February 6, 2006
| Jason Glushon |
A lot of things have happened over the past nine months.
For instance, the Chicago White Sox won their first World Series in over ninety years. Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers put up an astonishing 81 points vs. Toronto Raptors.
And, while there hasn't been a regular season game at Chappell Park, the Eagles' Family has welcomed eight new freshmen, three transfers, and the return of Daniel Kaufman, Sam Cunningham, and Bryan Langbord.
This year's goals are like any other year, to get back to Appleton, Wisconsin after a two year hiatus.
After a rough season a year ago, we have kept that in mind during our workouts in the weight room and down at the ballfield.
Just as Tom Mieczkowski' last diary had predicted, the energy is back on the field,
and this year's squad is ready to put Emory baseball back on the top-shelf of Division III baseball programs.
Like season's before, we started off our season with a night of fine dining and high class European twins, beds that is.
Our night feautured a 7th Floor Crew remix, which like every great Hollywood feature was strong in the beginning and the end, especially from creative rhymes provided by Kai Beasley and Ben Schopick, in particular.
While no players reside anywhere near the Pacific Northwest, Pittsburgh natives Justin Gordon and Ian Ganzer were thrilled with The Bus riding off into the sunset over the weekend.
The weeks leading up to the start of the season have also been filled with alumni spottings.
Former pitchers Reed Harvey, Kris Herring and Steve Zaychik have all made made appearances down at the field.
Michael Sayegh was spotted at Fuego resturant just one night after our formal, and the greats like Adam Schorr, Rob Segear, and Brye Adler have also all checked in to get updates on this year's Eagles.
We would also like to congratulate and wish the best of luck to alumni Andrew Pinckney and Will Carr as they take their skills to the next levels, with Pink down in Florida and Willie heading off to beautiful and sunny Southern California in no time.
While on that same train, we would like to congratulate the newest Emory Eagles' Coach Bobby Perez on his wedding engagement.
While his finance is lucky to hook on to Coach Perez, we are glad to have him helping us out down at the field this season.
Alumni advice has been spoken. The new faces have received their uniforms. And the beginning of the season is upon us.
This weekend calls for sunny skies, and the opening to our season against the Fighting Scots of Maryville.
We are excited to see all the families and friends of Emory Baseball down to Chappell Park to help us pitch us into success in 2006.
February 20, 2006
| Jason Glushon |
Now thats how to play Emory Baseball.
During a week filled with two games and one rainout, the Eagles took flight hoping to continue on the right path.
Mike Kerfeld took his first start against Oglethorpe on Thursday, striking out six batters pushing his team lead to 12 in only 6 1/3 innings. Rich Babb relieved him, and had a huge bases loaded strikeout during his 2 2/3 perfect innings while picking up his first win of the season.
Travis Langley led the offense with two hits, lowering his batting average at the time to .700. Dave Hissey, Joe Roth, and Ryan Lollar all added a hit and an RBI, leading to a comfortable 5-1 victory. Tommy Mitch and Keith 'Poopy' Meizler pitched the final two scoreless innings of relief.
For all the kids out there who want to attack the mental pitching game, always remember one thing: "The Mound is My Circle of Power" (Dick Mills, 1997).
A quick flashback to a week earlier, Emory defeated Washington and Lee 15-6 on Valentines Day. Gordo, Trav, and Mike Levin added two hits a piece, while T-Get, Big Lev, and P Fister added two RBIs themselves. Not to slight the hitters, Hissey, Gordo, T-Lang, Zander, Joe-Joe, B-Cust also added RBIs. Terminator Ian Ganzer pitched a strong game for the win, with young freshman Dave Gelbard getting his feet wet while making his debut in the ninth inning.
Prediction for Sunday's NBA All Star Game: East 126, West 121 -- Kobe Bryant with a triple double.
After some rain postponed our game against Atlanta Christian College, we were forced to wait until Sunday to take on Lewis and Clark from the land known as Oregon. For those keeping score at home, their trip out to Atlanta comes to be over 2,600 miles. And like fine hosts we are, we hoped to send them back to the West Coast on our terms.
Quote of the week for February 20th: "It's all about the kids."
Our offense was on from the start, dropping two runs in the first and then later four in the seventh. Justin Gordon had three hits, while Griffim Baum added three hits and four RBIs of his own, along with Frank Pfister and Taylor Gettinger adding run scoring hits during the affair. Some great offense and defense allowed us to end the week with a 9-1 victory, getting us our fourth win a row. Shout out to the defense for flashing some fine leather, especially Bryan Langbord with a few diving catches, as well as a nice assist from the 'Doctor.'
Stat of the week for February 20th: Team Batting Average - .322. Team Earned Run Average - 1.84.
The week ahead calls for a Wednesday contest vs. University of the South, while the weekend hosts the Rawlings Tournament, featuring four games over the course of the three days. We look forward to seeing parents and alumni flock from far and wide to support their Eagles, and like always, we hope to put on a good show and continue to play hard.
