By Jim Dixon
D3sports.com

FAIRBANKS, Alaska -- It is past midnight and still the lights remain off as Lake Erie Monarch's Alex Cowart gets his first at-bat of the game. It is a night game by the start time but you cannot tell by the light at 1 a.m., it is the Midnight Sun Game. With Cowart at the plate, the Alaska Goldpanners close out a 6-3 win but that does not dampen Cowarts enthusiasm about the game that many consider a must see for every baseball fan. "It is exciting," said Cowart. "There is a ton of people here, maybe 3,000." By the time the game started, Cowart's prediction was off by only 500 as 3,500 squeezed in Growden Field for the 104th Midnight Sun Game.

The Monarch's of the Great Lakes League, have traveled north to spend two weeks playing teams in the Alaska League and Fairbanks is their last stop on the tour. Joining Cowart are Heidleberg players Brian Koehl, Ricky Lizcano, as they test themselves against D-I and D-II competition and leaving the aluminum bats behind in favor of traditional wood bats. "It is a lot tougher than I am use to," said Cowart. The pitchers throw faster in this league."

Hampered by an elbow injury, the D3baseball.com All-American outfielder is spending less time in the field and more as the teams designated hitter. "It [the elbow] started hurting before the regional," said Cowart. "I have a little pain but everything is good. I just got to rest it."

As his elbow heals, Cowart is looking forward to next year and Adrian's chances for the 2010 National Championship trophy. "We have great expectations next year." "We are losing [Todd] Meyers, a great leader, but we have Ryan Domschot, Nick VanDike and Nate Sarkissian coming back and I think we can win it all." You can see the fire in his eyes when Cowart says, "It is not enough to finish in the top 25, we want to get back to the Championship and win it."

Around the Bases: Forest City right-handed pitcher and Lynchburg Hornet, Bryan Breedlove threw a complete game, four-hit shutout to earn his fourth win of the season as the Owls defeated the Martinsville Mustangs 2-0 on Tuesday night at Hooker Field in Coastal Plain League action.

Batting .324, Michael Moceri of the Paniolos in the Hawai'i Collegiate Baseball League is leading the league in RBIs with 13. Kean and Paniolos teammate, Nick Nolan is batting .348.

Tufts's Ian Goldberg, David LeResche and 11 other D-III players have Scott Laverty's Cheyenne Grizzlies in first place in the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League.

Alvenia's Chuck Nicholas is 2-2 with an ERA of 2.16 after 33 innings for the Butler Blue Sox. Equally impressive is his strike out total -- 22, compared only 5 walks. He also has three complete games under his belt in the early season.

Dennis Collins, commissioner of the North Coast Athletic Conference passed away suddenly, Sunday, June 14, from a heart attack.

Collins became the conference's first and only commissioner when the league began its first playing season in 1984. For 25 years, he led one of the most successful conferences in all three divisions of the NCAA.

He was a respected national leader and has served as president of the NCAA Division III Commissioners Association, a group he helped to organize in 1989. From 1992-96, he served as a member of the NCAA Council, the national association's equivalent of a board of directors. In the same period, he chaired the NCAA Dist. IV Postgraduate Scholarship Committee, served on the Division Special Restructuring Taskforce and in 1999, completed a six-year term on the NCAA Interpretations Committee. He was awarded the prestigious Meritorious Service Award from the Div. III Commissioners' Association in 2006. He was a founder of the Intercollegiate Officiating Association, a cooperative amongst 27 NCAA/NAIA colleges that provides regional officiating services. Collins served 17 years as that group's chief administrator. He served on Presidential Advisory/Visiting Committees at both Carnegie Mellon and Bates. He also served on the Games Committee of five Kickoff & Pigskin Classics, college football's opening games, between 1984 and 2002. Over the years, Collins guided two membership expansions of the NCAC -- one in 1988, adding Earlham and Wittenberg, and the most recent, the addition of Hiram and Wabash in 1998.

Prior to coming to the NCAC, Collins served five years as communications director for the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. He also was sports information director/athletic-alumni director at Case Western Reserve and news director/sports information director at Otterbein. For an eight-year period, he operated his own firm, Collins Communications, which provided public relations and photographic services to regional and national clients such as the National Football League.

He was a graduate of Ohio State with an undergraduate degree in journalism and served four years in the U.S. Coast Guard. He is survived by his wife Jeanne, and three grown children, Jennifer, Kate and Michael, as well as his mother, sister, brother and their families.

Nineteen players were selected in the 2009 MLB draft from Division III schools.


Ht.: 6-5. Wt.: 185
Bats: Right. Throws: Right
Hometown: North Massapequa, N.Y.

Whitenack was the first-ever Panther to be drafted by a major league team and was the first Division III player taken in the 2009 draft.

A junior, Whitenack appeared in 35 games the past three seasons, making 24 starts including six complete games and three shutouts. On April 28, 2008, against Polytechnic, he tossed a 14-strikeout no-hitter in an 11-0 victory.

This season he posted a 2.81 ERA in leading the Panthers to a program-best 27-13 record. In 67.1 innings he posted a career-high 5-2 record, registering 79 strikeouts and holding the opposition to a .190 batting average. For his career, Whitenack went 12-10 with a 3.03 ERA and 189 strikeouts in 183.1 innings.

