Alex Haines featured on NECBL.com

From the NECBL website:

"Alex the Great"

By Don Leypoldt

2012, to paraphrase Don McLean, may have been “The Year the Pitching Died.” The day before the All-Star Game, the NECBL’s slugging percentage was .429 and the collective ERA was 5.16.  Compare that to the League’s slugging percentage (.345) and ERA (3.58) in the 2010-11 summers, summers much more in line with a “normal” NECBL season. All of this makes Alex Haines’ summer that much more impressive.  In a bizarre year of high-octane offenses, an unlikely hero emerged in the form of an under-recruited Division II lefty. At press time Haines had a 0.90 ERA and a commanding lead in that title.  His 54 strikeouts also lead the NECBL.  In his first 40 innings for the Vermont Mountaineers, Haines yielded just 30 walks or hits.  Small wonder he got to start the All-Star Game, held in his home park of Montpelier’s Recreation Field. NECBL.com sat down with the 6’4” Western Pennsylvania sophomore, who won his Conference Pitcher of the Year this past Spring toiling for the Seton Hill Griffins. NECBL.com: Seton Hill is right in your hometown.  Was that coincidence that you stayed close or did you want to stay close to home? Haines: “It’s probably 15 minutes from where I live.  I had Tommy John surgery right after my junior year of high school.  Seton Hill was really my only option, and the coach there gave me a chance to play.  I took the offer.  Being close to home wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.  If I need anything, my parents were right there.” NECBL.com: What has it been for you off the field this summer, being this far away from home? Haines: “It’s not too bad.  I guess the first couple of nights, where I was by myself in my house, I was homesick a little bit but once you get around the guys and around the baseball field it’s just any other day.” NECBL.com: What has been clicking for you this summer that has made you so effective? Haines: “I think it’s just having fun.  I’m keeping it simple and not really thinking too much at all.  I just go out on the mound and throw.” NECBL.com: You’re starting the All-Star Game tomorrow night in your home ballpark.  Any thoughts on that? Haines: “I’m pretty excited.  It hasn’t really set in.  I guess I’ll see what it’s like when I get there tomorrow.  I’ve never been a part of anything like this so I don’t really know what to expect, to be honest.” NECBL.com:  What is it like facing the Division I hitters?  A lot of D-II and D-III guys like the NECBL because it gives them exposure to “big” name schools. Haines: “Right.  It’s fun throwing to the better hitters.  It definitely shows what you have in your pitching repertoire.  Facing the best hitters in the country kind of gives you a gauge of where you’re at and what you have.” Off the Diamond with Alex Haines Favorite Food: “I like Italian food.” Favorite Movie: “I’m not really a movie guy.  I’ve probably seen 15 movies in my whole life so I couldn’t really pick one.” Favorite Artist/Music Type: “I’m a huge Eric Church fan.  Country music.” If Congress banned baseball tomorrow, what kind of job would you want: “I’m a Criminal Justice major at school.  Probably something in the criminal justice system.  Maybe something like a police officer or working with the City of Pittsburgh.” Favorite Ballplayer:  Rangers LHP Derek Holland What was the hardest course you’ve taken so far? “I was an Accounting major my freshman year.  Some of those classes were pretty difficult, so I’d have to say Intermediate Accounting.” Who is someone you admire and why?: “My Dad.  He is probably the hardest working person I know.  He is in the construction business and he basically works seven days a week.  He is always on call.  I admire his work ethic.  He has taught me a good work ethic.”

 

Former Mountaineer Carpenter traded to Toronto...

...which means he'll play in Fenway. Cool, huh?

I wrote a feature about David Carpenter last summer - he was the Mountaineer who was a catcher while with Vermont but became a relief pitcher when he hit the MLB farm system. He's had a great time in Houston and yesterday he was traded to from Houston to Toronto in a big trade involving seven players.

From the blog Ultimate Astros (it focuses more on Happ than Carpenter, however):

"

Astros trade Lyon, Happ and Carpenter to Toronto for 7 players

Posted on July 20, 2012 at 9:56 am by Reid Laymance in Astros

In 18 starts this season, J.A. Happ was 7-9 with a 4.83 ERA. (Cody Duty/Chronicle)

The Astros traded pitchers Brandon Lyon, J.A. Happ and David Carpenter to Toronto for seven players, including pitcher Francisco Cordero and outfielder Ben Francisco, the team announced.

