A couple of former MLB players were recently named new assistant coaches. Rusty Greer who made a name for himself with the Texas Rangers was recently added to the coaching staff of NAIA school Texas Wesleyan. He served as the manager of the Colleyville Lone Stars of the Texas Collegiate League in 2007 and this summer is coaching the Dallas Baseball Academy which is a 17 year old team. The full release is available here.

Britt Reames who pitched in the Major Leagues most recently in 2006 has been named the new pitching coach of Furman University. He is a 1996 graduate of The Citadel and will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on November 1st. The full article is available here.

Tags: Coaching Changes, Former MLB players, Furman, NAIA, Southern Conference, Texas Wesleyan

Lewis-Clark State 8, Lee 3

The Lee Flames came within one out of winning the championship on Thursday night, but with the Lewis-Clark State Warriors getting a complete game from Matt Fitts on Thurday, they had enough of an advantage in pitching to win this one.

Josh Rose, who hadn’t seen action for the Flames since May 7, got the start, and gave up four runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings. The first run came in the second inning, when CF Paul Martin hit a triple, and scored on a ground out by LF Nick Benton. The Warriors got home runs from 3B Kyle Greene and DH Halton in the third.

Rose was replaced by Jeff Ibarra, who had a brief appearance on Thursday, with two outs and runners at first and third in the bottom of the fourth. The runner at first, SS Brett Wyatt, immediately stole second. The runner at third, Benton, then scored on a wild pitch. The Warriors led 4-1 after four innings.

Michael Guerrero started for the Warriors, and was pulled in the third inning after giving up a home run to 3B Josh Guy and hitting two batters. (Not much point in conserving pitchers when the next game isn’t going to be until February.) Guerrero’s replacement was Matt Stabelfeld, who allowed one run on one hit, another home run by Guy, over 3 1/3 innings. Stabelfeld got the win. Justin Mace, who held the Flames to one unearned run over the last three innings, got a save.

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Tags: Lee, Lewis-Clark State

Results from Day 6 of the NAIA Baseball National Championship in Lewiston, ID:

Lewis-Clark State 7, Lee 6

The Lee Flames were one out away from their first-ever national championship, but 3B Kyle Greene hit a two-RBI double to tie the game at 6, and C Brian Ward followed with a double to bat in Greene and the winning run.

Matt Fitts pitched a complete game for the Warriors. He threw 118 pitches, allowed four earned runs on nine hits, walked one, and struck out ten.

The Warriors scored first on a home run by Ward in the top of the third. The Flames answered with a two-RBI double by C Chris Dubon in the bottom of the third. Ward hit another home run in the sixth, but the Flames took a 6-2 lead in their half of the sixth on a three-run home run by 1B Chris Warters, followed by a home run by Dubon.

Flames starter Dave Mason gave way to Jeff Ibarra in the top of the seventh. He didn’t finish the inning. He hit the first batter he faced, 2B Josh Ashenbrenner. RF Chris Valencia got a hit. Mason was replaced by Pablo Lopez. He was greeted with a single by CF Paul Martin, scoring Ashenbrenner. The next batter, Greene, hit a ground ball that resulted in Martin being tagged out between first and second, but Valencia scored on the play. That cut the Flames’ lead to 6-4, setting up the dramatic ninth-inning finish.

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Tags: Lee, Lewis-Clark State

Specifically, Scott is the Manager of Championship Sports for men’s soccer, Division II men’s basketball, wrestling, and baseball.

The main topic was the NAIA’s “direct qualification” scheme which goes into effect for the 2009 season. The NAIA announced a few months ago that the field for the Baseball National Championship would consist of the host team and the winners of nine double-elimination “sectional” tournaments. Conference champions would be automatic qualifiers for the sectional tournaments. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: CBB Interview, NAIA

Updated at 11:50 PM PDT.

Results from Day 5 of the NAIA Baseball National Championship in Lewiston, ID:

Lewis-Clark State 9, Spring Arbor 4 (Spring Arbor eliminated)

The Warriors opened the scoring in the third inning, when 2B Josh Ashenbrenner came in on a ground out by SS Brett Wyatt. They took over the game in the fourth with an RBI single by C Brian Ward, an RBI double by 1B Ikaika Lester, an an RBI single by RF Chris Valencia.

The Cougars did not go home without a fight. They got on the board in the fifth with an RBI single by starting pitcher Jesse Bachman. The Warriors added two in the top of the sixth on a triple by Valencia. The Cougars answered with a two-RBI single by C Lucas Rider in the bottom of the sixth, and an RBI single by SS Bradley Baker in the bottom of the seventh.

That made the score 6-4 after seven innings, but the Cougars couldn’t get any closer. Justin Mace pitched the last two innings for the Warriors, and retired all six batters that he faced. The Cougars hit into double plays in the fifth and seventh, and 2B Jeff Hollister was robbed of an extra-base hit in the eighth with a good catch by CF Paul Martin. Three of the Warrior runs were unearned.

