Just Take A Minute: May 18-22, 2009Take a look back at the week that was.
Friday, May 22
The baseball team's wonderful end-of-the season run continues on! The Minutemen rallied past two-time defending A-10 champ Charlotte with a 6-5 10-inning win to stay alive on Thursday night. UMass faces No. 3 Xavier at 3:30 p.m., today. On Friday, look for some very exciting news about the special viewing premier party being held for the 100 Seasons Of UMass Basketball DVD which has been completed. Check back during the day for the details on the event which is set to happen in the coming weeks at a very exciting location! After his workout with the Indiana Pacers, Tony Gaffney had a workout with Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.
Coverage on the UMass baseball team's day of action in the Atlantic 10 Tournament as UMass lost its first game to No. 1 seed and host Dayton and rallied to beat No. 6 seed Charlotte in its nightcap, 6-5 in 10 innings. Game 1 coverage comes from the Dayton Daily News
The Milwaukee Bucks had these comments from Gaffney after his workout on Thursday. The Bucks also had a video of the workouts. Notably, the UMass star said: "Any of the one-on-one, three-on-three drills. I love competition. That's what I live for. I wake up hoping to compete with somebody everyday. Anytime you get to get in the gym with five other guys being considered to be picked in the NBA Draft, there's nothing like that."
UMass Doc Schneider was named a USILA Second-Team All-American at goalie on Thursday. He was joined by Jim Connolly and Diogo Goodi, who were Honorable Mention All-Americans. LaxPower.com has a complete listing with various stories from different schools about their All-American selections.
Also, the National Lacrosse Hall of Famer has announced its Class of 2009 on Thursday including UMass Hall of Famer Mark Millon. The National Lacrosse Hall of Fame is a component of US Lacrosse. The 2009 induction class consists of Todd Curry, Jeffrey J. Long, Kevin Lowe, Mark Millon, Cheri Greer Brown, Patricia Price Genovese, Jennifer Miller O'Donnell and Jessica Wilk Strosberg.
As the NCAA Softball Tournament continues this weekend, ESPN.com's Graham Hays has a story on Washington's Jenn Sailing, which he wrote from his time in Amherst covering the tremendous games with UMass and UW. For those wanting to watch the Huskies again, they play Georgia Tech on Saturday at 12 Noon on ESPN Television.
Also on ESPN.com, basketball guru Andy Katz has a blog column which prominently features two former UMass head coaches: John Calipari at Kentucky and Travis Ford at Oklahoma State. Its an interesting read.
A feature story on Shrewsbury Track & Field coach Nick DiPilato talks about his retirement from education, but not coaching. DiPilato is assisted by former UMass track athlete Wendy Fenner, who is quoted in the story. Its amazing the long line of former UMass track athletes who are not involved in coaching at various levels.
UMassAthletics.com Feature To Check Out: June is the month of golf outings here at UMass. The UMAA Events page has info on the four events set for June 1, 8, 12 and 22.
Don't miss this: On Friday, UMass Athletics will have some exciting news to announce about the 100 Seasons Of UMass Basketball documentary DVD. A special viewing premier will be held very soon and expect the announcement of the location, date and time of the event. Also, the North-South All-Star Lacrosse Game takes place on Friday at 4 p.m. with three UMass players taking part (Tim Balise, Jim Connolly and Doc Schneider).
Thursday, May 21
How about the UMass baseball team! The Minutemen keep winning as they knocked off Fordham in the A-10 First Round at Dayton, 5-4. Today, UMass faces the No. 1 seeded host Flyers at 12 Noon. Basketball star Tony Gaffney went through his workout with the Indiana Pacers and the team has a nice video interview with Gaffney after his session. JTAM also has stories on softball and some more basketball info.
Tremendous column by the Springfield Republican's Ron Chimelis on the UMass baseball team "doing its part" as it continues to push on in the A-10 Tournament.