Whitenack finished his collegiate career as Old Westbury's all-time leader in strikeouts (179) and earned back-to-back Skyline Conference Pitcher of the Year awards in 2008 and 2009. He was also named the 2009 ECAC Pitcher of the Year and earned a spot on the ECAC All-Star Team. He was named the top prospect of the Hawaii Collegiate Baseball League last summer after posting 40 strikeouts, just two short of the league leader. Whitenack, pitching for the Waikiki Surfers, appeared in 12 games and sported a 2.15 ERA over 37.2 innings and was a league all-star.

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Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 210.
Bats: Left. Throws: Left.
Hometown: Rochester, N.Y.

Tone is the 10th Cortland player to be drafted by a major league baseball team, all since 1994.

Tone finished 8-0 this past spring with a 3.07 earned run average in 11 appearances, all starts. In 67 and one-third innings, he allowed 64 hits and struck out 84 batters. Tone has a combined record of 21-1 (school-record .955 winning percentage) with a 2.81 ERA through three seasons with the Red Dragons. He ranks third at Cortland State with 229 career strikeouts in 176 and one-third innings.

Tone is a two-time Division III All-American. He was chosen to the D3baseball.com and ABCA All-America teams as a sophomore and to the ABCA All-America team this season. He was also the 2008 SUNYAC Pitcher of the Year and a two-time first team all-region honoree.

Tone is the second highest draft pick in Cortland history. Outfielder Craig Kerner was drafted in the 13th round by the Montreal Expos in 2000.

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Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 215.
Bats: Right. Throws: Right.
Hometown: Naperville, Ill.

Walker enjoyed an excellent collegiate career with Concordia (Ill.). He was named a first-team all-region player by the ABCA for the 2007 and 2009 seasons. Walker also was a four-time first-team all-conference honoree, his freshman season in 2006 for the Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference and in the following three seasons for the Northern Athletics Conference.

Walker was key to the Cougars' 2009 run to their first-ever appearance at the NCAA Division III Regionals. The team's participation at the Mideast Regional in Adrian, Mich., followed a season in which the Cougars went 33-15 and won both the regular-season and tournament titles for the Northern Athletics Conference.

Walker leaves Concordia holding five career records: games played (176), hits (235), runs scored (211), walks (135) and stolen bases (68). His career batting average of .352 is fourth on Concordia's all-time list.

Walker was following the draft online and surprised to see his selection come when it did. "I knew that the Nationals had me on their draft list, but I was expecting any possible selection to come in a later round," he said. "When I saw my name go up in the 20th round, I was speechless, and my heart felt like it was beating out of my chest. Shortly after, the Nationals' scout called to confirm the news and congratulate me. To be picked ... is a big surprise for me and an awesome feeling."

Walker is the second Concordia (Ill.) player this decade to be taken in the MLB draft. Pitcher Jim Paduch was a 12th-round pick (351st overall) of the Cincinnati Reds in the 2003 draft.

"I'm very happy to see Jack get this opportunity," said Concordia coach Spiro Lempesis. "He is a great young man, an extremely talented player, and an example of how hard work pays off. From where he was as a player four years ago to where he is today is a testament to his work ethic and character."

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Ht.: 5-10. Wt.: 180.
Bats: Right. Throws: Right.
Hometown: Bellaire, Texas.

Johnson was the first of six players coming from a team in the West region.

This last season, Johnson went 7-2 with a 2.38 ERA and recorded a division-high 109 strikeouts over 68 innings. He also hurled an ASC-high seven complete games. Johnson earned pitcher of the year accolades along with Brett Holland of Texas-Tyler, and Kyle Barton, Hardin-Simmons. Johnson and Barton shared the honor of West Division Pitcher of the Year.

Johnson became the first player from Concordia drafted since it entered the ASC and brings the ASC all-time draft pick total to 16 players -- all since 1999.

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Ht.: 5-9. Wt.: 170.
Bats: Right. Throws: Right.
Hometown: St. Anthony, Minn.

Kaczrowski learned the news having already made his professional debut. Kaczrowski has been playing with the independent St. Paul Saints since the last week of May, hitting .286 in 12 games with five RBIs.

"What Dan has accomplished is pretty remarkable. It's a compliment to his hard work and his family's support," said Hamline head coach and Saints pitching coach Jason Verdugo. "He worked hard and learned from his mentors, not just his coaches but his teammates like Andrew Bennett (2008 Hamline graduate and current Saints infielder). This is great for both the MIAC and Hamline."

Kaczrowski ended his collegiate career on both the All-MIAC and the ABCA Division III All-Midwest Region first teams. En route to earning those honors, he hit .463 in MIAC play (20 games). Kaczrowski was a D3baseball.com third team selection in 2008.

"This is a proud moment for Hamline and our baseball program, but an even bigger moment for Dan," said Hamline athletic director Bob Beeman. "Nothing this special comes easily, but, rather is the result of hard work and a commitment to achieving excellence. Dan embodies these qualities and his selection in the draft is a testament to his work ethic and his efforts, in conjunction with our coaching staff, in honing his skills during the past four years."

While leading the Pipers to their second straight MIAC playoff appearance and third in four years, Kaczrowski led the conference in stolen bases and steal attempts. Kaczrowski was 23-for-23 in stolen bases in 2009 and had a streak of 27 stolen bases extending into the end of the 2008 season - ending his career with one of the top ten active stolen base streaks in the NCAA.