February 27, 2006
| Jason Glushon |
Nothing can make a pitcher feel better if his team puts up four runs in the first inning. And after a Hissey double, Gordon triple, Baum double, Gettinger triple, and a Joe Roth sacrifice fly, that is how the Eagles started off their run to an undefeated Rawlings Tournament Championship.
Multi-hit games from Dave Hissey, J-Go We-Go, G-Unit, P-Fister and Double Down led us to a 7-2 victory over York College. More importantly, the win was the 200th in the career of Head Coach Mike Twardoski's career here at Emory.
When Coach T took over as head coach in 2000, the Yankees and Lakers were champions of the world, Gladiator won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and the number one song on the billboard chart was 'What a Girl Wants,' performed by Christina Aguilera. Four regional & two world series appearances later, he continues to lead the Eagles towards the top of the South Region and beyond.
For all those youngsters out there, this quote is for you: "Because I never doubt my pitch selection, I direct my focus so that I am totally committed on every pitch throughout the game" (Dick Mills, 1997).
In the night cap, we defeated Lynchburg in a great battle over at Oglethorpe's castle. Back and forth, Hissey, Gettinger, Cournoyer, and Pfister all recorded multi-hit games. Bryan Langbord also had two hits, including his first home run of the season in the top of the 3rd inning (Over-Under for home runs on the upcoming week is 2.5). That 'bomb' put us up 2-1, and we held onto the lead for the rest of the game.
A great outing by Mitchy the Kid, followed by a strong hold from Keith Meizler, led to the ninth where the Hammer closed the door for his first save on the year, perserving Tommy's first win of the year. Talk about a royal flush!
Throughout the season, you will all learn a little more about all the new faces on the Emory Eagles baseball team, with this being part 1 of an 11 part series. #1, freshman Chris Higgins resides in Coral Springs, Florida, with parents Mike and Maureen. While he enjoys working in construction, as well as being an avid chess player, he also refers to hard hits that go beyond 370 feet, but are not home runs, as 'bombs.'
A long day of rain Saturday cancelled our game, so we decided to have a team lunch at Chipotle Mexican Grill. For those in the market, Chipotle (CMG) closed Friday at 46.67, up from the week opening of 44.42. Some tasty burrito bowls got us spiced up for Sunday's game vs. Juniata, with the sun coming back into the sky after a day hiatus.
Sunday came and both sides of the diamond were ready to go. The offense racked up 14 hits, including mutli-hit games from Gordo, Baum, Big Lev, and Frankie Boy. Also, add two RBIs for Baum, Gordo, and Joe Roth. Ian Ganzer set the tone early by striking out the first 3 guys, 7 on the day, leading to his second win of the year. Mike Kerfeld, Tony Vidal, Rich Babb, and Julian Smith combined for the final four shutout innings, on our way to a Rawlings Championship with a 11-2 victory over Juniata.
A special shout out to freshman Joseph Brothers, Tyler Short, and Jeff Scafaria, who all debuted during Sunday's game. Another shout out to all the family and friends of Emory Baseball who made the trip to Atlanta for the week. It is always a pleasure to see the parents and siblings at the ballpark, so it was a nice early taste before UAAs in Florida.
The week ahead calls for 4 games, with the weekend series up in Maryville, Tennessee.
Theodore Herzl once said, "If you will it, it is no dream." That's good advice.
March 6, 2006
| Jason Glushon |
And the Oscar Goes to...
A great week concluded on Sunday not only with an enjoyable bus ride back to Atlanta, Georgia, but also with the 78th Annual Academy Awards in Hollywood, California. So, in honor of the Oscars, here we go:
The Nominations for Best Supporting Actor are:
- The Eagles' reserves on Saturday tallied 11 runs, beating out the starter's 10 runs in the first three innings.
- Academy Award Winner George Clooney in Syriana.
- The Eagles' bullpen struck out 15 batters in 11 innings of work over the course of 4 games.
- The 2 pinch-hit home runs on Saturday, by Dave Murchison and Kai Beasley (both firsts at Emory).
- The Maryville heckler who came prepared with notes, quotes, and facebook information.
And the Oscar Goes to...
The 11 runs put up by Eagles' reserves on Saturday. Along with a solo home run by Dave Murchison (3-3 on the day) and a three-run home run by Kai Beasley, and RBIs from Brandon Custer, Tim Cournoyer (2-3), and Sam Cunningham helped the Eagles add to a 21-3 victory over Maryville College on Saturday.
The Nominatons for Best Cameo are:
- Freshman Tyler Short playing second base during Saturday's game.
- Alum Ted Karniewicz at Oglethorpe Thursday Night.
- Justin Gordon playing second base during Thursday's game.
- Coach Perez coaching first base over the weekend.
- Dave Murchison's weekend in centerfield.
And the Oscar Goes to...
Alum Ted Karniewicz graced us with his presence during the week, and the legendary Eagle has quite a rap sheet. Career average of .416, .705 slugging percentage, 149 games played, 241 career hits, 59 doubles, and 34 career home runs turn up in the top five in all those categories, with doubles tied for the lead, and his 34 home runs 15 more than the next Eagle.
