On top of the Horizon League all season, the Wright State baseball team finds itself as the No. 2 seed in the Horizon League tournament, which begins Wednesday.
The Raiders were swept by Milwaukee in the final series of the regular season, and Valparaiso passed them and won the Horizon regular-season title by sweeping Youngstown State.
The Raiders still get a bye in the first round of the tournament and will play No. 3 seed Milwaukee or No. 6 Youngstown State at 3 p.m. Thursday on the campus of Illinois-Chicago.
“I hope they forget about (the three losses) and move on,” Wright State coach Rob Cooper said Monday. “We obviously didn’t play well. We’ve played well during the year and for most of the year. It’s the same team that won 14 games in a row. It’s the same team that was in first place for all but one weekend. It’s the same team that has beat a ranked team in Virginia and a ranked team in N.C. State.”
If the Raiders win their first game in the double-elimination tournament, they would play No. 1 seed Valparaiso, No. 4 Chicago or No. 5 Butler at 8 p.m. Friday.
The winner of the tournament earns the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.
“I’ve been on both sides,” Cooper said. “We’ve had teams that gone in as the three seed and won the tournament. We’ve had teams that were the No. 1 seed and didn’t win the tournament.”
Below: Coach Cooper speaks on Wright State’s Senior Day.
Below: Highlights from Wright State’s 2011 Horizon League championship:
Wright State recruit Jacoby Roddy, a 6-5 forward from Peoria, Ill, will find out in the next week or two whether he qualifies academically, coach Billy Donlon said Saturday.
Roddy signed with Vincennes University, a junior college, last week. That is a fallback option if he fails to qualify academically, Donlon said
.
“It looks very good that he’s going to make it,” Donlon said. “He needed to make sure he had another option.”
One of Wright State’s newest signees, Antonio “Bobo” Drummond, is also from Peoria, Ill., and has known Roddy since they were kids.
Antonio “Bobo” Drummond, who verbally committed to Wright State earlier this week and Joe Bramanti, who verbally committed in April, officially signed their letters of intent, Wright State announced Saturday.
Bramanti is a 6-2 guard from Brewster Academy (N.H.), and Drummond is a 5-10 guard from La Lumiere Academy in La Porte, Ind. Both players come in more prepared than the average freshman because of their experience at prep schools.
“It’s more mental than physical, making the jump from high school to college,” coach Billy Donlon said. “I believe with the programs these kids have come from, they’ll be able to make it. Bobo left Peoria (Ill.) to go to Lumiere, and that helps in all aspects of his life. I have a great appreciation for that. Joe graduated from high school, was an outstanding student and wanted to see what was out there. He went to Brewster, probably the best prep school team in the country, and improved himself.”
Bramanti averaged 22 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists as a senior in high school.
“I think he’ll turn 20 during his freshman year, so you’re not getting an 18-year-old freshman,” Donlon said. “He’s more developed physically. He can play multiple positions, which is important. Joe had a role at Brewster to facilitate and help some of the other guys be a little more unselfish, but he also has the ability to score the ball.”
Drummond averaged 13.3 points and 4.9 assists last season.
“Bobo brings more depth,” Donlon said, “and he has a very good court sense.”
Wright State basketball recruit Antonio “Bobo” Drummond talked with the Dayton Daily News on Thursday. Some highlights:
On why he picked WSU: “That was the first school I visited after being released from (Southern Illinois). There were some familiar faces that made me feel at home. The environment most of all was great. It was something I’d be comfortable in.”
On playing again with Wright State recruit Jacoby Roddy, who he grew up with in Peoria, Ill.: “We played travel ball together. We’ve played ball together since we were 4 years old. We’re practically brothers.”
On what he gained by playing for two years at La Lumiere School in La Porte, Ind.: “What it did for me was it got me out of my normal environment. It brought me to something I wasn’t accustomed to and forced me to adapt. Now I’m going to Wright State, and I’m already prepared to adapt.”
On what kind of player he is: “I’m a basketball player. I happen to be the shortest guy on the court most of the time. My thing is I do what I have to do for my team to win. If I have to pass the ball and get open looks, that’s what I have to do. I like the game come to me. I don’t like to force things.”
Antonio “Bobo” Drummond, who announced his verbal commitment to Wright State on Twitter on Wednesday night, played two seasons at La Lumiere School, a private college-prep school in La Porte, Ind.
