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Evansville Otters (35-58) starting lineup:
Marcel Champagnie SS, Toby Davis 3B, Greg Alexander LF, Vinnie Scarduzio CF, Derek Wiley 1B, Jon Waltenbury RF, Jeff Hanson DH, Billy Killian C, Jake Rogers 3B
Chad Edwards RHP (four wins, six losses, 3.67 earned run average)
River City Rascals (56-38) starting lineup:
Bobby Burk SS, Doug Sanders 2B, Stephen Holdren RF, Chad Maddox CF, Josh Banda 1B, Danny Sawyer DH, Jon Ubbenga 3B, Cooper Stewart C, JoJo Gutierrez LF
Josh Lowey RHP (7-5, 3.70)
First pitch: 5:05 pm CDT
Weather: 68 degrees with blue skies and a wind of five miles per hour to home plate.
Umpires: Don Gonzalez behind the plate, and Joe Harris on the bases
(O’FALLON, Missouri) – Today marks the final broadcast of the season as the Evansville Otters play the River City Rascals at T.R. Hughes Ballpark.
The Rascals just secured the wild card spot in the Frontier League’s Western Division and the Otters look to end a six game losing streak in the season finale.
Evansville ace Chad Edwards (4-6, 3.67 ERA) is on the mound for the Otters as he will oppose Josh Lowey (7-3, 3.70 ERA).
First pitch is scheduled for 5:05 PM CDT with the Evansville Otters Pregame Show starting at 4:45.
Hope to have you with me for the last call of the year.
(O’FALLON, Missouri) – The River City Rascals are playoff bound with an 8-4 win over the Evansville Otters tonight.
They will be playing the Southern Illinois Miners in the Western Division Championship of the Frontier League next week.
The Evansville Otters Postgame Show describes the entire game with a full recap, jam-packed highlights, a final look at the numbers and the presentation of the player of the game award.
(O’FALLON, Mich.) – The River City Rascals defeated the Evansville Otters and earned a playoff berth in an 8-4 win on Saturday night.
Vinnie Scarduzio tripled in the first run for Evansville but River City rallied back by scoring a run in each of the first five innings.
Down 6-1, the Otters mounted a comeback with a home run from Jon Waltenbury and an RBI single from Marcel Champagnie in the 7th to cut the deficit in half.
But JoJo Gutierrez added a late two-run single and closer Derrick Miramontes recorded the final out for the 8-4 win.
Tim Woodward (4-2) picks up the win after throwing three innings in relief. The loss goes to Kyle Barry (2-7) after allowing six runs over seven innings.
The River City Rascals are now 56-38 with the win and have clinched a playoff match-up against the first place Southern Illinois Miners.
The Evansville Otters fall to 35-58 with the team’s sixth straight loss and look to end the season with a win in the series finale tomorrow night. First pitch is set for 5:05 PM CDT.
Marcel Champagnie SS, Toby Davis 3B, Greg Alexander LF, Vinnie Scarduzio CF, Derek Wiley 1B, Jon Waltenbury RF, Jeff Hanson DH, Billy Killian C, Brian Kolb 2B
Kyle Barry RHP (two wins, six losses, 4.74 earned run average)
River City Rascals (55-38) starting lineup:
Bobby Burk 3B, Doug Sanders 2B, Stephen Holdren RF, Chad Maddox CF, Scott Robinson 1B, Josh Banda DH, Chris McClendon LF, Danny Sawyer C, JoJo Gutierrez SS
Zack Sterner RHP (5-1, 3.71)
First pitch: 7:05 pm CDT
Weather: 68 degrees with wind blowing to left field at five miles per hour
Umpires: Joe Harris behind the plate with Don Gonzalez on the bases
(O’FALLON, Missouri) – Tonight, the Evansville Otters (35-57) meet the River City Rascals (55-38) on the road in the middle game of the weekend series.
