Posts Tagged ‘College baseball’
Crim: Former QU baseball coach releases book on his quarter-century spent scouting for MLB teams
QUINCY — One book is out, another is on the way. Former Quincy University baseball coach Jim Pransky has published a memoir based largely on the 25 years he spent as a scout for five Major League Baseball organizations. In “Baseball’s Test of Spirit: A Man’s Unlikely Odyssey into the Scouting World,” Pransky writes about…
Read MoreFormer QU All-American Croes will start in American Association All-Star Game
QUINCY — Make it two for two for Dayson Croes. An All-American infielder while playing for the Quincy University baseball team, Croes recently earned his second all-star honor in his second season playing professional baseball. He was named a starter for the West Division for the American Association of Professional Baseball All-Star Game. Croes, who…
Read MoreKasparie sees ‘a lot of opportunity’ to grow his game with Purdue Fort Wayne baseball program
QUINCY — Engage Ben Kasparie in a conversation about baseball if you get the chance. What you will discover is a player whose appreciation for the craft is as strong as his spirit to compete. “A swing is like painting a picture,” said Kasparie, a graduate of Quincy Notre Dame and John Wood Community College…
Read MoreFormer QU assistant baseball coach becomes head skipper at NCAA Division II Saint Leo
SAINT LEO, Fla. — Josh Keim is climbing the coaching ladder. After four highly successful seasons at Black Hawk College in Moline, Ill., the former Quincy University assistant baseball coach was named the head coach at NCAA Division II Saint Leo University on Friday, replacing Rick O’Dette, who resigned June 13. Keim played for O’Dette…
Read MoreQuincy’s Kirn commits to West Virginia to play final season of collegiate baseball
QUINCY — Aside from the genuine interest the West Virginia University coaching staff showed in him, Griffin Kirn found another reason to believe he could succeed pitching for the Mountaineers. He saw what Derek Clark had done. A left-hander who transferred to West Virginia from NCAA Division II Northwood with one year of eligibility remaining,…
Read MoreQU’s Simpson receives first-team All-American honors, Palmyra’s Kroeger on second team
QUINCY — Austin Simpson’s ability to get on base was as good as anyone in the nation. The postseason honors he’s accumulating reflect that. The Quincy University redshirt junior first baseman was named a National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association first-team All-American this week, becoming the seventh first-team All-American in program history. Simpson, a native of…
Read MorePayson’s Loos receives first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference honors for EIU
CHARLESTON, Ill. — The work isn’t done, but the remarkable season Eastern Illinois University’s Lucas Loos has put together didn’t go unnoticed by the Ohio Valley Conference baseball coaches. Loos, a Payson Seymour graduate and former John Wood Community College third baseman, earned first-team All-OVC honors, the league announced Tuesday. Loos was named as a…
Read MoreKirn, Kroeger, Simpson collect All-Midwest Region honors from NCBWA
QUINCY — A pair of Quincy University baseball players and a Palmyra product earned first-team All-Midwest Region honors from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association. Hawks left-hander Griffin Kirn and Maryville left-hander Jacob Kroeger were two of the four first-team starting pitchers, while Hawks first baseman/designated hitter Austin Simpson was the first-team utility player. Simpson…
Read MorePalmyra’s Kroeger, Quincy’s Harbin help Maryville win Midwest Regional opener
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Noah Harbin wasn’t letting the lead slip away twice. The Quincy High School graduate was summoned from the bullpen with one out in the eighth inning Thursday and the Maryville University baseball team clinging to a one-run lead against Grand Valley State in the NCAA Midwest Regional at Greyhound Park. A pair…
Read MoreHawks run out of gas in GLVC championship game, miss chance to make NCAA Tournament
MARION, Ill. — Hope lasted about six hours. Following Sunday’s 11-1 loss to Maryville in the championship game of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament, the Quincy University baseball players had time before and after a four-plus-hour bus ride home from Mtn. Dew Park to believe they might still get in the NCAA Division II…
Read More‘I pretty much got every stitch of that ball’: Simpson’s walk-off grand slam sends Hawks into GLVC Tournament title game
MARION, Ill. — The steakhouse Austin Simpson and his parents visited Saturday night had a 12-ounce ribeye on the menu. “I ate the whole thing,” the Quincy University first baseman said. He knew he needed to order it when he saw how it was labeled. “It was actually called ‘The champion,’” he said. How fitting…
Read MoreNever count ’em out: Hawks force extra innings, defeat Greyhounds on Simons’ single in 11th
MARION, Ill. — Connor Simons hadn’t had an official at-bat in nearly a month as he recovered from a concussion suffered in the final game of the Quincy University baseball team’s regular-season series against Indianapolis. So consider this a little bit of payback for putting him on the shelf. Simons drove a breaking ball on…
