Appalachian State Baseball (39-16) vs Furman (28-30) SoCon Tourney

Due to a conflict, pregame article could not be completed. A short summary is provided.

A day after Appalachian gave up the most runs and hits of the season, Furman decided to up the ante, and scored 13 runs on 17 hits. Appalachian started the game with a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, but Furman answered with seven runs in the bottom of the first inning. Rob Marcello managed one out, and surrendered six earned runs. Marcello’s 18 pitches was by far a season low. The day after Seth Grant laid an egg on the mound, Marcello took his performance to unfathomable low.

The Moutaineers were defeated 13-4. Will Callaway and Tyler Tewell had two hits and two RBI each. The Moutaineers will wait until Monday to discover their fate for postseason play. A regional with a high seed was considered a lock before the tournament, but Appalachian put up two stinkers in back to back games and exited the conference tournament a lot earlier than expected. The Mountaineers RPI dropped to 40, which is securely on the bubble, but hopefully, winning the regular season of the 7th rated RPI conference will be enough to keep Appalachian in consideration.

Appalachian State Baseball (39-15, 21-9 SoCon) vs Samford (37-21, 19-11 SoCon) SoCon Tourney

Samford advanced in the winners bracket with a 7-0 shutout of Western Carolina, in a game that started two hours late and ended at approximately 12:30 AM on Thursday morning. Chances are high that the scheduled 8 PM start of tonight’s game will also be pushed back. Samford will most likely start Charles Basford, who did not factor into the decision in a 7-4 Appalachian win two weeks ago in Birmingham. Last year, Basford struck out a career high ten batters and pitched 8.1 innings in a win at Appalachian.

Appalachian won two of three games at Samford this year in a series that was a very back and forth affair. Appalachian won game one with four runs in the ninth inning. The second game featured Samford scoring four runs in the eighth inning to win 4-2. Appalachian won the rubber match 9-7 in a game that featured three lead changes. Last year against Samford, Seth Grant took a loss, despite holding Samford to one earned run and five hits in six innings. Grant has not recorded a decision in five straight starts and his last win came in the home series against Charleston.

Probable Starters

ASU Sr. RHP Seth Grant (6-3, 2.70) vs SU Sr. RHP Charles Basford (8-2, 4.04)

If Appalachian had any answers to Samford’s pitching on Thursday evening, the Samford offense seemed to come up with more answers than the Mountaineers could muster. Samford pounded the Appalachian pitching staff for 16 hits and 12 runs, the second highest run total the Mountaineers had allowed all season, in a 12-7 win. Seth Grant was tagged with an ugly loss, giving up eight earned runs in only 4.2 innings, on only 77 pitches. Both numbers were season lows for Grant. It was easily his worst performance of the season.

The seven runs the Mountaineers produced came from Trey Holmes, who hit his sixth home run of the season on a two run shot in the fourth inning. Mostly, Appalachian took advantage of four Samford errors which led to five of the Mountaineers runs. Hector Crespo, Tyler Zupcic and Daniel Kassouf had two hits each. Tyler Tewell hit his 16th double of the season. Appalachian will now face Furman for the fifth time this season, and second time in this tournament in a losers bracket game.

#24 Appalachian State Baseball (38-14, 21-9 SoCon) @ Western Carolina (32-22, 16-14 SoCon)

Three months ago, when Appalachian was picked 5th and 6th respectively by the SoCon coaches and media, it had to feel like a slap in the face to a team that was returning eight of nine positions players and four of five starting pitchers. The Mountaineers did lead the conference with five preseason all-conference selections, with Daniel Kassouf, Tyler Zupcic, Ryan Arrowood and David Port living up to their billing. However, a warm winter, and tons of hard work have put the Mountaineers in the position to capture their first league crown since 1987. On top of it all, the Mountaineers control their own destiny. In years past, the last series of the regular season was all about tournament seeding positioning, and in some years, working just to get into the tournament. The Mountaineers might be catching fire at the right time. Earlier in the season, winning on the road was a concern in conference play. The Mountaineers struggled at Elon and Georgia Southern, only able to to win one game in each of those series. In the last month, Appalachian has swept Wofford and won a series at third place Samford, two teams that are loaded with veteran pitching. That brings us to this weekend, with Appalachian needing two victories against a team that resembles Elon and Georgia Southern more than Wofford and Samford.

