August Rush

Hello again from the Diamond! Since last we left you, there was a certain smell of Independence in the air. It's been a little over a month since my last post - and now the dog days of August are upon us. A lot of time was spent in the car and on the road recruiting through June and July, needless to say it would get a little crammed in there. And now we find ourselves right around two weeks from when students move back to campus. Looking for an update on what's to come? No worries, Buzz has you covered:

*More to come on golf outing later

What's the Buzz?

• August 24-25: Student(s) Move In
• August 28: Introductory Team Meeting
• September 9: First Fall Practice
• September 15: Yellow Jacket Cup action kicks off
• October 5: Scrimmage v. Taylor University
• October 12: DC Baseball Golf Outing*

Also, congratulations are in order - to SO OF Ben Weber on winning the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League championship with the Cheyenne Grizzlies this summer, wonder if he learned to rope in some cattle while he was out in the Cowboy State! Stay tuned to the Diamond from August through October for updates on Defiance fall baseball action as well as Yellow Jacket Cup rosters, scores, stats and standings!

Stay up to date with all things Defiance Baseball here.

Follow DC Baseball On and Off the Diamond on Twitter: @OnOffTheDiamond

Taking Things to the Next Level

Last night, Mon. March 4th - the Defiance College and Defiance High School baseball programs welcomed David Franco of Next Level Ballplayer (@The_NLB). David spoke in front of the Yellow Jacket baseball and softball teams as well as Defiance HS Head Coach Tom Held's Bulldog baseball players. The NLB program focuses particularly on the mental side of the game - as well as providing tips of the trade straight from the guys at the top. Featuring multiple interview from big league players, coaches and managers - David has quite a toolbox in his arsenal from which he can dig into.

David Franco of Next Level Ballplayer

It was great to have David on campus, listen to some of the stories he shared - including one interaction with a certain MLB manager located right here in the buckeye state! Next Level Ballplayer is information straight from the horse's mouth - a blog by ballplayers for ballplayers. 

Check out David and NLB at www.NextLevelBallplayer.com

What's the Buzz?

• The 2013 campaign kicked off this past weekend in Florence, KY with a DH v. Calvin College.
• Calvin DH Box Scores: Game 1 & Game 2
• Game 3 of the Calvin series was canceled due to particularly chilly weather conditions. So the Hardy trip home started early.
• DC is scheduled to take on Taylor University this Thursday (3/7) in Upland, IN at 3:30pm
• The Jackets will also depart for Ft. Myers, FL this Friday (3/8) and will play seven games in the Gene Cusic Classic.

Stay up to date with all things Defiance Baseball here.

 

Follow DC Baseball On and Off the Diamond on Twitter: @OnOffTheDiamond



One Week Closer

Week One of Spring Training officially concluded this past Saturday, as the DC Baseball Jackets took some time off yesterday to recoup for round two. Spring Training breaks down in a few different ways for the Niners - consisting of individual workout times for both position players and pitchers, team practices and various weight sessions. Only 24 days until the Jackets journey down to Florence, KY for Opening Day to take on Calvin. In the meantime, Spring Training rolls on today - here's a recap of last week and also a preview of what's in store for the Purple and Gold:

What's the Buzz?

• Following an introductory team meeting on Jan. 27, Spring Training kicked off on Jan. 28 w/ indy workouts, team practice and a position players' lift.
• Juniors Darin Waterman, Brad Kremer and Aaron Helland were selected to the HCAC 'Players to Watch List'
• Team defense and drill work repetitions were the theme of the first few days of practice.
• Pitchers threw their first bullpens on Friday (2/1) and will throw again Tuesday (2/5).
• Hitters will see their first live pitching since #YJC action, this weekend (2/9 & 2/10)
• DC Baseball opens up in Florence, KY on March 1st to take on the Calvin Knights.

Stay up to date with all things Defiance Baseball here.

 

Follow DC Baseball On and Off the Diamond on Twitter: @OnOffTheDiamond

Golden Standard

It was a narrow race, went all the way down to the wire - and at the end, it was the Gold Team by a little more than a nose. Not exactly what you would call, a photo finish - going into the last practice of the fall and the last scheduled YJC games, Gold and Purple were tied with 202 points each.

With the cup on the line, Gold came out to play, plating four runs in the first inning highlighted by big hits from JR 1B Pat Masopust and SO Catcher Ian Burkhart. They would later add five more in the third and leap out to a 9-4 Game One win. SR RHP Ryan McLaughlin picked up the win as his c/o 2013 teammate LHP Alex Schomaeker tossed two scoreless and K'd 3 to round out the game.

Games 2 and 3 would see no runs scored from the Purple Team. As the Gold pitching staff would combine for a six inning shutout, led by JR RHP Darin Waterman and SO Lefty Matt Goodpaster. Gold would also get tremendous help from SO IF Joel Musser and Burkhart, as the pair would combine to go 3-6 with 3 runs scored, and 2 RBIs on Burkhart's Game Three 2 run HR.

2012 Yellow Jacket Cup Champions
Gold Team

One last congratulations to the Gold Team for hoisting the Cup!

What's the Buzz?

*OAOTD's newest installment will periodically highlight different accomplishments or make known important announcements from the world of Defiance College Baseball.

• SR Ryan McLaughlin was named the 2012 King of the Hill (#KOTH) - King of the Hill takes into factor not only YJC performance but athletic ability as well. KOTH aims to recognize  and congratulate one Yellow Jacket pitcher for standing out and excelling at his craft. This competition measures such things as:
• 1st Pitch Strike %
• 3 Ball Count %
• Less than 3 Pitches %
• K/BB
• FB Velocity
• Long Toss Distance
• Crossfit Workout Times
• Flush Run Times
• Various Agility/Speed Drills

Stay up to date with all things Defiance Baseball here.

 

Follow DC Baseball On and Off the Diamond on Twitter: @_CastroBaseball