Archive for the ‘YSU Baseball And Softball’ Category

Iowa scored the tying run in the ninth on a balk and got a pinch-hit RBI double with two outs in the 10th to defeat the Youngstown State baseball team in a slugfest, 16-15.

The Penguins led by five runs twice and by three through seven innings. Iowa scored four runs in the eighth to go up 14-13, and Jeremy Banks gave the Penguins a 15-14 lead with a two-out, two-run home run in the top of the ninth. The Hawkeyes scored the tying run on a two-out balk when the umpire ruled that reliever Erik Okleson did not pause prior to his delivery, and the game-winner came when Taylor Zeutenhorst doubled in Chett Zeise with two outs in the 10th.

Banks had a monster day for the Penguins, going 4-for-4 with three runs scored and six RBIs. He also drew three walks and reached base in all seven of his plate appearances. Drew Dosch was 5-for-7 with three RBIs and two runs, and Jack Graham also drove in two.

Ryan Rumpf had four hits, Jake Mangler scored four times and Zeise scored for times for the Hawkeyes.

Rumpf was also the winning pitcher as he came on to record the final two outs in the 10th. Okleson was charged with the loss, allowing two runs on two hits in 1.2 innings.

YSU got single tallies in the first and second innings when Banks singled in Dosch in the first and Dosch brought in Phil Lipari in the second. The Guins then scored three runs on four hits and two errors in the third to go up 5-0. Kevin Hix and Dosch both had run-scoring infield hits, and Graham scored and reached on errors.

The Penguins returned the favor with two errors in the bottom of the third, which helped lead to two runs, and Rumpf tripled in Mangler in the fourth to make the score 5-3.  YSU then did all of its damage in the fifth after there were two outs as Craig Goubeaux singled in Jason Shirley and Graham doubled in Goubeaux and Banks to put YSU up 8-3.

Mangler doubled in three runs as part of a four-run fifth for the Hawkeyes, and they answered Banks’ bases-loaded walk with two more runs in the sixth to tie the score at 9-9.

The Penguins scored four two-out runs in the seventh to go up 13-9. Graham scored on Lipari’s fielder’s choice to break the tie, and Dosch singled in David Leon for the second run. Banks then put the Guins ahead by four with a two-run single to right that brought in Dosch and Lipari.

Iowa got an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh to make the score 13-10, and the Hawkeyes took the lead with four runs in the eighth. The go-ahead run scored after a passed ball and a two-out error by Dosch at third.

Iowa reliever Nick Hibbing retired the first two Penguins in the ninth, but Shirley singled to left to keep the game alive. Banks then hit a 1-0 pitch over the right-field fence to put YSU up 15-14. In the bottom half, Okleson beaned Brand to start the inning, and he advanced on a sacrifice bunt. Brand went to third on a ground out, and he scored on the balk. Mike McQuillan followed with a single, but Okleson got Mangler to fly out to end the inning.

Hix walked and stole second with one out in the 10th for YSU, but back-to-back strikeouts left him stranded there. Zeise drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the 10th, and he went to second on a sacrifice bunt that accounted for Iowa’s second out. Zeutenhorst then doubled in Zeise on a 2-0 pitch for the game winner.

YSU was looking for its first win over a current member of the Big Ten since 1996.

The Penguins will play a three-game series at VMI next weekend, starting on Friday at 5 p.m.

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers are excited to host a special day game, presented by Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley, on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 at Eastwood Field between the Youngstown State University Penguins and the University of Pittsburgh. Gates will open at 10:30 am with first pitch at 11:00 am .

The Scrappers have an affordable package available for area schools. The cost of the school package is only $5.00 per student and includes a game ticket, lunch and an educational curriculum.

The Scrappers are taking reservations and encourage groups to sign up early to guarantee seating. The deadline for groups is Friday, April 13, 2012. Should you not be a part of a school group, individual game tickets will be available for $5.00 each.

For more information, contact the Scrappers Front Office at (330) 505-0000.

