HR, .422 OBP, .963 Fld%…6.20 ERA, 1 CG, 10 SV, 328 K, 235 BB, .315 opp. BA

Greg Hopkins

Last Go ‘Round: St. John’s opens its season with a 3-game series at New Orleans. This will be the Privateers’ last season of Division I competition as they transition to Division III in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

South Florida

2009 Record: (34-25, 18-9)

Mascot: Bulls

Head Coach: Lelo Prado

Location: Tampa, FL

Vitals: .315 BA, 36 HR, .407 OBP, .968 Fld%…4.79 ERA, 8 CG, 11 SV, 402 K, 204 BB, .274 opp. BA

Sophomore Slump: Junior OF Ryan Lockwood will look for a big bounce-back season in 2010. He hit .415 and

Randy Fontanez

was named Collegiate Baseball’s 2008 National Freshman of the Year, but slumped to just a .289 average last year.

Villanova

2009 Record: (22-28, 6-20)

Mascot: Wildcats

Head Coach: Joe Godri

Location: Villanova, PA

Vitals: .282 BA, 23 HR, .384 OBP, .970 Fld%…6.15 ERA, 4 CG, 8 SV, 283 K, 206 BB, .308 opp. BA

Matt Szczur

More Experience: Szczur is one of five returning position playing starters for VU, including Jr. INF David Koczirka (.340, HR, 39 RBIs) 12 of 14 pitchers who saw action for the Wildcats last year are back as well. The group combined to make all 50 starts in 2009. Senior RHP Brian Streilein (5-8, 5.46 ERA, 2 CG) leads the rotation, while Jr. LHP Mike Francisco (1-2, 4.24 ERA, 4 SV) leads the relief corps.

West Virginia

2009 Record: (37-18, 17-10)

Mascot: Mountaineers

Head Coach: Greg Van Zant

Location: Morgantown, WV

Vitals: .360 BA, 68 HR, .443 OBP, .966 Fld%…5.40 ERA, 7 CG, 10 SV, 375 K, 199 BB, .300 opp. BA

Dinging It: The Mountaineers led the Big East in batting average (.360), slugging percentage (.564), on-base percentage (.443), and runs scored (525) in 2009.

Dan DiBartolomeo

.400 Or Bust: Two of the top three hitters in the Big East return to lead the West Virginia offense this year. Dan DiBartolomeo’s .439 overall average led the conference, while Jedd Gyorko’s .421 avg. was third. Gyorko is a 2009 Cape Cod League All-Star who was the 2008 Big East Freshman of the Year. Big East coaches voted him the 2010 Preseason Player of the Year. CLICK HERE to listen to a podcast interview with Gyorko.

Line-Up Losses: WVU loses its top two home run hitters in Justin Parks and Austin Markel who hit 12 and 15 HR, respectively last year.

2010 Big East Baseball Predictions

Player of the Year: Phil Wunderlich – Louisville

Pitcher of the Year: Jarryd Summers – West Virginia

Conference Champion: Louisville

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Matt Szczur Podcast Interview

Sean Stires — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:01:31 +0000

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Villanova Two Sport Star Talks About Football Title & Baseball Future

Szczur

Matt Szczur was lightly recruited while attending Lower Cap May Regional High School in southern New Jersey, but he has blossomed into a potential pro in both baseball and football during his time at Villanova. Szczur was named both the CAA’s Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Year this fall as he helped the Wildcats win the FCS Division One Football National Championship.

He has three seasons of baseball and one more season of football eligibility remaining, but he’s eligible for the MLB Draft this June. In this podcast interview with Collegebaseball360.com Editor Sean Stires he talks about the decision he might have to soon make on his future.

Szczur has been included throughout the fall and winter in our Two Sport Reports.

5’11 – 190 – Jr. – Erma, NJ

Baseball: Catcher/Outfielder – Head Coach: Joe Godri

Football: Receiver/Returner – Head Coach: Andy Talley

Szczur and Villanova will compete in the second annual Big Ten-Big East Baseball Challenge, hosted by the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission, Feb. 26-28. For tickets visit www.BigTenBIGEASTChallenge.com.

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Two Sport Report – Bowl Edition

Sean Stires — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:27:25 +0000

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Baseball Players Won Major Awards & A National Title On The Gridirion In 2009

Here’s a look at how a few college baseball/football players and their teams fared in recent bowl game action:

Zach Collaros-Quarterback-Cincinnati Bearcats

Collaros started four straight games under center after starting QB Tony Pike went down with injury. He helped keep Cincy unbeaten and still made cameo appearances in the Bearcat’s last two regular season games after Pike returned. The sophomore totaled 1,434 yards with 10 TDs and just two interceptions, while running for four more scores. He did not play in Cincinnati’s 51-24 Sugar Bowl

Toby Gerhart

loss to Florida. Collaros hit .204 in 49 at-bats for the UC baseball team in 2009.