He was in the top ten in MIAC statistics in batting average (fourth), on base percentage (sixth), runs scored (third), and hits (third). In 2009 he led the team with a .393 average and had 26 RBI while hitting ten doubles and a team-high four home runs. He struck out just five times in 150 at bats and drew a team-high 21 walks. Additionally, he led the team with an overall slugging percentage of .540 and an on-base percentage of .478.

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Ht.: 6-6. Wt.: 235.
Bats: Right. Throws: Right.
Hometown: River Grove, Ill.

The 2009 season was an outstanding year for Mike Giovenco. On top of earning a first team selection for both the CCIW and the ABCA/Rawlings All-Central Region, as well as setting the single season school record for strikeouts with 87, Giovenco can now add an even greater honor: Major League Baseball draft pick. The Minnesota Twins selected the draft-eligible sophomore.

""We couldn't be happier for Mike and his family," says fourth-year head coach Luke Johnson. "It's a legitimate culmination of his ability, his outstanding work habits, and his approach. The most gratifying thing for us as a program is that in Mike's two years here, he has gotten significantly better concerning his perceived weaknesses. Both Mike and our pitching coach Steve Hardman deserve all the credit in the world for that. His raw ability was never a question, but there is no doubt he has really taken off over the last 12 months. He's much more refined and has a legitimate chance at the pro level."

He created a lot of buzz in the Midwest scouting community this past spring. Routinely throwing in front of multiple professional scouts, he drew interest from every MLB team.

"Everyone in this program helps make things like this happen. Our players have high standards for themselves and do a great job of elevating the standard of excellence on a day by day basis. Mike would be the first to tell you that some of this is the result of being part of a team that values a legitimately consistent professional approach and the work habits that make this possible. Everyone on our roster can take some satisfaction in that."

Giovenco is also an outstanding student. The business and economics major has earned North Park's Dean's List distinction as well as being named to the Academic All-CCIW team.

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Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 195.
Bats: Right. Throws: Right.
Hometown: Palos Verdes, Calif.

It's becoming an annual occurrence at Chapman -- every June to be exact as a Chapman player was taken in the 2009 MLB first-year player draft for the fifth consecutive year. The All-America sophomore was the 794th pick overall and becomes the ninth Panther since 1999 to be selected by an MLB organization.

Semel earned All-Region and All-America honors from both the ABCA and D3baseball.com after batting .415 with 12 homers and 51 RBI. He led Chapman in nine offensive categories, including stolen bases (24), total bases (142) and on-base percentage (.483). He also struck out just eight times in 242 plate appearances this season, helping Chapman to a third place finish at the Division III championships last month.

The right-hander also served as the Panthers' closer, ranking No. 4 in Division III with nine saves. He posted a 2.61 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 41.1 innings but was drafted to play outfield. He is just the third position player selected from Chapman in its Division III history.

Semel is a redshirt sophomore, recently completing his third year of college, thus making him eligible for the draft. The Palos Verdes, Calif. native spent the 2007 season as a redshirt at Gonzaga and then played the past two seasons at Chapman.

Since 1966, a total of 64 Chapman baseball players have been selected in the draft.

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Ht.: 6-3. Wt.: 195.
Bats: Left. Throws: Left.
Hometown: Midlothian, Va.

Bronson was drafted last year in the 36th round by the Milwaukee Brewers, but elected to return to Trinity for his final season.

Bronson was the workhorse of the Tigers' pitching staff. He started 13 of the 45 games Trinity played, finishing five of them. He led the staff in innings pitched (85.1) in his 15 appearances in 2009. Bronson finished the collegiate season with a 5-5 record and a 4.22 ERA, along with one save, striking out 102 batters. Bronson led the SCAC in strikeouts, with 87 (20th in the NCAA Division III). The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Bronson made the All-SCAC Honorable Mention Team. It marked the third consecutive year Bronson was selected to an All-SCAC squad.

Bronson's career ERA of 3.06 is the fifth best in Tiger history, and the 271 strikeouts ranked No. 6. He struck out 14 batters in a game twice in his career and struck out a dozen or more five times.

Bronson amassed a career record of 21-11, along with five saves. His 21 victories tied for ninth place in the Trinity record books.

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Ht.: 6-2. Wt.: 200.
Bats: Right. Throws: Right.
Hometown: Greenfield, Mass.

Bayer finished the 2009 season 12-1 with an 0.85 ERA to lead all D-III players and was second to Wooster's Justin McDowell in wins. His regular-season highlight came against NESCAC rival Amherst as Bayer threw a 65-pitch seven inning no-hitter, the 14th in Trinity history, for a 8-0 win. For Bayer, the season ended with his first loss as a collegiate player, an 8-3 loss to Kean in the D-III Baseball Championships. Bayer compiled a 21-1 record on the mound in two years at Trinity.

Bayer, the 2009 D3baseball.com National Pitcher of the Year, also earned NCBWA Division III Pitcher of the Year and was selected to the D3baseball.com All-American first team, the ABCA Division III All-American first team, and the ECAC Division III All-New England Team.

Bayer will be joined by fellow Bantam, Sean Killeen in the Red Sox organization. Killeen, a D3baseball.com first team All-American at catcher, signed a free agent contract with the Red Sox shortly after the conclusion of the draft. In addition to Bayer and Killeen, five other Trinity players, Jonah Bayliss (Royals, Pirates, Blue Jays), Jeff Natale (Red Sox), Kurt Piantek (Tigers), Thomas DiBenedetto (Red Sox), and Tim Kiely (Angels) have now continued their baseball careers at the professional level in the past seven years. In 2006, Bayliss became the first NESCAC player in 10 years to appear in a major league game.

