May 20, 2001


Legacy walks to weekly honour
Player of the Week, Week 16 Honours




By BOB ELLIOTT
           
 We've heard of a manager paying a hitter high compliments before.

Like former Arizona Diamondbacks manager Buck Showalter: up by two runs, walking San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds intentionally with the bases loaded to force in a run. When the next hitter flew out, Showalter escaped with the win.

Now that was respect.

Yet ever have we seen an example of the respect head coach Wayne Riser, of the Shepherd Rams, paid a high shortstop Toby Legacy of the Concord Mountain Lions at the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference baseball tournament in Princeton, WV.

Five times Legacy was walked intentionally -- not once with men on second or third and first base open the conventional wisdom expounded by most coaches.

However, eventually the creme rises. Down 9-6 entering the top of the ninth, the Mountain Lions loaded the bases loaded and scored a run. The Rams then had to pitch to Legacy and he lined a run-scoring single to cut the Shepherd lead to 9-8.

A few hits later and the Mountain Lions had rallied for a 14-9 second-round win.

So, it is only fitting that we show an equal amount of respect and add Player of the Week honors to the resume of Legacy (senior, Brampton, Ont.). The weekly award goes to the most deserving player of the 506 playing college ball south of the border.

Legacy earned WVIAC tourney honors and was named the Conference Player of the Year.

How Legacy's week that was went as he:

_ Had four hits and drove in a pair of runs as Concord clubbed West Liberty 9-4 before 750 fans at Hunnicutt Field in Princeton, W.Va. Legacy scored the go-ahead run to give Concord a 5-4 edge in the seventh. He lined a one-out double, his 12th of the season, to left in the seventh and came around to score on a RBI single. Legacy, the league's Player of the Year, also played a big part in the eighth with a two-run triple, his seventh.
 
_ Went 1-for-1 in his own personal walk-a-thon as the Mountain Lions rallied for eight runs in the top of the ninth for a 14-9 victory over Shepherd in front of 650 fans. Concord looked to be doomed when a hitter fanned with two outs in the top of the ninth. However, the ball eluded the Shepherd catcher and allowed the inning to continue. The Mountain Lions then received a run-scoring single from and Legacy singled to cut the Shepherd lead to 9-8. Shepherd pitchers walked 10 Concord hitters, including five intentional walks to Legacy. Legacy was walked intentionally with no one on base in the first, was walked intentionally with runners on first and second in the second, was intentionally walked in the fourth with none on and one out, was intentionally walked in the sixth with no one on base and was intentionally walked in the eighth with two out and no runners on base.
 
_ Had a pair of hits in a 13-8 loss to Shepherd before 860 fans in the championship game, for the Mountain Lions first loss, forcing a deciding game for the title. Legacy singled to centre in the first, stole second and scored, walked in the third and singled to left in the fifth.
 
_ Had two hits and and RBI as Concord won the title to advance to the next round of post-season with a 7-1 over Shepherd in front of 600 fans. Legacy, this time with the Rams throwing him strikes, hit his fifth homer and his 13th double as the Mountain Lions led 3-1 after six, scored once in the seventh and three times in the bottom of the ninth. Left-hander Andrew Wright (sophomore, Woodstock, N.B.) went the distance for the win. Wright allowed nine hits and one unearned run. He walked two and fanned four, raising his record to 4-4. Wright leads Concord's pitchers in ERA with a 3.35 ERA.

In the four tourney games, Legacy, went 9-for-15 (.600) with seven runs scored. He hit two doubles, a triple, a homer and drove in four runs.

Concord, which won its first WVIAC crown since 1961, is paced by their conference Player of the Year Legacy as they enter the NCAA Division II North Atlantic Baseball Tournament.

The shortstop, currently among the national leaders in hitting at .441.

Besides being named Conference Player of the Year Legacy, who played for Jim Kane, now an Atlanta Braves scout in Brampton, was named Conference Player of the Year, Conference Hitter of the Year and a first-team short stop on the all-WVIAC team.

Legacy led his Concord squad to the Southern Division title by hitting .423 with three home runs and 38 RBIs during the regular season. He also added 11 doubles and a league-leading six triples.

Legacy helped Concord post the sixth highest fielding percentage in the Division II ranks. He was a part of 20 double plays and committed 11 errors. He scored a whopping 57 runs.

Concord earned its first-ever berth its first-ever post-season NCAA Division II berth. The North Atlantic regional tournament will be at Kutztown, Pa. with the West Virginia Yellow Jackets (27-15), Slippery Rock (28-19), Kutztown (35-16) and the Mountain Lions (27-15) regular season and tourney champs, as the region's four teams.

The winner of the four-team regional this weekend advances to the NCAA Division II Championship in Montgomery, Ala.

Before we move on to our regularly-scheduled business we have to tell you about Canadians who were honoured:

_ First baseman Kent Brunen (senior, Vanscoy, Sask) was named Sun Belt conference player of the week. Brunen hit .571 (8-for-14) against Florida International in leading ASU to take two of three from the formerly nationally-ranked Golden Panthers. Brunen homered in game one to tie the game, had an RBI single in game two an ASU win and hit the game-winner in game three. He scored twice and drove in five runs in the series.
 
_ Right-hander Mark Garrard (sophomore, Port Hope, Ont.) had a game we should recognize. Garrard was perfect for the Jefferson Cannoneers in an 11-0 win over the Morrisville Tech Mustangs at the Alex T. Duffy Fairgrounds at Watetown, NY. Garrand threw the first perfect game in the 30-year history of the Jefferson Community College program. Since the Cannoneers won by more than 10 runs the game was called after five innings because of the mercy rule, so Garrard needed only 15 outs. He fanned 12 of the 15 hitters he faced. Garrard relieved on his fastball and changeup before using his split-finger pitch for many of his strikeouts. The 12 K's give him a league-leading 47 for the season. In four starts he is 2-1 with a 1.96 ERA.

_ DH Eugene Repa (freshman, Stoney Creek. Ont.) of Salem International, received honorable mention in all-conference selections for the West Virgina Athletic Conference. Repa hit .416 in his rookie season for Salem to finish fifth in the conference batting race. Repa went 32-for-77.

Since its tournament time, all the more difficult to find results since all the schools aren't posting their results on their baseball pages, but here we go:

_  Infielder Riley Barrett (sophomore, Calgary, Alta.) homered as the Lethbridge-based Prairie Baseball Academy Prairie Dawgs swept the BC-based Douglas Royals 7-3 victory in the third game of the best-of-five Canadian College Championship baseball series at Lloyd Nolan Yard in Lethbridge. The final game was a one-run contest until Barrett hit a two-run home run in the eighth to provide the needed insurance. Catcher Aaron Lavorato (sophomore, Lethbridge, Alta.) and Tyler Klippenstein (sophomore, Lethbridge, Alta.) each hit doubles. Lavorato and Klippenstein each had two-hit games.
 
_  Right-hander Marty Beyer (junior, Calgary, Alta.) pitched well enough to win, but his St. Cloud State Huskies wound up on the wrong end of a 4-1 loss to Minnesota State before 188 fans in the North Central Conference tourney at Franklin Rogers Field at Mankato, Minn. Beyer pitched eight innings and allowed four runs. St. Cloud beat MSU-Mankato 5-1 and lost 23-5 to South Dakota State.
 
