Horizon League Baseball Release #11
May 5, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Valparaiso University senior outfielder Zach Rodeghero has been named the Horizon League Baseball Player of the Week, while Wright State University lefthander Jon Durket earned his second consecutive Pitcher-of-the-Week accolade for the week ending May 4, the League office announced Monday (May 5).
Player of the Week
Zach Rodeghero, Valparaiso
Sr. * OF * New Lenox, Ill.
Rodeghero batted 11-for-23 (.478) with three doubles, six runs-batted-in and six runs scored as the Crusaders went 3-3 last week, including winning two of three at Milwaukee in League action. In the process, he extended his hitting streak to 24 games with hits in all six contests. He was 4-for-5 with three RBI and four runs in game two of Saturday's doubleheader against UWM. In extending his hit streak, he recorded a hit in every game in April and currently leads the League with a .453 batting average. Rodeghero was one of 100 players named Sunday on the updated watch list for the Brooks Wallace College Player of the Year Award.
Pitcher of the Week
Jon Durket, Wright State
Jr. * LHP * El Dorado Hills, Calif.
Durket earned the honor for the second straight week after throwing seven scoreless innings to earn the win in the Raiders' 6-3 victory at Youngstown State in game one of Sunday's doubleheader. He allowed only six hits and only two runners to reach third while striking out three and coaxing three double plays from the YSU lineup. In his last 25 innings of League play, Durket has allowed only two runs and has struck out 17. He currently ranks second in the League with a 3.11 earned-run average and is tied for fourth with four wins and 41 strikeouts. Durket is the first League player to claim back-to-back Pitcher-of-the-Week honors since Wright State's Robert Barrett to start the 2005 season.
Position Players
Brad Buell, Cleveland State
Jr. * CF * Martin, Mich.
In a 1-1 week for the Vikings, Buell went 5-for-8 (.625) with four runs scored and three runs-batted-in. Against Akron, he was 3-for-4 with three runs and all three of his RBI. He also was 2-for-2 in stolen bases.
Doug Dekoning, Milwaukee
Fr. * OF * Menomonee Falls, Wis.
Dekoning batted 8-for-15 (.533) with three runs, a double, a home run and three runs-batted-in as the Panthers went 2-3 last week. He also had a slugging percentage of .800 while adding two steals in two attempts.
Rafael Garcia, UIC
Fr. * SS * Chicago, Ill.
Garcia went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and four runs-batted-in in the Flames' lone game of the week, a 13-0 blanking of city rival Chicago State. His three-run homer came during a seven-run fifth inning.
Jeremy Hamilton, Wright State
Jr. * 1B * Cincinnati, Ohio
Hamilton was 7-for-16 at the plate in a 3-1 week for the Raiders. He had four doubles, five runs scored and four RBI, including one in each of the four games. Against Dayton, he had three doubles among his four hits.
David Leon, Youngstown State
Fr. * INF * Hermitage, Pa.
Leon batted .462 (6-for-13) with a home run, a double, two runs scored and two runs-batted-in, including a hit in each of YSU's four games. His home run against Wright State was the first of his career.
Kyle Schultz, Butler
So. * INF * Granger, Ind.
Schultz led the Bulldogs in their only game of the week, going 4-for-5 with an RBI in a 7-6 victory over cross-town foe Indianapolis. The performance boosted his team-leading batting average to .398.
Pitchers
Bryan Bokowy, Butler
Sr. * LHP * Munster, Ind.
Bokowky picked up the win in the victory over UIndy, allowing two runs and seven hits in seven innings while striking out four for his first win of the season. He also surrendered only one base-on-balls.
Steve Godawa, Valparaiso
Fr. * LHP * Buffalo Grove, Ill.
Godawa appeared in four of the Crusaders' six games in relief, allowing one hit and no runs in 3.1 innings of work. He has not given up a run in ten appearances in League games.
Aaron Swenson, Youngstown State
So. * RHP * Twinsburg, Ohio
Swenson improved to 5-0 in League action with a victory over Wright State on Sunday. He struck out ten in 8.1 innings while giving up ten hits and four earned runs. Swenson leads the League with his five conference victories.
UIC moves into first place despite notplaying a League game last week
The Flames (24-18, 11-5 Horizon League) took over sole possession of first place in the Horizon League standings despite having their three-game series at Cleveland State cancelled due to water on the field at Pipe Yard Stadium. UIC leads Wright State by percentage points with two weeks remaining in the regular season.