Cordero’s is the only large contract the Astros received in the deal. He is signed for the remainder of the season on a one-year salary of $4.5 million, nearly counterbalancing what was left on Lyon’s three-year deal.

Lefthander Dallas Keuchel was summoned to take Happ’s place in the Astros rotation and will likely start Saturday where Happ had been scheduled.

Keuchel had a 2.45 ERA in four starts before the All-Star break during and just after Bud Norris’ time on the disabled list. Keuchel had been sent back to Class AAA when the Astros dropped back to a five-man rotation for the second half of the season.

The Astros also get four minor league players: pitchers Joe Musgrove, Asher Wojciechowski, David Rollins and catcher Carlos Perez plus a player to be named later.

“This is a very good deal for us,” Astros GM Jeff Luhnow said. “Once again we are adding depth to our minor league system with quality young players. We really feel this will help us moving forward and are extremely excited about the players we’ve added to our organization.”

For the past several seasons, Cordero has been one of the top closers in baseball. His 329 career saves rank second among active players to Mariano Rivera. In 794 career appearances, all in relief, he has a 3.28 career ERA and has reached 40 or more saves three times in his career. Prior to the trade, he was 3-5 with two saves in 41 appearances for Toronto this season.  Francisco, 30, has a .259 career average with 45 home runs in 483 career Major League games with the Indians, Phillies and Blue Jays. He was hitting .244 (11×45) in 23 games for Toronto in 2012. Both Cordero and Francisco were in their first seasons in Toronto.

The 19-year-old Musgrove (6-5, 230 lbs) was Toronto’s first pick in the first compensation round of the 2011 draft. In two appearances (one start) with Rookie Level Bluefield in 2012, he was 0-0 with a 1.12 ERA (1ER/8.0IP) with no walks and nine strikeouts.  Musgrove made a combined nine appearances (seven starts) with Bluefield and Toronto’s Gulf Coast League club in 2011.

Wojciechowski (6-4, 235), who is 23 years old and was Toronto’s first selection in the first compensation round of the 2010 draft, was 7-3 in 18 starts at Class A Dunedin this season with a 3.57 ERA (37ER/93.1IP) and 76 strikeouts. In his last seven starts, he was 5-1 with a 1.49 ERA (7ER/41.2IP). Wojchiechowski has an 18-12 career record in 46 minor league appearances (43 starts) with a 4.05 ERA.

Rollins, 22, was 6-1 with a 2.78 ERA in 18 starts with Class A Lansing this season with 75 strikeouts in 77.2 innings pitched.  The 6-1, 195 lb. southpaw was born in Deberry, TX and attended San Jacinto College North in Houston. Rollins, who was drafted by Toronto in 2011, has a 10-1 career minor league record in 25 starts with a 2.46 ERA with 104 strikeouts in 113.1 innings of work.

Perez, 21, hit .269 in 70 games at Lansing with 21 doubles, five triples, five home runs and 40 RBI. In five minor league seasons (2008-12), he has a .279 career average in 332 games with 70 doubles, 24 triples and 11 home runs.

For Houston this season, Lyon was 0-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 37 relief appearances, Happ was 7-9 with a 4.83 ERA in 18 starts and Carpenter, who is currently with Triple A Oklahoma City, was 0-2 in 30 relief appearances for the Astros with a 6.07 ERA.

“It’s hard to give up Happ especially coming off an outstanding outing Monday against San Diego,” Luhnow said. “He’s shown at times this year why he was a great pitcher in Philadelphia and he’s been at times a great pitcher with us. He’s still young and under control and there’s a lot of value there. But we’re talking about picking up five minor league players that we like and we’ve got to give some value to get some value and in this case, Happ has a lot of value and we felt like that was the piece necessary in order to get what we got.” "

Here's my feature on Carpenter, which ran last July:

Times Argus, The (Montpelier-Barre, VT)

July 20, 2011 
Section: SPORTS 

The Big Show
   Anna Grearsonstaff writer

More than 26,000 pairs of eyes at Minutemaid Park watched him run out of the bullpen - three of those pairs belonged to his mother, father and girlfriend - but David Carpenter refused to look at any of them. He jogged up to the mound, collected his thoughts, adjusted the bill of his black Astros hat and went to work, staring directly - and only - at J.R. Towles' catcher's mitt.