_ Outfielder Alex Borgo (sophomore, Barrie, Ont.) and catcher Ryan Hay (sophomore, Niagara Falls, Ont.) helped lead the Maple Woods Centaurs to the Missouri Junior College State Championship. Borgo went 5-for-12 (.417), with five RBIs in the tourney, while Hay was 6-for-13 (.462). Borgo and Hay each had RBI single in the opener, a 10-0 win over Mineral Area and Hay had an RBI single. In the second game, Borgo hit a three-run homer in a 9-3 win over Crowder, while Hay had a run-scoring double. Then, he hit a two-run double and singled in a 12-7 win over St Charles, last year's champs, while Hay had two, three-run doubles. The championship game wasn't much of a contest as Maple Woods romped to a 20-0 win over Jefferson City. Borgo had a two-run double and a single in the finale, while Hay had a two-run single and threw out two attempting base stealers. The Centaurs play now play Eastern Oklahoma in the districts. The Centaurs have fans and graduates all over, including rookie Albert Pojols, who played on the 1999 championship team and is now with the St. Louis Cardinals. Pojols phoned after each game to check on the process of his former teammates.

_ Shortstop Jason Breland (senior, Winnipeg, Man.) homered but it wasn't enough as the Lubbock Christian Chapparals dropped a 7-6, 11-inning decision to the Dallas Baptist Patiots before 584 fans at Patriot Field in Dallas in the Region VI NAIA Southwest regional tournament. For Breland it was hit 14th homer. Breland went 4-for-4 as Lubbock Christian edged Oklahoma Baptist 6-4 before 304 fans. Breland had a solo homer, a double and two RBIs for the Chaps. Breland also homered as Lubbock Christian beat Northwestern Oklahoma State 8-1.


_ Outfielder Blake Denischuck (sophomore, Red Deer, Alta.) hit his eighth home run of the season to help the Hutchison Blue Dragons hammer the Garden City Broncbusters 17-4 at the west sub-regionals at Hobart-Detter in Hutchison, Kan. Denischuck was 3-for-6 with a double, homer and three RBIs. The Dragons beat Cloud County 4-1, Butler 3-2 and Garden City 8-4 on the way to its first sub-regional championship since 1997.

_ Reliever Andre Duval (sophomore, Hanwell, NB.) was the workhorse of the Wayne State Wildcats as they won their first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament championship at Maxwell Loughrey Field in Winona, Minn. Duval picked up the final in the final, a 4-3 win over Winona State Warriors. Duval took over in the fourth and three three scoreless innings allowing one hit. He fanned two in his outing. Shortstop Joel Tremblay (junior, Calgary, Alta.) singled and drove in a run for WSU. In all, Duval appeared in four games, working 7 1/2 innings, allowing two earned runs and appeared in four of Wayne State's wins. Duval entered the opener against the Southwest State Mustangs and was unable to stop the bleeding. Wayne State was leading 8-2 in the seventh. He took over for the starter and allowed two runs on two hits in a 10-8 loss and things looked bleak for the Wildcats. Duval fell to 1-3 with the loss. Outfielder David Muryn (junior, Medicine Hat, Alta.) singled and scored, while Tremblay hit a double, his 10th. Duval worked three innings as Wayne State rolled over Minnesota-Crookston by a 16-2 count. Tremblay had two hits, drove in a pair of runs and stole his 11th base, while Muryn singled and knocked in a run. Duval faced one batter -- and walked him in the sixth, with the score tied 5-5 -- before the Wildcats rallied for seven runs in the final two innings to avenge their tourney-opening loss to Southwest State for a 12-5 victory. Tremblay had a pair of hits and knocked in a run, while Muryn singled and scored twice. Duval got the day off, as Wayne beat Wiona, the Warriors first loss, 3-0 in front of 188 fans to force a deciding game. With the win in the finale, Duval is now 2-3 with a 2.05 ERA. In 22 innings he has 16 strikeouts and has held hitters to a .202 batting average. Tremblay is hitting .324 with 10 doubles, one triple, three homers and 32 RBIs, while Muryn owns a .303 average with 12 homers, three triples, four homers and 30 RBIs. The Wildcats now advance to the NCAA Div. II Central Region tournament, in Warrensburg, Mo.

_  Left fielder Kevin Eiben (senior, Delta, BC) hit a first inning double and scored as the Bucknell Bison scored three times in the first inning to beat the Navy Midshipman 6-2 before 516 fans at Bishop Stadium in Annapolis, Md. The victory gave Bucknell the best-of-three series 2-0 and the Patriot League title. For Bucknell this was its second Patriot League Tournament title, the previous one coming in 1996. Bucknell won the opener of the series beating Navy 6-4. Eiben singled and drove in a run as Bucknell beat the Holy Cross Crusaders 10-4 in an elimination game at the Patriot League tournament for the right to play Navy in front of 482 fans. The Bison (31-17) advance to the NCAA Regionals for the first time since the 1996 season.

_  Reliever Billy Gorrell (sophomore, Calgary, Alta.) had a rare loss of control and it could not have happened at a more inopportune time. The Treasure Valley Chukars led the Southern Idaho Golden Eagles 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth and Gorrell entered with the bases loaded. After throwing one strike, he threw eight straight balls to force in the tying and go-ahead runs, which resulted in a 3-2 Southern Idaho win in the opener for both teams in the Scenic West Athletic Conference championship tournament at St. George, Utah. Treasure Valley was eliminated in straight games, losing 3-2 to Salt Lake. Catcher Bret Swanson (freshman, Richmond, BC) doubled for the Chukars. Gorrell earned second team all-conference honors, won the ERA title with a minuscule 0.39 ERA and was seven in the conference with seven saves. Gorrell appeared in 19 games and limited opponents to a .123 batting average.

_  Right-hander Alex Groleau (sophomore, Longeuil, Que.) suffered the loss as the Seminole State Trojans were beaten 7-6 Monday by the Eastern Oklahoma Mountaineers in the final of the Region I tournament in Ft. Smith, Ark. Seminole then dropped the final 8-7 to Eastern Oklahoma. Reliever Robert Findlay (sophomore, Etobicoke, Ont.) was one of five pitchers used by the Trojans. The loss ended the Trojans season, as well as an end to legendary coach Lloyd Simmons career as boss of the Trojans due to retirement. In 2000, Simmons made an unprecedented 13th trip to the NJCAA World Series in Grand Junction, Col. The team ended the year in third place with a record of 50-16.

_  Right-hander Rich Harden (sophomore, Victoria, BC) pitched the Central Arizona Vaqueros to a 7-3 victory over the Glendale Gauchos in the NJCAA Region I tournament championship at Signal Peak, Az. The Vaqueros had lost 6-4 to Glendale to force the deciding game. Harden went the distance, mixed his a sharp-breaking curve ball, with a fastball clocked in the mid 90s. Harden had averaged six walks per game, yet in the most important game of his career he walked only one. "He pitched well and that's what he's capable of when he's throwing strikes," Clint Myers, CAC coach, said. "When he gets his curve ball over for strikes he's awfully tough to beat. But we still believe he hasn't pitched his best game yet." Harden allowed a lead-off triple in the eighth and pitched around a one-out triple in the ninth. Up 4-2 in the sixth a single and an error put runners on first and second. Harden struck out out the next two hitters and then got a ground ball. Harden is now 11-1, with a 2.11 ERA. Outfielder Andy Rempel (sophomore, Abbotsford, BC) led off with the first an infield single and stole second. Rempel had a lead-off bunt in the seventh and later stole third. After an intentional walk, DH Michael Collins (freshman Nanaimo, BC) hit a three-run homer by to straightaway centre field. Earlier Collins doubled in a run in the fifth, four a four-RBI game. Harden also beat Glendale 10-5 in the opening round of the tournament, pitching out of a one-out, first-and-third jam in the first inning. Collins delivered an RBI single in the first. In the second Rempel singled, stole and scored on a single to put CAC up 6-1. Collins is hitting .445, with nine homers and 56 RBIs, while Rempel is hitting .394 with 43 steals. Now, CAC faces Dixie State in the best-of-three series Western District championship series.

