Baseball Weekly Release #9

April 16, 2007

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Horizon League Player of the Week

Micky Pingree, UIC
Junior INF * Boise, Idaho
Pingree drove in eight runs in five games, leading the Flames to a 4-1 record in League action last week. He batted .421 (8-for-19) with a pair of doubles, including a two-run two-bagger in the ninth inning versus Wright State on Friday as the Flames rallied for a 5-4 victory in a showdown between the top two teams in the League standings. Pingree also had five hits and five RBI in Tuesday's doubleheader sweep of UW-Milwaukee.

Horizon League Pitcher of the Week

Stephen Procner, Cleveland State
Senior LHP * Girard, Ohio
Procner picked up two of the Vikings' four League victories last week, pitching a six-hit complete game to defeat Youngstown State 3-2 on Tuesday. Procner came within one out of a fourth consecutive route-going effort Saturday, pitching into the ninth inning as the Vikings defeated Butler, 3-2. Procner allowed 11 hits and struck out 14 batters in 17.2 innings.

Other Top Performances for the Week Ending Aprinl 15

Joe Dempsey, Butler
Sr. * C * Stow, Ohio
Dempsey posted a .313 average (5-for-16) at the plate, including a double and a run scored. He also drew four walks for an on-base percentage of .450.

Rich Ranells, Cleveland State
Sr. * 3B * Highland Heights, Ohio
Ranells collected ten hits in 24 at-bats (.417), leading the VIkings to four wins in six games. He had three doubles and drove in six runs as CSU moved into third place in the League standings.

Josh Groves, UW-Milwaukee
So. * C * Monona, Wis.
Groves batted .700 (7-for-10) in four games last week. He scored one run and drove in another while also throwing out five potential base-stealers.

Justin Parker, Wright State
So. * 2B * Fort Wayne, Ind.
Parker hit .471 (8-for-17) and scored six runs in five League games last week. SIx of his hits were doubles, including three in a doubleheader sweep of Butler on Tuesday.

John Koehnlein, Youngstown State
So. * 3B * Steubenville, Ohio
Koehnlein batted .389 for the week, including a three-hit effort Tuesday versus Cleveland State. Two of those safeties were game-tying singles, in the ninth and 11th innings of the 14-inning loss.

Ryan Kruszka, Butler
So. * RHP * Elwood, Ill.
Kruszka suffered another hard-luck loss on Saturday, giving up only two earned runs and striking out eight in a complete-game effort against Cleveland State but losing, 3-0.

Zach Peterson, UIC
Sr. * RHP * Minnetonka, Minn.
Peterson notched his first two victories of the 2007 season, allowing one run each in six innings against UW-Milwaukee on Tuesday and 5.2 frames versus Wright State on Saturday.

Robert Michalkiewicz, UW-Milwaukee
Sr. * LHP * Menasha, Wis.
Michalkiewicz threw his second consecutive complete-game shutout, blanking Youngstown State on nine hits Sunday. He has pitched 19 consecutive scoreless innings.

Garret Holleran, Wright State
Sr. * RHP * Phoeniz, Ariz.
Holleran went 1-0 with a 2.40 ERA in two starts. He struck out five in seven innings to defeat Butler on Tuesday, and went 6.1 innings in a no-decision versus UIC.

Adam Kalafos, Youngstown State
Jr. * RHP * Baltimore, Md.
Kalafos earned his third win of the season at UW-Milwaukee on Sunday, allowing one run on four hits in 7.1 innings of work. All three of his wins have come in his last five starts.

Around the Horizon League

Flames ride pitching to 10-game win streak
UIC improved to 8-3 in the League and 16-13 overall by winning four of five games last week. The Flames swept Tuesday's doubleheader at UW-Milwaukee, and claimed two victories versus Wright State. All three games versus WSU were decided by one run.

UIC's staff owns a League-best 4.44 ERA, a mark which drops to 3.27 in League play.

The Flames had won 10 consecutive games before suffering a 5-4 defeat in the series finale against the Raiders. UIC trailed 1-0 in the opener Friday but rallied for a 2-1 victory, marking the seventh time this season the Flames have come back to win a game in the ninth inning. UIC is also 4-3 in one-run affairs this weekend.

