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Welcome to Cincinnati Gators Baseball
We would like to thank everyone who has helped us along the way: coaches (both ours and others), league and tournament officials, umpires (mostly), opponents, current and former players, parents, bus drivers, hotel staff, grounds crews, and our bat boys. Finally, we would like to thank the people of Farmington, New Mexico, especially our Host Families and Sponsor. There is no place that we have been that made us feel more special. What a great last "road" trip. It has been a great four years (and more counting the Midland years). We hope you find this site interesting and informative. We will maintain the site as an easy way to keep track of the Gator players as they pursue college. The message below lists Gator "firsts" in NCAA action. Please keep in touch with a "Guest Book" Message from time-to-time. Sunday, December 16 Party Time - - Calling All Gators
Hey Everyone,
It's time for the 2007 Gators Annual Holiday Party! Mark your calendar for Friday, December 28th. We have expanded the invite list to include all Gators, not just the 2004 team. The entire family is welcome. We will have it again at the clubhouse where Grandma "Brack" lives in Anderson. Just go to Mapquest and put in the condo complex address: 7355 Ridgepoint Dr. or click "Locations" to the left or the title of this article. It's off of Five mile which is sout of Beechmont and north of I-275. We're starting at 7:00 and ending around midnight. Mrs $ and Mrs Terry are bringing Barbeque, so just bring a side dish or dessert and your own drinks. Please e-mail Mrs Terry with a reply as soon as possible (cterry@cinci.rr.com) or phone (232-3235) so we'll have an idea of how much food to bring. We hope all are able to make it. Have a Merry Gator Christmas!
Tuesday, June 26 T-Sto Earns 3rd Team All-American and MAC Player of the Year Honors What a year! After switching his primary position from catcher to outfield, Tyler Stovall was able to focus a little more on hitting. And did he focus. Tyler led the Mid-American Conference in Batting Average (391), falling below 400 at the tail end of the season and ranking as high as 2nd nationally (we tracked intra-day rankings), led the MAC in hits (88) and led the MAC in RBI (59). And just to show that he has outfielder's speed, not catcher's, he was 2nd in the conference with 20 steals! Tyler's efforts helped Central Michigan to a solid 35-21 record. In recognition of the great season, Tyler was honored as the MAC Player of the Year and was selected by the ABCA (coaches) as a third team All-American! Tyler was also honored with other conference and regional awards. Congratulations on a great seson and good luck this summer in Maine.
Andrew Goes to Yanks in the First Round
Andrew completed his college career by taking the junior season to focus on baseball. He had a solid season for NC State, anchoring one of the stronger staffs in the ACC with his former Moeller teammate, Eric Surkamp. Andrew took the draft in stride. He was fishing with his dad on the Ohio River when he received the call. Let's see: June bugs on string in Tennessee; Gatorade Helmet on a hot day in the dugout; blazing fastball; fishing as you become a first round millionaire for the most storied team in the game. Yea. It all makes sense. The GATOR FAMILY congratulates Andrew. Best of luck in the pros!!!! [Click on the title to link to the Yankees website and the article discussing his selection.]
T-Sto Stays Red Hot Most players would be pleased with a 2 for 5 day. But, this year Tyler Stovall wouldn't - - it would bring his batting average down. As of 4/22, Tyler is hitting an eye-popping .444, the ninth highest batting average in the nation (click on the title to this article for a link to the rankings). Tyler is playing both outfield and catching and has hit mostly in the lead off and three hole of late. He has 64 hits in just 36 games. In addition, Ty is 2nd on the team in both stolen bases and RBIs. Central Michigan is off to a solid start with a 25-13 record. Keep it up Tyler. Friday, March 16 Tyler Stovall Off to a Great Start Tyler Stovall, Gators and Central Michigan catcher (and now sometimes OF/DH), is off to a great start: 20 for 40!. Click on the title to link to the Central Michigan's site and read the article about Tyler getting conference player of the week honors! Keep it up Ty! Tuesday, November 21 Share Photos through the