Read More‘I’m not letting go’: QU’s Ortiz makes game-saving, diving catch in bottom of ninth
MARION, Ill. — JD Ortiz needs to see a video replay of his diving catch to understand just how catastrophic the play could have been and just how remarkable it truly was. All he knows is he was determined to make the play at all costs. “I’m on the floor and my neck and my…
Read MoreJWCC splits pair of Region 24 tournament games, faces ICC with chance to advance
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The John Wood Community College baseball team put itself in position to advance in the Region 24 Tournament by upsetting third-seeded Lincoln Land Community College 11-3 to start postseason play Friday. The Trail Blazers then suffered a 5-4 loss in 12 innings to Illinois Central College. JWCC (26-30) and ICC (24-33) meet…
Read MoreKroeger tosses six scoreless innings, helps Saints win opening-round game of GLVC Tournament
MARION, Ill. — Jacob Kroeger did what an ace does. He got the Maryville baseball team’s pursuit of a Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship started on the right foot, even if it happened 24 hours later than expected. The Palmyra, Mo., product threw six scoreless innings Thursday as the second-seeded Saints beat Rockhurst 9-3…
Read More‘That’s just the greatest feeling ever’: DuPont’s walk-off home run lifts Hawks in extra innings
MARION, Ill. — Dustin DuPont took off on a dead sprint toward first base, unsure where the ball he uncorked to right field would actually land. “It hit the back of the bullpen wall, but I thought it hit the fence,” the Quincy University catcher said. “I kind of started taking off a little more…
Read MoreHarrison, Hawks weather storm to pick up victory in first round of GLVC Tournament
MARION, Ill. — After left-handed reliever Roman Harrison navigated the top of the 10th inning without worry Wednesday, staff ace Griffin Kirn approached him in the dugout and asked if he was good to go back out for another inning. “I said, ‘No, we’re going to walk it off this inning,’” Harrison said. Not even…
Read MoreHawks’ Kirn receives GLVC Pitcher of the Year honor, while Broughton is league’s top freshman
QUINCY — Griffin Kirn proved unbeatable in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. David Broughton became the tone-setter for one of the GLVC’s hottest teams. The league’s coaches couldn’t ignore either player’s success. Kirn, the Quincy University baseball team’s left-handed ace, was named the GLVC PItcher of the Year on Tuesday night by a vote of…
Read MoreSchuckman: Relaxed play helps Hawks change outlook, open up world of possibilities
QUINCY — The game and everything about it felt tedious. None of the Quincy University baseball players will deny that. “When you’re getting your butt kicked, it is a chore,” first baseman Austin Simpson said. A five-run loss in the series finale against the University of Indianapolis on April 14 left the Hawks eight games…
Read MorePunctuating a sweep: Simpson’s homer caps Hawks’ perfect weekend against Prairie Stars
QUINCY — Austin Simpson knew he couldn’t go home empty-handed or he’d never live it down. His roommates — Dustin DuPont and Adam Lewis — both hit home runs Saturday in helping the Quincy University baseball team build an insurmountable lead in the finale of its Great Lakes Valley Conference series with Illinois-Springfield. So when…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Hawks head to GLVC Tournament riding high after perfect weekend
QUINCY — The Quincy University baseball team had reason to celebrate Saturday afternoon. Not only did the Hawks honor the seniors following the final home game of the regular season, but the 21-7 victory over Illinois-Springfield punctuated a weekend series sweep that earned the Hawks the No. 4 seed for the Great Lakes Valley Conference…
Read MoreHawks secure spot in GLVC Tournament with three wins, look to complete sweep
QUINCY — The situations were strikingly similar, the circumstances decidedly different and the outcomes remarkably the same. Credit Logan Mueller and Roman Harrison for each having a little Harry Houdini in their act. Mueller, a sophomore right-handed reliever, was summoned from the Quincy University baseball team’s bullpen with the bases loaded and one out in…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU takes tripleheader, building serious momentum with postseason on horizon
QUINCY — The Quincy University baseball team is heading toward the postseason with some steam. The Hawks won three games Friday — the resumption of Thursday’s suspended game and both ends of a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader — to secure their spot in the GLVC Tournament. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent time…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Hawks, Prairie Stars play five innings before thunderstorms shake QU Stadium
QUINCY — They waited as long as they could. Finally, the Quincy University baseball players had to leave QU Stadium before the threatening skies dumped rain and hail and ruined a Thursday afternoon at the ballpark. The Hawks and Illinois-Springfield were tied at 2 when lightning strikes within 7 miles of the stadium forced the…
Read MoreSchuckman: Hawks’ Boynton pours heart, soul, tears into chasing baseball dreams
