Bottom row L-R Steve Hendrickson, Brandon Huber, Jim Pulskamp, John Lynch, Dustin Cooper, DJ Seaman, Ryan Stang, Chris Alfaro Middle row L-R John Kennedy, Drew Hord, Jerry Neeley, Mike Stidham, Dane Garrett, Jeff Case, Pat Schneider, Tim Oberschlake, BobbyNoeth, Zach Barkalow Top rowL-R Ken Jeffers, Nic Costanzo, Tony Weber, Chris Petry, Ryan Fulton, Jerry Beard, Chris Tillery, Brandon Heineman, Nate Hirsch, Mike Blume
The Clermont Cougar Baseball Team concluded their fall tryouts and practices last week.The pitchers and catchers will move indoors for informal workouts throughout the winter.Practice will resume during Winter Quarter and our opening game is scheduled forFebruary 13, 2010vs.UnionCollege.
The Cougars have added two quality lefthanders to the roster, Kelly Barnes and Jarred Chapman.Barnes is a 2009 graduate of Lakota West and Chapman is a transfer student fromUrbana.Both pitchers are expected to start for the Cougars.We also added Alex Fisler, John Houck, CJ Hillberg, Brian Holden, Dereck Pennington, Rick Rockel, Chris Seager and James Stevens during the 2009 fall tryouts.The final roster and schedule, including home field locations, will be posted on the website during Winter Quarter.
COUGARS ADD TRIO FROM STRONG GLEN ESTE SQUAD July 24, 2009
The USCAA National Qualifying Cougars continued to add quality and depth to their 2010 Baseball Squad by adding standout players from the Glen Este HS Class of 2009.Nate Bromagen, Andrew Gerber, and Kyle Gordon have committed to continue their baseball careers atClermontCollege.Bromagen, a middle infielder, led the Trojans in hits (42) and RBI’s (26).Nate hit .420 and looks to start at SS for the Cougars this Spring.Andrew Gerber is both a catcher and an outfielder who had 38 hits and batted.400 this past Spring.His speed and versatility have Coach Spriggs very excited.Kyle Gordon plays both middle infield and pitcher and he hit .300 for the Trojans in 2009.He comes from a long line of coaches and players:His grandfather, Bruce was formerly an Assistant Coach forXavierUniversityand Head Coach of theUniversityofCincinnati(Main Campus).Bruce coached many championship Summer Teams with Cougar Assistant Coach Costanzo in the late 80’s and early 90’s.Kyle’s uncles Bill and Scott were students athletes atXavierUniversityin the late 80’s,The Cougar Staff welcomes these 3 fine additions.
COUGARS ADD PITCHER/INFIELDER TO SQUAD July 24, 2009
The Clermont Cougar Baseball Team has received a commitment to play from Batavia Senior standout Eric Roberts, a third baseman and pitcher.Roberts hit .414 this past spring and compiled a 2.84 ERA in 9 appearances (32 innings pitched) for his Batavia Squad.His quality and versatility will lend themselves well to the USCAA National Qualifying Cougars, who look to Eric for assistance in returning to the 2010 Nationals.
COUGARS ADD 2 BIG BOYS TO STAFF July 24, 2009
The Clermont Cougar Baseball team has added two more pitchers to their 2010 roster.Cody Saylor, a 2008 Mason HS Graduate, and Will Singleton, an 08 graduate of Colerain HS, will add to a very formidable Cougar Pitching Staff.Both pitchers come in at 6’4”+ and both have had great summer seasons.Cody, a right-hander pitched for the Cincinnati Chiefs Collegiate team and has done well according to Chief Head Coach Jeff Hannah.Will, a left-hander, pitched for the Clermont Zap this summer and won 3 games showing excellent control.Both are valuable additions to the 2010 Cougar Staff.
COUGARS ADDLOVELANDPITCHER July 24, 2009
Nate Jancsics, a 2009 graduate of Loveland HS, will join the Clermont Cougars in 2010.Nate, coming off a hand injury, has pitched excellently for Tim Canada’s Cincinnati Styx summer team and brings control to the savvy Cougar pitching staff.“Nate has had some excellent training from Loveland Coach Kenny Reed as well as CoachCanada.We are excited to see the training come to fruition on our team!”said Coach Costanzo.
