GRCC softball and baseball teams prepare for the season. (Photo by Jeremiah Schrader/Collegiate) Exclusive basketball photos available here

Spring Training in full swing
By Dana Finkler
Sports Editor

Last season, softball head coach Paula Maloley focused on learning offensive strategy in the off-season, this year it’s different, she is focusing on defense.

“Last season we gave up a lot of hits because of bad pitch location,” said Maloley. “This off-season we have been working hard to correct that and become more sound defensively.”

This year the team returns only three players from last years roster, first baseman/pitcher Molly O’ Mara, shortstop Holly Denton, and second baseman Kristi Kuiphof.

The Raiders landed a transfer from Muskegon CC, third baseman Ashley Snider. Maloley praised Snider for her big bat.

The Raiders welcome eleven freshmen, making their team very young. Pitching has been the focus of the defensive tuning this off-season, Maloley has had the girls hard at work breaking down simple pitching mechanics, pitching with location and backing up cut-offs.

This years spring training trip is different from previous years for the Raiders, considering their coaching changes and new form of travel.

During the off-season the Raiders lost assistant coach, Lee Potter. She accepted a head coaching position with Kenowa Hills and hopes to further her teaching career.

“We couldn’t be happier for her and we wish her the best,” said Maloley.

Replacing Potter is Brue Van Horn, who has been actively coaching for the past 30 years, even holding clinics around West Michigan. Van Horn recently retired a year and half ago from his position as principal at Cedar Springs for the previous thirty years.

Usually the team travels to Panama City, Fl by plane, but because of the recent surges in gas prices the team has teamed up with conference rival Lake Michigan College to split of the cost of the trip.

“It’s wonderful that we can get together and do this,” said Maloley. “But we’ll be all business when we play them in the following weeks when we return.”

The Raiders will be playing teams from Alabama this year.

Coach Maloley and the team looks to improve this year after finishing fourth in conference with an 18-14 record, 24-32 overall. They finished fifth in regionals. Lansing CC won both conference and regional championships.

(Top/ Index)

Baseball gets ready
By Dana Finkler
Sports Editor

The 2009 GRCC baseball team has been practicing in the Ford Fieldhouse over recent weeks to prepare for their spring training trip to Florida at the end of the month.

With only 2 returning pitchers to his staff, Ryan Jensen and Chris Waha, head coach Michael Cupples was weary of what his pitching staff might look like this season. The Raiders lost 6 pitchers to transfer colleges.

“Ryan and Chris only had about 10-15 innings each last year,” said Cupples. “ I’ve been impressed their progression as well as the freshman this year, we’ve been doing live pitching over recent weeks, it’s given us time to film them and see what we need to tweak while down in Florida.”

Cupples is also very high on transfer pitcher, Tim Simpson.

“I saw him throw in the summer and didn’t know what we were gonna get,” said Cupples. “I’m very impressed so far, he’s going to eat up some innings.”

The Raiders were able to take advantage of some warmer weather in the fall getting in a few outdoor practices before the snow fell. Since then, they have been working out in the weight room and practicing in the Ford Fieldhouse. They have been working relentlessly on fundamentals, regarding hitting drills and pitching drills, going through tape with a fine tooth comb, correcting mistakes.

Cupples has seen some changes to his coaching staff this off-season. Former MLB player, John Vanderwal was working with the team, but found a job elsewhere, but Cupples was grateful for his insight.

Dan Lundy returns to the team for his second season. Cupples said Steve Merriman, a minor league instructor and individual pitching coach will be coming in to help evaluate his team. Last season, the Raiders finished in a 3-way tie with rivals Muskegon CC and Kellogg CC for the conference championship, all finishing with an 22-8 record.

They advanced to regional’s where they trashed Kellogg CC, 11-2, to win the regional championship, but finished fifth place in nationals. During a practice last week, the team was hard at work, but at the same time they were all smiles and joking around. Joe Barnes, sophomore infielder was being heckled by the team, many of them comparing his physical experience to “Sid the Sloth” from the Ice Age movies.

Joking aside, Cupples basked about how the team is able to get the work done in practice, but at the same time have a fun time doing it. This past weekend, the team was involved in an umpire clinic and coach Cupples received nothing but praise from the umpires about players being professional.

Cupples admits he is more confident about his team going into spring training this year than in recent years.

“It all depends on how our pitching holds up,” said Cupples. “Last year guys got tired from playing two nine inning games a day, it takes its toll.”

The team is scheduled to take on Chipola CC and St. Johns CC in their first games of spring training on Feb. 27. Their final game is on March 5 against Tallahassee CC.

