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Baseball
Controversial Call Costs UU at Wittenberg
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (March 17, 2010) - After overcoming a 4-2 deficit in the top of the 9th inning, the Urbana University baseball team appeared to have the momentum heading into extra innings at Wittenberg University on Wednesday night. Unfortunately for Urbana, a controversial call went against the Blue Knights and Wittenberg escaped with a walk-off 5-4 win on its home field.
The call came with 2 outs and a runner on first base in the bottom of the 9th. With the game tied at 4, Wittenberg's A.J. Bush lifted a fly ball out to center field. Urbana's Mike Romanowski tracked down the ball and made what appeared to be an inning-ending diving catch. The field umpire didn't see it that way, ruling the catch a trap. Bush was credited with a single, and Stefan Kegler, who had walked earlier in the inning, advanced to third on the play. Stunned by the call, the Blue Knights did not regroup in time. Tiger Tyler James connected in the next at-bat, sending a walk-off double to the center field gap. Kegler scored easily, and the Tigers escaped with a 5-4 victory.
Urbana tied the game at 4 in the top of the 9th thanks to back-to-back leadoff doubles from Matt Mays and Taylor Griebel. Mays finished 2 for 3. Griebel was 2 for 4 with a triple and a run in the third inning. Urbana's Trace Fowler and Andrew Harrell also had 2 hits apiece.
The loss drops Urbana to 6-8, while Wittenberg improves to 4-3.
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the Blue Knights will host 8 games. Urbana, Malone and Capital play a tripleheader beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Friday. Malone plays Lake Erie in a doubleheader at Blue Knight Field on Saturday at 1:00 p.m., and Urbana hosts Lake Erie for 2 more games on Sunday beginning at noon. [Box Score]
Urbana Ends Skid; Sweeps Kentucky State
FRANKFORT, Kentucky (March 16, 2010) - The Urbana University baseball team ended a 7-game losing streak on Tuesday night with a doubleheader sweep of Kentucky State University. The Blue Knights triumphed 6-5 and 5-3 to improve to 6-7 on the season.
Trailing 5-3 in the 5th inning of Game 1, the Blue Knights called on senior reliever Shane Pfouts. Pfouts answered the call and threw 4 scoreless innings. Urbana was able to catch and pass the Thorobreds for the 6-5 win.
"Shane Pfouts threw a great game," explained Head Coach Mike Goldschmidt. "We really needed these 2 wins."
Freshman Greg Liming led the Blue Knights at the plate. He was 3 for 4 with an RBI.
In the night cap, senior pitcher Cody Lawhorn threw 5 innings for his 2nd win this season. Freshman Garrett Clark held the Thorobreds in check over the final 2 innings to earn his first career save. Junior Trace Fowler was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 RBIs. Senior Steve Froese was 1 for 3 with a sacrifice and 2 RBIs.
The Blue Knights will go for 3 in a row on Wednesday night at Wittenberg University. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. [Game 1 Box][Game 2 Box]
Urbana Embarks on Spring Break Trip
COLUMBUS, Georgia (March 6, 2010) - The Blue Knight baseball team is set to begin its annual Spring Break Trip through the South. The team is scheduled to play 8 games over 7 days, including 3 games right off the bat against nationally ranked D-II powerhouse Columbus State University and 2 more against the 11th ranked Indians from Catawba College. CSU just swept the defending national champs from Lynn. A complete Spring Break schedule is listed below. If live stats are available, a link will appear beside the game. As the results roll in, this page will be updated with scores and recaps. You can also receive live updates via Twitter at www.twitter.com/UU_Blue_Knights.
2010 Spring Break Schedule
Sat. March 6, 2:00 p.m.: Urbana at #8 Columbus State (GA): L, 1-9 [Box Score][Recap]
Sun. March 7, 1:00 p.m.: Urbana at #8 Columbus State (GA): L, 0-2 [Box Score]; L, 3-4 [Box Score][Recap]
Tue. March 9, 6:00 p.m.: Urbana at #16 South Carolina-Aiken: L, 3-9 [Box Score][Recap]
Wed. March 10, 4:00 p.m.: Urbana at (RV) Catawba: L, 9-14 [Box Score][Recap]
Thu. March 11, 11:00 a.m.: Urbana at (RV) Catawba: L, 2-9 [Box Score]
Thu. March 11, 2:00 p.m.: Urbana vs. Post (@ Catawba): L, 10-14 [Box Score][Recap]
Fri. March 12, 6:00 p.m.: Urbana at Pfeiffer: Cancelled
Blue Knights Begin Season on a Roll
URBANA, Ohio (March 4, 2010) - Junior outfielder Zach Roll (Kingston, Ohio/Zane Trace HS) picked up right where he left off last season. Roll ended 2009 on a tear, hitting .462 with 4 RBIs in a 3-game set with ODU. He earned the final nod as Blue Knight Student-Athlete of the Week for his efforts, and today, he became the first baseball player in 2010 to take home the top weekly honor.
