Meet the Golden Flash!

Hi again everybody!

This year I'm pleased to announce a fun new weekly feature on my Linder's Look blog. Last year we shot a weekly video recognising the student-athlete of the week for his or her accomplishments on the field, court, etc. However, it only really allowed the fans to get to know that person as an athlete.

Now, I'll be sharing some weekly interviews with KSU student-athletes in our Hometown Bank Meet the Golden Flash segment. These interviews feature a randomly selected, in-season student-athlete as he or she takes the always intimidating hot-seat in our KSU Radio Network studios! You'll now have the chance to get to know the young men and women whom you root for each and every week and what makes them tick!

Last week we debuted with soccer freshman Karli Paracca.

Meet the Golden Flash #1 - Karli Paracca

This week we sat down with volleyball senior Tinuke Aderemi-Ibitola.

Meet the Golden Flash #2 - Tinuke Aderemi-Ibitola

I hope you'll continue to check back each week as we meet your Kent State Golden Flashes!

TL

Baseball Gods Smile on KSU... again

Hi again everybody!

There is no question the Kent State baseball program has been blessed over the last several years. From championship celebrations to high draft selections, from team grade point average records to a dramatic run to college baseball's promised land, the Golden Flashes program has seen its cup runneth over time and time again.

Wednesday night in Cleveland, it happened again.

KSU product Andrew Chafin throws a pitch in his MLB debut Wednesday night at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, OH

Andrew Chafin, who in 2009 set a new single-season earned run average record with a microscopic 1.23 as KSU's closer, was drafted in the first round by Arizona following an incredible performance in the 2011 NCAA Regionals in Texas. He outdueled a previously undefeated Taylor Jungmann in front of 7,000 Longhorn fans in what could arguably be viewed as Kent State's arrival on the national college baseball stage.

I have been working on a book project detailing Kent State baseball's dramatic month-long magic carpet ride in 2012 and wrote this excerpt a year or so ago. It seems fitting to share a preview here.

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You see, at Kent State, everything is earned. Student-athletes aren’t afforded the types of frills and benefits – all perfectly legal – their counterparts in the Southeastern Conference, Big XII Conference or elsewhere are. This is a tough Northeast Ohio college town. A mill town, a town with rich history in the Underground Railroad and one in constant battle with Mother Nature.

The best athletes in the nation do not come to Portage County – unless they do so as members of a visiting team. The fastest sprinters from Florida, toughest linebackers from California and big-armed pitchers from Texas aren’t coming to Kent State. The Golden Flashes do not have a national recruiting base – they must try and contend with players in their own backyard or just across the street.

For northern so-called “mid-majors” like Kent State, good fortune must also play into the equation.

Much as it had on this steamy 100-degree night in the Southwest. Facing a Longhorn team with All-American talent on every corner of the roster, KSU sent six-foot, two-inch left-hander Andrew Chafin to the same pitcher’s mound once occupied by Roger Clemens, Greg Swindell and Huston Street.

Chafin – whose only scholarship offers came from Kent, Toledo and Cincinnati – dominated the star-studded Longhorns lineup and silenced the 6,268 in attendance at Disch-Falk Field. He watched in glee as catcher David Lyon smoked a grand slam into the right field bullpen off the heretofore-invincible Taylor Jungmann as part of a six-run sixth which gave the underdog Flashes a 7-2 lead.

The southpaw Chafin – whose hometown of Wakeman, Ohio boasts all of one stoplight – tired in the heat and pressure and gave way to the bullpen in the ninth inning. UT eventually closed the gap to 7-5 and had runners on the corners with two outs when KSU called upon an All-American of its own to collect the elusive 27^th out. And even though many of the fans had long departed, they collectively groaned as Kyle McMillen induced Shepherd to shoot the pop-up straight up into the humid Austin night.

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After soaring through the minor league ranks, Chafin rose to AAA Reno and was recently summoned to the big league club after a series of injuries decimated the Diamondbacks' roster. His call-up coincided with a brief two-game interleague series with the Indians this past week at 2401 Ontario Street in Cleveland, Ohio.

I've been fortunate to know the Chafin family since Andrew arrived as a hyper nine-year old in the Bellevue Little League many years ago. His father Darryl helped coach the team he was on and the two instantly became favorites of mine. At the time I was earning money in the summer serving as an umpire.

Darryl Chafin watches his son warm up

I was overjoyed when then-head coach Scott Stricklin re-introduced me to the Chafin family in 2008 on a recruiting trip, and even more thrilled when he signed the dotted line to become a Golden Flash. And as he worked his way through a brilliant KSU career, I became even more proud when he made North Texas stand still that night with a breathtaking performance.

But nothing compared to Wednesday night.

Those of us who follow the game know of the "Baseball Gods." And boy have they been wearing blue and gold lately. When the Arizona-Cleveland series started Tuesday night, torrential rains forced the game into a four-hour delay. Word trickled down that when the game resumed, Chafin would be on the mound for the D-backs in the fourth inning.

