The 57th NAIA baseball season is already under way, and the Golden State Athletic Conference is already playing conference matchups. The season gets going in earnest this weekend. Defending champion Tennessee Wesleyan visits #9 Faulkner, #2 LSU-Shreveport visits William Carey, Northwestern Ohio visits #3 Lee, #23 Doane visits #4 Oklahoma City, #5 Rogers State visits Arlington Baptist, #20 Georgetown College (KY) visits #7 Embry-Riddle, and #10 Oklahoma Baptist visits Southwestern Oklahoma.
Here is an evaluation of the top 10 teams according to the pre-season coaches' poll:
#1 – Tennessee Wesleyan:Pre-season All-American OF Jake Stone (.407, 13 home runs) is back. He had a great summer, led the Coastal Plain League in hitting with a .375 average. Other returnees are OF-DH Drew Levi (.326, 12 HR), OF Travis Burnside (.284), RHP Corey Rhoney (10-0, 2.31 ERA, 64 K), and LHP Josh Coller (10-2, 3.02 ERA, 99 K). The Bulldogs also have a prize recruit, OF Kendall Radcliffe, selected in the 25th round of the 2013 MLB Draft. Games to watch:at Faulkner Feb. 2, at Auburn-Montgomery Feb. 3, Lee Feb. 12, Lindsey Wilson Feb. 20, Georgetown C. March 19, Lee March 27, Cumberland March 29-30, at Georgetown C. April 3, at Lee April 9
#2 – LSU-Shreveport:OF Kyle Pearson (.353, 14 HR, 66 RBI, 13 stolen bases, 1.000 fielding percentage) is a pre-season All-American. Other returnees are 1B Greg Friesen (.391, 15 HR, 68 RBI), OF Kade Billeaudeaux (.380), RHP Jason Mouton (1-0, 3.60 ERA), RHP Ben Suit (2-0, 2.25 ERA), LHP Jake Byrd (0-0, 0.00 ERA), and LHP Caleb Olsen (0-0, 0.00 ERA). C Jared Vial is a newcomer with the Pilots. Games to watch:Houston-Victoria Feb. 8-9, at Houston-Victoria Feb. 12, Southern Arkansas Feb. 19, Texas-Tyler March 19, at Southern Arkansas April 2, at Centenary April 17, Centenary April 23
The 58th NAIA baseball season is already under way, and six games were played in California last weekend. The Golden State Athletic Conference is already playing conference matchups, with #9 Concordia-Irvine at Arizona Christian, Biola at The Master's, and San Diego Christian at Westmont. Ave Maria and Southeastern play Edward Waters and Calumet College of Saint Joseph in Lakeland, FL, Bryan hosts Lindenwood, Cal State San Marcos visits Vanguard, Doane visits Houston-Victoria, and Warner visits Webber International.
Here is an evaluation of the top 10 teams according to the pre-season coaches' poll:
#1 – Faulkner:The defending champions will have returning position players OF Michael Cruz (.355, 13 HR, 68 RBI; he led the Eagles in all three categories, and is a Pre-season All-American), C/IF Sergio Sanchez (.363, 65 RBI), IF Luis Sanchez (.344) and IF Dauris Holguin (.291). Their returning pitchers are RHP Julian Esquibel (11-2, 2.71 ERA), LHP Labradford Griffis (5-0, 2.11 ERA), and RHP Jeremy Holcombe (4-0, 3.19 ERA). They will have three key transfers; OF Willie Allen (Western Oklahoma State), C T.C. Mark (Arizona), RHP Kurt Lipscomb (Jacksonville State), and OF Omar Gomez (New Mexico Junior College). Games to watch: Missouri Baptist Feb. 7-8, Lindsey Wilson Feb. 7, Cumberland Feb. 8, at Tennessee Wesleyan March 5 Live Video
#2 – Lewis-Clark State:The Warriors have Cody Lavalli (.373, 10 HR), who was drafted in 37th round by the Rangers, and is a Pre-season All-American. Other returnees are OF/C Jake Shirley (.340), RHP Michael Noteware (missed most of 2013 with a medical redshirt), RHP Steve Thompson (5-5, 2.49 ERA), and RHP Dave Murillo (5-0, 3.02 ERA, 38 K). Their most impressive recruit is IF Michael Sexton, a freshman drafted in the 38th round by the Mariners. They also have RHP Gunnar Swanson (transfer from Everett CC; he was 9-2, 1.63 ERA with 8 complete games and 88 K there) and OF Raymond Pedrina. Games to watch: British Columbia Feb. 7, Concordia-Portland Feb. 8 and April 4-6, Western Oregon Feb. 21-23, at British Columbia March 7-9, at Western Oregon May 2, 4, at Linfield (Division III champion) May 3 Live Audio
Players from NAIA schools taken in the 2015 Major League Baseball draft:
Pick | Round | Team | Player | Story | School | Pos. |
64 | 2 | Kansas City Royals | Josh Staumont | story | Azusa Pacific, transfer from Biola |
RHP |
164 | 5 | Washington Nationals | Taylor Hearn | story | Oklahoma Baptist | LHP |
166 | 6 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Tyler Mark | story | Concordia (Calif.) | RHP |
296 | 10 | Miami Marlins | Kelvin Rivas | story | Oklahoma Baptist | RHP |