Western Carolina leads the league in batting average (.312) and total hits (569). Compared to the Mountaineers, Western is averaging one-third of a hit more than the Mountaineers per game. Appalachian is hitting .311 on the season and leads the SoCon in several other meaningful offensive statistics, including slugging percentage, on-base percentage, doubles, triples and steals. As noted, Western can hit the ball as well, as they are in the top half of the league with 36 home runs hit and may have one of the better top to bottom lineups in the league. Eleven different Catamounts have hit the long ball, with two players having hit seven on the season. Six Catamounts are hitting over .300. However, Appalachian’s pitching staff leads the league, only giving up 16 home runs on the season and sports the best fielding percentage in the conference.

Personally, I think this series comes down to which team plays the best situational baseball. Which team can get that clutch hit and who can get runners into scoring position more often. I also think that the late innings will be huge for both teams. Both teams have above average starting pitching and good closers. The Appalachian bullpen has been a little shaky in the last couple weeks, and Western has a bullpen that can give up its fair share of hits as well. Two of the most worked Catamount relievers, Adam Curtis and John Nadale, are giving up batting averages of .290 and .316, respectively.

Game 1

ASU Sr. RHP Ryan Arrowood (9-0, 3.66 ERA) vs. WCU So. RHP Jordan Smith (4-4, 3.19 ERA)

After multiple weather delays on Thursday evening, Appalachian headed to Friday afternoon with a five run deficit and down to its final nine outs. The game resumed with Appalachian batting in the seventh inning with a runner on first base. Trey Holmes and Preston Troutman recorded back to back singles to give Appalachian its first run of the game. Noah Holmes grounded out at the bottom of the order, but moved his brother and Troutman into scoring position with two outs. The top of the lineup, Hector Crespo and Tyler Zupcic both walked to cut Western Carolina’s lead to 5-2. Will Callaway singled up the middle in the next at bat to score two runs. Daniel Kassouf followed Callaway’s single with one of his own to tie the score at 5 at the stretch.

Appalachian scored another run to take its only lead of the game at 6-5 in the top of the eighth inning on another RBI hit by Preston Troutman. However, Western Carolina would put together a rally of their own, touching up Mountaineers Tyler Moore and Jamie Nunn for three runs in the bottom half of the inning. The Mountaineers could not muster a hit in the ninth inning. Momentarily, the Mountaineers have their backs to the wall, with only two games remaining to play and their magic number still stuck at two.

The rally by the Mountaineers got Ryan Arrowood off the hook for the loss, but at the same time, gave freshman Jamie Nunn his first career loss. Appalachian left seven runners on base for the game, with Tyler Tewell responsible for four of the stranded runners. Will Callaway and Preston Troutman were the only Mountaineers with multiple hits as they both recorded two hits and two RBI each. Jeremy Dowdy did not make the trip in order to rest his back for the conference tournament. Josh Zumbrook is the second catcher for the weekend in case Tyler Tewell is injured.

Game 2

ASU Sr. RHP Seth Grant (6-2, 2.82 ERA) vs. WCU Jr. LHP Morgan McKinney (6-3, 3.79 ERA)

For eight innings, Appalachian baseball could not come up with the clutch hit, leaving nine men on base while heading to the ninth inning without a run to their name. Much like the game from Thursday Night, the game was delayed from the onset by lightning. It was long enough to cool down the Mountaineer bats, which had scored six runs in the final three innings of Thursday’s game which resumed at 4pm on Friday.

