Start Me Up

Hi again everybody! 'Twas Mick Jagger who once so eloquently (and perhaps frighteningly, depending on your taste) used three little notes to open what would become a pretty iconic song.

And as we sit here on the eve of college baseball's opening day, the 1981 hit is as relevant as ever.

KSU's baseball team has traveled to the desert landscape of Tucson, Arizona to open the 2014 season. The Golden Flashes will play games Friday, Saturday and Sunday at historic Hi Corbett Field. The Arizona Wildcats won the College World Series in 2012 but were in the opposite bracket from KSU.

The 2014 Flashes appear to have a good mix of both veteran and rookie talent - both on the mound and at the plate. After a very slow start to the 2013 campaign, Kent State fought back in the standings to win the Mid-American Conference regular season crown on the season's final pitch.

One of the veterans on this year's squad was a key factor in KSU's 2012 Omaha run. T.J. Sutton will be one of the mainstays the Flashes will be looking to for leadership on the field and in the clubhouse. And the Canton native couldn't be more excited to get his senior year going.

T.J. Sutton

"It's a new attitude around our program. Our goals don't change. In my mind, it really starts with defense. We can't wait to play," he said.

Kent State's first 16 games will be played in southern climates.

"We have to come out and play good defense and be aggressive at the plate. We'll need to get good reads in the field and some of the changes we made in the field house this winter have helped with that. The biggest thing is letting the game come to you and not try and do too much," the right fielder added.

First pitch from the former Spring Training home of the Indians is 8 pm ET Friday.

The softball team already has a leg up on the hardballers thanks to a 4-1 weekend in California last weekend. This year's diamond ladies have quality pitching depth with reigning MAC Pitcher of the Year Emma Johnson at the helm of a deep rotation. But it was a red-hot offense which surprised even head coach Karen Linder at Long Beach.

"We had a really good weekend, coming from behind in two of our four wins," she said. "But our offense was better than I anticipated - especially the top of the order. A lot of positives out of the weekend."

The Flashes will be off this weekend before taking part in a very challenging FAU Tournament next week where they'll see a top-10 Michigan team twice.

One of the things I'm excited about this spring is the debut of a new show called "Diamond Dialogue." This 30-minute show will air on our Golden Flashes iHeart Radio channel and will focus on both Kent State baseball and softball teams. The first episode premieres today and I've attached it via a link to Sound Cloud below. Give it a listen and I welcome all feedback!

Diamond Dialogue - Episode I

Until next time, Go Flashes!

TL

MAC Memories - Volume 2 - Games 5-1

Hi again everybody! Well it's almost the eve of another Kent State/Akron basketball game here at the MAC Center.

A couple of weeks ago, I rolled out five of the top Mid-American Conference games I've witnessed in person. It's seems fitting to wait until today to reveal my top five. I would like to say thanks to the great number of loyal Flashes fans who either emailed me or mentioned to me in person their own personal top MAC memories. Many of them are on this list!

So here they are, and here's to making another one tomorrow night!

Go Flashes!

TL

#5 – March 12 2011 – Kent State vs. Akron – MAC Championship

After splitting the two regular season meetings, no one was surprised when the two rivals survived the first two rounds of the MAC Tournament and met for a third time in the finals. Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena was abuzz hours before the game with fans eager to see the two belligerents decide the MAC title.

From the outset, the intense pressure of a championship game against a rival was palpable. Key plays and mistakes were both made as the game wore on into the night. With the game tied late, KSU’s Rodriguez Sherman fired a prayer as the buzzer sounded that sailed wide, sending the game into overtime.

With 9,000 fans on their feet for the five-minute overtime, KSU took a 62-59 lead but then hit a dry spell. Akron’s Brett McKnight buried two free throws with 12 seconds left to give the Zips a 66-65 lead and the Golden Flashes’ final two shots were blocked to bring the game to its final heartbreaking result.

The Flashes managed just six points in the extra session on 2/13 shooting, but found their stroke the next week in California as they upset St. Mary’s in the NIT.

Akron 66, Kent State 65 F/OT

#4 – March 8 2003 – Kent State vs. Ohio – MAC Semi-finals

It was like a scene out of “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.”

But instead of Claiborne, Clanton and McLaury against Virgil, Morgan, Earp and Holliday, it was Gates and Wilkins against Hunter and Esterkamp.