Gators Website and Shutterfly Sharing photos has just goten easier. Go to the "Photos" section of the website. You will see the old style albums (photos were uploaded onto the eteamz site server) at top. At the very bottom, there are new albums that link to Shutterfly. There is one site with a few low pixel photos (my initial effort) of Tyler Stovall (Wilson Tobs) and Ben Terry (Outerbanks Daredevils) playing against each other in the Coast Plains League (Summer of '06). The next album has a bunch of high resolution photos from the 2006 Wake Forest Black & Gold games. Many photos are of non-Gators (especially Ben's current roommate and freshamn roommate at Furman), but now that we don't have to pay for the server disk space, this is an easy way for me (and you) to share photos with others. I have enabled the site to accept albums from anyone. Just go to the "Photos" section and click on "Add Album" at the top of the page, then follow instructions. I hope to replace all of the old albums with Shutterfly albums and also add more albums and photos. In the past we were constrained by the cost of disk space. PS: Ben and his roommate, Wily Fox, a transfer from Arizona State, had good debuts for the Deacons. Wily was 5 for 11 with 2 HRs; Ben was 4 for 7 with 2 2Bs, 3 BBs, a HbP and 4 runs scored. Wily is from Scotsdale and was invited to play for Arizona Subia in the CMWS, but decided to take some time off. The next year, he got to go to Omaha with ASU. Tuesday, October 17 Brackman Decides to Focus on Baseball
Saturday, August 26 Ben Terry Transfers to Wake Forest
Tuesday, August 15 Gators in Collegiate Summer Leagues Four Gators played in Collegiate Summer Leagues in 2006. Andrew Brackman played at the Cape, Tyler Stovall and Ben Terry played in the Coastal Plains League and Jake Oester played in NY Collegiate Baseball League. See below for team links for the four hot-weather Gators. Tuesday, August 15 Brackman Joins Orleans in Cape Cod League Andrew Brackman returned to the mound after joining Orleans in the college baseball's premier summer league. Andrew missed most of the North Carolina State season after trying to pitch on a stress fractured hip sustained during the Wolfpack basketball season. He joined Orleans in early-July and pitched very effectively with a 1-0 record and 1.06 ERA in 6 games. Andrew then left Orleans to join Team USA for the World University Championships in Cuba where he started one game (no runs in 3 innings) as Team USA won every game to capture the U.S.'s first International Baseball championship on Cuban soil ever. Congratulations to Andrew for battling back in time to take the hill for Orleans and Team USA! Tuesday, August 15 Tyler Stovall Plays for Historic Wilson Tobs Tyler Stovall joined one of the best-supported Coastal Plains franchises the WIlson Tobs (Tobaconists!; but it is a smoke-free stadium, now.) Tyler hit .232 in 47 games catching and DHing. Wilson went 28-22 in the regular season to qualify for the Coastal Plains Championship tournament (and extending an already brutally long season!) Tuesday, August 15 Jake Oester Spends Summer with Allegany City Nitros Jake Oester played for the Allegany City Nitros in his first college summer. Jake hit .209 with 13 RBIs in 45 games. Allegany City plays in the New York Collegiate Baseball League and finished with a 23-19 record to win the Western Division and place second in the League Championship Tournament.
Andrew Brackman Joins Team USA for Trip to Cuba Andrew Brackman was invited to join Team USA and will travel to Cuba for the World Championship Games. Brackman pitched sparingly during the college season for NC State after suffering a hip stress fracture during basketball season. He began pitching in the Cape Cod League in July and obviously was impressive. He was 1-0 with a 1.06 ERA in 17 innings. Last Wednesday, Brack pitched a shutout inning against the Fayetteville (N.C.) Swap Dogs of the Coastal Plain League in a 4-1 exhibition win. Check "Links" for a link to Team USA's website. To Brack from Rocky: "If something happens to Fidel, keep your head down!" Thursday, August 10 Brack Pitches Well in International Play Andrew Brackman started and pitched three innings against Mexico as Team USA remained undefeated in the FISU World Championships in Havana, Cuba. Brack gave up one run on one hit and two walks, leaving with a 4-1 lead. He also K'd three. Team USA relinquished the early lead, but went on to win easily, 12-5.
