5.20.12 - MARIETTA BOUNCES BACK TO CLAIM 2012 MIDEAST REGIONAL TITLE WITH 7-3 WIN OVER MANCHESTER
Manchester's baseball season game to a close on Sunday as the Spartans fell to host Marietta at the 2012 NCAA Division III Mideast Regional 7-2.

Marietta held a 4-3 lead heading into the ninth, where they scored three runs in the top of the ninth inning and held MC scoreless to take the regional crown and advance to the Division III World Series.

Justin Scott took the loss for Manchester, throwing 8.1 innings with two strikeouts and six runs allowed on 11 hits. Trevor Kimm was 3-3 with two RBIs to lead Manchester. Corey Marchant, Jordan Nieman, Cody Schell, Kyle Norris and Austin Rieke were 1-4 on the day.

Manchester ends the year 28-21 on the year.

5.19.12 - MARIETTA FORCES SECOND CHAMPIONSHIP GAME WITH A 6-3 WIN OVER MANCHESTER
Manchester's baseball team suffered its first loss of the NCAA Mideast Regional, falling to top-seeded Marietta 6-3. Manchester held a 2-0 lead until Marietta scored two in the third and one in the fourth to go up 3-2, and added a run in the eighth and two in the ninth to pick up the 6-3 win. Bryce Murphy took the loss for Manchester, going eight innings on the mound, striking out three and giving up six runs on 11 hits. Trevor Kimm was 2-4 for MC, Robert Heritz went 1-3 with a pair of RBIs, while Murphy and Cody Schell went 1-3.

Manchester (28-20) will face Marietta (42-7) in the final championship game on Sunday, starting at 1 p.m., with the winner advancing to the NCAA Division III World Series.

5.18.12 - MANCHESTER ADVANCES TO CHAMPIONSHIP GAME FOLLWING 11-8 WIN OVER ST. JOHN FISHER
Manchester's baseball team remains the only undefeated team at the 2012 NCAA Division III Mideast Regional as Manchester defeated St. John Fisher 11-8 in Friday's semi-final bracket.
Manchester trailed 5-1 after three innings, but scored seven runs in the seventh to take a 9-5 lead and added a run in the eighth and ninth inning to pick up the 11-8 win.

Dylan Padgett got the win for MC, throwing 6.2 innings with three of the five runs under him being earned. He added two strikeouts for Manchester. Bryce Murphy added a save to his stats with 2.1 innings of relief, giving up six hits and three runs with a strikeout.

Brad Murphy was 3-6 on the day with three runs scored, Jordan Nieman was 3-5 with four RBIs and two runs and had a bases clearing three run double. Trevor Kimm was 4-5 with two runs and two RBIs, and Robert Heritz went 2-5 with a run scored.

Manchester improves to 28-19 on the year and will face the winner of the St. John Fisher vs. Marietta or Adrian game on Saturday starting at 4 p.m.

5.18.12 - BRYCE MURPHY NAMED D3BASEBALL.COM FIRST TEAM ALL-REGION
Manchester College junior Bryce Murphy was selected to d3baseball.com's First Team All-Region team on Friday as a utility position player. Murphy has played outfield and outfielder for the Spartans this year, batting .332 with 63 hits, 41 runs, seven doubles, two home runs and 37 RBIs. On the mound he is 8-2 on the year, boasting a 3.20 ERA with 4 strikeouts in 70.1 innings of action. He was named First Team All-Conference at both pitcher and Outfielder last week. Joining him on the list is sophomore third baseman Jordan Nieman on the Second Team All-Region squad, and junior Corey Marchant was named Third Team All-Region.

They and the Manchester College team have advanced to the semi-finals of the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional, where they will face St. John Fisher starting at 4:30 p.m. on Friday in the undefeated bracket of the tournament.

5.17.12 - SPARTANS PULL OFF SECOND UPSET FOLLOWING 13-7 WIN OVER #3 ADRIAN, ADVANCE TO FRIDAY'S SEMI-FINAL
Seven-seed Manchester picked up its second upset of the 2012 NCAA Division III Mideast Regional on Thursday as Manchester defeated #3 Adrian 13-7 to advance to Friday's semi-final. Manchester trailed 1-0 after Adrian picked up a run in the top of the second inning, but the Spartans responded with two runs in the bottom of the second. After trailing 4-2 after the top of the fifth, Manchester scored two runs to tie the game, and added four runs in the sixth and seventh inning to take a 12-5 lead, and added an insurance run in the eighth to post the 13-7 win.

Kyle Konarski got through 7.1 innings to pick up the win for Manchester, striking out six batters and gave up five of the seven runs scored on 13 hits. Bryce Murphy added 1.2 innings of relief with four strikeouts and no hits or no runs allowed.

Bryce Murphy finished 2-5 with a run and an RBI, while Brad Murphy added a 2-4 performance with two RBIs and three runs scored. Jordan Nieman and Kyle Norris went 2-5 on the day, each driving in a run, while Austin Rieke went 1-3 with two runs and two RBIs. Cody Schell was 1-5 with two stolen bases.

Manchester improves to 27-19 and faces #4 St. John Fisher starting at 4:30 p.m. Friday from Marietta College.

5.16.12 - Seven Seed Manchester Tops Second Seed Washington & Jefferson 13-3 in Opening Game of NCAA Mideast Regional
Manchester’s baseball team posted a 13-3 win over Washington & Jefferson in the opening game of the 2012 NCAA Division III Mideast Regional on Wednesday night.  Manchester jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after the top half of the first inning, but W&J tied the game with three runs heading into the second. Manchester picked up three more runs in the second, two in the third and four runs in the fourth to go ahead 12-3, and added a single run in the top of the sixth to take the 13-3 win.

Justin Scott pitched eight solid innings, striking out nine batters on the day and surrendered just seven hits and two earned runs. Caleb McAfee added one strikeout with an inning of relief pitching in the ninth. Cody Schell had the hot bat for Manchester, going 3-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Jordan Nieman went 1-3 with three RBIs, Corey Marchant, recently named HCAC Player of the Year was 2-5 with three runs scored and a stolen base. Austin Rieke had two RBIs and a run, while Robert Heritz finished 2-4 with an RBI. 