Antonio Gates

For twenty tantalizing minutes in the first half, Kent State and Ohio fired bullet after bullet at each other. Defense seemed to be optional as the two teams headed for their locker rooms deadlocked at 38. The second half was equally as entertaining. Wilkins enjoyed a phenomenal night, striking for 22 points in his hometown. The Gates/Hunter match-up was worth the price of admission in itself as the two big-bodied forwards locked horns all night. Gates finished with 21 and Hunter tallied 26 points and six rebounds in the back-and-forth affair.

A Gates jumper late gave the Flashes some breathing room and they calmly hit their free throws to clinch a spot in the title game.

Kent State 73, Ohio 70 F

#3 – January 23, 2008 – Akron @ Kent State

Thanks to the miracle of television, the first regular season encounter between the hated rivals was my first ever chance to call a Kent State/Akron men’s game on radio. With Bill Needle and Tom Linder sliding over to the TV side, I jumped into the radio air chair for my first taste of the rivalry.

It was a messy first half for the good guys who trailed a hot-shooting Zips squad, 35-25. But in the second period, the Flashes rallied and dropped 50 on their unsuspecting guests. The frustration piled up as an ugly shoving match broke out in the corner near the end of the game following a foul. To compound matters, some unruly fans showered Zips’ players with debris in the melee, prompting head coach Jim Christian to grab the PA mic and demand order – a la Sam Wyche of the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Flashes were paced by Chris Singletary, whose 7/8 shooting night led the way for the winners. This triumph would be the first of three in 2008 for the Golden Flashes over the Zips – including a resounding win in the tournament finals.

Kent State 75, Akron 69 F

#2 – February 3, 2003 – Miami @ Kent State

It was called the “Greatest Team in Kent State Basketball History.” The 2001-2002 Golden Flashes shattered the school record books, rolled through the Mid-American Conference and jumped into the national spotlight with an appearance in the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament’s Elite Eight.

Not quite a year after they become a national sensation, four key members of that historic squad were summoned back to the MAC Center for a jersey retirement ceremony. It was a big party in Kent, Ohio and there was just one little problem.

Someone put Charlie Coles and the Miami RedHawks on the guest list.

Kent State's Fab Four

The 5,682 other party-goers were stunned as the rude RedHawks seized command of the game, going up by 19 in the first half. KSU could do nothing right. But during a timeout, Trevor Huffman, Demetric Shaw, Andrew Mitchell and Eric Thomas moved from the seats to behind Kent’s bench. And the rally was on.

Led by Antonio Gates – who, at one point scored 12 straight points by himself - the Flashes fought back to within 11 at the break and roared to life after halftime to deliver a haymaker to the bewildered RedHawks. With the MAC Center roof literally vibrating due to the noise, Eric Haut then began a long-distance spectacular, burying three after three as KSU ran away with the game.

Afterward, it was a truly humbling experience to be able to interview both the star of this game (Gates), and the guest of honor (Huffman).

Kent State 70, Miami 60 F

#1 – March 4 2011 – Akron at Kent State

It was a dream setup that even the most ambitious Hollywood writer couldn’t have concocted.

After a mesmerizing regular season, the Kent State Golden Flashes and the Akron Zips had one game to play. All that remained to be settled was the 2011 regular season champion and top seed. The MAC Center was ready for the Friday Night Fight of a lifetime.

The Zips took advantage of a slow shooting start for KSU to go up by four at the intermission. But the second half featured yet another classic MAC Center comeback. Sparked by veteran star Justin Greene, the Golden Flashes made their move. And with the crowd at a constant din, Akron’s Quincy Diggs was called for a foul that he didn’t quite agree with. Frustration then took over and before his dialogue with referee Bo Boroski was over, Diggs was ejected from the game – symbolically ending the Zips’ night.

With nearly 6,500 screaming fans on their feet, KSU piled it on, hitting clutch three after clutch three. Security personnel stood helplessly by as rabid Flashes’ fans stormed the court in celebration of the team’s second consecutive league title.

Kent State 79, Akron 68 F

MAC Memories - Volume 1 - Games 10-6

Hi again everybody! Happy New Year from the Kent State IMG Sports Network!

Earlier this week, both our men and women's basketball teams began the nightly drama (and sometimes torture!) that is Mid-American Conference play. As I was preparing for the KSU/Ohio opener, I started to daydream about some of the classic MAC games I've seen since my involvement with Kent State.

