It's One Ornery Little Bird

Facebook!

2009-09-17T07:31:00.000-07:00

Oglethorpe baseball is now on Facebook! Become a fan today at Oglethorpe Baseball. The 2009 Highlight video can be found there as well as pictures and updates from the program.

Fall Baseball 2009

2009-09-11T19:45:00.000-07:00

The Official Fall season starts September 24th !! Complete schedule will be availabel soon.

Reporting from Memphis

2008-03-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

After a not so bad trip from ATL to Memphis we are here and well. A new bus with flat screen TV's made the trip tolerable. Movies of choice for the trip: Knocked Up, Boondock Saints, 300....Typical college stuff. Not much other news to report... We'll keep you updated from Memphis, land of blues and rock n' roll.

Check out the LIVE webcam from AutoZone Park, tarp is on! We're expecting rain overnight, but as long as WE do not have to pull the damn tarp, I'm OK with that.

http://www.instacam.com/showcam.asp?id=AZPTN

3/9 News and Notes

2008-03-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since the last post about our season, but we are back. We have struggled to find consistency in the last couple of weeks and the Win column has eluded this team. Guys who we were counting on to step up and lead this team on and off the field have not done so. We need more from EVERYONE. Circumstances have depleted the depth of the squad but if some guys do not step up we will be forced to make some personnel changes. We have challenged them to come to practice with a renewed attitude and ready to work to be a Champion, to work on things till they can't get them wrong rather than work on things till they get them right. There's a big difference.

We travel to Memphis this week to take on SCAC favorite Rhodes in the 1st SCAC series of the year. The goal is and always will be to win a SCAC Championship, that hasn't changed. Hopefully we have learned from our early season struggles and make ourselves better.

If anyone is traveling to Memphis we will be playing at AutoZone Park Friday at 3pm with the rest of the games at Rhodes College.
Friday night we will be eating as a team at Alfred's on Beale Street. If any parents would like to join us please let me know as we have reservations and need a final count.
Spring Break is coming up and we need some help with feeding the team...please contact Sara Pilger.
LIVE stats continues to be an issue. We get the good computer back this week, hopefully it works. But RHODES should run live stats all weekend. Check out their website for info.
Congrats to former Petrel Andy Crosby who recently got engaged!!

Congrats to Steven and Jill Bloodworth

2008-02-24T17:21:00.001-08:00

They are the proud parents of a baby boy....Anderson Bloodworth! Bloody also played from 1999-2002.

Congrats to Dan and Leah Torrenti...

2008-02-22T17:39:00.001-08:00

Dan and Leah welcomed their first child into the world late last night, a baby girl. Dan played for the Petrels from 1999-2002.

A little time to think...

2008-02-21T21:24:00.000-08:00

We have just under a week until our next game so as we sit here 2-5 we have time to think about the young year so far. There has been a ton of distractions, most of which we had no control over. But seven games into the season we are headed in the right direction focused and determined at the task at hand. Here are some observations:

Within a span of 5 days we lost both our starting SS (Matthew Cornwell) and our backup SS (Theo Stathakis). Andrew Llano who had been working mainly in left field has done a great job filling in. We hope to get Theo back in a few weeks after successful surgery on his wrist.
We have lost several family members over the course of three months: JJ Rizzo lost his grandfather in December, Andrew Lofholm lost his grandmother three weeks ago and I lost my grandmother last week. Are deepest condolences go out to the Rizzo's and Lofholm's.
We have been starting 6 sophomores and 3 freshmen on any given night. Of course there are going to be growing pains! Unfortunately the highs are really high and the lows are really low. One of the toughest things to do as a 19 year old in college is to stay at an even keel. We must learn to push the momentum of the highs and minimize the effects of the lows.
Is it me or has every line drive we have hit so far gone right at someone? That's baseball, if you keep working those line drives will find some holes.
I just want to give a quick shout out to the OU Baseball Alums! I know some of you new players/parents haven't met them, yet. But they are true Petrels with black and gold blood running through their veins. They have been in the same shoes as the current guys and to a man they will tell you that their time on the baseball field together is priceless. The tarp duties, the travel, the "Conference Specials" and everything in between. What we try to impress upon the current guys is how lucky they are to be playing college baseball! The worst day on Anderson Field is still better than the best day in a lot of places.
Quick rundown of the SCAC East so far: Rhodes after a tough 0-3 start is now 3-3. They play Piedmont and Maryville this weekend. Every D3 Baseball source is picking them to make the college World Series. Birmingham-Southern is 3-3 and I think they are very talented, young but talented. Centre, DePauw and Sewanee begin play this weekend.

W & L Recap

2008-02-18T17:57:00.000-08:00

Loss 7-2

John Hale was able to hold a strong General's offense to just 3 runs over six innings, but the bullpen was unable to keep it in striking distance giving up three runs in the seventh and one in the eighth. Hale was very effective getting 13 ground ball outs, and walking none.

Offensively, Brendan Pilger led off the game with a home run, Andrew Llano and Matt Anderson each had two hits but the Petrels could only muster three hits over the final four innings.

We have a nine days before our next game against Adrian College Wenesday February 28th. A little time away from the game will be good for the entire team. The season is young but its time to start playing the way we are capable. We need more clutch hits, pitches need to be made and the defense needs to make plays. Simple as that. Preparation will be key, as we enter a tough stretch of games leading into conference play.

Washington & Lee Recap

2008-02-17T18:28:00.000-08:00

If the second pitch of the game was anything of things to come then the Petrels knew they were in for a long day. On the second pitch of the game, W&L's leadoff batter crushed a homer deep over the center field wall into the magnolia tree next to the scoreboard. The General's would launch a total of 5 homers on the day as the wind was unusaully blowing straight out to CF at about 15-20mph. The Petrels gave up 21 hits...5 HR's and 6 doubles.

Offensively Chris Lucas and Brendan Pilger had two hits apiece, Ben Giddens had two, two-out RBI singles and Andy Farrey hit his first homer of the year, a towering shot to right field.

Time to regroup, get back in the Win column. No time to hang our heads, its time for a win.

The two teams play again on Monday at NEW TIME 3pm!!

LIVE STATS and Internet broadcast will be available at www.oglethorpe.edu/athletics

Piedmont and Reinhardt Game Recap

2008-02-15T19:19:00.000-08:00

Piedmont Recap

Loss 5-4

Tough loss for the sqaud. After Andrew Llano blasted his first home run of the year in the 4th inning the Petrels jumped out to a 4-1 lead. Starter Nick Greenfield pitched a very competative game and was the hard luck loser. Piedmont could only muster 5 hits off of Greenfield and only one of those left the infield. In fact, only three balls against him left the infield. But in the 7th Piedmont rallied with two outs for three runs on three Petrel walks.

In the ninth Cliff Cross nailed a double off of the right center field wall missing the game tying homer by inches. Andrew Lofholm was inserted as a pinch runner....Then pinch hitter Jason Mitchell singled off of the secondbasemen's glove but Lofholm was thrown out at the plate by the right fielder for the first out of the inning....A costly mistake and a misread by the coach.

A tough loss which the Petrels led most of the way and a game they probably should have won. In the end too many walks, and a bad judgement cost the birds.

Reinhardt

Loss 11-1

Our first road trip of the season did not go as planned. Maybe it was a little hangover after a tough loss, maybe it was the first road trip or maybe it was dead legs? Either way we were totally out classed by a good Reinhardt team. For whatever reason there is no excuse to not be ready to play. Early in this season we have been very up and down. We need to mature as a ball club. Reinhardt is good, but I think we are better than we showed. We need some guys to step up and play the way they are capable of. I have extreme confidence that this group can do that.

There will be some adjustments made and some guys will have to self evaluate how they are approaching the game. At 2-3 there are no worries, no panic. Keep working and keep pushing.

Up next Washington & Lee Sunday 1pm and Monday 4pm.

News: After an initial scare that we would lose Theo Stathakis for the year to a fractured wrist. It looks like he will have surgery on Tuesday and miss roughly 3-4 weeks depending on how fast he heals.

Piedmont Game

2008-02-12T11:24:00.000-08:00

Wednesday's game against Piedmont has been moved to Thursday at 5pm!!! Rain and cold weather will make Wednesday a not so fun day to play. See you Thursday!!

SCAC Diamond Weekly

2008-02-12T10:16:00.000-08:00

The SCAC has started a new Diamond Notes that will run every week throughout the year. Enjoy.

Diamond Notes

Doubleheader Sweep over Maryville!

2008-02-10T10:19:00.000-08:00

Game 1 Recap: Win 3-2

John Hale went 4 strong innings allowing five hits, while striking out three and allowing two runs. But it was Sam Briend in relief picking up the win with 3 nearly perfect innings striking out two and only allowing one hit.

The Petrels offense could only muster two hits but they were timely hits. JJ Rizzo had a two out RBI in the first with a single to rightfield. But the offensive hero was Chris Lucas who was 1 for 2 with a walk, two stolen bases and scored two runs including the go ahead run in the bottom of the sixth on a well excuted 1st and 3rd double steal.

Defensively we were a little shaky, plays that have to be made in critical situations. It was a good win, games good teams have to win.

Game 2 Recap: Win 6-2

The Petrels plated three runs in the bottom of the sixth to break open a 3-2 game and beat Maryville 6-2. After Maryville retired the first two batters in the sixth Stephen Archer laced a single to right, followed by Andrew Lofholm getting hit by a pitch. Then Matt Anderson delivered the big blow with a two-run double over the left-fielders head scoring both Archer and Lofholm. Chris Lucas was 2 for 4 including a double, a run scored and a RBI. Andrew Llano continued his hot hitting going 2 for 2 and on the young season is hitting .667. Stephen Archer had two hits.

Sean Tuttle was very effective on the mound throwing 6 innings and striking out six while only allowing two runs. Nick greenfield came on to earn the save in the 7th.

It was a much better game defensively for the Petrels as they bailed themselves out of a couple of jams with two key double plays. Lofholm also threw out the only attempt of a stolen base during a sweet strike-em out, throw-em out double play in the first.

Next up is Piedmont Wednesday at 5pm.

Note on the LIVE stats: we continue to have software and harware problems and we are trying to resolve the problems. We used two different laptops yesterday and we kept running into problems. We are doing everything we can to get them up and running ASAP. Please be patient.

Have a great Petrel Day.

Broadcast Schedule and Links

2008-02-08T06:24:00.000-08:00

Below is the link to listen LIVE to the internet broadcast. When you are on the page scroll down and you will see the baseball schedule and to the right a Listen link. For live games simply click on Listen. Directions to download the required software is on the page. Approximately 48-72 hours after the game a podcast link will appear next to the game. These are availabel to listen to any time and also available for you to download to your computer.

Starting next Tuesday and going every Tuesday through the season will be the Baseball coaches show hosted by Hoyt Young. During the show we will discuss the team and other baseball related issues.

I suggest testing out the system before Saturday's game. Stretch internet who runs the program offers support through their website.

http://www.oglethorpe.edu/athletics/listen_live.asp

Brick Faucette and Tim Ernst will call the action on Saturday.

