UPDATE: Thursday’s single game against Siena Heights has been canceled due to impending rain storms.  No make up has been announced.

GOSHEN, Ind. – The Goshen College baseball team took advantage of an earlier than expected home opener as they took both ends of a double header against visiting Indiana University – Northwest Tuesday afternoon.

The Maple Leafs added the contest after having a four-game series in Tennessee and Kentucky washed out over the weekend.  They made the most of it as the offense busted out for 24 runs in 13-3 and 11-1 wins.

While the final scorelines obviously favored Goshen, neither game got off to particularly fast starts for the home team.  In the opener, the RedHawks struck first with a single run in the top of the second.  The Maple Leafs answered in the bottom of the frame as freshman Andrew Brawley knocked in Garrett Cannizzo, who doubled with two outs.

Heading into the third tied at 1-1, IU – Northwest rallied for two more runs.  Down 3-1 in the bottom of the third, though, Goshen’s offense finally sparked.  A leadoff single by freshman Corey Johnson set the tone for what became a 10-run inning for the Maple Leafs.

Sophomore Andy Swisher was hit by a pitch twice in the frame, but the biggest blows came off the bat of junior Zach Reed.  The third baseman hit a pair of doubles in the inning, knocking in a total of five runs.

With a huge 11-3 lead, senior starting pitcher Matt Fyfe settled in for his final inning of work in the fourth to gain the win.  Classmate Caleb Kitchell came on for two innings of scoreless relief before the game ended in the bottom of the sixth on the 10-run rule.

Goshen added a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Jordan Short before adding their final run with two outs in the sixth on an RBI single by Johnson.

Much like the first game, IU – Northwest gained an early lead with a run in the top of the first.  This time around, it took the Maple Leafs only until the second to respond.  They scored four runs each in the second and third innings to jump to another healthy lead.

The second inning was highlighted by a bases clearly, 3-run double by Johnson, while the third saw senior Josh Yates hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot to left.

Senior Kraig Miller struck out four in his four innings of work and earned his first win of the season.  Classmate Aaron Coy came on to pitch the fifth in the contest, which ended with no outs in the bottom of the fifth.

On the day, Reed went 5-for-7 with four doubles and six RBIs.  Johnson equaled Reed’s RBI total with four hits in six at bats.  Sophomore Garrett Cannizzo went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs on the day, while Brawley ended the day 4-for-7, also with two RBIs.

The Maple Leafs have also added a single game against Siena Heights University on Thursday.  Game time is set for 3 p.m.

Baker, Acayo, GunderKline, Peters, Horst

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Action at the NAIA Indoor National Track and Field Championships officially got underway on Thursday, but members of the Maple Leaf squad had to wait until Friday to get on the track.

They made the wait count, though, with an outstanding showing inside the “Mini-Dome.”  The Maple Leafs finished the three day event with three new school records and two All Americans.  The women’s team tallied 12 points to finish in 16th place – out of 110 teams – and earned the highest team finish of any school from Indiana.

Perhaps the biggest splash for Goshen was junior Peni Acayo’s performance in the triple jump.  The junior had already broken her own school record in the event three times this winter.  In Saturday’s competition, she simply did what she has all season, jump further.

“Peni did a great job of responding to the competition with five of her six jumps better than her best incoming mark,” explained head coach Rick Clark.  “To accomplish this shows how well she prepared herself and helped top off an outstanding indoor season.”

The new Goshen record sets at 39′11.25″ and was good for national runner-up honors.  The mark was also better than the winning spot at last year’s championships.  For Acayo, it is her first track and field All American honor after earning First Team All American status in volleyball this fall.

Three-time defending national champion Tina Peters was the first Maple Leaf to hit the track on Friday.  While she was not able to successfully defend her title, the senior did earn her 7th NAIA All American honor by finishing fourth.  Her time of 14:44.11 was her fastest of the season and more than 14 seconds quicker than her winning clip in 2009.

“Tina completed an outstanding indoor career when she picked up her fourth-straight All American honor,” said Clark, who also noted that Peters time was better than any of her national championship paces.  “The top five athletes had better times than last year’s winning time, so it is very evident that Tina’s performance over the last four years has caused others to increase their efforts in the race walk and has made it a stronger event.”

