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Newnan drops third straight game in loss to Big Train

By Stuart Crosby

The Times-Herald

In the bottom of the inning, Vice allowed a single to Derek Hooper but a popup back to the University of Alabama-Birmingham product, a strikeout and a caught stealing kept the score at 1-0.

RHP SAM JUDAH NAMED FIRST TEAM 2010 ALL-SOUTHERN STATES ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Sam Judah from Auburn Montgomery was named to the First Team All Southern States Athletic Conference. The Junior outfielder/pitcher threw in 12 games and posted a 3.57 ERA and appeared in 47 games batting .404 with 17 doubles, 9 home runs, and 49 RBI's.

Faulkner’s Jacob Simmons took home the Southern States Athletic Conference’s Pitcher of the Week honor after throwing a shutout against former league rival Berry College in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader at Harrison Field.

The junior from Pleasant Grove scattered three hits over seven innings and tallied six strikeouts in the win.

Simmons is 7-2 on the season with a 4.47 ERA.

It is the team’s first Pitcher of the Week award this season.

March 23, 2010

BIG TRAIN SS JONO WAUGH HONORED WITH NAIA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS

TREVECCA ALL-AMERICAN DUO COMMIT TO THE BIG TRAIN

 Dunn Named NAIA Preseason All-American

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Trevecca baseball right-handed pitcher Tim Dunn has landed on the 2010 NAIA Baseball Preseason All-America Team, the NAIA announced Friday. The Preseason All-America team was chosen by the NAIA All-America Selection Committee.

Dunn was selected to the NAIA First Team at the end of the 2009 season after being named the 2009 TranSouth Player of the Year.

In May, he was picked in the 46th round of the Major League Baseball first-year player amateur draft by the Cincinnati Reds. Dunn decided to return to Trevecca for his senior season.

Last season Dunn produced a 12-0 record with a 1.81 earned run average. He is now 24-1 over the last two seasons. As a sophomore he was 12-1 and selected to the Junior College All-American team at Logan College.

Dunn had six complete games and one shutout and ranked in the top 10 of six NAIA pitching statistics this season. He ended the regular season with the most wins (12) and was number seven in runs allowed per game (1.31). Eighth in hits allowed per nine (5.91) and earned run average (1.83). He was ninth in opponent's batting average (.191) and tenth in earned runs allowed per game (1.12).

The NAIA Baseball Preseason Coaches' Top 25 Poll will be released on Nov. 17. For more information on NAIA baseball, click here.

Caleb Longshore

Height: 6-2

Weight: 185

Class: JR

Position: RHP

Hometown: Cleveland, Ala.

Previous School: Jefferson State CC/Cleveland HS

Previous College Notes:  Was named National Junior College Academic All-American at Jefferson State ...selected as Alabama CC Conference Northern League Second Team ... named Alabama CC Tournament All-Tournament ... in 2009 he posted a 7-3 record with a 3.73 ERA with five complete games, two shutouts, 79 strikeouts in 111.0 innings pitched ... in 2008 he was 8-2 and two saves with a 3.63 ERA with two complete games with 39 strikeouts over 62 innings pitched

Millender to join White Sox organization

Heather Baggett
02-23-10

The 5-9, 165-pound Winterboro alum, who admitted to loving football a little more than the rest of the sports he played in high school, agreed to play for the Chicago White Sox organization on Thursday. Millender also threw out the first pitch at the Birmingham Barons game against the Tennessee Smokies Thursday night.

Millender got the call while traveling to participate in a workout for another professional team.

“I had just gone for another workout and I guess I did good,” Millender said Thursday morning. “The guy seemed very interested in my and called me two days later when I was on my way to the Kansas City workout.”

Just a few hours shy of earning his accounting degree at the University of North Alabama, Millender said he’ll return to school in the fall and report to spring training with the White Sox in March.

Millender most recently played for the East Alabama Big Train, a summer team consisting of players from colleges around the state. The Big Train finished in second place in the Great South League. He served as an outfielder for the University of North Alabama for the past two seasons and earned All-South Region honors for his efforts.

Millender was a perfect 45-45 in stolen base attempts this season, something that made him a huge asset to the UNA program according to head coach Mike Keehn.

“The thing about Qualon is the progress that he made once he came to our campus,” Keehn said. “He always could run. Once he got there and got used to it he took advantage of that speed. Going 45-45 during the season is unbelievable.”

