Press Releases

Graceland’s Ryan Brickman and Matt Calcagni earned Heart of America Athletic Conference Baseball Player of the Week accolades for the first week of the season.

Ryan Brickman, a senior right handed pitcher, has been selected HAAC Pitcher of the Week. The Macalester, Okla. native was 1-0 for the Yellowjackets this week allowing no runs on three hits in six innings of work. He struck out eight and walked on for the week.

Matt Calcagni, from Brampton, Ontario, has been named HAAC Player of the Week. Calcagni collected eight hits in 16 at-bats, scoring six runs with a home run and eight RBI for the week. The 5-11 junior had three games with multiple hits this week.

As Major League Baseball prepares for its 2005 League Championship series the men of Graceland University baseball prepare for what could be a championship of their own as the Blue team has a 3-1 strangle hold over the Gold team in the Graceland World Series of baseball.

In game three the Gold team struck back and picked up their first win of the best-of-seven match-up, 6-5. Senior Jason Bennett picked up the win as he went five innings giving up two runs on three hits all while fanning three Blue batters. Senior Tanner Stone and junior John Stewart also appeared in the game throwing an inning each, Stewart with the save.

Sophomore Terry Hogg picked up the loss for the Blue team as he pitched a near flawless four innings before running into trouble and giving way to frosh Don Cox in the fifth. Freshmen Kyle Burley and Raj Shergill also appeared on the mound for the Blue team.

The Blue team did out hit the Gold 7-4 in the loss and leading the way was junior Mark Jurczynski who had two hits and one RBI. Junior Tyler Moe had a double and junior Matt Calcagni had a triple for the Blue team.

Four Gold team batters had doubles: juniors Michael Andrade, Matt Proctor and Rudy Vallejos along with freshman Keith Williams.

Game four had the Blue team jump back to a two-game lead as they beat the Gold team by a score of 9-4. Ryan Brickman picked up the win out of the bullpen. Gold starter, sophomore Rick Eusebio, gave up two runs on five hits over four and two-third innings. Freshmen Luis Perales and Raj Shergill finished the game with an inning a piece.

Sophomore starter Matt Hayes threw six strong for the losing side where he gave up one unearned run on three hits and he struck out five. John Stewart picked up the loss out of the pen that also had Stone and sophomore Brian Kennedy appear.

The Blue team had nine hits in the game. Three players had multi hit games: juniors Tyler Moe and Aaron Fuller and freshman Adam Shupe. Moe and Fuller also hit in a pair of RBI each in the contest.

Sophomore Henry Duke picked up two of the Gold team’s seven hits as Senior Kyle Olson knocked in two Gold runners.

The teams will hit the field again on Tuesday at 4 p.m. for game five of the best-of-seven series at North Park in Lamoni.

Who will win the World Series? The Yankees, the Braves or will the Sox repeat? None of the above. The Blue Team has taken a one game lead in the series, the 2005 Graceland World Series of baseball.

Brady McKillip, head baseball coach, has split his team via a mock draft and the boys of summer are battling it out on the field for mere bragging rights in their version of the fall classic. This year’s series started Tuesday, October 4 at North Park in Lamoni and Coach McKillip’s Blue Team took game one of the series by a convincing score of 15-0.

Senior pitcher Ryan Brickman got the call in game one and he rose to the task, getting the shutout with a one hitter. Henry Duke was the player that broke up the no-no as he reached on a base hit to the left side. Brickman fanned nine Gold Team batters and didn’t give up any walks.

The Blue Team’s dominance also appeared at the plate as lead off hitter, junior Adrian Kerr, went 5-5 at the plate with a double and a triple. Kerr also stole two bases and scored three runs. Nine Blue batters had hits in the game where frosh Adam Shupe had three while senior Matt Prignitz had two and juniors Tyler Moe and Aaron Fuller also picked up a pair each.

As Brickman picked up the complete game victory, three pitchers appeared for the Gold Team. Sophomore Chris Hayes picked up the loss as he gave up five runs on five hits, four earned and junior John Stewart and sophomore Brian Kennedy combined gave up 10 runs, four earned, on 10 hits.

The best of five series will continue through the week as game two is set for Wednesday, October 5 at 4 p.m. and game three goes Friday at 4 p.m.