Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) You’ve had a great collegiate playing career at both Florida State and Baylor University where did not commit an error as a shortstop in 23 games. How was the transition from one school to another? Tell us what you enjoyed most about being a student athlete.

A. (COACH DENNIS)  Being a student-athlete was the most wonderful experience of my early life, no doubt.  I enjoyed the rigors of going to class and learning and then going out on the ball field and learning even more!  My two years at junior college ( McLennan CC, Waco TX ) were exceptional years and I was exposed to the finest coaching of my life.  We worked hard and achieved high levels of success and much of that experience is what I still draw on today.  Florida State was a great place and my first taste of “upper level” baseball from a program standpoint.  Everything was done for you and you were treated like kings.  Due to unforeseen circumstances, I needed to transfer out and I went back to Texas and to Baylor University.  It was difficult leaving FSU but I knew the people well in Waco and at Baylor and they made the transition very easy.  It was a great year at Baylor where we were ranked in the top 10 nationally, battled for the SWC championship and personally, I played the best ball of my life!!

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) You were also drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 37th Round in 1985. How was your introduction to the baseball professional realities? What did you struggle with the most, and what did you enjoy the most?

A. (COACH DENNIS)  Pro ball was a completely different world for me and it became apparent that my style of play and philosophy wasn’t exactly the same as what it needs to be in professional ball.  I grew up learning to play the game from a “team” standpoint and I think pro ball was my first introduction into “individual” baseball.  You cared more about your numbers than the teams numbers and it was hard for me.  Still, it was a super experience and the end to a lifelong goal of making it to pro ball and I wouldn’t change that for the world.  I got to enjoy playing in front of people as a PROFESSIONAL player and that is what I had hoped for since I was a little kid.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  It’s now been 9 seasons as the head coach of the Chattanooga State Tigers. You’ve posted 9 winning season in that time, including a JUCO World Series appearance in 2010. What is the baseball culture like there in Chattanooga? What’s recruiting these kids like in your area?

A. (COACH DENNIS) The move to Chattanooga 9 years ago was a life changer.  The people in this area love baseball and Chatt State is really their only local college that provides competitive baseball.  The program had been good and bad through the years and didn’t have a really strong identity in the community.  My goal was to make the program more relevant locally and to be able to recruit the better local kids to stay around home and play for a solid JUCO program.  I think we have done that very effectively.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  In 2012, you guys posted a 39-17 record. You guys made it to the D1 Region 7 Tournament where you struggled to win any games. Describe for us your season and what you felt were your greatest qualities and your most difficult struggles as a team in the tournament.

A. (COACH DENNIS)  This past year was a very trying one as we dealt with many of the adversities that you have to deal with occasionally.  We struggled with injuries as we lost a number of starters to various ailments.  We also struggled with internal team issues that sometimes “pop up” in certain years.  We did a pretty good job of over-achieving and I couldn’t be prouder of the majority of these guys and what they accomplished this year.  Talent-wise we were pretty average but we played the better part of the season at a high level and accomplished much.  I think we just ran out of gas at the end and didn’t have much left, to be honest.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Despite the tournament, you guys had an amazing year complete with some outstanding hitting. Your second baseman and one your strongest hitters was Zack Zarzour. He led your team with 69 hits, 58 runs scored, 180 at bats, 22 stolen bases, and a .383 batting average. What has been some of the things you’ve seen him do in the two years you’ve had that has impressed you as a coach?

A. (COACH DENNIS)  Zach has been the consummate team player.  He had a great freshman year where he hit in the bottom of the order and was a second level table setter for us.  This year it all fell on him to be the main ingredient in our offense and he did just that.  He led us in a number of categories and was voted 1st Team All Conference at a very difficult position.  He is such a high-energy kid and plays at a consistently high rate that he is going to be great at the next level.  He is committed to Tennessee Tech University and will do great there.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Jordan McDonald was only a freshman and he was your starting shortstop. He was able to put together 57 hits,  37 runs scored, and a .343 batting average while leading the team with 14 doubles, and 42RBI.  What was it about him that saw right out of high school that impress you the most, and was it great to watch those two guys play up the middle all year?

A. (COACH DENNIS)  It was definitely a pleasure to see Jordy and Zach play this year and it was one of the finer middle of the infields I have had in a number of years.  Jordy has the ability to be a big, big time player for us next year.  His numbers this year were very good and didn’t even scratch the surface of what is there for him to achieve.  He talent is enormous and as long as he continues to work hard and compete with himself and others, he is going to push the envelope towards getting to the highest levels possible.  He is one that has got a very bright future!!

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Then there was Isaac Davenport. Without a doubt a big part of your offense as your center fielder. He finished the season with a .344 batting average, 53 hits, 11 doubles, 41 runs scored, and 20RBI while also swiping 18 bases. How exciting was he to watch play for two years, and what do you feel made him so successful in 2012?

A. (COACH DENNIS)  Isaac has been a strong part of our program for what seems like a long time.  His skill set is exactly what we look for in players coming in.  Good hitter / very fast runner / athletic player / baseball savvy.  Isaac contributed on and off of the field in a number of areas and I know we are going to miss him enormously next year.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) You also had a freshman third baseman named Zach Lance also was instrumental to your 2012 campaign. He finished the season with a .341 batting average, 47 hits, and 26 runs scored. What excites you about the growth he will make by next year?

A. (COACH DENNIS)  Zach had an exceptional year this year as he transitioned to 3B.  He was voted 2nd Team All Conference for his play this year and he should continue to develop and be even better next year.  His hitting was consistent for us and his defensive play showed glimpses of being able to be a truly exceptional third baseman.  Hopefully, with continued work and drive, Zach will be a corner guy to come watch next year.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Your catcher Matt Sorrow also showed great ability with the bat. He finished the year with a .365 batting average after 115 at bats. Were you pleased with his defensive improvements the past two years? Also, describe to us what you felt having the “the up the middle” defense you had this year. (Sorrow, Zarzour, McDonald, & Davenport).

A. (COACH DENNIS)  Matt probably had the biggest “breakthrough” year I have seen in a number of years.  We knew he could be a very strong “catch-throw” catcher but his bat really, really made an impact this spring.  Matt showed that with hard work and perseverance you can make yourself into a very competitive hitter.  He was our most consistent run producer all year and his quality at bats were remarkably high.  He made the middle of our defense a very good one and it was a pleasure to see all of those athletic, driven young men play for us day in and day out.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Connor Gilbert and Taylor Patterson were a pair of freshman you showcased in 2012. Together they put up 83 hits and powered in 61RBI. Those are pretty big numbers. Tell us what they will mean to your team in 2013. Patterson is also a pretty good pitcher right? Where do you like to see him most, on the mound or in your lineup?

A. (COACH DENNIS)   Both those guys had up and down years for us this past year and unfortunately, they will not be back with us next year.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Your biggest workhorse not he mound for you this year was fresh Tyler McClure. He finished the year with a 4-2 record, a 3.53 ERA, and 45 strikeouts after 71.1 innings. Do you think he ever settled down and pitched the way you think he’s able to in his freshman season?

A. (COACH DENNIS)   Tyler threw remarkably better this year than we ever projected.  He didn’t get to throw much this fall due to a hip injury issue and we didn’t know if he was going to even be able to throw much at all this spring.  He far exceeded our wishes and threw some remarkable games.  We feel that he has the ability to be one of the best pitchers in this region next year and hopefully, be our solid #1 next spring!!

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Another solid arm for you in 2012 was Dylan Massengill. He finished the year with a 5-4 record, a 3.54 ERA, and 34K in 53.1 innings. He only walked 12 batters all year. What would you say  will steadily make him an even better pitcher?

A. (COACH DENNIS)   Dylan threw well for us both years and showed that with continued improvement on his secondary pitches, his development jumped exponentially.  He really gained confidence this spring and blossomed into the type of pitcher that gives you quality starts virtually every time out.  He should do really well at the next level and his ceiling is very high for the future.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Then of course freshman Carson Bryant put op overall probably the best numbers on the staff. He finished the year with a 6-0 record, a 2.00 ERA, and 44K’s after 45 innings. Is that as impressive as the fact that he only gave up 9 walks in that entire time? What excites you most about sending him to the mound?

A. (COACH DENNIS)  Carson came in at mid term for us and we didn’t know exactly what to expect.  He threw a number of very strong games this spring and showed that as he was learning he was still able to compete at a high level.  He has the chance to be a weekend guy for us next year with work this coming fall.  His future is very bright and he is a very committed young man and we expect great things out of him next year.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Another one of your talented freshman arms was Alex Ridge. He finished with a  7-3 record, a 3.20 ERA, AND 51K’s after only 45 innings. What do you see in him that has been so obviously good?

A. (COACH DENNIS)  Alex has the ability to be a strong weekend guy for us next year.  He has 3 pitches that can be commanding at time and is a bulldog up on the mound mentally.  He just needs to settle in to pitching at this level and let his stuff work for him. We feel like he can be very, very good next year and our desire is to see him take the ball on a regular basis and go out there and really compete well with the competition.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Your 2013 season is looking better and better. You had 3 more freshman pitchers that showed they can be ready to take over soon. Blake Davenport, Cody Hartley, and Alex Ledford. Who is your pitching coach, and how interesting is his job everyday working with these kids?

A. (COACH DENNIS)  Adam Howard is the pitching coach here and he did a truly remarkable job with the staff this season.  In his first year as pitching coach he took a staff that wasn’t deep in sophomores or in experience and held them together for the better part of the whole season.  I couldn’t be more proud of what he has accomplished here this spring and am excited to see what he does with a little more talented staff next year.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) What did you tell your kids after losing in the tournament, and what can we expect from you and your program in 2013?

A. (COACH DENNIS)  I told them that I was proud of the effort they put out there on a daily basis and that sometimes things are a little out of your control as to the outcome of your season.  They had nothing to be ashamed of and winning 39 games isn’t easy and certainly is a tribute to the work they put in.  I also told them that we would continue to push forward at reaching our goals and this program wasn’t going to settle for anything other than the best!!

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) How was it for you to match some of your players against some Double A pro ball players? Were your guys nervous, and how did it go?

A. (COACH DENNIS)  The Lookouts games are an unreal experience for the guys and their families. It is a chance to get out and bump-heads with some really, really talented young men.  The experience they gain from this game is enormous and the opportunity to see what it is like for an evening at this level will help them throughout the rest of their careers.  The guys are always really nervous ( as am I!! ) and that also helps in preparing them for later games that are going to be very important for the season.  We lost last year 3-2 and then this year 1-0 so playing those guys that close also does a ton for our confidence and our visibility in the community.  I have had a number of people come up after those games and comment on our development as a program and the excitement over us playing them so well.  What a great night it is for Chatt State baseball every time we play them!!

