Dec. 9, 2012

Lineup Card

Lineup Card is a feature highlighting notes from around college baseball.

Dec. 1-9, 2012

Rider recently drafted Raymond Key from Bristol, Pa., a 10-year-old who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in January of 2011. Raymond is in the third year of a four-year program consisting of chemotherapy, steroids and other medications. The Broncs were connected with Raymond through Team IMPACT, a non-profit organization chartered to improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening illnesses. Head coach Barry Davis (left) said that this year each member of the Rider baseball program, including coaches and athletic trainers, will wear an orange wrist band supporting Leukemia Awareness.

Junior infielder Ryan Quinn won Cincinnati’s inaugural U.S. Marine Corps IronCat Challenge, a series of six grueling events. Quinn and junior outfielder Ethan McAlpine had the top two times in the final event, the Maneuver Under Fire Course, where the final six Bearcats were timed running, crawling and weaving in and out of cones while carrying two 50-pound sandbags. Quinn and McAlpine raced against each other once again through the Maneuver Under Fire Course, with Quinn besting McAlpine to win the challenge.

Work is nearly complete on Furman’s new $2 million baseball building, which will include locker rooms, coaches’ offices which overlook Latham Stadium, a players’ lounge, an indoor workout area and a laundry area. Phase 2, which will de done in the future, will include Latham Stadium upgrades to seating, concessions, restrooms and press box. click here for additional photos

Former Major League pitcher Dave Stewart will be the keynote speaker for Wright State’s First Pitch Banquet on Jan. 22 on the Nutter Center’s main arena floor. A silent auction and reception will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Stewart won three World Series titles during his 16-year big league career. He won 20 games for four straight seasons (1987-90). Stewart was a coach and administrator in baseball following his playing career. He currently runs Sports Management & Partners, which represents numerous Major League players.

Former Major League pitcher and Lansing native John Smoltz will be the keynote speaker at Michigan State’s eighth annual First Pitch Dinner on Feb. 3 at the Kellogg Center. A silent auction and autograph session will start at noon, with dinner following at 1 p.m. An eight-time All-Star during his 21-year MLB career, Smoltz is the only pitcher in MLB history with 200 wins and 150 saves. The Spartans will also honor Tom Yewcic as the Alumnus of the Year.

Hall of Famer George Brett will be the keynote speaker for Tennessee’s Baseball Leadoff Banquet on Jan. 17 at Thompson-Boling Arena. Former Volunteer standout and current ESPN and MLB Network analyst Chris Burke will be the 19th inductee into the Tennessee Baseball Hall of Fame. A silent auction will begin at 5 p.m., with dinner at 6:30 p.m. Brett is the only player to win batting crowns in three different decades and is one of four players in MLB history to register 3,000 hits, 300 home runs and a career batting average of .300. Following his 21-year big league career, Brett was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999 with 98.2 percent of the vote, the fifth-highest percentage in history.

Oklahoma State will hold its First Pitch Banquet on Feb. 8 in the Click Family Alumni Hall at the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center. New head coach Josh Holliday will introduce the 2013 Cowboys and hold a Q&A session. A silent auction will also be held, with proceeds going to the OSU baseball program.

Michigan State and the Lansing Lugnuts agreed on a three-year extension for their Crosstown Showdown presented by Auto-Owners Insurance. The 2013 event on April 11 will be the seventh year of the exhibition game at Cooley Law School Stadium. This past year’s match-up drew 12,997 fans, the third time more than 12,000 people attended the contest.

The Manhattan baseball team received their 2012 MAAC Championships rings at halftime of the men’s basketball game against Siena on Dec. 9. The Jaspers won their second straight title and third in the past seven years.

Members of the Bryant baseball program received their 2012 Northeast Conference regular season championship rings at halftime of the men’s basketball game against Yale on Dec. 5. The Bulldogs went 24-8 in the NEC this past season, claiming their second regular season crown in the past three years.

LSU has launched a new Paul Mainieri iPad and iPhone App at no charge in the Apple iTunes store. Fans can learn more about Mainieri and his accomplishments, as well as get a tour of Alex Box Stadium.

Former Manhattan pitcher Taylor Sewitt has signed a professional contract to play for the Gary Railcats of the independent Northern League. He was 11-2 this past season with 86 strikeouts and 25 walks in 96 innings. Sewitt was 2012 MAAC Tournament Most Valuable Player, tossing 22 scoreless innings over three days with 10 hits and 20 strikeouts.

