Baseball Weekly Release #11

April 30, 2007

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Horizon League Player of the Week
Larry Gempp Jr., UIC
Senior OF * Ingleside, Ill.
Gempp batted .500 (8-for-16) with five runs scored and seven RBI, leading the Flames to a 3-1 record including a three-game sweep of Cleveland State. Gempp had a double and two homers against the Vikings, compiling a .938 slugging percentage and a .556 on-base percentage. Gempp has recorded at least two hits in each of his last six games, and ranks third in the League in batting average (.396) and runs batted in (35).

Horizon League Pitcher of the Week
Jon Dages, Butler
Junior RHP * Indianapolis, Ind.
Dages dominated Youngstown State in Friday's series opener, scattering six hits in eight scoreless innings as the Bulldogs won, 2-1. The right-hander struck out six Penguins and walked only one to earn his fourth victory of the season. Dages leads the League in innings pitched (77) and strikeouts (54) this season, while ranking sixth with a 3.39 earned-run average.

Other Top Performances for the Week Ending April 29

Dustin Bucalo, Butler
Sr. * OF * Barrington, Ill.
Bucalo had six hits and drove in six runs as the Bulldogs won two of three games at Youngstown State. He was 3-for-6 with a triple, a home run and four RBI in the series finale Saturday.

Matt Madrid, Cleveland State
So. * 2B * Youngstown, Ohio
Madrid hit .308 (4-for-13) with four RBI in four games. He had a two-run single in Saturday's opener versus UIC and drove in runs Tuesday at Toledo and Friday against the Flames.

Nick Wichser, UW-Milwaukee
Jr. * OF * Waukesha, Wis.
Wichser posted a .529 average (9-for-17) with seven runs scored and four RBI. He posted two doubles, a triple, and a home run, compiling a .941 slugging percentage for the week.

Dan Biedenharn, Wright State
Sr. * 3B * Dayton, Ohio
Biedenharn batted .476 (10-for-21) in five games, scoring seven runs. He was four-for-four with three RBI and two runs scored in Saturday's opener versus UW-Milwaukee.

John Koehnlein, Youngstown State
So. * OF/3B * Toronto, Ohio
Koehnlein matched a school single-game record with five hits Saturday versus Butler. He was 5-for-5 with two runs scored, and has now hit safely in 12 consecutive games.

Brian Long, Cleveland State
So. * RHP * Pittsburgh, Pa.
Long had his best outing of the season Friday at UIC. The right-hander pitched 4.1 innings of relief, allowing only one run on four hits while striking out four.

Zach Peterson, UIC
Sr. * RHP * Minnetonka, Minn.
Peterson won his fourth game in a row, tossing a complete-game seven-hitter versus Cleveland State on Friday. He allowed only an unearned run while fanning seven Vikings.

Kyle Kearcher, Wright State
Sr. * LHP * Mattawan, Mich.
Kearcher logged his League-high seventh win of the season Sunday at UW-Milwaukee, allowing one run on four hits in a complete-game effort. He lowered his season ERA to 2.84.

Adam Kalafos, Youngstown State
Jr. * RHP * Baltimore, Md.
Kalafos allowed three runs on five hits, striking out four in seven innings against Butler to post his fifth victory of the season. Three of those five wins have come in League competition.

Around the Horizon League

Flames continue to roll in League play
UIC swept a three-game series from Cleveland State, improving to 23-15 overall and 14-4 in League play. The Flames have now won five consecutive loop series, including the mid-week split set against UW-Milwaukee.

Senior outfielder Larry Gempp Jr. and sophomore infielder David Cales provided most of the offense last week, combining for a .484 average (15-for-31) at the plate with six extra-base hits and 12 RBI. Gempp enters the week with a streak of six consecutive multi-hit games, and ranks third in the League with a .396 batting average and 35 RBI.

Senior right-hander Zach Peterson won his fourth consecutive decision with a complete-game seven-hitter on Friday. Peterson led the League with nine wins last season but didn't record his first of 2007 until April 10. He is now 4-0 with 19 strikeouts and a 1.63 ERA over 27.2 innings in his last four outings.

Freshman outfielder Ty Rubio made the most of his first four collegiate starts last week, batting .364 (4-for-11) with five walks, six runs scored and two stolen bases. Rubio had only 13 at-bats for the season prior to last week. He had appeared in 23 games, mostly as a pinch-runner or late-inning defensive replacement.