Immediately following Peters’ race, a pair of men had strong showings in their first national appearance in the race walk.  Freshman Jake GunderKline took eighth with a time of 14:35.06 and sophomore David Horst finished 10th in 16:04.04.  GunderKline’s mark shaved 0.59 seconds off his own school record, which was set in qualifying at Ohio Northern University.

“Both Jake and David competed well and gained valuable experience at their first national championship,” Clark added.

Also in action on Saturday was senior Rachael Baker.  After coming into the 1,000 meter field seeded 19th, Baker ran to a fourth-place finish in her heat and edged herself into Saturday’s final field of eight.  Her time of 3:00.58 breaks Petrana Petkova’s Goshen College indoor record of 3:01.64.  Baker finished the finals with an eighth-place finish, just two spots from All American honors.

“Rachael continued to show great improvement and confidence throughout the indoor season and should have her set up for a successful outdoor season,” Clark added.

The two All Americans makes it 30 total national awards winners in Clark’s 16-year tenure.  It is also the fifth time in the last six championships – indoor and outdoor – that the Maple Leaf women have finished in the top 20 in the country.

Goshen now has nearly two weeks to get used to the outdoors once again.  They open the outdoor season on March 20 at the Dick Small Invitational on the campus of Defiance College (Ohio).

Baker, Acayo, GunderKline, Peters, Horst

GOSHEN, Ind. – Five members of the Goshen College track and field team head out this evening for this weekend’s NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships.

The Maple Leafs – three women and two men – are part of more than 1,100 student-athletes from 110 schools across the United States and Canada competing in the 45th annual men’s  and 30th annual women’s events.  Action will be held at the Eastern Tennessee State University Memorial Center “Mini-Dome” March 4-6.

Leading the way for Goshen is three-time defending national champion Tina Peters (Yellow Springs, Ohio) in the 3K race walk.  Peters – also the holder of one outdoor championship – will have her toughest test yet, heading into the weekend as the fourth seed.

Her 15:08.35 seeding time is less than 30 seconds off the fastest time in the NAIA this season in what has become a very deep and talented field in the event in the last few years.  The senior will likely have to get back towards her program record 14:31.68 in order to grab her fourth title.

Peters has helped start a race walking “phenomenon” of sorts at Goshen as is evidenced by two men in the 3K race walk this weekend.   Jake GunderKline (Yellow Springs, Ohio) is the only freshman and the highest seeded underclassman in the men’s field as he ranks seventh with a seeding mark of 14:35.65.  Teammate David Horst is seeded 13th in the event with a time of 16:06.42.

Another pair of Lady Maple Leafs will compete in Tennessee as the lone Mid-Central College Conference representatives in their respective events.  Both Peni Acayo (Kampala, Uganda) and Rachael Baker (Fremont, Ind.) have set new program marks this winter and have steadily improved throughout the indoor season.

Acayo has the best seeding of any Goshen athlete as she heads into the triple jump competition with the third best mark in the NAIA.  The junior has broken her own school mark three times this season and comes into action with a mark of 39′5.75.”  She is one of only three athletes to leap more than 12 meters this winter and is looking for her first track All American honors after being named a First Team Volleyball All American in the fall.

It has been a long journey for senior Rachael Baker.  The senior qualified for nationals as part of the distance medley relay team as a freshman, but had not reached the national stage as an individual until qualifying in her final attempt at the Purdue Boilermaker Invitational.  She is seeded 19th in a very strong 1,000 meter field with a time of 3:01.91.

Action officially kicks off on Thursday, but the Maple Leafs do not compete until Friday.  The women’s race walk fires off at 12:00 p.m. with the men’s race immediately following it.  Baker will also be in action on Friday as the semifinals of the 1,000 meters is scheduled for 4:45 p.m.

On Saturday, Acayo headlines the action with the triple jump at 10:00 a.m., while Baker’s potential run in the 1,000 meter final is at 1:45 p.m.

Follow live scoring of the event or follow us on Twitter for updates.

Junior Sierra Van De Keere struck out 34 batters in 20 1/3 innings pitched this week.