306 | 10 | San Francisco Giants | Tyler Cyr | story | Embry-Riddle (Fla.) | RHP |
364 | 12 | Cleveland Indians | Ryan Perez | story | Judson (Ill.) | LHP |
441 | 15 | Boston Red Sox | Jerry Downs | story | St. Thomas (Fla.) | OF |
488 | 16 | Oakland Athletics | Dustin Hurlbutt | story | Tabor (Kan.) | RHP |
506 | 17 | Miami Marlins | Max Whitt | story | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | SS |
526 | 18 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Daniel Comstock | story | Menlo (Calif.) | C |
547 | 18 | Pittsburgh Pirates | Stephan Meyer | story | Bellevue (Neb.) | RHP |
571 | 19 | Milwaukee Brewers | Steven Karkenny | story | The Master's (Calif.) | 1B |
578 | 19 | Oakland Athletics | Seth Brown | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | 1B | |
584 | 19 | Washington Nationals | Clayton Brandt | MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) | SS | |
595 | 20 | Cincinnati Reds | Rock Rucker | Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) | LHP | |
610 | 20 | Detroit Tigers | Logan Longwith | Tennessee Wesleyan | RHP | |
632 | 21 | Toronto Blue Jays | Tayler Saucedo | Tennessee Wesleyan | LHP | |
648 | 22 | Texas Rangers | Josh Altmann | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | SS | |
653 | 22 | Chicago Cubs | Alex Bautista | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | OF | |
720 | 24 | Atlanta Braves | Jacob Lanning | Holy Cross (Ind.) | 3B | |
735 | 24 | Los Angeles Angels | Mitch Esser | story | Concordia (Calif.) | CF |
792 | 26 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Marcus Crescentini | story | Missouri Baptist | RHP |
794 | 26 | Washington Nationals | Russell Harmening | story | Westmont (Calif.) | RHP |
829 | 28 | Houston Astros | Zac Grotz | story | Embry-Riddle (Fla.) | RHP |
837 | 28 | San Diego Padres | Corey Hale | Mobile (Ala.) | LHP | |
853 | 28 | Baltimore Orioles | Christian Turnipseed | Georgia Gwinnett | RHP | |
875 | 29 | Seattle Mariners | Jared West | LSU Shreveport (La.) | LHP | |
886 | 30 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Jeff Smith | Missouri Baptist | IF | |
892 | 30 | Chicago White Sox | Jack Charleston | Faulkner (Ala.) | RHP | |
919 | 31 | Houston Astros | Keach Ballard | story | Oklahoma Baptist | SS |
932 | 31 | Toronto Blue Jays | Josh Degraaf | Taylor (Ind.) | RHP | |
948 | 32 | Texas Rangers | John Werner | St. Catharine (Ky.) | RHP | |
950 | 32 | Minnesota Twins | Andrew Vasquez | Westmont (Calif.) | LHP | |
954 | 32 | Philadelphia Phillies | Reggie Wilson | story | Oklahoma City | CF |
958 | 32 | Tampa Bay Rays | Ty Jackson | Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) | RHP | |
975 | 32 | Los Angeles Angels | Conor Lillis-White | story | British Columbia | LHP |
999 | 33 | Kansas City Royals | Nathan Esposito | Concordia (Ore.) | C | |
1040 | 35 | Minnesota Twins | Hector Lujan | Westmont (Calif.) | RHP | |
1077 | 36 | San Diego Padres | Alex Webb | British Columbia | RHP | |
1083 | 36 | New York Yankees | Dustin Cook | Oklahoma City | RHP | |
1151 | 38 | St. Louis Cardinals | Orlando Olivera | Missouri Baptist | OF | |
1186 | 40 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Tucker Ward | Mobile (Ala.) | RHP |
#1 Georgia Gwinnettswept through the Association of Independent Institutions tournament, defeating Fisher13-3, Mount Mercy9-1, and Clarke6-3 and 14-1. In the first game against Clarke, CF Josh Merrigan hit an RBI single for the winning run. RHP Nikolay Uherek got the win, pitched seven innings, allowed two earned runs on nine hits, struck out six. Story
Zac Rinehart is second in the NAIA in hitting with a .476 average. The Grizzlies are hosting an Opening Round bracket May 17-20. video
#2 Bellevue won the North Star Athletic Association tournament. They hit eight home runs in the final against Mayville State, and won 14-1. LF Joe Moran hit two of the home runs. RHP Ben McKendall had a shutout going into the eighth inning before giving up a home run by LF Aaron Miller. The Comets had to play an "if necessary" game to get to the final, and ran out of pitchers in the seventh inning, when the Bruins scored ten runs. Story None of the games the Bruins played in the tournament were close. RHP Todd Nicks and RHP John Timmins combined for an 11-0 shutout over Waldorf; Nicks struck out 14. Story
McKendall is now 11-1, 1.53 ERA (ninth-best in the NAIA), with 111 strikeouts (tied for sixth-best in the NAIA). The Bruins now wait to learn their Opening Round location.