The Nominations for Best Screenplay are:
- Senior Justin Gordon's first collegiate home run after 410 prior at bats.
- Sophmore Frank Pfister's first collegiate home run, and in the park* home run on Thursday night.
- Mike Kerfeld's stellar performance, striking out 9, allowing 0 runs on 3 hits vs. Oglethorpe.
- Dave Hissey's 9-15 week, including 8 RBIs over that stretch.
- Alex Sotiriou's stretch of reaching base 7 of 8 times during a 2-game period.
And the Oscar Goes to...
Justin Gordon's first collegiate home run. It was worth the wait, and 'Wisdom' has been swinging the bat better than ever. His 374 foot home run was another great chapter to an already award-winning book here at Emory. Congrats, J-Go, hope the wait was worth it.
The Nominations for Best Picture are:
- 5-1 Win vs. Adrian College
- 10-0 Win vs. Oglethorpe University
- 21-3 Win vs. Maryville College
- 10-5 Win vs. Maryville College
- Encino Man starring Pauly Shore and Brendan Fraser
And the Oscar Goes to...
10-0 Win vs. Oglethorpe University. This game had it all, from fielding to pitching to hitting. A superb defensive showing helped aid the pitching staff who struck out 15 Stormy Petrels while only allowing 3 hits. The offense collected 13 hits, including a Pfister home run, but more importantly, the agressiveness shown on all sides of the field helped keep the energy up, scoring from the 1st to the 9th innings.
The week ahead calls for some big games vs. LaGrange on Thursday, followed by Heidelberg on Saturday. Following those games is our annual trip to Sanford for the UAA Tournament, so hopefully we can ride our streak through this week and beyond.
Until we meet again next week, Good Night and Good Luck!
March 13, 2006
| Jason Glushon |
Since Opening Day, the Eagles have played hard each time out, compiling 13 wins in a row and flying high on the way down to Sanford, Florida for the annual UAA Conference Tournament.
On Thursday, we not only hosted LaGrange College, we also celebrated the 22nd annual birth of Kai Beasley. Mr. Beasley is a transfer from Villanova, a film major, and brilliant when it comes to naming songs from motion pictures, although I believe I can challenge him for that title.
During the game, we jumped out early to take a 1-0 lead on a groundout by Griffin Baum, put in position by a Justin Gordon hit and a Bryan Langbord double. We also added another run in the 4th and 6th innings, before putting up 3 in the 7th inning. Young Dave, JGo, Splint, Baumers, Jo-Jo, Zander, and Frank all added hits on the day. G Unit, TGet, and Trav all added RBIs, with Joe Roth having 2 RBIs of his own.
In the bottom of the 5th inning, there was a two out bloop hit caught by the shortstop Jimmy Statler of LaGrange as he collided with second baseman Jose Navarro. Statler badly hurt his leg while still holding onto the ball, which if dropped might have scored a few runs. We wish him a healthy and speedy recovery.
Ian 'Terminator' Ganzer came in to pitch for the 6th and 7th innings, shutting down the downing before the game was suspended due to darkness. It will continued on April 1st with us leading 6-1 in the top of the 8th inning.
After the game, a few ballplayers were privileged enough to spend some time out with former Eagle, Michael Sayegh. Mikie was a member of the Eagles for two World Series appearances, as well as the #1 ranked team in the country in 2001.
On Friday, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the defending NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs 100-92.
On Saturday, Mike Kerfeld took the mound against Heidelberg College, dominating in his performance. He had a no-hitter through 6 full innings, striking out 6, before handing the ball over to Rich Babb who blanked the Berg for the final 2 2/3 innings, lowering his team leading ERA to 0.73.
The offense continued to pour it on, with Gordo having 3 hits and Joe Roth had 2. Hissey also had 2 RBIs each in the 6-1 victory down at Chappell Park. Congrats to our offense which continues to bulster the ball, amounting a team .337 batting average. Not too shabby!
Zander also had 2 hits and 2 RBIs on the day, as well as a spill over by the Eagles' bullpen (Go Utes!).
Bullpen 1 Zander 0
For all those young aspiring pitchers out there, here is your quote of the week: "I know that pressure is something that I can control. Pressure for me means oppurtunity" (Dick Mills, 1997).
For those who don't know, the baseball team travels by bus to and from Sanford, Florida, and while riding we like to enjoy a pluthera of movies. This is the first time we will give the fans a chance to vote for which movie we will watch first on the way back from UAAs on Saturday, March 18. Please email me your votes and they will be posted during the next entry.
The options are:
Joe Dirt, Orgazmo, Rent, Meet Wally Sparks, or American History X.
Saturday night called for a good time for the team to relax before Florida, as well as Sunday to celebrate Joe Roth's 20th birthday. The birthday dinner Sunday night was bbq-style, with a menu of hot dogs, burger, brats, and steaks by chef Justin Gordon.