CLERMONT, Fla. – It took a very young Goshen College softball team a few games to get its feet wet, but the Maple Leafs came together quickly, winning four of their final five games for a 5-5 record on their Spring Break trip to Florida.

Largely against veteran teams, Goshen was shut out three times and managed just four runs in its first five games of the trip (1-4 record).  Behind two shutouts and 31 runs over the next five games, though, the Leafs caught fire to even their record at .500 for the trip and season.

Day 1 (2/22)

Davenport 10, Goshen 0 (Stats)

Junior pitcher Sierra Van De Keere was dueling early with the Panthers Brianna Carpenter as neither ace allowed a run through four innings.  Davenport finally busted out with four runs in the fifth, two in the sixth, and four more in the seventh.  Goshen’s offense was not able to solve Carpenter as they tallied just two hits on the day, both off the bat of junior Leah Lehman as the Leafs dropped their season opener.

Day 2 (2/23)

Concordia (MN) 9, Goshen 0 (Stats)

For the second-straight game, junior Leah Lehman recorded the only Goshen hit as the offense struggled to get jump started.  Meanwhile, the Maple Leaf defense committed seven errors allowing Concordia to run away with the game 9-0.  Freshman left-handed pitcher Maria Koshmider gave up just two earned runs and struck out four in her four innings of work.

Goshen 3, Concordia (MN) 1 (Stats)

The Maple Leafs reversed fortunes against Concordia on the back end of a double header as they used their own dominating pitching performance to go on to their first win of the season.  Freshman Ame Blankenship retired 10 straight at one point and fired a complete-game two-hitter.  Blankenship faced just three over the minimum as Concordia got its run on a pair of errors in the sixth.  Freshman left fielder Bethany Kern led the Maple Leaf offense with a 2-for-2 game as Goshen scored twice in the first and once more in the fifth.

Webber International 3, Goshen 1 (Stats)

In the day’s final game, Florida native Webber International got an early 3-0 lead and was able to hold the Maple Leafs off late.  Goshen got its only run on a Kelsey Morris RBI single in the seventh.

Day 3 (2/24)

Webber International 3, Goshen 0 (Stats)

For the second time in a row, the Warriors of Webber International scored early and simply did not give Goshen a chance to come back.  Webber tallied two in the third and one in the fourth, while allowing just two Maple Leaf hits as they shut Goshen out to open play on Wednesday.  Freshman Maria Koshmider and sophomore Jessica Reed combined to give up two earned runs on six hits.

Goshen 5, Webber International 3 (Stats)

The Maple Leaf offense finally showed some life in their final game against Webber International.  After giving up a pair of runs in the top of the first, freshman Stacey Klein and Kat Berg both tripled in the bottom of the inning.  Klein was brought home by an Anne Lehman bunt and Berg scored on an RBI single by Jessica Reed.  The score remained knotted at 2-2 until the bottom of the fifth when Klein, Berg, and Reed all singled to put Goshen up one.  The knock out blow came on a two-run double by freshman Kelsey Morris.  Sierra Van De Keere did the rest in the circle as she earned the win after allowing just two earned runs and striking out 10.

Goshen 7, Concordia (MN) 0 (Stats)

Rolling on all cylinders now, the Maple Leafs finished day three with a 2-1 mark after a dominating 7-0 performance over Concordia.  Goshen tallied runs in the first on a Jessica Reed RBI single and the fourth as Kathryn Schlaback knocked in a run before exploding for five runs in the sixth.  Freshman Ame Blankenship was 3-for-4 with three doubles in the game, while classmate Kat Berg had a two-run triple.  Blankenship also took care of business in the circle, where she finished off her second complete game by scattering just three hits and striking out four.

Day 4 (2/25)

Davenport 7, Goshen 0 (Stats)

A strong Davenport University squad beat Goshen for the second time, while also snapping the Leafs two-game winning streak with a 7-0 victory to start Thursday’s action.  The Panther’s Brianna Carpenter was again too much for Goshen as she allowed only four singles.  Davenport, meanwhile, scored in each of the first four innings of the win.