Manchester improves to 26-20 on the year,  and will face #3 seed Adrian (36-8) starting at 8 p.m. on Thursday from Marietta College in the second round of NCAA Division III Mideast Regional action.

5.15.12 - MARCHANT AND NORRIS TOP HCAC HONORS IN ALL-CONFERENCE AWARDS
Manchester College’s Corey Marchant (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Bishop Dwenger) has been named the 2012 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Most Valuable Player in baseball. The junior infielder guided the Spartans to a 25-19 overall record and a HCAC tournament championship.

Marchant hit .431 (44-for-102) in conference play and had 30 runs, 33 RBI, four doubles, one triple, and nine home runs.  He had a .755 slugging percentage and a .503 on-base percentage during league play.

Overall in 2012, Marchant ranked among the conference leaders in on-base percentage (.485) and led the HCAC in batting average (.395), slugging percentage (.692), runs scored (46), RBI (49), home runs (14), total bases (119) and hits (68).

Franklin’s Nathan Ellis (Plainfield, Ind./H.S.) has been selected as the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year. Ellis, a senior pitcher for the Grizzlies, finished the HCAC season with a 9-2 record on the mound.  The senior posted an ERA of 2.14 and struck out 68 batters in 92.1 innings of work.

Manchester’s Kyle Norris (Indianapolis, Ind./Decatur Central) has been selected as the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year. Norris, a catcher for the Spartans, hit .330 (32-for-97) in conference play and had 18 runs, 25 RBI, seven doubles, three triples, and six stolen bases.  MC will make their first appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament since 2005 on Wednesday.

The HCAC has also awarded the 2012 Coach of the Year award to Rose-Hulman Head Coach Jeff Jenkins. In his 23rd season as the skipper for the Engineers, Jenkins guided his team to the school’s first regular season baseball title since 1996 as a member of the ICAC.  Coach Jenkins also claimed the Coach of the Year award in 1996 and 1992.

Marchant, Ellis, and Norris join 21 other players on the All-HCAC First Team. There are also 14 players on the All-HCAC Second Team. The All-HCAC Honorable Mention list includes 35 athletes.

A complete list of award recipient follows:

Most Valuable Player: Corey Marchant, Manchester College
Pitcher of the Year: Nathan Ellis, Franklin College
Freshman of the Year: Kyle Norris, Manchester College
Coach of the Year: Jeff Jenkins, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

All-HCAC First Team

All-HCAC Second Team

Honorable Mention
Anderson: Tyler Watson (So., P); Andrew Enderle (So., P); Kyle Beckman (Sr., 2B); Zach Garcia (Fr., OF); Cole Heberling (Fr., C)
Bluffton: Kelly Barnes (Sr., P); Halen Core (Fr., P); Tyler Wright (So., Util.); Nick Broyles (Sr., IF)
Defiance: Bryn Lehman (Sr., SS); Alex Schomaeker (Jr., P); Brad Kremer (So., 3B)
Earlham: Ryan Hayes (So., 1B); Colton Miller (So., P)
Franklin: Mitch Frey (Fr., IF); Chris Hoopingarner (So., P); Jake Houston (Jr., 1B); Ryan Kendall (Fr., P); Jordon Klinedinst (Sr., IF); Shawn Mattingly (Sr., P); Seth Powers (Fr., P)
Hanover: Zack Shultz (So., IF); Chip Hockenbury (So., P); A.J. Ehrlich (So., P)
Manchester: Kyle Konarski (Jr., P); Brad Murphy (Jr. OF); Cody Schell (Jr., P); Trevor Kimm (Fr., IF)
Mount St. Joseph: Kyle Ottaway (Sr., C); Brandon Polking (Fr., P); Michael Leytze (So., OF)
Rose-Hulman: Ryan Fuller (Sr., P)
Transylvania: Chris Bloch (Sr., P); Shelby Dixon (So., P); Danny Niehaus (Sr., P)

5.14.12 - MANCHESTER DRAWS WASHINGTON AND JEFFERSON IN NCAA MIDEAST REGIONAL OPENER HOSTED BY MARIETTA COLLEGE
Manchester's baseball team will square off against Washington and Jefferson in their opening contests at the 2012 NCAA Division III Mideast Regional, hosted by Marietta College (Ohio). Manchester is a seven seed going into the tournament, while Washington and Jefferson is seeded second.

Manchester (25-19, 14-11 HCAC) earned their Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament after winning the HCAC Tournament title as a four seed, upsetting regular season champions Rose-Hulman, the two seed Franklin and picking up a win in the forced game seven of the tournament against three seed Anderson. This makes Manchester's fifth appearance to the NCAA Tournament.

Washington & Jefferson (35-8, 21-3 PAC) earned an at-large bid to this year's tournament, their third trip in four years and are ranked 14th in the nation. W&J lost in the championship game of the President's Athletic Conference Tournament to receive the at-large bid.

Joining Manchester and Washington & Jefferson in the tournament will be top-seeded and host site Marietta College, #3 Adrian, #4 St. John Fisher, #5 Westminster, #6 Wooster and #8 La Roche.

Manchester will face W&J starting at 8 p.m. on Wednesday with live video and stat coverage available.

5.12.12 - MANCHESTER ADVANCES TO NCAA REGIONAL AFTER 5-0 WIN OVER ANDERSON IN GAME 7 OF HCAC TOURNAMENT, BRYCE MURPHY NAMED TOURNAMENT MVP

Manchester College's baseball team will make its fifth appearance in the NCAA Regional Tournament next week as Manchester captured the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Championship on Saturday. Manchester, a four-seed in the tournament opened with an 8-1 win over top-seeded and tournament host Rose-Hulman on Thursday, then defeated second-seed Franklin 11-5. Manchester fell to three-seed Anderson in the first game of the championship 2-1, but rallied to take the seventh and final game in a 5-0 shutout.

Anderson scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning in the first championship game, while the Spartans picked up a run in the top of the seventh. Dylan Padgett got the loss, striking out seven with no earned runs. Bryce Murphy, Brad Murphy, Corey Marchant and Robert Heritz had two hits apiece for MC.

