No Losers @ US Cellular Field

Game 32: Notre Dame 5 (23-9-1), NIU 4 (15-17)

L Recap/Photos

In front of a school-record 4,600 fans, Northern Illinois took on the Fighting Irish of Notre dame under the lights @ US Cellular Field which is the home of the Chicago White Sox. The proceeds from the $10 tickets for this game all went to the Feb. 14th scholarship to honor the victims of the horrible tragedy that happened that day.

Top Performers:

SS Bobby Stevens - 0 for 2, HBP, 2 BB, SB
LF Jeff Thomas - 0 for 3, HBP, BB, 2 R, SB, SO

LHP Brandon Copp - 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K's

Summary:

Just judging by the top performers in this game, we needed to hit a little bit more. But heck, losing by 1-run to a top-30 team isn't anything to shake a stick at. Starting pitchers Matt Jernstad went 3.1 IP and Brandon Copp went 2.2 IP later in the game. I'm so thankful we were able to schedule this game with ND moving their schedule around to make it happen. It provides tremendous experience for both squads playing in a major league stadium.

Notre Dame HC Dave Schrage:

"I would like to thank the Chicago White Sox for this opportunity; it really is a great experience for our team. It was a hard fought game and I think the fans got their money's worth. There really were no losers tonight."

NIU HC Ed Mathey:

"I thought it was a real spirited contest out there tonight, with great fan support. I thought both team came out and played some pretty good baseball. We had some opportunities out there; with a few more key hits you may have seen a different result out there. They got a kid at the back of their bull pen who is pretty tough and that is a good luxury to have."

Pre-ND @ The Cell Baseball Roundup

If you haven't already, go pick up free tickets from the Convo for tonight's baseball game at US Cellular field on the south side against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame!

Game 28: NIU 4 (12-16), Valpo 5 (9-21)
L

Top Performer:

SS Bobby Stevens - 2 for 4, 2B, HBP, 2 R, SB

Mathey-Speak/Summary:

"We just did not play well enough to win today," said head coach Ed Mathey. "Defensively, we didn't execute defensively very well and that will cost you in a close ballgame. We didn't make the plays we needed to make."

Reynolds, Hood & Copp all had errors in this game. Hood's error was the only unearned run scored in this game in the 5th inning, while Hood didn't help him in that same inning.

Game 29: Akron 4 (14-11, 1-3), NIU 5 (13-16, 6-4)
W

Top Performers:

SS Bobby Stevens - 2 for 4, HBP, 2 R, SB
DH Justin Behm - 1 for 3, RBI, R, 2 BB
3B Jordin Hood - 2 for 5, 3 RBI, 2 E

RHP Trevor Feeney - 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 K's
RHP Dan Atkenson - 3 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K's

Mathey-Speak/Summary:

"We got a big run in the seventh and finally got our bats going in the ninth," said head coach Ed Mathey. "Jordin [Hood] got a couple of big hits for us today and it is nice to see him coming around. The weather was not conducive but it was a fun ballgame and a good win for us. Our pitchers did a nice job today as well with a good start from Trevor [Feeney] and Dan [Atkenson] out of the bullpen."

It's a good thing that Hood is producing on offense (3 RBIs), because that's the 2nd unearned run he's given up by an error in 2 close games in a row.

Game 30: Akron 11 (14-12, 1-4), NIU 14 (14-16, 7-4)
W

Top Performers:

C Justin Behm - 3 for 5, 2 HR, GS, 8 RBI, 2 R
LF Jeff Thomas - 2 for 5, HBP, 3 RBI, 3 R, SB
SS Bobby Stevens - 2 for 3, 2B, 2 HBP, 3 R, SO
2B Joe Buonavolanto - 3 for 4, 2B, RBI, 2 R
3B Jordin Hood - 2 for 3, HBP, RBI, BB, SB, E
RF Danny Reed - 2 for 4, 2B, R, BB, 2 SO

RHP Andy Deain - 2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K's

Summary:

Behm's 8 RBI's ties the school record set by Joe Milroy @ Creighton on March 20, 1999. Behm has both patience and power, while it seems his ceiling is limitless. Now that our other catcher Matt Behren is back (who ironically had the pre-season honors), I'm sure both players will switch back and forth from the DH spot to help out the health of both players. Behren was out with a hand injury, which kept him out of the first 22 games. He came back to start the April 2nd game against UW-Milwaukee. Both corner infielders had errors in this game, in which both men came in to score unearned runs.