So, to coincide with the start of what is sure to be another exciting MAC season, I have come up with 10 of my favourite moments. The only rule was that it had to be a game I personally witnessed. Watching on television didn't count. We will start the countdown with numbers 10 through six this week and then the top five in a couple weeks leading up to the Akron game!

If you agree, disagree, were there and have memories or just want to share some of your own personal highlights, please feel free!

Without further adieu, let the countdown begin!

#10  - January 25 2004 – Toledo @ Kent State

In marched the first place Toledo Rockets on a frigid Sunday in Kent. With a 13-3, 7-1 record, Stan Joplin’s Rockets were loaded with talent and the pick of many to finally unseat KSU as the MAC’s dominant program. The Flashes were 12-3 overall and a solid 6-1 in conference play.

Eric Haut

The game was tied early before the Golden Flashes made a run – one of several they’d make on the afternoon. And when Eric Haut, Jason Edwin and Bryan Bedford unleashed a long-range barrage, Joplin could do little to slow KSU’s furious pace other than burn timeout after timeout. A raucous MAC Center crowd of 5,879 witnessed Haut and Edwin combine for 40 of Kent State’s 92 points. But perhaps more impressive was the Flashes’ defense – holding Keith Triplett to a 2/12 shooting day with four turnovers and a frustration-induced technical foul.

Kent State 92, Toledo 56 F

#9 – March 8 2013 – Kent State @ Akron

The national television lights shined bright on the MAC’s two powers for the regular season finale at James A. Rhodes Arena. And as a sellout crowd of better than 5,000 white-clad Zips fans looked on, a KSU newcomer stole the show.

With the game still hanging tantalizingly up for grabs, Kent State junior Darren Goodson simply took over the game. On one end, he made clutch shot after clutch shot. On the other, he grabbed rebounds, outmuscled larger opponents and took a key charge that turned the game around. And in between he came of age as a team leader, taking command of the huddle both on and off the court. His 19 points and 8 rebounds were just enough to lead the Flashes to victory on Akron’s Senior night.

Kent State 68, Akron 64 F

#8 – February 21, 2011 – Kent State @ Western Michigan

The only thing he didn’t do was drive the bus home.

KSU’s Michael Porrini put the Flashes on his back at Western Michigan’s University Arena down the stretch, helping Kent to a road win that completely changed the complexion of the conference race.

Michael Porrini

Trailing 70-69, the Massillon product caught fire, capitalizing on a three-point play to give the Flashes a lead with a minute to play. After a quick Bronco bucket, the Flashes had the ball with 30 seconds remaining, tied at 72. Although the first shot attempt was missed, Porrini skied to the rafters to snare the offensive rebound – allowing Kent State to set up a final play. 

Following a time out the Golden Flashes ran the clock down to under 10 seconds when the 6'2" guard was isolated at the top of the key.  Porrini, who had 15 of his team high 19 points in the second half, then delivered once again hitting a 17-foot pull-up jumper to give the Golden Flashes their two point lead.  Not to be outdone he then stole a three-quarters court desperation in bounds pass to seal the win and give Kent State's its 23rd consecutive victory over a West Division opponent.

Kent State 74, Western Michigan 72 F

#7 – February 27 2013 – Buffalo @ Kent State

Throughout Kent State’s basketball renaissance, the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center has been a house of horrors for many teams who attempt to brave its confines. But no team had found the venerable structure more terrifying than the Buffalo Bulls. And as they made the trek down I-90 for the second regular season meeting, the Flashes had perhaps the most gruesome finish in store for them, yet.

Down 15 points in the final 12 minutes, it would have taken quite a leap of faith to expect KSU to keep the Bulls winless in Portage County. Six times already this year they’d lost excruciatingly in the final seconds. But Melvin Tabb – banished to the bench in the first half – was called from it in the second and provided just the spark KSU needed. His 14 points and five rebounds in the final 14 minutes of regulation sent the game into overtime tied at 73.

Evans beats the Bulls

As the two clubs slugged furiously away at each other in the extra session, the game remained deadlocked at 81 as Kent State prepared for the final possession. The Flashes put the ball in the hands of Chris Evans and he started his drive as the seconds ticked away. Three different Buffalo players challenged Evans as he drove for the basket, including Bulls star Javon McCrea, but the Kent State senior managed to hang in the air just long enough to get off the first buzzer beater of his life.

The four footer banked in to set off a wild celebration as the clock hit zero, sending KSU to a MAC tournament bye, and Buffalo to 0-16 lifetime at the MAC Center.