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  You’ve been the head coach there for 3 seasons, and each time you’ve put up some very successful baseball. How do you see yourself different as a coach since arriving at FHU?

A. (COACH ESTES)  We have continually tried to fine tune the way we do things. Our core values that we believe in to be successful have not wavered, but  there are better ways to do things. As a coaching staff, we try to look at what we do and if it accomplished the task it was supposed to and we look at others and try to borrow what successful organizations are doing.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  In 2012, in the Trans South Athletic Conference, you guys finished in 1st place, with a 16-8 conference record and a 36-23 overall record. Within that conference, you had the best team ERA (3.89), and the best team batting average (.315). In your point of view, what were your teams strengths and weaknesses in the season, tournament, and the NAIA National Championships Opening Round?

A. (COACH ESTES)  Our strengths throughout the season were: solid starting pitching, good team defense, and depth in our line-up. The times that we did not execute in these areas, were the times that we struggled. We saw that play out in the post-season tournaments.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  You guys were an automatic bid for the regional Opening Round Championships because of your record in the conference?

A. (COACH ESTES) We received an at-large bid because of our final national ranking. The automatic bid in our conference went to the conference tournament winner.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  On May 10th, you guy were in the Cleveland Bracket of the NAIA Opening Round Championships. Your opponent was Missouri Baptist. You lost that game 9-6. in that game Ben Ihde was a huge light of inspiration. He went 3 for 5 with 1 run scored and 2RBI. He finished the season with a .351 batting average, 12 doubles, and 29RBI. Tell us how important this kid was to your program in 2012.

A. (COACH ESTES) Ben was a senior transfer from Lambuth University. It is difficult to come into a program and have the immediate impact that Ben had both on and off the field. Ben enjoys the grind of working hard everyday. He will stay on with us next year as a graduate assistant.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  On May 11th, in a do or die game against Avila University, you lost a tog 5-4 game in the bottom of the 9th inning after having tied it in the 8th. Justin Mackey went 2 for 4 with 1 run, and 2RBI in that game. He was one of your big bats all year finishing with a .374 batting average, 76 hits, 15 doubles, 44RBI, and 13 stolen bases. He was only a junior, so what is expected from him next year?

A. (COACH ESTES) Justin has had two solid seasons in a row and has emerged as one of the top players in the conference. When we talked at the end of the season, he agreed that there is still a lot of room to improve on the field and in the locker room. As a senior, we need him to take on some of the characteristics of a leader so that he can help the guys around him play to their abilities and make our team better as a whole.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Even though you lost in the Opening Round, your team had many great players to speak about. One of those are junior Robert Prieto. He led your team with 204 at bats, 85 hits, and 48RBI. He even put up 43 runs, 5HR, and 16 stolen bases. What was so special about him and how he handled things in 2012?

A. (COACH ESTES) I have joked that Robert gets off the bus hitting. He obviously had a great year offensively. His hits tied the single season school record after tying for second last year. Robert made a position change this year to second base after playing short stop his entire life. His ability to make that transition so quickly and at such a high level, was probably the most special thing he did this year.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Jesse Hykes was also a special bat in your lineup. He led your team with 9HR, while posting a .304 batting average, 46 runs, 15 doubles, 33RBI, and 12 stolen bases. How was it to have guys like him who go deep into the gabs and also steal their share of quality bases?

A. (COACH ESTES)  Jesse had a great year for us. He had his share of dramatic moments this year hitting a walk off grand slam and other big hits. He is an example of the depth we had this year in our line-up. You always knew that he had the capabilities of changing the course of the game on any swing.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  On the mound, you had some guys that went long innings for you. One of them was Roberto Ferguson. He finished the season with a team high 85 innings, while posting a 3.64 ERA, an 8-2 record, 8 complete games, and 60K’s. What was it like watching him contribute strongly in 13 starts?

A. (COACH ESTES) Roberto had that mentality that you want your pitchers to have. It was like ‘Give me the ball and let me go.’ You never had to wonder if Roberto was preparing for his next start, he lived for his next start. His hard work in between games was probably why he was able to stay strong for 7 or 9 innings. He had an outstanding year.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Then there was 6’7/220 Hunter Newby. He finished the year with 74 innings and 4 complete games with a 4.26 ERA. Tell us something about him that his numbers do not say.

A. (COACH ESTES) The numbers don’t tell you what kind of competitor and teammate that Hunter was. He was a fierce as there was on the mound and the biggest supporter of his teammates when he wasn’t. He is leaving some big shoes to fill, literally.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Andy Southard was also a crucial member of that pitching staff. He led the team with a 9-1 record, while posting a 3.57 ERA, and 4 complete games after 63 innings. What is it about these starters that you allow them to finish up so many games?

A. (COACH ESTES) Andy knew how to pitch and how to get guys out. All three of these starters were very aggressive going at hitter and trying to force contact. They didn’t care about the strikeouts, they wanted low pitch counts. All three of these guys kept their pitch counts low because they were so aggressive and didn’t walk a lot of guys and, as a result, were able to go deeper into games.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  You had a sophomore named Jake Francis coming out of the bullpen and showing up pretty well. He posted a 2.21 ERA, a 3-0 record, 1 complete game, and 27K’s after 20.1 innings. Was this an experimental season for him? Can we expect to see him settle in more as a starter for you next year?

A. (COACH ESTES) We were grooming Jake to be a starter for us next year. He has great stuff and had great numbers this year. Jake has decided to retire from baseball and join his dad in the workforce so he will not be back next year.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Amos Bingham was probably the reliever you used the most in 2012. He finished the year with a 3.97 ERA, 2 saves, and 28K’s. He appeared in 20 games and totaled 34 innings. What are some of the things you’ve seen him improve on over the 3 years you’ve been there?

A. (COACH ESTES) Amos ended his career with very impressive career numbers. He was able to be successful at starting, relieving, and closing games. He really matured as a person and as a player over his last two years. He knew what it took to be successful and he went out and tried to do that. I always told him, his stuff was as good as I have seen on the teams I’ve coached.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Charlie Overturf was also someone you used most as a reliever, but he also started in 6 games. He finished with a  3.56 ERA, and 37K’s after 48 innings. What type of role was he used mostly in 2012, and what type of mental toughness does a young kid need to go from the bullpen to the starting role in short notice?

A. (COACH ESTES) Charlie is a guy that was used in every role during his tenure. As a sophomore, he started the season as our closer and was our best starter by the end of the year. He was a weekend guy for us last year, but struggled with arm problems all year. This year, we used him as a starter mid-week and would use him out of the pen on the weekends. He had games where he came in to get a lefty and games where he would go several innings. Charlie was just always ready to pitch and do what we needed. As the year went on, Charlie was perhaps our most effective pitcher over the last three or four weeks.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)   We can’t forget Drew Suttles. He was only a sophomore in 2012, and he was only 5’8. Yet, he tossed 24 innings in 20 appearances posting a very respectful 3.38 ERA, with 13K’s, and only 1 walk. In your conference, or in your level of play, how tough does a shorter kid need to be in order to compete as well as Suttles did in 2012?

A. (COACH ESTES) Even though Drew is small in stature, he has a huge heart. I don’t think Drew ever stops focusing on trying to get guys out. He is obsessed with sweating and running and pushing himself. He is a great example to his teammates.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  What did you tell your guys about losing so quickly in the tournament? Are you all fired up about 2013?

A. (COACH ESTES) This was the first time in 15 years that we have won a conference title and advanced to the National Tournament. Obviously the season didn’t end like we would have liked, but we had a very good season and are excited at duplicating it next year.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) As a player, you were a catcher for the University of Arkansas where you were the team captain for two season. That included a College World Series appearance. You were also drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 1986 where you spent 4 years in that organization. Tell us what all of that mean to you and what was the memory that sticks out the most of that entire time.

A. (COACH WILSON)  Yes, I played at the University of Arkansas in 1985 and 1986. I guess my fondest memory was playing in the college world series in 1985. During that year we played something like 22 games in the month of May all against top 25 opponents and won all of those games, it was quite a run. We then won the Tallahassee regional and advanced to the world series. Another found memory that I have was being called up from the Cleveland Indians rookie team to AA during my first year of professional baseball.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) You spent some time with a major program that everyone knows well, USC. How was it to spend time at such a high level of college baseball as a coach.

A. (COACH WILSON) As you know USC is the most storied college baseball program in the history of the NCAA with 12 National Championships to it’s credit. It was certainly an honor for me to coach at such a prestigious institution. It was also very rewarding to compete day in and day out against the always tough PAC 10 opponents. I learned a lot about recruiting and coaching in general during my time at USC. I will always be grateful for the opportunity to coach at USC.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Since you’ve taken over this program, what type of things are you most proud of when it comes to your players and your the type of baseball you put out every year.

A. (COACH WILSON) I came over from USC last August. I guess the thing that I’m most proud of is how our players learned how to compete this year. We lost our first six games of the season and still ended up with 34 wins and made it to the NAIA super regionals. I am extremely proud of our players and coaching staff.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) In 2012, your team finished with a 34-23 overall record. Of all the independent programs in Division 1 NAIA baseball, your team finished with the 2nd best team defense (.961), 2nd beat team pitching (4.22),  and posted a 3rd place finish of 13. Tell us something those numbers don’t say. What do you think your team excelled the most in.

A. (COACH WILSON)  As previously mentioned, I am extremely proud of our guys. All year long we stressed pitching and defense and I felt they did a great job at both.  Although we finished the season in third place in the independent conference I felt that we would do well in the conference tournament due to our strength of schedule. We had the second toughest schedule of all the independent schools and the 13th toughest schedule in the nation.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) In the Independent Institutions Championship Tournament, you guys took 4 of 5 games and ultimately the title. In that series, two of your starting pitchers went for complete 9 inning games. Alika Pruett did it on only 4 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, and 9K’s, while Jordan Bryson did it on 8 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, and 9K’s. What did those starts do for your team? How big were those those two victories and performances?

