Monday, March 10, 2008

Thurs. 13 Baseball at Seton Hill (DH) 1 pm

Men's Basketball vs. Judson at NAIA National Tournament 11:15 am (EST) *

Fri. 14 Men's Basketball at NAIA National Tournament 1 pm (EST) *

Softball at Ohio Valley University Tournament

Men's Tennis (H) Ohio Northern University 1 pm

Sat. 15 Men's Basketball at NAIA National Tournament 4 pm (EST) *

Softball vs. Ohio Valley University 9 am

Sun. 16 Baseball at Shawnee State University (DH) 1 pm 

Times on all events are subject to change

* Game to broadcast live on AM 900 WCER, Internet www.wcer.us

MEN'S BASKETBALL: Cavs (25-4) 4th Seed at NAIA National Championships/Weems AMC South Player of the Year/Young AMC Coach of the Year

NAIA No. 4 Walsh (25-4) has been seeded fourth for the NAIA Division ll championships, which begin Wednesday (3/12) in Point Lookout, MO at the College of the Ozarks.  The Cavs meet Judson College (Ill.) (19-8) at 11:15 am EST on Thursday (3/13) in a first round game.  The winner meets the Northwood University (FL) (25-7)/Bluefield College (VA) (25-7) winner on Friday (3/14) at 1 pm EST.    All tournament games will be broadcast live on AM 900 WCER and on the Internet at www.wcer.us.

Walsh is making their fourth straight trip to division two championships and eighth overall.  Walsh won the NAIA National Championship in 2004-05, reached the Elite 8 in 2005-06 and the Sweet 16 last season.  Walsh brings a four-game winning streak to the tournament and has won 10 of their last 11 games.  Walsh has won its last three opening round games at the national tournament.  The last time they failed to win a first round game was 2001-02, when they fell 94-78 to Sioux Falls.  The Cavs were seeded eighth at the national tournament last year, third in 2005-06 and seventh when they won the championship in 2004-05.

Judson, the winner of the Chicagoland Collegiate Conference, is making their first trip to the tournament.  They defeated Cardinal Stritch 97-79 to win their first ever conference championship.  The Eagles will bring a five-game win streak to Missouri.  They received votes in the NAIA's final regular season poll.

Walsh has received two of the highest honors in the American Mideast Conference, as Brandon Weems (5-10, Sr., Akron, OH/St. Vincent-St. Mary) has been selected South Player of the Year and Head Coach Jeff Young, AMC Coach of the Year.  This is the first such honor for Weems, while Young is earning the award for the second time.  Young was selected AMC and NAIA Coach of the Year in 2004-05, when Walsh won its first national championship. 

Weems was not alone in being honored by the AMC, as five of his teammates were also selected to the team. Weems is the first Cavalier since Robert Whaley (2004-05) to win player of the year accolades and the seventh all-time. After leading the NAIA in assists last season (7.4), Weems has put together another outstanding season.  He leads the AMC in assists (6.1) and is sixth nationally.  He has directed a Cavalier offense to 83.9 ppg and an AMC leading assist to turnover ratio.  Weems is averaging a career best 11.8 points, while shooting .420 from three-point and a career-best .767 from the foul line.  Weems is also averaging 4.3 rebounds, while normally guarding the opponent’s best guard.  He has handed out 177 assists and committed only 52 turnovers, while playing a team-leading 33.1 minutes per games.  He carries a 3.4 assist to turnover ratio.  He has been named honorable mention the last two years and was selected to the All-Freshman Team in 2004-05.  He also went over the 1,000 mark this season.

Eder Araujo (7-0, Sr., Sao Paulo, Brazil/Odete de Freitas) joins Weems on the AMC's first-team.  He was a third-team selection last year and honorable mention his first year at Walsh.  Araujo leads the Cavs in scoring (14.4 ppg) and rebounding (8.8 rpg), while shooting a career best .503 from the field.  He is also shooting .346 from three-point and .716 from the line.  Eder was honored as the AMC and NAIA Player of the Week earlier this season, while also going over the 1,000 point mark.  He has also recorded a team-best eight double-doubles. 

Corey Jones (6-3, Sr., Avon Lake, OH/Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary) earned second-team honors for the third straight year.  The sharp shooting guard is having his best overall season and leads all of college basketball in three-point percentage (.570).  Jones is averaging 13.7 points per game, shooting a career high .534 from the field, and .875 from the stripe.  He is also averaging 3.1 rebounds, handed out 52 assists, and committed only 21 turnovers.  Jones, Weems and Araujo started all 29 games for the Cavs.

Junior Josh Johnson (6-4, Warren, OH/Harding) was named honorable mention.  This is his first selection to an AMC post season team.  Johnson is averaging a career best 10.4 points and 5.1 rebounds.  He has also put-up career numbers in field goal percentage (.477) and three-point percentage (.379).  Josh is shooting .750 from the foul line and has handed out 43 assists.

Jeremy Shardo (6-3, Yorkshire, OH/Versailles) and Lamar Skeeter (5-10, Dayton, OH/Kettering Fairmont) were each named to the AMC's All-Freshman Team.  Shardo has played in 22 games and averaged 4.0 points, while shooting .574 from the field, .520 from three-point and .778 from the line.  Skeeter has played in 28 games and averaged 7.0 points and 5.7 rebounds.  He is shooting .481 from the field and .429 from beyond the arc and is third on the team with 23 steals.

