Posted: March-31-2009 at 10:30pm | IP Logged	Tweet

Hey Robbie, a friend of mine and his son, we attended the ETSU and Tennessee baseball game tonight here in Johnson City at Cardinal Park. And the Bucs made it three-straight victories over the Vols, dating back to sweeping the Big Orange last year by winning at home and then traveling to Knoxville and beating the Vols.

ETSU jumped ahead 2-0 before the Vols hit a two-run homer to tie the game. Then it was all Bucs, as they wound up winning 9-3.

Hey "WOO-WOO," when you called me while I was at the game ... whewwwwwwwwwwwwwww, with it drizzlin' rain during the first three innings and the wind blowing, it was downright chilly. My buddy Robbie and his son Luke, we were all cold. Well, at least Robbie and I admitted we were cold. Luke said he wasn't. But his dad made him go to the restroom and get some toilet paper to blow his runny nose. HA HA HA HA

The fresh popped popcorn smelled sooooooooooooooooooooooo good, and I got some. That's the first popcorn I've eaten in I couldn't tell you when. Many people were drinking either coffee or hot chocolate for warmth, but I can't stand the taste of coffee ... so I drank a cold Diet Coke. HA HA HA 

Posted: March-31-2009 at 10:38pm | IP Logged	Tweet

Oh yeah, something else.

I don't know what the brilliant people in the ETSU athletic department were thinking. Besides the baseball game with the Vols, the Lady Bucs were playing Virginia Tech in softball.

With two high-profile teams such as Tennessee and Virginia Tech in town, why divide the crowd? The softball game began at 6 p.m. and the baseball game at 7 p.m. Some of the girls came by to catch the last couple innings of the baseball game. I heard one girl mention they lost to the Hokies 5-3, but they had runners in the last inning on first and third and couldn't get them scored.

ETSU's got a pretty good softball team. If I'm not mistaken, I read in yesterday's newspaper promoting the game the Lady Bucs were 18-10. The play Appalachian State here in town today (Wednesday) in a doubleheader, with the first game starting at 5 p.m.

One thing ETSU has done since dropping football is, upgraded their athletic facilities. The new, very nice soccer complex and also the softball stadium. I'd put those facilities up against any major college's.

Posted: April-22-2009 at 1:41am | IP Logged	Tweet

Well, the East Tennessee State University Buccaneers have made it a clean sweep for the season, beating the University of Tennessee Volunteers on Tuesday night in Knoxville by the score of 9-8.

This makes the second conscutive season the Bucs have swept the Vols on the diamond.The Bucs have won four in a row and six of the past eight against the Vols.

The Bucs really aren't a very good baseball team, they're just a .500-team on the season. Two of their victories have come against the big-time Vols from the SEC. But what does that say about the Vols? The Vols have had some very good baseball teams in the past, but face it ... under now second-year coach Todd Raleigh, the Vols just aren't getting the job done. After the loss the ETSU, the Vols are now 19-23 on the season. Heck, look at former football coach Phillip Fulmer getting run off, and he won right at 70 percent of the games he coached.
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http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2009/apr/21/east-tennessee-st-continues-mastery/

East Tennessee State continues mastery over Vols, 9-8

Raleigh ejected

BY MIKE STRANGE
strangem@knoxnews.com

Todd Raleigh missed a dramatic finish Tuesday night at Lindsey Nelson Stadium. He would not, however, have liked the ending.

East Tennessee State continued its baseball mastery of Tennessee with a 9-8 victory in an emotionally charged battle of what’s lately turned into a one-sided rivalry.

That’s a season sweep for the Bucs, four in a row and six of the past eight against the Vols.

Raleigh, UT’s second-year coach, was ejected in the seventh inning for arguing with home plate umpire Justin McCulley.

ETSU led 4-3 at the time, but the drama was just beginning.

The Bucs (19-19) and Vols (19-23) exchanged late-inning rallies. ETSU got the last word on Troy Mendez’ tie-breaking double in the ninth.

