SALEM, Va. – The Kutztown University sports information staff will be keeping a daily blog of the softball team’s experience at the Division II National Softball Championships in Salem, Virginia. Tune in throughout the tournament for all the updates on the Golden Bears.
by Adam D. Dobrowolski, Broadcast Graduate Assistant
Tuesday, May 28
Post-Day Seven -- 8:00 a.m.
As a broadcaster, yesterday provided just about everything one could ask for. After all, how often can someone say he or she got to call a national championship game? Heck, how many say he or she got to call a national championship game in extra innings with the game-tying run coming with one strike left in the game? Anytime you get a chance to call such an intense game with so much on the line should be seen as a pleasure and an honor.
However, as someone who was hired by Kutztown University to call Golden Bears athletics, calling a national championship game becomes a whole other ballgame. It's truly taken to the next level. It makes the broadcast that much more surreal.
Unfortunately, in the case of a national championship game loss, it becomes that much more heartbreaking to see the emotions on the field after the game. You realize, after first-hand experience in the team setting, exactly how much energy and effort was exuded into every game. You realize how much emotion and determination was laid on the line with every victory. For the outcome to just one hit short of winning the 2013 Division II Softball Championship, you can vicariously feel every ounce of despair and disappointment as the tears flew from the Golden Bears.
Central Oklahoma 5. Kutztown 2. One hit away from a victory in the seventh inning. One hit away from a potential tie in the ninth inning. One pitch going the other way... that's all that separated this team from national glory in the most unimaginable way possible.
The journey itself is what makes the nine or so hours after the final pitch so poignant. This was not your usual national championship contending team. A 3-14 stretch turned a promising season into a 12-16 record before a single home game. After a 16-game homestand, the record became 23-21. And that was just the beginning of the ride...
Then again, this was not your normal group of players. Of the 15 players, each stood out in their own way over the past four weeks, as the Golden Bears won 12 consecutive postseason games after needing a doubleheader sweep at East Stroudsburg just to clinch a berth in the PSAC Championship Tournament. However, the individual character of this team truly shone this past week in the trip to Salem, VA.
If there was one player to look at as the "gamer" on the team, it had to be Bri Knipe. A clear and vocal senior leader, you knew Knipe meant business just by seeing her focus on the bus to the game. Knipe came through in so many ways this season, but none stood out better than the PSAC Championship Game against seventh-ranked California (PA). With the game tied at 7-7 in 10th inning, Knipe sent the Golden Bears home with their first ever PSAC Championship with a three-run homer.
The call still resonates. "The pitch, swung on and hit out to right-center field... tracking back... and it's gone! Goodbye, softball! A walk-off three-run round tripper for the senior Bri Knipe! For the first time in school history, the Golden Bears win the PSAC Championship Tournament! The Golden Bears are golden!"
Along with her are three amazing fellow seniors in Maria Isgro, Katie Lynch and Nicole Henninger.
One of the first people on the team to greet you, the good times become infectious with Isgro. While she's often the ringleader for the team's singing on the bus, it's probably not best to sing "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt." The big hits are also infectious around Isgro. Her homer got the scoring against Cal in the PSAC Championship and she got the go-ahead RBI to clinch the Atlantic Region by defeating West Chester in the second game of Super Regionals.
Meanwhile, while it seemed Lynch got hit by a pitch in nearly every game, she stuck with every bump and bruise to be at the backstop. Rocking the multi-color headband for every game, she kept the coaches' plan in order on and off the field. Lynch hit the go-ahead RBI in extra innings to clinch the Atlantic 2 Region sub-bracket.
And of course nobody can forget Henninger. Known simply as Wingnut, Henninger thundered five home runs in the postseason. But no hit was bigger than the RBI double with one strike left in the KU season to tie the game in the seventh inning. The team chaperone for every players-only trip on the bus in Salem, Wingnut also provided much of the entertainment to and from Pennsylvania with her extensive and alphabetized DVD collection.
For the juniors, it's easiest to start with the top two in the lineup, Jackie Hetzler and Morgan Booth.