UC Clermont baseball squad fourth in USCAA national championship tourney Young Cougar diamond program very impressive on a country-wide level By Richard Crawford, Sun Staff
CLERMONTZAPFINISHES SUMMER BALL SEASON July 24, 2009
The Clermont Zap Collegiate Baseball Team finished its Summer Season with a 16-8 record in theCRCMen’s Wood Bat League.The team ended up second of 16 overall, with the undefeated Cincinnati Cobalts finishing first.The Zap was comprised of all Clermont Cougar players and was sponsored by Assistant Coach Dino Costanzo’s Insurance Agency.The team was coached by the players and they played on Thursdays and Sundays.The line-up is as follows:
Zach Barkalow (SummitCountry Day)CF Drew Hord (Glen Este)LF Nic Costanzo (Mariemont)1B Ken Jeffers (Glen Este)All Positions Zach Hall (ClermontNE)RF Chris Alfaro (Anderson)SS Jeff Case (NewRichmond)3B Tony Weber (Mt. Healthy)2B Eric Franz (Glen Este)Catcher Andrew McPheters (Colerain)Catcher Brandon Huber (Amelia)Pitcher Brandon HeinemanPitcher Will Singleton (Colerain)Pitcher Tyler Sluter (Norwood)Pitcher Dan Sunday (Glen Este)Pitcher Chris Tillery (Eastern Brown)Pitcher
Congratulations to the Zap on a successful Summer Season!
MILFORDPITCHERS JOIN COUGAR STAFF July 24, 2009
The Clermont Cougar Baseball Team has added twoMilfordHigh Schoolgraduates to their pitching staff for the the 2010 Baseball Season.Zach Ertle, a 2009 graduate, and Kyle Seitz, a 2008 grad, will add quality and depth to the Cougar stable of right-handers.Both gentlemen had successful careers atMilfordHigh School, helping the Eagles retain their status as a perennial East Side Baseball Powerhouse.Zach has extended his success, pitching for Tim Canada’sStyxand Kyle has been doing well, pitching for Tim Stidham’s Flame Squad.The Cougar coaching staff is thrilled with these two additions.
ZAPPLAYERS WILL ADD DEPTH TO COUGARS July 24, 2009
Eric Franz and Dan Sunday, both graduates of Glen Este, have resurrected their baseball careers and will add depth to the Cougars in the catching and pitching departments during the 2010 baseball season.Both players had an improved and successful summer, playing on the Clermont Zap Collegiate team, and will continue to work towards making an impace in 2010.
COUGAR PLAYERS RECEIVE ORCC HONORS May 27, 2009
The Ohio Regional Collegiate Conference (ORCC) released its 2009 individual award winners for the 2009 Baseball Season.Following are the Clermont College selections for the All-Academic and All-Conference team. ORCC ALL-ACADEMICORCC ALL-CONFERENCE Jeff CaseSophNew Richmond HSMike BlumeSophGlen Este HS1stTeamDustin CooperFreshMilford HSNic CostanzoSophMariemont HS1stTeam Nic CostanzoSophMariemont HSSteve Hendrickson Fresh Wayne HS1stTeamBrandon HuberSophGlen Este HSJohn KennedyFreshLoveland HS1stTeamJustin KrausSophMason HS Pat SchneiderSophWestern Brown HS
Many other players made significant contributions to the 2009 Cougar success and the entire baseball team should be proud of the year we have had.Congratulations to the team, as well as the individuals listed above.
COUGARS ADD NORWOOD PLAYERS TO 2010 ROSTER May 27, 2009
The Clermont Cougar Baseball team has added two 2009 Norwood HS graduates to their 2010 roster.Brett Brinkmeyer and Tyler Sluter will add pitching depth to the Cougar pitching staff in 2010.Brinkmeyer, a righthander is also a middle infielder and may see some time in the infield.Sluter is a lefthander with a heavy fastball.Both players have been overlooked by many because of the dismal season Norwood experienced in 2009.The Cougars had their scouts crouching in the bushes at Upper Milcrest since early spring and are looking forward to these two fine additions.
COUGARS ADD FLAMETHROWER TO STAFF May 27, 2009
Travis Orr, a 2009 Graduate of Eastern Brown High School, has signed on with the Clermont Cougars baseball team.Orr has been a standout for four seasons on a powerhouse Eastern Brown squad.The Cougars have had their eyes on Travis for 2 seasons and have plans to immediately install him in a starting role.Travis is an All-League, All-District pitcher with a 19-5 record, 132 K’s and 1.87 ERA over the course of his four varsity seasons.Travis will join former teammate Chris Tillery and the rest of the Cougars as they compete for a spot in the 2010 USCAA National Tournament.The Cougar Staff is thrilled with this addition.