He is one of five players from last year’s team, which was ranked 35th in ESPN’s Powerade Fab 50 rankings, to go Division I. Coach Alan Huss said Drummond was the team’s leader.
“He’s a tough kid, a point guard, a good shooter, just a good player,” Huss said Thursday.
“I’m not really the clown type of guy but I’m a good guy to be around,” he told WSIL-TV last December. “Clowns make people smile and I like to make people smile so I’m fine with that.”
Drummond played his first two seasons at Peoria Central and drew interest from the University of Illinois early in his high school career. He enrolled at La Lumiere to improve to improve his academic performance. He originally signed with Southern Illinois but changed his mind after a coaching change.
“He was close to the coaching staff,” Huss said. “It was tough. He knew it was a possibility throughout the year. He had plenty of options. We had to remind him of that from time to time. He handled it very maturely.”
In two years at La Lumiere, Huss said Drummond improved across the board.
“He became a better jump shooter,” Huss said. “He’s vocal. He’s tough. His sole goal out there is to try to win.”
Antonio “Bobo” Drummond has verbally committed to the Wright State men’s basketball program, according to Jim Mattson, sports director of WHOI-TV in Peoria, Ill., and IlPrepBullseye.com.
Wright State season-ticket holders may have already received a phone call, or may be getting one soon, from men’s basketball players, thanking them for their loyalty.
Each player has been assigned a certain number of fans to call. It’s something coach Billy Donlon did in college at UNC Wilmington, but it’s the first time the Raiders have done it.
“Mark Gazdik (assistant athletic director for marketing) deserves all the credit for this,” Donlon said. “He was the one who came up with the idea for us to do that. At the minimum, it’s the least we could do. We’ve got great fans. We’ve got very loyal fans. They certainly need to hear from us and our players. Our players need to take the time to thank them.”
Corey Davis, who catches and plays the outfield for Wright State, was named the College Sports Madness Horizon League Baseball Player of the Week on Tuesday.
The Happy Valley, Ore., native hit .412 (7-for-17) last week with three doubles, five RBIs and five runs scored last week as the Raiders went 4-0.
The Wright State men’s basketball team will help the Beavercreek Stars Youth Basketball Program rehabilitate their new home at 1321 Research Park Drive in Beavercreek at 10 a.m. Saturday.
The Beavercreek Stars is “a volunteer, non-profit corporation promoting high quality, competitive basketball. The program includes boys & girls in grades 3-6 in the Beavercreek school district, w/o regards to race, religion or socio-economic status.”
Speaking to CatsIllustrated.com, Mays said, “”It’s the best of the best. I want to compete with the best of the best. Growing up as a kid that’s all I’ve wanted to do. Having an opportunity to do that and play for Coach Cal, is really an opportunity of a lifetime and is really hard to pass up.”
Mays is a fifth-year senior who won’t have to sit out a year if he graduates in June as planned. He sat out his first season at Wright State after transferring from NC State and played last season.
According to the report, he will pursue a master’s degree in sports leadership at UK.
The Wright State baseball team, which leads the Horizon League by a game heading into the final weekend of the regular season, received one vote in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ poll that came out Monday. It was the only Ohio school to receive a vote.
It’s the fifth time in the last six weeks the Raiders (36-16) have received a vote.
Wright State visits Milwaukee for a three-game series starting Thursday. It leads Valparaiso, which hosts Youngstown State, by one game.
Wright State men’s basketball coach Billy Donlon has announced that guard Julius Mays will transfer in order to play professionally or to finish his final year of eligibility at another school.
“I loved my time at WSU,” Mays said. “The coaches made me better on and off the court. I will miss my teammates, but I have decided to pursue a playing career professionally or transfer to a BCS school for my final year of eligibility.”
Mays, who is on schedule to graduate in June, averaged 14.1 points and 2.8 rebounds as he was named the Horizon League Newcomer of the Year and second team. If he chooses to transfer and does graduate, the Marion, IN native will have one year remaining and could play immediately, according to NCAA rules.
“We wish Julius well in his future endeavors,” Donlon said.
Fenwick vs. Felicity
Students earn scholarships
Minster vs. Southeastern
What do you think?
Be the first person to comment on WSU baseball hopes to put sweep behind it entering postseason...