QUINCY — The emotion spills out in ways Brock Boynton can’t always contain. Sometimes it’s a bat flip that goes a little too high or a little too far. Other times it’s the barbaric yawp everyone hears as he rounds the bases on a home run trot. And every now and then, it’s the toss…
Read MoreHuff and puff and blow Bearcats away: Hawks belt eight home runs in GLVC series finale
LEBANON, Ill. — Joe Huffman made certain the Quincy University baseball team went into the final week of the regular season with momentum. Jake Vitale helped ensure that, too. Huffman blasted three home runs Sunday and Vitale jacked two, the second of which gave the Hawks the lead for good in an 18-10 slugfest victory…
Read MoreBoynton’s blast highlights epic rally as Hawks earn split with Bearcats in rain-delayed doubleheader
SAUGET, Ill. — The Quincy University baseball team scored eight runs in the sixth inning of game two to earn a split of Saturday’s Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader against McKendree. The Hawks lost the first game 6-3 and rallied in a rain-delayed second game for an 8-6 victory at Grizzlies Ballpark. Weather forced the…
Read MoreAround the area: Dance, Trail Blazers sweep twinbill; Pirates, Eagles split doubleheader
VINCENNES, Ind. — Tyler Dance found his footing. The John Wood Community College freshman right-hander threw six scoreless innings Saturday, striking out eight and walking one as the Trail Blazers opened a four-game Mid-West Athletic Conference series with an 8-0 victory over Vincennes University. JWCC also won the nightcap of the doubleheader 14-4. Dance, a…
Read MoreQU baseball team’s offense continues hitting late-season stride, batters McKendree in series opener
LEBANON, Ill. — The Quincy University baseball team is doing what a team in contention for a Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament berth should be doing. The Hawks are pummeling the bottom feeders. After scoring 36 runs in a four-game sweep of Southwest Baptist last weekend, Quincy opened a four-game GLVC series with McKendree on…
Read MoreCrim: Pransky’s baseball journey takes him from coach to scout to author
QUINCY — Jim Pransky grew up in a secluded, rural area in northwest Pennsylvania near the New York border. The closest town was two miles away and few other kids were around. So, he threw baseballs at a pitch-back, listened to Yankees games on a transistor radio and voraciously read fictional sports series books by…
Read MoreRally enables Hawks to complete first weekend of sweep of season, continue building momentum
QUINCY — A rally. A sweep. And a new perspective. That’s what Sunday brought to the Quincy University baseball program. The Hawks erased a six-run deficit, took the lead with four runs in the seventh inning and finished off a 10-7 victory over Southwest Baptist at QU Stadium. With that, Quincy swept the four-game Great…
Read MoreMomentun-seizing home runs from Simpson, Broughton catapult Hawks to sweep
QUINCY — Austin Simpson and David Broughton put a charge into the Quincy University baseball team’s pursuit of a conference tournament berth. Simpson, the junior first baseman, jacked a three-run home run in the fifth inning of Saturday’s opener game of a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader against Southwest Baptist, erasing a two-run deficit and…
Read MoreBirthday bonanza: Kirn twirls gem, Hawks’ offense comes alive in victory over Bearcats to open series
QUINCY — Griffin Kirn would have been satisfied with a victory for his 22nd birthday. His performance on the mound became the icing on the cake. Kirn allowed just one run over six innings and struck out eight in the Quincy University baseball team’s 13-1 victory Friday over Southwest Baptist to open the four-game Great…
Read MoreHawks unable to find strike zone or complete sweep of Flyers
QUINCY — The chance at the first weekend sweep of the season got swept away, all because the Quincy University baseball team found itself playing chase all day. Five Hawks pitchers combined to walk six and hit six batters while allowing 12 earned runs in Sunday’s 14-2 loss to Lewis in the finale of the…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Hawks struggle to finish weekend with another GLVC victory
QUINCY — The Quincy University baseball team was unable to string together a third consecutive day of solid pitching and timely hitting, suffering a 14-2 loss to Lewis on Sunday in the finale of their Great Lakes Valley Conference series at QU Stadium. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent the day at the ballpark…
Read MoreOrtiz’s walk-off home run could be tide-turning moment Hawks need to change their season
QUINCY — Mark the date now. April 5, 2024. That’ll be the day the Quincy University baseball team points to as the turning point in its season. A bulldogged effort and a momentous swing made it so. Griffin Kirn’s complete game gave the Hawks a chance in the bottom of the ninth to rally from…
Read MorePhoto gallery: JWCC baseball team drops both ends of doubleheader to Parkland
QUINCY — Field conditions forced the Parkland baseball team to travel to John Wood Community College on Friday, but the Trail Blazers couldn’t take advantage of the home field. The Cobras swept the Mid-West Athletic Conference doubleheader, winning 8-6 and 5-4. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent some time at the ballpark and put…
Read MoreQU baseball team excels in all phases to win series finale against Rockhurst
