Dawgs’
Players Lead Charge in 2006 College Championships
Dawgs
players are once again making a difference in the 2006 college baseball
season. In NCAA, Division 1, the Niagara University Purple Eagles
have advanced to the MAAC Championship Tournament in Fishkill, New
York. Leading the way offensively for the Eagles is last summer
Dawgs’ standout, Andrew MacNevin. An Academic
All American candidate, MacNevin batted .346 with 5 home runs,10
doubles and a .399 on base %. Two key contributors on the mound
for NU this season have been Dawgs’
lefties, Matt Ircandia and Ryan Virtue.
Virtue was 2nd on his team in appearances with 21 and sported a
3-1 record over 35 innings pitched. Ircandia led the Eagles and
was among MAAC conference leaders in holding opposing hitters to
a .234 batting average and was 3rd in ERA at 3.32 while posting
a 1-1 record over 16 appearances.
In other NCAA Division 1 tournament play, Centenary College Gents
have earned a berth in the Mid-Continent Conference Championship
Tournament. Among the Gents’ pitching leaders is 2004-2005
Dawgs RHP, David McElroy. McElroy was a key contributor
out of the bullpen for the Dawgs
in the 2004 WMBL Championship season. This past college season Mac
posted a 3-1 record with 16 Ks and a 5.05 ERA.
Dawgs’
players are no strangers to the NAIA World Series held on the campus
of perennial NAIA powerhouse, Lewis Clark State College in Lewiston,
Idaho. Former Dawgs’
youth player Emerson Frostad, recently named Texas
Rangers Minor League Player of the Month, was part of 2 World Series
Championships and won the Charlie Hustle Award while at LC State.
2003 Dawgs super utility player, Dan Chappel currently
of the Edmonton Cracker Cats, enjoyed a trip to the World Series
while at Mayville State. The 2006 NAIA World Series is set to go
starting May 26th and several Dawgs’
players will be in action.
UBC
Thunderbirds are currently ranked 4th in the NAIA nationally and
earned a spot in the Series by sweeping the Concordia, California
Eagles in the Super Regional. Key contributors for UBC include 2005
Dawgs’
standouts, Marc Capone, Davey Wallace and
Joey Benda. A huge part of the T Birds offence has been
supplied by 2004 Dawgs’,
Johnny Yiu and Brendan Kornberger. Capone
was the 2005 WMBL Batting Champion while with the Dawgs and batted
.329 with 15 doubles, 4 triples and 2 home runs for UBC this season.
Wallace batted .345 with an incredible .469 on base percentage.
Yiu and Kornberger, who were key players in the Dawgs’
2004 WMBL Championship, had outstanding years with the T Birds.
Yiu was among team leaders at .372 with 3 home runs and 14 doubles
while Kornberger banged 6 homers while hitting .284. Benda served
as closer for much of the season for UBC, holding opposing hitters
to a 206 average with a 0-1 record over 22 appearances.
Also making the trip to LC State for the World Series will be the
Concordia, California Eagles who earned a wild card berth in the
tournament. Former Dawgs’
pitcher Tahylor Law is among the leaders on the
Eagles’ pitching staff with a .411 ERA and a 5-0 record over
14 appearances.
Dawgs are
also represented at the NCAA, Division 2 World Series. 2005 Dawgs
1st Baseman, Ron Oneson is a big part of the Ashland
University offence as it takes a run at the Div 2 National Championship.
Oneson batted .295 with 4 home runs over the 2006 college season.
Earning a trip back to its 2nd consecutive NCAA Junior College World
Series, is Mesa Community College of Mesa, Arizona. Dawgs’
manager David Robb is a former coach at Mesa CC and 2005 Dawgs’
outfielder, Julian Calderon has been a big part
of Mesa’s offence this past season.
Dawgs
players are once again making a difference in the 2006 college baseball
season. In NCAA, Division 1, the Niagara University Purple Eagles
have advanced to the MAAC Championship Tournament in Fishkill, New
York. Leading the way offensively for the Eagles is last summer
Dawgs’ standout, Andrew MacNevin. An Academic
All American candidate, MacNevin batted .346 with 5 home runs,10
doubles and a .399 on base %. Two key contributors on the mound
for NU this season have been Dawgs’
lefties, Matt Ircandia and Ryan Virtue.
Virtue was 2nd on his team in appearances with 21 and sported a
3-1 record over 35 innings pitched. Ircandia led the Eagles and
was among MAAC conference leaders in holding opposing hitters to
a .234 batting average and was 3rd in ERA at 3.32 while posting
a 1-1 record over 16 appearances. 
UBC
Thunderbirds are currently ranked 4th in the NAIA nationally and
earned a spot in the Series by sweeping the Concordia, California
Eagles in the Super Regional. Key contributors for UBC include 2005
Dawgs’
standouts, Marc Capone, Davey Wallace and
Joey Benda. A huge part of the T Birds offence has been
supplied by 2004 Dawgs’,
Johnny Yiu and Brendan Kornberger. Capone
was the 2005 WMBL Batting Champion while with the Dawgs and batted
.329 with 15 doubles, 4 triples and 2 home runs for UBC this season.
Wallace batted .345 with an incredible .469 on base percentage.
Yiu and Kornberger, who were key players in the Dawgs’
2004 WMBL Championship, had outstanding years with the T Birds.
Yiu was among team leaders at .372 with 3 home runs and 14 doubles
while Kornberger banged 6 homers while hitting .284. Benda served
as closer for much of the season for UBC, holding opposing hitters
to a 206 average with a 0-1 record over 22 appearances.