April 20, 2000


Kitsch leads Runnin' Rebs
Player of the Week, Week 11 Honours


By BOB ELLIOTT
           



 First baseman Trent Kitsch was a narrow loser a week ago in voting for the Canadian College Player of the Week honors. How did the member of the University of Las Vegas Hustlin' Rebels respond?
 
 Well, in a three-game sweep of Brigham Young at Provo, Utah, and a home win against Southern Colorado, Kitsch had four, multiple-hit games, drove in nine runs, scored seven runs, hit two doubles and three home runs, while hitting .588 (10-for-17) for the week.
 
 For that awesome offensive output, Kitsch (junior, Kelowna, B.C.) was named Canadian Player of the Week, topping 375 others playing south of the border.

How Kitsch's week went:
 
 In the series-opening 12-6 victory over Brigham Young, he had his best performance going 4-for-5 with four RBIs and two home runs. Kitsch hit a three-run, homer to right field in the first inning to give UNLV a 3-0 lead. Kitsch then belted a solo shot to right in the third to increase UNLV's lead to 4-0.
 
 Next, came a 2-for-5 day with a double, an RBI and a run scored in UNLV's 11-9 win. Kitsch had his RBI double in the Rebels' eight-run second inning.
 
 In the series finale he was 2-for-4, including a three-run double to help propel the Rebels to a 13-11 victory and the series sweep. With UNLV trailing 11-9 in the top of the eighth, he drilled a bases loaded double down the right field line to clear the bases and rally UNLV to a 12-11 lead.
 Against Southern Colorado, Kitsch hit a solo home run in the first, his 10th,then with the score tied 2-2 in the sixth, he tripled, scored the go-ahead run on a ground ball and was 2-for-3 on the day. He extended his hitting streak to nine games and is batting .586 (17-for-29) over his last seven games.
 
 On the season, the first baseman-DH has appeared in 37 games and is batting .363 and leads the team with 10 homers and is second with 29 RBIs.
 
 He enjoyed an outstanding series against the San Diego State Aztecs (April 7-9), batting .583 (7-for-12) with seven runs scored, three homers and six RBIs, hitting a homer in each of the three games. He was 2-for-4, with a double, a two-run homer and three RBIs (April 7); 4-for-4 with three runs scored and a solo homer (April 8); 1-for-4 with a two-run homer (April 9).
 
 Kitsch transferred to UNLV after two seasons at Oklahoma State where he hit .311 with home runs and 20 RBIs in 1999. He was a member of the 1997 Canadian National Junior Team.
 
 The 14th Canadian selected in the 1997 June amateur draft by the Colorado Rockies in the 25th round, Kitsch has been named McLeod USA Mountain West Conference Baseball Player for two straight weeks.
 
 He was the best among other Canadians enjoying good weeks:
 
 
_ 2B Trevor Adams (sophomore, North Bay, Ont.) had a pair of hits to help Tusculum beat Lenoir-Rhyne at Pioneer Park in Greeneville, Tenn. Adams also had a base hit in Tusculum's 5-2 loss to Lincoln Memorial at Hennon Field in Harrogate, Tenn.
 
 
_ RP  Ryan Armstrong (freshman, Mississauga, Ont.) pitched three innings of relief and gained the win as Armstrong Atlantic rallied for a 10-7 win over Valdosta State. Armstrong took over in the sixth with Valdosta leading 5-4 and pitched a scoreless inning. Atlantic rallied for six runs in the bottom half and Armstrong allowed one earned run in his three innings, increasing his record to 4-0. Andrew Moss (freshman, Mississauga, Ont.) picked up his second save with a perfect ninth.
 
 
_ RP Graham Bailey (senior, Thorold, Ont.) recorded the final two outs for the save as the Ohio Dominican Panthers edged Point Park 4-2. For Bailey, it was his fourth save.
 
 
_ OF Jason Bay (senior, Trail, B.C.) doubled in a run as the Gonzaga Stags beat the San Diego Toreros 11-1 at Cunningham Stadium in San Diego. Bay, a former Canadian College Player of the Week winner, also had a pair of hits as San Diego edged Gonzaga 6-5 in 11 innings.
 
