NCAA College World Series Preview
May 24, 2006

The NCAA Championships
The eight-team NCAA championships are held in Montgomery, AL. Ashland is the North Central regional champion. There are eight regions around the country and each regional champ earns a berth in Alabama. This is a double-elimination tournament that begins on Saturday, May 27, and runs through Saturday, June 3. Ashland’s first game is on Sunday, May 28, at 1 p.m. (Central Time) against the Northeast region champ Franklin Pierce. All games will be played at Paterson Field, with the exception of the championship game will be held at Riverwalk Stadium.

The 2006 NCAA championship field is listed below.

AU’s NCAA Division II Championship History
This is the fourth time in school history the Eagles have advanced to the NCAA Championships. The other trips came in 1995, 1999 and 2002. The results of each year can be found below.

• 1995 – Valdosta State 9, Ashland 3; Bloomsburg 9, Ashland 4
• 1999 - Adelphia 18, Ashland 15; Rockhurst 18, Ashland 9
• 2002 - Ashland 12, Delta State 5; Central Missouri 8, Ashland 6; UMASS-Lowell 10, Ashland 5

The Eagles haven’t played any of the teams in the championship field this year.

The 2006 North Central Regional
The Eagles advanced to the championships by going 4-1 last week at the North Central Regional in Allendale, MI. AU was seeded fourth and after losing its opener, 5-3 to third-seeded Quincy, AU rebounded to win four consecutive games. Two of those victories came against the host and top seed, Grand Valley State. The Eagles knocked off the Lakers, 7-3 and then won in the final game of the tournament, 2-1. Entering the tournament, GVSU was ranked third in the country and was 17-1 on its home field in 2006. The Lakers came into the event with a 21-game winning streak.

Ashland’s other wins in the regional came against Rockhurst, 12-4 and SIU-Edwardsville, 9-4.

In Sunday’s 2-1 victory, AU scored two runs in the fifth inning and then used airtight pitching to claim the regional crown. Starter Ryan Douglas allowed one run in 5.1 innings, giving up four hits. Douglas (5-1) walked one and whiffed four. He departed with one out in the sixth inning with the bases loaded. Righthander Josh Davidson came on and struck out the next two Lakers to kill that rally. The junior got his fourth save of the season with 3.2 innings of perfect relief. He didn’t allow a run or hit and struck out four. That performance earned him the most valuable player award at the regional and a spot on the all-tournament team.

Ashland’s other all-tournament selections were infielder-outfielder Casey Jirsa, second baseman Justin Randall, third baseman Justin Richards and outfielder David Waters.

Head Coach John Schaly
Overall Record 724-372/19th season (.661 winning percentage)
Record at Ashland: 361-154/9th season (.701 winning percentage)
This is the seventh time in John Schaly’s nine years at Ashland that he’s led the Eagles into the NCAA playoffs. Schaly has guided AU to the NCAA Championships in Alabama three times (1999, 2002, 2005). Schaly-coached teams have the seven highest single-season win totals in school history. The 2002 team won a school-record 48 games and finished the year fifth in the country. Five times in his AU tenure, Schaly has won 40 or more games. For his career, he’s averaging 38.1 wins per season and at Ashland he’s averaged 40.1 wins per season. Entering this season, AU was ranked eighth in the country on the list of winningest teams in the 2000s (243-100-1/.708).

Coming into this season, Schaly was 16th among active NCAA Division II coaches in winning percentage (.655) and victories. He was 22nd in winning percentage on the all-time NCAA Division II list and 28th in career victories. Schaly has won more games than any coach in Ashland baseball history. This year, he passed George Donges (346 wins).

Schaly’s late father, Don, is the winningest coach in NCAA Division III history (1,438-329-13/.812). He coached at Marietta for 40 years (1964-2003). John Schaly played second base for his father and is a member of the Marietta College Hall of Fame. He played on the 1981 national championship team and was the most valuable player of the Division III World Series that year. Schaly and his father have a combined wins total of 2,162.

The 2006 Eagles
Ashland is 46-15, 23-9 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. AU finished second in the GLIAC. In the last College Baseball Writers Association national poll the Eagles were 14th.