LIVE stats: http://www.oglethorpe.edu/athletics/live_stats/baseball/mens/xlive.htm

Apology and Game Recap

2008-02-06T19:02:00.000-08:00

30 minutes before game time the laptop crashed. We did in fact play the game but it wasn't pretty. Lagrange put up four runs in the first in route to a 14-2 whipping of your Petrels. Here is the recap.

First, I would not like to think about this game too much so I'm going to keep it short.

Panthers 14 Petrels 2

The Panthers plated four runs in the first inning, three in the third and four in the fourth en route to a 14-2 win. OU starter Nick Greenfield never could find the plate and fell behind in the count which led to his rough outing. Overall the Petrel pitching staff walked 10+ batters and hit three more. Sam Briend threw two solid inning of relief and Casey Kuebler became the first Petrel hurler to record outs with both arms in the same inning. He retired the first two hitters in the 7th inning throwing left-handed and then retired the last hitter throwing right-handed.

At the plate Matthew Cornwell, Cliff Cross, Stephen Archer, and Chris Lucas each had hits but the offense could not muster any rallies.

The defense was very dissapointing with 5 errors in the field, 4 by three different secondbasemen. We also did not make several plays in the field that we should have made.

Overall it was an awful night with very few bright spots. Almost the entire roster made an appearance. Besides the loss the laptop crashed, the music system stopped working, and the Toro ran out gas. Thankfully we didn't sustain any serious injuries. Time to pick ourselves up, swallow our pride and get after Maryville on Saturday. 1 down 40+ more games to go!

Notes:

Sorry again to all of those loyal fans who tried to tune into the LIVE stats. We should be up and running by Saturday. We look to have EVERY single game, home and away with LIVE stats.
Internet Audio Broadcast of Petrel Baseball games start this Saturday as we will broadcast LIVE, game 1 of the Maryville doubleheader. When I have the final broadcast schedule I will post it here. From what I'm hearing there will be four broadcast teams. Should be fun. Remember most annoucers our current students!!

Game Time on Saturday is 1pm

Time CHANGE!!!!

2008-02-05T07:21:00.000-08:00

Wednesday February 6th's game against LaGrange has been moved to a 6pm start due to inclement weather.

Pictures from Workday!

2008-01-31T16:58:00.000-08:00

Home dugout at the start of the cleaning. We have more leaves and pine cones on our field than any other field in America!

Nice and clean. I can't tell you the stuff we found in the dugout. I think we found an old sock from Candy LaRue! He graduated in 1999.

L to R: Nick "Ladies Man" Greenfield, Brad "She's a" Brickhouse and Matthew "You complete me" Cornwell.

Two St. Pius parents unload some heavy gravel, while Mr. Greenfield thinks to himself "How many rocks can the John Deere hold...1,2,3...."

Mr. Llano with that patented smile and laughing at one of the guys jokes.. What he's really thinking about is that cigar he's about to smoke! I would be smiling, too.

St. Pius Saturday school. When I was in Catholic school, detention was copying the rules over and over...What this picture doesn't show is the kid in nice dress pants and a shirt and tie! Did he call Big Dern for the dress code on work day?

"The Hill" is much better! We found 8,723 baseballs buried in the growth. One had a faint note "Thanks for the sandwich, it helped me rip some hits today" and the signature, Hack Hermance 1938.

One Week to Go...

2008-01-30T19:59:00.000-08:00

A week from now we should have a better idea of who will run for the President of the US........Oh, wrong blog. A week from now the LaGrange Panthers will come pranching into Anderson Field for the Opening of the 2008 season. There is much work to be done before then, but the guys are ready to start playing someone else.

Hopefully the weather will cooperate for us to go live Saturday (1pm) and Sunday (10am) this weekend. If you are in or around town stop on by and get an early preview of your Petrels!

Petrels to play in Red Birds Nest

2008-01-28T07:16:00.000-08:00

When your Petrels visit Memphis, TN for a 4-game set against Rhodes March 14th-16th, the first game of the series will be played at AutoZone Park home of the Memphis Red Birds, AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Thanks goes out to Rhodes for setting up the unique opportunity to play in one of the best Minor League Stadiums in the country. AutoZone Park is located in the heart of downtown Memphis. Gametime is set for 3pm on March 14th.

A Busy Weekend...

2008-01-27T16:22:00.000-08:00

We have a lot to catch up on, so we'll get right into it.

First, great weekend for recruiting as we hosted 260+ JEO students, including a couple of potential baseball recruits. JEO is OU's scholarship competition weekend where highly qualified students come to Atlanta for a couple of days and compete for the ultimate award of a full scholarship for four years (actually compete for several awards). This year Oglethorpe rolled out the red carpet with a fantastic cocktail hour and dinner at The 755 Club at Turner Field Saturday night. I will say right now Anderson Field looks way better than Turner Field! No joke....but that will change in about two months. NCAA rules prohibit me talking about our recruits but we hope to see you in the fall at Oglethorpe.

Workday was a huge success! A HUGE Thank You goes out to John and Sara Pilger who organized the event. Also, thank you to all the parents who braved the chilly temps and those who sent good wishes and provided lunch. Gravel was spread, dirt was moved and those St. Pius detention kids did a heckuva job on the hill. Thanks to Coach Winland for his help!

On to the Petrels: Three days of live action where the pitchers threw two innings each and we saw the hitters in game like action. We are very pleased with the progress of the team and the effort the guys are giving. I thought we hit fairly well considering this was the first live pitching of the season and the blustery conditions. Defensively we got better and better each day culminating in a error free game today. The little things like cutoffs and relays continue to get better. Pitching was solid all three days. Much improvement is needed but its a good start. We have so many options to go lineup wise, and it would be very hard to pick a starting nine as of today. 9 Days to the Opening game we have a long way to go.

We Roll On...

2008-01-25T08:13:00.000-08:00

We go live today for the first of three consecutive days of intrasquad action. The weather has been tough but the guys have fought through it. We continue to work hard pushing these guys every step of the way. After this weekend we should a little bit more about ourselves.

Big Workday Saturday hope to see everyone out and about!!

Wintry Mix

2008-01-22T07:13:00.000-08:00

The weather man said zero accumulation....now 1.5 inches is nothing and I'm not very good at math but 1.5 is greater than 0.

Calling all future broadcasters!

2008-01-15T16:27:00.000-08:00

This year we have added the Live Internet broadcast to our game day experience. What we need are a few good voices to send the Petrel games around the world over the Internet. If any one is interested in becoming the next Vin Scully or Haray Carey please contact me, ASAP. Right now we are short a few broadcasters which may mean less games over the net. So, if you are in the area and wanna help out, step on up!

Day 1

2008-01-14T19:37:00.000-08:00

Day 1 is in the books. As always the first day of practice was chilly and windy. But is was good to get out on the field and get started. I would say the guys as a whole looked a little rusty, and in some cases a little cold (especially the Florida boys!) Long way to go and a lot of work ahead of us.

On another note: The team will be taking part in some community service next Monday, MLK Day. We will be heading down to Southview Cemetery (burial place of Martin Luther King, Jr's parents) to work with Trees Atlanta in a cleanup and tree planting project. If you would like to help out please give me a call or email.

The Time is Here!

2008-01-11T11:24:00.000-08:00

First off, Happy 2008 to all the Petrel Fans out there! Its been awhile but the blog is ready to go! Oh, and so are your Petrels! Practice starts Monday the 14th with the conditioning test at 2pm followed by the first practice of the year. I promise tons of updates and more player posts.

A few News worthy Items:

The 2008 roster will open up with 26 players. 1 Senior, 1 Junior, 13 Sophomores and 11 Freshmen. There will be 13 total pitchers with 4 lefties.
We added a transfer at the break, Andy Farrey. He is a local guy from Chamblee High School and can play the outfield, 1st base and he also pitches.
Parents and players workday Saturday January 26th!! We need your help and support for a fun day of cleaning up "The Hill", the upper parking lot and other fun projects. John and Sara Pilger have taken the lead, look for more info coming soon!

2007 Highlight Video

2007-11-09T12:17:00.000-08:00

The 2007 Highlight Video is in the secttion to the left. I had to break the video down into three parts but the entire video is here. It can also be found on www.youtube.com. Enjoy!!

Dugout Railings

2007-11-06T13:13:00.001-08:00

Here is the next finished project....Dugout railings. Not only do they add safety to the field but it spruces up the front of the dugouts, it will save the grass in front of the dugouts, and it gives the players a nice spot to lean against to watch the game. On the third base side it takes the gate out of play, and also takes our bats out of play. On the first base side the stone wall is out of play along with the gate and most importantly it takes the unsafe cement ramp out of harms way!

3rd Base Dugout

1st Base Dugout

3rd Base Dugout

Cages Update

2007-10-10T17:07:00.000-07:00

We have come a long way and have waited a long time but here they are. What a huge boost for the program. Before and after shots of the cages. What a difference! There are a few more finishing touches but the guys have already starting hitting. A huge thank you goes out to all that helped make this happen. We have already begun on the next project, more on that later.

Dimensions:

Roofed and Carpeted area: 30' x 80' = 2,400 sq. feet

2 - 12' high x 12' wide x 60 ' long hitting tunnels
2- soft toss nets
Iron Mike pitching Machine
12' x 7' indoor mound
Lights for hitting at any hour

Old Cage

The New Cages

CHAMPIONS OF GOLD!

2007-10-08T14:16:00.001-07:00

Team Gold captured the 2007 Intrasquad World Series with a 6-4 win in game four held at Anderson Field. Andrew Llano was named the TORO World Series MVP hitting .385 with two HR's, three RBI's and four runs scored.

Game four was another thriller that was decided by a few big hits. Both teams were held to one hit apiece and zero runs through the first four innings. But team Gold broke through against reliever Spencer Kennedy in the 5th. Sean Tuttle led off with a double to right center then Brendan Pilger homered into the second row of the parking lot for a 2-0 advantage. After and error and a fielder's choice, Cliff Cross tripled to right center to knock in another run. Cross would later score on a wild pitch to make the score 4-0. Gold capped off the scoring by plating two in the sixth when Llano laced his second HR of the series over the left field wall.

Gold's John Hale and Sam Briend combined for 5 innings only giving up 3 hits and 1 run. Briend picked up the win. Andrew Llano earned the save by coming in with the bases loaded in the seventh, but induced the game ending double play to start the celebration.

Brendan Pilger was game 4 TORO Player of the Game going 2 for 4 with a towering HR and a triple. He also scored twice and knocked in two runs.

Petrel Fodder:

Fall baseball is officially over. It was good 4 weeks. We are a lot further along than we were one year ago today. There is a lot of work to be done but the foundation is in place.
Thanks for the wonderful fans who came out and supported the teams. Today we drew a respectful 19 fans, not quite the record but not bad considering the start time.

We will start our player profiles in the next couple of weeks so stay tuned.

