FORMER EAGLE DAVID HISSEY DRAFTED BY THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

(June 11) Former Emory University baseball standout David Hissey was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 50th round of the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft on Thursday.

Hissey, who hails from the Philadelphia suburb of West Chester, PA, was selected with the 1,517th pick of the three-day draft.  He was one of 19 NCAA Division III players selected during the draft.

A four-year starter in the Emory outfield, Hissey finished his career as the school's career leader in stolen bases (113), second in runs scored (180) and third in hits (237).  He compiled a .366 career average, six home runs and 96 runs batted in.

This season, Hissey was named to the ABCA all-South Region second team, and to the all-University Athletic Association (UAA) first team.  Hissey was the UAA's Most Valuable Player in 2006.

Hissey is the fifth Eagle drafted since Emory reinstated its varsity program in 1991 after a 100-year absence.  Twin brothers and pitchers Scott and Jeff Kramer were both drafted in 1994, Scott in the 13th round by the Cleveland Indians and Jeff in the 30th round by the Milwaukee Brewers, and third baseman Andrew Pinckney was drafted in 2004 by the Boston Red Sox.  Last year, third baseman Frank Pfister was selected in the 17th round by the Cincinnati Reds, and is currently playing for their Class A affiliate.

THREE EAGLES NAMED TO ABCA ALL-SOUTH REGION TEAMS

(May 22) Three members of the Emory University baseball team earned all-South Region honors, as outfielder David Hissey and pitcher Zeb Heidt were named to the second team, and first baseman Steve Bralver was placed on the third team, as selected by the American Baseball Coaches Association.

Hissey finished the season with a .369 batting average, and team highs with 44 runs and 37 stolen bases.  In addition, he was second on the squad with 30 RBIs and third with 12 doubles.  The senior finished his Emory career as the program's all time leader in stolen bases (113), second in runs scored (180) and third in hits (237).  Earlier in the year, Hissey was named to the all-University Athletic Association (UAA) first team.

In his first season with the Eagles, Heidt recorded a 1.53 earned run average with a 3-2 record and 32 strikeouts in 35.1 innings pitched.  In 17 appearances, the junior converted seven saves, the third-best single-season total in school history.  Heidt earned a spot on the all-UAA second team this season.

Bralver put together one of the best offensive season in school history during his senior campaign, leading the team in batting average (.375), home runs (seven) and RBIs (61).  His 61 runs batted in was the second-best total in school history.  Bralver's efforts during the year led to his being named the UAA's Most Valuable Player.

It marked the first time in each of the three players' careers that they have earned all-region honors.

Emory finished the 2009 season with a 24-18 record, marking the 18th-consecutive 20-win season for the Eagles.

COHN AND RYCKMAN NAMED TO THE COSIDA BASEBALL ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT TEAM

(May 7) Two members of the Emory University baseball team were honored for their performance both in the classroom and on the field, as shortstop Andrew Cohn was named to the ESPN The Magazine/ CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team, and pitcher Matt Ryckman was named to the second team.

Cohn batted .304 during his sophomore season, earning a nod to the all-University Athletic Association (UAA) second team for the second-consecutive season.  He scored 40 runs during the season, the second-most on the team, while driving in 24 and stealing 13 bases and playing in every game at shortstop for the Eagles.  Cohn has compiled a 3.842 cumulative grade point average as an Economics major at Emory.

By virtue of being named to the Academic All-District first team, Cohn will be placed on the ballot for the Academic All-America Team.

Ryckman had a record of 5-3 with a 4.46 earned run average in eight appearances for Emory during the season.  He struck out 17 batters in 38.1 innings pitched, and was part of one shutout during the campaign.

Voting for the Academic All-District team is conducted by the members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) in the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.  To be eligible, a nominee must have completed at least one year at their respective institution with a 3.3 cumulative grade point average and be a starter or key reserve on his team.  Emory nominees are placed in the "college division" category, which is composed of all NCAA Division II and III schools, along with NAIA programs.

BRALVER NAMED UAA MVP; FOUR OTHER EAGLES SELECTED TO ALL-UAA TEAMS

(May 6) Emory University first baseman Steve Bralver was named the University Athletic Association's  (UAA) Most Valuable Player for the 2009 baseball season, highlighting a group of five Eagles who were selected to an all-UAA team.

Joining Bralver on the all-UAA first team is outfielder David Hissey.  Shortstop Andrew Cohn, pitcher Zeb Heidt, and outfielder Dan Molnar each earned nods to the second team.

Bralver finished the season with a team-best .375 batting average in addition to 61 runs batted in and seven home runs.  It marks the third time that the senior has been honored by the UAA, after being selected to the all-UAA Tournament first team in 2007 and 2009.

Hissey batted .369 for the Eagles, while leading the team with 37 stolen bases during the season (the third-most in the nation), and setting the Emory career stolen base record with 113 thefts.  The senior also drove in 30 runs during the campaign, while tying for the conference lead with 44 runs scored.  In 2006, Hissey was named the UAA Tournament MVP and earned a spot of the all-conference first team.

Cohn started 41 of 42 Emory games during the season, batting .304 with 24 RBIs and 40 runs scored, in addition to swiping 13 bases and leading the team in at bats.  The sophomore was named to the all-UAA Tournament second team during his freshman campaign in 2008.

In his first year with Emory, Heidt converted seven saves, while recording a 3-2 record and a 1.53 earned run average.  The junior sidearm closer struck out 32 batters in 35.1 innings pitched, holding opponents to a .246 batting average, and led the team with 17 appearances during the year.

Molnar demolished the Emory single-season walk record during the year, amassing 49 free passes, including an association-record nine during the UAA Tournament, and a team-best .492 on base percentage.  The sophomore finished the year with a .319 batting average, three home runs, 20 RBIs and 18 stolen bases, and led all Division III players with 1.17 walks per game.  This marks Molnar's third conference honor, after being named to the all-UAA Tournament second team in 2008, and the first team in 2009.

The all-conference honorees are nominated by their team's coach, and then voted on by all of the UAA baseball coaches.  This is the first year that the UAA has named an all-association team based on the entire season of play, in addition to an all-UAA Tournament team.

Emory finished its regular season with a 24-18 record, including a 3-3 mark in conference games.

EMORY BASEBALL STUNS DIVISION II NORTH GEORGIA; WINS 6-3 IN SEASON FINALE

(Apr. 28) The Emory University baseball team ended its up-and-down 2009 campaign on a positive note, as the Eagles upset Division II North Georgia College and State University 6-3 in Dahlonega, GA on Tuesday night.

In a mix-and-match day for the pitching staff, sophomore Elliott Coor got the Eagles off to a strong start, pitching three perfect innings before being lifted from the game.  Coor struck out three batters, and left the game with a 1-0 lead after a sacrifice fly from sophomore catcher Jeremy Bolian in the top of the second inning scored Andrew Cohn.

Coor finished the season with a 1-2 record, but allowed just one earned run over his last 19 and a third innings pitched, dating back to March 24th, lowering his ERA to 3.90.

The Eagles would then turn the game over to sophomore Will Matthews who would allow the only North Georgia runs of the game, giving up a three-run home run to the Saints' Brad Hall in the bottom of the fourth. However, the next three Emory pitchers - Adam Genn, Connor McGuiness, and Will Gumm - would each pitch a scoreless inning, combining to allow just one hit and one walk.

The score remained 3-1 heading into the top of the eighth.  Emory's Dan Molnar led the inning off with a base hit, followed by a walk to David Hissey and an RBI single for Steve Bralver to make the score 3-2.  An RBI single for Marc Terranova in the next at bat evened the score.

With two outs and the bases loaded in the inning, Emory would take the lead on a walk to Andrew Carroll, allowing Bralver to score the go-ahead run.  A two-RBI double for Tommy Dugan capped off the five run frame for Emory, and gave the Eagles the 6-3 lead they would hold for the rest of the game.

North Georgia would threaten in the bottom of the eighth inning, loading the bases with nobody out off two walks and a hit from Emory reliever Brian Cournoyer.  However, Cournoyer would strike out the next two batters, and Angelo Prisco would enter the game in relief of Cournoyer and strike the only batter he faced to end the inning.  In his final collegiate appearance, Prisco would be awarded the win in relief, his first victory as an Eagle.

Junior closer Zeb Heidt pitched a perfect ninth inning for his seventh save of the season, the third-best single season total in the program's history.

The eight Emory pitchers in the game combined to allow just three hits during the game, the second-best performance by the staff this season.  Emory allowed just two hits to Centre College on March 24th.

Bralver finished his final collegiate game three-for-four with a run scored and an RBI, giving him 61 on the season, the second-best single season mark in Emory history.  The senior finished the season with a team-best .375 batting average.

Besides Bralver and Prisco, also playing in their final collegiate games were Hissey and Dugan.  Hissey went one-for-three with a run scored, and ends his Emory career with 237 hits, the third-most in school history, and 180 runs scored, the second-best mark in the history of the program.  Dugan went two-for-five in the game with two key RBIs in the contest.

Sophomore Jeremy Bolian added a two-for-two performance with an RBI and a run scored, and finished his season with a .282 batting average.  Bolian raised his average .82 points since March 29th, batting a team-best .387 since that point, almost .60 points higher than any other Eagle during the time period.

The win brings Emory's final record to 24-18 in 2009, while North Georgia fell to 29-23 with the loss.  The game concludes the Eagles' 2009 campaign. 

EMORY WINS CHAPPELL PARK FINALE 4-3 OVER THE UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS

(Apr. 26) Playing in the final game of his career at Chappell Park, Emory University senior David Hissey scored the game-winning run from first on an RBI single from Scott Schwartz, lifting the Eagles to a 4-3 win over the Crusaders.

With two outs and the bases empty in the bottom of the seventh inning Hissey walked on a 3-2 pitch to keep the inning alive.  Schwartz, on a 3-2 pitch of his own, hit a hard ground ball up the middle that ricocheted off the shortstop's glove and into centerfield.  Hissey, hustling all the way around the bases, came in to score the eventual game-winning run.

Emory jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning, loading the bases with nobody out, and scoring runs on an RBI hit by pitch for Andrew Carroll, and sacrifice flies for Jeremy Bolian and Hissey.

Dallas would respond with two runs in the third and one in the fifth off Emory starter Chris Monaco who left the game after the fifth, with the score knotted at 3-3.

Emory's bullpen would hold strong during the later portion of the game, giving the Eagles the opportunity to take the lead.  Junior Matthew Katten earned the win in relief with three innings of no-hit, one-walk baseball, improving to 6-3 on the season and lowering his ERA to 4.03.  Junior Zeb Heidt would go on to pitch a scoreless ninth inning for his sixth save of the campaign.  Emory pitchers allowed just four hits during the game.

Hissey finished his final game at Chappell Park one-for-two with a run scored, an RBI and a walk, along with his 36th stolen base of the season.  Tommy Dugan, also playing in his final home game as an Eagle, went three-for-four with a run scored.

The Eagles improved to 23-18 on the season with the win, including a mark of 18-8 at Chappell Park.  Dallas dropped to 20-13-1 with the loss.

Emory will play its final game of the season at North Georgia College and State University on Tuesday at 7:00 PM.

EMORY BASEBALL FALLS TO DALLAS 11-6 ON SENIOR DAY

(Apr. 25) The Emory University baseball team dropped its third-straight game on Saturday, falling 11-6 at home to the University of Dallas. 

Emory took a 4-0 lead in the early part of the game, scoring a run in the first inning and three in the second, including RBI hits for Dan Molnar, David Hissey, and Tommy Dugan.

However, the Eagles' undoing came in the fifth inning, as Dallas scored eight runs on just four hits during the frame.  Emory's fielders committed two errors in the inning, in addition to two walks, a hit by pitch and a wild pitch from the three pitchers used during the inning.

The Eagles would score  two in the bottom of the fifth to make it an 8-6 game, but three runs in the top of the ninth for Dallas secured the victory.

Making his first career start on Senior Day, Angelo Prisco pitched well through four and a third innings, allowing four runs, only one of which was earned, on four hits and a walk.  Junior Matthew Katten took the loss in relief of Prisco, falling to 5-3 on the season.

Hissey was the only Eagle to record multiple hits during the game, going two-for-five with an RBI and a run scored.  Hissey is now six hits shy of the second most for a career in Emory history, and seven runs shy of the career record.

Emory will return to action for its final home game of the season on Sunday, as the Eagles and the Crusaders will play at 11:00 AM at Chappell Park.

EMORY BASEBALL TO PLAY ITS FINAL HOME GAMES OF 2009 THIS WEEKEND

(Apr. 23) The Emory University baseball team will take part in its final home games of the 2009 season this weekend, as the Eagles will play a pair against the University of Dallas.  The Eagles and the Crusaders will play at 1:00 PM on Saturday, and at 11:00 AM on Sunday.  In addition, Emory will honor its four graduating players with ‘Senior Day' on Saturday.

The Eagles will enter the game with a record of 22-17 this season, including a 17-7 mark at home.  The Eagles are coming off a pair of losses in a doubleheader against Methodist University, dropping the opening game by a mark of 8-4, and the second contest by a score of 2-1.

The Crusaders are 19-12-1 this season, including a record of 5-9 on the road.  Dallas has gone just 2-5 over its last seven games, including a split of a doubleheader against LeTourneau University on Tuesday.  The Crusaders are led by head coach Chris Strockbine, who is assisted Barrett Weaver and Fraser Holmes.

The Eagles are 3-3 all time against the Crusaders, including a split of a pair of games at Chappell Park last season.  During the two games last season, David Hissey went five-for-nine with three doubles and three runs scored, while Dan Molnar went four-for-nine with a home run, a double and three RBIs.