COUGARS ADD HITTER/CATCHER TO SQUAD May 27, 2009
The Clermont Cougars have added Andrew McPheters, a transfer from Taylor College and 2008 graduate of Colerain HS, to the 2010 baseball squad.McPheters will round out a solid group of catchers for the Cougars, which includes Ken Jeffers and Tony Ramirez.All three catchers can hit will and are also able to play other positions.Coach Spriggs envisions all three catchers in the 2010 lineup on any given day.Andrew’s game continues to improve and the Cougars are thrilled to add him to the 2010 squad.
COUGARS ADD LEFTHANDER TO TEAM May 27, 2009
Zach Hall, a 2008 Clermont Northeastern graduate, has been offered a spot on the 2010 Cougar squad.Zach returned from a post-high school move to Florida and enrolled at Clermont College for the 2009 Spring Quarter.Zach is a left-handed pitcher and a left-handed hitting outfielder.His dual abilities make him a valuable asset for the Cougars and the coaching staff is very excited to have him aboard for next season.
COUGARS FINISH FOURTH IN USCAA NATIONAL TOURNAMENT May 13, 2009
The Clermont Cougars Men’s baseball team finished their second season with a fourth place finish in the 2009 USCAA National Tournament. The Cougars ended the season with a 23-18-1 record. Late Wednesday night, the Cougars lost to the 2008 defending USCAA Champions, Columbia Union Pioneers 8-3. C Tony Ramirez (soph/ Maderia) was named to the USCAA National Tournament team hitting .400 in the tournament. The Cougar baseball team performed beyond expectations, making the National Tournament in just their second season. The Cougars are looking forward to returning in 2010 with new talent and have plans to add the necessary ingredients to win the USCAA National. We will be updating on the website throughout the summer.Many of the Cougars will be playing this summer for the Clermont Zaps wood bat colliegate team atRoselawnPark, Thursdays and Sundays.Come out and cheer them on, if you get the opportunity. Congratulations to the Clermont Cougars Men’s Baseball team for an outstanding 2009 season!
COUGARS ADVANCE TO USCAA FINAL FOUR May 13, 2009
The Clermont Cougar Baseball Team advanced to the quarterfinals of the USCAA National Championship with a 6-3 victory over Briarcliff College. Tim Oberschlake (soph/Western Brown) gave a stellar 5-inning performance on the mound, giving up just two earned run.He relinquished the ball to sophomore pitcher Mike Blume who shut down Briarcliff hitters to record the Cougar victory. Blume also threw excellently, reaching 86 mph at one point. The Cougar offense scored one in the first on a lead off walk by CF Steve Hendrickson (fresh/Wayne), followed by a hit by pitch by SS John Kennedy (fresh/Loveland) and a base hit by 1B Nic Costanzo (soph/ Mariemont).The Cougars scored twice in the third by hits from 3B Bobby Noeth (soph/Western Brown) and a triple by LF Drew Hord (fresh/Glen Este). Hord scored on a groundout by C Ken Jeffers (fresh/Glen Este). With the score tied at 3 in the 6th, the Cougars rallied for 3 more runs as 2B Chris Alfaro (fresh/Anderson) singled, stole second, and scored on a single by Steve Hendrickson. With Nic Costanzo up, Hendrickson scored on a wild pitch on a 2-1 count. Costanzo later walked and scored on a base hit by DH Tony Ramirez (soph/Madiera). That run made the score 6-3, a lead which the Cougars never relinquished. Bobby Noeth was named player of the game, going 3-3 with a double and a walk.The Cougars will face Columbia Union for the second time at 7:30 this evening at War Memorial Stadium.
CLERMONT PLAYERS RECEIVE USCAA HONORS May 12, 2009
At the USCAA Banquet last night, Pat Schneider (soph/Western Brown) was named a 2009 USCAA Academic All-Star.Pat has maintained a 4.0 GPA in his 2 years atClermontCollege.Nic Costanzo (soph/Mariemont) received an Honorable Mention for the 2009 USCAA All-American awards.Nic led the USCAA in walks this season (41) and was among the leaders in other offensive categories.Congratulations to both players for their 2009 efforts, on and off the field.
The Clermont Cougars fell to the Columbia Union Pioneers in their first game of the USCAA National Championship, 6-2.Jerry Neeley (soph/Glen Este) was the losing pitcher.Neeley got off to a shaky start, hitting 2 batters, giving up 5 hits and 5 runs in the first inning.He settled in and gave up just 2 more hits and 1 run, striking out 4, and walking zero throughout the next five innings.Unfortunately, the Cougar offense was stymied by the Pioneer pitching.SS John Kennedy (fresh/Loveland) had 2 hits and C Tony Ramirez (soph/Madeira) had a double.The Cougars move into the loser’s bracket, playingBriarcliffCollegeatnoononWednesday, May 13, 2009.