 
_ 2B Jess Bechard (senior, Brantford, Ont.) became the Mid-American Conference career leader in total base as the Kent State Golden Flashes whipped Wright State 9-1 at Gene Michael Field in Kent Ohio. Bechard hit a three-run homer, his fifth, and a double, his 14th, driving in three runs. The former Canadian Player of the Week also broke up a no-hit bid with one out in the seventh with a double off the fence, as the Flashes rallied for three to tie the game and then beat Ohio 5-3 in extras. The left-handed hitter, who earlier this season carried dirt in his back pocket from the left side of the batter's box sent to him from Brantford's Cockshutt Park groundskeeper Cy Elvin, doubled in Kent's 5-2 win over Ohio. Bechard drove in a run in Kent's 3-2 loss to Ohio, singled in Kent's 6-3 loss to Ohio and singled in Kent's 8-7 extra-inning win over Ohio Wesleyan.
 
 
_ OF Paul Brown (senior, Chatham, Ont.) drove in three runs in the Louisville Cardinal's 21-14 loss to the Memphis Tigers at old Cardinal Stadium in Louisville, Ky. Brown had three hits and scored four runs, while hitting his fifth double of the season. Centre fielder Mike Hook (junior, Brampton, Ont.) had a single.
 
 
_ RP  Matt Buckle (junior, Surrey, B.C) picked up his sixth save of the season as Louisiana Tech defeated the New Orleans Privateers 9-3 at New Orleans. The former Canadian Player of the Week allowed three hits with a strikeout over the final 2 2/3 innings to move into third place on Tech's single-season save list.
 
 
_ 3B James Burke (sophomore, Blenheim, Ont.) had a pair of hits in Gannon's 20-1 loss to Hillsdale College.
 
 
_ C  Luke Carlin (freshman, Gatineau, Que.) had three hits in Northeastern's 8-7 win over Hartford at McKenna Field in East Hartford, Conn. Carlin doubled and drove in a pair of runs. Carlin also had a lead-off triple in the top of the seventh of a 1-1 tie and scored as Northeastern beat Hartford 4-3 in the other game of the doubleheader. Carlin drove in one run in a 10-3 win over Hartford.
 
 
_ 2B John Cole (sophomore, Kanata, Ont.) had two hits and drove in a run as the Nebraska Cornhuskers shucked Missouri 15-8 at Taylor Stadium in Columbia, Mo. Left fielder Adam Stern (sophomore, London, Ont.) singled and drove in a run. Cole also had a pair of hits, including his 10th double of the season and scored a run as the Huskers beat Missouri 7-2, while Stern added a hit and an RBI. Cole is also 15-of-17 stealing bases this season and is 30-of-32 lifetime (94%).
 
 
_ 2B Jay Corrigale (senior, Brampton, Ont.) doubled for the Charleston Southern Buccaneers in a 5-4 win over the Radford Highlanders at Dedmon Centre Park in Radford, Va. Corrigale also hit a three-run homer, his seventh of the year, in the Bucs 8-4 loss to Radford.
 
 
_ OF Ishmael Cox (freshman, Mississauga, Ont) hit a two-run triple and scored on a throwing error by the centre fielder as the Canisius Golden Griffs dropped a 10-5 decision to the Siena Saints at the Demske Sports Complex in Buffalo. Cox singled and scored for Canisius in its 7-2 loss to St. Bonaventure at Buffalo. Cox is a candidate for Metro Atlantic Conference Rookie of the Year honors. He's hitting .326 and has started 24 of the Griffs 25 games, while leading the team with 14 RBIs. He's one of the league's top base stealers, successful in 13 of 14 attempts, he has hit safely in 15 of his last 16 games and has a team-best 10 multi-hit contests. He's one of seven Canucks with Canisius (tied with Winthrop for the most):

RHP Mark West (senior, Newmarket, Ont.) is considered the ace of the staff and the only senior hurler for Canisius. He owns a 2-4 record with a 4.36 ERA and has 50 strike outs in 43.1 innings. His 145 career whiffs are only four shy of the school record of 149 held by John Davidson. Earlier this season, West tied the single game record of 15 strike outs in a game and was named the MAAC Pitcher of the Week.
 
