Baseball Weekly Release #13

May 14, 2007

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Horizon League Player of the Week

Kyle Silver, UW-Milwaukee
Senior IF * Fox Point, Wis.
Silver pushed his season batting average over .300 for the first time since April 7, hitting .433 (13-for-30) in seven games last week. The senior logged three doubles, a triple and a home run, scoring ten runs and driving in eight. Silver had a pair of four-hit games---including the opener of Friday's doubleheader versus Youngstown State---and compiled a .485 on-base percentage for the week, leading the Panthers to a 5-2 ledger.

Horizon League Pitcher of the Week

Erich Schanz, Wright State
Senior RHP * Bakersfield, Calif.
Schanz allowed only one batter past second base Friday, throwing a four-hit shutout against Cleveland State for his sixth victory of the year. Schanz posted his first complete-game shutout as a Raider, striking out six with only two walks. In the process, he lowered his season ERA to 2.93, ranking second in the League in that department.

Other Top Performances for the Week Ending May 13

Joe Pauley, Butler
Jr. * SS * Skokie, Ill.
Pauley logged two multi-hit games last week. He homered and drove in two runs to help Butler past IPFW on Wednesday, and had two hits in Saturday's series finale versus UIC.

Ryan Baechel, Cleveland State
So. * 1B * Canton, Ohio
Baechel led the Vikings with a .313 batting average in five games, driving in three runs. He was four-for-nine in three games versus Wright State over the weekend.

Jake Carr, UIC
So. * 1B * Frankfort, Ill.
Carr hit .524 (11-for-21) with six runs scored and three RBI as the Flames wrapped up the regular-season title. He has now hit safely in 14 consecutive games.

Ross Oeder, Wright State
Sr. * SS * Sandusky, Ohio
Oeder hit three home runs and batted .476 (10-for-21) with ten runs scored and seven RBI in five games last week. The senior now leads the League with eight homers this season.

John Koehnlein, Youngstown State
So. * OF/3B * Toronto, Ohio
Koehnlein posted three three-hit games against UW-Milwaukee, batting .556 (10-for-18) in the four-game series. He leads the League with a .436 average for the season.

Brian Deter, Butler
Jr. * RHP * Indianapolis, Ind.
Deter pitched a complete game versus UIC on Saturday, allowing four runs (two earned) in eight frames while striking out six. He also pitched a scoreless final inning Wednesday at IPFW.

Brian Long, Cleveland State
So. * RHP * Pittsburgh, Pa.
Long turned in his longest outing of the year, striking out nine Bowling Green batters in nine innings of work on Wednesday. He allowed only one run on six hits.

Steve Crnkovich, UIC
Fr. * RHP * Downers Grove, Ill.
Crnkovich retired 18 consecutive batters after allowing two first-inning runs against Butler on Saturday. He was the victor as UIC clinched the regular-season crown with a 4-2 triumph.

Tim Hoy, UW-Milwaukee
So. * LHP * Hartland, Wis.
Hoy recorded a win and a save in three appearances, tossing two scoreless innings to close the Panthers' game-one victory at Youngstown State on Saturday.

Andy Svitak, Youngstown State
Sr. * RHP * Parma Heights, Ohio
Svitak was part of both YSU victories versus UW-Milwaukee, earning a win and his eighth save of 2007 with three innings of scoreless, hitless relief. He struck out a pair of hitters.

Around the Horizon League

Flames clinch regular-season title, top seed
UIC reached a pair of milestones in sweeping Butler, clinching its sixth consecutive regular-season title and hitting the 30-win plateau for the eighth year in a row. The Flames carry a 30-17 overall mark and 20-4 loop ledger into this weekend's set at Wright State.

The Flames have now won seven regular-season crowns in coach Mike Dee's nine-year run at the school. Dee is one win away from 300 in his career and could reach that mark Tuesday when UIC hosts Northwestern.

UIC trailed in all three games over the weekend before rallying to victory. The team has now come from behind in 11 of its 20 League triumphs, including seven of the last eight.

Sophomore first baseman Jake Carr extended his hitting streak to 14 games, batting .524 (11-for-21) last week. His streak is the longest by a Flame this spring.

Senior outfielder Larry Gempp Jr. ranks third in the circuit with a .386 batting average and second with 47 RBI. Senior shortstop Chad Schroeder is second with 15 stolen bases.