COUGARS LEAVE FOR USCAA TOURNAMENT May 11, 2009
The Cougar Baseball Team departedClermontCollegeat5 AM,May 11, 2009, bound for the USCAA Tournament inHampton,VA.The players and coaches reported the bus ride was long and tiring, with the team sleeping, talking, or watching videos.Arriving at the hotel at2:30 PM, there was an hour wait to receive room keys, but the team all checked in and started to relax.Later that evening, the Cougars were back on the road, traveling to the USCAA Banquet honoring the All-American and Academic All-American players.The banquet consisted of pulled pork, with several different BBQ sauces and several sides.After dinner, each school chose 2 players to participate in the Home Run Derby.The Cougars picked Ken Jeffers (fresh/Glen Este) and Tony Rami (Soph/Madeira).Ramirez was the first player on the field and finished with one, advancing to the semi-finals.He hit another home run which advanced him to the finals, where he was defeated by Devon Liquori of Penn College.
COUGARS WRAP UP REGULAR SEASON IN SLUGFEST May 5, 2009
The USCAA Tournament-bound Clermont Cougars Baseball team rounded out their 2009 regular season with a 20-17 victory over perennialORCCRival OSU/Lima onTuesday, May 5, 2009.The Cougars split last Monday with DivIIIrivalWabashCollege, losing 10-9 in the first game and winning 14-11 in the second.The following day, they lost 15-13 toORCCConference rival Miami/Hamilton.The Cougar offense has been nothing but spectacular.Lead-off hitter Steve Hendrickson (fresh/Wayne) collected eight hits in the last four games; SS John Kennedy (fresh/Loveland) reached base safely 10 times; 1B Nic Costanzo (soph/Mariemont) had 8 hits; DH Tony Ramirez (soph/Madeira) had ten hits; 2B/3B Bobby Noeth (soph/Western Brown) had 8 hits including a homerun; LF Drew Hord (fresh/Glen Este) had seven hits; C Ken Jeffers (fresh/Glen Este) had 8 hits; and 2B Chris Alfaro (fresh/Anderson) had 7 hits.Nic Costanzo also broke the 40-walk barrier, collecting 4 walks to bring his total to 41 this season.Not to be outdone, LF Joey Fehr (soph/Colerain), Drew Hord and Tony Ramirez collected 20+ walks apiece this season, each surpassing the 20 mark in this four game stretch.There were countless doubles, runs scored and RBI’s collected by the Cougar offense over these four games.There have been few bright spots, however, for the pitching staff.One can only speculate about the team ERA at this point.And we won’t talk about the Bases On Balls!!!Brandon Huber (soph/Amelia), Mike Blume (soph/Glen Este), and Jerry Neeley (soph/Glen Este) continue to stand out in the “Arms” department of Clermont Baseball.We can only hope this once formidable pitching staff can manage to gather themselves for next week!The Cougar Record stands at 22-16-1 as they prepare for the National Tournament,May 12-14, 2009inHampton,VA.
USCAA SEEDING ANNOUNCED May 5, 2009
The UC/Clermont CougarsMen’s Baseball team has been seeded 5thin seven team field competing for the USCAA National Baseball Championship title,May 12-14, 2009at War Memorial Field inHampton,VA.The tournament is a “two and out” with the championship game being played on Thursday, May 14, 2009The #1 seed is Apprentice College, the host school for this year.In last year’s USCAA National Championship, the Cougars square off against this year’s #4 seed, Columbia Union College (MD), who went on to become 2008 USCAA National Champions on May 12, 2009 at 2:30 PMEDT.The winner of this match-up will go on to play Apprentice the same day at7:30 PM.The loser of the Cougar/Columbia game will play onWednesday, May 13, 2009atnoon.More information about the teams and the Tournament can be found on the USCAA website (http://www.theuscaa.com/sports/bsb/index).
COUGARS MAKE USCAA NATIONALS April 28, 2009
The Clermont Cougars Men’s Baseball Team was among eight selected to compete in the United States College Athletic Association’s (USCAA) National Championship, being heldMay 11-14, 2009inHampton,VA.Throughout the regular season, the Cougars have been consistently ranked 4th-5thin the USCAA Coaches’ Poll.Much of the Cougars’ success can be attributed to their strong start to the 2009 Season.Early victories against top-ranked St. Catharine College and strong showings against NAIA schools, likeAsburyCollege, helped propel the Cougar Squad into the rankings.The Cougars have had a strong run over the last ten days, improving their overall record to 20-14-1.Winning a bid to the USCAA National Championship is a huge accomplishment in the second season for our Baseball program.Congratulations to the Cougar Baseball Team.