#3 Lewis-Clark Statewon the NAIA West tournament, without giving up a single run. The defending champions defeated Corban7-0, British Columbia3-0, and C. of Idaho5-0. RHP Kevin Hamann, RHP Noel Gonzalez (in relief), and RHP Connor Brogdon got the wins; Hamann went the distance. The game against British Columbia was probably the best of the three. It was scoreless until the eight inning, and a good pitching duel between RHP Curtis Taylor of the Thunderbirds (6 IP, 4 hits, 10 strikeouts, no walks) and RHP Quin Grogan of the Warriors (7 2/3 IP, 3 hits, seven strikeouts, three walks). The Warriors got the only run they needed on an RBI double by CF Logan Griffin, off reliever RHP Christian Botnick. LF Jacob Zanon completed the scoring with a solo home run. Story 1B Tyler McDowell went 4-for-4 with two triples and a stolen base in the game against C. of Idaho. Story
The Warriors are idle until the Baseball National Championship tournament May 27-June 3. Both the Thunderbirds (ISR #9, #1in strength of schedule) and C. of Idaho (ISR #12) will be playing in the Opening Round.
Players from NAIA schools taken in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft:
Pick | Round | Team | Player | Story | School | Pos. |
46 | 2 | Milwaukee Brewers | Lucas Erceg | story | Menlo (Calif.) | 3B |
119 | 4 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Curtis Taylor | story | British Columbia | RHP |
209 | 7 | Arizona Diamondbacks | Jordan Watson | Science & Arts (Okla.) | LHP | |
234 | 8 | San Diego Padres | Benjamin Sheckler | story | Cornerstone (Mich.) | LHP |
258 | 9 | Cincinnati Reds | Alex Webb | British Columbia | RHP | |
266 | 9 | Chicago White Sox | Max Dutto | Menlo (Calif.) | SS | |
277 | 9 | Houston Astros | Ryan Hartman | story | Tennessee Wesleyan | LHP |
309 | 10 | Texas Rangers | Josh Merrigan | story | Georgia Gwinnett | OF |
379 | 13 | Atlanta Braves | Brandon White | story | Davenport (Mich.) | RHP |
416 | 14 | Chicago White Sox | Bryan Saucedo | story | Davenport (Mich.) | RHP |
425 | 14 | San Francisco Giants | Conner Menez | story | The Master's (Calif.) | LHP |
445 | 15 | Detroit Tigers | John Schreiber | story | Northwestern Ohio | RHP |
464 | 15 | Chicago Cubs | Jed Carter | story | Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) | RHP |
474 | 16 | San Diego Padres | Chris Mattison | story | Southeastern (Fla.) | C |
480 | 16 | New York Mets | Jacob Zanon | story | Lewis-Clarke State (Idaho) | CF |
575 | 19 | San Francisco Giants | Brandon Van Horn | The Master's (Calif.) | SS | |
604 | 20 | Washington Nationals | Jake Barnett | Lewis-Clarke State (Idaho) | LHP | |
694 | 23 | Washington Nationals | Michael Rishwain | story | Westmont (Calif.) | RHP |
708 | 24 | Cincinnati Reds | Bruce Yari | story | British Columbia | 1B |
744 | 25 | San Diego Padres | Luis Anguizola | Loyola (La.) | C | |
778 | 26 | Boston Red Sox | Jared Oliver | Truett-McConnell | RHP | |
799 | 27 | Atlanta Braves | Corbin Clouse | Davenport (Mich.) | LHP | |
801 | 27 | Milwaukee Brewers | Nick Cain | Faulkner (Ala.) | RF | |
860 | 29 | Colorado Rockies | Josh Shelley | Mobile (Ala.) | RHP | |
886 | 29 | St. Louis Cardinals | Noel Gonzalez | Lewis-Clarke State (Idaho) | RHP | |
903 | 30 | Minnesota Twins | Quin Grogan | Lewis-Clarke State (Idaho) | RHP | |
909 | 30 | Texas Rangers | Christian Torres | Faulkner (Ala.) | LHP | |
922 | 31 | Oakland Athletics | Sam Sheehan | Westmont (Calif.) | RHP | |
