Inside LU Athletics

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Inside LU Athletics: Vikings show balance with improved ground game

Even a casual observer of Lawrence University football knew the Vikings were going to be able to throw the pigskin this season. With record-setting quarterback Luke Barthelmess and receiver Tyler Mazur back, the Vikings had the pieces in place for a potent aerial attack.

But the Vikings likely raised a few eyebrows around the Midwest Conference last Saturday when they opened the season by showcasing an impressive ground game against Cornell College.

“The goal this year, from recruiting right on through the season, was to recruit more running backs and have a more balanced attack,” Lawrence coach Mike Barthelmess said. “We feel like if are going to win, we have to run the ball more effectively.”

The Vikings certainly did that in the season opener. Lawrence ran for 272 yards, and that is the Vikings’ highest rushing output since they went for 286 vs. Knox College back on Oct. 13, 2007.

“What we’re trying to do is take what the defense gives us,” Barthelmess said. “We were going to keep running the football until (Cornell) took it away.”

The Vikings actually ran for more yards (272) than they passed for (267), and that hasn’t happened for a few seasons. The last time Lawrence gained more yards on the ground than in the air was vs. Knox in 2009 (167 rushing/147 passing).

Luke Barthelmess did the most damage by running 16 times for 132 yards, and he became the first Lawrence back to rush for more than 100 yards since Craig Ebert did it in the 2008 season finale. Barthelmess also completed 26 of 43 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns.

“Luke always has the option to throw the football or run the football on every single play,” Barthelmess said. “Both he and the coordinators were taking advantage of what the defense was giving us.”

Senior running back Ben Hartman added 21 carries for 86 yards, and freshman running back Scott Vandeloo of Kaukauna added 43 yards on 11 carries. The Vikings lost freshman Corey Fisher to an injury, and freshman Dalton Sendelbach also saw action.

“We have three good running backs, and we’re going to use them,” Barthelmess said. “If defenses want to stack the box to take that way, we’re going to throw the football.”

The other big, and I do mean big, reason the Vikings were successful on the ground was the offensive line. With a group that averages 6-foot-3 and 295 pounds, the Vikings have the ability to move the defense.

“The offensive linemen always prefer to run the football,” Barthelmess said. “If you’re a real offensive lineman you want to dig in there and create holes for your running backs. I’m sure that’s the most fun they’ve had since they’ve been here.”

Scoring streak

It took Erich Lohrmann until the first game of his junior season to get his first goal for the Lawrence men’s soccer team. He didn’t have to wait as long for No. 2 or No. 3. Just two days later, in the season’s second game, Lohrmann scored both goals in Lawrence’s 2-1 victory at Marian.

Still perfect

The Lawrence women’s tennis has several players that kept perfect records intact when the Vikings beat Carthage College 5-4 on Tuesday.

Junior Gayatri Malhotra is now 4-0 at No. 3 singles, and the No. 2 doubles team of sophomore Hannah Geoffrey and freshman Ali Heiring are also 4-0.

This marks the second consecutive season the Vikings have defeated Carthage 5-4, and the win in 2011 started an eight-match winning streak for Lawrence.

Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a notes package written by Lawrence University Director of Athletic Media Relations 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.

Inside LU Athletics: Potent passing combination a constant for Vikings

Change has been following the Lawrence University football team lately like a dog chasing a mailman.

In the last nine months, the Vikings have seen Mike Barthelmess assume the mantle of head coach, a restructuring of duties for the assistant coaches and the return of Lawrence Hall of Famer Rich Agness to the coaching staff.

One thing that hasn’t changed, and it’s likely to be a key to success for the Vikings, is the potent combination of Luke Barthelmess to Tyler Mazur. Lawrence’s standout quarterback and wide receiver set a passel of records last season, but that may just be a warm-up for 2012. The Vikings open the season on Saturday at the Banta Bowl against Cornell College.

“We’re expecting them to raise their level of play this year,” Mike Barthelmess said of Mazur and Luke Barthelmess, the son of the head coach. “As much success as they had last year, we expect them to be better this year.”

Mazur was named to the all-Midwest Conference team a season ago after catching 63 passes for 878 yards and 11 touchdowns. The versatile Mazur also ran 22 times for 96 yards and five scores.

Barthelmess completed 202 of 363 passes for 2,721 yards, 22 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He also led the team with 356 yards rushing.

“We could be at the top of the conference in offensive statistics,” Mike Barthelmess said. “I think Luke and Tyler have the ability to be all-conference players and all-Americans. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens. I’m excited to watch as a fan to see the additional stuff we’re doing offensively.”

Coach Barthelmess has turned over offensive coordinator duties to assistants Byron Abram and Mark Beller while he handles the special teams. Teams will have an idea of what Barthelmess and Mazur are going to do, but this dynamic duo also will throw some new looks at the opposition.

“I’ve personally seen Luke mature in the offense since last year compared to the end of the season and spring ball,” Mazur said. “The way he’s able to pick up the offense and his confidence reverberates through the receivers and the line. I think we have a higher confidence level than we had last year.”