Have a Wonderful Petrel Day...GO PETRELS!

Gold rallies for 5-4 victory and 2-1 series lead

2007-10-07T15:23:00.000-07:00

On a beautiful Sunday morning the Gold team rallied from a 3-0 deficit to move within one game of taking the title. Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth a mental error, a throwing error and two big hits plated 3 runs and left team Black looking for answers.

Casey Kuebler led off the 6th with a chopper to first, but pitcher Chris Lucas hesitated to cover first and Kuebler beat the play. Then Ben Giddens laid down a perfect sac bunt but Lucas threw the ball wide at first that set up 1st and 2nd with no outs. Theo Stathakis followed with a sharp single to left field knocking in Kuebler. After a wild pitch and a ground out to third, Sean Tuttle hit a two strike pitch into center field bringing in both runs and giving Gold their first lead of the game, a lead they would not relinquish.

Team Black's rally in the 7th fell 90 feet short when Anthony Palladino struck out with Lucas standing at third base. For team Black Spencer Kennedy was 2 for 2 with a walk and Austin Benedict was 1 for 3 with a run scored and a RBI.

Casey Kuebler was named the TORO player of the game going 2 for 2 with a walk and two runs scored. Kuebler also picked up the win pitching the final two innings.

Game 4 Monday at 1pm.

Black 4
Gold 5

W-Casey Kuebler (1-1)
L- Chris Lucas (1-1)

Petrel Fodder:

For the third straight game Hermance Stadium broke the attendance record. A huge crowd of 22 showed up to cheer on their favorite players and were treated to a fantastic game.
While the game was going on, work on the cages continued..As of 1pm today all the hooks, and turnbuckles were installed along with 2 of the 9 cable lines. Stay Tuned.
Team Gold turned back the clock wearing the vintage white sleeveless jerseys, first worn in 1995.
Team Black will don the 'old school" pin strips in game 4. The pins were only worn for one season in 1999.

Gold evens the series with a 10-3 pounding of Black...

2007-10-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

The Gold used three, three run innings to put away Black 10-3 tonight at Anderson Field. Behind a potent 11 hit attack and a strong pitching performance Gold evened the best of five series at one. Andrew Llano was the TORO Player of the Game going 2 for 5, with 2 runs and a RBI including a laser home run in the the third.

Every starter in the Gold lineup except the pitcher spot had a hit. Brendan Pilger and Llano each had two and this game got out of reach early. In the top half of the first after a one out walk to JJ Rizzo, Llano singled. After a double steal to set up 2nd and 3rd, Casey Kuebler atoned for his costly mistake last night with a big two out, two run single. Ben Giddens followed with an RBI single that put Gold ahead 3-0 and they would never look back.

In the third, Llano led off with a homer to left followed by a Cliff Cross double down the right field line. Kuebler then put a bunt down the third base line which relief pitch Brad Brickhouse could not handle, then rushed a throw to third which sailed into left field and scored a run.

Sam Briend started for the Gold and threw 2 innings giving up 1 unearned run on one hit. He struck out two and walked one. JJ Rizzo pitched two solid innings picking up the win in relief. Jonathan Joseph and Llano pitched the final 3 innings to finish of the Black.

Stephen Archer was 2 for 3 for team Black.

R H E
Gold 10 11 2
Black 3 5 2

Series tied 1-1
W- JJ Rizzo (1-0)
L- Spencer Kennedy (0-1)
HR- Andrew Llano (1)

Game 3 is Sunday at 10am.

Petrel Fodder:

After breaking the attendance record a night before, Hermance Stadium busted at the seems with a energetic crowd of 19 and 1 dog. Celebrities in the crowd included VP and Dean of students Tim Doyle.
Tim Ernst and Justin Bach handled the umpiring duties from behind the mound.
The squads will take Saturday off and take part in Hands on Atlanta community service project.
In the best news of the night: VP Peter Rooney and workers will be at OU early Saturday morning to hang the nets. The are hoping to finish them over the weekend. I'll believe when I see it.....

Black takes 1-0 lead with timely hitting.

2007-10-05T10:56:00.000-07:00

Team Black used a few bunts and some timely hitting to take game one 4-1 in the best of five series. Chris Lucas pitched a perfect 5th inning striking out two to pick up the win and Brad Brickhouse pitched the last two innings to pick up the save.

Team Black was outhit 7-5 but the hits couldn't have come at a better time. The Gold team held a brief 1-0 lead after JJ Rizzo scored on a groundout by Ben Giddens. But Team Black took the lead for good in the top of 5th when Matt Anderson led off the inning with his second hit of the day. Anthony Palladino followed with a grounder to 3rd, which 1st baseman Casey Kuebler could not handle the throw. The error advanced the runners to 2nd and 3rd. With the infield drawn in, Andrew Lofholm laced a single to shallow right-center to plate the first run. A sac bunt by Mario Rivera moved Lofholm to second, then Brad Brickhouse put down a perfect safety squeeze to make the score 2-0.

Gold had their best to chance to tie the game in the bottom of 6th after three straight singles by Andrew LLano, Cliff Cross and Kuebler. But Giddens trying to bunt his way on, grounded right back to the pitcher who started the back breaking 1-2-3 double play. Black would add on two more runs in the top of the seventh to bring the final score to 4-1.

Matt Anderson was named the TORO Player of the Game going 2-3 with a run scored.

Game 2 is Friday at 5pm.

Petrel Fodder:

Hermance Stadium broke an attendance record for an intrasquad game with 17.
Home plate umpire Dan Giordano worked his first and last game of his career.
Senior Nick Greenfield in his mangerial debut won his his first game as the skipper for the Black.

Game Recap

2007-10-01T18:19:00.000-07:00

The Petrels played their only fall game this past Friday and tied 0-0 in game one, then lost game two 7-5. Overall it was an OK day, some players stood out while others need to work on certain phases of their games. Here is the breakdown with grades of each phase of the game.

Pitching:
The staff held ACC hit less through the first 4 1/3 innings of game one. Nick Greenfield, Casey Kuebler, Spencer Kennedy, Patrick Falco and John Hale (in that order) held ACC to only 4 hits while striking out 4, walking 3 and not allowing a run. In fact only 1 runner reached third base.

In game two starter Brad Brickhouse pitched two hit less innings, then Sean Tuttle entered and could not pitch around an error, that led to two runs. He did strike out 4 in his two innings. He was followed by Jonathon Joseph, Chris Lucas and Sam Briend.

Grade: B
Overall it was a solid performance. A few too many walks in game two but for the most part we challenged hitters and made them put the ball in play.

Offense:
Only four hits in game one and really nothing could get started. Brendan Pilger led off the game with a hit but Matthew Cornwell lined into a double play to the SS. Andrew Llano, Cornwell and Austin Benedict each had a hit.

Game two showed a little more punch with the sticks. We collected 5 runs on 8 hits. Ben Giddens and Jason Mitchell each knocked in runs in the 3rd. In the 7th Austin Benedict and Theo Stathakis each had sac flies.

Grade: D
Even though we used wood bats we gave away at-bats. Only 3 walks to 12 strikeouts...not a good ratio. There were a few bright spots but the key word is few. No excuses, just execute.

Defense:
We turned 4 double plays, including 3 in the first game. 3B JJ Rizzo had 3 putouts, 7 assists and o errors in game one. He started a couple of double plays and looked confident in the field. Matthew Cornwell had a solid game at SS and 2B Theo Stathakis made all the plays. The outfield was not really tested but did make a few good plays.

Grade: A-
If the pitchers did not believe in their infielders before this game, they should now. A couple of really nice double plays and overall solid performance was very nice to see. This was our achilles heal last year. Consistency is key here, but a good start.

One part of the game where we absolutely stunk at was baserunning...3 pickoffs, not knowing how many outs, not being aggressive on turns...pathetic! When you don't hit you need to manufacture runs. The way we ran bases will not lead to runs but costs us runs. The biggest part of baserunning is hustle, we CAN do better. Something that needs to improve before the spring.

Black vs. Gold World Series Starts on Thursday. Should be a lot of fun.

Injury Update...

2007-09-30T09:43:00.000-07:00

I'll get to the games against ACC later this week but I wanted to update everyone on an injury that occurred on Saturday morning during practice.

Freshmen outfielder Jason Mitchell suffered a fractured sinus cavity and orbital bone when he fouled off a pitch directly under his right eye. He was rushed to the ER and underwent a CT scan. Thankfully he did not suffer any spinal or brain injuries. Jason was in good spirits late yesterday afternoon and our thoughts are with him and his family.

Fall Ball...

2007-09-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been awhile but I'm going to bring you up to speed on all that has been happening.

Fall practice is in full swing and the first impressions are very good. Almost every position on the field has a heated competition and its been exciting to watch the guys push each other every day. This is something we have not had here at OU in a long time.
The pitching staff (and we can actually call it a staff) is starting to impress. In our first fall intrasquad they threw a combined 16 innings only walking 2, while striking out 14.
We have been using wood bats all fall and the guys are starting to get the feel of how to handle a real bat. I have always been a huge proponent of using wood bats in college baseball. We will use the wood all fall and winter, we believe that wood teaches you how to get the barrel on the ball and take the proper swing path .
Fall Game this Friday 4pm at Anderson Field!! Doubleheader against Atlanta Christian College. We are still working on getting the LIVE stats going for this game.

There has been little change in the status of the batting cages....
We have started to get some response on the Petrel Partner program. We are looking to really step up our efforts here in the next few weeks. A couple of projects we are looking at are: Adding padded railings in front of both dugouts, adding lights inside the dugouts, new Casey pitching machine, and a Turf Halo around home plate.

Have a Great Petrel Day!!

Welcome to the Show!

2007-09-12T07:38:00.000-07:00

We are officially in countdown mode for the start of fall practice. T-minus 30 hours and counting....

The guys have already been working out with Infinite and practicing on their own, but tomorrow starts the run at a SCAC Championship. We will preach Detail, Consistency, and Attitude during the fall practice sessions. With a roster of 25 including 12 pitchers every second and every rep in practice is very important. There are some battles already shaping up and a few 'off' days may cost some guys precious at-bats. Everything will be taken into account when we ultimately turn in the starting lineup on February 6th, 2008. For the first time since I've been here we are at least two deep at every position and have a strong staff of pitchers.

News and Notes:

Cages are STILL not done. I have been promised about 4 dates since July...each one has passed by with little care by the administration. We have this beautiful building sitting their collecting dust. What a waste!
Spring schedule is up on the website! Start making your plans now! Hotel arrangements will be made within the next month or so...When they are available we will post them here.
Suggestions? How can we improve the website? What information would you like to see? Let us know!

Have a Great Petrel Day!!

LiveWebcast

2007-08-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

We have acquired the technology to webcast home events starting with soccer this fall. We are not sure of how many games baseball will stream but we'll make every effort to do most of the home games. Along with live streaming each game will be podcast which means it will be downloadable 24 hours after the event. In addition there will be a Coaches Corner show which will be available via podcast. The goal is to get a title sponsor for the show, hint, hint.