Goshen 7, Concordia (MN) 0 (Stats)

The Maple Leafs immediately responded with another solid all-around effort to shut out Concordia (MN) for the second time on the trip.  In the circle, junior Sierra Van De Keere was on fire.  She allowed just two hits and struck out a season high 14 to earn her second win in as many days.  At the plate, Goshen pounded out 10 hits, including four of the extra base variety.  Freshman shortstop Kat Berg and sophomore first baseman Jessica Reed each went 3-for-4, while freshman Stacey Klein also had two hits for Goshen.

Goshen 12, Augustana 11 (Stats)

It was a wild finish to the week as the Maple Leafs outlasted Augustana College (Ill.) 12-11 to move to .500 for the first time in 2010.  After giving up a single run in the top of the first, the Leafs fired back with three in the bottom of the inning thanks to an RBI triple by Kat Berg and an RBI double off Jessica Reed’s bat.  Goshen jumped to a 7-1 lead in the second with four runs on RBIs by Ashley Hasbrouck, Anne Lehman, Berg, and Reed.  Goshen, then maintained its lead at 9-3 after the team’s traded runs in the fourth.  It was in the fifth, though, that Augustana made its move.  They took advantage of three Goshen errors in the inning before coming out of it with seven runs to to take a 10-9 lead.  The Leafs tied the score in the bottom of the frame and the teams each tallied single runs in the sixth to head to the seventh tied at 11-11.  Goshen got the walk off win in the seventh as they pounded out three hits in the inning, including Reed’s RBI single to win it.  Reed finished the game 3-for-5 with three RBIs, while Van De Keere came out of the bullpen to throw 2 1/3 innings and earn her third win of the season.

Box Score

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – In one of the strongest and deepest small college basketball conferences in the country, every match up is tightly contested.  Come postseason tournament time, the intensity and physical level of play only grows.

In a Mid-Central College Conference Quarterfinal contest that featured 62 personal fouls and 84 free throws, the Goshen College men’s basketball team could not find a way past #4 seed and NAIA DII #15 ranked University of Saint Francis Wednesday night.  The host Cougars erased a four-point Maple Leaf halftime lead as they went on to end Goshen’s season with a 95-87 victory.

“I was pleased with how we finished the season, winning our last four games,” head coach Gary Chupp explained, “but was disappointed with tonight because I really thought we had a chance to go deep in the tournament.”

After dropping a pair of contests to Saint Francis this season, the Leafs looked strong early on the road building as much as an eight-point advantage in the first six minutes of play. It was cousins Kyle Davis and Daniel Butler II who helped Goshen to the early lead as they nailed back-to-back 3-pointers.

Goshen led for all but three minutes of the first half despite a Saint Francis run to take a brief lead midway through the period.  Following the Cougars streak, the Leafs went on a 10-0 run capped by a Taylor TenHarmsel 3-point play.

Saint Francis managed to close what was a nine-point gap to just four by halftime as they went into the locker rooms down 40-36 despite out shooting Goshen 45% to 41%.

The Maple Leafs managed to hold onto the lead until the midway point of the second half.  A 9-0 Saint Francis run – featuring seven free throws – gave the Cougars their first lead of the half and put them up 66-61 with 10:13 to play.

“I was disappointed with our defensive effort in the second half, but a big part of that was several of our key defensive players were in foul trouble,” Chupp explained.  “It was difficult for either team to get into any kind of flow because of how tight the game was called. Saint Francis shot 44 free throws in the second half and the frustrating part was that a lot of those came at the end of the shot clock.”

The ability of the Cougars to get to the free throw line proved to be the biggest difference in the end.  Saint Francis his an incredible 35-of-44 from the charity stripe in the second half as they never surrendered the lead.

“We have had some games recently where we were able to overcome a rebounding deficiency, but tonight it caught up with us,” Chupp added as his team was out rebounded by a 48-32 margin including 37-20 in the second half.  “We got pounded on the boards in the second half.  The possessions where we really guarded, we either gave up an offensive rebound or put them at the line.”

Senior Errick McCollum led Goshen with 22 points, while classmate Nate West Jr. made his return to the lineup and scored 10 points.  Freshman Austin Hefley also registered 10 points for the Leafs, who finish the season 18-13 overall.

