SVSU BASEBALL

Feb. 25, 2001
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cardinals Split Opener FT. MYERS, FL – A pair of returning All-Americans helped the Saginaw Valley State University baseball team get off to an impressive start to the 2001 season Sunday. The No. 26-ranked Cardinals opened the campaign with a 20-5 win over Clarion University, PA, but dropped the nightcap 11-9. Senior All-American left-hander Tim Goheen (Proton Station, Ontario) allowed just one hit in four innings of opener. He hit a batter and issued no walks, while striking out 3 before leaving with a blister. Pacing the offense was senior All-American Jason Valenzuela (Ontario, CA/Damien), who went 6-for-6 and drove in four funs. Other hitting stars included sophomore Sean Odamura (Mississauga, Ontario//Lorne Park) with four RBI and four hits, including a three-run homer. Junior Adam Ruffner (Gibraltar/Carlson) had a double and two-run homer for four RBI. Senior Derek Jones (Lake Orion) also drove in four runs with a pair of doubles. Junior Justin Garcia (Bay City/Western) and sophomore T.J. Lehnertz (Grand Rapids/Catholic Central) each chipped in a pair of hits, and junior transfer Jay Scott (Berlington, Ontario/Aldershot) scored four runs with a hit and two walks. Freshman righty Heath Craven (Hartland) made his collegiate debut, working an inning in relief, and sophomore Adam Campbell (London, Ontario/St. Thomas Aquinas) closed out the contest for SVSU. In the second game, SVSU scored seven runs in the top of the seventh inning, but left the tying runs on base in their first loss of the season. Junior right-hander Andy Scott (Bay City/Western) started and took the loss, yielding two runs on three hits, but tossed four wild pitches. Each of the Cardinal hurlers were touched for multiple runs, allowing the Golden Eagles to build an 11-2 lead. SVSU had only eight hits, but drew four walks and had four batters hit by pitches. Valenzuela had an RBI single, Garcia and Odamura each drove in two runs with singles, and freshman Adam Piggot (Sarnia, Ontario/Sarnia Collegiate) had an RBI. "Goheen was strong," said SVSU skipper Walt Head, who enters his 19th year at the helm and returns the bulk of last year's record-setting 40-11-1 squad that made the program's first NCAA tournament appearance. The Cardinals have a single game Monday against Wartburg College, IA, which advanced to the NCAA Division III World Series last year.

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