It is going to be difficult to top last season when Barthelmess set five season and four game records for the Vikings. His biggest day came when he threw for a conference-record 549 yards at Knox and tossed a Lawrence-record six touchdown passes.

One of those plays typified the blossoming relationship between quarterback and receiver. Mazur lined up deep in Lawrence territory and immediately saw he had no one lined up opposite him.

“We looked at each for a split second,” Mazur said. “We made eye contact. He went back, took one step, threw it to me and 94 yards later it was a touchdown.”

Mazur would finish the game with 220 receiving yards and tied the school record with four touchdown catches. He would go on to set Lawrence game records for touchdowns (5) and points (30) that week. Mazur also set season record with 96 points and 16 touchdowns.

“The chemistry is kind of eerie, almost in the sense that we see the same things on the field without having to say anything,” Luke Barthelmess said of Mazur.

Mazur started his career at Lawrence as a quarterback and was the starter in 2010. Luke Barthelmess then won the job in 2011, and Mazur immediately became the go-to guy at receiver. The Vikings also use Mazur at quarterback in the red zone and in short-yardage situations because of his superlative running ability.

“The thing I love most about Tyler is that he’s unselfish,” said Mike Barthelmess, who said Mazur stands out as a mentor to the incoming players. “It’s really cool to see how he’s giving of himself to his teammates.”

Any animosity that could have remained after Mazur and Barthelmess battled for the quarterback job melted in a close friendship. They are the first players on the practice field and the last to leave. They talk about practice, play catch and generally act like the great friends they’ve become.

“That happens pretty much every day,” Mazur said. “We toss it around. Play a little long toss and chat about practice. First on the field, last off the field, just trying to get every little bit out of it. We’ve become friends. We’re not trying to battle against each other. We’re trying to work with each other.”

Luke Barthelmess and Mazur also share an extreme passion for football. That has helped forge their friendship, and it also has taught them that every moment spent with the team is precious.

“You don’t want to feel you’ve wasted a minute,” Luke Barthelmess said. “We’re going into my junior year here, and I know I’m going to blink and it’s going to be this time next year. I’m terrified to think I might waste a minute.”

Vikings hit the road

Most of Lawrence’s fall sports teams open on the road this weekend. The volleyball team is playing four matches in Virginia, and the women’s soccer is headed to the Chicago suburbs for a pair of matches. Cross country is closer to home as it participates in the Tom Barry Invitational in Green Bay. Men’s soccer is at home when it opens its season on Friday against Northland International on Whiting Field West.

Editor’s Note: Inside LU Athletics is a notes package written by Lawrence University Director of Athletic Media Relations 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.

 

Inside LU Athletics: Bolgrien running to top of Midwest Conference

Anna Bolgrien went from thinking about life in the fast lane to living life on the fast track.

The freshman from Duluth, Minn., was coming to Lawrence University last fall intent on swimming for the Vikings, but issues with her shoulders turned her to the track team.

“I was going to swim originally,” Bolgrien said. “My shoulders wouldn’t hold up so I decided to run, and I’m really, really glad I did. Once I talked to (head coach Jason) Fast … I knew it was a place I wanted to be.”

Fast is pretty pleased as well because Bolgrien is one of the Vikings’ top performers. She holds the top time of 1:06.63 in the league in the 400-meter hurdles heading into this weekend’s Midwest Conference Championships at St. Norbert College.

Bolgrien also ranks sixth in the league in the 100 hurdles (16.07 seconds) and will run on both the 400 and 1,600 relay teams.

“Based on Anna’s times from high school and knowing her training background, we anticipated she would be a contributor,” Fast said. “She’s definitely taken a step forward. Her times in high school would have placed her firmly in the top eight (in the conference). She’s taken her training and dedication to the sport to another level.”

Bolgrien credited the coaching staff with her improvement as she honed her technique and made the adjustment from the 300-meter hurdles in high school to the 400 hurdles at the collegiate level. She also has learned to win the mental battle in an event that features speed, technique, strength and flexibility.

“It’s really a race to the next hurdle,” Bolgrien said. “You’ve got to have something to distract yourself with. Can I beat that girl to the next hurdle? Can I cleanly hurdle this next one?”

No one’s been better in the league this season at clearing those mental and physical hurdles, and Bolgrien said her goal is to win the league title. Bolgrien, who is quickly closing in on Sarah Slivinski’s Lawrence record of 1:05.52, admits it is odd to be in the role of favorite.

“I’ve never really been put in that position so it’s exciting to see that I have the opportunity to (win a conference championship),” Bolgrien said. “I hope to drop a little time. If I can just PR that’s the best I can do.”

If past history is any indication, expect a big drop. At the MWC indoor championships in February, Bolgrien lowered her time in the 60 hurdles by a half-second and finished third.

“You saw her talent in how Anna worked every day, but you got a glimpse of how good she could be in the indoor conference meet,” Fast said. That’s when we knew she could be in for some big things.

“She definitely has the skill set to be competitive on the national level. When is that going to be, I don’t know. It could be as early as this year. She would need to take at least three seconds off her 400 hurdles time to get into the national meet.”