Mendez’ double off Aaron Tullo — the seventh of eight UT pitchers — and drove in Jacob Fabry to break an 8-8 tie.

It was another frustrating outcome for the Vols against their nemesis from Johnson City.

The Vols had rallied for a 5-4 lead in the seventh, only to see the Bucs go back in front 8-5 in the eighth.

Then UT rallied again to tie it 8-8 in eighth.

“We definitely have a losing record against those guys and we came out trying to change that,’’ said UT sophomore catcher Blake Forsythe, who had RBI hits in both of Tennessee’s rallies.

The Vols started well enough in the ninth as Tullo (2-6) retired the first two hitters.

“I was excited,’’ Forsythe said. “I’m ready to get back in the dugout.

“I thought for sure if we go in there with a tie ballgame we’re going to end it that inning.’’

It didn’t work out that way.

Fabry, ETSU’s lead-off batter, executed a bunt single. He then stole second and continued to third when Forsythe’s throw to second base was high.

After a walk to Ben Reeder (4-3), Mendez delivered the big blow, ETSU’s eighth double of the game.

“They did a great job of hitting the ball with two outs,’’ Forsythe said. “That’s ultimately what killed us.

“That two-out bunt started it all and we completely lost focus.’’

And didn’t get it back in the bottom of the ninth.

The Vols went down 1-2-3 and ETSU celebrated the victory.

The Bucs outhit the Vols 15-8 and UT pitchers issued seven walks.

Raleigh was tossed for objecting when ETSU batter Ben Allen was ruled to have been hit by an inside pitch.

Raleigh had lost an earlier debate with McCulley when Reeder slid home to score under Forsythe’s tag in the third to give the Bucs a 2-1 lead.

Forsythe’s RBI single put UT up 5-4 in the seventh but the Bucs proved resourceful.

Lefty Bryan Morgado got two outs in the eighth, but allowed four runs before he could get the third.

Down 8-5, UT answered with hits from P.J. Polk, Cody Hawn and Forsythe to tie it again — in vain, it turned out.

Forsythe Invited: Forsythe is one of the first 17 collegians invited to the USA Baseball National Team Trials in June at Cary, N.C.

Nineteen more candidates will be announced. The 22-man team will be revealed June 24.

“It’s more than an honor,’’ Forsythe said. “It’s been my dream and my goal.’’

Posted: April-22-2009 at 7:25am | IP Logged	Tweet

"Big-Time" VOLS?

With 16 (yes, 16) new players on the team this season, 10 of which are Pitchers, I hardly think they're "Big-Time".

The only thing "big-time" about the Baseball VOLS this season is their schedule, which ranks 5th in the nation.

They're rebuilding under 2nd yr HC Todd Raleigh. I give ETSU props for having their number so to speak, but the VOLS are nowhere near a good baseball team this season. They were picked to finish just 5th in the the SEC East.

Posted: April-22-2009 at 10:58pm | IP Logged	Tweet

I said "Two of their victories have come against the big-time Vols from the SEC."

I believe "BugMan" you will agree the SEC is big-time compared to the Atlantic Sun Conference. That's what I meant by the big-time comment.

When you look at the athletic budgets for ETSU and UT, you and I both know there's no comparison. Just comparing money spent for athletics, no way should the Vols ever lose to the Bucs. I know for a fact that ETSU doesn't even offer full-rides to all its athletes in baseball.

I about guarantee you Todd Raleigh is feeling heat in Knoxville due to the non-winning season the Vols are having in baseball.

Posted: April-23-2009 at 6:02am | IP Logged	Tweet

This just in:

Believe it or not, and I will find a supporting article. The baseball VOLS are set up the same way. There are only 1 or 2 full-ride players. Like ETSU, scholarships are split, sometimes several ways for 2-3 players. I had no idea Tennessee was set up that way until I read something about it about a month ago. I was shocked.