Roll opened his junior season with 8 hits in his first 13 at-bats, for a .615 batting average, in a 4-game set at Hiwassee College. Roll racked up an incredible 10 RBIs in the weekend series, including a whopping 6 in a 15-4 season opening victory. He had a 3-run home run, a 2-RBI single and an RBI double in the win. Roll also added 2 stolen bases, 2 walks, and 5 runs scored in the 4-game set. The Blue Knights swept all 4 games in Tennessee. The 4-0 start is the best in the program since the 2002 team started out 8-0.
Roll wasn't the only Blue Knight to have an excellent first weekend. Also considered for this week's award were Roll's teammates Dustin Lacy (CG 1-hit shutout), Cody Lawhorn (CG 3-hitter), Andrew Harrell (7-for-14, 6 RBIs, 6 runs, 8 SBs), and Matt Murphy (6-for-14, 5 RBIs, 7 runs, 8 SBs).
Blue Knights Sweep 4 Straight in Tennessee
MADISONVILLE, Tennessee (February 28, 2010) - The Urbana University baseball team started the 2010 season strong, sweeping a 4-game set at Hiwassee College in Monroeville, Tennessee. The Blue Knights took 2 against the Tigers on Saturday by the scores of 15-4 and 10-6. In UU's Game 1 win, junior Zach Roll led the way with a 3-for-5 performance, hitting a home run, a double and finishing with 6 RBIs and 3 runs. Senior Matt Murphy finished 2-for-4 with 3 runs, 2 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. Senior Owen Donelon was 2-for-4 with 2 runs and an RBI. Senior Wes Rehmert earned the win on the mound, throwing 4.1 innings and allowing just 1 run while scattering 4 hits.
Game 2 was called after 6 innings due to darkness with the Blue Knights up by 4 runs. Sophomore Julius Storey earned the win in relief, pitching 1.2 scoreless innings. The win was the first of Storey's career. On offense, the Blue Knights were led by senior Andrew Harrell who finished with 3 hits, 2 RBIs, a run and a stolen base. Senior Steve Froese hit a home run and had 3 RBIs and 2 runs. Roll had a double, a run, and a stolen base, and Murphy added 2 hits, 2 runs, 2 stolen bases and an RBI.
On Sunday, Urbana received 2 strong pitching performances in another doubleheader sweep. Senior Dustin Lacy (pictured) set the tone in Game 1 with a complete game 1-hitter in a 6-0 shutout. The win was his 6th straight after winning his final 5 decisions in 2009. It was his 2nd career 1-hitter. Lacy's last 1-hitter came at D-I Chicago State University last April 4th.
In the series finale, senior righty Cody Lawhorn went the distance in an 11-1 win. The Blue Knights' 4-0 start is the best in 8 years. The 2002 team started the season 8-0. Urbana is off until their Spring Break trip which begins Saturday, March 6th. The team will play 8 games over 7 days down South, beginning with a 3-game set at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia. The 12th ranked Cougars are 13-2, having won 12 straight games. Full stats from Hiwassee will be available on Monday and Tuesday. [Game 1 Box][Game 2 Box][Game 3 Box][Game 4 Box]
Season Openers Cancelled Due to Snow
BUCKHANNON, West Virginia (February 17, 2010) - Urbana University's 3-game series at West Virginia Wesleyan College this weekend has been cancelled due to the snow that blanketed the area this week. The Blue Knights and Bobcats will not make up the games this season. Urbana hopes to open the season next weekend with a 4-game series at Hiwassee College beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. Also, the Blue Knights have added an additional game against #12 Indianapolis at home on April 6th. The teams were set to play one 9-inning game, but will now play two 7-inning affairs.
Baseball Season Just About Underway!
URBANA, Ohio (January 28, 2010) - The Blue Knights 2010 season is just around the corner as temperatures begin to climb and the team prepares for its season opener on Saturday, February 20th at West Virginia Wesleyan College. Last week, the team held its annual photo night. Click on the team picture below to be redirected to Scioto Photo's site to view the 2010 Blue Knight Team Photos.
Baseball Raises Standards in the Classroom;
Blue Knights Post 1st Ever 3.0 GPA!
URBANA, Ohio (December 21, 2009) - The Urbana University baseball team has worked extremely hard on the field and in the weight room this fall, but the team has also gotten it done in the class room as well. The Blue Knights posted a Team GPA of 3.01 for the 2009 Fall Semester, marking the 1st time the program has excelled past the 3.0 mark. The baseball team placed 14 members on the Athletic Director's Academic Honor Roll, which requires a minimum GPA of 3.25 at Urbana. A total of 21 out of 40 Blue Knights carded a 3.0 or better.
