Three Teams Tied in the Loss Column as Baseball Schedule Hits Final Stretch
April 25, 2008
GREENWOOD , IN – After last week’s action on the HCAC diamond, three teams have emerged as the frontrunners to the Heartland baseball crown. Transylvania has reeled off six straight wins to climb atop the standings as Rose-Hulman and Mount St. Joseph sit two behind the Pioneers in the win column. Two weekends remain on the docket before the four-team conference tournament begins on May 8. Transy will travel to Bluffton this weekend, while Rose will entertain Hanover and Mount St. Joseph welcomes Manchester.
Transylvania (24-7, 12-4 HCAC) has won 11 of their last 12 after pulling off a sweep of Manchester and defeating Mount St. Joseph last week. They will look to continue that success as they travel to Bluffton. The Beavers (13-18, 5-10 HCAC) were swept by Franklin last week, but ended with a 10-9 win over rival Defiance.
The Pioneers have continued to pour on the offense as senior Mitch Kuczek (Loveland, Ohio/Moeller) and sophomore Ben Young (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) have swung a hot bat. Kuczek leads the conference with a .436 batting average and ranks among the leaders with 38 runs scored and a .514 on-base percentage. Young has provided plenty of power to the Pioneer lineup, belting a league-high seven home runs and 42 RBI.
On the mound, junior pitcher Adam Wilkins (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) holds a 2.96 ERA and joins teammate Ben Luking (Louisville, Ky./Ballard) with a conference-best 7-1 record. Wilkins has struck out a staff-best 43 batters this season.
Bluffton will look to make an impact on the conference championship hunt this weekend as they welcome Transy. Senior Tim Kay (Alpharetta, Ga./Blessed Trinity) has been the leader at the plate and on the mound this season for the Beavers. Kay ranks fourth in the HCAC with a .413 average at the dish and has scored a team-high 29 runs. Kay has also posted a 5.13 ERA on the hill this season and has struck out 40 opponents.
Joining Kay on the hill for BU is junior James Hausman (Milford, Ohio/H.S.). The junior holds a team-best 3.03 ERA and boasts a 2-2 record in 10 appearances.
The two teams will meet at Bluffton for a 4:00 PM first pitch Friday afternoon before playing a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 12:00 PM.
In other conference action...
Rose-Hulman will welcome Hanover to Terre Haute for a three game series this weekend, as the Engineers look to keep pace with Transy. RHIT (23-9, 10-4 HCAC) swept a three-game set with Defiance and blanked Franklin 6-0 last week to stay red hot. Sophomore infielder Chandler Kent (Antioch, Ill./H.S.) is batting .417 this season with 27 runs scored, 10 doubles, and 20 RBI. His steady output has been joined by the efforts of sophomore catcher Keenan Long (Park Ridge, Ill./ Northwestern Uni.). Long is batting .373 with 27 runs, 10 doubles, three home runs, and 35 RBI. On the mound, senior Michael Matsui (Joliet, Ill./ Plainfield South) and sophomore Derek Eitel (Marshall, Ill./H.S.) rank No. 1 and No. 2 in ERA. Matsui holds a league-best 2.06 ERA and a 7-1 mark, while Eitel stands 7-2 with a 2.14 ERA and 57 strikeouts. Hanover (8-20, 3-12 HCAC) has been playing better baseball of late and will look to surprise the surging Engineers this weekend. The Panthers earned a two-game sweep of Cincinnati-Clermont last week and have earned wins in four of their last five outings. Freshman catcher Andy Holzbog (Huntington, Ind./Southridge) leads the team with a .365 average at the plate and has belted two long balls this season. Sophomore Chris Neumann (Villa Hills, Ky./Beechwood) holds a .325 average and has added seven doubles, three homers, and 14 RBI. Sophomore pitcher Jake Schwartz (Russiaville, Ind./Western) has been the leader of the Panther pitching staff, posting a 2.40 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 60 innings of work.
