Dreams of Division II World Series berth dashed as soft-tossing lefties befuddle Hawks in super regional

Quincy University first baseman Lance Logsdon and the Hawks saw their record-breaking season end Saturday with a 5-2 loss to Indianapolis in the NCAA Division II Midwest Super Regional at QU Stadium. | Photo courtesy Olivia Kindt, QU Athletics

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…

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Saturday sweep needed: Top-seeded Hawks face elimination after losing super regional opener

Quincy University shortstop Joe Huffman sizes up a pitch during Friday's opening game of the NCAA Division II Midwest Super Regional against Indianapolis at QU Stadium. | Matt Schuckman photo

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,…

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Greyhounds’ Donaldson seizes extra opportunity to spoil final home start for Hawks’ Walker

In his final career start at QU Stadium, right-hander Spencer Walker went 7 2/3 innings while allowing four runs and five hits with nine strikeouts. | Matt Schuckman photo

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…

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Photo gallery: QU, Indianapolis square off in Midwest Super Regional at QU Stadium

A young fan waves a Quincy University baseball towel during Friday's NCAA Division II Midwest Super Regional game at QU Stadium. | Matt Schuckman photo

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…

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Super regional primer: Top-seeded Hawks chasing World Series berth against Greyhounds

Two of Quincy University's record-setting hitters — Gino D'Alessio, left, and Luke Napleton — leads the Hawks into the best-of-three Midwest Super Regional against Indianapolis beginning at 3 p.m. Friday at QU Stadium. | Matt Schuckman photo

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…

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Super duper: Hawks score six times in first inning to extinguish Timberwolves’ hope, advance to super regional

The Quincy University baseball players celebrate after the final out in Saturday's 9-0 victory over Northwood to advance to the NCAA Division II Midwest super regional. | Photo courtesy Denny Sinnock, QU athletics

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…

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Hammel’s first-pitch dominance takes pressure off bullpen, shuts down Timberwolves

Quincy University right-hander Jay Hammel delivers a pitch during Saturday's game against Northwood in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional at QU Stadium. | Photo courtesy Olivia Kindt, QU athletics

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…

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‘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…

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Kirn’s bulldogged performance is further proof nothing can knock Hawks down for good

Quincy University left-hander Griffin Kirn, left, stretches to help alleviate the pain after getting hit just below the rib cage with a line drive during the third inning of Friday's game against Northwood in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional. | Matt Schuckman photo

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…

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Napleton gets back in power groove, breaks GLVC single-season home run record with two dingers

Quincy University catcher Luke Napleton, left, and pitcher Joe Byers celebrate on of Napleton's two home runs during Friday's NCAA Division II Midwest Regional victory over Northwood at QU Stadium. | Matt Schuckman photo

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…

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Photo gallery: QU baseball team beats Northwood to move one win from super regional

From left to right, Troy Logsdon, Brad Boynton and Chris Kirn celebrate Quincy University left-hander Griffin Kirn ending the seventh inning of Friday's NCAA Division II Midwest Regional victory over Northwood with a strikeout. | Matt Schuckman photo

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…

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Marinara muscle: Full-scale Italian meal fuels Hawks’ power surge in Midwest Regional opener

Quincy University leadoff hitter Gino D'Alessio, left, celebrates one of his his three home runs Thursday with third-base coach Chandler Purcell as the Hawks eliminated Wayne State with an 18-8 victory. | Matt Schuckman photo

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…

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Position of power: Wosman returns to seeing barrel meet ball, crushes pair of homers for Hawks

Quincy University's Nolan Wosman. left, celebrates one of his two home runs Thursday against Wayne State with teammates Austin Simpson, center, and Lance Logsdon during the Hawks' 18-8 victory at QU Stadium. | Matt Schuckman photo

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…

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NCAA Midwest Regional primer: Eight things you need to know about QU baseball team

Quincy University catcher Luke Napleton has hit 19 of his single-season record 27 home runs at QU Stadium this season. | Matt Schuckman photo

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…

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Nice ring to it: Hawks capture GLVC Tournament championship, earn No. 1 Midwest Regional seed

The Quincy University baseball team celebrates winning the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship following Sunday's 13-6 victory over Drury at Mtn Dew Park in Marion, Ill. | Photo courtesy Jared McFarlane, Great Lakes Valley Conference

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…

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Schuckman: Hawks forge unbreakable bonds by elevating volleyball program to unforgettable heights

