Army West Point Athletics
Black Knight Blog - May
February 01, 2009 | General
The Black Knight Blog is an initiative provided by the Office of Athletic Communications to offer Army fans an even more in-depth look into the everyday happenings here at West Point. The intent of this blog is to keep readers informed with a light, personal touch that will further enhance the fan experience. Please enjoy and send any comments, questions or concerns to tracy.nelson@usma.edu. We welcome your feedback!
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Thursday, May 28
Good morning loyal BK Blog readers! I know that Mark mentioned that we wouldn't be on our usual daily blogging routine throughout the summer, but I'm attempting to avoid a few other office-type projects this morning so I thought this would be a good way to spend a few minutes. Tracy Nelson here hoping that you're all having a lovely week. Just think - tomorrow is already Friday! Now that the sports seasons have wound down - with the exception of baseball (yay - more to come on that later!), I pretty much have my weekends back! In the athletic communications world, the summer is a great time to grab some much-needed R&R so I plan on taking full advantage of that in the coming two months.
NCAA baseball fever has officially hit West Point, which is the main reason for today's blog! There are SO MANY great things going on surrounding this weekend's baseball trip to Texas that I figured that the more ways that we can get the word out, the better! Although I was super excited about baseball's impending NCAA Regional trip, I felt selfish when I was slightly disappointed to see Texas pop up on the screen as Army's regional destination during Monday's selection show. I was hoping for one of the plethora of east coast venues so that I could totally justify hitting the open road for a trip! Since my only responsibility in the spring is women's tennis, it's great because I typically go and watch as much baseball as possible! They have such a friendly, hard-working staff that I want nothing more than to see them succeed. Watching them win the Patriot League Tournament was certainly one of the highlights since my arrival here at West Point.
That being said, I am not making the trip to Austin, but a few people are working tirelessly so that I (and you!) don't miss any of the action. Everything from blogs to diaries to radio shows, etc. is going on down there. If you are an Army sports fan, you already know that the BKs are set to take on the top-seeded Longhorns of Texas on Friday at 6 p.m. local time. That means 7 p.m. EST for those of you that might need a reminder - myself included. If you're like me, Friday can't come soon enough so I have been reading-up on everything leading into the game. Bob Beretta, Ryan Yanoshak and Rich DeMarco have been doing an outstanding job down in Austin promoting tomorrow's contest and making sure that those fans unable to make a trek down to the Lonestar State have no excuse for not following along in the action.
Here are a few interesting reads heading into the game:
- Senior P Tyler Anderegg is writing a daily diary chronicling the team's trip - here's a look at yesterday's entry - stay tuned later today for another winner!
- Ryan Yanoshak is also keeping a daily blog - I hope he found a Starbucks within walking distance or it's going to be a long weekend.
- Click here to read an interesting article from army.rivals.com - loads of good quotes from the players - McKague, Polchinski, Moore and projected game 1 starter Matt Fouch.
- Click here to read all about sophomore SS Clint Moore being lauded as one of the top shortstops in the nation - article by Ken McMillan appeared in today's Times-Herald Record.
- Here's a good one as well - a podcast featuring sophomore 1B/P Kevin McKague. It comes to you from collegebaseball360.com. Click here to take a look.
- If you are also trying to avoid doing any important work this morning at your own desk, this will take up a solid hour of your time. Without a doubt, probably the most in-depth game notes for baseball that I have ever seen. A collaborative effort from Bob and Shak, this is a must-read for any Army baseball fan. I bet you anything these notes trump the likes of Texas, Texas State and Boston College hands down.
- Also, don't forget, Rich DeMarco and Bob Beretta will be hosting a special radio show tonight from Austin via ITT Knight Vision, complete with players, coaches and fans making guest appearances. Click here for full details.Time of show is set to run from 9-10:30 EST.
If you can't make it to the game, like I said before, there are no excuses for not following along with the action. Here are your best options:
- Rich DeMarco will have the radio call, which will also be available on ITT Knight Vision. For fans in the Hudson Valley, tune in to WBNR (1260AM), WLNA (1420AM), WGHQ (920 AM) to listen in.
- NCAA.com will be providing a FREE video web stream of all games at the Austin Regional. Click here about 15 minutes prior to the first pitch and watch away!
- Click here to access Gametracker (aka Live Stats) for Friday's game.
- Follow the Black Knights on Twitter - Bob or Shak will be "tweeting" inning-by-inning updates.
Well that about does it for me today. I've essentially taken about 20 minutes to prepare myself to delve into some research projects, so I better sign off while I'm motivated! For all of your regional baseball action needs, just click here throughout the weekend and links will be updated, etc. for your reading pleasure. However you're watching, enjoy the game!
GO ARMY! BEAT TEXAS!