In game seven of the tournament, Bryce Murphy picked up his eighth win of the year, throwing all nine innings with just four hits allowed in the shutout win. Heritz was 3-4 with an RBI, Nathan Felver went 2-3 with an RBI and Trevor Kimm finished the day 2-4 with a run and an RBI. Jordan Nieman was 1-5 with a home run for the Spartans. Bryce Murphy was named to the HCAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, while Robert Heritz, Jordan Nieman and Justin Scott join him on the All-Tournament team.

Manchester improves to 25-19 on the year, and will advance to the NCAA Regional. Tournament pairings will be announced on Monday.

5.11.12 - MANCHESTER TOPS SECOND-SEED FRANKLIN 11-5 TO ADVANCE TO HCAC TOURNAMENT FINALS
Manchester's baseball team posted its second upset of the 2012 HCAC Tournament following an 11-5 win over second-seeded Franklin on Friday afternoon. Manchester scored three runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings to take a 9-4 lead, and posted two more runs in the top of the eighth to secure their trip the conference tournament championship game on Saturday.

Kyle Konarski pitched a complete nine innings for Manchester, striking out 10 batters and giving up five earned runs on nine hits. Jordan Nieman led the way for MC, going 3-5 with a two RBI double and a run scored. Trevor Kimm went 3-4 with two runs and two RBIs, while Robert Heritz was 2-3 with two runs and two RBIs. Austin Rieke also finished 2-3 at bat with a run scored.

Manchester ups its record to 24-18 on the year and will face either Rose-Hulman, Franklin or Anderson in Saturday's championship game starting at noon.

5.10.12 - MANCHESTER UPSETS TOP-SEEDED ROSE-HULMAN 8-1 IN HCAC TOURNAMENT OPENER, FACES FRANKLIN FRIDAY
The fourth-seeded Manchester Spartan baseball team picked up an 8-1 win on Thursday, knocking top-seeded Rose-Hulman into the consolation round and puts the Spartans into the tournament semi-finals to face #2 Franklin starting at noon on Friday. Franklin posted a 3-0 win over Anderson in the other tournament game for the day.

Manchester picked up four runs in the fourth and sixth innings to take the 8-1 win and was led by the arm of Justin Scott, who picked up the win on the mound. Scott recorded six strikeouts in nine complete innings and surrendered just one earned run on seven hits.

Corey Marchant and Jordan Nieman connected on back-to-back home runs in the fourth inning for MC, with Marchant ending the day 1-5 with three RBIs and Nieman finishing 2-5 with a run scored and an RBI. Kyle Norris went 2-5 with a run, Cody Schell was 1-4 with two runs and an RBI and Trevor Kimm ended the game 2-4 with a run scored.

Manchester improves to 23-18 on the year, and will face Franklin starting at noon on Friday. Catch live stats of the game courtesy of Rose-Hulman. A Manchester win would advance MC to Saturday's championship, while a loss would put them at the 7 p.m. game Friday night.

5.6.12 - SPARTANS GET MUST WIN TO ADVANCE TO HCAC TOURNAMENT FOLLOWING 3-1 WIN OVER TRANSY
Manchester's baseball team picked up a 3-1 win over Transylvania to claim the fourth and final spot in the 2012 HCAC Tournament, eliminating Transylvania from tournament play.

Kyle Konarski picked up the win for Manchester, throwing a complete nine innings and notching eight strikeouts on the day, and held Transy to just four hits on the afternoon.
Corey Marchant went 3-5 with a run batted in to led Manchester, while Trevor Kimm went 2-3 with two runs scored and an RBI, and Austin Rieke went 3-3 on the day with a double and a triple.

Manchester improves to 22-18, 14-11 in the HCAC. They will face top-seeded Rose-Hulman at Rose-Hulman starting Thursday for the first round of the conference championships.

5.5.12 - MC IN MUST-WIN
GAME SUNDAY FOR HCAC TOURNAMENT BERTH FOLLOWING SPLIT WITH TRANSY
Manchester picked up a 2-1 win in 10 innings, but fell in game two 3-0 to Transylvania, as both teams are looking to secure the fourth and final spot heading into next week's HCAC Tournament.

Bryce Murphy took the win in game one, throwing all 10 innings with four strikeouts and six hits allowed. He also finished 2-5 on the day with a run scored. Kyle Norris was 3-5 with ar un, and Cody Schell went 2-4 with an RBI.

In the second game, Justin Scott struck out five as the Spartans lost 3-0. Bryce Murphy, Cody Schell and Trevor Kimm had one hit apiece for MC.

The Spartans go to 21-18 on the year, 13-11 in the conference. Transy stands at 14-10 in league play, forcing Manchester to win on Sunday to hold the tie-breaker for the foruth seed to the HCAC Tournament. Game time has been moved to noon.

4.29.12 - SPARTANS TAKE THIRD GAME OF SERIES IN 7-6 WIN OVER ROSE-HULMAN
Manchester's baseball team picked up a 7-6 win over Rose-Hulman on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep by the league leading Engineers.

Rose-Hulman broke a 1-1 tied by scoring four runs in the top of the fifth inning to go ahead 5-1, but Manchester bounced back in the bottom of the inning to score five runs and take a 6-5 lead and scored the game winning run in the bottom of the ninth as Trevor Kimm drove in Jordan Nieman to seal the 7-6 win.

Bryce Murphy took the win, throwing 2.2 innings of relief with a strikeout to his stats, while Dylan Padgett got the start, throwing 4.2 innings with five earned runs allowed and a strikeout. Nieman and Kyle Norris went 3-5 each, with Norris scoring two runs and driving in two more, with Norris scoring a pair of runs. Kimm went 2-4 with three RBIs and a run scored.

Manchester improves to 20-17 on the year, 12-10 in the HCAC. The Spartans will face Transylvania in the final conference series of the year on Saturday, as both teams battle for the fourth and final spot in the conference tournament.

4.28.12 - MC FALLS TO ROSE-HULMAN 7-6 AND 6-3
Manchester dropped a pair of conference contests to league leading Rose-Hulman in doubleheader action 7-6 and 6-3 on Saturday.