Monday afternoon calls for a nice, long bus ride down to Florida where we will have 6 games in 5 days, starting off with a doubleheader on Tuesday vs. Case Western followed by Brandeis. We look forward to seeing family and friends of Eagles down for what hopes to be a successful, fun-filled week.
March 20, 2006
| Jason Glushon |
The score was 3-0 late in Saturday's finale vs. Rochester. Tom Mieczkowski and Anthony Vidal had pitched splendid in order to keep the Eagles into the game, and although hard hits seemed to not fall today, the guys in the dugout still felt like we could come back and win.
So too did those Eagles faithful in the stands, who wailed out loud renditions of E-M-O-R-Y, proving that we not only play to win the game, as well as for the kids, but also for those fans who drove and flew down to Florida from all over the country.
The last time the Eagles won the UAA Tournament, they went 6-0 in 2004, part of a record 26 wins in a row. Now in 2006, the Eagles are UAA champs again, their 4th in 6 years, and have worked hard to win 18 games in a row since Opening Day.
Some more advice for young aspring pitchers out there: "Because I can't control the score I never get down on myself if I don't win. And yet I feel like I can win every time out" (Dick Mills, 1997).
A Numbers Recap-
1) Dave Hissey's .619, 6 RBIs, 1 outfield assist and 5 stolen bases
2) Bryan Langbord's .571, 3 doubles, 1 home run, 1 outfield assist and 6 RBIs
3) Joe Roth led the team with 7 RBIs, and was tied with Griffin Baum with 2 home runs
4) The Eagles piching staff's 60 strikeouts, a new UAA record breaking the old one set by Emory with 48
5) Levin batted .313, Roth .316, Zander .333, Baum .385, and Big Frank .409 with 6 RBIs of his own
Currently, we are less than 2 weeks until your Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Atlanta Braves on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium on April 3rd. The game will be on at 4:10 est on ESPN.
Some UAA Firsts-
1) Joe Roth's 1st & 2nd home runs of his collegiate career
2) Leo 'Joseph' Brothers' first Emory hit, a towering bomb to LF
3) Chris Higgins and Jeff Scafaria's first collegiate hit and RBI
4) Ben Schopicks's first collegiate hit, a deep double to centerfield
5) Daniel Kaufman's first appearance of the year, a 1 inning, no-run, & 1 strikeout performance
Bryan Langbord's 3 doubles in the UAAs give him 8 on the year and 56 for his career, leaving him 3 behind career leaders Kyle Foster and Ted Karniewicz.
Some Noteworthy Plays-
1) Zander's bases loaded squeeze bunt to drive home Travis Langley, the winning run in a walk-off thriller
2) Tim Cournoyer's pinch hit, 3 run blast to extend to 1 10-6 lead over Wash U in the 8th inning
3) Anthony Vidal's electrifying performance on Saturday, a 3 inning relief victory in a comeback win vs. Rochester
4) Hissey, Roth, & Langbord's doubles after Custer's leadoff single in the 8th to tie Rocheser 3-3
5) Strong relief outings by Rich Babb, Keith Meizler, Julian Smith, and Ian Ganzer during the course of the tournament
We are now past the halfway point in the season, and hope to continue full steam ahead as we have 4 games this week. All the players and coaches want to greatly thank all the parents, siblings, uncles, and those friends and relatives who made the trip down to Florida to cheer on your Eagles. We understand you enjoy watching us play, but realize how great it is to not only see all the families together, but also cheering, screaming, and being nervous in the stands.
Until we meet again, Good Afternoon, Good Evening, and Good Night.
March 27, 2006
| Jason Glushon |
So UCLA is the only team I left in my NCAA Bracket. How about yourself?
Well brackets might be busted, but the Eagles are certainly not. Our 18 game winning streak did come to end last week, but a new one has already begun as we have three under our belt, and four games this upcoming week.
After a Tuesday loss to Huntington, Ian Ganzer took the bump on a cold night in North Georgia. Evidently he didn't feel the weather, and instead decided to bring the heat, striking out 8 in 8 2/3 innings of dominant pitching, all without allowing an earned run. Frank Pfister had 3 hits, Sam Cunningham had 2, while both Frank and Big Lev chipped in with 2 RBIs each. Taylor and Chief also added RBIs of their own, while Bryan Langbord added yet another outfield assist to this year's stats.
At this time, I would like to congratulate Dave Hissey and Frank Pfister on their 20 & 19 game hitting streaks, respectively. It is extremely impressive to start off the season they way both of them have, and although their past streak was halted early last week, their early achievement this year does require attention, and so boys, way to go!
While we are giving out congrats, we wish good luck to Eagle Alum Adam Siegel who got married this weekend back home in California. From one former Wolverine and Eagle to another, congratulations and good luck!
