This Week in Walsh University Athletics

Mon.14 Men's Tennis vs. Lee University at NAIA Nationals 9 am

Women's Tennis vs. Southern Nazarene at NAIA Nationals 1 pm

Thurs. 17 Baseball (H) Fisher College NAIA East Coast Regional 2 pm

Fri. 18  Baseball (H) Fisher College NAIA East Coast Regional 11 am

Schedule and times are subject to change

BASEBALL: Cavs (26-28, 9-7 AMC N) Win NAIA Region IX Tournament/Two Games From NAIA College World Series/Bob Feller to Throw Out First Pitch on Thursday

Walsh (26-28) is two games away from their first appearance at the NAIA College World Series in Lewiston, Idaho (May 25-June1).   Walsh will host the NAIA East Coast Regional this Thursday and Friday.  The only thing between the Cavs and Lewiston is Fisher College (MA).   Fisher (30-14) won the Region X title by defeating St. Joseph College 10-3, while the Cavs completed a miracle run at the NAIA Region IX Tournament to win their first regional championship.  The teams play a best 2-3 series, starting next Thursday at 2 pm.  Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Feller will throw out the first pitch on Thursday.  The second game is on Friday at 11 am.  A third game, if necessary, would follow.    

Walsh entered the regional tournament on a seven-game losing streak, and as the final seed (#6).  The Cavs started the tournament with a 3-1 win over top seed Mount Vernon Nazarene.  Right-hander Andy Schon (Sr., Akron, OH/Coventry) fanned 11 in the win.  Walsh then remained in the winners bracket with a 4-2 win over Malone College.  Kyle Lynn (Sr., Massillon, OH/Tuslaw) started, and pitched 6.2 innings in picking-up the win.  Chad Campbell (Jr., Ashtabula, OH/Lakeside) retired the final two batters to earn the save.  Jason Pettigrew (Jr., Massillon, OH/Jackson) homered in the win. 

The Cavs then put their hitting shoes on for the final two games.  Walsh reached the championship game with an 11-9 win over Ohio Dominican University.  In winning their first three games, Walsh had beaten opponents in which they had an 0-8 mark against in the regular season.  Mike Dougherty (So., Canton, OH/McKinley) started and lasted 6.2 innings for the Cavs.  Alan Frame (Jr., Atwater, OH/Waterloo) worked the final 1.1 innings to pick-up the win.  Walsh snapped a 9-9 tie in the ninth when Mike Suliks tripled down the right field line to drive in the go-ahead run.  The Cavs then added an insurance run.  Shortstop Chad Campbell (Jr., Ashtabula, OH/Lakeside) was 5-6 and DH Rollin Matsui (Sr., Thornhill, ONT/Westmount) was 3-4 with 3 RBI.  Walsh banged out 20 hiis against ODU pitching.  In the title game, the Cavs erased a 3-0 first inning Mt. Vernon Nazarene lead to win 10-8.  Walsh trailed 4-3 in the fourth inning, when they scored three times to take the lead for good.  Pettigrew had four hits, and two RBI and third baseman Kade Klick (Sr., Massillon, OH/Jackson) had three hits.  Klick enters the East Coast Regional on a nine-game hitting streak.  Walsh had 16 hits against Cougars pitching.  Chris Norris (Jr., Massillon, OH/Jackson) (6-4) pitched eight strong innings for the win.  He allowed six runs, but only four earned, and only two runs after the first inning.

Catcher/Designated hitter Rollin Matsui was named first-team All-American Mideast Conference North Division at designated hitter.  Matsui hit a team-leading .402, with two home runs, 25 RBI, and a team-best .464 slugging percentage.  Andy Schon also earned first team honors.  Schon, who set a career strikeout mark (244) this season (78), is 7-5 with a 3.46 ERA.   He is also two K's shy of setting a single season mark.  Schon also leads Walsh with 83.1 innings pitched and six complete games.  Schon was also named to the All-AMC/Region IX Rawlings Gold Glove Team. 

The Cavs placed four players on the second team All-AMC North squad.  First baseman Jason Pettigrew, second baseman Mike Suliks, left fielder Ryan Indorf (Jr., Massillon, OH/Washington) and pitcher Mike Dougherty.  Pettigrew is hitting .341, with nine doubles and a team-leading 39 RBI.  Suliks hit .349, with five doubles and 19 RBI.  Indorf, who hit safely in 18 games this season, is batting .309 with five doubles, three triples, four homeruns and 19 RBI.  Dougherty finished second with six wins and five complete games.  Chad Campbell, centerfielder Mark Kelly (R-Fr., Norton, OH/HS) and pitcher Andrew Tighe (Sr., Cincinnati, OH/Moeller) were named honorable mention.  Campbell hit .335 in 54 games with five doubles.  He led the team with 60 hits.  Campbell, also the Cavs closer, had six saves in eight games.  Kelly is hitting .377 in 45 games.  Tighe, a left-hander, who works out of the bullpen, was 1-1 in 14 games. 