Freshman right-hander Steve Crnkovich still leads the League with a 2.51 ERA, while senior right-hander Zach Peterson has won his last five decisions, and sophomore utility man David Cales posted his loop-leading 11th save of the season. As a staff, UIC carries a League-best 4.05 ERA, including a 3.39 mark in loop play.

Raiders sweep through Ohio teams
Wright State posted a perfect 5-0 record last week, including a three-game sweep of Cleveland State after non-League victories over Bowling Green and Toledo. The Raiders own the second seed for the League Championship, based on a 19-8 mark in circuit competition.

Senior infielder Ross Oeder had ten hits and scored ten runs in five games last week. He leads the League in hit (69), home runs (eight) and stolen bases (25) while ranking second with a .408 batting average.

The Raiders matched their victory total of last season, starting this week at 32-18. WSU's 19 League victories eclipse the program record of 17, set in 1992 and matched in 1993 and 2006.

Sophomore shortstop Justin Parker and Jeremy Hamilton already have surpassed the school's previous one-year record for doubles, with Parker owning a League-high 23 and Hamilton at 22. Hamilton also tops the circuit in triples (six) and RBI (50), and is tied for second with six home runs as part of his .371 batting average. As a team, WSU tops the League with a .321 team batting average.

On the mound, senior right-hander Erich Schanz threw a four-hit shutout Friday, lowering his season ERA to 2.93 (second in the League). Senior left-hander Kyle Kearcher notched his loop-best eighth win of the year Saturday, and is fourth in the League with a 3.48 ERA.

Panthers prepare for tournament run
UW-Milwaukee won the last League Championship held in Chicago (2001), and the Panthers appear poised to make another strong run this spring, based on the team's performance so far in May. UWM is 11-3 in the month after splitting a four-game series at Youngstown State, climbing to 21-28 overall (21-14 after an 0-14 start) and 14-12 in League play.

Friday's doubleheader split snapped an eight-game winning streak, the Panthers' longest since a 13-game run during the 2002 season. UWM had also posted double-digit hit totals in 13 consecutive game before managing only six in Saturday's series finale.

The Panthers are hitting .362 as a team in May, led by sophomore catcher Josh Groves (.475), who tied a school record with three stolen bases in Wednesday's victory over the Milwaukee School of Engineering. The thefts were the first three of the season for the sophomore.

Senior outfielder Ross McCoy carries a .415 average in May, with junior infielder Grant Berkovitz at .390. Senior infielder Kyle Silver has scored 19 runs and driven in 14 while batting .377 in May.

McCoy broke the school record for career at-bats Friday, finishing the weekend with 704.

Sophomore right-hander Jordan Herbert has been equally effective in May, posting a 2-0 record with nine strikeouts in 6.2 innings.

Bulldogs finally return home
Butler dropped three games at UIC, slipping to 19-29 overall and 8-18 in the League. The Bulldogs close the regular season by hosting UW-Milwaukee in a four-game series. BU has played only three home games (a series versus UIC on April 20-21) since April 5.

Butler is one of three teams battling for fourth place in the regular-season standings, currently tied with Youngstown State and percentage points ahead of Cleveland State. YSU would own a tie-breaker over BU, based on a 4-2 advantage in the head-to-head series.

Junior right-hander Jon Dages pitched a complete game but was a tough-luck loser in the series finale Saturday, allowing four runs (two earned) in eight innings of a 4-2 defeat.

Dages is part of a solid starting trio for the Bulldogs, which features three of the League's top ten ERAs in circuit competition. Sophomore Ryan Kruszka ranks fourth with a 2.92 earned-run average against loop foes, while Dages is sixth at 3.38 and junior Brian Deter is tenth at 3.48. Dages also ranks third overall with 55 strikeouts in 2007.

Senior outfielder Dustin Bucalo leads the Bulldogs with a .320 batting average which ranks 13th in the League. Senior catcher Joe Dempsey is tied for sixth in the circuit with 36 RBI and tied with senior outfielder Tony Barnes for sixth with six home runs this season.

Penguins split one four-game set, open another
Youngstown State opens the week at 16-31 overall and 8-18 after splitting four games with UW-Milwaukee last weekend. The Penguins attempt to secure fourth place in the standings, facing Cleveland State in another four-game set this weekend.