Emory Notes:
A number of Emory players are among the leaders in the NCAA or are chasing milestones coming into the final weekend of the season... Junior Dan Molnar began the week ranked second in the nation in walks (46) and first in the nation in walks per game (1.24)... He needs six walks in his final three games to record one of the top-15 walks per game ratios in a single season in Division III history... Senior David Hissey needs eight runs in his final three games to tie the school career record of 185, set by former Eagle Chris McAuley, and eight hits to move into second place in school history for career hits... Hissey is also second in the nation in stolen bases... Senior Steve Bralver has 60 RBIs this season, and needs three more to break Emory's single-season record, set by Ted Karniewicz in 2000... Bralver's 60 RBIs are the fifth-most by a Division III player this season... As a team, the Eagles are second in Division III in walks, and seventh in stolen bases... Emory's ‘Senior Day' ceremonies on Saturday will honor the Eagles' four graduating players - Steve Bralver, Tommy Dugan, David Hissey, and Angelo Prisco.   

EMORY BASEBALL TO HOST DOUBLEHEADER AGAINST METHODIST UNIVERSITY

(Apr. 20) The Emory University baseball team will begin its final home week of the season with a doubleheader against Methodist University on Tuesday, as the Eagles and the Monarchs will play a pair of seven-inning games starting at 12:00 PM at Chappell Park.

The Eagles will enter the day with a record of 22-15 on the season, following a split of a doubleheader against Huntingdon College on Saturday.  Emory currently stands at 17-5 in home games this season. 

The Monarchs will enter Tuesday's contests with a record of 24-12 overall this season, including a 6-4 record in away games, and a mark of 9-8 in road and neutral games combined.  Methodist has dropped its last three games, including a 16-13 loss to Christopher Newport University in its last game on Friday.  The Monarchs are led by head coach Tom Austin, who is assisted by Kevin Allingham, Spencer Martin and Blake Newsome. 

Emory is 16-15-1 all time against Methodist, and has not lost a game to the Monarchs since the 2005 season, going 6-0-1 during the stretch. 

EMORY BASEBALL SPLITS A DOUBLEHEADER WITH HUNTINGDON COLLEGE

(Apr. 18) Emory University and Huntingdon College split their doubleheader at Chappell Park on Saturday, as the Hawks defeated the Eagles 6-2 in the first game, but Emory answered back with an 8-5 victory in the second contest.

With the split, Emory moved to 22-15 on the season, while Huntingdon saw their record move to 22-13.

Emory fell behind in the second inning, as Huntingdon scored two unearned runs to take a 2-0 lead.  The Hawks would a run in the sixth and three in the eighth to cement their lead.

Emory's bats had trouble starting in the first game, managing just a run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI groundout for Steve Bralver, and an RBI groundout in the ninth for Mark Mazur.  The Eagles would load the bases to bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but would not score any more runs.

Starting pitcher Matthew Katten took the loss, despite allowing just three earned runs in seven innings.  Dan Molnar went one-for-two with two walks at the plate, and three stolen bases.

The second game would be a different story for Emory's bats, as the Eagles jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first off an RBI single for Bralver, and a RBI groundout for Scott Schwartz.  However, Huntingdon would answer with a run in the second and four in the third to take a 5-2 lead over the Eagles.

Emory would get back into the game on Bralver's second RBI single of the game in the third inning to make it a 5-3 score.  The Eagles would then take the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth, with a RBI single for David Hissey, a two-RBI double for Bralver, and a two-RBI single for Marc Terranova.  Emory would hold their 8-5 lead for the remainder of the game.

Starter Chris Monaco earned the victory to improve to 3-3 on the season, allowing four earned runs in five innings.  Angelo Prisco, Brian Cournoyer and Elliott Coor would combine to pitch three scoreless innings, before Zeb Heidt kept Huntingdon off the board in the ninth for his fifth save of the campaign.

Bralver finished the second game three-for-four with four RBIs to give him 60 RBIs on the season, three shy of the school single-season record.  Molnar scored three runs, stole a base, and walked three times during the game, and extending his school single-season record to 46 walks.

Emory will return to action on Tuesday with a doubleheader against Methodist University, starting at noon at Chappell Park.

EMORY BASEBALL TO BEGIN ITS FINAL HOME STAND OF 2009 AGAINST HUNTINGDON

(Apr. 16) Emory University will begin a six-game home stand this weekend, its final of the season, as the Eagles will take on regional-opponent Huntingdon College on Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 PM.

Emory will enter the game with a record of 21-14 this season, and is coming off one of its best offensive outputs in school history, during a 21-1 win over Oglethorpe University on Wednesday.  The Eagles have gone 16-4 at Chappell Park this season.

Huntingdon is 21-12 this season, including a mark of 10-5 away from home and a 7-4 record in true road games.  The Hawks are coming off a 4-3 loss to Birmingham Southern College on Tuesday.  Huntingdon is led by head coach D.J. Conville, who is assisted by Joey Holcomb and Scott Mularz.

The two teams met earlier this season, with Huntingdon claiming a 4-3 win over Emory in Montgomery, AL.  During the game, Emory's Steve Bralver picked up two hits and an RBI, while freshman Connor McGuiness allowed just one hit and one walk in one and two-thirds innings pitched out of the bullpen.  Emory holds an 18-7 all-time record against Huntingdon.  David Hissey has batted .394 in eight career games against Huntingdon with four doubles, one home run, 10 runs scored and five RBIs, while Andrew Cohn is eight-for-18 with five RBIs, five runs and two doubles.

Emory Notes:
The 21 runs scored by the Eagles during their win over Oglethorpe on Wednesday match the fifth-highest run output in a single game in the program's history... Hissey scored four runs during the game, and his 176 career runs scored place him second in school history, nine shy of the all-time record... Hissey has also stolen 34 bases this season, the second-most in school history, and began the week ranked third in Division III in stolen bases... The senior's 229 career hits put him in third-place in school history, 12 shy of second... Senior Steve Bralver needs eight RBIs in Emory's final seven games to match the school single-season record... His 55 RBIs this season are already the fourth-most in school history... Junior Dan Molnar has walked 101 times during his career, two shy of the second-most in school history... His 41 walks this season are a school record, and the second-most by a Division III hitter this year... Emory began the week ranked second in the nation in team walks with 172...The Eagles are also eighth in the nation with 94 stolen bases to start the week... Emory pitcher Will Gumm was named the UAA Pitcher of the Week, after allowing just one earned run in 6.1 innings out of the bullpen last week... Hissey has hit leadoff in the last two games for Emory, during which the Eagles have combined to score 34 runs... The Eagles are 5-3 with Hissey in the leadoff spot, and average 3.6 more runs per game (10.0 compared to 6.4) with the senior batting first.

EAGLES SCORE 21 IN WIN OVER OGLETHORPE

(Apr. 15) The Emory University baseball team ended its three-game losing streak in dominating fashion, scoring the fifth-most runs in the program's history, with a 21-1 win over Oglethorpe University.

The Eagles scored four runs in the first inning, including the first two on a two RBI single for shortstop Andrew Cohn, and never looked back.  Emory would go on to score a run in every inning except the sixth, and score multiple runs in the first, fourth, fifth, eighth and ninth innings.  Oglethorpe's only run scored came from a solo home run in the first inning.

During the game, 12 different Eagles picked up hits, 11 Emory players scored at least one run, and nine drove in a run.  Every offensive player for Emory reached base at least once over the course of the contest.

Leading the way for Emory was senior Steve Bralver, who finished the game four-for-four with a double, a walk, five RBIs and two runs scored.  The first baseman has driven in five or more runs in four games this season, and now has 13 multiple-RBI games during the campaign.  Bralver's 55 RBIs are the fourth-best single season total in school history, and eight shy of the school record with seven games remaining.

Left fielder David Hissey added a two-for-four performance with a double, three stolen bases and four runs scored.  Hissey's 176 career runs are nine shy of the school record, and his 229 hits are 12 shy of the second-most in school history.  In addition, he has now stolen 34 bases this season, the second-best total in Emory history.

Cohn added a three-RBI day for the Eagles, while Jay Page, Andrew Carroll, and Kevin O'Connor each drove in a pair.  Sophomore catcher Matt Fennell picked up his first two hits of the season, going two-for-five with an RBI, two runs and a walk.

The Eagles were equally effective on the mound during throughout game.  Starting pitcher Elliott Coor needed just 47 pitches to work his way through five innings of four-hit baseball, getting his first win of the season.  Over his last two starts, the southpaw has allowed just one run on eight hits, while striking out four through 10 innings of work. Coor is 1-1 this season with a 5.59 earned run average.

Sophomore Will Matthews and junior Adam Genn pitched two scoreless innings each, combining to allow just one hit and two walks.

Emory has scored 34 runs in the past two games, since moving Hissey back to the leadoff spot in the lineup.  The Eagles are 5-3 this season with Hissey batting leadoff, with the team averaging 10 runs per game, compared to just 6.4 runs per game in the 27 contests with the senior batting third.

The win breaks a three-game losing streak for Emory, its longest of the season, and raises the team's record to 21-14.  Oglethorpe fell to 19-14 on the year with the loss.  The Eagles also took the season series from the Stormy Petrels, winning two of the three games against them this season.

Emory will return home this weekend to face Huntingdon College on Saturday and Sunday, with both games starting at 1:00 PM.

EMORY DROPS EXTRA-INNING THRILLER TO LAGRANGE, 15-13 IN 13 INNINGS

(Apr. 14) Emory University scored three runs in the ninth inning to force a 13-13 tie against LaGrange College, but allowed two runs in the 13th inning of the game, as the Eagles lost 15-13 to the Panthers.

Junior Marc Terranova picked up a game-tying, two RBI pinch hit single in the ninth to tie the game, but both teams were unable to score a go-ahead until the 13th.  A bunt single with runners on the corners for the Panthers in the 13th gave them a one run lead.  LaGrange would add on one more run in the inning, before sitting the Eagles down in order in the bottom of the frame.

The Eagles had an opportunity to win the game in the bottom of the 11th inning, as the first two base runners reached, and a sacrifice bunt moved them into scoring position with one out.  However, the Eagles were unable to score the runs, and the game continued.

Junior relief pitcher Zeb Heidt took the loss on the day despite allowing just one earned run in five and a third innings of work, falling to 3-2 on the season.

Emory entered the sixth inning of the game leading 7-3, but LaGrange scored 10 runs in the inning to take a 13-7 lead.  The Eagles would come back with three runs in

Senior David Hissey and junior Tommy Dugan each drove in three runs during the game for Emory, while sophomore Scott Schwartz added three hits in the loss.

With the loss, Emory fell to 20-14 on the season, while LaGrange improved to 20-14 with the win.  The Eagles will look to end their three-game losing streak at Oglethorpe on Wednesday at 7:00 PM.

EMORY TO FACE LAGRANGE AND OGLETHORPE IN MIDWEEK GAMES

(Apr. 13) Emory University will look to end a two-game losing streak this week, as the Eagles will host LaGrange College at 3:00 PM on Tuesday, and travel across town to face Oglethorpe University on Wednesday at 7:00 PM.

Emory will begin the week coming off a pair of losses to third-ranked Millsaps College, and with a record of 20-13 overall.  The Eagles hold a mark of 16-3 in home contests, and 4-10 in road and neutral games. 

LaGrange will enter Tuesday's contest with a 19-14 record this season, including a record of 3-8 on the road, and 1-1 in neutral contests.  Recently, the Panthers dropped two of three to conference opponent Huntingdon College, who the Eagles will face this coming weekend.

This will be the first and only meeting between the two teams this season, after a game earlier in the season scheduled to take place on neutral ground in Memphis, TN was cancelled.  Emory is 23-7 all time against LaGrange, and the Eagles have won eight-consecutive games against the Panthers.

Oglethorpe will begin the week with a record of 19-12, including a record of 14-5 at home.  The Stormy Petrels are coming off a pair of wins against the University of the South this weekend.  Oglethorpe will face Piedmont on Tuesday before taking on the Eagles.  Wednesday's game will be the final meeting between the two teams this season.

Last week, the Eagles split a pair of games against Oglethorpe, losing 8-7 in extra innings on the road on Tuesday, and winning 3-2 at home on Wednesday.

EMORY SHUTOUT BY #3 MILLSAPS COLLEGE

(Apr. 13) Emory University was held scoreless in a regular season game for the first time under head coach Mike Twardoski, as the Eagles fell 6-0 to third-ranked Millsaps College on Saturday.

Emory recorded just three hits in the game, all singles.  Junior Tommy Dugan recorded two of the hits, going two-for-three, while junior Marc Terranova added the other hit, going one-for-two.

Starting pitcher Chris Monaco allowed five runs, three earned, on three hits and five walks through five innings against the Majors.  Junior Will Gumm allowed one run on two hits with four strikeouts over two innings, and junior Zeb Heidt closed the game with a two-hit scoreless inning.  Monaco took the loss, falling to 2-3 for the season.

The Eagles have now been shutout just three times since the start of the 2000 season, when Twardoski took control of the squad.  The previous two shutouts, a 5-0 loss to Montclair State University in 2000, and a 2-0 loss to the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point in 2007, occurred during the Division III World Series.  The shutout in 2007 was a one-hitter that occurred at the hands of Stevens Point pitcher Jordan Zimmermann, who will begin this year as the fifth starter for the Washington Nationals.

Millsaps completed the season sweep of the three-game series with the win over Emory on Saturday, as the Eagles fell to 20-13 on the year. 

Emory will return to action on Tuesday, as the Eagles will host LaGrange College at 3:00 PM.

MOLNAR BREAKS WALK RECORD IN EMORY'S 6-3 LOSS TO #3 MILLSAPS

(Apr. 10) Emory University's Dan Molnar walked twice to give him a school single-season record 37 on the season, and Andrew Cohn added three hits, but it was not enough for the Eagles who fell to third-ranked Millsaps College 6-3 in Jackson, MS.

Molnar's two walks pushed him past Drew Schwartz's previous school record of 36, set in the 1999 season.  The Eagles' third baseman began the week ranked fourth in Division III in free passes.

Emory starting pitcher Matthew Katten held one of the nation's top offensive teams to just four runs, only three earned, over the course of his five and a third innings of work, but took his first loss of the season, falling to 5-1 on the campaign.

After 4-0, Emory scored their first run of the game off the legs of left fielder David Hissey in the fifth inning.  Hissey reached base on a passed ball after a strike out, and advanced to second on an error on a pickoff attempt.  The senior would then steal third base and take home on a errant throw from the Major's catcher.

