May 11, 2023
What’s goin’ on???
As most of you know, we finished our season last weekend. The season as a whole did not go how any of us wanted it to, but last Saturday was still filled with so much emotion, love, and gratitude. This is my final blog of the season, and of my career, so I want to say a few things about each senior that gave so much to this program.
To
Ethan,
Thank you for your presence on this team. Thank you for your calming influence and leadership.This pitching staff will miss you and your ability to lead young men, but I can’t wait to see what you accomplish in the future. You’re going to do great things.
To
Dan,
Thank you for coming back. You have no idea how much I respect you for going through a major injury/surgery and playing at the level we play at. I respect that mindset a ton. It’s been an honor to get to know you over these last three years.
To
Reid,
Thank you for always being comedic relief. Your personality is infectious. You also threw in some huge moments in your Cedarville career, and you never blinked. You always wanted the ball in big moments. I admire that so much. Also, thank you for making an impact on me as your prayer partner. Those memories will stick with me for life.
To
Blais,
Thank you for always picking me up over at first. I seriously do owe you big time, like a steak dinner or something. In all seriousness, I know this year didn’t go how you expected with the unfortunate injury, but you’re one of the best hitters I’ve ever played with. It’s been fun getting a front row seat to watch you hit baseballs a long, long way. I’m also glad we’ve gotten close over these last four years.
To
Micah,
It’s been an honor sharing the middle with you this year. Also, you have no idea how much I respect you for sticking this out and playing college baseball for five years. You deserve the award Ric created in honor of you because you worked your butt off to get here. You never gave up. I’ll always admire that about you. I’ll also never forget our handshake. Little things like that will stick with me for life.
To
Westin,
Thank you for moving into 108 this year. Thank you for showing me what it means to work hard, to grind, to really get 1% better each day. I know the baseball season didn’t go how you wanted it to, but your personality never wavered. You were always the first one to greet me in the dugout or pick me up when I was down. You always had a smile on your face. I’ve just never met someone who is so willing to put others before himself. Thank you for everything. Thank you for being you.
To
Tanner,
I saved you for last because I knew it would be the toughest. I mean, where do I even start? Thank you for being one of my best friends for the last five years. It’s been an honor watching you transform yourself from an infielder to one of the best pitchers I’ve ever played with. Thank you for your leadership and wisdom both on and off the field. Thank you for the countless memories. Hugging you on the mound after your last start at Yellow Jacket Field is a moment I will never forget. Go kill it next year. You know I’ll be one of your biggest fans.
To
Ric,
Los,
JC,
Brownie,
Nicole, and
Liz,
Thank you for investing so much in us as young men and as players. We’re forever grateful for the positive impact you all made on our lives.
This is my last blog here at Cedarville. It’s been an honor and a privilege to write this weekly recap for the last two years. Thank you to Jim Clark, Mark Womack, and the rest of the athletic department for giving me the opportunity to give everyone a glimpse into the life of a Cedarville baseball player.
The Cedarville Baseball program will always hold a special place in my heart. It gave me the opportunity to live out my dream of playing college baseball, and it allowed me to grow my relationship with Christ. I’m just filled with gratitude. Yes, it’s all over, but I would not change a single thing.
So, for one last time, be a friend, tell a friend, and we’ll see you next time.
Go Jackets,
Alan
#stingersup
May 3, 2023
What’s goin’ on???
It’s been a while since you’ve heard from me. I apologize for that. It’s been a busy week or so between games and studying for finals. However, I wanted to check back in with the faithful readers of this blog.
First of all, I want to congratulate Lucas Rotello on being the Cedarville / Germain Ford of Beavercreek “Male Athlete of the Week”. Congrats, Lucas!!! That honor is well deserved.
Now, I know our season has not gone the way we wanted it to. We’ve battled injuries and have not been able to put it altogether consistently. It’s been tough on all of us. However, we do have one final home series this weekend. If you’re in town, it would be great to see you there. It’s a chance to celebrate a group of guys that mean so much to me and this program.