Something happened in the ninth inning. Western Carolina picked up a huge insurance run in the bottom of the eight, which made Appalachian’s comeback bid that much more difficult. Western Carolina starter Morgan McKinney came out for the ninth, to attempt the complete game, at which time he had thrown 125 pitches. Trey Holmes led off the ninth inning with a single after startiing the count down 0-2 and fouling off three other pitches. Preston Troutman flied out the next at bat, which set the stage for freshman pinch hitter Alex Leach, who was stepping in for only his 19th at bat of the season. Leach fell behind early in the count before lacing an opposite field single to left on another two strike count. A fielding error allowed Holmes and Leach to move up to 2nd and 3rd base, respectively.

At the top of the lineup, Hector Crespo hit a slow chopper to the pitcher that he could not handle, and was able to reach base on error, loading the bases. Tyler Zupcic followed with a slow chopper up the first base line that was also tough for the pitcher to control and he beat the throw, scoring Trey Holmes. The lead had been cut to 4-1 with Appalachian’s most dangerous hitters waiting. Will Callaway singled through the right side of the infield, on another two strike count, scoring Leach. Western now led 4-2. A wild pitch followed that scored Crespo from third, and a throwing error back to the plate scored Zupcic, tying the game. Daniel Kassouf struck out, but another wild pitch by Western scored Callaway from third, giving Appalachian a 5-4 lead. It appeared Appalachian would tack on a few more runs with Tyler Tewell and Brandon Burris recording back to back singles, but Trey Holmes struck out for the final out of the inning.

Nathan Hyatt entered in the ninth and issued a pair of walks but shut down Western with a game ending strike out to secure Appalachian their first conference title since 1987. Earlier in the day, Greensboro came back from a 7-2 deficit to defeat Charleston 10-8. Throughout the evening, a roller coaster of emotions from a fan’s perspective had come to a thrilling end. A small celebration ensued at the mound after the final out was recorded. Outside of four innings, Appalachian had been dominated by the Western pitching staff in the first two games of the series. The regular season finale has no meaning outside of Appalachian securing the outright title with a win. Appalachian will play Furman on Wednesday at 5pm regardless of the outcome of Saturday’s games.

Eight Mountianeers connected on twelve hits, lef by Tyler Zupcic who was 3/5 with an RBI, and an outfield assist in the first inning that kept a run off the board. Brandon Burris and Trey Holmes added two hits each. Seth Grant worked seven innings, striking out five and only allowing one earned run. For Grant, it was his fifth stright start without a decision. Western closer Preston Hatcher was tagged with his first loss of the season, while Hyatt picked up a school record with his fourteenth save of the season.

Game 3

ASU Jr. LHP Rob Marcello (6-3, 4.28 ERA) vs. WCU Fr. RHP Jeremy Null (4-4, 4.88 ERA)

Appalachian had an opportunity to win the conference title outright with a Saturday win over Western Carolina. The top seed for the conference tournament was already in place, but winning the conference outright would have been icing on the cake. Appalachian started the scoring in the fourth inning when Will Callaway was hit by a pitch on a full count to put the leadoff batter on base. Daniel Kassouf stepped up and launched a 2-1 pitch over the left field wall to give him his 17th home run of the season, breaking an Appalachian record that had stood since 1982, and was tied in 1986. Western Carolina would respond in the bottom half of the inning with a run, as the Mountaineers led 2-1 after four complete innings.

Western Carolina would score five runs in the bottom of the fifth. Rob Marcello was pulled after allowing two doubles and a HBP to start the inning. An error by Hector Crespo also contributed to the Catamount runs. Jordan Jessup finished the inning without an earned run considering inheriting one runner and two runners scoring on Crespo’s error. Appalachian would respond in the top of the sixth inning with four runs on only three hits. Noah Holmes knocked in two runs and scored in the inning.

The score would remain tied at six until the bottom half of the seventh inning. Jamie Nunn was able to record two quick outs with a strikeout and groundout before allowing a single and hitting a batter. A conference on the mound ensued that resulted on Nunn remaining in the game. His next pitch was sent over the wall by pinch hitter Dykota Speiss to give Western a 9-6 lead. Appalachian scored one run in the top of the ninth, but it was not enough as they fell 9-7 to end the regular season.