He pitched an inning of scoreless relief, striking out one. Houston went on to win, 7-0, snapping a five-game losing streak and an eight-game slide at home. When Carpenter made his Major League Baseball debut with the Astros in the eighth inning of the June 30 game against Texas, his lifelong dream had come true.One of the first stops along his journey from wielding a plastic Fisher Price bat, waiting for his dad to come home from work so they could play at age four, to pitching in an MLB game at age 26, was in Montpelier as a member of the 2005 Vermont Mountaineers."You see a guy like him and you say, 'His arm's the best I've ever seen,' but his arm really is one of the best I've ever seen because he's made it to the major leagues," said current Vermont manager John Russo, who also coached Carpenter in 2005.But Russo did not get to see Carpenter pitch in a green and white Mountaineer uniform - Carpenter, up until June 2008, had been calling pitches behind the plate as a catcher."I wish we had gotten a chance to see him pitch here," Russo said. "He had a great arm."

A Mountaineer

Carpenter's 2005 Mountaineer experience included a trip to the New England Collegiate Baseball League final where he served as the starting catcher after playing his collegiate season as another Mountaineer - at the University of West Virginia."When David was here, he was one of the best defensive catchers in the country at that time," Russo said. "You could tell he had a (great) arm from the minute you saw him. He maybe had one of the best arms I've ever seen from a catcher. He wasn't the best of hitters, but you knew he had a bright future. Now his most valuable tool has gotten him into the major leagues."Carpenter was hosted along with a teammate by Fred and Ellen Connor and their school-aged children in East Montpelier."Just how well we were received by the community," Carpenter said of what he remembers most about his summer in Vermont. "It was great to see the people come out to watch ballgames, and it was rewarding to be around good people up there who enjoy baseball and who enjoyed supporting us. We had a really good team, and that made things really, really fun."Carpenter said his time in Vermont outshines the other nine minor league organizations he's played for."Vermont was the best I could've asked for," he said by phone from Minutemaid Park prior to the Astros' game against Pittsburgh last Saturday. "The guys - we're a real tight-knit group - we're still in contact ... I played with Curt Smith (now with the Cardinals), and we shared stories about the same host families taking care of us. Without a doubt, it's something special up there. You'll come across some nice host families (in other leagues), but the people up there in Vermont are outstanding. I wish everybody could have a host family experience like I was able to have up there."Carpenter spoke of cookouts with the Connors and spending time with other players' host families at various houses around central Vermont."It was a real family atmosphere," he said. "We all just came off the college season, a big-time grind, and we were not sure what to expect, and we were taken in like one of the family. A lot of us hold those memories real close to our hearts."Connor feels she and her family were infactthe lucky ones."We saw (his debut) on YouTube, it was great," she said. "We're still absorbing the fact that he's in the big leagues."Connor described Carpenter as a "typical southern boy" who was "very respectful.""He called me 'ma'am,' which we're not used to up here," she said. "He was an only child, and this was definitely his dream. We're very happy to hear he's done so well. The Mountaineers did their part here, and who knows where he'll go."Carpenter is one of 26 former Mountaineers who have made it to the professional ranks, and one of two to be housed by the Connors. Josh Satow, a left-handed pitcher who played for Vermont in 2006, is working his way up the Tampa Bay Rays' minor league system with the Advanced-A Charlotte Stone Crabs."A lot of it deals with the fact that guys come there and are willing to work hard and put in the time to get better," Carpenter said of the success of Mountaineers' alumni. "John Russo, his big thing is to go out and play hard and play the right way, and you'll be successful... They pull the right group of guys to be successful there and down the road."

