The Highlights

Scores, news and more from Lawrence University Athletics

Vikings shut out by Central in spring trip opener

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Lawrence University baseball team’s spring break trip to Florida got off to a rough start with a 12-0 loss to Central College on Friday.

Central pounded out 10 hits and scored seven uneared runs in the victory. Lawrence (0-2) committed seven errors in the contest.

Dirk Lindaman allowed only four hits in 6.1 innings of work to pick up the victory. Eric Bohling allowed all 10 hits and took the loss for Lawrence.

The Dutch (8-3) scored three times in the second and two more times in the fourth. Central broke the game wide open with four runs in the fifth and then tacked on three more in the seventh.

Lawrence returns to action on Saturday when it takes on both North Park University and Lakeland College.

Inside LU Athletics: Vikings poised to take a step up

Please forgive the Lawrence University softball team if they are getting tired of the ugly dresses that you’ll only wear once. In other words, they’ve had enough of being the bridesmaid.

Lawrence begins its season later this week with 12 games in Clermont, Fla., and the Vikings’ goal is to get back to the four-team Midwest Conference Tournament for the first time since 2006.

“We were close last year,” Lawrence coach Kim Tatro said. “The two teams (from the North Division) that qualified for the tournament, St. Norbert we split with and Ripon we lost two one-run games. We felt like we had a shot last year, and I feel like it’s the same type of scenario.

“That will always be a goal for us every year to qualify for the conference tournament. I say this just about every year, and it’s true just about every year. The North Division is strong and there’s a lot of parity. … It wouldn’t surprise me if all five teams split with each other. From that standpoint, it makes it exciting.”

Lawrence, which finished 13-16 a season ago, needs to rely on its big three of pitcher/infielder Shannon Murray, outfielder Cathy Kaye and pitcher/infielder Emily Perish.

Kaye hit .356 last season with five home runs and 18 runs batted in. She was an all-conference and All-Great Lakes Region selection in 2011.

Murray, who earned all-region honors in 2010, hit .358 with a pair of homers and a team-high 29 RBIs. Murray also posted a 6-9 record and 4.38 earned run average. She struck out 52 and walked only 18.

Perish is the lone senior on the squad and is half, along with Murray, of Lawrence’s 1-2 pitching punch. She went 6-6 last season with a 4.17 ERA while hitting .354 with 18 RBIs.

“It’s important for those three to step up, but to be honest, if we’re going to take the next step, everyone has to step up,” said Tatro, who is nine wins shy of 300 for her career.

The rest of the Vikings are relatively young but already have significant experience. Lawrence will likely have four sophomore starters in shortstop Cory Paquette, third baseman Alissa Geipel, outfielder/first baseman Mary Diduch and catcher Alex Chiodo, and another sophomore, Brielle Bartes, also will challenge for a starting spot.

“They have a different level of confidence than a lot of sophomores might because they got a lot of time as freshman,” Tatro said. “It’s one thing to practice as a freshman, it’s another thing to have game experience. Hopefully that will show in our play.”

Geipel hit .318 a season ago with a homer and 16 RBIs, and she had the top fielding percentage among the starting infielders. Paquette hit .250 last season but is now focused solely on playing shortstop after seeing some time on the mound last season.

Tatro calls Diduch “the most improved player from last year,” and Chiodo started every game as a freshman. Bartes hit .268 as a freshman and showed some pop with a homer and seven RBIs in only 41 at-bats.

A trio of freshman, Appleton native Coley LaChance, Kara Vance and Liz Barthels, also have an opportunity to see serious playing time.

“It will be one of those things where we will have a couple of different combinations of lineups depending on what’s working for us,” Tatro said.

Lawrence will play some tough squads in Florida, including UW-Stevens Point and UW-Whitewater, but it affords the Vikings a chance to sort out some things.

“It’s a good opportunity for everyone on the team to establish themselves, find their roles on the team,” Tatro said. “If you’re hitting, we have to find a spot for you on defense.”

Traveling time

In addition to the softball team heading to Florida for a week of spring break competition, the Lawrence baseball and men’s and women’s tennis teams also will be in the Sunshine State.