The Quincy University women's volleyball team waves to the crowd following a four-set loss to Missouri-St. Louis in Friday night's semifinals of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional at Pepsi Arena. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — One final wave to say thank you to an adoring, enthusiastic crowd was the Quincy University women’s volleyball team’s way to say goodbye as well. The season that changed the Hawks’ program forever was over. Yet, the bond created amongst a group of student-athletes — “incredible young women” in the words of Quincy…

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Tide-turning third set costs QU women’s volleyball team chance to play for region championship

The University of Missouri-St. Louis volleyball players react to winning a point prior to Quincy University taking a timeout in the fourth set of Friday night's NCAA Division II Midwest Regional semifinal at Pepsi Arena. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — The lead, the energy and an enthusiastic crowd. The Quincy University women’s volleyball team had everything it seemed to want and need to dispatch Missouri-St. Louis midway through the third set of Friday night’s NCAA Division II Midwest Regional semifinal. Yet, it turned out that wasn’t enough. The Hawks lacked the finishing touch…

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Photo gallery: QU women’s volleyball team faces UMSL in NCAA Midwest Regional semifinals

The Quincy University women's volleyball team ended its season with a 28-3 record following Friday night's four-set loss to Missouri-St. Louis in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional semifinals at Pepsi Arena. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — The Quincy community and the Quincy University student body once again showed the QU women’s volleyball team its appreciation for an historic season, creating a loud and raucous atmosphere in Pepsi Arena for the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional semifinals. The Hawks used the energy to give Missouri-St. Louis a tussle before suffering…

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Finishing with a flourish: Hawks eliminate Wildcats in straight sets, set up Midwest Regional semifinal showdown with Tritons

The Quincy University women's volleyball players celebrate a point during the first set of Thursday's sweep of Northern Michigan in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional at Pepsi Arena. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — With the third set tied at 17 and the Northern Michigan women’s volleyball team validly entertaining the idea it could extend the match, an air of optimism arose. Moments later, that hope floated away. Top-seeded Quincy University won eight of the final nine points of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional quarterfinal, moving…

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Bubbling with excitement: Support of QU women’s volleyball team from students, community brings Pepsi Arena to life

More than 1,200 fans packed Pepsi Arena on Thursday night to watch the Quincy University women's volleyball team beat Northern Michigan in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Makayla Knoblauch remembers the days where the echoes were as loud as any other sound in Pepsi Arena and the Quincy University women’s volleyball players knew practically every fan in the stands. “Four years ago, it was just our parents, the other team’s parents and a couple of our QU friends,” the senior…

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Who’s your Mattie?: Norris delivers emphatic display offensively to power Hawks to regional quarterfinal victory

Senior outside hitter Mattison Norris led the Quincy University women's volleyball team with 15 kills during Thursday night's sweep of Northern Michigan in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional at Pepsi Arena. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — The adjustments being made to combat the Quincy University women’s volleyball team’s full-throttle attack come as no surprise to outside hitter Mattison Norris. “People are going to scout us,” she said. “People know how to shut us down.” That leaves it to the Hawks to adapt. It didn’t happen in a three-set loss…

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NCAA Midwest Regional roundup: Tritons roll past Hawks, while Bulldogs, Chargers advance

The University of Missouri-St. Louis women's volleyball team celebrates winning a point during its match against Rockhurst in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional on Thursday at Pepsi Arena. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — It shouldn’t be this easy in the NCAA Tournament. The Missouri-St. Louis women’s volleyball team, the No. 5 seed, hit at a .400 clip and had little trouble dispatching Rockhurst 25-15, 25-18, 25-18 in the first round of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional at Pepsi Arena on the campus of Quincy University.…

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QU volleyball team earns No. 1 seed in Midwest, will play host to regional beginning Thursday

The Quincy University women's volleyball team is the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional for the NCAA Division II Tournament. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Knowing it was only a matter of time before she’d see the Quincy University volleyball team’s name appear on the national tournament bracket, Mattison Norris watched with a little wide-eyed wonder as teams in other regions got their name called. “I was thinking, ‘That’s going to be insane. That’s going to be us.…

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Super sensation: Hawks outlast Panthers with clutch performances, secure spot in super-regionals

The Quincy University baseball players celebrate their 9-7 victory over Davenport that earned them a berth in next week's super-regionals. Photo courtesy Stephanie Boynton