It is the final few games of the year and this matchup has enormous playoff potential with River City trying to secure a spot. With a win, the Rascals are in, but if the Evansville Otters can play spoiler, the final game will decide it all!
Evansville starts righty Kyle Barry (2-6, 4.74 ERA) as the team hopes to end a losing streak. River City goes with Zack Sterner (5-1, 3.71 ERA) as he tries to seal the wild card for the Rascals.
First pitch is set for 7:05 PM CDT from T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O’Fallon, Missouri with the Evansville Otters pregame show beginning at 6:45 PM.
(O’FALLON, Missouri) – Announcing the Evansville Otters and River City Rascals game last night, I started to notice a change.
Instead of the last time that the Otters played at T.R. Hughes Ballpark, the temperature was no longer at triple digits.
By the end of the game, most fans had reached for their jackets as the thermometer read 59 degrees as the final pitch was thrown.
Is summer already over? College football is being showcased around the country today and it is starting to seem like the transition from summer to fall is starting earlier than expected.
What do you think? Is summer ending and fall beginning?
(O’FALLON, Missouri) – The River City Rascals beat the Evansville Otters 8-3 tonight at T.R. Hughes Ballpark.
After the game, I had the chance to describe everything that took place on the Evansville Otters Postgame Show.
With a full game recap, highlights, a final look at the numbers and the player of the game, the Postgame Show summarizes the entire night in just a few minutes.
(O’Fallon, Missouri) – The River City Rascals rallied early and received strong pitching from Gary Moran in an 8-3 win over the Evansville Otters on Friday night.
Otters outfielder Vinnie Scarduzio doubled home the first run against Moran and Derek Wiley followed with an RBI single for a 2-0 lead.
River City rallied right back on a Stephen Holdren single to pull within a run. Chad Maddox then drove in another pair on a single for the 3-2 edge.
The Rascals scored another three runs in the second inning to knock out Nick Sottung and build a 6-2 advantage.
River City added another pair of runs late as the team defeated Evansville 8-3.
Gary Moran (10-4) earns the win after allowing two runs in 6 2/3 innings. Nick Sottung (6-4) takes the loss after throwing two innings and giving up six runs.
River City is 55-38 after the win. Evansville has now lost five straight games as the Otters are 35-57 this season.
The teams meet again tomorrow in the middle game of the series at T.R. Hughes Ballpark. First pitch is set for 7:05 PM CDT.
(O’FALLON, Missouri) – Before the Otters game today, I had the chance to sit down with Evansville pitcher Chad Edwards.
The Paducah, Kentucky native had a great outing against Southern Illinois during his last start, but unfortunately ended up on the losing end. Chad talked about his performance during the game, including the struggles he had against Miners first baseman Stephen Head.
With the end of the season approaching, Chad was also asked his overall view of the year. The righty started the year at Middle Tennessee State University before winning a job with the Otters at a tryout.
The starter also took a look to the future examining his final start , and what Edwards plans to do in the offseason.
(O’FALLON, Missouri) – It’s the final three games of the season and that means today is one of my last few broadcasts.
The Evansville Otters (35-56) are on the road to play the River City Rascals (54-38) at T.R. Hughes Ballpark this weekend.
The win-loss records may indicate that the series is not appetizing, but that simply is not true!
With River City battling for the last playoff spot, and Evansville rallying to catch the Florence Freedom, these are some of the most important games of the year.
The Otters hope to stop a five game losing streak while also attempting to end their struggles against the Rascals (1-9 so far). River City also hopes to maintain their 1 1/2 game lead over the last few games to secure a postseason birth.
First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM CDT with the Evansville Otters pregame show starting at 6:45 PM.
Nick Sottung gets the ball for Evansville (six wins, four losses and an earned run average of 4.29) against Gary Moran of the River City Rascals (9-4, 2.67)
(O’FALLON, Missouri) – The Evansville Otters just got to the hotel and are starting to unpack their belongs into the rooms.