On Thursday, the Eagles shutout Centre College of Kentucky, behind big offensive days from Frankie P and Travis Langley. Frank went 1-3 with 3 RBIs, and Travis went 1-3 with 2 RBIs, with both have clutch doubles to drive in important runs throughout the game. Brandon Custer added 2 hits of his own, with Murch and Splint adding an RBI apiece. Julian Smith recorded his first Emory save, pitching 3 perfect innings of relief, leading to the pitching staff's batting practice session on Friday.
For those young pitchers out there, here is a bit of more advice: "For me the pitcher's mound is a place where I can go to feel powerful, confident, and in control" (Dick Mills, 1997).
Saturday rounded out the week as Tommy Mitch took the bump against Southern Polytechnic. With alum Steve Zaychik in the stands with fellow alumni Will Carr and Kris Herring, Tommy Boy pitched a gutsy performance, striking out 3 and allowing only 1 run in 6 2/3 innings. Emory took the lead 2-1 in the 5th inning after a passed ball scored Brandon Custer, followed by a sacrifice fly by Splint Daddy. Custer and Zander added 2 hits of their own during the course of the game, but we needed 10 innings that day to finish off the job. Frank Pfister's walkoff single up the middle brought home Splint as the game winning run, giving Mike Kerfeld the win and the Eagles their 3rd in a row.
That win pushed our record to 21-2, matching our season total for wins last year. However, as the team very well knows, there is a lot of work still ahead for these Eagles, especially during an important last week in March.
You remember the time when the Lakers' Kobe Bryant of the put up 81 points vs. Toronto Raptors? That was awesome!
An off day Sunday paved time for the 1st Annual Home Run Derby for Charity. A quick recap:
Tom Mieczkowski and Justin Gordon each dropped 3 bombs (Home Runs over the fence), Will Carr dropped four huge homers, but Jonathan Brown took home the crown with 14 in the championship round (there were cones), winning the Pardon the Interruption All-Star Package. Other winners included Splint, Will Carr, Gordo, Tommy, Custer, Timmy, Babb, and yours truly. All in all, we have raised over $2,500 for the local Boys and Girls Club of Atlanta.
A busy week lies ahead, from the Final Four in Indianapolis, the Atlanta Movie Premiere of 'ATL,' and four games against some tough opponents from all over the country.
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't look around once in a while, you could miss it." - Ferris Bueller
April 3, 2006
| Jason Glushon |
In order to understand the present, one must understand their past.
In 2001, Kyle Foster had 75 hits, Tim Hobbs had 36 RBIs, Allen Rigell had 35 walks, and Ryan Donegan pitched 97 innings with 12 wins an a 1.11 earned run average. That Emory team also became the first ever Emory Eagles team to be ranked #1 in the country.
Five years have passed, Eagles have arrived and flown away, but the Emory baseball tradition remains alive at Chappell Park, with this year's new squad earning the #1 ranking from the ABCA/Collegiate Baseball poll, up from #3 a week ago.
The past week accounted for five wins, starting off with a 8-1 win over Depauw on Tuesday. Mike Levin had 3 hits, Frank Pfister and Tim Cournoyer 2 RBIs, while Griffin Baum and Sam Cunningham added 1 hit and 1 RBI apiece. While it wasn't one of our best efforts, we took the win in stride for a doubleheader in Tennessee on Thursday.
For all those young pitchers out there, take this week's advice: "I know that my success on the mound is directly related to getting ahead of hitters. That's why I concentrate on throwing good, low first pitch strikes in the bullpen" (Dick Mills, 1997).
In the first of two 7 inning games, we were behind after 5 innings despite Corn Dog and Baumer's early RBIs. In the top of 6th, Dave Hissey hit his first collegiate home run to straight away centerfield, tying the game at 4-4. After a shutout inning of relief by Ryan Lumsden, Griffin Baum hit a base hit, stole second, and with two outs, P Fister smoked a ball up the middle to take the lead 5-4, with Rich Babb saving the game with a perfect 7th to give Ryan Lumsden his third win of the year.
Did you know that the highest career batting average at Emory is .433, shared by Andrew Pinckney, Doug Markott, and Doug Serafin.
The second game was a dominating affair from Mike Kerfeld, who pitched all 7 innings, while allowing only two hits, no walks, and striking out 10 batters. While only one run was needed, the offense provided four runs, including RBIs by Custer, Langbord, and Pfister. Frankie P and Ryan Lollar also added 2 hits on the day, with Bo Schill chipping in with a pinch hit as well.
Did you know that current Eagle parent, Chuck Gordon, is responsible for Ernie Els' 1994 US Open Championship.
On April Fools Day, it marked the celebration of birth of freshman outfielder Chris Higgins. We also had a doubleheader which was an unusual one because the first half was a two inning conclusion to our March 9th game vs. LaGrange. We were already ahead 6-1 through seven, and behind Anthony Vidal and a Rich Babb save, were able to close the door to set us up for the second half, a normal 9 inning game vs. LaGrange.
Did you know that brothers Jeff and Scott Kramer used to throw pole to pole.