Senior right-hander Zach Peterson won both of his starts last week, allowing two runs in 11.2 innings of work. The League leader with nine wins last spring, Peterson hadn't notched a victory this year until defeating UWM on Tuesday. Freshman right-hander Steve Crnkovich has carried the torch with a League-best 2.00 ERA.

Sophomore right-hander David Cales leads the League with seven saves along with a 2-0 record and 0.56 ERA. Cales has allowed only seven hits in 16 innings this year.

Senior outfielder Larry Gempp Jr. is seventh in the League with a .377 average, while senior shortstop Chad Schroeder owns a loop-best .538 on-base percentage and 11 stolen bases.

Raiders salvage finale, stay in hunt for title
Wright State remains in second place in the standings, despite dropping two of three at UIC over the weekend. The Raiders fell 5-4 in the opener and 2-1 in Saturday's first game before holding on for a 5-4 triumph in the series finale.

WSU, which also swept Butler (4-1, 12-8) in a doubleheader Tuesday, enters the week at 16-13 overall and 10-6 in League play. The Raiders visit Youngstown State this weekend.

Sophomore second baseman Justin Parker had six doubles among eight hits last week, giving him 15 for the season. He shares the League lead in that department with sophomore first baseman Jeremy Hamilton, who also leads the circuit with four triples and 29 RBI.

Parker and Hamilton are fourth and fifth in the League, respectively, with batting averages of .370 and .363. Parker owns a League-season-high 20-game hitting streak, batting .419 during that time.

Senior second baseman Ross Oeder leads the League in batting average (.419), runs scored (37) and slugging percentage (.684) while sharing the top spot with 11 stolen bases.

Senior left-hander Kyle Kearcher leads the League with five victories in eight decisions and his 2.45 ERA is second only to UIC's Steve Crnkovich (2.00) on the loop charts. Senior righty Garret Holleran is fifth in the League with a 3.30 ERA.

Vikings surge over .500 in League play
Cleveland State won four of five games last week, racing to third place at 6-5 in League play (9-23 overall) after sweeping a doubleheader from Youngstown State and taking two of three games from Butler. Cleveland State, which hosts UW-Milwaukee this weekend, needs only one more win this week to match its victory total for the entire 2006 campaign (10-42).

Viking pitchers posted an impressive 1.40 ERA in the five games, allowing only seven earned runs on 46 hits in 58 innings. Senior left-hander Stephen Procner came within one out of a fourth consecutive complete game Saturday, winning his third game of the year. He shares the League lead with three route-going outings, and has held opponents to a loop-low .215 average in a circuit-best 67.1 innings of work. Procner's 3.61 ERA is seventh-best in the League, while sophomore lefty Josh Hungerman is fourth on that list with a 3.05 mark.

Senior right-hander Pat McKitrick continues to be a workhorse in the Viking bullpen, sharing the League lead with 17 appearances this year. He owns a 3-2 record and 2.43 ERA.

After batting only .209 as a team in the first 13 games this season, CSU has improved to .266 over the last 19 outings. Senior outfielder John Westra leads the Vikings with a .291 batting average, 16 runs scored and 18 runs batted in this season.

Panthers battle elements, opponents
UW-Milwaukee dropped three of four games last week, slipping to 7-20 overall and 6-6 in League play. The Panthers were swept by UIC on Tuesday and split a Sunday twinbill versus Youngstown State, while the third game of the YSU series was postponed by weather.

Senior left-hander Robert Michalkiewicz became the first player in UWM's Division I history to throw back-to-back shutouts, tossing a nine-hitter versus YSU. He struck out three and did not walk a batter, his third consecutive outing without a free pass. Michalkiewicz set a Panther D-I record with his current 19-inning scoreless streak, eclipsing the standard of 17 set by Aaron Bushong in 2001. Michalkiewicz has now faced 139 batters since his last base on balls, and has walked only five batters in 57.1 innings this season.

Michalkiewicz is tied for the League lead with three complete games this season, and has pitched at least eight innings in five of his last six starts.

Sophomore catcher Josh Groves has raised his batting average 226 points in less than a month. Groves was hitting only .100 on March 24 but has gone 12-for-23 since then to move to .326 on the season. Groves carries a five-game hitting streak into the week.

Junior second baseman Jesse Hart ranks seventh in the league with a .343 batting average.