The trip went smoothly and I got a lot of reading done along the way. John Feinstein did an incredible job of writing “Living on the Black” and it has become one of my favorite bus books of the year. I’m always looking for a good book and this is one of the better compilations I’ve read on the life of a pitcher and everything that goes through their minds. Mike Mussina and Tom Glavine were the perfect pitchers for this story.
Stepping off the bus, the boys were welcomed to cool temperatures in the 70s which is gorgeous for a summer in the St. Louis area. The last time the team was in O’Fallon, the temperature was 100 in the day and 94 at first pitch (that doesn’t include the humidity that made it feel like a sweat-dripping 106!).
Time to get back to preparing for the game. If there is anything I can do to help you today, let me know.
(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) – Today marks the final road trip of the season as the Evansville Otters travel to play the River City Rascals. The end of the season usually pops out of no where and this season is no exception. It really is hard to fathom how quickly the season has passed, but there is more work to be done. With three games to go, there are still plenty of ways to make an impact and finish strong. The team is packing up the bus now before we leave at 11 AM for O’Fallon, Missouri. I’ll post more when we arrive at the hotel.
(EVANSVILLE, Ind.) – Baseball has two types of days: Game days and “off days.”
Typically, the off day is seen as a get-away day where not much gets done.
That is not the case with me! An off day is a chance to get better and improve when most others are taking the day for grantite.
I’m worked on updating the website, sending along a few congratulations to the winners of the postseason Frontier League awards, and taking down the flags at Bosse Field.
I also had the honor of working with Mike Bach, who is a rising sports journalist based in Iselin, New Jersey. Mike and I have been in touch for a number of weeks since he reached out to me in July, and have been working with each other on improving our weaknesses.
Both Mike and I acknowledged that no one in the field is perfect, and that there are always ways to improve. Mike worked on improving his interviewing skills today as we both performed a few mock interviews of each other.
While doing this, we found ways to strengthen ourselves to become better journalists and serve the public in a much better way than we currently do.
We started the professional relationship as more of a mentor-mentee connection, but it truly is more of a friendship now than ever. Mike has taught me so much and it is a blessing to have a friend who is committed to getting better every day like I am.
It’s a lesson to us all – there is no such thing as an “off day,” rather only another opportunity!
(MARION, Ill.) – Following the Southern Illinois Miners 5-2 win against the Evansville Otters, I recapped the contest for all of the listeners on the team’s official radio broadcast on WUEV 91.5 FM.
The game had it’s ups and downs, and a number of lead changes. which made the call a lot more interesting.
Here is the clip of the game breakdown after the final pitch:
(MARION, Ill.) – Stephen Head hit a go-ahead home run and the Miners added a pair of insurance runs late for a 5-2 Southern Illinois win over the Evansville Otters.
Otters shortstop Marcel Champagnie led off the game with a home run for the Evansville 1-0 lead but Southern Illinois rallied right back.
In the second, Stephen Head singled in the tying run and another man scored on a throwing error by the Otters.
Down 2-1, Evansville tied the game in their next opportunity when Derek Wiley plated another run to even the score.
The game would stay tied 2-2 into the bottom of the seventh inning as runs were tough to come by against Otters starter Chad Edwards and Miners pitcher Brett Scarpetta.
Stephen Head struck again with a go-ahead solo home run for the 3-2 lead and the Miners tacked on two more runs late for insurance.
It proved to be valuable as Evansville brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth but reliever Erik Draxton struck out Vinnie Scarduzio to end the game.
Southern Illinois is currently 63-30 with the sweep as Evansville drops to 35-56 on their fifth consecutive loss.
Brett Scarpetta (8-5) earns the win after throwing 7 2/3 innings. The loss goes to Chad Edwards (4-6) who allowed three runs (two earned) in seven innings. Erik Draxton also earned his fifth save of the season.