But it never resumed.

And MLB approved a traditional doubleheader the following day. This was key as it didn't allow either team to expand their roster to bring up additional pitching. Originally the Arizona folks announced Chafin would start game one of the DH but I got word that he would instead start the nightcap. And so it was off to the corner of Carnegie and Ontario to see a former Golden Flash start a Major League Baseball game.

Chafin loosens up in right field

It was great to see Andrew's dad before the game and we watched his son warm up in right field under the towering scoreboard which bore his surname as that night's starting pitcher. And in front of dozens of family members and friends, the southpaw did not disappoint, tossing five shutout innings and recording his first major league strikeout.

It was a great night for a great family. Not just the Chafin family but the Kent State baseball family as well. Players from all eras chimed in with their support from afar and it was truly a blessing to share in one young man's success.

I just wonder if Wakeman turned off its stoplight in his honor.

TL

Summer Update

Hi again everybody!

I hope this Linder's Look finds everyone in the throes of a great summer. Here at KSU, football training camp just began this week and the countdown is on toward that August 30 opening night battle with Ohio! I'll have more on that a little later.

As the "Voice of the Golden Flashes," I am pretty much booked from Labour Day through Memorial Day. (Sometimes beyond, see KSU Baseball 2012!) So it's important for me to be able to take some time during the summer months to catch up with family and friends I missed during that time span. Part of the tradeoff of this great job is working weekends and holidays and sometimes missing out on some pretty special occasions like weddings and birthday celebrations.

Each year since 2008 the Linder family makes the trek to Las Vegas for one week. It's a great family vacation destination because there are just as many things to do on your own as their are as a group. This year we went to a very special room at the top of one of the southernmost hotels called the Foundation Room at Mandalay Bay. It offers unrivaled vantage points of the most famous stretch of road in the world. Films such as Oceans 11 have been shot there and the view is breathtaking. Just don't look down!

The world-famous Siegfried and Roy Show was the most visited show in Las Vegas from 1990-2003 and featured the German duo's iconic white tigers. While I was never personally able to see the show, the effect the show had on the entertainment industry is still being felt. And who knew they were such big KSU fans! Check out that sylish hat Montecore is sporting!

Not far from Vegas is the Mohave Desert and a plot of land known as "Death Valley." This is a stretch of geography you drive through on your way to Los Angeles and back. Located in LA - among other things - is Six Flags Magic Mountain, which bills itself as the "Thrill Ride Capital of the World." Having grown up in Sandusky, Ohio, the home of Cedar Point, those are fighting words! Even so, I like making the four-hour trip on I-15 every once in a while to check out what CP's biggest rival has to offer.

One thing it has to offer - albeit for not much longer - is Colossus, a twin wooden roller coaster which has appeared in many film and television shows. You may best remember it from the 1983 movie "Vacation" where a disgruntled Clark Griswold forces a security guard played by John Candy into the ride with a BB gun. To commemorate the closing of the ride this fall, the park brought the legendary "family truckster" out of retirement and it's on display near the ride's que! KSU women's basketball assistant coach Geoff Lanier and myself have been known to communicate in National Lampoon's "Vacation" movie dialogue so I know he appreciates this gesture!

It has certainly been a great summer of vacation memories. But the one thing Ive noticed is how much money one can spend on vacation! For example, tickets to a decent Las Vegas show were $110 a person! And a day at Magic Mountain can wreak havoc on the pocketbook when you add up tickets, parking and food!

Which is why I'm so proud that we offer our football season tickets at such a bargain price. Get this folks, for six exciting NCAA DI football games featuring the Golden Flashes and members of one of the most entertaining and rising conferences in college football, you only have to pay $96. Say WHAT? Yes, just $96! And we are gonna throw in a parking pass as well, another $30 value! And that price is for chairback seats, you can sit elsewhere for as low as $60! And we'll still toss in a parking pass!

Now, if you have somehow missed Ametek's unbelievable fireworks display on opening night the last two years, don't let it happen again! They are again planning a huge pyrotechnic display choreographed to music after the Flashes beat the Ohio Bobcats on Saturday, August 30. And you can even come down on the field to watch!

Get to the ticket office ASAP and treat you and your family to one last summer treat - tickets to KSU football! Our office is open Monday-Friday from 8:30a to 4:30p. Or give Eric a call at 330.672.2244.

Until next time!

TL

MAC Tournament Memories

Hi again everybody! Well it's tournament time once again for the baseball teams of the Mid-American Conference. All eight qualifiers are hoping to skip the Memorial Day barbecues in favour of a another holiday weekend tradition.

The dogpile.

KSU's Golden Flashes were fortunate enough to celebrate four straight times from 2009-2012 on the first unofficial weekend of summer - with a celebration also coming in 2007. This year the Flashes will play from the four seed, taking on Bowling Green - last year's tourney winner - on Wednesday afternoon at 1.

