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Ryan Gunderson, an all-MIAA pitcher, holds several Albion swimming records.

Albion photo by Mike Kish

Albion pitcher does swimmingly

When it rains, Briton pitcher Ryan Gunderson can be said to be unfazed by a little water. Gunderson has found success in an unique combination of sports, in that he is a swimmer and a baseball player. A senior at Albion, Gunderson stars in the pool in the fall and on the diamond in the spring.

To his accomplishments on the field add two swimming records. Gunderson broke two all-time Albion swim records at Washington University in St. Louis at their invitational swim meet this past weekend. Gunderson tied the Washington Pool Record and broke a 15 year old Albion record in the 50 freestyle with a winning time of 20.82 seconds. He also won the 100 freestyle event amidst a field of 41 entrants, also in an Albion record, in a time of 46.41 seconds. Gunderson also was part of the Albion record setting 200 and 400 medley teams as a freshman.

Last spring Gunderson joined senior pitcher John Fileccia and junior outfielder Bobby Clouse on the all-MIAA baseball team. Gunderson was selected to the second team as he posted a 4-2 record in league play. He was fourth in the league in earned run average (2.66) and opponents' batting average (.234). He threw a gem in the Britons' 3-1 victory at Hope on April 2, scattering two hits and two walks while pocketing five strikeouts.

Gunderson, who earned an all-MIAA second team award in 2005, boasts a 12-4 record and a 2.85 ERA in contests against league rivals in his career. He has recorded 97 strikeouts in 116.2 innings.

Permalink | Nov 25, 2008

Chris Coste becomes the first player from the MIAC to win a World Series ring.

Concordia-Moorhead athletics site

Coste: Part of Phillies title run

Former Concordia-Morehead standout baseball player, Chris Coste completed his amazing, fairytale journey from three-time MIAC MVP to World Series champion. Coste is the backup catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies who beat The Tampa Bay Rays to claim the World Series title in 2008. Coste joins Guilford's Tony Womack and UW-Oshkosh's Jarrod Washburn as former Division III players with a World Series ring.

Coste, playing in his third year for Philadelphia, said, "We knew we had a special team in spring training, and that a World Series was possible. It is still hard to comprehend being part of the best team in the world!"

"Every season is a roller coaster ride, but we avoided injuries [this season] and played well when it came time to play well. We were a very balanced team with no weaknesses and it showed."

Part of the roller coaster ride was Coste's highlight of the year. On August 26, playing the Mets, Coste laced a game-winning single over a drawn-in outfield in the thirteenth inning, completing a comeback from a 7-0 Mets lead. This propelled the Phillies into sole possession of first place in the division and they were on their way to their second consecutive divisional crown.

"If we go on to win the division, this will be the game to look back on," Coste said at the time. "Whether we won this game or lost it, it wasn't going to make or break the year, but the way in which we won it reinforces the fact that the Phillies are never out of the game, regardless of the score."

Permalink | Nov 05, 2008

Former Messiah standout outfielder Chris Heisey was the Falcons’ first All-American baseball player in school history.

Heisey's baseball dream continues

With the dream of becoming the school's first alum to make it to the majors, Messiah's Chris Heisey's voyage over the last two and a half years has been a nomadic minor league trail littered with drop-of-the-hat moves, call-ups and opportunities.

"It's not for everyone," Heisey said while visiting his alma mater over this weekend's Homecoming festivities. "There have been challenges, and doing this doesn't exactly lend itself to the most stable lifestyle. But I can only follow this dream once. And I'm enjoying it."

Still the Falcons' career leader in batting average, total bases, doubles and home runs, Heisey made the difficult choice to forgo his senior year of college to enter the draft. He was selected by the Reds in the 17th round, first being sent to the rookie-league Billings (Montana) Mustangs before moving up to the A-ball Dayton Dragons at the outset of the 2007 season. From there, the six-foot, 205 pound speedy outfielder was called up to Sarasota in mid-season, a stint truncated by a broken left thumb after just 12 games.

"I was sliding into first base and it just bent the wrong way," he said.

It would only be a slight bump in the road rather than a detour for Heisey, as he returned to his Lancaster-area home and began rehabbing over the winter. In 2008, Heisey returned to Sarasota at the start of the baseball season.

On August 11th, Heisey blasted a towering home run in what proved to be his final at-bat that evening. As he was rounding third base, he learned of the news from Sarasota Reds manager Joe Ayrault that he was being promoted to double-A Chattanooga.

"Coach Ayrault stuck his fist out to me and said, ‘That'll be the your last home run in the Florida State League,'" Heisey recalled. "The next morning, I was on a plane. It happens fast like that."

Apparently it does. Heisey finished out the '08 season with the AA Chattanooga Lookouts hitting .316 with six doubles in just 79 at-bats, numbers good enough to warrant a trip to the Puerto Rican Winter League this fall. Chris will move to the U.S. territory tomorrow, an opportunity that could provide major dividends down the road.

