Baseball Game Notes
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2021 Baseball Game Notes Contact: BRANDON VICKREY Office: 219.464.5396 Valpo Sports Media Relations [email protected] www.valpoathletics.com Athletics-Recreation Center 1009 Union Street Valparaiso IN 46383 Valparaiso (1-2, 0-0 MVC) 2021 Schedule and Results at Jacksonville State (1-3, 0-0 OVC) Date Opponent Time/Result Rudy Abbott Field (2,020) | Jacksonville, Ala. Feb. 19 at UAB W 6-2. Feb. 20 at UAB L 8-2 Friday, Feb. 26, 4 p.m. CT – RHP Easton Rhodehouse Feb. 21 at UAB L 4-1 Saturday, Feb. 27 (Game 1), 1 p.m. CT – RHP Trent Turzenski Feb. 26 at Jacksonville State 3 p.m. Feb. 27 at Jacksonville State (DH) 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27 (Game 2), approx. 4 p.m. – RHP Colin Fields Feb. 27 at Jacksonville State (DH) 4 p.m. March 12 at Middle Tennessee State 3 p.m. Next Up in Valpo Baseball: After an opening weekend that featured strong pitching March 13 at Middle Tennessee State (DH) 1 p.m. from head coach Brian Schmack’s staff and a season-opening victory for the first time March 13 at Middle Tennessee State (DH) 4 p.m. in seven years, the Valparaiso University baseball team will play three more in the state March 14 at Middle Tennessee State 1 p.m. of Alabama this weekend in series at Jacksonville State. Valpo and the Gamecocks March 19 at Western Kentucky 5 p.m. March 20 at Western Kentucky 1 p.m. begin the set with a single game on Friday before playing a doubleheader to round out March 21 at Western Kentucky 1 p.m. the set on Saturday. March 23 at Notre Dame 4 p.m. March 26 at Butler 3 p.m. Last Time Out: Valpo won the series opener 6-2 at UAB behind a three-run homer by March 28 Butler (DH) Noon Jeremy Drudge and six innings of one-run relief by Ryan Mintz, but the host Blazers March 28 Butler (DH) 3 p.m. April 1 at DBU* 6:30 p.m. battled back to take the series by capturing the Saturday game 8-2 and the Sunday finale April 2 at DBU* (DH) 2 p.m. 4-1. The Sunday setback came in spite of a valiant pitching performance by starter Colin April 2 at DBU* (DH) 5 p.m. Fields, who fanned eight and permitted just one hit while working into the fifth inning. April 3 at DBU* 1 p.m. April 7 Eastern Illinois 3 p.m. On the Air: The series opener on Friday will be streamed on ESPN+, while no video or April 9 at Oakland 2 p.m. audio will be available for Saturday’s twinbill. Live stats will be available for all three April 10 at Oakland (DH) 11 a.m. April 10 at Oakland (DH) 2 p.m. games, with all coverage links posted on ValpoAthletics.com. April 11 at Oakland 11 a.m. April 16 at Indiana State* 2 p.m. Series Notes: Jacksonville State owns a 6-2 lead in the all-time series, which dates back April 17 at Indiana State* (DH) Noon to 1979. Most recently, Valpo opened the 2016 season at Jacksonville State and dropped April 17 at Indiana State* (DH) 3 p.m. the first two games before capturing the series finale 14-4. Six of eight meetings between April 18 at Indiana State* Noon April 23 Southern Illinois* 3 p.m. the two teams have coming during head coach Brian Schmack’s tenure. April 24 Southern Illinois* (DH) 1 p.m. April 24 Southern Illinois* (DH) 4 p.m. Head Coach Brian Schmack: Brian Schmack, the 17th head baseball coach in Val- April 25 Southern Illinois* 1 p.m. paraiso University history, is in his eighth season in charge of the program. Entering the April 27 at Notre Dame 5 p.m. 2021 season, he has served as the head coach for 336 games at Valpo, the fourth-most April 30 Illinois State* 3 p.m. May 1 Illinois State* (DH) 1 p.m. in program history with Tracy Woodson third at 397. This year, he moves into a tie for May 1 Illinois State* (DH) 4 p.m. third in program history for number of seasons coached with eight, matching Donald May 2 Illinois State* 1 p.m. Warnke (1946-1953). Schmack has now been at Valpo longer than his predecessor May 7 at Bradley* 6 p.m. Woodson, whose seven-year run lasted from 2007-2013. Schmack’s win total of 137 May 8 at Bradley* (DH) 2 p.m. ranks fifth in program history, with Rick Ferchen fourth at 147. The former big-league May 8 at Bradley* (DH) 5 p.m. pitcher led Valparaiso to 25 wins in his inaugural campaign in 2014, a school record May 9 at Bradley* 1 p.m. May 11 Notre Dame 3 p.m. for victories