Friday, May 22
Class Dismissed
Good afternoon Army fans. The weather could not be more perfect here at West Point to throw a towel down and just lay outside. It’s sunny and 84 degrees to be exact. Mark Brumbaugh at the keyboard today as the members of the U.S. Military Academy Class of 2009 are now just hours away from officially becoming second lieutenants.
This morning Tim, Mady and I went out to The Plain for the Graduation Parade. Unfortunately, “lay outside in the sun weather” is not ideal for throwing on a dress military uniform and marching around an open field, so I imagine the parade wasn’t the most comfortable of experiences for the cadets themselves, but as always, they put on a great show.
The heat reminded me of my one brush with military-esque parade marching. In high school, I attended a one-week program over the summer run by the American Legion, at which they had Marines to provide the discipline portion (which included marching) of the leadership course. When parade time came at the end of the week it was probably 90 degrees and sunny, which for upstate New Yorkers is hot regardless of what you have to wear. Luckily, our uniform was white American Legion t-shirts and khakis while the Marines were in there dress uniforms. Noting these facts, the Marines made it clear that we were not allowed to pass out. If they could survive standing outside in the dress uniforms, we could survive in t-shirts. If we did pass out, we were told that our bodies would just get kicked aside. Needless to say, no one passed out. The secret I guess is not locking your knees when standing. People tend to do that when they get tired of standing, but that reduces blood flow to the head, which means lights out.
Tim, Mady and I ended up standing right by the key leaders of the Brigade Chain of Command. Among that group was Deputy Brigade Commander Sally White (that makes her No. 2 in the leadership chain) of the swimming team.
Overall, it was an impressive display and one of those quintessential West Point moments. I can’t wait to attend the West Point graduation for the first time tomorrow.
Brigade Corps Squad Officer Liz Lazzari (volleyball) and Brigade Athletics Officer Zach McKelvie (hockey) were also honored today with the Army Athletic Association Award at the Awards Convocation this afternoon. Congratulations to them and all of the other firsties who had such great athletic careers at West Point!
Summer Is Near...
As we get closer to summer, the Black Knight Blog will officially depart its daily update schedule next week, but will be updated throughout the summer as information warrants. Before you know it, Gunny will be posting notes from football practice.
...but not hear yet!
Baseball will host Dartmouth in a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at noon in preparation for the NCAA tournament while the top-members of the track team will head to the NCAA East Regionals in Greensboro, N.C. beginning on May 29.
Farewell
All good internships come to an end, as they say, so I actually won’t be too far behind the graduating firsties out the gates of West Point.
As evidenced by how quickly this experience flew by, it was certainly a fun one. After interning with organizations such as the Durham Bulls and New York Yankees, this was by far the most unique. Basic laws of probability suggest that if you seek a career in college athletics, you won’t end up at a service academy, so I consider myself pretty lucky to have received such a great opportunity.
From the Army-Navy rivalry, to the history, to the cadets and even - dare I say - to the scenery, this is an amazing place. Seriously, where else would an astronaut email you during your baseball blog, from the space shuttle simulator? I've had so many memorable experiences here I'd get kicked out before I finished writing about them all.
I was certainly privileged to work with phenomenal staff members and tremendous cadet-athletes. I’d like to thank everyone here within the Army Athletic Association that made this such a great experience. I certainly had a great group of coaches to work with in Laura Kirchgraber, Lt. Col. Mark West, Jim Poling, Troy Engle and their staffs.
I of course have to extend a big thanks to the Athletic Communications staff of Bob Beretta, Brian Gunning, Mady Salvani, Tim Volkmann, Tracy Nelson, Ryan Yanoshak and Annie Holliday. Not only do they make good decisions when hiring interns, they have helped me tremendously this year and were phenomenal to work with. I doubt that there is a harder working staff anywhere in the country. Working late in to the night (and morning) comes with the territory in this profession, but no matter how late I stayed, it was difficult to be the last one out. I will dearly miss working with such a great group.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves though. It isn’t over until it’s over! There is still baseball to be played and some tracksters with nationals hopes, so best wishes to the Class of 2009 and GO ARMY!
Wednesday, May 20
Two things stood out to me this week that were just “West Point” moments. Ryan Yanoshak with you on the Black Knights Blog on a lovely Wednesday of Graduation Week. West Point is a unique place as we tell you often and two things underscored the point to me this week.
Saturday, I was in my seat at the Patriot League Baseball Championship Series. In walks a person dressed in a gorilla suit along the first base line inside Johnson Stadium. And no one seemed surprised. Maybe it’s all the sporting events I have been to here now where you get used to seeing a mascot but in walks this gorilla and barely a fuss is made. I guess it’s all the company mascots and the creativity of the best young men and woman in the country but I am pretty sure if a student walked into a game at my former school dressed as a gorilla, it would have been a big deal.