Prior to attending UNA, Millender played at Southern Union State Community College for two seasons.

George Dye and Jeremy Sewell, who both coached Millender at Winterboro, said they knew early on that he had a talent for the sport.

“When I coached him and everything we didn’t have very much at Winterboro as far as players,” Dye said in a phone interview on Thursday. “I played him at shortstop. I always figured he could be a better outfielder. He was always a good kid, coachable. He played basketball and everything for me. I kind of figured he would do well. It turned out real good for him.”

“He was by far one of the best athletes that we had in baseball,” said Sewell, who now coaches at Talladega High. “He was a good kid all the way around. I knew that he was go going to be a good ball player.”

Millender’s college coach said the speedy outfielder’s adjustment to the professional game could be determined by what the professional team allows him to do.

“The speed guys, the biggest adjustment they have to make is if the pro guys will let them do what they did in college,” Keehn said. “Sometimes they don’t like stealing with two outs or stealing when on third. If he’ll do what he did here, keep the ball on the ground a lot, use his short game, he’ll do fine.

“We’re excited for him. I called him yesterday; it’s a nice opportunity for him. I hope he does well.”

2/04/10

Jono Waugh Earns Preseason All-American

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Lubbock Christian (Texas) University, 2009 national champions, has landed two players on the 2010 NAIA Baseball Preseason All-America Team, the NAIA announced Friday. Three other schools list two players apiece among the honorees, including Lewis-Clark State (Idaho), Louisiana State-Shreveport and St. Xavier (Ill.).

All 2010 Preseason All-Americans garnered postseason 2009 All-America honors. Ross Blondin of Lubbock Christian, Andrew Brouillette of Louisiana State-Shreveport, Brice Cutspec of Azusa Pacific (Calif.), Tim Dunn of Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.), Jayson Koehn of St. Xavier, Jono Waugh of Southern Polytechnic State (Ga.) and Justin Zinkovich of Embry-Riddle (Fla.) were all mentioned on the 2009 All-America First Team. Three other standouts were named to the All-America Second Team while seven players were All-America Honorable Mention picks.

The Preseason All-America team was chosen by the NAIA All-America Selection Committee.

The NAIA Baseball Preseason Coaches’ Top 25 Poll will be released on Nov. 17. For more information on NAIA baseball, click here

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- After an outstaning junior season that saw him finish second in the nation in slugging percentage (.945) and home runs per game (.43), Alabama-Huntsville baseball senior first baseman Ryan McCrory (Mobile) has been named 2010 Honorable Mention Preseason All America by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

McCrory was an offensive juggernaut for the Chargers last season leading the team in home runs (18), batting average (.378), RBI (57) and walks (40).  The Mobile native finished the season as a 1st-Team All-Gulf South Conference selection. 

The Chargers open the 2010 season on Feb. 5th in Saint Augustine, Fla., against Flagler.

6/11/09

MECHAW AND HALL EXIT BIG TRAIN THROUGH 2009 MLB DRAFT.

Oxford, Alabama- The East Alabama Big Train Roster will show two less players on Friday morning as the team loads the vans for a 350 mile trip to Hickory, North Carolina. ZeErika Hall and Blake Meshaw will load their bags for the minor leagues after being selected in the second day of the Major League Baseball Draft.

Blake Mechaw (Cullman, Al.) whom joined the Big Train Roster in November was drafted number 776 overall in round 26 by the Baltimore Orioles. Mechaw a sophomore LHP 6'02" from Shelton State Community College had committed to the University West Alabama (Livingston, Al.).

ZeEricka Hall (Carthage, Ms.) got the news during the middle of the Big Trains game in Waleska, Ga. against the Winward Ringers Wednesday late afternoon during the 5^th Inning as the call came to his cell phone, Hall immediately broke out in a huge smile. Hall a sophomore OF, 5' 11" 185 from East Central Community College (Decatur, Ms.) was drafted number 884 overall in round number 29. The sophomore outfielder will forgo his commitment to Mississippi Valley State University.

Mechaw, and Hall become the second and third Big Train draft choices in two years. 2008 Big Train signee James Thompson was drafted in the 43^rd round of the 2008 MLB draft by the Kansas City Royals. The Big Train family and staff extend a warm congratulations to the 3 honorable young men.