Sophomore John Koehnlein is putting together one of the best offensive seasons in YSU history. His League-leading .436 batting average is the highest by a YSU player since the school moved to Division I, and second only to Roy Myers' .456 clip in 1966. He has already eclipsed the school single-season hits record, and his 20-game hitting streak is the fourth-longest in school history.

Senior right-hander Andy Svitak earned his 12th career save Saturday, tying junior teammate Ryan Sellman for second place in school history. Svitak's eight saves this year are the second-most in school history and second behind UIC's David Cales on this year's League charts. has also pitched in 79 games, putting him three away from the school record.

Freshman right-hander Corey Vukovic improved to 2-0 as a starter with his victory over UWM on Saturday. Vukovic also defeated Pittsburgh on April 4.

Freshman Tom Clayton's game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday was YSU's first walk-off hit of the season. The Penguins erased a six-run deficit in the victory.

Vikings look to stop skid
Cleveland State has now dropped 15 consecutive games, falling to 10-40 overall and 7-16 in the League after being swept by Wright State. The Vikings close the regular season with a critical four-game series against Youngstown State, trying to climb to fourth place in the standings.

Sophomore right-hander Brian Long struck out nine batters in a nine-inning outing Wednesday versus Bowling Green, but wasn't rewarded for his efforts as the Vikings managed only two hits (both by senior outfielder John Westra) in a 2-1, ten-inning loss.

CSU has posted one run or less nine times during its losing streak, and is hitting .233 as a team in 2007.

Cleveland State's pitching staff features the League's top two strikeout artists in senior left-hander Stephen Procner and sophomore southpaw Josh Hungerman. Procner leads the way with 63 K's in 84.1 innings, while Hungerman has fanned 57 batters. The sophomore also ranks sixth in the circuit with a 3.58 ERA this spring.

Sophomore outfielder Matt Madrid reached base only four times last weekend, but scored three runs and stole a pair of bases. He leads the Vikings with 21 RBI this season.

Junior shortstop Bobby Cash paces the Vikings in runs scored (24) and hits (50) and is tied with teammate Rich Ranells for third in stolen bases (nine).

Crusaders try to secure M-CC tourney spot
Valparaiso lost three of four games against Oakland last weekend, slipping to 17-31 overall and 6-10 in the Mid-Continent Conference. Valpo is in a three-way tie for third place, with only the top four seeds advancing to the Mid-Con tournament.

The Crusaders host one of the other 6-10 teams, Southern Utah, in a four-game series this weekend. A pair of Big Ten Conference teams---Indiana and Purdue---visit Valpo for mid-week games.

Junior outfielder Jason Brunelli hit .556 in three games last week, homering twice and scoring four runs against OU.

Senior Michael Arensdorff earned a spot on the CoSIDA Academic All-District V First Team. He ranks second in the Mid-Con with a .354 batting average which includes a conference-best 15 doubles this season.

Junior Dallas Cawiezell pitched 3.2 innings of scoreless relief in two outings. He notched his fifth save of the year Friday, striking out the go-ahead run with the bases loaded and then tossing a scoreless seventh inning. He has eight career saves, tying for fourth place on Valpo's career charts.

Senior left-hander Nick Mazzone remains fourth on the Mid-Con charts with a 3.17 ERA.

Top seeds set, but bottom three up for grabs
Half of the seeds for the League Championship remain unclaimed at the start of the final week of the regular season.

League front-runner UIC (20-4) has clinched the top seed for the loop summit, rendering this weekend's set against second-place Wright State (19-8) relatively meaningless in the standings---but not in terms of momentum as both teams attempt to make a statement.

UW-Milwaukee (14-12) will be the third seed, but the Panthers' opponent this week, Butler, is in the middle of a three-team chase for the fourth seed. BU hosts a four-game weekend series, starting the weekend tied for fourth Youngstown State at 8-18 in the League.

Youngstown State is also 8-18, and holds the tie-breaker versus Butler, winning four of the six head-to-head meetings between those teams. The Penguins hope to preserve that fourth-place status, traveling to Cleveland State for a four-game set. CSU (7-16) enters the week in sixth place but could jump past Butler and YSU with a productive weekend.

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. Wright State won the tournament crown on its home field last spring.