The former, who is often called Jack Jack, might be only 5'3". However, her presence is certainly felt in the room, especially if she gives her hilarious and spot-on impression of Bon Qui Qui. In an uneasy twist yesterday, Hetzler's season literally and KU's championship hopes figuratively came to a crashing holt when she and Booth collided when trying to catch Central Oklahoma's go-ahead two-run double to right center field. Despite the battle scars that may show for a while, Jack Jack was on the team bus to go home after the post-game dinner stop (mixed between Sheetz, Firehouse Subs and Chick-fil-A).
Booth can be counted as the team's ignition in the lineup. Not only did she total a team-high 20 multi-hit games this season, but she led the way with her overall speed. Bunt singles and stolen bases were possible at any moment. Along the way, Morgan found a way to keep her hair wonderfully intact for both game days and team dinners -- the curlier, the better.
Steph Curry might be the quietest one of the team, but you won't forget about her. The Virginia native made sure the home state hospitality was already in effect before the team reached Salem. She provided a convoy into the commonwealth for a much-needed stop at her friends' 7-11 convenience store in Winchester. She was able to fight through a knee injury suffered during the team's homestand to start in the region-clinching victory over West Chester.
Finally, the fourth junior bats fourth in the lineup as the team's best slugging threat, Colleen Smith earned her reputation to rip with a team-best 14 home runs and 53 RBI. She received the nickname "The Beast" after making an immediate impact transferring from Hofstra. Not only did she set the tone for the tournament with the first inning two-run homer in the first round win over Grand Valley State this weekend, but she kept her goldfish along with her for the week. No goldfish were harmed during the making of this blog.
Smith's former Hofstra teammate, sophomore pitcher Dominique Ficara, made the switch to Kutztown on a separate occasion. However, by season's end, Ficara became the team's leading option in the rotation. She started all 13 postseason games and dominated in the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Bears as a team only allowed 11 runs in nine games. However, the soft-spoken righty also provided some good talking point about a different former collegiate stopping point -- my alma mater in Rowan University. Her South Jersey connection in Swedesboro was the basis for that.
Ficara made quite the dynamic duo with sophomore Mary Kociencki. Whether you can pronounce her last name correctly or not (as if Dobrowolski isn't hard enough), you cannot brush off the countless times she came through in the postseason in relief. With four wins and three saves in eight relief appearances, it seemed like she locked down any situation with runners at second and third and two outs. She was the captain of clutch in the circle.
But in terms of the off-the-field antics and stories, Kociencki makes a dynamic duo with freshman Lindsey Kelley. The two remain adorned with their golden bows in their ponytails for the continuing success. For Kelley, who everyone calls "Texas," she was the first and most successful in solving the riddle known as Bloomsburg lefty senior pitcher Cait Paine. Down to the final strike, Kelley hit a game-tying RBI single in the walk-off eight-inning victory over the Huskies in the PSAC semifinals. Perhaps that play changed Kutztown's season into the ride it's been. Perhaps it's the "power of the bows," as Kociencki and Kelley say.
Kelley is one of five super freshmen for the Golden Bears.
Danielle Sienko made the biggest postseason leap. She moved into the starting lineup as the second baseman against the East Stroudsburg. The Golden Bears won 14 consecutive games until one lasting heartbreak. Sienko hit the go-ahead RBI single in the 10th inning of the first round Atlantic 2 Region victory over West Virginia State and the game-tying RBI double that eased KU's pressure in a 7-2 victory in the National Semifinals.
Krista Schauder provided a helping hand as a hitter and pitcher this season. At no point did she come up bigger than the pinch-hitting game-tying single against Cal in the sixth inning to help send the game to extras. One of the colorful and quotable Golden Bears, she also may have been one of the most fashionable during the team dinner. Unfortunately, "Crazy Legs" was not given the dance floor to show her moves during the pre-tournament banquet.
Jess Kurtz may have the most unheralded humor on the team. It may under the radar with some sarcasm, it works well with the more outlandish antics. As a freshman, though, her performance shouldn't be overlooked. She held the fort at right field for much of the regular season and then came off the bench in several pinch running scenarios in the postseason.
And finally, to provide a family link players to coaches, Rachel Lawes has the softball blood that her mom has en route to 811 career victories (and counting). Lawes was the most reliable runner in the postseason. And she could grow up to be the leader among players on this team. Rachel roomed with Knipe during this trip, and Knipe offered her first post-game words of encouragement to the freshman.
