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June 2009
WSU softball coach takes job at Arkansas
This just in from Wright State’s Sports Information Department:
LARABEE NAMED HEAD SOFTBALL COACH AT ARKANSAS
Mike Larabee, the head coach of the Wright State softball program the past five seasons, has been selected as the new head coach at the University of Arkansas, it was announced Thursday.
“I want to thank Wright State University and the athletic administration for the opportunity to coach softball here the last five years,” said Larabee. “It has been a challenging and exciting five years. I’m proud of the accomplishments that our program has achieved and want to thank all the players for their hard work and dedication to the program. All players are returning and the program is in excellent shape.”
“My family and I have established many great relationships in the community and really loved the Miami Valley,” added Larabee. “I want to wish Wright State University the best of luck in the future and will always have a special place in my heart for the university and people I worked with.”
During his tenure with the Raiders, Larabee led the program to two NCAA appearances and 30-plus wins in each of the last two seasons.
“This is a bittersweet day for Wright State,” said WSU Director of Athletics Bob Grant. “We are losing one of the best softball coaches in the nation, but I’m also extremely happy for Coach Larabee. This is a tremendous opportunity for him and his family. Mike has built our program into a top program in the Horizon League, and I look forward to watching him achieve the same level of success in the SEC.””
Wright State posted 30-plus wins for the second consecutive year in 2009, with the 34 victories trailing just the 36 in 2000 for the most wins ever in a season. Wright State finished third in the Horizon League standings by going 16-8, the most conference wins ever for a Raider team.
The Raiders recorded their first winning campaign since 2001 by finishing 33-26 in 2008 and also placed third in the regular season Horizon League standings, which marked the highest finish for WSU in seven years. Wright State then defended its League Tournament title at the Loyola Softball Park in Chicago by winning four straight games, two in dramatic comeback fashion.
The Raiders, making their second straight NCAA appearance and third overall in program history, advanced to the regionals in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and had the lead in the late stages of both games before falling to Michigan and Kent State.
Outfielder Jherica Williams became the first Raider ever to be selected as the Horizon League Player of the Year and the first to be named First Team All-Great Lakes Region since 1999 as she led all of Division I in runs batted in per game (1.24), was second in slugging percentage (.909), third in batting average (.469) and fifth in on-base percentage (.566).
Wright State posted 11 new team season records in 2008, including 67 home runs, which shattered the previous mark of 25 set in 1999. As a team, WSU ranked fifth nationally in triples per game (0.36), 10th in batting average (.315) and slugging percentage (.510) and 12th in runs per game (5.85) and home runs per game (1.14). The Raiders also set 10 single-season and six career individual records.
In 2007, the Raiders won four straight games to claim the Horizon League Tournament title despite entering the tournament as the seventh seed. Wright State then advanced to the NCAA Regionals in Evanston, Illinois, falling to eventual College World Series participant Northwestern 4-1 on the Wildcats home field and 3-0 to Notre Dame.
Along with his coaching duties at Wright State, Larabee has also been a part of the USA Women’s National Team Coaching Pool for the both the 2005-08 and 2009-12 Olympic Quadrenniums. As a result, Larabee will be an assistant coach with the USA Softball Pan American Qualifier Team that will compete in Maracay, Venezuela, July 31-August 9.
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WSU’s McGrew named to U.S. national team
Wright State junior Casey McGrew was named to the 22-man roster for the USA Collegiate National Team, USA Baseball announced today, June 25.
McGrew becomes only the second player in WSU history to wear the Red, White and Blue jersey and will join head coach Rob Cooper, who is an assistant coach on the squad, during Team USA’s summer schedule that includes trips to Japan and British Columbia.
McGrew was named to the team after a 10-day trial in Cary, N.C.
“It was unexpected,” McGrew said. “We had our meetings with the coaches last night and they asked me how I felt. I told them that I would be ready for the season and Coach Jones just said, ‘Welcome to the team.’
“It probably won’t truly sink in until I am standing on the field tonight (in an exhibition against Canada) and hear that National Anthem and am wearing USA across my chest.”
McGrew is only the third WSU player to be invited to the trials and is the second Raider to be named to Team USA (Jeremy Hamilton, 2007). As a school, WSU becomes the 53rd program with two or more players selected to compete for the Collegiate National Team, with Stanford’s 24 leading the way. Wright State is one of only 11 schools in a cold weather state to have more than one representative on the USA Collegiate National Team roster.
“Casey was invited to the trial as an option in the outfield and as a left-handed bat,” Cooper said. “With the type of player that Casey is, he really made a spot for himself on this team with the things he is able to do. The coaching staff was impressed with his ability to run the bases, play all three outfield positions and the way he handled the bat.”
McGrew, a native of Delaware, Ohio, is coming off of a season that included First Team All-Horizon League honors, All-Region honors and a slew of career-highs. He hit .340 in 2009, with a career-best 61 runs scored 83 hits, 22 doubles, 52 RBIs and 31 walks.