This is the second straight season that inclement weather has cancelled UIC's road series at Cleveland State. Last year it was a snow storm in Cleveland that nixed the Flames' scheduled series in early April.
In their lone game last week, the Flames blanked Chicago State 13-0 for their first shutout of the season.
True freshman Steve McGuiggan continues to pace the Flames offensively, hitting .373 and owning an on-base percentage of .430 as the UIC leadoff man.
Junior Brett Schaefer is the Flames' run producer, with a team-high 39 RBI in 42 games and a squad-best 36 runs scored.
UIC will host a doubleheader against Milwaukee this Friday and another versus Cleveland State on Sunday as the Flames bid for their seventh consecutive Horizon League regular-season title.
Wright State wins fifth straight League series but slips into second place
Despite winning two of three games in a weekend series at Youngstown State, the Raiders (24-18, 13-6 Horizon League) dropped percentage points behind UIC for first place in the Horizon League standings.
The Raiders have continued their solid play within the League, winning five straight league series. WSU has a 5-1-1 record in its seven league series, dropping a series only to UIC (2-1) in late March. The Green and Gold have won 11 of their last 13 Horizon League games and own the tiebreaker over UIC by virtue of winning three of five games against the Flames.
Jon Durket continues to toss solid innings for the Raiders in League play. The junior has thrown 49.0 innings against League foes, allowing 42 hits and only 12 earned runs to post a 4-1 record. His 32 strikeouts lead the team in league play and he owns a .230 batting average against. Alex Kaminsky continued to stay perfect in Horizon League action as he is now 4-0 after his win at Youngstown State.
Jeff Mercer and Jeremy Hamilton have each posted more than 20 RBI during Horizon League play this season. Hamilton has posted 22 RBI's and scored 22 runs in League play, while Mercer has a team-high 23 RBI and 12 doubles in 19 starts.
The Raiders will play at Kentucky on Tuesday and then host doubleheaders against YSU on Friday and Cleveland State on Saturday.
Cleveland State looks to remain among League's upper division
The Vikings (20-21, 9-7 Horizon League) won at Akron 12-9 and lost at Pittsburgh 9-1 last week before having their weekend set against UIC cancelled due to unplayable conditions.Tuesday's win at Akron gave Cleveland State 20 wins this season, marking the 18th time in school history that the Vikings have won 20 games. It is the first time CSU has won 20 games since the 2001 squad won 23 contests.
The Vikings also remain in third place as they aim for their first upper-division League finish since placing third in 2004 with an 11-12 mark.
Alex Kerins carries a team-best 10-game hit streak into the week, matching the best streak on the team this season. He has totaled 11 home runs and 49 RBI with his RBI total ranking as the fourth best amount in school history and the most since Keith Lillash drove in 73 in 2000.
Brad Buell's 20 stolen bases this season are the fourth most in program history, just five shy of breaking the school-record.
After hitting just .258 as a team last year, the Vikings are approaching the .300 mark this season, hitting at a .296 clip.
Cleveland State plays a doubleheader at Wright State on Saturday and one at UIC on Sunday.
Youngstown State takes one of three from Wright State, prepares to face Raiders again
The Penguins (18-28, 10-9 Horizon League) earned one victory in the three-game weekend series against Wright State at Eastwood Field to remain above .500 in League play.
Tom Clayton hit his second ninth inning, pinch-hit home run of the season on Sunday against Wright State. Josh Page also had a pinch hit homer in the ninth against UIC on April 11, and Joe Iacobucci hit a pinch-hit home run against Xavier on March 15. The latest is the only one that has not had a major impact on the end result of a game. Page's and Clayton's first both came in the ninth inning to send the game that YSU eventually won into extra frames. Iacobucci's came in the eighth inning to tie the score at 6-6, and YSU won 8-6 in 12 innings.The Penguins as a group showed more power during April, and they extended it to this first series in May when they hit three on Sunday. The team hit 12 round trippers last month after having just five at the start. Game one on Saturday was the fourth multi-homer game for the Penguins this season. On the year 11 different players have hit a home run, which is four more than last season. Ironically, Erich Diedrich, YSU's home run leader the past three seasons, has just one.