We will be updating with more information about the tournament and its format.We also have updates coming for recent games.Please check back with us soon.
COUGARS ROLL TO THIRD STRAIGHT VICTORY
April 17, 2009
The Clermont Cougar baseball team won its 15th game of the season, defeating the Miami/Middletown Thunderhawks Friday 18-13. CF Steve Hendrickson (fresh/Wayne) collected four hits on the day and scored 4 times. 1B Nic Costanzo (soph/Mariemont) doubled twice, scored 3 runs and collected 3 RBI’s. C/DH Ken Jeffers (fresh/Glen Este) added 2 hits to the day, including his 10th double of the season. The Cougar record now stands at 15-11-1.
COUGARS SWEEP CONFERENCE DOUBLEHEADER
April 16, 2009
The Clermont Cougar baseball team swept conference rival OU/Chillicothe 10-1 and 16-1 Thursday at WCBO Fields in West Chester, OH. Ryan Stang (soph/Colerain) recorded his third victory in a complete game performance which included 10 strikeouts. Justin Kraus (soph/Mason) threw a complete game in the second match-up to record his first victory as a Cougar, striking out 6.Offense on the day was provided by many Cougars. CF Steve Hendrickson (fresh/Wayne) had 3 hits including a double and five runs scored. C/DH Tony Ramirez (soph/Madeira) had 3 hits including a HR to right field and 4 RBI’s. 1B Nic Costanzo (soph/Mariemont) also collected 3 hits, scored 4 runs and reached base safely 6 out of 7 times, with 3 additional walks. Nic has reached first base with 30 walks so far this season. 3B Tim Oberschlake (soph/Western Brown) collected 2 hits in the first game. SS John Kennedy (fresh/Loveland) and C/DH Ken Jeffers (fresh/Glen Este) both collected doubles on the day. The Cougars now stand at 14-11-1.
COUGARS FALL TO NORSEMEN
April 15, 2009
The Clermont Cougar baseball team fell to the NKU Norsemen 17-7 on a dreary Wednesday afternoon in Northern Kentucky. The game was actually closer than it appears in the box score, at times as close as 8-7 through the first 6 innings. Doubles by CF Steve Hendrickson (fresh/Wayne) and 1B Nic Costanzo (soph/Mariemont), and singles by C Tony Ramirez (soph/Madeira) and 2B Bobby Noeth (soph/Western Brown) gave the Cougars an early 4-run lead. The Cougar record now stands at 12-11-1.
COUGARS SPLIT DH WITH CONFERENCE RIVAL HARRIERS April 11, 2009
On Saturday, April 11, the Cougars’ DH against conference rival Miami/Hamilton Harriers was delayed 4 hours as the teams waited for Foundation Field in Hamilton, OH to dry. Starting at 5 PM, the Cougars opened Game 1 with three straight hits by lead-off hitter Steve Hendrickson (fresh/Wayne), second hitter Nic Costanzo (soph/Mariemont) and third hitter John Kennedy (fresh/Loveland). Hendrickson scored on Kennedy’s hit and Costanzo scored on a Sac Fly from the fifth hitter, Bobby Noeth (soph/Western Brown). That was all the offense needed for Pitcher Nate Hirsch (soph/Loveland), as he rolled to a complete game victory, 7-1, over the Harriers. The Cougars behind Hirsch were in complete control as they rolled to their 12th victory of the season.
Game two was another matter as temperatures plummeted into the 30’s. The Harriers jumped out in front early on and put the freeze on the Cougars. Although the Cougars could not get anything started, there were bright spots in the game. SS Chris Alfaro (fresh/Anderson) played extremely well both offensively and defensively, until leaving the game with a twisted ankle. He is currently listed day-to-day to rejoin the line-up. Transfer pitcher Brandon Heinaman (soph/Cedarville) threw an excellent 2-inning relief stint but that was not enough to save the Cougars from a loss. The Cougars’ record now stands at 12-10-1 and they are currently ranked fourth in the USCAA Coaches Poll.
COUGARS RANK FOURTH IN USCAA COACHES POLL AND FALL TO BEREA April 9, 2009
For the second week in a row, the UC Clermont Cougars Baseball team was ranked fourth in the USCAA Coaches Poll. Although the Cougars have struggled to secure a win in the last week, they have been playing decent ball on the whole. Over the past 5 games, things have gone in favor of their opponents but are starting to turn back to the Cougars.