UMass baseball alum Bruce Emerson has been inducted into the ITL Hall of Fame. Emerson, a 48-year-old athletics director at a private school in Beverly pitched at UMass in the early 1980s.
There is a Associated Press story on Washington's star pitcher Danielle Lawrie, which has many mentions of the UMass and the classic 15-inning battle against the Minutewomen last weekend.
UMassAthletics.com Feature To Check Out: Hockey player Scott Crowder is being honored by the School of Management as an Isenberg School Of Management Senior Leader.
Don't miss this: The baseball team plays its second Atlantic 10 Tournament game against No. 1 seed Dayton at Fifth Third Field. Also, on Thursday, the USILA will announce its 2009 lacrosse All-Americans. Expect Doc Schneider, Diogo Godoi and Jim Connolly to collect some honors.
Wednesday, May 20
Big day for the UMass baseball program as the Minutemen play their first Atlantic 10 Tournament game in six years as the diamond nine take on Fordham at 12 Noon in Dayton, Ohio. Just Take A Minute has several stories on the men's basketball team and some roster movement. Speaking of basketball Tony Gaffney has the first of what is sure to be many NBA workouts, this one with the Indiana Pacers. JTAM also has snipets on softball, lacrosse, football, track and hockey.
Here is a video preview of the Atlantic 10 Baseball Championships held at Dayton, starting with UMass' game vs. Fordham at 12 Noon. Baseball America has conference capsule previews. The outlook includes UMass as a "hot team" including: Massachusetts surged into the conference tournament with six straight wins to end the regular season, including a series win against Rhode Island and a sweep of Duquesne.
The Daily Collegian filed an online recap of the epic 15-inning softball thriller from Sunday night/Monday morning.
FoxSports.com's Jeff Goodman has a great column on former UMass bench boss John Calipari, which has quotes from his former Minuteman point guard and current UMass coach Derek Kellogg.
Speaking of Calipari, the new Kentucky head man has named his coaching staff at UK. It includes former UMass assistant John Robic. He was an assistant under Calipari at UMass from 1990-96 where he helped lead the Minutemen to an average of 26 wins a season and the 1996 Final Four.
Lacrosse Magazine has the complete rosters for the Lacrosse North-South All-Star Game including UMass' Tim Balise, Jim Connolly and Doc Schneider. The 68th game will be played at Harvard Stadium on Friday as part of a triple header. The Division III game will be played at 2 p.m. and the Division I/II game will be played at 4 p.m., followed by the Boston Cannons versus the Denver Outlaws in an MLL game at 7:30.
If you haven't had a chance, check out the Philadelphia Eagles profile page for former UMass All-American Courtney Robinson, who will be wearing No. 45. The page features three nice large images from his days at UMass.
All Canes Blog has a piece on former UMass football head coach Mark Whipple, who is taking over at the Miami Offensive Coordinator this season.
UMassAthletics.com Feature To Check Out: Looking for some summer activities for the kids? UMass coaches have plenty of summer camps being held on campus.
Don't miss this: The baseball team plays its first Atlantic 10 Tournament game since 2003, against Fordham today at 12 Noon. Also, UMass star Tony Gaffney has his first NBA workout with the Indiana Pacers, starting this afternoon.
Tuesday, May 19
Big news for UMass' Tony Gaffney. The forward and pro hopeful has his first workout set up with an NBA team for Wednesday and Thursday. The Boston-area native is pumped to work out under the watchful eye of one of his all-time heroes and idols! Find out what team Gaffney will be working out for in JTAM, which has comments from Gaffney as he prepares for what is sure to be the first of many NBA workouts for the A-10 Defensive Player of the Year. JTAM also has some follow up news on the softball epic 15-inning game against Washington from Sunday night/Monday morning.
