2010 American Mideast Conference Champions
17-7 record

2010 Baseball

Fall Showcase Camp Registration

BEARS HOLDING YOUTH BASEBALL CAMP
8/31/2010

Shawnee State University Baseball Head Coach Ted Tom is pleased to announce December 20^th-22^nd as the dates for the very first Shawnee State University Youth Baseball Camp.  This is a fantastic opportunity for boys and girls between the ages of 6-14 to learn the fundamental building blocks of baseball directly from the SSU coaching staff and players.  Camp will run each day from 9am until noon featuring defensive instruction for infield and outfield play, offensive instruction, and pitching and catching.  The Bears are coming off a historical season in which they won their first ever regular season American Mideast Conference championship and saw Coach Tom named AMC Coach of the Year.  Each camper will receive in-depth instruction on his or her play in what promises to be a fun and informative camp.  Cost for the three day camp is $40 per player.  Please contact Chris Moore at (740) 821-4351 or cmoore@shawnee.edu with any questions you may have. 

Youth Camp Registration

Venters made his debut with the Colonials on Tuesday against the Brockton Rox.  Venters pitched five innings allowing one run on six hits, one walk while striking out four in the Colonials 2-1 loss. 

Venters, a 2008 graduate, was a four-year letter winner in baseball at Shawnee State.  He accumulated a 15-16 record on the mound and a career ERA of 4.48. 

To be eligible to be NAIA Scholar Athlete, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and have achieved junior academic status to qualify. 

Gesick, a sophomore from Pickerington, Ohio, was named AMC Player of the Year as he lead the conference with a .438 batting average.  On the season he batted .385, while leading the Bears with 74 hits, 12 homeruns, 62 RBI's, and 56 runs scored.  He was second on the team with 17 doubles. 

Butler, a junior from Spring, Texas, batted .339 this season and led the Bears with 74 hits and 19 doubles.  He was second the team with 11 homeruns and 52 runs batted in.

Only 12 Shawnee State baseball players have earned All-American status.  They are the first to earn the status in the past six years.

Click here for complete listing of NAIA All-Americans 

Gesick waits for a pitch in the AMC Tournament game versus Mt. Vernon

Butler makes contact for a double in the AMC Tournament game versus Mt. Vernon

Gesick, a sophomore from Pickerington, Ohio, accumulated a batting average of .385, while leading the Bears with 74 hits, 12 homeruns, 62 RBI's, and 56 runs scored on the season.  He was second on the team with 17 doubles.  In conference play he accumulated a batting average of .438.

Butler, a junior from Spring, Texas, led the Bears with 19 doubles on the season and was second on the team with 11 homeruns, 52 RBI's, and 74 hits.  On the season, he tallied a batting average of .339.

Ramey, a senior from Franklin Furnace, Ohio, tallied a batting average of .348, with 24 runs scored, 70 hits, 12 doubles, seven homeruns, and 49 RBI's.

Wamsley, a sophomore from Wheelersburg, Ohio, accumulated a batting average of .361 with 27 runs scored, 43 hits, nine doubles, three triples, five homeruns, and 28 RBI's. 

Dunfee, a sophomore from Pomeroy, Ohio, compiled an ERA of 6.21 on the mound with a 6-2 record.  In 75 1/3 innings pitched, Dunfee struck out 58 batters against 39 walks.

Ball, a sophomore from Akron, Ohio, led the Bears with a .393 batting average. ON the season, he totaled 36 runs, 74 hits, six doubles, one homerun, and 34 runs batted in.

Carter, a junior from North Kingsville, Ohio, posted a record of 7-4 on the mound.  He pitched seven complete games.  Carter struck out a SSU record 74 batters in 78 2/3 innings against 39 walks. 

Everman, a sophomore from Galloway, Ohio, led the Bears with six stolen bases.  He accumulated a .345 batting average, with 46 runs, 41 hits, six doubles, one triple, and 27 RBI's.

Maier, a sophomore from Heath, Ohio, accumulated a .296 batting average.  He also scored 29 runs, had 40 hits, three doubles, one triple, and 15 runs batted in on the season.

Masson, a junior from St. Louis, Missouri, tallied a .316 batting average.  He also plated 22 runs, 48 hits, five doubles, one homerun, and 30 RBI's for the Bears.

Wamsley was also named to the AMC Rawlings Baseball Team.

Click here for complete list of AMC honorees

Dunfee, a sophomore from Pomeroy, Ohio, is the AMC Pitcher of the Week.  He tossed a complete-game four-hitter in a 4-0 win against Ohio Dominican. 

Dunfee worked all seven innings with seven strikeouts and four walks.  Shawnee State is 19-19 overall and a league-leading 8-0 in the AMC.

