Eager Beaver Baseball Association (EBBA): EBBA Alumni

London Badgers Baseball-College Player of the Week May 13th
By Dan Haugh, Badgers Media Liaison

This week we are featuring Derrik 'Diesel' Strzalkowski who attended Sir Wilfrid Laurier S.S. in London and played in the Eager Beaver Baseball Association before joining the Bantam Badgers in 2005.   Derrik's parents are Ed and Sandra and he has an older brother Andrew. He is currently studying sociology, psychology, communications, art history, and English at Kellogg C.C. in Battle Creek, Michigan, and will be playing this summer for the St. Thomas Tomcats.

Strzalkowski makes immediate impact leading team to NJCAA World Series in freshman year.

Former London Badger catcher Derrik 'Diesel' Strzalkowski has made an immediate impact in his first year of college baseball. The freshman at Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek, Michigan has certainly caught the eye of his college coach. Head baseball coach at Kellogg, Eric Laskovy commented on the impact 'Diesel' has had on his team, "Derrik has made a tremendous impact on our program and he has a very bright future ahead of him."

Coach Laskovy continued to talk about Derrik's work ethic, "Derrik is a tireless worker who has a terrific attitude, and he gives you everything he has in the classroom and on the field." The coach's comments should come as no surprise after hearing Derrik himself talk about hard work and how he has developed a strong work ethic. " My dad, mom and brother have always encouraged me and reminded me that hard work will be rewarded and that I should never take anything for granted. My parents have committed their time and money to make sure I get to games, practices and extra workouts. My Dad has always, and still does take me out to do extra hitting.   He will do anything to help me.  He always has encouraged me no matter what."

Derrik's hard work has put him at the top of most of the Bruins' offensive categories. Heading into the NJCAA D-II Region 12 Tournament, 'Diesel' was first in individual batting average on his team with an average of .436.

When asked what his short-term goals were, Diesel said, "To have a strong finish to the season."

Derrik saw that goal reached as the Kellogg Bruins captured the 2009 Region 12 Championship this past weekend, going through the tournament undefeated. Derrik was one of four Bruins named to the All-Tournament team. Coach Laskovy was also named Coach of the Year.

In a 10-4 win over Sinclair College in the final, Derrik walked four times and added a single and four RBI. The Bruins now will be playing in the NJCAA World Series on Memorial Day weekend in Enid, Oklahoma.

Derrik said one of his long-term goals is to transfer to a four-year program after two years at Kellogg C.C., which would follow the path of another former Badger, Brad McElroy who played two seasons with the Bruins before transferring to NC Charlotte where he had a successful career. McElroy was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in last year's MLB draft.

Derrik commented on what sports and baseball in particular have taught him, "They have taught me discipline, respect and commitment. Baseball is a year-long commitment if you want to achieve success. I think my work ethic is my strength and that is paying off. I have good offensive skills and I am developing a strong throwing arm. I think my skills are always developing and I hope to continue improving."

Derrik who will be returning to London this summer to play for the St. Thomas Tomcats of the Jr. InterCounty league talked about his years in the Badger program, "My time with the Badgers was great. Mike Lumley, Al Neal and Mark Grimes all contributed to our team's success and development. Having good teammates with great baseball skills makes you work harder to be better."

"My first year has been great. I have had to work hard and learn a lot of life lessons along the way. I was prepared, and I understood the sacrifices I would be making to further my education and baseball career." Derrik said when asked about his first year away from home at college. He went on to give some advice to players who are considering college careers, "They should expect to work harder than ever, and always a little more. Someone is always ready to take your place. There is always someone watching. When deciding what school to attend you should make sure the school offers the education and programs you want. Make sure your skills fit the level of ball the school offers and your abilities will allow you the chance to earn playing time. See if the school or the coach has had success moving players on to the next level."

Like many players who left the Badger program to continue their educations and baseball careers in the United States, Derrik recognizes the importance of hard work and that you can never stop working hard. Diesel will be taking that work ethic along with him to the NJCAA D-II World Series in Oklahoma in a couple of weeks, and we will be watching closely.