Former East Carolina hurler Seth Maness was named the 2012 St. Louis Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Year. He went 14-4 in 169.2 innings with a 2.97 ERA and 1.04 WHIP at Palm Beach and Springfield.

Rice has season tickets now on sale for its 29-game home schedule, starting at $150 for adults. The Owls will entertain Stanford in a three-game set Feb. 15-17 to kick off the 2013 campaign.

Members of the Georgetown baseball team recently volunteered at the 2012 Greater Washington Heart Walk, held by the American Heart Association at Nationals Park. The Hoyas assisted with setting up tents and banners prior to the walk, as well as unpacking food and water for the participants. The Hoyas cheered on the walkers during the walk and helped with cleanup following the event. It was the fourth straight year that Georgetown volunteered at the walk.

The Marist baseball program raised $3,082 this past month for Movember, raising awareness and funds for men’s health issues, particularly prostate and testicular cancer. Several Red Foxes, including head coach Chris Tracz (left), grew mustaches to show support. Senior Eric Helmrich was Marist Movember captain, while freshman Anthony Hamlin raised the most money. Marist was one of more than 15,000 teams nationwide to participate in the program.

Liberty will have three captains for the 2013 campaign: senior catcher Trey Wimmer, senior second baseman Bryan Aanderud and junior outfielder Ryan Cordell. Senior third baseman Dalton Sype, sophomore first baseman Alex Close and junior pitcher Trey Lambert were selected as alternates.

Larry Bowa and Joe Garagiola Jr. will be the keynote speakers for Georgetown’s ninth annual First Pitch Dinner on Jan. 26 at the Leo J. O’Donovan Dining Hall on the Hilltop. A reception and silent auction will start at 6:30 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Bowa is a former Major League player, coach and manager. He is currently a studio analyst on the MLB Network. Garagiola is Senior Vice President of Standards and On-field Operations for Major League Baseball. He is the former General Manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks and graduated from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1975.

Former Major Leaguer Bill Buckner will speak at Portland’s 12th annual Diamond Dinner on Feb. 2 in the Bauccio Commons on campus. A social and silent auction will begin at 5 p.m. with dinner scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Buckner played 22 years in the big leagues, primarily for the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox. He batted .289 during his career with 2,715 hits, 174 home runs, 498 doubles and 1,208 RBI.

Florida Atlantic has season tickets on sale for as low as $45, with a 12-game flex plan at $25. The Miami (Fla.) game on Feb. 20 is not included in the flex plan. Tickets for individual games are available for $10.

Former Toledo standout Jim Vahalik has been invited to spring training with the Baltimore Orioles. He played for the London Rippers and the Washington Wild Things in the independent Frontier League this past year.

Former Golden Eagle pitcher Todd McInnis has been named volunteer assistant at Southern Miss. McInnis played for three different minor league teams over two professional seasons after being picked in the 25th round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. He holds school record with 33 wins, 395.1 innings and 68 starts. He was twice named Conference USA Pitcher of the Year.

Junior outfielder Justin Glass was named team captain for Cincinnati for the upcoming 2013 season. Glass was First Team All-Big East in 2012, when he hit .366 with 21 doubles and 15 steals.

The Bryant baseball team had their heads shaved to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research. The Bulldogs raised $5,071 this season for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation after collecting $2,690 a year ago. click here for photo album

Longwood head coach Buddy Bolding was recently inducted into the Milligan College Athletics Hall of Fame. Bolding graduated from Milligan in 1973 after being a multi-event standout in track and field. He set school records in the 440, pole vault, discus and javelin.

Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame announcer Marty Brennaman will be the featured speaker at Eastern Kentucky’s 12th annual Diamond Dinner on Feb. 1 at the Keen Johnson Building. A reception will start at 6 p.m., with dinner at 6:30 p.m. Brennaman is entering his 49th season as a broadcaster and 40th in Cincinnati.

Oklahoma has season tickets now on sale for its 31-game home slate at L. Dale Mitchell Park. Prices range from $80 to $150. Single game tickets will go on sale Feb. 21.

(photos courtesy of Rider, Furman & Marist Media Relations Offices)