The baseball team has eight varsity games scheduled in Florida, and the tennis teams have 11 matches scheduled.

Whiting facelift

When the Lawrence baseball and softball teams return home, fans will see improvements to Whiting Field.

The softball field has been fully enclosed with new fencing and has outfield warning tracks. The baseball field also has new outfield fencing and outfield warning tracks. The short left field fence, aka the “screen monster,” is now higher in an effort to make it tougher to hit one out to that part of the diamond.

Both the baseball and softball teams have their home openers on April 5. Softball faces Alverno College and baseball entertains Ripon College in the last appearance at Whiting Field by Red Hawks coach Bob Gillespie. He plans to retire at the end of the academic year after 34 years at the college.

Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a notes package written by Lawrence University Sports Information Director Joe Vanden Acker. It will feature teams and individual players, recap weekly awards or highlights and take a look at what’s ahead for the Vikings.

DeStasio, Rosenbaum pace Lawrence fencers

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Matt DeStasio and Alyssa Rosenbaum were the top finishers for the Lawrence University fencing team at the NCAA Midwest Regional this weekend at Cleveland State University.

Competing in epee, DeStasio picked up seven victories on the day and finished in 11th place. Brendan O’Flaherty grabbed 13th place for the Vikings and David Cordie was 14th.

Rosenbaum, also competing in epee, won a trio of matches and also finished in 11th place.

In men’s foil, Lawrence’s Yongwoo Choi finished in 14th place and Alex Biehl was 15th. On the women’s side, Caitlee Hoglund was 19th for the Vikings.

Alan Duff grabbed 13th in men’s sabre, and Drew Doares was 16th. Madeline Cooper was 16th for the Vikings in women’s sabre.

Results

Inside LU Athletics: Baseball team looking for confidence, consistency

Jason Anderson believes his team has the experience and talent to find success on the diamond. What remains a wild card for the Lawrence University baseball coach is his team’s confidence and consistency.

Anderson, now in his fourth season at Lawrence, is attempting to instill in his team self-assurance about victory.

“We have to figure out, learn how to win, and play with confidence that way,” Anderson said.

“Last year, we had two seniors and everyone else was a freshman or a sophomore. … When you have one or two guys having a bad day, it affects everyone. The biggest thing we’ve learned and improved on is our consistency, playing at a high level day in and day out.”

After several years of struggling with an extremely young lineup, the Vikings are in a position to have a squad with experience. The leadership of this group and finding that path to success will fall to senior pitcher/designated hitter Eric Bohling.

Bohling is healthy for the first time in his career after having surgery on his labrum early in his career. Last season, he posted to a 1-3 record on the mound and hit.274.

“Bohling is going to be the glue of the entire team,” Anderson said. “He’s the only senior and he’s a captain. He’s one of the best captains I’ve ever had.

“After that, we will have three freshman starting (pitchers), and the fourth guy will be a sophomore. If Eric sets the tone, we’ll have a good conference series. If he doesn’t, it could be kind of a struggle.”

Sophomore John Doran is one of the pitchers looking for consistency, and freshmen Davis Ogilvie, Kelton Jenkins, Drew Doares and Atley Gay will be asked to contribute immediately.

Bohling has a solid group backing him up in the field with only two starters, including All-Midwest Conference outfielder Robert Rashid, lost from a season ago. Anderson likes the maturation he sees from his returning players.

“What jumps out right away are the guys who were sophomores and have been playing for a couple of years have taken a big jump,” Anderson said.

“We have a significant amount of upper-class leadership despite being very young because they’ve played for two years. It’s really showed on the offensive side of the ball so far.”

Junior shortstop Gabe Henriques, who missed nearly half of last season, and junior second baseman Davide Harris, form the backbone of Lawrence’s defense and spark the offense. Harris led the team with a .324 batting average last season, and Henriques hit .286.

“Those guys will play up the middle and be the lead-off and second in the order. It’s noticeable on the field that they are quite the team, quite the duo,” Anderson said.

“They are two of our best hitters and two of our best defenders. They are probably are two best athletes. Davide was our best hitter last year, and I expect nothing less from him.”