Freshmen invigorate Kenyon lineup

FORT PIERCE, Fla. (March 10, 2009) In order to spark a slumbering line-up and snap a seven-game losing skid, the Kenyon College baseball team turned to some new faces for Tuesday night's nine-inning matchup with Northwestern (Minn.) College. Freshmen Zack Bobowski (Rochester, MI/Cranbrook Kingswood) and Devin Ensing (London, Ontario/A.B. Lucas) made their first collegiate starts and responded by leading the Lords to a 14-6 thumping of the Eagles in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Bobowski proved to be an adept lead-off man for Kenyon as he reached safely in four of six plate appearances. In addition to driving in a run, he wreaked havoc on the basepaths with three steals and three runs scored. With Bobowski setting the table atop the lineup, the Lords (3-7) erupted for a season-high 14 runs after averaging just 4.4 runs during their recent slide.

Ensing delivered a pair of run-scoring singles from the eight hole, but really turned heads with some solid glove work at second base. Ensing's best play came in the third inning when he ranged deep into the hole to snag a deflection off the pitcher's glove, set himself, and fired a perfect strike to first to beat the runner by a step.

The play of the youngsters also served to inspire the veterans in the heart of Kenyon's batting order. Senior Will Smith (New York, NY/Collegiate) and junior Tom Hardacker (Carmel, IN/Park Tudor) each recorded four hits and scored three times. Smith plated three runs with a trio of singles and a triple while Hardacker notched four single-base hits and drove in the final run of the game. Other hitting heroes for the Lords included junior James Wendt (Brooklyn, NY/Stuyvesant), who banged a pair of doubles off the left-field wall, and sophomore Alex Cultice (Zanesville, OH/Zanesville), who matched Smith's three RBI.

Kenyon's five pitchers combined to fan ten Northwestern (0-6) batters in the game, but senior Austin Faught (Wooster, OH/Triway) earned his first win of the season with two perfect innings of relief. In four appearances this season, Faught has yet to allow a run while holding opposing batters to a measly .174 batting average.

The Lords hope the feel-good performance carries through an off-day Wednesday before opening North Coast Athletic Conference play against the Hiram College Terriers in a Thursday doubleheader.

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GLENS FALLS, N.Y. - Shane Davis (Canisius) pitched a complete-game, no-hit shutout as the Glens Falls Golden Eagles defeated the Bennington Bombers, 6-0, at East Field on Wednesday night in New York Collegiate Baseball League action. It is the third no-hitter in Glens Falls Golden Eagles history and the first nine-inning no-hitter in the franchise’s five years.

Davis walked one, hit one and struck out five. He allowed two base runners and faced one batter over in the minimum in the nine-inning contest. The Canisius hurler forced 11 fly outs and 10 ground outs.

Davis, a 2008 Louisville Slugger third-team All-America, has allowed one hit in two starts for Glens Falls this season. He is 1-0 with a 0.00 earned run average in 14 innings pitched. Davis has walked one and struck out 10.

Mike LaFleur pitched the first no-hitter in Golden Eagles history. He threw a seven-inning no-hitter against the Bolivar Athletics on July 16, 2006. Last summer, Mike Wanamaker whirled a seven-inning no-hitter against the Bennington Bombers on June 30. All three no-hitters in franchise history have come at East Field.

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Pitcher now has eight national awards since end of 2008 season.

Canisius College freshman Shane Davis (Belmont, Ont.) earned two more
Freshman All-America honors this week as the pitcher was named a Baseball
America First-Team Freshman All-American as well as a Second-Team
All-American by Rivals.com. Those two awards bring the total to eight for
Davis since the conclusion of the 2008 season.

Davis has been named to the Pro-Line Athletic NCBWA Freshman All-America
First Team, a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American and to the Ping!
Baseball Freshman First-Team. Davis also was named to the NCBWA All-America
Third Team, Louisville Slugger All-American Third Team and Ping! Baseball
All-American Third Team.

Davis tied for first among all freshman pitchers in the NCAA with his 12
victories. The 6-foot lefty, who became the first player in league history
to receive MAAC Pitcher of the Year and MAAC Rookie of the Year honors in
the same season, and is in the top 10 among freshman pitchers with his 2.42
earned run average.

An all-MAAC First-Team selection, Davis led the MAAC in ERA (2.42), victories and complete games with his 12 victories and 10 complete games setting Canisius program records as well. Davis allowed two or fewer earned runs in 10 of his 13 starts. In conference play, Davis was 7-1 with a 1.61 ERA, allowing 53 hits and 11 walks in 56 innings pitched.

The 2008 Golden Griffins tied a MAAC record and set a school record with 41 victories in 2008. Canisius advanced to the postseason for the second consecutive season and third time in program history while earning a share of the MAAC regular-season title for the second time and first time since 1994.

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