Gator vs Gator (Cent Mich 14, BGSU 11)
Monday, January 2 Brian Hangbers Transfers to Bowling Green Brian Hangbers transferred to Bowling Green university from Louisville in time to suit up for the 2006 season. Brian was signed by louisville as a pitcher, but B-G plans to use Brian's bat asa well as his arm. Brian has the Gators' single season records for most home runs (16) and RBIs (60) set in the summer of 2004. Good luck to Brian as he changes feathers. Monday, December 26 Gators' Winter Reunion The Gators gathered at Salem Gardens for dinner on Friday, December 23rd for their winter break get-together. Coaches Ritter, Munninghoff and Gramps were there, but Marty and Phil missed becasue of work commitments. The Brackman, Oester, Munninghoff, Simpson, Stovall and Terry families were all there. In addition, Ryan Williams, Matt Heber and Pat Philhower attended. The Hangbers sent their regrets and wished everyone well. The next reunion will be in August after summer ball. Wednesday, June 15 Five Long-time Gators See Action at D-I Level Five Gators saw significant action at the Division-I level. Drew Brackman, P, NC State. Drew joined the baseball team after starting much of the year on the hardwood for the Pack in the tough ACC. Drew established himself as one of NC State's premier starters. Despite his late start on the diamond, he posted a 4-0 record with a 2.09 ERA in 10 games, 7 as a starter. Drew had 43 strikeouts in 43 innings, including 12 against UNC on April 29th in a 6-5 win. The 12 K's were the most by an NC State freshman since 1987. NC State qualified for the NCAA Regionals in Lincoln, NE, so Drew got to play in the NCAA tournamnet in both hoops and baseball! Not bad for a freshman. Matt Heber, P, U of Cincinnati. Matt made 20 relief appearances for the Bearcats, going 1-0 with a 4.44 ERA. Sean Munninghoff, P, U of Cincinnati. Sean made 19 appearances, 10 as a starter. Sean pitched most of the season as a weekend starter in the tough Conf-USA. Sean was 3-4 with a 4.88 ERA. Tyler Stovall, C, Central Michigan. Tyler appeared in 29 games, 21 as a starter. In 73 at bats, Ty hit .260 with 5 doubles and 7 RBIs. Ben Terry, OF, Furman. Ben appeared in 48 games, 34 as a starter as he took over LF for the Paladins at the season mid-point. Ben hit .284 in 148 at bats with 5 doubles, 1 home run and 16 RBIs. The Paladins won the Southern Conference tournament to qualify for the NCAA regionals at Georgia Tech. More later will be added about the players who joined us for the Connie Mack World Series run as all three saw action last year. Wednesday, June 15 NCAA Firsts for Freshmen Gators Five Gators saw Division I NCAA action in their Freshman year. Below is a list of Division I "firsts" for Gator players as they begin competing at the college level. Division III firsts will be added soon. First Games, by Player: Sean Munninghoff: 2/11/05 vs. Florida Atlantic in a 7-6, 13 inning, opening day Cincinnati loss. Sean was thrown into the fire, starting the bottom of the 13th inning. He walked two, gave up an infield hit and a sac fly for the loss. Ben Terry: 2/12/05 vs. High Point in a 15-3, opening game, Furman win. Ben played left field in the seventh and eighth innings, and he batted once in the eighth, popping out to second. Matt Heber: 2/13/05 vs. Florida Atlantic in an 11-9 Bearcat loss. Matt pitched two-thirds of the seventh, allowing one unearned run on the lone base runner allowed, via a walk. Tyler Stovall: 2/19/05 vs. Alabama-Birmingham in a 7-2 Central Michigan loss. Tyler caught the home half of the eighth. Chad Baker: 2/27/05 vs. Rider in a 6-4 Pittsburgh win. Chad pitched to the last batter of the 6th and the Entire 7th, allowing just one BB and notching two strikeouts, holding a 5-4 lead at the time for the Panthers. Drew Brackman: 4/2/05 vs. Virginia Tech in a 10-7 win. Drew came into the game in the fourth and pitched 4 innings, allowing 3 hits and 2 unearned runs in his NCAA debut. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PITCHING FIRSTS Appearance: Sean Munninghoff, 2/11/05. See above. Win: Sean Munninghoff, 2/20/05 vs. Duke. Sean started, pitched the first five innings, allowing just one run on three hits. He left with a 6-1 lead and U.C. went on to win 6-3. Loss: Sean Munninghoff, 2/11/05. See above. Save: None. Strikeout: Sean Munninghoff, 2/12/05 vs. Florida Atlantic in an 8th inning relief appearance of a 6-3 Bearcat loss. Complete Game: None. Shut-out: Drew Brackman (6 IP), 4/20/05 vs. East Carolina in a 3-0 win. Drew teamed with two ohter Wolfpack teammates to record a shutout in his first NCAA start against a ranked ECU team. Drew allowed just 2 hits and struck out five on his way to his first decision. Double Digit K-Games: - Drew Brackman: 12 K's in 7 IP vs. North Carolina. NC State won 6-5 as Drew had the most strikeouts for a freshamn NC State pitcher since 1987. POSITION PLAYERS: Game: Ben Terry, 2/12/05 (Game 1). See above. Hit: Ben Terry, 2/12/05 (Game 2) vs. High Point in a 9-5 Furman loss. Ben singled between third and shortstop pinch hitting in the bottom of the ninth. Double: Tyler Stovall, 3/10/05 at Eastern Kentucky in a 19-1 win. Tyler doubled to center field to lead off the fourth. Triple: None. Home Run: Ben Terry, 4/10/05 at Elon in a 19-3 loss. Ben lead off the game with a home run to left centerfield, but the lead did not last long against the Phoenix. QUIZ: Who was the Gator with the most plate appearances without a home run? RBI: Tyler Stovall, 3/6/05 