953 | 32 | Miami Marlins | Chevis Hoover | Tennessee Wesleyan | RHP | |
965 | 32 | San Francisco Giants | John Timmins | Bellevue (Neb.) | RHP | |
969 | 32 | Texas Rangers | Travis Bolin | Davenport (Mich.) | OF | |
976 | 32 | St. Louis Cardinals | Leland Tilley | Bellevue (Neb.) | RHP | |
982 | 33 | Oakland Athletics | Jarrett Costa | Westmont (Calif.) | C | |
999 | 33 | Texas Rangers | Mark Vasquez | Faulkner (Ala.) | RHP | |
1056 | 35 | Los Angeles Angels | Sean Issac | Vanguard (Calif.) | RHP | |
1086 | 36 | Los Angeles Angels | Jose Rojas | Vanguard (Calif.) | SS | |
1121 | 37 | Los Angeles Dodgers | Enrique Zamora | Calument (Ind.) | RHP | |
1134 | 38 | San Diego Padres | Will Solomon | Georgia Gwinnett | LHP | |
1161 | 39 | Milwaukee Brewers | Jose Gomez | St. Thomas (Fla.) | CF |
The headliners are DH Keivan Berges of Keiser (Formerly Northwood FL) and LHP Adam Hines of LSU-Shreveport. Berges batted .333 with 156 home runs last season. Hines had an ERA of 0.96, and pitched seven complete games, including four straight. OF Colton Nash of Bellevue batted .352, hit grand slam home runs in three consecutive games. RHP Curtis Taylor of British Columbia had an ERA of 1.02. SS Cabe Reiten of Lewis-Clark State batted .411, started all 58 games.
Pos. |
Name |
Institution |
Class |
Hometown |
C |
Ryan Crowe |
Westmont (Calif.) |
Sr. |
Ladera Ranch, Calif. |
C |
Scott Morton |
Briar Cliff (Iowa) |
Sr. |
Ventura, Calif. |
1B |
Alex Bush |
Westmont (Calif.) |
Sr. |
Menifee, Calif. |
2B |
Houston Looser |
Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) |
Jr. |
Muscle Shoals, Ala. |
3B |
Alex Couch |
Tabor (Kan.) |
Sr. |
Castlewood, Va. |
SS |
Cabe Reiten |
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) |
Sr. |
Spanaway, Wash. |
UT |
Wardy Polanco |
Tennessee Wesleyan |
Sr. |
Haverstraw, N.Y. |
DH |
Keivan Berges |
Keiser (Fla.) |
Jr. |
Wellington, Fla. |
OF |
Logan Coughlin |
IU Southeast (Ind.) |
Sr. |
Brownsburg, Ind. |
OF |
Jordan Espino |
Sterling (Kan.) |
Sr. |
Buena Park, Calif. |
OF |
Preston King |
Bryan (Tenn.) |
Sr. |
Kingston, Tenn. |
OF |
Colton Nash |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
Sr. |
Bonney Lake, Wash. |
SP |
Adam Hines |
LSU Alexandria (La.) |
Sr. |
Bunkie, La. |
SP |
Victor Arche |
Faulkner (Ala.) |
Sr. |
Miami, Fla. |
SP |
Brandon Guske |
Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) |
Jr. |
Spring Hill, Tenn. |
SP |
Phillipe Graham |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
Jr. |
St. Chrysostome, Quebec |
RP |
Curtis Taylor |
British Columbia |
Jr. |
Port Coquitlam, B.C. |
The 2016 NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Preseason Top 25 Poll (Nov. 10)
RANK | PRVS^ | SCHOOL | 2015 RECORD | TOTAL POINTS |
1 | 1 | Lewis-Clark State (ID) | 46-12 | 467 |
2 | 2 | St. Thomas (FL) | 48-18 | 448 |
3 | 3 | Faulkner (AL) | 51-15 | 437 |
4 | 7 | Tabor (KS) | 54-12 | 417 |
5 | 11 | Oklahoma City | 46-13 | 397 |
6 | 9 | Davenport (MI) | 51-12 | 395 |
7 | 10 | Lindsey Wilson (KY) | 41-19 | 385 |
8 | 13 | Georgia Gwinnett | 50-14 | 354 |
9 | 14 | Oklahoma Wesleyan | 49-14 | 324 |
10 | 24 | The Master’s (CA) | 42-14 | 321 |
11 | 15 | LSU Shreveport (LA) | 46-14 | 303 |
12 | 16 | Bellevue (NE) | 46-15 | 292 |
13 | 18 | Auburn Montgomery (AL) | 40-18 | 285 |
14 | 12 | Tennessee Wesleyan | 45-12 | 278 |
15 | 20 | Keiser (FL) (formerly Northwood) |
42-14 | 270 |
16 | 19 | Westmont (CA) | 41-17 | 242 |