Head Coach Mike Goldschmidt had this to say about his team's fall term, "We were very pleased with the outcome of the fall semester and the commitment that our student-athletes put towards their whole college experience. Although, this is only the half-way point. I'll be more impressed after the spring term if we can maintain this achievement. Take nothing away from the 21 student-athletes who reached our team goal, but we can continue to strive to achieve more."
Below are the 21 student-athletes who scored a 3.0 or above for the 2009 fall term:
4.0 Club: Andrew Harrell
3.5-3.9: Tyler Bader, Gary Banks, Wes Bright, Steve Froese, Cody Lawhorn, Matt Murphy, Shane Pfouts, Zach Roll, Nick Stanovich
3.25-3.49: Brad Cockerill, Tyler Griebel, Taylor Simpson, Andrew Smith
3.0-3.24: Josh Allen, Aaron Bingham, Bobby Boddam, Joey Cole, David Patz, Wes Rehmert, Julius Storey
Froese Granted Additional Year by NCAA
URBANA, Ohio (November 19, 2009) - Urbana University Head Baseball Coach Mike Goldschmidt announced today that senior infielder Steve Froese (Alymer, Ontario, Canada/East Elgin Secondary) has been granted another year of eligibility by the NCAA. Froese started 10 games in the first 3 weeks of the 2009 season at shortstop before a PCL injury ended his year prematurely. Froese was hitting .310 with 4 doubles and 9 RBI in before the knee injury derailed his senior season. In 2008, Froese hit .351 with 2 HRs, 20 RBI, and 13 stolen bases while playing primarily at third base. He transferred to Urbana from Genessee Community College before his junior year. Froese is slated to lead a strong Blue Knight squad that finished 23-21-1 last season and lost just 3 everyday starters from last years' team.
Blue Knights Announce 2010 Schedule
URBANA, Ohio (November 6, 2009) - The Urbana University baseball team and Head Coach Mike Goldschmidt announced the schedule for the 2010 season on Friday, November 6. Highlighting the slate are a total of 20 home games and 19 games against teams that made the NCAA or NAIA post-season tournament last year.
"We feel that we have put together one of the strongest schedules in our program's history," Goldschmidt said. "We are very excited about the teams we will be playing on spring break, Columbus State (GA), University of South Carolina-Aiken and Catawba were all ranked in the top 20 last year, with Columbus State and Aiken being ranked in the top 5 at one time or another. Also, with 20 games at our home park, we think it is going to create a very exciting atmosphere for both our fans and players, with all of our support we have been getting."
Urbana will open the 2010 season against West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference member, West Virginia Wesleyan in the opening weekend of play, Feb. 20-21. The following weekend, the Blue Knights will travel to Madisonville, Tennessee to take on Hiwassee College in a 4-game series.
From March 5-13, Urbana will take their annual spring break trip south. The Blue Knights open against three of the nation's top NCAA Division II programs in Columbus State, University of South Carolina-Aiken and Catawba. Also on the schedule for spring break will be north east power, Post College on Thursday at Catawba, before wrapping the week up at Conference Carolinas member, Pfeiffer University.
Fans of the Blue Knights will first get a chance to see their team in action on March 19, when they host NAIA regional participant, Malone College and Capital University before taking on Lake Erie on Sunday, March 21.
The Blue Knights schedule also includes former American Mideast Conference rivals, Mount Vernon Nazarene on March 25 and 27, travel to NCAA midwest power, Northern Kentucky University on March 30.
In April, Urbana hosts GLVC member, the University of Indianapolis, on April 6 and rival Ohio Dominican University on April 8. The weekend of April 10-11, Oakland City College travels to Urbana for a four game set.
The Blue Knights go on the road for six games over a seven day period. On the April 13, they travel to Columbus, Ohio to face ODU again in mid-week doubleheader, before heading to Walsh University for a 3 game set on April 16-17 in Canton, Ohio and wrap up the travel with a single game affair back in Columbus, Ohio against NCAA Division III stronghold, Otterbein College.
The final ten games of the 2010 season are at Blue Knight Field, beginning with a return visit from the Northern Kentucky on April 22, before Notre Dame College comes to town on April 24-25. GLVC member, Saint Joseph, comes to Urbana on April 27 for a mid-week doubleheader.
The final weekend of the season has NAIA member, Point Park University, from Pittsburgh, PA, traveling to Urbana on May 1-2. Senior Day will take place on Saturday, May 1 before Game 1 of the series with Point Park.
Other foes for the Urbana Blue Knights include Kentucky State, Wittenberg, Otterbein, Saint Joseph, and local rival Cedarville University.
The Blue Knights are coming off a 23-21-1 season and return 20 letter-winners from 2009. To view the 2010 schedule in its entirety, click here.
Blue Knights Volunteer at Scouts' Family Bash
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (October 5, 2009) - The Urbana University Baseball team recently volunteered their time at the Tecumseh Council Scouts' Family Bash event. The event was held at a weekend scout retreat at Camp Birch near Springfield, Ohio. Below are pictures of several Blue Knights at the event.
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