Minor leagues

Carpenter had 12 stints in the minor leagues with nine different teams since he left Vermont in August 2005 and was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 12th round of the 2006 June Amateur Draft as a catcher. His minor league stops included two in the New York-Penn League, the same league the Vermont Lake Monsters play in, with State College and Batavia. He had two stints in the Gulf Coast League (Cardinals), one in the Appalachain League (Johnson City), two in the Midwest League (Quad Cities), two in the Florida League (Palm Beach), one in the California League (Lancaster), and from there began his rapid ascent to Triple-A ball with a team in the Texas League (Corpus Christi) and the Pacific Coast League (Oklahoma City), where he was named a mid-season All-Star.During his second season with the Cardinals in June 2008, the parent team, the St. Louis Cardinals, signed then-four-year veteran catcher Yadier Molina to a five-year contract. That meant Carpenter and most of the rest of the catchers in the Cards' minor league system had even more time to wait to break into Molina's roster spot.So Carpenter was moved out from behind the plate and onto the mound - a switch he was not happy with."It was definitely something I had to get used to," Carpenter said. "I didn't understand what was going on. I had progressed hitting-wise and catching-wise, and I had started to move quickly through the organization... The Cardinals had some success turning another catcher into a pitcher and they saw the same strong arm in me and wanted to see the change in me, too... The coaches explained the transition to me all the way down from why I would be successful and why it would help the organization. It was easier to take then, once it was explained to me."For the rest of 2008, he posted a .184 ERA in 15 relief appearances, allowing 16 hits, nine runs (three earned), seven walks and striking out 17.Carpenter was traded to the Houston Astros on Aug. 19, 2010 for infielder Pedro Feliz. He pitched in 39 games in the Astros farm system before he got the call-up to the big time on June 29. He made his major league debut the next night."It's way beyond what I've expected," Carpenter said. "It's so hard to describe. You have an idea of what it's going to be like, and when it's better, it's hard to put into words (when) you're in front of 30,000 people and on TV all the time and compete with the best in the world."

Major leagues

Carpenter has made a total of five relief appearances for Houston. In 4.1 innings, Carpenter has allowed just one hit and no runs while striking out five. He struck out two in Pittsburgh on July 6 in front of the closest the Morgantown, W.Va., native can get to a hometown crowd."(Pittsburgh) is about 90 miles from my hometown," he said. "People from my hometown have gotten a chance to see me play, and that means a lot to me and to them. They really expressed how much they wanted to see this dream come true, and they felt the same as I did about it. I definitely wouldn't be here without them."But when did he realize he was "here"?"As soon as I was getting dressed that first time, I looked on the back of the jersey and I saw my name, I said, 'Hey, I'm here,'" he said. "Walking out to the bullpen as a group and seeing 25,000 people cheering, it was something really, really special. Unbelievable is the best way to put it."Carpenter says his life hasn't changed a whole lot since his debut, and for him, that's the plan."There really hasn't been much change other than a few more people know who you are," he said. "I've been on TV a few times, but as far as major changes, there haven't been any. I try to be the same person - it's what got me here - and I've got to be myself. There's no need to change that."With one major life goal checked off the list, the next one is for all the marbles."Now it's just a matter of staying in the big leagues, staying successful and helping the team however I can," he said. "Hopefully soon, when the opportunity presents itself, I want to win a World Series. That's what it's about now. I'm at the highest level possible, and now it's about winning and winning a championship."

[email protected]

Copyright, 2011, The Times Argus

Carpenter and the Blue Jays just finished a series in Boston but will return September 7-9. The two teams will meet in Toronto for a three-game series the following week.

- Anna Grearson

Schedule of events for Sunday's NECBL All-Star Game

Here's the lineup for Sunday's New England Collegiate Baseball League All-Star Game, held right in our backyard at Montpelier Recreation Field:

1:30-1:40 p.m. - Player warmup for skills competition

1:40-2:25 p.m. - Skills competition

2:25-3:25 p.m. - Home Run Derby

3:45-4:20 p.m. - Western Div. batting practice

4:20-4:55 p.m. - Eastern Div. batting practice

5-5:15 p.m. - Western Div. infield practice

5:15-5:30 p.m. - Eastern Div. infield practice

5:30-6 p.m. - Field prep & pre-game ceremonies

6-6:20 p.m. - All-Star Team introductions (Eastern Div. will wear away jerseys, Western Div. will wear home jerseys)

6:20 p.m. - Introduction of NECBL officials, NECBL mascot introductions, game sponsor introductions

6:25 p.m. - Mountaineer mascot Skip skydives into park

6:27 p.m. - Presentation of colors, national anthem & fireworks

6:30 p.m. - First pitch

Tickets are $5

- Anna Grearson

Rizzotti signs with AA team in As organization...could he one day be a Lake Monster??