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Tags: Lee, Lewis-Clark State, Oklahoma City, Spring Arbor

A quick guide to the food concessions at Harris Field, Lewiston, ID, for this week’s NAIA National Championship:

Expresso and More: The best lattes between Pomeroy and Orofino. However, they also sell some sort of unhealthy-looking sugary substance for kids, so get your cappucino, latte, or whatever before the crowd builds up in the afternoon.

The China Inn: Tasty food, and also economical. They’ve been at this tournament for a few years.

Taco del Sol: Like the China Inn, a good place to get a good feed. Their mission burrito is a notch above Taco del Mar. If you’re looking for something healthy, they also have a taco salad.

Happy Day Catering: Their principal product is a Philly cheese steak sandwich. If you’re actually from Philadelphia, you might mildly disapprove of it; otherwise, it’s pretty good. They also have a beef brisket sandwich, which is basically the Philly without the cheese and all the other stuff.

Coming Thursday: An interview with Scott McClure, Manager of Championship Sports for the NAIA

Updated at 11:55 PM PDT.

Results from Day 4 of the NAIA Baseball National Championship in Lewiston, ID:

Spring Arbor 8, Union 7 (Union eliminated)

Both teams were playing their fourth game in five days, and the coaches had to make some difficult decisions about pitching. Spring Arbor went with Andy Paulun, who had only two starts on the season and an ERA of 6.75. Union went with one of their regular starters, Lance Doughtery, who had a record of 7-1, 2.73 ERA.

Doughtery came to Union from Canyon, TX. He played for Seward County CC in Liberal, KS and Hutchinson CC in Hutchinson, KS. His career was interrupted by Tommy John surgery. He was recruited for Union while playing for the Newton Rebels of the Walter Johnson League in Wichita.

For eight innings, it appeared that Union made the better choice. Paulun was pulled after giving up five runs in three innings, and was replaced by Colin O’Connell, a starter who hadn’t made a relief appearance prior to today. O’Connell started on Saturday against Oklahoma City, and got a loss. He did better this time, allowing two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings of work.

The Cougars got back in the game with four runs in the bottom of the fourth, on a two-RBI double by DH Eric Vojtkofsky, a passed ball, and a sacrifice fly by C Lucas Rider.

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Tags: Embry-Riddle, Lee, Lewis-Clark State, Oklahoma City, Spring Arbor, Union

Updated at 1:05 AM PDT.

Results from Day 3 of the NAIA Baseball National Championship in Lewiston, ID:

Spring Arbor 11, Azusa Pacific 10 (Azusa Pacific eliminated)

Spring Arbor started off the Cougars vs. Cougars battle with five runs in the top of the first, chasing Azusa Pacific starter Matt Stone. APU came back with two runs in the second (home run by DH Chris Feicht), one in the third, two in the fourth (home run by RF Drew Evans), and one in the fifth. SAU got a run in the fourth on an RBI single by CF Jon Schaible, so the game was tied 6-6 going into the seventh inning.

SAU got the lead back on a two-run home run by 1B Jim Baker in the top of the seventh. APU got one back in the bottom of the seventh on a home run by 1B Kirk Nieuwenhuis, and the game went into the ninth with SAU hanging on to an 8-7 lead.

SAU scored three runs in the top of the ninth on a two-RBI double by Eric Vojtkofski, and an RBI single by RF Jonathan Herbig. They needed all three of them. APU responded with an RBI double by Feicht, and a two-RBI single by Evans. However, SAU reliever Joseph Myers struck out Carlos Maddox to end the game and APU’s season.

This was a well-played game despite the batting-practice run totals. APU out-hit SAU 18-12. There were several good defensive plays, including a diving catch of a bunt attempt by Nieuwenhuis in the top of the seventh, and a catch of a fly ball in right-field foul territory by Herbig in the bottom of the seventh. SAU got a couple of double plays in the early going to make the APU comeback more difficult.

Myers got the win, and Garrett Hodges got the loss. Herbig finished the game 3-5 with 3 RBI. 2B Grant Beyer went 3-3 with a double for APU.

Box score Play-by-play

Story from NAIA site: No. 7 Spring Arbor Wins Offensive Display 11-10 Against No. 4 Azusa Pacific

Embry-Riddle 6, Bellevue 1 (Bellevue eliminated)

Jordan Roberts recovered from a didn’t-finish-
the-first-inning performance on Friday to pitch a complete game for the Eagles, holding the Bruins to five hits. He struck out seven, walked two, and threw 120 pitches.
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Tags: Azusa Pacific, Bellevue, Embry-Riddle, Lee, Lewis-Clark State, Oklahoma City, Spring Arbor, Union

Updated at 11:55 PM PDT.
Results from Day 2 of the NAIA Baseball National Championship in Lewiston, ID:

Azusa Pacific 9, Ohio Dominican 2 (Ohio Dominican eliminated)

Jonny Bravo pitched a complete game for the Cougars, and held the Panthers to eight hits, struck out 11, and walked two. He threw 145 pitches.