The other was Monday morning. Here I was thinking I was coming in all early to get a head start on the baseball postseason media guide, wondering if I should have slept for another two hours. When I pulled to a complete stop at the sign above our building, the Plain was packed with cadets, practicing for graduation. I found out later that breakfast in the mess hall on Monday was at 4:30 a.m. so cadets could get to practice. How many other schools do you drive to work with the clouds still burning off, see 4,000 cadets marching and not be surprised?
OK, done with my tales and on to sports. While just baseball and track and field are still competing and threatening havoc with summer schedules, we have two big announcements this week, coming on the heels of the Hawaii release, which you can read here.
The Hall of Fame Class of 2009 will be announced later this morning and Army fans will recognize the eight individuals with a ton of accomplishments. Check back to the site later today to read all about it.
This week we will also announce the Army Athletic Association Award or the AAA, an honor bestowed upon a graduating male and female athlete for their career accomplishments. We will release the winners on Friday when it’s announced during the Awards Convocation. I won’t spoil the surprise but the winners are two very deserving cadet-athletes.
A few reminders for you. The baseball team is playing Ivy League champ Dartmouth in a doubleheader Sunday at Doubleday Field. Games will begin at noon.
The baseball team will learn its opponent Monday when the field for the NCAA Tournament is announced. ESPN will have the selection show on at 12:30.
We’ll do our best to keep you updated but now is a good time to sign up for Twitter updates at www.twitter.com/ArmyAthletics, a great way to keep track of Army sports.
That’s all for me. Drink a lot of water.
Go Army. Enjoy graduation!
Tuesday, May 19
Good day everyone. Tim Volkmann in action on the Black Knight Blog today on a sunny day in the Hudson Valley.
Last we spoke 13 days ago, I was writing about our new Twitter initiative that had just been launched. Today, I sit before you with 111 followers of the ArmyAthletics Twitter updates, most of which were treated to a great weekend of Black Knight baseball action, which Mady wrote a great posting about yesterday. Congrats to Coach Sottolano and the rest of the team for a great season that is only just starting to heat up.
FYI for those of you who can’t get enough Army Baseball, it was announced earlier today that the squad has scheduled a doubleheader for this coming Sunday, May 24, versus Dartmouth, slated to start at 12:00 p.m. at Doubleday Field. The Big Green (26-15, 16-4 Ivy League) punched their NCAA Tournament ticket last weekend by taking two out of three games from Cornell in the Ivy League Championships and will make the trek down from Hanover, N.H. to tune up for their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1987.
This past Sunday, the Army lacrosse team gathered one final time for its annual team banquet to celebrate the season and send off the senior class. (Click here for a recap and photo gallery of all the award winners). The parents of all the players were on hand for one last tailgate-style meal with the guys, complete with all the trimmings.
If there is one thing I can say about the lacrosse team is that it eats very well. I stuffed myself with pulled pork, chicken wings, roast beef, pasta salad and all the desserts that you could possibly think of before the afternoon’s ceremony. The guys are blessed to have such a great group of parents behind them for many obvious reasons, but the full seven-course meal that is always laid out and ready to go after every game, both at home and on the road, is the one that this sports information professional is always happy to help clean up.
The focus of the banquet is always on the senior class and this year’s group of 10 guys was particularly special for head coach Joe Alberici, who coached them when they were freshmen four years ago during his first season on the West Point sidelines. Captains Zach Jansen and Kevin LoRusso and their classmates did a great job with the team over the last four years and we wish them luck as they head off into the Army world this spring. They were great mentors to the rest of the team that will undoubtedly take the lacrosse program to new heights next year with the pool of talent they have returning. Not to sound clich, but wait until next year.
That is about all I have for you today, my beloved Black Knight Blog readers. Tune in tomorrow when a special “Hall of Fame” edition of the blog will be brought to you by Ryan Yanoshak.
GO ARMY BEAT (Insert whoever you think Army will play in the first round of the NCAA Baseball Regional here).
Monday, May 18
Mady Salvani at the helm for today’s Blog. It has been an exciting weekend starting with baseball’s sweep of Lafayette for the 2009 Patriot League title and automatic NCAA bid, followed by Sunday nights’ annual Black Knight Awards.
Like any job, there are times when you could say there are boring times. The world of sports goes 365 days a year, but collegiate sports are from August to May so we don’t have a lot of downtime to get bored.
The baseball series the past two weekends have been exciting and fun to be around, and it is these types of events that make the job VERY EXCITING. Our whole office was there to support Joe Sottolano and his team. What our boss Bob Beretta offers to fans has to rank among the leaders in collegiate competition starting with Twitter, a video stream, radio coverage (with Rich DeMarco), live stats and a live-ingame blog (by Brian Gunning).
