May 20, 2013
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. After a long year of hard work, laughs, and endless banter, the 2013 Yellow Jacket baseball season came to a close last Friday with a win over Mount Vernon Nazarene in the NCCAA World Series. It was a fitting end to an excellent season, as we were able to play in #themoment to end our year together.
Despite our best efforts, the Jackets went 1-3 at the magnificent Prasco Park down in Mason, Ohio. On the opening night of the tournament former major leaguer Chris Burke gave a rousing speech on standing firm in our faith as ballplayers and as Christians in the real world. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of his talk dealt with major league all-stars Lance Berkman and Andy Pettitte as examples of true "Dudes" of Christ. For the remainder of the tournament we encouraged each other as teammates and brothers to be "Dudes" for Christ.
After the pre-tournament festivities and some excellent free food, two of our very own were recognized as NCCAA First Team All-Americans. Congrats to David and Logan for great years at the plate. In game one, defending champ California Baptist came out swinging, kicking us straight in the metaphorical teeth. Their high-powered lineup combined with our stagnant offense led to a rather embarrassing "mercy-rule" loss to the #1 seed in the tournament. In game two Jordan Ammon did an incredible job on the mound! Despite only giving up one run to Southeastern in seven innings of work, our offense was completely blanked for only the fourth time all year. Game three was characterized by some signs of life offensively. However, an untimely rain storm resulted in a 45 minute weather delay, forcing our pitching staff into scramble mode. In our fourth and final game, the bats finally came alive for a decisive 9-2 victory over MVNU to close out the 2013 campaign. Cardwell had a massive day at the plate with a double, a homer, and four RBI.
On the mound, David went a solid six innings before turning it over to Ry-guy who slammed the door in the seventh. Both brothers are extremely talented pitching sensations and I just wanted to personally thank them for a great year working together. While we would obviously love to have them back for senior year, our thoughts and prayers go out to those two crazy kids as the draft rapidly approaches. You two are a great example of how to approach the game of baseball! I have never seen two guys work harder off the field and enjoy the game more on the field than the Ledbetters. That combination is a rare thing in this game and a big reason why #themoment was such a successful phenomena this year.
Despite a poor showing at Prasco, we were still able to have fun as a team during our final week of the season. One of the funnier stories of the tournament happened while Peter Martin and I were in the bullpen before the Oklahoma Christian game. Petey, an avid Minnesota sports fan, has been a big fan of the "One-clap" Randy Moss video for a while.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmJcUlrkMNg
Throughout the season he has tried several times to make that a ‘thing’ in our huddles prior to the game. The guys decided it would be pretty funny to do the "One-clap" before the game and purposefully exclude Petey. Needless to say, their little prank had the desired effect down in the bullpen as the rest of the team enjoyed an exciting pre-game pump-up session without us. Despite the joking nature of the pre-game routine, it actually sounded pretty sweet and may find its way into the 2014 rotation.
At this time I would like to wrap up the 2013 Assassin campaign with some final results. In the fifth and final week of Assassin, Team Fox edged out Team Cam by a score of 9-8, giving Team Fox the season victory by a score of 3-1 with one tie. Congratulations to all of you who had the common sense to join Team Fox throughout the season. Thanks again to all my teammates who aided me in this prestigious pursuit (namely Chria and Petey). Cam....It has been a pleasure my man. You may want to do some recruiting before next fall.
In all seriousness though, thanks to all of you who read this blog (especially Mama Leddy and my man Julio). It’s been a great year of baseball here at Cedarville and I am looking forward to what God has in store for next season. A big thank you to Chris and Logan for leading us in the banter this season! The two of you were a tremendous blessing to us as a team and you will be greatly missed.
Please be in prayer for our injured infielders as they continue to recover from season-ending injuries over the summer. Also, be sure to welcome Ben Galbreath (Coach G) as our new full-time assistant coach. We are looking forward to a great season next year full of even more banter and hopefully some camo hats. Thanks again for all the support and have a wonderful summer.
May 15, 2013
Last week was fairly light in terms of baseball. After our G-MAC tourney during the weekend, we had several days to prepare for the NCCAA Midwest Regional. This free time was filled in several ways, primarily copious banter and shenanigans. During May term, one of our favorite pastimes is campus golf around the lush and vibrant Cedarville campus. Unfortunately a storm front rolled in during the week, pushing the campus golf into the hallways of McChesney Hall.