_ Right-hander Jeremy Herauf (senior, Regina, Sask.) pitched the Winthrop Eagles to a 7-2 victory over the UNC Asheville Bulldogs in front of 276 fans at The Winthrop Ballpark at Rock Hill, SC. Herauf improved to 11-1 in the opener as he held the Bulldogs to seven hits in a complete game performance. The former Player of Week fanned four and didn't walk a batter. Shortstop Jordan Webb (senior, Courtenay, BC) two-out single gave Winthrop the lead against right-hander Mark Shuurman (junior, Branchton, Ont.), who allowed six runs in two innings. Schuurman is at 4-4. Winthrop singled and drove in a run as the Eagles beat Asheville 4-2. Conrad Funk (sophomore, Waldeck, Sask.) had two hits as Winthrop beat Asheville 13-10 in front of 256 fans. The Bulldogs scored one run and had the bases loaded, but reliever Ryan Chenard (sophomore, Port Alberni, BC) was able to get out of a self-made jam when he got the final out with fly deep to the right-field warning track for the final out. It was Chenard's third save. Webb singled and drove in a pair runs. Winthrop's 43 wins is a new high since becoming a NCAA Div. I member. Righthander Jeff Reeves (sophomore, Peterborough, Ont.) pitched his longest stint of the year but wound up losing 3-1 to the Kentucky Wildcats at Cliff Hagan Stadium in Lexington, Ky. Reeves gave up eight hits and all three UK runs. OReeves pitched very well, well enough to win,O Joe Hudak, Eagles coach, said. Reeves also struck out five and gave up five walks as his record goes to 1-2. Webb had a single. Chenard pitched a scoreless 2/3 of an inning. Winthrop now enters the Big South Conference tournament at Dan Daniel Memorial Park in Danville, Va. The top-seeded Eagles will meet the No. 8 seed Charleston Southern Buccaneers.

_ Right-hander Michael Kashuba (junior, Vernon, BC) took a 6-2 lead for the Dallas Baptist Patriots into the bottom of the sixth. Kashuba ran into some problems, but the Patriots didn't as they beat Lubbock Christian 7-6 on an 11th-inning squeeze in the championship game of the Region VI NAIA Southwest regional tournament before 584 fans at Patriot Field in Dallas. Lubbock Christian tied the game with a four-run sixth against Kashuba. DBU now advances to the Super Regional to play the Missouri Valley State Vikings in a best two-of-three series starting next Thursday in St. Louis.
 
_  First baseman Cam Houston (freshman, Spruce Grove, Alta.) was one of the better hitters for the Garden City Broncbusters in the west sub-regionals at Hobart-Detter in Hutchison, Kan. Houston went 5 for 11 with four runs scored, two doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs. Garden City lost 17-4 to the Hutchison Blue Dragons in the final, despite the fact Houston hit a pair of homers to centre field. The Broncbusters beat the Dodge City Conquistadors 15-5, beat Barton 2-1, lost 8-4 to Garden City and beat whipped Butler.
 
_ Catcher Jean-Gilles Larocque (junior, Garson, Ont.) fared better than his West Virginia State Yellow Jackets teammates at the the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference baseball tourney in Princeton, WV. Larocque had a pair of doubles, giving him eight on the season, to produce three runs in an 8-7 loss to the West Liberty State Hilltoppers before 450 fans. Larocque doubled and scored a run in a 6-5 loss to the Shepherd Rams in front of 750 fans. West Virginia advanced into regional play for the fourth straight season.

_ DH Nick Leswick (senior, Calgary, Alta.) had a pair of hits as the British Columbia Thunderbirds suffered an 18-1 loss to Albertson before 200 fans at Monmouth, Org. Gary Tongue (junior, Victoria, BC) allowed five runs in four innings and was charged with the loss. Western Oregon beat UBC 9-4 in front of 350 fans to even the Thunderbirds record to 1-1. Leswick had three hits, including a double, and knocked in a run, while left fielder Mark Dunstan (freshman, Calgary, Alta.), first baseman Mark Zamojc (freshman, Burlington, Ont.) and third baseman Cavanaugh Whitely (junior, Prince George, Ont.) had two hits apiece. Right-hander Cory Stuart (freshman, Prince George, BC) allowed five runs in 6 2/3 innings and was charged with the loss. Left-hander Jeff Francis (sophomore, North Delta, BC) who won the opener, a 4-3 win over Alberston, which we covered last week, was named Region I Player of the Year. Francis, who is eligible for the 2002 draft compiled a 12-3 record in 15 starts, with a 0.92 ERA. In 98 1/3 innings he fanned 118 hitters. Leswick was named to the All-Region I team.
 
_ Reliever Jon Lockwood (freshman, High Park, Ont.) retired the final outs for the North Central Texas Lions as they won the Region V championship to advance to the next round, one step from the JUCO World Series. The Lions beat McClennan 11-2 in the final played at McMurray University in Abilene, Tx. Lockwood came in relief to get the final out in the sixth inning. He finished the game recording his second save of the year going 3 1/3 innings. Catcher Jeff Martin (freshman, Burlington, Ont.) hit a scoring fly ball in the first to put the Lions up 4-0 and in the seventh Martin drove two more in on his single. Danny Gibbons (sophomore, Toronto, Ont.) singled and scored in the third. The Lions are now 45-14 and play the Colorado winner on in a three-game series to determine who goes to the JUCO World Series. Right-hander Brad Grieveson (sophomore, Creemore, Ont.) turned in one of the best play-off pitching performances in school history as the Lions opened with a 4-1 win over Howard. Grieveson allowed only three hits while striking out 13 and walking none. He went the distance getting the nine-inning complete game for his eighth win of the year. He allowed a solo homer in the seventh to tie the score 1-1, but the Lions came back with three runs, one on Martin's two-out double to left-center. Next came an 8-1 win over New Mexico. Gibbons led off the seventh with a single to center and one batter later stole third. He scored, along with the runner behind, to bump the Lions lead to 4-1. And in the eighth, after a walk, Gibbons stole home to add another run. Gibbons drove in the final two runs with a double down the right field line. Canadians figured in the next win, a one-run victory over Grayson. Trailing 3-2 in the fifth a single by Gibbons, a double and an RBI single by Martin put North Texas up 4-3. Martin shared the tourney lead with five RBIs, while Gibbons had five hits and scored six runs.

_  Right fielder Brad McCamus (junior, Peterborough, Ont.) tripled and drove in a run as the Missouri Valley Vikings dumped the Culver-Stockton Wildcats 7-3 before 110 fans in the championship game of the Region V NAIA tourney at O'Fallon, Mo. McCamus had another hit as well, while shortstop Jesse Harrison (sophomore, Leaside, Ont.) singled and third baseman Ryan Davis (junior, Peterbrough, Ont.) drove in a run. Davis knocked in a run with a fly ball as the Vikings edged Avila 3-2 in the first round of the tourney. Avila won the Heart of America conference tournament while Missouri Valley was the regular season champion. Both Davis and McCamus went deep, homering and driving in two runs as Missouri Valley edged Culver-Stockton 8-7. The Vikings were trailing 4-3 when they scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth. Harrison also singled twice. Then, the Vikings beat Benedictine by a score we could not find of any of the web sites of the schools involved, to reach the final. Missouri Valley will now host the Dallas Baptist Patriots in a best-of-three series at Marshall, Mo.

_ Outfielder Drew Miller (junior, Medicine Hat, Alta.) had two hits as the Oklahoma Baptist Bison beat the Oklahoma City Stars 11-4 in the in the NAIA Region VI Southwest regional tournament. Miller knocked in the final run of a four-run first with a ground out. Miller singled in a run in the sixth. Miller was named to the All-Region Team and is now eligible for All-America consideration.