In the 7-6 loss, Justin Scott picked up the loss. Corey Marchant was 3-4 on the day, with two RBIs and a run scored. Bryce Murphy went 2-3 with a run and an RBI, while Brad Murphy went 1-3 with two runs scored.

Rose-Hulman jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first inning to take the 6-3 win in game two. Kyle Konarski took the loss, throwing five innings with six strikeouts. Brian Tarnowski added four strikeouts in four innings of relief. Brad Murphy went 2-4 with two runs scored, while Kyle Norris went 2-4 with three RBIs.

Manchester drops to 19-17 on the season, 11-10 on the year in conference play. They will play the third and final game of the series on Sunday.

4.24.12 - SPARTANS LATE RALLY COMES UP SHORT IN 10-9 WIN BY DEFIANCE
Manchester fell 10-9 to Defiance on Tuesday, as Manchester trailed 10-6 heading into the bottom of the ninth and scored three runs and left two runners on base.

Beau Shenefield took the loss, throwing 3.1 innings with three strikeouts and five runs given up. Sean Liedtky added two strikeouts and Brian Tarnowski one in relief.
Brad Murphy, Corey Marchant, Jordan Nieman and Kyle Norris went 2-4. Marchant added three runs and got his 13th homer of the year, Norris added two RBIs and a run scored and Nieman scored two runs.

Manchester drops to 19-14 on the year, 11-8 in the HCAC. They will host Rose-Hulman on Saturday and Sunday.

4.22.12 - MC SLUGS OUT 19 RUNS IN 19-1 WIN OVER HANOVER
Manchester bounced back from a pair of losses Saturday to post a 19-1 win over Hanover on Sunday. Kyle Konarski picked up the win, throwing eight innings and striking out eight.

Trevor Kimm led the way offensively with a 3-4 performance, driving in three runs and scoring two. Cody Schell was 3-4 with two RBIs and a run scored, and Corey Marchant also went 3-4 with four runs scored and an RBI. Brady Murphy finished 3-5 with four RBIs and two runs scored, while Bryce Murphy went 2-5 with three RBIs and a pair of runs.

Manchester improves to 19-14 overall, 11-7 in the HCAC and will close out the remaining seven conference games at home starting with Defiance on Tuesday, followed by Rose-Hulman on Saturday and Sunday.

4.21.12 - MANCHESTER DROPS DOUBLEHEADER TO HANOVER
Manchester snapped a six-game win streak on Saturday as the Spartans fell to Hanover 3-1 and 5-3.

Manchester had just two hits in the 3-1 loss with Dylan Padgett taking the loss, throwing all six innings with three strikeouts. Corey Marchant added to his Division III leading homerun total with a solo shot in the fourth inning and has 12 on the year, while Kyle Norris went 1-3 in the game.

Manchester held a 3-0 lead after their at-bat in the third inning, but Hanover scored two in the third, one in the fifth and two in the seventh to pick up the 5-3 win over MC. Justin Scott took the loss, throwing five strikeouts, and giving up five runs on 10 hits. Jordan Nieman was 2-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, hitting a triple. Bryce Murphy and Trevor Kimm went 1-3 on the afternoon.

Manchester falls to 18-14 on the year, 10-7 in the conference and will face Hanover for the third and final game of the series on Sunday.

4.17.12 - SPARTANS GET SIXTH STRAIGHT WIN IN 5-0 VICTORY AT ANDERSON
Manchester's baseball team picked up their sixth straight conference win on Tuesday as Manchester shutout Anderson 5-0. MC scored one run in the top of the first inning, and held that lead until the seventh and eighth innings where they scored a pair of runs in both innings.

Kyle Konarski picked up the win for Manchester, surrendering just four hits and striking out five batters in nine complete innings. Bryce Murphy went 3-5 with a run scored and an RBI to lead Manchester. Corey Marchant went 2-5 with a pair of singles and an RBI, while Cody Schell was 2-4 with a run and an RBI.

Manchester improves to 18-12, on the season, 10-5 in conference play, and will return to action on Saturday as they travel to Hanover for the first two of a three-game series against the Panthers.

4.14.12 - MC COMPETES THREE GAME SWEEP OF MOUNT ST. JOSEPH
Manchester's offensive attack continued on Saturday as Manchester picked up a 12-3 and 11-1 win over Mount St. Joseph to take all three games in the conference series against the Lions.

Manchester won game one 12-3 behind the arm of Bryce Murphy, who threw six innings and struck out two batters. He went 1-4 with three RBIs and scored three runs off a home run in the seventh inning. Corey Marchant went 3-5 with five RBIs and two runs scored. Jordan Nieman and Trevor Kimm went 2-4 each.

In game two, Manchester scored four runs in the first, three in the second and four more runs in the fourth inning to jump to an 11-1 lead. Dylan Padgett got the win, recording 11 strikeouts in nine innings. Robert Heirtz was 3-6 with a run scored, while Kyle Norris went 2-5 with three RBIs and and two runs scored. Bryce Murphy, Brad Murphy and Corey Marchant each had two hits apiece.

Manchester moves to 17-12 on the year, 9-5 in the HCAC. Manchester will travel to Anderson on Tuesday to face the Ravens starting at 4 p.m.

4.13.12 - SCHELL DRIVES IN SIX RUNS AS MANCHESTER DEFEATS MOUNT ST. JOSEPH 20-7
The Spartan bats were on fire Friday night as Manchester picked up a 20-7 win over Mount St. Joseph in the first of a three-game series from Cincinnati. Manchester jumped out to a 10-0 lead after the first inning, highlighted by Corey Marchant rounding the bases on a triple and a throwing error to drive in two runs.

Justin Scott was the winning pitcher for Manchester, throwing five innings and striking out four batters. He gave up seven runs on 13 hits. Caleb McAfee earned the save with four innings of relief pitching, as he gave up two hits and struck out five batters.