Eder Araujo leads the Cavs in scoring (14.4 ppg) and rebounding (8.8 RPG) and is shooting .503 from the floor.  Corey Jones (6-3, Sr., Avon Lake, OH/Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary), the NAIA's top three-point shooter at .570, is averaging 13.7 points, shooting .534 from the field, and is shooting a team-best .875 from the foul line.  Weems leads the AMC in assists (6.1) and is averaging 11.8 points and 4.3 rebounds.  Josh Johnson (6-4, Jr., Warren, OH/Harding) is averaging 104, points, 5-1 rebounds and is shooting .750 from the foul line. 

BASEBALL: Cavs 4-6 in Florida

Walsh finished 4-6 on their annual spring trip to Florida.  This week they are scheduled to play two games at Seton Hill University on Thursday and to open the American Mideast Conference season at Shawnee State University (DH) next Sunday.

Highlights of the Florida trip included an 11-3 romp over Siena Heights University.  Matt Marshall (Sr., New Boston, OH/Glenwood)  was one of three hitting stars for the Cavs, with two singles, a homerun and three RBI.  Jeff Nicholas (Sr., Navarre, OH/Perry) had two doubles and three RBI, and Duston Walter (So., Malvern, OH/HS) homered, doubled and drove in three runs.  Jared Roberts (Fr., Berea, OH/St. Ignatius) started and picked-up his first win, lasting four innings.  Eric Shimko (Fr., Canton, OH/McKinley) worked three scoreless innings in relief.

In a wild 7-6 loss to Saint Ambrose, Ryan Indorf (Sr., Massillon, OH/Washington) had five hits, which included a double, triple and two RBI.  Steve Weirich (So., Minerva, OH/HS) pitched a complete game 7-hit shutout, in a 5-0 win over Webber International last Tuesday.  Weirich fanned four and walked only one in picking-up his first win of the season.  Freshman Luke Yetzer (Mansfield, OH/Madison) picked-up his first collegiate win, lasting 5.1 innings and scattering seven hits with four strikeouts in a 5-3 win over Bethel College.   Left-hander Mike Schaeffer (Waynesburg, OH/Sandy Valley), also a freshman, worked the final 1.2 innings to earn his first collegiate save.

SOFTBALL: Cavs (7-3) Open Season with Bang

Walsh (1-1) opened the season with a bang, finishing 7-3 in Florida.  This Friday and Saturday they compete at the Ohio Valley University Tournament.

Dana Hartings (Sr., Chicksaw, OH/Marion Local) was spectacular on the trip, having a hand in all seven wins.  Hartings was 5-1 with two saves.  She fanned 11 in a win over Ferrum, and four in a complete game victory over St. Francis (IL).  She also recorded five strikeouts in a win over Indiana Wesleyan.  Hartings also helped herself with four RBI in the win over Muhlenberg.

Krystal Sherry (So., Brunswick, OH/Holy Name) hit two homeruns and drove in five runs against St. Francis and was 4-4 with a triple and four RBI in a loss to King.  Laura Schmidt (So., Canton, OH/Jackson), Kelly Jackson (Sr., Akron, OH/Ellet), Alyssa Knupp (Fr., Massillon, OH/Tuslaw), Ashley Hoover (Fr., Louisville, OH/Alliance), Rachel Harter (Fr., East Canton, OH/HS), Brittany Sostre (Fr., Parma, OH/Valley Forge), Chelsea Saunders (So., Hinckley, OH/Highland) and Shannon Spellacy (So., Brunswick, OH/HS) all had two hit games on the trip.

MEN'S TENNIS: Cavs (2-3) Win Twice at Hilton Head

Walsh won both of their matches while in Hilton Head, South Carolina last week.  The Cavs defeated Roanoke (5-4) and Covenant (6-3).  This Thursday they host Ohio Northern University (1 pm).

Stephen Webster (Sr., Mansfield, OH/Lexington) is 6-2 at first singles, which includes three wins at the University of Charleston Invitational.  Greg Kerschbaum (Sr., Elyria, OH/HS) is 4-4 at second singles, Gary Innes (Randburg, South Africa/Kings School) is 4-4 at third singles, Jake Allmaras (Powell, OH/Olentangy Liberty) is 1-6 at fourth singles, Casey Eck (Jr., North Canton, OH/Hoover) is 4-4 at fifth and sixth singles, Matt Jeffries (Fr., Canton, OH/GlenOak) is 3-3 at sixth singles and Curtis Kugler (Fr., Dover, OH/HS) is 2-0 at fifth singles.  The Cavs have used numerous combinations at doubles.  Webster and Innes are 5-0 at first doubles, Kerschbaum and Allmarars are 5-0 at second doubles and Jeffries and Eck are 3-2 at third doubles.

WOMEN'S TENNIS: Cavs (1-4) Split at Hilton Head

Walsh split two matches at Hilton Head, South Carolina and stand 1-4 on the season.  After starting 0-3, the Cavs picked-up their first win of the season over Covenant (6-3), before closing the trip with a 1-9 loss to UNC-Pembroke.

Jenamarie Ianni (Jr., North Canton, OH/Hoover) is winless (0-5) at first singles.  Kristen Cady (Jr., Canton, OH/GlenOak) is 1-4 at second singles, Megan Navarre (Sr., Indianapolis, IN/Center Grove) is 2-2 at third singles, Jen Yost (So., Massillon, OH/Jackson) is 1-4 at third, fourth and fifth singles, Hilary Rossi (So., Warren, OH/John F. Kennedy) is 2-3 at fourth and fifth singles and Julia Kole (Fr., Mississauga, ONT/St. Aloysius Gonzaga) is 1-2 at sixth singles.  The Cavs have used numerous doubles combinations.

MEN'S TRACK: McKee, Groholy Compete at NAIA Indoor Nationals

\WOMEN'S TRACK: Cofojohn Misses Finals