I was lucky enough to witness many memorable moments during KSU's great run from 2007-2012, and along with former baseball SID Matthew Lofton have compiled a list of some great moments. Here they are, in no particular order!

The Dogpiles

Nothing in sports quite compares with watching eight fully uniformed players converge with a handful of dugout players into a mess of tangled excitement and joy when the final out of a title game is recorded. KSU found itself in such a position in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. And each year was unique in its celebration. I remember pitcher Justin Gill and catcher Cory Hindel embracing for a moment before being enveloped by their teammates in 2010 and Evan Campbell soaring into the top of the pile in 2012 like he was making a landing at Hopkins International Airport.

Bouncing the RedHawks

In baseball, KSU's biggest rival through the last decade has been the Miami RedHawks. Always a spirited regular season series, the two squads often met in post-season play as well. And regardless of how that regular season set went, the Golden Flashes got the last laugh in 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013 - dealing Miami a loss which ended its season. Even more damaging in 2011 was the fact it was the title game; when a well-rested RedHawks team was blitzed by KSU, 11-0.

Kyle Hallock

Hal'lock' ing it Down

In 2010, second-seeded Kent State was shocked in the opener 12-4 by Eastern Michigan. It had to rally back to win four consecutive elimination games (two in their final at-bat) just to reach the finals. In the semi-final rematch with the Eagles, Kyle Hallock came in to work the 10th inning of a game KSU once trailed 8-3. He breezed through the inning and when the Flashes won in the bottom half, head coach Scott Stricklin quickly announced him as the starter for the title game just 40 minutes later. Against the top-seeded Chippewas, the lefty dazzled, tossing seven superb innings, striking out six in making 121 pitches. The bullpen held the lead and KSU pulled off the biggest comeback in MAC Tournament history.

 

No Fear

2008 MAC Pitcher of the Year Chris Carpenter was cruising into the sixth when he lost command of his fastball. He walked three straight CMU hitters and was pulled from the game. With ice in his veins, pitching coach Mike Birkbeck made the move to rookie Jon Pokorny. The southpaw came in and delivered one of the most clutch pitching performances in KSU history. He notched a strikeout against the first hitter, using four pitches and then recorded a 6-4-3 double play on an 0-2 pitch to keep the game tied. Seven pitches. Six of them strikes. Clutch.

Hindel's Wild Ride

In the same 2008 tournament game against the Chips, the Flashes used the momentum from Pokorny's sixth inning Houdini act to take the lead in the bottom half. With the bases empty and two outs, Brett Weibley singles and Cory Hindel steps to the plate. With the clock nearing midnight, Hindel hits a slow roller to second. The Chips' infielder appears as if he is going to eat it but spins at the last moment and throws wildly to first, shooting it off the dugout rail. Weibley flies into and around third as Hindel takes off for second. The CMU centre fielder comes into second for backup purposes as Hindel gets into a pickle. Just as they are about to tag him to end the inning, they opt to instead throw home against a charging Weibley. That throw hits halfway up the backstop allowing the Flashes to take the lead. Seeing this, Hindel resumes on his path to second. The throw there is air mailed into centre field, where - you guessed it - no one is because of the backup. As the ball gets smaller and smaller as it rolls to the wall, the KSU catcher sets sail for home plate and scores with ease, giving Kent a 4-2 lead and game one win.

Evan Campbell

Soup's Slam is Mmm Mmm, Good

In a win-or-go-home semi-final clash with the Eastern Michigan Eagles in 2011, Andrew Chafin and Rob Wendzicki were locked in a mesmerizing 0-0 game in the eighth inning. In the bottom half with two outs and two strikes against pinch hitter Nick Hamilton, he drew a free base on a hit by pitch and later broke the ice on a seeing-eye single by Joe Koch. With KSU clinging to a 1-0 lead and runners at second and third, the Eagles elect to walk the bases loaded. As the walk is issued, Mike Birkbeck leans into the on-deck circle and tells Evan Campbell to "be better in this moment than he is in this moment." The junior launched a missile into the treeline in right field for a dramatic grand slam, finishing off the Eagles and sending the Golden Flashes dugout into delirious celebration as the Miami RedHawks - scheduled to play the winner in the title game - looked on and collectively gulped.