A. (COACH WILSON)  Alika Preutt has been awesome for us all season and it was no surprise he threw a complete game in the tournament. He has excellent composure and mound presence. He throws three pitches for strikes and he always seems to be in control. It has been a pleasure to coach him this year. As for Jordan Bryson, that was some what of a surprise. Just prior to the conference tournament one of our starting pitchers was suspended from the team for violating team rules. We told the rest of the team that someone would need to step up and take his place. Jordan was the ace of the team last year and had taken on a relief role on the team this year. Naturally Jordan was not too happy about his relief role, however, he never complained he just kept working and when he got the call to start the championship game he made the most of it pitching a complete game getting the win. I was so proud of him. It just goes to show you what hard work and perseverance can do.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  In that tournament, your catcher had three games in which he drove in 3 runs on 5 hits. Tell us what you loved most about having Zac Livingston’ s presence in the lineup and behind the plate.

A. (COACH WILSON)  It has been a pleasure to coach Zach this year. He came to us as a pitcher/catcher and actually wanted to pitch more than catch this year. After working with him this fall it was clear to me that Zach needed to be catching for us as much as possible. He did a great job of handling our pitching staff and controlling the opponents running game. Zach hit in the 9 hole for us most of the year. At one point during the year he was struggling with his confidence at the plate and I asked him why he thought he was hitting in the 9 hole and he said ” I guess because I’m not a very
good hitter” I assured him that he is a good hitter and could very easily be hitting in the middle of our order, but I wanted to hit him in the 9 hole so we would have speed at the top and bottom of our order (we run for the catcher). From that point on Zach’s confidence seem to grow culminating in an awesome conference tournament in which he was named tournament MVP mainly for his offensive production during the tournament.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  All of that was good enough to get you into the NAIA Championship Opening Round. In your first game against Menlo College, you guys lost 8-5. Despite losing, Garrison Hensley impressed everyone with a 2 for 4 game with 4 RBI. How do you think he’s handled being a shortstop and having to come through with the bat as well?

A. (COACH WILSON) Yes, Menlo threw a LHP who had the lowest ERA of any of the pitchers in the tournament. We knew we would have a difficult time scoring runs against him. During the game we only had a couple of hits and hadn’t squared up any balls through the first 4 or 5 innings until Garrison finally got to him with a grand slam on a 3-2 pitch. What was interesting about that grand slam was that Garrison actually swung at ball four to get to the 3-2 count. Garrison said that he knew I would not be happy about him swinging at ball four with the bases loaded so he said to himself,  I better do something good before I get back in that dugout or Coach Wilson is gonna wear me out. Suffice it to say I didn’t “wear him out” when he got back in the dugout.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Then, you guys won the 2nd game against Shorter College 10-8. How amazing was that Eddie Aplin 2 run walk off home run in the bottom of the 9th inning? Describe what that mean to the team and to the season. He’s only a sophomore. What will he bring to your team next year?

A. (COACH WILSON)  Shorter jumped out to a quick lead and at one point was leading 8-3. Sometime around the 4th or 5th inning the momentum began to shift in our favor and we started scoring almost every inning. At that point our guys were confident that we could come back and win the game. When Eddie came to the plate in the 9th he already had three hits on the day and was seeing the ball extremely well. The pitcher hung an 0-1 curve ball and Eddie jumped all over it and there was not doubt it was going to leave the yard the moment it left his bat. That was our first “walk off” bomb of the season and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  In that game, Kendall Konopka, Alex Glenn, and Eddie Aplin had 4 hits, while Konopka scored 4 runs himself. How big of a game was that for your entire program?

A. (COACH WILSON)  This was an elimination game for both teams and our guys knew it was a win or go home game. After our opening game loss and not swinging the bats very well it was extremely important for us to come out and establish our offense. Konopka, Glenn and Aplin certainly took that to heart contributing 4 hits apiece in the game against a very good team. This win was important for our program because the guys are starting to understand what it takes to compete with their backs against the wall. It was important to the overall growth of our young program.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  All season, junior Alex Glenn was your top hitter. He finished the season with a team high .351 batting average, 61 hits, 10 doubles, 8HR, and 36RBI. He even led the team with 23 stolen bases. Tell what excites you most about having him in your lineup again next year.

A. (COACH WILSON) We were very fortunate to have Alex transfer in from USC in January of this year. He’s been a stable force hitting in the 3 hole for us all year. He has that rare combination of speed and power that you don’t see to often. It’s been a pleasure to see his growth throughout the season. He has learned how to hit lefties and the breaking ball and has become a complete hitter. Although we would love to have Alex back next year we probably won’t have him. He is a junior and will most likely be drafted and sign a professional contract in the June Major League Draft.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Tyler Osborne and Kendall Konopka also contributed greatly to the season. Together they bunched up 94 hits.  They represented that middle part of your lineup. How do you feel they did in 2012?

A. (COACH WILSON)  Both Kendall and Tyler had productive offensive year’s. Kendall is a top of the order “table setter” type hitter. He handles the bat extremely well and gets on base, he can beat you in a number of ways. Tyler is more of a middle of the order “RBI” type hitter. He has a lot of power but can also hit for average. He is the perfect guy to have up in RBI situations.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Your lead off hitter was Jake Storrer. He finished the season with a .307 batting average, 36 runs scored, and even put up 5HR. What did he mean to your team at that top of the lineup?

A. (COACH WILSON) We were fortunate to have Jake Storrer at the top of our line up this year. We saw a number of right handed pitchers this year and it is certainly an advantage to have a very good left handed hitter that has power to start the game off for us. Like Glenn, Jake also has that rare combination of speed and power.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Travis Molina and Mike Greco were both big ball crushers and run producers. Between them, they put up 10HR , and 73RBI. Would you say they were the meat of your order? What happened to Molina in the NAIA Opening Round? He did not play.

A. (COACH WILSON) Greco is another USC transfer that we were fortunate to have. He hit in the 4 hole for us most of the year. Although he didn’t hit for as high of an average as he would have liked, he was our leading run producer. He is a patient and disciplined hitter that would take what the pitcher gave him. He had higher than usual number of walks for a 4 hole hitter. Molina was also a middle of the order bat that lead our team in home runs. He was also a steady force at third base for us. Travis suffered a back injury at the end of the fall, unfortunately, it flared up again during our final regular season series and prevented him from competing in the post season. It would have been nice to have him at the hitter friendly Azusa Pacific park.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Alika Pruett and Josh Dreier were your biggest arms all year. Together they won 13 games, completed 5 games, and soaked up 157.2 innings for a combined 3.06 ERA. What type of pitchers are they and have you enjoyed most about watching them?

A. (COACH WILSON) Both Pruett and Dreier received 1st team all conference honors. As previously mentioned, Pruett has great mound presence and composure. He throws 3 pitches for strikes anytime and he always seems to be in control. We knew that he was going to go deep into the game and give us a chance to win every time out. Dreier is a 6’3″ LHP with excellent stuff. He features an average major league fastball, good curve ball, and excellent change at times. Josh has outstanding upside and has the potential to be a dominate pitcher both in college and professionally. Josh did not give up an earned run in his last three starts and he had 16 strikeouts in 7 innings of work in his last outing.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Jack Sherman was your top guy out of the bullpen. He finished the year with a 2.64 ERA, a 4-1 record after 44.1 innings. What type of roles have you enjoyed using him most in?

A. (COACH WILSON) Jack was probably our biggest surprise this year. He transferred to us in January and we did not know much about him. He has an unorthodox pitching motion that seems to disrupt hitters timing. He is a sinker ball pitcher that throws strikes and gets a lot of ground balls. He is the perfect pen guy that can come in and get you out of a tough situation with a ground ball double play. He played a pivotal role for us this year. He was a certainly a pleasant surprise.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Was this your programs first ever NAIA Opening Round Championship appearance? What did you tell your guys after? And, what are you most proud of about the 2012 season?

A. (COACH WILSON)  Yes, this was our first ever Opening Round Championship appearance. We were excited to make it to the championship round in only the second year of the baseball program. We told the guys that although we didn’t make it to our ultimate goal of making it to and winning the National Championship we had a good year and they should be proud. We told them that they laid the foundation for great things to come. We had a lot of firsts this year, we had our first win on our new baseball field on campus, we won 30+ games for the first time ever, we made it to and won the conference championship for the first time ever, we will have our first player drafted in the MLB draft in June and we qualified for the NAIA opening round championships for the first time ever. We are very fortunate to have an extremely supportive administration that cares about athletics and the success of our programs. We are excited about the future of ACU baseball and we expect to be competing for a National Championship year in and year out.

Thank you for the opportunity to tell you about our program.

Doyle Wilson
Arizona Christian University

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) You’ve been coaching for 15 years. Tell us about your experience coaching the Portland Baseball Club. There is an intense baseball culture in Oregon. Can you tell us what it was like coaching collegiate summer baseball?

A. (COACH LEWIS)  Coaching the Portland Baseball Club was a lot of fun. The owner of PBC, Joe Taylor, is a former player of mine and it was great to watch him start the club from scratch. We started with one team and now he has multiple teams at multiple age levels, as well as the academy portion of the business. He offers camps, clinics and lessons. He does a great job and as most coaches can tell you, you find so much enjoyment in watching your players succeed. We started the program to give HS seniors an opportunity to play before they go to college, so we run it just like a college program. We select the best players from the Portland metro area and do our best to prepare them for college baseball. Brad Neffendorf who is our pitching coach here at Campbellsville is going to be the head coach this summer and Joe Taylor was the head coach last summer. The number one thing that sets PBC apart from other summer programs is that the sole purpose is to prepare our kids for college, winning is secondary to teaching life lessons. However, we have been fortunate enough to win a lot of games.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) You have now been with Campbellsville for 3 three years as an assistant coach. What brought you all the way to Kentucky and what are you enjoying most about coaching there? Do you bring in any kids from any North West programs?

A. (COACH LEWIS) I came to Campbellsville in August of 2009 as the graduate assistant because of Jake McKinley. Jake and I coached together at Bethany University and he came out to Campbellsville as the GA in 2007 and when he was done in ’09 he asked me if I would be interested in the job. I needed to finish my master’s degree, and my wife and I were ready to get out of the NW, so we came and visited and really liked it here. My first year I was the GA and then our pitching coach at the time, Scott Hortness, took the head job at Dakota State, and they moved me into a full time position and
Brad Neffendorf was hired as the GA.  Jake was the recruiting coordinator when he was here and that torch got passed on to me. And now Coach Neff is handling most of it. In my 3 years here we have signed 14 players from California, 3 from Oregon, 16 from Washington, 2 from Idaho, 1 from Nevada, 1 from Colorado, 3 from Canada and 1 from Virginia.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  In 2012, you guys posted a 3rd Place conference finish. Your team pitching was 2nd best in the conference (2.65 ERA), but your team batting average was at the very top (.320). What do you think your team excelled most in as you were able to watch them every day?