Make-shift holes were placed up and down hallways and stairs. Cam McWilliams was even recruited by Sean to manually stamp vacuum cleaners in the hallway as obstacles for super advanced golfers. The putting surfaces proved very tricky, especially in the lobby. Needless to say, several triple bogies were recorded by yours truly. While my putting skills leave something to be desired, even for a golf novice, Huskey and the Larkin brothers proved to be top notch putters.
Even more exciting than golf is another craze that has been sweeping the Cedarville baseball team by storm: Clash of Clans. This iPhone game has not only grabbed our attention, but it now serves as a virtual team bonding exercise. The basic premise of the game is simple; gather gold and elixir, upgrade your village and defenses, and attack complete strangers to earn trophies and loot. One of the perks of this game is that players can rebuild their "clan castle" and join forces with their homies in the conquest for trophies and gold. Clan members can then request troops to help defend their individual village from random attacks. The primary clan for CU baseball is called The 1..2..Punch in honor of our power hitting duo Cardwell and Lenhardt. Our clan is a close-knit unit, steadily growing in size and strength as more and more teammates succumb to the trend that is sweeping the baseball world. Come to find out (from their first base coach) that Trevecca Nazarene is also obsessed with clan warfare. Despite our on the field issues, a G-MAC clan treaty was proposed during the tournament. Clan leader Cardwell was none too interested in the offer, but the friendly gesture remains on the table.
Speaking of baseball, we did actually play some ball last week. Due to severe rain, we were forced to cancel Friday and tarp the field with the help of Spring Arbor. Saturday after about 30 bags of diamond dry, the mud pit behind first base was smoothed out and we were able to play some ball. In game one David Ledbetter was dealing, holding the high powered Spring Arbor lineup to only 2 runs. In the final inning, Cam legged out an infield single to score Rob Nesteroff for the walk-off win! Like we always say, he's so fast he makes fast people look......not fast. In game two, Jordan Ammon was throwing smoke on the mound as we cruised to a 6-1 win, clinching the Midwest Regional title. With the series win over Spring Arbor we advanced to the NCCAA World Series at Prasco Park. Also, a huge congrats to Logan for breaking the Cedarville record for most hits in a single season, held previously by my pal Alex Beelen.
This Wednesday, we begin our run in the NCCAA World Series against defending champ and #1 seeded California Baptist. Our pool also consists of Oklahoma Christian, Southeastern, and Mount Vernon Nazarene. The tournament should be a challenge for us. However, the atmosphere and facilities are unbelievable. For those of you who have never been to Prasco, be sure to check out the free ice cream as well as the unbelievably delicious chocolate chip cookies. Prasco is a remarkable company that does a superb job of setting an example of a Godly work environment that shines for God in all they do. All workers at the World Series are Prasco employees volunteering their free time. So be sure to thank them if you make it down to a game this week and shake their hand.
Again thanks for keeping up on Jacket baseball. Next week will be my last post, recapping a great season with some remarkable people. Have a blessed week and enjoy the warmer weather.
PS - The Assassin update for the week is fairly unexciting. Both Team Cam and Team Fox posted a staggering 14 kills, marking a season high for both. Next week will be the final Assassin update.
May 10, 2013
A lot has happened since my last post and I apologize for the delay. After a fair amount of studying, finals week went off without a hitch. Congratulations to our seniors Chris Ward, Logan Kasabian, John Mark Edwards, and Rob Nesteroff for finishing up strong. It has been a pleasure to play alongside you four and as a team we wish you the best of luck in the future.
Prior to graduation, we played in several tune-up games for the conference tournament. We prevailed against Ohio Christian, Point Park, and laid a smack-down on Ohio Mid-western. During the 21-4 rout on senior day, Coach Manes emptied the bench, including the bullpen. At one point two of our freshman pitchers, Adams and Baker, were playing up the middle. It's safe to say that I have never seen that much swag on a double play attempt before in my life. Well done boys!