We are currently looking for play-by-play and color commentators. If you would like to volunteer please contact me directly.

Dgiordano at oglethorpe . edu

Have a wonderful Petrel Day!

Petrel Partners

2007-08-23T11:54:00.000-07:00

We have finally been given the OK to go out and raise some money for the program. We are calling it the Petrel Partners and it is exclusive from the Stormy Petrel Club. This program is designed to aid budget and to help elevate the experience of the student-athletes.

We have three levels of giving:

"Member" $500: Receives "mentions" on any web cast (I'll explain webcast later, but basically we will broadcast almost all home contest live on the Internet,) will be listed in all programs. Free tickets to OU Basketball games upon request.

"Partner" $1,500: Receives at least two "mentions" on any web cast, listing in all programs, signage in one venue (Dorough, Soccer Field or Baseball Field) and an invitation to a game for all employees and their families.

"Preferred Partners" $3,000: Receives at least four "mentions" on any web cast, title sponsorship of one coach's show, listing in all programs, signage in all three venues and a game sponsorship. Game sponsorships includes free admission for all employees and their families and reserved seating for that game.

If you give money to baseball, that money will go to baseball!

If you would like to become a Petrel Partner or have any suggestions please contact me directly. We do have a few needs this year for the baseball program as we continue our quest for a SCAC Championship.

Go Petrels!!

Facilities Update

2007-08-20T17:32:00.000-07:00

We have brought on a new field maintenance company for the 2007-2008 season. In the past few years Anderson Field has been transformed into a respectable college field. It will only get better!!

Update on the batting cages.....drum roll please......still not finished. It is very disappointing that the baseball athletes have had to endure this. The project started way back in February and we are still waiting for the nets to be hung. Trust me that I'm doing all that I can do to make this happen, ASAP.

Ladies and Gentlemen.....

2007-08-17T17:58:00.000-07:00

We are one week away from freshmen move-in and the start of another season. I can't tell you how excited I am about the 2008 season and the potential to do some special things. Right now we have a roster of 25 (1 senior, 1 junior, 13 sophomores and 10 freshmen)...the largest since 1997.

Over the next few weeks we will begin the journey to a SCAC Championship with the start of team workouts, player practices then finally some Official practices and intrasquad games.

There will be a wealth of information coming out within the next three weeks so stay tuned.

See everyone in the next week or so, and I hope your travels are safe

News...

2007-05-26T08:56:00.000-07:00

Recruits: We have received 8 commitments to this point. We are still waiting on a final decision from a few more...NCAA rules prohibit me from announcing their names until they register for class, they should be signing up for classes soon.
Grades: Most of the guys did fairly well this past semester, but there is room for improvement. I expect everyone to improve on their grades in the fall, everyone.
Cage Update: The lights are going up and the outside has been painted. Once the lights are done the turf will go down then the nets will be put up. I'm thinking once they are finished we'll have some sort of UN-official ceremony. I'll keep you updated.

Hopefully your Memorial Day plans involve some baseball, I talked with JJ this past week...He's playing 6 games in a Memorial Weekend American Legion Tournament....those were the days.

Go Petrels!!

Brackets are Set...

2007-05-14T17:02:00.000-07:00

The 2007 NCAA DIII Baseball Championship brackets are set....No Millsaps, No Rhodes! Its really a shame that both of these teams are not going to play again this year. I will tell you the SCAC coaches are going to change the current SCAC game scheduling (if the AD's and Presidents approve it) to help make us more attractive on the national scene. Expect changes for the 2009 season.

So, I'm looking at the brackets and trying to find a team to root for....Who is everyone rooting for??

Random Thoughts on a 'Stormy' Night....

2007-05-12T16:55:00.000-07:00

Tim Ernst, Robert Pavelka, Andrew Tulowitzky, and Matt Woodruff have walked across the stage and have graduated! Congrats!
Recruiting continues to go forward in a positive direction. Its a good mix of pitchers, catchers and middle infielders. More to come..
DIII Baseball will select the field of 53 for its Championship Tournament on Sunday night. It is not an exact science by any stretch of the imagination, but they use a Quality of Wins Index to help determine the at large berths. This thing is comparable to the BCS....and on a smaller scale creates just as much controversy. There are 33 Automatic Qualifiers who have won their conferences. Austin College is representing the SCAC as an AQ. There are another 6 selected from Pool B. Pool B are teams are in conferences that do not have an AQ....Emory is a Pool B team. Then there are 14 Pool C selections...these are for anybody who did not get a A or B selection. This is where the QOWI comes in play. To even have a chance you need a 9.5 or better (just for fun I figured ours to be 6.6, not bad considering we only won 10 games, more on that in a minute). Rhodes (36-10) and Millsaps (35-11) are in consideration for a Pool C berth....both have QOWI's around 9.5. With a load of upsets in the conference tournaments around the country their chances are dwindling slowly....Stay tuned to http://www.d3baseball.com/ for updates.
OU's QOWI in 2007 was 6.6. We play one of the hardest, if not the hardest in-region schedules in the south. 25 wins would get us some serious consideration for an at-large berth next year. Obviously winning the SCAC is #1 on the goal sheet and as a consolation you get the AQ to the Championships.

May = Depression

2007-05-07T17:09:00.000-07:00

A lot of people ask me if I'm catching my breath...honestly, I wish I never had a chance to catch my breath. Right Austin is preparing to go to the regionals, Rhodes and Millsaps are practicing and praying they each get a chance to go to the "Dance". I think Rhodes has a better chance but I wouldn't be surprised if both watched from home.

As I start to look back at the year and evaluate, a few things stick out in my mind.

First, damn we were young. I know I've said it before but damn....Next year 1 senior, 1 junior, 13 sophomores and about 8-10 freshmen. The best part is those 13 sophomores will have had a TON of experience.

Second, 10-32 doesn't really tell the story. 22 game losing streak don't happen every year. Outside of the streak we were 10-10, that is a better indication of how good this team was...

Third, until the SCAC goes away from 4-game weekends we will all struggle in mid week games. Only three teams were over .500 in the SCAC. Not even the SCAC Champs were over .500!! Playing LaGrange, Emory, Huntingdon, Piedmont during the week after a SCAC series is tough! But what ever doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

In case you could not make it to the banquet here are the 2007 Team Awards:

MVP: Tim Ernst
Offensive POTY: Andrew Llano
Defensive POTY: JJ Rizzo and Brendan Pilger
Rookie of the Year: Stephen Archer
Pitcher of the Year: Nick Greenfield
Stormiest Petrel: Robert Pavelka

Season Recap

2007-05-07T10:55:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since my last post...I'm sorry. Over the next few days I will recap the season in a few posts. During the course of the summer I will add updates. Stay tuned!

Live Radio and Tidbits

2007-04-18T19:42:00.000-07:00

Trinity University will provide live Internet radio broadcast for all games Friday and Saturday along with live stats. The radio play-by-play I think will be through windows media player. The SCAC Divisional Playoff page has a ton of information along with the Internet broadcast.

http://www.scac-online.org/baseball_divisional07/index.htm

The Petrels leave for Memphis, TN Thursday morning at 9am. We will practice Thursday night at Millington.

Other News:

They finally poured the slab of concrete in the batting cages today.
Future Petrel News: So far we have 6 commitments from high school seniors to continue their careers at Oglethorpe. It is shaping up to be another great class.
Just the beginning: Tim Ernst was named OU's Male Athlete of the Year today.

Go Petrels....Beat Millsaps!

Millington Information

2007-04-16T16:57:00.000-07:00

The pairings and times have been announced.

Your Petrels will play Friday and Saturday at 8pm CT against Millsaps College who is currently ranked 22nd in the country. Here are a couple of links to follow the action and stories.

http://www.scac-online.org/baseball_divisional07/index.htm

http://www.usabaseballstadium.org/

The team will be leaving Thursday morning around 9am and will hold a practice either at Rhodes College or USA Stadium.

More on the matchup later.

Have a great Petrel Day!!

We're In!!

2007-04-14T12:52:00.000-07:00

With a first day split against DePauw and a Sewanee loss on Friday night your Petrels are heading to the playoffs for the first time since 2004. We will play on Friday the 20th in Millington, TN against either the one or two seed from the west. Time to be determined. I will have final details Monday afternoon and will post here with game times, etc. Also, keep up to date at www.scac-online.org.

Game 1: L 10-6
Game 2: W 8-3

Great hitting performances on Friday....Ernst was 6 for 9, Llano knocked in 7 runs, Pilger had 4 hits. Rizzo and Anderson had some key hits.

Tuttle scattered 12 hits and gave up only 2 earned runs in a complete game effort. For those of you not in attendance Tuttle did not have his best offspeed, but effectively hit his spots and moved the ball in and out. He twice loaded the bases with no outs and pitched out of trouble with zero runs.

Today its rainy, cold and windy....We just went and saw one of the worst movies ever in Blades of Glory....not one of Will Ferrell's best. Tonight we'll feast as a team as we start to gather some momentum for the SCAC playoffs. Congrats to the team, but our work is just beginning. Good to see Ernst, Pavelka and Woody get one last shot at a SCAC title. For the young guys the experience of postseason will aide our quest for a SCAC Championship in future years. Up first DH against DePauw then a DH against LaGrange.....

Have a Great Petrel Day!!

4/11 LaGrange Postponed

2007-04-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

We have postponed today's game against LaGrange. We will play a doubleheader (2- 7 inning games) against them on Tuesday 4/17 starting at 5pm.

SWEEP!

2007-04-07T18:49:00.000-07:00

With the 3 game sweep of Sewanee on the frozen mountain, the Petrels have set themselves up for a playoff berth. The magic number to clinch is 2. 2 OU wins, 2 Sewanee losses or an OU win and a Sewanee loss will send us to our first playoffs since 2004.

Nick Greenfield recorded 2 wins in 9 ininngs pitched.
Tim Ernst recorded two saves.
Sean Tuttle came within one out of a complete game victory.

Offensively every one contributed...Two out hits were the key.

Game 1: Down by one in the last inning with none on and two outs the Petrels rallied for two runs. Game 3: None on and two out the Petrels send 7 to the plate and score 3 runs.

Rizzo had an outstanding weekend, Lucas knocked in some HUGE runs. Ernst continued his hot pace. The bottom of the lineup including Archer, Anderson, Giddens and Stathakis were clutch.

Defensively we had the best weekend of play all year, on the worst field we've played on.

Final week of the regular season is upon us. @ Emory on Tuesday, @ LaGrange on Wednesday the onto DePauw. Time to start gaining momentum.....Win a couple of Non-conference, Georgia Cup games then win a couple of games at DePauw then onto the SCAC Divisional Playoff in Millington, TN.

Depauw does a great job with Live stats and Internet radio broadcasts. We will NOT be doing live stats, we'll let Depauw handle them. Here is the link to Depauw's website. The links are on the right.

http://www.depauw.edu/ath/baseball/

More information on the Divisional Playoffs later this week.

