May 01, 2008
20 Wins
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Thank You Seniors
A sincere thank you goes out from the coaching staff to seniors Shaun Rico (Phoenix, AZ - Desert Vista HS) and Mike Schultz (Crown Point, IN - Crown Point HS) for their dedication to the program and four great years as Wabash baseball players.
Mike, a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and a two year letterman, spent 3 seasons as a pitcher in the program before focusing his efforts this year on coaching. Mike did an outstanding job this season working with our pitchers on a daily basis, as seen in our staff pitching statistics for 2008. After graduation, Mike will return to Wabash to continue in his position as pitching coach for the Little Giants. I am sure he has a bright career ahead of him in the world of college coaching.
Shaun, a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and a three year letterman, has been our everyday first baseman for the past three seasons. Voted Offensive Player of the Year by his teammates in 2008, Shaun had a stellar year at the plate (7 HRs and 35 RBIs) with a number of game changing hits and defensive plays throughout the season. The Rico family has been involved with Wabash Baseball since Shaun's older brother Nick began his career here in 2003.
Thank you to these two fine young men who have made a difference at Wabash and in the baseball program for the past four years. #22 and #19 will be remembered for many years to come.
Posted by stevensc at 05:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
2008 Wabash Baseball Awards
The following players received awards, as voted on by members of the team, for the 2008 season. Congratulations to the players listed below for all of their hard work and dedication.
Most Valuable Player: Keegan Leckrone '10
Pitcher of the Year: Keegan Leckrone '10
Most Improved Player: Keegan Leckrone '10
Offensive Player of the Year: Shaun Rico '08
Gold Glove Award: Matt Dodaro '09
Mental Attitude Award: Nathan Schrader '10
Posted by stevensc at 05:28 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
April 04, 2008
Wabash vs. North Central @ U.S. Steel Yard
The Little Giants will return to the U.S. Steel Yard, home of the Gary Southshore RailCats of the Northern League, for the second consecutive year. Wabash will take on the North Central College Cardinals of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin at 7:00pm on Thursday, April 10th. Both colleges plan alumni events prior to the game, which should provide a great atmosphere for college baseball. The battle for 'The Hammer' is a reunion of sorts for coaches on both sides of the field. Jared Bogan '06 is currently a graduate assistant baseball coach for the Cardinals after serving as my assistant at Wabash last year and having a stellar baseball career for the Little Giants. In addition, I spent my college baseball career at North Central, as a 2000 graduate, under current Northern Illinois head baseball coach Ed Mathey. It should be a great event! We hope to see you out at the Steel Yard!
For more information on the RailCats or the U.S. Steel Yard, please visit their website at www.railcatsbaseball.com/home.asp.
The Northwest Indiana
Association of Wabash Men
You and your guest(s) are cordially invited to a
Pre-game Reception
Bennigan’s Grill & Tavern
(at U.S. Steel Yard)
500 East 5th Avenue
Gary, In 46402
219-880-0566
Thursday, April 10, 2008
5:30 p.m.— 7:00 p.m. (game time)
$5 per person for hors d’oeuvres and non alcoholic drinks (cash bar)
Come enjoy conversation with Wabash alumni, parents, and friends and then watch the Little Giant baseball team battle the Cardinals from North Central College.
Wabashvs. North Central (7:00 p.m.)
RSVPno later than April 7 by contacting Heather Bazzani at 765-361-6360 or
bazzanih@wabash.edu. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.
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April 01, 2008
Keegan Leckrone '10 NCAC Pitcher of the Week
Congratulations to Keegan Leckrone '10 (Park Forest, IL - Rich East H.S.) for being named North Coast Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week on March 31st. As a freshman, Keegan came to Wabash as a catcher/pitcher, but quickly focused his efforts solely on pitching after the fall of '06. He has worked extremely hard since that time to make himself into a force on our pitching staff. The official release from Sports Information Director Brent Harris is listed below.
"Wabash sophomore Keegan Leckrone has been named the North Coast Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week.
The righthander out of Park Forest, Illinois and Rich East High School rebounded from his loss as a starter at Illinois Wesleyan with two wins in relief over the weekend against Case Western Reserve. He worked five innings without surrendering a hit while walking two batters and striking out eight. Leckrone improved to 4-1 for the season with a 1.88 earned run average. He allowed only three hits in a start against Illinois Wesleyan Wednesday afternoon, taking the loss in an 8-0 game won by the Titans.
Leckrone leads the league in lowest opponents batting average with a mark of .173. He is third in the NCAC in ERA at 1.88 in eight appearances with 24 inning pitched and is tied for first in wins with a mark of 4-1 for the season."
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March 25, 2008
Shaun Rico '08 NCAC Player of the Week
Congratulations to senior Shaun Rico '08 for being named NCAC Baseball Player of the Week on March 24th. Shaun, whose brother Nick also played in the program for four years, is a testament to what a Wabash baseball player should be. Shaun has worked tirelessly during the fall, off-seasons, summer, and spring season to make himself the best player he can possibly be. I am sure we will see great things from him in the weeks to come. Shaun is also a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Below is the Brent Harris article which details Shaun's weekend at Ohio Wesleyan and appears on the Wabash website. Great work Shaun!
"Wabash senior first baseman Shaun Rico has been named the North Coast Athletic Conference Baseball Player of the Week for his efforts in the Little Giants' 3-1 series victory over Ohio Wesleyan.
The Phoenix, Arizona and Desert Vista High School product hit three home runs, drove in eight runs, and hit .308 to guide the Little Giants to their overall series win over Ohio Wesleyan. Rico's three-run homer with two outs in the top of the seventh Saturday afternoon gave Wabash a 3-2 victory after scoring a 5-1 win in the opening game. Rico hit a two-run homer in Sunday's first game that became the difference in a 9-6 win for Wabash.
Rico finished the series with a 1000.00 slugging percentage. His three home runs in the series were as many as he had in one season as a sophomore. Rico has doubled his career total with his five home runs this season (3 as a sophomore, 2 as a junior). His eight RBIs against OWU were over half as many as his total last season (14). He is now tied for ninth on the Wabash career home run list with 10."
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March 10, 2008
Reflections on Spring Trips
With nine games under our belts and the northern portion of our schedule ready to begin, the coaching staff is excited about what we saw in North Carolina, Texas, and Mississippi. Anytime you play competition who already has significant game experience as a result of their climate, you know you will be challenged. The Little Giants faced some great teams during our southern tour. Guilford, University of Dallas, Schreiner, Texas Lutheran, Rhodes, and Millsaps were all tough competitors and a pleasure to play. We are confident from scheduling southern teams, that we will be well prepared for the always tough North Coast Athletic Conference. Now it's time to gear up for the balmy conditions of Central Indiana in March. We hope to see you all at the ballpark!
Posted by stevensc at 05:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
