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The baseball season kicks off February 14th which is just a little more than 2 weeks away and the baseball website has not had any updates.  Will the individual player bio's and profiles be updated?  Will there be a pre-season preview?  Just seems like it has been really quiet on this forum and the Valpo website regarding the baseball team.  How did the Dominican trip go?  I thought there would be something on the website about the DR trip as that is a pretty big deal.  Just wondering.......

Valpo Baseball is in the Dominican Republic this week for Thanksgiving break.  They left Saturday, 11/23 and are scheduled to return Friday, 11/29.  Playing games against MLB-sponsored Dominican baseball academy teams (Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals).  Also charity work planned; visiting an orphanage and holding a youth camp and donating baseball equipment to Domincan youth.  Some fun in the sun and beach time planned as well.  A great life experience and lasting memories for the Valpo Boys of Summer!!!

http://www.valpoathletics.com/baseball/news/2013-14/13180/baseball-heads-to-dominican-republic---for-work-and-play/

Does anyone have any insight as to when the 2014 baseball schedule will be released?  Just trying to plan some trips and coordinate logistics.  I think it was released in September last year, but I was anticipating it would take a little longer with the new coaching staff transition.  Any insights out there?     

Check out the Valpo Baseball website for the preview of the Valpo Baseball Fall World Series this weekend at Emory G. Bauer Field:  Saturday, October 5th at Noon; Monday, October 7th at 3 pm; Wednesday, October 9th at 3pm (if necessary).

http://www.valpoathletics.com/baseball/news/2013-14/12981/fall-world-series-starts-saturday/

Come on out and support the team and check out some fall baseball.  A great way to preview Crusaders Baseball before they leave for the Dominican Republic in November and kickoff the season next February!!!! 

I for one am excited to get an early look at Coach Schmack's 2013-14 Valpo Baseball squad as they get ready to defend Back-To-Back Horizon League Conference Tournament Championships!!!!!!   

Congrats to Cole Webb and Spencer Mahnoney for representing Valpo Baseball on the NCAA All-Tournament Team!

http://www.valpoathletics.com/baseball/news/2012-13/12779/webb-mahoney-named-to-all-tournament-team/

Final regular season series for 2013 this weekend on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  Senior Day is Saturday!  Can't win the regular season.  Can end up with anywhere from a 2 seed to a 5 seed based on this weekend's results.  Most likely playing for a 2 or 3 seed in HL Tourny though.  We've been playing great ball at home.  Let's keep that trend going.   

Good luck Valpo Baseball!!! 

Here's the link to the @UIC baseball series preview:

http://www.valpoathletics.com/baseball/news/2012-13/12727/red-hot-crusaders-meet-flames-with-plenty-at-stake/

Elliot Martin is back from injury this weekend.  That's good news.  Cole Webb is back from injury and back in the rotation.  That's good news.  Overall, the pitching is as deep as it has been all year.  That's good news.  Valpo is hitting the baseball as consistently as they have all year.  That's good news.  Valpo has the longest winning streak in Division 1 college baseball at 10 games.  That's good news.  Valpo is now over .500 on the season.  That's good news.  Valpo has pulled within one game of Milwaukee.  That's good news.

Basically, Valpo has six conference games left and Milwaukee has three conference games left.  Both play YSU with Valpo having this UIC series in addition.  Needless to say it's a big weekend.  A sweep puts us in good shape.......taking two this weekend still keeps us reasonably in contention for the regular season championship.

Go Valpo Baseball!!!!!!

This article from the Detroit Free Press at 2:18 pm today:

http://www.freep.com/article/20130506/SPORTS08/305060097/oakland-horizon-league

Oakland University's athletic department is inviting media members to Tuesday afternoon's meeting of the Board of Trustees, presumably to announce that the school is leaving the Summit League and joining the Horizon League.

Officials from the school and league have declined to comment on the subject of the meeting, which will be followed by a news conference.

The Green Bay Press Gazette reported last month that OU will move to the Horizon, which already is home to Detroit Mercy.

Tuesday's board meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Big make or break series this weekend in deciding HL regualar season baseball champions.  Milwaukee pretty much clinches if they take the series.  Valpo right back in it if they can get the sweep and  still in shouting distance if they can take the series.  Valpo has won six in a row and I believe Milwaukee has won eight in a row.  Should be a great series!

Let's go Valpo Baseball!!!!! 

Big win on Friday by the good guys 9-2.  Winning 3-0 top of 6th on Saturday as I type.  We need as many conference wins as possible from here on out.  Go Valpo Baseball!

