CKSR (Calvin Knight Sports Report for March 17, 2015)

CALVIN KNIGHT SPORTS REPORT FOR MARCH 17, 2015

D3hoops.com All-Region Honors for Calvin Basketball Players;
John Ross Named D3hoops.com Great Lakes Region Coach of Year;
Jordan Brink to Play in NABC Reese's Division III All-Star Game Saturday;
Spring Sports Recaps

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Two members of the Calvin women's basketball team have received D3hoops.com Great Lakes Region honors. Senior Breanna Verkaik has been named to the D3hoops.com Great Lakes All-Region first team while senior Kayla Engelhard has been named to the D3hoops.com Great Lakes All-Region third team.

In addition, head coach John Ross has been named the D3hoops.com Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year.

A native of Holland and a graduate of Holland Christian High School, Verkaik was the 2015 MIAA Most Valuable Player and was a member of the 2015 All-MIAA first team. She averaged 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while blocking 38 shots and collecting 38 steals.

She also connected on 48.1 percent of her three-point field goal attempts which leads the nation heading into the final weekend of the NCAA III women's basketball season. Verkaik also shot 86.8 percent from the free throw line.

Verkaik finished her career with 1,067 points to finish 13th on the Calvin career scoring list.

Engelhard is from Unionville, Michigan. She is a graduate of Saginaw Valley Lutheran High School. She averaged 13.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per-game this year. She was named to the 2015 All-MIAA first team.

In four NCAA III Tournament games, Engelhard put on a terrific run, averaging 19.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game while connecting on 50 percent of her field goal attempts and 85.0 percent of her free throw attempts. In an second round NCAA III Tournament win over the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, she scored a season-high 28 points to go with nine assists.

At the conclusion of the sectional tournament last weekend, she was named to the All-Sectional Tournament Team. She concluded her career with 1,154 points which ranks 10th on the Calvin career scoring list.

Meanwhile, Ross is receiving D3hoops.com Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year honors for the second time as he previously received the award in 2012.

A native of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Ross led Calvin to a 30-1 season this year that included MIAA regular season and MIAA Tournament crowns. Calvin finished the league season 16-0. The Knights then advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA III Tournament for the fourth time under his leadership before falling to George Fox last Saturday.

Calvin's 30-win season marked the first 30-win campaign in Calvin women's basketball history. Ross recently concluded his 12th year as the Calvin women's basketball head coach. He has a career won-loss record of 279-61 for a winning percentage of 821.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Calvin College senior Jordan Brink has been named the D3hoops.com Great Lakes Region Player of the Year.

A native of Dyer, Indiana, Brink has also been named to the D3hoops.com Great Lakes All-Region first team.

A graduate of Illliana Christian High School, Brink was a member of the 2014 D3hoops.com Great Lakes All-Region third team.

This year, Brink averaged 18.3 points and 5.6 rebounds a game while connecting on 89.5 percent of his free throw attempts and 43.6 percent of his three-point field goal attempts.

He concluded his career as Calvin's all-time leader in free throw percentage, converting 92.5 percent of his charity tosses.

He finished eighth on the Calvin career scoring list (1,497) points, fifth in career three-point field goals (208) and fourth in career assists (282).

Earlier this month, he was named the MIAA's Most Valuable Player and landed a spot on the All-MIAA first team.

Earlier this morning, Brink was announced as a member of the Division III East All-Star team that will played in the 2015 NABC Reeses' Division III All-Star Game in Salem, Virginia. The game will take place inside the Salem Civic Center at 3 p.m.

BASEBALL
By Mark DeHaan

Calvin baseball faced Trinity (Connecticut) College in Auburndale, Florida, for a doubleheader on Monday afternoon.

The Bantams proved to be too much for the Knights, holding Calvin to eight hits over two games. Trinity defeated the Knights 8-2 in game one, then 6-1 in game two.

In game one, Trinity scored the first runs of the game, plating two runs in the top of the first.
The Knights responded with one run in the bottom half of the inning as a single from sophomore Colt Wolfe brought senior Grant VanPutten in to score.

Two more runs from the Bantams in the top of the second saw Calvin fall behind 4-1.