On the fast track

Both Lawrence track teams are looking to move up a notch or two at the MWC Championships. The women placed eighth last season and the men were ninth. Now in his third season as the head coach, Fast sees his teams getting deeper and more talented.

“I feel like last year towards the end of the season, because it was such a long winter, everyone was hanging on by a thread. You could tell because the men finished ninth and the women finished eighth,” Fast said.

“This year we have a full head of steam heading into the conference meet. Just about everyone on the team is performing at their best and ready to give a good effort.”

In addition to Bolgrien, the Vikings have several other women that could challenge for titles this weekend. Rose Tepper is a former champion in the high jump, and senior Emily Muhs is one of the league’s best in the 10,000 meters.

On the men’s side, Sam Stevens is one of the favorites in the steeplechase and also looks to place in both the 800 and 1,500. Freshman Nick Craker is ranked in the top eight in the league in both the shot put and discus, and senior Nick Kerkman is ranked fourth in the hammer throw. The Vikings could also do some damage in the 5,000 and 10,000 with the combination of Kyle Dockery and Curran Carlile.

Putting the hammer down

Kerkman broke his own school record in the hammer throw at the Viking Invitational last Saturday. Kerkman’s throw of 153 feet, 7 inches, broke his 2010 record of 145-1.

Big turnaround

With only Thursday’s doubleheader against Carroll University left, the Lawrence baseball team’s record stands at 14-19. That represents an 11-game improvement in the win column from 2011, and the most wins by the Vikings since the team won 14 games in 2006.

Lawrence needs two wins on Thursday to match the second-highest win total in school history. The 1979 team went 16-11, and the 1977 team went 21-10 to set the school record for victories.

Doares nabs pitching honor

Baseball standout Drew Doares has been named the Midwest Conference Pitcher of the Week.

The freshman from Holly Springs, N.C., earned the honor after tossing his second shutout of the season on May 5. In a 7-0 victory at Carroll University, Doares allowed only five hits, all singles.

The freshman pitcher struck out six and walked only one in a game that was completed in just one hour, 45 minutes. Doares allowed only two runners to advance as far as second base and none made it to third.

Doares, who also tossed a 1-0 shutout against Beloit College on April 21, improved to 4-5 on the season and lowered his earned run average to 5.20.

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.

Inside LU Athletics: Young pitchers showing the way for Vikings

The odds of having a successful baseball season with a starting staff made up of four freshmen are slightly better than the Publisher’s Clearinghouse prize van pulling into your driveway.

Lawrence University baseball coach Jason Anderson may want to consider buying a lottery ticket because he picked some winners this spring. With four first-year players in the starting rotation and another two freshmen playing key roles out of the bullpen, Lawrence seems to have turned a corner where its pitching staff is concerned.

The Vikings are 12-14 entering play this week, and Lawrence is 4-4 in the Midwest Conference’s North Division. With half of the conference games complete, Lawrence is battling for a spot in the MWC Tournament.

“All we talk about is throwing strikes,” Anderson said. “If we believe in that, we are just fine. The end result is we’ve had two shutouts this season.”

Starters Drew Doares, Kelton Jenkins, Atley Gay and Davis Ogilvie have combined with relievers Phil Clark and Dan Taylor to form a formidable freshmen force.

“They’ve made a nice progression, and we’ve really cut down our ERA this season,” Andersons said. “We want to have the hitters get themselves out.

On or out in four pitches is our mantra.”

Lawrence’s earned run average went from 11.18 in 2011 to 6.21 thus far in 2012. The more innings these young hurlers log, the lower that ERA is going. Since the team returned from its spring break trip to Florida, the ERA is 5.64 over the last 16 games.

The other big change from a season ago is the number of free passes issued by Lawrence. The Vikings walked an average of 7.3 batters per nine innings in 2011, and that is down to 5.5 in 2012.

“Our pitchers have been doing as well as can be expected,” said Jenkins, a native of Bainbridge Island, Wash., with a 2-3 record and 4.91 ERA. “We’ve had some great coaching, and there are a lot of people pushing us every day to improve. I knew coming in that we were going to be a pretty talented group, but we have truly risen to the occasion as a pitching staff and rallied behind each other.”

Gay, who hails from nearby Manitowoc, Wis., leads the team with a 3.48 ERA and has a 2-0 record on the season. He was chosen as the MWC Pitcher of the Week after picking up his first career win and save recently.

Doares, who came to Lawrence from Holly Springs, N.C., has a team-best three wins and a 4.46 ERA. He has struck out a team-best 28 and posted his first career shutout, a five-hit, 1-0 win over Beloit last Saturday. Ogilvie is the hardest thrower in the group and has a 1-3 mark with a 7.46 ERA.

“They are all very different and that’s why the staff is very good,” Anderson said.

Clark has posted a 2-1 record with a save and a 4.66 ERA while working strictly in relief. Clark, an Omro, Wis., native whose brothers Louie and Jordan were both stars for the Vikings, came in as a position player but has found a home in the bullpen. Taylor, who came from a very small California high school, has pitched from the bullpen and played in the field. He is 0-2 with a 7.50 ERA.