Happy Easter and Go Petrels!

Ding Dong the Streak is Over!!

2007-03-30T19:25:00.000-07:00

Hale outstanding effort on the hill...
Greenie shuts it down for the save...
Ernst game tying triple then steals home....sort of
Rizzo takes one off the chest at 3B, then knocks in first run of game....
Pilger gets black eye and bloody nose from thrown ball in warmup...

Hendrix player slips on wet turf as he rounds third in bottom of the ninth...crazy, crazy, crazy game...But its a win

More to come.....

Well....

2007-03-25T17:22:00.000-07:00

Where do we go from here? 21 straight and no answers in sight....All three phases of the game have gone cold. Pitching has been dismal, the starters have not given us quality innings and the relievers have not thrown strikes. Hitting has been...inconsistent....we can get guys on base but we have not been getting the big hit. Defensively we have not made plays, dropped fly balls, missed cutoffs, not charging ground balls, not getting behind pop ups....it goes on and on. Basic baseball 101...

We must stay together and stay the course. In a really bad analogy, we may have lost some battles but the war is not over. There is too much talent for us to feel sorry for ourselves and give up on the season. No way. Not me...never. There is still plenty of baseball left for us to still make a run....but we need to figure it out ASAP.

Here is the reality of the situation. We have two choices:

1) Play out the games. Hang our heads, talk about the bad breaks, the missed chances and how young we are....Let the past dictate our future and when postseason play begins follow along with the live stats.

2) Pick up each other off the ground, dusts ourselves off and get after it. Learn from our mistakes. Build on the positives. Start creating our own breaks and get back to playing the game. Use the next two weeks to create some momentum and ride the wave into Sewanee, DePauw and beyond....

"The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man's determination"

-Tommy LaSorda

My favorite manager of All Time....He's the guy who can take his and beat yours....then take yours and beat his. I would give anything to sit down and talk to him about baseball and life over a nice homemade Italian dinner. Doesn't get much better than that...

You Gotta Believe...Go Petrels!

Centre Meltdown....

2007-03-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

I'm at a loss....20 straight is starting to take its toll. 14 hits in game 2 today....14 LOB and only 4 runs....we need a huge individual effort from someone to get the monkey off our backs....Almost a must win on Sunday...If your around town we need your support!

Update on the Batting Cages....

2007-03-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

Cross Roads....

2007-03-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

The Petrels have finished their first half of the season with a disappointing 4-17 record. After starting the season 4-0 we have fell on hard times with 17 straight losses...Hard to believe, but on March 16th it will be one month since our last victory. When examining the season thus far there really is not been one thing that sticks out on why we have not been able to break through....but I do know that it is not too late. We can still do some special things.

The team has been given off 4 consecutive days starting today. We need to refresh our bodies and minds and come back with a new sense of vigor and enthusiasm for the game. In one of my favorite movies there is a great line that applies to this exact situation:

"When the job goes wrong, you go back to the beginning." -Inigo Montoya

And that's exactly what we will do...We'll have 4 days of practice to go back to the basics, cover all the little things and be prepared as possible to play Centre College next week. I am the head coach and I take accountability for MY team. It is my job to put the guys in the best possible situations to win ballgames. During the next four days I will re-evaluate everything from the way we stretch to the way we call pitches. We will work not until we get it right, but until we can't get it wrong. I promise you we will be prepared. This team makes it fun to come to the ballpark each and everyday. They refuse to give up and I expect them to come back and get this going in the right direction. We have two Seniors who are staring their final 20+ games right in the face....I know both of them won't go without a fight. The freshmen on this team are no longer freshmen...they have been in the trenches, they have seen all they need to see. Time to relax, play ball and get Stormy on some folks.

With 12 SCAC games left we are by no means out of this thing. The 'real' season has only just begun. Centre College is up next and they are a very good team. Scrappy, hard-nosed and they can hit. If they do have a weakness (and all teams do) it is their pitching depth. It will be a fun weekend of some great baseball.

For all the doubters out there, for all the people who have jumped off the bandwagon....We'll see you in Memphis at the SCAC Playoff.........we'll save you a seat and a hot dog.

Go Petrels!!

Turning Point...

2007-03-11T16:35:00.000-07:00

What a draining weekend...physically, mentally and emotionally. Four very tough losses to a good baseball team, 10-7. 8-6. 8-7, 10-9. What I take from this weekend is the coming of age of a program ready to explode on the SCAC. Rhodes came into Atlanta with a 12-2 record, the returning SCAC pitcher of the year, an offensive averaging nearly ten runs a game, and a boat load of momentum. Rhodes is a team that starts juniors all over the field who have played together for nearly 2 1/2 years...they were in our situation two years ago. What they ran into this weekend was an Oglethorpe team that played full throttle every pitch of every game. We played a gritty, hard-nosed style of baseball that is just so much fun to watch. That is what I dream of as a coach. Give me a group of guys with character, attitude and determination...I'll show you a team that is going to win A LOT of ball games over the next four years.

Losing four games in conference is hard to swallow, but there were more positives than negatives this weekend. I'm sure I'll leave out one or two but please feel free to post some of your top moments from the weekend:

Tim Ernst now holds the OU career hits record at 191...congratulations!
Gutsy start by Chris Lucas in Saturday's 2nd game...5 innings of really solid pitching...
Mario Rivera continues to get better...he can win a lot of games for this team...
JJ Rizzo had a clutch HR against Flanagan, wow....
Stephen Archer, all he does is hit and hit and hit some more...
Andrew Llano continued to hit and made some very nice plays in the field, especially the diving play in game one...
Good to see Robert Pavelka get hot with the stick, and to see his blocking skills improve. What about those two caught stealing's in game 4, both on low curveballs!! Teams think they can run against us...keep trying boys.
Ben Giddens is starting to find his stroke...a couple of big hits and a couple of "Atom balls"....
Evan Baker was solid at 2nd base and swung the bat like we know he can...

Really we played good enough to win a couple of those games. Unfortunately we didn't get too many breaks this weekend. I feel bad for the rest of our teams on the schedule...if we play like we did this weekend, and get those breaks to even out....watch out!

The fun doesn't stop...

Tuesday 2pm against Heidelberg
Tuesday 6pm against Franklin and Marshall
Wednesday 3pm against Heidelberg

Both teams are very strong...one day to regroup and rest the bodies and then back to the field.

On a side note:

Most of you know that John Hale was not with us this weekend. His girlfriend was in a terrible car accident and has spent the last four days in the hospital down in Florida. She is doing better and is hopeful to return home soon. Our thoughts are with John, Margo and their families.

Hooray!!

2007-03-07T16:59:00.000-08:00

They have finally started on the new batting cages! The land has been cleared and leveled. Thursday they come out to remove two HUGE pine trees...I wish they would take every single tree starting right next to the stadium all the way down the left line....maybe something to take a look at...

Here is a breakdown of the new cages:

30 x 80 feet of 4 inch concrete slab covered with 50 oz. woven astro-turf, all under a shingled roof which will be lighted. Inside will feature two side-by-side, 12 foot wide x 60 foot long cages on independent sliding systems that will allow us to also take groundballs, two soft toss stations, an Iron Mike Pitching machine and an indoor mound. The cages will run parallel to the fence where the old cage used to stand.

Old Cage on top, cleared land on the bottom. Those two pine trees on the right are being removed as I write this....

Some Good Baseball

2007-03-06T18:23:00.000-08:00

Recap:
Matt Woodruff making his first appearance of the year pitched 4 fantastic innings, allowing one earned run while striking out 4. But in the end Emory had a few key hits to plate 6 runs to OU's 2....The Petrels had their hits but were unable to get the key hit with guys on base..

Lost in the box score:
For the first time all year the Petrels did not make an error....Emory's defense made some very nice plays that saved at least a few runs, all you can do is tip your cap to them....

Coach Recap:

Look, losing is not OK...what we did today was play good, fundamentally sound baseball. It will take that and few big hits for us to get this thing going. Rhodes is up next with a BIG 4 game set this weekend. Rhodes was in the same boat we were a few years ago when they had a bunch of freshmen starting and learning how to play and win together. Now all those guys are juniors and they are mopping up...Hard work will get us to that point....but who says that point can't be now?!?!? Time to strap it up, bring your best because everything is magnified when conference rolls around.....Hope to see everyone there!!

Banner!

Lookin Ahead...

2007-03-05T19:11:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to recap the past two games, because frankly I don't want to think about them again. We learn from the past and move on to the future....

Big week for your Petrels, 1st we travel across town to face 'The Evil Empire' better known as Emory University. Then we start conference play with Rhodes College coming to town.

Emory is currently ranked 19th in the country, and is a very good team. They always are...doesn't matter though....no matter how good they are we always seem to play some of our best games against them. It will be no different on Tuesday.

We are so close to getting over this hump and run off a string of victories....Emory is just the team to get it going in the right direction.

Go Petrels!

Booted Away...

2007-03-01T17:30:00.000-08:00

Recap:
In a good ole fashioned college baseball slugfest the Petrels dropped their...gulp...seventh in a row , 14-10 to visiting LaGrange College. John Hale and Nick Greenfield battled through 9 errors to keep the team in the game but in the the end LaGrange was able to capitalize on the miscues. Rizzo and Baker each had three hits and three RBI's, Llano continued his hot stroke with two hits and Stephen Archer chipped in two hits and an RBI.

Lost in the box score:
Nine errors tells the story....Hale was effective getting 12 ground ball outs, and only allowing 3 earned runs, all to one guy who hit two HR's. Petrel pitchers only allowed one walk, an intentional one at that...Greenfield struck out five in 2 1/3 innings..

Coach's Recap:
Good: We smacked the ball around against some very good pitchers. Bad: We did give up 16 hits. Ugly: 9 Times!! We absolutely run away from LaGrange if we catch the baseball. Bottom Line.

Up Next: Huntingdon College Friday at 7pm est. and Saturday at 2pm est ---

If If's and buts were candy and nuts.....

2007-02-26T19:19:00.000-08:00

Recap:
After battling back from a rough first inning, the Petrels dropped a heart breaker 9-7 to Adrian College which runs their losing streak to six games. A couple of walks, two errors and one hit gave Adrian a quick 5-0 lead in the first. But the Petrels came battling back to take a 7-5 lead with a couple of key hits from Evan Baker. Sean Tuttle went 6 innings giving up seven runs, two earned and allowed five hits. He did walk four batters which came back to haunt him...Nick Greenfield went the final three innings allowing one earned run and did not allow a hit. Once again three walks and a hit batter cost him in the end. The Petrels did pound out 10 hits, Ernst and Llano had three a piece and Baker had 2 hits and 2 RBI.

Lost in the box Score:
Once again the inability to make a few key plays did us in....Brandon McMichael making his first college start gave us a spark at the bottom of the lineup, don't let his 0-2 fool you....