Yet another exciting email from Vermont Mountaineers general manager Brian Gallagher. Matt Rizzotti, after some bad luck the former Mountaineer has signed a new contract, this time with the Oakland Athletics' organization.

Funny story, the As are the parent team of the Vermont Lake Monsters. Could Rizzotti find himself playing in Vermont again?

Here's the link Gallagher sent out today.

- Anna Grearson

Lots of local faces at this year's Lions Cup

The rosters arrived for the Twin State Lions Cup soccer games, to be held next Saturday, July 21, at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, N.H., pitting the very best Vermont seniors against their counterparts from New Hampshire.

Last year, the New Hampshire men won 2-1 while the Vermont women pulled a 2-0 shutout. Both games were played at Castleton State College. The Vermont men had were unbeaten in the previous three games 3-0, 3-1 and tied 3-3 while the women won in 2007 4-1, tied 1-1 in 2008, lost 4-2 in 2009 and won 3-2 in 2010. In all, the men are 12-17-8 while the women are 9-16-4.

The funds raised from this event go to support the Lions Club intiatives, which for Vermont means supprt for the Austine Green Mountain Lions Camp, a summer camp for hearing impaired children.

About the Vermont men:

The 2012 team will be coached by U-32's Joe Ferrada, assisted by Paul Larson of Stowe, Kevin Ratti of Rutland and Katie Mack of Winooski. Jordan Hepburn will serve as manager.

Local athletes playing for the Vermont men's team include Thomas Woolson of GMVS, Avery Cochran of PA, Guthrie Drake of Harwood, Jack Shea of U-32 and Billy Whaley of Northfield.

About the Vermont women:

Jim Eisenhardt, fresh off another Division III state championship with Peoples Academy, will coach the Vermont women. He will be assisted by Geri Witalec of BFA-Fairfax and fellow Wolves staff Carolyn Stames and Philip Kiely and Peoples Academy's Katie Stames and Hannah Merriam will serve as managers.

Local athletes on the Vermont women's team including Harwood's Liza Mackey, Oxbow's Willow Smith and Reilly Johnson, Peoples Academy's Stacy Tomlinson and Kaleigh Newton, Spaulding's Hayley Arnold, Stowe's Marley Hauser and St. Johnsbury's Caroline Klosowski.

Good luck, Vermonters!

- Anna Grearson

Winner of tonight's Gov. Cup gets automatic bid to NHMS

Exciting news from the folks at Thunder Road and the American Canadian Tour:

Governor’s Cup Winner Will Gain Invite To ACT Invitational

Barre, VT –Thunder Road officials have announced that the winner of the Vermont Governor’s Cup 150 sponsored by the VT State Lottery Commission on this Thursday, July 12, will also earn an invite to the Bond Auto ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 22.  Thunder Road’s marquee race of the summer will feature the top talent from Thunder Road, and the Vermont State Championship Series, all coming to town to claim the Vermont Governor’s Cup to be presented by Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin. 

Eight-time American Canadian Tour Champion Brian Hoar announced his last-minute entry to the race, trying for his third straight Thunder Road win, and second of 2012. Barre sensation Nick Sweet will have a target on his back entering a race where he has the best average finish (3.25) of any driver in the last four years. In his rookie year in the Late Model division in 2008, Sweet posted his worst Governor’s Cup finish of his career with seventh. He followed it up with a podium third-place finish in 2009, won the event in 2010, and ran second to Graniteville’s John Donahue in 2011 when he famously slowed down for a caution that never flew. Sweet enters the Governor’s Cup as the point leader, but will face stiff competition from defending Champion Dave Pembroke and multi-time track Champion Phil Scott, both of whom the Governor’s Cup has narrowly eluded.

The Vermont State Championship Series will bring added pressure, as Milton’s Brent Dragon, Maine’s Ricky Rolfe, NH’s Joey Polewarczyk and more come to town as the Governor’s Cup serves as the third race of the four event series. Both Dragon and Rolfe, who are first and third in points respectively, enjoyed remarkable runs in the series opener at Thunder Road and expect more of the same on Thursday. For Phil Scott, the Governor’s Cup will be double trouble, as he currently sits second on the Vermont State Championship Series and fourth overall in Late Model points standings at Thunder Road.

Qualifying for the Vermont Governor’s Cup presented by the VT State Lottery Commission will begin at 6:30pm this Thursday, July 12 at Thunder Road. Adult admission is $15, and kids under 12 will get in free.