“I didn’t think I would have six,” Anderson said. “The reality is that I thought three of them would be huge contributors this year.”

After winning only three games a season ago, the Vikings are four times better than that already this season. Lawrence also split the four-game series with both defending conference champion Ripon College and defending North Division champ Beloit. The pitching has been a big part of that, and Jenkins believes this young group will continue to improve.

“We can be as good as we want,” Jenkins said. “I see the sky as the limit. As long as we keep pitching with confidence, good things will happen. The goal for this year was to make it to (the conference tournament) so I’m pretty focused on that, but I imagine we’ll only go up from there, especially as we get more college experience under our belts.”

Anderson said it is up to the pitchers to decide their level of excellence.

“The answer lies within the guys,” Anderson said. “It depends on how hard they work in the off-season. My goal for those guys is to be pushing to be on the all-conference team. Baseball is about pitching and they are all buying into it.”

Streaking Vikings

Lawrence saw its baseball win streak stop at seven games after winning the opening game of last Saturday’s doubleheader against Beloit. That matches the seven-game win streak the 1980 squad put together.

Running with the big boys

Sam Stevens and Kyle Dockery will face their toughest competition of the season when they travel to the Hillsdale College Gina Relays this week.

Stevens will run the 3,000-meter steeplechase on Friday, and Dockery will run the 10,000 meters on Thursday against an elite field featuring multiple Division I athletes. Stevens is coming off a win in the steeplechase at UW-La Crosse last Friday, and Dockery won the 5,000 last Saturday at St. Norbert.

Tennis records fall

The women’s tennis team beat UW-Stevens Point 8-1 last Saturday to set a season record for victories. Lawrence finished 14-8 to top the record of 13 wins set in 2005 and again in 2008.

Senior No. 1 singles player Beth Larson finished her season with an impressive 24-3 record and eclipsed the season wins record of 21 set by Appleton native Linda Tomtshak in 1985.

Feeling left out

The men’s tennis team tied for first place in the North Division with Carroll University and St. Norbert. All three teams had a 2-1 record and a 1-1 mark against each other, but Lawrence came up short in the tiebreaker of total matches won.

Carroll and St. Norbert won the tiebreaker and will play in the four-team MWC Tournament on Friday. Lawrence will go for individual singles and doubles titles on Saturday and Sunday at Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison, Wis.

Lawrence finished sixth in the MWC Championships a season ago.

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.

Inside LU Athletics: Murray powers Vikings’ offense and pitching staff

They broke the cardinal rule, but the sporting gods were on the side of pitcher Shannon Murray.

The Lawrence University softball team was in the midst of blowing out Grinnell College last Saturday at the Midwest Conference Classic when pitching coach Ron Harke asked head coach Kim Tatro what she thought about pulling Murray. The Vikings were in the first of three games on Saturday, and Murray would definitely be needed to pitch later in the day.

“We were talking about making a change in the fourth inning,” Tatro said, “and I said, ‘You know she’s got a no-hitter going.’ ”

Tatro figured that would jinx it, but Murray cruised through the rest of the contest to post her second career no-hitter and only the third in Lawrence history. It is the latest highlight this season for Murray, who leads the team in hitting and is the Vikings’ top pitcher.

“To be honest, it would not have been possible without the entire team,” a modest Murray said of her no-hitter. “We shut them down defensively, and offensively we hit the ball right away.”

It’s her offense that makes Murray very unique among softball pitchers. A junior from Lawrenceville, Ga., Murray leads the team with a .441 batting average, but she is far from a singles hitter. Murray has a team-high eight doubles, is tied for the team lead with two triples and has a team-best 19 runs batted in.

“In terms of being pretty dominant in both areas, that doesn’t happen very often,” Tatro said. “Pitchers often grow up with the mindset that they are going to pitch, and that’s what they’re going to do well. They don’t often become the type of hitter that Shannon is where you can hit for power and hit for average. From that standpoint, she’s pretty unique.”

Murray is oblivious to the numbers she’s posting. In five games last week, the young woman from Georgia nicknamed Peach by her teammates hit a blistering .571 and had a 1.000 slugging percentage.

“To be honest, I don’t really keep up with the numbers. It takes the fun out of the game for me,” Murray said. “I couldn’t tell you if it was my best season, but it’s been productive. I try to go up there and do what’s productive for the team.”

Murray also has been the workhorse of the pitching staff by throwing 80.1 of of Lawrence’s 131 innings this season.

“I don’t care who you’re playing, to throw a no-hitter is pretty special,” Tatro said. “The mindset was to get the day off on a good note and get Shannon going. The idea to start the day was to throw her and then come in with someone else if we got a lead.”

The no-hitter threw a wrench in those plans, but that’s not the first time this season the Vikings have seen the best-laid plans altered. Murray was expected to form a great 1-2 pitching punch with senior Emily Perish, but an injury has sidelined Perish for the nearly a month.