QUINCY — Sunday looked more like the team Quincy University baseball coach Matt Schissel expected to see, not the team that has endured too many ups and downs so far. Seth West allowed one run over five innings, the offense drove the ball into gaps and moved runners, and the defense didn’t commit an error…
Read MoreBullpen narrowly avoids spoiling Kirn’s masterful effort as QU baseball team wins series opener
QUINCY — Film study paid off. In the days leading up to Friday’s start against Rockhurst, Quincy University left-handed pitcher Griffin Kirn reviewed as much video as possible of his previous starts this season and past seasons, looking for any mechanical tweak that could give him an edge. Whatever he found worked wonders. The Quincy…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU baseball team opens GLVC series with Rockhurst with victory
QUINCY — Griffin Kirn was nearly unhittable. Brock Boynton put a charge into the offense. And the Quincy University baseball team survived a rain delay and a Rockhurst rally to come up with a 10-9 victory in the first game of the Great Lakes Valley Conference weekend series. Muddy River Sports Editor Matt Schuckman spent…
Read MoreCollege notebook: Former QU baseball players D’Alessio, Napleton succeeding at D-I level
QUINCY — A pair of former Quincy University baseball players are off to sizzling starts after transferring to NCAA Division I programs. Gino D’Alessio, an All-Midwest Region shortstop last spring for the Hawks, was named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week after hitting .600 over four games as Abilene Christian went 3-1 with…
Read MoreHarbin helps Saints take series from Hawks by slamming door in ninth inning
ST. LOUIS — Noah Harbin gave the Maryville baseball team a leg up in the Great Lakes Valley Conference title chase by slamming the door on his hometown team. The former Quincy High School right-handed pitcher stranded the tying run at first base in the top of the ninth inning Sunday, striking out Quincy University’s…
Read MoreQU baseball team wins GLVC-opening series as Boynton sparks offensive surge
LIBERTY, Mo. — The Quincy University baseball team is back on track. Sunday’s 16-10 victory over William Jewell at Talley Stadium punctuated a series victory in the first weekend of Great Lakes Valley Conference play, gave the Hawks back-to-back series wins and put the 0-7 start on the season-opening trip to Georgia completely in the…
Read MoreKirn, Hawks take advantage of coming home to earn first victory of season
QUINCY — Welcome home. After enduring a seven-game losing streak on its season-opening road trip and falling out of the NCBWA Division II Top 25, the Quincy University baseball team used Friday’s home opener as a fresh start and took advantage of the comfortable confines of QU Stadium. Junior left-handed starter Griffin Kirn threw 6…
Read MoreHawks strand seven runners on base over final three innings in season-opening loss
DAHLONEGA, Ga. — The big hit the Quincy University baseball team is known for coming up with eluded the Hawks on Friday afternoon. One swing by North Georgia made that hurt even more. After Quincy, ranked 13th in the NCBWA Division II national poll, stranded the bases loaded in the eighth inning and left two…
Read More‘It’s going to be fun baseball to watch’: Hawks set sights on making another run at trip to Cary
QUINCY — The Saturday Morning Breakfast Club is ready to trade its name for something more meaningful and permanent. Something like “World Series champion.” That’s why 20 or more Quincy University baseball players gathered around 9 a.m. each Saturday during the offseason at the QU Health and Fitness Center to lift weights, do cardiovascular exercises…
Read MoreKirn ready to shoulder load of being No. 1 starter in Hawks’ rotation
QUINCY — Griffin Kirn understands the expectation and the challenge. “It’s all about giving the guys a chance to win,” he said. The No. 1 starter in the Quincy University baseball team’s rotation has a history of doing just that. Over the past four seasons — the first two with left-hander Riley Martin as the…
Read MoreQU baseball team voted by coaches as top choice in GLVC preseason poll
INDIANAPOLIS – Quincy University was voted in the preseason coaches’ poll as the choice to win the 2024 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) baseball championship, the league office announced on Monday. The preseason poll is determined by the league’s head coaches, who, per GLVC bylaws, are not permitted to vote for their team. Quincy received nine…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: Former QU All-American Dayson Croes discusses first season playing professional baseball
QUINCY — It started with the American Association’s longest hitting streak of the season and ended with Rookie of the Year honors. Dayson Croes’ first season as a professional baseball player was an undeniable hit. He capped it with a tournament championship in Mexico. Croes, the former Quincy University All-American infielder, signed with the Winnipeg…
Read MoreHawks’ Kirn earns chance to pitch against college baseball’s best in Cape Cod League
QUINCY — Griffin Kirn happened to be enjoying a relaxing midsummer afternoon when Quincy University baseball coach Matt Schissel unexpectedly called. “I figured it was to check in and see how my summer was going,” said Kirn, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound senior left-handed pitcher. There was a little more to this call. Schissel had been contacted…