Offensively, Cody Schell went 2-4 with six RBIs and three runs scored, collecting two doubles on the day. Brad Murphy went 2-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored, adding a double to his stats. Marchant ended the day 2-5 with four RBIs and two runs scored with a double and a triple. Trevor Kimm scored three runs and went 1-3 on the day, and Robert Heirtz was 1-2 with three runs scored and an RBI.

Manchester improves to 15-12 on the year, 7-5 in the HCAC. They will resume action Saturday in a doubleheader slated to start at 11 a.m., which was a mid-week change from the original start time.

4.9.12 - SCOTT STRIKES OUT SEVEN AS MANCHESTER TAKES 9-3 WIN OVER DEFIANCE
Highlights from WANE Channel 15 News
Manchester's baseball team picked up a 9-3 win over Defiance on Monday, playing on Fort Wayne's Parkview Field. Manchester scored one run in the third and fifth innings, and picked up three runs in the sixth and two runs in the seventh and eighth innings to pick up the 9-3 victory.

Justin Scott picked up the win for Manchester, throwing seven innings with seven strikeouts and three hits allowed with no runs scored. Sean Liedtky added one inning of relief pitching and Temujin Sery closed out the ninth inning with one run, one hit and one strikeout.

Brad Murphy led the way with a 4-5 performance and scored three runs. Jordan Nieman went 3-4 with two RBIs and a double. Bryce Murphy and Corey Marchant went 2-5, with Murphy adding two runs and an RBI and Marchant one RBI.

Manchester improves to 14-12 on the year, 6-5 in the HCAC. They will travel to Mount St. Joseph for a three-game series starting Friday at 6 p.m.

4.6.12 - SPARTANS SPLIT WITH EARLHAM
Manchester's baseball team posted a 7-4 win in game one, but fell in game two 9-6 in conference action from Earlham on Friday.

In game one, Bryce Murphy picked up his fourth win of the year, throwing four strikeouts and giving up three earned runs on seven hits. Kyle Konarski got the save with one inning of relief. Brad Murphy was 4-5 with three runs scored, Jordan Nieman was 3-3 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored.

Manchester went into the bottom of the ninth leading 6-5, but Earlham scored one run to tie the game and finished with a three-run home run to pick up the 9-6 win. Konarski took the loss, throwing the final 3.2 innings with five strikeouts. Dylan Padgett added six strikeouts in five innings. Bryce Murphy was 3-5 with a run scored, hitting a pair of doubles. Corey Marchant picked up his 10th home run of the year, going 2-5 overall with two runs scored, while Matt Suderman went 2-4 with two RBIs.

Manchester moves to 13-12 overall, 5-5 in the HCAC. They return to action Monday night as they face Defiance at Fort Wayne's Parkview Field starting at 7 p.m.

4.5.12 - MC PICKS UP 16-3 CONFERENCE WIN OVER EARLHAM
Manchester picked up a 16-3 win over Earlham to start a three-game series with the Quakers. Manchester scored five runs in the second, three runs in the fifth and sixth, and added a pair of runs in the seventh and ninth innings.

Justin Scott picked up the win, throwing seven innings with four hits and two runs allowed. Offensively, Corey Marchant and Bryce Murphy finished the game 3-6. Murphy had two runs and two RBIs while Marchant had one of each. Jordan Nieman was 2-3 with three RBIs and had a home run for the Spartans. Trevor Kimm, Austin Rieke and Cody Schell collected two hits each for MC.

Manchester improves to 12-11 overall, 4-4 in the HCAC. They will resume action Friday starting at 5 p.m.

4.3.12 - RAVENS TOP MANCHESTER 11-6
Manchester's baseball team fell to visiting Anderson University 11-6 in HCAC action Tuesday afternoon. Manchester held a 6-0 lead going into the fifth inning, but Anderson put up two runs in the top of the fifth and posted nine runs in the sixth to jump ahead 11-6.

Dylan Padgett recorded the loss, as he relieved Temujin Sery after 5.1 innings. Sery gave up five runs on eight hits with a strikeout, while Sean Liedtky added two strikeouts in the final 3.1 innings.

Kyle Norris was 2-5 with three RBIs and a pair of doubles, Corey Marchant notched his ninth home run of the season, going 2-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Trevor Kimm was 3-4 with a double and Cody Schell went 2-4 with a double.

Manchester moves to 11-11 on the year and 3-4 in the HCAC. Manchester travels to Earlham on Thursday for a single nine inning game and will resume play Friday.

4.1.12 - MANCHESTER FALLS 11-10 TO FRANKLIN
Manchester dropped an 11-10 conference contest to #30 in the nation Franklin College on Sunday, as Franklin scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to pick up the win. Dylan Padgett gave up eight runs on eight hits in four innings, and Kyle Konarski allowed three runs on three hits to take the loss. Cody Schell was 3-5 with two runs scored, while Trevor Kimm went 2-4 with a run and an RBI. Corey Marchant had a three-run home run in the first inning to up his total to eight on the year. He currently sits third in the nation in total home runs and fourth in the country in home runs per game. Jordan Nieman also had a home run for MC, a three-run shot in the seventh inning. Nieman ranks 19th in the nation in homeruns.

Manchester falls to 11-10 on the year, 3-3 in the HCAC. Manchester will host conference rival Anderson in a single nine inning game on Tuesday starting at 4:15 p.m.

3.31.12 - SPARTANS SPLIT WITH #30 FRANKLIN IN HCAC ACTION
Manchester's baseball team fell to #30 Franklin 6-5 in extra innings and posted a 7-1 win in game two in Saturday's doubleheader with Franklin.

In game one, Manchester took a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh, where Franklin scored two runs to force extra innings, and scored a run in the bottom of the eighth to pick up the 6-5 win. Bryce Murphy recorded six strikeouts in the loss, throwing 7.1 innings. Cody Schell was 3-4 with two runs scored, while Austin Rieke went 2-4.
MC scored three runs in the third and four runs in the fourth to pick up the 7-1 win in game two. Justin Scott had two strikeouts to post his third win of the season. Kyle Norris was 3-4 with two RBIs to lead Manchester. Brad Murphy and Bryce Murphy were both 2-3 with an RBI, and Jordan Nieman went 2-4 with two RBIs and a run scored.