In the sixth inning, Jeremy Bolian added an RBI single, scoring Tommy Dugan.

Emory would threaten in the ninth inning, as Kevin O'Connor led the inning off with a single, followed by an error on a ball hit by Hissey, putting runners at second and third with nobody out.  After a pop out, Molnar would add a sacrifice fly to pull the Eagles to within a 6-3 score, but a strikeout by Dugan would end the game.

With the loss, Emory falls to 20-12 on the season, while the Majors improved to 29-4.  The two teams will play again on Saturday at 2:00 PM eastern standard time in Jackson, MS.

EMORY BASEBALL TO FACE THIRD-RANKED MILLSAPS IN JACKSON, MS

(Apr. 9) The Emory University baseball team will head to Jackson, MS for two games against Millsaps College, the third-ranked team in the nation, this weekend.  The Eagles and the Majors will play on Friday at 4:00 PM, and on Saturday at 2:00 PM, eastern standard time.  There will be live statistics and a video webcast of both games (courtesy of Millsaps College) accessible from the links above.

Emory will enter the game with a 20-11 record this year, marking the team's 18th-consecutive 20-win season.  The Eagles have struggled in road contests this season, going 1-4 in true road games, and a combined 4-8 in road and neutral games.

Millsaps will enter the weekend with a record of 28-4 this season, including a mark of 12-2 at home during the campaign.  The Majors have won three-consecutive games, and six of their last seven.  Millsaps is coached by Jim Page, who is assisted by Cody McCain, Doug Fortenberry, Brent Buffa and Derrick Boland.

The two teams met earlier in the season on neutral ground at the Rhodes College Invitational, with Millsaps coming away with a 13-2 win in seven innings over Emory.  The Eagles are now 17-17 all time against the Majors, and Emory's David Hissey has compiled a .346 batting average (nine-for-26) with four stolen bases and six runs scored during his seven career games against Millsaps. 

EMORY EDGES OGLETHORPE 3-2 WITH WALK OFF WIN

(Apr. 8) Emory University's Dan Molnar drove in the game-winning run with a walk off hit in the ninth inning, as the Eagles defeated Oglethorpe University 3-2 at Chappell Park on Wednesday.

 Entering the bottom of the ninth with the game tied at 2-2, the Eagles began their rally with one out in the inning, as Kevin O'Connor singled to center field, followed by a single for Tommy Dugan to put runners at first and second.  Molnar, the next batter, singled to left field on a 0-1 pitch, scoring O'Connor from third to win the game.

Emory fell behind in the top of the sixth inning, as Oglethorpe scored a pair in the frame to take a 2-0 lead.  The Eagles would pull the game within one in the bottom of the inning, after Steve Bralver scored Molnar on an infield single, his 50th RBI of the season.

The Eagles would tie the game in the bottom of the eighth on an infield single with two outs for Andrew Cohn with the bases loaded.  However, they left the bases loaded in the inning, and the game would remain tied until Molnar's game-winning hit.

Sophomore Elliott Coor made his most effective start of the season, pitching five shutout innings.  Coor allowed just one walk and four hits while striking out two, cutting his season ERA to 6.91 en route to the no decision. 

Freshman Connor McGuiness would earn his first collegiate victory, improving to 1-3 on the year with two shutout innings.  McGuiness would pitch around a one-out bases loaded situation in the ninth inning, getting a soft line out and a ground out to end the inning without any runs scoring.

Molnar finished the day two-for-three with two walks, and is now just one walk shy of matching Drew Schwartz's school record of 36 walks in a season, set in 2000.

The Eagles improved to 20-11 with the win, marking the squad's 18th 20-win season in the 19 years of the program's existence.  Oglethorpe fell to 17-12 on the year with the loss.

Emory will now turn its attention towards a key weekend series, as the Eagles will travel to Jackson, MS to face third-ranked Millsaps College.

EAGLES FALL TO OGLETHORPE 8-7 IN 11 INNINGS

(Apr. 7) Emory University came from behind three times during their Tuesday night contest against Oglethorpe University, but it was not enough for the Eagles, who dropped an 8-7 decision to the Stormy Petrels in 11 innings.

The Eagles took a two run lead in the first inning, as senior David Hissey slammed his first home run of the year, sending the ball deep over the left field wall with Andrew Cohn on base.  After letting in four runs in the bottom part of the inning, the Eagles would answer back with Andrew Carroll's first career home run, a two run shot to right field to even the game at four runs apiece.

After falling behind by a run again in the bottom of the second, the Eagles would once again tie the game on a ground ball to second base from Dan Molnar, that was misplayed, allowing Kevin O'Connor to score an unearned run, evening the game at 5-5.  However, another Oglethorpe run would score in the bottom of the third, giving the Stormy Petrels a 6-5 lead that would last through the top of the seventh.

Catcher Jeremy Bolian led off Eagles' half of the seventh with a walk, followed by a double for Cohn to put runners in scoring position without any outs. Emory would go on to score two runs in the inning, one on an RBI ground out for O'Connor, and the other on a ground-ball error hit by Hissey, to take a 7-6 lead.

Will Gumm pitched four and a third innings of hitless baseball in relief of starter Brian Cournoyer before giving way to Angelo Prisco and Zeb Heidt.  Heidt would get through an out in the eighth, but load the bases with two outs in the ninth before throwing a wild pitch, allowing the game-tying run to score for his first blown save in five attempts this season. 

Andrew Carroll would prevent Oglethorpe from winning, making a diving catch with two outs and two on to save both a run and the game, and send the game into extra innings.

In the top of the 11th, Bolian led off with a double to right field, and advanced to third on a throwing error by the right fielder.  However, the Eagles would be unable to get the run in, leaving the game tied.

Oglethorpe would make Emory pay in the bottom of the inning, as Heidt hit a batter, followed by a sacrifice bunt to put the game-winning run in scoring position with one out.  An Oglethorpe base hit and a throwing error in the ensuing at bat allowed the game winning run to score.  Heidt took the loss, falling to 3-1 on the season.

Hissey finished the day one-for-six with three RBIs, while Bolian went two-for-four with a run scored and a double.

With the loss, Emory drops to 19-11 on the season, while Oglethorpe improved to 17-11.  The Eagles are just 1-4 in true road games this season, and 4-8 in games away from Chappell Park (road and neutral). 

Emory and Oglethorpe will play again on Wednesday, as the Eagles will host the Stormy Petrels at Chappell Park starting at 3:00 PM.

EMORY BASEBALL TO FACE OGLETHORPE TWICE DURING THE WEEK

(Apr. 7) The Emory University baseball team will return to action against a familiar foe this week, as the Eagles will take on cross-town rival Oglethorpe University in two mid-week games.  The Eagles and the Stormy Petrels will play at Oglethorpe on Tuesday at 7:00 PM, and at Chappell Park on Wednesday at 3:00 PM.

Emory will enter the game with a 19-10 record, including marks of 15-3 at home, and 4-7 in games away from Chappell Park.  The Eagles recently won two out of three games during their weekend series against Piedmont College, including a 13-5 victory on Sunday.

Oglethorpe will enter Tuesday's game with a record of 16-11, including records of 13-5 at home and 3-6 on the road.  The Stormy Petrels have lost five of their last seven games, including dropping two of three against Rhodes College this past weekend.

Emory and Oglethorpe have played 45 games over the history of the two programs, with the Eagles holding a 34-11 advantage over the Stormy Petrels.  Last season, the Eagles went 3-1 in four contests against Oglethorpe, including marks of 1-1 at Oglethorpe and 2-0 at home.  Last year, Emory's Jeremy Bolian hit five-for-eight with five RBIs against Oglethorpe, while Andrew Cohn batted .368 with six RBIs.  On the mound, Emory's Brian Cournoyer pitched seven innings over three appearances, allowing two runs on five hits of a 2.57 earned run average.

Emory Notes
Emory University's Steve Bralver has driven in 49 runs this season, and is on pace to reach 70 RBIs, which would surpass the school single-season record of 63, set by Ted Karniewicz in 2000... Bralver has hit seven home runs this season, and sits in fifth-place in Emory history with 15 career home runs... David Hissey scored his 168th career run last Tuesday against Maryville, tying him with Brad Wands for the second most in school history, 17 behind Chris McAuley for the record... Hissey has also record 223 career hits, the third most in the program's history, and will tie the school record for most times hit by a pitch over a career with two more this season... Junior Dan Molnar has walked 33 times this season, three short of the school single-season record... He has walked 93 times over his career, the fifth-most in school history.

EMORY BASEBALL TAKES WEEKEND SERIES WITH 13-5 WIN OVER PIEDMONT

(Apr. 5) The Emory University baseball team bounced back from a loss to Piedmont College on Saturday with a 13-5 win at Chappell Park on Sunday, giving the Eagles a series win over the Lions.

Emory starter Chris Monaco pitched seven and two-thirds innings, the longest appearance by an Eagles' pitcher this season.  Monaco allowed four earned runs, five total, on seven hits and two walks, while striking out two.  The sophomore earned his second victory of the season, improving to 2-2 on the campaign with an earned run average of 5.67.

Emory took a two run lead on an RBI single for Dan Molnar and an RBI groundout for Tommy Dugan in the first inning.  However, the Eagles would give the runs right back, and then some, allowing a five-run top of the second to the Lions.

The Eagles would continue to fight, scoring two more in the bottom of the second, before a five-run third inning put Emory on top for good.  Emory would add two runs in each of the fifth and eighth innings to cap off the victory.

David Hissey, Steve Bralver, Edwin Melendez and Jeremy Bolian would each drive in two runs during the game, while Andrew Cohn went four-for-six with three runs scored and a double.  The RBIs for Melendez were the first of the freshman's career, coming just a day after his first collegiate hit.

Molnar also added a one-for-three performance, while walking twice to pull within four free passes of the school single-season record.

Emory improved to 19-10 with the win, while Piedmont fell to 15-13 with the loss.  Emory won the weekend series against Piedmont, taking two of three games from the Lions. 

The Eagles will return to action on Tuesday, traveling to face cross-town rival Oglethorpe University at 7:00 PM on Tuesday.

ERRORS COST EAGLES IN 17-4 LOSS TO PIEDMONT

(Apr. 4) The Emory University baseball team committed six errors, leading to 12 unearned runs, as the Eagles fell to Piedmont College 17-4 in Demorest, GA on Saturday.

After jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, Piedmont sent 17 batters to the plate in the second inning, scoring 11 runs, all unearned.

Emory would get a run in the third inning on an RBI single for David Hissey, two in the fourth on a two-run home run for Marc Terranova, and one more in the sixth on a bases loaded walk issued to Mathew McDonough.

The home run was the third of the season for Terranova, who is now batting .302 with 20 RBIs during the campaign.

Freshman Edwin Melendez would pick up his first collegiate hit with a single in the fourth inning.  Junior Dan Molnar went one-for-two with a single and a walk, and is now five walks shy of the school's single season record.

Emory and Piedmont will play the rubber game of their three-game weekend series at Chappell Park on Sunday.  The game time has been moved up to 12:00 PM, to accommodate potential bad weather in the area.

EMORY BASEBALL WINS FIRST OF THREE AGAINST PIEDMONT

(Apr. 3) Emory University opened up its three-game weekend series against Piedmont College with a win at Chappell Park on Friday, as the Eagles defeated the Lions 4-3 behind six and two-thirds strong innings from starting pitcher Matthew Katten. 

Katten pitched into the seventh inning for the Eagles, allowing two runs on six hits, walking one and striking out three.  The junior co-captain improved to 5-0 on the season, while lowering his ERA to 4.29 on the campaign.

The Eagles jumped out to a lead in the second inning, scoring three runs on an RBI single for freshman Kevin O'Connor, an RBI double for sophomore Jeremy Bolian, and another RBI single for sophomore Andrew Cohn.

After the Lions scored single runs in each of the third and fourth innings, the Eagles added on another on a Steve Bralver sacrifice fly in the fifth. 

Junior Zeb Heidt would pitch the final two and a third innings for Emory, giving up a run, but earning his fourth save of the season. 

Cohn finished the game three-for-four with an RBI and run, while Bolian went two-for-four during the game with a double and a single.

The Eagles and the Lions will continue their three-game set tomorrow at 3:00 PM in Demorest, GA, before returning to Chappell Park to play the final game at 1:00 PM on Sunday.

EMORY BASEBALL TO PLAY THREE AGAINST PIEDMONT THIS WEEKEND

(Apr. 2) The Emory University baseball team will take part in a key three-game series this weekend, as the Eagles will face off against in-state rival Piedmont College at home on Friday and Sunday, and in Demorest, GA on Saturday.

Emory will enter the game with a 17-9 record, including marks of 13-3 at home, and 4-6 on the road.  The Eagles are coming off an 8-6 mid-week loss to Maryville College.

Piedmont will begin the weekend with a 14-11 record, including a 9-7 record at home, and a 5-4 record on the road.  The Lions are led by head coach Jim Peeples, who is assisted by Richard Dombrowsky, Justin Scali, Tim Jones and Adam Rosen. 

Emory is 23-11 all time against Piedmont.  Last season, the Lions took two of the three games from Emory, winning 7-6 and 10-6 contests in Demorest.  The Eagles took the final game of the series with a 6-4 victory at Chappell Park.

The games on Friday and Saturday are slated to start at 3:00 PM.  Sunday's contest will have an earlier start time, beginning at 1:00 PM.

EAGLES LOSE 8-6 DECISION TO MARYVILLE SCOTS

(Mar. 31) Emory University's Steve Bralver and Tommy Dugan each homered on Tuesday afternoon, but it was not enough for the Eagles, who lost 8-6 to the Maryville College Scots in Maryville, TN.

With the game scoreless after the first two innings, Bralver dealt the first blow for the Eagles with a three-run home run to right center field, with one out in the third inning.  The round-tripper scored Andrew Cohn and David Hissey, who reached earlier in the inning with walks. 