“It’s definitely different without Em,” Murray said. “We came into the season not knowing what the freshmen were going to be like. The two freshmen have done a great job of stepping up. As a pitching staff, we’re a good working team.”

Perish’s injury has left Murray as the staff ace with freshmen Kara Vance and Liz Barthels lending a hand. Murray, who hasn’t pitched with a lot of luck this season (almost one-third of the runs she has allowed are unearned), is 5-8 with a 4.36 earned runs average.

“When Shannon came in, we were equally impressed with her skills from an offensive and defensive perspective,” Tatro said. “She has evolved into a team leader and one of the most competitive players we have on our team come game time.”

That competitive fire has left Murray wanting more this season. The young Vikings have struggled to a 6-15 record, but Murray believes the team is capable of piling up some victories.

“Sometimes we’re thinking so much about what we need to do on the field that we’re not doing it,” Murray said. “We’re focusing on just playing and just doing. If we can do that, we will start to have some more wins.”

The Vikings enter a busy stretch where they will play 12 games in the next 11 days.

Stormy weather

The Midwest Conference Classic was canceled after one day of play in Waukegan, Ill., this past weekend. The Classic pits the North Division teams against their South Division rivals and the games count in the conference standings. Because all of Sunday’s scheduled play was washed out and will not be made up, all three of Saturday’s games will not count in the conference standings.

Aces in the house

Ironically, the only other player in Lawrence softball history to toss a no-hitter, Lauren Kost, just happened to be at Murray’s no-hitter against Grinnell. Kost, a 2005 Lawrence graduate, lives in the Chicago area and went to the MWC Classic, which was being played in Waukegan, Ill., for the first time.

Streaking Vikings

The Lawrence baseball team has run its win streak to six games, and that is the longest season winning streak for the Vikings (10-12) since 1980. The 1980 squad won seven straight, and the longest win streak is nine games, which began at the end of the 1988 season and continued into the start of the 1989 season.

Vikings sweep honors

Lawrence baseball standouts Gabe Henriques and Atley Gay swept the Midwest Conference Performer of the Week awards. Henriques, a junior infielder from Chicago, Ill.,was named Player of the Week, and Gay, a freshman right-hander from Manitowoc, Wis., was chosen as Pitcher of the Week.

Henriques led Lawrence to a 6-0 record on the week by hitting .500 (10-for-20) with seven runs batted in. Henriques scored 10 runs and collected two doubles, a triple and a homer.

Gay picked up his first collegiate win and his first collegiate save during the week. Gay went the distance in Lawrence’s 11-1 win at Finlandia University this past Saturday to get his first win. He allowed two hits, struck out four and didn’t walk a batter. Gay earned his first save by pitching the final inning of Lawrence’s 8-5 victory over the Milwaukee School of Engineering last Wednesday.

Tennis records fall

Lawrence women’s tennis star Beth Larson broke one school record last Saturday, and the Vikings tied another in a 9-0 nonconference victory over Concordia (Wis.) University at the Lawrence Courts.

Larson, Lawrence’s No. 1 singles player, beat Concordia’s Meagan Harrington 6-3, 6-2, to record her 22nd victory of the season. That breaks the record of 21 set by Appleton native Linda Tomtshak in 1985.

Lawrence (13-7) picked up its 13th dual meet victory of the season and that ties the mark set by the Vikings in 2005 and 2008.

Inside LU Athletics: Vikings take a step forward on diamond

Splitting a four-game series to open the Midwest Conference baseball season may seem like equal parts satisfaction and disappointment.

It would be tough to blame Lawrence University is they were feeling more satisfied than disappointed with going 2-2 against Ripon College.

It marked the first time since 2000 that the Vikings won more than one game during a season against the Red Hawks, and Lawrence (4-12, 2-2 MWC) now has more conference wins and more total wins in 2012 than it had all of last season.

“That is a big step forward,” Lawrence coach Jason Anderson said. “To split with the defending conference champions, looking at it a few days later, we’re pretty pleased with getting a split.

“We were happy but we weren’t satisfied. There was a pretty big level of disappointment because we felt like we missed (winning the final game of the series). That really shows that we’re maturing. The level of expectation for each other has gone up a lot and that’s nice to see.”

Anderson is in his fourth season with the Vikings, and in many ways he was rebuilding the program. The Vikings hadn’t had a full recruiting class for two seasons when Anderson took over in 2009, and this year’s squad is still dominated by underclassmen.

“Almost everyone who played last year was a freshman or a sophomore. We were very inconsistent as individuals. One or two guys having a bad day doesn’t allow you to win baseball games,” Anderson said.

“That level of consistency with guys who have played a year or two of college baseball has gone up.”

The Vikings are regularly starting their one senior, third baseman/pitcher Eric Bohling, juniors Davide Harris, Gabe Henriques, Phil Wisniewski and Alex Brewer, sophomores Sam Kossow and Darvis PridGeon and freshmen Joel Birch and Jake Gordon.