 

For additional information head to www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com , email us at [email protected]  or call the Thunder Road office at (802) 244-6963.

 

CVL Baseball/Softball All-Stars announced

Today we finally got the CVL All-Stars for baseball and softball.

Here's how this year's list shook out:

CVL Softball

ALL-LEAGUE

Kim Lakin, South Royalton CF, junior

Ashley Rood, Blue Mountain P, senior

Aimee Thompson, Blue Mountain C, senior

Reba Hart, Whitcomb IF/OF, junior

Leanne Ketner, Whitcomb C, senior

Shannon Grier, Twinfield 3B, senior

Ashley Ibey, Twinfield P/1B, junior

Sydney McAlister, Concord P, senior

Alicia Marquis, Canaan P, sophomore

HONORABLE MENTION:

Sierra Hein & Rebecca Paige, South Royalton; Danielle Mishkit, Rochester; Rebecca Burns & Nicole Begin, Whitcomb; Jeanne Ducharme, Twinfield; CC Chamul, Concord; Jocelyne Barrett, Canaan; Lulu Perry, Williamstown.

CVL Baseball

ALL-LEAGUE

Eddie Soucie, Blue Mountain P/1B, senior

Chris Sevigney, Blue Mountain C, junior

Mike Hemond, Concord P/SS, senior

Tanner Pratt, Rochester C, junior

Clay Walker, Rochester P/IF, junior

Stuart Walker, South Royalton 1B, senior

Mike Murphy, South Royalton P/IF, senior

Avery Whitcomb, Twinfield P, senior

Neil Weinreich, Twinfield 2B, senior

Logan Clark, Williamstown P/SS, senior

Justin Beaudin, Williamstown P/SS, junior

HONORABLE MENTION:

Damien Smith & Kayle Farquharson, Blue Mountain; Trevor Giles, Chelsea; Brody Young & Kenyon McDonald, Concord; Mike Smith, Rochester; Nate Moore, South Royalton; Wyatt Healy & Caleb Benoche, Twinfield; Caleb Chase, Whitcomb; Kyle Laughlin, Williamstown.

More colleges are adding football programs

I get a lot of random emails to my work account in the course of a day, but today I got one I actually am glad somehow made it through the interwebs to my inbox.

Apparently there's a rise in the number of colleges adding football programs. This is interesting, given how expensive it can be to have a football program. Sure, they tend to bring in a bunch of money from alums, tickets, etc.

Here's the release from the National Football Foundation:

Colleges Continue to Add Football Teams

 Five schools set to launch in 2012 with 17 more new programs in the works.

DALLAS, July 10, 2012 - The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) highlighted today that five new college football teams are set to take the field for the first time this season, joining 28 new programs that have begun play since 2008 and 17 more programs set to launch between 2013 and 2015.

"It's exciting to see the launch of these programs because they are giving high school players the opportunity of playing at different levels in regions of the country where those options did not previously exist," NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell. "Football's popularity has never been greater, and the fact that so many schools are embracing it is a testament that more and more college administrators see the value of the sport to a student's overall educational experience."

Universities and colleges are adding football at all levels, and administrators have developed sound plans, ensuring the new programs address the unique financial, academic and long-term objectives of their respective schools. The 50 institutions listed below, who have implemented firm plans during the past few years, coupled together the more than 20 schools with exploratory committees, create a clear and undeniable trend that presidents and trustees nationwide see the value of a football program as part of their overall academic mission. The trend stretches back for decades. Since 1978 when the NCAA changed its method for tracking attendance figures, the number of schools playing NCAA football has steadily increased by 154 schools. 


The rationale for adding football varies at each institution, and all of the decision makers who helped develop a plan for launching a program explain that an in-depth study played a critical role in finding the right level of play and the proper financial balance. Small colleges may cite increasing enrollment and addressing gender imbalances while larger universities might highlight the role of football in raising the institution's profile and its ability to attract research grants. All mention creating a more vibrant on-campus community and connecting with alumni.

The schools have added programs at all levels of play in every region of the country, experiencing successes that run the gamut. Their achievements include notching impressive attendance figures; attracting increased enrollment; garnering national publicity; expanding their donor bases; earning playoff berths; and receiving invitations to join conferences at the next level.