The home run was the seventh of the season for Bralver, the most by an Eagle since Andrew Pinckney hit seven in 2004.  The senior has now driven in 46 runs through 26 games this season.  

However, the Eagles lead would be short lived.  Emory starter Matt Ryckman allowed five runs in the bottom half of the third, allowing five hits including a home run during the inning, giving Maryville a 5-3 lead after three.  The runs ended a streak of nine and two thirds scoreless innings, spanning parts of three starts, for Ryckman.

Emory would bring the game back to within a run in the fourth, as Tommy Dugan hit his first home run of the season, with two outs in the frame and the bases empty.  The junior, who now has three career home runs, was playing in just his third game back from an injury, after missing eight-consecutive games earlier in the month.

The Eagles would tie the game at five in the top-half of the fifth on a two-out RBI single for Dan Molnar, but fall behind again as Ryckman would allow his second home run of the game, a solo shot, to start the bottom half of the frame.  The Scots would score two more in the inning, giving them an 8-5 lead.

A late bright spot for the Eagles was freshman Connor McGuiness, who pitched the final two two innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit and striking out three.  However, it would be too little too late for Emory.

Cohn would pick up an RBI single in the ninth to pull the Eagles within two, but that would be as close as they would get.

Ryckman was accountable for all eight runs scored en route to the loss, falling to 5-2 this season.

With the loss, Emory has now dropped two of their last three games after winning five in a row, falling to 17-9 on the season.  The Scots improved to 15-12 with the win.

The Eagles will look to rebound this weekend with a three-game series against Piedmont College, beginning with a Friday afternoon game at Chappell Park starting at 3:00 PM.

EMORY BASEBALL TO FACE MARYVILLE COLLEGE ON TUESDAY

(Mar. 30) The Emory University baseball team will head to Maryville, TN this week, as the Eagles will face Maryville College at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, March 30th.

The Eagles will enter the contest with a record of 17-8 this season, and winners of six of their last seven contests.  Emory holds a record of 1-1 in road contests, and 4-5 in all games away from Chappell Park (neutral and road games).

Maryville will enter the game with a 14-11 record, including a 10-5 record at home this season. The Scots are led by head coach Daniel Washburn, who is assisted by John Rypel and Jimmy Reese.

The Eagles are 29-19 all time against Maryville, including a 5-4 win at home against the Scots earlier in the season.  During the game, the Eagles came back from a 4-1 deficit by scoring four runs in their final two at bats, including a game-winning sacrifice fly from Dan Molnar in the eighth inning.  Emory's David Hissey went two-for-three with two RBIs in the contest, and Will Hanlon and Zeb Heidt combined to pitch four innings on one-hit baseball out of the bullpen.

Maryville College will be providing a live video webcast and live statistics for the game, which can be accessed from the links posted above.

EMORY BASEBALL SPLITS DOUBLEHEADER WITH MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE

(Mar. 29) After dropping a 13-4 decision to Mississippi College in the opening game of a doubleheader on Sunday, Emory University battled back for a 7-5 win in the late game, splitting the twin bill with the Choctaws.

After falling behind 2-0 in the top of the third inning of the second game, Emory scored four in the bottom half of the inning, including three on a home run from Marc Terranova, the junior's second of the year.  Emory would add another run in the fourth to take a 5-2 lead over Mississippi.

Junior Matt Katten got the start for the Eagles, pitching six and two thirds strong innings, before Mississippi's Jacob Daniel tied the game with a three run home run off Katten's 105th and final pitch of the day.  Katten finished the day with five runs, two earned, off of ten hits, while striking out four and lowering his season ERA to 4.58.

Emory's Will Gumm and Zeb Heidt combined to pitch the final two and a third innings of hitless relief work, giving Emory's bats a chance for the win.

The Eagles would take advantage in the bottom of the eighth inning.  Freshman Kevin O'Connor led the inning off with a base hit, and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Jeremy Bolian.  On the ensuing play, sophomore Andrew Cohn doubled to left field to score O'Connor, giving the Eagles a one-run lead.  Senior David Hissey added an RBI single to put the Eagles on top 7-5.

Heidt would go on to retire the side in order in the ninth inning, earning the victory in relief to improve to 3-0 on the season, and lower his ERA to 1.45.

Emory's pitching in the second game was a stark contrast to the earlier contest, where the Eagles' starter Will Hanlon and first reliever Chris Monaco, combined to allow nine runs in six and a third innings pitched.  Relievers Adam Genn and Will Matthews allowed an additional four runs out of the bullpen.

With the Eagles trailing 5-1, Emory led off the bottom of the sixth inning with back-to-back home runs from Steve Bralver and Dan Molnar to pull within two runs.  However, that would be as close as the Eagles would get in the game, as the Choctaws pulled away with a five-run seventh inning. 

Molnar finished the day going four-for-five with a home run, a double, a RBI and four walks over the two games.  Hissey added four hits on the day for Emory, raising his batting average to .412.  Hissey now has a 10-game hitting streak, the longest current streak by an Eagle.

The four walks on the day give Molnar 87 for his career, placing the junior one behind Brad Wands for fifth-place in school history.  With 27 walks already this season, he is nine shy of the school single-season record with 17 regular season games left on the schedule.

The split brings Emory's record to 17-8 this season, while the Choctaws moved to 14-12 on the campaign.  Emory has recorded a split in each of the three doubleheader it has been a part of this season, with the Eagles losing the early game and winning the late one each time.

Today's games end Emory's six-game home stand, during which Emory went 5-1.  The Eagles will travel to Maryville College in Maryville, TN on Tuesday for a 4:00 PM EST game against the Scots.

EMORY BASEBALL TO HOST MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE FOR A SUNDAY DOUBLEHEADER

(Mar. 26) The Emory University baseball team will wrap up its six-game home stand this weekend, as the Eagles will host a doubleheader against Mississippi College, starting at 11:00 AM on the Sunday.  The games, originally scheduled for Saturday, were pushed back a day due to anticipated bad weather in the Atlanta area.

Emory will look to continue its current five-game winning streak, a season-best for the squad.  The Eagles are 16-7 overall this year, including a mark of 12-2 at Chappell Park. 

Mississippi College will enter Sunday's games with a 13-11 record during its 2009 campaign, including a 2-7 record in road games.  The Choctaws, who have lost back-to-back games, are averaging 6.83 runs per game this season, while allowing 7.17 runs per game to their opponents.  Mississippi is led by head coach Brian Owens, who is assisted by Tim Kendrick. 

This will be the fourth meeting between the two programs, with the Eagles' holding a 3-0 advantage in the previous contests.  The team last met during the 2007 season, with Emory coming away with a 7-6 victory in its last at bat.  During the game, Emory's Tommy Dugan went three-for-four with two RBIs and a stolen base, while David Hissey went one-for-four with two runs scored.

Emory Notes:
With the release of the first NCAA Division III statistical rankings this week, the Eagles are ranked highly in a number of team and individual categories... As a team, Emory is ranked fifth in fielding percentage (.982), fifth in stolen bases (74), and seventh in walks (118)... The Eagles are also ranked 22nd in hits (253), 30th in doubles (49) and 37th in runs (165)... Individually, Steve Bralver ranks first in the nation in RBIs, and David Hissey is first in the nation in steals... Bralver also ranks fourth in doubles, 10th in hits, and 13th in total bases, while Hissey is 38th in runs scored, and Dan Molnar is sixth in walks... Molnar and Hissey both have 83 career walks, tying the pair with Mike Sposaro for the sixth-most in school history... Hissey is also the all-time Emory leader with 102 career stolen bases, third with 166 career runs, and sixth with 214 career hits... During its current five game winning streak, Emory pitchers have recorded a 1.88 earned run average, while Emory's hitters are batting a combined .365.

EAGLES TWO-HIT CENTRE IN 11-0 VICTORY

(Mar. 24) Emory University picked up its second shutout of the season on Tuesday afternoon, as the Eagles' pitching staff allowed just two hits to Centre College, en route to an 11-0 victory over the Colonels.

Four Emory pitchers combined for the two-hit shutout, allowing Centre base runners to reach in only two innings, the fourth and the ninth.  Emory starter Matt Ryckman earned the win with five solid innings of work, allowing both of the Colonels hits and one walk, while striking out two.  The sophomore improved to 5-1 on the season, and lowered his ERA to 3.23 on the campaign.

Emory's bullpen would take over for the final four innings, as Will Gumm (two innings pitched), Elliott Coor (one inning pitched) and Connor McGuiness (one inning pitched) would combine to hold the Colonels without a hit.  The first Centre batter reached on an error in the ninth inning, but McGuiness would strike out the next three batters to end the game.

At the plate, the Eagles took the lead early, with David Hissey singling in Kevin O'Connor from second base in the first inning, and later scoring a run of his own after stealing two bases and scoring on a wild pitch.  Hissey finished the game four-for-five with four singles, four runs scored, one RBI, a walk and two stolen bases.  The senior is now batting .400 this season, and moved into third in school history with 166 career runs scored, two behind second-place Drew Wands, and 19 back from the record-holder Chris McAuley.

Freshman Jay Page finished the day two-for-three at the plate, including a two-out bases-loaded double in the third inning that scored three runs.  The designated hitter is now six-for-eight with six RBIs in his last five games played.

Junior Dan Molnar added a two-for-four performance with two RBIs and two walks.  Senior Steve Bralver picked up a single and a double, going two-for-four with an RBI, his 41st of the season, and raising his average to .438.

The Eagles extended their season-best winning streak to five games with the victory, and the team has now won seven of its last eight, improving to 16-7 overall.  Centre dropped to 3-12 on the season with the loss.

Emory will return to action this weekend, hosting a doubleheader against Mississippi College on Saturday starting at 1:00 PM.

EMORY COMES FROM BEHIND TO DEFEAT NORTH CENTRAL 8-6

(Mar. 22) The Emory University came from behind on three separate occasions against North Central College, finally taking a lead on David Hissey's game-winning two RBI single in the eighth inning, as the Eagles defeated the Cardinals 8-6 at Chappell Park on Sunday afternoon.

The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a sacrifice fly from Steve Bralver that scored Andrew Cohn, giving the senior his team-leading 40th RBI of the season.  However, the Cardinals would answer with three runs in the top of the second, and one in the top of the fourth to take a 4-1 lead.

Emory would get back into the game with a two out, two RBI single from Scott Schwartz in the bottom of the fourth, and tie the game in the bottom of the fifth with a sacrifice fly from freshman Jay Page. 

The game would remain tied until the seventh, when North Central scored a run in the top half of the inning.  Emory would answer back again with a run in the bottom half of the inning on another sacrifice fly from Page.

Emory would fall behind by a run again in the top of the eight, as the Cardinals made it a 6-5 game.  Emory would final regain the lead for good in its final at bat, after Schwartz and Cohn reached on walks to start the eight, and freshman Edwin Melendez moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt, setting up Hissey's game-winning hit.  Junior Dan Molnar would pick up an RBI single as well in the inning, giving the Eagles their 8-6 lead.

Junior Zeb Heidt pitched the final two innings for Emory, allowing a run off four hits and striking out two to get the victory, improving to 2-0 on the year.  Sophomore Chris Monaco pitched four innings out of the bullpen giving up just an unearned run on two hits and a walk.

Hissey finished the game three-for-three with two RBIs and two runs scored, in addition to stealing three bases, making him the first Eagle to reach 100 for his career.  The senior has picked up the game-winning hit in two of the last three Emory games, and is now batting .376 this season.

With the win, the Eagles have now won four in a row, and improved to 15-7 this season.  North Central dropped to 1-5 on the campaign with the loss.

Emory will return to action on Wednesday, when the Eagles will face Centre College at 3:00 PM at Chappell Park.

EMORY BASEBALL WINS THIRD-STRAIGHT GAME WITH 8-2 VICTORY OVER NORTH CENTRAL

(Mar. 21) Emory University's Steve Bralver extended his hitting streak to 14 games, going two-for-four with a two-run home run, and the Eagles' bullpen added four scoreless innings, as Emory improved to 14-7 with a 8-2 victory over North Central College. 

Bralver's home run came in the bottom of the third inning, with the Eagles' trailing the Cardinals 1-0 and two outs in the innings.  The shot from the senior, his team-best fifth of the year, put the Eagles up 2-1.  Bralver raised his batting average to .452 on the season, as he currently leads the team with 39 runs batted in.

After taking the lead, the Eagles' pitching staff would assure that Emory would not trail again for the rest of the game.  Starting pitcher Will Hanlon pitched five innings, allowing two runs on three hits and four walks, while striking out four and improving to 2-1 on the season.  Junior Adam Genn, sophomore Will Matthews, and senior Angelo Prisco would close out the game with four combined innings of scoreless, one-hit baseball.

Sophomore catcher Scott Schwartz finished the day two-for-four with three RBIs, including a key two RBI single in the bottom of the fifth.  Junior third baseman Dan Molnar went two-for-three in the game with a pair of doubles.

The Eagles have now won three-consecutive games, and five of their last six contests.  North Central College fell to 1-4 on the season with the loss.

The two teams will cap off their two-game weekend series on Sunday, when the Eagles and the Cardinals will face at 1:00 PM.

MOLNAR AND BRALVER NAMED TO THE ALL-UAA TOURNAMENT TEAM

(Mar. 20) Junior Dan Molnar and senior Steve Bralver of the Emory University baseball team were among the 14 players selected to the all-University Athletic Association (UAA) Tournament Team, based on their performance during last week's conference tournament.

Molnar played right field and third base for the Eagles during the tournament, leading all UAA players in slugging percentage (.875), on base percentage (.667) and total bases (21), while setting a new UAA-tournament record with nine walks.  He also finished second in the tournament in batting average (.542), runs (eight) and hits (13).  At one point during the week, Molnar reached base for 11-consecutive plate appearances, going four-for-four with a home run, a double, a walk, two runs and two RBIs during a 6-3 Emory loss to Case Western Reserve University, followed later in the day by a three-for-three performance with a triple, a double, three walks and three RBIs during the Eagles' 15-5 triumph over Washington University (Mo.).

