Apaches News
Mon, May 7, 2007 - [Baseball]
(Courtesy Photo)
CELEBRATION: The Tyler Junior College Apache baseball team rushes the field after capturing the District C Tournament championship in McKinney Sunday. With the win, the Apaches clinch a berth in the NJCAA Division III World Series, which begins May 19 at Mike Carter Field.
By Joe Buie, Staff Writer, Tyler Morning Telegraph
MCKINNEY – A skit by the Tyler Junior College pitchers down by the bullpen before the game left nothing to interpretation.
The Apaches were going duck hunting, and they weren’t leaving until they bagged a trip to the NJCAA Division III World Series.
Matt Kinard, Michael LaCourse and Jay Haak combined on a two-hitter as TJC eliminated the Richland College Thunderducks, 3-0, to win the District C championship Sunday at Gabe Nesbitt Field.
In beating Richland for the fifth straight time, including back-to-back district wins, the top-ranked Apaches (42-11) advanced to their first national tournament in baseball.
As an added bonus, Tyler is hosting the eight-team event for the first time, beginning May 19 at Mike Carter Field.
The Apaches have already celebrated two championships, starting with a Metro Athletic Conference title, and now they get to go for a third.
“I told the Richland coach that we’re going to try to do our best to uphold the tradition of Texas teams doing really well,” said TJC head coach Jon Groth, referring to the MAC winning five of the last six national titles. “There’s going to be plenty of teams that are worthy of winning a national championship, and I’d like to think we’re going to be among them.”
The Apaches won all three games at the district tournament because of great pitching and timely hitting.
Scoreless into the bottom of the seventh on Sunday, TJC finally broke through against tough Richland lefty Matt Spade, who logged a complete game on 125 pitches.
Brock Lemire led off by hitting a 1-2 pitch into right-center field for a single. However, center fielder Blake Walker booted the ball and Lemire was able to take second.
That error turned out to be critical.
Sophomore catcher Kevin Els followed with a smash hit to left field to send Lemire to third. After Spade struck out the next two, No. 9 hitter Jose Molina hit a slow roller to the second baseman for an infield single to score Lemire for the first run of the game.
The Apaches created some breathing room in the eighth.
Clint Stroud reached base with one out on a grounder that took a bad hop off Richland first baseman Logan Corbin. After a sacrifice by Mike McCollum, Richland opted to walk Lemire, TJC’s best hitter.
That brought up Els, who pulled a hanging inside curve down the right-field line to score two runs and make it 3-0.
Meanwhile, Groth was able to take advantage of having fresh arms in the bullpen.
First, Kinard allowed one hit in 3 1-3 innings with four strikeouts and four walks. Second, LaCourse (8-0) pitched 4 2-3 and began his outing by bailing out Kinard by inducing an inning-ending double play in the fourth. LaCourse, who allowed one hit with five strikeouts and one walk, was perfect in the fifth, seventh and eighth.
“My family gives me a bunch of support and my teammates are the best teammates in the world,” said LaCourse, a freshman from Grapevine High School. “I couldn’t do it without them cheering me on.
“It feels awesome. I was getting chills every time I walked out of an inning, pumping my fist.”
Haak, freshman left-hander from Conroe, came on to pitch the ninth and earned his seventh save of the season. But it wasn’t without drama, as the first two batters reached base (single and hit-batsman) before Michael Prestera hit into a double play.
Down to the final out, Leighton Rush hit a one-hopper to first baseman Billy Donaho, who raced to touch the bag before being tackled by onrushing teammates as a wild celebration began.
Els, one of six sophomores in the starting lineup, said the victory means more than simply continuing in the playoffs.
“It’s not so much going to the World Series, it’s getting to play another weekend with the guys,” he said. “And it being in Tyler, it’s even more positive because we get to sleep in our own beds and everyone else will be in hotels. It’s a thrill; it’s going to be good.
Els didn’t predict that the Apaches would end up at the national tournament, but he got an inkling before too long.
“About halfway through the season, that’s when I realized that it was going to happen, that we’re not going to get beat,” he said.
Before playing in the World Series, something Groth experienced as a college player in NCAA Division I, the Apaches will begin taking finals on Monday.
After that, it’s back to baseball and trying to win the ultimate prize.
“I’m hoping the people of East Texas will rally around this group, because they have represented East Texas in a way that they can be proud of,” Groth said.
No. 1 Tyler 3, No. 4 Richland 0
Richland 000 000 000 – 0 2 3
Tyler 000 000 12x – 3 9 1
Matt Spade and Ryan Saldivar; Matt Kinard, Michael LaCourse (4), Jay Haak (9) and Kevin Els. W – LaCourse (8-0); L – Spade (11-6). S – Haak (7). 2B – TJC: Kyle Harrison. SB – RC: Leighton Rush. SAC – RC: Jon Masch, Ryan Saldivar; TJC: Mike McCollum.
RECORDS – Richland, 39-19; Tyler, 42-11.