_ DH Mike Packowski (freshman, Richmond Hill, Ont.) fared better than his West Liberty State Hilltoppers at the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference baseball tourney in Princeton, WV. The Hilltoppers were eliminated in three games, but Packowski went 7-for-10 (.700) with three doubles, a homer and two RBIs. Packowski was 3-for-3, with a pair of doubles, giving him 10 on the season, and an RBI as West Liberty lost 9-4 to the Concord Mountain Lions before 750 fans at Hunnicutt Field. Packowski hit a second-inning solo homer, his fourth, and a single as West Liberty State ousted West Virginia State Yellow Jackets from the tourney with an 8-7 win before 450 fans. And Packowski had two hits, including a double, in the Hilltoppers 6-3 loss to the Shepherd Rams in the semi-final before 350 fans.

_  Catcher Al Ready (senior, London, Ont.) doubled and knocked in a run as the Indianapolis Greyhounds beat the SIU Edwardsville Cougars 6-2 to win the Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament before 213 players at Roy Lee Field in Edwardsville, Ill. For Indianapolis it was his first GLVC baseball title since 1984. The Greyhounds now host the NCAA II North Central Regionals. First baseman Peter Babcock (senior, St. Thomas, Ont.) doubled and knocked in a pair of runs as the Northern Kentucky Norse edged Indianapolis 5-3 in front of 100 fans. Babcock homered, doubled, singled and had two hits as Indianapolis evened its record with an 8-3 win over Missouri-St. Louis. Ready, a former Player of the Week, also doubled and knocked in a run. The Greyhounds edged Southern Indiana 4-3 before 234 fans in 12 innings as both Ready and Babcock singled. Babcock helped the Greyhounds avenge an opening round loss to Northern Kentucky with a 3-2 win in front of 128 fans. Babcock singled twice in the win. To force a final game, Indianapolis defeated the SIU Edwardsville Cougar 1-0 in front of 275 fans. Babcock, who is hitting .342 with 20 doubles, two triples, eighth homers and 56 RBIs, and Ready, with a .441 average, 27 doubles, seven homers and 59 RBIs, were named all-GLVC first team. Both Babcock, who is majoring in Health and Safety and Ready, an Information Systems major, both made the Verizon Academic All-District V College Division Baseball first team. Babcock had a grade point average of 3.853, while Ready checked in with a GPA of 3.472.

_  Right-hander Quinton Steinley (senior, Rush Lake, Sask.) pitched the Mayville Comets to a 6-2 victory over the Briar Cliff Chargers in the the NAIA Region III championship in Sioux City, IA. Steinley dominated the Chargers, allowing only six base runners against a team averaging nine runs a game in the tournament. Steinley struck out 12 BC players while allowing only three hits, two walks, and one hit batsman. He retired 18 of the last 19 batters he faced and struck out five of the last seven batters he faced. Chris Moreside hit one of the two home runs Mayville managed during the tourney to give Mayville a 12-4 win over St. Scholastica 12-4. Mayville lost the opener to National American 7-2 and then faced elimination in four consecutive games -- not the easiest way to win a tournament. But in the end it was success for the Comets. Left-hander Jaret Valainis (senior, Winnipeg, Man.) pitched two scoreless innings for the save in a 7-5 win against the rival Valley City State Vikings. Right-hander Trevor Bishop (senior, Assiniboia, Sask.) pitched MSU back into the championship round with a 7-3 win over the Jamestown Jimmies. Bishop took the ball and dominated the Jimmies. He pitched the first of what became three straight complete game performances for the Comets, striking out 15 batters and allowing just five hits and two earned runs. While he did walk seven players, Bishop allowed hits in only three of nine innings. Eight of the final 12 outs were recorded on strikeouts. The Comets, who won their first regional title in nearly 40 years, now travel to Nebraska to play Bellevue in a super regional beginning Thursday. The winner of this best-of-three series will advance to the NAIA World Series.

_  Braden Staranchuk (sophomore, Burlington, Ont.) made sure that the the Grand Rapids Raiders won the Region XII tourney, despite a bad start. Grand Rapids lost the opener to Muskegon 1-0 at the Bailey Park Complex in Battle Creek, Mich. However, four games later the Raiders had won the tournament, avenged their opening-round loss to Muskegon and were bound for the NJCAA Division II national tourney at USA Stadium in Millington, Tenn. Grand Rapids rallied by beating Cuyahoga 3-1, Glen Oaks 10-0 and St. Clair 21-1 in the semi-final before beating Muskegon 8-3. One of the busiest Raiders this season has been Staranchuk owns a .418 average with 11 doubles, one homer and 31 RBIs. And on the mound Staranchuk is 9-1 with a 1.53 ERA in 13 starts. He's fanned 71 hitters in 78 innings. Outfielder Tom Grubb (sophomore, Leamington, Ont.) owns a .344 average to go with nine doubles, six homers and 34 RBIs, while Adam Morton (freshman, Scarborough, Ont.) hit .214 with a double, a triple and an RBI.

_  Third baseman Kevin Sytko (sophomore, Surrey, BC) drove in three runs as the Southern Idaho Golden Eagles beat Salt Lake 10-6 to move into the semi-final of the Scenic West Athletic Conference championship tournament at St. George, Utah. The Eagles were then eliminated by the Utah Valley Wolverines 8-5 in the semi-final. Sytko had a double. Left-hander Craig Kilshaw (sophomore, Victoria, BC) had allowed one-hit and took a 4-0 lead into the fifth inning, but was relieved after loading the bases on two walks and a single. Utah scored four times to tie and three in the fifth. Southern Idaho rallied to edged Treasure Valley 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth in the tourney opener. Southern Idaho dropped the second game, a 9-1 loss to the Utah Valley Wolverines. Right-hander Andy Myette (freshman, Surrey, BC) started for the Eagles and was charged with the loss to fall to 5-3. Outfielder Matt Gunning (freshman, Victoria, BC) had a pair of singles for the Eagles. Gunning also doubled in a 4-3, bottom of the ninth win over Ricks. The host Dixie State beat Utah 4-3 in the finale. Kilshaw finished the season with a 4-4 record, a 3.00 ERA and 76 strike outs in 75 innings to finish sixth in the conference in strike outs. Myette was 5-3, with a 3.33 ERA and 55 strike outs in 54 innings. At the plate Sytko hit .323 six doubles, one triple and 42 RBIs, while Gunning hit .280 with 14 doubles, one homer and 38 RBIs.

_ Dan Weolders (freshman, Langley, BC) and  B.J. Woelders (freshman, Langley, BC) helped the Eastern Oklahoma Mountainers advance. When Eastern Oklahoma ended its regular season they owned a 19-25 record. Now, six games under .500, does not give a coach a good feeling about heading into the post-season. But, six games -- and five wins later, the Mountaineers emerged as the NJCAA Region II champs at Fort Smith, Ark. The Mountaineers edged the Seminole State Trojans 7-6 in the finale, thanks to an eight-run first inning. DH Ryan Brnardic (sophomore, Lasalle, Ont.) and right fielder Chris Eng (sophomore, Langley, BC) each had a pair of hits in the final. Eng hit a lead-off double off the wall. Dan Weolders, who doubled as our tourney correspondent, beat Rose State 6-2 with nine strike outs and allowing four hits. B.J. Woelders picked up the win beating Seminole State 8-7 in the round-robin portion of the tournament, going the distance for the win. The Mountaineers scored eight times in the first inning. Eastern edged Northeastern Oklahoma 3-1 to move to 3-0 in the tournament. Seminole State knocked off Eastern 15-5 to force the final handing Dan Woelders, who started on short rest, with the loss.