CALEDONIA, Mich. — The odds were never in the Quincy University baseball team’s favor. The Hawks suffered a demoralizing 10-5, 12-inning loss to Northwood in Thursday’s opening game of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional, squandering a 5-1 lead in the ninth inning. “A lot of people would have probably bet a lot of money…

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Pribyl finishes what he started freshman year by leading Hawks to super-regional berth

Quincy University right-hander Alex Pribyl throws a pitch during the ninth inning of Saturday's 9-7 victory over Davenport in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional. Photo courtesy Stephanie Boynton

CALEDONIA, Mich. — Some might think Alex Pribyl actually enjoys the suspense. “It’s not me if I don’t make it interesting, isn’t that right?” the Quincy University right-handed reliever said. So the fact he allowed a single and a walk to the first two Davenport hitters in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday with…

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Schuckman: Logsdon delivers clutch hit because no one in QU dugout ever lost faith in him

Quincy University's Lance Logsdon, right, reacts to his ninth-inning double that plated Dayson Croes with the winning run in a 9-7 victory over Davenport in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional in Caledonia, Mich. Photo courtesy Stephanie Boynton

CALEDONIA, Mich. — The kind of moments a hitter lives for can be the ones most taxing or debilitating when success eludes you. Lance Logsdon knows how true that can be. The Quincy University junior first baseman faced the opportunity to capitalize on a game-changing at-bat each of the past two weekends. Neither time he…

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Kirn-el of hope: Left-hander’s bounce-back game moves Hawks to brink of super-regional bid

Quincy University left-hander Griffin Kirn delivers a pitch Friday against Northwood in an NCAA Division II Midwest Regional elimination game in Caledonia, Mich. Photo courtesy Stephanie Boynton

CALEDONIA, Mich. — Griffin Kirn couldn’t figure out what had gone wrong. Last weekend against Lewis in the Great Lakes Valley Conference baseball tournament, the Quincy University left-hander retired the first nine batters he faced without incident. Then in the fourth inning, everything unraveled. He allowed the first six Flyers to collect hits, including four…

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Hawks put together ‘Quincy inning’ to send Timberwolves packing in Midwest Regional

Quincy University second baseman Dayson Croes reacts after scoring during the Hawks' nine-run second inning Friday against Northwood in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional. Photo courtesy Stephanie Boynton

CALEDONIA, Mich. — It’s come to be known as the “Quincy inning.” Friday afternoon, the Quincy University baseball team enjoyed putting up one of those crooked numbers on the scoreboard. Leading Northwood 1-0 entering the second inning of an NCAA Division II Midwest Regional elimination game at Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex, the Hawks exploded for…

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‘We put it in the past’: Hawks regroup after gut-punching loss, stave off elimination with offensive eruption

Quincy University third-base coach Chandler Purcell, left, and sophomore center fielder Brock Boynton celebrate as Boynton rounds third base after hitting a three-run home run in the 17-4 victory over Davenport in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional on Thursday in Caledonia, Mich. Photo courtesy Max Bennett

CALEDONIA, Mich. — Brock Boynton felt he had to get away. “I actually left the ballpark and took a walk in the woods,” the Quincy University sophomore center fielder said. “It was tough.” With a victory in the opening game of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional seemingly within its grasp, the fourth-seeded QU baseball…

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Hammel earns payback with complete-game victory over Panthers to keep Hawks’ season alive

Quincy University right-hander Jay Hammel pitched a complete game in Thursday's 17-4 victory over Davenport in the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional in Caledonia, Mich. Photo courtesy Max Bennett

CALEDONIA, Mich. — Jay Hammel never forgot. A year ago, when the Quincy University baseball team was eliminated from the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional with a 22-13 loss to Davenport, Hammel worked one inning of relief and allowed two runs and four hits. That crept into his mind as the right-handed pitcher warmed up…

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QU baseball team earns seventh straight NCAA tourney bid, heads to Michigan for regional play

The Quincy University baseball team received a bid to the NCAA Division II MIdwest Regional for the seventh straight season and will travel to Caledonia Township, Mich., for the double-elimination tourney beginning Thursday. Photo courtesy Stephanie Boynton

QUINCY — The expectation exists that on the second Sunday of May the Quincy University baseball team will see its name appear on the NCAA Division II Midwest Region bracket. Yet, until it does, there is always a touch of trepidation. “You really never know with the committee,” QU left-hander Tyler Carpenter said. “But we…

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