A. (COACH LEWIS) Our pitching staff finished the year 4th in the country in ERA and 7th in opponents’ batting average. They did a great job of pounding the zone, getting ahead of hitter and trusting our defense. Offensively, we ran the bases well, finishing 14th in the country in stolen bases.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) In the conference tournament, you started off strong beating UVA-Wise 10-0. In that game, Ryan Richardson tossed 7 full innings on only 4 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, and 3K’s. He led your team with a 7-3 record, a 2.13 ERA after 72 innings. Tell us how amazing it was to start the tournament like that.

A. (COACH LEWIS) It was great to start the tournament off well. Richardson gave us a great start against a tough UVA-Wise team. Coach Banner does a great job with his guys. They were not quite the same time with their number 1, Crosby, being injured. He was having some arm trouble at the end of the season and basically pitched off of guts in the tournament. If he is completely healthy that game has a different score. He was one of the top arms in the conference the last two years and we have a lot of respect for him. It was great to win, but we knew there was still a lot of work to be done.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) After that you lost two games and you were of course eliminated from the tournament. How tough is that Mid-South Conference and how badly did you all take that elimination?

A. (COACH LEWIS) The Mid-South Conference is extremely tough and I think the conference is underrated. We had 3 teams in the rankings this year and half the conference had 30+ win seasons. The loss was hard for us because we had won 7 straight conference titles, either regular season champs or conference tournament champs. Nobody wants to be a part of the group that broke a streak.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Despite that, your team did earn a bid into the NAIA Opening Round Championships. Out of the 3 games you played in, you lost 2 against St. Francis. But, you did win a 7-4 game against Georgetown College. Your catcher and clean-up hitter Keaton Neeb went 2 for 4 with 2RBI in that game. He was a solid hitter all  year with a .333 batting average. How did he handle life dawning the tools of ignorance?

A. (COACH LEWIS) Keaton did a great job for us behind the plate. He transferred in at winter break so he missed the fall for us. He did a great job learning our system quickly and as he got more comfortable with time he took on a leadership role on the field. You always want your catcher to be vocal and Keaton stepped up greatly. His spring was a little rough because once he got settled in he suffered a knee injury. That put him out for a couple of weeks and he had to start back at square one. Injuries are a part of baseball. We are expecting big things from him next year and we need him to take on
a larger leadership role.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Your DH Danny Lapchak tuned in with a 4 for 4 game including a run scored and another one driven in. During the season, he led your team with 61 hits, and finished with a .337 batting average, a team high 52 runs scored, 11 doubles, 4HR, and 33RBI. Describe for us how you saw him go about his business and help the team.

A. (COACH LEWIS) Danny is a very intelligent baseball player. His baseball resume was incredible. When he came to us as a junior, he didn’t have the year he wanted to have because he was putting too much pressure on himself. We always knew he would have great success if he would just play. He came into his senior year with a new mental approach and it paid dividends. He hit in the 2 hole for us because he was so good with the short game, and had the bat control to move runners. It really helps when you have a hitter with his smarts in the 2 spot. He was also the leader of our dugout.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  You also had a junior hitting the ball well and driving in runs. Chance Kopacz had a .360 batting average, and led the team with 8HR and 46RBI. Why did he not play in the NAIA Opening Round and how much did that hurt you?

A. (COACH LEWIS) Chance was removed from the program after the conference tournament. It didn’t hurt us at all, because Trent Seamons stepped up and hit .400, with 2 runs scored, 1 RBI and 1 stolen base. Aaron Schwoebel hit .333 with 2 RBI and 1 run scored. You couldn’t ask more from two role players during the season who stepped up during regionals.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Rylan Chin was also a great contributor for you in 2012. He finished the season with a .392 batting average, including 37 runs, 56 hits, and 20 stolen bases. What did you see him grow with the most during your time with him?

A. (COACH LEWIS) When I saw him at the NWAACC showcase his athleticism really stood out and he was the fastest guy at the showcase. He was such a good athlete and the thing he brought everyday was vocal leadership. He was very smart in the middle and was our leader on defense. He always knew how we were going to attack hitters and how we should align defensively. He will be missed.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Tanner Nielsen was your leadoff hitter as a junior in 2012. He led the whole team with 198 at bats, while he posted a .298 batting average, 43 runs, 59 hits, 13 doubles, and 13 stolen bases. In your opinion, why do you think Coach Sanders like him as his choice for the leadoff hitter?

A. (COACH LEWIS) Tanner had a great grasp of hitting in the leadoff spot. He knew when to attack the baseball and when to go deep in the count. His feel for the game is second to none. He could execute every part of the game and he is the best defensive short stop I have ever coached.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Michael Durham and Craig Edwards both had 50 hits. How much more interesting did they make it for opposing pitching staff in 2012?

A. (COACH LEWIS) Durham was a tough out because he has tremendous bat speed and solid power. He was the kind of guy that made his living off of pitchers mistakes. And his speed allowed him to make every play bang bang at first if he put the ball in play. Edwards had so much success because of his work ethic and mental approach. He never stopped learning and put extra work in the cage every single day and most importantly he wanted to know why things happened. He understood the mechanics of the swing as good as any college player I have ever been around.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Jacob Cook was another one of your very impressive pitchers. He finished the season with a 2.61 ERA, and a 6-3 record after a team high 79.1 innings. What was it about him and his stuff that made 2012 so good for him?

A. (COACH LEWIS) Cook had a tremendous work ethic and we had a great amount of trust in him to do his work. We always knew he was going to do the right things and that he was going to do more than necessary. He has a great ability to command the zone, he worked quickly on the mound and he absolutely attacked hitters. He had a fastball that was firm, but was sneaky because of his smooth delivery and he could command it well. His breaking pitch was his out pitch and he learned to throw it off his fastball plane and it gave hitters a lot of trouble.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Another solid and very effective arm for you in 2012 was Michael McBride. He settled in and finished with a 3.06 ERA, and an 8-2 record after 64.2 innings. How amazing was he as that 3rd arm that could shut down games?

A. (COACH LEWIS) Mcrbride was pitcher of the year in our conference as a junior. So when he is your number 3, that gives you a lot of confidence. We worked on matching up our pitchers all year. Sometimes he was our number one if we thought that was our best option. He was one of the most competitive pitchers I have ever coached. He had a great balk move and his fastball had a great amount of sink and when he didn’t have his best stuff he just found a way to win.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Rusty Devitt made things even more interesting for you. He finished the season with a 1.26 ERA, and a 3-1 record after his 43 innings of work. Late in the year he pitched  a 9 inning complete game for a loss. In relief it seems like he dominated a lot more though. How fun was it to watch him go out there no matter the situation?

A. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Rusty is a once in a lifetime kid. He is the best teammate I have ever coached. He was the most team oriented player I have ever come across. He had shoulder surgery in August and we weren’t even sure we were going to have him this year. He lost 4-5 mph on his fastball due to the surgery, but he flat out competed. He threw such a heavy fastball and he was one of the few arms that could locate the splitter. You always knew he was going to give you a shot to win and you wanted him on the mound when your back was against the wall. His team attitude was contagious. We cannot say enough about him as a person and a player.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Phillip Gerber was only a junior and he saw plenty of action. He finished the season with 1.96 ERA, and 3-2 record after 36.2 innings. Early in the season it looks like he started two games and was very solid. What do you think his role will in be in 2013?

A. (COACH LEWIS) He was removed from the program after the conference tournament.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Before we finish, tell us about working under such a respected and successful coach. Coach Beauford Sanders was named the conference coach of the year. He’s one of those great epic coaches who managed to do it over 22 years and continually building the program into something historical. What are some of the things you enjoy most about working with him, watching him, and learning from him?

A. (COACH LEWIS) The thing I enjoy most about working with him is that he cares about his players and coaches. He is a great man and he knows how to create a loving atmosphere. It has very little to do with talent and a lot to do with all the intangibles. He cares more about his players than people know.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Coach, tell us about that 2010 season when you coached the U-16 USA Team vs Mexico. What was that experience like for yourself and for your kids?

A. (COACH SHABANSKY) The gold medal game against Mexico was incredible.  The stadium was standing room only and the players on the field couldn’t hear any of us in the dugout, the sound was deafening.  To come back and win the gold medal was an experience I will never forget.  The time that I spent with TEAM USA representing our country and the players that we had is second to none.  Not only did our players represent us on and off the field with pride, they were a tight knit bunch that played their hearts out day in and day out and made coaching them very easy and an incredible experience.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) The 2012 season was pretty good for Gateway College. You got into the D2 Region 1 Tournament and faced some tough teams. Tell us about that semifinal series where you faced Mesa College in a best of 3 series. You lost the first game 6-5 in 14innings. What were your thoughts after winning that series and advancing to the championship series?

A. (COACH SHABANSKY) This series against Mesa was as intense as it can get.  Losing the first game was a tough pill to swallow because we had played a bunch of extra inning games this year and it felt like we lost everyone of them.  Game 2 was a similar situation, bottom of the 9th 2 outs, bases loaded, and a full count.  So that at bat was going to determine if we had a game 3 or not, and Erick Gonzalez struck him out.  That was a huge boost for us mentally, and gave us confidence going into game 3.  Game 3 their pitcher was throwing very well and our guy was battling to say the least. Then in the top of the 4th we scored 8 runs and never looked back from there.  Ultimately I believed if we could win game 2,  I really felt like this team was going to win the series.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  In the championship series, you guys went up against Scottsdale College and lost the first game 6-5 in 11 innings, then lost the second game 8-1. What did you tell your group of players after that series?

A. (COACH SHABANSKY) This series we started out how we finished against Mesa and really took control of game 1 early.  Scottsdale did a good job of staying in it, and we battled to tie it up.  We had our opportunities and just didn’t capitalize in extras.  We had confidence going into game 2 because we had been here before, but ultimately we had just ran out of gas and couldn’t make the run that we needed to.  But overall a great job by my players to compete and get us into position to try and make it back to the world series and that’s all I could have asked for.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Your biggest workhorse on your team was sophomore Jonathan Cuellar. He finished the year with a 6-4 record, a 1.72 ERA, and only 18 walks after 94 innings. Tell us what you liked the most about him in 2012.