vs. Georgetown U. in a 6-5, 10-inning win. Tyler singled to center in the 6th to tie the game at 4-4. Ty added another RBI in the 8th on a single to center. Run: Tyler Stovall, 2/26 vs. Western Kentucky in an 8-4 Central Michigan win. Tyler scored in the 5th after knocking a single to center. Stolen Base: Ben Terry BB: Tyler Stovall, 2/26/05 vs. Western Kentucky in an 8-4 Central Michigan win. Tyler walked in the 2nd, but was forced at 3rd later in the inning. Multi-hit Game: Tyler Stovall, 3/6/05 vs. Georgetown (see RBI). Tyler was 2-4 with a BB and 2 RBI's. 3+ Hit Games: - Ben Terry: 4/17/05 in an 8-2 win vs. Western Carolina. Ben went 3-5 (all singles). - Ben Terry: 4/24/05 in a win vs. Wofford. Ben went 3-5 with a 2B. Put-out: Tyler Stovall, 2/19/05, on a strikeout in Tyler's first game (see above). Complete Game Played (7 inn.): Tyler Stovall, 2/26/05 in an 8-4 Central Michigan win over Western Kentucky. Tyler caught the entire game for the Chippewas. Complete Game Played (9 inn.): Ben Terry, 2/27/05 in an 8-2 Furman Paladin win over Ohio University. Ben played left field the entire game. Friday, August 13 New Player Folders Added The Gators are finished on the field, going 47-15 in 2004, including Connie Mack Regional and State Championships, and a trip to the Connie Mack World Series in Farmington, New Mexico. The plane trip back from Farmington will be the last official Gator function. The four Gator years (and years before as Indians) have provided ecitement and many memories. The friendships that were made along the way are speical, and most special to many of us are the players. To help keep track of the players, especially their college athletic pusuits, this site will be maintained. Links to the players' school sites will be provided as well as any articles about their achievements. To check out a player, just click on the name of the player in the "Menu" area on the left side of this page. The players are more or less in the batting order that was used for most of 2004. (The site template "only" allows 16 customized folders, so we had to double up on players who may not play next year and/or were late season pick-ups. Sorry about that. We'll fix it as soon as the expand the number of folders.) Keep coming back to visit the site. Please send player information or updates via the "Guestbook" or via e-mail. Players: Thanks for the great times. Chomp! Monday, August 9 Midland Ends Gators' Season Probably for the first time in Connie Mack World Series history, two teams from the same city played each other when the Southwest Ohio League's Cincinnati Gators and Midland Redskins travelled 1,500 miles to square off for the second time this year. Unfortunately for the Gators, the result was the same - - a convencing loss - - that ended the Gators' season. The Gators were again plagued by fielding miscues that led to a huge inning. After taking a 1-0 lead in the second, the Gators gave up nine runs on four, and arguably five, errors in the bottom of the third. The Gators battled back, but were 8-run ruled on a 2-run shot by Tito Espinosa in the 5th to push the final score to 14-5. Despite the loss, the Connie Mack World Series was a wonderful experience. Not only was the Farmington hospitality unbelievable (more on that in a later posting), but the support and encouragement of the Midland Redskin coaches went a long way to healing a four year rivalry dating back to after the 1999 season when the 15-year old Gators were formed out of the 14-year old Midland Indian team. Monday, August 9 New Yorkers Spoil Hospitality of New Mexicans Farmington has been incredibly friendly and hospitable when dealing with New Mexicans. The same cannot be said for encounters with New Yorkers. The Gators were crushed 16-1 in their Connie Mack World Series opener against the South Troy (NY) Dodgers. Though ultimately outplayed by the Dodgers, a little luck the Gators way would have helped early on. In addition to strong hitting by the Dodgers, the Gators were victimized by high bouncing grounders over third base, line dives just inches fair, a grounder getting through after hitting the infield grass, and a couple of questionable calls at first base. But, Gator mistakes and the Dodgers taking advantage of every opportunity sent the Gators to an elimination game this afternoon at 5:15pm Mountain Time, 7:15pm Eastern, against the Cincinnati-based Midland Redskins. NOTE: The time change is a result of the Farmington Sky Sox game being moved to night, in accordance with Connie Mack Tournament Rules regarding host team scheduling. The Gators prospects looked good when Ben Terry led off the top of the first with a walk. But, Sean Mannington hit a hard grounder right at the shortstop for a double play, despite Seans seamingly beating the throw to first. The Gators got two more first inning base runners on walks, but left them stranded. The Dodgers scored one in the first and four in the second on a combination of solid hits in the gaps, grounders bouncing unexpectedly, and line drives just inside the foul line. But the wheels really fell off in the fourth. A one-out dropped pop-up at first was all the encouragement the Dodgers needed. They proceeded to bang out 10 hits, including 2 home runs, to score 11 times and put the game totally out of reach. The Gators avoided the shutout with back-to back doubles from Ben Terry and Sean Munninghoff, his second of the day. Jake Oester collected the other Gator hit with a double in the second.