As exciting all that was, nothing beats being there in person. You could feel the excitement with every play and there was electricity in the air with every run scored that brought Army’s fans to their feet.
You could cut the tension with a knife in the final inning with each out as everyone was just waiting for that moment when the game would end by that point everyone knew Army was the winner. In the best-of-three series, Army won the first game 6-2 and held an 8-1 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth inning (Army was the visitor in the second game).
It was down to the final three outs, then two outs and one out, for Army to make its third trip in the last six to years the NCAA Regional Tournament. This to me is what makes sports so exciting. I wish you could have been there for the countdown followed by the explosion of players onto the mound following the final out as everyone was running and picking up each other. They capped it by jumping on top of each other in a gigantic heap of happy ball players.
Coach Sottolano spoke to the players afterward and while the rest of us were waiting to take photos of the award presentation, we all missed the opportunity to get the traditional shot of the players dousing the coach with water.
The award presentation was another great photo opportunity that only comes once in a while because you catch the emotion of players that you can’t stage. It was wonderful being on the field and being part of history you can read about it and image it, but being there is what makes it so SPECIAL.
John Pellino of DOIM was right on target getting those shots along with Carlisle Stockton, and there photos will be put to good use this week as Bob Beretta and Brian Yanoshak are working on the postseason guide. Postseason guides are a lot of work, but I have never heard anyone complaining no matter how many hours it takes to get it done. This one is not a chore, it is a labor of love as you are headed to what to me is the ultimate in college sports THE NCAAs!!!
Memorial Day (May 25) is when the NCAA Baseball Tournament Field of 64 will be announced and everyone here is guessing where it will be. Myself, I am hoping it will be close by so I can go and cheer the team on. Some say North Carolina, Virginia, Mississippi, Florida, Arkansas; some even say Alaska Fairbanks (Tracy Nelson). So stay tuned for where the Black Knights will be going.
Sunday night was the Black Knight Awards, orchestrated by our own Tracy Nelson and it was fabulous event that everyone enjoyed. Tracy received coins from the Dean and Commandant of Cadets to thank her for a job “well done.” Dennis Trapani worked with her on the video and they proved to be a talented group of young folks in their early 20s, which bodes well for the Athletic Department. Here is the link to her story:
Right now we are preparing for graduation, which is just a few days away. That is another event I get excited about. Some folks say “if you have been to one graduation, you have been to all” but that is not true of graduation at West Point. I have been to several throughout the years, and each year I enjoy it like it is my first. This is Graduation Week, and if you can get to West Point to see some of the pomp and circumstances, trust me, it is worth the trip.
Remember, check back on Army’s web site on May 25 to find out where baseball is headed, and if it is your area, make plans to attend the series because this is a young team tthat is headed for greatness and you can be part of history.
Friday, May 15
Hello Army fans! Tracy Nelson at the keys today on what has turned out to be a pretty sunny morning here on the banks of the Hudson. I just hope the weather holds for this weekend's baseball Patriot League Championship series being held here at West Point. The Black Knight won a share of the regular season title for the second year in a row and defeated Holy Cross last weekend to advance. Fourth-seeded Lafayette eliminated top-seeded Bucknell last weekend, winning 2-of-3, hence giving second-seeded Army the right to host this weekend's championship series.
It's a bit of a deja vu back to my start at Army with the Black Knight playing the Leopards. As I know that I've mentioned before, I worked at Lafayette out of college for two years before coming what was then the "dark" side to work here at West Point. I've since learned how great this place is and really have a tremendous appreciation for all of my colleagues and the outstanding cadet-athletes that I have the pleasure to work with on a daily basis. In the long run, it was a fantastic move!
The last time that Army and Lafayette collided in the championship, it was in Easton, Pa., in 2007. It was a strange juxtaposition for me at that point because I had already accepted the job here at Army, but was still finishing out my contract at Lafayette at the time of the series. I kept telling everyone that "I was a winner either way," but that didn't go over so hot with either side. At the time, I remember being happy that I got to witness Lafayette winning its first ever Patriot League title, but at the same time being disappointed that my future place of employment fell just short. I'm hoping that I bring the same luck this year to the Black Knights as they begin their quest for a fifth Patriot League title with a best-of-three series starting on Saturday at noon at beautiful Doubleday Field. In my short time here at West Point, the baseball staff has been among my favorites from the start, always stopping in our office just to say "hello" or see how we're doing. I felt like they really made an effort to make everyone that was new in my office feel welcome in their first few months here. In turn, we have paid them back by attending every baseball game possible! You can find us in our "reserved" (I say that because you don't dare take Shak's seat or he might injur you - hint: top row third seat in) behind home plate.