The Cougars got a run in the first inning on an error. They got two runs in the second on an RBI double by RF Drew Evans, and an RBI single by 3B Ryan Dowell; the Dowell RBI was the winning run.

Evans was 2-4 with a home run, and 1B Brice Cutspec was 2-3 with a double and two RBI.

Box score Play-by-play

Story from NAIA site: Bravo Pitches Azusa Pacific Past Ohio Dominican, 9-2

Embry-Riddle 10, Jamestown 5 (Jamestown eliminated)

The Eagles recovered from the thrashing they received from Lewis-Clark State by out-hitting the Jimmies 12-6. The game was tied 3-3 going into the sixth inning, but the Eagles got four runs in the sixth on a two-RBI single by 3B Colin Gray, a run scored when C Eric Ogden was hit by a pitch, and a run walked in, with RF Alex Guzman drawing the walk.

Chris Maloney went eight innings for the Eagles, allowed five earned runs on six hits, struck out six, and walked two.

Ben Cairns and Jeremy Burgard hit home runs for the Jimmies.

Box score Play-by-play

Story from NAIA site: Embry-Riddle Stays Alive, Wipes out Jamestown 10-5
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Tags: Azusa Pacific, Bellevue, Embry-Riddle, Jamestown, Lewis-Clark State, Ohio Dominican, Spring Arbor, Union

Results from Day 1 of the NAIA Baseball National Championship in Lewiston, ID:

Spring Arbor 7, Jamestown 5

A methodical win for the Cougars, who scored runs in the first and second innings on RBI singles by 1B Eric Vojtkofsky and C Lucas Rider. The Jimmies tied it at 2-2 in the third on a two-RBI double by 1B JordanDusanj, and took a brief lead on a run scored on an error in the fourth.

The Cougars went ahead for good on RBI by SS Bradley Baker and Vojtkofsky in the fifth, and got the winning run in the eighth on an RBI single by Rider.

Starting pitcher Jesse Bachman had a big day for the Cougars. He went seven innings, threw 129 pitches, allowed three earned runs on nine hits, and struck out six. He was also 3-4 at the plate, and drew a walk.

Vojtkofsky was 3-5 for the game. RF Cam McLachlan was 4-5 with a double for the Jimmies. Graham Campbell got the loss.

Box score Play-by-play

Story from NAIA site: No. 7 Spring Arbor Wins Opening Game of 2008 AVISTA-NAIA World Series

Bellevue 15, Ohio Dominican 3 (mercy-ruled after 8 innings)

It took three hours and 40 minutes to play this one. It was close for the first five innings, but the Bruins broke it open with five runs in the sixth on an RBI doubles by CF Dave Powell and RF Nick Damas, and a grand-slam double by 2B Andy Brown. The game was taken into mercy-rule territory in the eighth with an RBI single by Damas and a three-run pinch-hit home run by William Slade; it was Slade’s second home-run of the season.
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Tags: Azusa Pacific, Bellevue, Embry-Riddle, Jamestown, Lewis-Clark State, Ohio Dominican, Spring Arbor, Union

Schedule for the first day of the NAIA Baseball National Championship, Friday, May 23, Harris Field, Lewiston, ID (all times PDT):

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8:30 AM: #7 seed Spring Arbor (37-7) vs. #10 Jamestown (32-18)

Spring Arbor, located in Spring Arbor, MI, is last year’s runner-up.

Significant wins: Bellevue, Madonna, Saint Xavier (2)
Top position players: Jim Baker (.528, 8 HR, 50 RBI), Jonathan Herbig (.385, 1 HR, 31 RBI), Brad Baker (.368, 7 HR, 39 RBI). Baker’s average is the best in the NAIA.
Top pitchers: Colin O’Connell (9-1, 1.95 ERA), Jesse Bachman (8-2, 2.43 ERA), Cody Sharp (7-1, 3.99 ERA)
Coach: Sam Riggleman, 4^th season
Outlook: The Cougars won’t repeat last year’s runner-up performance.

Jamestown (Jamestown, ND) is making their first appearance in the Baseball National Championship since 2004.

Significant wins: Saint Xavier (2), Bellevue (2)
Top position players: Ben Cairns (.399, 8 HR, 37 RBI), Cam McLachlan (.383, 6 HR, 37 RBI)
Top pitchers: Steve Hirchert (4-0, 2.78 ERA), Graham Campbell (9-4, 4.66 ERA)
Coach: Tom Hager, 9^th season
Outlook: The Jimmies are looking for their first-ever win in this tournament. They should get it this time.