The Vikings also return versatile performers like outfielder Alex Brewer, outfielder/first baseman Sam Kossow and infielder Phil Wisniewski.  

Siebert, Crisman honored

Men’s basketball standouts Chris Siebert and Tyler Crisman have been named to the All-Midwest Conference team in a vote by league coaches.

Siebert, a sophomore guard from Baraboo, Wis., was selected for the second team, and Crisman, a senior guard from Frankfort, Ill., received honorable mention.

Siebert averaged 16.4 points per game and that ranked sixth in conference play. Siebert was fourth in the conference at 4.2 assists per game, and he also averaged 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per contest. Crisman finished seventh in the conference in scoring at 16.2 points per game. 

Hughes, Raymond selected

Matt Hughes and Jameson Raymond have been named to the All-Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Team in a vote by league coaches.

Hughes were both chosen for the first time.

Hughes, a senior forward from Goodrich, Mich., led the team with 12 goals in MCHA play, and he added 10 assists for 22 points. Hughes ranks fourth in Lawrence history with 46 goals and is sixth with 91 points.

Raymond, a senior defenseman from Flint, Mich., finished second in scoring by league defensemen. Raymond picked up three goals and 14 assists for 17 points in MCHA play. Raymond ranks fifth in school history with 55 assists and is ninth with 73 points. 

Skaters honored

Lawrence also had six players chosen for the Academic All-MCHA team.

Senior defenseman Jesse Byam-Katzman (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and senior forward Ben DiMarco (Galveston, Texas) were both honored on the academic all-conference team for the third time. Junior goaltender Michael Baldino (Woburn, Mass.) was named to the team for the second time, and junior goaltender Kevin Aslett (Portland, Ore.), junior forward Phil Bushbacher (Glenview, Ill.) and sophomore defenseman William Thoren (Gothenburg, Sweden) were all chosen for the first time. 

Stevens runs to record

Junior Sam Stevens broke the Lawrence University record in the mile run last Saturday at the Pointer Qualifier at UW-Stevens Point. Stevens, a junior from Suamico, Wis., raced to a record time of 4:19.95 to break the mark of 4:22.1, set by Joe Berger in 1985. 

Fencers ninth

The Lawrence fencing team finished ninth overall at the Midwest Fencing Conference Championships at Notre Dame last weekend.

The men’s epee squad led the way by taking fifth with a 5-2 victory over the University of Chicago. The Lawrence men finished eighth overall among the 20 teams, and the women were 11th.

Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a notes package written by Lawrence University Sports Information Director Joe Vanden Acker. It will feature teams and individual players, recap weekly awards or highlights and take a look at what’s ahead for the Vikings.

Early bird all-session passes on sale for NCAA Division III Baseball Championship

APPLETON, Wis. – The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has announced ticket pricing for its 2012 Division III Baseball Championship that rewards early buyers.

The championship, which will be held May 25-29 at Appleton’s Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium, is an eight-team, double-elimination tournament. Four games will be held on both May 25 and 26, while three contests are set for May 27. Two games are scheduled for May 28 and the final will be May 29, with a second title game if necessary.

The Early Bird All-Session Pass will be on sale for $15 from March 7 through May 1. The cost is a savings of $18 off the regular price. Early Bird passes can be purchased by contacting the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers ticket office at (920) 733-4152. They can also be obtained through the website of the Timber Rattlers.

After May 1, the price of the all-session pass rises to $33 for adults and $20 for students and senior citizens. A daily pass to the tournament costs $11 for adults and $7 for students or senior citizens. Tickets for championship day will be $7 for adults and $5 for students or senior citizens.

In the 2011 NCAA Division III Championship, Marietta College (Ohio) won its fifth title with an 18-5 victory over Chapman University (Calif.).  Marietta College finished with a 47-4 record, posting the most wins by a champion since 1986.

Lawrence University and the Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau are hosting the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship, which began in 1976.

Other major local sponsors are the Appleton Post-Crescent, Bergstrom Corporation, J.J. Keller Foundation, Inc., and the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium will serve as the venue of this championship for the 13th straight year.  The facility is the home of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, a Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.