I don’t want to get too sentimental right now as I’ll have a chance to do that with one last blog next week. I just want to make sure the readers of this blog know that we have a lot of work to do moving forward and that these guys will never shy away from that work.
Thank you for all of the support. It doesn’t go unnoticed.
As always, be a friend, tell a friend, and we’ll see you one last time next week.
Go Jackets,
Alan
April 19, 2023
Alan: What’s goin’ on y’all???
First of all, I want to thank everyone who came out for our series this past weekend. The weather was beautiful and some really good baseball was played. The outcome was ultimately not what we wanted, but we were able to take away a lot of positives that we can build on going into the last three guaranteed weekends of the year.
I told you guys that I would have another guest this week, and I would never lie to the faithful readers of this blog. My guest this week is Reid Hale. Reid is a senior right-handed pitcher from New Carlisle, Ohio. Reid is also one of three Hale brothers on the team and one of four Hale siblings at Cedarville right now. Reid has been an impact reliever for us from the time he stepped foot on campus. He also closed out our lone win last weekend in dramatic fashion by snagging a line drive hit back to him and doubling up the runner on first. It was electric. Reid, the people are excited to hear from you:
Reid Hale
Reid: Thanks for the intro Al, I feel honored to officially be a part of the Cedarville baseball blog. I guess I will start off by saying the Jackets are due, especially after an exciting last Saturday against Trevecca. However, the big negative for me last week was not so much the losses but the fact I was unable to scarf down about 7 or 8 glizzies (hot dogs) on Friday for the Make-A-Wish fundraiser. But I guess that’s ok because the boys are about to go buck wild this weekend in Owensboro, Kentucky.
Looking ahead to this weekend the gang is facing a big obstacle, the weather. However, if there is one thing I know about the Jackets it is that we always expect the unexpected, so I feel as though we are as ready as ever to battle it out no matter the circumstances. This is a huge weekend when looking at the G-MAC playoff picture for Kentucky Wesleyan and us, meaning this will more than likely be a determining factor when it is all said and done.
Roll Jackets.
Alan: I appreciate Reid for hopping on here, and I’m glad we could get back to having guests this week. I know you guys have missed that. Anyway, we’re excited for the opportunity that’s in front of us.
As always, be a friend, tell a friend, and we’ll see you next time.
Go Jackets,
Alan
#stingersup
April 12, 2023
What’s goin’ on, Yellow Jacket fans??
I’m back with another blog in the middle of a few games. I’m sorry that I don’t have a guest again this week. Things have been pretty hectic with our schedule, and I have a lot of information to cover in this week’s blog. We’ll be back to our regularly scheduled programming next week.
Anyway, on Tuesday, we defeated West Virginia State. Spencer Allen got his first collegiate win, and Micah Stewart went deep in the bottom of the 1st. It was awesome. Shout out to Micah and Spencer. I’m so happy for both of those guys.
This week, we welcome a very good opponent in Trevecca to town. We’re excited about the opportunity in front of us.
This week is also Senior Day. On Saturday, our eight seniors will be recognized in between games. This isn’t our last home series, but it is our last home series that takes place on a Saturday. We hope to see you there to celebrate Reid, Blais, Ethan, Dan, Micah, Westin, Tanner, and myself. I know I haven’t said much about these guys in this blog, but that time will come later on in the season. Right now, I just want to make sure they each know how appreciated they are and how much they mean to both myself and this baseball program. Thank you, seniors, for everything you’ve given to Cedarville baseball.
Friday is also a big day for Cedarville Athletics in general. The athletic department has coordinated a bunch of activities for students in between the baseball and softball fields while both programs are playing. There will also be hot dogs for sale with the proceeds going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Come out, catch a couple of ball games, and support a great cause. The weather is also supposed to be beautiful. We hope to see you all there.
As always, be a friend, tell a friend, and we’ll see you next time.
Go Jackets,
Alan
#stingersup
April 6, 2023
What’s goin’ on y’all???
I don’t have a guest this week, but I would still love to update the faithful readers of this blog on what’s been going on in Jacket Country.
It’s been an eventful last few days to say the least. We started off slow against Malone last week, but we finished the series strong by winning both games we played on Saturday. Shout out to Wyatt Petek for earning a save and closing out game four.
