Cedarville University Baseball

23-33 (.411) Overall
8-18 (.308) American Mideast Conference

Upcoming: Season Completed

2009 Yellow Jacket Baseball Recruits
Name	Pos	Hometown
Alex Beelen	IF	Holland, MI
Ryan Bloem	OF	Belmont, MI
Brian Brown	LHP	Lincoln, NE
Aaron Cocks	LHP	Medford, NJ
David Convertini	C	Williamsville, NY
Nathan Davenport	IF	Ironton, OH
Michael Dunn	OF	Burton, OH
Luke Freshwater	RHP	Mount Vernon, OH
Eric Hacker	IF	Mount Holly, NJ
Paul Hembekides	IF	West Chester, PA
Tyler Kramer	IF	Bellefontaine, OH
Kyler Ludlow	IF	Fort Loramie , OH
Joseph Marshall	OF	Jenera, OH
Juan Martinez	IF	Springfield, OH
Ryan Martz	IF	Kirtland, OH
Dan Petke	C	Columbus, OH
Josh Sandlin	LHP	Waynesville, OH
Josh Sisson	IF	Byron Center, MI
Adalberto Soto	C	San Juan, PR
Thaddaeus Tuggle	OF	Butler, OH
David Valle	LHP	Rochester, NY
Matthew Willett	RHP	Xenia, OH
Andrew York	RHP	Mars Hill, ME

Matt Totten

Jackets' winningest season ends; Totten, Kraus honored

STRUTHERS, Ohio (5-22-2008) - A late Geneva rally finished off Cedarville, 10-8, at the NCCAA National Tournament ending the school's winningest baseball season ever with 23 victories. The previous school record of 18 wins in a season had been accomplished four times.

The Yellow Jackets had built an 8-4 four lead against the host Golden Tornadoes, but Geneva erupted for six runs in the bottom of the 6th inning to take over. Four CU errors led to five unearned runs.

Brady Workman was 2-for-3 with two RBI's. Pete Kraus and Micah Wilson provided two hits each while Phil Cruz drove in two runs. [BOXSCORE]

Matt Totten added a hit and was named to the NCCAA National All-Tournament Team. Pete Kraus was tabbed an NCCAA Scholar-Athlete which includes juniors and seniors, who maintain a minimum 3.40 cumulative grade point average. [NCCAA BASEBALL AWARDS]

Paul Wilson

CU heads to day two at NCCAA

STRUTHERS, Ohio (5-21-2008) - The Yellow Jackets lost to Oakland City, 9-7, and then outslugged Bluefield, 13-11, to stay alive at the NCCAA National Tournament.

Cedarville, the #9 seed, surrendered four unearned runs in the setback to #8 Oakland City. Paul Wilson hammered a two-run homer which was his sixth of the season. Pete Kraus had a pair of hits including a double, Phil Cruz delivered two hits, and Micah Wilson drove in two runs. It was the second loss to the NCAA Division II Oaks in the NCCAA Tournament following a 3-0 reversal in Celina, Ohio in 2004. [GAME 1 BOXSCORE]

The Yellow Jackets surprised #4 Bluefield in a losers' bracket contest. Paul Wilson highlighted CU's 12-hit attack by going 4-for-4 with three doubles and five runs batted in. Brady Workman and Matt Totten added two hits and three runs scored apiece. Kraus drilled his fourth homer of the season and winning pitcher T.J. Taylor improved to 6-3. Matt Houchin notched his fifth save for Cedarville, 23-32 overall and 3-5 all-time in NCCAA national competition. [GAME 2 BOXSCORE]

Jackets fall in region final; four players named to all-region team

CEDARVILLE, Ohio (5-16-2008) - Indiana Wesleyan broke open a tight game with five runs in the 8th inning to defeat Cedarville, 6-1, and win the NCCAA Midwest Region championship. The Wildcats, 28-22, earn the region's automatic bid to the NCCAA National Tournament in Struthers, Ohio on May 21-24.

The Yellow Jackets, 22-31, scored an unearned run in their first at bat. Matt Totten tripled and later crossed the plate when Brandon Young's two-out grounder was misplayed. Cedarville totaled just four hits in the contest as Paul Wilson doubled with Tyler Rost and Phil Cruz producing singles. The Jackets stranded nine runners on base.

IWU got an unearned run in the 6th inning to tie it. Three of their five runs in the 8th were unearned as well. [BOXSCORE]

Four Yellow Jackets were selected to the All-NCCAA Midwest Region Team. The quartet includes Wilson, Houchin, Rost, and Clint Price.