At the conclusion of the regular season the Eagles were the GLIAC leaders in runs, hits, RBI, doubles, triples and total bases. In the most recent NCAA Division II national statistics the Eagles were 11th in team batting average (.352), 18th in doubles and 19th in scoring (8.2 runs per game).

On the pitching side of the ledger, AU was 19th in strikeouts per game (6.6).

The Lineup
AU junior second baseman Justin Randall (Sarnia ONT/St. Clair County C.C.) is the 2006 GLIAC player of the year and the North Central Region player of the year. Randall is in his first season at AU. At the conclusion of the regular season he led the GLIAC in hits and RBI and was second in batting average and doubles. He was third in total bases. Randall ranks in the conference’s top eight in eight offensive categories. The middle infielder is hitting .422 in 60 games. He has two homers and 61 RBI. Randall has swiped 13 bases in 16 stolen base attempts. He hits third in the order. He’s also played shortstop this season when regular shortstop Jim Barry has pitched.

Infielder-outfielder Casey Jirsa (Tallmadge, OH), another junior, finished the regular season as the GLIAC leader in total bases, doubles and hit by pitch. He was second in hits. Jirsa is hitting a team-high .423 with six homers and 52 RBI. He was in the league’s top five in eight offensive categories. Like Randall, he’s a first team All-GLIAC honoree and a first team all-region choice. He drove in six runs at the regional tournament and earned a spot on the all-region tournament team. Jirsa, who owns a 3.87 grade point average as an accounting major, is a CoSIDA First Team All-District Academic Team choice. He’s on the national Academic All-America ballot.

Senior outfielder David Waters (West Salem, OH/Wadsworth) has provided firepower from the leadoff spot. The lefthanded-hitting Waters was first in the league in runs and fifth in hits and total bases. He was eighth in on-base percentage and ninth in RBI. Waters is hitting .380 with four homers, 43 RBI and a .476 on-base percentage. A second team All-GLIAC selection and a member of the North Central Region all-tournament team, Waters played a huge role last Sunday in AU clinching the regional crown. In Sunday’s two games – wins over SIU-Edwardsville and Grand Valley State – he was 4-for-7.

Designated hitter John Hosgood (Powell, OH/Worthington Kilbourne) earned a second team all-conference berth. He’s hitting .350 with five homers and 34 RBI. Senior shortstop Jim Barry (Mentor, OH) brings a .363 batting average to the second spot in the order and is 9-for-9 on stolen base attempts. He was named honorable mention All-GLIAC. Although freshman centerfielder Tyson Rowland (Warren, OH/Harding) is best known for his glove and speed, he’s hit .333 in 55 games. He’s 7-for-10 in stolen base attempts.

Junior infielder Justin Richards (Bergholz, OH/West Virginia) and sophomore outfielder Bryan Thrasher (Utica, NY/University of Buffalo) are both in their first year at AU. Richards, hampered earlier in the season by a sprained ankle, is hitting .331 with three homers and 38 RBI. Thrasher is hitting .375. Richards was named to the all-tournament team at the regional.

Junior catcher Eric Zattlin (Grand Haven, MI/Muskegon C.C.) is hitting .284 and has provided solid defense. He’s battled injuries recently, as has sophomore backstop Chase Beatty (Milan, OH/Edison). Beatty is hitting .293 in 28 games. Zattlin is an honorable mention all-conference pick. Another option behind the plate is senior Ray Frisbee (Canton, OH/GlenOak), who’s hitting .273 in 30 contests.

The Eagles have another experienced bat they can turn to in junior first baseman Ron Oneson (London, ONT/Saunders Secondary School). Oneson is hitting .295 in 51 games. He was named to the honorable mention All-GLIAC list in 2004 and 2005.

The Pitching Staff
Junior righthander Josh Davidson (Lexington, OH) is 13-5 and tied for the lead in NCAA Division II in victories. Davidson is the league leader in wins, innings pitched and strikeouts. He’s a first team All-GLIAC choice and second team all-region selection. Last season, Davidson was honorable mention all-league and in 2004 he was the GLIAC freshman of the year. At the regional tournament, Davidson earned his fourth save of the season and was the tournament’s most valuable player. He’s thrown 103 innings this season and has 91 strikeouts and 31 walks.