A. (COACH SHABANSKY) Jon Cuellar is everything that you would want in a pitcher.  He competed from his first pitch of the year until the last pitch of the year.  He has an incredible work ethic on and off the field.  He has a 3.8 GPA and was one of our team captains. But the thing I like most about Jon is his ability to never quit or tire, he was even keeled all year and it showed with his statistics.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  You also a freshman this year named Trent Keefer. He posted an 8-4 record, a 2.78 ERA, and 63K’s after 87.1 innings. What about him are you most excited about when you think of the 2013 season?

A. (COACH SHABANSKY) Trent Keefer was a guy who I believed benefitted watching Jon Cuellar.  He worked hard and competed on the mound every 7 days.  As a freshman that is an incredible year, and the thing I am most excited about for Trent is that he still can get better.  He’s going to add some weight and his velocity will go up and his stuff will get better.  The biggest thing is that he knows what it takes to make it through a season and the type of effort it takes to be consistent.  So I am really excited for Trent next year as our likely candidate to be our number 1.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Ricky Casler was  a sophomore this year, and he put up great numbers for you. He finished the season with a 1.76 ERA and 45K’s after 66.1 innings. What type of things did he show you on the mound that impressed you the most?

A. (COACH SHABANSKY) What impresses me most about Ricky is how tough he is on the mound.  He was slated to be a bullpen guy for us this year and when our number 4 went down in the first game of the year, Ricky stepped up and had an incredible year.  He’s another kid who was on last years world series who knew what it took to win.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Trey Lang was a very solid relief pitcher for you in 2012. He posted a 0.87 ERA 31K’s after 31 innings. He did that in 27 appearances. What made him so successful in that type of role for you guys?

A. (COACH SHABANSKY) Trey only had 27 appearances on the mound  We knew that Trey would be a great closer for us primarily because of his stuff.  His fastball had been up to 97 mph, a dominant slider at 86, and a pretty good change up.  With the strength of our starting pitching and the fact that Trey was a middle of the order hitter for us he was most valuable to us in the bullpen.  But Trey’s mentality and make up proved to me early on that he would be able to pitch in tough situations and get the job done.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Erick Gonzalez and Dereck Grey also contributed in huge ways to your 2012 season. Together they racked up 85 innings and combined for a 3.17 ERA. What were their roles for you and how valuable were they to this team?

A. (COACH SHABANSKY) Erick Gonzalez played a huge role for us.  He was originally our set up guy for Trey, then got pushed into a starting role for us late when Dereck Grey went down with an ankle injury.  Erick was so valuable for us because he was able to pitch in every role and situation and this was his first time being a pitcher only in his life and he really did an outstanding job in every aspect.  Dereck was our number 3 starter at the beginning of the year, he pitched very well for us and he kept us in every game that he pitched in. I am looking forward to having him for next season.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Aaron Siple was only a freshman, and as an outfielder he hit .338 while leading your team with 69 hits, 13 doubles, 41 runs scored, and 42 stolen bases. Was he someone very exciting to watch?  Was he your lead off hitter?

A. (COACH SHABANSKY) Aaron Siple is about as exciting as it gets watching him on the field.  He is our center fielder and is the best outfielder that I have seen in a long time.  He hit lead off for us from the first game of the year and never showed any signs of slowing down.  I am fired up to have him back for one more season.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Ryan Rosthenhausler was also an key bat for you all year. He finished the season with a .312 batting average while leading the team with 204 at bats. Where in the infield does he play, and what were his best set of tools as a ball player?

A. (COACH SHABANSKY) Ryan was our starting SS and really solidified us after losing our SS last year.  His skill set as a defender is second to none.  He has a good arm, and incredibly quick hands.  Offensively Ryan was a clutch hitter and always seemed to come up big in the most important situations.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Trey Lang was also a very good hitter for you. He led your team with 29RBI and had 11 doubles. When he’s not pitching, what other positions does he play? Where do you like him the most?

A. (COACH SHABANSKY) Trey was an imposing figure in the box. He has incredible bat speed and showed very good discipline at the plate as well.  When he wasn’t pitching he would play right field for us.  I like him most and I believe he has a bright future on the mound, but it wouldn’t surprise me if someone drafts him as an outfielder and tries to harness his bat speed and power.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Another freshman who showed some abilities with his opportunities was Connor Wessel. He finished with a .317 batting average after his 105 at bats. What will you be expecting from him in 2013?

A. (COACH SHABANSKY) Connor had an outstanding year for us.  At times Connor was our best hitter and toughest out.  He transitioned over to first base very well for us considering it was a position that he has never played before.  I expect him to be in the middle of the lineup next year again and I look for bigger things for him after a year of experience.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Overall, what did you think of this team and what did you tell them after their championship loss to Scottsdale College?

A. (COACH SHABANSKY) Overall our team was extremely talented and we competed through our ups and downs.  After the loss in the championship series I thanked the sophomores for everything that they have done in this program.  They were a part of the first ever team to go to the world series and got us back into a position to go again.  The freshman? I told them to look over at Scottsdale and see them celebrating. To take that into the offseason as a reminder. To remember that if you want to be on the field in Oklahoma next year,  you know what it takes and don’t let anything get in our way for a championship run for next year.  We have no days off and preparing starts right now.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) This is your second season with Georgetown College. Are you still the Interim Head Coach or does it look like you’ll be there on a permanent basis?

A. (COACH BAUMFELD) I am the Head Baseball Coach Now. They took away the interim tag on Senior Day.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  You had an amazing 2012 campaign finishing 2nd in the Conference with 45-9 overall record. That was actually the best overall record in the conference. How tough is it to play in the MSC where you posted an 18-5 record?

A. (COACH BAUMFELD) The MSC is one of the better NAIA Conferences in the Country. You have teams like Campbellsville and University of the Cumberland with amazing traditions and now Lindsey Wilson is a powerhouse. We get Cumberland University coming into our Conference next season so it is just going to get tougher. We really beat each other up during the season.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) You guys posted the 2nd best team defense (.956), the top team pitching (2.45), and the 2nd highest team batting average (.313). Those are the numbers, but can you tell us what you personally think defines this group of kids?

A. (COACH BAUMFELD) These guys have been through so much it is unbelievable to see what they accomplished this season. It goes way beyond what any stats could define. These guys would not stop working all year. We were picked to Finnish tied for 6th in our conference out of 9 teams before the season started. These guys did not care and knew that they wanted an MSC Championship and a playoff berth both which were both firsts for Georgetown College. These guys especially the seniors will always be remembered as the guys who changed our program around and who brought us from a good program to an elite program.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) In your opening round of the Tournament, you defeated the University of the Cumberlands 5-0. An impressive start from Shaun Meyer the sophomore. He tossed a smooth 9 inning complete game shutout on 6 hits, 1 walk, and 4 strikeouts. He only saw 33 innings during the season, but he posted a 0.82 ERA and a 3-0 record. What amazing things are expecting from him in the regional and in further in the future?

A. (COACH BAUMFELD) Sean is a very good pitcher who if he was at another school would probably get a lot more innings and he understands that, as we had the number 1 pitching staff in the country this year for the regular season. He knows his time will come and is always looking to get better and does not complain. When I told him he was getting the nod the first game he didn’t even blink or act surprised. He just said ok.  He knew he was ready and even though had not ever started a conference game before he goes out there and throws a complete game shutout in the tournament. That set the tone for all the other pitchers as in our staff it is always a competition of who can do better. No one wants to be outdone on this staff.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Then you went in and took a 9-3 victory against Campbellsville That game saw a 4 for 4 game from Chris Wood, and 2 RBI from pinch hitter Dylan Grandon, and 1B Ryan Serrato. You guys finished with 13 hits. Tell us what you were thinking after making 3 errors and still winning?

A. (COACH BAUMFELD) The Campbellsville win was big game for us. You never think that making three errors against a team especially a team as good as Campbellsville you have a shot to win.  What made up for that was how well our offense produced.  We also made the big defensive plays when we needed it. Wood had a great game and allowed us to pull away. Grandon’s hit was the nail in the coffin and coming from two seniors in Wood and Grandon that was great to see.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) In game 3, you took a 4-2 win against Shawnee State. In that game, EJ Murray your DH, went 4 for 4 with 2RBI. He’s also only a sophomore. He led your entire team with 7HR and 44RBI, and he had a .541 batting average. Tell us about his all around play, and what your most excited about when you think of having him for two more years?

A. (COACH BAUMFELD) Murray had a great conference tournament. It is going to be exciting to have him here and see him grow. He has such raw talent and this was his first full season of playing baseball.  I expect him to be even better next season and grow as a defensive third baseman and as a hitter. He has the talent and the work ethic and he will be a staple for this team next season.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Then in the game in which you took the conference title, you beat Shawnee State again, only this time it was 3-0. Jason McGinnis was amazing in a complete 9 inning shutout where he only gave up 3 hits, 2 walks, and struck out 6. Tell us about his time at Georgetown College and what you will remember most about him.

A. (COACH BAUMFELD) Jason is one of the hardest working players I have been around.  When I first came to Georgetown he was a bullpen guy who had about 15-20 innings. For him to go from a guy you only use if you are up a lot or down a lot to one of our best pitchers the last two seasons is a testament to his work ethic.  He grew up so much in such a short time it amazes me. He was in complete control of that game and no one was going to take it away from him.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  You had two other starters that must have been amazing to watch all year. Arthur Tyler and Chase Ballinger. These guys were your workhorses both pitching over 84 innings and posting ERA’s under 2.00. Together they posted an 18-1 record. How ready and charged are they for the regional?

A. (COACH BAUMFELD) Arthur and Ballinger worked hard over the summer and the fall and it showed during the spring.  I asked a lot of them and they met every challenge. Ballinger pitched up to his capabilities after being hurt last season and what Arthur did as a freshman was amazing. I don’t know if another high school freshman can come in and finish the regular season undefeated. Going 10-0 with a 1.60 ERA are numbers that are tough to do your senior year let alone as a freshman

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Randy Guite and Chris Wood were the leaders with over 128 hits between them, and 21 of those hits were doubles. What type of feelings as seniors, are they bringing to the regional, and what are you preparing yourself to see from them?

A. (COACH BAUMFELD) Those two were offensive catalyst for us. Even though they have never been in the playoffs they bring that senior leadership that every team needs. They know no fear and are always focused in every situation I put them in.  I expect them to just play up to their capabilities and not try and do too much.  Even though it is the playoffs in the end it is still a baseball game nothing changes and they know that.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  In your first regional game, you gave the ball to your undefeated freshman Tyler Arthur against Indiana Tech and lost 4-2. Tell us what you told him about that game. How do you think he handled that situation?