Manchester goes to 11-9 on the year, 3-2 in the HCAC. They will face Franklin again on Sunday to make up for Friday's rainout.

3.25.12 - BLUFFTON AVOIDS SERIES SWEEP WITH 2-1 WIN OVER MC
Manchester dropped a 2-1 loss to Bluffton on Sunday, as Bluffton avoided a three-game sweep by Manchester following MC's two wins on Saturday. Manchester's Dylan Padgett took the loss, throwing three strikeouts in nine complete innings. Corey Marchant went 2-3 on the day as he hit his seventh homerun of the year. Cody Schell went 1-3 to combine for all three of MC's hits on the day.

Manchester falls to 10-8 on the year, 2-1 in the conference. They will face Franklin in a three-game series starting Friday at 4:15 p.m.

3.24.12 - MURPHY AND MARCHANT LEAD THE WAY AS MC PICKS UP A DOUBLEHEADER OVER BLUFFTON
Manchester picked up two conference wins over Bluffton Saturday, winning game one 6-0 and 17-5 in game two.

Bryce Murphy went to 3-1 on the year in the 6-0 shutout, striking out seven batters. He was also 2-3 at bat with three runs scored and an RBI off a solo homerun in the sixth inning. Corey Marchant was 2-3 and Kyle Norris went 2-4. In game two, Justin Scott went the distance to pick up the win, throwing four strikeouts. Bryce Murphy was 4-6 with six RBIs and a run scored, including two doubles. Marchant was 3-6 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Norris was 4-5 with three runs scored, connecting on two doubles, and Cody Schell finished 24-5 with a pair of RBIs and three runs.

Manchester improves to 10-7 on the year, 2-0 in the HCAC. They will resume action Sunday for the third game against Bluffton starting at 1 p.m.

3.21.12 - SPARTANS SPLIT WITH POLAR BEARS
Manchester's baseball team split in doubleheader action against Ohio Northern on Wednesday. Manchester lost game one 7-6, but picked up a 13-9 win in game two.

MC had runners at first and third in the ninth inning of game one. With a two-run homer by Corey Marchant in the ninth, ONU was able to hold on to take the 7-6 win. Temujin Sery took the loss for MC, throwing six innings with seven hit and seven runs allowed on 12 hits. Corey Marchant ended the game 2-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored off a pair of homeruns. Jordan Nieman was 2-3 with a run scored.

Sean Liedtky picked up the win in the 13-9 victory over Ohio Northern in ga.me two. He threw three strikeouts, and allowed eight runs on 14 hits. Cody Schell was 3-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored, hitting two doubles along the way. Trevor Kimm also had two doubles and went 2-3 with three runs scored, Nieman went 2-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Bryce Murphy went 2-3 with two RBIs.

Manchester improves to 8-7 on the year and will be in action Friday, as they host Bluffton to start the conference season with a three game series that carries over to Saturday with a doubleheader.

3.19.12 - MANCHESTER PICKS UP 10-7 WIN OVER WABASH
Manchester's baseball team posted a 10-7 win over Wabash on Monday. The Spartans jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the first inning and held on after Wabash scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to pick up the 10-7 victory.

Bryce Murphy threw all nine innings for MC, giving up 15 hits and seven earned runs while striking out six batters and improves to 4-1 on the year. He was also 2-5 at bat with two runs scored.

Manchester was led by Jordan Nieman, who hat back to back homers for MC in the fifth and sixth innings and was 2-5 on the day with three RBIs and two runs scored. Dan Maringer also went 2-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored with a home run. Brad Murphy was 2-3 with a run, Corey Marchant was 2-4 with two runs scored and an RBI and Trevor Kimm went 2-4 on the day with an RBI double.

Manchester improves to 7-6 on the year and will return to action Wednesday as they host Ohio Northern for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.

3.17.12 - MC SPLITS WITH #24 HEIDELBERG
Manchester picked up a 10-4 win in game one of Saturday's doubleheader against #24 Heidelberg, but fell 15-4 in game two.

In game one Manchester scored three runs in both the second and third innings to assist in the 10 total runs on the day. Dylan Padgett picked up the win, throwing seven innings with six strikeouts and four runs allowed on eight hits. Jordan Nieman had a two run homer in the second inning and finished 1-4 on the day with two RBI. Dan Maringer was 2-5 with two RBI and had a double, while Kyle Norris went 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI.

Heidelberg scored five runs in the both the fourth and sixth innings to pick up the 15-4 win. Kyle Konarski took the loss with seven runs allowed in four innings of action. Trevor Kimm led the way offensively with a 2-4 performance, hitting his first homerun of the season.

Manchester moves to 6 -6 on the year and returns to action Monday at Wabash for a single nine inning game starting at 4 p.m. and will face Ohio Northern starting at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.

3.16.12 - SPARTANS FALL TO #24 HEIDELBERG 6-5
Manchester dropped a 6-5 contest to #24 ranked Heidelberg University on Friday afternoon. MC got on the board early in the first inning by scoring a pair of runs, picked up one run in the third to go ahead 3-1, but Heidelberg scores two in the fourth, one in the sixth and two more in the seventh to go ahead 6-3. Manchester added two more runs in the seventh after a Kyle Norris two-run homer.

Norris was 3-4 on the day with three runs scored and two RBIs. Brad Murphy went 2-4 with two runs scored, and Bryce Murphy went 2-5 with a pair of runs scored. Justin Scott went all nine innings on the mound for Manchester, recording five strikeouts.

Manchester falls to 5-5 on the year and will host Heidelberg for doubleheader action Saturday at home starting at noon.

3.13.12 - NIEMAN HITS GRAND SLAM IN MANCHESTER'S 11-5 WIN OVER TAYLOR
Manchester's baseball team picked up an 11-5 win over Taylor on Tuesday, improving their record to 5-4 on the year. Manchester scored four runs in the third, three runs in the fifth, two in the sixth and a run in the second and fourth innings to pick up the win.