Senior Day
Seven Yellow Jacket seniors were honored before their scheduled game versus Wilmington on May 2 which was later rained out. (from left-to-right) Jared Griest, Matt Houchin, Derek Woloshyn, Pete Kraus, Matt Owens, Paul Wilson, Matt Totten, and head coach Mike Manes. (Dan Price pic)

Third Annual Cedarville Classic
Third Annual Cedarville University Baseball Classic
The Yellow Jackets hosted Earlham at Dayton's Fifth Third Field on April 17. (Scott Huck pic)

Manes signs eight for '09

CEDARVILLE, Ohio (4-10-2008) - Cedarville University baseball coach Mike Manes announces the signing of eight players for the 2009 season. The list includes three pitchers, four infielders, and a catcher.

The pitching signees are Brian Brown, a 6-foot-5 lefthander from Lincoln, Neb. (Lincoln East H.S.); Phil Hotchkiss, a 6-1 righthander from Des Moines, Iowa (Grandview Park Baptist); and David Valle, a 6-1 lefthander from Rochester, N.Y. (Northstar Christian Academy).

Also signed are Dan Petke, a 6-1 catcher from Columbus, Ohio (Worthington Kilbourne H.S.); Alex Beelen, a 6-1 shortstop from Holland, Mich. (Holland Christian); Paul Hembekides, a six-foot infielder from West Chester, Pa. (The School at Church Farm); Tyler Kramer, a six-foot infielder from Bellefontaine, Ohio (Bellefontaine H.S.); and Eric Hacker, a second baseman from Mount Holly, N.J. (Rancocas Valley Regional H.S.).

Alex Beelen (second from left), a shortstop from Holland (Mich.) Christian High School, will be joining the Yellow Jacket baseball program after signing a letter of intent to attend Cedarville University. He is accompanied by (from left-to-right) his father, Ken Beelen; Holland Christian head coach, Mike Ott; and CU head baseball coach Mike Manes.

Lincoln (Neb.) East High School pitcher Brian Brown (seated center) signed a letter of intent to attend Cedarville University and play baseball for the Yellow Jackets beginning in 2008-09. He is joined by his parents, Janice and Mark Brown, as well as CU head coach Mike Manes.

Nathan Davenport (seated second from left), an infielder from Rock Hill Senior High School in Ironton, Ohio, has signed a letter of intent to play baseball for the Yellow Jackets. Attending the signing (seated from left-to-right) are his mother, Beth; father, Jeff; and younger brother, Mitch Davenport. Standing (from left-to-right) are CU head coach Mike Manes along with three staff from Rock Hill Senior High School: assistant baseball coach Jerry Kidd, head baseball coach Barry Litteral, and athletic director Bob Wilds.

Eric Hacker (second from left), a second baseman from Mount Holly, N.J., has signed with the Yellow Jackets. He was prepped at Rancocas Valley Regional High School. Eric is joined (from left-to-right) by his mother, Toni Hacker; high school varsity baseball coach Bryan Bozarth; and his father, Rob Hacker.

West Chester, Pa. native Paul Hembekides is seated between his mother, Susan Hembekides (right), and The School at Church Farm head baseball coach Greg Thompson after signing a letter of intent to attend Cedarville University in 2008-09.

Bellefontaine (Ohio) High School infielder Tyler Kramer (seated center) is accompanied by his parents, Dana and Robbin Kramer, and Yellow Jacket head baseball coach Mike Manes upon signing a letter of intent to attend Cedarville University.

Worthington (Ohio) Kilbourne High School product Dan Petke sits between his parents, David and Mary Susan Petke, after signing to join the Yellow Jacket baseball program. Standing are CU head baseball coach Mike Manes (left) and Petke's youth pastor Steve Smith.

Waynesville, Ohio native Josh Sandlin (right) has signed a letter of intent to continue his baseball career at Cedarville University under the direction of head coach Mike Manes (left). Sandlin, a lefthanded pitcher, is a transfer from Sinclair College in Dayton and is a graduate of Waynesville High School.

Rochester, New York native David Valle (seated left) is joined by his parents, Debbie and John Valle (standing), and Northstar Christian Academy athletic director Rob Johnson as he signed a letter of intent to attend Cedarville University and play baseball for the Yellow Jackets.

Xenia, Ohio's Matthew Willett is seated between his parents, Kenneth and Aleta Willett, after signing a letter of intent to continue his college baseball career at Cedarville University. They are joined by Yellow Jacket head coach Mike Manes. Willett, a righthanded pitcher, was prepped at Xenia Nazarene Christian High School and comes to CU as a transfer from Sinclair College in Dayton.