The Big Train returns to action on Saturday at 5 p.m. traveling to Hickory, N.C. against the Catawba Valley Stars you can catch the live action on eastalabamabigtrain.com by clicking on the TEAMLINE logo.

6/05/09

May 28, 2009

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is proud to announce the 2009 NAIA Baseball All-Americans, as selected by the NAIA-Baseball Coaches Association (BCA) All-America Selection Committee. Senior Brent Weaver of Oklahoma City University headlines the announcement as the first baseman is the 2009 Rawlings-NAIA National Player of the Year. Brent becomes the fourth OCU player this decade and first since 2005 (Nick Klusaw) to win this honor. With five Players of the Year, Oklahoma boasts the most of any program since the award began in 1983.

Weaver had a monster-hitting season in 62 games as he slugged 37 home runs, knocked in 91 RBI, hit .419 (96-for-229) and had a .952 slugging percentage. His home run total led the nation and fell just one shy of the national record set by MLB draftee Beau Mills in 2007. The slugging clip was good for third in the NAIA and RBI total ranked fourth nationally. He started the season on a 17-game hitting streak and ended his year as Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Year. In his two-year career, he compiled a .424 career average, 40 doubles, 61 homers and 180 RBIs.

National Championship participants Lubbock Christian (Texas) and Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) landed five players on the All-America Teams. LCU placed Will Stramp (First Team), Ross Blondin (First Team) and R.L. Eisenbach (Second Team) while PLNU had Honorable Mention picks Kurt Steinhauer and Andrew Bovich. The teams battle for the 53^rd Annual Avista-NAIA World Series title with first pitch at 7:05 p.m. PDT tonight (May 28). Lubbock Christian is looking for its second ring (first in 1983) while PLNU is playing for its first championship. If LCU wins tonight, a second Championship game will be played tomorrow (May 29) at 7:05 p.m. from Lewiston, Idaho.

The All-America Teams consist of 17 members on the First Team, 17 on the Second Team and an Honorable Mention Team, which is limited to 34 players. The HM Team is not position-specific.

The 2009 NAIA Coach of the Year will be announced in early January at the ABCA Coaches Convention.

5/26/09


Jono Waugh went 5-for-5 in NAIA World Series

LEWISTON, Idaho - (box score) Jono Waugh went 5-for-5 and drove in two runs to help Southern Polytechnic State (Ga.) end Lewis-Clark State's bid for a fourth straight national championship with a 9-6 win in loser-out play at the 53^rd annual Avista-NAIA World Series on Monday (May 25).

Waugh paced Southern Poly's 16-hit attack as six Hornets had at least two hits in the contest. Southern Poly's win overshadowed a two home run and six RBI performance by LCSC's Sean Halton.

LCSC has won 16 national titles, by far the most in the NAIA, but the Warriors have been decimated by injuries and suspensions this season. LCSC (40-15) was trying to win its fourth straight crown, a feat that only the Warrior program has accomplished at the NAIA level.

Southern Poly (53-9) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first when Waugh singled and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Halton, however, gave LCSC a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first with a two-run home run to right-center field.

The Hornets took the lead for good with a four-run fourth inning. Chris Hoffer greeted LCSC reliever Matt Stabelfeld with a two-run triple, while Justin Ray added an RBI single. The final run came when Josh Grooms was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Waugh's solo home run in the sixth inning, his 16^th of the season, made it 6-2, and the Hornets added a run in the top of the seventh when Deven Hester also went deep for this 11^th home run of the season.

Halton made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh when he crushed a grand-slam homer to straight away center to make it 7-6. It was the 18^th home run of the season for Halton and his third of the tournament.

The Warrior pitching staff, however, couldn't stop the Hornets and allowed a season-high 16 hits. The Hornets picked up solo runs in the eighth and ninth innings to pull away. Drew Saberhagen drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth, while Waugh singled in a run in during the ninth.

Jake Barrow, Hester, Mason Heller, Ray, and Joe Wilson had two hits apiece for the Hornets, while Todd Muecklisch added three hits for LCSC.

Southern Poly starter David Harden (11-2) picked up the win with 6.2 innings pitched. He allowed eight hits, six runs and four walks. Sean Teague pitched the final two innings to earn his third save.

Southern Poly resumes loser-out play on Tuesday at either 11 a.m. or 3 p.m. The pairings and times will be decided Monday night.