And now on to our regularly-scheduled programming of Canadians who made an impact last week:

_ Reliever Dustin Bolton (freshman, Edmonton, Alta.) of the Southwestern Spartans earned all-conference honors for all-region XI Iowa Community College Athletic Conference. Now he will be nominated for all-American status. The closer had a 2.69 ERA and Bolton's nine saves were also tops in the conference.
 
_ Right-hander Rob Borden (freshman, Etobicoke, Ont.) saw double duty for the Erie. Borden was 3-0 with a 3.15 ERA. In 34 1/3 innings he fanned 37 hitters. At the plate, Borden hit .411 with seven doubles, a triple, seven homers and 20 RBIs.
 
_ DH Darrell Bowles (senior, Vancouver, BC) doubled and homered as the San Diego State Aztecs beat the Air Force Academy before 338 fans at Tony Gwynn Stadium in San Diego, Calif. For Bowles it was his second homer, he doubled and scored three times. Bowles enjoyed Air Force pitching again as the Aztecs grounded the high-flyers 19-4 in front of 350 fans. Bowles drove in three runs with a pair of singles. Playing first, Bowles doubled in a 5-4 loss to the Pepperdine Green Wave before 127 fans at Eddy D. Field Stadium in Malibu, Calif.
 
_ First baseman Kent Brunen (senior, Vanscoy, Sask.) hit his sixth home run as the Arkansas State Indians edged the New Orleans Privateers 8-3 in the opener of a doubleheader before 271 fans at Tomlinson Stadium in Jonesboro, Ark. Kent Brunen went 2-for-4 in game one including his sixth home run of the season and three RBIs and went 3-for-5 on the day. Kent Brunen hit a two-run home run in the fourth. Kent and left fielder Kyle Brunen (senior, Vanscoy, Sask.) each had RBI singles in the fifth. New Orleans won the nitecap 2-0 as each Brunen singled. Kyle Brunen doubled in a 7-5 loss to New Orleans in front of 157 fans. Kent Brunen doubled and singled as the Indians beat the Tennessee-Martin SkyHawks 10-5 before 120 fans at SkyHawk Field in Martin, Tenn. Kyle Brunen singled in a 6-3 loss to the Memphis Tigers in Jonesboro before 187 fans.
 
_ Reliever Matt Buckle (senior, Surrey, BC) picked up the win as the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs beat the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 13-12 in front of 594 fans at J.C. Love Field in Ruston, La. The Hilltoppers scored twice in the top of the seventh to tie the score 12-12, Buckle put out the fire but retiring the final two outs. When the Bulldogs scored in the bottom half of the seventh he had the win, evening his record at 4-4. Buckle also pitched three innings in a 7-5 loss to Western Kentucky in front of 472 fans. Buckle allowed three hits and one run.
 
_ Catcher Luke Carlin (sophomore, Aylmer, Que.) drove in three runs for the Northeastern Huskies in an 11-10 loss to the Maine Black Bears before 430 fans in the first game of a doubleheader at Mahaney Diamond in Orono, Maine. Carlin tripled and singled for the Huskies. Reliever John Burns (senior, Fredericton, NB) entered the game in the second inning and worked five innings allowing nine hits and five runs. He walked two and fanned eight as his record fell to 1-3. Carlin went 4-for-6 with a single and an RBI in the nitecap, an 11-10 loss to Maine. Carlin went 2-for-4, including a fifth-inning double, in the Huskies dropped another 11-10 eight-inning decision to Maine at Mahaney Diamond in front of 637 fans. Jordan Thomson (freshman, Leaside, Ont.) pitched 3 2/3 innings allowing nine hits and six earned runs in a 9-1 loss to Maine before 272 fans in the regular-season finale. Carlin knocked in three runs in Northeastern's 11-10 loss to Central Connecticut before 100 fans at New Britain, Conn. Carlin homered and doubled. Carlin hit .305 with six doubles, a triple, six homers and 35 RBIs. Thomson finished the year with a 5-2 record and a 5.44 ERA, striking out 39 in 51 1/3 innings.
 
_ Right-hander Steve Carter (freshman, Woodslee, Ont.) continued to mow down the opposition for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. Carter pitched the Chants to a 10-2 win over the Radford Highlanders before 233 fans at the Charles L. Watson Stadium in Conway, SC. Carter pitched five innings allowing one earned run. He walked one, while fanning four. Carter is now 8-1 on the season. In 13 starts and one relief appearance, he's worked 80 innings walking 41 and striking out 68, holding opponents to a .240 average.
 
_ Third baseman Hyung Cho (freshman, Scarbough, Ont.) hit his first home run but the Houston Cougars went down to a 10-9 loss to the South Florida Bulls before 375 fans at Red McEwen Field in Tampa, Fla. Houston jumped out to a 1-0 lead over USF with a solo home run in the top of the first inning by Cho. Cho doubled, drove in two runs and stole a base in a 12-2 romp over South Florida in front of 300 fans. Cho was named to the Conference-USA all-freshman team. He batted a team-leading .362 with a team-best nine doubles in 23 conference starts. Cho, a graduate of Chris Buhagiar's Scarborough Cardinals and Team Ontario, will play for Yarmouth in the Cape Cod league this summer.
 
_ Second baseman John Cole (junior, Kanata, Ont.) had three hits as the No. 1 Nebraska Cornhuskers defeated the Iowa State Cyclones 16-8 in front of a crowd of 692 at Cap Timm Field in Ames, Iowa, to capture the Big 12 Conference. It was their first conference title in 51 years and for NU it was only its fourth baseball conference title in school history and first since winning the Big Seven Conference title back in 1950. Trailing 6-5, the Huskers exploded for six runs in the sixth in taking an 11-6 advantage. After a single and a walk, Adam Stern (junior, London, Ont.) walked loaded the bases with none out. Next came a walk and then a hit batter to score Stern with the game-winning run. Earlier Nebraska took the lead at 4-3 in the top of the third on a two-run single by Cole. Stern, who went 1-for-3, singled, moved to second on a walk and scored from second on a ground ball to second, Stern beating the tag at the plate. Cole singled up the middle in the second, hit his two-run single to left in the third and singled to right centre in the eighth. Cole went 2-for-5 in an 8-5 loss to Iowa State in front of 1,120 fans. The former Player of the Week singled in the fourth and singled to right centre in the eighth. Cole went 1-for-3 in a 5-1 loss to Iowa State. Nebraska, had another golden opportunity in the fourth, with a man on second when Cole singled to centre, extending his hit streak to 20 games. However, the ISU centre fielder threw home to get the runner at the plate for the final out of the inning. Cole has the second longest hitting streak of the season in the conference as Baylor's Kelly Shoppach hit in 28 consecutive games.
 
_ Right-hander Scott Corby (sophomore, London, Ont.) pitched 5 1/3 innings to gain the win as the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals beat the Northwood Timberwolves 10-3 before 280 fans in the second game of a doubleheader at Gerace Stadium in Midland, Mich. Corby allowed three runs and fanned six while bumping his impressive record to 11-1. Corby's win total led the GLIAC this season and currently puts him in a tie for 15th place in the nation. Corby is now tied for first in SVSU history for most victories in a season with teammate Tim Goheen (senior, Proton Station, Ont.) who won 11 last season. Centre fielder Jay Scott (junior, Burlington, Ont.) had a pair of hits, including his eighth double of the year. Shortstop Sean Odamura (sophomore, Mississauga, Ont.) drove in a run and stole his 13th base. Goheen took the loss in the opener, a 6-1 setback in the opener before 375 fans. Goheen allowed five earned runs in six innings. Goheen is currently ranked first in the GLIAC and 48th in the nation with an era of 2.85. The winningst pitcher in Cardinal history, Goheen set a few more SVSU marks. He is now the all-time leader in starts (41), hits allowed (247), complete games (21) and innings (250.2). Scott had a single for the Cardinals. Scott and first baseman Adam Piggot (freshman, Sarnia Ont.) both in their first seasons as Cardinals have helped the Cardinals. Scott is currently ranked first in the GLIAC in batting average and 11th in the nation with .464. Piggot is currently ranked second in the GLIAC with an average of .448 good enough for 16th in the nation. Saginaw Valley won its second straight GLIAC title and will advance to play in the NCAA Division II North Central Regional tourney in Indianapolis, Ind. Besides the host Indianapolis Greyhounds, the Southern Illinois Cougars and Ashland have won berths.
 
