Baylor Signee Russo hits 3 HRs in Jayhawk League

Baylor Freshmen Mandel Throws No-Hitter forLarks

6-9-04

By MIKE KESSINGER

Hays Daily News


Making a good first impression isn't always easy, but Jeff Mandel made it look that way.

In his first start with the Hays Larks, Mandel didn't just shut down Elkhart at Larks Park Tuesday night, he threw a no-hitter. The Hays offense did the rest for a 7-0 win.

Through seven innings of work, the Baylor University right-hander dusted off the Elkhart hitters, with 10 strikeouts. Mandel (1-0) walked four — a batter in each of the first three innings, then didn't allow another baserunner until the sixth when he walked Mike Dunn.

“I felt pretty good out there,” Mandel said after pitching in a game for the first time in over 10 days. “I was getting strikes in there and the defense was really involved.

“There is a lot of camaraderie on the team, and we have a lot of good guys.”

Larks manager Frank Leo had initially planned not to pitch Mandel the entire game, but felt with the way things were playing out, it would be fine to let him finish what he had started.

“Outstanding,” Leo said of Mandel's performance. “He kept his pitch count where we wanted it to be. He really had total command. I really like that style he has.”

The Larks got on the board early with two runs in the first inning. J.C Field's single scored Aaron Batlle, and Nolan Reimold also scored as Dusters catcher Keith Jenkins dropped the ball after he tagged Reimold.

“The guys did a good job of getting into scoring position,” Leo said. “We were swinging better.”

In the third inning, Tyler Wasserman scored Warren Schaeffer with a single to make it 3-0.

An inning later, the Larks scored four runs. Mandel and Jason Pfeifer scored the first two runs on an errant throw home by Duster third baseman Jake Stover trying to get Mandel at the plate on a grounder.

Mandel continued to dominate the Elkhart batters, with one strikeout in the fifth, then two in the sixth and seventh.

In the final two innings, Mandel got big plays from his outfielders to preserve the no-hitter. In the sixth, right fielder Billy Sharp chased down and caught a deep shot by Murray Gilbertson. Then in the seventh, former Hays High School player Jason Pfeifer made a diving catch in short left field for the final out.

Baylor Signee Marchant Delivers Game Winning RBIs in Sweep

6-16-04

By NICHOLAS McQUEEN

Hays Daily News


The Hays Larks took two steps toward winning their first Jayhawk League series Tuesday.

Last week, the Larks split four games with Elkhart. On Monday, Hays dropped its series opener with Liberal. The Larks took the two middle games of the series with a doubleheader sweep Tuesday night at Larks Park. Hays won the opener, 4-3 in eight innings, then took the nightcap, 3-0.

...

In the eighth, Jason Zoeller led off getting aboard on an error, and advanced to second on a single by Kevin Russo. A wild pitch moved the runners up a base. After a short fly ball to left for the first out, Wasserman walked to load the bases. Gabe Marchant hit a grounder to short, and the Bee Jays tried to turn an inning-ending double play. Liberal got the runner at second, but Marchant was safe at first, allowing Zoeller to come home with the winning run.

“They made some great plays last night (Monday),” Leo said. “They executed when they had to on offense. The shoe was on our foot tonight. We hit some balls hard in that seventh inning, so something had to fall for us.”

The loss went to Matt Gomez De Segura (1-1) in relief.

In Game 2, the Bee Jays committed five errors, one of which resulted in a run.

Sharp scored on a wild pitch in the third to put the Larks up 1-0, and Hays got two runs in the fourth.

Hays managed just three hits against Chad Rhodes (0-1), one each from Sharp, Zoeller and Marchant, who had the only RBI of the game.

Baylor Sophmore Has Carrer Nite in Jayhawk Action

June 17, 2004

By RANDY GONZALES

Hays Daily News

Seth Fortenberry had a career night for the Hays Larks.

Aaron Batlle didn't have a bad game, either.

Behind two of the team's few returning veterans, the Hays Larks pounded the Liberal Bee Jays 11-4 Thursday night at Larks Park. In the process, Hays took three of four games in the Jayhawk League series with its big rival.

Fortenberry went 5-for-5 with a walk, two RBIs and two runs scored in the leadoff position.

"I'm not sure I've ever had one," Fortenberry said of his five-hit game. "I really was seeing the ball well."

Batlle was 4-for-4 with a walk, and had two RBIs and a run scored.

Hays manager Frank Leo was happy with the series victory, and two veterans having big nights made it even better.

"Big game for us," Leo said. "That's what we talk about - winning series at home, split on the road. Two veteran guys led the way."

It was tied at 1-all when Hays broke the game open with a seven-run fourth inning. All the damage came with two out.

Fortenberry got the big hit, driving in the first two runs with his double into the corner in right field. After Warren Schaeffer was hit by a pitch from Liberal starter Ryan Riddle, Kevin Russo singled to score Fortenberry. Nolan Reimold followed with a two-run single before Tyler Wasserman and Batlle singled, with Batlle driving in a run.

TrojanX2,

Thanks for this thread! My son played some of his first "select" baseball against and with Aaron Batlle and they were set to be college roommates at Galveston JC prior to my son's signing to play professional ball. Aaron's father was one of the coaches for the Arlington Wizard team that my son had some GREAT experiences with!!!!

Seth Fortenberry was a HS teammate for 2 years and I was always totally awed by this young man's speed as well as his ability to pitch and play a couple of positons on the field and swing a very mean bat.

Best of luck for the rest of the summer season to both of these young men and I know that they will do well in their next collegiate seasons.

OPP

That's awesome to hear about Russo!! I played with Kevin since I was 12 until he left highschool! I hadn't heard that he did this until reading it on here!! Thanks for the thread!

Tallman