Barry is 9-3. His latest victory came at the regional tournament where he started and earned the win in a 12-4 triumph over Rockhurst. Barry’s started 11 games on the mound this season.

Senior lefty Ryan Douglas (South Lebanon, OH/Loveland) is 5-1 with four saves. He got a win and a save at the regional tournament. Douglas was the winning pitcher in AU’s 2-1 verdict over Grand Valley State last Sunday. That would qualify as one of the best games in the lefthander’s career. At the conclusion of the regular season Douglas was first in the GLIAC in opponents batting average (.218). He was sixth in strikeouts. Douglas received a medical redshirt in 2005. He was second team All-GLIAC in 2003 and 2004.

Freshman righthander Todd Schlenkerman (LaGrange, OH/Keystone) is 7-1 with a 3.35 ERA. He has 53 strikeouts in 57 innings and ended the season 11th in the GLIAC in punchouts.

Senior Cody Castle (Dayton, OH/Sinclair C.C.), who sat out all of last year with a medical redshirt, is 6-2. In 2004, Castle was first team All-GLIAC and second team all-region with a 9-4 record and three saves. He had a 3.22 ERA that season. At the regional tournament, Castle hurled his best game of the year, pitching going 7.1 innings to beat Grand Valley State, 7-3.

Matt Patton (Ashland, OH/Cloverleaf), a junior lefthander and the son of pitching coach Drew Patton, has thrived in pressure situations out of the bullpen. He’s allowed just one of six inherited runners to cross home plate. Richards, who’s 1-1 with a 2.31 ERA, hasn’t allowed any of five inherited runners to score.

Honor Roll

• All-GLIAC
  • First Team – Justin Randall, 2B; Casey Jirsa, OF; Josh Davidson, SP
  • Second Team – John Hosgood, DH; David Waters, OF
  • Honorable Mention – Jim Barry, SS; Eric Zattlin, C
  • Player of the Year – Justin Randall, 2B
• All-North Central Region
  • First Team – Justin Randall, 2B; Casey Jirsa, OF
  • Second Team – Josh Davidson, P
  • Player of the Year – Justin Randall, 2B
• All-North Central Region Team
  • Casey Jirsa, 1B; Justin Randall, 2B; Justin Richards, 3B; David Waters, OF; Josh Davidson, P
  • Most Valuable Player – Josh Davidson, P
• District 4 All-Academic Team
  • First Team – Casey Jirsa, 3.87 grade point average, Accounting Major

Down To the Final Out
The one characteristic that’s emerged about the 2006 Eagles is their ability to battle from behind. That’s happened time and again, but two instances stand out in particular.

• On April 13 at Hillsdale, AU scored six runs in the seventh inning to wipe out a 5-0 deficit and win 6-5.
• On April 30 in Ashland against Findlay, the Eagles trailed, 8-1 in the fifth inning before rallying for a 9-8 triumph.

Nest Eggs

• On this year’s spring trip in Fort Myers, FL, the Eagles were 14-1 and averaged 11.9 runs per game.
• AU’s longest winning streak this year is 11 games. The Eagles come to Alabama with a four-game winning streak.
• The longest hitting streak on the team was put together by Jirsa – 17 games.
• Waters had two or more hits in three of the five games at the regional tournament.
• In his career, Barry is 13-for-14 in stolen base attempts.
• Where’s the local Super K-Mart? It’s located wherever Douglas can be found. In 195 career innings, Douglas has 195 strikeouts.
• Associate coach Bart Marchetti is the only player/coach in program history to be with the Eagles every time they’ve advanced to the NCAA Championships. He played on the 1995 team and was an assistant coach in 1999 and 2002.
• Twenty-two of the 26 players on the Ashland roster are from Ohio.
• Waters is best known for his bat, but in the last two years, playing all three outfield spots, he’s made only one error in 104 games.
• Randall is the toughest Eagle to fan, striking out once every 15.6 plate appearances (14-218). Close behind is Hosgood, who’s struck out once every 14.0 at bats (10-140).