17 | 17 | Northwestern Ohio | 45-15 | 233 |
18 | 23 | Freed-Hardeman (TN) | 37-16 | 205 |
19 | 22 | Campbellsville (KY) | 30-13 | 184 |
20 | 21 | Sterling (KS) | 47-15 | 178 |
21 | RV | Missouri Baptist | 43-13 | 167 |
22 | 8 | Vanguard (CA) | 39-22 | 154 |
23 | 25 | Bryan (TN) | 46-18 | 130 |
24 | RV | LSU Alexandria (LA) | 39-16 | 91 |
25 | RV | Rio Grande (OH) | 35-22 | 76 |
First place votes:Lewis-Clark State 17
Players from NAIA schools taken in the 2017 Major League Baseball draft:
Pick | Round | Team | Player | Story | School | Pos. |
228 | 8 | Padres | Oliver Basabe | story | Faulkner | SS |
229 | 8 | Rays | Riley O'Brien | story | C. of Idaho | RHP |
269 | 9 | Marlins | Cameron Baranek | story | Hope International | CF |
293 | 10 | Phillies | Connor Brogdon | story | Lewis-Clark State | RHP |
322 | 11 | Diamondbacks | Tra'Mayne Holmes | Faulkner | CF | |
426 | 14 | Giants | Michael Sexton | story | The Master's | 3B |
569 | 19 | Marlins | Micah Brown | story | Lewis-Clark State | SS |
637 | 21 | Mets | Aaron Ford | Tennessee Wesleyan | LHP | |
641 | 21 | Red Sox | Lukas Young | story | Mobile | RHP |
620 | 22 | Braves | Justin Morhardt | story | Bryan | C |
664 | 22 | Cardinals | Kevin Hamann | Lewis-Clark State | RHP | |
678 | 23 | Padres | Luis Roman | story | Texas Wesleyan | 3B |
681 | 23 | A's | Mailik Jones | story | Missouri Baptist | RHP |
732 | 24 | Indians | Riley Echols | Freed-Hardeman | RHP | |
750 | 25 | Royals | Tyler James | William Carey | CF | |
805 | 27 | Angels | Brandon Sandoval | story | Vanguard | CF |
818 | 27 | Orioles | Nick Vichio | Missouri Baptist | RHP | |
834 | 28 | Brewers | Roberto Delgado | story | Oklahoma City | RHP |
869 | 29 | Marlins | Henry McAree | Lewis-Clark State | RHP | |
905 | 30 | Tigers | Kyle Thomas | story | Northwestern Ohio | RHP |
912 | 30 | Indians | Zack Draper | C. of Idaho | LHP | |
949 | 32 | Rays | Seaver Whalen | Lewis-Clark State | 3B | |
958 | 32 | Pirates | Hector Quinones | story | Midway | RHP |
976 | 33 | Twins | J.J. Robinson | Lewis-Clark State | 1B | |
979 | 33 | Rays | Ivan Pelaez | Faulkner | LHP | |
987 | 33 | White Sox | Kevin George | Menlo | LHP | |
1041 | 35 | A's | Cooper Golby | Lewis-Clark State | C | |
1056 | 35 | Giants | Dalton Combs | story | Huntington | RF |
1089 | 36 | Blue Jays | Jonathan Cheshire | story | Davenport | RHP |
More to come...
Players from NAIA schools taken in the 2024 Major League Baseball draft:
Position | Player | School | Round | Overall | MLB team | Story |
RHP | Ramsey David | Southeastern | 10 | 313 | Astros | |
RHP | Sean Heppner | British Columbia | 12 | 355 | Guardians | story |
RHP | Drake George | Lewis-Clark State | 13 | 388 | Giants | story |
RHP | Cohen Achen | Lindsey Wilson | 14 | 429 | Orioles | story |
RHP | Ryan Mathiesen | The Master's | 14 | 433 | Astros | story |
RHP | Colby Martin | Southeastern | 16 | 487 | Blue Jays | |
RHP | Vicarte Domingo | British Columbia | 19 | 570 | Padres |
OF Bryan Abrey of Lewis-Clark State is the batting champion of the Western Major Baseball League. He batted .423 for the Medicine Hat Mavericks, and went on a 21-35 tear at the end of the regular season, and is 5-7 with a home run so far in the playoffs.
Ryan Rogers of Lindsey Wilson made the all-star team as a left-handed pitcher. He plays for the Okotoks Dawgs, went 4-4, 2.16 ERA, and 61 strikeouts. In his first playoff start, he allowed six hits, struck out six.