The honor is the second all-conference award for Molnar, who was named to the all-UAA second team after last year's tournament.

Bralver hit .480 during the tournament, leading all players with 10 runs batted in over the six-game stretch.  He added six runs scored, four doubles, one triple and one home run, all while playing perfect defense at first base.  Bralver also tied with Molnar for the tournament lead with 21 total bases.  In two games against the eventual UAA-champion University of Rochester, Bralver batted five-for-nine with two doubles, a triple and five RBIs.

This is the second all-UAA honor for Bralver, who was named to the first team during the 2007 season.

This season marks the first year that the UAA will name both an all-tournament team and an all-UAA team at the end of the season.  This is in contrast to past years, where the UAA named a first, second and honorable mention team, in addition to a conference most valuable player and rookie of the year, based solely on the results of the conference tournament. 

Emory University finished tied for second at the UAA Tournament with a 3-3 record, marking the first time since the 2005 season that the Eagles have not won the conference title.

EMORY EDGES ATLANTA CHRISTIAN 3-2 AT CHAPPELL PARK

(Mar. 19) Emory University's David Hissey drove in two runs, and Matt Ryckman allowed just two runs in seven innings, as the Eagles defeated Atlanta Christian College 3-2 at Chappell Park on Thursday afternoon.

Hissey plated the eventual game-winning run for the Eagles, breaking a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning with a double that scored freshman Jay Page, who reached earlier in the inning with a pinch hit single.

After falling behind 2-0 in the top of the second inning, the Eagles answered back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the third.  Sophomore Andrew Cohn led the inning off with a single up the middle, and scored on a RBI double from freshman Kevin O'Connor.  O'Connor would tie the game later in the inning on a sacrifice fly from Hissey.

Meanwhile, on the mound, Ryckman pitched well enough to earn the victory, improving to 4-1 on the season and lowering his ERA to 3.86.  The sophomore went seven innings, allowing 10 hits, but picking off two runners and striking out three.

The Eagles staff got into some trouble in the eighth inning, as the Chargers loaded the bases with one out.  However, junior Zeb Heidt entered the game, and after a missed bunt on a suicide squeeze retired the runner on third, the Atlanta Christian batter lined out to left field to end the inning.

Heidt would get into trouble again in the ninth, letting the first two runners of the frame reach, but he struck out two batters and got a pop out to end the game.  Heidt picked up his third save of the season, while lowering his ERA to 1.17 this year.

Senior Steve Bralver added two hits and an intentional walk over three at bats, and is now leading the team with a .447 batting average during the campaign. 

The Eagles will return to action at Chappell Park this weekend, facing North Central College at 1:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday.

EMORY BASEBALL TO HOST ATLANTA CHRISTIAN, NORTH CENTRAL THIS WEEK

(Mar. 18) Following its second-place finish at the University Athletic Association (UAA) Tournament last week, the Eagles will return to Chappell Park for three home games this week, as Emory will take on Atlanta Christian College at 3:00 PM on Thursday, and North Central College at 1:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday.

The Eagles will begin the week with a 12-7 record, following a 3-3 performance at the UAA Championship Tournament.  Emory is 8-2 at home this season, including five-consecutive victories at Chappell Park. 

Atlanta Christian will enter the game with a 13-8 record, including an 8-7 record on the road this season.  The Chargers, a National Christian College Athletic Association Division II squad, are under the leadership of Jesse Dyar.  Thursday's meeting will be the first between the two teams in the history of the programs.

North Central College will enter the weekend with a 1-3 overall record, with all four games coming on the road.  The Cardinals are led by head coach John Fitzgerald, who is assisted by Jared Bogan, Eric Brunnell, Jared Folley, and R.J. Spehn.  North Central and Emory will be meeting for the first time this weekend.

Emory Notes
Emory outfielder David Hissey achieved two historic marks during the UAA Tournament, becoming the ninth player in school history to reach 200 hits, and stealing his school-record setting 95th base... Hissey has also scored 23 runs this season, giving him 159 for his career, placing him in fifth-place in school history... Emory junior Dan Molnar set a UAA record with nine walks during the tournament... The outfielder/ third baseman led all UAA players in on-base percentage and slugging percentage at the tournament... Junior Zeb Heidt pitched 5.1 scoreless innings out of the Emory bullpen during the UAA Tournament, including a four-inning save against Rochester, while striking out eight batters... Junior Matthew Katten lowered his ERA to 3.28 as a starter, while improving to 4-0 on the campaign.

EMORY DEFEATS BRANDEIS 12-0; FINISHES SECOND AT UAA BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

(Mar. 14) The Emory University baseball team used a nine-run first inning to cruise to a 12-0, seven inning victory over Brandeis University in the final game of the University Athletic Association (UAA) Tournament.  With the win, the Eagles finish the tournament in second place with a 3-3 record.

The Eagles sent 15 batters to the plate in the first inning, and every player in the Emory lineup scored a run during the inning.  Emory added two more in the third and one in the fourth, giving the team a 12-0 lead and resulting in an early termination of the game with the team up by 10 or more runs after seven innings.

Emory's Dan Molnar capped off his breakout UAA Tournament with a two-for-three performance in the game, including two walks to give him nine for the week, breaking the record for walks in the tournament.  The junior also finished second in the tournament in batting average (.542), and first in slugging percentage (.875) and on base percentage (.667).  Molnar is now batting .324 with nine RBIs this season.

Senior Steve Bralver finished the day two-for-three with two runs and two RBIs, and finished the week with a tournament-best 10 RBIs.  Juniors Andrew Carroll and Marc Terranova each added two RBI days as well.

Emory starter Will Hanlon pitched five shutout innings on three-days rest for the Eagles, giving up just three hits and one walk while striking out four to earn the win.  Senior Angelo Prisco and junior Will Gumm each pitched a shutout inning to close out the game.

The win brings Emory's record to 12-7 overall this season, while Brandeis fell to 4-7 overall and to 2-4 in UAA games.  The Eagles finished the UAA tournament behind the University of Rochester (4-2 UAA) for second place, tied with Washington University (Mo.) and Case Western Reserve University with a 3-3 record.  The tournament ends a streak of three-consecutive UAA titles for the Eagles.

Emory will now return home for the second half of its schedule, beginning with a game against Atlanta Christian College at Chappell Park on Thursday, March 19th at 3:00 PM.

EAGLES' HOPES OF A UAA TITLE DIMINISHED WITH 9-4 LOSS TO CASE

(Mar. 14) The Emory University baseball team saw its chances for a four-peat at the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship significantly diminished on Friday night, as the Eagles dropped a 9-4 decision to Case Western Reserve University in Sanford, FL.

The Eagles entered Friday night's game in control of their own tournament destiny, following Washington University's (Mo.) doubleheader sweep of the University of Rochester and Brandeis University earlier in the day.  However, the loss leaves the Eagles at 2-3 in tournament play with one game remaining.

The Eagles can still share the UAA title, but only if all five teams finish with 3-3 records.  If Brandeis beats Rochester in the early game, Emory defeats Brandeis in the midday game and Case loses to Washington in the late game, all five teams will gain a share of the UAA Championship for the first time in the conference's history.

The Eagles jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the game, as first baseman Steve Bralver launched his fourth home run of the season with David Hissey at second base and two outs.  However, Case would score two runs in each of the second, third, fourth and fifth innings, and add one more in the top of the seventh.

Emory would score a run in the third inning on a Marc Terranova single, and one more in the seventh on an RBI groundout for Andrew Cohn.  However, that would be it for the Emory offense.

Freshman Connor McGuiness took the loss, dropping to 0-2 on the season after allowing six runs in four innings.  Senior Brian Cournoyer and sophomore Will Matthews pitched well out of the bullpen, allowing just one unearned run on four hits through four and a third innings to keep Emory in the game.

The Eagles will wrap up UAA play on Saturday at 2:30 PM, as the Eagles will face Brandeis University at Sanford Memorial Stadium in Sanford, FL.

EAGLES SPLIT UAA BASEBALL DOUBLEHEADER WITH A WIN OVER WASHINGTON AND LOSS TO CASE; HISSEY BREAKS THE EMORY CAREER STOLEN BASE RECORD

(Mar. 11) The Emory University baseball team split a pair of University Athletic Association (UAA) in Sanford, FL today, as the Eagles lost to Case Western Reserve University 6-3 in the opening game, and defeated Washington University (Mo.) 15-5 in seven innings in the late game.  In addition, Emory's senior left fielder David Hissey broke the school record for stolen bases during the Washington University (Mo.) game.

In the fifth inning of Emory's win over Washington, with nobody out and a man on third, Hissey singled into left field to score the run and pick up his 200th-career hit.  In the next at bat, the senior stole second to break the record, and then third, eventually scoring on an Andrew Cohn single.  The game was stopped momentarily as the Emory fans in attendance, and the players in the dugout gave the Eagles' co-captain a standing ovation.

Hissey now has 96 career stolen bases, passing former Eagle Josh Barrett who ended his career with 94 stolen bases.  Hissey also became the ninth player in school history to record 200 hits over a career.

Emory's other corner outfielder, Dan Molnar, recorded a career-day as well, reaching base in all 11 of his plate appearances during the day.  The junior went four-for-four with a walk, home run, double and two RBIs against Case in the early game, and three-for-three with a triple, a double, and three RBIs against Washington in the late game.  Molnar is now batting .818 (nine-for-11) with six walks and five RBIs in the three UAA games.

Emory starting pitcher Matt Ryckman improved to 3-1 on the season allowing five runs in the victory over Washington University.  Sophomore Chris Monaco took the loss against Case, falling to 1-2 on the season.

With the split, Emory is now 10-6 on the season and 1-2 in UAA play.  The Eagles will continue their UAA schedule on Thursday at 4:00 PM, as the squad will face the first-place University of Rochester.

EMORY LOSES 10-7 TO ROCHESTER IN UAA OPENER

(Mar. 10) In the opening game of the University Athletic Association (UAA) Tournament, the Eagles dropped a 10-7 to the University of Rochester at Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium in Sanford, FL.

The Emory pitching staff allowed a total of 10 runs on 18 hits to the Yellowjackets, who improved to 5-0 on the season.  Emory starter Will Hanlon allowed five runs on eight hits through two and two thirds innings, striking out two and taking his first loss of the campaign.  

Rochester jumped out to a quick lead in the game, scoring a run in the first inning, two in the second, and two more in the third.  The Eagles would answer with single runs in each of the second, third, and fourth innings to pull to within two runs, but that would be as close as the Eagles would get for the rest of the game.

Senior Steve Bralver had another strong game for Emory, going three-for-four with a double, a triple, and three runs batted in.  Bralver is now batting .443 with 30 runs batted in through 14 games this season, and has six games with multiple RBIs during the year.

Junior Andrew Carroll added a three-for-four performance with a double and an RBI.  Senior David Hissey stole two bases, giving him 93 for his career, and is now one shy of matching Emory's career stolen base record.

Emory, now 9-5 in 2009, will return to action tomorrow for its doubleheader day at the UAA Tournament, when the Eagles will face Case Western Reserve University at 11:00 AM and Washington University (Mo.) at 2:30 PM.

EMORY PICKS UP ITS THIRD-STRAIGHT WIN WITH A 7-2 VICTORY OVER CASE

(Mar. 8) Senior Steve Bralver drove in four runs, and junior Matt Katten allowed just two runs in seven and two-thirds innings, as Emory University earned a 7-2 win over Case Western Reserve University on Sunday at Chappell Park. 

Despite Katten needing just four pitches to get through the first inning, the Eagles fell behind 1-0 in the frame, after Case's Matt Richards doubled, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on a ground out.  However, Emory would answer back with Bralver's first RBI hit of the day, a single that scored Mark Mazur from second base.

The game would remain knotted at one run apiece until the Eagles mounted a two-out rally in the sixth inning, beginning with a Bralver double.  The next batter, Andrew Cohn, singled to right center to score Bralver and give the Eagles a 2-1 lead.

Emory would add on three runs in the seventh inning on a bases-clearing double for Bralver, and two more in the eighth on a RBI double for Kevin O'Connor, and a sacrifice fly for Jeremy Bolian.

Meanwhile, Katten remained on control in the mound, giving the Eagles their longest outing by a starting pitcher this season, just one day removed from the team's 16-inning marathon.  Katten improved to 3-0 on the season while lowering his ERA to 4.15.

Junior Adam Genn pitched the final inning and a third for Emory, earning his first save of the season.

Bralver has now driven in 27 runs through the Eagles first 13 games of the season, and leads the squad with a .421 batting average.  He finished the game with four runs batted in, marking the fourth time this campaign that he has recorded four or more RBIs in a contest.

Senior David Hissey saw his 10-game hitting streak come to a close, as he went hitless in three at bats, but he was able to steal a base to pull within three of Josh Barrett for the Emory career lead.  Hissey has now stolen 15 bases this season, and 91 stolen bases for his career.

The Eagles will now venture south for the University Athletic Association Tournament in Sanford, Florida.  Emory will play its first UAA game on Tuesday at 11:00 AM against the University of Rochester.

EMORY PICKS UP 3-2 WIN OVER HAVERFORD IN 16-INNING MARATHON

(Mar. 7) In the longest game in school history, the Emory University baseball team came back from a one-run deficit in the bottom of the 16th inning, as junior Marc Terranova picked up a walk-off RBI single to give the Eagles a 3-2 win over Haverford College.

Both teams had trouble breaking through offensively throughout the game, as both pitching staffs were extremely effective.  The Eagles scored a run in the bottom of the second inning, after Andrew Cohn tripled to start the frame and was driven in on an RBI groundout for Terranova.  The Fords would score a run on a wild pitch from Will Hanlon in the fifth inning, knotting the game at 1-1 for the next 10 innings.

In the top half of the 16th, Haverford scored a run after Dean Laganosky walked, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a sacrifice fly.  Emory would answer in the bottom half of the inning, as Steve Bralver and Cohn picked up back-to-back hits to start the inning, bringing Terranova to the plate with nobody out.