All in all, it should be a fantastic weekend. I'm just hoping that the rain holds off a bit so that we can get these games in as scheduled! If you can't make it out to Doubleday this weekend, you have no excuse for not following along with the action. We'll have Knight Vision, live stats, in-game blog, Twitter updates, etc. Click here for the complete list ... here is also a good Q&A with head coach Joe Sottolano if you're interested.
I think that about does it for today. Blogging came as a welcome break from the continuous planning of the Black Knight Awards, which are set to take place on Sunday night at Robinson Aud here at West Point. It's a great event that honors the best of the best of all of our athletic teams, along with a chance to look back on a year of success. A great team of people have been working their rear ends off to make this event possible, and from the looks of it, it should be enjoyed by all. Knight Vision will also be broadcasting the Black Knight Awards live at 7:30 p.m. if you want to follow along.
No more appropriate way to end today than ...
GO ARMY! BEAT LAFAYETTE!
Thursday, May 14
Good afternoon blog fans. Annie Holliday with you today, and I am pleased to announce that the ODIA team is champion of the staff/faculty intramural volleyball league once again! We went a couple years without the title when our team sort of fell off the map, but we're back on top. Thank you to all the awesome staff members from marketing, diving, equipment, operations, training, and of course volleyball that came out to have a little fun this year and win a t-shirt (and bragging rights!) Awwwwwwww team! Now it's on to summer softball.
The office is quiet at the moment. Bob has been in meetings all day, and Tracy has been running around coordinating the Black Knight Awards which are happening this Sunday. Tomorrow is her day in the rotation so rather than steal her thunder and tell you all about them, I'll leave that topic for her to cover. I wonder if anyone will be on twitter duty for the BK awards?
Speaking of twitter, I found it to be a great way to track the baseball action last weekend. I was tied up for a good chunk of the day on Saturday and relied on my phone to show me how the games were going (and if I'd have time to make it to game 2!) Before the availability of our twitter feed, if I was away from West Point and wanted to keep up on the action, I would load the in-game blog on my phone's internet browser and hit refresh every three minutes. It wasn't a bad way to follow along, but, it wasn't as efficient as this twitter stuff. Now I have an application for my phone that acts as the twitter feed, and it is great. I just open it up and voila, there's all the latest updates from the twitterers I follow. If you have a blackberry or iphone or any kind of phone with data capability, I definitely recommend tracking down an application to follow all the tweets! On that note, be sure to follow along this weekend when Army Baseball fights for the Patriot League Championship - I know I will!
Have a great day everybody! Go Army! Beat Lafayette!
Tuesday, May 12
And Then There Were Two
As the leaves appear, the temperature rises and the Class of 2009 sets to depart, just two sports remain in progress here at West Point: baseball and track.
Mark Brumbaugh here typing away today. The tracksters will have the IC4A/ECAC Championships in Princeton this weekend and then the NCAA regionals in Greensboro, N.C. on the 29th and 30th. I imagine they are quite pleased that graduation was moved up to the off-weekend in between the two championships events. Last year, Army track senior John Mickowski had to pick running at the NCAA regionals over the graduation ceremony. He of course won and earned a trip to the NCAA Championships, so not that bad of a tradeoff I guess.
Many members of the Army Athletics staff, as well as the Academy administration, thoroughly enjoyed this past weekend’s baseball action. It was nice on Sunday that we were able to groan when Army blasts hit the fence as opposed to flying out of the ballpark. As a Pittsburgh Penguins fan that has been exhausted by a series in which five-of-six games have been decided by one goal (and yes, it’s going to Game 7 on Wednesday) it was nice to just relax and watch my favorite team cruise to victory.
Hopefully I can persuade the friends I invited to come down to West Point this weekend that Trophy Point and the other sights to see around here will still be there after the baseball game.
