TERRE HAUTE —
After belting three home runs during a five games last week, Kentucky sophomore left-handed pitcher/first baseman A.J. Reed was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Week.
Reed, a Terre Haute South grad, earned SEC Player of the Week for the first time in his career and was also named Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week on Monday
A 6-foot-4, 245-pounder, Reed hit .526 (10-for-19) during the five-game week, with a double, three homers and 15 RBI. A preseason All-America selection by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, Reed collected a 1.053 slugging and a .609 on-base percentage during the week as the seventh-ranked Wildcats extended their winning streak to seven games.
In the home-opening win over Murray State last Tuesday, Reed ripped a first-inning, three-run homer to give UK an early lead, finishing with four RBI.
In a series-opening win over Akron, Reed started on the mound and worked his first quality start of the year, tossing six innings and allowing two runs with four strikeouts. At the plate, he went 4-for-5 with five RBI and a blast over the right field fence.
“A.J.’s performance on the mound was better than it has been,” UK coach Gary Henderson told Lex18.com. “It hasn’t been bad, but it hasn’t been as good as he is going to be. It was a real step forward with his velocity, command and his secondary command. All of it was good. Obviously, his at bats were outstanding and he seems to be seeing it really well.”
The always modest Reed downplayed his success in that win over the Zips.
“I felt pretty good on the mound [Friday],” Reed said. “I was just trying to throw strikes, keep the ball down and make my pitches, which I did for the most part. I was seeing the ball well today at the plate, and I just did what I could to try to get some hits.”
He homered for the second consecutive game on Saturday to help UK clinch the series, going 3-for-4 with three RBI. In the series finale, Reed ripped a double off the centerfield wall to clear the bases and raise his RBI total to 15 in five games.
In 11 starts at the plate in 2013, Reed leads the SEC with four homers, batting .409 with 11 runs. On the mound, Reed — the first consensus first-team freshman All-America honoree in UK history — has made three Friday-night starts, with a 2-1 record and a 4.70 ERA. In his career, Reed has hit .320 with eight homers and 65 RBI and has a 7-4 record with a 3.00 ERA on the bump.
• Sponsler top NCAC newcomer — Wabash College freshman Ross Sponsler was named the 2013 North Coast Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Newcomer of the Year by the league’s coaches, and was the lone freshman to earn All-NCAC honors as a second-team selection.
The Terre Haute North grad led Wabash in scoring with a 12.7 points-per-game average. Sponsler also led the Little Giants in total points (291) and free throw shooting percentage (74-of-91 for .813).
Sponsler’s scoring average placed him 14th among NCAC basketball players this season. His 43 made three-point shots in 23 games (1.9 per game) was the eighth-best average in the league.
He averaged 12.9 points per game in 15 NCAC games this season. Sponsler is the first Wabash player to earn NCAC Newcomer of the Year honors.
• Bits and pieces — Former Indiana State basketball player Dwayne Lathan has started his professional career well in Japan.
Lathan is playing for Osaka Evessa, and ranks fourth on the team in scoring at 10.5 points per game. He is shooting 42.7 percent from the field, including 23.7 from 3-point range, and is hitting 68.6 percent of his free throws. The high-jumping Lathan also chips in with 2.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and one steal per game.
His coach is former NBA standout Bill Cartwright.
• Indiana State redshirt freshman quarterback Robert Tonyan was recently honored by being added to the Wall of Fame at his alma mater of McHenry (Ill.) High School.
McHenry was the Northwest Herald Boys Basketball Player of the Year last winter and is McHenry’s career leader in passing yardage.
• Shakamak senior basketball standout Brodie Crowe is narrowing down his college choices, and is deciding between Anderson and Greenville (Ill.)
Joey Bennett is a former Tribune-Star sports reporter and copy editor who now teaches at Northview High School in Brazil. He can be reached at tribstarcollege
report@yahoo.com.
College Report
COLLEGE REPORT: A.J. Reed earns SEC Player of the Week honors
- College Report
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Catching up as the school year winds down
Odds and ends from here and there as the school year quickly winds down. For starters, high jumper Nick Jaeger of Terre Haute South was named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference’s male track & field newcomer of the year:
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College Report: Lively earned collegiate upgrade with strong play
Hillary Lively signed to play Division II basketball at Maryville (Mo.) during her senior year at North Vermillion, but those plans changed and she would up at nearby Danville Area Community College — where she recently concluded an outstanding two-year career.
Lively was impressive enough to earn a Division I scholarship to Southeast Missouri State of the Ohio Valley Conference, and both her future and past college coaches think she will continue to succeed there.
“She fits what we need,” SEMO coach Ty Margenthaler said. “She has college experience, she is strong and physical and plays well around the basket and moves well.
“Her strength, rebounding and touch around the basket will be a big help. On the defensive end, she’ll be able to guard a true center.” -
COLLEGE REPORT: Valley prep athletes getting ready for next level
The NCAA “regular” signing period begins Wednesday for all sports except football, field hockey, soccer, track and field, cross country and men’s water polo.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Conferences honor Valley softball players
Several Wabash Valley area college softball players have been honored by their respective conferences for outstanding play this spring.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Jake Newton makes big impact for Lincoln Trail College
Jake Newton had a long time between playing in competitive basketball games, a span of about 18 months, and used the frustration from that long dry spell to produce a stellar freshman season for Lincoln Trail College this winter.