The Comeback

The 2010 title was as hard-earned as any in history for KSU

Heavily favoured KSU opened the 2010 tournament against seventh-seeded EMU and was shocked by a 12-4 laugher. Now with an impossible trail in front of them, they send Robert Sabo to the mound in a 9 a.m. elimination game against Miami. He saves the season with a 143-pitch masterpiece as the Flashes rout the RedHawks, 9-2. The next day against Toledo, David Starn is magnificent. But a rare bullpen snafu allows the Rockets to tie the game at 3-3. In the bottom of the 11th, Jared Humphreys corks a liner to the gap to give KSU a dramatic win. Later that night, Ben Klafczynski's grand slam is all the offense Ryan Mace needs as the righty shuts EMU down over seven innings. KSU's 15-1 revenge forced a second semi-final the following day. There, the Eagles rip open an 8-3 mid-game lead and the outlook is bleak. But as they had all year, the Flashes battle back and down to their final out, David Lyon rips the first of what would become many clutch hits in his KSU

career to tie it at 8-8 in the bottom of the ninth. Travis Shaw was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the 10th with the bases loaded to send the Flashes to the 9-8 win. In the finale against CMU, Hallock provided the pitching and the good guys went up 5-0 and held on for a thrilling 5-3 win.

Rocky the Rally Raccoon 

In the late game to open the 2009 tournaments, top-seed Bowling Green and eighth-seeded Central Michigan are at the end of three innings with CMU holding a surprising 4-1 lead. The entire complex then goes dark before the fourth begins. Here, a raccoon had worked its way into a nearby transformer and caused the entire device to rupture. Power crews were not able to restore juice to the facility until the next night, forcing a suspension until the following morning. The discombobulated Falcons never got on track, falling to the Chips, 6-2 in the only 8-beats-1 upset in the tournament's history. The extra day and pitching takes its toll on both clubs, as the Flashes club CMU later that Thursday, 17-2.

Steve Partington takes the lineups in 2008

Party's Last Party

Veteran umpire Steve Partington - with nearly 50 years of baseball service - worked his final MAC Tournament in 2008. Selected to work the plate in the title game for the final time, he accepted Scott Stricklin's lineup with tears in his eyes. The Flashes fall to EMU in the title tilt, but "Party" is virtually flawless on the balls and strikes, taking only one direct foul ball to the mask. As the final out is recorded, he tips his cap, leaves it at home plate and walks off the field. The support for Steve from both the players and his brethren was a fitting conclusion to a great career.

Here's hoping for a handful of new memories this week in Avon!

See you there!

TL

We're Going Streaking!!

Jump for Joy! Flashes win 16th MAC title in a row.

Hi again everybody!

Last weekend, our Golden Flashes women’s golf team secured its 16^th consecutive Mid-American Conference championship.

The ladies of KSU did again did it in familiar fashion.

Thoroughly dominating.

Knocking off second place Toledo by 21 strokes and besting rival Akron by 58 to earn a PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge point, the Flashes simply keep adding to their legacy.

Ever since the MAC added women’s golf as a sponsored sport in 1999, KSU has established a string of dominance that is, in a word – unprecedented. It has almost reached the point of expectation around Kent and the Mid-American Conference landscape that the Golden Flashes will win the conference golf title. That kind of pressure and expectation can cause some teams and individuals to wilt – these ladies have thrived.

Even with the rest of the conference dying to be the team which finally ends Kent’s sensational streak, the blue and gold have found a way to outdistance themselves from their competitors. Last weekend in Indiana, Jennifer Ha won the event for the second year in a row and was flanked on the podium by two of her teammates. It was another proud weekend for head coach Greg Robertson and the entire KSU Golf program.

The Kent Streak of 16 straight got my mind racing. What are some of my favourite sports streaks? I have listed just a few of them that came immediately to mind – in no particular order.

Johnny Vander Meer – 1938 Cincinnati Reds

Vander Meer threw back-to-back no-hitters for the Redlegs against Boston and Brooklyn and was rewarded with a start in the All-Star Game in his home ballpark. While this streak was only two, it simply will never be outdone

Joe DiMaggio – 1941 New York Yankees

For 55 straight games – that’s a third of the major league season in those days – DiMaggio reached safely on a hit. Only Pete Rose has been in the same area code as the Clipper with a 44-game streak in 1978.

UCLA – Men’s Basketball 1967-73, 1971-74

Seven consecutive NCAA titles for the Bruins and legendary coach John Wooden. They added more for a 10-title run in a 12-year span. With 68-team format and upsets galore, along with the NBA draft decimating teams’ rosters, this won’t happen again, either. The Sons of Westwood then won 88 straight games (two 30-0 seasons) between ’71-74 before coughing up an 11-point lead to Notre Dame to end the impressive run.

Cael Sanderson – 1999-2002 Iowa State Cyclones

At a time when collegiate wrestling started to flourish, Sanderson competed in 159 matches during his time in Ames. He won them all, sweeping four straight NCAA titles. Let that marinate. In the toughest sport in the world, he didn’t lose ONCE. The Penn State wrestling program now reaps the benefits from this icon – he’s led the Nittany Lions to four-straight NCAA DI team titles as their head coach.

Cleveland Indians Fans – 1995-2001

The renaissance of Cleveland’s downtown, the opening of a beautiful new stadium, the departure of the hapless football team and one of the most exciting baseball teams in club history all came together perfectly in the mid-90s. On June 12, 1995 Jacobs Field sold out and there wasn’t an empty seat in the house until April 4, 2001. The sellout streak of 455 for a city with a dwindling population due to economic and infrastructure issues is even more impressive and appreciated today.

