Baseball Release #9

April 21, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Wright State University senior outfielder John Kopilchack collected his first career Player of the Week award after he helped the Raiders to a 3-1 record this past week, including a pair of victories over UIC. Fellow Raider Alex Kaminsky also picked up his first League honor as he was named Pitcher of Week. The sophomore right-hander went 2-0 in two starts and posted an earned run average of 0.81.

Player of the Week
John Kopilchack, Wright State
Sr. * OF * Lima, Ohio
Kopilchack hit three home runs and drove in 11 runs in four starts last week. The senior collected three multi-hit games and three multi-RBI contests on the week. He chipped in at least one hit, scored at least one run and drove in at least one RBI in all four games last week. Against UIC on the road, Kopilchack collected five hits, three runs scored and five RBI to help WSU move into first place in the League standings. The WSU senior drove in three runs in the opener and a pair of RBI in the finale to give the Raiders their first series victory at UIC since 1998.

Pitcher of the Week
Alex Kaminsky, Wright State
So. * RHP * Fostoria, Ohio
Kaminsky went 2-0 on the week with five strikeouts and an earned run average of 0.81. The Ohio native didn't walk a batter in two appearances during the week and improved to 4-1 on the year. He held opponents to a .086 batting average against and retired the side in order in six of his 11 innings during the week. The WSU sophomore began the week against Xavier and tossed four innings of perfect baseball with a pair of strikeouts to earn a victory. Then on Sunday at UIC, Kaminsky tossed seven innings, allowing one run and three hits.

Other Top Performances for the Week Ending April 20

Joe Pauley, Butler
Sr. * SS * Skokie, Ill.
Pauley went 8-for-16 with three home runs in double-headers at Youngstown State and Cleveland State. He went 1-for-3 with a home run and helped the Bulldogs start a ninth-inning rally in a 5-4 win against the Penguins in the first game of the doubleheader. Pauley leads the squad with a .309 batting average.

Evan DePotter, Butler
Jr. * RHP * Indianapolis, Ind.
DePotter allowed just one unearned run in three relief appearances. He struck-out all three batters he faced in an inning of work against Cincinnati before allowing one unearned run in 1.1 innings at Youngstown State. A day later, he struck out two and yielded just one hit in 2.1 innings of work at Cleveland State.

Alex Kerins, Cleveland State
Sr. * 3B * Louisville, Ky.
Kerins batted .393 (11-for-28) with three runs, 10 RBI, two doubles and a home run as the Vikings went 3-4 last week. In four League games, Kerins combined to go 7-for-17 with two runs, six RBI and two doubles. In the series opener against Butler, he went 3-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored in a 10-9 victory.

Anthony Sambula, Cleveland State
Fr. * LHP * Novelty, Ohio
Sambula threw a complete game, seven hitter to lead CSU to an 8-1 victory over Butler in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader. His only run allowed came in the ninth inning. The freshman lefty also struck out seven and did not walk a batter. In 15.1 innings of work last week, Sambula went 1-1 with a 2.35 ERA, 10 strikeouts and allowed just one walk.

Nick Wichser, Milwaukee
Sr. * OF * Waukesha, Wis.
Wichser led the Panthers to a 3-3 week after he hit .409, recording nine hits in 22 at bats, including three doubles and one home run. He also scored seven runs, drove in eight and slugged .682. Wichser's League-best 24-game hitting streak (third-longest in UWM history) came to a close over the weekend. During the streak Wichser batted .478 (44-for-92) with 28 runs scored and 25 RBI.

Brett Schaefer, UIC
Jr. * 1B * Orland Park, Ill.
Schaefer went 6-for-9 at the plate during a doubleheader sweep of Valparaiso last Friday. He drove in four runs and hit a home run to spur UIC's eight-run second inning in the nightcap. For the week, the UIC junior drove in six runs.

Don Phillis, UIC
So. * LHP * Streator, Ill.
In two appearances this past week, Phillis worked 8.0 innings and allowed 11 hits. In his first start since 2006, Phillis went 7.0 innings against Valparaiso on Friday, allowing four runs while striking out eight batters to pick up the victory.

John Giusti, Valparaiso
Sr. * INF * Coventry, R.I.
Giusti returned from a hand injury and went 2-for-2 with two walks against Saint Francis (Ind.) on Wednesday. In game two of the doubleheader with UIC, the Valpo senior went 4-for-5 for his first four-hit game of the season. For the week, Guisti had a 1.000 slugging percentage and an .800 on base percentage.

Jarad Miller, Valparaiso
Fr. * RHP * Fort Wayne, Ind.
Miller earned the victory against Saint Francis (Ind.) after he worked two innings of scoreless relief in the ninth and tenth innings. In the two innings, the Valpo right-hander struck out one Cougar. Miller also pitched 1.1 innings against UIC in game one, allowing one run and one hit.