2009 Collegiate National Team Schedule
June 25 - 29 vs. Canadian National Team
July 1 - 4 vs. Guatemalan National Team
July 5 - 7 vs. New England Collegiate Baseball League
July 10 vs. Kokusai Budo University (Tokyo, Japan)
July 11-July 16 37th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Championship
July 18-July 26 World Baseball Challenge (Prince Georgia, British Columbia) … Games versus Canada, Bahamas, USA-Reno, Prince George Axeman, Chinese Taipei, Beijing Tigers and Germany.
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Raiders look a lot healthier
FAIRBORN — While senior guard Todd Brown was hoisting up underhanded half-court shots — and making more and more of them to the squealing delight of youngsters at coach Brad Brownell’s summer camp today — a bunch of his teammates were wandering around the McLin Gym at the Nutter Center virtually limp free.
That was certainly a good sign.
Center Ronnie Thomas, of course, is well-removed from knee surgery prior to last season, and guard Vaughn Duggins has recovered well from hand and foot surgery during the season.
Junior guard Scott Grote also looked healthy following knee and elbow surgery (both on the right side) to remove some nagging problems that he considered minor.
The best part of the day was seeing John David Gardner, who said it was going to take a little longer for him to recover from hip surgery — it will be three months this Thursday — but that his life (not only his basketball) is much better for it.
“Just getting in and out of my truck is better,” Gardner said. “I was told it would take 4-6 months to fully heal, and I was hoping it would be just four months, but it will probably be a little longer.
“I’ve started working out. I ran a mile a few times. And I’ve started shooting from a stationary position. Before the surgery, everything I did was pretty uncomfortable.”
Also helping at the camp was Scottie Wilson, who graduated in 2008 and played briefly in the Ukraine after that.
Wilson attended a pre-NBA Development League summer camp over the weekend in Los Angeles.
“We had two games on Saturday and two on Sunday,” said Wilson, who said he played well. “When I was in the Ukraine, I played well, but the president of the club said he had too many players who were just like me. I averaged more than eight points and 9.5 rebounds in only 12 minutes.
“I’m going to some other camps, but if I make a D-League team, that would be best. I want to go to a D-League team and get some stats. In Europe, they think highly of D-League players. They see it as one level below the NBA.”
The Raiders missed Wilson last season, but the 6-foot-9 Thomas appears to be in great shape at this time, and 6-7 Paul Darkwa is scheduled to arrive later this summer from the Navy.
The Raiders are building an inside game, and if everybody stays healthy, this should be a good season.
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Raiders going places
FAIRBORN — News and notes from around the Wright State campus:
Junior basketball player Ta-myra Davis will tour East Asia this summer with Athletes in Action, beginning in August after a week of training camp next month.
Not only will the team compete in games, but conduct clinics and possibly help with humanitarian aide efforts.
Davis — whose parents both graduated from WSU — transferred from Youngstown State and averaged 8.5 points and 5.5 rebounds for the Raiders last season.
Another WSU junior, outfielder Casey McGrew, was invited to the USA Team tryout camp in Cary, N.C., to train for an overseas trip with that team.
If he makes it, McGrew will be the second WSU player in three years to make the team. Previously, WSU first baseman Jeremy Hamilton was selected for the USA team that WSU coach Rob Cooper works for as an assistant.
McGrew hit .340 for the Horizon League-winning Raiders this season and was the only WSU player to make the All-Regional NCAA Tournament team, going 4-for-9 with four RBIs, a run and a homer in two games.
Volleyball coach Trina Smith hired Andy Riesenberg as an assistant. Riesenberg was an assistant last season at Southern Indiana. He had also been Director of Volleyball Operations at the Louisville MidAmerica Sports Center.
Riesenberg, a Cincinnati native and 2003 graduate of the College of Mount St. Joseph, takes over for Nels Rydberg, who resigned at the conclusion of last season.
Junior designated player/pitcher Allison Cox, was named All-Midwest Region by Louisville Slugger after hitting .268 with seven home runs and 35 RBIs. Cox was also 3-3 with a 2.35 ERA and three saves as a first-team All-Horizon League player.
Only seven WSU players have been named All-Regions, including Jherica Williams (2008), Nikki Scott (2001), Annie Divac (2000), Michelle Demmitt (1999), Amber Kolle (1999) and Angie Lala (1997).
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High school shootout at WSU
FAIRBORN — It’s a unique way for high school basketball players to take a look around at colleges, and a way for college coaches to look at high school players.
Since Brad Brownell and his staff have been at Wright State, the staff has hosted summer high school shootouts, the first one this year coming Saturday at the McLin Gym in the Nutter Center and the Setzer Pavilion.
“It’s a way for us to build relationships with coaches and players,” said WSU assistant coach Billy Donlon. “And it’s a way for the kids to see our beautiful campus.”
Saturday, 10 teams will participate. Future dates are June 17, 18 and 27. In all, 60 teams are expected to participate with each team playing three games of two 20-minute halves with running clocks.
Donlon said teams from four states will participate, including Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia and Illinois.
Games are open to the public at no charge and will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