Of course, this ride was not possible without the constant direction and motivation from the coaching staff: Judy Lawes, Don Justus, Larry Chester and Bob Pelle. Along with Rennie Sacco, the Sports Medicine Director, the staff keep the team going strong a postseason in which "do-or-die" seemed to be the constant team. Just like with the players, each made the one-week trip to Salem and four-week through the postseason an unbelievable journey.
Unfortunately, the journey came to end with the 5-2 loss to Central Oklahoma. A journey that saw a 23-21 team win two games to clinch a PSAC Championship Tournament berth and move up to the Eastern Division two seed. A journey that saw the Golden Bears win its first ever PSAC Championship -- and do so in walk-off fashion. A journey that saw 12 consecutive postseason victories, including eight in the NCAA Tournament. A journey that saw five wins in the last team at-bat, including four extra inning victories and two walk-off wins. A journey that saw even a loss including a moment of unspeakable perseverance -- with Henninger's game-tying single.
That journey was all made possible by a cast of individually unique individuals -- 15 players and four coaches -- who will all provide notable memories to such a surreal and amazing broadcasting experience.
Perhaps it was only fitting that the team bus received a convoy coming to Kutztown. Perhaps it was only fitting the Golden Bears meet a cast of cheering fans and co-workers upon the arrival back to Keystone Arena. Only something so grand and dreamlike could work to end the trip after the six-hour bus ride home.
This trip was indeed everything that a broadcaster could ask for in a job. The story itself for Kutztown -- a defending national semifinalist overcoming a 3-14 stretch with a 12-16 and 23-21 start to win its first-ever conference championship and win 12 consecutive postseason games en route to its first-ever championship game -- was only one out away from the perfect script. The unique mix of characters meshing into one nearly unstoppable unit at just the right time to create college softball magic.
For that, I say thank you to the 2013 Kutztown Softball team for making the journey such a remarkable experience that makes broadcasting such a wonderful job.
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by Adam D. Dobrowolski, Broadcast Graduate Assistant
Sunday, May 26
Day Six -- 10:00 p.m.
It would certainly be strange to say that a victory in the semifinal round of a national championship tournament could be anti-climactic. However, by the time the fifth inning came to a close in a rematch against Grand Valley State, the Golden Bears held a 7-1 lead with six outs standing in their way from an appearance in the 2013 NCAA Division II Softball National Championship Game.
The Lakers briefly made it interesting with three consecutive one-out hits, but an inning-ending double play all but ended any drama on a Sunday afternoon noted for the dominance of two teams that entered regional play with a huge hill to climb.
As Kutztown won 7-2 over ninth-ranked GVSU, the team not only avenged its pair of losses to Valdosta State last year in the national semifinals, they set up a date with a Central Oklahoma team that has a strikingly similar story to that of KU.
Kutztown entered the NCAA Tournament as the Atlantic six seed, while UCO entered as the Central four seed. Both the Golden Bears and Bronchos entered the semifinals in both 2012 and 2013 in the winner's bracket. Both teams lost two in the semis last year. Both teams won with authority today in their first game.
The Bronchos (yes -- with an "h") looked particularly dominant, with a 14-1 victory over Armstrong Atlantic in five innings. During a quick look in the broadcast booth, it looks likely that the 13-run victory was the largest in the Division II Softball Championship Finals.
The team certainly enjoyed its bus ride back from the Moyer Sports Complex to the Sheraton in Roanoke, with a few "Started from the Bottom" murmurs moving along the bus. (This reference to the rap song from Drake stems from the team's turnaround from a 12-16 start.) The team also enjoyed the dinner at Olive Garden.
However, the celebrations are subdued. After that, there's one game left with everything on the line. Perhaps that's why today's victory seems a bit anti-climactic. After a brief period to truly soak in a 12th consecutive postseason victory, that one big victory still must be earned. In the way, the Bronchos bring in a team that outscored their opponents 26-4 in three victories in Salem.
By 9:30am tomorrow morning, all bags will be packed for the Golden Bears. They will be ready to head back to Kutztown sometime late Monday afternoon.
The only thing left to see is if the Golden Bears will finish as the 2013 Division II Softball National Champions.