We then won again on Tuesday after a solid performance from Micah Stewart, both on the mound and at the plate. I also wanted to say thank you to everyone who came out on Tuesday. It turned out to be a beautiful afternoon for baseball and the crowd was awesome.
This weekend, we travel to Columbus to battle Ohio Dominican in a four-game series. We’re excited about the opportunity that’s in front of us.
The weekends left in the season are slowly winding down. We know we can’t take anything for granted. As Ric likes to say, each inning, each at bat, each pitch is so precious.
This weekend is also Easter weekend. We do have four games of baseball, but let’s not forget the reason for this weekend. The tomb is empty. He has risen. Happy Easter, everyone.
Be a friend, tell a friend, and we’ll see you next time.
Go Jackets,
Alan
#stingersup
March 30, 2023
Alan: What’s goin’ on, Yellow Jacket fans???
This week, I’m planning on keeping my update light. First of all, I’m happy to report that senior Blais Hale has officially won a Gold Glove for his stellar defensive display in the outfield during practice on Tuesday.
Caleb McKinion also asserted his dominance over Connor Frye by defeating him in a race of 90 feet. The debate of who is faster had to be settled once and for all.
I’m also honored to introduce this week’s guest, freshman RHP Nate Adkins. Nate is from Sherwood, OH and is a huge Cleveland sports fan. Nate is also the first freshman we’ve had on the blog. Nate, welcome!
Nathaniel Adkins
Nate: Thank you Alan, it’s truly an honor. I have been beyond blessed to be a part of Cedarville baseball this year. The opportunity to play with this group of guys is special.
We’ve talked a lot this year about how we should view each and every day (and the ability to play this great game) as a gift from God. That can sometimes be hard when you don’t consistently see the results of the work that’s been put in. But the thought that we are still able to play a “kids game” at this age, along with this group of guys, has shown us how much of a gift and privilege this really is.
With that being said, we are very excited and optimistic as we head up to Canton this week for a weekend series against Malone University. We’re excited to get back out on the field and we see this as a great opportunity to get things going back in the right direction.
Thanks again Al for having me this week!
Alan: I appreciate Nate for hopping on here. He’s been fun to have around this year, and he has a bright future ahead of him. I’m excited to see what he does in his four year career at Cedarville.
This week, we tackle our first G-MAC road series. We hope you guys are able to
follow along. We’re ready to get this thing moving in the right direction.
As always, be a friend, tell a friend, and we’ll see you next time right here on the blog.
Go Jackets,
Alan
March 24, 2023
Alan: What’s goin’ on y’all??
I’m checking in mid-series this week. We’re experiencing some wet weather here in beautiful Cedarville, Ohio, so we played two games of our series yesterday, Wednesday, and we play our next two games on Saturday at AIA after the rain clears out.
Wednesday, we got our first conference win of the year in game two after a fantastic outing by Wyatt Fisher. Tanner Gillis also threw his tail off in game one, but we cannot hit for whatever reason when he pitches. Anyway, coming off his fantastic outing, my guest this week is sophomore Wyatt Fisher. Wyatt is a RHP from Cincinnati, Ohio. Fish has thrown in big games for us the last two years and grown up right in front of our eyes. He’s a competitor on the mound, and it’s fun to watch. Fish, the people want to hear from you:
Wyatt Fisher
Wyatt: What a pleasure it is to be a part of Alan’s glorious blog this week! As a team we have been working are tails off since the fall and have seen improvement week after week, but haven’t been seeing the final outcomes that we wanted come game day. This week we had an all around fundamentally sound baseball game with a miraculous diving catch from sophomore right fielder Seth Hale, a clutch hit from freshman Caden McKinion and many others that helped the Jackets get their first conference win of the year. Heading into this weekend we have a double header Saturday and are more confident than ever and ready to get two more conference wins versus Ashland. Come out and support the Jackets at the Athletes in Action Complex in Xenia starting at 2 pm.
The Jackets are heating up!
Roll Jackets!