Penguins halt skid, prepare for homestand
Youngstown State enters the week at 11-20 overall and 4-8 in the League after dropping three of four games last week, getting swept by Cleveland State on Tuesday and splitting a twinbill at UW-Milwaukee on Sunday. YSU has played 27 of its first 31 games on the road but opens a school-record 19-game homestand Tuesday versus CSU.

Sophomore third baseman John Koehnlein stands second on the League charts with a .388 batting average, and has scored 24 runs (fourth-most in the circuit). Junior DH Erich Diedrich shares the League lead with five home runs and ranks second with 26 RBI. His .339 batting average is eighth-best on that list, as well.

Junior second baseman Josh Page owns a seven-game hitting streak. Page has hit .379 in his last 19 games after a .200 mark in the first 12 contests. He is at .323 for the year.

YSU pitchers have posted a 3.33 ERA with 31 walks in 108 innings against League foes this year, compared to an 8.08 ERA and 102 free passes in 153 innings outside the League. Senior right-hander Andy Svitak has anchored the back end of the pitching staff with five saves (second in the League) this year. He now ranks fourth in school history with nine in his career.

Tuesday's 14-inning loss was the longest game for a YSU team since a 16-inning affair against John Carroll on April 16, 1973.

Bulldogs scratch way to victory
Butler stands at 12-21 overall (5-11 in the League) after a 1-4 week on the road. BU dropped a pair of games at Wright State on Tuesday and salvaged the finale of a three-game weekend set at Cleveland State.

The Bulldogs host UIC this weekend, the team's only home dates until May 18.

Butler leads the League with 21 home runs this season, including five apiece by senior outfielder Tony Barnes and senior catcher Joe Dempsey. The teammates share individual honors with Youngstown State's Erich Diedrich in that department.

Junior right-hander Jon Dages boasts a 1.54 ERA in 23.1 innings over his last three outings, going at least eight innings twice and striking out 19 during that time. Dages leads the League with 48 K's this year and is second with 64.1 innings pitched. His 3.80 ERA is eighth-best in the League.

Sophomore right-hander Ryan Kruszka is third on the ERA charts at 2.68, including a 1.50 mark in 24 innings over his last three starts. Kruszka has fanned 19 hitters in those three appearances.

Junior shortstop Joe Pauley ranks tenth in the League with a .319 batting average and has scored a team-high 24 runs this season. Dempsey's 22 RBI tie him for fourth place on the League charts.

Crusaders split, open final Mid-Con slate
Valparaiso opens the week at 10-19 overall after splitting a pair of doubleheaders at North Dakota State last weekend. The Crusaders, who officially join the League on July 1, visit Northwestern on Tuesday before beginning their final season of Mid-Continent Conference action with a four-game weekend set versus Centenary College.

Senior infielder Jeff Rickert hit .500 (8-for-16) with six runs scored against NDSU, posting hits in each of the four games. He also drew seven walks for a .652 on-base percentage for the series and ranks fifth in the Mid-Con with a .455 mark for the year. He is hitting .355 for the year.

Senior Michael Arensdorff's .358 batting average is fifth-best in the Mid-Con. He has 241 career hits, needing ten more to reach the school record, set by Mark Pedersen.

Senior catcher Josh Piazza extended his hitting streak to nine games.

Senior left-hander Nick Mazzone tossed a complete-game seven-hit victory Saturday, allowing one run on four hits while striking out six. He lowered his season earned-run average to 3.28 (second-best in the conference) and is holding opponents to a .222 batting average this spring. Senior right-hander Harvey Yergin is second in the Mid-Con with 55.1 innings pitched.

League schedule continues frantic pace
Horizon League action continues Tuesday with the final round of mid-week action, with the conclusion of series started last Tuesday. UIC is at UW-Milwaukee, with Butler traveling to Wright State and Cleveland State visiting Youngstown State. UIC, WSU and CSU swept doubleheaders last week, with the Vikings needing 14 innings to complete the second contest at Youngstown State.

This weekend's action features first-place UIC (8-3) visiting Butler (5-11) for a match-up of the League's top pitching staff (4.44 ERA) against the circuit's most prolific home-run hitters (21 this year). Wright State puts its 10-6 League ledger on the line against Youngstown State (4-8), while UW-Milwaukee (6-6) visits Cleveland State (6-5) in a pivotal three-game series. CSU has moved into third place in the standings, having won four of five League contests last week.

Wright State won two games at Youngstown State two weekends ago, with the third game of that series postponed by weather.

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.