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by Bryan Salvadore, Sports Information Director
Saturday, May 25
Day Five -- 10:40 p.m.
Saturday was Kutztown’s day off from tournament play, but the Golden Bears made sure it was still a very active and memorable day in Virginia. The team enjoyed the laid back Saturday as most of the team slept in (all except for athletic trainer Rennie Sacco who like always, was up at the crack of dawn).
The Bieber bus left the hotel at 12:30 p.m. for Kutztown’s 1 p.m. practice at one of the available fields at the Moyer Sports Complex. Hitting and bunting drills were the primary focus at practice. Assistant Coach Bob Pelle introduced the team to drills that some of the Golden Bears had never seen before. KU worked through four hitting stations through the opening 40 minutes of the allotted 55-minute practice.
Kutztown closed out Saturday’s practice with a drill that Coach Pelle had previously used with the U.S. Olympic Team. It looked like any other drill, with a coach hitting the ball to players in the field; however, one thing was missing in this drill - the ball. The girls ran through simulated plays and acted as though they were catching and throwing the ball, even though it wasn’t there
(click here to watch video highlights of Saturday’s practice).
Following practice, the team hung around to watch the end of a nail-biting elimination game between Armstrong and Valdosta State. Valdosta State tied the game in the bottom of the seventh and had a chance to win the game with a runner on third, but Armstrong did a great job of managing the final out(s) to take the game to extra innings. Some of the team left early on the bus, only to see on the scoreboard that Armstrong had scored two runs in the ninth inning (or in double overtime as the NCAA mobile app had advertised), as the defending national champs in Valdosta State was the first team eliminated from the national tournament.
Everyone went their separate ways when returning to the hotel. Some went back to their rooms to relax, while others (led by Bri Knipe and her mother) went to the mall to get pedicures.
Saturday’s team dinner was one it will remember for a long time. At 6:30 p.m., KU’s host family of Wendel and Sharon Ingram led the caravan of KU athletic director Greg Bamberger and his family, as well as the team bus on an exciting journey to dinner that gave travelers the full experience of what it means to travel through Virginia.
The route went up and over the nearby Appalachian Mountains that presented tremendous scenic overlooks of the region. After reaching the peak of the mountain, we traveled slightly down the other side of the mountain before arriving at our destination. What was once a farm house on a 63-acre property was expanded on and turned into a home-style restaurant. Standing on a property with open fields, a lake, and surrounded by mountains, the restaurant was packed with guests who had come from near and far to take in the southern-style flavor.
Less than five minutes after sitting down and pouring ourselves drinks from either one, or both, of the pitchers of lemonade and sweet tea on the tables, trays upon trays of food were delivered to the banquet room that Kutztown was seated in. Menu items included fried chicken, salted country ham, roast beef, creamy mashed potatoes, homemade gravy and biscuits, corn, green beans, and baked beans. Don’t forget the ice cream and blackberry cobbler for dessert! Needless to say, everyone seemed to eat plenty. The overwhelming amounts of food nearly put our broadcasting graduate assistant Adam Dobrowolski (the voice of the Golden Bears) into a ‘food coma’ after three helpings of fried chicken and mashed potatoes. It’s ok though, the mid-meal walk around the building allowed him to burn off the needed calories to make room for the rest of his meal as well as the M&M’s once we got back to the hotel.
The team posed for a picture with their host family outside of the restaurant with the beautiful scenic background. After the picture was taken, the team raced back to the bus to get warm as the temperature had significantly dropped with the wind building and the sun going down.
It was a great day off for the team with the plentiful dinner acting as a perfect ending to the day. Before going to bed, KU learned it will play Grand Valley State on Sunday at 2:30 p.m., a rematch of the opening game of the NCAA Championships in which KU won 3-1. KU needs to win one of two possible games on Sunday to advance to the national championship game for the first time in school history…I have goosebumps just thinking about it…
P.S. With the remaining teams in action, somebody will be winning their first national championship in school history…
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by Adam D. Dobrowolski, Broadcast Graduate Assistant
Friday, May 24
Day Four -- 9:40 p.m.