"This is a major, major step for Chris," said Bryan Engle, Messiah head baseball coach. "This (Puerto Rican) winter league is invite-only. You have a lot of triple-A players down there as well as some major leaguers that are on assignment. For him to be invited down there speaks volumes about the level of his play right now."

For now, however, the dream continues. Pending on how things go in Puerto Rico, Heisey will learn of his next stop, most likely just hours before they are expected to be there.

Read the full article by Cory Furman at the Messiah web site.

Permalink | Oct 28, 2008

Wooster pitcher Matt DeGrand couldn't avoid hits in his line of fall work.

Wooster athletics photo

Pitcher tries his hand on D

Crossover athletes between baseball and football aren't that uncommon. But when a pitcher plays football, it's usually at quarterback or wide receiver.

Wooster starting pitcher Matt DeGrand, on the other hand, chose a bit of a different path, with a 3.37 ERA in the spring and tackle numbers in the fall. Matt Florjancic explains in D3football.com's Around the Great Lakes column.

Permalink | Oct 08, 2008

Adam Taylor is the 46th head baseball coach at Franklin & Marshall.

Taylor to lead Diplomats in 2009

Adam Taylor was named Franklin & Marshall's head baseball coach this week. He takes over the program after spending the past three seasons as an assistant coach at William & Mary.

"There was no shortage of quality candidates for this position," said Franklin & Marshall athletic director Patricia Epps. "When it came down to it, Coach Taylor was the perfect fit for both the college and our program. He has a proven record of attracting talented ballplayers to academically rigorous institutions at all levels and we are confident that he will capitalize on the program's current upward trajectory."

Taylor takes over an Franklin & Marshall program that has appeared in all but one Centennial Conference Championship Tournament since the 2002 season. The Diplomats captured the CC crown in 2005 and 2006, and sat at the top of the regular season standings in 2007. Franklin & Marshall has also topped the 20-win plateau in five of the past seven seasons. The Ivy League has taken notice of the Diplomats' recent successes with Taylor's immediate predecessors, Brett Boretti (Columbia) and Bill Walkenbach (Cornell) having been scooped up by Ivy institutions.

"It is an honor to be named the next head baseball coach at Franklin & Marshall College," Said Taylor. "Coach Walkenbach did a tremendous job leading this program. I am looking forward to the challenge of continuing to build on the rich baseball tradition here at F&M."

Taylor joined the William and Mary staff in 2005 after spending the previous three seasons as an assistant coach at Richmond, where he worked primarily with the outfielders and headed the Spiders' recruiting. Prior to working with the Richmond program, Taylor was the assistant coach at Guilford in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference for two seasons and Greensboro one year.

Click here for more coaching changes in 2008

Permalink | Oct 03, 2008

Mike Celenza won the Player of the Week Award twice this summer.

Photo by Brenda Dunham, eyeonball.com

Celenza named Cal Ripken Sr. League MVP

Salisbury baseball standout Mike Celenza was named the Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate Baseball League's Most Valuable Player for the 2008 summer season. This is the first MVP award for Celenza in the Cal Ripken, Sr. League and his second straight batting title. He was also named to the All-League team for the second consecutive season.

The Gaithersburg, Md., native became the first player in league history to surpass the .400 mark, as he finished with a league-best .412 batting average. He played third base for the College Park Bombers, who finished second overall in the Cal Ripken, Sr. League.

Celenza also set league records for hits (56), RBIs (30), total bases (84), slugging percentage (.618), on-base percentage (.500) and tied the league record with 13 doubles.

Celenza, who is entering his junior season at Salisbury, was a key member of last year's 41-4 squad that was ranked in the top 10 for the majority. The first baseman started all 45 games in '08 where he earned All-Capital Athletic Conference first team honors and All-South region second team honors. The left-handed batter hit .371 for the Gulls and slammed seven home runs and knocked in 60 RBIs.

Celenza joins St. Scholastica's Peter Burg with end of the season honors earned in the 2008 summer season.

Permalink | Oct 02, 2008

SLIAC to play with Spalding

Spalding University is in its first year of provisional Division III membership.

The St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) announced that Spalding University has been accepted as a full member of the Conference beginning with the 2009-10 academic year. The SLIAC Presidents' Council unanimously approved the addition.

Based in Louisville, Kentucky, Spalding is repeating its first year of Division III provisional membership in 2008 – 2009. If the Golden Eagles progress through the four years of provisional membership as planned, they would gain full NCAA membership in 2012-2013. Spalding currently competes in 10 sports including men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer and baseball.

"We are pleased to welcome a new partner to the SLIAC and excited by what the institution brings. The Conference, at all levels from Presidents to student-athletes, has been intrigued and quite impressed by Spalding University from the start of the courting process," SLIAC Commissioner William J. Wolper said.

With the anticipated departure of Maryville (Mo.) to Division II after the 2008 – 2009 athletic season, the SLIAC would remain at nine full members. Spalding will be the first full member outside Missouri and Illinois. The Conference added Huntingdon (Montgomery, Ala.) and LaGrange (LaGrange, Ga.) as football only playing members this fall.

