Jeff Francis signs with Reds
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- Published on Saturday, 28 January 2012 09:11
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Jeff is going back to the National League, if he makes the Reds' roster. Story by Doug Harrison at CBC: Reds sign Jeff Francis to minor league deal
2012 schedule released
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- Published on Friday, 16 December 2011 18:09
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You can see it by clicking here.
There are several significant differences from previous seasons.
First, NAIA West no longer has north and south divisions. Each team will play one four-game series against each of the other eight teams. Lewis-Clark State will be coming to Vancouver this season, and the series against College of Idaho will be on the road. The home opener is against Menlo on March 2, and the other home opponents are Simpson and Oregon Tech.
NAIA West will also be having the conference tournament at a fixed site. The site for the next two years will be Concordia-Portland. They have a new ballpark with lights and artificial turf. The dates for this year are May 2-5. The top five regular-season teams, excluding L-C State, will go to the tournament.
This year's season doesn't start in California. Instead, the Thunderbirds will travel to Lewiston, ID for a tournament hosted by L-C State. The opening day is February 10, and the Thunderbirds will play George Fox and Concordia-Portland.
There is still a California tour, and it includes an opponent that we haven't seen since 2002: Chapman, which has been a Division III power for the last 15 years. They were the national runner-up in Division III last season.
The Birds will get a game against a Division I opponent this year; they play at Seattle U. on April 18. The Redhawks play their home games in Bellevue.
Mark Hardy gets a gold medal
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- Published on Wednesday, 26 October 2011 22:02
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Thunderbird alum LHP Mark Hardy was part of the Canadian team that won the gold medal at the Pan American Games in Lagos de Moreno, Mexico. Canada defeated the USA 2-1 in the final. This was Canada's first-ever gold medal in senior international competition.
Mark made only one appearance during the tournament; he went three innings in a 9-5 loss to Cuba. He allowed one run on three hits, didn't record a strikeout.
Mark was also on the Canadian team that won a bronze medal at the World Cup of Baseball in Panama, which was just prior to the Pan Am Games. He made three appearances (one start), pitched six innings, allowed four earned runs, struck out two.
However, Mark's best effort of the month came in a 2-1 loss in an exhibition game against the USA at Cary, NC prior to the World Cup. Mark pitched three innings, allowed only one hit, struck out four of the 11 batters he faced.
Story at courtesyrunner.com
Story and film highlights from ESPN
Lewiston Truckers 2, Team Canada 1
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- Published on Monday, 05 September 2011 14:08
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Team Canada out-hit the Truckers 5-3, and this game was scoreless until the top of the eighth inning, when CF Jordan Payne scored on a failed pickoff attempt, and SS Bobby Joe Tannehill hit an RBI single. Team Canada broke up the shutout with two out in the bottom of the ninth; 3B Andrew Firth scored on an RBI single by C Greg Densem. Team Canada had the tying run at second, and the winning run at first, but CF Sebastian Wong grounded out to first base, ending the game.
Team Canada got excellent pitching performances from Tavis Bruce, David Otterman, and Alex Graham. Bruce went the first six innings, didn't allow a hit, and struck out seven. Although Otterman gave up the two runs, he also recorded four strikeouts. Graham pitched a perfect ninth inning, struck out one of the three batters he faced.
However, it was Michael Noteware, a transfer from Glendale Community College in the Los Angeles area, who got a complete-game win for the Truckers. He struck out eight, and walked only two. Team Canada didn't get a runner past second base until the eighth inning. He held LF Jerod Bartnik to a hit and a walk. Densem was the only Team Canada player with more than one hit; he hit a double in the second inning.
Bartnik finished the tournament with a batting average of .625, and an on-base percentage of .682. Click here for the tournament stats.
Team Canada 6, Trail Orioles 4
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- Published on Sunday, 04 September 2011 14:43
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Team Canada was out-hit by the Orioles 12-9, and the Orioles got a complete game from Scott Rhynold, but 3B Andrew Firth hit a two-RBI double in the bottom of the seventh to provide the winning run.
Firth went 3-for-4 for the game. LF Jerod Bartnik went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Bartnik is batting .692 in this tournament.
Starter Miles Verweel was credited with the win. He went 4 2/3 innings, allowed no runs on four hits, struck out three. Connor Smith went two innings, gave up three runs, and Danny Britton-Foster went the final 2 1/3 innings, gave up a run on three hits, struck out three.
Team Canada 8, Grand Forks Blues 1
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- Published on Saturday, 03 September 2011 21:58
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Two more new faces, Caleb King and Hayden Chies, combined to hold the Blues to one run on five hits, and Team Canada has outscored their opponents 20-2 so far in this tournament.
LF Jerod Bartnik had an offensive field day. He scored on a passed ball in the second inning. He hit an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to score SS Matt Spillman, and give Team Canada the seven-run margin they needed to end the game with the mercy rule. Bartnik was 3-3 with three RBI for the game, and drew two walks. He is batting .778 for the tournament (7 hits in 9 at-bats, and four walks); click here for his recruiting video. Spillman also had a good day; 2-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
