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.