Nick Senior of British Columbia made the all-star team as an outfielder. Playing for the Melville Millionaires, he batted .327, with 35 RBI and three home runs. He batted .417 in three playoff games.
Okotoks and Medicine Hat are still alive in the WMBL playoffs.
Other players honored:
Most Valuable Player: IF Jesse Sawyer, South Dakota State
Top Pitcher: RHP Chad Jones, George Fox
Rookie of the Year and Outstanding Canadian: OF Tyler Hollick, Chandler Gilbert CC
Left-handed pitcher: Marco Gonzales, Gonzaga
Right-handed pitcher: N.D. Gonzalez
Catcher/designated hitter: C.J. DeDeaux, Merced College
Infielders: Jess Cooper, West Texas A&M, Joel Lutz, Muscatine CC, Mitch McDonald, Monterey Peninsula
While the Cardinals and Rangers were taking the night of October 26 off, Canada defeated the USA 2-1 in the final of the Pan American Games in Lagos de Moreno, Mexico.
You can be excused for not being especially excited about this news, but for Canada's national baseball program and Coach Ernie Whitt, it's a huge win; this was Canada's first-ever gold medal in senior international competition.
The Canadian roster included four players who played baseball at NAIA schools: RHP Jimmy Henderson (Tennessee Wesleyan), LHP Mark Hardy (British Columbia), RHP Chris Kissock (Lewis-Clark State), and DH Emerson Frostad (Lewis-Clark State).
Henderson played for the 2003 Bulldog team that won the Appalachian Athletic Conference championship. He was drafted in the 26th round by the Nationals, and is now in the Brewers organization. Hardy was drafted by the Padres in the 43rd round in 2010. Kissock played for L-C State's national championship teams in 2006 and 2007, and was drafted by the Phillies in the 9th round in 2007. Frostad, a national team veteran (he played in the 2008 Olympics), was drafted in the 13th round by the Rangers, and is currently in the Astros organization. He played for L-C State's national championship teams in 2002 and 2003.
Hardy, Henderson, and Frostad played minor roles during the tournament. Hardy pitched three innings, allowed three hits and a run. Henderson pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowed three hits. Frostad played in one game, went hitless in four at-bats.
Kissock was a different story. He pitched four shutout innings (two hits allowed, struck out three). Two of the innings came in a key win against Venezuela. The other two came in the semifinal against Mexico, and he got the save.
Story and film highlights from ESPN
The Faulkner University Eagles won their first-ever NAIA Baseball National Championship, defeating the Lewis-Clark State Warriors 11-4 in the final. RHP Johnny Shuttlesworth got his 16th win of the season, and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. (The record for wins is 19, set by Dan Quisenberry in 1975.) He allowed 14 hits over 7 1/3 innings, but only four earned runs. He threw 122 pitches.
The Eagles got all the runs they needed in the second inning, jumping on Warriors starter RHP Ryan Sells. Sells also plays shortstop for the Warriors (he batted .338 for the season), and this was only his fifth start. The winning run came on a two-RBI single by DH Michael Cruz.
The Warriors had some chances to get back in the game. The best one was in the bottom of the fourth. They started the inning with two straight singles, and had the bases loaded with one out, but the Eagles turned the only double play of the game to get Shuttlesworth out of the jam.
RF David Bishop hit a solo home run in the seventh inning. He was 3-for-5 for the game, with two RBI and two runs scored. Cruz finished 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Attendance: 4,265
Here is how the NAIA players taken in the 2010 MLB draft did this summer.
Joseph Staley- C, Lubbock Christian, 8th round, Giants - Played 33 games for the AZL Giants, batted .250, five home runs, 25 RBI. He will be spending the Fall in the Instructional League in Scottsdale, AZ.
Kawicka Emsley-Pai - C, Lewis-Clark State, 10th round, Diamondbacks - Played 42 games with the Yakima Bears of the short-season Class A Northwest League, batted .167.
Tyler Knigge - RHP, Lewis-Clark State, 12th round, Phillies - Pitched 30 1/3 innings for the GCL Phillies (ten appearances, four starts), had a record of 0-3, 5.04 ERA, 27 strikeouts. One of his teammates with the Phillies was Pat Murray(1B, Lewis-Clark State, 34th round, Phillies). Murray played 52 games, batted .313, with two home runs, 26 RBI.
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.
Drake George, who pitched seven shutout innings a week ago, went the distance in this one, threw 110 pitches, allowed eight hits, only two earned runs, and struck out nine.