A dogfight from start to finish, a second inning LaGrange run was quickly equaled in the bottom half by a Frank Pfister single followed by a patented Bryan Langbord RBI double. That double ties Splint for all-time doubles here at Emory. Another run was tacked on in the third by Emory, after a Hissey walk and a Cournoyer single led to an RBI single from Frank Pfister, his team leading 33rd of the season. The offense added one more run in the sixth after Sam Cunningham's pinch hit single drove in Taylor Gettinger, who doubled the at bat before. Frank and Taylor both finished with 2 hits on the day, while Splint and JGo each added doubles.
Just a reminder: Atlanta Braves (Tim Hudson) take on your Los Angeles Dodgers (Derek Lowe) on Monday, 4:10 est on ESPN.
A 3-2 game heading into the ninth started off with a huge Bo Schill pick in the dirt, accounting for the first out. A P.F.P. back to Ian 'Terminator' Ganzer got the second out, and Tom Mieczkowski's side arm 'Widowmaker' accounted for the save, a one-batter strikeout to solidify a 3-2 win, and a 5-0 week.
Did you know that the most RBIs in a single game by one Emory player is 7, done three times: Brad Barnes (3/7/95), Jason Zaremski (2/16/97), and Rob Segear (3/17/04). This year's high is by Joe Roth with 5 vs. Case Western on March 16.
Sunday was a great day to relax, get in a good a lift, and celebrate the 22nd birthday of Ian Ganzer. It also marked opening day to the 2006 baseball season, with the defending champion Chicago White Sox defeating the Cleveland Indians 10-4.
The week ahead calls for 4 games, including 3 on the road. Down the stretch and with a bullseye on our uniforms, it is time to take the intensity up a notch.
"It's like I always tell you. Sometimes you just gotta say what the heck." - Risky Business
March 10, 2006
| Jason Glushon |
Top Five Emory Baseball Headlines for the Week:
5) Emory Pitchers had 0 earned runs in 35 innings this past week
4) Phil Mickelson wins his second Masters title in Augusta, Georgia
3) Frank Pfister's 7 hits, compiling a .438 batting average
2) Rich Babb signing autographs for the kids, as well as posing for a picture
and the #1 headline for the past week...
1) Bryan Langbord breaking the Emory career doubles record with his 60th on Sunday vs. Piedmont at Chappell Park
During our first week as the number one ranked team in the nation, we compiled a 3-1 record led by our pitching staff.
Mark your calendars: Wednesday and Thursday is Passover, and Sunday is Easter. Get your Easter Eggs and Matza Ball Soup ready!
On Wednesday, Tom Mieczkowski pitched an amazing 8 2/3 innings, allowing no runs while striking out 14, now second all-time for a single game and two short of the record held by Scott Kramer vs. Methodist on April 30, 1994. Ian Ganzer picked up the save, his second of the year.
Our offense compiled four hits, three from Frank Pfister and Sam Cunningham one. Taylor Gettinger knocked in two RBIs, while Sam knocked in the third run of the evening, leading to a 3-0 at Oglethorpe.
On Saturday, we took to the road for a doubleheader against Piedmont College. A hardly fought battle took a rough snag late in the game, finishing with a 5-1 loss. Hissey had two hits, Timmy C, Frankie, JoJo, and Zander each added a hit apiece, and Corn Dog added the only RBI of the day.
For those young pitchers out there: "Success for me is not just about results because I know as a pitcher I don't have total control of how each game will turn out. Instead I focus on excellence because I know that's one thing about myself I can control" (Dick Mills, 1997).
What separates teams from becoming championship contenders is how the react to a tough loss, and in the nightcap, we came out with a bit of attitude.
We scored runs in four of our first five innings, led by three hits from Justin Gordon and two from Ryan Lollar, Kai Beasley, and Frank Pfister. JGo also added 2 RBIs on his perfect day at the plate, while Travis, Lolo, and Cust also added RBIs. There were also hits by Bo Schill and Dave Murchison.
Ian Ganzer threw a great game, going 6 2/3 innings, allowing 0 earned runs while striking out nine. Ganzer's 60 strikeouts is currently second on the team which as a pitching staff has struck 282 batters in 284 innings. Finishing up the game was Ryan Lumsden, who threw 2 1/3 innings, allowing no runs and striking out four.
FYI - Joseph Brothers has an slugging percentage of 1.333.
On Sunday, it was a beautiful day at Chappell Park, as well as kids day. Kids from the local Medlock Park graced us with their presence both before and after the game, while the baseball team presented a ceremonial check to the Brookhaven Boys and Girls Club of Atlanta. And while we aren't the kind of players to disappoint children on Master's Sunday, Mike Kerfeld led the way during a 10-0 win. He pitched 7 2/3 innings, followed by a 1 1/3 inning save by Rich Babb. Kerfeld allowed only five hits without giving up a run, and Babb struck out two in route to picking up his fourth save of the season.
Our offense was led by Griffin Baum with 2 hits and 2 RBIs, and Mike Levin with 2 hits and 1 RBI. Joe Roth and Splint also added run scoring hits, while Hissey, Frank, and Sam added hits too.