 

#30 Appalachian State Baseball (22-5, 7-2 SoCon) vs. East Tennessee State (14-12, 3-6 A-Sun)

Appalachian State and East Tennessee State will renew their rivalry for the 125th time on Tuesday evening at Smith Stadium. Appalachian leads the all time series 71-53, but lost both meetings to the Buccaneers last season. The East Tennessee State lineup does have some solid hitters. They currently boast three hitters batting at least .300 or better and a fourth who is batting .297. Clinton Freeman leads the Bucs with a .363 average with 37 hits, twelve of those for extra bases. Matthew Scruggs brings the power for the Bucs with 11 home runs and 21 RBI. Keuhl McEachern will be making his first career start for ETSU. McEachern has six apperances and only 6.2 innings thrown this year, but allows a team low .167 batting average to his opponents.

Appalachian is back in the national polls after a one week hiatus. The Mountaineers were voted in at #30 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Poll. Previously, Appalachian was ranked 29th in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Appalachian has been led by the strong bats of Daniel Kassouf, Will Callaway and Tyler Tewell. Those three rank in the top six in the Southern Conference in batting average with Kassouf leading the trio batting .409, while Callaway is .406 and Tewell is batting .385. The trio has a combined 47 extra base hits.

Projected Starters

ASU Fr. LHP Jamie Nunn (3-0, 1.69) vs. ETSU Fr. RHP Kuehl McEachern (0-0, 2.70)

Game was rained out in the middle of the third inning. All statistics will be wiped from the record and a make up date may be scheduled.

Appalachian State Baseball (22-5, 7-2 SoCon) vs Oakland (3-21)

Oakland University has yet to play a home game this season. By the time they leave Boone on Sunday afternoon, they will have started the season with twenty three away games and two games on nuetral fields. The Grizzlies have averaged 3.9 runs per game while allowing 6.2 runs per game. The team batting average is .237 and have hit just seven home runs on the season. Opponents are averaging 2.6 steals per game against Oakland.

Appalachian is 12-0 at home this season, while batting .309 as a team. Appalachian averages 7.7 runs per game this season, while giving up 3.7 runs per contest. The Mountaineers have belted twenty home runs this season and have stolen 47 bases as a team, led by Will Callaway and Hector Crespo with with fifteen bags each.

Game 1

ASU RHP Ryan Arrowood (4-0, 4.59) vs OU Sr. LHP Jeff Gorecki (1-3, 5.08 ERA)

Appalachian fell into a 7-2 deficit after four and a half innings but rallied for seven runs in the bottom of the fifth and went on to beat the Oakland Grizzlies 13-8 in the first game of a Saturday twinbill. Oakland came out swinging the bat and really roughed up Ryan Arrowood for 78 pitches. It was Arrowood’s shortest start of the season since his Akron, when he was a low pitch count. Arrowood has now given up at least four runs or more in four consecutive starts. In seven starts this season, Arrowood has only pitched six innings or more on two occasions.

The Mountaineers did a great job of turning over the lineup in the first game. The 8-9-1 hitters collected seven of the fifteen hits, highlighted by Brandon Burris (.524) who went 3/3, which gave hime six hits in his last six at bats. Trey Holmes and Hector Crespo drove in seven of the Mountaineers thirteen runs. Crespo stole two bases on back to back pitches, giving him the team lead with 17 stolen bases. Jamie Nunn (3-0, 1.69) picked up the win in relief, giving up only two hits and one run in 2.2 innings.

Game 2

ASU RHP Seth Grant (4-1, 2.72) vs OU So. LHP Hayden Fox (0-4, 7.52 ERA)

It took nearly 21 hours after the first pitch to complete the game, but Appalachian grabbed a series win on Sunday afternoon with a 14-5 win over Oakland. The game was suspended with Appalachian batting in the bottom of the fifth inning, leading 10-3 on Saturday afternoon. A couple minutes before noon on Sunday, the game resumed and Appalachian scored two more runs in the fifth inning to make it 12-3 through five innings. Appalachian used Will Helms, Josh Wilson, Zach Joyce and Tyler Jackson in the next four innings to seal the win for Seth Grant (5-1, 2.42) who has won his last five starts.