Toby Gerhart-Running Back-Stanford

Gerhart had a monster year on the gridiron in 2009. He won the Doak Walker Award and finished 28 points behind Alabama’s Mark Ingram in the closest Heisman Trophy race ever. Gerhart led the NCAA with 1,871 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns during his senior season. The 6’1-235 lb. back rushed for 3,522 yards and a Pac-10 record 43 TDs in his career. Gerhart totaled 135 yards and 2 touchdowns in Stanford’s 31-27 Sun Bowl loss to Oklahoma.

He played for three seasons on the Stanford baseball team, and he started each of the Cardinal’s 2008 College World Series games.

Gerhart could exercise a fifth year of football eligibility (he missed most of 2007 with a knee injury) and he still has a final season of baseball eligibility remaining. However, he is expected to forego those options to prepare for February’s NFL combine and, ultimately, April’s NFL draft.

Chad Jones (LSU photo)

Chad Jones-Safety-LSU

After helping the LSU baseball team win the 2009 College World Series, Jones started all 13 games at safety for the Tiger football team. Jones’ 74 tackles were the fifth-most by an LSU player this season. He also returned punts in five differeent games in 2009, including an 87-yarder for a touchdown in a win over Mississippi State. He had 6 tackles in LSU’s Capitol One Bowl loss to Penn State.

Jones, an outfielder converted to pitcher in ’09, had a 2.70 ERA in 9 relief appearances last season.

Kyle Parker-Quarterback-Clemson

Parker passed for 2,526 yards with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his first season as Clemson’s starting quarterback this season. He threw for 141 yards and a TD in the Tiger’s 21-13 win over Kentucky in the Music City Bowl.

Parker is entering his third season with the Clemson baseball team in 2010 (he graduated high school a semester early to enroll at Clemson in January 2008). He batted .255 with 12 HR and 52 RBIs last season.

Dave Shinskie-Quarterback-Boston College

Shinskie is not a college baseball player, but he is an interesting two sport athlete. Shinskie is a 25-year-old freshman who is starting at quarterback for the BC football team. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2003 MLB draft by the Minnesota Twins, and he finished his minor league baseball career in 2009 in the Toronto Blue Jays organization.

Shinskie passed or 2,049 yards with 15 touchdowns and 14 int. in 2009. He threw for 218 yards with a TD and an int. in BC’s 24-13 Emerald Bowl loss to USC. He is not eligible to play for the Boston College baseball team.

Matt Szczur-Wide Receiver-Villanova

Szczur helped lead Villanova to the 2009 FCS National Championship. He

Matt Szczur (4) and Chris Whitney hoist Villanova's championship trophy.

totaled 227 yards from scrimmage in VU’s 23-21 win over Montana in the title game in December. Szczur ran for 159 yards and had 4 catches for 68 more yards. He was named both the CAA’s Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Year this season. He ran for 810 yards and 10 touchdowns, passed for 22 yards and 2 TDs, averaged 27.2 yards on 30 kickoff returns, and had 51 catches for 610 yards and 4 more TDs in 2009.

Szczur led the Wildcat baseball team with a .346 average last spring after missing his freshman baseball season due to injury.

Golden Tate-Wide Receiver-Notre Dame

Tate was the 2009 Biletnikoff Award winner after finishing fourth in the nation with 1,496 receiving yards and 15 TD grabs. He also ran for two touchdowns and returned a punt for another score. In December he declared himself for April’s NFL Draft. The Irish finished the season with a 6-6 record this season, but opted not to play in a bowl game.

Tate had a .318 career batting average in 63 starts in his two-year baseball career with the Irish. He still has two years of baseball eligibility remaining, but he does not plan to play for the Notre Dame baseball team in 2010.

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Big East 2010 Preseason Baseball Coaches’ Poll

Sean Stires — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 15:53:17 +0000

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Louisville Picked To Win 2010 Regular Season Crown

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – On the heels of a 47-win season that included a sweep of the BIG EAST regular-season and tournament championships, Louisville has been chosen as the favorite to take the 2010 title in the BIG EAST preseason baseball coaches’ poll.