The Cougars clawed their way back from an 11-4 deficit Wednesday, only to fall 13-11 in 11 innings. In the bottom of the eighth inning the Cougars were trailing 11-4. RF Joey Fehr (soph/Colerain) and CF Steve Hendrickson (fresh/Wayne) singled and 1B Nic Costanzo (soph/Mariemont) walked, loading the bases with no outs. All three runners scored and a base hit by LF Drew Hord (fresh/Glen Este) plated 2B Bobby Noeth (soph/Western Brown) to cut the deficit to 11-8. 1B Costanzo came up dusty, but safe, barely getting his hand in on a head-first slide. The ball was a wild pitch that ricocheted off the backstop into the catcher’s glove, making the play close. In the ninth inning, Hendrickson and Costanzo both walked and scored again on base hits by SS John Kennedy (fresh/Loveland), DH Tony Ramirez (soph/Madeira) and Noeth. Chris Petry (fresh/Goshen) came on in relief, throwing 3 strong innings. Unfortunately, things did not work out for Petry and the Cougars, as the Mountaineers came up with 2 unearned runs in the 11th inning, which the Cougars couldn’t match. The Cougars’ record now stands at 12-9.
SKID CONTINUES AS THE COUGARS TURN INTO KITTENS, FALLING TO TRANSYLVANIA April 4, 2009
The Clermont Cougars traveled to Transylvania, where Dracula proceeded to suck the blood out of the Cougar offense Saturday 2-0 and 12-0. The Transy Baseball team threw their top 2 at Clermont to get their desired results and stop their 6 game skid. The Cougar offense was stifled for the third game in a row and this was the third shut-out thrown at them in the last 5 tries. CF Steve Hendrickson (fresh/Wayne) and LF Drew Hord (fresh/Glen Este) manage 3 hits each on the day, but the rest of the offense combined could only hit 2 in both games. Jerry Neeley (soph/Glen Este) threw a complete game, giving up no earned runs, but suffered the game 1 defeat nonetheless. In the Cougars’ defense, they have not played bad baseball in the 3 of the last 4 games, the other teams were just better. The second game of the Transy DH was another matter entirely and Coach Spriggs was heard telling the blood drained team “The Skid Stops Here!”. The Cougars record now stands at 11-8.
YELLOW JACKETS BEAT COUGARS IN SQUEAKER April 2, 2009
The Clermont Cougar baseball team fell to the Cedarville Yellow Jackets 3-2 Thursday in a nine inning contest, played at Cedarville. Justin Kraus (soph/Mason) pitched well, throwing 7 1/3 innings and striking out 6, but things just did not fall the Cougars’ way. The Clermont offense did manage 9 hits, unfortunately, the ball continued to find its way into the gloves of the Cedarville defense nearly every time. The Cougars record now stands at 11-6.
COUGARS BEAT LIMA, IMPROVE RECORD TO 11-5 March 31, 2009
The Clermont Cougar baseball team rolled on to its eleventh victory of the season, beating OSU/Lima 6-1 Tuesday at WCBO Field in West Chester. Nate Hirsch (soph/Loveland) pitched superbly, throwing 7 strong innings, giving up no earned runs and striking out 7 to gain the victory. Mike Blume (soph/Glen Este) came in to pitch 2 shut-out innings of relief with 4 strike-outs to record his third save of the season. Ken Jeffers (fresh/Glen Este) hit his second HR of the season, giving the Cougars a 3-1 lead in the fifth inning, a lead they never relinquished.
COUGARS END SPRING TRIP ON LOSING NOTE, SPLIT IN CONFERENCE OPENER
March 25-28, 2009
The Clermont Cougars ended their Spring Trip on a sour note, losing 17-5 to Georgetown and 17-4 to Union. The Cougars limped through both games with very few highlights. Andrew Yockley (Junior/Lawrence, TN) and Tim Oberschlake (Soph/Western Brown) had 2 hits apiece in the Georgetown Game and Tony Ramirez (Soph/Madeira) had 3 hits vs. Union. Wednesday’s game against Cumberland was rained out, as well as Friday’s game vs. Spalding. On Saturday, things continued on a downward spiral with the Cougar baseball squad being shut out by perennial conference rival, Miami/Middletown 4-0. Thunderhawks pitcher Pete Sluinski eased through the stymied Cougar offense and nothing could go the Cougars’ way. Game 2 of the match-up looked just as grim as the Thunderhawks jumped out to a 6-2 lead going into the bottom of the fourth inning. At that point, with one out, RF Tim Oberschlake singled, 2B John Lynch (Fresh/Talawanda) and C Pat Schneider (Soph/WesternBrown) walked and CF Steve Hendrickson (Fresh/Wayne) beat out an infield hit, scoring Oberschlake, making the score 6-3. With 2 outs and bases loaded, 1B Nic Costanzo (Soph/Mariemont) drilled a 1-0 pitch deep into the left/center gap, clearing the bases to tie the game at 6. SS John Kennedy (Fresh/Loveland) followed with a long double to center, scoring Costanzo. DH Tony Ramirez followed with a double to left, scoring Kennedy. This gave the Cougars an 8-6 lead, which they never relinquished. Mike Blume (Soph/Glen Este) came on in the fifth and threw 3 quality innings, striking out four, to record his second save. Offensively, the Cougars scored 7 more runs in the fifth and sixth innings to make the final score 15-6. Costanzo collected 5 RBI’s on the day, Kennedy 2 doubles and 3 RBI’s, Schneider scored 3 times, Lynch and Oberschlake collected 2 hits each, and 3B Bobby Noeth (Soph/Western Brown) and LF Ken Jeffers (Fresh/Glen Este) both reached base 3 times and scored 2 runs apiece. The Clermont Cougars record now stands at 10-5 and 1-1 in the ORCC Southern Conference.