After graduation, we headed down to Nashville for the very first G-MAC tournament. On day one we posted a decisive victory over Urbana behind the strong pitching performances of David Ledbetter and Jordan Ammon. The nightcap was slightly more interesting against our pals from Trevecca. In the fifth inning storm clouds rolled in, dumping rain for about half an hour, causing the umpires to call a rain delay with a 3-0 count on the Trojan batter. After tarping and untarping the field, accompanied by some "truth-or-dare" shenanigans between the two dugouts: play resumed. Sean Larkin came on and promptly issued a one-pitch walk before working his way out of a jam. Sean would later slam the door on a Trojan rally by striking out a batter to leave the bases loaded. Sean did a great job on the mound, leading us to a much needed win over our rival Trevecca.
We trailed 5-4 entering the top half of the ninth and managed to load the bases thanks to some timely hitting by Ward and Lenhardt. Ryan Ledbetter drove in the tying run on a ground out and Cardwell drove in the winning run with a bases loaded walk. The funniest part of the whole comeback was Cardwell's reaction. After taking ball four, he dropped the bat and both hands shot straight up in the air in triumphant exuberance. Grinning from ear to ear, the comeback was complete and Cardwell had done the unthinkable: he had pimped a walk.
Despite our excitement over the two tournament victories, we handled the Trevecca win with surprising calm and swagger. Heading into day two of action we needed only one win to bring home the coveted President's Cup to Cedarville. Unfortunately, we were unable to come up with the clutch hits when we needed them most. In both of the following losses to Trevecca, our pitching staff kept us in the game. However, we squandered far too many chances with runners in scoring position. Despite the poor results, we came away from the G-MAC tourney with one goal: winning the NCCAA World Series.
This upcoming weekend we will be hosting the regional tournament against our familiar foe Spring Arbor. Forecasts call for lot of rain through out the weekend, making it unlikely that all three contests will be completed. In the event that several contests are rained out, the entire regional could come down to a single winner-take-all game.
This past week and a half, the Assassin campaign was an utter bloodbath thanks to a new weapon. Team Fox was able to take home a decisive 10-5 victory over Team Cam thanks to the notorious "mini bat". The mini bat proved to be a formidable weapon for several reasons. It provides the assassin with improved mobility as well as excellent concealability for stealth attacks. Unfortunately, there was only one such weapon on our trip to Nashville and the wielder possessed an insurmountable advantage. Ironically, Cam and I were assigned to the same hotel room and even had to share a bed. Needless to say I slept with the mini bat under my pillow. However, on several occasions Cam managed to pilfer the mini and wreak havoc. This led to several all out wrestling matches in the hotel over the coveted stealth weapon. Be sure to check back next week for the final Assassin update of the season.
Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings this season. I hope you have enjoyed a fresh take on our season as well as some interesting shenanigans. Again please be in prayer for our seniors as they pursue their dreams. And don't forget to come out to Yellow Jacket Field this weekend for our final home games of the season.
PS - Everybody please give one clap to Steve Cardwell for finally joining the home run club.
April 30, 2013
This past week was slightly shy of perfection for Cedarville baseball. Unfortunately we were only able to scratch out one win in our last five games. To make matters worse we dropped three of four to our rivals from Trevecca. Kudos to them though, they sure do know how to dog-pile. The only problem with that is....the tournament hasn't even started yet.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Prior to our weekend standoff with the gentlemen in purple, we drove down to Campbellsville, Kentucky for a senior-night showdown with the Tigers. Honestly I don't remember much from that game other than Pope's shut-down performance on the hill. Perhaps the must exciting aspect of the evening was the ballpark. The stadium was situated right in the middle of campus. You could literally walk out of the student center and trip over home plate, or sit down in the bullpen and watch sand volleyball. More interesting still was the 10-foot drop-off into the dugout. This thing was a broken neck waiting to happen, with massive concrete stairways at either end just begging for you to miss a step. Fortunately we made it through without incident, but our bats came awake a little too late for the win.
Heading into last weekend we needed a split with TNU to claim home field advantage in the upcoming G-MAC tournament. In typical fashion each game was an all out battle with both teams trading blows up until the final bell. During day one of conference action both games were decided by a single run. On day two of our conference weekend, absolutely nothing went our way. As an offensive unit we failed to come up with clutch hits when we needed them most. Defensively we gave up five unearned runs while scoring four of our own on wild pitches. Game four was a straight up embarrassment as we managed to squeak out only one hit by way of a Logan Kasabian single. Needless to say the post game huddle was none too chipper. But rest assured that the Jackets will be heading down to Nashville Monday with a major chip on our shoulder, ready to return the favor.