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Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 200.
Bats: Right. Throws: Right.
Hometown: Brainerd, Minn.

Kummet is the second Saints baseball player to be drafted by an MLB team. The only other Saints player to be drafted was Brett Nyquist (2000-2002) in 13th round of the 2002 draft by the Montreal Expos. Kummet would be the third Saint to sign with a major league organization as Leland Swenson (1997-2000) signed a post-draft contract with the Texas Rangers.

Kummet did not have to wait long on the final day of the draft as he was the eighth player selected.

This past spring, Kummet was named a D3baseball.com honorable mention All-American and a second team ABCA All-American. He finished 10th in the nation with a 1.87 earned run average, fifth with 5.77 hits allowed per nine innings, and 14th with 11.39 strikeouts per nine innings. He had 73 strikeouts in 57.2 innings.

For his career, he was tied for second in program history with 24 victories, third with 198.1 innings pitched, a 1.86 earned run average and 50 appearances, and fifth with 215 strikeouts.

Kummet was a first team All-UMAC selection all four years at CSS. He was named UMAC Rookie of the Year in 2006 and was the conference's co-pitcher of the year in 2007.

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Ht.: 6-4. Wt.: 220.
Bats: Right. Throws: Left.
Hometown: Green Lake, Wis.

Dott led the Warhawk pitching staff in 2009, helping UW-Whitewater to a share of the WIAC title and a berth in the NCAA D-III playoffs this spring. Dott finished the season 7-6 with a 3.16 ERA, leading the Warhawks in complete games (4), innings pitched (99.2), strikeouts (119), opponents batting average (.227).

His innings pitched total in 2009 is third highest in the school record book, and he is second on the list for season strikeouts. Dott is also second in career strikeouts with 234. He earned First Team All-WIAC and ABCA Second Team All-Midwest Region honors this spring.

"He's big, 6-4, and a lefty," UW-W coach John Vodenlich said. "When they looked at him they could see he has the ability, a fastball in the mid- to upper 80s and an above-average breaking ball. If he signs with them he will have to adjust to pitching against wood and professional hitters throughout a lineup, instead of a college team that may have a couple of top batters."

Over the last two summers, Dott has pitched for the La Crosse Loggers of the Northwoods League. He is 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA this summer. Last year Dott added a no-hitter for the Loggers to his resume.

Pitcher Adam Dominick and catcher Billy Johnson, who signed professional contracts after the 2008 season, were the most recent Warhawks to catch a scout's eye. Pitchers Kevin Tomasiewicz and Greg Reinhard were drafted after UW-Whitewater won the NCAA Division III championship in 2005, and pitchers Brady Endl and Ryan Callahan inked contracts in 2004. Whitewater's most notable baseball alum is right-handed pitcher Bob Wickman, who played for several teams over the course of 16 major league seasons (1992-2007).

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Ht.: 5-9. Wt.: 175.
Bats: Right. Throws: Right.
Hometown: Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Iden was the second Cal Lutheran player selected in the past three drafts, following former teammate Lee Ellis in 2007.

"I'm ecstatic ... relieved ... anxious," said Iden explaining his feelings after being selected by the local big-league club. A flurry of emotions went through the 22-year old second baseman after receiving the call to hear the news he would be wearing Dodger blue.

"It was total relief," Iden said following that conversation. "There was much anticipation to see when I would go or if it would happen at all. Now I look forward to the future and making the most of this opportunity."

Iden, along with a number of other draftees will travel to Glendale, Ariz., within the next few days to take part in a mini-camp. Many of the invitees will then see playing time at the rookie or short season low-A levels.

Iden, a local product out of Thousand Oaks High School cemented his name in Cal Lutheran baseball history as one of the program's most consistent hitters. A career .343 hitter he batted at a .340 clip or better in his final three seasons.

His 192 base hits are tied for the Cal Lutheran record (Jason Claros) and his 559 at-bats is a school record. He also ranks in the top-10 in games played (149), doubles (44), RBI (100), runs scored (121), total bases (261) and stolen bases (63).

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Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 185.
Bats: Right. Throws: Right.
Hometown: Portland, Maine.

Burleson is the first Southern Maine player to be selected in the MLB draft since Tip Fairchild was tabbed by the Houston Astros in the 12th round of the 2005 draft.

Among the numerous awards he received this season, Burleson was named to the All-Little East Conference first team, the NEIBA All-New England first team and the ECAC Division III New England first team. He also was selected by D3baseball.com as an honorable mention All-American.

Burleson finished his final season at USM batting .390 (64 for 164) with 69 runs scored, 10 doubles, three triples, eight homers, 39 RBI and a team-high 27 stolen bases. Along with 44 walks and nine times hit by pitch, Burleson had a .539 on-base percentage.

A four-year standout for the Huskies, Burleson finished his career batting .350 (221-for-631) with a school record 214 runs scored, 39 doubles, 12 triples, 25 home runs, 139 RBI and 72 stolen bases. He also has the school record for career walks (151).

Southern Maine finished the season with a 36-9 record, and won the Little East Conference regular season title (outright or shared) for the fifth time since baseball became a conference sport in 1997 with a 12-2 mark. The Huskies spent three consecutive weeks atop the D3baseball.com Top 25.

