Showing posts tagged “The Citadel”
Mike Potter ·
23 Jul 2009, 5:58 PM ·
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SHERATON IMPERIAL CENTER/DURHAM Rarely can such a thing be said when a group of folks who ostensibly hate each other’s football teams get together.
But with the coaches from the Triangle’s four Division I football teams sharing the bill as the headliners at the annual Triangle Pigskin Preview, a good time was indeed had by all.
The event - co-sponsored by the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Raleigh Sports Council to benefit the Triangle Chapter of the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame - brought together N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien and UNC’s Butch Davis and Duke’s David Cutcliffe (pictured) and N.C. Central’s Mose Rison together in one place.
And pretty near everybody who’s influential in Triangle football was there for the seventh annual event, which featured a luncheon including chicken, potatoes, green beans, tossed salad and cheesecake with chocolate sauce, etc., etc.
Veteran area broadcaster Don Shea, the emcee, wasn’t allowed to continue the program after lunch until he was wearing eye-black with a 1930s NFL leather helmet. N.C. State radio color man Johnny Evans delivered an invocation, and former UNC, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest coach Bill Dooley had remarks - including thanks to former Tar Heel running back and College Football Hall of Fame member Don McCauley, who was in the house, for saving his bacon more than once about 40 years ago.
The ladies at the sign-in table were all wearing T-shirts promoting the first “Bull City Gridiron Classic,” which will match NCCU and Duke at Wallace Wade Stadium.
That game is going to be a highlight of a season in which the Blue Devils will play every possible local Division I rival, as NCSU is on the Duke schedule for the second straight year and just the second time since 2003. That makes for four games matching two local Division I teams this season, up from the mandatory two of two seasons ago which had only the Tar Heels facing the Wolfpack and the Blue Devils.
So to review, Central is at Duke Sept. 26, Duke is at State Oct. 10, Duke is at Carolina Nov. 7 and Carolina is at State on Nov. 28. Continue reading »
ACC, Duke, Football, N.C. Central, N.C. State, UNC-Chapel Hill Appalachian State, Army football, Brad Thor, Bull City Gridiron Classic, Butch Davis, CBS College Sports Network, Central Michigan, College Football Hall of Fame, Congress, David Cutcliffe, Don McCauley, Don Shea, Frost Mark, Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, Hampton Pirates, J.R. Moehringer, Johnny Evans, McDonald's, Mose Rison, Notre Dame, Richmond Spiders, South Carolina Gamecocks, Success is not an Accident, The Apostle, The Citadel, The Match, The Tender Bar, Tom O'Brien, Tommy Newberry, Triangle Pigskin Preview, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest
Mike Potter ·
22 Jul 2009, 1:16 AM ·
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Team USA bounced back Tuesday night.
The Citadel’s Asher Wojciechowski struck out nine in seven innings and Arizona State’s Matt Newman (pictured) stole home as USA Baseball’s National Team walloped the Bahamas 8-1 in the World Baseball Challenge in Prince George, British Columbia.
The win, which improved the Americans to 2-1 in the event, came one day after they had dropped a 6-3 loss to Germany.
Desmond Russell pitched a complete game for the Bahamians, giving up rallies to the USA both early and late. Hawaii’s Kolten Wong hit an RBI double in the first and then Newman (Arizona State) stole home in the second for a 2-0 lead.
The Bahamians scored their run in the third on a Raymond Grant single.
The USA scored twice in the sixth on a ground out and a wild pitch, then had the knockout rally with four in the second on sacrifice flies from Tennessee’s Blake Forsythe and Rice’s Rick Hague before Florida State’s Tyler Holt ripped an RBI double.
Team USA’s next game is on Wednesday night at 10 p.m. (EDT) against the host Prince George Axemen, with Vanderbilt’s Sonny Gray getting the start.
ACC, Baseball, USA Baseball Arizona State, Asher Wojciechowski, Blake Forsythe, Desmond Russell, Florida State, Germany, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, Kolten Wong, Matt Newman, Prince George Axemen, Raymond Grant, Rice Owls, Rick Hague, Sonny Gray, Tennessee Volunteers, The Bahamas, The Citadel, Tyler Holt, Vanderbilt
Mike Potter ·
21 Jul 2009, 9:34 AM ·
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The Germans are apparently a lot better at baseball than most Americans might think.
Former Minnesota Twins farmhand Tim Henkenjohann (pictured) fired a solid 8 2/3 innings while teammates blasted three home runs, leading Germany to a 6-3 win over USA Baseball’s National Team in the World Baseball Challenge late Monday night in Prince George, British Columbia.
The USA is 1-1 so far in the six-team event, which includes three Canadian squads, while the Germans are 2-1. The tournament consists of a round-robin, moving on to the elimination round on Friday with the title game on Sunday at 7 (EDT).
Jendrick Speer had a solo homer and Simon Guerhing a two-run shot off Kansas’ T.J. Walz in the fourth inning to give the Germans the lead for good.
The Americans scored on an error in the fifth, but could get no closer.