Alan: Fish is always bringing the enthusiasm. I absolutely love it. Like he said, come out and catch a few ball games this weekend. It should be fun.
Be a friend, tell a friend, and we’ll see you next time.
Go Jackets,
Alan
March 16, 2023
Alan: What’s goin’ on??
We’re playing at home this weekend, and we could not be more excited. We’re pumped to be back at Yellow Jacket Field. If you have some free time, come out and support the Jackets. We’d love to have you there!
My special guest this weekend is senior pitcher Ethan Milburn. Ethan is in his fourth year at Cedarville and is from St. Louis, Missouri. Ethan has been an excellent starter on the mound for us the last two years. Ethan also just got married last summer. He’s currently the only husband on the team (shout out to marriage). All jokes aside, it’s been fun to watch this guy grow into the pitcher he is today. Ethan, it’s all yours:
Ethan Milburn
Ethan: Being the only husband on the team also qualifies me to be the team dad; I’m expected to keep the grass mowed and take the trash out, figuratively speaking, and I’ll gladly be there for my teammates anytime they need me! Anyways, yes, thank you Alan, marriage is wonderful and I highly recommend it. There is so much joy in coming home to your best friend, who happens to be an amazing cook, after a long day of practice!
It’s been hard to be away from home on road trips this spring, but I’ve had the privilege of growing relationships with the pitching staff and some of the freshmen. We have lots of great dudes on this team who love baseball and love each other.
Lately as a team we have been discussing what it looks like to play this game selflessly and with passion. If we dedicate our whole heart, soul and mind to glorify Christ in our success, but also in the way we react to bad calls, when our team makes errors, when we strike out, when we blow a lead…God will reward us for faithfully exemplifying Galatians 5:22 (the Fruits of the Spirit). We strive to live with this mind set through all trials, but as a team we are learning how to handle the game of failure that baseball is, together. There is not one guy on our roster that hasn't improved his game since the fall. We have persevered with our resources and talents, and fought through a very tough schedule so far. I know we have a lot of fight left.
This weekend will be another fight as we enter into G-MAC competition, but I am confident that all nine guys on the field will be giving it their all. Northwood will be traveling south for a four game series and we plan to challenge them with home field advantage.
The Jackets are 0-0. The road to the G-MAC post season starts this weekend, and we are shifting into overdrive!
“I tell the kids, somebody’s gotta win, somebody’s gotta lose. Just don’t fight about it. Just try to get better.” -Yogi Berra
Alan: Ethan dropping a Yogi Berra quote?? He’s got me locked in for our games with that one. Thanks to Ethan for coming on. I hope to continue the tradition of having guys in the blog throughout the year.
Come on out and support the Jackets this weekend. It’ll be a lot of fun.
Be a friend, tell a friend, and we’ll see you next time.
Go Jackets,
Alan
March 11, 2023
What’s goin’ on???
I’m going to keep it short this week. I don’t have a guest, only a few updates for the devoted Yellow Jacket baseball fan.
We finished our spring break trip this week. Unfortunately, it did not shake out the way we wanted it to. We’re going to keep grinding. I promise you that. I do want to give a couple of shout outs to two freshmen before we put this week to rest:
* David Nairn made his first collegiate start and threw really well this week.
* Nate Adkins also threw well out of the bullpen for us on Tuesday.
Next week, we open our G-MAC season at home against the Northwood University Timberwolves at beautiful Yellow Jacket Field. If you don’t have anything going on, come on out and support the boys. We’re looking forward to starting fresh and playing our first series on campus. We hope to see you there.
As always, be a friend, tell a friend, and we’ll see you next time.
Go Jackets,
Alan
March 3, 2023
Alan: What’s goin’ on???
We just returned home from our trip to North Carolina. We appreciate your prayers for safe travels. The results were not what we wanted, but we’re continuing to see growth and improvement out of our entire team. We’re just going to keep chipping away.
This week’s guest is fellow fifth-year Yellow Jacket, Tanner Gillis. Tanner is from Buffalo, New York and is a right-handed pitcher. Not only has Tanner been one of my closest friends since we met five years ago, he is also one of the best pitchers I’ve been around. It’s fun to play defense behind this guy. I’ve also appreciated watching him grow and mature from being an infielder our freshman year to being a dominant starter our fifth year. That’s just a testament to his work ethic.