Photo Gallery of KU-Humboldt, and Post-Game Autographs
Today provided an amazing reminder why we are sports fans. In a 1-0 victory over fifth-ranked Humboldt State that perhaps can only be described as ‘crazy’, the Golden Bears were able to eek out several crucial plays to shutout a team that just earlier in the day set the NCAA Division II record for most team home runs in a single season (
read the game recap here).
For a West Coast team like the Jacks, who had to play its first game at noon (9am for the fans watching or listening at home in Arcata, California), mental fatigue played a role in their 14th and final inning. However, it wasn't from the players, but a two-time National Champion in Head Coach Frank Cheek.
In a game full of climactic moments, the game's climax came in the bottom of the seventh inning. After the Jacks drew a walk from their nine-hitter in Andrea Chavez, the lineup flipped over to Chrissy Stalf. The slugger earlier in the day tied the Division II single-season individual home runs, when she set her 28th homer of the season out of the yard en route to HSU's victory over Texas Woman's University. Because of this, Head Coach Judy Lawes made the smart and gutsy situation to intentionally walk Stalf.
Up next, Cheek never made the call to sacrifice the runners over to second and third base, which likely would've occurred with only one out. The batter at the plate, Tonya Walker, already had two sacrifices in the game. In fact, in a postgame discussion with Humboldt's broadcast, Walker can quite easily be regarded as the team's best bunter.
Instead, Walker swung. Knowing the batter's hand positioning for both bunt and swing, Golden Bears senior third baseman Nicole Henninger held the line. She awaited what would be a hot-shot ground ball that resulted in a double play from third to first.
After Brianna Knipe transformed to Bri Jeter as she made a tumbling third and final out on a flare over her head, the Golden Bears sealed a showdown in the National Championship semifinals for the second consecutive season. Last year, KU also won a 1-0 game to go to the semis.
However, that sequence was only the exclamation point to a hard-fought game. Many plays loomed large in this victory. Henninger, who did not have a sacrifice bunt all season, placed a picture perfect bunt on the first-base side that rolled past Stalf and standout freshman pitcher Katie Obbema. The bunt allowed Maria Isgro, who led off the fifth inning with a walk, to round second and move to third. Knipe scored Isgro on an RBI safety squeeze to first base
(watch the video highlights here).
The next inning, relief pitcher Mary Kociencki faced runners at second and third with two outs. As pinch hitter Hannah Brassmassery slapped a ball up the middle for what seemed destined to be a two-run single, Kociencki knocked the ball in the nick of time to secure an inning-ending groundout.
For the players and coaches, this win seems surreal. Luckily, the Golden Bears will have tomorrow off to take in the victory and prepare for the semifinals, with their 13-game winning streak and 11-0 postseason record in tow. They will face one of three teams: Texas Woman's (sixth-ranked by the NFCA), Grand Valley State (who KU defeated yesterday) and Molloy (who struggled with illegal pitches in a loss today). While this will provide a challenge Sunday no matter what, it looks oh so slightly more bearable than the top of the bracket. That half features the amazing quartet of Valdosta State, Armstrong Atlantic, Humboldt State and Central Oklahoma.
To be honest, there's nothing that can prepare for the heart-pounding and nail-biting events that occurred tonight. At the beginning of the day, it seemed like business was just the same as yesterday. Once again, the team went to Panera Bread for lunch. In fact, the players pretty much sat in the same seats at the same table as yesterday. This was a clear effort to maintain a rhythm from the previous victory. (Heck, yours truly even stuck with the same black cherry smoothie to keep the rhythm flowing on the broadcasting front.)
If anything stood out from the pregame lunch, it was a conversation with Kociencki and Lindsey Kelley. Each adorned with a bow to keep back their ponytails, the two mentioned how their beloved bows symbolized good fortune. Perhaps Mary's bow came into play on her game-saving defensive play in the sixth inning.
Hopefully, today will be a taste of what's to come on Sunday -- and perhaps into Monday. This game had the feel of two teams who are in championship form. It also had the electricity of such, as the players signed autographs for numerous young Golden Bears fans.
For now, those who made the trip to Salem can just be happy to be sports fans -- and more importantly -- Golden Bears fans.
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by Adam D. Dobrowolski, Broadcast Graduate Assistant
Thursday, May 23
Day Three -- 11:50 p.m.