Read MoreFormer QU All-American infielder Croes to play in American Association all-star game
FRANKLIN, Wis. — Throughout Dayson Croes’ three-year stint as an All-American infielder for the Quincy University baseball team, his coaches continually used a two-word phrase to describe Aruba native. Professional hitter. He’s proving just how accurate that is. The left-handed hitting Croes will represent the Winnipeg Goldeyes in Tuesday’s American Association of Professional Baseball all-star…
Read MoreAngels select Hawks right-handed reliever Gockel in ninth round of MLB draft
QUINCY — Word of Chase Gockel’s electric fastball, the kind that made Quincy University baseball fans anxious to see how high the velocity would register, brought Major League Baseball scouts to the stadium. How he used the fastball in unison with his slider made them take note. Ultimately, the Los Angeles Angels liked the combination…
Read MorePair of former QU assistant coaches join NCAA Division I staffs
QUINCY — Former Quincy University men’s basketball coach Luke Strege is moving back to the NCAA Division I level. After eight highly successful seasons at Mineral Area College in Park Hills, Mo., Strege recently was hired as an assistant coach at North Dakota State University. The Bison went 16-17 overall last season and 11-7 in…
Read MoreFormer QU southpaw Martin gets call up to Triple-A Iowa, while Croes, Logsdon get pro careers off to strong starts
QUINCY — The number of former Quincy University baseball players pursuing professional playing careers more than doubled in the last month. One of the Hawks chasing their big-league dream moved a step closer to that reality Tuesday. Left-handed reliever Riley Martin was promoted to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs after a sterling first two months coming…
Read MoreJWCC slugger Mansfield earns NJCAA Division II first-team All-American honors
QUINCY — A record-setting season on the field should end with a worthwhile honor off it. The John Wood Community College baseball program received that Monday. Freshman outfielder Payton Mansfield was named an NJCAA Division II first-team All-American, becoming the first JWCC product to earn All-American honors since 2015 and just the fourth first-team selection…
Read MoreHawks’ Schissel named NCBWA Division II Coach of the Year, Napleton first-team All-American
QUINCY — Capping a record-setting season with a first-in-school-history honor is quite special. Quincy University baseball coach Matt Schissel earned that. Hawks catcher Luke Napleton earned his All-American honor, too. Schissel, the second-year skipper who led the Hawks to a 47-11 record while winning both the Great Lakes Valley Conference regular-season and tournament championships, was…
Read MoreNapleton, D’Alessio among four QU baseball players to enter transfer portal
QUINCY — Two starters from the record-setting Quincy University baseball team are among four Hawks who are entering the NCAA transfer portal. Junior catcher Luke Napleton and junior shortstop Gino D’Alessio are exploring opportunities to move to the NCAA Division I level, while senior infielder Logan Voth is seeking the chance for more at-bats and…
Read MoreDreams of Division II World Series berth dashed as soft-tossing lefties befuddle Hawks in super regional
QUINCY — That’s just baseball. Those three words were the only way the Quincy University baseball team could make sense of an unlikely finish to an incredible season. The Hawks were ranked No. 6 in NCAA Division II by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and No. 4 by Collegiate Baseball. However, they saw their…
Read MoreSaturday sweep needed: Top-seeded Hawks face elimination after losing super regional opener
QUINCY — The weather hasn’t always been ideal, but Saturdays at QU Stadium throughout the spring have been perfect nonetheless. One more flawless Saturday is needed. The Quincy University baseball team finds itself in a win-twice-or-it’s-over scenario following Friday’s 4-3 loss to Indianapolis in the opening game of the NCAA Division II Midwest Super Regional,…
Read MoreGreyhounds’ Donaldson seizes extra opportunity to spoil final home start for Hawks’ Walker
QUINCY — Spencer Walker never saw exactly where Luke Napleton caught the fastball or where it crossed the plate. He didn’t think he needed to look. With runners on second and third and two outs in the top of the eighth inning Friday at QU Stadium, the Quincy University senior right-hander felt he’d painted the…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU, Indianapolis square off in Midwest Super Regional at QU Stadium
QUINCY — The opening game of the NCAA Division II Midwest Super Regional turned into a pitchers’ duel, one the seventh-seeded University of Indianapolis baseball team won with a 4-3 victory over top-seeded Quincy University on Friday at QU Stadium. The Hawks (47-10) must win twice Saturday to advance to the D-II World Series in…
Read MoreSuper regional primer: Top-seeded Hawks chasing World Series berth against Greyhounds
QUINCY — A Great Lakes Valley Conference baseball program is guaranteed a spot in the NCAA Division II World Series for the third consecutive season and the seventh time in the past nine seasons. Will it be the team of destiny or the ultimate underdog? A best-of-three series taking place at QU Stadium will decide…