Game 31: Akron 10 (14-13, 1-5), NIU 14 (15-16, 8-4)
W

Top Performers:

SS Bobby Stevens - 3 for 3, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 SB
C Matt Behren - 2 for 4, 3B, 3 RBI, R, E
CF Pat Minogue - 2 for 3, 2B, R, BB
LF Jeff Thomas - 1 for 3, 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R, BB
DH Justin Behm - 1 for 3, RBI, 2 R, BB
3B Jordin Hood - 1 for 3, 3 RBI, R, BB, E

Summary:

1B Joe "Etch" Etcheverry made his first start in conference play and hit a solo HR. 3B Hood has about an error a game and it's also a good thing that our offense is making up for the lack of pitching and defense in these games. Pretty much everybody got in to this game toward the end including freshmen RHP Zach Oates, C Kevin Smith and 3B Brad Allen.

Wi-Fi Hotspots in Dekalb

Wi-Fi hotspots (NStar)
(Places you can check this blog out at around Dekalb)

Barnes & Noble, 2439 Sycamore Road
Open Sunday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Monday-Saturday 9 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Wireless Internet - Pay-as-you-go (about $3.99 for two hours)

Borders, 2520 Sycamore Road
Open Sunday 10 a.m. - 9 p.m., Monday-Thursday 10 a.m. - 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Wireless Internet - Pay-as-you-go; Must be a T-Mobile internet subscriber

Caribou Coffee, 2385 Sycamore Road
Open Sunday 6 a.m. - 9:30 p.m., Monday-Thursday 6 a.m. - 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 6 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Wireless Internet - First hour is free, then one hour for every purchase over $1.35

DeKalb Public Library, 309 Oak St.
Open Sunday 1 - 4 p.m., Monday-Thursday 9 a.m. - 9 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Wireless Internet - Free access

Java 101, 901 Lucinda Ave.
Hours vary
Wireless Internet - Free access

The Junction, 816 W. Lincoln Highway
Open Sunday-Wednesday 6 a.m. - 2 a.m., Thursday 6 a.m. - 3 a.m., Friday and Saturday 6 a.m. - 4 a.m.
Wireless Internet - Free access

Starbucks, 2577 Sycamore Road, 1015 W. Lincoln Highway
Sycamore Rd. Location: Open Sunday 6 a.m. - 9 p.m., Monday-Friday 5 a.m. - 10 p.m., Saturday 5:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Lincoln Highway Location: Sunday 6:30 a.m. - 10 p.m., Monday-Friday 5:30 a.m. - 10 p.m., Saturday 6 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Wireless Internet - Must subscribe to T-Mobile Service

Shelley’s, 901H Lucinda Ave.
Open Sunday Noon- 12 a.m., Monday-Wednesday 10:30 a.m. - 1a.m., Thursday 10:30 a.m. - 2 a.m., Friday-Saturday 10:30 a.m.-3 a.m.
Wireless Internet - Free access

Panera Bread, 2476 Sycamore Road
Open Sunday 7 a.m. - 8 p.m., Monday-Saturday 6 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Wireless Internet - Free access

The House Café, 263 E. Lincoln Highway
Closed Mondays, Hours vary rest of the week (usually 11 a.m. - 12 a.m.)
Wireless Internet - Free access

Super Baseball Round-Up

It's been a while. Classes get hard when you are a Junior. Can't wait for next year...

It was a freezing weekend in Bowling Green, OH which hampered our offensive production. Our defense didn't help much in these close games either though. Taking the game from UW-Milwaukee and taking 2 out of 3 from Pre-Season MAC favorite Kent State were essential wins for this team. Nice to see the offense come alive with this nice weather we've been having in Dekalb. Except not right now. I hate rain!

