Scott Baker Honored AGAIN !!!
Scott Baker, a sophomore pitcher on the Ball State baseball team in 2013, has been named to the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-America Third Team.
Baker has previously been honored as a Louisville Slugger Third Team All-American, the Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Year, an ABCA/Rawlings All-Mideast Region Team member plus was honored as the inaugural Gregg Olson Award winner as college baseball’s breakout player of the year.
Baker finished the season with a 12-2 record and a stellar 2.18 earned-run average, while holding opposition to a .227 batting average. He pitched 111.2 innings, which included five complete games, with 88 strikeouts and only 35 walks. Last season, Baker was 0-1 in 15 appearances with a 6.15 ERA in 33.2 innings.
The Cardinals finished the season with a 31-24 overall record and placed second in the MAC West Division with a 15-12 league mark. Ball State, under the direction of head coach Rich Maloney, advanced to the championship game of the MAC Tournament without a loss, but was eliminated in the final.
NSA State At Field of Dreams
NSA softball is hosting the girls 16 & under and 18 & under state softball tournaments Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Field of Dreams and the high school softball diamond.
If you have a kid from Wabash County or know of one who will be playing in the tourney, please contact me with who it is and what age division and team they play for.
I will be there snapping photos and sure don’t want to leave anyone out !!
gary@wabashcountysports.com
260-571-0069
Scott Baker Wins National Award
Scott Baker, a sophomore pitcher on the Ball State baseball team in 2013, has been named the winner of the inaugural Gregg Olson Award presented by Toolshed Sports.
The honor is to be given to college baseball’s breakout player of the year and is presented to a top amateur baseball player who elevates his game to an elite level throughout the season.
The award honors Baker’s phenomenal turnaround this season in which he finished the season with a 12-2 record and a stellar 2.18 earned-run average, while holding opposition to a .227 batting average. He pitched 111.2 innings, which included five complete games, with 88 strikeouts and only 35 walks. Last season, Baker was 0-1 in 15 appearances with a 6.15 ERA in 33.2 innings.
In addition to winning the Olson Award, Baker was named the Mid-American Conference Pitcher of the Year and was also honored as a Louisville Slugger Third Team All-American.
The award is named after former Auburn pitching great and two-time All American Gregg Olson.After a freshman season at Auburn filled with only mixed success, Olson became one of the top collegiate players in the nation during an outstanding, unprecedented sophomore season. Despite being omitted from any preseason All-American lists, Olson went on to lead the entire nation in ERA with a 1.26 mark and compiled an incredible 11-1 record with 10 saves for the Tigers. Following a summer pitching for the USA National Team where he led the club in strikeouts, Olson returned to Auburn for another spectacular season. He led the SEC with a 2.00 ERA and amassed a triple-digit strikeout total, issuing 113 K’s in only 72 innings with only 27 walks. He finished his collegiate career with back-to-back First Team All American honors, a 25-7 record, 3.03 ERA, 20 saves, 271 strikeouts and redefined the way college coaches used their top pitcher.
The Olson Award has been developed to honor college baseball’s success stories and showcase players like Olson who have raised the level of their game through hard work, strength of mind and determination. Eligible players will be those who are omitted from major publication’s preseason All-American prognostications; however by the end of the season their on the field performance will demonstrate that they are among the top amateur baseball players in the nation.
Initial nominations for the award were made by sports information/media contacts and voting was conducted by a panel of college baseball media members. A fan Internet vote also contributed to the crowning of the winner.
The Cardinals finished the season with a 31-24 overall record and placed second in the MAC West Division with a 15-12 league mark. Ball State, under the direction of head coach Rich Maloney, advanced to the championship game of the MAC Tournament without a loss, but was eliminated in the final.
Beauchamp/Keaffaber Selected To North All Stars
2012-13 CD Orders
Now that the 2012-13 school year athletic season is officially over we are working vigorously to get all the CD orders finished. If you have a CD ordered please email gary@wabashcountysports.com confirmation that you still want it and your mailing address so we can get it out to you. I will email you when your CD is finished to let you know its on the way !!
If you did not order a CD for this past season, but think you might want one contact me to see what I can come up with.
The CD orders for the 2012-13 season were amazing and the 2013-14 orders are already coming in. Make sure you get your order in early, as those who do can testify it makes a big difference on the amount of pictures on your CD when we know to early look for a certain athlete.
Norse Repeat Bid Falls Short
Most teams never make it to the state championship. The Northfield baseball team was one win away Saturday from a shot at winning back to back state championships. The 2012 state champions were taking on South Spencer, who was the 2011 state champs. Without the services of first baseman Joseph Ross, who reported to the Army after the semi-state, plus knowing it would be the last game Norse coach Tony Uggen would coach at Northfield after announcing he was taking the athletic director and baseball job at Blackford, one would wonder what the effects would be.
The usual hard hitting Norse would collect just four hits in the game, while starting pitcher Ryan Keaffaber would struggle as South Spencer pulled off the upset in a 3-2 win over Northfield for the state title.
Northfield was the home team and after two strike outs, Keaffaber would give up a single and a walk before his third strikeout to get out of the inning. The Norse went three up and three down to head to the second with the game scoreless.
The second inning got started with second baseman Collin Dawes making a great diving catch behind second base before South Spencer would strike. A one out triple and a two out single put the Rebels up 1-0 with the Norse coming to the plate. Andy Roser would start the bottom of the inning with a triple, then score on a passed ball to knot the score at 1, before three straight outs would end the inning.
Keaffaber would walk two in the third and give up a single and a walk in the fourth, managing to get out of both innings without giving up a run. Unfortunately the Norse would not put a runner on in those two innings as the game headed to the fifth still tied at 1.
South Spencer would make some noise in the fifth. After a walk and two bunt singles loaded the bases with no outs, Keaffaber would bare down to strike out the next two before a seeing eye bloop single over Andy Roser at third would score two runs to give the Rebels a 3-1 lead. The Norse would try to answer in the bottom of the inning. Bryce Kendall got things going with a single and was followed by Shane Vigar going up the middle, but an outstanding diving play by the shortstop got the force at second. After another force at second made it two outs, freshman Drake Richter would draw a walk, with pinch runner Austin Curless at second. On a delayed appeal play on a swing, Curless was caught off guard at second being picked off to end the inning.
Keaffaber would strike out three in the sixth and hold South Spencer in the seventh to give the cardiac kids one more shot. Ryan Keaffber would lead off, reaching on a Rebel error and was advanced to third on an Andy Roser single. After a pop out, Shane Vigar would single home Keaffaber to make it 3-2 with the tying run on second. The Norse couldn’t muster one more hit, popping out and flying out to end the run, falling to South Spencer 3-2.
Before being awarded the runner-up trophy and medals, Ryan Keaffaber would be named the mental attitude award winner to cap off a remarkable career.
Shock 12 & Under
The Shock 12 & under softball team finished runner up at the Field of Dreams this past weekend.
Shock 14 & Under
Pictured below are the 14 & under Shock softball team in action at the Field of Dreams. The team finished third in the tourney.