For example, the University of Texas at San Antonio, which launched its program last year as a Football Championship Subdivision independent program, attracted 56,743 fans to its opener against Northeastern State (Okla.) at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners continued to post high attendance marks throughout the season, topping 25,000 spectators in all six home games and attracting an average of 35,521 per game. UTSA's 35,521-per game attendance would have led the Football Championship Subdivision, and the 213,126 total attendance mark would have also led FCS by nearly 15,000 fans. Moving to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2012, they will play in the WAC for one year before accepting an invitation to join Conference USA in 2013. The Roadrunners' 35,521 home attendance average would have also led the WAC and ranked second in Conference USA last year.

Georgia State, which launched its program in 2010 at the FCS level and will begin play in the FBS Sun Belt Conference in 2013, has seen annual donations to its Panther Athletic Club Annual Fund grow steadily from $32,000 and 230 supporters in the 2009 to a projected $600,000 and 1,200 individuals this fiscal year. The Panthers program has received unprecedented national publicity for the school, including the front cover of ESPN the Magazine and a national televised game against Alabama. The team's home contests in the Georgia Dome have averaged 15,600 fans during the past two seasons, including 30,237 for the inaugural game.

Old Dominion, which joined the Colonial Athletic Association for its inaugural season one year prior to Georgia State, posted a 10-3 record in 2011, placing second in the Colonial Athletic Association and reaching the second round of the FCS playoffs in the program's first year of playoff eligibility. The Monarchs drew an average attendance of 19,818 fans over seven games, ranking sixth in FCS. The program was one of 12 FCS teams to draw an average of 100 percent or more of stadium capacity throughout the 2011 season. They have accepted an invitation to compete in Conference USA beginning in 2013 at the FBS level.

South Alabama, which fielded a club team in 2009 and will compete in the FBS Sun Belt Conference this year, has boasted average attendance for the past three years of more than 18,000 fans, exceeding the minimum FBS attendance requirement by more than 17 percent. Jaguar season ticket sales have also been robust with more than 8,400 sold each year, ranking the school second in the Sun Belt Conference. School officials also mention football as a factor in increased enrollment, which has expanded from 13,090 in 2006 to more than 15,000 this past year.

Lamar University, which brought back its football program in 2010 after a 21-year hiatus, led the Southland Conference in average attendance this past year, drawing 14,443 fans per game and ranking them 17th in the FCS. Like South Alabama, school administrators also cite the Cardinals football program as a major contributor to the significant rise in enrollment, which surpassed 14,021 this past fall. The size of the student body has steadily grown from an enrollment of 9,906 since 2006 when talk of football began in earnest on the Beaumont campus.

Campbell University, which re-launched its football program in 2008 and plays in the Pioneer Football League at the FCS level, has seen applications to the school nearly quadruple from 3,259 in 2007 to 12,000 applicants in 2011. Administrators at the school, which accepts around 1,100 students each year, credit football for playing a significant role in the increase.

"The return of college football to Campbell University has energized the entire campus community," said Campbell Athletics Director Bob Roller. "We have enjoyed tremendous support from our students, alumni and the surrounding counties. As we add lights to our stadium for this coming season, we expect to draw additional fan support. It was absolutely the correct move by our administration to make this decision."

The University of New Haven (Conn.), which reinstated its program in 2009, posted an 11-2 record in 2011. The season marked the team's second straight Northeast-10 Conference championship, culminating with them reaching the NCAA Division II quarterfinals for the fifth time in school history. The Chargers attracted standing-room-only crowds, drawing a total of 20,853 fans out of a possible 21,700 total capacity to its seven home games. The attendance figures made them one of just 12 Division II programs to draw 96 percent or more of stadium capacity in 2011. The 2011 season also saw the first home NCAA playoff game in school history, which became possible because of renovations to Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium. Administrators also partly attribute the school's record-setting enrollment, which grew from 2,500 in 2008 to 4,607 undergraduate students this past fall, to the return of football.

"The University of New Haven has seen exponential growth in numerous areas after Charger football was reestablished in 2009," said New Haven Director of Athletics Deborah Chin. "The reinstatement of the football program coincided with the university's record-setting enrollment numbers in 2008, and the growth has continued over the last four years behind the leadership of President Steven Kaplan. The entire region has enjoyed a restored sense of community surrounding the football program."