Gators Rally to Win C Mack Regional - On to Farmington!
In the championship game against the Michigan Rams, the Gator rallied with two runs in the sixth to tie the game and pushed across a two out run in the seventh to advance tulle Connie Mack World Series in Farmington, N.Mex. Sean Manninghoff led the Gators charge with fire innings of strong relief and a 4 for 5 day at the plate. In the bottom of the seventh, Ben Terry reached first on a two out bunt single. Sean followed with a single and Brian Hangbers walked to load the bases. Then Tyler Stovall drove an 0-1 pitch just out of the Rams' shortstop's reach to allow Ben to cross with the tournament winner. Chad Albright pitched a perfect top of the seventh for his second win in relief in as many days. In the sixth, when the Gators tied the game after trailing since the second: Ben singled, Brian walked, and Tyler singled to load the bases with one out. Then Pat Philhower singled to pull the Gators within one, and the bases remained leaded. Brian tied the game when he scored on a passed ball. Saturday The Gators got smashed by PB Baseball 11-0 in the first game today, but came from behind to score 2 with 2 outs in the bottom of the seventh to win 5-4 and advance to the championship game tomorrow at 1:00 pm against the Michigan Rams. It was the 5th game in twelve days between the two clubs, with PB winning one blowout and the Gators winning four by a total of five runs! In the seventh, down 4-3, Zach Denton hit a one-out single, then Ben Terry bounced to first for the second out moving Denton to second but, just one out away from elimination. However, the "never say die" Gators then got a hit from Sean Munnnyhoff to put the tying run at third. Brian Hangbers walked, and then Tyler Stovall hit a shot down the line that looked the it would score two. But, PB first baseman, Steve Ross, made a great stop and a run scored when the pitcher failed to cover first. Then Ryan "Willie-Style" Williams turned on the first pitch he saw and sent it hard down third. PB's Adam Borgia was able to stop it on the line deep behind the bag, but all were safe and the Gators danced from first base to centerfield with Willie after Sean crossed home plate. PB's Neil Striker pitched two masterful games, shutting out the Gators for the win in the first game, the throwing five more shutout innings to start the second game. The Gators scored three in the sixth to make the seventh possible. Ben Terry led off with a bunt single and Sean Munninghoff followed with a single to right-centerfield , advancing Ben to third. Brian Harpers hit a sacrifice fly to center, and Sean advanced to second when the throw from center got by the catcher. Tyler Stovall grounded hard to second for the second out, moving Sean to third. Sean then scored on a wild pitch. Pinch hitter, Ryan Williams, walked then scored on Jake Oester's triple down the right field line to make it 4-3, putting the Gators within striking distance. Chad Albright picked up the win in two innings of relief for starter Jake Geglein. Friday The Gators beat PB Baseball and the Saginaw East Pointe Stars to move into the championship round of the Nichols Bracket. Pat Philhower delivered a one-out grand slam over the leftfield fence to lift the Gators over PB by a 5-3 margin. Chad Baker held PB to 2 runs in 5 innings and Sean Munninghoff recorded the win in relief. In the second game, the Gators banged out 13 hits, including a bases lorded triple by Ben Terry, to beat the Stars 12-1. Brian Hangers was credited with the win. The Gators play PB Baseball for the Bracket championship. The Gators must win one of two tomorrow against PB to qualify for the championship game on Sunday. Thursday The Gators slammed 5 home runs to beat the Central Michigan Stars 13-7. Leading the home run barrage were Zach Denton, who drove in 6 runs with as-ran shot followed by a Grand Slam, and Chad Baker, who hit a 2-run shot in his first at bat for the Gators, and then did it again two at bats later. Brian Hangers added a two run shot in the third. Both Denton and Sean Munning hoff had 3 hits on the day. Matt Heber was credited with the win, pitching 4 innings and allowing 2 runs. Wednesday In his first appearance for the Gators, Brad Kramer threw a five hitter to lead the Gators past the West Michigan Elite, 9-1, in 6 innings. Kramer struck out six and walked none. Ben Terry's 3-run double broke the game open in the fourth, giving the Gators a 5-1 lead. Zach Denton contributed a double, single and 2 RBIs. Saturday, July 24 Gators Add Four for Connie Mack