Massive defensive changes were made to finish the second game of the series on Sunday. A big highlight was the first career hit by freshman outfielder John Kincaid who doubled in the eight inning. The heart of the Appalachian order, Will Callaway, Daniel Kassouf and Tyler Tewell rocked nine of the fourteen Appalachian hits. Callaway joined Kassouf (.418) in the .400 club as he raised his average to .412.

Game 3

ASU Jr. LHP Rob Marcello (3-1, 3.09 ERA) vs. OU Brady Adamek (0-2, 5.43 ERA)

Oakland score all five of its runs in one inning but it was not enough to avoid the sweep against Appalachian State. Rob Marcello did not allow a hit for 3.2 innings but unraveled in the fifth inning when allowed six hits, five of them singles, to trim the Mountaineer lead to 6-5 through four and a half innings. After Marcello’s exit, Tyler Moore, Chad Farmer and Nathan Hyatt slammed the door, only allowing one hit in the final 3.1 innings. The highlight of the game came in the fifth inning, when Moore came in to replace Marcello. Oakland had two runners on base when Moore’s first pitch was smacked to left field. Brandon Burris made a diving catch, that would have surely scored both runners, to end the Grizzlies rally.

Tyler Tewell and Trey Holmes drove in six runs on the afternoon. Holmes hit a three run home run in the second inning and a solo shot in the fifth inning. Holmes’ home run in the second was followed by a homer by Hector Crespo (.301). Holmes second home run never had any doubt as it cleared the wall in right center by a good thirty feet. Tewell was 4/5 at the plate with his team leading eighth and ninth doubles of the season. Brandon Burris (4.64) also added two hits and a walk. The 22-5 start is the third best record after 27 games in school history. Appalachian moved to 15-0 at Smith Stadium this season. Appalachian stole 11 bases and hit five home runs against Oakland for the series. The Mountaineers raised their team batting average to .317 on the season.

SoCon Standings

 Appalachian    7-2

Charleston      11-4

Elon                11-4

WCU               6-3

Samford          7-5

Appalachian State Baseball (2-1) @ #7 Louisiana State (4-0)

Friday Starters:

ASU Sr. RHP Seth Grant (0-0, 0.00) vs LSU So. RHP Kevin Gasuman (1-0, 1.50)

Grant (0-1, 3.09) turned in his second solid start of the season, but it was not enough for the Mountaineers who the first game of the series 4-0. Grant earned all four of the runs he surrendered and threw 97 pitches, 61 for strikes. Grant added three strikeouts.

The bats were cold for Appalachian as they only managed four hits against LSU starter Kevin Gausman, who pitched 7 innings and added seven strikeouts. Preston Troutman, Will Callaway(.357), Jeremy Dowdy and Tyler Zupcic collected the hits for the Mountaineers.

 

Saturday Starters:

ASU Sr. RHP Ryan Arrowood (0-0, 4.50) vs LSU So. RHP Ryan Eades (1-0, 0.00)

The Mountaineers only managed five hits and one run, but that was all the help that Ryan Arrowood needed in a massive upset 1-0 over Louisiana State. Arrowood pitched seven innings, struck out 10 batters and only gave up two hits and one walk. At one point in the game, Arrowood retired 16 consecutive batters and twenty of twenty one.

Daniel Kassouf gave Appalachian all the offense they needed with a 4th inning homerun, his second of the season. Jeremy Dowdy added two hits to give him three hits for the series.

Twenty five of the twenty seven outs were recorded by in the infield. Nathan Hyatt pitched two innings to get his second save of the season.

Sunday Starters:

ASU Jr. LHP Rob Marcello (1-0, 0.00) vs LSU So. RHP Kurt McCune (1-0, 0.00)

 Mountaineers have jumped all over LSU early in the game and lead 5-0 through six innings.