 

Mount Union – Football 2000-2003

Just down the road from Kent State, veteran Larry Kehres guided his Purple Raiders to 55 straight wins between 2000-2003 (they also won 54 straight from ’96-’99). The Raiders have 11 national titles and continue to be a threat every year.

Also of note: Cal Ripken and Brett Favre’s consecutive games streaks, Oklahoma football’s 47 straight wins, Byron Nelson’s 11 straight PGA wins and Wayne Gretzky’s 51 consecutive games with a point.

Congrats to the KSU women’s golfers once again! Let’s hope #16 is just another rung in the ladder! They’ll head for Stillwater in a couple weeks for the NCAA Regionals!

TL

Bracketology 101

Hi again everybody!

The Golden Flashes baseball team took two out of three last weekend in a spirited MAC East series with Buffalo. With some help from some other league teams, KSU now sits one game back of Central Michigan in the race for another regular season championship and number one seed in the forthcoming MAC Tournaments. They have also opened up a two-game bulge over Akron in the MAC East.

The Flashes have won recent MAC regular season pennants in 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2013. Of those five instances, they won the accompanying tournament pennant twice. While it is nice to proclaim a regular season title, I have long said there is very little reward for the league’s top finisher from the regular year in the tournament.

Lets rewind to last spring.

KSU dramatically caught Buffalo on the season’s final pitch to win its third straight regular season league championship. The Flashes reward? They got to select their game time in the first tournament game, were the home team in that game and earned a number one seed.

They were also rewarded with Jordan Foley – arguably the MAC’s most MLB-ready arm.

While the record shows KSU had a phenomenal offensive approach in beating the power right-hander, it doesn’t make the lack of reward for being the league’s best team over 27 grueling games any less glaring.

The current structure of the MAC Baseball Tournaments – which were designed and approved by the league’s coaches and AD’s – isn’t terrible. It just needs some tweaking. Here are my top issues against the current format:

-       No legitimate reward for regular season champion

-       Poor solution for deciding home/away

-       Tournament doesn’t appeal to entire league

Since I’ve already touched on the lack of reward, lets focus on that second point. There have been some years where KSU – as the top seed – was the visiting team more than it was the home team! Should the league’s seventh or eighth place teams ever have home field advantage over the league’s best team over 27 games? I don’t think so. I think the top seed should be the home team throughout the tournament on one condition: as long as it remains in the winner’s bracket.

In 2007, only six teams (half the league) qualified for the MAC Tournament. It was expanded to its current format of eight teams in 2008 when the event moved off campus to a neutral site. When the Golden Flashes raised the conference standard in 2012 with their run to Nebraska, it also brought some national notoriety to a league, which had been dormant on the collegiate baseball scene for several decades. With that moment still fresh, the MAC could capitalize by attempting to grow the sport. In my opinion, it is very much on par with the neighboring Big Ten; and sometimes maybe better. Just yesterday KSU and BG picked up wins over Big Ten schools. There is no better way to grow baseball in the MAC than by expanding the tournament to include all 12 teams. Much like basketball, if a team is struck with injuries or doesn’t play well during the regular year yet gets hot for a week in March it can go dancing.

Without further adieu, I unveil my new and improved MAC Baseball Tournament format!

-     Under my proposed format, all 12 teams qualify. They are seeded 1-12 based on conference winning percentage (MAC games only), regardless of division. Appropriate tiebreakers would still be in place.

-       The MAC would have the option of playing the opening-round games on campus sites (higher seed hosts) or playing them at the main tournament site in Avon. These games would be single elimination. I have them set up to be in Avon. If they were on campus sites, they could obviously all be played concurrently.

-    Seeds 1-4 are rewarded with byes into Wednesday, which is when the previous tournament began. Further, they are rewarded by taking on opponent which had to conceivably use its best pitcher the previous day. The top four seeds are also the home team on Wednesday.

-        Higher seed is always home team. No coin tosses.

-    Two elimination games are played Thursday with two winner’s bracket games later in the afternoon/evening.

-       If two teams reach the title game undefeated, only one title game would be needed and played on Saturday.

-    There are several other title game scenarios which exist. For example, if a team from the bottom bracket is undefeated and a team from the top has a loss, that team with a loss must win twice – forcing play into Sunday.

So there you have it! My new and improved MAC Baseball Tournament. It gets more teams involved, rewards the top teams for their regular season accomplishments and eliminates any wacky ways of determining home/away.

Lets make this happen MAC coaches!

TL

Wagon Wheel Challenge Update!

Hi again everybody!

Recently, the Golden Flashes softball team came from behind to win two games at Akron's Lee Jackson Field over their arch rivals. The two wins on the road came in dramatic fashion for KSU, which was trailing late in both games! Due to the sweep, the softball team earned a full point for the Kent State in this year's PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge.

