TERRE HAUTE —
Baseball may not be on the minds of too many Wabash Valley sports fans yet, but the Rose-Hulman program is prepared to commemorate an upcoming milestone.
The Engineers’ 2012 season is slated to begin Feb. 25 against Farmingdale State at Auburndale, Fla., and their next victory will be the 1,000th in the history of the NCAA Division III engineering institute, which started playing baseball in 1888.
“I think that says how many good players have been through the program,” reflected Rose athletic director Jeff Jenkins, who’s beginning his 23rd season as its baseball coach. “We’ve been able to replace good players with more good players and maintain a high level of competition.”
Jenkins, who has guided the Engineers to 559 of those wins (along with 331 losses and one tie), mentioned four former Rose-Hulman standouts — Eric Tryon, Matt Sims, Derek Eitel and Keenan Long — who went on to play some form of professional baseball during his tenure. Eitel, a native of Marshall, Ill., and a pitcher in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization since being drafted in the 17th round in 2010, is expected to play at the Class A or AA level in 2012.
Eitel and Tryon, a former Terre Haute North High School standout, are tied for the most pitching victories in Rose history with 29. Tryon accumulated the most strikeouts with 331.
Back in the early 1900s, three graduates of Rose Polytechnic (the former name of the institute) ended up in the major leagues — Art Nehf (after whom Rose’s field is named), Lester Blackman and Charles Ray Demmitt.
In a major-league career that spanned from 1915 through 1929 with the Boston Braves, New York Giants, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs, the left-handed Nehf compiled a pitching record of 184-120 with 833 strikeouts. He was the Giants’ winning pitcher in the clinching Game 5 of the 1922 World Series and his career World Series record was 4-4.
Blackman pitched for St. Louis in the National League in 1909 and 1910 and for Toronto in the East League in 1911 and 1912.
Demmitt played outfield for the New York Yankees, St. Louis Browns, Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox at various times from 1909 through 1919, racking up a .257 batting average with eight home runs, 165 runs batted in and 42 stolen bases.
In 1929, Rose Poly dropped baseball as a team sport and did not reinstate it until 1948. The program has had only four head coaches since — Jim Carr (1948-63), John Mutchner (1964-76), Jim Rendel (1977-89) and Jenkins (1990-present).
Under Rendel in 1986, Rose-Hulman baseball received coverage in Sports Illustrated and the New York Times after it defeated Indiana State 6-5 in strange fashion. Three members of Rose’s starting lineup had to leave during the game to complete a mechanical-engineering exam. Even with several reserves playing, the Engineers held on to preserve the victory. Later that season, ISU reached the College World Series at Omaha, Neb.
Since Jenkins assumed head-coaching duties, Rose-Hulman has qualified for the NCAA Division III tournament five times (1992, 1996, 2008, 2009 and 2010).
Rose also captured regular-season conference titles in 1975, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1994 and 1996 in addition to conference tournament championships in 1995, 1996, 2009 and 2010.
Jenkins said one of his proudest moments occurred in 2008 when his squad rode the three-hit, 13-strikeout pitching of Eitel to blank Calvin 4-0 in the Division III tournament.
“We had a great home crowd,” Jenkins recalled. “We were hosting the regional that year. That’s the one [game] I think I’ll remember the most.”
Jenkins wouldn’t try to predict whether the 2012 Engineers can add their names to any of the above-mentioned lists.
“We’re going to be extremely young,” he pointed out. “We’re going to count on a lot of different guys.”
One thing still on Rose-Hulman’s side, Jenkins emphasized, is the presence of respected assistant coach Sean Bendel, who joined the staff in 1999. Jenkins said the Engineers are 353-197-1 since Bendel arrived.
Also on the program’s side is the continued intelligence of its players.
“It amazes me to see what they’re doing with their careers after they graduate,” Jenkins said, referring to some who have gone on to become nuclear submarine commanders, doctors, stock traders, automobile designers and NASA employees.
And, of course, professional baseball players.
Rose-Hulman
Rose-Hulman eyes baseball milestone
Engineers on the cusp of 1,000 wins as season nears
- Rose-Hulman
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Rose-Hulman swimmers flying to nationals
Rose-Hulman swimmers John Craig Huster and Orion Martin have qualified for the Division III national meet in the 100 butterfly
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Despite four NCAA Division III titles, Rose-Hulman’s Liz Evans remains as driven as ever
Even though Rose-Hulman senior Liz Evans has won four NCAA Division III titles in the women’s high jump, getting motivated is still easy for her.
Ultra-competitive athletes find ways. -
Balsbaugh’s late-season scoring giving Rose-Hulman a lift
If someone were to predict before last weekend that Rose-Hulman would capture its second straight Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference championship in men’s basketball and that senior Brenton Balsbaugh would be named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, fans probably would believe the first statement but consider the second as wishful thinking.
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Rose-Hulman baseball team kicking off season in Florida
Jeff Jenkins is serious about his baseball.
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Rose-Hulman men clinch conference title
Rose-Hulman will host the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference men’s basketball tournament and claimed the league’s regular-season title with a 59-57 win at Hanover College on Saturday.
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No. 23 Rose-Hulman takes down No. 22 Transylvania on the road
No. 23 ranked Rose-Hulman claimed a two-game lead in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference men’s basketball standings with a 54-49 victory at No. 22 Transylvania University on Saturday.
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Rose-Hulman 18-2 after pulling away from Anderson
Rose-Hulman opened the second half on a 20-3 run to pull away and earn a convincing 71-40 men’s basketball victory at Anderson University on Wednesday night.