The Evansville Otters have an off day tomorrow before starting the final series of the season. The team is on the road to play the River City Rascals who are in the middle of a battle for the last playoff spot in the Frontier League’s Western Division. First pitch is set for 7:05 PM CDT from T.R. Hughes Ballpark in O’Fallon, Missouri on Friday night.
(MARION, Ill.) – Before the Evansville Otters and Southern Illinois Miners game on Wednesday night, I had a chance to talk to pitcher Kyle Barry.
The tall, right-handed pitcher for Evansville, threw the night before against the Southern Illinois Miners and did very well. Barry talked about what he considered to be his best performance of the season and why he thought so.
Kyle even delves into his season as a whole, looking back to the start of the year where he was in the bullpen to the joyful moment when he returned to the starting rotation.
Looking forward, the pitcher even talked about his offseason plans and has a powerful message as he looks forward to next season.
Here is what Kyle Barry said on the Player’s Perspective:
(MARION, Ill.) – The Southern Illinois Miners are on the verge of a sweep but the Evansville Otters have their eyes set on preventing that from happening. It is the final matchup between the Otters and the Miners this season as the two teams meet at Rent One Park.
Southern Illinois has already clinched the Frontier League’s Western Division title but both teams have a lot to play for. The Miners look to stay hot in preparation for the start of the playoffs next week. Also, the Otters look to make up a 1/2 game difference in the standings to leapfrog the Florence Freedom for fifth place.
Evansville starts right-hander Chad Edwards (4 wins, 5 losses with a 3.58 earned run average) as he will face off against Miners righty Brett Scarpetta (7-5, 3.68 ERA).
This is the third clash between Edwards and Scarpetta this year with the Evansville starter winning one battle while both pitcher’s had a no-decision in the other.
First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM CDT with the Evansville Otters pregame show starting at 6:45 PM.
(MARION, Ill.) – Many fans went to Rent One Park last night to see the Evansville Otters play the Southern Illinois Miners.
Most were certainly surprised to see a nerdy-looking gentleman getting most of the attention during the game.
He truly does it all. (Photo Courtesty of Myron Noodleman).
His name is Myron Noodleman and he is the clown prince of baseball.
Myron travels from one minor league baseball park to another during the course of the summer, creating smiles and ever lasting memories.
How? Well Noodleman uses his big thick eyebrows, oversized glasses incredible geekiness to draw in fans, while his amazing dance skills and loving personality keep them on the edge of their seats waiting to see his next move.
It was my first time seeing Myron and I was very impressed on his ability and overwhelming appeal.
Here are some of the pictures I took from the press box of Myron in action:
Myron Noodleman is just getting started!
Myron Noodleman mid-dance at Rent One Park.
Myron even got the Southern Illinois Miners involved in his routine.
And here are more pictures courtesy of Scott Gierman and the Southern Illinois Miners:
Joey Metropolous and Nate Hall join in the dancing with Myron Noodleman.
Nothing is off limits for Noodleman - the dugout is just a part of the party!
(MARION, Ill.) – As the calendar turns forward from one month to the next, it is time to look back at the month of August.
The Evansville Otters were proud to announce their players of the month this morning with Vinnie Scarduzio and Chad Edwards receiving the honors.
Both players put up remarkable numbers during that time as the announcement was made on the team’s website.
Here is the notice that I wrote to inform the fans:
———————————————————————————–
Vinnie Scarduzio, Chad Edwards named players of the month
For the month of August, outfielder Vinnie Scarduzio and pitcher Chad Edwards have been named Evansville Otters players of the month.
Scarduzio hit a team high seven home runs and batted in 23 runs as the outfielder tore the cover off the baseball in August. The Stuart, Florida native also hit .296 during that time as he became one of the most dangerous left-handed hitters in all of the Frontier League.
Edwards also had a great month as the right-hander finished August with three wins, one loss, and an earned run average of 2.57 . The pitcher from Paducah, Kentucky became one of the top arms in the Otters rotation and very difficult to hit with an opponent’s batting average of just .223 .