“E (McCollum) obviously had an outstanding career, and Nate was also very solid this year, but I also feel very good about the nucleus we have returning next year,” Chupp went on to say.  “We certainly took some positive steps forward this year as a program, now it is up to our returning players to improve their games, and it is up to us to continue bringing in top-notch recruits that can take us to the next level.”

Sophomore Shane Davis

CLEARWATER, Fla. (Box Scores: Game 1 | Game 2) – The Goshen College baseball team used a pair of outstanding starting pitching efforts to pick up a double-header sweep of Clearwater Christian College and start its seven-game Florida road trip with two victories Monday evening.

In the opener, senior Aaron Coy was strong early keeping the host Cougars at bay.  The right-hander struck out six in the first five innings as the two teams went into the sixth inning scoreless.

Goshen finally broke through in the top of the sixth as sophomore Garrett Cannizzo singled home freshman Corey Johnson, who started the inning with a single.  The Leafs would tally another run in the inning and added three more in the top of the seventh.

Down 5-0, the host Cougars made things interesting in the seventh as they took advantage of two walks and two hit batters for four runs.  With the potential winning run on second, senior shortstop Kraig Miller shut the door with a clutch play up the middle for the final out and Goshen’s first win of the season.

The Leafs used the momentum to gain an early lead in the nightcap, scoring three runs in the first and another in the second.  The three-run first was highlighted by an RBI double by Cannizzo, while senior Zac Miller knocked in the Goshen run in the second with a single up the middle.

Meanwhile, righty Shane Davis looked very strong on the hill.  The sophomore did not give up a hit until the fourth and ended the night with 11 strike outs.

He did have to work out of trouble a few times, however, including the bottom of the sixth when back-to-back singles and a hit batter loaded the bases with no outs.  Davis promptly made a nice play on a slow chopper to cut down a runner and the plate and then induced an inning ending 4-6-3 double play to preserve his shutout.

Goshen added a run in the fourth on an RBI single by freshman Luke Hucker and another in the seventh on doubles by Kraig Miller and Zach Reed.  Davis finished off the complete-game shutout, allowing just four hits for his first win of the season.

Seven different Maple Leafs tallied a hit in the nightcap and five players had RBIs.  Senior designated hitter Zac Miller was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI on the night.

BABSON PARK, Fla. (Box Score) – A day after the sweep, the Maple Leafs came out strong against a solid Webber International squad.  Goshen opened the scoring in the top of the second on a run scoring double by freshman Andrew Brawley before adding another in the second after a leadoff triple by freshman Luke Hucker.

In the bottom of the third, though, the hosts took charge.  The Warriors pounded out four hits and took advantage of five free passes in the inning to score six times and take the 6-2 lead.

Despite Webber adding a single run in the bottom of the fifth, the Leafs did not go away.  Goshen scored twice in the sixth on RBI doubles by senior’s Zac Miller and Sean Sears to pull back within three (7-4) late in the game.

In a game that was much closer than the final scoreline, the hosts had another big inning in the seventh and went on for a 14-4 win.  Sears finished the night 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while Miller and junior Zach Reed each came up with two hits.

Goshen is back in action on Friday as they start a four-game series against Trinity International University (Ill.).

Senior Errick McCollum II

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – After leading the Mid-Central College Conference in scoring and compiling the best statistical career in the history of Goshen College basketball, senior Errick McCollum II was named the MCC Player of the Year this weekend.

A 6-foot-1 guard, McCollum averaged 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3 assists, 2.7 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game over the 30-game regular season.

McCollum was the only player in the conference to finish with more than 20 points a game and was in the top 10 in the MCC in all five of the above categories.  In addition to leading in scoring (#6 in the country), McCollum also led the MCC in steals (4th in the nation).  From the guard spot, McCollum was also second in blocks (#12 in country) and fifth in rebounding.

“E is obviously one of a kind,” said head coach Gary Chupp.  “It has been a pleasure, not only having the opportunity to coach him, but also to be a fan and watch what he was able to accomplish night in and night out.  The thing that I appreciate most about E is how he carried himself off the floor.  He is a young man that has always had his priorities straight, and he has had an unbelievable influence on our younger guys.”

Having clearly asserted himself as one of the best offensive players in the conference over the last four years, McCollum took his all around game to the next level this season.  His athleticism and quickness caused fits to opponents and opposing coaches recognized his work putting McCollum on the MCC All Defensive Team.