Mount St. Joseph will entertain Manchester in a big three game series this weekend. The Lions (18-14, 10-4 HCAC) earned a sweep of Anderson last week before seeing their six game win streak come to a close at Transylvania 4-2. Freshman Ben Stroube (North Bend, Ohio/St. Xavier) has been tremendous at the plate for MSJ this season. Stroube holds a .411 average, while leading the HCAC with 15 doubles and a .744 slugging percentage. Junior infielder Nick Weimer (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) is batting a solid .383 with 13 doubles, four triples, four home runs, and 32 RBI. The Mount pitching staff has been anchored by junior Todd Schwertman (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills) this spring. The junior is sporting a 2.75 ERA with a 4-2 record on the hill for the Lions. Senior Justin Zieman (Batavia, Ohio/Amelia) has struck out a team-high 33 batters and also holds a 4-2 mark. Manchester (16-18, 9-9 HCAC) dropped to .500 in conference play after suffering a three-game sweep to Transylvania and a 7-2 setback to Anderson. The Spartans have lost five of their last six games and will look to creep back into the chase for a conference tournament berth. Junior catcher Matty Miller (Rochester, Ind./H.S.) leads the team in batting average (.331) and has also contributed 22 runs, eight doubles, five home runs, and 20 RBI. Junior Shawn Baker (Middlebury, Ind./Northridge) has chipped in a .308 average with four homers and 24 RBI. Sophomore pitcher Colin Denihan (Columbia City, Ind./H.S.) has continued to post solid numbers on the mound for the Spartans. Denihan holds a 2.66 ERA and 4-1 record with 33 strikeouts.
Anderson and Defiance will play a home and home series this weekend. The Ravens (18-13, 8-7 HCAC) will welcome Defiance for a single game Friday before heading to Defiance for a doubleheader on Saturday. AU suffered a sweep by Mount St. Joseph before pulling out a 7-2 win over Manchester to stop a four game losing streak. Sophomore shortstop Daniel Hiatt (Elwood, Ind./Madison Grant) is batting a team-high .382 and has added six doubles, four home runs, and 25 RBI. Junior catcher Brad Lantz (Lapel, Ind./H.S.) has blasted six homers, six doubles, and 30 RBI to help provide power to the middle of the lineup. Sophomore pitcher Aaron Vogel (Fairmount, Ind./Madison-Grant) is a perfect 2-0 this season and holds a 3.06 ERA in 32.1 innings of work. Senior Eric Smith (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Luers) stands 5-2 with 52 strikeouts to lead the Ravens in both categories. Defiance (5-21, 1-15 HCAC) lost all three games to Rose-Hulman and fell to rival Bluffton last week. The Jackets have lost six straight and 12 of their last 13 ballgames. Sophomore second baseman Tim Pitro (Gahanna, Ohio/ Lincoln) is batting .402 and ranks third in the conference with a .481 on-base percentage. Junior pitcher Aaron Stewart (Toledo, Ohio/Start) leads the Jackets pitching staff with a 4.35 ERA and 31 strikeouts.
Franklin (21-11, 13-6 HCAC) earned a big sweep of Bluffton before falling at home to Rose last week. The Grizzlies have won five of their last six games to remain in the hunt for the conference title and will face non-conference competition this week. Junior outfielder Joel Chrobak (LaPorte, Ind./H.S.) continues to be the face of the Grizzlies lineup, batting .398 with 13 doubles, seven home runs, and 41 RBI. Freshman infielder Ian Sanders (Decatur, Ind./Bellmont) has batted a solid .362 with nine doubles and three home runs. Franklin has been led by two strikeout pitchers on the mound this season. Senior Andy Clark (Louisville, Ky./Seneca) and junior lefty Jared Applegate (Scottsburg, Ind./H.S.) continue to rank No. 1 and No. 2 in the HCAC in strikeouts. Applegate leads the conference with 74 punch outs, while Clark has recorded 63.
Baseball Schedule Apr. 25-Apr. 30
Apr. 25 |
Defiance at Anderson |
4:00 PM |
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Transylvania at Bluffton |
4:00 PM |
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Manchester at Mount St. Joseph |
6:00 PM |
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Hanover at Rose-Hulman |
7:00 PM |
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Apr. 26 |
Anderson at Defiance (DH) |
12:00 PM |
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Transylvania at Bluffton (DH) |
12:00 PM |
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Manchester at Mount St. Joseph (DH) |
12:00 PM |
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Hanover at Rose-Hulman (DH) |
1:00 PM |
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Franklin at Robert Morris-Springfield |
1:00 PM |
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Apr. 27 |
Franklin at Wilmington ( Ohio) |
2:00 PM |
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Ohio Northern at Defiance (DH) |
2:00 PM |
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Apr. 29 |
Manchester at Bluffton |
4:00 PM |
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Hanover at Mount St. Joseph |
6:00 PM |
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Anderson at Rose-Hulman |
6:00 PM |
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Apr. 30 |
Centre at Transylvania |
7:00 PM |