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March 15, 2005
Sports Briefs
Hamline’s Jason Verdugo named pitching coach for St. Paul Saints
The St. Paul Saints that Jason Verdugo, Hamline’s baseball coach, who also played a big role in the Saints’ run to the 2004 Northern League title, will be back with the team this summer as pitching coach.
“I’m very pleased to have Jason back with us č this time as a coach,” said St. Paul manager George
Tsamis. “He showed us last year what kind of a competitor he is on the mound. I am confident he will pass this along to our pitchers this summer as well.”
Verdugo, 29, replaces Ben Fleetham, who retired to enter private business with his brother. In addition to
his Saints’ duties, he is assistant athletic director and head baseball coach at Hamline University.
Verdugo came out of a four-year retirement last year to win a pair of post-season games for the Saints after going 5-5 during the regular season.
He tossed a four-hit 7-0 shutout against Schaumburg in Game 4 of last year’s Championship Series.
“It was one of the best, smartest games I have ever seen pitched,” Tsamis, a former major league pitcher, recalled. “Jason knows a lot about pitching and teaching.”
Verdugo, who appeared in 136 games as a pitcher at all levels on minor league baseball, retired as an active player after the Saints defeated Schaumburg 10-6 the next day to win their first Northern League title since 1996.
“I enjoyed last summer as much as any time I have ever spent in athletics,” Verdugo said. “When I heard
Fleet was leaving, I talked it over with [wife] Tanya and decided it would be a lot of fun. This is a little like college baseball č you start to build the pitching staff in spring training and continually tweak it during the season until you get it where you want it to be.”
St. Olaf defeats women’s tennis
The Hamline women’s tennis team was swept by St. Olaf in Owatonna, Minn.
The Pipers did not take a set from the Oles in the match. Senior Hilary Wilson and Jenna McManus each forced tiebreakers, but lost two sets to none.
Men’s tennis falls to St. Olaf
The Pipers took two of three double matches versus the Oles, but St. Olaf came back to defeat Hamline 6
-3.
The doubles teams of Jon Henning and Ben Watkins and Willie Richards and Casey O’Donnell each picked up victories.
Sophomore No. 4 singles player Jon Breimhorst picked up the only singles win of the day 6-1, 6-3 over
Chase Donaldson.
Courrier, Schmaedeke earn conference honors in track
Thrower Jake Courrier was named Co-MIAC Outstanding Field Athlete of the Year while head coach Paul
Schmaedeke earned MIAC Coach of the Year honors, the conference track and field coaches announced last week.
Courrier broke the Hamline school record in the 35-pound weight throw three times during the season. He won the individual title at the MIAC Championships.
Schmaedeke earned his second Coach of the Year award after leading the team to a fourth-place finish in the conference meet.
Anderson earns MIAC honors
Keidra Anderson was named MIAC Outstanding Female Track Athlete after her double win at the MIAC Indoor Championships.
Anderson won two individual titles while setting two school records in the 3000 and 5000 meters. In the 5000 meters, Anderson beat her own record by more than 13 seconds to win the individual title.
Her time of 17:38.88 was also an Olson Forum track record and qualified her for the NCAA Championships. She also won the 3000 meters at the conference meet, setting the school record with a time of 10:21.54.
Posted by msveum at March 15, 2005 02:11 PM
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