The Flames are 20-0 when tied or leading after eight innings this season. Cales leads the circuit with nine saves.

Raiders light up the scoreboard
Wright State won four of five games last week, including two of three against UW-Milwaukee plus both ends of a daynight doubleheader on Tuesday. The Raiders, now 25-15 overall and 16-8 in the League, scored 44 runs in the five games last week. WSU visits Miami (Fla.) for a three-game series this weekend.

Sophomore first baseman Jeremy Hamilton is on pace to break several school records. Hamilton has a League-high six triples, one short of the school mark in that category, and is two doubles away from that standard. He shares the League lead with 19 two-baggers, matching sophomore shortstop Justin Parker in that category. Hamilton, who also leads the circuit with 44 RBI and shares the top spot with six home runs, ranks fourth with a .383 batting average.

Wright State leads the League with a .320 team mark at the plate, boasting four of the loop's top seven hitters. Senior second baseman Ross Oeder leads the way at .414, followed by Parker (tied for fifth at .375) and senior third baseman Dan Biedenharn (seventh at .349).

Senior left-hander Kyle Kearcher posted his League-high seventh victory of the season with a complete-game four-hitter Sunday. Kearcher is 7-3 with a 2.84 ERA which ranks second in the League, and boasts a 5-2 ledger and 2.77 mark in League play. He has walked only 11 batters in 66.2 innings during his ten starts.

Panthers stake claim to third place
UW-Milwaukee starts the week at 10-25 overall and 9-10 in the League after dropping two of three games to Wright State over the weekend. The Panthers are now just 3-7 at home in loop play, compared to 6-3 on the road.

Junior outfielder Nich Wichser hit .529 for the week, scoring seven runs for the Panthers. Wichser had two doubles, a triple and a home run, lifting his season batting average by 44 points from .223 to .267.

Junior second baseman Jesse Hart had an 11-game hitting streak snapped in Sunday's series finale against Wright State. Hart had nine multi-hit efforts during the streak, compiling a .521 (25-for-48) average in that span. He is tied for fifth place on the League charts with a .375 average for the season.

Senior left-hander Robert Michaelkiewicz was victimized in the series opener as WSU plated nine unearned runs in the fifth inning of a 12-4 victory. Michalkiewicz also walked a season-high three batters, after giving up only six free passes in his first nine starts (covering 62.1 innings) this season.

Sophomore right-hander Jordan Herbert struck out the side on 12 pitches in UWM's game-two victory on Saturday. In five appearances against League teams, Herbert has been close to unhittable, striking out 11 while allowing only two hits in 6.1 innings of work.

Vikings experience rough weekend at UIC
Cleveland State dropped all four games last week, including a three-game sweep at the hands of front-runner UIC. The Vikings enter this week at 10-30 overall and 7-10 in loop play, facing Ohio and Duquesne in mid-week action before a cruicial three-game weekend series at UW-Milwaukee. CSU dropped two of three games to the Panthers earlier this season, and third-place UWM leads the Vikings by a game in the League standings.

All four starting pitchers allowed at least five runs last week. The starters allowed 26 runs (20 earned) on 30 hits in 19.2 innings, a 9.15 ERA.

Despite the team's rocky week, senior left-hander Stephen Procner ranks second in the League in strikeouts (53, one behind Butler's Jon Dages) and innings pitched (73.1), while sophomore left-hander Josh Hungerman is third with 50 K's in 58.1 innings of work. Hungerman's 3.09 ERA puts him fourth in the circuit in that category, as well.

Junior outfielder Wallace Richardson leads the Vikings with a .280 batting average and a .398 slugging percentage. Senior outfielder John Westra is next at .274, while sophomore second baseman Matt Madrid re-claimed the top spot on the team RBI list with 20. Madrid drove in four runs last week, batting .308 (4-for-13) in four outings. Westra has plated 18 runners for the Vikings.

Bulldogs climb a spot in standings
Butler won three of five games last week, improving to 16-26 overall. The Bulldogs also moved into fifth place in the League standings at 8-15 after taking two of three games from Youngstown State over the weekend.

Senior outfielder Dusin Bucalo provided the bulk of the Bulldog offense, scoring three runs and driving in six while batting .333 (6-for-18) last week. He had three hits including a triple and a homer in the series finale, plating four runs in that contest. He leads the team with a .320 average for the season (tenth in the League), and has raised that mark to .348 in League competition.