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Freshman paces Engineer women to HCAC win
The Rose-Hulman women’s basketball team improved to 10-10 for the season and 6-7 in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference play with a 52-44 win over Anderson on Wednesday in Hulbert Arena.
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Rose men top Franklin
Rose-Hulman improved to 14-2 overall and kept its Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference lead at 8-1 with a 58-42 men's basketball victory at Franklin College on Wednesday night.
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Rose men run winning steak to 11 games
Anderson arrived in Terre Haute with a 7-6 record and a scoring average of 76.5 points per game.
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Anderson holds off rally by Rose women
Rose-Hulman rallied from an 11-point deficit to close within three points late, but Anderson University held on to earn a 64-57 victory in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference women’s basketball Wednesday night inside O.C. Lewis Gymnasium.
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Rose-Hulman men ranked 26th in Division III
Rose-Hulman’s men’s basketball team is ranked 26th nationally in the d3hoops.com national weekly poll released on Thursday.
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Gerken hits game-winner to put Rose-Hulman at 9-1 on season
Making the game-winning shot, with what turned out to be seven-tenths of a second to go, was probably the easy part for Jon Gerken on Saturday afternoon in Hulbert Arena.
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Rose women struggle from field in loss to Hanover
In the Rose-Hulman women’s college basketball game, frigid shooting undermined good work the Engineers did in other aspects of the game against Hanover.
The Engineers came out on the wrong end, 55-43. -
Efficient Engineers stifle Millikin
The word that probably best describes the Rose-Hulman men’s basketball team is efficiency.
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Rose-Hulman women's basketball regains Clabber Girl Trophy
Rose-Hulman reclaimed the Clabber Girl Trophy for the first time since 2009 with an 80-74 women’s basketball victory over Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College on Tuesday night in Hulbert Arena.
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Balanced Rose tops Fontbonne
Senior forward Nate Gissentanner came off the bench to deliver 14 points for balanced Rose-Hulman in a 72-54 men’s basketball victory over Fontbonne University on Wednesday night in Hulbert Arena.
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Rose-Hulman men's basketball preview: Engineers looking to follow up last year’s success
It’s pretty safe to say that expectations for the Rose-Hulman men’s basketball team have not been this high since the late 1990s when the Engineers reached the NCAA Division III tournament three times within a four-year period.
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Rose-Hulman women's basketball preview: Engineers continuing to improve
The Rose-Hulman women’s basketball team didn’t dominate many opponents last season when it ended up with records of 9-18 overall and 6-12 in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference.
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Earlham tragedy leads to Rose football cancellation
Little did Rose-Hulman’s football players and coaches know, their 42-8 home victory over Anderson University last Saturday turned out to be their final game of the season.
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This weekend's Rose-Hulman vs. Earlham football game canceled
Due to Friday's tragic events involving three Earlham College students, the football game between Earlham and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology has been canceled.
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Anderson squeaks past Rose-Hulman
Anderson University scored in the 11th minute and held off a Rose-Hulman charge to earn a 1-0 men's soccer victory in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference semifinal match on Wednesday night at the Engineer Intramural Field.
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Rose swimmers near top because of vets, youth
Rose-Hulman swimming depth is at an all-time high, putting the Engineers at No. 15 in the NCAA Division III national rankings.
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A bigger taste?
On the night of Oct. 14, Rose-Hulman basketball fans were treated to something described by a couple of men’s players as “spectacular” and “epic” when they all jammed into Hulbert Arena for the insititute’s first “Midnight Madness” to tip off a season.
The memorable site wasn’t a 360-degree dunk or a no-look, behind-the-back pass.
It was Rose men’s coach Jim Shaw performing the “Bernie Dance,” based on the deceased character from the 1989 movie “Weekend At Bernie’s.”
“For a second, I thought he was having a seizure,” senior starting guard Austin Weatherford said with a straight face later. -
Rose women picked for 6th
The Rose-Hulman women’s basketball team has been picked to finish sixth in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference this season, according to a preseason poll of league coaches released Tuesday.
Hanover and Franklin were selected for first and second respectively, with just two poll points separating the two squads. -
Rose-Hulman no match for Franklin
Franklin showcased its No. 23 NCAA Division III ranking from d3football.com in a 56-0 victory over Rose-Hulman in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference football Saturday.
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Rose blanks Woods 3-0 in women’s soccer
Rose-Hulman women’s soccer coach Amy Helliwell is riding a youth movement to what she hopes could produce a strong turnaround in this 2012 season.
It has so far.
Led by freshman Hayley Gilliam, a Zionsville native, the Engineers improved to 5-4-1 for the season with a dominant 3-0 victory against cross-county rival St. Mary-of-the-Woods College on Wednesday at Jim Rendel Field. -
METRO ROUNDUP: Engineers dominate HCAC honors
Rose-Hulman Institute student-athletes earned three Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Week awards, in results released by the league office on Monday.
West Vigo graduate John Burt was named HCAC Defensive Player of the Week and Eric Schaible the Special Teams Player of the Week in football, and B.J. Thompson earned Player of the Week honors in men’s soccer.
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Snyder throws for two early TDs in Rose-Hulman victory
Rose-Hulman scored 33 points in the middle two quarters and held off a Defiance rally to earn a 33-20 victory in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference football opener for both schools Saturday.
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Rose’s record setter
Kyle Kovach got off to a great start in Rose-Hulman’s football season opener Saturday night in what turned out to be a heartbreaking 29-28 home loss to Kalamazoo College at Cook Stadium.
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