Connie Mack allows the addition of 3 players from the league to a team's State Tournament roster, and another 2 players from the state for the Regional Tournament roster. The Gators have added four players: Monday, July 26 Connie Mack Regional Format & The Gators' Bracket Format The Regional consists of two eight-team brackets. Each bracket plays a double elimination AABC Format (i.e., each team, regardless of whether it has incurred a loss or not plays each round so that there is no disadvantage as to timing of the first loss) until it has a winner. Then the two Bracket Champions play a single game for the championship. The Nichols Field Bracket Wednesday - Round 1 Game 1: PB Baseball vs Ontario Blue Jays (Remember them from the Sharks 2002 Tourney?) Game 2: Eastpoint Stars vs Battle Creek ETI Gators Game 3: Coon Rapids vs Central Michigan Stars Game 4: Gators vs West Michigan Elite (went to Farmington in 2002) Thursday - Round 2: Winners Play Each Other & Losers Play Each Other Game 5: Game 1 Winner vs Game 2 Winner Game 6: Game 1 Loser vs Game 2 Loser: Loser Eliminated Game 7: Game 3 Winner vs Game 4 Winner Game 8: Game 3 Loser vs Game 4 Loser: Loser Eliminated Friday - Round 3 (1st Game) Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs Game 7 Winner Game 10: Game 5 Loser vs Game 7 Loser: Loser Eliminated Game 11: Game 6 Winner vs Game 8 Winner: Loser Eliminated Friday - Round 4 (2nd Game) Teams Remaining Draw for Pairings: Teams: Winner and Loser of Game 9, Winner of Games 10 & 11 Losers w/ One Prior Loss are Eliminated Saturday - Round 5 (1st Game) 2 or 3 Teams Remaining: If 3, Draw for Bye. Other two teams play. Saturday - Round 6 (2nd Game, if Needed) 1, 2 or 3 Teams Remaining: If 3, Draw for Bye. Team Receiving Round 5 Bye is not Eligible for the Bye. If 2, other two teams play. If 1, Bracket completed. No game needed. Saturday - Round 7 (3rd Game, if Needed) 1 or 2 Teams Remaining: If 2, winner of Round 7 Game is Bracket Winner. If 1, Bracket completed. No game needed. Sunday - Championship Game The winners of the two brackets play a single game (regardless of losses in bracket play) for the championship. Friday, July 23 Gators Take Ohio Connie Mack w/ 6-5 Win Over PB Baseball Friday - Championship Game The Gators won the Connie Mack State Title with a 6-5 win over PB Baseball from Cleveland. Mike Hertel, making his first mound appearance for the Gators, pitched 5 strong innings, then Sean Munninghoff turned in a sparkling relief appearance to gain the win. Sean took over pitching duties with no outs in the 6th with the score knotted at 5 and runners on 1st and 3rd. After giving up a single to the first batter he faced that put PB back ahead, he struck out the next hitter, got a fielder's choice, then got the lead-off hitter, who had tripled and singled in his previous at bats, on a strike out swinging. The Gators answered in the bottom half of the inning with two to take the lead for good. Rocky Siegel, in his last game for the Gators (Good Luck on the Gridiron at Tiffin, Rocky!), singled to lead off, but Zach Denton k'd and Ben Terry hit a shallow fly to left. Fortunately for the Gators, the PB leftfielder dropped the ball and all were safe. Sean Muninghoff moved the runners up on a nubber back to the mound, then Brian Hangbers delivered the big blow with a first pitch double down the right field line, scoring Rocky and Ben, easily. PB's #2 hitter lead off the 7th with a single to left, and it looked like the Gators were going to have a battle. But, Sean took matters in his own hands and struck out the heart of PB's order: 1-2-3. The tournamanet title was the Gators' first this year, after getting close several times. The last two foes, PB and Boys of Summer, advanced to Battle Creek for the Connie Mack Regional with the Gators. The teams that finished 4th through 8th advanced to the Cincinnati Regional hosted by Midland. Sounds fishy? Coach Ritter swears it was on the up-and-up as Regional Team Placement was drawn from a hat by each manager. Thursday - Gators Sweep Undefeateds' DH to Advance to Championship The two remaining undefeated teams, The Boys of Summer and the Cinncinnati Gators, faced off for a twin bill as PB Baseball (one loss) received a bye in Round 7 after their Round 6 win earlier in the day. (The Boys and the Gators had already received byes earlier in the tournament.) The Gators swept the DH with strong hitting and excellent starts from Jon Simpson (Game 1) and AJ Mouch (Game 2). The first game went 8 innings as the Boys of Summer wouldn't give in, tying the game in the 3rd, 6th, and 7th innings. Sean Munninghoff was credited with the win in