(Top/ Index)

Tennis season starts slow
By Christina Kim
Assistant Sports Editor

Entering the sixth week of their season, the mens tennis team is still trying to work through the kinks that come with molding freshmen players to the college level of play, leaving them with a record of 0-3.

“I think some of the guys are still making the transition from high school to college,” said head coach Bill Goodspeed.

The team played against Michigan State University’s club team on Feb. 7, and ended up losing 4-5 after battling through the last rounds of singles play. Sophomore number one singles player Jeff Karasinski beat MSU’s Derek Feenstra 6-1 and 6-3.

“It’s always nice to play well,” Karasinski said.

Karasinki along with fellow sophomore Zack Chapin are the team’s unofficial captains. Chapin and Karasinski play number one doubles against MSU, winning both matches 6-3, 6-4.

“Jeff is looking very good,” Goodspeed said. “The last couple of days he’s been playing very well. The other doubles teams were not as fortunate, two of which lost in super tie-breakers.

“Doubles lost a lot of close matches,” said freshmen Jesse Vandellen. “Double did okay, but singles are looking good.” Vandellen, along with Aaron Michaud, lost the number two doubles match in a super tiie-breaker.

Goodspeed isn’t worried about the team’s lack of wins so far.

“With six new guys, we don’t have the match experience,” Goodspeed said. “That should hopefully take care of itself as time goes on. The players at the end of the lineup are better than I’ve ever had. Our depth is strong.”

(Top/ Index)

A new era for the Detroit Lions
By Dana Finkler
Sports Editor

The situation with the economy, the auto industry, jobs, and the Detroit Lions can’t get any worse.

President Barack Obama has made public comments about fixing the BCS system in college football; why not bail out the Lions while you’re at it?

While watching his franchise post the leagues worst record in NFL history, 0-16, Owner William Clay Ford must have been reading from his press box, “How To Turn Around An NFL Franchise for Dummies” book and a light bulb must have clicked on.

Fire Matt Millen (If the outcry from the fans the past 6 years wasn’t enough). Millen was hired in 2001 to become Detroit’s general manager and was the second highest paid in his position. During Millen’s eight year tenure he went 31-97, had at least nine or more losses each season, and during 2001-2003, the Lions had lost twenty four straight road games, until finally beating Chicago in their opening game in 2004.

On Sept. 24, Millen was finally fired and Senior Vice President, Martin Mayhew took over the position for the remainder of the season. They also promoted Tom Lewand to Team President. Mayhew and Lewand were officially promoted to their positions on Dec. 29.

While Detroit’s GM, Mayhew made two quick moves fresh off being hired, brought in retired quarterback Daunte Culpepper and trading receiver Roy Williams to the Dallas Cowboys for a first, third, and sixth round draft picks in the upcoming draft.

This off-season, Mayhew and Lewand got right to business. They fired head coach Rod Marinelli after going 10-38 in 3 seasons and 0-16 in his final season. Then followed offensive coordinator Jim Colletto and defensive coordinator Joe Barry. After a few weeks of interviews, they believed Titans defensive coordinator; Jim Schwartz, 42, was the man for the job, agreeing to a 4-year deal.

I believe Schwartz will do a great job, but I felt they should have waited and went after Jon Gruden, Mike Shanahan, or Dan Reeves. I feel their experience would have been valued more, but according to many coaches around the league, it’s Schwartz’s time.

Schwartz got to work right away, doing a press conference and then headed down to Mobile, AL to put together his staff and watch the college Senior Bowl to evaluate talent. Schwartz found his coordinators only weeks later. He hired former St. Louis head coach, Scott Linehan as offensive coordinator and hired Kansas City defensive coordinator Gunter Cunningham to the same position.

Both bring NFL head coaching experience as well as coordinator experience. Now as free agency approaches in the next few weeks, the Lions have already begun the rebuilding process, cutting six players on Monday; cornerback Leigh Bodden, tight end Dan Campbell, safety Dwight Smith, guard Edwin Mulitalo, receiver Mike Fuerry, and tackle Jon Dunn. More cuts are expected to be in the near future.

The Lions are currently focusing their attentions on free agency and preparing themselves for the scouting combine to help formulate a plan for the upcoming draft, in which the Lions hold 5 of the first eighty five picks.

(Top/ Index)

Check out Collegiate February 11, 2009 print edition for MCT Wire sports stories.

A-Rod gets new nickname 'A-Roid'
By Clark Spencer and Berry Jackson
MCT Wire
Baseball superstar Alex Rodriguez fessed up Monday, Feb. 9.

(Top/ Index)

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