Horizon League Baseball Release #13
May 19, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - University of Illinois at Chicago junior first baseman Brett Schaefer has been named the Horizon League Baseball Player of the Week for the second time season, while Cleveland State University junior lefthander Josh Hungerman has earned his third career Pitcher-of-the-Week accolade for the week ending May 18, the League office announced Monday (May 19).
Player of the Week
Brett Schaefer, UIC
Jr. * 1B * Orland Park, Ill.
Schaefer guided UIC to a perfect 4-0 week by hitting .529 (9-for-17) with five extra-base hits, including a pair of home runs and nine runs-batted-in. He hit a game-tying RBI double with the Flames down to their final strike in the bottom of the ninth off of Horizon League saves leader Jarad Miller and went on to score the game-winning run one batter later in UIC's 7-6 comeback win Saturday over Valparaiso that clinched the Flames' seventh straight regular-season League title. Schaefer also hit his second grand slam of the season in UIC's 9-2 win over Purdue. For the year, he is batting .355 with eight home runs and a League-best 51 runs-batted-in. Schaefer previously was named the League's Player of the Week on March 25.
Pitcher of the Week
Josh Hungerman, Cleveland State
Jr. * LHP * Pittsburgh, Pa.
Hungerman threw a complete-game, four-hitter to lead the Vikings to a 3-1 victory at Butler Friday in the opener of their three-game series. The junior southpaw gave up one earned run in the first inning and held the Bulldogs scoreless the rest of the way, striking out eight while walking only four. It was the first complete game of the season for Hungerman, who improved to 5-3 this season with a 4.93 earned-run average and 60 strikeouts. The win helped Cleveland State snap a season-high six-game losing streak. Hungerman earned Pitcher-of-the-Week honors earlier this year on March 18 and on Feb. 20, 2007.
Other Top Performances for the Week Ending May 18
Position Players
Kyle Bischof, Cleveland State
Sr. * OF * Louisville, Ky.
Bischof batted .444 (8-for-18) in Cleveland State's five games last week, including two runs, one double and one run-batted-in. He began the week by going 3-for-5 against Duquesne on Tuesday and finished it by going 4-for-5 in the regular-season finale at Butler on Saturday.
Eric Marzec, Youngstown State
So. * OF * Canton, Ohio
Marzec batted 9-for-20 with 10 runs and 11 runs-batted-in during a 4-1 week for Youngstown State. In a 13-9 victory at West Virginia, he tied the school record with three home runs, scored four runs, knocked in six and broke the YSU standard with 13 total bases. He also had the game-winning single in the 13th inning of a victory at Milwaukee on Thursday.
Justin Parker, Wright State
Jr. * SS * Fort Wayne, Ind.
Parker extended his hitting streak to seven games with hits in all four games last week. He was 3-for-5 with a double and a stolen base against Cincinnati, then had three runs-batted-in and scored a pair in the series opener versus NJIT. He added a double and another RBI in the series finale.
Andrew Quinnette, Valparaiso
Fr. * IF * Kokomo, Ind.
Quinnette hit .579 (11-for-19) with four multi-hit games to extend his hitting streak to six. He was 4-for-5 with three runs-batted-in and two runs in a win over Cedarville to open the week. Against UIC, he was 7-for-14 in the three games, including 3-for-5 in game one of Saturday's doubleheader.
Shawn Wozniak, Milwaukee
Jr. * 1B * Mayville, Wis.
Wozniak batted .615 (8-for-13) with three runs, a double and two home runs for Milwaukee. He drove in six runs in Friday's 9-8 victory over Vaparaiso and had a slugging percentage of 1.154 for the week.
Colin Ziegel, Butler
Jr. * OF * Fort Wayne, Ind.
Ziegel batted 4-for-8 with three runs, a double and a triple in Butler's doubleheader sweep of Cleveland State on Saturday. For the week, he was 5-for-12 with a .667 slugging percentage.
Pitchers
Craig Gillet, Youngstown State
Jr. * LHP * London, Ontario
Gillet picked up a win and a save in YSU's 4-1 week. He pitched three innings of scoreless relief to earn the save in the victory at West Virginia and then got the win against Milwaukee in game one of Thursday's doubleheader, allowing one run in 2.1 innings.
Alex Kaminsky, Wright State
So. * RHP * Fostoria, Ohio
Kaminsky won his seventh straight decision, tossing six innings and allowing only one run in a 9-3 victory Friday over NJIT. He fanned a season-high five batters and retired the side in order three times in the six frames. Only one runner advanced past second base.