relief. In the second game, the Gators teed off early with 7 hits and a walk the first time through the order. The Gators collected 16 hits, including a home run by Mike Hertel, in route to a 12-6 win. AJ Mouch (2-2) picked up the win with 5 stong innings. Wednesday - Gators Earn Berth in Connie Mack Regional The Gators advanced to the Connie Mack Regional with a 6-0 win over the Ohio Lightning. The Gators scored 5 in the second, then coasted behind Jake Geglein's 2-hitter. Pat Philhower hit a 2-run Home Run and Ben Terry hit a 2-run triple to lead the 2nd inning charge. The Gators' manager, Josh Ritter, pulled "Battle Creek - Ohio Rep #3" from the hat at the Wednesday Night drawing, so the Gators will head to Michigan on Wednesday to fight it out with 15 other teams, including two other strong Ohio clubs: PB Baseball and The Boys of Summer. Tuesday - Gators Win Two It took three years, but the Gators finally beat the Cleveland Cage Club Yard Dogs. In the previous two meetings in 2001 and last year, the Gators lost low-scoring games. This year, the Gators pounded out 18 hits, including a 2-run HR by Brian Hanbers, to win 14-8. Behind 7-4 going into the 6th, the Gators roped 8 singles to plate 8 runs in the inning for a 12-7 lead. In the team's second game of the day, The Gators beat Wharmby's Sports (Youngstown), 6-5. Before the sun set and a heavy haze settled in that reduced the effectiveness of the lighing, it looked like it wold be a sluggers marathon. The Gators first four hitters lead off the game with hits, including triples by Ben Terry and Tyler Stovall, to take a 3-0 lead. But Wharmby's answered with four to take the lead. The game settled down, and the Gators notched single runs in the 3rd, 4th and 5th to take a 6-4 lead into the home half of the 7th. Wharmby's rally in the 7th fell short when Sean Munninghoff releived winning pitcher, Brian Hangbers (7-0), and set down the three batters he faced for the save. The two wins put the Gators one win away from qualifying for a Regional Tournament berth. Monday - Game Two vs. the Yard Dogs: Postponed, Rain. Sunday - Gators Win First Game vs Tourney Favorite, PB Baseball. The Gators beat highley touted, Cleveland-based P B Baseball behind the 4-hit pitching of Andrew Brackman (4 innings) and Jake Geglein (3 innings). The Gators scored in the 1st when Ben Terry led of with a single, advanced to second on Sean Munninghoff's sacrifice, and scored on Tyler Stovall's two out single. The Gators made it 2-0 in the 5th on Terry's single to bring home Ryan Williams who had walked and moved to second on Zach Denton's bunt single. PB rallied in the 7th with two-outs. After a hit just under the glove of first baseman Brian hangbers, and a dropped fly in right field, PB scored their run on a bloop over the head of SS, Jake Oester. But the rally and game ended on an attempted steal of home. Saturday - Game One vs. PB Baseball: Postponed, Rain. The Gators played and won Friday in hot, humid and sunny Orlando, Florida, so the rain and cool temperatures, not to mention a day off, were welcome. Friday, July 16 Gators Place 7th in AAU Nationals On Sunday, the Gators advanced to the Championship Pool of the 18/19 AAU Nationals with a 3-0 Qualifier Pool Record. The Gators beat the reigning AAU champs, Tallahassee Baseball Club, knocking them into the Consolation Pool. Saturday, Drew Brackman pitched a two hit gem over the Baton Rouge White Sox to help the Gators win 5-1 and clinch a Championship Pool berth. On Monday, the Gators squandered a 10-2 lead after two, but bounced back to beat the Oakland (MI) Bulldogs, 14-10 in 8 innings. Sean Munninghoff got the go-ahead RBI and the win in two shut-out innings of relief. Brian Hangbers added a 3-run blast over the right field fence to complete the scoring in the top of the 8th. Tuesday, the Gators downed the North Corner (Wash. State) Tribe, 5-2. Jake Geglein pitched a 4-hit complete game to lead the Gators. Then the Gators beat tournament favorite, Southwest Florida, 5-4 to advance to bracket play. In brackets, two Texas teams teams topped the Gators on Thursday. The Houston Miracles won 5-0 in the opener and the Brazos Valley Renegades won 5-4 in Game 2. The Gators bounced back on Friday morning, beating the Middletown (Fla.) Cobras, 13-4. Andrew Smith pitched 5 innings in relief to pick up the win. Smittly allowed just one run. Oakland (Mich.) and Baton Rouge battled for the chamnpionship, whci Oakland won. The Gators beat both of these teams in pool play. It was a great tournament. The team was placed in very tough pools and won, then lost in brackets against a