Anthony Porter, Youngstown State
So. * C/DH * Boardman, Ohio
Porter batted .556 (10-for-18) and slugged .722 to help lead YSU to a 4-2 overall mark this past week and a 3-1 record against League opponents. He also had three doubles, drove in three runs and scored five times. Porter leads the squad with a .345 average, which includes a .442 mark in 13 League contests.

Adam Kalafos, Youngstown State
Sr. * RHP * Baltimore, Md.
Kalafos picked up two wins and struck out 18 batters in 13.2 innings of work last week against Niagara and Milwaukee. He threw a seven-inning complete game against the Purple Eagles on Tuesday, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out nine. He then limited Milwaukee to three runs on six hits while striking out nine again in 6.2 innings on Sunday.

Around the Horizon League
Wright State
The Raiders (18-16 overall, 9-4 Horizon League) went 3-1 last week with its lone loss coming in extra innings to Dayton on the road (12-10).

The Raiders ended last week with a series sweep of UIC in Chicago. Wright State had not won a series in Chicago since the 1998 season. The two-game sweep against UIC moved the Raiders into sole possession of first place in the League standings.

WSU is 11-3 over its last 14 games and has won seven straight contests in League play. The seven game conference winning streak is tied for the second longest in school history.

Senior John Kopilchack, junior Jeremy Hamilton and sophomore Casey McGrew have paced the offense for WSU. In the last 10 games, Kopilchack leads the squad with 17 RBI's, five home runs and two triples.

Hamilton has 13 RBI to go along with 10 runs scored and an on-base percentage of .500. McGrew holds the best batting average for the Raiders over the past 10 contests, hitting at a .467 clip. The sophomore has also scored 10 runs and has six multi-hit games during that span.

Sophomore right-hander Alex Kaminsky is 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA in his last three starts.

Wright State returns to the diamond on Tuesday as it heads to Toledo. The Raiders will then face Milwaukee for three games at home beginning on Friday with a doubleheader slated for Saturday.

UIC
The Flames (20-12 overall, 9-3 Horizon League) dropped three of five games last week. UIC opened the week with single game loss to Illinois State Tuesday. The Flames rebounded on Friday as they took down Valparaiso twice. Sophomore left-hander Don Phillis earned the victory in game two in what was his first start since 2006.

Against the Crusaders, UIC scored a combined 28 runs and pounded out 30 hits, but two days later the bats went cold as the Flames mustered just one run and eight hits combined in two losses to Wright State at home on Sunday.

After posting seven quality starts in eight games he began this year, junior right-hander Derrick Miramontes had his roughest outing in a UIC uniform by allowing 10 runs in 3.2 innings against the Raiders on Sunday. It was the first start he didn't make it to the sixth inning and the first time he allowed more than three runs in an outing.

UIC will play Northern Illinois this Tuesday at Elfstrom Stadium, the home of the Oakland Athletics' Class A affiliate Kane County Cougars.

The Flames will then welcome Central Michigan on Wednesday before opening a three-game home series against Trinity International on Friday.

Youngstown State
The Penguins (16-22 overall, 8-5 Horizon League) posted a 4-2 record last week.

YSU is on a three-game winning streak for the first time this season. The Penguins were one strike away from winning four straight before Butler rallied with three runs with two outs in the top half of the ninth in Saturday's first game.

The Penguins batted .357 as a team last week and had 10 players hit better than .290. In addition to sophomore Anthony Porter's .556 average, freshman Jason Reitenbach batted .462 (6-for-13), senior Josh Page hit .458 (11-for-24), sophomore C.J. Morris hit .444 (4-for-9) and Joe Iacobucci batted .412 (7-for-17).

The Penguins have played in five extra-inning games. In those contests, they have gone 4-1, including a 3-1 mark at home. YSU has rallied in the ninth and won in the 10th inning in back-to-back weekends.

This past weekend Tom Clayton had a pinch-hit home run with two outs in the ninth against Milwaukee, and Cory Hornyak had a game-winning single in the 10th.

With 13 Horizon League games remaining, YSU is one conference win shy of its total from last season. It has also matched its best start through 13 games of conference play with an 8-5 record (2005).

The Penguins return to action on Wednesday when they head to Penn State. YSU closes out the week with a three-game series against Cleveland State on the road.

Cleveland State
The Vikings (15-18 overall, 7-6 Horizon League) posted a 3-4 mark last week.

Junior John Brown hit a two-run, walk-off double to lift the Vikings to a 10-9 come from behind win over Butler in the opener of Sunday's doubleheader. In addition, Brown hit a two-run home run in game two.

Head coach Kevin Kocks is two wins shy of 500 for his career.

