#1 Crusader Baseball @ Horizon League Tourney

[vu72]

I really think the announcer is doing a very good and fair job.  6-5 Valpo!  Hang on guys!!

[VULB#62]

Bases loaded - unable to score in  the 6th. Nutz.  Unlike yesterday HLTV feed (to me at least) is very poor.

Go Valpo!

Update: Big bottom of the 7th -- now up to 12-5 VU, .......er, make it 13-5.  No, now it's 14-5 on a Mahoney triple.  And that's all folks.

Top of 9th.  Two out on a flyout and double up. 

Pop up. VU the CHAMPS!

[valpotx]

We go dancing...in baseball!!!  Great job guys, proud to be an alum of the program 

[VULB#62]

6 HL Championships (4 regular season and 2 tourney) in 2011-12 for this senior class.  Not too shabby.

Congrats to all the hardworking kids and coaches this year.  And kudos to Mark and the administration.  Hope Van Morrison was right in singing "....the best is yet to come."   

[RS]

Great end to a fantastic baseball season. Congratulations to the team and good luck in the NCAA tourney.

Also want to extend my kudos to the whole athletic department, to all the coaches and players on a year to remember. Thanks again to Mark L. for his fine leadership and excellent decisions on the hiring of coaches.

[jetz]

Awesome job putting out the Flames and winning the tourney title.  Here's a couple of takeaways from the weekend:

--Poor job of hosting by UIC.  Concessions closed in the third inning of our first two games.  Out of Gatorade in the fifth of the last game--a 90 degree day. The Valpo bench needed some and we had to run to a store to get it. Only warm bottled water available. AND NO HOT DOGS!!  WTH!!  Staff didn't allow us on the field at the end for pictures until after the awards were handed out.  Pretty weak effort.

--Hagel took a huge hit to the shoulder in game one and he was out, giving Mark Johnson a chance to play.  All he did was win the tourney MVP.  Tough luck for Will, but he talked to Johnson prior to each of his at bats with some good advice and was a huge plus in the dugout.

--Nice job by the baseball alums.  Several showed up and some in their old school shirts.  Good to see the guys coming out on Memorial Day weekend.  Also, we had the biggest and loudest fan group BY FAR!  Even outdid UIC.  I know the team enjoyed the support.

Off to the Regionals.  I'm proud of this team for finishing.  Bunch of winners...

 

[VULB#62]

In honor of the 2012 HL Championship effort I have revised and enhanced my fantasy plans for an athletic campus at Valpo.  I moved the baseball stadium next to the field house (it should have been there in the first place).  In addition, watching the game at Miller Field, I added some important features:  I added two light stanchions in Left and Right Field, a scoreboard, and a batting background thingee in CF. Also, I built two grass berms along the left and right field sidelines for fans who prefer to sit on grass or bring their lawn chairs.  [This is a tradition in the Cape Cod Summer College League BTW].  Taking a hint from Jetz, I expanded the press box and with it the concession stand right below it - because it doesn't sell beer it will stay open throughout the games.  Here is the revised Athletic District (this also allowed me to illustrate the two soccer practice fields as well).

Click on the image to enlarge.

[valpotx]

Just curious if the alums you are speaking about were recent, or also included 5-10+ years ago? 

[VULB#62]

Here is the Em Bauer Field detail. Somewhere out there is a sign with all the championships and NCAA participation.  Note the batting cages in right. The grandstands would be permanent (brick & mortar) similar to Miller Field. Dugouts would be beneath the stands and slightly below field grade. Oh, and the plaza behind the grandstand has been expanded over the previous version.  There should definitely be be an entry arch and nice fence there as well.  This plan enables Valpo to be a HL Tournament host in the future. [Click on image to enlarge]

Two years ago I played a couple of legit 9 inning games at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, NY. Great experience. Superb playing surface.  One part of their fundraising program is about buying inscribed paving stones for the surrounding plaza.  Just a thought for Em Bauer Field.