Coach's Recap:
Well, your Petrels brought the enthusiasm to the field that we expect. Unfortunately it did not translate into a W. Bottom line we have to get better in the field, cut down our walks on the hill, cut down our strikeouts and get that big hit. Simply, right? We'll continue to work hard and get better. SCAC games start in two weeks. LaGrange this Wednesday at Anderson Field. I bet their ready for some revenge. Get ready boys, we started our first streak against them, lets start our next streak on Wednesday!!

Game Change

2007-02-24T19:21:00.000-08:00

We have moved Sunday's game against Adrian College to Monday at 4pm...

Two To Forget....

2007-02-24T18:47:00.000-08:00

Recap:
Friday night saw the Petrels drop a heart breaker 8-7 to the Huntingdon Hawks. We committed 5 errors which lead to at least half of their runs. John Hale was tough but not as sharp as his previous outings...he gave us a chance and that's what you ask for in a pitcher. It was nice to see the 'O' finally step up. Saturday brought the Hawks back to Anderson Field but it wasn't meant to be for the Petrels....hours before game time our starting pitcher called in sick with a case of food poisoning (by the way he ate at El toro on Peachtree Industrial, I tell you this b/c he's not the first player to get hit by a food problem at the restaurant). Chris Lucas stepped in as the emergency starter and was effective for four innings. JJ Rizzo and Tim Ernst combined for the final five innings...Offensively Andrew Llano, Robert Pavelka and JJ Rizzo each had two hits including Pavelka and Rizzo hitting back-to-back HR's in the ninth...

Lost in the Box Score:
Timely errors and mental mistakes killed us all weekend long.....Good to see the offense show some life....Nick Greenfield in his new role threw three dominant innings of relief Friday nights striking out six out of his nine outs....

Coach's Recap:
We have some played some less than inspiring baseball the last week or so. I don't get that? We have 40 games a year....that's it! You get 4 years to play college baseball...then, guess what? Baseball is over. Time to go to work for that accounting firm, maybe a bank, shoot if your lucky maybe you get to coach baseball for a living. But I'll tell you this, as lucky as I am to be around the game everyday, I'll give anything to put that Petrel uniform on for one more game. One more game....to toe the rubber and battle for 9 innings with 20 of my best friends. Afterwards talk about each play, hit and pitch. Second guess the coach's moves, mess with one of the guys who made a very UNathletic play, and talk about the next victim on the schedule. Go to bed that night sore as the body can be sore (believe me those are the best nights to fall asleep). I miss all of that, and believe me winning and losing mattered but the way we approached the game of baseball meant even more. Every second you spend on the diamond you should be thankful you have the opportunity to play baseball. Ask Tim Ernst or Robert Pavelka what they would give to be back in any of the freshman's cleats?

Up next Adrian College.....

One of those days....

2007-02-22T17:30:00.000-08:00

Recap:
Reinhardt used three walks and three hits in the top of the first to score three runs and never looked back in route to a 6-1 victory over the Petrels. The Petrel offense could not find a groove and only managed two hits and one run.

Lost in the Box Score:
Not much...The Petrels had a chance to jump on the board early in the game, but a baserunning blunder cost at least one run.

Coach's Recap:
Look, sometimes you don't hit. I'm sure at one point in the season the hitting will get hot and the pitching will struggle...It's part of the game. This one is behind us and we move on. Three big games this weekend against quality D3 opponents. Huntingdon College Friday and Saturday, then Adrian College on Sunday...The weather has finally turned MUCH warmer so come on out, enjoy a hot dog or two and catch your Stormy Petrels in action!!! John Hale goes on Friday with Sean Tuttle on Saturday.

Frozen Over...

2007-02-18T06:43:00.000-08:00

Recap:
Playing through a constant snow fall, and a chilling wind the Petrels dropped their first two games of the year. Game 1 ended in a 7-1 loss. Sean Tuttle went 5+ innings and threw the ball very well. He held Maryville in check for 5 innings than ran into the proverbial 'wall'. Patrick Falco made his OU debut and gave us 2 great innings. Game 2 saw the Petrels fall behind 4-0 in the first inning, a lead that would eventually reach 5 nothing before the Petrels rallied for 3 runs in the third inning. But that was all the scoring we could muster. Nick Greenfield threw the first two innings before leaving the game with tightness in his shoulder. Chris Lucas came on and threw 3 innings of great relief followed by a perfect inning from Tim Ernst.

Inside the Box Score:
Over the last 22 innings the Petrel offense has been in a slumber. We have scored only 5 runs!! And left too many guys stranded at third...

Coach's Comments:
Nobody is going to panic at this desk. This is a good baseball team with a chance to do some great things. We went on that winning streak because of hard work, attitude and fantastic team chemistry. Starting today we'll go back to work and prepare for an always fun game at Reinhardt College on Wednesday. Pitching has been solid and has kept us in ballgames. Defense has been a little shaky at times but overall they have made the plays when they had to....Hitting has been the weakness thus far, especially with runners on third and we really have not had the clutch hitting needed to put teams away. I can hear the grumblings about the lack of batting cages, but I am confident the administration is working feverishly to get something done. Once everything is approved it should take no longer than two weeks to complete the project.

4-0....

2007-02-16T18:18:00.000-08:00

Recap:
A a very cold night (I'm tired of saying that) once again the Petrels found a way to win. John Hale continued his mastery and threw a gutsy 8+ innings, striking out 5 and allowing 6 hits. Nick Greenfield came in the 9th and slammed the door closed with two strikeouts. The offense (not really that offensive) had three hits but pushed across the game's only run.

Inside the Box Score:
Hale's effectiveness, Piedmont squared up only two balls all night.....Pilger's had the game's lone RBI with a SAC fly...Petrels had four stolen bases, three of them at third....Pavelka, even though struggled a bit at the plate, had a fantastic game behind the dish. Its not easy being a catcher...

Coach's Take:
Great teams find ways to win ballgames. Sometimes it ain't pretty, but it works. A quick turn around with a long day trip to Maryville. This will prepare us for conference weekends and is a good chance to see what were made of.... Weather forecast is high 30's with a rainy/snowy mix. School record for best start is 5-0 in 1995...2 games tomorrow, you do the math...

See you in the Winter Wonderland...Go Petrels!!

It's Here!!!

2007-02-15T19:13:00.000-08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen.....

Live Stats are here! Thanks to a generous donation we have acquired the technology to bring you live stats of all home games (and possibly some road games...we'll take it one step at a time). You can check out the interface at www.petrelbaseball.com/xlive.htm . We will also add a link to the Oglethorpe Baseball home page. Starting at 4pm Friday the game should update live after every play. So, for parents and friends not able to attend the games, turn on your computer, grab your favorite beverage and sit back and follow the game. Hopefully we are problem free, but if you do encounter a problem please post here and we will try and help you out....Obviously we would love to have you at the game, but this is the next best thing!!

Go Petrels!!

News and Notes

2007-02-15T07:07:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to John Hale...SCAC Pitcher-of-the-Week.
Piedmont game is Friday at 4pm...note the time change.
Thanks to all who have contributed to the Feed the Team during DH fund. If you haven't made your contribution already please contact John Ernst.
Saturday we travel to Maryville College, right now the weather forecast is calling for high 30's with snow likely!! Get ready boys...I bet there are at least a dozen guys on the team that have not seen snow. It's really not that fun when your trying to play baseball.
We've been working on some things behind the scenes to push Oglethorpe Baseball further into the technology age. We are trying to get everything finalized before this weekend so stay tuned!!
MLB pitchers and catchers start reporting today....I wish we were in Florida!

Game Change....

2007-02-13T14:17:00.000-08:00

We have moved our February 14th game against Piedmont to FRIDAY FEBRUARY 16th at 4pm....

See you there

Two is better than one...

2007-02-10T18:40:00.000-08:00

Recap:
On a cold blustery day, the Petrels ran their record to 3-0 with a sweep of the Scots. In game one Mario Rivera scattered 5 hits over 5 innings to pick up his first college win. John Hale picked up his first college save throwing 2 innings and only giving up 1 hit. Offensively JJ Rizzo and Matt Anderson both had 2 hits in the pitchers duel.....Game 2 saw the Petrel bats catch on fire as they pounded out 13 hits and scored 5 runs in the first and 3 in the second. Andrew Llano led the offense going 3 for 4 with 3 runs and 2 RBI's. Greenfield picked up the win and by his own account, could have pitched better....good enough is never good enough.

Lost in the Box Score:
Defense, defense, defense...Matt Anderson was stellar, made all but one play (and there were a lot)...Llano was solid at SS despite a few blunders, a few balls of which not many SS even get to....JJ played a flawless game at1B.....both catchers played GREAT!!!. Outfield 'D' was solid, Pilger made a beautiful running catch in front of the tarp, then a great catch over his head at the base of the wall. Tim should have caught a sinking liner, but we'll excuse him once in awhile (ha ha).

Coach's Recap:
Overall it was a good day. Pitching and defense in game one and defense and hitting in game 2. If you are solid in 2 out of the 3 phases of the game you will most likely win the game, we did today. There is still A TON of improvement to be made, we left too many guys on base. Especially with guys on third and less than two. Too many strikeouts!!! Pitching needs to be more consistent, and we can always make one or two more plays a game on defense. The 3-0 start is nice but the season is a marathon. We have a long way to go and a lot of work left before we reach our goals.......Enjoy the wins today, tomorrow we get back to work!

Game Time

2007-02-10T05:28:00.000-08:00

1pm Doubleheader Today agasint Maryville...

If your around stop by and see your Petrels in action!!

Mario Rivera starts game 1

Nick Greenfield starts game 2

SCAC Predicted Order of Finish

2007-02-09T08:27:00.000-08:00

The predicted order of finish came out today for the SCAC....SCAC Baseball.

You can check standings, stats, they have links to DIII baseball sites, etc....

Great site to keep up with the SCAC and where your Petrels stand!!

Maryville Update Later Today!!

Off with a Bang

2007-02-06T19:09:00.000-08:00

Recap:
After falling behind 6-0 after two innings the Petrels came storming back to take home a 10-7 victory over the LaGrange Panthers. Every starter scored a run....The offense was paced by JJ Rizzo who went 3-6 with 2 RBI, Tim Ernst 2-4 with 2 RBI and Robert Pavelka 2-5 with 2 runs scored.

Sean Tuttle started the game and had a rough first inning giving up 5 earned runs on 6 hits. Freshmen John Hale threw 4 innings of dominate relief only surrendering 1 walk to record his first college win. Nick Greenfield came on in the ninth with one on and no outs and recorded his first save of the season.

Lost in the Box Score:

Pitching staff only surrendered 2 walks...after LaGrange pounded out 10 hits in the first 4 innings, they had only 1 the rest of the game....Oglethorpe left 12 men on base....Even though Brendan Pilger was 0-4 at the plate he grinded out some great AB's, nothing worse to an opposing pitcher than a nine hitter who makes you throw a ton of pitches...Not one but two, fake to third pick at first play worked, one by each team in consecutive innings...Will anybody forget Llano tripping 5 feet from the plate, then wiggling his way to score, well done. I haven't seen 'The Worm' since 1986....