Post-Game Press Conference | Video Highlights and Game Replay | Photo Gallery
More than 24 hours after the last blog post, the Golden Bears sit in a much better position in the 2013 Division II National Softball Championships.
In a game that saw one team play with some early tournament jitters and another team play like they've been in this spot before, KU's experience en route to last year's semifinals certainly helped in a 3-1 victory over Grand Valley State University. The Lakers committed two errors with the bases empty and two outs, and the Golden Bears capitalized both times. Colleen Smith's two-run homer followed a Katie Lynch reach on an error in the first inning. With the Golden Bears batting as the visitors, this certainly took a ton of pressure off the Maroon and Gold. Meanwhile, another error occurred in the sixth, and two seniors in Nicole Henninger and Bri Knipe followed with singles. Knipe's resulted in an RBI and another multi-run lead
(read the game recap here).
The win simply showed that Kutztown continues to thrive in the postseason environment -- and these Golden Bears are simply focused on winning. That much, was made apparent at the team lunch. While the coaches headed to the James I. Moyer Sports Complex to check out of the preceding Molloy-Valdosta State game, the players made a stop at Panera Bread and the other local shops at the Valley View Mall. However, any non-game day banter was nowhere to be found.
Perhaps the first two games of the day set the tone for KU's victory. Both the 19th-ranked Bronchos of Central Oklahoma and the unranked Molloy Lions earned victories over top four teams. Those teams -- Armstrong Atlantic and Valdosta State -- are certainly on the short list of "revenge" teams for the Golden Bears, as one of those two will be out come Saturday afternoon.
While many were concerned about the weather last night, the "luck" of Mother Nature played in favor of Kutztown. The clouds looked ominous at times beyond Field 4 at Moyer during some innings, but the skies didn't open up until Colleen Smith and Dominique Ficara had their post-game interview after the 10-minute "cool down" period. The heavy storms in Salem forced the Humboldt State-Texas Woman's game to be postponed until noon on Friday. KU will face the winner of that game at 6:30pm later in the day.
For now, the coaches and players can take in a nice evening of sleep and relaxation. They'll have to keep an open mind for tomorrow, because both the Jacks (Humboldt) and Pioneers (TWU) know how to hit the long ball.
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by Adam D. Dobrowolski, Broadcast Graduate Assistant
Wednesday, May 22
Day Two -- 10:45pm
Video of Lynch and Henninger’s Speech
Tonight's banquet provided another opportunity to see the eight participants in the Division II National Softball Championships let loose before the tournament begins. However, as the Golden Bears begin to settle down and retire for the evening, the gravity of the competition will certainly begin to set in for the weekend.
Each team sent two players to offer a short speech, but only after the banquet hosts showed a quick video introducing the eight teams in Salem. The small production seemed to offer a few good tidbits of inspiration.
Once it got to the speeches, seniors Katie Lynch and Nicole Henninger represented Kutztown. After a light-hearted opening to the speech, the two offered a profound look at all the teams who made it to this destination. Even without wearing the Maroon and Gold shades, one could argue that Lynch and Henninger provided the best speech of the night. Watch the duo’s speech by
clicking here.
At the banquet, the team also got in a few pictures. Some players debated whether to take pictures with the championship trophy, which was resting behind a velvet rope and located on top of a spotlighted counter.
In terms of the dinner, the great staff of the Salem Civic Center included a nice variety of food. From the creamy potato salad to the moist turkey to the tempting chocolate cake, there was a fulfilling three-course meal buffet-style for the players and staff to enjoy. The hand-carved turkey was the unanimous favorite between the sports information and broadcasting staff. For the KU host family, Wendel and Sharon Ingram, the beverage needed to be sweet tea. There's no better place to get it than Virginia!
After the players returned to the hotel and the coaches finished with the mandatory meeting with the NCAA, everyone settled into the breakfast conference room for one final word in the evening. Coach Judy Lawes warned the team about tomorrow's weather, which is predicted to include thunderstorms at some point in the day. This leaves the potential for the scheduled 5 p.m. start time to be pushed back -- for a lengthy time.
However, the meeting closed with one final statement about the team's goal -- to win the 2013 Division II National Softball Championship. With the Golden Bears making the Championship Finals in Louisville last year, the focus is solely on making the "underdogs" the champions.