 
RHP Tyler Hosick (freshman, Oakville, Ont.) is 1-6 for the Griffs with a 9.00 ERA. He has 18 strike outs in 31 innings. His best effort came in a seven-inning stint at St. Peter's when he allowed only two earned runs and four hits in the Griffs 8-3 win. He also struck out four in six innings in a game at Rider.
 
 
RHP  Alex Nimigon (freshman, Whitby, Ont.) has a 1-3 record with a 5.06 ERA. He leads in innings pitched with 48, has struck out 40 and walked 15 and has tossed two complete games. He allowed only three earned runs in a nine inning stint against Fairfield in which he fanned 11 and walked only one batter. In a victory over Marist, he struck out eight in eight innings and gave up four earned runs.
 
 
C Trevor Pattison (junior, Thornhill, Ont.) has appeared in 11 games with five starts and owns a .188 average with one RBI.
 
 
C Matt Van Geene (freshman, Barrie, Ont.) has started seven times behind the plate and owns a .273 average, a .986 fielding percentage and has thrown out eight base stealers.
 
 
OF Mike Mannella (senior, Niagara Falls, Ont.), one of four seniors on the Griffs roster, has appeared in 15 games with 14 starts. He's hitting .179 with a homer and six RBIs. He went 2-4 with a pair of RBIs in a loss earlier this season against Buffalo.
 
 
_ 3B Ryan Davis (freshman, Peterborough, Ont.) owns a .312 average for the Frank Phillips Plainsmen. Davis had two homers and 19 RBIs.
 
 
_ SS Lee Delfino (sophomore, Pickering, Ont.) had a perfect 5-for-5 day as the No. 21-ranked East Carolina Pirates beat the Richmond Spiders 10-6 in Greenville, S.C. Delfino had five singles, scored a run and stole a base in support of righty Jason Mandryk (sophomore, Langdon, Ont.), who improved to 4-0 on the year, allowing four hits and three runs with four walks and four strikeouts.
 
 
_ OF  Jim Dent (senior, Oakville, Ont.) drove in two runs as Vanguard defeated the Master's College 7-6.
 
  
 
_ LHP  Brad Drew (junior, Waterloo, Ont.) picked up the victory as No. 5-ranked Stanford edged San Jose State 5-2 at Municipal Stadium in San Jose, Calif. Drew, in his first appearance of the season, struck out four in two innings of relief. He allowed a run to tie the score 2-2, but was the beneficiary of three Stanford runs in the sixth.
 
 
_ CF Tim Drew-Smith (sophomore, Cambridge, Ont.) tripled home two runs for Northwood in a 12-6 loss to Ashland at Donges Field in Ashland, Ohio. Drew-Smith also had a pair of hits in Northwood's 6-5 loss to Ashland and drove in a run in Northwood's 10-2 win over Hillsdale at Simpson Field in Hillsdale, Mich. Drew-Smith is hitting .310 with a team-high six doubles and 19 RBIs.
 
 
_ LF Marek Driver (junior, Beaconsfield, Que.) had three hits and drove in a run as the Troy State Trojans dropped a 9-5 decision to South Alabama at Riddle-Pace Field in Troy, Ala. Driver hit his 10th double of the season as well as his fourth triple and a single.


_ Craig Dziedziejko (freshman, Kitchener, Ont.) owns a .490 average for the Pratt Beavers, not to mention five homers and 12 RBIs. Meanwhile, on the mound, lefty Jay Simon (freshman, Toronto, Ont.) owns a 3-1 record with a 3.09 ERA, as well as 62 strike outs in 45 1/3 innings.
 
 
_ LF Kevin Eiben (junior, Delta, B.C.) had three hits and drove in two runs as Bucknell fell 7-3 to the Naval Academy Midshipmen at Lewisburg, Penn. Eiben also doubled and stole a base. Eiben scored three times and had a hit to help Bucknell sink the Naval Academy 14-6. And trailing 7-6 in the bottom of the seventh, Eiben wound up scoring the winning run on a grand slam in a 9-7 Bucknell win.
 