Bryan Langbord's run scoring double in the 8th inning marked the 60th of his career, breaking a tie from Kyle Foster and Ted Karniewcz to become the all-time career leaded in doubles at Emory. Congrats Splint, that is quite the accomplishment!
This week calls for a 3 big games, a road trip on Tuesday to Huntingdon, AL and two at home this weekend vs. Millsaps. This weekend's series will mark senior weekend, so we all look forward to seeing all the parents in town for what looks like to be a fun, warm weekend.
"Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded." - Yogi Berra
April 17 , 2006
| Jason Glushon |
This past week marks many new beginnings and ends.
For instance, the holidays of Passover and Easter usually mark the beginning of Spring. In the professional sports world, MLB is just starting off its season, while the NBA is ending off the regular season, even though this upcoming weekend marks the beginning of the 2006 NBA Playoffs, which include your Los Angeles Lakers and MVP Candidate Kobe Bryant.
The past weekend also marked the last time our senior baseball players would play in a regular season game at Chappell Park, but surely not the end to some illustrious careers.
Dave Murchison celebrated his 22nd birthday on Saturday. Dirty Dave, a transfer last year, has spent two years with the Eagles, adding his first Emory home run this year. We have been lucky enough to have this Sonnys-loving cookie monster as a teammate, while also seeing his parents, David and Elizabeth, at many home and road games over the past two seasons.
A special thanks to all the parents, siblings, and friends of Emory Baseball, who made the trip for senior weekend. Always great to see familiar friends, as well as meet new ones. Special thanks to the Adlers for making the trip back east.
Taylor Gettinger has played every position in the infield since his freshman year. With three career home runs, DrTay posted a team leading .388 batting average last year, on his way to making All-UAA second team. T-Get has one of the most contagious smiles on the team and over the years, we have had the great pleasure of spending time with his parents, John and Susan, talking about baseball, stocks, and The OC.
Bryan Langbord has posted some amazing numbers as a four year starter. Most impressive was his perseverance from a horrible disease last year that has brought him back to the field and a major reason for our #1 ranking in the country. An extremely talented leader, it has been a pleasure to get to know Splint's parents, Barbara and Big Dave, who have always been very outgoing and special friends of Emory baseball.
For all those young pitchers out there: "I know the value of having a daily and weekly routine. This is my way of mentally preparing myself for continuous success as a pitcher" (Dick Mills, 1997).
Travis Langley started off his Emory career with a bang, and by that, I mean a grand slam in his first ever at bat. Since then, he has 'knocked up' 7 career home runs and 59 RBIs in over 136 games played. TLang's .861 career stolen base percentage ranks third all time in Emory history. It has been a pleasure getting to know his parents Sanny and Hilary, with Hilary being one of the best team moms a player or coach could ask for.
Ryan Lumsden has fought through his fair share of injuries to be a big part of the Eagles' pitching staff this year, going 3-0 with a 2.51 ERA, striking out 13 in 14 1/3 innings. Although unable to pitch during the 2004 season, Lumpy was able to go 1-1 at the plate during a pinch-hit appearance in Sanford, FL. It has been a pleasure to get to know his parents David and Mary, who always have been extremely friendly to all the players of Emory Baseball.
On April 15th, 1947, Jackie Robinson made his major league debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. The next day, Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul Jabbar was born.
Tom Mieczkowski was a walk-on, and has he made an impact since freshman year. With a career record of 17-4 and a 3.17 ERA, Tommy Boy went 8-1 with a 1.68 during his sophomore campaign, which included 15 scoreless innings to start off the season. An incredible pitcher and leader, it has been a great pleasure to see Eileen over the years at Chappel Park and in Florida, as well as seeing Bob at games throughout the years.
Keith Meizler is considered on the best pitchers in Emory history, and his track record comes with its fair share of accomplishments. Career and season record holder in saves, as well as posting a 2.66 career ERA, currently 7th in Emory history, Poopie has led by example, acting as 'big brothers' to many pitchers and players on the team. It was a pleasure to see Fran and The Babe down here over the weekend, and hope to see Mark (The Ice Cream Man) soon after tax season.
Did you know that senior Bryan Langbord is now the current career leader in most times reaching base on an error with 24 (Segear and Foster had 23).
Mike Kerfeld, a transfer from the University of Tennessee, has made an immediate impact on the Eagles in his first and only year with the Eagles. Moose leads the pitching staff with a 0.96 ERA, adding up a 5-0 record while striking out 50 in only 47 innings of work. Living with the big guy this year, it has been great to meet his mom Diane, and well as dad David and stepmom Darda.
Justin Gordon made an immediate impact during his freshman year, batting .394 in helping the Eagles reach the College World Series. During his career, he has compiled a .334 batting average, ranking 10th among four year players. A true leader and captain of "The Five Fungos," I was lucky enough to spend another year with his family during Passover, and have been privileged to get to know parents Chuck and Debbie who are huge supporters of Emory Baseball and its players.