McCollum broke the single season (795) and career (2,789) Goshen College scoring records during his senior campaign.

#15 Nate West Jr.

Also recognized by MCC coaches this weekend was McCollum’s long-time teammate Nate West Jr.  West played with McCollum for four years at Goshen after standout careers together at Canton GlenOak High School.

A 6-foot-4 forward, West Jr. was picked All MCC Honorable Mention after averaging 8.3 points and 6.2 rebounds a night.  A vital part of the Maple Leafs high-pressured defense, it was West’s first All MCC selection at Goshen.

The Leafs begin the MCC Tournament on Wednesday as they head to fourth-seeded University of Saint Francis.

Box Score

GOSHEN, Ind. – For the sixth time this season, the Goshen College men’s basketball team knocked off a team ranked in the NAIA’s top 25.  Even without classmate Nate West Jr., senior Errick McCollum II led the Maple Leafs to an 87-78 victory over #19 Spring Arbor University on senior day Saturday afternoon.

McCollum scored 22 of his game-high 30 points in the first half as he willed Goshen to the win as he also had three assists and three blocks.  Why would senior day be any different for one of the best Goshen fans have ever seen?

The 6-foot-1 forward reached another milestone on Saturday too.  With his ninth point of the game – on a lay up and one – McCollum put his name atop another category in the Goshen College record book.  Already the program’s all-time leading scorer, McCollum broke the Leafs single-season scoring mark previously held by Jeremy Budreau in 2000-01 (751 points).

“It feels great sending this outstanding group of seniors out with a win over a very good Spring Arbor team,” said head coach Gary Chupp.  “The first half felt like a pinball machine with both teams lighting it up on the offensive end.  I thought we were significantly better defensively in the 2nd half.”

After Spring Arbor won by one on a free throw with less than three seconds to go in Michigan a month ago, the first half of Saturday’s game was just as hotly contested.  The first 20 minutes featured nine ties and 10 lead changes before Goshen took a 49-47 lead into the locker rooms.

The Leafs were the first to jump out as McCollum scored four of the game’s first 11 points and Goshen built an 8-3 lead.  The 19^th-ranked Cougars immediately responded, though, going on an 8-1 run to take their first lead of the afternoon.

It was back-and-forth all half from there as neither team gained more than a four-point advantage.  Spring Arbor’s biggest lead came at 30-26 with 8:38 to play after forward Rob Boss scored on four-straight Cougar possessions.  The Leafs had little to no answer for the big man as he had 18 points by the break.

Spring Arbor led by four (47-43) again in the final minutes of the half, but two-straight 3-pointers by McCollum to close out the half gave Goshen the halftime lead.  Both teams shot extremely well in the first period with Spring Arbor firing at a 56% clip and the Leafs hitting on 51% of their attempts.

The second half started slow for both sides as a Carl Steen field goal were the only points in the first four minutes of play.  The Cougars’ Willie Pickvet cut the deficit to a single point (57-56) with 12:52 to play, but that would be as close as Spring Arbor would come.

Goshen immediately went on a 4-0 run and then used a 6-1 streak minutes later to increase their advantage to double digits.  The Maple Leafs stayed hot in the second half and led by as many as 15 on way to the big victory to close out the regular season.

While McCollum led the way with 30 points on 9-of-15 shooting, three other Goshen players also reached double figures.  Junior Daniel Butler II hit 6-of-8 from the field for 15 points, while freshman Kyle Davis scored 14 off the bench and junior Carl Steen finished with 10.

“This group of three seniors have had a huge impact on our program,” Chupp said after the game.  “Shawn Martz is the consumate team player, bringing an outstanding attitude and work ethic to the gym every day.  To see how far Nate West has come, both on and off the floor, the last three years has been extremely gratifying as a coach.  Nate really turned the corner this year in terms of being the positive leader he has always been capable of, and what he brought to the court cannot be measured.  Nate was our glue on the defensive end, and was the one guy that could match up with every position on the court.”

“E is obviously one of a kind.  It has been a pleasure, not only having the opportunity to coach him, but also to be a fan and watch what he was able to accomplish night in and night out.  The thing that I appreciate most about E is how he carried himself off the floor.  He is a young man that has always had his priorities straight, and he has had an unbelievable influence on our younger guys.”