Colorado State-Pueblo, which started its program in 2008, ranked fourth in NCAA Division II attendance in 2011, attracting 53,494 fans to its seven home games and filling its stadium to 117.57 percent capacity. The throngs of Thunderwolves fans had plenty of reason to cheer as the team posted an 11-1 record, claiming the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title and making an appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

St. Scholastica (Minn.), which began play in 2008, won the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference, finishing the 2011 season with a 10-1 record and appearing in the NCAA Division III playoffs. The team had ten players earn First Team UMAC All-Conference honors, and head coach Greg Carlson, who built the program from scratch in four years, was named UMAC Coach of the Year.

Robert Morris University (Ill.), which started competing in 2011 as a member of the Mid-States Football Association, added more than 80 new students to its enrollment numbers this past year, according to school officials, and administrators also cite new relationships in the community as a benefit of the program, including sponsorship and charitable donations to the university. The Eagles closed out their first season with a 4-4 record and the 15th rated scoring defense in NAIA.

On the conference level, The Patriot League announced in February that it would allow schools to provide football scholarships starting with the 2013 class. Collectively, the seven members who play football in the conference (Bucknell University, Colgate University, Fordham University, Georgetown University, College of the Holy Cross, Lafayette College and Lehigh University) will have 420 football scholarships at their disposal after the transition. The scholarships represent a significant increase in the number of student-athletes who will have the opportunity to continue their educations while benefiting from their on-field experiences.

"The approach will allow our member schools flexibility to determine the most effective use of their financial aid resources to attract highly-qualified Division I scholar-athletes in a very competitive academic and athletic marketplace," said Patriot League Executive Director Carolyn Schlie Femovich in a statement when the announcement was made. "The introduction of this financial aid model for football will strengthen the Patriot League's ability to compete for outstanding student-athletes while continuing to uphold the high academic standards of the League and its member institutions."

Five Programs Launching in 2012

• Bluefield College (Bluefield, Va.): NAIA, Mid-South Conference - President David Olive, Athletics Director Peter Dryer, Head Coach Mike Gravier.
• Lindenwood University-Belleville (Belleville,Ill.): NAIA, Independent - President James D. Evans, Athletics Director Scott Spinner, Head Coach Jeff Fisher.
• Misericordia University (Dallas, Pa.): NCAA Division III, Middle Atlantic Conferences - President Michael A. MacDowell, Athletics Director Dave Martin, Head Coach Mark Ross.
• Point University (West Point, Ga.): NAIA, Independent - President Dean C. Collins, Athletics Director and Head Coach Kevin Porter. (Note: Point University was formerly named Atlanta Christian College, which was located in East Point, Ga.)
• Wayland Baptist University (Plainview, Texas): NAIA, Central States Football League - President Dr. Paul Armes, Athletics Director Dr. Greg Feris, Head Coach Butch Henderson.

 

Vermont's McAllister featured on NECBL.com

In a continued big week for Vermont pitching, reliever Matt McAllister was featured on the New England Collegiate Baseball League website, www.NECBL.com, along with college teammate Fred Briedenbach, who plays for the Danbury Westerners. The two won the Division II College World Series with the West Chester Golden Rams.

Here's a link to the story by Don Leypoldt.

-Anna Grearson

Alex Haines named NECBL Pitcher of the Week

Well it's about time. Vermont Mountaineers starter Alex Haines has been on a tear through the first half of the New England Collegiate Baseball League season and was named the league's latest Pitcher of the Week. The team hosts Keene tonight and tomorrow night and Danbury on Wednesday, all with 6:30 p.m. starts.

Here's the info from the league website, www.necbl.com:

Pitcher: Alex Haines

Team: Vermont

Year: Sophomore

Hometown: Greensburg, PA

Position: LHP

School: Seton Hill

Haines threw five shutout innings at Holyoke on July 3^rd where he allowed only three base runners and struck out six in earning the win.  He was lifted when Vermont had a 5-0 lead.  The 6’4” lefty is the current NECBL ERA leader, having yielded just one earned run in over 23 innings. 

The Greenburg, PA product won the WVIAC Conference Pitcher of the Year this spring, having led the WVIAC with 108 strikeouts in 70 innings.  Haines finished his school season with a 7-2 record in a team best 13 starts.