A. (COACH BAUMFELD)  I thought Arthur handled it well. I told him that he will pitch in much bigger games in his life than this one. In the end it is just a baseball game and he cannot live and die on every pitch.   Do not make the game bigger then it was. He was a little flat the first couple of innings until he settled in and shut them down.  He gave us an opportunity to win and that is all I could have asked for.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  You lost your second game as well to Campbellsville University 7-4. They made 3 errors against you, but you were not able to capitalize on that. Describe to us the type of game that was. What was the key to that game?

A. (CAOCH BAUMFELD) The key was execution. We hit the ball well and had about 11 or 12 hits but could not execute the hits to runs. That killed us. Ballinger pitched well until he ran out of gas but we should have scored more runs for him. We are an execution team and when that does not happen we will not win to many games.  We have a goal on our team where the offense has to score 5 or more runs and the pitching staff has to give up 4 or less. When we get 1 of those things to happen we usually win. We did neither and it cost us.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  What did you tell your guys after those losses? How proud were you of them after such a tough run?

A. (COACH BAUMFELD) I am really proud of the guys. I told them that there was nothing bad to say. We battled in every game and we only lost 11 gamers all year. We should walk out proud.  This team had a coaching change in December and with all the internal things they battled, this season could have been completely different. To win 45 games a school first, win the MSC a school first, make the Playoffs a team first since they changed the format and to only lose 11 games a team first, I couldn’t be more proud. It was all them. They came together to make it happen. There was a lot of hart on this team and I know I won’t, along with this school ever forget these guys and what they accomplished.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) As a player, you were a college standout with some pop and a 1988 College World Series. You were praised by all the media at that time, and have been inducted into 3 Halls of Fame in the state of Kansas. Tell us what you learned most about that time now that your able to look back.

A. (COACH  STANDIFORD) I was fortunate to play for one of the premier programs in the country (Wichita State) and in my mind, one of the best coaches in the country (Gene Stephenson). I think my time their taught me a lot about the game, strategy involved, and strong desire to succeed. Winning is expected from the time you step on campus, and I have been able to bring that mind set to Tabor. I give a lot of credit to Gene, for teaching me the strategies of the game as well as how to coach and handle players.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) You were drafted by the Giants in the 16th Round, and spent two years in the minor leagues (’88-’89). Tell us what that was like, and what was your fondest memory from all of your playing days.

A. (COACH STANDIFORD) It becomes a job, once you start to play professionally. Learning how to handle adversity is probably the biggest thing I took from pro ball. Baseball can humble you in a hurry and being able to handle that in a professional manner is important. The best part of any time that you play is the teammates you play with. The friendships that are established is the best thing that I took away.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Tell us about the Wichita Sluggers Baseball Academy. You’ve operating that for the past 13 years. How massive of a project was that, and what inspires and motivates you the most about it?

A. (COACH STANDIFORD) We have indoor soccer and a baseball academy (9 teams), and I run camps and clinics throughout the year. I am able to work with the best players in the area and hopefully send them on to the next level. We have had over 200 players move on and play college baseball. We have had 20 play professionally. Being involved has helped me in the recruiting, as well has allowed me time to develop a teaching methods that work.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Well, your 2012 Blue Jays finished tied for 1st in the conference. Your team pitching (4.36 ERA), and your team batting (.362 AVG) ranked 2nd in the conference. What part of the game did you as a coach, strongly emphasize to your team at the start of the season?

Q. (COACH STANDIFORD)  We were both 21-7.  We always emphasize pitching and defense because I feel both should not go into a slump. If we can do both, we have a chance to be in all of our games. That said, I have been teaching hitting for the past 15 years, so we do work a lot on our offense. Having quality at-bats, being able to adjust to pitchers, and being able to execute at the plate are things that we emphasize.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Once you guys got to the tournaments, your first game was against Kansas Wesleyan. Your bats came fully charged as you won 16-8. Tyler Kozlowski went 3 for 5 with 2 runs, and 3RBI, and Matt Cardona went 4 for 4 with 1 run, and 3RBI.  How exciting was it to watch those two guys come through like that?

A. (COACH STANDIFORD) It is always exciting to see your players succeed. They have all put a lot of time and effort into their game, and when they are rewarded it is nice to see. Matt Cardona has become a huge leader for our team and Tyler Kozlowski is improving every day.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Your next game against Sterling College, you lost a tough one by the score of 8-6. In that game it was Art Corona coming through with a big showing. He went 2 for 4 with 2 runs, and 3RBI from the top of the lineup. He was your biggest bat all year leading the team with 73 runs, 92 hits, and 22 doubles. His batting average was .447. Describe what he’s meant to your 2012 season and to your program.

A. (COACH STANDIFORD)  Art Corona has been our MVP all year. He is barley 5’7″ 140, but plays much bigger. He has come up big all year at the plate with some key hits and has been the leader on the field defensively. He understand how to play the game. He will go deep in counts,and will adjust to what the pitcher is doing. He is just a great hitter.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  David Ormiston was your biggest inning consumer as a pitcher, and he was great. He finished the season with a 9-2 record, a 3.83 ERA in 84.2 innings. He was your starter in that first game and he went all the way for a total of 9 innings on 13 hits, 7 earned runs, no walks, and 5K’s. Tell us what it was like having him on the mound for you?

Q2. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Brian Kowal was the starter for the 2nd game of the tournament in which he went 7 innings on 12 hits, 4 earned runs, 2 walks, and 2K’s.  He was right there with Ormiston tossing 75.2 innings and posting a 2.14 ERA and a 8-5 record. Kowal was only a junior, are you excited about having him back next year?

Q3 (BASEBALL TRENCHES) . Another junior you put a lot trust in this year was Anthony Mendoza. He went 67.1 innings in 2012, for an ERA of 5.48 and a 7-1 record. You gave him the ball in game 3 and he struggled in 4.2 innings. Tell what you think he learned most about his 2012 season?

A. (COACH STANDIFORD) Brian Kowal and David Orimstion have been our most consistent pitchers all year. They have been able to eat a lot of innings and have consistently put us in a position to win. Anthony Mendoza probably has the best stuff, but has  been unable to maintain any consistency. He can beat anyone in the country when he is on. Both Brian and Anthony will anchor our staff next year.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Another huge contributor in the tournament and throughout the season was Koby Temple. In the tournament he went 9 for 21 with 5 runs, and 4RBI. All season he right there pounding 6HR’s, and 49RBI. What was it you enjoyed most about him as a ball player on your team?

A. (COACH STANDIFORD) Koby Temple has been one of our best players all year. He has yet to recognize his full potential,once he does he will be an all-American in my mind. He poses good power, and is extremely good base runner.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) You lost in the final game against Sterling College 9-5. You were down 6-5 after coming up with two runs in the 7th. Then in the bottom of the 8th, Sterling scored 3 more runs which was all they needed to win the conference title. Did those 2 errors play a huge factor in that game?

A. (COACH STANDIFORD) The 2 errors in the championship game did not hurt as bad as the two in the 8-6 loss.  We make a couple of routine plays and eliminate a mental mistake, we don’t give up the big inning.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  What did you tell your guys after the game about the way they played, and how they handled things?

A. (COACH STANDIFORD( I am proud of the way my team has played all year. We have had to battle through losing our best player, (Andrew Perez SS) due to injury and have still been able to compete nationally. We were able to share the regular season championship with Sterling, and now are able to host a regional and hopefully make it to Lewiston. We have been ranked as high as 17 and have won over 40 games for the second straight year. This group of JR and SR have had very good run.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) You’ve been head coach at DePauw University now for 3 years. In that team, your program has established a new school defensive record, and you’ve beat top notch programs on your path. What has been your motivation and your strategy?

A. (COACH MARTIN) Our motivation as a staff is to compete everyday and focus on the development of our players. We work hard to create efficient practices that put our guys in as many game-like situations as possible. As far as strategy goes, we start by asking our pitchers to commit to attacking the zone and force weak contact. We spend a great amount of time on defense and our guys are passionate about getting better in that aspect. Finally, we want to be aggressive on the base paths and have a focused approach at the plate.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Before that, you’ve been the assistant coach at DePauw for six years. In that time you’ve overseen a massive surge of offensive improvement and power. What is your philosophy on how to approach the at bats?

A. (COACH MARTIN) Our philosophy is to have each hitter develop a plan based on their individual strengths. We want to have a disciplined approach and know what we are looking for depending on the situation. We like our guys to be aggressive within their strengths and not to chase pitches out of those zones.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  You’ve also coach collegiate summer ball with the Granville Settlers of the Great Lakes Collegiate League. Tell us what you love the most about collegiate summer baseball.

A. (COACH MARTIN)  It is a great opportunity develop as a coach/player by being around good college baseball players and coaches from a variety of programs. Everyone is there to get better at what they are doing and it creates a great environment to share ideas and learn from others.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Your 2012 squad posted a 12-4 conference record and a 33-12 overall record with a first place finish. Well, the conference is separated into two sections. On one you were the 1st place team and Kenyon College was the leader of the other. How is the conference organized?

A. (COACH MARTIN) The conference is organized in two divisions, an East Division and a West Division.  We were the Western Division Champions and Kenyon won the Eastern Division Championship.  The top two finishers from each division meet for a four-team, double-elimination tournament.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Once again you were the top defensive team in the conference, while posting the 2nd best team batting average (.328), and the 3rd best team ERA (4.20). What do you think was the best quality of your 2012 squad?

A. (COACH MARTIN) The best quality of our team this year is our balance and consistency. To be at or near the top of all three of those categories is tough to do and that is why we were able to play at a high level from the start. With that being said, our defense carried us all year.  We are currently second in all of Division III with a .975 fielding percentage and that has allowed us to not beat ourselves.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  On May 3rd you started with the conference tournament and your first game was against  a tough Wooster ball club. You guys lost the game 4-1, but you guys did put up 8 hits. Alex Wright went 2 for 3 in that game. He’s been pretty solid all year with a  .327 batting average and 29RBI. What was it like having him playing 3rd Base for you in 2012?

A. (COACH MARTIN) Alex plays a great defensive third base. He was named to the Mideast Region Gold Glove team as a sophomore and should be in the mix for that honor again this year. What often goes unnoticed with Alex is his offensive consistency. We know as a staff that we can hit him in the middle of the order and he will hit around .330 and drive in 30+ runs every year. He has been a staple for us both offensively and defensively since 2010 and we will miss him greatly next year.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  in game two, you guys confronted Kenyon College and beat them 5-1. Ross Elliott started that game tossed a complete game on 8 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, and 5 strikeouts. He led your pitching staff with 71 innings. He finished with a 4.18 ERA, and a 7-1 record while leading your staff with 49 strikeouts. How satisfying was it to watch him pitch so well in the tournament after working so hard all year?