Coach's Recap:
Great win against a very good team. After a nervous pregame warm up and a tough start, the guys hung together and battled for a hard fought victory. I'm very impressed about the composure and ability to come from behind. Then, when we did grab the lead our pitching and defense really stepped up. Part of becoming a great team is learning how to win...that sounds easy but in reality it is very difficult...Attitude is everything!

We move forward . Maryville College is up next....More on them later.

Ready, set, Go!

2007-02-05T19:12:00.000-08:00

The marathon begins Tuesday at 3pm, in the hometown of Eddie LaGrange.

In the words of the immortal ACDC: "For those about to Rock, we salute you..."

LET'S GO PETRELS !!!

Roster Breakdown - The Frosh

2007-02-03T14:34:00.000-08:00

Of course, none of these guys of played a game in a Petrel uniform. I'm basing this all on practices and their high school careers. Coaches are not crystal ball readers, we tend to be wrong, only occasionally, in our assessments. Like last year..I said Freshmen Micah Seehorn would play great defense, give us some speed but would really struggle at the plate....40 games later he was a .295 hitter!?! There is much to be said when the lights go on. Some guys just have that switch.

Enjoy!

#2 - Brandon McMichael - Outfield / Second Base

A speedy Inf/OF with good hands and an above average arm. He can play both the infield and outfield but will probably see more time in the outfield early in his career. Brandon gives us a nice option off the bench with speed on the base paths and is a good bunter. He'll need to work on his stroke during the year to shorten up his swing. Has the potential to develop into a leadoff type hitter and a solid 2B...

#4 Andrew Llano - Shortstop

Llano joins us after a year hiatus from baseball and from the St. Pius baseball program. He'll be the first player to wear the #4 since the last SS to come from Pius to Oglethorpe, Ryan Meehan. Both guys have a very similar style of play, for Llano that means some pretty big shoes to fill. There is no doubt he has the attitude, work ethic and talent to surpass Meehan's illustrious OU career. Andrew has quick feet, great hands and a ROCKET arm. He has a sweet swing with surprising power and knows the game of baseball. He'll most likely hit in the top of the lineup and give us some surprising speed on the base paths. He also is one of the locker room champs at video games....which may or may not be a good thing?!?

#7 Austin Benedict - Outfield

One of three Lakeside boys on the roster....Austin is a speedy center fielder with a good arm that will see time at all three outfield spots this year. A great bunter with a nice swing. He'll need some AB's to adjust to the college pitching but he works very hard and there is no doubt he'll find a way. Once on the bases he puts tremendous pressure on the opposing pitcher with his great speed.

#8 John Hale - Pitcher

After nursing an injury in the fall, John is fully recovered and ready to go. He will step into the starting rotation and will be able to give us quality innings. He has an unbelievable knack for pitching and delivers with four quality pitches. We will lean on him to make an immediate impact and get us deep into games.

#11 Chris Lucas - Outfield / First Base

Lucas joins us after a year at Ranger JuCo in Texas. He brings with him four years of eligibility and a passion for the game. Once you see Chris you think baseball player...when you see him you'll know what I mean. A smooth swinging lefty with a great arm and good speed, he'll give us a few options in the outfield and at first base. Chris will also contribute on the hill, giving us a quality lefty out of the pen.

#13 JJ Rizzo - Infielder

JJ transferred in at the semester break from Rollins College and immediately made his presence known. He has a smooth stroke, soft hands and a great arm...Coming from South Florida he has quickly made the adjustment to the cold weather. He'll see a lot of time at 1B and will also see time around the infield. Look for him to bat in the top half of the lineup and be a big run producer for the offense. He'll also see some time on the hill both as a reliever and spot starter.

#15 Brendan Pilger - Right Fielder

Pilber continues his career at Anderson Field after spending the past two seasons patrolling RF for St. Pius...He's very athletic, with a great arm and good wheels. He's been working extremely hard at his hitting and if he continues, he can develop into a big time hitter. He'll spend most of the time in RF and we look for him to mature into a leader on and off the field.

#18 Ben Giddens - Catcher

Ander, the Best Madden player on the team, starts the season as the #2 catcher and a candidate to get some AB's as the DH. He delivers a powerful stroke and we'll look to get him as many AB's as possible throughout the year. Behind the dish he's a good receiver and an excellent blocker. He gives the pitchers instant confidence with his catching skills and knowledge. As a freshmen he'll need to make the most of his time and learn the college game...He'll come into 2008 as the leading candidate to catch full time.

#20 Matt Anderson - Third Base

Matty will begin the season as the starting third baseman. He brings a gritty, blue-collar type of play to the team which is suited well for 3B. He's not afraid to put his body in front of screaming grounder or stick his nose in on a tag. Offensively he shows surprising pop in his bat. He's a tireless worker and has a me against the world attitude.

#23 Theo Stathakis - Inf

Basketball has claimed another victim...Theo playing some BB rolled is ankle and was diagnosed with a grade 3 sprained ankle (not good), It may take a few months to get him back and the possibility of red shirt will be discussed.

#26 Patrick Falco - Pitcher

After a tough loss in the Sugar Bowl his draft stock dropped and his NFL career never materialized....Just kidding. That was Shane Falco! Patrick gives the Petrels depth in their bullpen and looks to start the season as the setup man. The hope is he can move into the closer role later in the year. Now on a regimented throwing program Pat will gain arm strength which will only help him some zip to his fastball to go along with a good curve ball...

#28 Mario Rivera - Pitcher

The Hondurian sensation looks to fill out the starting rotation. Coming from a predominately soccer country, Mario has not had the intense baseball training found in the states. He has already added a few pounds to his frame through Infinite and with a structured throwing program will add to his arm strength. He brings a great curve ball to the mound along with a good sinking fastball. He's been working on a nice 'hook' change that will make his fastball that more deceptive.

#32 Stephen Archer - 1st Base

The big man has sure impressed us early on and is pushing for some serious playing time. A nice solid swing with good power, Archer could develop into a big time run producer. He's shown good footwork and a good glove at first base. Practice and hard work will only make him better.

Date Change to Original Date...

2007-02-03T11:40:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you try and beat Mother Nature...Game is back on for:

Tuesday Feb. 6th 3pm

We can only learn from history...

2007-02-02T19:32:00.000-08:00

LaGrange, not much too say but we really do not like this team. Their coach is a great guy and has won everywhere he has been. I really respect him as a coach and a person. Probably one of my favorite coaches that I've played against, but there is something about playing LaGrange that we really do not like...maybe it has to do with Eddie LaGrange himself?

But I found this story up on their site, some pretty interesting stuff. May I point out that OU's last two wins against LaGrange, were games that I started and earned the win. Gentlemen, that's not really something I wish to say any longer.

Side note: Basketball teams sweep Austin, set to play Hendrix on Sunday.

Roster Breakdown - Juniors and Sophomores

2007-02-01T19:21:00.000-08:00

Juniors

# 5 Evan Baker - Second Base
Ebay begins his third year in the program and hopefully he can remain at his natural position for an entire year. A 2-bagger by trade, Bake started last year at SS for the Petrels, and while he did a great job he'll be even better at second base. He'll hit in the top half of the order and will constantly challenge pitchers on a day-to-day basis. Last year he led the team with a .350 BA after a notorious slow start, this year he has made the adjustment to the colder weather....If only we can get him to use less bleach....

#29 Nick Greenfield - Pitcher

Greenie is a talented pitcher with arguably the best 'stuff' on the team. With a good fastball, a new two-seamer, and a change to go along with the devastating slider and 12-6 curve, he is not short on quality pitches. He has shown flashes of dominance over the past two years but needs to be more consistent. There is no doubting his work ethic and determination to win. Greenfield will have to step up and and show the dominance he is capable of, every time he steps on the bump. Consistency is the key to Greenfield having a "Special" year...

Sophomores

#10 Brandyn Steen - Left Field / Second Base

Brandyn "#1" Steen has turned the corner....a rough 2006 has only made him stronger. He is attempting to make the switch from 2B to LF this year and has shown that he is capable of playing LF everyday, when the focus is right. Its not easy moving from a position that has a lot of responsibilities on every pitch, to a position that requires more patience. But with Steener's athleticism he should be fine. A good, aggressive hitter Steen has the chance to be a big contributor in the offense. His wheels are a huge asset and when he gets fully healthy will be able to steal his fair share of bases. Maturity from last season is evident in his daily work habits and that will only lead to greater success for the young Petrel.

#25 Sean Tuttle - Pitcher

King Tut burst on the scene last year with an impressive 6-2 record and 4-0 record in SCAC play. This year teams will be ready, so Tuttle needs to put in the extra work to stay one step ahead. He has great mechanics, a live fastball, good off speed pitches and a great feel on how to pitch. His imposing 6-4 frame lets him get on top of his fastball and create great backspin which makes it very difficult to hit. We'll need him to step up and do his thing all year. Along with Greenie these two will be at the top of the rotation for 2007 and 2008. I expect Tuttle to grasp the leadership role as a top pitcher and guide the rest of the talented but young staff. Sky is the limit for this guy.

Up next....the Lucky 13 Frosh.

Roster Breakdown -- The Seniors

2007-01-31T19:52:00.000-08:00

Here is the first part of the Roster Breakdown. We'll start with the Seniors.

#1 Tim Ernst - Outfielder / Pitcher

If there has been one constant around OU baseball it is Timmay. He has started every game for the Petrels since his arrival and knock on wood he WILL start every game in his career. I'm not sure if I can even fathom our team without him. He's the face of OU baseball, the poster boy. Even though he knows every stat, and calculates his batting average while rounding 2nd during a triple, he does not crave the attention. He would rather win and go 0-4 then lose and hit two HRs. He can do it all....Outstanding leadoff hitter that can hit, draw a walk, steal a base and has the knack for getting that clutch hit. When the game is on the line, I want him at the plate. He holds the school record for batting average and on base percentage in a single season among 20 or so other school records. His defense has saved too many runs to count and he has handled the pressure of replacing one of the best CF ever at OU in the infamous Bloody. Tim has also done his fair share of pitching, even though every year I swear he is not going to pitch....He has played SS, CF and even has done some catching for the Petrels. 2007 will be his farewell tour around the SCAC, believe me teams are not going to miss him. Tim will once again start in CF and leadoff....He is one of the leaders on and off the field. I look for him to have his best year, yet...And that's saying a lot...

# 16 Robert Pavelka - Catcher

Bob came to us last year after hopping around a few schools, building some docks and shooting some deer. Bob is the guy who can build anything out of toothpicks and knows just about everything there is to know about power tools. He has put his hands into every baseball project we have embarked on since he's been here and he's the first guy I call with a building/plumbing/maintenance problem. On the field Bob will open up as the starting catcher and hit somewhere in the middle of lineup. After taking a year off in 2005 from baseball, he started slow in 2006 but came on fast in the second half of the season. He is a mature, well rounded leader who commands instant respect from his teammates. I don't think many players who were infielders their whole lives could transition to catcher in their junior year of college as fast as he has...It really is remarkable on how much hes improved in the last year behind the dish. You really can't put a price on a good catcher. In 2007 I see Bob continuing his hot pace and along with Tim carrying this team to the postseason, and hopefully building a few more things before he leaves....