very good Miracles (Kansas State) pitcher to fall in the ultimate team rankings. Wednesday, June 9 Congrats to Moeller, Stovall, and Brack on Winning State Gators Drew Bracman and Tyler Stovall helped lead Moeller to the Division I State Championship, beating Mentor, 6-2. Brackman pitched a 2-hitter in the semi-finals for the 6-1 win over St. Ignatius and then came back for a save two days later. Tyler hit a two-run home run to spark the Moeller six-run 2nd. Monday, June 7 Gators Retire Coach Feldkamp's Number #10 The Gators held ceremony on Monday, June 7th, after their 8:00pm game to retire former manager, Coach Joe Feldkamp's, number 10. The ceremony was at Anderson High School's field after the Gators' 21-0 win over the Cincinnati Tigers. Coach Feldkamp coached the Gators from 1993 to 2003 and compiled a 290-117 record. Known as the Midland Indians until the 2001 season, the team won two Knothole City Championships (Class C and Class D while playing up an age level), Southwest Ohio League (AABC) Championships, an Ohio AAU Championship and has placed well in the CABA, Hap Dumont and AAU World Series. Coach Joe stepped down as the only manager the team had ever known in order to spend the summer with his family. Eight of Coach Feldkamp's 2003 Gators will continue playing ball at the college Division I level next year. Thanks, Coach! . Sunday, May 30 Gators' Moeller Battery Named to GCL-South First Team Tyler Stovall and Drew Brackman, Moeller's catcher and ace pitcher, were named to the GCL-South First Team All-League team. Brackman (6-0, 0.36 ERA, 70 K's in 49 IP), Stovall (.310, 1 HR, 15 RBI and stellar defense) and the rest of the Crusaders, head to Canton on Thursday to play St. Ignatius in the Division I Semi-Finals. Stovall will play for Central Michigan next year, and the 6'11" Brackman is headed to NC State to play both basketball and baseball. Former Gator, Mark Olexa, was also awarded First Team honors. Good luck to the Crusaders who were ranked 2nd in both the final City and State Polls and were GCL Co-Champions! Sunday, May 30 Gators Place Three on FAVC All-Conference List Sean Munninghoff, Ben Terry and Andrew Smith from the Anderson Redskins were honored with All-Conference honors. Munninghoff and Terry each made First Team, and each received All-Conference honors for the third straight year. Munninghoff (5-0, 3.09 ERA, 31 K's, .368 Avg., 19 RBI), who will pitch for U.C. next year, was named "Pitcher of the Year". The Conference "Player of the Year" was Centerfielder Ben Terry (.500, 1 HR, 24 RBI, 27 SB, 2-1, 3 Svs., 2.13 ERA, 21 K's in 23 IP), who will play for Furman (Greenville SC) in 2005. Smith (.333, 1 HR, 20 RBI), a junior, will return to the 'Skins next year at 3B and OF. Former Gator, Alex Lewis, was also named to the First Team as Anderson's first baseman. The Redskins were FAVC Champions and were 3rd in the final City Poll and 10th in the final State Poll. Congratulations! Sunday, May 30 Batavia's Heber Named SBC Player of the Year Matt Heber of the Batavia Bulldogs ws named Southern Buckeye Conference "Player of the Year". Heber (4-2, 1.96 ERA, 85 K's in 50 IP, .360 Batting Avg.) pitched and played 3B for Batavia. It is the third straight year that Matt has been named to First Team All-Conference. Congratulations, Matt! Sunday, May 30 Two Gators Earn GCL-North All League The Gators' Jakes (Oester and Geglein) earned All-League honors playing for McNicholas High School. Oester (.385, 3 HR, 30 RBI), a Junior who has started at Shortstop since his freshman year, was named to the First Team. Geglein (6-1, 1.19 ERA, 48 K's in 35 IP), a senior who will pitch for the Cincinnati Bearcats next year, was named to the Second Team. The Jakes helped lead the Rockets to the league title, and a runner-up Division II Regional in State Playoffs. Congratulations! Saturday, April 10 Matt Heber Commits to Bearcats Matt Heber committed to the University of Cincinnati, joining Gators Jake Geglein and Sean Munninghoff. Heber is a standout pitcher (and hitter) for Batavia High School. We expect nothing but Gators starting for the Bearcats on weekends within a year or two! Congratulations, Matt. Thursday, March 4 Zach Denton Commits to Eastern Kentucky Zach Denton, McNicholas QB standout, committed to EKU to play football. Denton, Ohio Div. II Offensive MVP at QB, is expected to return to Wide Receiver at EKU. Denton received regional honors as a WR his sophomore year, before switching to QB for his junior and senior years. Sunday, January 18 Gators Announce Josh Ritter as Head Coach
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