LSU walks in another Mountaineer run in the top of the 7th. Bases still loaded with none out. 6-0 Apps

Holmes is HBP and that brings in the seventh Mountianeer run of the day.

 Now a 9-0 Appalachian lead after a two out double from Zupcic!!

Make that 11-0 Mountaineers thanks to Will Callaway!!

Apps gave up 1 in the ninth, but take series from LSU two games to one. 11-1 final!!

WELCOME THE BASEBALL TEAM BACK TO SMITH STADIUM TONIGHT @ 11:30!

Appalachian State Baseball: Appalachian vs. Akron DH 2/18/2012(Elon Tournament)

Sr. RHP Ryan Arrowood (8-3, 2.96) will start Game 1 against the Zips.

Arrowood was on a pitch count, and went a solid 4 innings, giving up 3 hits and 2 earned runs. Despite three walks, he was able to strikeout six batters, but did not factor into the decision. Tyler Moore (1-1) picked up the win with 2.1 innings pitched, allowing only one hit.

Appalachian’s eight runs were scored by eight different players. The Mountianeers stranded 10 runners on the day. Daniel Kassouf and Trey Holmes led the Mountaineer bats with two hits each. Kassouf (.333, 5RBI) hit his first homerun of the season. Defensively, 19 of the 27 outs were recorded by the catcher or the first baseman.

Jr. LHP Rob Marcello (Transfer) will start Game 2 against the Zips.

Marcello (1-0) pitched 5 innings allowing only 2 hits and striking out five batters, while the Mountaineer pitching staff scattered 5 hits over nine innings. Nathan Hyatt secured the save in the ninth inning. For the third game this season, the Mountaineers struck out 10 batters as a team. Catcher Jeremy Dowdy sat the second game with Tyler Tewell catching, and Alex Leach playing in right field for Tewell.

Shortstop Will Callaway (.400) picked up two of the Mountaineers seven hits, and also added a run and an RBI. Callaway also had two errors while in the field, but picked up his third steal of the season. Appalachian moves to 2-1 on the season.

Appalachian State Baseball: Appalachian vs George Mason 2/17/2012 (Elon Tournament)

Senior RHP Seth Grant (5-9, 5.28) will start against the Patriots.

Appalachian is the away team in today’s game.

Lineup

Crespo – K;F9;1B;G1; :1-4

Troutman – F7;1B;F6;K; :1-4

Callaway – 1B,SB;FC;1B,SB;G5; :2-4

Kassouf – K;K;1B,RBI;K; :1-4

Tewell – 1B;F8;FC;K; :1-4

Dowdy – BB;F8;FC;1B; :1-3

Holmes – K;FO;FO;GIDP :0-4

Briggs – K;F8;G5; :0-3

Zupcic – K;F4;G5; :0-3

P- Grant – 6 IP, 8 K, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 FO, 6 GO, ND

P- Wilson – 2 IP, 2 K, 2 H, 1 ER, FO, 3 GO: Loss (0-1)

George Mason wins 2-1

Appalachian is 0-1 on the season

Appalachian State Baseball: 2012 Schedule

George Mason

Akron (DH)

Louisiana State (3)

North Carolina A&T

RIDER (4)

DUKE

DAVIDSON (3)

Duke

South Carolina

THE CITADEL (3)

High Point

Elon (3)

NORTH CAROLINA A&T

OAKLAND (3)

EAST TENNESSEE STATE

COL. OF CHARLESTON (3)

Gardner-Webb

Georgia Southern (3)

EASTERN KENTUCKY (2)

FURMAN (3)

HIGH POINT

Wofford (3)

East Tennessee State

UNC-GREENSBORO (3)

Samford (3)

GARDNER WEBB

Western Carolina (3)

SoCon Tourney

Furman

Samford

Furman

NCAA Regional (Charlottesville, Va)

Oklahoma

Virginia

Oklahoma (2)