News and Notes 1/29

2007-01-29T16:28:00.000-08:00

One week from Tuesday the season will kick into high gear with the opener down at LaGrange College. LaGrange is always good, it will be a great first test for the young Petrel squad.
On February 10th we open up the home schedule with a doubleheader against Maryville College. We need parent volunteers throughout the season to help run the concession stand. We will be sending out an email asking for your help sometime this week. Any time you can give will be greatly appreciated. Remember the view from the concesion stand is the best seat in the house and also the warmest!!
This past Saturday we had our first intrasquad game and we won! Both teams looked good, it was a well played game with just a few mistakes on the defensive side. The hitting warmed up as both seniors (Bob and Timmay) went deep in the game and overall the hitting was decent. On the rubber all pitchers did a good job throwing strikes. The walks were few and far between, but they must work on being more consistent with all of their pitches...We continue to improve everyday. The season is a marathon not a sprint. As long as we bring intensity and fire to the field everyday things will take care of themselves.
Anybody see the box score from this weekend's basketball games? Senior secondbaseman Andrew Tulowitzky had a career high 36 points against Southwestern on Friday night. Tulo has now eclipsed the 1,000 career point mark. Congrats!! Can't wait till we get you back on the field! Aren't DIII athletics great.
Recruiting News: We continue to reach out and find the next Petrel star...This year the long arm of OU baseball has reached all the way out to California!! The West Coast has exploded on our radar. There are 5 to 8 student-athletes looking seriously at the opportunities that OU has to offer. We have also reachd into the northeast with prospects from New Jersey, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania. Boys, "Welcome to Atlanta where the players play "- Ludacris

Stay tuned this week for a breakdown of the roster and the scouting report on LaGrange...

The Last Stand

2007-01-27T21:26:00.000-08:00

Contributed by Senior Tim Ernst:

Four years ago, I was attending Georgia Perimeter College not playing baseball, when I got a call from a parent of a baseball player at Oglethorpe. You might know this man as “Pound for Pound” or just Mr. Sims, but Mr. Sims told me that Oglethorpe needed an outfielder and that I should contact Coach Popp. I acted on the incredible opportunity to play baseball again and poof, I am here.
Three years have past while I’ve played for the Petrels and the years were not the only things changing around the baseball team. I have had nineteen players in three years leave the Oglethorpe baseball team without finishing their careers here. I am the only remaining player of my recruiting class that I came in with. Scott Casey, being a sophomore transfer was the only one who finished his career at Oglethorpe from our recruiting class. I’ve also played under three head coaches at Oglethorpe even if one only coached for two weeks. Some would say that I have trudged through the worst times of Oglethorpe Baseball. It’s true that we as a team have not won as many games as anyone would hope for, but I am a Stormy Petrel and Oglethorpe will always be a special place for me. The fact that Oglethorpe gave me an opportunity to play baseball, when I thought that I was done playing competitively, still echoes in my mind.
With all the gushy stuff taken care of, my Petrel life has one last year left. I am excited about this year more so than the past two years as far as the team goes. The first year, I was just a naïve little freshman (swinging at any pitch thrown to me) so I had no expectations for the team. With twelve new players, which brings depth and the best fielding infield Oglethorpe has had in the past three years (maybe ever), everything looks ready for the Stormy Petrels of Anderson Field to take flight again. I am thrilled that I can play my last season with this group of guys and I don’t think I could ask for anyone else to go into baseball war with. Not only do we have a full roster we also have a full coaching staff with 4 coaches and one trainer “coach”. There is only nine days remaining before we open up the season with La Grange and I’m too excited to write or wait for it. That game will be the last first game for Bob and me. Let’s get the show on the road. Next stop conference tourney…..

To Infinite and Beyond !!

2007-01-24T06:49:00.000-08:00

Earlier we were chatting about how the addition of three assistant coaches were going to help us in 2007...well I forgot about one. I'm ashamed I forgot about him because he does so much for the baseball program. Jeff Klein is a performance specialist with the group Infinite Sports Performance. Infinite is an elite sports training company that specializes in the enhancement of serious athletes and uses a group of special regiments that are designed to increase first step quickness, lateral mobility, explosiveness, and overall performance.

When Jeff first saw the baseball team two years ago, his exact comments were "This is the worst shape team I have ever seen." Today the baseball team is one of two teams on campus that uses Infinite all year round. The teams have been dubbed the "Hardest woking teams on campus." Jeff can now look at the team and see actual athletes. We refer to the transformation as being " INFINITIZED"

Your asking how does an Infinite regiment differ from most workouts? The pace and intensity... During a 45 minute workout your heartrate goes up and it never drops. The pace is crazy fast, you are constantly moving. Usually a certain station has two to three different moves so the only down time is walking to and from the stations. Ask a few of the guys what they thought of the workout when they first started? At the end of most workouts Jeff puts them through a very tough core routine. Usually consisting of a 2 minute bridge, 30 seconds of crunces, six inch scissors, 30 seconds of bicycles and then another timed bridge. Sound like fun? Throw in a Arby's Special (5 sets of 4 court length sprints in 5 minutes), a few 10 pound ball tosses, a full set of lunges with the ankle bands and some stability excerises.....you got yourself one heckuva a workout.

During the fall the guys went 7am - 8am, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays...But during the season we'll require them to attend just twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Dorough Delinquents

2007-01-21T19:44:00.000-08:00

For those of you not lucky enough to witness the basketball games last night, let me fill you in on the events. The girls team stormed out to an early lead and never looked back. The guys team had hot shooting from Tulowitzky and Dickinson to blow past Sewanee. But the real story was about a toilet bowl, a man in a dress, leopard print pants, way too tight leather pants and a golden spike. Continuing a 5 year tradition the baseballers came out in full support, and in full costume for the BB squads and cheered them onto victory.

Timmay came out in a cape and a golden spike attached to his belt... Tex wore a size 7 women's pair of red leather pants and a skeleton t-shirt...Stats donned a "Vote or Die" shirt from P Diddy and a 'neat' pair of sunglasses...Slongs... gulp, wore a short blue dress with a white flowery pattern and sported a pink umbrella...JJ lit up the arena with a casual pair of teal velor pants three sizes too small and capped it off with a fur hat...and there were plenty more. But the winner goes to Aut, who showed up in a life size, cloth toilet bowl! Yes, a toilet bowl...The best part about his costume was the nice young lady that escorted him to the gym.... Now that's devotion. Can you hear her mother on the phone the next day?

Mom: So, how was your date last night?
Girl: Great, Aut took me to a BB game in a toilet bowl suit...

Classic!

Back to the Diamond...

Saturday we saw live pitching and hitting for the first time in '07. I was most impressed with the pitchers abilities to throw over 85% strikes in the controlled setting. Well done. The hitting will catch up as it is always behind this time of year. No worries.

Today, assistant coach Justin Bach made his debut with the Petrels. That rounds out the coaching staff along with Scott Casey and David Wolensky. We are very lucky to have three assistants this year. It will only make the team and program stronger. Thank you in advance for a great season.

Stay Tuned this week as we will have first guest blogger...

Have a Great Petrel Day!!

Béisbol de Oglethorpe

2007-01-20T09:26:00.000-08:00

So, OU baseball has joined the recent MLB trend and has gone global with its players. Mario Rivera, a freshmen pitcher from Honduras, joined the team this past fall and quickly became one of the most popular players on the team. He speaks great English, but in my effort to reach out to my players I have tried to pick up some key baseball terms in his native language. Boy, I wish I would have worked a little harder during my three years of high school Spanish. Luckily for me I have found a great site that helps me with Spanish baseball terms.

http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/education/dictionary/english_spanish/C.htm

Mario, bienvenido a Atlanta y Oglethorpe...

This, That and the Other...

2007-01-19T15:25:00.000-08:00

The first four days of practice have progressively gotten better and better....

Day One: A little sloppy and the guys were dragging a little. Maybe the conditioning test wore down their legs...but hey, the whole team made it, that has to be a first.

Day Two: Wind, rain and the dreaded indoor practice. The Schmidt Center or "Mustard Jar" is great for....well.....just about nothing. Its hard to see the balls against the yellow walls, the rubber floor is so darn slippery, running drills are like watching ice capades. Tim Ernst and Brendan Pilger will now perform the double hitch, full frontal, single side swipe.....oh.....too bad....Ernst can't hold it....too bad.....

Day Three: Back outside, this time in the arctic tundra. The worst part is practice starts at 6pm...just in time for the sun to duck around the other side of the world. Batting practice, tee work and soft toss rule the night and sting the hands. Dragging the infield at 9pm in slight freezing drizzle is always a good time.

Day Four: Back inside...more tee work, soft toss and wiffle balls. Pitchers have their first workout with new pitching coach David Wolensky. I think this pitching staff is going to surprise some people.

Day Five: Batting practice and batting practice...I'm not going to lie, my arm hurts and my body is sore. But the first rule is: Don't show the guys any weakness....The hitting today is much better than any other time this week. Saturday will bring some live pitching and hitting together, should be interesting.

Basketball has a double-header against Sewanne on Saturday starting at 6pm....see you there.

Go PETRELS !!

It's that time of Year!!

2007-01-18T09:23:00.000-08:00

The smell of freshly cut grass, the sound of leather rawhide hitting an aluminum bat and the frost bite nipping at your nose....Yep, you got it, Oglethorpe Baseball is back and ready for the 2007 campaign. Unseasonably warm 70 degree January days have given way to 35 degree, foggy, rainy miserable afternoons. Not that we have come to expect anything less. Around January every year until May I put on my weatherman cap and watch countless hours of moving cold fronts, low pressure systems, prevailing winds and whatever the heck El Nino really means to us in Atlanta...

2007, my third year as the Head Coach and my eighth year at Oglethorpe, seems to be starting like every other baseball season before, but something tells me it won't end the same. In 2002, a magical year indeed (yes, OU actually gave me a degree) but more importantly the last time the Diamond Petrels were the Champions of anything; Beast in the East, SCAC East Division Champs...sounds good, sounds really good. Four years have passed, and the 2007 Petrels are ready to sit atop the perch once again. We are excited about this year and the future of the program. Young talented players combined with a few seasoned vets could spell trouble for the SCAC East this year. The past is the past.....fresh faces and energizing attitudes will make Anderson Field the place to be this spring.

Oglethorpe Baseball will blog their quest for a SCAC Championship in 2007. I guarantee some interesting posts, and a roller coaster ride through the life of Division III athletes, coaches and fans. I will ask the student-athletes, coaches, administrators, fans, parents and alumni to contribute to the blog on their experiences past and present. Stay tuned, its all about the journey.....but this time the ending will be different.

So, where do we start......well...at the beginning.