_ Right-hander Rory Coppinger (freshman, White Rock, BC) was an overworked man for the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Golden Norseman. In eight starts he was 4-2 with a 3.38 ERA, striking out 39 hitters in 46 2/3 innings. Meanwhile, at the plate in 18 games he hit .357 with one homer and seven RBIs. Infielder Mike Coe (freshman, Lethbridge, Alta.) hit .250 with 15 RBIs, while left-hander Mike Carpenter (freshman, Vancouver, BC) was 2-2 with 21 strike outs in 38 innings.
 
_ Centre fielder Kris Cox (junior, Kelowna, BC) singled and drove in a run as the Mississippi Rebels beat the Mississippi State Bulldogs 6-3 before 3,871 at Swayze Field in Oxford, Miss. Cox went 2-for-4 as the Ole Miss Rebels lost 6-3 to Mississippi State in front of 5,137 fans. Cox hit his sixth double.
 
_ Centre fielder Mark DaSilva (junior, Toronto, Ont.) homered as the Texas-Pan American Broncs concluded their season with a 6-4 loss to the Kansas Jayhawks in front of 248 fans at Huglund Park in Lawrence, Kan. DaSilva hit a 3-1 pitch for a lead-off homer in the eighth. DaSilva also knocked in a run with a ground ball in 1 10-2 loss to Kansas in front of 355 fans.
 
_ Shortstop Lee Delfino (junior, Pickering, Ont.) had a pair of hits and scored twice as the No. 9 East Carolina Pirates best the UNC Wilmington Seahawks 11-0 in front of 1,211 at Brooks Field in Wilmington, NC. Right-hander Jason Mandryk (junior, Langdon, Ont.) pitched five scoreless innings for the win, which for the Pirates was a Colonial Athletic Association record 19th win of the season. Mandryk worked himself out of a pair of bases loaded jams in the first and second inning. After yielding a single and issuing two walks in the first, Mandryk struck out and induced a ground out to the final two batters of the frame as the Seahawks left the bases loaded. Mandryk allowed five hits and bumped his record to 6-1 this season. Reliever Fred Wray (senior, Calgary, Alta.) allowed three runs in 1 2/3 innings of work. Delfino singled leading off the fourth and scored in the Pirates 3-0 win over Wilmington before 1,822 fans. Delfino is hitting .362 with 11 doubles, one triple, 11 homers and 50 RBIs. Delfino tripled and singled as East Carolina was edged 1-0 in the series finale. Delfino tripled to open the ninth but his mates could not deliver Delfino with the tying run.
 
_ Right-hander Jason Horvat (junior, Windsor, Ont.) gave the Detroit Titans a split in a doubleheader with the Illinois-Chicago Flames before 112 fans at Titan Field at the James K. Campbell Complex in Detroit. Horvat turned in a brilliant two-hit masterpiece in game two as he recorded only the second shutout for a Titan hurler this season. Horvat took a perfect game into the fifth before giving up a single up the middle. Horvat allowed one other single. Horvat improved to 3-5 with the win. The Titans first run was aided in a sacrifice bunt by catcher Mike Mitrevski (sophomore, Windsor, Ont). Mitrevski also had a base hit. In the opener, Illinois-Chicago won 9-5, despite, Mitrevski hitting a triple and knocking in two runs. Mitrevski singled as a pinch hitter in a 14-0 loss to the Titans. Catcher Mitrevski also singled in Detroit's 10-5 triumph over the Eastern Michigan Eagles before 106 fans at Oestrike Stadium in Ypsilanti, Mich. Reliever Michael Girimonte (junior, Windsor, Ont.) pitched a scoreless 2/3 of an inning. The game featured a 52-minute first inning which saw the score deadlocked 5-5 after one inning. Detroit closed out it regular season and prepared for the MCC tournament with a doubleheader sweep of Wayne State Warriors by 6-5 and 2-1 scores. Girimonte pitched two innings of relief in the opening-game win, while reliever Ricky Okis (sophomore, Hamilton, Ont.) suffered the defeat for the Warriors, dropping to 0-1 on the campaign.
 
_ Outfielder Matt Huntingford (senior, Vancouver, BC) helped the Florida International Golden Panthers edge the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans 13-10 in the final regular season game for FIU. In the third, FIU regained the lead on a double and a Huntingford single for a 3-2 lead. Huntingford was earned second team all-conference honors in the Sun Belt conference. Huntingford hit .326 with eight doubles, one triple, five homers and 35 RBIs.
 
_ Third baseman Mike Gillies (junior, Port Moody, BC) went 1-for-3 in the Nevada Reno Wolfpack's season finale, a 6-4 win over the Arizona State Sun Devils before 1,257 fans at Peccole Park in Reno. The single kept Gillies over the .400 mark and atop the batting race in the Western Athletic Conference. Now, all he has to do is wait out the final few games and he'll be crowned the batting champ. His closest rivals are: teammate JaRell McIntyre (who checks in with a final average of .392), Junior Ruiz of San Jose State Spartans (.372) and Josh Labandeira of the Fresno State Bulldogs (.369). Gillies' single didn't play much of a role in the season finale, but he did as the Wolf Pack rallied for four runs in the eighth to win its 30th game of the season for an eighth consecutive year. Trailing 4-2, a lead off homer narrowed the gap to one run. Then with one out a walk, a single and a double put the Pack up 5-4. Clean-up hitter Gillies, a former  Player of the walked and another single capped the rally. Gillies went 3-for-4 in a 7-1 loss to San Jose State before 1,360 fans in Reno. Gillies had three hits as the Wolf Pack was edged 9-8 by San Jose State in front of 1,357 fans. Gillies has a hit in 38 of his last 41 games and ranks 36th in the NCAA with his .403 average.
 
_ Rightander Brad Grieveson (sophomore, Creemore, Ont.) picked up his sixth win of the year as the North Central Texas Lions beat Northlake 12-5 in the opener of the doubleheader. Danny Gibbons (sophomore, Toronto, Ont.) drove in a run in the fifth with a single. Catcher Jeff Martin (freshman, Burlington, Ont.) singled in a run to put the Lions up 4-1 in the nitecap. Reliever Jon Lockwood (freshman, High Park, Ont.) came on in relief of right-hander Charles Tasiaux (sophomore, Cap-Rouge, Que.) in the fifth and pitched a flawless inning but got into trouble in the sixth on the way to an 8-7 win over Eastern Oklahoma. The second game did not last too long. With North Central leading 2-1 in the third inning, the Eastern Oklahoma coach pulled his team off the field, unhappy with the balls and strikes that were being called, so North Central picked up the forfeit win. Gibbons singled twice and had two RBIs in a 9-2 win over Hill at Hillsboro, Tx. Grieveson beat Hill 9-3, with Lockwood pitching the final inning. Gibbons had an RBI double. Martin drove in a run in each game as the Lions swept Ranger 11-1 and 3-0. Greiveson picked up the win in a 19-4 win over the Brookhaven Bears as Martin deliver a run-scoring double. Gibbons smoked a double to right to win in a 2-1, 11-inning win over Navarro at Denton, Tx. Tasiaux and three other pitchers combined for 11 innings without allowing an earned run. Martin singled in a run in a 3-0 win over Navarro. The Lions edged Northeast 2-1 with Lockwood getting the win. Gibbons singled to right to give the Lions a 1-0 lead.
 