Bohling is leading the team in hitting at .358 and Harris is close behind at .355. Henriques is next at .344 and leads the team with 13 runs batted in. Wisniewski is at .340 and has a team-best eight doubles.

The biggest issue in 2011’s 3-32 season was pitching. The pitching staff is larger this season and it is freshmen Drew Doares, Davis Ogilvie, Kelton Jenkins and Atley Gay that are spearheading this group.

“Our freshmen are pitching pretty close to their potential, but it takes some adjustment to pitch at the college level,” Anderson said. “You can’t always get a guy out with the fastball so you have to have something else in your pocket there.

“We have cut our ERA almost in half because we’re throwing more strikes. Our biggest disappointment this year has been our defense. We need to throw even more strikes and get better on defense to keep improving.”

With the solid start to the Midwest Conference season in hand, Lawrence has six nonconference games before resuming league play against Beloit on April 21. Anderson believes this stretch of games allows the Vikings to get some more experience on the mound and solve some defensive issues.

“We’re in a good spot right now, but we need to get better,” Anderson said. “We’re in a spot where we’re not behind the eight ball (to start the conference season). If we throw strikes and take care of the baseball, we can play with anyone.”

Henriques ranked

Henriques, a junior infielder from Chicago, is ranked in the top 25 nationally in a pair of statistical categories. Henriques is tied for 24th at 0.19 triples per game, and he is tied for 25th in toughest to strike out. Henriques has struck out only twice in 64 at-bats this season.

Dunn wins MWC honor

Lawrence men’s tennis standout Jason Dunn was named the Midwest Conference Player of the Week. Dunn, a Fond du Lac native, went 2-0 on the week at No. 1 singles as Lawrence split a pair of matches.

Dunn beat UW-Whitewater’s Byron Balkin 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (10-8) and then pounded John Rolando of Rock Valley 6-0, 6-3. Dunn, who improved his season singles record to 10-9, also split a pair of No. 1 doubles matches with partner Max Zlevor.

Closing in on 300

Lawrence softball coach Kim Tatro has a chance to hit 300 career victories this week. Tatro, in her 19th season at Lawrence, has a career record of 296-270-1.

Tatro is a six-time Midwest Conference North Division Coach of the Year and has won more games (387, 296 in softball, 91 in volleyball) than any coach in Lawrence history. She coached the Vikings to MWC championships in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

Lawrence plays at St. Norbert on Wednesday before traveling to the Midwest Conference Classic in Waukegan, Ill., for five games against the South Division on Saturday and Sunday.

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.

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.

Inside LU Athletics: Vikings set for Harris Cup showdown

The Lawrence University hockey team has reached the point of the season where it’s one and done so the Vikings are clearly focusing on the one and not the done.

Lawrence heads to Adrian College this weekend for the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association Harris Cup semifinals. The Vikings face the host school, Adrian, in one of Saturday’s semifinals, and MSOE takes on Marian University in the other.

The prize at the end of Sunday’s championship game is the Harris Cup and a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

“As has been the case all year, one game at a time,” Lawrence head coach Mike Szkodzinski said. “It may be cliché, but at this time of the year, clichés are real.”

Lawrence (13-10-4) has embraced a certain style of play and has seen results by winning eight of its last 10.

“The real challenge this time of year is staying focused on the task at hand,” said Szkodzinski, who has 21 freshmen or sophomores on the team. “Our team has bought into the idea of focusing on the plan, and the results will take care of themselves. We have lofty goals, but we can’t reach those goals without taking care of what’s directly in front of us.”

Standing in Lawrence’s path is MCHA champion Adrian (19-5-1), the 2011 national runner-up. The sixth-ranked Bulldogs aren’t quite the scoring juggernaut they have been in recent seasons, but Adrian remains a formidable foe.

Slowing down Adrian is the task for freshman goaltender Peter Emery and the Lawrence defensemen.

“Our total team defense has been very consistent over the past 10 games,” Szkodzinski said. “Peter has been there when we need him, especially in overtime last Saturday, but our defense has also been there for him as well. Our program is built on solid team defense and we think we have the talent to execute that philosophy.”

Emery is 12-8-3 on the season with a 2.39 goals against average and .924 save percentage. Over the last 10 games to which Szkodzinski referred, Emery has been even better with a 1.97 GAA and .937 save percentage.

“We have been fairly consistent since the beginning of January,” Szkodzinski said. “We have really done a good job limiting the ‘grade A’ chances against us, and Emery has made some big stops at key times. The confidence in the defense has led to our forwards being a bit more aggressive in the offensive zone as well.”

Lawrence has seen an uptick in its offense in the last 10 games with an average of 3.6 goals per game. Over the first 17 games, the Vikings averaged only 2.7 goals per contest. That extra one goal per game has helped Lawrence forge an 8-1-1 record in the last 10 contests.

Junior forward Brad Scurfield has scored six goals and handed out 10 assists for 16 points in the last 10 games. On the season, Scurfield has 12 goals and a team-high 19 assists for a team-leading 31 points. Scurfield’s linemates, Matt Hughes (15-11-26) and Phil Bushbacher (13-12-25), are second and third, respectively, on the team in scoring.