With the count at 2-1 and the hit-and-run play called, Terranova swung and missed at a pitch outside the strike zone with the runners going.  However, the Fords' catcher threw the ball past the third baseman and down the left field line, allowing Bralver to score from second, and Cohn to go all the way to third.  Terranova would end the game two pitches later with a single to left field, scoring Cohn.

Terranova finished the game two-for-five with both Emory RBIs in the game and two sacrifice bunts.  He is batting .279 this season with eight RBIs, the third-most on the team.

The day was highlighted by a number of fantastic pitching performances from the Eagles.  Freshman Connor McGuiness started the game on two-days rest, pitching four scoreless innings while giving up two hits and two walks, and striking out five batters.  Hanlon came in to the game in the fifth inning, and after giving up a run, went on to strike out eight batters in six innings, retiring 16 of the last 17 batters he faced.  The sophomore southpaw lowered his ERA to 1.38 in 2009.

Junior Zeb Heidt came in to pitch three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out three more.  Senior Brian Cournoyer added two more perfect innings, striking out one, and is yet to allow a hit through five and two-thirds innings this season.  Despite allowing a run in his one inning of work, junior Adam Genn picked up the win, improving to 2-0 this season. 

All together, Emory pitching struck out 17 batters in 16 innings, setting a school record.  The Eagles also set a team single-game record for putouts (48) and innings.  Cohn went five-for-seven in the game, becoming the fifth player in school history to record five hits in a game, also a school record.

Senior David Hissey finished the game one-for-six, extending his hitting streak to 10 games, the longest by an Eagle this season.  He also stole two more bases, giving him seven in his last two games and 14 this season, becoming just the second Eagle to steal 90 bases over a career, and placing him just four behind Josh Barrett's school record.    

Emory, which improved to 8-4 on the season, had previously played three 15-inning games, but had never reached the 16th inning in a game. This was the first meeting between Haverford (0-1) and Emory since the 1991 season, the inaugural season of Eagles' baseball.

Emory will play its final game before the University Athletic Association Tournament tomorrow, as the Eagles will host Case Western Reserve University at Chappell Park at 1:00 PM.  The game will be webcast at www.go.emory.edu.

BRALVER AND HISSEY SET SINGLE-GAME RECORDS IN EMORY'S 12-3 WIN OVER SEWANEE

(Mar. 6) Emory University's David Hissey set a new school record with five stolen bases, and Steve Bralver matched an Emory record with seven runs batted in, as the Eagles defeated the University of the South 12-3 at Chappell Park on Friday afternoon.

Bralver started the scoring for the Eagles with an RBI double in the first inning to give Emory a 1-0 lead.  He would add on a long three-run home run to left field, his third of the season, to start a five-run third inning for Emory.  In the seventh, Bralver would add on two more with a bases-loaded single to match the school's single-game RBI record.  The senior first baseman finished the day three-for-four, raising his batting average to .435, and has now driven in 23 runs through 11 Emory games this season.

Bralver becomes the fourth Eagle to drive in seven runs in a single game.  He is the first Emory player to do so since Rob Segear (04C) did so on March 17th, 2004, against Iowa Wesleyan College.

Meanwhile, Hissey finished the day one-for-one with a single, three walks and a hit by pitch, raising his batting average this season to .462, his on-base percentage to .604, and extending his hitting streak to nine-consecutive games.  It marked the second time in Hissey's career that he has stolen four or more bases.

With the record-setting day on the base paths, Hissey has now stolen 12 bases on 13 attempts this season, and sits in second-place in school history, just six behind Josh Barrett (05C), for the school's career record in stolen bases.

Emory starter Matt Ryckman pitched six and two-thirds innings, becoming the first Eagles' pitcher this season to pitch into the seventh inning.  He allowed three runs, two earned (all in the seventh innings), striking out three and walking one.  Ryckman improved to 2-1 on the season with a 3.29 earned run average.

Sophomore Will Matthews would pitch two shutout innings to end the game, allowing two hits and striking out two batters.

The Eagles improved to 7-4 on the season with the win, while Sewanee dropped to 1-4 with the loss.  Emory will return to action tomorrow for the second game of a three-game home stand, as the Eagles will host Haverford College at 1:00 PM.

EMORY'S NINTH-INNING RALLY FALLS SHORT IN 4-3 LOSS TO HUNTINGDON

(Mar. 4) Down by two runs heading into the ninth inning, Emory University's comeback bid in the frame fell just short, as the Eagles dropped a 4-3 decision to Huntingdon College in Montgomery, AL.

Entering the ninth inning trailing 4-2, the Eagles got base hits from Scott Schwartz and Kevin O'Connor to put runners on first and third with one out in the inning.  After Andrew Cohn drove in a run with a groundout to bring the Eagles within one, but Emory was unable to bring another run across the plate.  The Eagles left the potential game-tying run at third, and the go-ahead run at first.

The Eagles jumped out on top of Huntingdon early with a two-run first inning.  After shortstop Andrew Cohn singled through the left side to open the game, leftfielder David Hissey doubled down the third base line to put runners on second and third.  First baseman Steve Bralver would follow with an infield RBI single to score Cohn, and the designated hitter, Jay Page, grounded out to first to score Hissey.

The Eagles would load the bases in both the fourth and fifth innings, but were unable to score a run in either frame.

Emory's sophomore starter Chris Monaco cruised through the first five innings, allowing just one hit and one walk with one strikeout.  However, he ran into trouble in the sixth, allowing two runs on three hits without recording an out in the inning.  Sophomore Adam Genn came in to get the next two outs, before giving up a two-run home run to Brent Blackwell to give Huntingdon a 4-2 lead.  Monaco would take the loss on the day, falling to 1-1 on the campaign.

Freshman pitcher Connor McGuiness came in to throw the final inning and two thirds for Emory, allowing just one hit and one walk.

Bralver was the only Eagles with a multiple-hit game, going two-for-four with an RBI and raising his season batting average to .405.  Hissey picked up a hit in his eighth-consecutive game, going one-for-three and raising his season average to a team-best .447.

The loss drops the Eagles to 6-4 on the season, while Huntingdon improved to 7-6 in 2009.  Emory will be back in action on Friday, as the Eagles will host the University of the South at 2:00 PM.

EMORY BASEBALL TO PLAY ITS FINAL FOUR GAMES BEFORE THE UAA TOURNAMENT THIS WEEK

(Mar. 3) The Emory University baseball team will begin its final week of competition before the University Athletic Association (UAA) Tournament, as the Eagles will travel to Huntingdon College in Montgomery, AL on Wednesday at 4:00 PM EST.  Emory will conclude its week at home with games against the University of the South on Friday at 2:00 PM, Haverford College on Saturday at 1:00 PM, and Case Western Reserve University on Sunday at 1:00 PM.

The Eagles will begin the week with a 6-3 record, coming off a 2-1 record last week.  Emory defeated Maryville College 5-4 last Tuesday, lost to 16th-ranked Millsaps College 13-2 in seven innings on Friday, and came back to beat Rhodes College 12-2 in seven innings on Saturday.  The Eagles are now 5-3 in home contests this season, and 1-1 in games away from Chappell Park.

Huntingdon will enter Wednesday's game with a 6-6 overall record, including a 3-2 record in home contests this season.  The Hawks are led by head coach D.J. Conville, who is assisted by Joey Holcomb and Scott Mularz.  Emory is 18-6 all time against Huntingdon, including a 3-0 mark last season, which featured 11-8, 17-4, and 12-0 wins by the Eagles.  Emory's Andrew Cohn went seven-for-13 with four RBIs against Huntingdon last year, while Matt Ryckman picked up a pair of victories against the Hawks in 2008.

The University of the South will enter Friday's contest with a 1-3 record in 2009, with all of their games thus far being road contests.  Sewanee is led by head coach Scott Baker, who is assisted by Adrian Norris.  Emory is 31-4 all time against the Tigers, including a 7-6 win last season, during which David Hissey homered and drove in two runs.

Haverford will play its first two games of the season this week, before traveling south to face the Eagles on Saturday.  Haverford went 27-14-1 in 2008.  The Fords are led by head coach Dave Beccaria, who is assisted by Michael Barry, Dan Crowley, Tim McLean and Kevin Morgan.  This will be just the second meeting ever between the two squads, as the Eagles defeated the Fords 9-5 during Emory baseball's inaugural season in 1991.

Sunday' game will pit the Eagles against a familiar foe, as Emory will take on UAA-rival Case Western Reserve University.  Case will begin the week with a 2-4 record, including a 1-3 record in road contests, and will play a pair of games at LaGrange College before facing the Eagles on Sunday.  The Spartans are led by head coach Matt Englander, who is assisted by Jake Sankal and Zach Smigiel. Emory is 20-2 all time against Case, including a split of a pair of games last season, during which Steve Bralver, Dan Molnar, and Jeremy Bolian all hit home runs.  Sunday's game will be the first of three meetings between the two teams over the next week.

Emory Notes
Emory's win on Saturday gave their head coach, Mike Twardoski, his 300th-career victory... Twardoski now stands at 300-113-1 during his career, all with Emory, and has a winning percentage of .725... Emory senior David Hissey was named the University Athletic Association (UAA) Athlete of the Week for baseball, after batting .500 with five RBIs and four runs scored in three games last week... Hissey has scored 12 runs this season, and 148 over career, placing him fifth in school history... Senior first baseman Steve Bralver has recorded a five- and a six-RBI game so far this year... Bralver has driven in 15 runs through Emory's first nine games... Junior Matthew Katten has recorded a 2-0 record with a 3.00 ERA as a starting pitching this season... Sophomore Will Hanlon has recorded a 1.29 ERA with nine strikeouts over seven innings pitched out of the bullpen.

EMORY STRIKES BACK WITH 12-2 WIN OVER RHODES COLLEGE; COACH TWARDOSKI WINS HIS 300th GAME

(Feb. 28) The Emory University baseball team bounced right back from a tough performance the day before, as the Eagles defeated Rhodes College 12-2 at the Rhodes College Classic. The win was also the 300th in the prestigious career of Emory head coach Mike Twardoski.

Twardoski's squad needed just two chances to get the 300th-career victory for their head coach. Twardoski, who has earned all 300 victories with the Eagles (more than any other Emory head coach), began the season with the 11th-best winning percentage (.727) among active Division III coaches.

"I'm just proud for all the guys who have played here before," said Twardoski. "This honor is as much theirs as it is mine."

Twardoski began his career with the Eagles as an assistant coach in the 1999 season, before taking over the head coaching position in 2000. In his nine-plus season with Emory, he has compiled a 300-113-1 record, while making six appearances in the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the Championship bracket three times and finishing as high as second in the Nation in 2007.

The game was called after seven innings, due to the 10-run rule.  The victory comes just a day after the Eagles were run-ruled by Millsaps College in a 13-2 loss.

Emory was paced by senior first baseman Steve Bralver, who finished the game with a three-for-five performance and six RBIs, one shy of the school record for RBIs in a game. Bralver had a pair of two-RBI singles, and a two-run home run, his second of the year, during the game.

The Eagles got off to a very quick start to the game, as Andrew Cohn and David Hissey scored on Bralver's first RBI hit of the game to take a 2-0 lead.

Emory would blow the game open in the second inning, scoring seven runs during the frame, including RBIs for Cohn, Hissey, Bralver, Jay Page and Tommy Dugan.  The Eagles would add two more runs on Bralver's sixth-inning blast, and a final run on a Hissey double in the seventh.

Meanwhile, on the mound, starting pitcher Matthew Katten made his second-straight solid start, allowing two runs on eight hits in six innings, while walking one and striking out one.  Katten improved to 2-0 in as many starts this season.  Sophomore Will Hanlon pitched the seventh inning, striking out three to close out the game.

Both teams had to battle tough weather during the game.  Rains from the night before left the outfield drenched, while cold weather, coupled with precipitation late in the game, led to a wintry mix for the final few innings.

Bralver leads the Eagles this season with two home runs and 15 runs batted in through his first nine games of the season.  Hissey finished the day two-for-three with two RBIs and three runs scored.

The win raises Emory's record to 6-3 on the season, while Rhodes fell to 10-3.  Emory will finish its time at the Rhodes College Classic with an 11:30 AM EST game against LaGrange College on Sunday.

EMORY BASEBALL SUFFERS 13-2 LOSS TO #16 MILLSAPS

(Feb. 27) The Emory University baseball team suffered a tough loss to one of the top teams in the nation on Friday, as the Eagles opened the Rhodes College Classic with a 13-2 loss to 16th-ranked Millsaps College.

The game was called after seven innings, due to the Eagles' 11-run deficit. The Eagles were down 10-0 after three innings.

The Eagles' fell behind early, as starting pitcher Connor McGuiness gave up four runs in the first inning.  McGuiness took the loss on the day, falling to 0-1 on his freshman campaign.

Senior David Hissey continued to hit the ball well, picking up an RBI single for one of Emory's two runs during the game.  The Eagles scored their other run when Kevin O'Connor got caught in a run down between first and second base, allowing Tommy Dugan to score from third.

Friday's decision will prolong Emory head coach Mike Twardoski's chase for 300 wins, as the Eagles skipper began the weekend with 299 career victories.

The loss drops Emory to 5-3 on the season, while Millsaps improved to 12-1 on the season.  The Eagles will look to improve their performance tomorrow, as they will face off against Rhodes College at 11:30 AM EST.  Check go.emory.edu for live statistics and webcast links prior to the start of the game.

EMORY BASEBALL TO FACE MILLSAPS, RHODES, AND LAGRANGE AT THE RHODES COLLEGE CLASSIC

(Feb. 26) The Emory University baseball team will play in three tough games on the road this weekend, as the Eagles will travel to Memphis, TN for the Rhodes College Classic.  In addition, Emory head coach Mike Twardoski will try for his 300th-career win this weekend, as he will enter the tournament with 299 career victories.

The Eagles will take on Millsaps College at 11:30 AM (EST) on Friday, Rhodes College at 11:30 AM (EST) on Saturday, and LaGrange College at 11:30 AM (EST) on Sunday.