_ Pinch runner Kofi Gyimah (sophomore, Woodbridge, Ont.) scored the winning run as the Wright State Raiders edged the Cleveland State Vikings 2-1 at at Nischwitz Stadium in Fairborn, Ohio. With two out a Wright State hitter reached on an error, Gyimah pinch ran and scored on a single.
 
_ Shortstop Jason Helps (senior, Wyoming, Ont.) has been good for Theunissen Stadium and Theunissen Stadium has been good Helps. Helps homered twice as the Central Michigan Chippewas beat the Toledo Rockets 15-8 before 980 fans in the final game to be played at the old yard. Central Michigan closed out the Theunissen Stadium era by winning its final five games, including a sweep of Toledo, the team's first MAC sweep since 1998, heading into the Mid-American Conference tournament at Ball State. More than 100 former players returned and took their old positions in a celebration that was part of CMU's final season at Theunissen. Helps hit a two-run shot to right field in the third, a seven-run outburst. Helps later hit a solo homer for a three-RBI game, giving him 14 homers on the season. Third baseman Mike Galloway (sophomore, St. Thomas, Ont.) also homered, his seventh, singled and drove in one run. DH Brad Reid (junior, Sault Ste. Marie) had an RBI single and another single. Galloway had a pair of doubles, giving him 11 on the season, and four RBIs in a 9-3 win over Toledo in front of 1,000. Galloway's bases-load, bases-clearing double blew the game open in the six-run fourth. Helps also knocked in a run while Reid doubled, his 12th, and scored. Galloway singled and scored in the Chippewas 6-5 win over the Rockets in front of 1,000 in the first game of the doubleheader. And in the nitecap, Galloway drove in two runs in a 9-7 win before 211 fans. Helps had two hits and drove in a run, while Reid knocked in a run. Reid singled and scored as CMU beat the Michigan Wolverines 10-7 before 336 at Ray Fisher Stadium in Ann Arbor, Mich.

_ Outfielder Wade Hickson (junior, Nanaimo, BC) doubled as the Portland Pilots dropped a 3-2 decision the the Pepperdine Green Waves in front 516 at Eddy D. Field Stadium Malibu, Calif.
 
_ Catcher Ty Hinton (freshman, Calgary, Alta.) hit .310 with two homers and 10 RBIs for Butte. Phil Sobkow (freshman, Calder, Sask.) was 2-0 with two saves.
 
_ Right-hander Matt Hochevar (freshman, Midland, Ont.) sent the Canisius Golden Griffins home winners in their final game of the season, a 7-3 triumph over St. Peter's at the Demske Sports Complex in Buffalo, NY. And Hochevar also made sure head coach Don Colpoys ended his 25-year career at Canisius on a winning note. Hochevar pitched 7 1/3 innings for the win giving up seven hits, and three runs while striking out four. With the win Hochevar finishes with a 3-5 record. Colpoys finished with 325 wins, 489 losses, and two ties. Under Colpoys' direction, Canisius has celebrated two league championships and a pair of NCAAA appearances. In 1994 Canisius posted a 17-1 mark in MAAC play. Colpoys had eight Canucks on his roster in 2001 and seven in 2000. He has been a friend to baseball in Canada for many a year and was ahead of his time in looking north of the border for talent, so ... SALUTE!
 
_ Centre fielder Mike Hook (senior, Brampton, Ont.) doubled down the right field line in the sixth inning to give the Louisville Cardinals the lead and they went on to beat No. 6 Tulane Green Wave 7-5. Hook's double was his seventh, he also singled and drove in a run. Hook also singled scored earlier in the game. Hook singled and doubled in a 9-3 loss to Tulane. Hook was honored at the 2001 FedEx C-USA Baseball tourament banquet in New Orleans. Hook was tabbed with second team All-Conference honors. He's second on the team in hitting with a .325 average, RBIs (32) and runs scored (42). He leads the team in walks with 24 and stolen bases, swiping 25. Hook is the only player in U of L history with three seasons of 20 or more steals, nabbing at least 25 in each of his three years. His 29 steals last season was the second highest total in school history, with the 25 in 1999 and 2001 the third best totals on the list. He is second all-time with 79 career steals. Hook has made just four errors in his three years in the outfield. He is also the all-time leader in school history, getting hit by a pitch on 23 occasions. Right-hander Mike Tisdale (sophomore, Peterborough, Ont.) is tied for the team lead in wins this season with seven.
 
_ Right-hander Chris Howay (senior, New Westminster, BC) who was 6-5 for the McNeese State Cowboys earned honorable mention to the 2001 All-Southland Conference team in a vote of coaches.
 
_ Right-hander David Jablonski (freshman, Calgary, Alta.) was very impressive for the Charleston Cougars in a 3-2 win before 469 fans over the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Patriots Point Field in Mt. Pleasant, SC. Jablonski's efforts snapped Coastal's 11-game win streak as he pitched 8 1/3 innings, allowing six hits and two runs. Jablonski walked one and fanned four to bump his won-loss record to 2-3.
 
_ DH Trent Kitsch (senior, Kelowna, B.C.) singled for the UNLV Hustlin' Rebels in a 4-2 loss to the BYO Cougars at Larry H. Miller Field in Provo, Utah. Kitsch also singled in an 8-5, extra-inning loss to the Cougars. The Rebels finish the regular season with a 22-31 overall record, 13-17 in the Mountain West Conference, while the Cougars secure the top seed heading into the conference tournament. UNLV will open against the San Diego State Aztecs in the conference tournament in San Diego. Kitsch is hitting .301 with 14 doubles, two triples, 15 homers and 62 RBIs.
 
_ Right fielder David Lamky (freshman, Cambridge, Ont.) homered and drove in three runs as the Northwood Timberwolves beat the the Findlay Oilers 5-0 at Oiler Field in Swale Park in Findlay, Ohio. First baseman Alex Bruce (senior, Bolton, Ont.) and Bruce singled in an 8-3 loss to the Oilers. Centre fielder Ted Drew-Smith (junior, Cambridge, Ont.) singled in a 13-4 loss to Findlay. Bruce singled and drove in a run in a 5-4 loss to Findlay. Lamky singled twice as the Northwood Timberwolves suffered a 10-3 loss to the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals before 280 fans in the second game of a doubleheader at Gerace Stadium in Midland, Mich. Andrew Schwalm (junior, Hamilton, Ont.) pitched a scoreless inning.
 
_ Right-hander Aaron Marcotte (sophomore, Brampton, Ont.) suffered the loss in a 5-3 setback to Alma at Olivet, Mich. Right-hander D.J. Celetti (freshman, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) suffered the loss in a 9-7 loss to Alma.
 