Their timing was impeccable as the good guys were trailing the third annual challenge by two points prior to the weekend.

Since we are once again coming down to the wire in the challenge, I decided to perform by best Ace Rothstein and handicap the remaining events. But first, lets recap how we arrived to the current score of Akron 5 1/2, Kent State 4 1/2.

FALL

While the Golden Flashes lost the coveted football Wagon Wheel trophy, head coach Don Gromala's volleyball team offset that flip by sweeping two intense regular season encounters from the Zips.

"Well both matches went the full five which is what you would want as a fan in a rivalry match-up," Gromala said. "I think winning in five at Akron sort of catapulted us to a good season and it wasn't just good for us, it was big for the whole department. Then in the second match we were kind of reeling a little and the importance of the weekend really helped to motivate us."

The Flashes also got a point for the second straight year when the soccer team protected Zoeller Field in a 2-0 shutout. Goals by senior Jessacca Gironda fueled KSU's triumph over Akron in October.

The Zips claimed two points by finishing ahead of Kent in both men and women's cross country at the MAC Championships.

AKR 3 - KSU 2

WINTER

Another dominating performance by head coach Bill Lawson's women's track and field team and a near-miss by the men's squad gave each school a point for indoor track and field. And Akron's best season in women's basketball history plus a regular season split on the men's basketball side gave the Zips a lead coming out of the winter sports season for the second year in a row.

Darren Goodson's miracle three-point shot against the Zips in early February may prove to be a critical moment in this year's challenge. Since the two teams' paths did not cross in tournament play, the point stands permanently as a split.

AKR 5 1/2 - KSU 3 1/2

SPRING

On back-to-back days in Akron, head coach Karen Linder's softball team rallied dramatically in the sixth inning. In the first game, a huge grand slam by Abbey Ledford highlighted a seven-run sixth inning which turned around a 2-1 score and gave KSU an 8-3 win. And the very next day the sixth inning magic was prevalent again. This time, Maddy Grimm - whom the Zips had elected to walk the previous day - smacked a three-run home run to left that supported rookie Ronnie Ladines on the mound and secured an emotional weekend sweep.

"I'm ecstatic about the weekend," head coach Linder said. "Obviously the sixth inning was huge both days and to have our players do their part in helping out in the Wagon Wheel Challenge is really exciting."

AKR 5 1/2 - KSU 4 1/2

STILL TO COME...

Women's Golf

Men's Golf

Baseball

Men's Track and Field

Women's Track and Field

There is one point available in each of the five remaining sports. Of those five, KSU won the point in four of the sports in each of the previous two challenges. The Flashes, it would be fair to say, would be favored in both golfs. The track record (no pun intended) for outdoor track and field is to split. And while Kent has swept Akron in baseball the last two years, the two teams are dead even at the time of this writing in the MAC standings. Perhaps a slight edge to the Golden Flashes for being at home, although the first game is at Canal Park in downtown Akron. Either way, even the most hardened Akron foe has to feel slightly happy for former KSU baseball coach Rick Rembielak, He has the Zips in position for their first MAC Tournament appearance since 2005.

While it's fun to sit back and assume wins here and losses there, it is sports and crazy things can happen. That's why we play the games! Either way, the PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge is a great little side drama to the end of another good season of athletics for KSU and Akron.

Good luck to both teams! And may the best team win!

(Again.)

TL

Opening Day

Hi again everybody! This is an exciting week for sports fans everywhere as professional baseball returns after a winter hibernation. It's a sign of spring and hopefully warmer temperatures on the way.

The nation's top lefty opened Jacobs Field in '94

I have some great Opening Day memories of my own. I remember my sixth grade class at York Elementary school postponing our history lesson for the day on April 4, 1994 to watch the first game at brand new Jacobs Field in Cleveland. It was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. I also remember staying up late to watch openers in California and Seattle with my grandfather because we didn't have cable out in the country! And finally I remember venturing up to frigid Cleveland with my uncle and cousins to see the Tribe. One year we left Kent and it was 70 degrees. By the time we got to the ballpark it was 40 degrees with the lake and wind! We were all dressed in our 70-degree clothes. Yikes.

At Kent State, we have a coaching staff with plenty of MLB experience. So I recently asked them about some Opening Day Moments!

Head Coach Jeff Duncan

"It was Opening Day at Shea Stadium in 2004. We had former President Bill Clinton in the house to throw out the first pitch. I remember taking the field for pregame introductions and getting out to the line and seeing hundreds of snipers and secret service agents on the roof of the stadium. You knew right then it was a pretty important deal."