 
_ OF  Len Elias (sophomore, Mississauga, Ont.) had an RBI single as the Bowling Green Falcons beat the Marshall Thundering Herd 8-4 at Steller Field in Bowling Green, Ohio. Elias drove in the first run of a five-run, fifth-inning rally, with the Herd leading 4-3. Elias also hit a two-run double in the Falcons 7-1 win over Marshall. Elias, who has a team-leading 24 walks, against eight strike outs in his first 121 plate appearances, also knocked in a run as Bowling Green edged Cleveland State 3-2 in 11 innings. Reliever Deryck Griffith (freshman, Mississauga, Ont.) contributed two hitless and scoreless innings.
 
 
_ SS Chad Falk (junior, Carman, Man.) singled and scored a run in Bemidji State's 5-4 loss to North Dakota at Bemidji, Minn.
 
 
_ 1B Mike Galloway (freshman, St. Thomas, Ont.) hit a three-run home run, his fifth, as the Central Michigan Chippewas defeated Oakland 18-6 at Rochester, Mich. Galloway was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and shortstop Jason Helps (junior, Wyoming, Ont.) was also 2-for-3 with three RBIs, two runs scored, a double and a home run, his first. Galloway also homered in the Chippewas 4-3 win over Ball State at Muncie, Ind. Helps went 2-for-4 with two RBs, a homer and a double in the Chippewas 9-6 win over Ball State, while Galloway had an RBI single. Galloway leads the club with six homers and 26 RBIs on the season.
 
 
_ LHP Tim Goheen (junior, Proctor Station, Ont.) ran his undefeated season to 6-0 as the Saginaw Valley Cardinals beat Grand Valley 9-3 at Allendale. For Goheen, it was his fourth complete game. He allowed seven hits, two walks, struck out seven, and climbed into eighth on the all-time victory list with his 15th in three seasons. Goheen also picked off his 10th runner of the season.
 
 
_ RHP John Hawkins (junior, Brockville, Ont.) registered the win as the No. 8th-ranked Brewton-Parker Barons edged Emory University 8-5. With the win Hawkins upped his record to 4-0.
 
 
_ OF Stephen Held (sophomore, Brampton, Ont.) had a base hit in the Olivet Comets 3-1 loss to Heidelberg.
 
 
_ RHP  Jeremy Herauf (junior, Regina, Sask.) pitched six scoreless innings and wound up with a no decision as the Winthrop Eagles dropped a bottom-of-the-ninth, 1-0 decision to the Coastal Carolina Chanticlers at Conway, S.C. Herauf allowed five hits and fanned three. Leftfielder Conrad Funk (freshman, Waldeck, Sask.) doubled for the Eagles, his 13th.
 
 
_ OF Mike Hook (junior, Brampton, Ont.) stole three bases for the Louisville Redbirds against Memphis, as Louisville dropped two of three. Hook has 17 steals this year and 42 in his career, third-best in U of L annals.
 
 
_ RHP Chris Howay (junior, New Westminister, B.C.) went the distance to collect the victory for the McNeese State Cowboys, lifting his record to 7-1 as the Cowboys were fortunate 4-3 winners over the Southeastern Louisiana Lions. A balk in the bottom of the ninth plated the winning Cowboy run. Howay, a former Canadian Player of the Week, gave up 10 hits, three runs, walked three and struckout five. McNeese trailed 1-0 entering the bottom of the seventh.
 
 
_ RHP  Scott Jellous (sophomore, Ingersoll, Ont.) picked up the win for Dowling College in a 6-5 decision over Southern Connecticut State. He owns a record most would be jealous of, now 5-1 on the year, after pitching eight innings and allowing two earned runs. Jellous walked one and fanned three in his 111-pitch outing.
 
 
_ LF Chris Jorgensen (freshman, New Brigen, Alta.) drove in three runs in the Prairie Baseball Academy's 15-10 loss to the Washington State Cougars. Jorgensen had a pair of hits, while right fielder Colin Rudko (sophomore, Edmonton, Alta.) had a pair of hits and two RBIs.
 