Youngstown State meet Wright State against this Friday in a doubleheader at Dayton and then play two at Valparaiso on Saturday.
Valparaiso takes two of three at Milwaukee in battle for fifth
The Crusaders (16-28, 7-9 Horizon League) went 2-1 in League play last week, taking the series from Milwaukee.
Senior outfielder Zach Rodeghero named to the updated watch list for the Brooks Wallace College Player of the Year. He leads the League with a .453 batting average, including .500 in conference games. In addition, Rodeghero is five hits and two doubles away from the school's single-season records.
John Giusti moved into second place on Valpo's all-time career assist list (394). He is hitting .512 (22-for-43) since returning from injury on April 16 and is batting.606 against Horizon League foes but does not have enough at-bats to qualify for the League leaders.
Brett Bivens has extended his hitting streak to 10 straight games.
Jarad Miller recorded his sixth save of the season, moving him into a tie for on the Valpo career list. Josh Wallace hit his team-leading eighth homer of the season last week.
Valparaiso will play at Iowa on Tuesday and then host Youngstown State in a doubleheader on Saturday before playing a pair of Butler on Sunday.
Milwaukee plays six home games this week, including four League matchups
Milwaukee (16-29, 7-12 Horizon League) went 2-3 last week, including 1-2 against League foe Valparaiso.
Despite the 20-3 loss Saturday, the UWM pitching staff equaled the program record of 15 strikeouts set March 30, 2003 a,gainst Northern Iowa.
Jesse Hart is closing in on two career marks at UWM: he has 236 career hits entering play Tuesday, school career record is 245. He also has 702 career at bats, career record is 737.
UWM now has six everyday starters batting over .300: C Shaun Wegner (.359), OF Nick Wichser (.353), 1B Shawn Wozniak (.338), OF Doug Dekoning (.330), 2B Jesse Hart (.320) and 3B Josh Groves (.301).
Freshman Doug Dekoning has been on fire at the plate. Over his last 14 games, he has recorded 23 hits in 42 at bats (.548), raising his season average from .188 to its current .330.
Junior Shawn Wozniak continues his impressive breakout junior campaign, as he has now set new career-highs in games, at bats, doubles and runs batted in. He enters play this week on a 15-game hitting streak.
UWM held on to beat Northwestern, 6-5, Wednesday to improve to 2-0 against the Big Ten this season.
The Panthers will host Chicago State in a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday and then host back-to-back twinbills against UIC on Friday and Butler on Saturday.
Butler returns to game action following long layoff
The Bulldogs (10-28, 5-14 Horizon League) played only one game last week, edging city-rival Indianapolis 7-6 on Tuesday.
Butler's game at Uindy was the team's only game in a stretch of 10 days. The Bulldogs return to action following finals on May 7 when they head to Louisville for a 6 p.m. contest.
The Bulldogs will spend a lot of time on the road as the season winds down. From April 19 through May 10, Butler will play 11 of 13 games away from Bulldog Park. After that stretch, the Bulldogs will five of its final six games at home.
The Butler offense has begun to pick back up. The Bulldogs have averaged 14.25 hits per game in the last four contests after collecting just over eight per game in the previous nine.
The Bulldog pitching staff has cut down on its walks recently, averaging just 2.75 per game in the last eight contests.
Horizon League Baseball News of Note:
* UIC has taken over first place despite not playing a League game last week. While the Flames had their three-game series at Cleveland State cancelled due to inclement weather, Wright State won just two of three at Youngstown State to fall percentage points behind UIC with two weeks remaining in the regular season.
* Valparaiso senior outfielder Zach Rodeghero and Wright State junior first baseman Jeremy Hamilton are two of the 100 players on Brooks Wallace College Player of the Year's watch list, which was released on Sunday. Rodeghero leads the League with a .453 batting average and 77 hits, while Hamilton tops the charts in slugging percentage (.755) and on-base percentage (.537). Both have a League-leading 108 total bases entering this week's action.
* Wright State lefthander Jon Durket has become the first League player to win back-to-back Pitcher-of-the-Week honors since the Raiders' Robert Barrett in the first two weeks of the 2005 season. Durket's award marks the fourth straight week a Raider pitcher has claimed the League hardware.
* All seven League teams play split series this week. League-leading UIC plays at Milwaukee on Friday and then hosts Cleveland State on Sunday.