I think this fantasy is pretty commensurate with the program we've got going here and the size of the school, and it brings the games onto the central campus which IMO is a big, big plus.  But if you are wondering about the difference between Mid Major and BCS approaches to baseball check out the Purdue schematics in this link:

http://www.blackandgoldbaseball.com/new-baseball-stadium.cfm

[VULB#62]

Got this off Dale Carlson's Twitter:  "Valparaiso only school in nation to win both regular season and tourney titles in both baseball and softball this year."  Haven't corroborated it, but seems plausible.

[valpotx]

Definitely seems like it would be true.  That is a hard feat to accomplish!

[bbtds]

Here is the Em Bauer Field detail. Somewhere out there is a sign with all the championships and NCAA participation.  Note the batting cages in right. The grandstands would be permanent (brick & mortar) similar to Miller Field. Dugouts would be beneath the stands and slightly below field grade. Oh, and the plaza behind the grandstand has been expanded over the previous version.  There should definitely be be an entry arch and nice fence there as well.  This plan enables Valpo to be a HL Tournament host in the future. [Click on image to enlarge]

Two years ago I played a couple of legit 9 inning games at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, NY. Great experience. Superb playing surface.  One part of their fundraising program is about buying inscribed paving stones for the surrounding plaza.  Just a thought for Em Bauer Field.

I think this fantasy is pretty commensurate with the program we've got going here and the size of the school, and it brings the games onto the central campus which IMO is a big, big plus.  But if you are wondering about the difference between Mid Major and BCS approaches to baseball check out the Purdue schematics in this link:

http://www.blackandgoldbaseball.com/new-baseball-stadium.cfm

I seem to remember seeing a completed new baseball field while driving around West Lafayette looking for a fellow church member's son's student apartment. We had gone up to Lafayette to eat and see the Wolf Park in Battle Ground. If you haven't seen the Wolf Park it's an interesting place. It was a Mother's day present to our wives. I believe we were on McCormick Rd. which had a lot of construction on it on the north end. Although it could have been closer to the main part of campus. It looked especially new and the parking lots were still being finished. I remember thinking if Valpo ever had the money to build something like that it would be a miracle. Kind of reminded you of a double A baseball complex. Not quite as good as the triple A Indy Indians complex.

[bbtds]

Speaking of the Indy Indians, it's probably a good thing for Valpo fans that the International League schedule maker had the Syracuse Chiefs coming to Victory Field this weekend for a 3 games series. Of course maybe the IHSAA would have had Victory Field booked if the Indians weren't playing anyway. I wonder if Purdue could have over ridden the IHSAA.

[jetz]

In honor of the 2012 HL Championship effort I have revised and enhanced my fantasy plans for an athletic campus at Valpo.  I moved the baseball stadium next to the field house (it should have been there in the first place).  In addition, watching the game at Miller Field, I added some important features:  I added two light stanchions in Left and Right Field, a scoreboard, and a batting background thingee in CF. Also, I built two grass berms along the left and right field sidelines for fans who prefer to sit on grass or bring their lawn chairs.  [This is a tradition in the Cape Cod Summer College League BTW].  Taking a hint from Jetz, I expanded the press box and with it the concession stand right below it - because it doesn't sell beer it will stay open throughout the games.  Here is the revised Athletic District (this also allowed me to illustrate the two soccer practice fields as well).

A nice feature from Baum Stadium at Arkansas is also worth your consideration:  the main entrances from behind home plate and down both baselines were surrounded by about nine foot glass walls.  One of the sections rolled back to accommodate a larger crowd entering and exiting, but then they closed it when the game was being played and just used standard doors to come and go.  This made a great wind break with lots of light and an open feel.  Once you were in, there was no wind whistling from your back towards the field.  A must have at Valpo with the cold.

[VULB#62]

Consider it done.  This a fantasy after all.