Baseball vs. YSU--Championship Weekend??

jetz · May 16, 2012, 12:23:25 PM

The last regular season series is a Thursday, Friday, Saturday affair against the last place Penguins. Beware, however, as prior to getting swept by WSU last weekend, YSU was pretty hot, winning five of their last six. They can play well, and we won our last game against them at YSU by only a 5-4 count. As I was reminded last weekend, this is baseball, and anything can happen on any given day.

We need to sweep to have a chance at a regular season HL championship. We are one game behind Wright State for the title, and they are at Milwaukee this weekend. If we win three, we can be co-champs is UWM loses one. The Nolan NPI site predicts exactly this outcome. We would claim a co-championship, but still be the two seed in the tourney since we lost the season series to WSU 4-2.

We need one more gutsy effort from the pitching staff. Deetjen has gone deep in lots of games this year, but his velocity is noticeably down and he only went six in two of his last three starts. Wild has been great, but started slowly at WSU two weeks ago and took the loss last week to UIC. Wormington has been awfully good the last two weeks and seems to be in the best groove right now. Miller's still good at closer and the set up guys have been pretty steady, though there have been occasional lapses.

Good luck, fellas. Let's win three and hope for the best. GO VALPO!

valpotx · May 16, 2012, 12:41:44 PM

A co-championship would still be a great accomplishment, and add to our championship haul this year. I think we have a great chance in the tourney regardless of whether we finish first or second

jetz · May 17, 2012, 10:08:53 PM

And here we go...Valpo wins, WSU loses. Tied for the HL Championship. Here's what I'm saying:

"Just want to take it one game at a time. Good Lord willing, we'll play our best and the chips fall where they may."

GO VALPO! Beat the Raiders!

bbtds · May 17, 2012, 10:48:38 PM

Quote from: jetz on May 17, 2012, 10:08:53 PM
And here we go...Valpo wins, WSU loses. Tied for the HL Championship. Here's what I'm saying:

"Just want to take it one game at a time. Good Lord willing, we'll play our best and the chips fall where they may."

GO VALPO! Beat the Raiders!

Sounds like Valpo better be ready to take on the Milwaukee Panthers in Chicago (distance from Valpo to UIC 56 miles, UWM to UIC 95 miles) for the HL baseball championship.

valpotx · May 18, 2012, 12:32:48 AM

A good start, and a thank you to UWM! Milwaukee is a tough team each year, regardless of where they lie in the standings. I like our chance the last two games against YSU, and will be hoping the Panthers can pull out another. A shared championship at the minimum would be a great achievement, nothing to sneeze at. Since we have already clinched a bye, to at least get to hang a banner would be an honor for our baseball team, something that has not been achieved since the 80's.

valpotx · May 18, 2012, 04:04:33 PM

Currently in the bottom of the 4th, Valpo up 6-0!

Also, and even more important, UWM is up 9-1 over WSU in the top of the 7th!!

vu72 · May 18, 2012, 04:10:22 PM

Quote from: valpotx on May 18, 2012, 04:04:33 PM
Currently in the bottom of the 4th, Valpo up 6-0!

Also, and even more important, UWM is up 9-1 over WSU in the top of the 7th!!

Fantastic! Hang on, hang on!!

valpotx · May 18, 2012, 04:49:55 PM

WSU goes down to Milwaukee 9-3! Now we just need to hold on in this 7-5 game, bottom of the 7th, and we have our 5th team championship this year (clinch at least share of regular season)!

bbtds · May 18, 2012, 04:58:10 PM

This would be the inning to tack on some runs for Valpo! Go Crusaders! Ain't passing over any Jewish ritual meals retelling the exodus from the land of the pharoahs today.

VUfan · May 18, 2012, 06:19:38 PM

The Team clinches at least a tie for first place regular season! congratulations!!! Now the sweep for first place alone!

valpotx · May 18, 2012, 06:25:46 PM

Congrats to the team, proud to be an alumni! Let's get the 1 seed tomorrow, so that we play the winner of Butler/UIC, rather than Milwaukee/YSU!

jetz · May 18, 2012, 07:01:19 PM

OK, just got back to the hotel. I'm sitting here looking at the guys groom the diamond. The scoreboard is still lit. WE HAD 20 HITS and almost lost that game. It's gonna take a couple of tall cocktails to wind down from that one. On the last play, Vavra hit a hard one hopper--and it was a good hop to field--right off the chest of the ss, who would've had the force at 2nd had he caught it. Vavra easily beat the throw to first, and we got our walk off. Tough way for YSU to lose, but we'll take the win. Tomorrow is a "ring game" for Valpo baseball--their first ever in the HL. Need the win to be outright champs. WHEW! GO VALPO!!

vu72 · May 18, 2012, 08:55:32 PM

Great comeback after losing the big lead. It is college baseball and anything can happen! At the very least we tie but the outright title would be very special and top off a year that will be difficult to duplicate.

valpotx · May 18, 2012, 11:31:01 PM

I did not realize that it has been 35 years since our last regular season title. Definitely something those that win often take for granted!

bbtds · May 19, 2012, 01:43:24 PM

Milwaukee is up 9-1 over Wright St in the bottom of the 5th while Valpo is down 2-0 to YSU in the bottom of the 4th. I think the baseball Crusaders might back into this championship. Of course 2 runs could be overcome easily.

bbtds · May 19, 2012, 02:11:06 PM

Valpo plates 7 in the bottom of the 5th inning on 6 hits and a throwing error including a double by Spencer Mahoney and 2 run homer by Will Hagel . Valpo decided not to back into anything today and isn't counting on Milwaukee to do it's hard work for them. Way to go, Crusaders! YSU 2, Valpo 7

bbtds · May 19, 2012, 02:25:10 PM

Valpo scores 2 in the bottom of the 6th inning on Steven Scoby's 2 run double with runners on 2nd & 3rd. Valpo now up 9-2. This is certainly the proper way to win a championship.

Wright State scores a run in the top of the 8th inning at Hank Aaron Field in Milwaukee and now both games have a score of 9-2 and both games are going Valpo's way.

bbtds · May 19, 2012, 02:47:56 PM

Valpo is now the HL champion with Wright State losing to Milwaukee 9-3.

Valpo is bringing home their game too by scoring another 2 runs in the bottom of 7th inning to take an 11-2 lead over YSU at Em Bauer Field.

Great day for Valpo baseball!

vu72 · May 19, 2012, 02:49:34 PM

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS MY FRIENDS!! (again!)

What's probably the most impressive is that we have won 24 of our last 28 (if my math is correct). Wonder when the last time, if ever, that we have had such a streak.

bbtds · May 19, 2012, 03:09:01 PM

Valpo scores 2 more in the bottom of the 8th inning and ends up winning 13-2 over YSU.

Let's hope someone knocks off the hot Milwaukee Panthers before Valpo has to play them in the HL baseball tournament at Les Miller Field on the UIC campus in Chicago. If not I think it's going to be a tough matchup for the Crusaders. Of course we shouldn't overlook any of the 6 HL teams in the tournament, especially Wright State.

valpotx · May 19, 2012, 05:28:58 PM

Many congratulations go out to coach Woodson and the players! We definitely have not won 24 of 28 since I have been a part of/followed the program (1999 on), and it would have probably been the 70s or 80s if we have ever had such a streak.

Milwaukee and WSU are going to be tough teams in the tournament, but I believe UIC will have the ability to surprise as well. Luckily, we will get to play the winner of UIC/Butler with this win. Hopefully Butler wins that game, so we have yet another opportunity to give a Butler team a loss this year. I can't ever get enough of wiping the smug out of them