Permalink | Sep 30, 2008

Aaron Dott was on the South Division roster this season for the Northwoods League annual All-Star Game.

Dott made history with Loggers first no-hitter

Aaron Dott made history this summer for the Loggers in the Northwoods league, a summer wood bat league. Dott pitched the first no-hitter in team history, with a 6-1 win over the Green Bay Bullfrogs in June.

"It's something I've never done before in my life," said the UW-Whitewater lefthander. "It's very exciting." "I was able to throw a strike when I needed to. I also was able to get some batters to hit to the left side a couple times so the runner couldn't advance. My teammates made the plays when they had to."

The no-hitter was the latest in what already has been an exciting baseball season for Dott. At UW-Whitewater, Dott was named All-Conference this past season leading the team in complete games and innings pitched. Dott was an All-Regional second team pick this past season by the American Baseball Coaches Association. Dott and the Warhawks made it to the Division III World Series this year where the team placed third. "That was very exciting," Dott said. "We had a good year overall, got hot in the tournament and was able to get to the Series."

Dott came to the Loggers last season in large part because of a former teammate, Adam Dominick. "A year ago, I was playing in summer league Legion ball when Adam called me," Dott said. "It wasn't much of a competition. Adam said the Loggers were looking for a pitcher because they had some injuries. So, I took jumped at the chance."

"It's great playing in this league. The competition is topnotch. You're facing good hitters from top to the bottom of the order every night. It helps you get better."

Dott finished the season with a 5-2 record and a 2.43 ERA in 12 appearances.

Permalink | Sep 25, 2008

Peter Burg was the UMAC Pitcher of the Year last season.

Photo by Ryan Coleman, D3sports.com

Burg makes mark in summer league

Last summer Peter Burg worked on the rounds crew and in the concession stand at St. Cloud River Bats games. This summer in the Northwoods league, he was a midseason North Division All-Star, a postseason All-Star, and the obvious choice for Inspirational Player of the Year for the Rochester Honkers.

Burg was the most consistent starter for the Honkers all season long. The crafty left-hander didn't have overpowering stuff, but he threw a lot of strikes and used his defense behind him. A Division III pitcher from the St. Scholastica, Burg proved that some Division III players are capable of big things. He consistently threw strikes the entire season, and finished with a 5-3 record, a 2.09 ERA ranking him 7th overall in the Northwoods League, and 30 strikeouts. He tied for the lead in the Northwoods League with two shutouts.

Permalink | Sep 23, 2008

Wilson to coach at Penn State Altoona

John Wilson will be an assistant coach this year at Penn State Altoona.

Former Penn State Altoona baseball player John Wilson, profiled on D3baseball.com, will be back in a familiar role with the team this spring, but it won't involve pinch hit at-bats or outfield assists. The 54-year-old Wilson, who was a four-year player for the Lions from 2005-2008 and has one year of coursework remaining, was named an assistant coach earlier this week, head coach Joe Piotti confirmed.

"John has been an important part of our team for four years, so it seemed like a natural transition to officially bring him on board as a coach," said Piotti, who, along with Wilson, remains active in the Altoona City Baseball League each summer. "He will be in charge of the outfielders and continue to coach first base. I know John is excited about the opportunity to remain active with the team."

Wilson received national attention last spring as one of the oldest college baseball players in NCAA history, suiting up for the Lions as a 53-year-old reserve outfielder. His story was documented in the USA Today, the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, and the Altoona Mirror. He was a guest on the Fox Sports Net show The Best Damn Sports Show Period and was the subject of numerous other television features.

But even more compelling and inspiring, and the primary reason Wilson is respected and admired by his teammates, is what he endured off the diamond. As a teenager growing up in the rough Lower Hill District of Pittsburgh, Wilson battled drug and alcohol addiction for years before finally entering rehabilitation and eventually relocating to central Pennsylvania. He began counseling his fellow residents and eventually became a Certified Addictions Counselor in 1997. Three years after his certification expired in 2001, Wilson decided to enroll at Penn State Altoona as a full-time 50-year-old student.

Wilson knew Piotti from their days in the City League and immediately looked up his old friend. From a pool of more than 60 players, Wilson made the 30-man roster and has been a fixture on the team ever since.

Despite seeing limited time and primarily serving as first base coach, Wilson did smack five career hits, two doubles, and scored six runs. On senior recognition day, he went 3-8 in a doubleheader against Franciscan University and made a highlight-reel catch in right field.

Wilson plans to graduate in the spring of 2009 with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies. He will also have earned a certificate in Chemical Dependency and wants to return to the counseling field. This past summer, Wilson worked for the Pittsburgh Pirates Double-A affiliate Altoona Curve as a video operations assistant, filming hitters and pitchers to assist the Pirates roving coordinators with player instruction and development.

The Lions open the season in Winter Haven, Florida, for a series of games over spring break from March 8-14.

Permalink | Sep 09, 2008

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