The coaches also selected West Virginia shortstop Jedd Gyorko as the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year and tabbed USF righthanded pitcher Randy Fontanez the BIG EAST Preseason Pitcher of the Year.

Louisville earned nine of a possible 11 first-place votes to edge second-place USF as the 2010 favorite. The Cardinals had 119 points in the poll, while the Bulls were second with 113 points and three first-place votes. The close vote suggests a possible repeat of last season’s championship race, which saw Louisville overtake USF in the last weekend of the regular season by taking three games against the Bulls.

Louisville returns seven starting position players and the majority of its pitching staff from last year’s team that went 47-18 overall and 19-7 in the BIG EAST. The Cardinals made their third straight NCAA tournament appearance and reached the NCAA Super Regional round for the second time in three years. Louisville is ranked No. 13 in the Ping Baseball preseason poll and No. 19 in the Collegiate Baseball preseason poll.

Louisville returns four players who were tabbed as Preseason All-BIG EAST selections, including righthanded pitcher Tony Zych (6-2, 3.25 ERA, 2 saves), first baseman Andrew Clark (.350, 9 HR, 55 RBI), second baseman Adam Duvall (.328, 11 HR, 51 RBI) and outfielder Stewart Ijames (.349, 8 HR, 39 RBI), who missed the 2009 season due to injury. Zych was named to the all-tournament team at the 2009 BIG EAST Championship, while Clark and Duvall were both All-BIG EAST selections a year ago. The Cardinals also return all-America third baseman Phil Wunderlich, who was the team’s leading hitter with a .367 batting average to go with 18 home runs and 78 runs batted in last season.

USF held first place in the BIG EAST standings for most of the regular season and reached the semifinal round of the BIG EAST Championship in 2009. Head coach Lelo Prado – the 2009 BIG EAST Coach of the Year – led the Bulls to a 34-25 record (18-9 in BIG EAST play) and a second-place finish in the final standings, marking the Bulls’ best showing since joining the conference. Fontanez went 7-3 with a 3.09 earned-run average last year, finishing second in the conference in ERA and innings pitched (99.0). He was joined on the Preseason All-BIG EAST team by outfielder Junior Carlin, who hit .384 last season.

Connecticut was picked third in the preseason poll following the Huskies’ run to the title game of last year’s BIG EAST Championship. The Huskies and head coach Jim Penders are led by outfielder George Springer, who was last year’s BIG EAST Rookie of the Year. Springer was a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-BIG EAST team after he hit .360 with 16 home runs and 56 RBIs last season. Connecticut was 36-24 overall and 14-13 in the BIG EAST last year.

St. John’s was tabbed for fourth in the preseason poll. The Red Storm went 30-22 overall and 16-11 in BIG EAST play to finish fourth in the 2009 standings. Head coach Ed Blankmeyer has led St. John’s to three BIG EAST regular-season titles, one tournament crown and five NCAA tournament appearances. Preseason All-BIG EAST outfielder Jimmy Parque (.360, 5 HR, 61 RBI) is expected to provide the offensive punch.

Notre Dame was fifth in the preseason poll on the heels of a 36-23 season in 2009 that saw the Fighting Irish narrowly miss an appearance in the NCAA Championship. Head coach Dave Schrage returns seven starting position players and 12 pitchers from that group, which went 15-12 in the BIG EAST and reached the semifinal round of the BIG EAST Championship. Righthanded pitcher Cole Johnson was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST team after he went 7-3 with a 4.47 ERA last year.

West Virginia was projected to finish sixth by the BIG EAST coaches after the Mountaineers went 37-18 overall and 17-10 in the BIG EAST last year under head coach Greg Van Zant. Gyorko is the catalyst behind the potent West Virginia lineup as the shortstop hit .421 with eight home runs, 58 runs batted in, a school-record 28 doubles and 96 hits as a sophomore. In addition to his selection as BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year and a unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST pick, Gyorko is a Preseason All-America Second Team selection by Louisville Slugger and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Cincinnati and Rutgers were picked seventh and eighth, respectively, in the preseason poll. Bearcat head coach Brian Cleary brought Cincinnati to the title game of the BIG EAST Championship and a second-place finish in the regular season in 2008 and looks to return to the top half of the standings after a rebuilding year in 2009. Rutgers was the 2007 BIG EAST tournament champion under head coach Fred Hill, who looks to return the Scarlet Knights to the postseason following a two-year absence.