On a slightly lighter note, week two of the 2013 Assassin campaign marked the first win for Team Cam. After a poor showing in week one, Cam stepped up with a barrage of well-timed and unexpected attacks to claim a narrow 8-7 victory. The kill of the week was by far the most absurd attack of the season. After several close calls earlier in the day I decided to take my bat into the shower with me (for safety's sake). As I was showering, Cam managed to sneak in through the locker room. To avoid certain doom I closed my eyes, allowing him to steal my weapon off the wall. Shaken and defenseless, several teammates came to my aid offering scouting assistance on my treacherous return to the locker room. Unfortunately, Cam out maneuvered us all to claim a decisive victory for Team Cam, evening the season series at 1 a piece. Stay tuned in the following weeks, as I am sure the Assassin action will heat up following finals.
Please be in prayer for us as a team this week as we prepare for finals amongst three mid-week games. Again thanks for all the support. A big thank you goes out to all faculty and staff who came out to the ballpark Saturday for CU Faculty Staff Appreciation Day. Also, be sure to check out this sweet article posted in the
Indianapolis Star about four of the best teammates you will ever meet -
http://indy.st/11PPquP .
PS - I would personally like to apologize for causing a minor amount of mischief between ourselves and TNU Saturday. It was not a good representation of Cedarville or our baseball program.
April 23, 2013
This past week Cedarville baseball posted a five-game win streak as #themoment rolls forward in full force. We were able to steam roll conference foe Urbana twice and pull off a weekend sweep of Salem International. Our pitching staff was superb, as all four starters ruled the mound this past weekend. Ryan Ledbetter was money once again, picking up his team-leading sixth win of the year.
At the plate our lineup has been explosive, putting up a staggering 54 runs in our last five games. Every Jacket hitter posted several multi-hit games during the winning streak. As I mentioned in last weeks blog, my man Lenhardt was absolutely money against Urbana. Even more impressive than his performances were Cardwell's two triples this week. I must say that while he is by no means one of the quicker fellows on the field, the transition to shortstop has added a little bounce to his step. Mad props Cardwell! It truly is a pleasure to see you cruising around second without losing a step.
Speaking of triples, David Ledbetter launched one of the most clutch hits I have seen in years. Down 5-2 to SIU, it looked as though our potent lineup was beginning to run out of steam in the final innings. Immediately after surrendering the lead in the sixth, David stepped up with a massive bases-clearing triple to tie the game! I was the very next batter and David scored on my sac fly to left and we were back on top after trailing for the first time all week. While it can be said that no lead is ever safe, Ryan Ledbetter slammed the door in the seventh as we squeaked out another home victory.
Speaking of victory, I would like to post our very first Assassin update of the 2013 season. This past week Team Fox cruised to victory over Team Cam by a final score of 8-4. I would like to give a big shout out to my teammates for helping me out during the first official campaign. The kill of the week was recorded during indoor practice. As I was throwing bp, my good friend and housemate Chria (Ward) handed me a bat and told me to duck for cover. Cam was crouched behind a trash can like a panther waiting to pounce. Fortunately, Cardwell and Lenhardt provided cover behind the L-screen. Meanwhile my man Peter Martin stealthily removed the trash can and I recorded a decisive kill for Team Fox. Thanks again boys for having my back this past week. More Assassin updates will be coming your way shortly.
This Tuesday the Jackets play our last away ball game of the season as we head down to Campbellsville, Kentucky. Be sure to come out and support Jacket baseball as we finish conference play against Trevecca Friday and Saturday. The weather should be warming up (cross your fingers) as #themoment continues down the homestretch. Thanks again for all your support.
April 16, 2013
Welcome back Jacket fans!
I am pleased to report that #themoment cruises on for Cedarville baseball as we continue on into conference play. Since my last blog we have gone 2-2, dropping two close games to Saint Joseph’s and pulling off a conference sweep of Urbana. This past weekend we were unable to see action as Urbana's field was "unplayable." Thanks to the amazing grounds crew we have at Cedarville, our field was prepped and ready for action Saturday. After a friendly invitation to Urbana was declined and coach's blood pressure returned to safe levels, we were able to intrasquad for the afternoon.