Notations: You can tell graduation is near just by visiting the cleaners here at West Point ... while waiting in line to pick up the tie I got some taco sauce on during the men’s tennis banquet last Cinco de Mayo, there were probably about five cadets ahead of me ... I learned that the cadets have to get their uniforms approved by their TAC before graduation to make sure it fits perfectly ... they certainly take the whole discipline deal seriously around here ... I also learned that the cleaners doesn’t charge you when they can’t get the stain out ... I think I’m still full from the men’s tennis banquet ... they had chicken wings, all-you-can-eat tacos, nachos and probably some other stuff, but I got distracted by the first three options ... I’m guessing speedy lead-off hitter Zach Price doesn’t have chicken wings, tacos and nachos in the same meal, otherwise he probably would not have hit .579 in four games against Lafayette earlier this season ... perhaps the secret to good hitting is eating cookies because Clint Moore hit .571 against Lafayette ... of course you would already know about Army’s gaudy numbers at the plate if you read the baseball notes ... speaking of people who probably eat 10 times healthier than me, do yourself a favor and get caught up on Larry Choate’s track diary if you haven’t been following along ... track may not be your thing, but he does an amazing job illustrating the passion behind Army sports ... after reading his diaries all year, seeing him win the 4x400-meter relay as the anchor leg was probably one of the coolest moments of the Patriot League track championships here on May 1-2 ... I’m not going to lie, I’m jealous of Larry’s writing talents ... the best race at the track championships was probably the 10,000 as Army senior Jonathan Anderson led pretty much the whole thing until the second-to-last lap when a Holy Cross guy caught him and passed him ... not only did I want Army to win, but based on the results at that point I didn’t have a really clear headline ... Anderson defending his 10K title was the headline I was looking for, but after nearly a half-hour of looking like it was in the bag, it was slipping away ... Anderson regained the lead by the finish line though and held off the Holy Cross guy by less than a half-second thus securing the win ... and my recap headline ... this notes section is significantly longer than my paragraphs above so I think we’ll wrap it up here ... no blog entry would be complete though without saying:
GO ARMY! BEAT LAFAYETTE!
Friday, May 7
The sun is out, baseball is on the horizon, I had a steak dinner last night thanks to head golf coach Jimmy Ray Clevenger and we are finding more ways to reach out to fans. Oh and I scored a goal in the 6 a.m. skate. All in all, a pretty good Friday morning.
Ryan Yanoshak joining you on a lovely morning along the banks of the Hudson River.
Our weather experts have been analyzing patterns, fronts and cloud formations and the consensus is baseball will be played at Doubleday Field Saturday when your Black Knights host Holy Cross in a best-of-three Patriot League semifinal series. First pitch is set for noon tomorrow and all games will be nine innings.
Keep an eye on the site later today for a comprehensive notes package that will provide all the information you want on Army baseball. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the Army baseball team, this weekend presents the perfect opportunity. I attended the majority of home games (unlike Yankee Stadium, I can afford season tickets to Army since it’s tough to beat that free price) and I can tell you Coach Joe Sottolano’s team plays hard, plays with emotion, practices the fundamentals and crushes the ball. The team has three players hitting over .400, three. When you read the notes, take a look at the slugging percentage of some of the players and the records that have been broken and may be broken. Oh, the Black Knights can throw it as well. I’m sure you saw it on the site this week, but the team also hauled in a ton of PL honors. Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Rookie of the Year, seven first-team and one second-team citations will all be distributed prior to the game on Saturday. Should be a great series. The winner will play the winner of the Bucknell-Lafayette series next weekend at the highest remaining seed.
If you can’t make it out to the game, you have no excuse for not knowing the score. We plan to offer Twitter updates (more on that to follow), live stats, an in-game blog, a video stream and radio coverage. A story will be up later this morning with the details.
While the sports are slowing down, there is still plenty going on. Coach Clevenger served as MC and chef last night when the golf team handed out its awards ... The women’s tennis team is in Miami, Fla., to take on the Hurricanes in the first round of the NCAA Regionals and the track and field team is competing this weekend.
With fewer teams competing, it also gives our office a chance to research ways we can better serve the fans, parents and alumni who generously and passionately support Army athletics.
One of the ways we found we can reach out through fans is with our Twitter page. Once you get past using words like tweet and hearing co-workers make an annoying tweet sound, it is a pretty useful technology. This is the abbreviated version and I am by no means a Twitter expert. Our office is going to post “tweets” and once you sign up (it’s free) you can follow Army athletics and be among the first to know when something is happening. We decided to launch it this weekend with the baseball tournament so fans can follow the action. When you register, there is an option to sign up for mobile updates. That means when we “tweet” you can get a text message (standard rates apply, check your contract). So for example, if you are out shopping this weekend (Mother’s Day is Sunday after all) and Army scored twice to take a 2-0 lead, we will tweet about it and while deciding between pearls and white gold, you can focus on your purchase instead of wondering who is winning.
Visit www.twitter.com/ArmyAthletics to see what our page looks like, then register.
We also plan to explore Facebook and make some improvements on that page and look for more ways to bring you information on Army athletics.
BB has mentioned it before: we welcome your feedback. T-Nel’s e-mail is at the top of the page and the staff directory has contact info for all of us in Athletic Communications. We want to ensure we are doing the best possible job so if you have ideas/suggestions/feedback, reach out and let us know.
That’s enough for me. Need to work on some baseball and get ready for this weekend.
Twitter Away and Go Army!
Thursday, May6
Good day, dear Black Knight Blog reader. Tim Volkmann tickling the keyboard on a gloomy day here in the Hudson Valley.