COUGARS RANKED FIFTH IN LATEST USCAA COACHES’ POLL
March 30, 2009
The UC/Clermont Cougars Baseball Team has received a favorable ranking in the latest USCAA Coaches’ poll. They were ranked fifth in the Coaches’ poll and eighth in the Composite Power Rankings. The Top 8 teams will compete in the USCAA National Championship in Hampton, VA, May 7-10, 2009. Cougar rivals St. Catharine and Clark State were ranked 1stand 19th respectively. The Cougars defeated both teams in their early match-ups this Spring. The Cougars will play Spalding, another USCAA rival, later in the season.
COUGARS ROLL ON TO DEFEAT USCAA RIVAL PANTHERS March 22, 2009
The Clermont Cougars continued their winning ways on their 2009 Spring Trip, defeating USCAA Rivals, St. Catharine Panthers 13-6 in the Bluegrass area of St. Catharine, KY. Jerry Neeley, sophomore (Glen Este), notched his second victory and Jimmy Pulskamp, freshman (Amelia), closed with 2 1/3 inning of solid relief. The Cougars played errorless defense and powered the offense with a combination of power and selective hitting. Clermont’s CF Steve Hendrickson, freshman (Wayne) and 1B Nic Costanzo, sophomore (Mariemont), both scored 3 runs. Costanzo was perfect, reaching base 5 times with a hit and 4 walks. Although Hendrickson was hitless, he reached base 3 times with 2 walks and a hit by pitch, capitalizing by scoring all three times. The power on the day was supplied by Freshman SS John Kennedy (Loveland) who scored 2 runs, had a sacrifice bunt, 3 hits, and a towering Grand Slam homerun to dead center field. DH Tim Oberschlake sophomore (Western Brown) also had a solid day with two smash hits including a double. He bagged 3 RBI’s on the day. Catcher Tony Ramirez, sophomore (Maderia), also reached base 4 times with 2 hits and 2 walks, and Drew Hord, freshman (Glen Este), reached base 3 times with a hit and 2 walks. The Cougars improve their record to 9-2 and the Panthers drop to 20-7. The current USCAA Baseball Power Rankings currently have St. Catharine ranked 4th and the Cougars 8th.
ASBURY EAGLES SNAKEBITTEN AS COUGARS SWEEP 4 GAME SERIES March 20-21 2009
Prior to their 2-day stretch, no two teams seemed as evenly matched as the Asbury Eagles and Clermont Cougars. The two teams battled Friday in West Chester, OH and Saturday inWolford, KY, with the Cougars emerging as the winner of all 4 games, improving their record to 8-2.
The first game on Friday was one of inches. A Sac Fly RBI delivered by catcher Tony Ramirez, sophomore (Madeira) in the first inning and an sixth inning RBI single from 1st baseman Nic Costanzo, sophomore (Mariemont) gave the Cougars Squad just enough to get by. Sophomore Brandon Huber (Amelia) threw 4 solid innings of relief to record his first victory of the season.
The lopsided score (13-3) in game two was deceptive. The game was tied into the fifth inning, when the Eagles ran out of gas and pitching, coming off their third consecutive doubleheader in 3 days. Ryan Stang, sophomore (Colerain), threw 5 strong innings, marking his second victory of the season. Freshman CF Steve Hendrickson (Wayne) had 3 hits and a double, RF Joey Fehr, sophomore (Colerain), walked 4 times with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI’s, and freshman catcher Derek Cooper (Milford) delivered the game winning hit.