Yesterday (Monday) was an exciting day for several reasons. First, there were approximately 20 major league scouts in attendance to witness the awesomeness simply known as the Ledbetters. Secondly, yesterday marked the resurgence of the long ball for Jacket baseball. Previously the home run race was run by my man Lenhardt with three and Ryan Leddy with two. Yesterday myself (2), Lenhardt (4), Larkin (2), and Leddy (3) all went yard as the home run race picked up. As the saying goes, "Chicks dig the long ball." To all of you Cedarville ladies out there, my man Dan Larkin is not only single but he drops bombs.
Speaking of dropping bombs, yesterday I witnessed something I never thought was possible. My fellow catcher David Lenhardt was absolutely unconscious at the plate, going a staggering 8-for-8. His day at the plate was so absurd that I would like to dedicate this entire paragraph to him. Not only did he bat 1.000 on the day, but he also launched an oppo grand slam along with four doubles. Perhaps the most staggering stat for the day was his 11 RBI, which almost doubled his season output in a single day of baseball. Mad props Lenny! If that doesn't get you Subway Athlete of the Week, then there is something genuinely wrong with the world.
At this point I would like to shed some light on perhaps the most intense, yet secretive dispute of the season. Throughout the season Cam McWilliams and myself have been going head-to-head in an intense battle simply known as Assassin. The rules are simple: kills can only be registered with baseball bat sniper rifles, victims must be facing the assassin for the kill to stand, and five minutes must elapse before a dead assassin is back in play. This game requires ninja-like quickness and stealth, while also strongly encouraging teamwork to register sanctioned kills. Barrel rolls, body shields and decoys are all essential for survival. Thus far in the season the standings are even between Cam and myself. Now the gloves are off and it is time for you to choose. Whose side are you on: Team Cam or Team Fox? Weekly Assassin updates will be coming your way from this point forward.
Once again thanks for your support on and off the field. We truly appreciate your prayers. Please remember Sam Summerlin as he continues to deal with his injury.
PS - Pope I know you were probably thinking you got off the hook, but sadly it isn't so. This past Monday, Pope John Mark Edwards thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Urbana. Those of you who were there know, and those of you who were not are left to wonder: how and in what way?
April 9, 2013
It's that time Jacket fans! Not only is #themoment rolling again for the baseball team but it's tax season! As much as I love getting my money back, one thing I love more is getting wins with the boys.
This past week was a successful venture for the ball club from the ‘Ville. Behind some explosive offense we were able to gain a measure of revenge against Urbana last Wednesday with a decisive 14-6 victory. Under normal circumstances I would fill you in on our stud performers for the game. However, almost every single Jacket starter tallied at least two hits on the evening. The pitching staff was anchored by our beloved Rob Nesteroff through a solid six innings.
After boosting the old conference record to 3-3 we headed down to West Virginia for a showdown with future G-MAC foe Salem International. Due to a shortage of Cedarville vans we were fortunate enough to travel in style with our very own Buckeye Charters tour bus. The extra room provided excellent opportunities for leisure activities such sleeping or watching baseball on the big screen TVs. Even more exciting than the TVs were the free wifi services available on the bus for those of us who play Clash of Clans constantly.
After a luxurious and restful trip we were fortunate enough to watch some high school baseball as we waited for our turn on the field. I was pretty impressed with the swag of some of the high schoolers, particularly the catcher for one of the teams. Baseball swag is measured in three ways: mannerisms, gear, and play. For those of you new to the swag discussion Evoshield of any kind, wrist tape, sick facial hair, and eye black add significant swag to any ball player. Lime green accents on your catchers gear don't hurt either.
In game one we were able to get up 6-1 early and hold off a late rally for the 8-7 win. The end of game one was pretty interesting with an infield fly call and a runner that wandered off the field. He eventually scored a run on his way to the dugout upon thinking he was out at third. David Ledbetter was absolutely money on the mound striking out 12 through seven innings.
