Schaly Wins 700th Baseball Game as AU Splits at Northwood
April 1, 2006

The numbers are so staggering that at first, there’s a tendency to believe this is an April Fool’s Joke – a baseball coach in his mid-40’s who already has 700 career victories.

Those who have watched Ashland University baseball coach John Schaly over the past nine years know this is no joke. Saturday (April 1) at Northwood in the second game of a doubleheader, Schaly got his 700th career win – his 336th at Ashland – when the Eagles knocked off the Timberwolves, 10-5.

In the first game, Northwood downed the Eagles, 6-2.

Schaly’s career record is 700-361 and at AU he’s 336-143. He’s won 30 or more games seven times at AU and is well on his way to that level again this year. This is his ninth season with the Eagles and Ashland is 22-5, 4-2 in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.

The ‘Wolves (11-10/1-1) prevented the AU skipper from getting his milestone win in the opener by getting to starter Josh Davidson (7-2) for six runs on 10 hits. Davidson went the distance – six innings. He walked two and struck out three. NU broke the game open with a three-run fifth inning. Heading into that frame the home team was in front, 1-0.

Third baseman Justin Randall was the only AU player with more than one hit – he had a double and a single. NU led in hits, 10-9. The win went to Trent Mulder (3-2), who gave up two runs on nine hits in seven innings. Left fielder D.J. Hughes was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI.

Ashland opened the second game with four runs in the first inning and tacked on two more scores in the third and led, 6-1 after three innings. Freshman Todd Schlenkerman worked his way in and out of trouble and lasted four innings to get the win. The Timberwolves got to him for five runs on four hits. He walked six and struck out four. Jesse Michel got his first save of the season with three scoreless innings. Schlenkerman is 4-0.

Ashland collected 12 hits off of five NU pitchers. Randall was 2-for-4 with a double and four RBI. First baseman Ron Oneson was 3-for-4 with a double, homer and two RBI. Davidson, who played third base in the nightcap, was 1-for-2 and plated two runs. Catcher Chase Beatty added two hits.

Joe Ashdown (1-4) lasted 2.2 innings and took the loss.

The Eagles and Timberwolves will play two more games on Sunday.