Coach Lawes believes getting a win in the first round -- and moving into the "winner's bracket" -- will be a big boost for the team. Given the way the team has taken a strict game-by-game approach en route to a 9-0 postseason (only Humboldt State [8-0] and Texas Women's [8-0] share an undefeated mark), there's good reason to believe another first round victory should keep the juices charged for the Golden Bears.
To end the evening, the only broadcasting duties left are to complete the final stages of pre-game research for tomorrow and hope that the Golden Bears get a great night of sleep. Tomorrow, business will certainly pick up.
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by Bryan Salvadore, Sports Information Director
Wednesday, May 22
Day Two – 4:25 p.m.
Video of KU Singing Karaoke |
Photo Gallery of BBQ & Practice
The Golden Bears started their day with breakfast at the hotel. Much of the early morning talk was about the excitement of the being termed as the ‘underdog’ by the NCAA in the official championship preview (
click here to read). The team hung out in the hotel until departing for the fields at 11:15 for the pre-tournament barbeque.
All eight teams attended the barbeque before walking over to the fields for practice. The southern flavored food consisted of barbequed chicken, pulled pork, corn on the cob, cornbread, baked beans, and pasta salad that the team rushed over and lined up for upon arrival. Each team was dressed in matching gear with Kutztown dressed in maroon shorts with grey ‘Kutztown Athletic Department’ shirts.
While filling their plates with hearty lunches, Kutztown was welcomed to the barbeque with a karaoke performance of ‘Baby Got Back’ by members of the Grand Valley State team. From there, the Golden Bears didn’t waste any time showing off their talents behind the microphone. Krista Schauder and Rachel Lawes jumped at the opportunity to kick things off with their rendition of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ (which can be seen by
clicking here).
After receiving a round of applause from the teams watching in attendance, Jackie Hetzler pursued her dream of becoming a comedian with some improvisation of some well-known viral video clips. For an idea of what Hetzler had in mind,
click here…Needless to say, she brought the crowd to tears of laughter and left to a standing ovation.
The barbeque seemed to be a great success as teams intermingled and bonded with each other about their tremendous accomplishment of reaching this point of the season. Taking the team bonding to another level, Schauder insisted on singing as part of a trio with two Grand Valley State players that closed out the karaoke performances before Kutztown left to begin practice at 1 p.m.
Kutztown focused on some light hitting and bunting drills during its practice time as rain and storms loomed in the area. There were brief periods of scattered showers as well as some lightning in the area that kept teams off of, and brought the tarp onto, the official tournament playing field.
Check out photos of Wednesday afternoon’s events by
clicking here.
The team returned back to the hotel around 3:15 p.m. to relax before the annual banquet before the national championship tournament. The team will be dressed in their ‘Sunday Best’ for what should be a fun and entertaining night. FYI, two student-athletes from each school will be asked to give a speech at the banquet. Any ideas who will give the speech for KU? Tune in late Wednesday night to find out how it went (hopefully with video).
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Tuesday, May 21
Day One – 8:05 p.m.
After a team picture outside the bus with team, coaches, and supporting staff (and some stuffed animals that were part of the ‘unofficial’ travel party, the Golden Bears embarked on the beginning of their six-hour bus trip from Keystone Hall to The Sheraton Roanoke Hotel beginning at 1:05 p.m.
Enjoying the air conditioning on the bus while watching the temperature rise to nearly 85 degrees outside, the team cranked through three movies on the ride as movies starring Bradley Cooper seemed to be a popular choice amongst the players. We took a quick pit stop at a 7-11 in Winchester, Virginia (home of KU junior Stephanie Curry – our official escort in navigating to Virginia), but didn’t take long to get back on the bus and back on the road.
Nearly two hours later, Kutztown pulled up to the hotel as Armstrong Atlantic was unloading their bags at the beautifully landscaped Sheraton. Also greeted by athletic director Greg Bamberger, Kutztown was welcomed by their designated host parents, Wendel and Sharon Ingram, who greeted the team with welcome bags and reached out with recommended places to eat after a long bus ride.
From here, the team has split up into different directions on where it will take in its first meal at the national championships. A popular choice, and the choice made by the sports info staff, will be Zaxby’s Chicken: the official chicken of college sports.