Thunderbird starter Ryan Beitel was able to keep it close for four innings. The Thunderbirds got a break in the bottom of the first inning when a high ground ball hit by Jonny McGill bounced off the glove of Warrior shortstop Dominic Signorelli. The next batter, Mitchell Middlemiss, hit an RBI single. However, the Thunderbirds did no further damage in that inning, because Warriors center fielder Carter Booth made a good catch of a line drive hit by Daniel Draayers. The Warriors got a run in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Magnum Hofstetter, then got all the runs they needed in the fifth inning. It started when Hofstetter hit a popup that was lost in the sun. Two batters later, Nick Seamons got an RBI by reaching on a fielder’s choice. He was followed by Signorelli, who hit a three-run home run to give the Warriors a 5-2 lead. Brandon Cabrera hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning, and another two-run home run in the eighth inning. The Thunderbirds didn’t score again until the bottom of the ninth.
Beitel got the loss. Cabrera finished 3-for-5 with four RBI. Middlemiss, Draayers, and Kyle Anderson each had two hits for the Thunderbirds. Box score and play-by-play recap
At Vancouver, BC. First game: Lewis-Clark State 3, British Columbia 1. All three Warriors runs were from solo home runs; Dominic Signorelli and Charlie Updegrave in the top of the fourth, and Jake Gish in the top of the sixth. The Thunderbirds missed two good chances to score during the first eight innings. The bottom of the sixth ended when Ardan Berg hit a single to left field, and Aaron Marsh tried to score from second. He was out at the plate, the result of a perfect throw from left fielder Nick Seamons. In the bottom of the eighth, the Thunderbirds had runners at first and second with two out. Berg hit a sharp ground ball in the direction of second baseman Magnum Hofstetter, and Hofstetter made a great play to keep the ball from getting into the outfield, and threw to first to get the out and end the threat.
Both starters were still in the game in the ninth inning. Warrior starter Shane Spencer came as close as a pitcher could get to a complete game shutout without actually getting one. He struck out Kaden Zarowny for what should have been the final out of the game, but the ball got away from the catcher, and Zarowny got to first base to keep the Thunderbirds alive. Zarowny then stole second, then scored to end the shutout on a single by Jonny McGill. The Thunderbirds then had Trent Lenihan at the plate representing the tying run. The Warriors brought in their closer, Cameron Smith, who has not had a blown save this season. Lenihan worked the count to 3-and-2, and fouled off two pitches, but struck out swinging at a changeup.
Spencer’s numbers were 8 2/3 innings pitched, one run on seven hits, eight strikeouts. Thunderbird starter Daniel Orfaly pitched 8 1/3 innings, allowed three runs on seven hits, struck out three. Gish and Brandon Cabrera each had two hits for the Warriors. McGill finished 3-for-5 with two doubles. Box score and play-by-play
At Vancouver, BC. This game had an obvious turning point. The Warriors took a 5-2 lead with four runs in the top of the fifth inning on a run walked in, an RBI on a ground out by Charlie Updegrave, and a two-RBI single by Brandon Cabrera. In the bottom of the fifth, the Warriors brought in Jantzen Lucas to relieve starter Hiroyuki Yamada. He was greeted with three straight singles by Aaron Marsh, Trent Lenihan, and Jonny McGill, and the Thunderbirds had the bases loaded with nobody out. The bases were still loaded at the end of the inning, because Lucas struck out the next three batters. He pitched two more innings, recorded three more strikeouts, and allowed only one more hit. The only time the Thunderbirds threatened to score during the rest of the game was when they got a runner to third in the eighth inning; the Thunderbirds hit the ball hard a couple of times in that inning, but they went directly to Warrior fielders.
If you've seen, or are planning to see the film “Moneyball”, starring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill, it's entertainment. Most of the real story can be found on Wikipedia, in the articles on A's GM Billy Beane and Assistant GM Paul DePodesta.
DePodesta was taken out of the film entirely, and replaced by the fictional character played by Hill. The film portrayed Beane as placing his career on the line with the deals he made during the 2002 season, when, in fact, he had already been the General Manager of the A's for four seasons.
The book that the film was based on was written by Michael Lewis and published in 2003. It gives a history of “sabermetrics”, a set of baseball statistics that started with Bill James, and was refined by a community of geeks. James felt that batting average, home runs, and RBI are ineffective measurements of a players performance. On-base percentage is better, but James came up with the “runs created” statistic, which is:
RC = ((hits + BB) x total bases) / (at bats + BB) |
Schedule for the first two days of the 64th NAIA Baseball National Championship, Friday-Saturday, May 28-June 4, Harris Field, Lewiston, ID (all times PDT):
8:30 AM: #8Keiser(36-16) vs. #9LSU-Shreveport (44-14)
Keiser (West Palm Beach, FL) is making their second trip to the Baseball National Championship. The first one was in 2017, and they went 1-2. Twitter: @KeiserBaseball
Nickname: Seahawks
Rankings: #17 in coaches' poll, #9 in Boyd Nation's ISR. Strength of Schedule: #10
Quality wins:3-0 vs. South Carolina-Beaufort, 3-3 vs. Saint Thomas, 2-0 vs. Oklahoma City
Top position players: 3B Tim Bouchard (.403, 16 HR, 67 RBI), OF Matthew Catalfo (.389, 7 HR, 62 RBI), OF Ben McConnell (.356, 6 HR, 40 RBI), SS Mason Dineson (.330, 10 HR, 53 RBI), C Zach Mazur (.253, 14 HR, 53 RBI)
Top Pitchers: RHP Pablo Arevalo (9-3, 1.38 ERA, 114 K), RHP James Reynolds (7-3, 3.65 ERA, 57 K), RHP Deykel Reyes (8-1, 5.52 ERA, 72 K). Arevalo's 1.38 ERA is third-best in the NAIA. He has pitched 117 innings, which is the most in the NAIA.