Despite the loss, Spring Arbor clinched the No. 3 seed for next week’s Mid-Central College Conference Tournament after the University of Saint Francis was defeated at home.  The results put Goshen – seeded fifth – at Saint Francis on Wednesday in the quarterfinals.

2010 Goshen College Softball Team

GOSHEN, Ind. ­– Each of the past three preseasons have been significantly different for the Goshen College softball team.

Two years ago, uncertainty over a season that did not happen sparked a two-plus year rebuilding process that continues today.  Last season, the Maple Leafs took to the field again with very few expectations and more unknowns than anything.

As the program continues its drastic transformation under second-year head coach Lee Mast, Goshen now looks for ways to fine tune its game as they look to keep progressing up the Mid-Central College Conference standings.

“In order for us to be successful in the always tough MCC, we will have to cut down on the mental errors and be more aggressive at the plate,” Mast explains.  “With more speed on the team this year, we will also have to be much more aggressive on the base paths.”

After finishing 11-30 in 2009, Mast continued to build his roster by bringing in 13 freshmen, many who will find themselves in the starting line up right away.  The team gets things started next week as they head south for an 11-game trip to Clermont, Fla.

“This type of trip will allow us to give everyone a chance and see players perform,” Mast said.  “This should give me a sense of how competitive we will be this year.”

“We want to be very competitive during the season and be peaking at the end of the year to be ready for the conference tournament,” Mast concluded.

Infield Overview

Junior Leah Lehman

The Maple Leafs will have almost an entirely new look infield when they take the field for the first time in 2010.  The biggest loss from a year ago comes after the graduation of shortstop Amy Clem.  Clem was a one-woman wrecking crew at the plate, leading the team with a .412 average (.479 in MCC play), four triples, 11 home runs, and 38 runs batted in.  Also graduating from the infield was Krystal Duensing who started 23 games at second base after Anne Lehman suffered a broken hand.  Goshen will also be without Stormy Holder (.226, 18 RBI) who started most of the season at third base and Ashley Walker (.176) who started 30 games at first and behind the plate.

While it will definitely be a new look, Mast is excited about the talent and versatility of this year’s crop.  Mast has converted catcher Ashley Hackman into his starting third baseman.  Hackman batted .350 with seven doubles, three home runs, and 27 RBIs at Decatur’s Bellmont High School.  Taking Hackman’s spot to the left vacated by Clem will be a combination of freshman Jana Beitler and sophomore Jessica Reed.  Reed batted .250 with five home runs and 23 RBIs last season, primarily as a designated hitter.

On the right side of the infield, freshman Britta Abney and sophomore Anne Lehman will battle it out early in the season.  Lehman was a solid defensive option last year before her injury, while Abney also has familiarity with Mast having played for him at Goshen High School.  Rounding out the infield at first base will be junior Leah Lehman.  Lehman hit .315 last season with 11 doubles and 17 RBIs, while seeing action at third, first, and left field.  Mast has additional options at first base in senior Jessica Carney and freshman Ame Blankenship and Stephanie Osborn.

The biggest difference in this year’s Maple Leaf roster from year’s past will be depth.  Mast has options off the bench and can rotate players based on who has the hot bat.

Outfield Overview

Sophomore Danae Nafziger

Depth is also a strength in the outfield where Mast has a lot of flexibility with a versatile group.  Early on, look for freshmen Kat Berg to start in left field with classmate Stacy Klein in center and sophomore Danae Nafziger in right.  The trio has incredible speed and may be the quickest outfield grouping in the conference.

The best part for Mast, though, will be the ability to change the outfield rotation based on needs.  He has power options in sophomore Liz Berg (3 HR as a freshman) and Bethany Kern, experience in senior Kathryn Schlabach, and competitive winners Jordan Ritchie, Brittany Moser, and Ashley Hasbrouck.  All of them will get their chances and could be called upon at any time to give the Maple Leafs a lift.