The sun hasn’t been out in about five days around here and I’m afraid I may be to blame. I put my golf clubs in the trunk of my car over the weekend, anticipating a trip to the driving range at some point this week to loosen up the old back, but ever since then, the closest I have come to taking them out has been pushing them around to make room for my groceries the other day.
Things are a “twitter” around the office as the latest social networking craze invaded the Army Athletic Communications yesterday. (Read here for a full release). Black Knight fans can now keep up with what’s going on in Army Athletics by logging on to Twitter.com and becoming a “follower” of ArmyAthletics. Bob Beretta “tweeted” from our baseball game yesterday in our inaugural event and we are off and running.
Lo and behold, even our very own Mady Salvani has gotten in on the action. A little while ago, she “tweeted” a link to a feature about retiring softball coach Jim Flowers that appeared on the Times Herald Record website. (Before you know it, she will be updating her Facebook page while downloading the latest Tiesto podcast to her iPhone...or maybe we should start by showing her how to turn on her current cell phone instead and go from there.)
At last count, there were 17 people following ArmyAthletics let’s see how many we can get it up to by the end of the day. (C’mon everyone is doing it. When you go on there, take a look at all the people following ArmyAthletics already you might see a familiar face or two from Black Knight Blog infamy).
Ryan Yanoshak will be handling the Twitter duties for this weekend’s Patriot League Baseball Tournament as the second-seeded Black Knights host third-seeded Holy Cross. There is a way to have tweets sent directly to your cell phone so, no matter where you are this weekend, you’ll know exactly what is going on during the best-of-three weekend series while you are on the go. Saturday’s first game is slated to start at 12:00 p.m., followed a half hour later by game two. Sunday’s first pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. if a third game is necessary.
Have a great weekend everyone GO ARMY.
Wednesday, May 5
This is Mady Salvani taking care of today’s Army Blog. It is a busy time of year even though we have less teams competing as we are kept busy with postseason reports on team and individual honors. Last night I attended the annual softball awards banquet. It is the first time in several years that it wasn’t held behind the stands at the Army Complex, and I am glad because it was rainy and damp.
Col. Wallace and his wife were kind enough to host the affair at their house on post, which happened to be Cinco de Mayo day and of course the theme was Mexican food which the players love. I am a dessert person and I have to admit, there were so many choices I didn’t know if I should start with a hot fudge sundae, top it off with brownies, cookies or pudding. I had so many choices that I kept trying them all.
The event was also the last official function for head softball coach Jim Flowers. It didn’t seem possible that we gave worked together since he took over the helm the summer of 1990. I probably had more disagreements with him than all my other coaches combined. Coach came into the program from the high school level, and one of our first head-on-encounters concerned a pitcher getting the win. He would pull the starting pitcher after three innings the way he did as the boys’ high scholl coach (they play seven innings at that level), and when I told him he was wrong, he told me no he was right. I promptly pulled out the NCAA rule book and kept it by my side ever since. There are so many rules in scoring baseball or softball, that you have to constantly be on your toes. Over the years I have had fans tell me I was wrong with a hit or error, but whenever I encountered a problem, I would defer to coach.
Over the years we learned to respect each other’s opinion. What I respected most about Coach was a player had to make the grade academically. Many a time he would not allow players (whether his best or a walk-on) to compete in fall ball or make the trip to Florida in order to have them concentrate on their grades. Coach had a great academic network of officer representatives who helped the players achieve that goal. There were a few who went on to make the Dean’s List. Some stayed with the program and some left to pursue duties in the Corps, but either way, they had a strong academic base.
Flowers was the longest coach on the staff at the time of his retirement and just finished a few wins shy of 400. He had some outstanding players, now as well as in the past, and they came back for his retirement following the conclusion of the regular-season. The players that returned thanked him for the lessons he taught them about life and being good leaders. That is a tribute that every coach, from T-League on up, should strive for.
I would like to wish Coach Flowers and his wife Nancy (who I made many a trip to games and consistently got her lost whenever she listed to my directions) a fond farewell as they leave West Point. They have lived on Post for 29 years between his 19 years at coaching and 10 years of being assigned here. They will head home to their native state of Texas where they will take up residence in Wetherford.
Just to let you know, I mentioned last week that I will be attempting to twitter this weekend at the Patriot League Tournament. I am a person who is cell illiterate, but I am willing to put that aside and break out and join today’s hottest commodity TWITTERING!
Tuesday, May 5
Happy Cinco de Mayo (or Cinco de Cinco as some would like to say) one and all! Tracy Nelson at the keys today to bring you today’s edition of the Black Knight Blog. It’s a bit of a dreary day here at West Point. Things are looking overcast with some sprinkles in the air ... not exactly the way I envisioned this festive day to be.