Coach: Brook Fordyce, fourth season
Outlook:The Seahawks are not at the same level as the top four teams in this tournament.
Louisiana State-Shreveport is making their fourth trip to the Baseball National Championship. The most recent one was 2012, and they finished third. Twitter: @LSUS_Baseball
Nickname: Pilots
Rankings: #25 in coaches' poll, #11 in ISR. SoS: #24
Quality wins:Central Methodist, 2-2 vs. Oklahoma City, Mobile, 2-0 vs. Point Park
Top position players: 3B Payton Robertson (.417, 7 HR, 56 RBI), OF Kody Kolb (.408, 45 RBI), DH Taylor Fajardo (.345, 15 HR, 43 RBI)
Top Pitchers: RHP Trent Sholders (6-1, 3.04 ERA, 30 K), LHP Josh Fortenberry (8-2, 3.23 ERA, 63 K), RHP Sebastian Selway (6-3, 3.36 ERA, 86 K), RHP Kevin Miranda (6-3, 5.30 ERA, 70 K), RHP Luisdiego Quintana (4-3, 5.12 ERA, 70 K)
Coach: Brad Neffendorf, second season
Outlook:Either the Pilots or the Seahawks will get a win.
Schedule for the first two days of the 65th NAIA Baseball National Championship, Friday-Saturday, May 27-June 3, Harris Field, Lewiston, ID (all times PDT):
Friday, 8:30 AM: #8 seed Georgia Gwinnett (45-14) vs. #9 MidAmerica Nazarene (39-16)
Georgia Gwinnett (Lawrenceville, GA) is making their fifth trip to Lewiston. They are the defending champions. They won the Continental Athletic Conference tournament. Twitter: @GGC_Baseball
Nickname: Grizzlies
Rankings:#10 in coaches' poll, #30 in Boyd Nation's Iterative Strength Rating. Strength of Schedule: #94 (lowest in tournament)
Quality wins: 3-1 vs. Northwestern Ohio, U. of the Cumberlands, 1-1 vs. Webber International
Top position players: IF Braxton Megular (.394, 50 RBI), 3B Jake Defries (.324, 47 RBI), C Austin Bates (.377, 44 RBI), OF Livingston Morris (.327, 18 HR, 65 RBI), OF Blaze O'Saben (.372, 31 RBI), DH J.D. Stubbs (.340, 55 RBI)
Top pitchers:RHP Kevin Kyle (6-0, 1.41 ERA, 64 K), LHP Tyler Clayton (5-1, 1.99 ERA, 66 K), RHP Rob Hamby (8-2, 2.75 ERA, 80 K), RHP Gavin Heltemes (7-1, 3.31 ERA, 84 K)
Coach:Jeremy Sheetinger, third season
Outlook: The Grizzlies won't be repeat champions.
MidAmerica Nazarene (Olathe, KS) is making their first appearance in the Baseball National Championship. They finished first on the South Division of the Heart of America Conference. Twitter: @mnusports
Nickname:Pioneers
Rankings:Unranked in coaches' poll, #15 in ISR. SoS: #28
Quality wins:4-3 vs. Central Methodist, Freed-Hardeman, 2-0 vs. Oklahoma City
Top position players: OF Josh Torrance (.379, 7 HR, 40 RBI), 1B/RHP Noah Castillo (.375, 7 HR, 46 RBI, and 7-1, 6.71 ERA, 63 K on the mound), SS Brycen Sherwood (.339, 11 HR, 40 RBI), C Joshuan Sandoval (.307, 15 HR, 50 RBI), 3B Dionathan Cornett (.321, 9 HR, 50 RBI)
Top pitchers:RHP Nathan Torres (1-0, 0.74 ERA, 43 K, 14saves), RHP Zach Trevino (10-3, 3.88 ERA, 108K), LHP Kristian Hurtado (7-3, 4.61 ERA, 61 K), RHP Eric Navarette (5-5, 5.42 ERA, 80 K)
Coach:Ryan Thompson, 16th season
Outlook: Happy to be here.