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11 AM: #8 Bellevue (51-15) vs. #9 Ohio Dominican (40-14)

Bellevue (Bellevue, NE) is making their twelvth appearance in the national championship tournament. They finished fourth last year.

Significant wins: Jamestown
Top position players: Matt Anderson (.421, 7 HR, 43 RBI), Nick Damas (.419, 11 HR, 44 RBI)
Top pitchers: Ulysses Roque (12-1, 1.87 ERA), Jon Ganzen (8-0, 2.47 ERA)
Coach: Mike Evans, 20^th season
Outlook: The Bruins will get a win against Ohio Dominican.

Ohio Dominican (Columbus, OH) is making their first national championship tournament appearance since 2005.

Significant wins: Embry-Riddle, Missouri Baptist, Saint Xavier (2)
Top position players: Joe Janusik (.425, 3 HR, 50 RBI), Matt Shiring (.371, 4 HR, 22 RBI)
Top pitchers: David Colopy (11-1, 1.98 ERA), Jonathan Kountis (6-2, 3.26 ERA)
Coach: Paul Page, 21^st season
Outlook: The Panthers are happy to be here.
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Tags: Azusa Pacific, Bellevue, Embry-Riddle, Jamestown, Lee, Lewis-Clark State, Ohio Dominican, Oklahoma City, Spring Arbor, Union

Mid-South Super-Regional - At Jim Wade Stadium, Oklahoma City University:

Oklahoma City 10, Missouri Baptist 7
The Stars trailed 5-1 after five innings. Landon Camp, who has been at Oklahoma City for a long time, was 3-4 with 4 RBI. Story from NAIA site: Oklahoma City rallies for 10-7 Mid-South Super Regional Win Over Missouri Baptist

Oklahoma City wins the Mid-South Super Regional, and returns to Lewiston for the first time since winning the national championship in 2005.

East Coast Super Regional – At Columbus, OH:

Ohio Dominican 13, Fisher 2
K.C. Warden went 3-4 with two doubles and four RBI for Panthers. David Colopy scattered seven hits over seven innings. Story from NAIA site: Ohio Dominican Baseball Headed Back to Lewiston for 52nd World Series.

Ohio Dominican advances to the national championship tournament.
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Tags: Cumberland, Oklahoma City, Union

West Coast Super Regional - At Harris Field, Lewiston, ID:

Lewis-Clark State 4, Azusa Pacific 3
Matt Fitts pitched a complete game for the Warriors, allowed six hits, struck out nine. Ikaika Lester hit a home run, and singled in the winning run in the seventh inning.

Lewis-Clark State wins their second straight West Coast Super Regional, and Azusa Pacific gets an at-large berth in the national championship tournament.

Plains Super Regional - At Jamestown, ND:

Jamestown 12, Bellevue 6
Cam McLachlan batted in the winning run in the top of the fifth. Nick Damas and Matt Anderson hit home runs for Bellevue.

Jamestown qualifies for the national championship tournament. Bellevue will get an at-large berth if Oklahoma City wins the Mid-South Super Regional.

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Tags: Azusa Pacific, Bellevue, Cumberland, Embry-Riddle, Jamestown, Lee, Lewis-Clark State, Oklahoma City, Spring Arbor, Union

West Coast Super Regional - At Harris Field, Lewiston, ID:

Lewis-Clark State 4, Azusa Pacific 3
Sean Halton went 4-4 with a home run for the Warriors. Michael Guerrero went seven innings, got the win. Warrior Coach Ed Cheff was ejected in the second inning.

Next game: Thursday, May 15, 6 PM PDT.

All Lewis-Clark State games are webcast by KOZE. Both teams have already qualified for the national championship tournament.

Plains Super Regional - At Jamestown, ND:

Jamestown 6, Bellevue 5
Ben Cairns hit a two-run home run in the top of the ninth to win it for the Jimmies.

Next game: Thursday, May 15, 1 PM CDT.

Live play-by-play is available from Jamestown.

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Tags: Azusa Pacific, Bellevue, Cumberland, Embry-Riddle, Lee, Lewis-Clark State, Oklahoma City, Spring Arbor, Union

FROM CBB NEWS SOURCES

Lewis-Clark State 8 Gonzaga 5

SPOKANE, Wash. (http://www.gozags.com May 12, 2008) Junior Ryan Wiegand recorded three hits and his 60th run batted in of the season Monday night as the Gonzaga University baseball team dropped an 8-5 decision to Lewis-Clark State College at Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field in Spokane. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Gonzaga, Kentucky, Lewis-Clark State, MAC, Missouri Valley, Murray State, NAIA, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Ohio Valley Conference, SEC, West Coast Conference