_ Outfielder Josh McCurdy (sophomore, Thornhill, Ont.) had a two homer week for the Niagara Purple Eagles. McCurdy homered and doubled, knocking in two runs in a 6-5 last-inning win over the Pittsburgh Panthers at Bobo Field in Niagara Falls, NY. McCurdy drove in the first run of the game when he doubled to right centre. Adair and McCurdy later scored on base hits. McCurdy hit his fourth homer of the season, in the third inning on a solo home run. Shortstop Jamie Robertson (senior, St. Catharines, Ont.) had two hits, while third baseman David Adair (senior, Waterloo) singled and knocked in a run and second baseman Darin Wahl (senior, Waterloo, Ont.) singled. With the Purple Eagles trailing 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth, McCurdy hit a two-run double deep to left driving in the tying and winning runs for a 6-5 win over the Manhattan Jaspers in the opener of the doubleheader. McCurdy also knocked in the Eagles first run on a ground ball for a three-RBI day. Adair singled and hit a scoring fly ball in the second, while Robertson single and drove in a run. Right-hander Chris Begg (senior, Uxbridge, Ont.) earned his eighth win on the year, improving to 8-3. Begg went the distance allowing 10 hits and five runs in nine innings, while walking two and fanning nine. The hard-luck Manhattan loser was left-hander Scott Martin (senior, Saint John, N.B.) allowed seven hits and two earned runs, while striking out six. Martin turned over a 5-4 lead to the Manhattan closer, but McCurdy saw to it that the lead didn't stand. McCurdy homered and drove in two runs in a 3-2 loss to the Manhattan Jaspers in front of 100 fans in the second game of the doubleheader before 100 fans. Adair had a pair of hits for the Eagles. Wahl hit a pair of homers as Niagara beat the Buffalo Bulls 9-8 at Audubon Park on the UB campus. Adair walked to open the third inning and came home on McCurdy's triple. McCurdy then scored on a fly ball. Robertson tripled in the fourth and Wahl followed with a homer to right. Wahl homered again in the fifth, a two-run shot down the right field line for the 9-1 edge. However, Buffalo stormed back and before Steve Venerus (junior, Windsor, Ont.) recorded the final two outs of the inning for the save.
 
_ Third baseman Blair McGeough (freshman, Edmonton, Alta.,) hit .328 for Coffeyville with three doubles, a homer and nine RBIs.
 
_ DH Bret McLeod (freshman, St. Albert, Alta.) singled in the Georgetown Hoyas 6-5 loss to the Howard Bison before 125 fans at Shirley Povich Field (that would be Maury Povich's father, Shirley Povich was the former Washington Post columnist) in Bethesda, Md.
 
_ Right-hander Curtis Morrison (freshman, Brandon, Man.) was named to the all-region XI team in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference. Morrison, who will now he will be nominated for all-American status, had 59 strikeouts and eight wins to lead the conference in both pitching categories.
 
_ Third baseman Jamie Murphy (senior, Belleville, Ont.) had a pair of hits and drove in a run as the Cleveland State Vikings edged the Wright State Raiders 6-5 before 257 fans at Nischwitz Stadium in Fairborn, Ohio.
 
_ Second baseman Ivan Naccarata (freshman, Longueil, Que.) had three hits as the Chipola Indians beat Darton 8-3 at Marianna, Fla. Naccarata hit his 13th double, stole his fourth triple, stole two bases giving him 17 on the season and drove in a run. Third baseman Russell Martin (freshman, Montreal, Que.) singled and drove in a run for the Indians. Centre fielder Eric Bernier (freshman, Laval, Que.) had a pair of hits and drove in a run. Naccarata had four hits as Chipola beat Darton 11-10 in Albany, Ga. Naccarata doubled, had three singles and drove in a run. Martin singled and knocked in two runs, while Bernier had three hits, including his fourth triple of the season. Martin doubled, singled and plated a run in a 4-1 win over Middle Georgia at Cochran, Ga. Naccarata singled in a run.
 
_ Reliever Nat Ogborne (freshman, Pickering, Ont.) helped protect an 11-8 win over Liberty Flames over the High Point Panthers at Worthington Stadium in Lynchburg, Va. Ogborne entered with a man on third and the tying run in the on-deck circle and fanned the only hitter he faced.
 
_ DH Alain Picard (sophomore, St. Foy, Que.) knocked in five runs as the Maine Black Bears edged the Northeastern Huskies 11-10 before 430 fans in the first game of a doubleheader at Mahaney Diamond in Orono, Maine. Picard slugged his ninth homer, doubled and singled. Trailing 10-8 in the bottom of the sixth two singles and a walk to second baseman Quin Peel (senior, Manotick, Que.) loaded the bases. Picard then singled in a run, another scored on an error and Peel scoring the game-winning run on a double. Peel homered in a game with a similar result, an 11-10 Maine win in the opener. Peel hit a two-run homer, his third, in the six-run third inning for Maine. First baseman Pat Tobin (sophomore, Pickering, Ont.) singled and knocked in a run. Right-hander Simon Stoner (senior, Prince George, BC) pitched 5 2/3 innings for the Black Bears allowing 13 hits and 10 runs. Peel singled and drove in a run, while Tobin singled as Maine edged Northeastern in an eight-inning 11-10 decision to Maine at Mahaney Diamond in front of 637 fans. Tobin went 3-for-4, scoring once and driving in a run, while Picard had two hits as well in a 9-1 win over Northeastern before 272 fans in the regular-season finale.
 
_ Second baseman David Quattrociocchi (junior, Toronto, Ont.) had three hits as the Northwestern State Demons beat the Southwest Texas Bobcats 9-2 before 383 at Bobcat Field in San Marcos, Tx. The win clinched the Southland conference regular season championship. For the Demons it was their seventh Southland regular-season title in 11 years. Outfielder Kelsey Tomyn (junior, Sherwood Park, Alta.) singled in an 8-7 loss before 307 fans. Quattrociocchi, earned all-Southland conference honors. Quattrocchi finished second in the batting race, with a .419 mark, scored 49 runs in 45 games and produced a .516 on-base average.
 
_ Right-hander Judd Richardson (sophomore, Caledon, Ont.) of the Miami of Ohio RedHawks defeated Kent State Golden Flashes 11-1 in front of 398 fans at Gene Michael Field in Kent, Ohio to help the RedHawks split the four-game series. The win helped give Miami the No. 4 seed in the MidAmerica Conference tournament to be played at Ball State in Muncie, Ind. Richardson held the Golden Flashes to four hits over eight innings while striking out 10. Richardson improved to 5-3 on the season with the victory. Miami led 5-1 after four innings and that was plenty enough support for Richardson.
 
_ Right-hander Angus Roy (senior, Mississauga, Ont.) took the loss as the Valparaiso Crusaders lost 11-1 to the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles. Roy pitched 2 1/3 innings taking the loss to fall to 2-5.
 
_ Third baseman Patrick Scalabrini (senior, Waterville, Que.) singled in the top of the second and scored as the Hawaii Rainbows beat the Hawaii-Hilo Vulcans 5-3 in 10 innings at Hilo, Hawaii. Scalabrini singled to centre in the sixth to drive in a run in a 6-4 win over the Vulcans. Scalabrini singled twice and stole a base as the Rainbows beat the Vulcans 15-4 to sweep the three-game series.
 
_ Catcher Paul Schlosser (senior, Medicine Hat, Alta) finished his career with the Georgia State Panthers with a .259 average. He hit 14 doubles, two triples, seven homers and 30 RBIs.
 
_ Second baseman Gamin Teague (junior, Brampton, Ont.) drove in a pair of runs as the Grand Valley State Lakers beat the Knights of Gannon 7-1 in front of 133 fans in the second game of a doubleheader at the GVSU Field in Allendale, Mich. It was obvious Teague took the term Odoubleheader' literally as doubled twice as Grand Valley won the opener 12-0. Teague knocked in a pair of runs and now has 19 doubles on the year. Teague singled, hit a scoring fly ball and stole his 17th base as Grand Valley won the other game 11-10.
 
_ Infielder Shane Van Der Hijde (sophomore, Richmond, BC) singled twice as the Taft Cougars dropped a 10-5 decision to the College of the Sequoias.
 
_ Right-hander Karnie Vertz (freshman, Edmonton, Alta.) was 5-5 for Porterville with a 2.67 earned run average. In 60 2/3 inning Vertz walked 13 and fanned 52. Right-hander Mark Sutherland (freshman, Cranbrook, BC) was 2-0 with 18 strike outs in 20 innings.

Letter of the Week

Sir:

We players really appreciate the Web site. I have talked to many other players and they too check often to see what their buddies are faring at their respective schools.