Read MoreHawks’ Napleton becomes fourth QU standout to be named Midwest Region Player of the Year
QUINCY — Luke Napleton’s historic season has him in line for All-American honors. The Quincy University junior catcher was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association’s Midwest Region Player of the Year and a first-team all-region selection, which makes him eligible for All-American consideration. QU coach Matt Schissel was named the Midwest Region Coach of…
Read MoreSuper duper: Hawks score six times in first inning to extinguish Timberwolves’ hope, advance to super regional
QUINCY — Eight innings remained, but any hope Northwood had of stymying the steamroller better known as the Quincy University baseball team evaporated after a single frame. The Hawks weren’t surrendering a six-run lead. Not one game from reaching the super regional. Not with Jay Hammel in control on the mound. And certainly not at…
Read MoreHammel’s first-pitch dominance takes pressure off bullpen, shuts down Timberwolves
QUINCY — A walkie talkie hangs from the netting stretched around the Quincy University baseball team’s dugout and always within Hawks coach Matt Schissel’s reach. It’s how he communicates with the bullpen during a game. Saturday, he hardly touched it. Right-handed starter Jay Hammel alleviated any pressure on Schissel and the bullpen during the final…
Read More‘Do your job’: Simple premise leads to extraordinary results as Hawks move one victory closer to super regional
QUINCY — It’s a philosophy so basic it comes across as too simple at times. “Everybody does their job,” Luke Napleton said, “and the team wins.” The Quincy University catcher can point to Friday’s performance against Northwood as the perfect example of that. The top-seeded team in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional received a…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: QU baseball parents become family of their own
QUINCY — The root of their lies in their success of their sons, but the parents of the Quincy University baseball players have formed a bond that is as tight as a baseball family gets. The shared a house during the season-opening road trip to Florida. They tailgate together wherever the Hawks play. They text.…
Read MoreKirn’s bulldogged performance is further proof nothing can knock Hawks down for good
QUINCY — Griffin Kirn could have snuck away to the bathroom or a corner of the dugout at any point during the final two innings Friday to see just what kind of mark was left by the line drive that hit him squarely below the rib cage on his left side. He didn’t bother. It…
Read MoreNapleton gets back in power groove, breaks GLVC single-season home run record with two dingers
QUINCY — Going 20 at-bats without hitting a home run may not seem like much of a drought, but Luke Napleton knew he had taken several swings since his last blast. None of them felt like the right rhythm. “I’ve been rolling over the past few games, being a little early,” the Quincy University catcher…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU baseball team beats Northwood to move one win from super regional
QUINCY — As each day passes, the Quincy University baseball team moves a step closer to its ultimate goal. Saturday, the Hawks can take a leap forward. They will face Northwood at noon Saturday at QU Stadium, needing to win just once to capture the regional title and advance to the super regional. The top-seeded…
Read MoreMarinara muscle: Full-scale Italian meal fuels Hawks’ power surge in Midwest Regional opener
QUINCY — Paul D’Alessio decided he needed to fuel the Quincy University baseball team with some Italian power this week. So Tuesday, he assembled the kind of feast a loving nonna would serve to her family at Sunday dinner. Pasta, meatballs, sausage, chicken cacciatore, etc. It was the kind of meal where you wipe the…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU, Northwood win on opening day of NCAA Division II Midwest Regional
QUINCY — Two teams that have gone head-to-head in NCAA Division II regional play twice before with try to eliminate each other once again. The top-seeded Quincy University baseball team and fifth-seeded Northwood both beat Wayne State on Thursday on the opening day of the Midwest Regional at QU Stadium. The Timberwolves scored three times…
Read MorePosition of power: Wosman returns to seeing barrel meet ball, crushes pair of homers for Hawks
QUINCY — Nolan Wosman has never lost sight of what matters. A frustrating weekend swinging the bat couldn’t change that. A week ago, during the Quincy University baseball team’s four-game march to the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship, the senior second baseman struggled to marry the barrel to the ball. He went 2 for…
Read MoreNCAA Midwest Regional primer: Eight things you need to know about QU baseball team
QUINCY — The Quincy University baseball team’s pursuit of a trip to Cary, N.C., begins in earnest Thursday with the start of NCAA Division II Midwest Regional play. The top-seeded Hawks, who carry a 44-9 record into the postseason, will face either Northwood or Wayne State at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at QU Stadium. The Timberwolves…
Read MoreNice ring to it: Hawks capture GLVC Tournament championship, earn No. 1 Midwest Regional seed