Games two and three were much less exciting as we jumped on the SIU pitching for 14-1 and 6-1 victories. Props to my roommate Chria (Chris Ward) for joining the home run club with an absolute bomb to left. Also, Ryan Ledbetter was superb, posting a career-high 14 K's in game three. Despite that masterful pitching performance, David Lenhardt regained the edge in this season's home run race with his third.
Thank you to all of the parents who came out to support us this weekend. We appreciate all your prayers and support. Let's keep #themoment rolling!
PS - For those of you looking for a Fantasy Baseball pitcher I would suggest Tom Wilhelmsen of the Seattle Mariners. He is money out of the pen and he has a sweet name.
April 2, 2013
Welcome back Jacket fans!
I hope you all had a safe and restful Easter weekend, celebrating the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This past weekend we were fortunate enough to get outside and play some ball finally.
On Thursday we packed the vans and took our wagon train down the Oregon trail to Kentucky State. On the field we were able to outslug the Thorobreds and hold on for the 14-10 victory. This game marked two significant highlights in the season. First, it marked the return of our speedster and resident sniper Cam McWilliams to the lead off spot. Second, our victory over KSU marked the first collegiate win for our crafty southpaw Pope (John Mark Edwards). Mad props Johnny boy! What a way to celebrate your birthday.
From Kentucky we headed down to Nashville, Tennessee for a conference showdown against Trevecca Nazarene. On Friday despite completely dry sidewalks, steady rain kept us in the hotel most of the day. For dinner coach took half the team to Cheddar's while the rest of us stayed in the hotel eating pizza, watching basketball, and getting shushed by the lady at the front desk while celebrating a buzzer beater.
After an eventful night full of banter, basketball, and frozen yogurt the sidewalks dried up and we played some ball Saturday! As a team we played hard and gave Trevecca all they could handle. The second game went to extra innings and Coach Manes was forced to shuffle the deck; putting people out of position across the infield. Shout outs to Peter Martin and David Bancroft for holding down the corners and making plays like a boss with the game on the line.
Despite a couple close losses in conference play this weekend we learned several important things. We learned that despite significant injuries, we have plenty of versatility on our roster to stay competitive in the G-MAC this season! Secondly, we proud few of Van #3 learned that the Shakira Pandora station has fabulous inspirational travel music. For your consideration and enlightenment we would like to propose a travel theme song: Waka Waka by none other than Shakira. Have no fear, the song is by all accounts Cedarville appropriate and very entertaining.
Have a great week and please continue to be in prayer for our injured infielders. Specifically please be in prayer for Sam Summerlin as surgery is discussed.
PS - For my good friend Bobbert (Rob Nesteroff) I would like to leave you with a quote. As a wise man once said....."Let's play a game."
March 25, 2013
This past week marked another long week of indoor practice and a chance for us to get some extra work done in the weight room. This past weekend, however, the excitement picked up with the 2013 home opener against Urbana.
After the offensive explosion in Memphis last weekend, our bats came out lagging against the Blue Knights. Despite a two hit effort by Dan Larkin, we were shut out for the first time this year. The Urbana pitching staff came at us with a majority off-speed pitches and we got taken out of our game plan, AKA "the Jacket way." During our six-game win streak, playing in #themoment, we are at our best when we stay inside the baseball and drive it the other way.
During the second and third games of the series we bounced back with two critical wins over the Blue Knights to grab a 2-1 record in conference play. David Lenhardt came up with the clutch 2-run single to pull out the 4-3 win in game two of the double header. The pitching staff also came up with some clutch shut-down innings behind Rob Nesteroff and Sean Larkin.
As a team we were able to refocus after an embarrassing home opener and recapture #themoment to grab a share of first place early on in G-MAC play. A big thank you to all of you who came out to support us in the cold weather Friday and especially Saturday. Your support and prayers are greatly appreciated as we continue on in conference play.
This week our away series at Kentucky State has been pushed back to Thursday, allowing us to head straight from there to Tennessee to play Trevecca Nazarene.
Enjoy the snow and stay safe out there Jacket fans!
March 18, 2013
Hey there Jackets fans,
This past week was fairly uneventful because the weather did not cooperate for our home opener against Lake Erie. However, after a luxurious nine-hour jaunt in the team short bus we were able to enjoy some 70-degree weather and sunshine down in Memphis, Tennessee. Our weekend series against Victory University was extremely one-sided, as we piled up 48 runs in three games.