Associate Head Coach Mike Birkbeck

"Not a very happy memory but I got called for three balks in one inning on Opening Day in 1988. We were at home and the umpires had just established a point of emphasis in the off-season. They wanted pitchers to come to a complete and discernible stop in their motion. We used to just kind of bounce our glove and pitching hand together and then throw. They wanted to eliminate that. So I go out there and Tim McClelland calls me for three balks in one inning. It was also an interesting match-up against the Yankees because Tommy John was pitching."

Assistant Coach Brandon Larson

Cincinnati's Great American Ballpark Opened in 2003

"I remember when we opened Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati back in 2003. President Bush was there for the first pitch and he hung out in our clubhouse. I got the chance to meet him and told him I was from Texas and he mentioned something about it always being a good way to start off the day with someone from Texas. Then I went 0-4. Not cool."

So there you have it. Meanwhile the KSU Golden Flashes are now 16-10 for the year after a doubleheader sweep yesterday at home. They travel to OU this weekend for another big conference series. You can hear the games on our iHeart Radio channel.

And whoever your MLB team is, happy new year! May the next six months bring good games, great memories and fun times for us all!

So long everybody,

TL

Road Tripping!

Hi again everybody! I am back in the friendly confines of Kent, Ohio following a great road trip to the Heartland.

I first covered the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in 2007 from the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit. I had always heard it was quite a spectacle, but never expected it to be as big as it was. With thousands of fans traveling thousands of miles to cheer on their respective teams, it really is a special three-day event.

With that said, here's a small recap of my travel throughout the Midwest last week!

DAY ONE - Tuesday

After a routine oil change and tire rotation to prepare for the 2,000-mile round trip journey, I hit the pavement around 3 ET. I headed south on I-71 to Columbus and made my first pit stop - the Mall at Tuttle Crossing, located just off I-270. There's a Cleveland-based cookie company called Cheryl's which makes a wide assortment of treats including their famous buttercream frosted cookies. I scored a dozen for $12.99 for use as road rations and was on my way along I-70 West.

Great, inexpensive lodging

Passing several Tom Raper RV signs in southern Indiana, I passed through the Circle City, Indianapolis. The big landmark there is the enormous Lucas Oil Stadium which rises up like a majestic barn on the prairie. It has hosted the Super Bowl and Final Four in recent years. Most of I-70 in Indiana and Illinois looks the same - especially at night.

Around midnight I turned the corner and caught a glimpse of the iconic Gateway Arch. At over 600-feet tall, it is the tallest man-made monument in the United States. The NCAA Wrestling Tournament was in St. Louis in 2008, 2009 and 2012. It will return there next year. When I crossed over the Mississippi River, I couldn't help but quote this Clark Griswold line from the 1984 film "Vacation."

With St. Louis serving as the symbolic halfway point, I drove another 100 miles before finally pulling over for the night in Rolla, Missouri. I found a Sunset Inn for just $37! Since it was situated next to a Waffle House, it was an easy choice.

DAY TWO - Wednesday

Color TV!

It was early to rise on a crisp Show-Me State morning. With the start of the tournament just 24 hours away, I needed to get moving. After a Waffle House breakfast where the cooks and waiters wanted to hear some Antonio Gates stories, I was on the move again, this time on I-44.

I stopped in Springfield, Mo. to pick up a couple items at Best Buy - a new memory card for my camera and a car charger for my phone. Near Springfield was the Glenstone Court - a roadside motel which featured rooms for just $23! Their big selling point was - wait for it - color tv! I'll look into staying there on my next trip through!

Joplin Tornado Memorial

My next stop was a somber one. In 2011, the city of Joplin, Mo. was devastated by an EF-5 tornado that took the lives of 162 and caused widespread catastrophic damage estimated at $2.8 billion. One of the things about me that many don't know is that I'm a licensed storm spotter for the National Weather Service. So events like the one in Joplin hit home for me.

Joplin Tornado Memorial mosaic

I stopped at Cunningham Park in Joplin which was the epicenter of the tornado's path. The mile-wide twister just leveled homes, the St. John Medical Center, scoured pavement and debarked trees along its route. Now nearly three years later, there were still eerie sights and sounds as I looked around. Everything was brand new. Homes, businesses, concrete, trees - you name it. It was as if someone rolled out a wide carpet and houses and trees popped up. Construction was going on all around me as I took photos of the memorials. There were a few mosaic statues which included random household items found in the debris. The stop was a reminder of two things: the power of Mother Nature and more impressively, the power of the human spirit.

As I left Joplin, I entered the northeast corner of Oklahoma. Before long, I passed through Tulsa along the Will Rogers Turnpike. The speed limit there is 75 mph which enabled me to make pretty good time on the sunny 65-degree day.

Finally, the skyline of Oklahoma City opened up on the Plains and I arrived at the Residence Inn. I have been lucky enough to stay at some pretty cool hotels while working for Kent State, but head coach Jim Andrassy deserves props for this place. It was nicer than my first apartment! A full kitchen and living room, separate bedroom and full bathroom were just some of the amenities.