The Viking pitching staff has four complete games this season, including ones by Brian Long and Anthony Sambula over the weekend.

CSU has 15 wins this season, surpassing its win total from all of last season (14). It is the most wins by a Viking team since the 2004 team won 19 games.

All six League losses for the Vikings have come by one run. CSU is 2-10 in one-run games this year.

Cleveland State will play six home games this week. The Vikings begin the week with a doubleheader against Canisius on Tuesday.

CSU will then face Mount Vernon Nazarene on Wednesday before stepping back into League play against Youngstown State on Friday for a three-game series.

Milwaukee
The Panthers (12-24 overall, 5-8 Horizon League) went 3-3 last week.

UWM played its first home games of the season this past week against Bradley. The Panthers beat the Braves twice, taking both games by a count of 4-3.

In League games, UWM split a pair with Cleveland State on Friday before losing twice to Youngstown State on Saturday.

After starting 0-9 in one-run games, Milwaukee enjoyed a stretch where it then won five-consecutive one-run games, a streak that ended with the 10-9 extra-inning loss at YSU Sunday.

Senior Jesse Hart, with 18 doubles, is ranked 13th in the NCAA in total doubles and sixth in the NCAA in doubles-per-game.

Hart is also on a 12-game hitting streak that has seen him bat .417 (20-for-48) with 14 runs scored, nine doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI. He has also not made an error in the field during the streak, a span of 53 chances.

Wichser's hit streak ended at 24 games, the third-longest in program history to a 32 and a 27 game streak, both by Mike Goetz, in 2006.

Milwaukee hits the road this week, traveling to Iowa on Tuesday and Wright State on Friday where the Panthers will begin a three-game series that is set to conclude on Saturday with a pair of games.

Valparaiso
The Crusaders (12-20 overall, 5-4 Horizon League) played in just three games last week and went 1-2, dropping both of their League contests to UIC on Friday.

Valpo was scheduled to face Wright State on Saturday, but the series was canceled because of heavy rain.

The Crusaders' lone victory came against Saint Francis (Ind.) in extra innings (10-9) on Wednesday. With the win over the Cougars, Valpo improved to 3-2 in extra inning affairs this season.

Senior John Giusti returned from a hand injury and went 2-for-2 with a pair of walks in the win over Saint Francis (Ind.). He also scored three times, drove in two runs and stole two bases.

Senior Zach Rodeghero has extended his hitting streak to 13 straight games and continues to lead the league in hitting at .424. Senior Jason Brunelli had the game-winning pinch-hit single in the 10th as Valpo defeated Saint Francis (Ind.).

The Crusaders have five games scheduled for this week beginning with a road game against Central Michigan on Tuesday.

Valpo will then welcome Judson on Wednesday before opening a three-game series with Butler on Friday.

Butler
The Bulldogs (8-24 overall, 4-12 Horizon League) went 1-4 last week with their lone victory coming against Youngstown State (5-4).

Junior outfielder Colin Ziegel and sophomore infielder Kyle Schultz both had their season-long hitting streaks snapped last week.

Ziegel carried a 10-game streak into the Bulldogs' game against Cincinnati before going 0-for-4 against the Bearcats. Schultz, meanwhile, marched to a 10-game trek of his own before finishing 0-for-3 in the final double-header game at Cleveland State.

Butler got some two-out magic in the top half of the ninth to seal a comeback win in the first game of a double-header at Youngstown State.

Trailing 4-2 with two down, senior shortstop Joe Pauley kept the game alive after being hit by a pitch before Ziegel ripped his third home run of the year to tie the game. Rick Betsch followed with a walk before stealing second and moving to third on a throwing error to bring senior infielder Ryan Neat to the plate, who ripped an RBI single for the go-ahead run.

The Butler pitching staff has allowed three or fewer walks in 16 of the last 24 games, including nine with one or fewer free passes.

The Bulldogs will be spending a lot of time on the road in the next few weeks. After hosting Dayton in a double-header on Wednesday (April 23), Butler will play its next seven contests away from Bulldog Park. This weekend, BU travels to Valparaiso for a three-game series.

Wright State takes over first place in the League standings
After losing three of its first four League contests to begin the season, Wright State has won its last seven conference games to move into first place in the circuit.

WSU took over the top spot in the League standings after it swept UIC on the road, defeating the Flames 20-0 in game one and 6-1 in game two.

The Flames (11-5) are in second place, but Youngstown State (8-5) is a close third after it won three of four League games this past week.

YSU could surpass the Flames in second place with a three-game sweep of Cleveland State this weekend. With its 2-1 series victory over UIC on April 11-12, YSU holds the tiebreaker. UIC does not play a League opponent this week.

The 2008 Horizon League Baseball Championship, presented by the U.S. Army, is set for May 20-25 at Eastwood Field in Niles, Ohio.