On the field, Ryan Ledbetter led the offensive onslaught with two bombs and eight RBI while Logan Kasabian and Sam Summerlin both posted four-hit days. On the mound, David Ledbetter was close to untouchable rocking a wicked changeup to compliment his 90+ fastball. In the second game Lenhardt added a bomb to even the season home run race at two apiece.
On Saturday, Logan continued his dominance with four more hits, while Ry-guy (Ryan Ledbetter) struck out eight on the mound. Overall, we played well as a team and ran the win streak up to six games, all thanks to #themoment.
Despite the awesome on-field showing in Tennessee, the ride home was long, smelly, and extremely loud thanks to Pope (John Mark Edwards). To celebrate our offensive explosion this weekend, we watched over eight hours of the HBO film series Band of Brothers: following the epic adventures of Easy Company 506
th Parachute Infantry Regiment through WW2. The ride home was full of explosions, machine gun fire, foxholes, and the constant call for a "Medic!!"
Despite the noise, it was a great trip full of laughs and a lot of on-field success. Be sure to check back throughout the season to keep up with Jackets baseball and #themoment.
PS - For those of you around campus, be sure to ask Peter Martin why he is dressed like a complete buffoon this week.
March 12, 2013
As we found out this year, Spring Break isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. After a couple of unexpected losses to less-than-stellar competition and several serious injuries we were able to regroup and finish our trip strong. This past week we were able to give nationally-ranked University of Tampa a scare, defeat long-time rival Walsh, and squeak out of a bases loaded jam to hold on against Rockhurst.
On behalf of the team I would like to formally apologize for the barrage of sarcastic tweets to the athletic department following the Tampa game. We greatly appreciate the support of the university. However, as a team we are fully confident in our ability to compete with the best and we go into every game expecting to win. Following the Tampa game, David Ledbetter and Sean Larkin coined our season motto: play in the moment. From then on, each win was attributed to #themoment.
Last week both Garret Baker and Ryan Ledbetter posted stellar performances on the mound. Also, young gun Jordan "Slowtalker" Adams provided a much needed shut-down arm out of the bullpen. Rob Nesteroff also established himself as the Jacket’s closer throwing smoke at the back end of the pen. The last several games also marked the resurgence of Steve "Hot Sauce" Cardwell as our lineup posted a total of 50 hits through the last three games.
Off the field we established the first annual Cedarville Baseball Pool Tournament. Sean Larkin and Jesse "Canada" Froesse took home the bragging rights for the inaugural event, knocking off the cripple Zach Huskey and the surprise pool shark John Mark "Pope" Edwards. In addition, the annual karaoke event at Mugs was a success. The star dazzle award for best performance goes to Jesse Froesse for his acapella rendition of ‘Oh Canada.’ His success was quickly overshadowed by the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ belted out by the entire restaurant followed by a couple "Merica’s" from our very own Jordan Adams.
All in all, the trip was a success, providing us with plenty of laughs while also providing a test of our ability to come together as a team. Also, a huge shout out goes to the parents who did a tremendous job of providing food throughout the trip. Special thanks to Logan’s momma for providing the incredible taco salad before our departure. Stay tuned for more Cedarville baseball action and be sure to check out #themoment.
PS - Please be in prayer for Harrison Martin and Zach Huskey as they work through their injuries.
March 5, 2013
Hey Jackets fans!
The Neoplan has safely touched down here in Clearwater, Florida and our season is off and running. Before I get into too much detail about our first several games I figured it would be best to update you guys on some off the field excitement.
This year Coach Manes decided to forgo the usual hotel housing arrangements in favor of our very own water-front house. The most ironic part is that our house is actually called "Cedar House" (aka the Cedar Mansion) and it is located on Cedar Street. The house is absolutely huge: sporting 8 bedrooms as well as a pretty epic spiral staircase. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the house is the pool table which has been consistently in use since the spaceship touched down on Cedar Street. Check out my twitter (@cfoxy23) to view the most improbable pool shot you will ever see, performed by our very own Peter Martin.