The other factor that really stood out in Lawrence’s MCHA quarterfinal playoff series win over Finlandia University last weekend was the Vikings’ physical play. Lawrence took it to the Lions with some bone-crunching hits, and that seemed to set the tone for the Vikings’ play all weekend.

“We try to play aggressively in all three zones and part of that means taking the body,” Szkodzinski said. “We talk about ‘separating and eliminating’ the opponents from the puck and the play. To do that, we need to be physical and compete at a high level.”

The Vikings will need to play at that high level to beat any of the three teams this weekend. In Lawrence’s eight total games this season with Adrian, MSOE and Marian, the goal differential stands at zero. Lawrence lost a pair of 3-2 games in its only meetings with Adrian this season.

“Our big players need to make big plays at key moments,” Szkodzinski said of matchup against Adrian. “Our role players need to do their jobs relentlessly. If we execute our game plan, this will be a very competitive game once again and hopefully we can get a big play at the right time.”

Making the grade

The Lawrence cross country teams were named United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Scholar Teams for the third consecutive year.

The Lawrence women had a 3.40 team grade point average, and the men were at 3.38. To be eligible for the award, a team must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.10 through the fall term.

Stevens takes title

Junior Sam Stevens continued his great year by taking a title at the Midwest Conference Indoor Championships this past weekend. Stevens, who won the individual title and led Lawrence to the conference cross country championship in the fall, won the 5,000 meters in 15:21.93.

Stevens also ran to a third-place finish in the 3,000 and anchored the second-place distance medley relay team.

Bolgrien runs to record

Freshman Anna Bolgrien finished third in the 60-meter hurdles at the MWC Championships this past weekend and set a school record with a time of 9.58 seconds.

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.

Inside LU Athletics: Vikings point toward MCHA playoffs

The Lawrence University hockey team won the battle last weekend, but winning the war is firmly on their minds.

The Vikings won both games in the Battle of Highway 41 series with Marian University last weekend. The two wins propelled Lawrence into a first-place tie with the Sabres in the Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association’s Northern Division. Lawrence and Marian are tied with 19 points, but the Vikings won the season series (2-0-2) with the Sabres and own the tiebreaker.

With four regular-season games remaining, the Vikings now control their own destiny when it comes to winning the Northern Division title. The division title gives that team a bye into the semifinals of the MCHA’s Harris Cup, where a NCAA Division III Tournament berth is at stake.

“It sounds cliché, but we really do focus on getting better each day,” Lawrence coach Mike Szkodzinski said. “Our team undoubtedly wants to compete for a championship, but it is one step at a time right now. If we stick with our plan, the results will be there.”

The results show the Vikings riding a season-best four-game winning streak right now. Last weekend’s victories marked the first time the Vikings had defeated Marian since the final game of the 2006-07 season.

“We have had some program-building wins in the past against great teams like UW-Stevens Point, UW-Eau Claire, and St. Scholastica,” Szkodzinski said. “This series was probably the first time we have been able to put back-to-back big games together other than in the playoffs. It certainly meant a lot to our senior class to win both games.”

The Vikings collected the Battle of Highway 41 trophy, a 40-pound metal prize that the Sabres had held for the last two seasons, with the wins over Marian. Lawrence continued to show some of the traits against Marian that have provided the Vikings a formula for success.

“Our overall team defense has been very solid over the past eight, nine games,” Szkodzinski said. “We are paying attention to the details, taking away time and space, making it difficult for the opponent to gain ice, and we are protecting the puck well right now. Our goaltender has also given us a chance each night to get two points.”

The goaltender, freshman Peter Emery, pushed his season record to 9-7-2 with a 2.45 goals against average and .924 save percentage. Emery is on pace to break the season save percentage record (.918, Evan Johnson, 2008-09) and has a shot to reach the season wins record (13, Evan Johnson, 2010-11).

The Vikings are allowing only 3.10 goals per game, which would be second in school history to the 2.43 the Vikings gave up in 2008-09.

While the defense has been outstanding, the Vikings knew the offense would have a blue-collar feel. With no Gretzky-like scoring machine on the team, the Vikings have been scoring by committee. Szkodzinski hopes his team broke out a bit after scoring a season-best six goals this past Saturday.

“We still have a hard time putting the puck in the net at times,” Szkodzinski said. “It started to turn a little bit there on Saturday, but we know we have to be demanding at the net front to put goals on the board. Our guys have been working at finishing their rebound chances on a daily basis lately.”

Senior forward Matt Hughes is tops on the team with 13 goals, and junior forward Brad Scurfield leads the team with 24 points. Lawrence has 16 players with at least one goal, but Hughes is the only one in double figures. Lawrence has averaged 4.0 goals per game over its four-game winning streak after averaging 2.7 in the first 17 contests.

The defense is playing tough and the offense is coming around, and that is all part of the plan to put together a championship-caliber team.

“Our team has had their goals set for the entire season,” Szkodzinski said. “The main goal each week is to prepare for the next game. Our guys believe that if we stick to that plan, the larger goals will take care of themselves.”

