2008 SwampDogs Enjoying Splendid Springs
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - The Coastal Plain League season is still a couple of weeks away, but many 2008 Fayetteville SwampDogs have already had years to remember.
Emporia State University's Conner Crumbliss has enjoyed an extraordinary season at the plate from the leadoff spot. His .428/.518/.812 (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage) line is the second-best in the Hornets lineup; only SwampDogs alumnus Keith Hernandez (.475/.570/.899) has been better for the Division II powerhouse.
Due to an early-season injury, the sophomore Crumbliss has been limited to only 35 of Emporia State's 56 games, but that hasnt stopped him from posting 29 extra-base hits (including 11 homers) in 138 at-bats as the Hornets' table setter. His sparkling contributions have played a big role in Emporia States winning the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association's regular season championship with a record 32 wins in MIAA play.
Crumbliss and the Hornets (48-8, 32-4 MIAA) will host the NCAA Division II Central Regional as the No. 1 seed beginning Thursday. Emporia State will take on sixth-seeded Wayne (Neb.) State in the first game of the tournament at the Trusler Sports Complex in Emporia, Kan.
Another school with SwampDogs ties that is playing at home in the D-II regionals is nearby Mount Olive College. The Trojans (49-5, 21-1 Conference Carolinas) are No. 1 in the nation and are hosting the South Atlantic Regional for the second consecutive year. SwampDog Alex Vertcnik has been a key cog in the Trojans attack, hitting .406/.496/.620 with seven home runs and 70 runs batted in. The junior outfielder from Waukesha, Wis., leads Mt. Olive with 11 sacrifice flies.
Vertcnik isn't the only Trojan who will trek to Fayetteville this summer. Righthanded pitcher and New Bern native Patrick Ball has been solid out of the bullpen, sporting a 3.06 earned run average, two wins and a pair of saves in 13 appearances.
Mt. Olive faces off with No. 6 seed Erskine Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Scarborough Field to kick off the double-elimination tourney. The Trojans are looking for redemption as they were runners-up in the South Atlantic Regional last year.
Heading south to the Sunshine State, freshman Stephen Hunt has been a revelation for the University of South Florida. The multitalented neophyte has pitched in 22 games and has also made at least one plate appearance in 28, starting 23 contests primarily as a designated hitter. Hunt was the subject of a USF campaign aimed at getting him consideration for an All-America selection. For his performance during the week of April 22 (.571/.609/1.238), Hunt won the College Baseball Blog/StatStud.com Player of the Week and was named to the Big East's Weekly Honor Roll.
Hunt, who was drafted by the Oakland A's in the 17th round of last summer's MLB Draft, leads the Bulls in slugging with a .543 mark, picking up 90 total bases in 52 at-bats. He is also third on the team in hitting (.324) and RBI (33), while pacing USF with four sac flies. On the mound, the Tampa-born 19-year-old has a 4.60 ERA and one save in 22 games; Hunt is the second-most utilized pitcher on the Bulls staff.
For Hunt and the Bulls (25-24, 10-13 Big East), the regular season comes to a close this week with a single game at the University of Florida Tuesday and then a three-game Thursday-Saturday home series against Notre Dame.
Shifting gears, the Lee University Flames of Cleveland, Tenn., are advancing to the NAIA World Series for the second straight year after defeating LSU-Shreveport in the Region XIII title game Saturday. Soon-to-be third-year SwampDog Jeff Ibarra turned in a clutch performance to help boost the Flames to the 10-7 come-from-behind victory. With Lee down 6-1 early, the southpaw Lee came on in relief and threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings to keep the Flames' hopes alive.
Ibarra's clutch performance was indicative of his season on the whole, as the 6-6 junior has compiled an 8-2 record and 3.26 ERA in 21 appearances, all in relief. His strikeout-to-walk ratio of 45-to-8 has a lot to do with his considerable success.
The Flames (57-8, 23-4 Southern States Athletic Conference) are set to battle Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the NAIA Atlantic South Super Regional Wednesday night. Lee is assured of a World Series berth, but if the Flames defeat Embry-Riddle in the best-of-three series, they have an excellent chance of earning the No. 1 seeding.
Finally, returning to the Tar Heel State, North Carolina Wesleyan College will not be going to the Division III postseason, but the Battling Bishops did enjoy a winning campaign, due in part to the workmanlike efforts of former SwampDog Chris Pecora and current Cumberland County canine Ben Moore.
Moore, a junior pitcher from Smithfield, went 8-2 this season in 12 starts for the 28-14-1 Bishops. The 5-10 righty threw a team-high 84 1/3 innings, including four complete games, and had a 3.20 ERA.
The Fayetteville SwampDogs are a member of the Coastal Plain League, the nation's hottest summer collegiate baseball league. Celebrating its 12th season, the Coastal Plain League features 14 teams playing in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. The CPL is certified by Major League Baseball and gives college players the chance to refine their skills with the use of wooden bats. Players are housed with local host families for the summer and past experiences have been very positive for both players and hosts. For more information on the Coastal Plain League, please visit the league Web site at www.coastalplain.com.
To reserve your tickets today, contact the Fayetteville SwampDogs at (910) 426-5900. For more information on the team, log onto www.goswampdogs.com.
Contact:Matt Gajtka
(910) 426-5900