NEXT UP – TJC advances to NJCAA Division III World Series, May 19-25, Mike Carter Field in Tyler.
EST. ATT. – 250.
Original Link to Article: http://tylerpaper.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070507/SPORTS/70506004/-1/SPORTS
The Apaches were going duck hunting, and they weren’t leaving until they bagged a trip to the NJCAA Division III World Series.
Matt Kinard, Michael LaCourse and Jay Haak combined on a two-hitter as TJC eliminated the Richland College Thunderducks, 3-0, to win the District C championship Sunday at Gabe Nesbitt Field.
In beating Richland for the fifth straight time, including back-to-back district wins, the top-ranked Apaches (42-11) advanced to their first national tournament in baseball.
As an added bonus, Tyler is hosting the eight-team event for the first time, beginning May 19 at Mike Carter Field.
The Apaches have already celebrated two championships, starting with a Metro Athletic Conference title, and now they get to go for a third.
“I told the Richland coach that we’re going to try to do our best to uphold the tradition of Texas teams doing really well,” said TJC head coach Jon Groth, referring to the MAC winning five of the last six national titles. “There’s going to be plenty of teams that are worthy of winning a national championship, and I’d like to think we’re going to be among them.”
The Apaches won all three games at the district tournament because of great pitching and timely hitting.
Scoreless into the bottom of the seventh on Sunday, TJC finally broke through against tough Richland lefty Matt Spade, who logged a complete game on 125 pitches.
Brock Lemire led off by hitting a 1-2 pitch into right-center field for a single. However, center fielder Blake Walker booted the ball and Lemire was able to take second.
That error turned out to be critical.
Sophomore catcher Kevin Els followed with a smash hit to left field to send Lemire to third. After Spade struck out the next two, No. 9 hitter Jose Molina hit a slow roller to the second baseman for an infield single to score Lemire for the first run of the game.
The Apaches created some breathing room in the eighth.
Clint Stroud reached base with one out on a grounder that took a bad hop off Richland first baseman Logan Corbin. After a sacrifice by Mike McCollum, Richland opted to walk Lemire, TJC’s best hitter.
That brought up Els, who pulled a hanging inside curve down the right-field line to score two runs and make it 3-0.
Meanwhile, Groth was able to take advantage of having fresh arms in the bullpen.
First, Kinard allowed one hit in 3 1-3 innings with four strikeouts and four walks. Second, LaCourse (8-0) pitched 4 2-3 and began his outing by bailing out Kinard by inducing an inning-ending double play in the fourth. LaCourse, who allowed one hit with five strikeouts and one walk, was perfect in the fifth, seventh and eighth.
“My family gives me a bunch of support and my teammates are the best teammates in the world,” said LaCourse, a freshman from Grapevine High School. “I couldn’t do it without them cheering me on.
“It feels awesome. I was getting chills every time I walked out of an inning, pumping my fist.”
Haak, freshman left-hander from Conroe, came on to pitch the ninth and earned his seventh save of the season. But it wasn’t without drama, as the first two batters reached base (single and hit-batsman) before Michael Prestera hit into a double play.
Down to the final out, Leighton Rush hit a one-hopper to first baseman Billy Donaho, who raced to touch the bag before being tackled by onrushing teammates as a wild celebration began.
Els, one of six sophomores in the starting lineup, said the victory means more than simply continuing in the playoffs.
“It’s not so much going to the World Series, it’s getting to play another weekend with the guys,” he said. “And it being in Tyler, it’s even more positive because we get to sleep in our own beds and everyone else will be in hotels. It’s a thrill; it’s going to be good.
Els didn’t predict that the Apaches would end up at the national tournament, but he got an inkling before too long.
“About halfway through the season, that’s when I realized that it was going to happen, that we’re not going to get beat,” he said.
Before playing in the World Series, something Groth experienced as a college player in NCAA Division I, the Apaches will begin taking finals on Monday.
After that, it’s back to baseball and trying to win the ultimate prize.
“I’m hoping the people of East Texas will rally around this group, because they have represented East Texas in a way that they can be proud of,” Groth said.
No. 1 Tyler 3, No. 4 Richland 0
Richland 000 000 000 – 0 2 3
Tyler 000 000 12x – 3 9 1
Matt Spade and Ryan Saldivar; Matt Kinard, Michael LaCourse (4), Jay Haak (9) and Kevin Els. W – LaCourse (8-0); L – Spade (11-6). S – Haak (7). 2B – TJC: Kyle Harrison. SB – RC: Leighton Rush. SAC – RC: Jon Masch, Ryan Saldivar; TJC: Mike McCollum.
RECORDS – Richland, 39-19; Tyler, 42-11.
NEXT UP – TJC advances to NJCAA Division III World Series, May 19-25, Mike Carter Field in Tyler.
EST. ATT. – 250.
Original Link to Article: http://tylerpaper.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070507/SPORTS/70506004/-1/SPORTS