Well, Tanner, the people are waiting to hear from you.
Tanner Gillis
Tanner: Hey Jacket fans! As Alan said I am a fifth-year player here at Cedarville and you’re probably thinking to yourself, “How is this kid still here?”. Like a lot of my fellow fifth-years, I couldn’t turn down another opportunity to compete with my best friends again.
This past weekend we may not have won any of our games, but we competed well in every single one. We saw some bats come alive and some really promising things that we will continue to build on. This first part of the season has been very challenging as we play so many quality opponents, but it will prepare us for a tough conference schedule. Nothing keeps our guys down, though, and morale is still high as we look to take a series down in Charleston this weekend.
Vibes are especially high as Coach Ric has informed the boys we will be dining at
Raising Cane's on our way to Charleston. Nothing gets a college baseball team more fired up than the Box Combo.
I appreciate the kind words Al, and as always: Go Jackets!
Alan: Once again, I can’t thank these guys enough for being willing to hop on the blog. It’s been a lot of fun getting to hear from them. As an English education major, it’s also a lot of fun to see how these guys write. Overall, I’ve been pretty proud of them.
Well, anyway, like Tanner said, we’ve got some
Cane’s to eat!
Be a friend, tell a friend, and we’ll see you next time.
Go Jackets,
Alan
February 23, 2023
Alan: What’s goin’ on???
What a weekend last weekend was. We struggled to start, but we were able to close the series with two wins on Saturday. The first of those wins was Coach Richter’s first win as a collegiate head coach. There’s plenty more of those to come from him.
Kale Ebling and Blais Hale continued their hot starts, Caleb McKinion hit a huge home run on his birthday, and Ethan Milburn threw really well in the first game on Saturday. We’ve got some guys playing some good ball.
My special guest this week is fourth-year Yellow Jacket Lucas Rotello. Lucas is from nearby Lebanon, Ohio. He’s also one of the best hitters that I’ve ever played with. It’s fun watching him do his thing at the plate. Lucas, take it away:
Lucas Rotello
Lucas: What’s going on Jacket fans!
Thanks for the introduction and kind words Al! I am in my fourth year here but thankfully this isn’t my last. I hate that COVID happened, but I’m beyond blessed to be able to play next year as well!
We are rolling off a great weekend that the team needed. Not only did we manage to get our first two wins, but Ohio weather also managed to not snow for a day. This past weekend was a turning point for us, and we are all eager to play this weekend against a great opponent.
On Friday we will be in warmer weather ready to compete and keep the momentum on our side. We all want to play for each other, our coaches, and most importantly God. I got a feeling this year is different in many ways, and I’m antsy to see where we go in the future.
Thanks for having me Al, I hope everyone has a blessed day and remember….GO JACKETS!!!!
Alan: I appreciate Lucas for hopping on here. I hope you guys have enjoyed getting different perspectives from different guys.
Keep us in your prayers as we travel down to North Carolina. We always appreciate your prayers and support.
As always, be a friend, tell a friend, and we’ll see you next time.
Go Jackets,
Alan
The Jackets are back in action this week with a three game series against Saginaw Valley State at Athletes in Action in Xenia! We hope to see you out at the field!
Our featured guy in the blog this week is fellow fifth-year infielder, Micah Stewart. When I reached out to the team about potentially featuring a new player every week, Micah was the only guy to get back with me, and he responded with an enthusiastic yes. I’m excited about the chance you all have to get introduced to Micah. Micah, the floor is yours:
As Alan stated, I am one of several fifth-year seniors this year. Lord willing, I will be in Physician Assistant school next year, but I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to compete with my boys for one more season.
We had a rough opening series two weekends ago, but we used those games as an opportunity to learn some valuable lessons, and we’re excited to show our true potential this weekend.
Blais Hale and Kale Ebling started off the season in explosive fashion, earning batting averages of .500 and .455 respectively. Expect them to continue to provide offensive firepower this week.
