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LC Hornets Ready For NCAA South Regional Game vs. CNU (Tournament Notes)
May 15, 2008
Press Release posted by Lynchburg Permalink
Lynchburg College (31-11/15-3 ODAC)
at the
2008 NCAA South Regional
NCAA South Regional Tournament in Danville, VA (Dan Daniel Field)
Wednesday-Saturday, All Day
Hornet Happenins: The Hornets are enjoying their first postseason appearance since the 1983 season, and the eighth in program history. The Hornets are 31-11 after last night's 9-1 win over Piedmont, which sets for the record for most wins in a season. Before last night, LC had not played since April 26, when they fell to Randolph-Macon College in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) tournament.
Better Than Average: The Hornets are currently 27th in the nation in hitting, posting a .345 average for the season.
I’ll “Hit” You Up: Lynchburg College has 504 total hits this season, which is best in the ODAC and 19th nationally.
Triple Your Pleasure: The Hornets have 21 triples on the season, a conference best. That total also is 13th in the country.
Running At Will: The Hornets have stolen 84 bases this season, a new LC single-season record. They are led by Ronnie LaBrie's 28 swiped bags.
Nine Runs?, That's OK: The Hornets are 10-2 when the opponent scores between six and nine runs in a game.
For the Good of The Team: LC loves to sacrifice bunt to get runners in scoring position, as they are sixth in the country in moving runners up. The Hornets have committed 47 sac bunts this season.
No Walks for You!: Lynchburg is seventh in the nation in walks allowed per nine innings, surrendering only 2.6 a game. Thursday night starter Jon Nichols leads LC giving up only 1.2 per nine innings, good for 23rd in the country.
I’m Honored: The Hornets were honored by having seven players named to All-ODAC Teams. Ronnie LaBrie was the ODAC player of the year and first-team shortstop, while Jon Crews (1B) and Jeff Taylor (3B) each took home first team accolades. Cameron Grant (CF) and Joe Devlin (P) were second team selections, while rookie Jared Millner was an honorable mention honoree. Jeff Lincoln was selected as the LC representative on the All-ODAC Sportsmanship team.
Five and Done: The Hornets are a perfect 22-0 this season when leading after five innings.
Left Out to Dry: The Lynchburg pitching staff has been very efficient in stranding inherited runners this year. LC has forced opponents to strand 38 runners out of 70 inherited runners this season, led by Jared Millner who has allowed only two of 13 runners to score after he came in.
Double Trouble: Jon Crews recently broke the LC single season doubles record, which now stands at 21. Ronnie LaBrie has 18, which is now second in a LC season behind Crews. LC has 102 doubles on the year as a team, one behind the single-season record of 103 set in 2004.
Very Dev-ilish: Joe Devlin has had a stellar season, going 9-0 with a 0.98 ERA this year. His ERA is third in the country behind two pitchers from No. 1 ranked Chapman, while his eight victories is in the top 20 in D-III baseball.
LaBrie’s Leaderboard: The senior shortstop is ranked in 14 offensive categories nationally, which included the top 500 in each statistic. LaBrie is 59th in average, 27th in runs per game, 15th in runs, 18th in hits, 57th in doubles per game, 22nd in doubles, 81st in triples per game, 64th in slugging, 16th in stolen bases and 94th in hit by pitches.
Coming on a B-Litz: Sophomore catcher Ryan Litz enjoyed his best game of the season Wednesday night, when he was 3-4 with a three-run homer and four driven in.
Going on a Crews: Senior first baseman Jon Crews was 4-4 with a two-run shot against Piedmont in the first round game.
Last Meetings: LC has not played anyone in the Regional field except Randolph-Macon, who they went 2-1 against this year. LC last played Salisbury in 1992, defeating then Salisbury State 5-1. The Hornets and Johns Hopkins started their series in 1898, and have played twice since, most recently in 1976. Piedmont and LC battled last back in 2003, with the Lions eking out a 3-2 win in 10 innings down in Georgia. LC entertained CNU last season, with the Captains winning a 3-2 decision.
The Regional Field:
#1 Salisbury: The Sea Gulls come into this weekend’s tournament as the No. 4 ranked team in the country, posting a 38-2 record to date. SU are led offensively by Randy Boyle, Andrew Miller, Mike Celenza and Justin Armiger. Boyle leads the team with a .417 batting average, scoring a team-high 65 runs while stealing 15 bases in as many attempts. Miller is right behind Boyle with a .416 clip at the plate, leading the team in on-base percentage with an amazing .547 rate. Celenza is hitting .393 on the year, connecting for 11 doubles and seven homers. Armiger is the power in the lineup, as he has 12 homers, while driving in a team-best 67 runs. He also leads the team with 15 doubles. On the bump, their best starters have been Dustin Herbert and Eric Willey. Herbert sports a 1.88 ERA, going 9-0 this season while allowing batters just a .213 batting average against. Willey has been equally impressive with a 10-0 record, allowing just 2.12 runs per nine innings.