For information on the 2012 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship, visit www.ncaa.com.  Additional information can be obtained by contacting Lawrence University Sports Information Director Joe Vanden Acker at (920) 832-6878.

Vikings grab ninth at Midwest Fencing Conference Championships

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — Lawrence University grabbed ninth place overall at the Midwest Fencing Conference Championships at the University of Notre Dame on Sunday.

Lawrence finished with 730 points to place ninth among the 20 teams. Ohio State took the overall title with 1,305 points.

The Lawrence men finished eighth overall with 425 points. Epee led the way for the Vikings by taking fifth place in the team competition.

The Vikings defeated Illinois 5-1 in the first round before losing 5-0 to Northwestern in the quarterfinals. The Vikings rebounded to beat Indiana 5-2 in the consolation semifinals and then topped the University of Chicago 5-2 in the fifth-place match.

In men’s foil, the Vikings finished 10th after a 5-3 loss to Michigan State in the ninth-place match. Lawrence took ninth place in men’s sabre with a 5-3 victory over Chicago.

On the women’s side, Lawrence placed 11th overall with 305 points. Women’s epee placed 15th with a 5-3 victory over Xavier. Women’s foil placed 10th after a 5-1 loss to Iowa in the ninth-place match. Women’s sabre took 10th after a 5-4 loss to Purdue in the ninth-place match.

In the individual competition, the top finisher for the Vikings was Alyssa Rosenbaum, who placed 21st in women’s epee. Shallion Dixon led the Vikings by taking 25th in sabre, and Laura Barksdale was tops in foil in 33rd place.

On the men’s side, Alan Duff grabbed 23rd place in sabre, and Alex Biehl took 23rd in foil. Matt DeStasio placed 24th to pace the Vikings in epee.

Results

Stevens breaks school record in mile

STEVENS POINT, Wis. — Sam Stevens broke the Lawrence University record in the mile run on Saturday at the Pointer Qualifier at UW-Stevens Point.

Stevens, a junior from Suamico, Wis., raced to a record time of 4:19.95. He broke the record of 4:22.1, set by Joe Berger in 1985.

The top finisher on the day for the Lawrence women was Rose Tepper, who placed fifth in the high jump with a leap of 5 feet, 2.25 inches.  

Results

Vikings fall to Adrian in Harris Cup semifinals

ADRIAN, Mich. — Lawrence University came close again against No. 6 Adrian College, but the Bulldogs held on for a 2-1 victory in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Harris Cup semifinals on Saturday at Arrington Arena.

This marks the third time in three meetings this season that Adrian (20-5-1) posted a one-goal win over the Vikings (13-11-4).

Adrian scored both of its goals in a two-minute span in the first period.

After Huck Saunders got sent off for cross-checking at the 12:48 mark, Adrian’s Shelby Gray scored just nine seconds later on the power play for a 1-0 lead. Adrian finished 1-for-4 on the power play.

Zach Graham then made it 2-0 just 2:03 later on an even-strength goal for the Bulldogs.

Lawrence battled back midway through the second period. After Josh Ranalli was whistled for a five-minute charging penalty at 6:47, the Vikings cashed in. Brad Scurfield scored a power-play goal off assists from Jameson Raymond and Matt Hughes at the 10:28 mark. Lawrence went 1-for-5 on the power play.

The Vikings then dominated play in the third period but could not get the equalizier. Lawrence outshot the Bulldogs 13-2 in the third period and enjoyed a 36-24 edge in shots for the game. Adrian didn’t get a shot on net in the final 17 minutes of the game.

Lawrence had one power-play chance in the third period when Ranalli got a two-minute charging penalty at the 10:53 mark. The Vikings got four shots on net during the power play but couldn’t get one past goaltender Scott Shackell.

Shackell stopped 35 shots in the victory.

The Vikings pulled goaltender Peter Emery with 1:14 remaining but couldn’t get a shot on goal. Emery stopped 22 shots for the Vikings.

Adrian faces either MSOE or Marian University in the Harris Cup championship game on Sunday.

Box score