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COLLEGE REPORT: A.J. Reed earns SEC Player of the Week honors
After belting three home runs during a five games last week, Kentucky sophomore left-handed pitcher/first baseman A.J. Reed was named Southeastern Conference Player of the Week.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Spring newcomers making marks
Several freshman baseball and softball NCAA Division I players from the Wabash Valley have already made immediate impacts at their new schools, while others are waiting for their turns to shine.
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COLLEGE REPORT: A.J. Reed named third-team preseason baseball All-American
Two-way sophomore standout A.J. Reed was one of three University of Kentucky players named third-team preseason All-America by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Sponsler honored after big week for Wabash men's hoops
Wabash College freshman Ross Sponsler of Terre Haute North was named the North Coast Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the period ending Jan. 6.
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COLLEGE REPORT: North grad Hughes finds success after facing preseason adversity
A.J. Hughes knew he was in for a battle as he competed with three other walk-on punters in the preseason for the lone starting job on the Virginia Tech football team.
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Etling, Meggs enjoying great year
It’s been a great year so far with more to come for a pair of longtime friends and St. Patrick’s School classmates.
Former Terre Haute resident Jack Meggs quarterbacked the Bellevue Wolverines football team to the Washington Class 3A state championship this fall, culminating with a 35-3 win over Sammamish Eastside Catholic — Bellevue’s fifth straight crown.
Danny Etling, meanwhile, has completed graduation requirements at Terre Haute South and is preparing for an upcoming high school all-star game and his first college classes in a couple of weeks. -
COLLEGE REPORT: Valley’s women’s college hoops players start strong
Several women’s college basketball players from the Wabash Valley have gotten off to good starts this season on the hardwood. Highlights:
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COLLEGE REPORT: Mayhew, Mascari provide fall highlights
Several dozen Wabash Valley athletes enjoyed successful fall seasons collegiately in cross country and tennis this year. -
COLLEGE REPORT: Former North teammates start strong in college
Former Terre Haute North teammates Ross Sponsler and Matt O’Leary made their college basketball debuts last week and had outstanding initial performances. -
COLLEGE REPORT: Shoemaker OBP leads Chisox farmhands
Former Indiana State, Olney Central and Northview baseball standout Brady Shoemaker opened a lot of eyes last summer in the Chicago White Sox farm system, earning him a spot on a mlb.com blog team that highlighted the team’s outstanding minor leaguers at each position.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Boeglin has plenty of ISU memories, but not all are related to basketball
Melanie Boeglin, an All-American who played on the women’s basketball team at Indiana State from 2002-2006, will be inducted into the 21st class of the Indiana State University Athletics Hall of Fame on Thursday.
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COLLEGE REPORT: North grad leading DePauw volleyball in winning streak
DePauw’s volleyball team has won seven straight matches entering this weekend’s DePauw Invitational, including four straight wins last weekend to capture the Rose-Hulman invitational title.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Engle moving up football coaching ranks
Michael Engle graduated from DePauw University in the spring of 2011 with a degree in political science and future plans to advance his studies in law school.
Being a coach’s son and a competitive athlete by nature, Engle has put those plans on hold for now. -
COLLEGE REPORT: From Terre Haute South to Division I competition to coaching careers
Adriane Wunderlich and Katelyn Bishop both turned stellar high school careers at Terre Haute South into Division I collegiate careers at Indiana State and Southern California, respectively.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Former prep athletes getting ready for fall college season
An impressive total of at least 122 Wabash Valley athletes and coaches will be competing collegiately for the first time during the upcoming school year or have changed schools to continue their careers.
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COLLEGE REPORT: SP’s Boetjer is Indiana’s Miss Softball
South Putnam’s Brooke Boetjer, who will be a freshman on the Indiana University softball team next spring, was named the 2012 Indiana Miss Softball last month between games at the North/South All-Star games in Carmel.
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College report: North grad Mayhew is second team all-American at IU
Indiana University running standout Zach Mayhew of Terre Haute North was honored earlier this month as a second-team All-American by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
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College report: Bloomfield runner to join IUPUI track, cross country teams
Bloomfield track/cross country standout Julie Riggins will be joining the developing IUPUI program next fall as one of six incoming recruits.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Roberts takes coaching position at UNC-Greensboro
Terre Haute native Mike Roberts is continuing his climb up the college basketball coaching ladder, recently departing Rice for a spot as the associate head coach at North Carolina-Greensboro.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Valley grads playing role for No. 13 Vincennes
A few springtime odds and ends:
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COLLEGE REPORT: Shouse making his mark for Danville Community College
Derek Shouse definitely flew under the radar in his one season of playing for the Terre Haute South boys basketball team last winter.
Not highly recruited, he made his way to Danville Area Community College as a walk-on with the hopes he could find his way onto the court at some point. -
COLLEGE REPORT: Bullock finds sunny home to continue tennis career
Most college athletes progress along similar paths to get to their final destinations athletically, but Terre Haute South grad Taylor Bullock’s route to the Eckerd College women’s tennis team was a little different than most.
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COLLEGE REPORT: TH South QB entertains Division I offers
Danny Etling’s trek to being a big-time college quarterback took a huge step this week when the Terre Haute South junior picked up a scholarship offer from Purdue, according to 247sports.com.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Seibert stepping up her game
Terre Haute South grad Haley Seibert has seen the usual ups and downs of her freshman basketball season at Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne and is making the most of her opportunities this season.
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COLLEGE REPORT: Vikings Waters, Barton excited about college basketball
West Vigo grad Lauren Dailey helped the Lady Vikings basketball program to a lot of success at the end of the 1990s, and went on to play for Eastern Illinois from 2001-2004.
- More College Report Headlines
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