Not only does the house have a pool table, but it is also equipped with a hot-tub, pool, and a rather luxurious hammock situated between two palm trees. But of all the aspects of Cedar Mansion the most exciting by far is the canoe (see photo below) chained down by the water’s edge. Multiple voyages have been attempted with the canoe out to several small inter-coastal islands not more than a mile off shore. While on the water, several groups have had some close encounters with dolphins as well as several boats. Cam McWilliams, David Lenhardt and I also had some fun chasing down a few aquatic birds as they attempted some deep-sea fishing. Logie also found out that birds absolutely love to play catch, especially when you lead them with orange peels. Probably two dozen birds flocked to the waterfront of Cedar Mansion when he started flinging orange peels into the midday sun.
On the field, Florida has been anything but kind to us so far. The first game was by all accounts an absolute travesty, resulting in a 9-2 loss to Clearwater Christian. Despite the very poor defensive showing the first several games, Maddog and Logie both posted multi-hit and multi-RBI games for us. We were able to recover slightly with wins against Goshen and some retaliation against Clearwater in game 3. In game 4, we dropped a nail-biter in the bottom of the ninth to our good friends from Oakland City who we have become very familiar with (7-0 against them last season).
In addition to a few upsets thus far, we were also forced to play without Sam Summerlin at shortstop as he was sidelined with the flu. Also, Zach Huskey sustained an injury to his knee against Clearwater. Please be in prayer for him as our beloved trainer Kurt works with him.
On a positive note I would like to give a shout-out to Ryan Ledbetter and Tyler Hurt for filling the void for us up the middle against Oakland City. And an even bigger shout-out goes to my roommate and fellow catcher David Lenhardt for his monster 4-for-5, four RBI effort at the plate against Oakland City.
Stay tuned throughout the season for more CU baseball excitement.
Feb. 25, 2013
It’s that time of year again Jacket fans! The birds are chirping, it is no longer snowing sideways and Cedarville baseball is headed south. As you may have noticed, the wonderful Pauly Hembekides is now a CU alum and I will be taking over as your weekly baseball blogger for the 2013 season. As an engineering major it seems a bit strange to be using words instead of numbers, but we will see how she goes.
The roster is absolutely stacked this year from top to bottom, led by our two seniors Logan Kasabian and Chris "the Maddawg" Ward. We also welcome eight new faces to the roster including our very own Canadian, Jesse Froese. This year marks the return of Rob Nesteroff from his one-year retirement from the game of baseball. I would also like to take this opportunity to discuss some coaching changes this year. Unfortunately, the Rill Dill (Rill Thompson) is no longer the everyday BP hurler and short-bus driver for the Jackets. He will be sorely missed by all of the returning players. Replacing Coach T at first base is my good friend and house mate Bryan "the Wiggs" Earwood. He brings a lot of enthusiasm to the ballpark and definitely increases the amount of banter in the dugout.
For those of you who follow the Jackets closely, the lineup this year will look a lot different. The 2013 Jackets will be sporting a brand new infield including one of the quickest double-play tandems out there: Sam Summerlin and Zach Huskey. The outfield will look very similar to last year and the pitching staff has added several new arms to the mix. We have also reloaded behind the plate with Peter Martin and NKU transfer David Lenhardt.
As the minutes tick away until we leave for Florida, there is really only one thing that can be said for sure. This year is going to be a ton of fun! From Euchre tournaments to story time with Coach G, the Neoplan never disappoints. For those of you who have never been fortunate enough to witness it, our transportation to Florida is a double-decker "sleeper" bus affectionately known as the Neoplan. The name is fitting because the Neoplan more than slightly resembles a spaceship rolling down the highway. It also provides an environment highly conducive to "banter" and team bonding.
While in Florida we will be playing nine games, five of which will be under the lights. Even though we will be living in a team beach house, coach assures us that this is a business trip. Despite our recent "ice-outs" against Indianapolis we are looking forward to starting the season off strong. I can’t think of a better way to spend spring break than playing ball with this great group of guys. We appreciate all the support from family, friends, and fans. Be sure to check back throughout the season to stay up to date on all the happenings of Cedarville baseball 2013.
PS - Please be in prayer for Coach G’s family, as they will be joining us aboard the Neoplan this year.
Chris Fox is a junior catcher from Lancaster, Ohio. He is in his second season with the Yellow Jackets and is a Dean's List student majoring in mechanical engineering.