While we put last week behind us, it is important to work hard for our final four games, all on the road, which include three this weekend in North Carolina.
Back to business as we work to improve and ride the train to regionals. For all you fans out there, enjoy the ride!
"I am like the pythagorean theorem. There is no answer." -Shaquille O'Neal
April 24 , 2006
| Jason Glushon |
Jimmy Dugan, Tom Hanks' character in 'A League of Their Own,' once said:
"Avoid the clap! That's good advice."
Well, the Emory Baseball team avoided Dugan's advice and brought back the constant clap during a doubleheader at Methodist this weekend, leading to a two-win sweep.
Currently, Chicago Cubs' pitcher Greg Maddux, age 40, is 4-0 with a 0.99 ERA, walking only 5 in 27 1/3 innings.
Taking one week off from Dick Mills, this piece of information is to help educate young pitchers of why throwing first pitch strikes is so important: In 1995, Greg Maddux threw 600 first-pitch strikes. And out of all those first-pitch strikes, only 43 ended in base hits. That is a ridiculous seven percent. So all those youngsters out there, throw first pitch strikes (Stats from Leo Mazzone's Pitching Like a Pro).
Following an 8-5 loss at Greensboro, during which Justin Gordon had 3 hits, Sam Cunningham added two hits including a home run, and an RBI single from Ryan Lollar, we headed to Methodist where we were rained out on Saturday. Some scary thunder and lightning led to nice team lunch and relaxation day in beautiful Fayetteville, North Carolina. Right... Anyway, I was able to catch the movie 'The Sentinel' starring Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, and Eva Longoria. Wow, that Eva is quite the actress!
After tuning into Teamline this Wednesday for Emory @ LaGrange, make sure to catch Game 2 of the 1st Round matchup in the Western Conference between the Phoenix Suns and your Los Angeles Lakers.
During our trip to North Carolina, we were accompanied by fans from all other, including the Gordons, Cunninghams, Vidals, Carolyn Lollar, Bob Mieczkowski, Langbords, Solomons, and Gary Ganzer. Methodist, Greensboro, and Emory University thank you for your attendance, as well as support of Emory Baseball.
Well Sunday, we followed uncle Ernie Banks' advice and 'played two,' and woof, they were two fun games.
The first of the doubleheader was a 13-3 win for your Eagles, led at the plate by Justin Gordon, continuing his hot streak by going 4-4 with 2 RBIs. Also very impressive was Sam Cunningham, 3-6 and 2 RBIs, Griffin Baum, 3-4 and 4 RBIs, and Frank Pfister, 3-5 and 2 RBIs.
Did you know that six Eagles have last names that start with the letter S: Scafaria, Schill, Schopick, Short, Smith, & Sotiriou (Seven if you count Coach Solomon).
Totals for the first game added up to 20 hits, including 13 runs, and eleven players had hits (Add on Murch, Lolo, CornDog, JoJo, Cust, Hiss, and Go Utes).
The second half of the doubleheader, as many of you might have heard from Teamline announcer Jonathan Schwartz, was quite the back-and-forth game, but an exciting thriller nonetheless.
Again, some familiar faces led the offense: Gordo 3-6 & 2 RBIs, Sam 2-4 2 RBIs, Baumer 2-6 & 3 RBIs, Frankie 2-5 & 3 R, JoJo 4-5 & 3 R, Corn 1-2 with a 2-R Home Run, Zander 1-1 & 2 R, and Brandon Custer with 2 hits and a career high 5 RBIs.
Clutch hit after clutch hit helped amount to 14 runs on 17 hits. However, praise needs to be given to the bench who treated every inning on Sunday like a 9th inning, culminating to quite the day and end to the weekend.
Leading Stats for the Week:
1) Justin Gordon - 10-14 with 6 RBIs
2) Sam Cunningham - 7-13, 1 HR, 5 RBIs
3) Brandon Custer - 3-9, 5 RBIs (2-4 w/5 RBIs during 14-11 W)
4) Griffin Baum - 5-10, 7 RBIs
5) Frank Pfister - 6-12, 2 RBIs, 3 R
Honorable Mention: Joe Roth - 6-14, 5 R, Tim Cournoyer Monster 2-R HR
After picking up some pizzas and jumping on Doug Lee's bus, we had a long drive back to the heartland of Atlanta, arriving approximately at 3:04 am est. The bus was full of movies, gummy bears, and Connect Four, along with the celebration of Monday's 22nd birthday of senior pitcher Ryan Lumsden.
"You hear that. Our little boy's all grows up!" - Vince Vaughn, Swingers
With one game on Wednesday vs. LaGrange, we hope to end the season on a high note and a winning streak into regionals.
One more regular season game, and then the start of finals in the classroom.
"Hey mom, the studying begins Wednesday night." - Jason Glushon, Emory Baseball
"Hey mom, where's the meatloaf!" - Will Ferrell, Wedding Crashers