Junior right-hander Jon Dages has worked into the seventh inning seven times in eight starts this year. He pitched eight shutout innings Friday, scattering six hits while striking out four. Dages leads the circuit with 54 strikeouts in a loop-high 77 innings this season, ranking sixth in the League with a 3.39 ERA.

Two other Bulldogs stand among the League's top pitchers, as sophomore Ryan Kruszka ranks third with a 2.96 ERA and junior Bryan Bokowy is tenth at 4.61. Butler pitchers have fanned a circuit-leading 246 hitters this season.

Butler visits future League foe Valparaiso for a doubleheader Tuesday before taking a week off for final exams. The Bulldogs will be idle until May 9 when they face IPFW.

Penguins' struggles continue
Youngstown State dropped two of three games against Butler, falling to 13-26 overall and 6-13 in League action. The Penguins are now just 2-6 during a homestand which continues with mid-week games against Kent State and Notre Dame (Ohio) ahead of a weekend set against UIC.

Sophomore John Koehnlein became the eighth player in school history to post five hits in a game, going 5-for-5 with two runs scored in Saturday's opener. Koehnlein's .414 batting average ranks second in the League, although he boasts the top mark with a .434 clip against League opposition. He carries a 12-game hitting streak into the week, and is batting .453 since March 16 with 58 hits in his last 29 games. For the season, the sophomore outfielder/third baseman has a League-leading 69 hits.

Junior designated hitter Erich Diedrich is tied for the League lead with six home runs, and ranks fifth with 33 RBI. He also stands eighth on the loop batting charts with a .347 average for the season.

Junior infielder Josh Page hit .500 (7-for-14), including a four-hit effort in Saturday's series finale. He raised his season average by 22 points to .317.

Senior right-hander Andy Svitak notched his seventh save of the year Saturday, putting him second on the school's all-time single-season list. He is also third with 11 career saves.

Crusaders leave lasting final impression
Valparaiso carries a 15-23 record after going 1-3 last week. That one win was a notable one, however, as the Crusaders knocked off perennial Mid-Continent Conference power Oral Roberts 7-3 on Sunday, snapping ORU's 40-game home conference winning streak which dated back to 2002. It was also Valpo's first-ever victory over Oral Roberts in Tulsa.

Junior Dallas Cawiezell hit .375 (6-for-16) in the four games, driving in six runs. He homered twice in a three-hit game on Saturday and compiled a .813 slugging percentage while extending his hitting streak to seven games. Cawiezell also pitched 2.2 innings of scoreless relieve to wrap up the victory over the Golden Eagles.

Senior left-hander Nick Mazzone got the victory Sunday, allowing three runs on seven hits over 6.1 innings.

Senior Michael Arensdorff tied the school record with his 251st career hit. He matched the mark set by Mark Pedersen (1999-2002) and can break trhe record Tuesday when Valpo hosts Butler in a doubleheader. Arensdorff ranks second in the Mid-Con with a .357 batting average.

Senior catcher Josh Piazza had a 13-game hitting streak snapped. He was the third Crusader to post a run of 12 or more games this season.

League approaching schedule's finish line
Three weekends remain before the 2007 U.S. Army Horizon League Championship. The seeding for this year's loop summit could become a bit clearer after this week's action, with third and fourth place on the line as UW-Milwaukee (9-10 in the League) hosts Cleveland State (7-10) in a three-game weekend series. UWM took two of three games in Cleveland two weeks ago.

League front-runner UIC (14-4) looks for its sixth consecutive series victory as the Flames travel to Youngstown State (6-13). YSU's Penguins stand two games behind Butler for fifth place in the loop standings, while UIC attempts to build on its lead over second-place Wright State (16-8). The Flames swept a three-game series in Chicago (March 30-31), winning each contest by one run.

WSU and Butler are idle on the League schedule, although the Raiders travel south to take the field in a weekend set against Miami (Fla.). Butler (8-15) is off while the Bulldogs concentrate on final exams this week.

All six teams will compete at the 2007 U.S. Army Horizon League Championship, scheduled for May 23-27 at UIC's Les Miller Field. UIC is chasing its sixth consecutive regular-season title, while Wright State won the tournament crown on its home field last spring.