Senior Haley Thomas went 3-for-4 and junior Hana Somogyi picked up her first victory of the season as the Youngstown State softball team defeated North Carolina A&T, 11-3, on Friday afternoon. The Penguins also lost to Utah Valley, 8-0.  The Guins improve to 3-2 on the season and will take on Marist, Saturday, at 2 p.m.

Somogyi scattered eight hits and allowed just two earned runs while striking out a season-high eight batters with zero walks.

Senior  Jordan Ingalls went 1-for-3 with a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning and scored twice while junior Vicky Rumph went 2-for-4 with three runs scored.

Sophomore Haley Knight also doubled in two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to end the game.

The Guins also take on Western Carolina, Sunday, at 9.am.

The Youngstown State Penguin Club will honor Dennis and Janet Haines as Penguins of the Year during the 22nd Annual Scholarship Ring Banquet on Feb. 19 at Mr. Anthony’s in Boardman.

Tickets for the event are still available by returning the order form or contacting Tom Morella at (330) 941-2351 or Jim Morrison at (330) 941-3270. Full tables of eight are $800, a scholarship dinner package of four tickets, a student-athlete sponsored dinner and an autograph ball is $500, an individual ticket is $100 and a student-athlete sponosored dinner is $25. Program advertising is also available by calling (330) 941-7227.

Student-athletes will be signing footballs and basketballs for those groups who have purchased them in advance.

All funds generated from the event go directory towards the Youngstown State Athletics

Dennis and Janet Haines have worked diligently to make an impact in many aspects of their lives. They are fine and upstanding people. They have raised two great daughters and have three beloved grandchildren. They have worked to make lives better for many hard-working individuals. They have spent countless hours making sure that less-fortunate people have the same opportunities as everyone else. And they are some of the most die-hard Youngstown State Penguins fans the university has.

For all of those reasons, and many more, Dennis and Janet Haines are the 2012 Penguins of the Year.

Dennis saw his first Youngstown State football contest in the early 1950’s at Rayen Stadium. He climbed through a hole in the fence to watch the game. He has been a YSU sports fan for nearly 60 years.

Together, the two have seen many milestones in Youngstown State Athletics history. They were in Statesboro, Ga., in 1991 when the Penguins defeated Marshall to win their first-ever FCS National Championship. Since that first trip, they have been to every title game since. They made the trip to Penn State to see the women’s basketball team play their first NCAA Tournament game in 1996. Also, they were on hand to celebrate at Eastwood Field when the Baseball program won the Horizon League Championship in 2004.

Among the first sporting events their grandchildren attended were YSU football, basketball and baseball games. For YSU, they sponsor the Haines Family Player of the Game as selected by the YSU Radio Broadcasters, have an endowed Athletic Scholarship – Attorney Dennis and Janet Haines Scholarship – and contribute to the department in many other ways.

Doors for the event opens at 6 p.m., the buffet will start at 6:15 p.m. and the program is set to begin at 7:30 p.m.

Every family has one…  that ‘hard to buy for’ relative that you can never figure out what to get for Christmas.  Here are a couple of nice gift options that are relatively inexpensive:

• The Youngstown State Athletic Department is selling a one-of-a-kind “Pete the Penguin” golf club head cover for $30. The head cover makes a great last-minute Holiday gift for any golf enthusiast.  All proceeds go to the YSU Athletics Department. To purchase a head cover, contact the YSU Athletic Ticket Office at (330) 941-1YSU or visit the Stambaugh Stadium Athletic Ticket Office. Supplies are limited.
• The 2012 football Penguins open with a three-game homestand in September featuring FCS playoff qualifiers Albany and Northern Iowa. YSU also plays host to South Dakota, Southern Illinois and Indiana State in MVFC action at Stambaugh Stadium next fall. Season tickets are available for $84 (reserved) and $60 (general admission).
• Baseball season tickets are available as well for just $40. The Penguins play 22 home games, including 21 at Eastwood Field in Niles. The cost is less than $2 per game with the purchase of season tickets. YSU is set to play host to non-conference foes Akron, Kent State, Pittsburgh, Toledo and Ohio while the league slate features UIC, Valparaiso, Milwaukee, Butler and Wright State. The home opener is set for March 16 against Milwaukee.
• The new Horizon League Membership in the Penguin Club begins on December 31 with the women’s game against rival Cleveland State. All Courtside Coaches membership levels are discounted 15 percent from the original full-season packages. YSU will play 18 home basketball games at the Beeghly Center between Dec. 31 and Feb. 25.
• As a friendly Holiday reminder, the only way to purchase tickets for next year’s football season opener at Pittsburgh on Sept. 1 is to be a Penguin Club member or season-ticket holder. YSU returns 10 starters on an offense that averaged a school record 36.2 points per game in 2011.

So why not spread a little cheer, and experience Youngstown State Athletics live!

At halftime of last week’s Youngstown State football game, the 1991 Penguins National Championship team was honored.  It was nice to see about 25 members of the team on-hand to be introduced to the crowd.  One of the 25 members in attendance was current YSU Athletic Director, Ron Strollo.  Anyone who has been around YSU’s campus in the last few years will notice dramatic changes for the better.

Before every home football game,there are a million calories sitting on three long tables. It is fun to hear the visiting team’s media and sports department boast that YSU puts out the best spread in the conference.  Comparatively, on a recent visit to Michigan State, the only food offered to media was a boiled hot dog and a fountain soda.  Not even a bag of chips.  Big 10, shame on you.

It is also fun to hear coaches and players who travel in to face the Penguins rant about the facilities.   When Illinois State was in town, the boosters commented that they had preconceived notions of not knowing what to expect on their first trip to Youngstown State.  I ran into the same couple after the game, and even though their Redbirds came out on the short end of the stick, they went out of their way to come near me to say that they really enjoyed everything about the visit and thanked several people more important than I for the hospitality.

Back to Strollo…  People have this thing in their minds that an athletic program of a college should strictly be based on wins and losses. There is some truth in the statement, but there are other ways a university will flourish as a direct result of sports.  The WATTS is a great example of how a facility enhances an already beautiful campus, draws recruiting interest for all competitive sports, and can be utilized by more than one group or team at any given time.

“We have really made an investment over the past four or five years in our facilities and the community has really jumped on board”, said Strollo.  “Construction companies, plumbers, and electricians have donated to the improvements that will ensure our facilities continue to stay at the top of the line”.

Surrounded by a great staff, Strollo is always accessible and genuine with an answer to a question.  He attends many sporting events and the thing I admire the most about him is that he can talk on any level with anyone.

“We try to compare what we have here to major Division-I schools”, commented Strollo.  “My role is to keep things running as smoothly as possible.  I can’t go recruit and I can’t coach, so I manage what my role is.  Everything we do is to the best of our ability.  Our goal is to make sure that these coaches and student athletes have everything at their disposal they need to be successful.”

If you havent been on campus for the last three years, go check things out.  Start with the new turf on the football field and walk toward the WATTS.  If you can get access, check out the updated training facilities inside Stambaugh Stadium.  Make your way to Beeghly Center and look at the weight room additions, coaches corner, and upgraded locker rooms.  Visits to the campus, especially by recruits, will reveal a very favorable environment to continue excelling in athletics, but also getting a quality college education.

We have a gift in this valley people.  Rather than focus on the negatives of the “tired steel town” or “mafia ties everywhere” versions, go intake the beauty that lies within.  Keep up the good work, Mr. Strollo!

