Marshall Baseball

Tuesday NCAA Recaps: WKU, Morehead defeat border rivals

College Baseball

Matt Rice bats for WKU: BluGrass Baseball photo

Tuesday saw four Kentucky Division One schools take the field to mixed results. Bluegrass teams were a combined 2-2 on the day, but several individual players featured standout performances. Check out recaps of those games below, and remember the state’s two ranked teams (WKU and UofL) face off today:

  • Matt Payton wasted no time making his case for the on-field component of the Lowe’s Senior Class Award, which he was named a finalist for Tuesday. Payton was 3-6 with a home run, 2 RBI and three runs scored in Western Kentucky University‘s 14-7 blowout of Austin Peay. Matt Rice and Casey Dykes also homered for the Hilltoppers. Bowling Green native Jeremy Dobbs surrendered seven runs to his hometown team in two and one-third innings of relief for Austin Peay. (Box Score)
  • In the first of a two-game set in bordering Mountain State, Eastern Kentucky University suffered a 13-11 loss to West Virginia. The Colonels face Marshall Wednesday. Shortstop Richie Rodriguez was 4-5 with one RBI and three runs scored. Designated hitter Jacob Daniel and first baseman Anthony Ottrando each homered for EKU. (Box Score)
  • A nail-bitter extra-inning game quickly turned into a blowout in Murray State University‘s 20-17 loss to Evansville. The teams were tied at 14 entering the tenth innings, but Evansville scored six run in the top of the frame and the Breds managed just three in the bottom of the inning. Left fielder Zach Noonan was 4-7 with one RBI and four runs scored, and right fielder Daniel Hill and third baseman Cory Hodskins both homered for Murray State. (Box Score)
  • Center fielder J. D. Ashbrook had a career night for Morehead State University with a perfect 5-5 day at the plate. Ashbrook drove in two, scored twice and also reached base via a hit-by-pitch in the Eagles’ 15-6 win over Marshall. Shortstop Drew Lee, right fielder Cameron Flynn and first baseman Michael Bottoms each homered in the game for Morehead. Reliever Trey Smith earned his second save of the season with four scoreless innings out of the Eagles’ bullpen. (Box  Score)

Signing classes; Hot stove news; Hot Rods art program

College Baseball, High School Baseball, Major League Baseball, Minor League Baseball

Todd Wellemeyer; Photo from Wikimedia Commons

More early signing classes are starting to trickle in from the state’s universities. This week I’ll start breaking down those classes in a little more detail, but check out the releases from the two schools below with some more hot stove news:

  • EKU Sports reports the baseball Colonels have signed three freshman for 2011.
  • UofL Sports also announced four early signers for the baseball team.
  • Catcher Louie Helmburg of West Jessamine High School signed a LOI to play baseball at Marshall.
  • Bellarmine-alum Todd Wellemeyer tells Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch he plans to start somewhere next season, and a source says the Brewers are one of two teams to already express interest.
  • Joanie Baker Hendricks of the Bowling Green Daily News writes about the Hot Rods’ new art program with local students.