by a first-year skipper. He followed that up with a 22-win season in 2015, May 14 Evansville* 3 p.m. then guided the team to its first winning record since 2013 in 2016. In 2017, Schmack May 15 Evansville* (DH) 1 p.m. continued his success despite managing a youthful roster that featured 11 freshmen and May 15 Evansville* (DH) 4 p.m. 15 total newcomers. He led his team to 24 wins, including a strong finish to the regular May 16 Evansville* 1 p.m. season that saw them win eight of their last 11. The 2018 season saw Valpo transition to May 20 at Missouri State* TBA May 21 at Missouri State* (DH) TBA the Missouri Valley Conference. The Brown & Gold made an immediate splash in the May 21 at Missouri State* (DH) TBA highly-respected baseball league, putting together a strong showing in the 2018 MVC May 22 at Missouri State* TBA Tournament, including a 13-10 victory over host Dallas Baptist, a team that went on to May 25-29 at MVC Tournament (Carbondale, Ill.) receive an at-large NCAA Regional berth. During the 2019 season, Schmack’s squad All Times Central equaled its win total from the year prior despite playing in a conference that was ranked * - MVC Game Home games in bold and played at Emory G. Bauer sixth nationally in RPI and sent three teams to NCAA Regionals. Schmack, a member of the 2003 Detroit Tigers, served as pitching coach/associate head coach at Valpo for *** REFERENCING VALPO *** seven seasons prior to his promotion. Please refer to our team as Valparaiso or Valpo. The University has voted to retire the Crusader mascot name, effective February 2021. 2021 Baseball Game Notes Contact: BRANDON VICKREY Office: 219.464.5396 Valpo Sports Media Relations [email protected] www.valpoathletics.com Athletics-Recreation Center 1009 Union Street Valparaiso IN 46383 Opening Day Accomplishments - For the first time since 2014, Valpo notched an Opening Day victory by besting UAB 2021 Valley Standings 6-2 in Friday’s series opener. This marked the first time Valpo began a season with a Entering 2/24 triumph since topping Samford 6-5 to start the 2014 campaign, snapping a streak of six Team MVC Pct. Overall Pct. straight setbacks in season lid-lifters. DBU 0-0 --- 3-0 1.000 - Jeremy Drudge launched a three-run homer, becoming the first Valpo player to go deep Southern Illinois 0-0 --- 3-0 1.000 in a season opener since Blake Billinger against Alabama in 2018. Illinois State 0-0 --- 2-0 1.000 - Easton Rhodehouse started on the mound, becoming the first Valpo pitcher to start con- Missouri State 0-0 --- 1-0 1.000 secutive openers since Dalton Lundeen in 2015 and 2016, ending a run of five Opening Indiana State 0-0 --- 1-2 .333 Day starters in as many years. Valpo 0-0 --- 1-2 .333 Nothing Comes Free Evansville 0-0 --- 1-3 .250 - The pitching and defense highlighted Valpo’s season-opening 6-2 victory at UAB by Bradley 0-0 --- 0-0 --- making sure the Blazers had to earn everything at the dish. - Valpo did not commit any errors, issue any walks or hit any batters. - This marked the first time Valpo did not allow a free pass in a game since March 19, Around the Missouri Valley 2019 at South Carolina. Friday, Feb. 26 Valpo at Jacksonville State, 3 p.m. In the Other Dugout: Jacksonville State NIU at Evansville, 3 p.m. - Lost 5-2 to No. 22 Alabama on Tuesday after a 1-2 weekend that featured a pair of Central Arkansas at Missouri State, 3 p.m. one-run setbacks. Indiana State at #18 Tennessee, 3:30 p.m. - Fell 8-7 to Missouri Valley Conference member Southern Illinois in the season opener. Illinois State at #20 Oklahoma State, 4 p.m. - Under the direction of 20th-year head coach Jim Case, who has led his team to seven Southern Illinois at Mercer, 5 p.m. Ohio Valley Conference championships in his tenure. Gonzaga at DBU, 6:30 p.m. - Went 39-23 in the most recently completed season of 2019 en route to an OVC crown, NCAA Regional appearance and a pair of victories in the Oxford Regional. Saturday, Feb. 27 Indiana State at #18 Tennessee, 11 a.m. Pitching Profiles – Projected Starters Valpo at Jacksonville State, 1 p.m. - RHP Easton Rhodehouse (R-Sr., Gilbert, Ariz. / Gilbert) – Expected to start the NIU at Evansville, 1 p.m. Friday game in an “opener” role each weekend… Named 2019 All-MVC Honorable Southern Illinois at Mercer, 1 p.m.