A. (COACH MARTIN) Elliott Ross has been a great pitcher for us for four years. He was exactly what we needed in that situation after dropping a tough game one. He was dominant in that game as he has been throughout his career. He is one of the hardest working and selfless players we have had in our program and deserved to have success that day.  He finished with 23 career wins, which was good for third all-time in school history and was named conference pitcher of the year as a sophomore.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) In that game, Robbie Stein came up with a 1 for 3 game, 1 run scored, and 2RBI including a home run. As only a sophomore, he posted a very solid batting average of .352 with 3HR, and 34RBI. What do you like most about him and what excites you about having him again next year?

A. (COACH MARTIN) What excites me about Robbie Stein is that he is committed to getting better.  He spent a lot of time in the cages this off season when no one was watching to get better.  He has the ability to hit consistently but seems to excel as the pitching gets tougher.  He can handle velocity well and is a great two-strike hitter. I look for him to be a huge contributor for two more year.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Then it was game 3, and your opponent was Ohio Wesleyan. You guys took that game 3-1. Andy Manson started that came and took the Win after 5 innings on 5 hits, 1 run, 3 walks, and 2 strikeouts. He was also a solid inning consumer with 63.1 of work. He posted a 3.98 ERA, and a 7-2 record. What did you think he did well over the course of the season?

A. (COACH MARTIN) Andy was a great leader for our pitching staff and team as co-captain. Andy did not have his best stuff consistently throughout the year, but he was able to give us consistent starts and won a lot of games. He is very competitive and and he always showed up in the big games. He showed a lot of guts in his last start, and he was a workhorse for us all year.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) It was Wooster again in game 4, and you took that game 6-3 on 14 hits. Jack Peck came in to relieve Michael Chiaro who went 5.1 innings. Peck got the save pitching a perfect 3.2 innings with 6 strikeouts. Peck was mostly a starting pitcher all year posting a season ERA of 3.14 with a 2-0 record staring 4 out of his 7 games. Tell us what made you bring him in at that point?

A . (COACH MARTIN) At that point we were just looking for a guy to get us into the 8th inning to get to our relievers. However, Jack was locked in and we decided to let him run. Ideally we wouldn’t use a starter in that spot but we needed to advance to the second game of the championship to give us a shot, and he did an outstanding job of shutting them down.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) In that game it was Zach Galyean who went 2 for 5 with a run and 2RBI.  During the season, he posted a .336 batting average and solidifying the 2nd hold in the lineup. Tell us how great of a presence he made in 2012.

A. (COACH MARTIN) Zach was a great presence this season as he was last year. He’s not your prototypical 2 hitter.  He can hit for power and can drive in runs in addition to being able to steal a base.  He’s got a be big arm in the outfield and can cover a lot of ground.  We look for him to finish strong this season and be a captain for us next year.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) When you faced Wooster again in the final 5th game of the tournament, did you feel the pressure of being so close to taking it all? What did you tell your guys before that game?

A. (COACH MARTIN) I think we felt more excitement than pressure at that point.  We had already played one and a half games that day and we had come so far so it was exciting to have it come down to one game. I told our guys that I was proud of how we battled back after a first round loss and that we no longer needed four wins, just one and I believed in them.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) You lost that game 8-6 giving the tying run in the top of the 8th and the go ahead run in the top of the ninth. How heartbreaking was that for you and your players?

A. (COACH MARTIN) That was a very tough loss. Our guys fought so hard to get back within a game and really within two innings of a championship. I was extremely proud of what we had accomplished and how much focus and effort it took just to get to where we were. I didn’t feel like we had one let down all tournament in the energy of the team. I feel for our seniors who really deserved a championship.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) There were a couple of great highlights. Jason Cohen went 5 for 5 with 3 runs, but no RBI.  He had a pretty good season with a .296 batting average and a team high 3 triples. What do you think he learned most during the season and after the tournament?

A. (COACH MARTIN) Jason scuffled at the plate all year long so it was good to see him get hot at the right time. He is an excellent hitter and he started figuring things out in the last couple of weeks. Teams started pitching him tougher since he put up such good numbers his freshman and sophomore years so he really learned how to adjust to how teams were trying to attack him. He will be exciting to watch next year as he has an opportunity to surpass 200 career hits and break the school’s RBI record.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Rob McPike was also a great run producer for you guys all season. He finished the year with a .330 batting average and 32RBI. What do you think was his greatest attribute as a ball player?

A. (COACH MARTIN) Rob’s greatest attribute is his defense. He is the best defensive first baseman that I have seen in my 9 years at this level. He made only 1 error all year and saved many more. In addition to his defensive skills, he has compiled over 200 hits and is the current RBI record holder for the program.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Overall you had a pretty good pitching staff.  Joe Wojda,  Brendan Bolander, Alex Sroka, and JT Timmer all represented well for you in 2012 coming out of the bullpen. Tell us about your approach when structuring a bullpen before and during the season.

A. (COACH MARTIN) Our weakness last year was our bullpen so it was a priority for us to find a few guys that could get it done consistently. Joe Wojda led the conference in saves and was also 3-1 for us. Our approach is to find guys who can throw strikes consistently and not get themselves into trouble.  Wealso look for guys who have the mental make up to compete in the tough spots. Our guys also take a lot of pride in leaving inherited runners stranded and getting us out of jams.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Zach Starr, Brendan Pashia, and Pat Lyons are a group of sophomores who had great 2012 season and have impacted your season greatly. Tell us how excited you are about having them back next season.

A. (COACH MARTIN) Our sophomore class is a really good class and will become leaders for us next year. Starr and Lyons started the majority of our games in the middle of the infield and were both named to the all-conference team.  JB McCallum also played 20 games for us and did an outstanding job of playing great defense and getting on base.  Pashia and Stein were both all-conference performers so we have a great nucleus of young guys returning.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Your two main coaches P.J Michell and Matt Pustay seem really young as you do. Tell us about how it is to work with them and what they bring to the field.

A. (COACH MARTIN) The one thing that those two, along with Sam Linette and Eric Bowman, bring is a passion for DePauw and our players. They truly care about our players and their development as players and men. They relate well to the guys and I can trust them to coach within our philosophy.  They bring a great energy to the park every day and are a big part of why we had the success that we did this year.

Q. BASEBALL TRENCHES) What will be the fondest memory you will have of this 2012 team?

A. (COACH MARTIN) When I look back at this team years from now, the fondest memory I will have is how hard they competed and how selfless they played.  The guys on this years team played for one another and played with passion. They were perfect representatives of the program and how we want to play.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) You started the 2012 season as the first year head coach at Sterling College. What was the first thing you did when you took over?

A. (COACH DINKEL) The first thing I did as head coach was focus on an overall culture change. Bringing in some talent and some new guys was the first step in changing the culture.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) You were the pitching coach there in 2011, from ’08 to 2010 you  were assistant coach at Clarendon College, from ’05 to ’08 you were at  Bethany College. Everywhere you’ve been there has been success. What  is your favorite memory or experience as a coach over the years?

A. (COACH DINKEL) I have good memories with each group that I have coached. Winning conference championships while I was at Bethany in each of those years was the most memorable while I was there. At Clarendon, helping move kids onto the four year level and achieving their goals, as well as helping to turn the program into a top 25 program was the most memorable there.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Your 2012 club finished in 1st place in the conference with a 21-7 conference record, and a 43-12 overall record. Your defense was ranked  2nd in the conference, you had the best pitching staff in the  conference, and your team batting was the best overall with a .365
batting average. Would you say you entered the season a conference  favorite? What did you expect going into things?

A. (COACH DINKEL) We did not enter this year as the conference favorite, and rightfully so from what this program has been in the past. We didn’t worry too much about what other teams were doing, we just worried about ourselves getting better and whatever happened happened and it all worked out for us in the end. With that being said, we were confident in what we brought in and in our guy’s ability to get the job done.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) In your first game of the tournament, you went up against Saint  Mary and won 8-3. It was Tyler Deutscher who pitched a complete game  victory on only 5 hits, no earned runs, 3 walks, and 1 strikeout. He  finished the season with a 1.98 ERA and 8-0 record after 50 innings.
What was your impression of his season?

A. (COACH DINKEL) He has been a big surprise for us this season. We didn’t have high expectations for him coming out of the fall, but the kid continues to work hard and get himself better on a daily basis. He has earned the success that he has had this year and was one of the main reasons for us winning the conference championship this year.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  In that game, your shortstop and lead off hitter Joe Williams went  4 for 5 with 3 runs, and 3RBI. He finished the season with a .419  batting average, 7HR, 37RBI, and a team high 78 hits. What do you like  most from him? Do you think he’s a natural lead off hitter?

A. (COACH DINKEL) Joe has been a cornerstone to this team all year long. The kid continued to come through in big situations all year. He started off the year in our 3 hole, we moved him to the lead off spot because he continued to give us quality at bats and we needed that at the top of our lineup. I think he is doing a good job for us in the lead off spot.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  In game two, you guys shot it out with Tabor College and registered  16 hits for an 8-6 victory. Four hitters in your lineup had at least 3  hits in the game. Including a  4 for 5 game  by Tom Schwartz. He was  amazing all year with a .411 batting average, 3HR, and 36RBI. What
were his best attributes as a DH? On defense, where does he play?

A. (COACH DINKEL) Tommy split time between left field and DH all year long. His biggest attributes are he never tries to do too much; he stays within himself and is a constant team player. We had a tough two week span early on this year where Tommy put the team on his back and carried us through that tough time. I could go on and on about what he has meant to this program, he is one of the main reasons why this program has turned around this season.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) In the final and decisive game against Tabor College you guys  walked away with a 9-5 win. In that game you guys put together 15  hits. Six in your lineup had at least two hits including a 3 for 4  game from your 8th hole Shey Miller. He finished the with a .404  batting average after only 89AB. What was your take on his performance  all  year and his personality/character on the team.

A. (COACH DINKEL) Shey is a great kid. His character is off the charts. There was a time where he wasn’t seeing the field much, but he continued to grind and when he got his opportunity he made the most of it and became a mainstay in our lineup.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Daniel Hall was another power source on your team. He lead your  team with 9HR and 52RBI including a .351 batting average. What did his  bat represent in your lineup all year?