 
_ SS Geoff McCallum (senior, London, Ont.) had a 2-for-2 game, including an RBI double as the 25th-ranked Stetson hatters dropped a 7-4 decision to the Campbell Camels.
 
 
_ 3B Dave Martindale (sophomore, Mississauga, Ont.) singled in the game-winning runs as the Charleston Southern Buccaneers edged the Radford Highlanders 7-6 at Dedmon Centre Park in Radford, Va. The Bucs were trailing 5-1 at one point. Second baseman Jay Corrigale (senior, Brampton, Ont) hit a scoring fly ball to cut the lead to 5-4. The Bucs got another run to tie the game and in the seventh after a single and two walks, Martindale singled to left to score two runs and give the Bucs a 7-5 lead.
 
 
_ RHP Jay Meyer (senior, Winnipeg, Man.) pitched three innings and earned the win in the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 5-0 win over the Arkansas State Indians. Three pitchers combined on the two-hit shutout as Meyer's record climbed to 3-4. First baseman Kent Brunen (junior, Vanscoy, Sask.) had one of the two hits for the Indians.
 
 
_ 1B Eric Mimeault (senior, Terrebonne, Que.) singled, one of six hits Binghampton had, in a 9-0 loss to UMass Lowell at Vestal, N.Y.
 
 
_ 2B Brendon Mix (senior, Innisfail, Alta.) had four hits, including a double, and drove in three runs, but it was not enough to help Graceland College from a 12-10 loss to Central College at Lamoni, Iowa. Catcher Fraser Vernon (freshman, Mississauga, Ont.) had a pair of hits and drove in a run, while outfielder Rafael Ylanan (freshman, Vancouver, B.C.) had a pair of hits. In the second game of the doubleheader the threesome was as productive as Graceland beat Central 16-12. Mix and Ylanan each went 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Vernon had a pair of hits.
 
 
_ SS  Sean Odamura (freshman, Mississauga, Ont.) singled in the Saginaw Valley Cardinals 8-4 win over Grand Valley at Allendale in a doubleheader sweep. Josh Miller (senior, Whitby, Ont.) had a double and a single. In the opener, Odamura had a pinch-hit single and scored to even things 3-3 as the Carindals went on to a 5-3 win in extra innings. Right-hander Scott Corby (freshman, London, Ont.) worked 5 1/3 innings, allowing two singles, walking one and striking out seven, but received a no decision.
 
 
_ RHP David Patterson (senior, Brampton, Ont.) recorded his sixth win as the Winthrop Eagles beat the Coastal Carolina Chanticlers 8-3 at Conway, S.C. Patterson, now 6-1, pitched seven innings allowing eight hits and two earned runs. Reliever Ryan Chenard (freshman, Port Alberni, B.C.) recorded the final two outs. Patterson had plenty of help from the great white north: centre fielder Chris Wallace (junior, Parksville, B.C.) delivered a two-run double, his sixth; shortstop Jordan Webb (junior, Courtenay, B.C.) had two doubles, giving him 13 on the season and left fielder Conrad Funk (freshman, Waldeck, Sask.) had two hits and an RBI.
 
 
_ CF Brad Payne (senior, Agincourt, Ont.) had a pair of hits in the Northwestern State Demons 8-6 loss to Texas-Arlington at Allan Saxe Stadium in Arlington, Tx. Payne also singled in the Demons 6-2 win over Texas-Arlington.
 
 
_ SS  Quinn Peel (junior, Manotick, Ont.) struck a two-out double in the bottom of the seventh to give the Maine Black Bears a 10-9 win over Drexel at Orono, Ma. Peel had two other hits besides his game winner. In a 5-2 win over Drexel, Peel had a pair of hits, including a double. Peel drove in a pair of runs as Maine beat Drexel 10-2 and catcher Alain Picard (freshman, St. Foy, Que.) had a base hit. Peel also drove in a run in Maine's 7-6 win over Drexel.
 