Photo by Jason Johns

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Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 185.
Bats: Right. Throws: Right.
Hometown: Duluth, Ga.

Sarisky, a sophomore, was dominant on the mound this season for Oglethorpe. In 15 appearances, he compiled a 5-1 record with a 2.68 ERA. Additionally, Sarisky struck out 65 batters in only 40.1 innings while walking only 14 opponents.

Sarisky was named as an All-SCAC First Team pitcher and an ABCA award winner.

Sarisky is just the sixth player in SCAC to be selected in the MLB draft and the first from Oglethorpe. If he signs with Houston, Sarisky, a sophomore eligibility-wise, will be trying to become the tenth former Petrel baseball player to play for a major league team.

The most famous Petrel to play ball at the highest level was another sophomore, who left the campus early to pursue a big league career, Hall of Famer Luke Appling. Appling was signed by the Atlanta Crackers in 1930 and went on to play 20 big-league seasons for the Chicago White Sox.

The other former Petrels to play major league baseball with their last year on campus in parentheses are Al Wingo (1918), Lucas Turk (1921), Ron Carlyle (1921), Dave Barbee (1926), Jay Partridge (1925), Greek George (1933), Harry Dean (1941) and Phil McCullough (1938).

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Ht.: 6-11. Wt.: 235.
Bats: Right. Throws: Right.
Hometown: Bellevue, Iowa.

The rangy right-hander discovered his fate on the Internet shortly after noon on the draft's final day, although the news didn't come as a complete surprise.

"I had talked with the Dodgers before the draft," Handke said. "I thought there was a decent chance they would take me, but you never know how things will work out. I've been helping a professor on campus. I checked online after lunch and that's when I found out. The Dodgers called later that night around 10. It's definitely exciting."

Handke, the only IIAC player drafted, drew attention from scouts in May at the Perfect Game USA showcase event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His fastball topped out at 93 miles per hour. Handke said he started to get phone calls two or three days after the showcase.

Handke pitched in a limited role with the Rams this past spring. He appeared in six games and went 0-1 with a 15.19 earned run average. Handke walked 12 and struck out eight in 10.2 innings. In three seasons at Cornell, Handke has made 17 appearances on the mound, including two starts. He has a career 10.12 ERA with 25 walks and 11 strikeouts in 21-1/3 innings.

Handke is most known by Cornell fans for his exploits on the basketball court. A second team all-IIAC center, Handke helped lead the 2008-09 Rams to the conference tournament title and a berth in the Division III NCAA Tournament. He averaged 9.8 points and 6.3 rebounds and set a single-season school record with 45 blocks.

"I enjoy both sports," Handke said. "I've always had people tell me that because of my height and I can throw the ball hard at times that I had a lot of upside and potential in baseball. It's something I'm obviously interested in doing."

"I told the Dodgers that I want to finish my degree at Cornell and complete my basketball career." said Handke, who carries a 3.9 grade point average with a major in biochemistry and molecular biology.

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Ht.: 5-10. Wt.: 175.
Bats: Left. Throws: Left.
Hometown: St. Michaels, Md.

Baines, a two-year starter for the Green Terror, becomes the first player taken from McDaniel in the 45 years of the draft. Drafted as a left fielder with the 1,363rd overall pick, he will attempt to become the sixth player in program history to play professional baseball.

Former Green Terror pitcher Mike Draper is the only other player with ties to the program to be selected. Draper, who played for then-Western Maryland for one season (1985), was drafted by the New York Yankees in 1988 from George Mason. Draper had 29 appearances on the mound for the New York Mets in 1993.

Baines, a second-team All-Centennial Conference selection in 2009, had a .349 average in his two seasons at McDaniel. He finished with 88 base hits, including a program-record 48 in 2009. He also matched the program record with 11 doubles as a senior while adding three home runs for a .531 slugging percentage. His 34 runs scored in 2009 paced the team. He ranked second on the squad with 26 RBIs. For his career, he had 47 RBIs, 55 runs scored, 17 doubles, five triples and three home runs after transferring from Randolph-Macon prior to the 2008 season.

Baines will attempt to follow in his father's footsteps and don a major league uniform. Baines, Sr. played 22 years in Major League Baseball, including 14 with the White Sox, where is in his fourth season on the coaching staff and second as the first-base coach. The elder Baines, a six-time all-star, had a .289 career batting average with 384 home runs and 1,628 RBIs.

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Ht.: 6-0. Wt.: 195.
Bats: Right. Throws: Right.
Hometown: Lindale, Texas

Holland's selection marks the third consecutive year that a Texas-Tyler player has been taken in the MLB draft. Brett Amyx and Nate Jennings were drafted by Kansas City and Toronto, respectively, in 2007, while Tim Matthews and Holland were chosen by Colorado and Oakland in 2008.

The selection by the Padres serves as an exclamation point to a remarkable 2009 season for Holland. He went 9-5 with one save, a 3.24 ERA and 114 strikeouts on the year. His 114 strikeouts were the third most in Division III.

Holland garnered several awards for his work during the 2009 season including American Southwest Conference East Division Pitcher of the Year, D3baseball.com All-America honorable mention, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association West Region Pitcher of the Year, and CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America second team honors.

Holland will end his four-year career as Patriot with a 27-5 record and a lifetime ERA of 3.07. He will go down in the UT-Tyler record books as the Patriots' all-time strikeout leader with 284.