MEN'S TENNIS: Cavs (16-3, 6-0 AMC) Win NAIA Region IX Title, Head to Alabama

NAIA No. 29 Walsh meets 10th Lee University (TN) (13-4) in the first round of the single elimination NAIA National Championships, being held in Mobile, Alabama at the Mobile Tennis Center.  Lee won the NAIA Region XIII Championship.  The match will start 9 am on Monday (5/14).  The winner will play Savannah Art and Design on Tuesday at 9 pm.  Walsh is making its tenth appearance in the last eleven years at the national tournament. 

Number one singles player Stephen Webster (Jr., Lexington, OH/HS) enters the national tournament with 14-4 record.  He is on a five-match win streak.  Dexter Mahase (Jr., La-Romaine, Trinidad), who plays number two singles, is a team-best 15-3 and has also won his last five matches.  The two make-up Walsh's top doubles team and have a record of 13-4.  Sean Smith (Sr., Edgewater, NY/Bradenton Academy) is 14-4 at third singles.  Freshman Justin Collins (Lexington, OH/HS) is 11-6 at mostly fourth singles, and Greg Kerschbaum (Jr., Elyria, OH/HS) is 14-4 at mostly fifth singles.  Andy Coutts (Sr., New Philadelphia, OH/HS) is 12-6 at sixth singles.  Smith and Collins are 9-2 at second doubles and Kerschbaum and Nick Grahame (Sr., Louisville, OH/ST. Thomas Aquinas) are 8-3 at third doubles.

WOMEN'S TENNIS: Cavs (16-4, 9-0) Battle Southern Nazarene (OK) in First Round Match at Nationals

NAIA Regional Champion Walsh (16-4) meets Southern Nazarene (OK) in a first round match at the NAIA National Championships, being held in Mobile, Alabama, at the Mobile Tennis Center.  The match is slated for a 1 pm start on Monday (5/14).  Southern Nazarene received an automatic berth as the winner of Region VI. The winner meets fifth seeded Vanguard (CA) on Tuesday at 1 pm. 

Number one singles player Kristen Cady (Sr., Canton, OH/GlenOak) heads to Alabama with an 11-9 record, but has won five of her last seven matches.  Number two singles player Jenamarie Ianni (So., North Canton, OH/Hoover) is 12-6 and has won six straight matches.  Cady and Ianni are 13-5 at first doubles and have won six straight matches. 

Lindsey Cady (So., Canton, OH/GlenOak) is 12-8 and will play at third singles; Ingrid Brainard (Sr., Madison, OH/HS) is 16-3 and will play fourth singles.  Brainard has posted nine straight wins.  Brainard and Cady are 12-2 at third doubles.  Megan Navarre (Jr., Indianapolis, IN/Center Grove) is 15-5 in singles and will play number five at nationals and Hilary Rossi (Fr., Warren, OH/JFK) is 14-5 and will play number six.  Rossi and Jen Yost (Fr., Massillon, OH/Jackson) are 8-5, and will play third doubles.

SOFTBALL: Cavs Place Four on All-AMC South Team

Walsh placed four players on the All-American Mideast Conference South Division Team.  Desigaated player Jamie Notch (Sr., Suffield, OH/Field) was named second team, while Jamie Lewis (Fr., North Olmsted, HS), Laura Schmidt (Fr., Canton, OH/Jackson) and Krystal Sherry (Fr., Brunswick, OH/Holy Name) were named honorable mention. 

Notch hit .295 with five doubles, four homeruns and 22 RBI.  She also led the team with a .474 slugging percentage.  Notch finishes her Walsh career with eight homeruns, tied for 5th all-time.  Lewis, the Cavs everyday second baseman, hit .324 with eight doubles and 15 RBI.  Schmidt, the Cavs shortstop, hit .309 with ten doubles, two triples, four homeruns and 22 RBI.  Sherry, who led the team with a .357 average, also led the pitching staff with nine wins.  At the plate, she led the team in hits (56), doubles (14) and RBI (25).  On the mound, Sherry was 9-9 with a 2.73 ERA in 23 appearances and 19 starts.  She led the staff with 16 complete games and in innings pitched (123).