The Knights scored another run in the bottom of the fourth, but three runs by Trinity in the following half-inning put Calvin in a 7-2 deficit.

The Bantams scored one more run in the seventh, holding the Knights without a run in the final three innings to down Calvin 8-2.

Sophomore Colt Wolfe was 2-for-4 with one RBI and a stolen base while senior Peter Cupery was 1-for-4 with one run scored.

In the second game, Trinity again got off to a quick start. A two-RBI single gave the Bantams a 2-0 lead. A triple then plated another run, bringing the score to 3-0 after one inning.

The Knights scored a run in the top of the second on a Bantam error to draw back within 3-1.
Trinity added two more runs in the second, and another in the third, to pull ahead 6-1.

Calvin could not answer, and the Bantams kept the Knights bats quiet as Trinity claimed a 6-1 victory for the doubleheader sweep.

Freshman Nate DeZwaan was 1-for-2 with a double in game two, while Cupery finished 1-for-3, adding a stolen base.

"Trinity's pitching really attacked the zone. That program has a lot of tradition, so they were a strong test for us," said head coach John Rypel. "We are a unique team because we have some experience but we are also very young, so guys are getting thrown into the fire a bit. I expect our team to face some challenges early this season."

Calvin, now 2-4, will play again on Tuesday, facing Gallaudet University at 3:30 p.m.

SOFTBALL
By Mark DeHaan

The Calvin softball team opened up the 2015 season with a pair of wins in Florida on Monday morning.

The Knights defeated Allegheny College 11-5 in a come-from-behind effort, then topped the University of Rio Grande 3-1.

In the first game against Allegheny, the Gators opened up the scoring in the top of the first with one run. Allegheny then added three more runs in the top of the third inning to take a 4-0 lead.

The Knights responded with a pair of runs as junior Lydia Gildea hit a double that brought in both runs.
After a scoreless fourth inning, Calvin's offense came to life in the bottom of the fifth inning, plating nine runs.

Freshman Kaley Frank, junior Ashley Riemersma, and sophomore Caitlin Bell all had extra base hits in the fifth inning that brought in runs for the Knights.

Calvin also took advantage of a number of wild pitches, scoring the nine runs on just four hits in the inning.

After a scoreless sixth, the Knights gave up just one run to the Gators in the seventh, closing out the 11-5 victory.

Gildea finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored to lead Calvin offensively. Bell was also 2-for-4, with one RBI and one run scored, while Riemersma was 1-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored.

Sophomore Paige Groom pitched all seven innings for Calvin, allowing four earned runs and striking out two batter to earn the win.

In Calvin's second game of the day, the Knights defeated the Red Storm of the University of Rio Grande in a game where runs were at a premium.

Calvin, however, got off to a hot start. The Knights scored two runs in the top of the first to take a 2-0 lead.

The two-run lead proved to be more than enough in the game as Calvin's pitching and defense locked down.

In the second inning, Rio Grande had a scoring opportunity but the runner was thrown out at home.
Calvin added another run in the sixth, which the Red Storm matched. But, Rio Grande could not manage to score any more runs, and the Knights claimed a 3-1 victory.

Frank finished the second game 2-for-3 with a run scored. Sophomore Maddie Teune was 2-for-3 with one RBI.

In the circle, freshman Makela Chapman went the distance, pitching all seven innings, allowing just one run and striking out five.

"Defensively we were a little shaky, being the first game of the year. But, we settled in then had some good at bats," said head coach Tim Syrek. "Both pitchers were very efficient. They worked ahead and that allowed us to play well. We're really excited because they both got their first collegiate wins today."

The Knights have two more games Tuesday, facing SUNY Fredonia and University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

"We're off to a good start, but we can't celebrate too much. We have to come back tomorrow and play two more," added Syrek. "We hope it sets the tone for the season, but we have a long way to go."

With the pair of victories, Calvin begins the season 2-0.

TENNIS

The Calvin men's and women's tennis teams dropped decisions on Monday in Orlando to Bethel College of Minnesota. The Calvin men's team fell 6-3 to Bethel while the Calvin women's team fell to Bethel 5-4.

A full report will be sent out later tonight along with Calvin's Tuesday match recaps.
Received on Tue Mar 17 11:57:43 2015