(MARION, Ill.) – I just finished up broadcasting the Evansville Otters and Southern Illinois Miners game. It was a wild game that featured both teams batting around, a pitcher who retired 14 batters in a row, and team losing a four run lead.
——————————————————————————– Illinois Southern loses lead, hangs on for 6-5 win
The Southern Illinois Miners lost a four-run advantage but scored a go-ahead run late in a 6-5 win against the Evansville Otters on Tuesday night. The Otters scored an early run on a first-inning RBI single by Vinnie Scarduzio but lost the lead in the next inning. In the 2nd, outfielder Kent Gerst doubled to erase the deficit and produce a 2-1 lead for the Miners. Southern Illinois expanded the lead to four by batting around in the fifth inning, only to see the Evansville Otters duplicate the feat to tie the game at 5. Billy Killian walked with the bases loaded to pull within a run before Nick D’Amico reached on a fielder’s choice to even up the score. The game would stay 5-5 into the bottom of the 8th inning when Southern Illinois scored the go-ahead game-winning run on an RBI single by Justin Randall. Reliever Jake McMurran stayed in to pitch a scoreless ninth inning as he secured the 6-5 win. Both starters, Andrew Paulauskas for Southern Illinois and Kyle Barry for Evansville, did not factor into the decision. The win goes to McMurran (5-1) who threw the final 1 1/3 innings for the Miners. The loss goes to Otters lefty Patrick Crider (1-1) who allowed the final run in his two innings of relief. Southern Illinois enhances their record to 62-30 as the Evansville Otters are 35-55. The Otters and Miners play their final meeting of the season tomorrow night in the series finale. Evansville will look to avoid a sweep with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 PM CDT.
(MARION, Ill.) – Before the Evansville Otters (35-54) game on Tuesday night against the Southern Illinois Miners (61-30), I had the honor of taping another segment of the Player’s Perspective with outfielder/designated hitter Jeff Hanson.
Jeff joined the team on August 11th from the Brockton Rox, and immediately fit in batting in the high .300′s . Unfortunately for Hanson, he then came down with a flu bug that zapped some of his power and forced the player to fight the illness and the opposition at the same time.
The good news is that Jeff is doing much better, as he details his story and talks about how he is feeling much better. Hanson also looks into how he stays confident when in the lineup or out, and takes a glance at the upcoming offseason.
Here is what Jeff said on the Evansville Otters pregame show on August 30th:
(MARION, Ill.) – The Evansville Otters are back in action hoping to tie up the series against the Southern Illinois Miners tonight at Rent One Park. The Otters have played exceptionally well against the Western Division champions this season winning six of the ten matchups.
Right-hander Kyle Barry (2-6, 4.59 ERA) is on the bump for Evansville as Southern Illinois has yet to name their starter.
If today is anything like the thrilling edge of year seat games that the clubs have played so far, this will be another broadcast to not miss.
First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM CDT with the Evansville Otters pregame show starting at 6:45 PM.
The Paducah, Kentucky native had a great outing against Southern Illinois during his last start, but unfortunately ended up on the losing end. Chad talked about his performance during the game, including the struggles he had against Miners first baseman Stephen Head.
The tall, right-handed pitcher for Evansville, threw the night before against the Southern Illinois Miners and did very well. Barry talked about what he considered to be his best performance of the season and why he thought so.
For the month of August, outfielder Vinnie Scarduzio and pitcher Chad Edwards have been named Evansville Otters players of the month.
Edwards also had a great month as the right-hander finished August with three wins, one loss, and an earned run average of 2.57 . The pitcher from Paducah, Kentucky became one of the top arms in the Otters rotation and very difficult to hit with an opponent’s batting average of just .223 .
Hanson, he then came down with a flu bug that zapped some of his power and forced the player to fight the illness and the opposition at the same time.