Ryan Kruszka, Butler
Jr. * RHP * Elwood, Ill.
Don Phillis, UIC
So. * LHP * Streator, Ill.
Phillis pitched 6.2 critical innings of relief that kept UIC within striking distance in Saturday's nightcap that the Flames won 7-6 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. He allowed just one run after Valpo scored five times in 2.1 innings of UIC starter Chris Kavacevich.
Youngstown State hosts Horizon League Baseball Championship presented by U.S. Army at Eastwood Field
For the second time in five seasons, Youngstown State will host the Horizon League Baseball Championship presented by U.S. Army at Eastwood Field in Niles, Ohio, Tuesday through Sunday, May 20-25.
Home of the Mahoning Valley Scrappers of the New York-Penn League, Eastwood Field previously hosted the League tournament in 2004. Youngstown State claimed the title as the seventh -- and lowest -- seed in the field that season, downing Cleveland State 10-1 in the championship game.
UIC clinches regular-season title in dramatic fashion
UIC clinched its seventh consecutive Horizon League regular-season title in amazing fashion Saturday night.
The Flames erased a one-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth with back-to-back two-out RBI hits by Brett Schaefer and Kevin Coddington, the latter driving in the winning tally in a title-clinching 7-6 victory over Valparaiso.
Left-hander Don Phillis tossed six-plus innings of relief to keep the Flames within striking distance.
UIC trailed 6-5 heading into the ninth and facing Crusader closer Jarad Miller, the Horizon League leader in saves. The Flames were down to their final strike with Ty Rubio on first and Schaefer at the plate before the junior first baseman dunked a fly ball into center that a diving Dan DeBruin was unable to keep in his glove, allowing a sprinting Rubio to score the tying run as Schaefer slid into third.
That brought up Coddington, who hit a slow-moving grounder to second that the UIC catcher was able to beat for an infield base hit while driving in Schaefer with the winning run.
Home field is key in Horizon League Championship
Playing at home has been the recipe for success in the Horizon League Championship each of the last two seasons.
Third-seed Wright State captured its first League crown at Nischwitz Stadium in Dayton in 2006, defeating Butler 4-1 in the final. Last season, regular-season champion UIC rolled past Wright State 14-2 at Les Miller Field in Chicago.
In both cases, the winning teams went undefeated in tournament play.
League batting leaders Rodeghero, Hamilton on Brooks Wallace Award `Watch List'
Wright State junior first baseman Jeremy Hamilton -- the Horizon League Player of the Year -- and Valparaiso senior outfielder Zach Rodeghero are two of only 100 players named recently to the Brooks Wallace Award's "Watch List" for collegiate player of the year.
Wright State's Hamilton named League Player of the Year; Youngstown State's Swenson takes Pitcher-of-the-Year honors
Junior first baseman Jeremy Hamilton of Wright State earned Player-of-the-Year honors and sophomore righthander Aaron Swenson of Youngstown State was named Pitcher of the Year as the Horizon League announced its baseball All-League teams and specialty award winners Monday (May 19).
Regular-season champion UIC picked up three other specialty awards as junior righthander Derrick Miramontes was tabbed Newcomer of the Year and junior righthander Adam Worthington garnered Relief Pitcher-of-the-Year accolades. UIC head coach Mike Dee and Youngstown State dugout boss Rich Pasquale shared Coach-of-the-Year honors.
All honors are the result of voting by the Horizon League's seven head coaches.
Two League student-athletes earn Academic All-District honors from CoSIDA
Two Horizon League baseball players have been named to the Academic All-District Teams presented by ESPN The Magazine.
Youngstown State senior infielder Josh Page earned All-District IV first-team honors and is now eligible for the Academic All-America Team, which will be announced later this month. The Plain City, Ohio, native has a 3.86 grade-point average as a middle childhood education major.
Wright State junior infielder Justin Perkins garnered second-team accolades in District IV. The Fort Wayne, Ind., native sports a 3.41 GPA in organizational leadership.
UIC Update
The Flames enter the 2008 Horizon League Baseball Championship presented by U.S. Army on a seven-game winning streak in which they have outscored opponents 52-25. Foes have mustered just 18 earned runs in 63.0 innings against UIC pitching during the streak for an earned run average of 2.57.
UIC has now won 30-plus games for nine consecutive seasons (2000-2008).
Junior outfielder Jake Carr extended his hitting streak to 14 games, the team's best streak of the season. During the streak he is hitting .383 (23-for-60) with nine doubles and 16 RBI.