Does Jetz or anyone in frequent contact with the team have a current injury update?  Morman?  Martin?  Karch?  Is Worm dinged?  Anyone else I'm missing?  Status and expected time back?  Thanks!

Why didn't Valpo hire John L. Smith???:   Former Big 10 (Michigan State) and SEC (Arkansas) football coach John L. Smith has just been hired as a football coach for a bad DIII football program in Colarado....................

John L. Smith will take over at tiny Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo., after being let go as Arkansas' football coach.

Smith will start his new head coaching assignment on March 1, the school announced Wednesday. He inherits a Skyhawks team that went 0-10 last season.

Now, instead of coaching against Southeastern Conference squads like national champion Alabama, Smith will face teams in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference such as nearby Adams State.

The former Michigan State and Louisville coach was hired away from Weber State last April to step in for ousted Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino, just weeks after a scandal that erupted following Petrino's motorcycle accident that involved his mistress.

The Razorbacks struggled to a 4-8 record and the John L. Smith era came to a close.

http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2013/01/16/former-arkansas-coach-john-l-smith-takes-over-at-fort-lewis-college-in-colo/

valpotx, I always get a chuckle when you share your various insights about all-things Butler sports, especially baseball.  I thought you would enjoy seeing that the Atlantic 10 Pre-Season Baseball Coaches Poll came out today, and Butler is ranked 14th out of 15 teams by the A-10 baseball coaches.  The link is below for your reading pleasure.......   

http://www.collegebaseballinsider.com/13Preseason/13A10PPoll.html

I just saw this ranking in College Baseball Lineup.  Valpo Baseball finished 2012 ranked 9th in the Midwest (out of 54 Midwest D1 baseball teams) by College Baseball Lineup.  They divide all 297 Division 1 baseball programs into one of six geographical regions and rank them within Region by Win-Loss Record, RPI and Strength of Schedule.  The Midwest Region includes all D1 baseball teams from the states of ND, SD, NE, KS, MN, IA, MO, WI, IL, MI, IN, OH.  I couldn't print the link so I just copied the list.  I thought this puts in very good perspective what a great season Valpo Baseball had in 2012 as measured against their true peer group in other Midwest D1 baseball programs.   

COLLEGE BASEBALL LINEUP REGIONAL RANKINGS
Rankings are computer generated, based on the impartial College Baseball Lineup Power Index. Only games against DI opponents are used in the cacluations.

MIDWEST REGION RANKINGS 
Rank  Record   Team 

1 44 - 14   Purdue Boilermakers
West Lafayette, IN
Big 10 Conference 

2 47 - 20   Kent State Golden Flashes
Kent, OH
Mid-American Conference 

3 40 - 22   Missouri State Bears
Springfield, MO
Missouri Valley Conference 

4 37 - 23   Michigan State Spartans
East Lansing, MI
Big 10 Conference 

5 31 - 19   Illinois State Redbirds
Normal, IL
Missouri Valley Conference 

6 40 - 19   Indiana State Sycamores
Terre Haute, IN
Missouri Valley Conference 

7 34 - 21   Wright State Raiders
Dayton, OH
Horizon Conference 

8 35 - 25   Wichita State Shockers
Wichita, KS
Missouri Valley Conference 

9 33 - 25   Valparaiso Crusaders
Valparaiso, IN
Horizon Conference 

10 28 - 25   Illinois Fighting Illini
Champaign, IL
Big 10 Conference 

11 41 - 18   Saint Louis Billikens
St. Louis, MO
Atlantic 10 Conference 

12 33 - 28   Missouri Tigers
Colombia, MO
Big 12 Conference 

13 32 - 28   Indiana Hoosiers
Bloomingon, IN
Big 10 Conference 

14 34 - 23   Nebraska Cornhuskers
Lincoln, NE
Big 10 Conference 

15 32 - 27   Evansville Purple Aces
Evansville, IN
Missouri Valley Conference 

16 31 - 26   Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame, IN
Big East Conference 

17 33 - 27   Ohio State Buckeyes
Columbus, OH
Big 10 Conference 

18 31 - 28   Southern Illinois Salukis
Cabondale, IL
Missouri Valley Conference 

19 30 - 26   Toledo Rockets
Toledo, OH
Mid-American Conference 

20 28 - 30   Creighton Bluejays
Omaha, NE
Missouri Valley Conference 

21 27 - 31   Kansas State Wildcats
Manhattan, KS
Big 12 Conference 

22 27 - 27   Bradley Braves
Peoria, IL
Missouri Valley Conference 

23 28 - 28   Xavier Musketeers
Cincinnati, OH
Atlantic 10 Conference 

24 38 - 19   North Dakota State Bison
Fargo, ND
Summit League 

25 25 - 28   SIU Edwardsville Cougars
Edwardsville, IL
Independent 

26 26 - 27   Minnesota Golden Gophers
Minneapolis, MN
Big 10 Conference 

27 32 - 28   Central Michigan Chippewas
Mount Pleasant, MI
Mid-American Conference 