With the leaves starting to fall and football taking center stage, the YSU baseball team participated in a scrimmage on a sunny Summer-like Sunday.  I am sorry to report no scoring from the game, as I had to leave during the third inning.  However, I was able to snag a few decent pictures worth sharing while there.  Batter Up…

Coach Pasquale Studying His Notes

Craig Goubeaux Takes A Cut

Eleven members of the 2011 Youngstown State softball team were named All-American Scholar-Athletes by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

The Youngstown State honorees include: Jordan Ingalls, Haley Thomas, Vicki Rumph, Sarah Gabel, Kristen Philen, Kim Klonowski, Sarah Ingalls, Kristina Rendle, Amanda Palmore, Samantha Snodgrass, and Courtney Ewing.

The award is given to any player submitted by a member coach who achieved a 3.50 grade point average or higher during the 2010-11 academic year.

Last week, YSU was recognized as a 2011 NFCA Top Ten All-Academic team ranking sixth with a 3.523 team grade-point average.

In other offseason news, Youngstown State Head Softball Coach Brian Campbell was enshrined into the Tiffin University Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2011.

Campbell, who was the head coach at Tiffin from 2001 is the most honored softball coach in Tiffin University history.

At Tiffin, Campbell won six coach-of-the-year honors over his eight-year career, leading the Dragons to two NAIA National Tournament appearances, two Region IX Championships, five American Mideast Conference Championships, and a peak NAIA ranking of 13^th in the nation.

He was twice named Independent Division II Coach of the Year while also landing the 2006 Region IX Coach-of-the-Year honors.

Campbell’s teams won 285 games, including an impressive 104-16 mark in conference play. He earned his Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Tiffin University.

*Photo Courtesy of Ron Stevens

The Youngstown State softball team posted the sixth-highest team grade-point average in Division I during the 2010-11 school year with a 3.523 GPA. The National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced its Top 10 All-Academic Teams on Thursday afternoon.

The NFCA Academic Awards program honors both collegiate and high school teams for their submitted GPAs for the 2010-2011 academic year. As a second component of the program, all submitted student-athletes who achieved a 3.50 GPA during last academic year are named as a NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete. The individual honorees will be announced on Wednesday, October 5 on The NFCA Website.

Below is a listing of the top 10 Division I schools:

NCAA Division I
1. Tennessee Technological University – 3.619, 2. Southern Illinois University – 3.611, 3. Robert Morris University – 3.553, 4. Houston Baptist University – 3.551, 5. Bowling Green State University – 3.534, 6.Youngstown State University – 3.523, 7. Troy University – 3.512, 8. University of Alabama – 3.510, 9. East Tennessee State University – 3.495, 10 (tie). Eastern Michigan University – 3.477, 10 (tie). Stetson University – 3.477.

A quality Summer Baseball Camp is being offered at Eastwood Field from August 8-10.  The camp is designed to introduce young players the aspects and fundamentals of baseball.  Rich Pasquale, YSU’s head baseball coach, and Craig Antush, a YSU assistant, will host the camp.

The areas of specialization to be covered at the camp are fielding, throwing, hitting, base running and pitching.  The camp is offered to anyone between the ages of 6-14, and kids will be grouped within their own age bracket.  During the hitting and pitching sessions, all campers will be videotaped on Monday and Wednesday.

There are three separate option to choose from:

Option 1: The cost for this package is $125.  This selection includes fielding, throwing, base running, and hitting.  It also includes the videotaping that will take place Monday and Wednesday.  Daily time of this choice is 9 a.m. – Noon.

Option 2: The cost for this package is $60.  This selection will cover pitching only.  It also includes the Monday and Wednesday videotaping sessions.  The time for pitching camp only is 12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m.

Option 3: The cost for this package is $150.  This selection runs from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. all three days and is simply a combination of the first two packages at a discounted rate.  The videotaping on Monday and Wednesday is included and attendees choosing this option will need to bring a lunch each day.

The camp is not affiliated with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers or Youngstown State University.  It is just at the field where the Scrappers play and will be conducted by two very good instructors who happen to coach baseball at YSU.

To pre-register, contact the Scrappers at 330-505-0000, Craig Antush at 330-539-4577 or e-mail cjantush@ysu.edu for more details..