Junior first baseman Brett Schaefer is one his way to becoming the first UIC player to have sole possession of team leads in RBI and runs scored since Curtis Granderson accomplished the feat in 2002. Schaefer has 51 RBI and 44 runs scored, both team highs after regular season play.
Ten of UIC's 23 League games were decided by just one run, including both of the Flames' games against Valparaiso. The Flames are 8-2 in one-run games against League foes and 10-7 in one-run games overall this season.
Wright State Update
Justin Parker and Jeremy Hamilton continue to chase the record for most career doubles in a WSU uniform. Parker collected three this week and moved within one of tying Jon Sbrocco's 15-year old mark of 55. Parker has 19 this season and with one more double with tie Sborcco and join Hamilton as the only two players in League history with back-to-back seasons of 20+ doubles.
John Kopilchack moved into a tie for fifth on the Horizon League's career triples list. The senior is tied with UIC's Mike Hughes with 15 three-baggers in his career. Parker (54) and Hamilton (52) each rank on the career doubles list in the league annuls, ranking in a tie for seventh and ninth respectively.
WSU has eight starters with 20 or more RBI's this season and seven players that have pounded out 50 or more hits during the 2008 campaign. WSU also ranks second in school history this season with 203 extra-base hits, including 135 doubles.
Youngstown State Update
Eric Marzec had his third game-winning hit in extra innings on Thursday against Milwaukee at Miller Park. He singled home Erich Diedrich with one out in the 13th against the Panthers. He previously beat UIC on a walk-off homer on April 11 and a walk-off single against Duquesne on April 2.
Youngstown State is coming off its best week of the season as it enters the tournament. The Penguins began the week by knocking off 30-win opponents in West Virginia (35) and Kent State (31) on back-to-back days for the first time since 2004. YSU went on to defeat Milwaukee twice at Miller Park on Thursday to win four straight contests for the first time all season.
YSU had a three-game winning streak from April 19-20. The Penguins defeated three other 30-win teams during the season - Cincinnati (36) on March 11, Bowling Green (31) on April 1 and UIC (31) on April 11-12.
Cleveland State Update
Cleveland State won 10 league games for the second straight season, coming up two wins shy of tying the program record for league wins in a season.
The Vikings enter the Horizon League Championship having lost nine of their last ten contests.
CSU has hit 43 home runs this season after totaling just 20 as a team last season.
Milwaukee Update
Senior Nick Wichser has upped his career hit total to 199, hoping to become the fifth UWM player to record 200-plus in a career in program history.
Wichser (two steals), freshman Doug Dekoning (two steals), senior Jesse Hart and junior Ben Long combined for six steals Friday, equaling the school record set twice during the 2001 campaign.
The 13 innings played versus Youngstown State Thursday tied the UWM record for longest game in program history (13 innings versus Butler, May 9, 1998).
Jesse Hart already holds the UWM record for career doubles at 63, breaking the UWM mark of 59. Up next would be the 21-year old Horizon League record for two-baggers, currently held by Adam Casillas of Oral Roberts (1984-87) at 66.
Valparaiso Update
Zach Rodeghero set Valpo's single season hit record with an RBI single in game one of Saturday's doubleheader. He now has 86 hits on the season, passing Mark Pedersen's (2001) 82 with his 5-for-10 day in the twinbill. Rodeghero enters the tournament hitting a league-leading .428. If Rodeghero finishes over .400, he will be the first Crusader since Tom Delattre in 1981 (.418) to hit .400 in a single season
Josh Wallace homered twice on the weekend to raise his season total to ten.
Dan DeBruin registered two triples against Cedarville.
John Giusti needs three assists to tie the Valpo career record of 424 set by Rick O'Connor.
Butler Update
The Bulldogs had to rally for their two wins against the Vikings last weekend. Butler trailed 1-0 early in the first game on May 17 before plating five-unanswered runs to claim the win. The Bulldogs found themselves in an even bigger hole in the night-cap, trailing 5-0 after 5 ½ innings before scoring eight-unanswered - including six in the eighth inning - to steal a twin-bill sweep from CSU.
Butler's double-header sweep of Cleveland State on Saturday (May 17) gives the team its first Horizon League series win since claiming two of three games from Youngstown State on March 21 and 22.
Junior right-hander Jeff Sinkiewicz was the hard-luck hurler for the Bulldogs on Friday (May 16). After allowing three runs in the first four frames, he finished strong by setting down the final 10 batters he faced in a row.