DAY THREE, FOUR, FIVE - Thursday-Saturday

This year's NCAA Tournament served as the 84th renewal of the "Greatest Spectacle in Collegiate Wrestling." And for three days it was as wild as any I can remember. On Friday in the national quarterfinals, two No. 1 seeds went down in a three-weight class span!

Eight-ring Circus Comes to Oklahoma City

The KSU wrestlers faired well. With four representatives, two stayed alive deep into the event. Sophomore Ian Miller reached the national semi-finals with three hard-nosed wins against some of the best 157-pound wrestlers in the country. And newcomer Michael DePalma scored an upset of his own, knocking off the seven seed at 149.

KSU's Ian Miller

Miller took fourth for the Golden Flashes, earning him All-American status. It gave KSU an AA for the sixth straight year after a two decade drought without one! Coaches Andrassy, Moore and Hill have done a phenomenal job for the program. It was truly special to see Miller toss around defending champion Derek St. John of Iowa. With almost 16,000 fans focused on him, he scored five takedowns from five different moves to wow the fans and win the respect of 2,000 knowledgeable Hawkeye fans in the process.

The finals on Saturday were a blast, as always. The NCAA DI Wrestling Committee does a great job of turning the title matches into a real show. They elevate one single mat and introduce each wrestler individually with music and pyrotechnics. The fans love it and it's great for the sport.

 After losing to legend Kyle Dake of Cornell in a once-in-a-lifetime title bout last year, Penn State's David Taylor returned to the top of the podium with a dominating performance. His win helped keep the national title in Happy Valley for a fourth straight year. Taylor is one of the most technically sound grapplers I have ever seen. He stayed in the arena - as he did last year following a loss - until every kid who wanted an autograph or photo got one. There are still good guys left in sports!

National Anthem prior to the championship matches. The 80 All-Americans are on the mat.

DAY SIX - Sunday

The day after the championships is always such a letdown. But those feelings quickly subsided as I toured arguably the best memorial ever constructed - the Oklahoma City Federal Building Memorial. It is hard to believe next spring will be the 20th anniversary of the bombing.

Oklahoma City Memorial looking East. Field of chairs on left and Survivor Tree on right.

One of the memorial chairs.

The memorial is on the site of the former Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building which was bombed April 19, 1995. The area is framed by two majestic gates which read 9:01 (minute before the bomb) and 9:03 (minute after the bomb). Between the two gates is a long reflecting pool with a very thin layer of water which runs over a small ledge, providing a serene sound. There is also a field of empty chairs - 168 to be precise - which represent those lost in the tragedy. Small chairs represent children killed at the building's day care center. Also featured is an old elm known as the "Survivor Tree." Only its gruff and impenetrable exterior saved it from the blast. It was originally burnt to a crisp and thought lost but bloomed again the following spring.

The chairs are inscribed with loved ones' names and have the ability to light up at night. They are arranged according to the floor that person worked on.

Memorial looking South. The third pine tree from the left (center of this picture) was the location of the van.

I was in middle school when the bombing took place and remember it vividly. This was my second visit to the memorial and it still tugs at the heartstrings. Everyone should pay it a visit at some point.

After departing OKC, I zoomed back up the turnpike into Missouri. I stopped for a late lunch at Dottie's Family Restaurant in Cuba, Mo. and headed toward St. Louis. The Scottrade Center was hosting NCAA Basketball tourney games that day but traffic wasn't an issue as I pushed through the Gateway City into Illinois. 

It was a long day of driving so I coasted into Terra Haute, Indiana and shacked up at a Days Inn which advertised a pretty cheap nightly rate. I think I inherited my hotel instincts from my father who would always find the Linder Clan the best deal on the road.

DAY SEVEN - Monday

A cold snap (hasn't this whole winter been one!?) hit southern Indiana during the overnight so my travel outfit of shorts and a KSU wrestling t-shirt kind of left me a little chilled as I began the final stretch. I only needed to make one more fuel stop so I pulled over in Huber Heights, Ohio. After some chicken and mashed potatoes I broke out some car karaoke! It was at this point I am grateful to have been traveling alone. My Peter Cetera could use some work but it's close!

I finally reached Kent just after 5 ET. It was great to see the sun still shining and all the familiar landmarks of home. There's nothing like being away for a week to make you appreciate home!

All in all it was a phenomenal trip. I love road tripping. I have a small fear of flying anyways so I prefer driving. Besides, if you fly, you miss out on all of the little stops along the way. I think SID Aaron Chimenti is still looking for his luggage!

The NCAA Wrestling Championships are my favorite event to cover every year. It's like a family reunion with people you only see once a year but they are always there. The countdown to St. Louis 2015 is already on and hopefully the KSU wrestlers can make even more noise next year!

I'll be back on the baseball mic tomorrow at Wright State! Tune in for first pitch at 3 ET with Golden Flashes Warm-Up at 2:45.

So Long Everybody!

TL