Germany’s Michael Franke added a two-run homer in the sixth off Louisville’s Tony Zych, then made it 6-1 in the eighth on a balk from UCLA’s Trevor Bauer.
Miami’s Yasmani Grandal and Arizona State’s Matt Newman hit solo homers in the ninth to chase Henkenjohann before Martin Almstetter got the save.
Tonight at 10 (EDT) the USA will take on The Bahamas (0-3), with the Citadel’s Asher Wojciechowski on the hill.
ACC, Baseball, USA Baseball Arizona State, Bahamas, British Columbia, Canada, Jendrick Speer, Kansas Jayhawks, Louisville Cardinals, Matt Newman, Miami Hurricanes, Michael Franke, Minnesota Twins, Prince George, Simon Guerhing, T.J. Walz, The Citadel, Tim Henkenjohann, Tony Zych, Trevor Bauer, UCLA, World Baseball Challenge, Yasmani Grandal
Mike Potter ·
10 Jul 2009, 11:55 AM ·
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The 35-game winning streak for USA Baseball’s National Team is a thing of the past.
Takayuki Fujii hit a two-run triple, part of a three-run rally that got his team going as Budo University whipped the Red, White and Blue 7-1 on Friday in Chiba, Japan.
The game was the opener of a six-game tour of Japan, which includes the five games of the 37th annual Friendship Series with the Japanese National Team beginning late Saturday night (EDT).
That is the most important series of the year for Team USA, which committed three errors against Budo.
The USA, batting in the bottom of the innings, scored its run in the first. Florida State’s Tyler Holt (pictured), who finished with two hits, reached on a two-base error and scored on a grounder from Tennessee’s Blake Forsythe.
Asher Wojciechowski of The Citadel took the loss.
UCLA’s Gerrit Cole is the scheduled starter for the USA in the opener of the Friendship Series.
ACC, Baseball, USA Baseball Asher Wojciechowski, Blake Forsythe, Budo University, Florida State, Friendship Series, Gerrit Cole, Japan, Takayuki Fujii, Tennessee Volunteers, The Citadel, Tyler Holt, UCLA
Mike Potter ·
2 Jul 2009, 11:14 PM ·
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COLEMAN FIELD/CARY It’s Game 2 of the USA National Team series against Guatemala, and the main suspense is to see whether or not the visitors can get closer than Wednesday night’s 15-1 loss in Kannapolis.
It’s partly cloudy and warm - temperatures in the high ’80s - and the crowd for this one is pretty sparse.
There are no food freebies for the media tonight. Bummer. At least I’ve called ahead to find out and had a good meal at home with the family.
Already today I’ve been at Durham Bulls Athletic Park to do an interview with a player for a “Top 50 prospects” project for a baseball website.
The Bulls weren’t home on Wednesday either and neither were the Carolina Mudcats, making it one of those rare days since March on which there wasn’t at least one high quality baseball game in the Triangle.
That off-day gave me some time for some serious exploration of Facebook, which I had never bothered to join until last weekend. I’m going to start posting my Indy posts to my page every day, as well as putting them all on Twitter, where I am “mikepotterrdu.”
Guatemala has about the widest age range I have ever seen on a baseball team that plays together regularly. Infilelder Jorge Gutierrez, who got the only two hits on Wednesday, is 42, while center fielder Manuel Hernandez is 16.
And apparently on what turns out to be an historic night, I am the only journalist covering the game for local media (Baseball America is also in the house) as the USA wins 10-0 on the first regular-season no-hitter in team history. UCLA’s Gerrit Cole (pictured), The Citadel’s Asher Wojciechowski, Tulane’s Nick Pepitone and Texas Tech’s Chad Bettis team up for the feat. (The 9-0 win against Canada in 2004 at DBAP was during the team’s “trials” phase.) Continue reading »
Baseball, Carolina Mudcats, Durham Bulls, USA Baseball Andy Wilkins, Arkansas Razorbacks, Asher Wojciechowski, Baseball America, Blake Forsythe, Bryce Brentz, Cal State-Fullerton, Canada, Casey McGrew, Chad Bettis, Christian Colon, Facebook, Follow us on Twitter!, Gerrit Cole, Guatemala, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, Jorge Gutierrez, Manuel Hernandez, Middle Tennessee, Nick Pepitone, Rick Jones, Tennessee Volunteers, Texas Tech, The Citadel, Trevor Bauer, Tulane, UCLA, Wright State
Mike Potter ·
29 Jun 2009, 10:55 PM ·
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COLEMAN FIELD/CARY It’s the finale of the big five-game series between the USA National (Collegiate) Team and the high school boys from Canada.
Before the game there’s a huge networking event among a couple of dozen Chamber of Commerce organizations, etc. The Carolina Hurricanes and the Durham Bulls and the Carolina Railhawks all have booths, as do numerous well-known local restaurants. At least what serves as the press meal is healthy tonight - until they bring in the leftover chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon bagels.