Emery wins again

For the second consecutive week, Emery claimed one of the MCHA’s weekly awards.

The freshman from Goleta, Calif., was named the Defensive Player of the Week after winning a pair of games against Marian. Emery was chosen as Freshman of the Week the previous week.

In the two games against Marian, Emery posted a .938 save percentage and a 2.40 goals against average.

Alumni hoops this weekend

The Lawrence men’s and women’s basketball programs have their alumni games on Saturday morning. The women’s game is set for 9:30 a.m., and the men’s game is at 11 a.m. More than two dozen former stars from the men’s program are set to play in their alumni game.

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.

Inside LU Athletics: Defense becomes calling card of Lawrence hockey

As much as fans love offense, coaches will tell you in virtually every sport that defense wins championships.

The Lawrence University hockey team is putting together that type of championship defense as it enters the final month of the season.

Lawrence has been outstanding over its past seven games against some quality competition, including four games against nationally ranked opponents.

“Since day one we’ve believed that senior leadership, team defense and chemistry are the keys to a successful season,” Lawrence coach Mike Szkodzinski said. “Right now, there‘s no doubt that our senior leadership has been outstanding and our defense has been steady.”

Over the past month, Lawrence has been outstanding in its own zone. The Vikings are allowing only 2.14 goals per game in the last seven contests and that includes shutouts over Augsburg and Northland.

“As a whole, we’re playing pretty well defensively in all three zones,” said senior defenseman Jameson Raymond. “Starting with our goalie to our (defensemen) to our forwards, we’re all playing pretty well.”

With four games against nationally-ranked Adrian and MSOE in that recent stretch, the Vikings endured three one-goal losses in those four.

“Even when we came out on the short end of the stick in the series vs. MSOE and Adrian, we strongly felt we’ve been playing some of the best hockey we’ve played in a long time,” Szkodzinski said.

“It’s a matter of scoring a big goal at the right time or making a save when we need it. The margin in our league has become so slim. That one play could be the difference in an entire series.”

Raymond is the type of player who gives the Vikings all those intangibles that make a difference in a tight game and is the leader of this group of young defensemen.

“Jameson takes away time and space from the opponents better than anyone in the league,” Szkodzinski said. “He’s able to see things three steps ahead of the other guys.”

The corps of defensemen includes only one other senior, Jesse Byam-Katzman, and All-Midwest Collegiate Hockey Association selection William Thoren, only a sophomore. New to the mix are freshmen Erik Soderlund, Kevin Killian, Cory Bastian and Kyle Forte, and all have all played key roles.

“The entire team fully embraced the fact that we were bringing in 17 new faces this season,” Szkodzinski said. “That allowed for our young men who are getting regular shifts to feel comfortable and confident.

“That closeness has shown itself over the past seven, eight games for us. The fact that our young men have not wavered from the system and completely embraced the way we have to play.”

Raymond said the upperclassmen knew they would need to play a role in incorporating the rookies in the mix.

“With only having two seniors, we took it upon ourselves to get the younger guys involved in the system, and how coach (Szkodzinski) wants us to play defense,” Raymond said. “They’ve taken to it well.”

The other big factor has been the play of freshman goaltender Peter Emery, who this week was named the MCHA Freshman of the Week for the second time this season.

“Peter has been very, very steady,” Szkodzinski said. “He has a lot of talent and is a big body who covers a lot of net. If he continues to keep his game simple, we will see good results.”

Emery has a 3-4-0 record in his last seven games, but he has a sparkling 2.15 goals against average and .932 save percentage in that stretch. On the season, he is 7-7-2 with a 2.46 GAA and .921 save percentage.

“There’s no doubt he’s a calming influence when he’s in the net. He has a demeanor that’s consistent and not a whole lot seems to rattle him. That’s a trait for a good goaltender,” said Szkodzinski, who heaped praise on goaltending coach Brian Garavaglia for Emery’s development.

Raymond said Emery has made the routine saves, and then he’s made a few that are simply spectacular.

“He (Emery) makes all the saves he should, and then he makes saves that he shouldn’t make,” Raymond said. “Those are the ones that matter.”

Record breaker

Junior Sam Stevens broke the Lawrence record in the 3,000 meters at the UW-Oshkosh Open last Friday. The Suamico, Wis., native won the event in 8:50.83, which broke the record of 8:53.58. The record was set way back in 1996 by Lawrence Hall of Famer Scott Sprtel.

Private champs

In the last tuneup before Lawrence hosts the Midwest Conference Championships on Feb. 17-19, the Vikings had three individual winners at the Wisconsin Private College Championships last Saturday at Carthage.

Peter Brengel and Cameron Gmehlin took titles in the 200-yard backstroke and 200 breaststroke, respectively. Brengel and Gmehlin teamed with Charlie Mann and Pat Vincent to win the 200 medley relay as well.

On the women’s side, freshman Taylor Winter won the 1,650 freestyle and took second in the 500 freestyle.

The Vikings were third in the team standings for both the men and women.

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.