Sophomore Jordan Nieman broke a 1-1 tie after his grand slam in the fourth inning to give Manchester a 5-1 lead. He ended the game 2-4 with a hit by pitch. Trevor Kimm and Brad Murphy were 2-5 and a run scored. Kimm drove in two runs while Murphy had one. Dan Maringer had a two-run homer for the Spartans and was 1-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Kyle Konarski picked up his first win on the mound, throwing 6.1 innings with four strikeouts. Caleb McAfee added 2.2 innings of relief pitching with two strikeouts.

Manchester resumes action with a three-game series at home against Heidelberg starting with a single game on Friday and a doubleheader slated for Saturday.

3.11.12 - DEPAUW TAKES DOUBLEHEADER FROM MC
Manchester dropped two games to DePauw in a doubleheader from DePauw on Sunday. DePauw took game one 6-3 and game two 8-1.

Manchester's Beau Shenefield took the loss in game one's 8-1 loss. Shenefield threw 5.2 innings and collected three strikeouts while allowing eight runs on 13 hits. Brady Murphy, Dan Maringer and Trevor Kimm had one hit each, with Maringer connecting on a solo homerun. Bryce Murphy threw all eight innings in the 6-3 loss, striking out three batters. He also was 2-4 at bat. Jordan Nieman was 2-2 with a two-run triple for MC.

Manchester moves to 4-4 on the year and returns to action Tuesday at Taylor.

3.10.12 - MANCHESTER SPLITS WITH DEPAUW
Manchester's baseball team returned to action after an eight-day break, splitting with DePauw in doubleheader action from Manchester College's Gratz Field.

In game one, DePauw picked up a three-run homer in the top of the seventh inning to pick up the 6-2 win, as Justin Scott took the loss for Manchester. Manchester collected one hit from Dan Maringer, Corey Marchant, Jordan Nieman and Kyle Norris.

Manchester scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to pick up an 8-4 win over DePauw in game two, with Brian Tarnowski picking up the win in 2/3's inning relief. Tarnowski entered the game after Dylan Padgett's 6.1 innings with four hits and four runs allowed. Bryce Murphy struck out six of the seven batters faced in the final two innings of action. Corey Marchant had the hot bat for Manchester, going 4-4 at the plate with two homeruns, a double and a single and seven RBIs. Brad Murphy added three runs scored on a 2-4 performance, and Jordan Nieman was 1-4 with a solo homer in the seventh inning.

Manchester improves to 4-2 on the year and will return to action Sunday at DePauw for a doubleheader.

3.3.12 - SPARTANS SPLIT WITH MANHATTANVILLE
Manchester's baseball team split in doubleheader action against Manhattanville on Friday during Manchester's trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C. Manhattanville took game one 9-5, while Manchester picked up a 13-3 win in game two.

In the 9-5 loss, Manhattanville scored six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to overcome a 5-3 deficit. Caleb McAfee picked up the loss, throwing one inning of relief, as Brian Tarnowski picked up four strikeouts and surrendered three runs in 6.1 innings. Dan Mariniger was 2-2 with a run scored and Brad Murphy was 1-1 with an RBI.

The Spartans scored three runs in the first, third and eighth inning to pick up the 13-3 win in game two. Cody Schell was 2-5 with three RBIs and a run scored, Trevor Kimm was 3-5 with three RBIs and Bryce Murphy went 2-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Brad Murphy finished the game 1-4 with two RBIs. Beau Shenefield was the winning pitcher, throwing 7.2 innings with six strikeouts and seven hits allowed.

Manchester's trip was cut short due to rain on Saturday's scheduled doubleheader, and the team returns home with a 3-1 record. Manchester opens up play at home on Saturday as they face DePauw in doubleheader action starting at 1 p.m.

3.1.12 - MANCHESTER POSTS 13-4 WIN OVER FERRUM, 5-0 WIN AGAINST NC WESLEYAN IN SEASON OPENER
Manchester's baseball team picked up two opening day wins in Myrtle Beach on Thursday, defeating Ferrum 13-4 and NC Wesleyan 5-0.

Manchester scored six runs in the top of the fourth inning, two in the fifth, three in the sixth and two more in the ninth to get the win over Ferrum. Justin Scott was the winning pitcher for Manchester, throwing four strikeouts in eight innings. Bryce Murphy was 3-5 with three RBIs and a double, while Brad Murphy went 3-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Dan Maringer went 3-6 with two RBIs and a pair of doubles, while Corey Marchant finished the day 2-4 with two runs scored and Austin Rieke went 2-4 with two RBIs.

Dylan Padgett went the distance to pick up the win in a 5-0 victory over NC Wesleyan. Padgett had four strikeouts with six hits allowed in nine innings. Rieke was 2-3 and Robert Heritz finished the day 1-4 with three RBIs.

Manchester goes to 2-0 on the year and will face Manhattanville in doubleheader action on Friday starting at noon.

2.29.12-SPARTANS OPEN SEASON AT MYRTLE BEACH
Manchester's baseball season gets underway starting on Thursday as the Spartans take their annual Spring Trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C. Manchester enters the year in a third-place tie with Rose-Hulman in the HCAC Preseason Polls, with Franklin getting top honors with seven first place votes, followed by Anderson in second place with two first place votes. Manchester received one first place vote. Transylvania, Bluffton, Mount St. Joseph, Hanover, Earlham and Defiance round out the ten schools in the preseason poll.

The Spartans are coming off a 28-15 record last year, winning the conference regular season title with a 17-7 record. MC lost five of their top five hitters from last year and a pitcher, but return a pair of First Team All-Conference selections in Cody Schell and Bryce Murphy. Schell ranked third on the team in batting average last year, and returns as the team's leader this year. Schell batted .379 last year with 55 hits, eight doubles, a triple and three homeruns to go with his 24 RBIs and 37 runs scored. He also threw for 15 innings last year, recording 11 strikeouts. Bryce Murphy was named an honorable mention Preseason All-American by d3baseball.com at the pitching position. The outfielder/pitcher batted .303 last year with 43 hits, 37 runs scored and 23 RBIs and compiled a 9-1 record in 14 appearances last year, with 40 strikeouts in 49.2 innings of action.
Manchester returns two Second Team All-Conference selections in 2011 and honorable mention picks in 2010 in players Corey Marchant and Brad Murphy. Marchant hit .343 last year with 58 hits, 14 doubles and 36 RBIs. Brad Murphy hit .323 for the Spartans last year, tallying 52 hits, 15 doubles, three homeruns, 23 RBIs and 42 runs scores. Both players, along with Schell make up the top three hitting returners on the team this season.

