The Eagles, the pre-season pick to win the Golden State Athletic Conference, got a win in the first good matchup this season. The Tritons are ranked #23 in the Division II pre-season poll.

The Eagles got an early 2-0 lead on an RBI single by C Chris Kuber and a sacrifice fly by SS Matt Palmer. The Tritons got one back on a solo home run by starting pitcher Justin Rahn. The Eagles took a 5-1 lead in the top of the fifth on RBI singles by 2B Spencer Ofelt and DH Joe Golderberg, and a run scored by Ofelt on a double play. However, the Tritons tied it with four runs on the bottom of the fifth, led by a two-RBI triple by 1B Richard Siegel. Siegel actually hit a home run, but the home run was taken away because he failed to touch home plate.

Four Eagles pitchers, Chris Garrison, Phil Gerber, Sean Buford, and Danny Romero, held the Tritons scoreless the rest of the way. Gerber and Buford pitched hitless innings, and Romero, who pitched the 11th inning, struck out three of the four batters he faced.

The Eagles pushed across the winning run when Kuber and Palmer drew walks to start the 11th inning. Pinch-hitter Chance Kopacz hit a ground ball to shortstop, and a throwing error by the second baseman allowed Steven Hurst, pinch-running for Kuber, to score.

Rahn finished the game 3-for-4 for the Tritons. Buford got the win for the Eagles, and Romero got a save.

11 South pitchers combined to hold the North to four hits in a game played in Daytona Beach, FL. The South led the game all the way, starting with two unearned runs in the top of the first. The South extended their lead to 4-0 with a two-RBI double by 2B Andy Ruiz (Florida Memorial) in the top of the second.

The North answered with a run in the bottom of the third on an RBI triple by CF Billy Farrell (Webber International), who then came home on a ground out by 2B Terry McClinton (South Carolina-Beaufort). The North got as close as 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh when LF Josh Longbrake (Webber International) was hit by a pitch, and scored on an error.

The South got the winning run in the top of the eighth. CF Brandon Kirby (Warner) walked, stole second and third, and scored on a throwing error.

John Verhoeven, Head Coach of the Biola Eagles for 16 seasons, has resigned, effective at the end of the 2013 season.

Verhoeven is a highly-regarded coach at a highly-regarded program. His record is 521-275-6, and he had only one losing season. He took the Eagles to five Golden State Athletic Conference championships, and to the Baseball National Championship in 2001, 2003, and 2005.

Verhoeven played four American League seasons as a right-handed pitcher with the Angels, White Sox, and Twins. He had a career ERA of 3.76.

Official Biola University press release: Baseball Coach John Verhoeven to Resign at End of Season

Jeremy Christian is going into his second year as Head Coach of the Virginia Intermont Cobras. Virginia Intermont is in Bristol, VA, and competes in the Appalachian Athletic Conference.

Bob Broughton, courtesyrunner.com: You played at Milligan, and you were an assistant coach at Union College (KY). Your team at Union College was ranked #7, so you know how to win. The year before you came here, VI was 8-41.

Jeremy Christian: We were 15-33 in my first season here.

BB: So you nearly doubled the number of wins. What made that possible?

JC: The biggest thing we've done here is change the mentality of the program. I knew coming in that I was here to rebuild the program. I've been fortunate enough to have worked at other places. At Brevard Junior College we had a #3 ranking in the country. At Milligan, we won a conference championship. At Union College, I won a conference championship as a coach. So I feel like I have a pretty good idea of how to win.

At VI, they had four or five down years, and weren't as competitive as they would have liked to have been. In order to get those guys to be able to compete, I had to change the mentality. I really came in and changed everything about the program. We painted the office. We threw everything away. I changed everything about the program except the logo. Then I brought in guys who wanted to work, wanted to be part of something bigger than themselves. And then the rest was just baseball.

It's time for me to move on. I've been retired since February, and I'm moving permanently to Guanajuato, Mexico at the end of September. Guanajuato is located 532 miles from Brownsville, TX, where the nearest NAIA school with a baseball team is located.

Yes, I could keep this site going, but I believe that first-hand information is far more valuable than just re-posting information from press releases.

So, I would like to turn courtesyrunner.com over to someone who shares my belief that there are stories in NAIA baseball that deserve to be told. If you think that courtesyrunner.com is a cool name for a website, just go to the contact form on this site, send me a message, and we'll discuss it further. I can even make the hosting space available for free.

Six NAIA schools with baseball teams will the playing their final NAIA season this spring.