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Ht.: 5-9. Wt.: 177.
Bats: Right. Throws: Right.
Hometown: West Chester, Pa.

A four-year starter in the Emory outfield, Hissey finished his career as the school's career leader in stolen bases (113), second in runs scored (180) and third in hits (237). He compiled a .366 career average, six home runs and 96 RBIs.

In 2009, he started all 42 of the games he saw action in and finished second on the team in hitting with a .369 average. He tooped the team with 44 runs scored and was second in base hits (59) and third in doubles (12). He paced the team with 37 stolen bases in 40 attempts. Hissey was named to the ABCA all-South Region second team, and to the all-University Athletic Association (UAA) first team. Hissey was the UAA's Most Valuable Player in 2006.

A four-year starter in the Emory outfield, Hissey finished his career as the school's career leader in stolen bases (113), second in runs scored (180) and third in hits (237). He compiled a .366 career average, six home runs and 96 runs batted in.

This season, Hissey was named to the ABCA all-South Region second team, and to the all-University Athletic Association (UAA) first team. Hissey was the UAA's Most Valuable Player in 2006.

Hissey is the fifth Eagle drafted since Emory reinstated its varsity program in 1991 after a 100-year absence. Twin brothers and pitchers Scott and Jeff Kramer were both drafted in 1994, Scott in the 13th round by the Cleveland Indians and Jeff in the 30th round by the Milwaukee Brewers, and third baseman Andrew Pinckney was drafted in 2004 by the Boston Red Sox. Last year, third baseman Frank Pfister was selected in the 17th round by the Cincinnati Reds, and is currently playing for their Class A affiliate.

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Ht.: 6-1. Wt.: 200.
Bats: Left. Throws: Left.
Hometown: Redding, Calif.

Hedman is the third Sagehen since 2003 to be selected in the draft.

This honor caps the best offensive season in Pomona-Pitzer baseball history. Hedman hit .489 with 24 home runs and 87 RBI this season to help lead the Sagehens to the No. 1 ranking at the end of the regular season and the automatic bid from the SCIAC. Hedman finished shy of the hitting triple crown as he topped the circuit in home runs and RBIs but finished with the third best batting average (Kyle Wooden, Guilford hit .514).

With his offensive numbers Hedman swept the hitting honors handed out at the end of the season. He was the the D3baseball.com Player of the Year as well as the National Hitter of the Year by the ABCA and the NCBWA.

Hedman hit .422 over the last three years for the Sagehens earning first team all conference honors each year. The two-time D3baseball.com All-American first baseman added 56 home runs and 203 RBIs in those three years.

Frostburg State has accepted an invitation to become a member of the Capital Athletic Conference, it was announced by Frostburg State President Jonathan Gibralter and Capital Athletic Conference Commissioner Tom Byrnes. Frostburg will become an official member of the league on July 1, 2010, and start athletic competition that fall.

Frostburg State will be the seventh school playing baseball in the CAC, joining Salisbury, St. Mary's (Md), Stevenson, York, Mary Washington, and Wesley. Frostburg State is currently a member of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference, which encompasses schools primarily from western Pennsylvania and western New York and remain in AMCC for the 2009-10 athletic year.

"Entry into the CAC represents a new era for Frostburg State Athletics that will improve our competitiveness and expand our range of sports," Gibralter said. "In addition, the schools that represent the CAC are in our recruitment area, making it easier for Frostburg State to attract student-athletes and for their families to watch their sons and daughters participate in intercollegiate athletics. We will miss the AMCC. It is an outstanding, competitive conference, but this is best for our students."

"Spirited competition has always been a hallmark of the CAC, and Frostburg State's programs will be an excellent addition to our conference," said Byrnes. "Under the leadership of President Gibralter and Director of Athletics Troy Dell, we look forward to the Bobcats' program being a challenger in the already strong CAC."

The CAC, which is celebrating its 20th year in existence, is a coalition of four-year, co-educational institutions that promotes intercollegiate athletic competition among schools located in close geographic proximity that have similar educational and athletic philosophies.

"The CAC Board of Directors is thrilled to offer CAC membership to Frostburg State; an institution that not only fits our philosophical make up but also offers a highly competitive array of intercollegiate athletic teams," CAC President Sean Sullivan said. "The Bobcats joining CAC competition is a winning situation. The CAC further enhances its leve" of play on the field with yet another successful program, and FSU is able to join a like minded athletic conference which frequently makes waves at the national level. It's a fantastic match!"

The UW-La Crosse plans to eliminate baseball and men's tennis later this year.

UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow broke the news on Friday. "Regrettably, I am writing now to let you know that we are moving to discontinue our baseball and men's tennis programs. I use the phrase 'moving to' because WIAC rules require us to discuss any plans to delete a sport with the WIAC commissioner and chancellors before formally ending a program. Next Wednesday the WIAC chancellors group will confer by telephone and at that point I will provide my colleagues with formal notification of our plans," said Gow.

"As bad as I feel, we are part of the institution, we are part of the state and we are on the table to be discussed for elimination like any unit on campus," said Joe Baker, UW-La Crosse's athletic director. UW-La Crosse has to make $400,000 in cuts because of the ongoing uncertainty about whether unionized state employees will give back a 2 percent increase as requested by Gov. Jim Doyle, said Gow.

"We've assessed the situation and don't feel it is likely unions will give back their pay increase, and that is their right," he said.