Bill Coleman, long-time former Cary town manager, throws the ceremonial pitch on a night the stadium is dedicated in his name. It’s a lot friendlier moniker than the “National Training Complex,” huh?
Early in the game Cary Mayor Pro-Tem Julie Aberg Robison comes into the press box and sits for a bit. I can’t resist picking her brain for a little politics. One thing she points out is the need to raise awareness of what a classy complex the town has put together, and she’s absolutely right.
And since apparently I’m the only local keyboard media type covering this game - which the USA wins 9-3 - the problem is pretty apparent.
Anyway, the game gets going in front of a very polite crowd that seems as if it got lost going to a tennis or golf event. Not like DBAP or even Five County. Those wanting beer had to get it at the networking event.
So it gets going and nobody scores in the first. In the second, the USA run machine fires up. The hosts score two in the second on a hit and an error, then two more in the third with the first RBI hit by Michael Choice (pictured) of Texas-Arlington. Continue reading »
Baseball, Carolina Hurricanes, Carolina RailHawks, Durham Bulls, USA Baseball Asher Wojciechowski, Bill Coleman, British Columbia, Darren Kolk, Drew Pomeranz, Durham Bulls Athletic Park, Five County Stadium, Guatemala, Julie Aberg Robison, Kannapolis, Kellin Deglan, Langley, Michael Choice, Rick Jones, Texas-Arlington, The Citadel, Tulane, World Baseball Classic
Mike Potter ·
28 Jun 2009, 10:22 PM ·
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DBAP/DURHAM OK baseball fans, today I’m “Safe at Home in Durham” (although I live in Brier Creek now) for Game 4 of the USA National Team’s five-game set with Canada.
The Red, White and Blue, which has won all three by comfortable scores, will be favored once again. Not just because the U.S. is just better than Canada in baseball at the amateur level, but also because the Canucks have sent an 18U team. Good for the young boys from Canada to get some experience - I mean every golfer would like to play a round with Tiger Woods, right? - but for competitive balance, not so much.
When I get to the press box I learn there will be a total of two keyboard journalists in the house, and that we will be the first to cover any game in the series, which started on Thursday night in Cary. Kudos to the News & Observer for getting to the game, and I’m not going to take shots at the papers in Burlington or Greensboro or any of the smaller surrounding cities for not being here. I’m just not. I would have been around for the first three myself, but I couldn’t be in Zebulon and Durham at the same time.
Today the buffet menu includes both your standard meat-and-tomato sauce lasagna along with a vegetable alternative and Caesar salad.
Canada scored five runs in the first inning on Saturday night before losing 14-5, and today it’s competitive early. After the USA, which is the designated “visiting” team, scratches out two in the first, the Canadians tie it in the bottom of the frame.
But when veteran Christian Colon of Cal State-Fullerton - the only school for which somehow game ops does not have the fight song - blasts a two-out, 0-1 offering over the Blue Monster wall in left in the second, the tricolor boys are off to the races. USA scores two in the third, two in the fifth, five in the sixth, four in the seventh and it’s a challenge to stay engaged in the process.
The homeboys eventually win it 20-3, with 11 different players hitting safely and Coastal Carolina’s Cody Wheeler (pictured) getting the win. In other USA Baseball action on Sunday, Babe Ruth beat Bryce Harper and the American Legion team 8-7 for the championship of the Tournament of Stars.
Continue reading »
ACC, Baseball, USA Baseball American Legion, Asher Wojciechowski, Babe Ruth, Boston Red Sox, Bryce Harper, Cal State-Fullerton, Canada, Cary, Christian Colon, Coastal Carolina, Cody Wheeler, Cuba, Florida State Seminoles, Greg Hamilton, Jason Bay, Jerome Werniuk, Justin Morneau, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, News & Observer, Rick Jones, Russell Martin, Steve McKinnon, Texas Rangers, The Citadel, Tiger Woods, Tournament of Stars, Tulane, Tyler Holt, World Baseball Classic
Mike Potter ·
22 Jun 2009, 7:46 PM ·
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Michael Choice (pictured) of Texas-Arlington blasted a three-run homer in the sixth inning, pacing the Blues to an 8-5 win over the Reds in a USA National Team intrasquad this afternoon at the National Training Complex in Cary.
Arizona State’s Matt Newman hit a three-run homer to lead the Reds.
In other news about the team, Utah’s Bill Kinneberg has been named head coach for 2010 while Cal State-Fullerton’s Dave Serrano will be the pitching coach.
Kolten Wong of Hawaii and Wright State’s Casey McGrew had RBI singles for the Blues in today’s contest.
Tyler Holt of Florida State added an RBI double and Christian Colon of Cal State-Fullerton an RBI single for the Reds.
Continue reading »
ACC, Baseball, USA Baseball Arizona State, Asher Wojciechowski, Bill Kinneberg, Cal State-Fullerton, Christian Colon, Coastal Carolina, Cody Wheeler, Florida State, Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, Kolten Wong, Matt Newman, Michael Choice, Texas-Arlington, The Citadel, Tyler Holt, Utah Utes, Wright State