Starting pitchers Tanner Gillis, Ethan Milburn, and Wyatt Fisher are no longer operating under strict pitch counts, so prepare to see them shove deeper into games this week. These guys are the real deal.
Lastly, our relievers are chomping at the bit to eat up late-game innings. The bullpen is packed this season, which gives us a huge advantage over last year. As much as I enjoyed pitching every weekend last season, I’m thrilled to see the true pitchers in our bullpen go to work this year.
: Thanks, Micah. I love getting these guys on the blog. It’s so much fun collaborating with the boys. I hope you all enjoyed hearing from Micah. Keep an eye out for other guests throughout the year.
We’re excited about this weekend, and we hope to see you there. Let’s get after it.
Well, we’re back safely from Tennessee. And that’s all I’ll say about last weekend. If you know, you just know.
Anyway, without any games this upcoming weekend, I wanted to shout out senior infielder Kale Ebling. Kale had a big series at the plate last weekend and hit some baseballs really well. Like I mentioned in the first blog, I wanted to give some different guys the opportunity to speak for themselves and give you a little insight into our program from a perspective other than mine.
: Thanks for the introduction Al. Like he said, I am a senior infielder here at Cedarville, but don’t get your hopes up, I’ll be back next year (thanks COVID-19). The most exciting part about the extra year for me is that next year my younger brother, Sage, will be joining us here on the baseball team. Okay, enough about me. I know Al said we’re not going to talk about last weekend in Tennessee, but I’ll touch on it a little.
Listen, we were nowhere near where we want to be and we fully understand that, but all along we have preached that we want to be at our best in March, April, and May when we’re playing meaningful conference games. Not making excuses but we know we weren’t at our best. We’ll get there soon. With all that being said, it was still a fun weekend.
We stopped at Bucc-ee’s on the way down and picked up our new companion, a stuffed Bucc-ee, who will be accompanying us throughout our season. Although, we still aren’t sure if he’s good or bad luck. Regardless, it was a good weekend to get back out there with each other and play the game we love. Can’t say enough about this team and coaching staff. Anyway, thanks for reading, it was nice for Alan to let me crash the party.
: I hope you guys enjoyed getting to hear a little bit about Kale and his experiences from this past weekend. It’s fun to write these blogs with a little help from the boys.
Like I said, we don’t play another opponent this weekend. Our next games are the following weekend, February 17-18, at Athletes in Action in Xenia. It’s only a stone’s throw away from Cedarville, so we hope to see a bunch of you there. We’re excited to get back to it.
My name is Alan Perry, and I am a fifth year senior here at Cedarville. I also had the opportunity to write this same blog last season. I hope you all enjoyed that inside look at our program. It was my honor and my privilege to give you a glimpse into last season’s shenanigans. I loved every single second of it. I’m also pumped to take on this year’s blog with hopefully a little help from a few of the guys along the way.
Before I get into much of this first blog, I want to put a disclaimer out there: This year’s blog will be a little different than previous ones. In the past, we’ve made an effort to introduce the guys on the team, to introduce freshmen and newcomers each week, to highlight the previous week’s accomplishments, and to preview the week ahead. There will still be plenty of that, but I am hoping to get assistance from some different guys throughout the year to give you a glimpse into the different personalities that we have on this team. Anyway, back to your rescheduled programming.
If you have not been following us that closely within the last year, we have a brand new coaching staff. Well, except for Coach Brown. Coach Brown was with us last year and is back this year (shoutout Coach Brown). Coach Matt Richter (Ric) is our new head coach, Coach Zac Filos (Los) is our new pitching coach, and Coach John Chavies (JC) is our new assistant coach. This staff has truly been a blessing to us players, and we’re excited about the direction this program is heading.
It’s also absolutely insane that our first series is already here. We travel down to Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee for a three game series this weekend. It is a great opportunity for us to play great competition and showcase the hard work we’ve been putting in these last 5-6 months. It should be a blast. The first road trip with the boys is always one to remember.
We appreciate your prayers for safe travels on the way down. Also, don’t be afraid to follow along on our website,
. It should be a fun year.