MARION, Ill. — The first step is always the hardest or so the adage goes. If that rings true, the Quincy University baseball team better ready itself for a prolonged journey. The Hawks followed up their regular-season Great Lakes Valley Conference championship by winning the GLVC Tournament, capping a four-game swath through the tourney field…
Read MoreSchuckman: Days like this are reason Hammel returned to Hawks to pitch one more season
QUINCY — Jay Hammel wrestled with the decision. Should he stay or should he go? Last May, Hammel graduated from Quincy University with a bachelor’s degree in communications and media studies. He also fashioned a 9-2 record as a right-handed starter for the QU baseball team, helping the Hawks get within one victory of a…
Read MoreSchuckman: Sharing Mother’s Day with their sons and love of game makes baseball moms unique
QUINCY — Where Mother’s Day is positioned on the calendar makes sense. The beauty of spring and the breath of fresh air May brings plays hand-in-hand with the love and nurturing we receive from our mothers. Florists love it, too, because moms love receiving fresh bouquets as much as love giving them. Yet, the one…
Read MoreCarpenter shuts down Saints, sends Hawks into GLVC Tournament title game
MARION, Ill. — Tyler Carpenter got mad. Then he got nasty. That made the Maryville baseball team’s plans to rally obsolete. The Quincy University left-handed reliever entered Saturday’s Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament game in the fifth inning with the Hawks ahead 9-7, two outs and two runners on base. The Saints’ Jed Zebig greeted…
Read MoreDuPont hits it where Greyhounds can’t catch it, Hawks play stellar defense to advance
MARION, Ill. — No matter how hard Dustin DuPont hit the ball in his first two at-bats Friday night — he stung it with authority both times — University of Indianapolis center fielder Brandon DeWitt ran down those line drives for the first out in both the first and third innings. “I got back to…
Read MoreWalk this way: Freshmen set stage for Hawks to stroll away as winners in GLVC tournament opener
MARION, Ill. — A glimpse at the future of the Quincy University baseball program enabled the present-day Hawks to see how to keep their championship aspirations on course. It takes patience and persistence. The two freshmen inserted into the starting lineup — Joe Huffman started just three games in the last month and Ben Dahlof…
Read MoreBunts lay groundwork for big inning as Hawks erase five-run deficit to stay in winner’s bracket
MARION, Ill. — The nation’s top home-run hitting team showed it can play small ball when it needs to as well. It caught everyone by surprise, especially Missouri S&T. In the final game of the opening round of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament late Thursday night, the top-seeded Quincy University baseball team fell behind…
Read MoreQU’s Napleton receives GLVC Player of the Year honor, while Schissel is Coach of the Year
QUINCY — Not long after Luke Napleton left QU Stadium the day he broke the Quincy University baseball program’s single-season home run record, he received a text message with a video attached. It was from Ryan Snyder, the slugger whose record Napleton broke, who wanted to congratulate the Hawks junior catcher. Snyder may need to…
Read MorePut a ring on it: Hawks head into postseason ready to chase championships, earn some new bling
QUINCY — Brock Boynton can envision a championship ring sizable enough to celebrate more than one title. “I was thinking about it last night,” the Quincy University senior center fielder said Wednesday morning before the Hawks boarded a bus headed for Marion, Ill., and the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament. “There’s four sides to a…
Read MoreQU baseball team ready to roll into postseason after capping ‘nine-game heater’ at Rockhurst
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Brock Boynton called it. Following a mid-week victory over nationally ranked Central Missouri on April 25, the Quincy University baseball team’s senior center fielder said the Hawks needed to go on a “nine-game heater” to carry the momentum of an historic regular season into the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament. Sunday,…
Read MoreQU baseball team on verge of history with one victory needed to reach 40-victory plateau
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Dayne Sebranek’s name is officially part of history. One big swing took care of that. A senior infielder on the Quincy University baseball team, Sebranek collected his first career hit Saturday during a 17-3 victory over Rockhurst in the first game of a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader at Loyola Park.…
Read MoreQU baseball team uses timely hitting, stellar pitching to win series opener at Rockhurst
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Quincy University baseball team doesn’t need to hit home runs to win. Timely hitting and stellar pitching get the job done, too. Friday night’s Great Lakes Valley Conference series opener against Rockhurst at Loyola Park is a prime example. The GLVC’s top hitting offense and the nation’s No. 1 team…
Read MoreMUDDY RIVER BREAKDOWN: QU Baseball=Good, Cardinals Baseball=Bad
Ben Marth and Matt Schuckman talk about how good Quincy University baseball is and how terrible the St. Louis Cardinals are right now. They also let you know who they want to tell the story of their lives.