The most prominent departure is Lee. Their record for the past six seasons under Head Coach Mark Brew has been astonishing: 326-771-1, a trip to the Baseball National Championship every season, and they came within one out of winning the championship in 2008.

Lee also has successful in women's basketball and soccer, and volleyball. However, until recently, they had some difficulty attracting press attention in southeastern Tennessee, and the "NCAA brand" was a factor in their decision. Also a factor was the loss of traditional opponents, Union U. (TN), Berry, and Shorter to Division II.

Lee will become a member of the Gulf South Conference.

Lubbock Christian has a well-funded baseball program. They won the National Championship in 1983 and 2009, and were runners-up in 2011. They will be competing in the Heartland Conference.

Jeremiah Robbins, who coached Division II power Western Oregon to seven straight Great Northwest Athletic Conference titles, and ran up a record of 252-109, was hired as Head Coach as Lewis-Clark State on June 22.

Gary Picone, who coached the Warriors the past two seasons, continues as Lewis-Clark State's Athletic Director. His record was 80-31, and the Warriors won the NAIA West regular season pennant in 2012.

The general reaction in Lewiston was, they got the guy they wanted.

Rob Pegg, former Head Coach of Division II Colorado Christian, has been hired as Head Coach at Vanguard. Pegg was the starting catcher for the Lions in the 1996 and 1997 season. He was at Colorado Christian for seven years, and is the only head coach that program has had. Story from Vanguard site: Lions Pegg New Skipper

Players from NAIA schools taken in the 2012 MLB draft:

Dane Phillips, C, Oklahoma City, Padres, 70th overall pick Story

Corey Black, RHP, Faulkner, Yankees, 157 Story

Ryan Newell, RHP, Shorter, Marlins, 227 Story

David Otterman, LHP, British Columbia, Brewers, 245 Story

Kris Hall, RHP, Lee, A's, 259 Story

Michael Heesch, LHP, South Carolina-Beaufort, Cubs, 254 Story

Jordan Leyland, 1B, Azusa Pacific, Blue Jays, 295

Charles Gillies, RHP, The Master's, Tigers, 334

Joseph Shiver, RHP, Southern Polytechnic, 336

Keith Glenn, CF, Arizona Christian, Diamondbacks, 393

Michael Vaughn, C, Fresno Pacific, Marlins, 437

Blake Schwartz, RHP, Oklahoma City, Nationals, 534

Ricky Gingras, C, Point Loma Nazarene, Astros, 549

Patrick Merkling, LHP, Lee, Marlins, 557 Story

Miguel Beltran, 1B, Oklahoma City, Rays, 602

Gary Ward, LHP, Bethel U. (TN), Mets, 650

Jeremy Fitzgerald, RHP, Tennessee Wesleyan, Braves, 659

Cory McGinnis, RHP, Auburn-Montgomery, White Sox, 681

Alan Garcia, RHP, Azusa Pacific, Dodgers, 686

Levi Dean, RHP, Tennessee Weslayan, Mariners, 701

Keaton Briscoe, 2B, British Columbia, Red Sox, 751

Chad Carman, C, Oklahoma City, Phillies, 758

Dane Stone, RHP, Saint Thomas (FL), Marlins, 767

Alec Mehrten, SS, Fresno Pacific, Rockies, 768

Storm Throne, RHP, Morningside, White Sox, 771

Vincent Spilker, RHP, Lee, Diamondbacks, 783

Brandon Alger, LHP, Indiana Tech, Padres, 795

Adam Paulencu, RHP, Embry-Riddle, Rockies, 798

Chris Fern, LHP, Union C. (KY), Giants, 838

Lance Rymel, C, Rogers State, Cubs, 854

Joel Capote, CF, Saint Thomas (FL), Angels, 867

Austin Pentecost, RHP, Lewis-Clark State, Cubs, 884 Story

Andy Hillis, RHP, Lee, Cardinals, 900

Izaac Garsez, RF, C. of Idaho, Cubs, 914

Matt Kimbrel, RHP, Southern Polytechnic, Braves, 959

Jorge Saez, C, Lee, Blue Jays, 985

Ben Kline, SS, Embry-Riddle, Rays, 992

Nick Anderson, RHP, Mayville State, Brewers, 995

Luke Goodgion, LHP, Lewis-Clark State, Rays, 1022

Zachary Livingston, C, Arizona Christian, Angels, 1047

Cory Bafidis, LHP, Texas Wesleyan, Nationals, 1074

Jose Sermo, SS, Bethany C. (KS), Brewers, 1085

Michael Smith, LHP, Cumberland, Marlins, 1157

Anthony Renteria, OF, Cal State-San Marcos, Padres, 1185