Eliminating the teams will save the university $60,000 by not paying salaries, team travel, training and equipment, said Bob Hetzel, vice chancellor for administration and finance and university advancement UW-La Crosse.

Dropping baseball isn't new. UW-Eau Claire and UW-River Falls have dropped it. The Chronicle of Higher Education recently reported the trend, highlighting several universities that eliminated or considered cutting the sport.

UW-La Crosse chose baseball over other sports for the large travel bills it racks up during the season as the weather isn't always ideal, said Gow. UW-La Crosse last year had to clear the snow off the baseball field for practice, costing $5,000, said Gow.

Men's tennis was chosen as it is not a WIAC conference championship sport, said Baker. UW-La Crosse kept women's tennis over men's because it is trying to bring the athlete ratio closer to the campus ratio of 60 females to 40 males to comply with Title IX, said Baker. Currently, UW-La Crosse has 52 percent male athletes and 48 percent females, said Baker.

By Pat Coleman
D3sports.com

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- From the first day of practice in the winter, coaches stress the fundamentals of baseball.

If you've played the game, coached the game, or followed it closely you know the drill: Baseball's so-called little things include hitting behind the runner, getting bunts down, throwing to the right base on balls hit to the outfield or hitting the cutoff man.

Here in Appleton, a lot of the little things didn't happen. Early on in the championships, seemingly basic plays were at issue, such as retiring the batter who's trying to sacrifice. Trinity (Conn.) and Farmingdale State each went two-and-out, committing seven errors apiece.

"Certainly from a defensive standpoint, we not only didn't throw, we didn't catch either," Bantams coach Bill Decker said after his team committed six errors in an opening-round loss to Kean.

But when the dust settled, the two most fundamentally sound teams were left standing, and they put on another show on Tuesday as St. Thomas swept two games from Wooster, 6-4 and 3-2 to win the 2009 Division III baseball national championship.

"It was pretty obvious to me from watching practices and games that these were the best two teams in terms of hitting approach and fundamentals," said Lawrence coach Jason Anderson. "I wasn't surprised to see these were the last two standing."

"I thought both those teams were just solid baseball teams that made plays," said Rick Espeset, baseball coach at Manchester, who watched the entire tournament as part of his duties with the NCAA Division III Baseball Committee. "I think there were a couple bunt executions that didn't happen but for the most part those teams just played a great day of baseball."

St. Thomas won the first game in large part to two suicide squeeze plays. St. Thomas got its first run in the fourth inning on a squeeze by second baseman Louie Salmen, scoring third baseman Dan Leslie and moving Roy Larson to third, where he later scored. The second came in the ninth, when Leslie laid one down, bringing home right fielder Matt Olson for the final run of the game. Both had to reach down to make contact with low pitches.

"We only had one extra-base hit the whole day, so we're not a big power team," said Tommies coach Dennis Denning, who led his alma mater to its second national title. "That first game we got a couple squeeze bunts, a couple of push bunts over here, we were doing some hitting and running and we did a lot of small-ball stuff and it was working good for us. We were always putting a little pressure on, I thought."

In the second game, Leslie ended up being the hero despite fouling off a bunt opportunity and eventually grounding into a double play twice in the late innings.

"I wanted to be up there again," Leslie said. "I grounded into two double plays in the eight and the 10th. I knew I would be coming up in the bottom of the 12th.

"Olson started off with a base hit and Schmitty got him over and I just looked for a pitch and hit it hard, this time away from an infielder."

Anderson, who was coordinating the ball boys in the championships, actually spoke to Leslie before that final at-bat. "He said, 'Yeah, I'm just going to hit the top half of the baseball this time.'

"It's a difference in approach, and being a senior like that kid was, he went up cleared his head and focused on doing one thing."

And where the Tommies were having success, the Scots were struggling. Brandon Stone, who was hurting and hadn't pitched in the postseason, came in and threw seven innings of shutout relief, throwing no more than 11 pitches in any inning.

"Even in the regionals, St. Thomas very rarely missed a mistake by any pitcher all week. If it was a hanging breaking ball or belt-high fastball it was usually put into play and put into play hard," Anderson noted.

"Wooster was doing that until they lost the first game today. After that they were pressing a little bit and St. Thomas pitchers were sneaking a few by."

Stone agreed: "We were working outside a lot of the guys and I noticed after that first inning they crept up on the plate, trying to hit those into right. I knew they were going to be hacking right away. There were a lot of quick outs."

In the end, no one thing won St. Thomas the 2009 Division III baseball championship. But a lot of little things added up to the title.

By Jim Dixon
D3sports.com

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- In a game for the ages, St. Thomas walked off in the 12th inning with a 3-2 win over Wooster to win the 2009 NCAA D-III Baseball Championship. St. Thomas became the first team since 2003 to force a second championship game with a 6-4 win earlier in the day.

"We consider ourselves very fortunate and lucky as [Wooster] was very good also," said St. Thomas coach Dennis Denning. "You want to play in big games. We finished at the end of the year playing in the biggest game of the year and won two."

In a tournament that seemed to be missing a memorable head-to-head pitching performance, the championship game did not disappoint. Mark Miller pitched a complete game for the Scots, giving up 12 hits over 11-plus innings and look the loss. "For three years [Miller] has done a phenomenal job and had a great effort," said head coach Tim Pettorini. "Unfortunately we could not score a few more runs for him."