Kent State 83, Buffalo 81 F/OT

#6 – January 19 2005 – Buffalo @ Kent State

Head coach Reggie Witherspoon had guided a long-dormant Buffalo Bulls basketball program into constant Mid-American Conference contention. His 2004-2005 squad was his best to date, with three-point sharpshooter Calvin Cage and MAC Player of the Year favorite Turner Battle.

Turner Battle

As the two new rivals took to the parquet for an early conference showdown, the drama began instantly. Battle and Cage were magnificent and the Flashes got contributions from up and down head coach Jim Christian’s lineup. With a 30-29 lead at halftime, KSU watched UB shoot 64 percent in the second half. Yet the Flashes moved ahead by three on a couple of Kevin Warzynski free throws with four seconds left, 70-67. But Battle stole the stage and buried an impossible three at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. He then hit the first field goal of OT and seemed primed to run away with the game. But a Jason Edwin three turned the score around and the Flashes outscored the Bulls in the extra period, 15-10 to hold on for the classic win.

Battle finished 9/16 for 25 points to lead all scorers, and won the respect from the KSU crowd in the process. Meanwhile, Kent State had six of its eight players in double figures – led by Edwin’s 18. There were five ties in the remarkable contest and an astounding 18 lead changes.

Kent State 85, Buffalo 80 F/OT

There you have it! My sixth through tenth picks. Check back in a week or so for my top five. Until then, and as always,

GO FLASHES!

-TL

The Overlap

For a broadcaster, we have entered the time of the year that is both very hectic yet very enjoyable.

I am talking, of course about the time period we like to call 'The Overlap.'

It's that two to three week period in November when football is wrapping up and basketball is just starting up. It can sometimes be a tricky proposition for us broadcasters. There are several logistical things we need to address when we first examine the schedules and how they might come together.

The work really begins in the summer - when there are no games. I make sure we have three viable broadcasting kits. These will feature a transmitting device, headsets, crowd microphones, cables, etc. We've never had a situation where we've needed to do four broadcasts at once but we have often had three so it's important for me to have all three events covered and covered professionally.

Once the MAC and Kent State announce the basketball schedules, I'll sit down and lay everything out on a calendar. I also have to throw the weekly radio show in there to make sure it doesn't catch anyone by surprise. The last thing we want is a radio show where all the coaches are traveling for games or recruiting!

When we've identified the overlap areas, I'll start assigning broadcasters to events. We were very fortunate this year to have the football schedule move to the mid-week as early as it did. And thanks to some shrewd maneuvering by our crack office staff, we've been able to keep all the games covered by our familiar voices.

For me, there are two overlap seasons - November and March. The latter takes place when basketball and wrestling teams are heading into post-season (an annual tradition at KSU!) and our fine baseball team is beginning conference play. All the same planning comes into play and I'm fortunate to have true pros like Dave Wilson and Rob Polinsky at my disposal to fill all our Golden Flashes contests.

Tonight, I hope you'll take time to attend Senior Night at Robert C. Dix Stadium as the Flashes battle the Miami RedHawks. And bring a transistor radio or smartphone to listen to our basketball team takes on Seton Hall! It's the Overlap!

TL

Don James

When word first got to me about KSU and UW coaching legend Don James' passing, I immediately thought of a highly entertaining and privileged telephone conversation I had with him just last autumn.

As the reunion of KSU's first (and to this point, only) MAC Championship football team drew near, I was charged with writing a retrospective two-page story to appear in the game program. I sought out several key names from that 1972 team and conducted interviews, including a 30-minute call to James in his suburban Seattle home. When I was finished I was faced with two hard realities: Don James is a coaching icon and this story was going to be much longer than two pages.

It isn't everyday I get to interview a coach who is both a national champion and hall of famer. But for one afternoon last fall, I did. And I cherished every moment of it. Make no mistake, I am very fortunate to have the job I have, but it does have some tough trade-offs. I've missed holidays, graduations, weddings and spend a lot of time away from family and friends due to travel. But the chance to interview a coaching giant in Don James makes it all worth it.

I was immediately saddened to hear of Coach's passing. I thought of his lovely wife Carol and how tough it would have been for her at times - considering all the game and recruiting travel, when times got tough in Kent and Washington - when fans and journalists can be very unforgiving. And yet through it all I shook my head in awe at their astounding 60-plus years of marriage. 