Tony Gaffney has been working out at the IMG Academy as he preps for his professional career and a shot at the NBA. Gaffney will have his first NBA workout with the Indiana Pacers under the watchful eye of the one and only Larry Bird, his hero from growing up in the Boston suburbs. "IMG has been great, these coaches out here having me doing things that as a player, I didn't even know I could do," he said. "It has taken my game to another level. Its been awesome. I have been here for almost a month now and I'm in the best shape of my life. Every NBA workout is vitally important but I'm excited to get out to Indiana, especially being from Boston, having Larry Bird as my all-time favorite player will be very special. I do miss Amherst, the coaches and my teammates and all the great fans of UMass!"
Vautour, who is a 1996 UMass grad also has compiled his Top 5 all-time UMass games he has attended with the 15-inning thriller at No. 3 on the all-time list. Check out what No. 1 is.
The Bristol Press in Connecticut has a feature on UMass softball's trio of natives and their performances in the NCAA Tournament this past weekend.
Down in Delaware, there is a very interesting column about the possibility of fellow CAA football power Delaware moving up to FBS from FCS.
Don't miss this: The baseball team has flown to Dayton for its opening game at the Atlantic 10 Tournament against Fordham on Wednesday at 12 Noon.
Monday, May 18
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.... Someone had to lose and someone had to win. What a surreal game at the UMass Softball Complex. What an epic as it took 15 innings to crown the winner of the Amherst Regional as the No. 3 Washington Huskies beat UMass 6-1. It will be a game that people will be talking about for years. JTAM has stories on the game after a late, late, late night as the game ended close to 1:30 a.m. Also check out news on the baseball team the No. 4 seed in the A-10 Tournament in Dayton this week.
Coverage of last night's action from the UMass Softball Complex where UMass and Washington played what amounted to a tripleheader of 22 innings of action. The game was the longest in both school's histories. The Huskies had gone 13 innings in a loss to Arizona State in 2006, while the Minutewomen edged Princeton 3-2 in a 14-frame contest in 1994. Brandice Balschmiter threw 243 pitches in her last collegiate game. She struck out 13 and walked just one. Her counterpart Danielle Lawrie struck out 24 while throwing 251 pitches.
ESPNU.com has had tons of coverage with softball beat writer Graham Hays in Amherst all weekend. UMass' Brandice Balschmiter had the lead photo on the ESPNU.com website for much of Sunday. Here is his tremendous story on UMass' senior class.
From the Cornell side, here is coverage in the Ithaca Journal as the Big Red lost two games and went home from Amherst.
The baseball team's sweep of Duquesne and clinching of the No. 4 seed in the Atlantic 10 Tournament comes from the Daily Hampshire Gazette.
On the opening weekend of Major League Lacrosse action, UMass alums were in scoring gear. With the Boston Cannons, Brett Garber had three goals and and assist while Sean Morris had a goal and two assists in a 9-8 loss to the Long Island Lizards. In the Toronto Nationals' first game, Canadian native Jeff Zywicki had three goals and an assist in a 17-16 win over Washington. Kevin Leveille had three goals and an assist for the Chicago Machine in a 13-11 win over Denver. Jake Deane also had a goal and assist for the Machine.
The men's lacrosse final four is set with Virginia, Syracuse, Duke and Cornell. In Virginia's 19-8 win over Johns Hopkins, UVa coach Dom Starsia tied legendary coach Dick Garber for third in career wins with No. 300. Princeton, which beat UMass in the First Round, lost to Cornell, 6-4 on Saturday.
The women's semifinals feature No. 1 Northwestern, who knocked UMass out of the tournament in round one. The four-time champ Wildcats are joined by No. 2 Maryland, No. 3 North Carolina and No. 5 Penn.
UMassAthletics.com Feature To Check Out: Join us for the UMAA Golf Invitational For Scholarships on June 1, Sign up now!.
Don't miss this: Monday means the announcement of weekly awards, including the UMass Athlete of the Week. Check back for details on the baseball team's A-10 Tournament appearance as well.
