2011 - SCAC Baseball Media Days - Rhodes

The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference office will conduct its first annual baseball "media days" event beginning Monday, February 7.

Day three features a sit down with head coach Jeff Cleanthes along with senior outfielder Matt Gilbert of Rhodes.

Cleanthes enters his eight season as the manager of the Lynx. Under Cleanthes, Rhodes has posted five straight seasons of 25 plus wins, including last year when the Lynx finished out 2011 with a 27-17 record.

Gilbert returns for his senior season coming off a First Team All-Conference performance a year ago. As a junior, Gilbert hit .365 from the plate with 42 hits, 26 runs scored, 22 RBIs and 22 stolen bases.

To listen to head coach Jeff Cleanthes, click here.

To listen to senior Matt Gilbert, click here.

SCAC Baseball Touranment - DePauw vs. Rhodes

For the first time since it won the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball title in 2001, DePauw is in the championship game after eliminating Rhodes by a 5-3 score early this morning at USA Stadium.

DePauw scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth to break a 2-2 tie and Andy Manson (pictured) pitched a complete game with 13 strikeouts as the Tigers lifted their overall record to 24-16. The Lynx dropped to 26-16 with the loss.

Ben Gardner led off the DePauw first with a walk and moved to third on Taylor Hoffman's single. Gardner scored when Rob McPike hit into a double play. The Tigers made it 2-0 in the second when Jon Newman led off with a triple and scored on Drew Holy's sacrifice fly.

The Lynx knotted the contest at 2-2 in the fourth as Travis Perkins reached on a walk before Brett Lindsey reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on a DePauw error. Perkins scored on Chris Conkell's single before Lindsey was picked off. Lynden Pindling followed with a single that scored Conkell and evened the score at 2-2.

Jason Cohen doubled with one out in the DePauw half of the fourth and moved to third on Newman's single. Cohen scored on Alex Wright's sacrifice fly. Holy singled Newman to third and stole second. After Sam Linette walked to load the bases, Alex Jacques delivered a two-run double which gave DePauw a 5-2 lead.

Rhodes added one more in the fifth as Brooks Royer singled and moved to second on Brandon Valentine's grounder. Royer advanced to third on an error and scored on Perkins' single.

Newman and Jacques each had two of DePauw's seven hits, while Perkins collected two of Rhodes' seven. Manson improved to 3-0 with the win and his 13 strikeouts were a career high. Andy Meier dropped to 0-1 with the defeat.

After the game Jeff DeBaldo of the SCAC had the chance to catch up with both head coaches.

To listen to Rhodes head coach Jeff Cleanthes, click here.

To listen to DePauw head coach Jake Martin, click here.

SCAC Baseball Tournament - Rhodes vs. Millsaps

Tournament host Rhodes College used a five run fifth inning to break open a tight 1-1 pitcher's duel enroute to an 11-1 seven inning victory over Millsaps College and continued its quest for a Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference championship.

Rhodes did its damage thanks to Chris Conkell three run double down the left field line. Conkell's double was part of a four hit, five run inning that effectively did in the Millsaps Majors in an elimination game from USA Stadium.

Conkell finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs scored and his three run double. Other Lynx that contributed to the offensive outburst were Travis Perkins (3-for-4, one RBI), Brooks Royer (1-for-3, three RBI, one run) and Brandon Valentine (1-for-3, two runs).

Rhodes was paced by freshman starting pitcher Jackson Baker. Baker pitched a complete game in the win. He allowed just one earned run, scattered three hits and struck out four to earn the win and improve to 4-2 in 2010. With the win, the Lynx (26-15) earned the right to play DePauw (23-16) in the night cap of day three of the SCAC tournament.

After the game Jeff DeBaldo of the SCAC caught up with both head coaches.

To listen to Millsaps head coach Jim Page, click here.

To listen to Rhodes head coach Jeff Cleanthes, click here.

SCAC Baseball Tournament - Oglethorpe vs. Rhodes

Rhodes starting pitcher Tony Pikos had a no-hitter through six full innings before allowing a triple in the top of the seventh and led the Rhodes College Lynx to a 9-4 win over the Oglethorpe University Stormy Petrels Friday afternoon at USA Stadium.

Pikos pitched six plus innings while scattering just two hits, allowed three earned runs and struck out three as the Lynx advanced through the first eliminiation game of the 2010 SCAC Baseball tournament.

After spotting the Stormy Petrels a run in the top of the first, the Lynx responded with five runs in the bottom of the third high lighted by Matthew Burnick's three run homerun. Burnick finished the day 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run scored.

Both teams were held off the scoreboard in the middle innings. Oglethorpe then scored two runs in the top of the seventh to cut the Rhodes lead to 5-3. Jeff Pope broke up Pikos' no-hit bid with a lead-off triple and then scored on Matthew Cornwell's single up the middle. Cornwell later scored on right fielder Stephen Archer's sacrifice fly to right field.

Rhodes responded with a four run eighth inning. Matthew Gilbert singled and then stole second. Gilbert came home on Brent Lindsey's run scoring double to right. The Lynx picked up run scoring doubles from Lynden Pindling and Austin Marcum. Chris Conkell tallied an RBI single to round out the eighth inning scoring.

Oglethorpe tacked on a run in the top of the ninth but that was all the damage it did in the last frame. The Stormy Petrels (19-23) were led by Cornwell's 2-for-3, three run performance. Cornwell was the only Petrel to post a multi-hit game.

Rhodes was led by the middle of its lineup. The No. 3-4-5 hitters were a combined 6-for-12 with four runs and six RBI. Lindsey, Burnick and Conkell each went 2-for-4. Burnick led the Lynx with a team-high three RBI.

Rhodes (25-15) will play the loser of the DePauw vs. Millsaps game on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. CT.

After the game Jeff DeBaldo of the SCAC caught up with both head coaches.

To listen to Oglethorpe head coach Dan Giordano, click here.

To listen to Rhodes head coach Jeff Cleanthes, click here.

SCAC Baseball Tournament - Rhodes vs. Millsaps

Millsaps College used a big six run fourth inning in helping to break open a 2-1 Majors lead over the Rhodes College Lynx enroute to a 13-5 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament victory.

The Majors, the West's #2 seed, tacked on three runs in each of the seventh and eighth innings in beating the Lynx for the second time in three tries this season.

Millsaps was able to get to Rhodes staring pitcher Hunter Chandler in the fourth inning. Taylor Rountree doubled to right center to bring in two runs. Two batters later Jeremy Aliff's single up the middle brought two more runs and Millsaps took control.

Chandler was tagged for eight runs and 13 hits over six innings in falling to 3-1 on the year.

Millsaps starter Aaron Williams scattered five hits in five innings while giving up just two earned runs and struck out one in earning the victory and improving to 6-1 this season.

The Majors received solid contributions from Will Hawkins (3-for-4, four RBI), Rountree (4-for-5, five RBI and three runs scored) and Jake Mills (3-for-4, three runs, two RBI).

The Lynx were led offensively by Lynden Pindling (4-for-5, two runs, three RBI and a double), Matt Gilbert (2-for-4, one RBI) and Matthew Burnick (2-for-5, one RBI).

Millsaps will play the winner of the DePauw vs. Austin College game on Friday. Rhodes will play Oglethorpe in an elimination game Friday afternoon.

After the game Jeff DeBaldo of the SCAC caught up with both skippers.

To listen to Rhodes head coach Jeff Cleanthes, click here.

To listen to Millsaps head coach Jim Page, click here.