Wamsley, a sophomore from Wheelersburg, Ohio, is the AMC Player of the Week.  He hit .556 in leading Shawnee State to a 4-1 week with all four wins coming in conference play.  Wamsley hit safely in all five games wtih 10 hits in 18 at bats.  He tallied three doubles, three homers, 10 RBI's, and 10 runs scored while posting a 1.222 slugging percentage.

Wamsley's highlight was a grand slam in the bottom of the 8th inning to give the Bears a 19-15 win over Point Park.  Shawnee State is 17-17 overall and 8-0 in the AMC. 

Gesick, a sophomore from Pickerington, Ohio, is the AMC Player of the Week.  He batted .474 to lead the Bears to a 4-1 week including a four-game AMC series sweep at Walsh.

Gesick hit safely in all five games played going 9-for-19 with a double and three RBI's.  He produced four two-hit games, walked twice, and stole a base.  Shawnee State is 13-16 overall and 4-0 in the AMC. 

Blue/Gray Footer & Shake Series
Game 1:

On Sunday, October 11^th, the Bears began the 3^rd Annual Blue/Gray Footer & Shake Series at Branch Rickey Park.  Due to bad weather on Saturday, Sunday became a doubleheader. 

In Game 1, the Blue team exploded for 10 runs over the last two innings to win 10-9.  The Blue team was lead by freshman Colin Keim’s (Clinton, OH) 3-hit and 2-RBI performance.  Sophomore Quentin Everman (Galloway, OH) added a two run triple in the sixth to seal the win.  Junior Andy Carter (North Kingsville, OH) recorded the save.

The Gray team was lead senior Kyle Hammontree (Brownsburg, IN) and junior Zach Byler (Warren, OH) who combined for five RBI's.

Game 2:

In Game 2, the Gray scored four runs in the 2^nd inning which was enough to win 4-3.  Freshman Jordan Williams (Uniontown, OH) recorded the win after working four solid innings.  Senior Adam Hatton (Grove City, OH) earned the save.  The Gray were lead by RBI’s from freshman Camden Sauls (Tipp City, OH) and sophomore Danny Gesick (Groveport, OH).

Junior Greg Kettel (Ironton, OH) suffered the loss for Team Gray.  They were lead by RBI’s from Keim and freshman Ryan Deuschle (Newark, OH).

Game 3:

On Thursday, after two days of rain, Team Gray took the series lead with a 4-3 win in extra innings.  They were lead by junior Philip Butler’s (Spring, TX) multi-hit performance including a homerun in the 5^th inning.  Sophomore Jordan Maier (Heath, OH), Hammontree, and Byler each had multiple hits in the attack.

For Team Blue, sophomore Adam Wamsley (Wheelersburg, OH) collected two hits and three stolen bases.

Game 4:

On Friday to begin the Parents’ Day Weekend, Team Gray won the game by a score of 3-2 behind a strong pitching performance from sophomore Kyle Compton (Circleville, OH).  A three run 4^th inning made the difference for the Gray.

Sophomore Austin Dunfee (Pomeroy, OH) took the loss in a hard fought battle.  Senior Brian Ramey (Franklin Furnace, OH) started the scoring with a 1^st inning homerun to left field.

Game 5:

With the outcome of the series going to Team Gray, Game 5 was played on Saturday with many friends and family in attendance.  Team Gray won the game, again in extra innings 3 out of 5 games), by the score of 4-3.  They were lead by a 3-hit performance from Jordan Maier.

The Blue/Gray series puts an end to the Bears fall season.  The next time the Bears will take the field is Saturday, February 20 in Williamsburg, KY against future Mid-South Conference foe, University of the Cumberlands.

BEARS ANNOUNCE 2010 SCHEDULE
The Shawnee State Bears baseball team would like to announce their schedule for the upcoming 2010 baseball season highlighted with a three game series versus 2004 NAIA National Champion, Cumberland University and 2009 NAIA World Series participant Campbellsville coming to the friendly confines of Branch Rickey Park.  The schedule consists of 55 games with 25 of those being played on the home turf.

The 2010 season will mark the last year of competition in the American Mideast Conference as the Bears will join the Mid-South Conference in 2011.  It will also find the Bears getting a taste of the MSC as they will compete against University of the Cumberlands, West Virginia Tech, St. Catharines, Campbellsville, and former AMC rival Rio Grande throughout the year.

“The schedule that we have put together allows us to compete against several teams we will see in our future conference.  I am very confident that along with this part of the schedule and our demanding spring break trip, we will be prepared to make one last attempt at bringing the AMC conference championship back to Portsmouth,” says Head Coach Ted Tom.  “We are excited to compete against very good competition and see exactly where we stack up.”