Controlling things the mound will be 2011 honorable mention and 2010 Second Team All-Conference selection Justin Scott. The junior right-hander was 4-4 overall in 12 appearances, and notched 38 strikeouts in 63.1 innings. Senior Beau Shenefield and sophomore Dylan Padgett took to the mound 10 times each last year, with Shenefiled recording 18 strikeouts in 35 innings, and Padgett getting 20 in 23.2 innings. Both finished the year with a 2-1 record, along with Kyle Konarski.

Manchester's first home contest is slated for Saturday, March 10 versus DePauw.

1.25.12 - BASEBALL WINTER CAMP DATES SET
Manchester's baseball program will host a January Prospect Camp on Sunday, Jan. 29 from noon to 3 p.m. Campers will go through a normal college practice, covering all aspects of the game of baseball, and provide campers with the opportunity to participate in a pro-style tryout camp.

The baseball program will hold their annual hitting school scheduled for three consecutive Sundays starting Feb. 12. The Hitting School runs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. each Sunday, Feb. 12, 19 and 26th with the ability to single out one camp or attend all three.

For information or to register, visit the Manchester College baseball website, camp brochure or hitting school brochure, or contact the baseball coaching staff at 260-982-5034 or email rbespeset@manchester.edu.

10.16.11 - BASEBALL TO HOST DECEMBER PROSPECT CAMP
Manchester's baseball program will host a December Prospect Camp on Sunday, Dec. 4 from noon to 3 p.m.

Campers will go through a normal college practice, covering all aspects of the game of baseball, and provide campers with the opportunity to participate in a pro-style tryout camp.

For information or to register, visit the information sheet or contact the baseball coaching staff at 260-982-5034.

8.16.11 - BASEBALL TO HOST PROSPECT CAMP
Manchester's baseball program will once again hold a Prospect Camp on Sunday, Oct. 9 from noon to 4 p.m.

Campers will go through a normal college practice, covering all aspects of the game of baseball, and provide campers with the opportunity to participate in a pro-style tryout camp.

For information or to register, visit the information sheet or contact the baseball coaching staff at 260-982-5034.

5.31.11 - TREY FORBES NAMED THIRD TEAM ALL-AMERICAN BY ABCA
Senior catcher Trey Forbes was selected as a Third Team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA).

Forbes, a native of Kendallville, Ind., and a graduate of East Noble High School picked up First Team All-Mideast Region honors last week, putting him in a group of eight players around the nation to go up for All-American honors. Forbes was also named First Team All-Conference by the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference this season. He batted a team best .420 on the year, with 22 doubles, seven homeruns and 44 RBIs.

Nationally in all of Division III baseball, Forbes ranked fourth in the country in runs scored with 64, ranked fifth in the nation in doubles,17th in total bases with 118, 19th in hits with 71, 35th in slugging percentage at .698,and was 51st in the country in batting average.

The Spartans as a team finished the season 28-15 overall, winning the HCAC regular season title.

5.24.11 - FOUR SPARTANS NAMED TO ALL-REGION TEAM
Manchester College's baseball team had four players selected to the 2011 American Baseball Coaches Association - Rawlings NCAA Division III All-Mideast Region team.

Senior catcher Trey Forbes (Kendallville, Ind./East Noble) was named First Team All-Region. Forbes led MC in batting with a .420 average on the year and had 22 doubles, seven homeruns and 44 RBIs. Joining him on the roster were Second Team Selections Ty Foster (Danville, Ind./Danville), John Smolinski (South Bend, Ind./St. Joseph's) and Curt Mallery (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville). Foster batted .381 this year with 16 doubles, a triple and 10 homeruns, and had 62 RBIs. Smolinski batted .325 with 15 doubles, five homeruns and 48 RBIs, while Mallery pitched his way to an 8-1 record and had 88 strikeouts and an ERA of 3.42.

For a complete list of the All-Region Team, click here.

5.16.11 - HCAC ANNOUNCES ALL-CONFERENCE HONOREES, ESPESET NAMED CONFERENCE COACH OF THE YEAR
Manchester College's baseball team placed 11 members on the HCAC All-Conference team while Head Coach Rick Espeset was named Conference Coach of the Year in the announcement made on Monday.

First Team All-Conference Awards went to senior catcher Trey Forbes, senior first baseman Ty Foster, sophomore second baseman Cody Schell, senior outfielder David Tatham, senior pitcher Curt Mallery and sophomore pitcher Bryce Murphy. Second Team All-Conference honors went to sophomore shortstop Corey Marchant, senior third baseman Jay Sheets, sophomore outfielder Brad Murphy and designated hitter John Smolinski. Sophomore pitcher Justin Scott was named honorable mention All-Conference.

Manchester finished the season 28-15 overall, 17-7 in the HCAC, and won the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season title and fell in the championship game of the HCAC Tournament to Franklin. A balanced effort by the entire team can be attributed to the team's success, as every field position on this year's team received conference honors.

Manchester was led in hitting by Forbes, who batted .420 on the year and had 22 doubles, seven homeruns and 44 RBIs. Foster batted .381 on the year with 16 doubles, a triple and 10 homeruns to go with his 62 RBIs. Schell batted .379 with 24 RBI,s eight doubles, a triple and three homeruns. Tatham batted .370 with four triples and 21 RBIs. Curt Mallery had a 3.42 ERA and an 8-1 record for MC, notching 88 strikeouts on the year, while Bryce Murphy finished 9-1 on the year with a 4.89 ERA and 40 strikeouts to round out the First Team selections.

Head Coach Rick Espeset picked up his fourth HCAC Coach of the Year award with the 2011 season honor. Espeset was named Coach of the Year in 1998, 2004 and 2006. He is just nine wins shy of reaching the 400-win milestone. He is currently 391-245-1 over 16 seasons.


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