Read MoreHawks continue to batter opposing pitching, slug six home runs in series finale against Panthers
QUINCY — The DJ Khaled collaboration “All I Do Is Win” was released in 2010 and remains a ballpark staple more than a decade later. Still, it may be time for some fresh lyrics. The Quincy University baseball team seems to be providing them. It goes a little like, “All we do is crush, crush,…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QU baseball team wins regular-season home finale by hammering Drury
QUINCY — The Quincy University baseball team doesn’t want Sunday’s 16-6 victory over Drury to complete a Great Lakes Valley Conference sweep to be its final game this season at QU Stadium. The Hawks want to play host to an NCAA Division II regional. Keep hitting the way they are and the Hawks likely will…
Read More‘You can’t stop it’: Walk-off grand slam keeps Hawks rolling with twinbill sweep of Panthers
QUINCY — A rally that began with a record-breaking home run, ended with an epic bat flip and featured some of the most selfless, mature at-bats in between left everyone exiting QU Stadium with the same train of thought. This Quincy University baseball squad may truly be a team of destiny. “I told you three…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Walk-off grand slam sets stage for QU baseball team to complete twinbill sweep
QUINCY — Brock Boynton knew it immediately. The epic bat flip made it obvious to everyone else. The senior center fielder crushed a walk-off grand slam to give the Quincy University baseball team a 12-8 victory in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader against Drury at QU Stadium. The eighth-ranked Hawks completed the sweep with…
Read MoreLogsdon’s grand slam puts cap on strong start to weekend for QU baseball team
QUINCY — If the rest of the weekend follows suit, the seniors on the Quincy University baseball team will create a memorable way to say goodbye. Friday’s start set the tone. Senior right-hander Spencer Walker struck out eight over seven innings, the eighth-ranked Hawks opened the game with five consecutive singles and fifth-year first baseman…
Read MorePhoto gallery: Hawks open final home weekend of regular season with victory over Panthers
QUINCY — The team that has been virtually unbeatable at home this season continued to show why Friday. The eighth-ranked Quincy University baseball team parlayed a quality start from right-hander Spencer Walker and a 17-hit attack into a 12-5 victory over Drury at QU Stadium. The Hawks are now 23-2 at home this season. Muddy…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: Logsdon, Norris talk about how QU served as home, family during incredible athletic careers
QUINCY — The highs and lows — things both Lance Logsdon and Mattison Norris experienced throughout the Quincy University athletic careers — never sidetracked either, largely because of their competitive nature and dogged determination, but also because they had each other. The record-setting slugger for the QU baseball team and the All-American outside hitter for…
Read MoreStandard of success: Logsdon’s legacy with QU baseball program will be defined by drive, determination and doing things right way
QUINCY — The preferred option isn’t always the right option. Josh Rabe helped Lance Logsdon see that. And by embracing such a notion, the left-handed slugger discovered he was choosing the best option imaginable. Deciding to play baseball at Quincy University and forego the dream of an NCAA Division I scholarship allowed Logsdon to earn…
Read MoreSix is a serious number: No. 13 Hawks use six-run rally in seventh inning to upend No. 4 Mules
QUINCY — Brock Boynton never felt the ball leave the bat. “That’s when you know it’s going to be a good one,” he said. Gino D’Allesio didn’t feel the ball explode off his bat either. “I’ve been waiting for one of those,” he said. When the Quincy University center fielder and shortstop barreled up pitches…
Read MorePhoto gallery: No. 13 QU baseball team erases four-run deficit to knock off No. 4 Central Missouri
QUINCY — A six-run rally in the seventh inning Tuesday — a “Quincy six-spot” as center fielder Brock Boynton called it — pushed the 13th-ranked Quincy University baseball team to an 8-6 victory over No. 4 Central Missouri at QU Stadium in the Hawks’ final non-conference game of the regular season. Muddy River Sports Editor…
Read MoreHawks blend ingredients for victory together to win another GLVC weekend series
ST. LOUIS — The Quincy University baseball team’s recipe for success worked well Sunday. The Hawks piled up runs, scoring 11 times and collecting 18 hits. Jay Hammel delivered a strong start as the right-hander allowed just two runs over seven innings. The bullpen finished it off with Chase Gockel and Tyler Carpenter each striking…
Read MoreKirn dials in, mows down Tritons with career-high 13 Ks as No. 13 Hawks reach 30-victory plateau
ST. LOUIS — Maybe Griffin Kirn should have known something special lied ahead. “Typically, it seems the better games a pitcher pitches their catch is bad or their bullpen is bad,” the Quincy University left-handed pitcher said. “For me, my catch was the worst game of catch I’ve had in a long time.” Prior to…
Read MoreWalker quiets Tritons as Hawks break single-season home run record in series opener
ST. LOUIS — A record-setting home run was all Spencer Walker needed. After Luke Napleton launched a solo home run in the first inning Friday afternoon, allowing the Quincy University baseball team to break the single-season home run record, Walker followed with eight scoreless innings as the Hawks opened the weekend series against Missouri-St. Louis…
Read More