Catching/ Pitching Overview

Junior Sierra Van De Keere

Apart from Clem, the biggest loss from a year ago was the graduation of Haly (Williamson) King, who is now in her first season on the coaching staff.  Williamson was in the circle for 10 of Goshen’s 11 wins last season, while posting an impressive 3.64 earned run average and 83 strikeouts in 148 innings pitched.

After redshirting last year and playing at IUPUI the season before, junior Sierra Van De Keere will take Williamson’s role as the Maple Leafs staff ace.  The two-time all state selection at local Jimtown High School, Van De Keere tossed eight no-hitters and two perfect games in her high school career.  As a senior, she led the Jimmies to a 23-9 record with a sparkling 0.92 earned run average.

Jessica Reed returns for her second season in the circle for Goshen in 2010 as well.  She posted a 5.44 ERA in 81 innings of work last year after a standout career at Centreville High School in Michigan.  The Leafs will also have an outstanding option from the left side in freshman Maria Koshmider.  The Garaway High School (Sugarcreek, Ohio) standout recorded 26 wins and more than 300 strikeouts over her junior and senior seasons.

As with every other position on this year’s roster, Mast also has options and flexibility in the pitching rotation.  Freshman Ame Blankenship, Jordan Ritchie, and Bethany Kern will also see important innings for the Goshen staff.  Senior Dianna Stanley has injuries that have her out of the pitching circle and onto the bench as a student assistant coach.

Freshman Kelsey Morris won the starting catcher role in the fall and will see significant time behind the plate.  Also looking for time behind the dish will be freshman Kat Berg and Brittany Moser.

Box Score

GOSHEN, Ind. – Without two of its top three scorers, the Goshen College men’s basketball team hung on for a gritty 72-67 victory over visiting Marian University Tuesday night.

Despite having a small lineup in the game – without forwards Nate West Jr. and Daniel Butler II – the Maple Leafs crashed the boards for a final advantage of 50-38.  Goshen grabbed 29 of those in the first half and finished the evening with 16 on the offensive glass.

“For as shorthanded as we were, I thought we played really hard tonight,” said head coach Gary Chupp.  “We did not always play the smartest on either end of the floor, but we really dug in and I thought we did a great job on the boards.”

The defense also took care of business as a high-pressured attack limited the Knights to 31% shooting in the first half and 35% overall.  Goshen, meanwhile, was able to connect on 45% of its attempts.

“I thought tonight we did a nice job of pressuring the ball on the perimeter,” the third-year head coach added.  “I felt like what they did get, they earned.  We did lose some shooters a couple times and that hurt us late.”

The opening period was back and forth much of the way featuring nine lead changes and five ties.  It was a slow start for both sides as the score was just 3-3 after four minutes of play.  Things began to open up a bit, but neither team led by more than three points until Marian took its largest lead at 19-15 with 7:48 left in the half.

Goshen immediately scored the next two baskets, though, and the score was tied for the fifth time.  After two more lead changes, senior Errick McCollum II gave the Leafs a four-point lead and they closed the half on a 10-1 run to take a 34-26 advantage into the locker rooms.

The Goshen lead remained between three and nine points for the first 11 minutes of the second period, finally reaching a game-high 13 after a McCollum lay up and a Carl Steen slam dunk.  The outside shooting of Marian brought them back into the game, closing the gap to 69-66 with 2:35 to go, but Goshen’s pressure defense limited quality chances by the Knights down the stretch as they held on for the home win.

“A lot of people do not recognize how good of a win that was for us,” Chupp explained.  “Marian has been playing as well as anyone in the conference the last couple weeks so we knew it was not going to be easy even before losing a couple key guys tonight.”

McCollum led all scorers with 27 points and also grabbed 10 rebounds for his fifth double double of the season.  Steen added 11 points for Goshen, while Anthony Furlin led four Marian players in double figures with 13 points.

The Leafs will close out the regular season on Saturday when they host #19 Spring Arbor University.  The Cougars have a chance at the #3 seed in the Mid-Central College Conference tournament, while Goshen is locked in at #5 and will play at either Spring Arbor or Saint Francis.

“Spring Arbor is awfully good and we are stuck in the number five spot either way,” Chupp added, “But with it being senior day for E (McCollum), Nate (West), and Sean (Martz) I think there will be a lot of incentive to play well in their final home game.”