I thought of the James Gang. And how they hadn't seen each other in so many years and decades until that beautiful reunion last August. I thought of our own Herb Page who has gone from a player on James' team to now leading a team of his own in KSU's nationally renowned golf program. And I also thought of many other players on that team whom no one believed in. 

Except Don James.

I have condensed my interview with Coach James down to about 10 minutes and you can listen to it at the link below:

Don James Interview

I have also decided that as my own personal tribute to Coach James and his KSU legacy, I will allow Kent State's first offensive play on Saturday against UB to be run in silence. Rob, Matt and me will turn our microphones off and pay homage to one of the greatest coaches and men to ever grace us.

Homecoming Weekend

Well, as many of you around northeast Ohio have undoubtedly noticed, Mother Nature is starting to change her wardrobe a bit.

This year's homecoming game is quite literally a homecoming. The Flashes haven't played a home game in 28 days. Since dropping that Sept. 7 game to Bowling Green, KSU has traveled 3,174 miles. That's a long haul and keep in mind it's a shorter trip to Seattle, Los Angeles and Mexico City. Fortunately, the grueling three-game road trip ended with a victory in Kalamazoo Saturday night - Kent's first at Waldo Stadium since 1988!

I always enjoyed Homecoming at Kent State more than high school for a few reasons. Number one the game is much more meaningful because the Golden Flashes are not usually playing a cupcake team. Secondly, there's no pressure to ask the pretty blonde out to the dance on Saturday night. And finally, I love seeing all the former athletes and their families back in campus wearing the blue and gold.

Homecoming Weekend is also a great chance to see several KSU teams in action. For instance, our field hockey team plays today at 1 pm at Murphy Mellis Field. Few people realize what a solid program that has been for a very long time. In fact, it was the field hockey team which started an incredible string of MAC dominance back in 1991 with a league championship. Since then, we have won at least one conference title in each year!

Also, our volleyball team plays tonight against Bowling Green and then tomorrow night against Miami. Coach Gromala's team got the Golden Flashes off on the right foot last weekend in this year's PNC Wagon Wheel Challenge with a thrilling 3-2 win at Rhodes Arena. If you can't make it tonight, we'll have it for you on the Golden Flashes iHeart Radio channel at 7 pm.

Wherever you may be coming from, I wish you and your family safe travels back to campus this weekend! Check out downtown Kent and the beautiful University Esplanade! And let's not forget it will be Dr. Lefton's final homecoming as our president before his well deserved retirement.

Go Flashes!

TL

Life on the Road

Road trips with the KSU Football team are the best.

Not only do we get treated first-class, there is quite a bit of down time to explore whichever locale we might be in.

Never was this more true than last weekend in Louisiana! After our flight arrived in Baton Rouge at noon on Friday, we had ample time to get settled, adjust to the heat and humidity and grab a rental car.

Thanks to KSU Director of New Media Dave Carducci - who seemingly has friends all over the globe - we were welcomed into the beautiful city of New Orleans. I had been there once before on a women's basketball trip and was looking forward to seeing more of the Crescent City. Joining us in our expedition were my broadcast partners Rob Polinsky and Matt Miller as well as ticket office manager Eric Fronczek and video coordinator Nick Kane.

We had a great time checking out Bourbon Street and the surrounding areas. We were able to take in some great live jazz, sample some terrific seafood and even ran into a few other Kent State fans! The great time ended with Carducci buying us all a plate of beignets from the famous Café Du Monde. Talk about a perfect way to finish off a great night!

The game experience was pretty much on par with many other major conference schools we've visited. It was about 92 steamy degrees for tailgating and I think the sweltering heat chased many fans away because Tiger Stadium was nowhere near capacity for the ballgame. It was great to meet longtime LSU radio voice Jim Hawthorne before the game as well.

I am looking forward to Part II of the road trip this weekend when we pack up for State College. The Diner at Penn State is one of my favourite eating establishments of all time, offering cheese fries with a liquid white cheddar sauce and spectacular grilled stickies for dessert. I will probably be fasting for two days leading up to the trip!

On the field, I like what I see from a KSU offense which continues to evolve around quarterback Colin Reardon. Offensive Coordinator Brian Rock has done a masterful job in sending him plays he can succeed with while also raising his confidence. I think we have something special at that position. I am also looking forward to seeing Colin's counterpart this weekend in freshman Christian Hackenburg. I saw him in an Elite 11 QB camp once and am interested in seeing how he's progressed.

Until Saturday at 2:30, Go Flashes!

TL