I feel like it’s been ages since I have blogged. As Annie mentioned in yesterday’s entry, it was a bit of a frustrating work day with technology playing havoc in our schedules. At one point, we were all complaining about how hard it is to get our work done without the use of the internet, email, etc. At this point, my boss, Bob Beretta chimed out of his office, “you know, there was a time when you didn’t have to rely on a computer to get stuff done.” I guess he is completely right in that fact we’re just so used to having the luxury of a computer that it’s hard to imagine life without it!
I apologize in advance for the shortness of today’s blog, but I have a lot to catch up on after yesterday’s setback. I would, however, like to take this chance to thank those of you readers that have taken the time to write in to us with your thoughts/inquiries/suggestions concerning the Black Knight Blog. It’s an initiative that has been extremely well-received, which makes sitting down to write these things more fun. It’s nice to know that somebody is reading and enjoying them! As always, feel free to shoot us a note if you have any thoughts ... tracy.nelson@usma.edu ... I always make sure to forward them to the group (only the ones with positive comments, of course!).
Things have slowed down as far as sporting events are concerned. We really only have three teams still competing baseball, women’s tennis and track & field. The women’s tennis team will make its fifth-straight trip to the NCAAs this Friday. Dennis Trapani and Emily Williams did a great job with a video feature that you can view by clicking here. The 2009 Patriot League Champions will board a plane on Wednesday and head to South Beach to take on the Miami Hurricanes on Friday, May 8, at 1 p.m. Miami has done an excellent job thus far of getting the regional all ready to go. If you are unable to make the trip to sunny Coral Gables, here’s a great way to follow all of the action. Good luck to head coach Paul Peck and all of the girls you do a standout job every year of representing the Academy well and I expect nothing different this season! GO ARMY! BEAT MIAMI!
The baseball team earned a share of the Patriot League regular-season title for the second year in a row, which solidified home field advantage for the Black Knights for the first round this weekend. Army has been on a tear lately and has been producing some really exciting baseball lots of scoring, homeruns and offense just the way I like it! Army welcomes No. 3 Holy Cross to town this weekend, so come on out to Doubleday to cheer on your Black Knights!
Finally, congrats to the men’s track and field team for winning the Patriot League title last weekend here at West Point! IC4A and ECAC competition, along with NCAA events, will take place in the coming weeks. Stay tuned to www.goARMYsports.com to keep track (pun intended)!
That just about does it for today. As always, GO ARMY!
Monday, May 4
Good afternoon Black Knight Blog Readers! Please forgive the late entry today. We've been patiently* waiting for the internet to work for several hours now, and I've had to log on to post this via a wireless card that is a hot commodity this afternoon among everyone in the office. This whole "internet is down" thing can be a frustrating situation to deal with when working in a job that requires releasing and accessing information at a moment's notice. Especially on a Monday, in the season of year-end honor roll and other deadlines. But, we know the Academy information management gurus are working as hard as they can on it. Gotta keep that "most wired" reputation credible! Thankfully I (Annie Holliday) haven't had too many tasks today that require internet research, but it definitely has forced me to submit the blog after 3 p.m. Let's hope the office police are lenient and don't write me up for circumstances beyond my control.
In case you missed it, the big news from the weekend was Army Men's Outdoor Track & Field dominating the competition at the Patriot League Championships, and winning their 17th title! Mark posted a great wrap up as well as a thorough photo gallery, so check them out if you haven't already. The women reportedly gave a great showing in spite of some injuries and other issues during the season, finishing 4th, and I hear things look promising for next year. Track and Field will continue to compete throughout the month, with many athletes having qualified for the IC4A and ECAC Championships next weekend, as well as NCAA Regionals the weekend of graduation.
I've been through this a few times now and every year I am surprised at how quickly this month flies by. It doesn't help this year that graduation is a week earlier. But it sure is exciting to watch the cadet-athletes you've gotten to know over the years walk across the stage, get their diplomas, and be commissioned as 2LTs. They work so hard in all aspects of academy life and it really is awesome to be there and witness the culmination of their four years at West Point. This year I will again watch the bar pinnings of the seniors from the club team I volunteer with. It doesn't seem like it was that long ago that I watched my first bar pinning ceremony, but this past week I found out one of those '05 guys - now a Captain - has returned to West Point to work in the admissions department. Time does fly! Anyway, if you are among the many proud parents, family members and friends coming to the area for Grad Week, surf on over to the main USMA site and read the Graduation Week Guide to get all the details about the events going on.
Have a great week Black Knight fans and until next time, Go Army!
*which is highly debatable at this point, given that it is many hours after I first composed this blog entry!