On Saturday, the Cougars hit the road for the beginning of their Spring Trip, heading to Wolford, KY, near Lexington. The Asbury Eagles had home field advantage for these 2 games. The games were littered with great hits, lots of errors, some awesome defensive plays, and good to so-so pitching by both teams. The Cougars prevailed in 2 extra innings, scoring 6-4 and 10-8.
In game 1, sophomore pitcher Tim Oberschlake (Western Brown) recorded his third victory and third baseman Bobby Noeth, sophomore (Western Brown), and catcher Ken Jeffers Fresh (Glen Este) delivered offensively with 2 key homeruns. Noeth’s came in the sixth to tie the game at 4 and Jeffers in the eighth to give the Cougars a 2 run lead.
Overall on the Day offensive leaders were LF Drew Hord, freshman (Glen Este), with 5 hits, Noeth 4 hits, Ramirez, 4 hits including 2 doubles, Hendrickson, 4 hits, and Costanzo, 4 hits. Chris Tillery, freshman (Eastern Brown), threw 3 solid innings of relief to record his first victory as a Cougar.
COUGARS SPLIT WEEKEND March 14-15, 2009
The Clermont Cougar Baseball team improved its overall record to 4-2 with a 2-2 split in weekend doubleheaders. The Cougar squad traveled to Indianapolis Saturday, only to muster up Zero offense and they lost to the Marian Knights, 12-0 and 3-0 in a lackluster DH performance. The only offensive punch came from Sophmore 3B Bobby Noeth (Western Brown). Mike Blume threw 3 quality shut-out innings for the Cougars and the servers at McDonalds were fast and courteous. Sunday, however, was a different story, as the Cougars regained their winning ways, sweeping USCAA rivals, the Clark State Eagles, 6-2 and 12-3. Playing at WCBO Field in West Chester, OH, Jerry Neeley threw 6 solid innings, recording his second victory and striking out 7 batters. Brandon Huber finished Game one with a solid inning of relief. Tim Oberschlake recorded his second victory in relief during Game 2 as the Cougars opened up a closely contested game with a 10-run fourth inning. Offensive leaders on the day were CF Steve Hendrickson, Fresh (Wayne HS) with 3 hits, 1B Nic Costanzo, Soph (Mariemont HS) with 3 hits and a double, SS John Kennedy, Fresh (Loveland) with 3 hits including a HR, 3B Bobby Noeth, Soph (Western Brown) 3 Hits and LF Drew Herd, Fresh (Glen Este) 3 hits including a double. The Cougars take the field next on Friday, with a doubleheader vs. Asbury College, starting at 1 PM.
COUGARS OPEN WITH SWEEP OVER USCAA RIVAL
On Sunday, March 9, 2009, the Clermont Cougar Baseball team opened their 2009 Baseball Season with a Doubleheader sweep of USCAA Rival OSU/Mansfield, 10-5 and 7-1. For the second straight season, Sophomore 1B Nic Costanzo (Mariemont) opened the Clermont offense with a double off the left-field fence, eventually scoring off a sacrificial fly hit by Sophomore DH, Tony Ramirez (Madeira). Ramirez also contributed a 2 RBI single and a HR for the day. Freshman CF Steve Hendrickson (Wayne) also had a HR and 5 RBI’s on the day. Other offensive leaders for the the Cougars were Freshmen SS John Kennedy (Loveland) with 2 doubles/4 RBI’s, C Kenny Jeffers (Glen Este) with a double and 2B Jesse Johnson (Milford) who collected 3 hits. Sophomore Jerry Neeley (Glen Este) pitched 4 relief innings, giving 1 run and striking out 6 batter to notch his first victory. Ryan Stang (sophomore/Colerain) and Tim Oberschlake (sophomore/Western Brown) combined for a 1 run/1hitter in Game 2. Games were played at WCBO Fields in West Chester under mild but windy conditions. The rain held off until the last pitch was thrown, but poured cats and dogs at the completion of Game 2. Next up: Urbana on Tuesday, March 10.
COUGARS PREPARE FOR 2009
The Clermont Cougar Baseball team is preparing for their 2009 season opener and continuing their quest for an ORCC Conference title. They are also striving for a bid to the 2009 USCAA National Tournament, to be held in May, 2009. The team is currently practicing indoors and will be on the field before too long. We have several returning players in 2009: Nic Costanzo/1st Base; Bobby Noeth/3rd Base; Joey Fehr/Outfielder; Pat Schneider/Catcher; and pitchers Dane Garrett, Jerry Neeley, and Ryan Stang. The roster, which is rounded out by a promising mix of incoming freshman and transfer students, can now be viewed online. We will be updating more frequently as the beginning of the season draws nearer.