Game 21: NIU 2 (9-12, 3-1), Bowling Green 3 (9-7, 1-0)

Top Performances:

3B Jordin Hood - 1 for 3, BB, RBI
RF Danny Reed - 1 for 4, HR, RBI, R

RHP Trevor Feeney - 7 IP, 12 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K's
RHP Dan Atkenson - 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 K's

Quotage:

"They put the leadoff man on through the first six innings and we were only able to get our leadoff hitter on once and that is a tough way to play," said head coach Ed Mathey. "To have a 3-2 game is a testament to how well Trevor Feeney pitched for us today. He battled and even though he was saddled with the loss, he didn't deserve that fate. Offensively it is difficult to get anything going when you only get four hits. You've got to give credit to their pitcher because he threw well and was around the strike zone all game."

Game 22: NIU 3 (9-3, 3-2), Bowling Green 4 (10-7, 2-0)

Top Performances:

RF Danny Reed - 2 for 4, 2B, R
C Justin Behm - 1 for 2, 2 BB, SB
1B Dave Reynolds - 2 for 4, RBI, R

LHP Adam Holdenrid - 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K's

Quotage:

"Today's game was similar to yesterday in that it came down to a matter of execution and we are just not doing that well enough right now," said head coach Ed Mathey. "Mistakes on the defensive side are haunting us and we are not generating enough offensively. I thought Adam [Holdenrid] threw well enough to win, but they threw better and got the win. We gave up too many free bases today and that ended up hurting us."

Game 23: NIU 1 (9-14, 3-3), Bowling Green 4 (11-7, 3-0)

Top Performers:

LHP Matt Jernstad - 5.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K's

Quotage:

"Offensively, we simply could not get anything going this weekend," said head coach Ed Mathey. "We had runners at second and third and no one out in the fifth and couldn't get a run home and you just can't have that. That was a big momentum swing and they came right back in their at bat and got three runs. Their pitchers did a nice job against us today and throughout the series and I thought our pitchers threw well enough to win, we just didn't generate any offensive support."

Game 24: UW-Milwaukee 2 (5-17), NIU 3 (10-14)

Top Performers:

SS Bobby Stevens - 2 for 4, BB, SO, SB, CS
1B Dave Reynolds - 2 for 4, RBI, R, HBP, SO
3B Jordin Hood - 2 for 5, GW RBI

LHP Brandon Copp - 5 IP, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K's

Quotage:

"It is good to be back on the winning side and you always feel better about yourself after a victory," said head coach Ed Mathey. "It was great to see Jordin come through with the winning hit and hopefully that gets him going after struggled a bit early in the season."

Game 25: Kent State 6 (10-14, 0-4), NIU 11 (11-14, 4-3)

Top Performers:

DH Justin Behm - 3 for 4, 2 HR, 3B, 5 RBI, 2 R, BB, SO
3B Jordin Hood - 4 for 5, HR, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R, SO
LF Jeff Thomas - 3 for 4, R, 2 SB
RF Danny Reed - 1 for 3, 2 RBI, R, BB

Quotage:

"Our hitters did an outstanding job and we swung the bats well today," said head coach Ed Mathey, who earned the 150th win of his NIU career. "The success in the first inning was a direct result of executing our approach of waiting and hitting to the mid or opposite field. Getting back over the .500 mark in the MAC is key as so is starting off a series with a victory, especially at home. Hopefully this win will carry over to tomorrow."

Game 26: Kent State 2 (10-15, 0-5), NIU 3 (12-14, 5-3)

Top Performers:


RF Danny Reed - 2 for 4, 2B, RBI, R, 2 SO
DH Brian Smith - 1 for 2, 2 BB

LHP Adam Holdenrid - 6.2 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K's

Quotage:

"We took advantage of a couple of not-so-hard hit ground balls in the ninth that probably didn't go 140 feet between the two of them, but it was enough to get a run," said head coach Ed Mathey. "Maziur made a good read on the ball and broke for the plate and earlier in the inning Marvin Sanchez placed a good bunt against a hard-charging infield. It was a game that featured good pitching and defense on both sides and you hate to see either team lose."

Game 27: Kent State 9 (11-15, 1-5), NIU 5 (12-15, 5-4)

Top Performers:

3B Jordin Hood - 3 for 5
CF Pat Minogue - 2 for 4, RBI
SS Bobby Stevens - 2 for 4, SO
RF Danny Reed - 2 for 5, 2 R, 2 SO

Summary:

Huskies had hits abound with 13, but the Red and Black lacked power and pitching in this rubber match against defending MAC Champs Kent State.