Emory will begin the weekend with a 5-2 record on the season, and winners of five of their last six games.  The Eagles have received votes in the latest d3baseball.com poll.

Millsaps will enter the weekend with an 11-1 record on the season, and winners of five-straight games.  The Majors are ranked 16th in the nation according to the latest d3baseball.com poll.  Last season, the Eagles split a pair of games with the Majors.

Rhodes College has opened 2009 with a 9-2 record, following a 28-15 record in 2008.  The Lynx are coached by Jeff Cleanthes, who is assisted Rob Schrier and Chris Catalanotto.  Emory is 6-3 all time against Rhodes, including a 6-1 loss at the Rawlings Southern Classic last week.

LaGrange College will begin the weekend with a 7-4 record, and have lost back-to-back games.  Last season, the Eagles went 2-0 against the Panthers.

Results will be posted to www.go.emory.edu as soon as they are received.  Make sure to check the Emory baseball home page all weekend for updates from Memphis.

EMORY RECORDS FOURTH COME-FROM-BEHIND VICTORY OF THE SEASON WITH 5-4 WIN OVER MARYVILLE

(Feb. 24) Emory University outfielder Dan Molnar broke a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning with a sacrifice fly, as the Eagles improved to 5-2 on the season with a 5-4 win over Maryville College (Tenn.).

Molnar's go-ahead sacrifice fly gave the Eagles their first lead of the ballgame, and capped off a comeback from a 4-1 deficit to start the bottom of the seventh inning.  Emory scored three runs in the seventh on back-to-back-to-back two out RBI singles from David Hissey, Steve Bralver, and Marc Terranova to even the score at four.

Emory fell behind 1-0 after the first inning, as starting pitcher Chris Monaco allowed the run on a pair of base hits and a sacrifice bunts.  Hissey, who slid down to the three-spot in the batting order, would even the game in the third inning for Emory with an RBI single to center field.

After getting two outs to start the top of the fifth inning, Monaco would get into trouble once again, giving up four-consecutive hits, including a long, two-run home run to Maryville's Ben Peters, and an RBI double to Justin Ghorely to give the Scots a 4-1 lead.  Monaco finished the day with four runs allowed on eight hits through five innings.

Emory's pitching would buckle down after the fifth to keep the Eagles in the game.  Sophomore Will Hanlon needed just 20 pitches to get through two-and-two-thirds innings, allowing just one hit and striking out one.  Junior Zeb Heidt would pitch a perfect final one-and-one-third innings, earning his first win as an Eagle.

Hissey continued his torrid start to the season, raising his average to .464 on the season with a two-for-three performance with two RBIs, two walks, and one run scored.  Molnar finished the day one-for-two with an RBI, a run scored and two walks.

The Eagles have now won five of their last six games, while Maryville fell to 3-4 on the campaign with the loss.  Emory will hit the road for its first games away from Chappell Park this season, as the Eagles will travel to Memphis, TN, to face Millsaps College, Rhodes College, and LaGrange College.

EMORY DEFEATS FERRUM, LOSES TO RHODES ON FINAL DAY OF THE RAWLINGS SOUTHERN CLASSIC

(Feb. 22) The Emory University baseball team split a pair of games on the final day of the Rawlings Southern Classic, losing to Rhodes College 6-1 in the morning affair, while defeating Ferrum College 7-5 in the afternoon.  The split brings the Eagles' record to 4-2 on the season.

The Eagles' bats were stymied by Rhodes starter Andy Holt, who pitched six shutout innings against Emory.  Emory's Marc Terranova knocked in the only run of the game for the Eagles, driving in Andrew Cohn with an RBI single. 

Emory's Will Hanlon came out of the bullpen to pitch three-and-a-third innings in his debut with the squad, allowing one run on two hits and striking out five.  Starter Matt Ryckman took the loss, after giving up five runs, two earned, in four innings of work.

The Eagles also saw two streaks come to an end during the game.  Cohn went hitless for the first time  in the last 23 games, while Dan Molnar did not reach base for the first time in 46-consecutive contests.

Emory fared better in the second game, as junior starting pitcher Matthew Katten pitched six innings against Ferrum in his first collegiate start, allowing two earned runs on six hits and one walk to earn the victory. 

Junior Tommy Dugan was the spark plug for the Eagles, going two-for-two with an RBI single and triple, while stealing three bases in addition to a walk and a hit-by-pitch.  Down 3-1 in the fourth inning, Dugan drove in a run with a triple, and scored a run on a passed ball to tie the game.

The Eagles would take the lead for good in the sixth, as catcher Scott Schwartz drove in the go-ahead run with a two out single.  Emory added on three more in the seventh, scoring two on wild pitches, and one on a Dugan RBI single.

Emory finished the Rawlings Southern Classic with a 3-1 record.  The Eagles will be back in action on Tuesday at home against Maryville College (Tenn).

EMORY WINS THIRD-STRAIGHT WITH 9-4 VICTORY OVER NC WESLEYAN

(Feb. 21) Emory University picked up its third-consecutive win on Saturday, as the Eagles claimed a 9-4 triumph over North Carolina Wesleyan College at the Rawlings Southern Classic.

Emory shortstop Andrew Cohn extended his hitting streak to 23 games in grand fashion, going three-four-four with five runs batted in and a double, in addition to turning three double plays.  Cohn raised his batting average to .412 with two doubles and six runs batted in through the Eagles' first four games of the season.

After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, the Eagles battled back in the second, as Cohn drove in his first two runs of the game with a two-out, two-RBI single through the right side of the infield.  Cohn would give the Eagles a 3-1 lead in the fourth, driving in a run with a double.

When the Bishops scored a run in the top of the fifth to pull back within a run of Emory, the Eagles answered back with three more in the bottom half of the inning, including a David Hissey run on a throwing error, and another two run single from Cohn.  Emory would add two more on in the sixth, and one in the eighth to cap off the scoring for the day.

Junior Adam Genn earned the win for the Eagles, pitching five innings and working around eight hits and five walks to allow just two runs.  Freshman Conor McGuiness pitched the final four innings of the game, retiring the last 10 batters he faced to earn his first collegiate save.

Hissey finished the day three-for-four with four runs scored, a double, a walk, and three stolen bases.  The senior outfielder now sits 13 steals behind the Emory career record.  Junior outfielder Dan Molnar walked and doubled to extend his games-reached streak to 46-consecutive contests.

The Eagles are now batting .362 as a team this season, with 38 runs scored through the first four games of the season.  In addition, Emory pitching has allowed just five earned runs over its last two games.  Emory improved to 3-1 on the season with the win, while the Bishops fell to 2-8 with the loss.

Emory will conclude the Rawlings Southern Classic tomorrow, as the Eagles will face Rhodes College at 10:00 AM, and Ferrum College at 2:00 PM.  Both games will be available via a webcast, accessible from the Emory baseball homepage.

EMORY BASEBALL CRUISES IN 17-3 WIN OVER YORK COLLEGE (PA.)

(Feb. 20) Emory University recorded 19 hits, and eight different Eagles drove in at least one run, as the squad defeated York College (Pa.) 17-3 in eight innings at Chappell Park, during the opening day of the Rawlings Southern Classic. 

Emory's Steve Bralver paced the Eagles, continuing his hot start to the 2009 campaign, going four-for-five in the game with a home run, three singles and five runs batted in.  Bralver is leading the team this season with a .538 batting average and eight runs batted in through the first three games of the season.

The Eagles jumped out to a quick led with four runs in the first inning, including a two-RBI single for junior Tommy Dugan.  The Spartans would battle back in the second though, scoring three runs off Emory starter Elliott Coor, who escaped the inning after left fielder David Hissey threw out a runner at third trying to take home on a fly out.

Sophomore pitcher Chris Monaco entered the game in the third inning, and settled down the Eagles pitching with five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out five.  Monaco lowered his ERA to 3.00 on the season, while earning his first win as an Eagle. 

The Eagles would add another run in the fourth inning, before breaking the game open with a Marc Terranova two-out, two RBI single to make the score 8-3.  The Eagles added four more in the seventh, including Bralver's two-run home run to left, and five more in the eighth, to secure the victory.

The game was called after eight innings due to Rawlings Southern Classic rules, which calls for games to end when a team has a 12 or more run lead after seven innings.

The 17-runs scored by the Eagles are the most since the team scored 17 against Huntingdon College on March 2, 2008.

Emory improved to 2-1 on the season with the victory, while York dropped to 0-2.  The Eagles will return to action tomorrow, facing North Carolina Wesleyan College at 2:00 PM.

EMORY TO HOST RAWLINGS SOUTHERN CLASSIC BASEBALL TOURNAMENT

(Feb. 19) The Emory University baseball team will take part in its annual tradition this weekend, hosting an expanded version of the Rawlings Southern Classic from Friday through Sunday.  The Eagles will face York College (Pa.) at 2:00 PM on Friday, North Carolina Wesleyan at 2:00 PM on Saturday, Rhodes College at 10:00 AM on Sunday, and conclude the tournament against Ferrum College at 2:00 PM on Sunday.

There will also be two neutral games at Emory during the weekend.  On Friday at 10:00 AM, Greensboro College will take on York, and North Carolina Wesleyan will face Franklin College at 10:00 AM on Saturday.  In addition, for the first time in the tournament's history, there will also be games at Oglethorpe University and Piedmont College throughout the weekend (go to the tournament website for a complete Rawlings Southern Classic schedule).

Emory will enter the game with a 1-1 record, after splitting its season-opening series with Birmingham Southern College this past weekend.  Earlier in the week, a scheduled game between the Eagles and Oglethorpe University was postponed due to rain. Emory is led by head coach Mike Twardoski, who begins the weekend five wins shy of 300 for his career. He is assisted by Mike Clark, Bobby Perez, Ryan Shekell, Brian Clark, and Clyde 'Doc' Partin.

York College will play its first games of the 2009 season at the tournament, after finishing the 2008 season with a 14-28 record.  The Spartans are led by head coach Paul Saikia, who is assisted by Mike Scappa and Mike Santoro.  The Eagles are 14-1 all time against York, including a 7-0 win last season headlined by seven shutout innings pitched by Elliott Coor.

North Carolina Wesleyan currently sits at 2-5 on the season, following a 28-14-1 record in 2008, and will face LaGrange College on Friday before beginning tournament play on Saturday.  The Bishops are led by head coach Charlie Long, who is assisted by Ernie Jones, Ryan Snyder, and Mike Girouard.  Emory is 6-10 all time against North Carolina Wesleyan, including a 7-3 loss the last time the two teams met, during the 2006 NCAA Regional Championships.

Rhodes College has opened 2009 with a 5-2 record, following a 28-15 record in 2008.  The Lynx are coached by Jeff Cleanthes, who is assisted Rob Schrier and Chris Catalanotto.  Emory is 6-2 all time against Rhodes, including a split of a two-game series last season.

Ferrum College will begin the weekend with a 4-1 record, following a 10-23 record during the 2008 season.  The Panthers are led by head coach Darren Hodges, who is assisted by Matt McGuire.  The Eagles are 4-3 all time against Ferrum, including a thrilling 12-inning victory for Emory the last time the two teams met, at the 2007 NCAA South Regional Championship Game.

Results and box scores from all three sites will be posted to the Rawlings Southern Classic website following each day of competition.  In addition, there will be live stats available for all games at Oglethorpe University and Emory University, audio webcasts of all games involving the Oglethorpe team, teamline audio broadcasts of the Emory games on Friday and Saturday, and a video webcast of Emory's games on Sunday.  For links to all live coverage, go to the tournament website.

EMORY BASEBALL TO HAVE SELECTED HOME GAMES WEBCAST

(Feb. 18) - Fans of the Emory University baseball program will be able to follow the team via the worldwide web with four of the Eagles' home games slated to have live streaming video.

The first games slated to be webcast will be on Sunday, February 22nd, when Emory hosts Rhodes College at 10:00 AM, and Ferrum College at 2:00 PM.  Later in the season, the Eagles' March 8th game against Case Western Reserve University (1:00 PM) and the March 25th game against Centre College (3:00 PM) will be webcast as well.

In order you view the webcast, you need to have RealPlayer© version 10 or newer installed on your computer.  To download the free version of RealPlayer©, go to www.real.com, and click on the "Get RealPlayer© - Free" button on the upper-left side of the screen.

Once RealPlayer© is installed on your computer, you can click on the link posted to www.go.emory.edu to access the webcasts.  Although you may be able to click on the link a number of hours before the game, the webcast will not become active until approximately 15 minutes before the start of the contest and you will not be able to access the live video and audio prior to that time.

After you click on the link, RealPlayer© should open automatically, and you should see the live video running on your computer.  If you get an error message saying "Requested file not found," it means that the webcast has not yet been initiated, and you should try to access the webcast again, closer to the start of the event.

EMORY BASEBALL TO FACE CROSS TOWN OPPONENT OGLETHORPE UNIVERSITY

(Feb. 16) The Emory University baseball team will continue its 2009 campaign this week, as the Eagles will make the trip across town to face off against Oglethorpe University in its first road game of the season.  The two squads will meet on Wednesday, February 18th at 5:00 PM.

Emory will enter the game with a 1-1 record, after splitting its season-opening series with Birmingham Southern College this past weekend. 

Oglethorpe currently stands at 1-2 on the campaign after splitting a weekend series against Maryville College.  The Stormy Petrels will host a doubleheader against Atlanta Christian College on Tuesday before facing the Eagles.

Emory went 3-1 last season against Oglethorpe, including a 1-1 record on the road.  The Eagles are 34-11 all time against the Stormy Petrels, and have won 12 of the last 13 games against them.

Emory Notes
Emory first baseman Steve Bralver was named the University Athletic Association's Athlete of the Week for his performance during the Eagles' series against Birmingham Southern... Bralver batted .375 with three RBIs and two doubles during the series... Outfielder Dan Molnar has now reached base in each of the last 44 Emory games... Shortstop Andrew Cohn extended his hitting streak to 21 games this past weekend... Outfielder David Hissey stole two bases last weekend, and is now 16 shy of the school career record... Emory head coach Mike Twardoski is now five wins shy of 300 for his career.