A. (COACH DINKEL) DJ provided us with more pop than we expected. His power helped to provide a bit of a threat and allowed the guys around him to see more pitches. This allowed us to do things with our lineup to put guys in the position to be successful.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) You also featured Jared Forbush. He managed a .385 batting average,  5HR, and 39RBI. Not only that, but he went 3 for 8 with 5 runs, and  2RBI during the tournament. Tell us about him and what you like most  about him.

A. (COACH DINKEL) We got Jared at the break from a D1 program. He came right in and filled that gap we had in the outfield. The kid goes nonstop and is always ready from the moment he rolls out of bed in the morning. Even when he struggles, he keeps the guys upbeat.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Matthew Krause’s numbers struggle a bit during the tournament, but  was a massive force for you all year. He hit .348 with  31RBI.  What  type of overall game does he carry?

A. (COACH DINKEL) Krause is one of the most intelligent baseball players I have ever coached. His ability to make big plays and his toughness defensively is something that has made him a big part of our team’s success this year.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Stephen Rodgers was rock solid all year with a .328 batting  average, 6HR, and 47RBI. Even during the tournament he went 3 for 12 with 3 runs, and 3RBI. Was he that missing piece at the bottom of the order?

A. (COACH DINKEL) Peewee did a good job for us all year. The biggest attribute he brought to us this year was his defense. At the bottom of our lineup, I could count on him to get things rolling and flip the lineup over.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Daniel Cloteaux was your best pitcher all year posting a 2.53 ERA  after 74.2 innings and an 11-1 record. Tell us about his performance  all year, and his 7 inning game against Tabor College in the  tournament where he gave up 10 hits and 3 earned runs.

A. (COACH DINKEL) Cloteaux was our “conference pitcher of the year.” He was consistent all year long. Every time he was on the mound he gave us a chance to win. He has the ability to shut teams down. Anytime you can roll out a guy like him, you feel like good things will happen. We saved him for the Tabor game because I felt he gave us the best chance to win and put us in the championship game having to get beat twice.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Levi LaBass was another one of your pitchers that soaked up mega  innings (72.2). He finished the season with a 3.59 ERA and an 8-4 record. He to struggled in that final game of the tournament going 6.2 innings  allowing 8 hits and 4 earned runs. Tell us what you saw his struggle  with in that game and what did he do so well during the season?

A. (COACH DINKEL) Levi struggled a little late by getting behind hitters. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff but does have the ability to throw 3 pitches for a strike in any count. He was our number 1 on the bump at one point this year, and he provided us with a solid go to number 2 arm.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Matt Eshleman was your most solid reliever. He came in and helped  relieve LaBass in that game to stop the bleeding. He went 2 innings on  4 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, and no strikeouts. Was your main go to guy in  your bullpen all year?

A. (COACH DINKEL) Esh was our go to guy out of the pen all year long. He was our “conference reliever of the year.” He did a great job coming out all year long and shutting the door, giving us a chance to win every time out.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) You’ll be in the NAIA Championship Opening Round on May 9th. Any  thoughts, hopes, or expectations?

A. (COACH DINKEL) We are looking forward to going down to the Oklahoma City Regional. I feel that this regional fielded 5 very solid teams and we look forward to playing it out and see what happens.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) This was your first season as the coach at Menlo College. How was it to be come in and lead Menlo to their first ever Conference Championship title? What did it mean to the program as a whole to get their first title?

A. (COACH McGOVERN) It’s a great feeling to make such an impact after one season. I’d be lying if I was content with one Conference Championship, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. This program is on the way up, and for us to achieve this in my first year is just a confidence builder for future years to come. I have a great group of guys and we’re only going to get better. My goal is to make Menlo College a top 25 ranked program.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) You’ve been gaining some great coaching experience. You were at Metro State College, Santa Barbara City College, and with the Rochester Honkers, Denver Cougars, and Anchorage Glacier Pilots in the summer leagues. What is your favorite aspects of coaching? What makes you keep pushing hard?

A. (COACH McGOVERN) For me, the more you go out and coach, the more situations you run into. The more situations you experience as a coach can only help you be more prepared for future games and experiences. What has helped me a great deal is that I’ve been able to work under some great coaches, including Teddy Warrecker (Cal Poly SLO), Tom Carcione (Metro State), Dennis Machado (Cal State Northridge), and Bobby Brown (independent league). My favorite aspect of coaching is to see players improve right in front of my eyes, and help them achieve greatness. I will always push hard because there is always a new crop of players coming in each year, and our goal will always be to win a National Championship.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  In the NAIA West Conference, you guys finished in 4th Place with an 18-14 record. Your team hitting was close to the bottom, and your team pitching was ranked 4th in the conference. But, your team defense was 2nd in the conference. After all of that, what do you think was the magic your team possessed all  year that was turned into conference title?

A. (COACH McGOVERN) We’ve always had a lot of depth in our pitching staff, and unfortunately, it took some early struggles to get the right guys in the right roles. Our pitching staff has carried us the last month of the season, and you mix that with timely hitting and great defense, and you’re tough to beat in a tournament setting. I have a great coaching staff as well, which allows our players to be as prepared as possible.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  In the first game against British Columbia you guys won a close game 2-1 on the arm of Joey Webb. He went a complete 9 innings on only  6 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, and 3 strikeouts. He was one of your best pitchers all season with a 2.56 ERA, a 5-1 record, 3 complete games, after 52.2 innings. What were your thoughts about his improvements in 2012, and what you think were his biggest accomplishments in 2012?

A. (COACH McGOVERN) Joey did improve throughout the year, but we knew he was good when we got him over Winter Break. It wasn’t until he began to start for us that he really showed how good he could be. Every time he goes out, we expect him to go the distance and that really gives your team a lot of confidence knowing you’re always going to be in the game when he’s on the mound. His biggest accomplishments this year were earning All-Conference as a Relief Pitcher, and winning games 1 and 5 for us in the conference tournament.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  You guys lost game 2 to the College of Idaho by the score of 9-2. Was that a difficult game to lose? What were hopes at that point?

A. (COACH McGOVERN) It was difficult, but it just meant we had our backs against the wall and our team handles adversity very well. I think our team responded well to the situation, where other teams may have felt the pressure in that “lose and go home” setting. The hope at that point was to take it one game at a time, and it worked out very well for us.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  In game 3, you guys won a 13 inning battle against Concordia by the score of 6-5. It was James Threw who came up with a game winning base hit to left field. How dramatic was that game?

A. (COACH McGOVERN) It was very dramatic, because our offense was completely shut down for almost 5 innings. To have a guy come off the bench and get the game winning hit to put our team in the championship just shows that all of our guys are ready for their opportunity to contribute.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Then in game 4, you had another suspenseful 1-0 victory against College of Idaho. This time it was James Jensen who tossed a complete game victory on 5 hits, no runs, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts. He was mostly a relief pitcher throughout the season. But, he did have 2 complete games, 1 shootout and 1 save with an ERA of 3.16 after 57 innings. How powerful of a game and performance was that for your club?

A. (COACH McGOVERN) You can’t say enough about the mentality of Jimmy Jensen. His performance showed that Idaho was a beatable team, and it allowed us to see a lot of their holes offensively. It definitely gave us momentum going into the final game, as we felt we had everything to gain and Idaho had everything to lose, being the #1 seed.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  In the bottom of the 8th, your club manufactured the only run of the game. It was a single by Ty Finley that started things off. Mickey Phelps bunted for a base hit. Then James Threw place a sacrifice bunt and advanced the runners. Then,  Collin Forgey came up with a sac fly. Were you proud of that sequence?

A. (COACH McGOVERN) I was proud of it because our coaching staff stresses execution every day at practice. Nicholson from Idaho was pitching a great game, and to get two successful bunts followed by a well executed sacrifice fly, it proved to be the difference in the game. Sometimes, even when you’re not getting a lot of hits, you can still put pressure on the defense in other ways.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  Then for the final game, you guy beat College of Idaho 5-4 in 10 innings. Collin led off the top of the 9th with a triple. Forgey was one of your top hitters all year with a .317 batting average, 7HR, and 42RBI, including 13 stolen bases. What were you most impressed with by Forgey all year?

A. (COACH McGOVERN) Collin was our top offensive guy all year, so it was no surprise that he led off that inning with a big hit. He’s been getting big hits for us all year, none bigger than that triple. What most impressed me of Forgey is that he was able to raise his average over 60 points from last year, which allowed us to put him in the 3 hole, being that he was having more consistent at bats.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) . After Forgey’s triple, it was Michael Brandi who came up with a clutch base hit to drive in the winning run. All year, Brandi was a great force for your team. He finished the season with a .300 batting average, 4HR, and 40RBI. Did your team bust out at that moment? Did you guys know you were about to win that game?

A. (COACH McGOVERN) We definitely had a good feeling. Brandi has been our big RBI guy all season, and he came through with the game on the line in the 10th inning. We knew with Jensen on the mound and his recent success against Idaho, that we had a great chance to put the game away after getting that run.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Taylor Cohn was also a special bat in your lineup all year. He finished with a .302 bating average and a .470 on base percentage. What did he mean to your team in 2012?

A. (COACH McGOVERN) Taylor is a great presence on our team, as he provides great leadership. He is a great runner, and can smack the ball in the gap with power from either side. He is a great bunter, and although he’s strictly a DH due to past injuries, he has been a major contributor to our team from both sides of the plate.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES) Do you feel that your were the heavy underdog going into the season?

A. (COACH McGOVERN) I knew that we would most likely not win 32 games in the regular season, just because our schedule was much harder this year than it was last year. We were picked to finish fourth, including LC State, which is where we finished. I think it was great for our team to experience the tough schedule that we had early, facing 7 top 25 programs in our schedule, because that made us realize our weaknesses and it definitely helped us play our best baseball when it mattered most. I think everyone favored College of Idaho to win our Conference tournament, but it just goes to show that if you have great pitching and defense, you’re always going to be in games.

Q. (BASEBALL TRENCHES)  What’s next? Are you guys still alive on the national stage?

A. (COACH McGOVERN) When we won the Conference Championship, we received an automatic bid to the NAIA regional tournament. We will now be the #5 seed in the Azusa Pacific bracket this week, and are paired against #1 Azusa Pacific, #2 Shorter (GA), #3 College of Idaho, and #4 Arizona Christian. We will play #4 Arizona Christian this Thursday @ 12pm, and the winner of our game will face #1 Azusa Pacific @ 7pm on Thursday.