Pittsburgh was ninth in the preseason poll as coach Joe Jordano looks to replace the production of All-BIG EAST First Team second baseman Chris Sedon, who signed a professional contract after last year. Seton Hall was 10th in the preseason balloting as head coach Rob Sheppard is faced with the departure of two All-BIG EAST pitchers from last season. Villanova was 11th, with coach Joe Godri turning to Preseason All-BIG EAST designated hitter Matt Szczur (.346, 1 HR, 24 RBI, 18 SB) for offensive production. Szczur was the key player behind Villanova’s run to the 2009 NCAA football championship. Georgetown was 12th in the preseason poll as head coach Pete Wilk has Preseason All-BIG EAST catcher Erick Fernandez (.349, 5 HR, 28 RBI) to lead a young lineup.

The 2010 baseball season begins Feb. 18 with the early season highlighted by the second annual Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge taking place in Florida. The first weekend of league play is March 26-28 with all 12 schools in action. The 2010 BIG EAST Baseball Championship will return to Bright House Field in Clearwater, Fla., May 26-30, with the championship game to be televised on ESPNU.

2010 Preseason BIG EAST Baseball Coaches’ Poll

1. Louisville (9) 119

2. USF (3) 113

3. Connecticut 94

4. St. John’s 87

5. Notre Dame 84

6. West Virginia 79

7. Cincinnati 53

8. Rutgers 49

9. Pittsburgh 44

10. Seton Hall 32

11. Villanova 23

12. Georgetown 15

(Release)

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Szczur Carries Villanova To FCS Football Championship

Sean Stires — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 14:05:14 +0000

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Two Sport Star Shines In Title Game Win Over Montana

Chattanooga, TN– Former Oakland Raider Howie Long may be Villanova’s most famous football player, but it would be hard to argue against Matt Szczur as Villanova’s most important football player. Szczur scored two touchdowns to lead the Wildcats to a 23-21 win over Montana in Friday’s FCS Division I National Championship game.

Szczur totaled 227 yards from scrimmage to carry the third-seeded Wildcats (14-1) past the top-seeded and formerly unbeaten Grizzlies (14-1). The junior receiver ran for a career best 159 yards on 14 carries (most from the Wildcat

Matt Szczur scored 15 TDs in 2009

formation) and had four catches for 68 yards. He scored Villanova’s first touchdown of the night on a 5-yard run with 3:34 to go before halftime and scored their last TD to give his team a 23-14 lead with 11:04 remaining in the game.

“To be honest, I didn’t think I was going to break as much as I did,” Szczur said after the game. ” The offensive line came out, and I hada great second half. They gave me an opportunity to make the big plays as well as Coach [Andy] Talley and Coach [Sam] Venuto giving me the opportunity to run the ball.”

FCS Title Game Box Score (PDF)

Szczur was one of the most versatile players in the country all season. While the 5’10 junior is listed as a wide receiver, he has packed several sections of the Villanova stat book:

Rushing: 108 carries for 813 yards and a team-high 10 TDs

Receiving: 51 catches for 610 yards and 4 touchdowns

Passing: 4-for-4 for 22 yards and 2 TDs

Kick Returns: 30 for 816 yards (27.2) and an 87-yard touchdown

He was named the 2009 Colonial Athletic Association’s Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Year, but his versatility reaches beyond the football field. Szczur is also a member of the baseball team, and it’s only fitting that he’s

Szczur is MLB draft eligible in 2010

listed as both a catcher and outfielder on Joe Godri’s Wildcat roster.

Szczur led VU with a .346 average last spring after missing his freshman baseball season due to injury. He’ll take a short break and then begin training for the Feb. 19 baseball season-opener at Norfolk State. The Erma, N.J. native still has a season of football eligibility remaining, but he was caught off guard Friday night when asked about his plans for the future.

“That’s a hard question to answer. You put me in a bind right now,” Szczur said. ” We’re going to see how my baseball
season turns out. After baseball season, I’ll probably end up entering the draft, but I love these guys.
[Chris] Whitney, Terry [Thomas], all these guys are my best friends. We started as freshman, and we
wanted to do something. We accomplished it, so I don’t want to leave those guys. It’s a hard decision to
make, but it’s a good decision to make.”

He was drafted in the 38th round of the MLB draft by the L.A. Dodgers out of high school. If he goes in the June draft it is still possible that Szczur could play in the minor leagues next summer and then return to the gridirion with the Villanova football team next fall. That’s something current Chicago Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija did in 2006 when he was playing both baseball and football at Notre Dame.

Now if Szczur could only pass his hair style along to Howie Long.

Note: Szczur and others have been included in the exclusive Collegebaseball360.com Two Sport Reports throughout the fall. We’ll have a new installment coming soon!