#2 Johns Hopkins: Johns Hopkins is sporting a 34-5 record this year, which has them ranked No. 10 going into the tournament. Hopkins leads the NCAA D-III in hitting, as they are sporting a staggering .391 team batting average. The Blue Jays have four starters hitting over .485, led by Brian Youchak’s .515. Youchak is second in the nation in batting average, also leading the Blue Jays with eight homers this season. Third baseman Todd Emr is just under .500 at .493, leading JHU with 71 hits and 53 RBI, while teammates Ryan Biner and Rob Pietroforte are hitting .488 and .485, respectively. JHU also has two players that don’t qualify for leaders hitting over .400, though Jonas Fester and Dan Merzel both have over at least 50 at-bats. Hopkins has a ton of depth on the mound, as nine guys have made at least one start this season. Ryan Kuhlman is 6-2 with a 3.22 ERA, while Brian Duddie (5-0), Joe Zaccaria (5-0) and Chez Angeloni (6-0) all haven’t lost a decision this season.
#3 Piedmont: The Lions are 33-12 on the season, having used a Pool B bid to get into the NCAA Regional in Danville. The Lions run a ton, evidenced by their 151 stolen bases, the most by far of anyone LC has played this season. Piedmont is paced offensively by Corey Lindsey, who is hitting .417 on the season to go with 21 stolen bags. Andrew Migetz is batting .370 on the campaign, leading the team with 181 at-bats, 67 hits, 10 doubles and five triples. Cole Spedale and Evan Nissley are both hitting in the .330’s, but the impressive number is that each has 30 stolen bases on the season. On the hill, the Lions have two guys who have started the majority of the games in Spencer Shelton and Andy Graf. Shelton is 6-2 with a 3.12 ERA, and Graf is 5-4 in 11 starts. The best pitcher for PC has been Tom Dimitroff, who is 7-2 with a 1.89 ERA and a nation-best 14 saves.
#5 Christopher Newport: The Captains come into the tournament after winning the USA South Tournament three weeks ago. CNU is 28-12 on the year, and are winners in eight of their last 12 outings. USA South Player of the Year Trae Bailey paces the Captains, as he is hitting .449 with 20 doubles, four triples and 10 homers, all team bests. Chris Despins has a .361 batting average with nine homers, while Mike Giarrizzi is the only other CNU player to play in all forty games and is posting a .317 average and a team-high 16 stolen bases. It’s tough not to talk about Kenny Moreland when talking about CNU. Moreland has already had his number retired at CNU, after being named the USA South Pitcher of the Year. Moreland leads the country with a 12-0 record, having allowed only 19 runs in 100.2 innings of work. He has struck out 111 people, and has completed six games he started so far this year. Steven Millerleile is the only other starter with more than 10 starts, as he posts a 2.53 ERA with a 3-3 record in 64 innings this season.
at the
2008 NCAA South Regional
NCAA South Regional Tournament in Danville, VA (Dan Daniel Field)
Wednesday-Saturday, All Day
Hornet Happenins: The Hornets are enjoying their first postseason appearance since the 1983 season, and the eighth in program history. The Hornets are 31-11 after last night's 9-1 win over Piedmont, which sets for the record for most wins in a season. Before last night, LC had not played since April 26, when they fell to Randolph-Macon College in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) tournament.
Better Than Average: The Hornets are currently 27th in the nation in hitting, posting a .345 average for the season.
I’ll “Hit” You Up: Lynchburg College has 504 total hits this season, which is best in the ODAC and 19th nationally.
Triple Your Pleasure: The Hornets have 21 triples on the season, a conference best. That total also is 13th in the country.
Running At Will: The Hornets have stolen 84 bases this season, a new LC single-season record. They are led by Ronnie LaBrie's 28 swiped bags.
Nine Runs?, That's OK: The Hornets are 10-2 when the opponent scores between six and nine runs in a game.
For the Good of The Team: LC loves to sacrifice bunt to get runners in scoring position, as they are sixth in the country in moving runners up. The Hornets have committed 47 sac bunts this season.
No Walks for You!: Lynchburg is seventh in the nation in walks allowed per nine innings, surrendering only 2.6 a game. Thursday night starter Jon Nichols leads LC giving up only 1.2 per nine innings, good for 23rd in the country.
I’m Honored: The Hornets were honored by having seven players named to All-ODAC Teams. Ronnie LaBrie was the ODAC player of the year and first-team shortstop, while Jon Crews (1B) and Jeff Taylor (3B) each took home first team accolades. Cameron Grant (CF) and Joe Devlin (P) were second team selections, while rookie Jared Millner was an honorable mention honoree. Jeff Lincoln was selected as the LC representative on the All-ODAC Sportsmanship team.
Five and Done: The Hornets are a perfect 22-0 this season when leading after five innings.
Left Out to Dry: The Lynchburg pitching staff has been very efficient in stranding inherited runners this year. LC has forced opponents to strand 38 runners out of 70 inherited runners this season, led by Jared Millner who has allowed only two of 13 runners to score after he came in.
Double Trouble: Jon Crews recently broke the LC single season doubles record, which now stands at 21. Ronnie LaBrie has 18, which is now second in a LC season behind Crews. LC has 102 doubles on the year as a team, one behind the single-season record of 103 set in 2004.
