Eagles’ Baseball Playoff Run To Continue This Week
May 10, 2004

The 2004 Ashland University baseball has been “Sixcessful and Successful.”

Monday (May 10) the Eagles learned that they had been invited to the NCAA Division II playoffs for the sixth consecutive year. For the second time in the last three years, AU will host the tournament. This year’s event will be played at Donges Field and run Thursday through Saturday (May 13-15). Sunday (May 16) is the rain date.

Ashland, the top seed in the North Central region with a 45-13 mark, will host the fourth seed, Northern Kentucky (36-23) at 3 p.m., on Thursday (May 13). The first game on Thursday, which will begin at noon, has Wisconsin-Parkside (40-16) squaring off against Grand Valley State (39-14).

On Friday (May 14), the two losing teams from Thursday will collide at 10 a.m. The first day winners will play at 1 p.m., and at 4 p.m., the winner from Friday’s morning game and the losing team from the 1 p.m., contest will play. Saturday (May 15) the championship series begins at noon. A final game, if needed, will be played following the first game on Saturday. The regional tournament is a double-elimination affair.

“There are going to be four great teams here,” said AU head coach John Schaly. “Any one of the four teams could win it.

“We’re going to try and do the same thing we’ve done all year,” continued Schaly. “You have to play it one game at a time, maybe even one pitch at a time. You can’t be thinking about the past and you can’t be looking into the future.”

The last time AU hosted the regional tournament (2002) the Eagles advanced to the NCAA Division II championships in Montgomery, AL. That’s the prize for this week’s winner, too. There are eight regions from around the country and the survivor from each regional makes the trip to the national championships, which will be held May 22-29.

Ashland and Northern Kentucky played during the regular season. The Eagles swept two games from the Norse at Donges Field, winning, 13-4 and 7-4. Those games were played on April, 27. Since then, NKU has been on a tear. The Norse climbed to second in the Great Lakes Valley Conference regular season standings and last weekend, captured the league tournament title.

AU is 3-3 against Grand Valley State this season. Last weekend at Donges Field, GVSU won the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship, beating AU twice. That’s a major accomplishment – AU is 15-3 at home this year. Ashland hasn’t faced Wisconsin-Parkside this season.

As a team, AU is hitting .346. Senior center fielder Brandon Cornell (Columbus, OH/Bishop Watterson) is hitting a team-high .419 with 10 homers, 10 triples, 13 doubles and 71 RBI. Cornell is the program’s career leader in hits and triples and is second in career RBI. This season’s RBI total is the second highest in school history.

Joining Cornell in the middle of the AU order is senior catcher Josh Gaub (Brunswick, OH). Gaub is hitting .409 with six homers and 57 RBI. Gaub is second in career hits at AU and has been a stalwart behind the plate throughout his career.

In addition to those steady veterans, AU has received major contributions from several other emerging players. Senior Eric McDaniel (Curtice, OH/Owens C.C.) has made the move from third base to shortstop without a hitch. He’s hitting .337 with six homers and 60 RBI. Junior outfielder Allen Ayers (Columbus, OH/St. Charles Prep), in his first season as the leadoff man, is hitting .385 and is 25-for-25 in stolen base attempts.

Sophomore outfielder David Waters (Wadsworth, OH) has hit up and down the order and been productive at every stop. He’s hitting .331. Freshman first baseman Ron Oneson (London, ONT/Saunders Secondary School) is swinging at a .368 clip with a pair of roundtrippers and 45 RBI. Rookie third baseman Casey Jirsa (Tallmadge, OH) has nine homers and 42 RBI. He’s also belted nine doubles.

Pitcher-designated hitter Josh Davidson (Lexington, OH), is hitting .397 and is 9-2 with a 3.23 ERA. Davidson leads the club in wins and ERA. Junior Cody Castle (Dayton, OH/Sinclair C.C.) is 8-4 with a 3.42 ERA and junior Todd Martinelli (Gahanna, OH/Columbus State C.C.) is 8-2 with a 3.88 ERA. All three starters are righthanded.

The bullpen is probably deeper than in past years. Junior lefty Ryan Douglas (Loveland, OH) has a team-high five saves. Senior righty Chad Moore (Columbus, OH/Columbus State C.C.) is 5-0 with two saves and a 3.35 ERA. Emerging righthander Jim Barry (Mentor, OH), a sophomore, is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA.

“We’re a well-balanced team,” noted Schaly. “If one phase of our game isn’t on, then one of the other phases can pick it up.”