EMORY BASEBALL SPLITS WEEKEND SERIES WITH 7-5 WIN OVER BIRMINGHAM SOUTHERN

(Feb. 15) Emory University salvaged a weekend split with Birmingham Southern College on Sunday, as the Eagles concluded their season-opening weekend series with a 7-5 win over the Panthers.  With the victory, Emory improved to 1-1 on the season, while the Panthers dropped to 2-2 on the campaign.

After falling behind 3-0 after one inning, the Eagles battled back in the bottom of the second inning, as Mathew McDonough and Jeremy Bolian hit back-to-back two RBI doubles to take the lead and chase Birmingham Southern's starter, Michael McCalib, from the game.  The Eagles would add two more runs in the third on a Tommy Dugan RBI single, and a Jeremy Bolian squeeze bunt, to take a 6-3 advantage over the Panthers.

Emory would cap off their scoring for the day with an insurance run in the sixth inning.  After David Hissey was hit by a pitch with one out in the frame, he stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the Panthers' catcher.  Hissey was able to score on a wild pitch on John Narramore's next delivery.

Hissey's stolen base leaves him 16 shy of the school career record.  The Eagles' also saw shortstop Andrew Cohn extend his hitting to 21 games, and right fielder Dan Molnar extend his games-reaching base streak to 44.

Sophomore Matt Ryckman earned the win in relief for the Eagles, pitching three innings of two-hit, one-run baseball.  Ryckman entered the game in relief of Emory starter Adam Genn, who settled down after a three-run first inning to allow just three runs on two hits, while striking out three and walking five.  Junior transfer Zeb Heidt earned a two-inning save in his first appearance as an Eagle.

 The Eagles will return to action on Wednesday, as Emory will travel to cross town rival Oglethorpe University (Ga.) for the squad's first road game of the season.

EMORY BASEBALL DROPS SEASON-OPENER TO BIRMINGHAM SOUTHERN, 12-5

(Feb. 14) Emory University senior Steve Bralver went three-for-five with two doubles and three RBIs, but it was not enough for the Eagles, who fell 12-5 to the Birmingham Southern Panthers in their opening-day game at Chappell Park.

The Eagles kicked off the first inning of the season on a positive note, as starting pitcher Elliott Coor retired the Panthers in order in the top of the frame, while a Bralver double scored David Hissey in the bottom of the inning to give Emory a 1-0 lead.

However, a Sam Hill home run to right field for Birmingham Southern in the top half of the second inning gave the Panthers a one-run lead. 

Emory would tie the game again in the bottom of the second on an RBI single from Hissey, but the Panthers would add on two more in the top of the third to take the lead for good.

In the bottom of the third, Andrew Cohn extended his hitting streak to 20 games with a RBI double, to pull the Eagles within a run again.  However, the Panthers would go on to score six unanswered runs to build a 10-3 lead.  After another double from Bralver plated two to pull the Eagles within five in the seventh inning, Birmingham Southern's Drew Leachman hit a two-run home run in the eighth to secure the Panthers victory.  It was the third home run in as many games this season for Leachman.

The Panthers' Clay Malcolm allowed five runs in 6.1 innings to earn the victory.  Coor took the loss for the Eagles, the first of his collegiate career.

Emory's Dan Molnar went two-for-five with a double and a run scored in the game, and has now reached base in 43-consecutive games dating back to the 2007 season.  Hissey added two hits and a stolen base in the game, and is now 17 shy of the school's career record.

With the loss, the Eagles fall to 0-1 on the season, marking the second-straight year the team has dropped its season-opener.  Birmingham Southern improved to 2-1 on the campaign. 

The Eagles and the Panthers will conclude their two-game series at Chappell Park tomorrow at 1:00 PM.

EMORY BASEBALL OPENS 2009 AT HOME AGAINST BIRMINGHAM SOUTHERN COLLEGE

(Feb. 12) The Emory University baseball team will open its 2009 campaign this weekend, as the Eagles will host a two-game series against Birmingham Southern College.  The Eagles and the Panthers will play at 1:00 PM on both Saturday and Sunday at Chappell Park.

Emory will begin the campaign after a 25-11-1 overall record in 2008.  The Eagles are returning 18 letter winners from their 2008 team, including seven starters.  Emory was strong at home in 2008, going 14-5 at Chappell Park, and are 243-72-1 all time at home since Chappell Park opened prior to the 1995 season. 

Emory head coach Mike Twardoski will begin the season with a career 294-110-1 record during his previous nine seasons at Emory, good for a .726 winning percentage.  He is assisted by Mike Clark, Bobby Perez, Ryan Shekell, Brian Clark, and Clyde ‘Doc' Partin.

The Panthers will enter the weekend with a 1-1 record, following a season-opening home split against Maryville College (Tenn.).  Birmingham Southern dropped a 9-2 decision on opening day, following by a 9-5 win in the following game.  Now in their second year of a transition from Division I to Division III, the Panthers went 20-21 during the 2008 season, including a 5-12 record in road games..  Birmingham Southern is coached by second-year skipper Jan Weisberg, who is assisted by Drew Briese and Tyler Shrout. 

This will be the first meeting between Emory and Birmingham Southern since the 1996 season.  The Eagles are 2-5 all time against the Panthers.

Emory Notes
Junior outfielder Dan Molnar has reached base in every Emory baseball game since May 26th, 2007, a streak lasting over parts of the last two seasons and totaling 42 games... Sophomore infielder Andrew Cohn will carry a 19-game hitting streak into the 2009 season... Emory senior outfielder David Hissey will begin the season with 76 stolen bases, 18 shy of the school career record... Hissey is also seventh in school history with 136 runs scored, 49 shy of the school record (he scored 51 runs in 2007 and 46 in 2008)... Up next for the Eagles will be a mid-week game at Oglethorpe University, followed the Rawlings Southern Classic.

2009 EMORY BASEBALL SEASON OUTLOOK

Just two years removed from a trip to the NCAA Division III Championship game, the Emory University Baseball Team will begin the 2009 season looking for its fourth-consecutive University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship and a return to the NCAA Tournament.

When the Eagles finished second in Division III in the 2007 season, they capitalized on reliable pitching, a stalwart defense, and timely hitting.  However, during the Eagles' banner season the team's most influential asset was undeniably a tremendous team chemistry that came with a veteran squad.  After a much younger team played Emory to a respectable 25-11-1 record in 2008, the Eagles will take the field in 2009 with a better understanding of the team mentality that Head Coach Mike Twardoski is looking for in his squad. 

"I don't know what we're going to do this year, but we're preparing to win and I don't think we did that well enough last year," said Twardoski.  "I think last year we lacked a team-oriented mentality, and now we have that mindset again."

The team's greatest strength heading into the season looks to be the strong core of veteran outfielders who will return for the 2009 campaign.  Senior co-captain David Hissey will return to left field after batting .369 in 2008 with a team-best 46 runs scored.  Hissey will be chasing history, starting the year with 76 career stolen bases, 18 behind the school record (he stolen 24, 29 and 23 bases in his first three seasons on the team, respectively).  Junior right fielder Dan Molnar led the team with a .389 batting average last year, and finished one walk shy of a school record, while extending his streak of reaching base in 42-straight games, dating back to the 2007 season.  Junior Tommy Dugan will look to guard centerfield again, after hitting .262 and scoring 30 runs while playing sensational defense in 2008.

"[The outfield] is a strength this year," said Twardoski.  "They are great leaders and very good ballplayers, but more importantly, they are good team players."

Emory will also add some depth to the outfield in 2009.  Junior Andrew Carroll looks to be the first bat off the bench, after the lefty picked up two triples and drove in six runs as a reserve last season.  New to the outfield and looking to make an impact this season are freshman Blake Pindyck and switch-hitting sophomore Mark Mazur. 

The Eagles have a veteran presence at the designated hitter position as well.  Senior Steve Bralver will return to the mainland after a strong performance for the Aliis of the Hawaiian Collegiate Baseball League over the summer.  The former all-UAA first teamer is a career .312 hitter with eight home runs over his two seasons with the Eagles.

The Eagles will have to fill some holes in the infield, following the graduation of all-region infielders Frank Pfister and Joe Roth.  The team's 2008 first baseman, Andrew Cohn, will make the move to shortstop for his sophomore season, and will begin the year with a 19-game hitting streak intact from the end of last year.  University of Richmond junior transfer Marc Terranova will take over the duties at third base, while left-handed hitting freshman Kevin O'Connor is the presumptive favorite to start the year at second base.  Emory will start the year using a combination of freshmen Will Vaughn, Tosh Anderson and Jay Page at first base.  Freshman Edwin Melendez will look to provide depth in the infield for the Eagles.

Emory will return all four catchers from last season, including sophomore Jeremy Bolian, who finished the 2008 campaign batting .353 over his last 20 games.  Switch-hitting sophomores Matt Fennell and Scott Schwartz will return after successful freshmen years.  Junior Mathew McDonough, who has started each of the last two opening days behind the plate for the Eagles, will try to bounce back in 2009 after being limited to 13 games due to injury last season.

After returning just four pitchers who accounted for 23% of the team's innings pitched last season from the year before, the Eagles will be bringing back eight pitchers who threw 35% of Emory's innings in 2008.  Sophomore lefties Elliott Coor and Matt Ryckman will be Emory's top-two returning starters.  Coor went 3-0 with a 3.44 earned run average through six starts before missing most of the second half of the year due to injury, while Ryckman was the Eagles' most consistent starter in 2008, going 5-1 with a team-best 2.55 earned run average during his freshman year. 

"When you get a year under your belt, your confidence starts to come out," said Twardoski.  "That is now showing a lot [in our preseason workouts], especially in the strikeout to walk ratios."

Emory will turn to juniors Adam Genn and Will Gumm to fortify the back end of games in 2009, following a 2008 season where the pair combined for eight saves.  Junior Matthew Katten will look to build on his breakthrough season in 2008 with a 4.57 earned run average through 16 bullpen appearances, while senior Brian Cournoyer will look to sure-up both the bullpen and the rotation after appearing in 10 games and making one start last season.

Returning pitchers Angelo Prisco, J.B. Meyer and Will Matthews will all look to expand their roles in 2009, while newcomers Will Hanlon, Will Vaughn, Chris Monaco, Connor McGuiness, Jay Page and Zeb Heidt will try to make an impact during their first year on the team.

Twardoski will begin his 10th season with the Eagles six wins shy of 300 for his career.  Assistant coaches Mike Clark and Ryan Shekell return for 2009, while Bobby Perez and Brian Clark have been added to the staff for the season.

Emory will open its season on Valentine's Day Weekend with a two-game set against Birmingham Southern College.  The following week, Emory will host an expanded version of the Rawlings Southern Classic, which includes a highly-anticipated Sunday doubleheader against Rhodes College and Ferrum College (marking the first time the two teams have met since the Eagles won a 12-inning thriller over the Panthers in the 2007 NCAA South Regional Tournament).

Later in the season, the Eagles will make their annual trip to the UAA Tournament in Sanford, FL, where they will try to win their fourth-consecutive conference championship, and their eighth in the last 11 years.  Other key road trips during the season include a visit to Memphis, TN for the Rhodes College Classic, and to Jackson, MS, to face the always-strong Millsaps College squad.

While the road for the Eagles will not be easy in 2009, with a talented and rapidly maturing squad to go along with renewed sense of team, Emory could very well reach a similar level of success to what the squad experienced in 2007.

FORMER EAGLE CUNNINGHAM SIGNED BY PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL TEAM

(Aug. 19) Emory University Baseball alumnus Sam Cunningham (‘07C) was signed by the Joliet JackHammers of the Northern League.  Cunningham, who played a variety of positions as an Eagle, will pitch for his new team, which is not affiliated with a Major League franchise.

Cunningham has already appeared in three games out of the bullpen for the JackHammers, compiling a 0-1 record with a 3.86 ERA in 9.1 innings. 

Although he will continue his baseball career on the mound, Cunningham's shining moment as an Eagle came as a batter, in the ninth inning of the elimination game of the 2007 NCAA South Regional Tournament.  With the Eagles trailing by two runs in their final at-bat, Cunningham swatted a one-out game-tying two-run home run to even the score.  Emory would eventually win the game in the 12th inning, advancing to the Division III Championships, en route to a second-place finish.

Cunningham finished his Emory career with a .314 batting average, eight home runs and 65 RBIs.  His only appearances on the mound came during his senior season, going 4-0 with a 4.01 ERA, including a win over top-ranked Chapman University (Calif.) in the College World Series.

With the JackHammers, Cunningham will receive major-league level instruction, as the squad is currently managed by former major league second baseman Wally Backman.

EMORY BASEBALL WELCOMES BOBBY PEREZ BACK TO COACHING STAFF

(Aug. 13) The Emory University Baseball team has added Bobby Perez to its coaching staff for the 2008-09 year.  Perez will be working with the Eagle hitters and infielders, as well as participating in the recruiting duties for the team.

This will be Perez's second stint as an assistant coach with Emory.  He was an assistant on Head Coach Mike Twardoski's staff for the 2006 season, helping guide the Eagles to a 31-9 record, a midseason no.1 ranking, a UAA Championship, and a trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament. 

Perez spent the last two seasons as a Volunteer Assistant Coach with Division I Georgia State University, helping the team win a school-record 33 games in 2008.  While with the Panthers, Perez worked with the outfielders and hitters, helping four players to be selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Perez played his collegiate baseball at the Division I University of Louisville (Ky.) for two seasons, which included a 39-18 overall record and a trip to the NCAA Regionals in 2002.  Perez also played two seasons at South Florida Community College.

While completing his bachelor's in exercise science at Louisville, Perez served as a Volunteer Assistant Baseball Coach for the Cardinals, working with the catchers and infielders and coaching first base. He earned his bachelor's in exercise science with a minor in sports administration in 2003 and completed his master's degree in exercise physiology in 2005.

Perez, who will begin his duties immediately, will replace former Emory assistant coach Ethan Solomon, who left following the 2008 season after six seasons with the squad.