Very Dev-ilish: Joe Devlin has had a stellar season, going 9-0 with a 0.98 ERA this year. His ERA is third in the country behind two pitchers from No. 1 ranked Chapman, while his eight victories is in the top 20 in D-III baseball.
LaBrie’s Leaderboard: The senior shortstop is ranked in 14 offensive categories nationally, which included the top 500 in each statistic. LaBrie is 59th in average, 27th in runs per game, 15th in runs, 18th in hits, 57th in doubles per game, 22nd in doubles, 81st in triples per game, 64th in slugging, 16th in stolen bases and 94th in hit by pitches.
Coming on a B-Litz: Sophomore catcher Ryan Litz enjoyed his best game of the season Wednesday night, when he was 3-4 with a three-run homer and four driven in.
Going on a Crews: Senior first baseman Jon Crews was 4-4 with a two-run shot against Piedmont in the first round game.
Last Meetings: LC has not played anyone in the Regional field except Randolph-Macon, who they went 2-1 against this year. LC last played Salisbury in 1992, defeating then Salisbury State 5-1. The Hornets and Johns Hopkins started their series in 1898, and have played twice since, most recently in 1976. Piedmont and LC battled last back in 2003, with the Lions eking out a 3-2 win in 10 innings down in Georgia. LC entertained CNU last season, with the Captains winning a 3-2 decision.
The Regional Field:
#1 Salisbury: The Sea Gulls come into this weekend’s tournament as the No. 4 ranked team in the country, posting a 38-2 record to date. SU are led offensively by Randy Boyle, Andrew Miller, Mike Celenza and Justin Armiger. Boyle leads the team with a .417 batting average, scoring a team-high 65 runs while stealing 15 bases in as many attempts. Miller is right behind Boyle with a .416 clip at the plate, leading the team in on-base percentage with an amazing .547 rate. Celenza is hitting .393 on the year, connecting for 11 doubles and seven homers. Armiger is the power in the lineup, as he has 12 homers, while driving in a team-best 67 runs. He also leads the team with 15 doubles. On the bump, their best starters have been Dustin Herbert and Eric Willey. Herbert sports a 1.88 ERA, going 9-0 this season while allowing batters just a .213 batting average against. Willey has been equally impressive with a 10-0 record, allowing just 2.12 runs per nine innings.
#2 Johns Hopkins: Johns Hopkins is sporting a 34-5 record this year, which has them ranked No. 10 going into the tournament. Hopkins leads the NCAA D-III in hitting, as they are sporting a staggering .391 team batting average. The Blue Jays have four starters hitting over .485, led by Brian Youchak’s .515. Youchak is second in the nation in batting average, also leading the Blue Jays with eight homers this season. Third baseman Todd Emr is just under .500 at .493, leading JHU with 71 hits and 53 RBI, while teammates Ryan Biner and Rob Pietroforte are hitting .488 and .485, respectively. JHU also has two players that don’t qualify for leaders hitting over .400, though Jonas Fester and Dan Merzel both have over at least 50 at-bats. Hopkins has a ton of depth on the mound, as nine guys have made at least one start this season. Ryan Kuhlman is 6-2 with a 3.22 ERA, while Brian Duddie (5-0), Joe Zaccaria (5-0) and Chez Angeloni (6-0) all haven’t lost a decision this season.
#3 Piedmont: The Lions are 33-12 on the season, having used a Pool B bid to get into the NCAA Regional in Danville. The Lions run a ton, evidenced by their 151 stolen bases, the most by far of anyone LC has played this season. Piedmont is paced offensively by Corey Lindsey, who is hitting .417 on the season to go with 21 stolen bags. Andrew Migetz is batting .370 on the campaign, leading the team with 181 at-bats, 67 hits, 10 doubles and five triples. Cole Spedale and Evan Nissley are both hitting in the .330’s, but the impressive number is that each has 30 stolen bases on the season. On the hill, the Lions have two guys who have started the majority of the games in Spencer Shelton and Andy Graf. Shelton is 6-2 with a 3.12 ERA, and Graf is 5-4 in 11 starts. The best pitcher for PC has been Tom Dimitroff, who is 7-2 with a 1.89 ERA and a nation-best 14 saves.
#5 Christopher Newport: The Captains come into the tournament after winning the USA South Tournament three weeks ago. CNU is 28-12 on the year, and are winners in eight of their last 12 outings. USA South Player of the Year Trae Bailey paces the Captains, as he is hitting .449 with 20 doubles, four triples and 10 homers, all team bests. Chris Despins has a .361 batting average with nine homers, while Mike Giarrizzi is the only other CNU player to play in all forty games and is posting a .317 average and a team-high 16 stolen bases. It’s tough not to talk about Kenny Moreland when talking about CNU. Moreland has already had his number retired at CNU, after being named the USA South Pitcher of the Year. Moreland leads the country with a 12-0 record, having allowed only 19 runs in 100.2 innings of work. He has struck out 111 people, and has completed six games he started so far this year. Steven Millerleile is the only other starter with more than 10 starts, as he posts a 2.53 ERA with a 3-3 record in 64 innings this season.