 
_ The Ridley twins combined for four hits as Ball State beat Miami of Ohio 13-5 at the Ball Diamond in Muncie, Ind. SS Shayne Ridley (senior, Milton, Ont.) hit his sixth homer, scored three times and drove in three runs with his two hits, while second baseman Jeremy Ridley (senior, Milton, Ont.) scored three times and hit a double. Right-hander Judd Richardson (freshman, Caledon, Ont.) pitched a scoreless innings of relief for Miami. Shayne, who appeared in only two games due to an injury, leads the team with a .465 batting average, with six home runs and 21 RBIs and has a team-best 15 doubles. He ranks 10th on Ball State's all-time hit chart with 193 career hits, has 55 career doubles and is now tied for second on Ball State's career doubles chart needing only 11 to pass career leader Mark Davis (1984-87) who holds the school record with 65. 2B Jeremy Ridley (senior, Milton, Ont.) hit .522 in six Ball State games over the week _ three wins, three losses _ with one double, two triples, two homers and five RBIs. Jeremy, the identical twin brother of Shayne, has improved his average to .292 after struggling at the .225 mark 10 days ago.
 
 
_ C Paul Schlosser (junior, Medicine Hat, Alta.) hit a three-run homer as the Georgia State Panthers defeated the Jacksonville Dolphins 12-3 in Atlanta, Ga. The Panthers were winning 1-0 in the first when Schlosser hit the first pitch he saw over the right field wall for his 12th homer of the season. Schlosser had an RBI single to centre to tie the game 2-2, as the Panthers went on the a 6-3 win over Jacksonville.
 
 
_ PH Jeff Thomas (junior, Port Perry, Ont.) had a single in the No. 29-ranked (NCAA Division II) Armstrong Atlantic's 12-1 triumph over South Carolina Spartanburg.
 
 
_ 2B Todd Thompson (Trail, B.C.) drove in two runs as the New Orleans Privateers dropped the Louisiana Tech Ragin' Caguns 13-3 at New Orleans, La. Tech scored a pair of unearned runs to cut the Privateers lead to 3-2 in the second but Thompson's two-run single made it 5-2 in the third. Thompson finished with three hits. Left fielder Fraser Inouye (junior, Parksville, B.C.) singled for Tech. Thompson also drove in four runs in the Privateers 14-5 romp over Nicholls State. Thompson hit his sixth homer and his 12th double of the season.
 
 
_ LHP Tommy Tuepah (sophomore, Brampton, Ont.) picked up the victory as the Olivet Comets edged Heidelberg 4-3 at Heidelberg, Ohio. Tuepah scattered seven hits and struck out two over six innings to improve to 4-2 in 2000.
 
 
_ RHP  Aaron Tweet (senior, Moose Jaw, Sask.) held the homeside North Dakota to five hits and two runs, but wound up with a no decision when his North Dakota State club rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh for a 4-3 win.
 
 
_ OF Ben Van Iderstine's (senior, Regina, Sask.) single to left in the seventh inning was the only ball to the outfield as the Iowa State Cyclones were handcuffed 6-0 by the No. 5th-ranked Auburn Bears at Waco, Tx.
 
 
_ 2B Darrin Wahl (sophomore, Waterloo, Ont.) had a pair of hits and drove in three runs as Niagara beat Rider 10-2 at Richard Daly Field in Lawrenceville, N.J. Countrymen third baseman David Adair (junior, Waterloo, Ont.) had a double and two RBIs, while shortstop Jamie Roberston (sophomore, St. Catharines, Ont.) singled. Wahl also had a pair of hits and drove in a run as Rider edged Niagara 4-2. In Niagara's 12-4 loss to Rider, Wahl also had a base hit.
 
 
_ OF  Chris Wallace (junior, Parksville, B.C.) had two hits and drove in a run as the Winthrop Eagles were edged 4-2 by the Coastal Carolina Chanticlers at Conway, S.C. Shortstop Jordan Webb (junior, Courtenay, B.C.) and left fielder Conrad Funk (freshman, Waldeck, Sask.) each had singles.