28 31 - 30   Dayton Flyers
Dayton, OH
Atlantic 10 Conference 

29 30 - 29   Miami - Ohio Redhawks
Oxford, OH
Mid-American Conference 

30 25 - 27   WI - Milwaukee Panthers
Milwaukee, WI
Horizon Conference 

31 27 - 29   Eastern Illinois Panthers
Charleston, IL
Ohio Valley Conference 

32 22 - 34   Kansas Jayhawks
Lawrence, KS
Big 12 Conference 

33 22 - 27   Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa City, IA
Big 10 Conference 

34 24 - 31   Eastern Michigan Eagles
Ypsilanti, MI
Mid-American Conference 

35 22 - 34   UIC Flames
Chicago, IL
Horizon Conference 

36 24 - 30   Oakland Golden Grizzlies
Rochester, MI
Summit League 

37 22 - 34   Michigan Wolverines
Ann Arbor, MI
Big 10 Conference 

38 26 - 29   Western Michigan Broncos
Kalamazoo, MI
Mid-American Conference 

39 20 - 35   Southeast MO State Redhawks
Cape Girardeau, MO
Ohio Valley Conference 

40 26 - 29   Ohio Bobcats
Athens, OH
Mid-American Conference 

41 17 - 38   Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati, OH
Big East Conference 

42 12 - 36   Ball State Cardinals
Muncie, IN
Mid-American Conference 

43 17 - 33   Bowling Green Falcons
Bowling Green, OH
Mid-American Conference 

44 18 - 34   Northwestern Wildcats
Evanston, IL
Big 10 Conference 

45 15 - 40   Northern Illinois Huskies
DeKalb, IL
Mid-American Conference 

46 16 - 33   South Dakota State Jackrabbits
Brookings, SD
Summit League 

47 16 - 35   Western Illinois Leathernecks
Macomb, IL
Summit League 

48 19 - 33   Butler Bulldogs
Indianapolis, IN
Horizon Conference 

49 15 - 37   North Dakota Fighting Sioux
Grand Forks, ND
Independent 

50 12 - 36   Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks
Omaha, NE
Independent 

51 17 - 38   Akron Zips
Akron, OH
Mid-American Conference 

52 16 - 40   IPFW Mastodons
Fort Wayne, IN
Summit League 

53 11 - 43   Youngstown State Penguins
Youngstown, OH
Horizon Conference 

54 12 - 40   Chicago State Cougers
Chicago, IL
Independent 

Ok, I am just speculating based upon this article from back in September and comments from the Wright State AD at halftime last Saturday.  The article (link posted below) referenced alot of indicators pointing to Oakland, Evansiville, and Belmont as the leading candiates expected to be added as the Horizon League is expected to expand from 9 to 12 teams.

http://www.midmajormadness.com/2012/9/27/3418698/horizon-expansion-candidates-oakland-evansville-belmont-rumor

I bet there is a lot of truth to this rumor.  If it has been finalized by now, then it was probably close to being finalized back in September when this article rolled out.  It makes a lot of sense, and it would certainly be consistent with the comments the Wright State AD was referencing when he said the expansion candidates have been finalized and will be annnounched in March and that the fans of the HL would be very pleased.  With the plural "candidates" we know that 3 teams and not one team is being added.  And we know that Oakland is being added, that has been a given for awhile.  Belmont and Evansville are logical additions to join with Oakland. 

If so, I like it!!!  I think Oakland, Evansiville, and Belmont would be very good additons for both baseball (my first love) and basketball (most people's number on priority).  Actually, I think it would be a very good fit for all sports programs.  Add the Nashville market.  Add a past rival in Evansiville.  And Oakland has been a frontrunner all along.

Need to rebound quickly! 

Valpo 73

CSU  65

Yahoo Sports most-read sports stories in 2012:

1)  Sandusky/Penn State Scandal
2)  Lance Armstrong PHD doping scandel
3)  NFL Bounty-gate investigation with New Orleans Saints
4)  NFL Concussions story started by lawsuit of former players
5)  2012 Summer Olympics

What a depressing list if these are the top (most read) sports stories in 2012!