Bryce Gapinski started the game for the Tommies, allowing the Wooster runs on five hits. Brandon Stone took over in the sixth inning and shut down a powerful Wooster offense, giving up three hits over seven innings. "We talked about starting [Stone] but did not think he could go six," said Denning. "We went with the lefty to test their left-handers. He gave us five innings and did great. Then we went with Brandon to go as far as he could until he got into trouble." About Stone, Pettorini said, "We thought we would get to him. He was just better than us today."

St. Thomas stuck first in the game as Louie Salmen, on board via the free pass, scored on Tim Kahle's RBI single. Wooster came right back to grab their first lead of the day. Stu Beath singled to right field and jogged home on Matt Groezinger dinger.

The Tommies went back to the fundamentals to engineer a tie game in the sixth. The tournament's Most Outstanding player, Matt Olson, singled and moved to second when Brian Schmitz worked a walk. A sacrifice bunt moved the batters up and a Roy Larson sacrifice fly brought in the second run for St. Thomas.

"[To win] We had to get pretty good pitching," said Denning. "We have a good defense and play small ball. We needed to score a little at a time."

The score remained the same though regulation but there were moments of drama. With two outs, Louie Salmen singled to left field and Ben Wartman's double down the left field line put runners on the corners. The Scots then walked Matt McQuillan intentionally to load the bases. John Means was called upon to pinch hit and when his ball went past the first baseman it looked like the game was over. Wooster second baseman John Warren got to the ball and nipped the runner at first in a spectacular play. "That was just a phenomenal play that he made and with Mark covering the base. We thought we could draw some momentum but their pitcher would not let us. we just did not have an answer."

The issue was settled in the 12th inning. Olson singled to left and was sacrificed into scoring position bringing up Dan Leslie. Leslie had hit into two double plays in both his last at-bats but redeemed himself when his ball skipped through the left side of the infield untouched, bringing the second longest championship game to an end. "I wanted to be up again," said Leslie. "I knew I would come up in the bottom [of the inning] and looked for a pitch and this time hit it away from an infielder."

In the first game of the day, St. Thomas with two runs in the ninth inning defeated Wooster 6-4. Matt Schuld held Wooster to nine hits, their fewest of the tournament, to get his second win in the championship round.

St. Thomas broke through in the fourth inning. Dan Leslie singled and moved to second on Larson's infield hit to third. Following a sacrifice to move the batters up one base Denning called for the suicide squeeze. Salmen executed the play for the Tommies' first run of the game. Brady Field followed with an RBI single to give the Tommies a 2-0 lead. Wooster would get on board in the next inning when Michael DeBord scored on Shane Swearingen's double to center field.

St. Thomas continued to put put runners on base and it was not until the seventh that St. Thomas was able to add to their lead. Matt Olson was hit by a pitch with two outs and moved to third on a Brian Schmitz single. Leslie singled to bring in Olsen and Larson's base hit to left scored Schmitz. Leslie strayed off second base at the end of the play for the final putout of the inning.

Wooster made up their deficit in the eighth. Swearingen's home run down the left field line started the scoring for the Scots. John Warren singled and was moved to second on Karpen's walk. Two batters later, Stu Beath's double to right center knotted the score 4-4.

McQuillan started the Toms' ninth inning rally. On by an error on the third baseman, he moved to second on a sacrifice. Olson was hit by a pitch setting the plate for Schmitz. Schmitz singled to right to reclaim the lead and the second squeeze play of the day gave the Toms their final run.

2009 All-Tournament Team
OF Stu Beath, Wooster
OF Sean Karpen, Wooster
1B John Lequia, Carthage
3B Dan Leslie, St. Thomas
OF Matt McQuillan, St. Thomas
P Mark Miller, Wooster
P Matt Schuld, St. Thomas
P Brandon Stone, St. Thomas
P/1B Greg Van Sickler, Shenandoah
3B Zack Vesco, Wooster
OF Matt Olson, St. Thomas - Most Outstanding Player

Dan Leslie singled through the left side with one out in the bottom of the 12th inning, bringing Matt Olson home with the winning run and giving St. Thomas its second Division III baseball national championship as the Tommies beat Wooster 3-2. Second game photo gallery.

Despite a heroic performance by Wooster starter Mark Miller, who went the full 11-1/3 innings for the Scots, allowing just three runs, it was Brandon Stone who was the true pitching hero of the second game. He made his first appearance since the MIAC tournament and came up with seven innings of three-hit, shutout relief to earn the win. Scoreboard.

It was a tournament where the fundamentals mattered, Pat Coleman writes, and the Tommies and Scots each made the little things count. Also, there were more moments to remember in Appleton than one could count.

Championships toolbar: Follow D3baseball.com on Twitter | D3baseball.com All-American team | Monday's front page | Sunday's front page | Saturday's front page | Friday's front page

St. Thomas took a 6-4 lead in the top of the ninth in the first game with yet another suicide squeeze and Tommies ace Matt Schuld made it stand up in the bottom half to send the 2009 Division III baseball season to one final deciding game. Wooster had rallied with three runs to tie it up in the bottom of the eighth at the Division III baseball championship. First game photo gallery.

St. Thomas scored on a Louie Salmen squeeze bunt in the top of the fourth and added a run on catcher Brady Field's single to take a 2-0 lead. Wooster answered in the bottom of the fifth when Shane Swearingen's double brought home Michael DeBord. The Tommies added two more in the top of the seventh.

Permalink | May 26, 2009