Shawnee State opens at University of the Cumberlands in late February followed by a home stand with Spring Arbor (MI), 2007 NAIA Runner-up.  There will be single game home and home dates with Rio Grande before the Bears embark on their annual spring break trip.  To begin the trip, the Bears travel to Savannah, GA to compete in the Fairfield Inn Marriott Classic against Savannah College of Art & Design in a four game series.  From there, the Bears will play respective three game series with South Carolina-Beaufort and 2004 National Champion Cumberland University.

Upon their return, Shawnee will play St. Catharine followed by Campbellsville in a home tilt on Thursday, March 18.  That weekend finds the Bears traveling to Pulaski, TN to compete against Martin Methodist College.

The last weekend of March gets the Bears into AMC play with a trip to Walsh followed by a home stand with Point Park.  The Bears will leave conference play for a weekend to play former conference foe Ohio Dominican in a split four game series.  After a trip to Cedarville, the Bears will spend the next two weekends at Branch Rickey Park against Malone and Notre Dame sandwiching a doubleheader with St. Catharine. The season finishes with a split conference series with Mount Vernon.

Coach Tom would also like to announce that during the Malone series on March 24^th, the baseball program will be recognizing the 2000 team that finished 5^th at the NAIA World Series.  "It has been ten years since Shawnee State Baseball made that magical run to Lewiston so I think it is only fitting to get as many of those players back to campus and honor them.  We speak on a regular basis about accomplishing many of the goals that group was able to achieve.  I am really looking forward to seeing many of those guys as well as giving our current players the opportunity to meet them," says Coach Tom.  More details of this weekend will be available soon.

Check out http://www.shawnee.edu/off/athl/ all season long for updates of Bear Baseball.

Stay tuned to www.shawnee.edu/off/athl for more updates.

INAUGURAL GENE BENNETT BASEBALL CLASSIC
press release written by Gene Beckett & Classic committee representatives
     Gene Bennett announced today that plans are underway for the inaugural Gene Bennett Baseball Classic that will be held in the greater Portsmouth area June 10th thru 13th, 2010.  The tournament will be held at the historic Branch Rickey Park and other local fields including the new Portsmouth Trojans High School Baseball Complex.
     Bennett has been with the Cincinnati Reds organization for 57 years and presently serves as Senior Special Assistant to the General Manager.  While serving as scout for the organization, Bennett signed some of the top ML players in the game such as Don Gullett, Barry Larkin, Chris Sabo, Paul O'Neil, Dave Tomlin, Charley Lebrandt, and Jeff Russell and many more.  Bennett states, "My goal with this tournament is to let the youth of Portsmouth and other towns along the Ohio River see the future stars of Major League Baseball, and to let the little guys know that they have a baseball past, present and future." 
     Co-hosting the tournament will be former Cincinnati Reds star Don Gullett and former Pittsburgh Pirates star Al Oliver.  Jeff Brown will serve as the tournament director.  Brown is a Wheelersburg resident and has been involved with amateur baseball for a number of years.  Former Portsmouth resident Ron Slusher of the Ohio Warhawks, will be in charge of bringing some of the top 18-year old and under Amateur Baseball teams.
     A tournament of this type has a rich history.  Two national power teams that have committed to the tournament include the Ohio Warhawks from Dayton and the Cincinnati Midland Redskins.  These teams have combined for over 17 National Championships, have had over 400 players drafted in Major League Baseball's Amateur Draft, and have had an astonishing 100 players who have either played in or are currently playing on Major League rosters.  These players include Brandon Phillips, Ken Griffey, Jr., Barry Larkin, Brian Roberts, Pat Burrell and Chris Carpenter.  Another team joining the tournament will be the Ontario Blue Jays, bringing the finest baseball talent in Ontario, Canada.  Other teams include the Nevada Scout team featuring the class of 2010 top high school players, the Bartlett, TN All-Stars coached by Coach Phil Clark, who took the Gold Medal with U.S.A. Baseball Junior National Team in 1999, the Florida All-American Prospects who were the 2008 Mickey Mantle Champions, and the Portsmouth Legion Post 23.  The Post 23 team is the local host team and will feature top players from Scioto County.
     Bennett concluded, "In my 57 years of baseball, I believe this will be the most high profile amateur baseball event to ever be held in the tri-state area."  There will be no admission charged for these games to allow everyone who wants to attend a change to see good baseball.   

Click here for a complete list of the 2009 Baseball NAIA Scholar Athletes.  

Brian Ramey                  Michael Roelker

2009 AMC Rawlings Gold Glove Team 

Drew Howard                  Brian Ramey

Logan Crabtree                  Andrew Carter