Last week the Blue Streaks received outstanding pitching performances in conference, as they pulled off a clutch sweep of the Heidelberg University, winning the games 5-0 and 7-0. 

In game one of the twin bill, sophomore Brittany Danilov twirled a gem as she pitched seven innings, while surrendering only three hits and striking out nine.

A big sixth inning, where the team saw four runners cross the plate, broke the game open and gave Danilov all the runs she would need. 

Freshman Mackenzie Griffin and Senior Laura Boselovic both tallied two hits in the contest.

Game two saw much of the same as the Blue Streaks continued their hot touch in the pitcher’s circle.

Senior Samantha Thompson carried the torch from Danilov as she too held the ‘Berg scoreless. Thompson picked up her 10th win of the season in pitching seven innings, allowing only five baserunners, while striking out a season-high 11.

Fellow senior Julie Marlowe notched three hits and came across the plate twice in her final home game.

“These two wins were huge for us,” Thompson said. “Being able to pick up a sweep of a team that we were tied with in the conference really gives us some extra security for the tournament.” 

The day had extra meaning as the team not only parted ways with their senior leaders, but also joined in the fight against breast cancer. 

The squad donned custom made pink jerseys, and sold pink T-shirts as part of a fundraiser for breast cancer research.

“Being able to go out with such a great win means a lot,” Thompson said. “You never want to leave with a bad taste in your mouth and us seniors definitely do not have to do that.”

 Seniors Marlowe, Boselovic, and Thompson are three of the most impactful players in the programs history. All have been significant contributors throughout their four years.

JCU now turns its attention to the upcoming Ohio Athletic Conference postseason tournament. 

As the third seed in the tournament, they will be pitted against Mount Union College. John Carroll lost both previous match-ups against the Purple Raiders earlier this season.

“We really cannot worry about what happened earlier this year,” junior Angela Vistocco said. “Anything can happen when you get into the playoffs. We just need to stay relaxed and we should be able to do very well.”

Editor’s Note: Follow the Blue Streaks in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament by visting the JCU Athletics Web site, jcusports.com.

AL East: As if it were possible for the Yankees to get any better, they did. In adding outfielder Curtis Granderson and pitcher Javier Vazquez, the Bronx Bombers solidified themselves as the favorites to repeat as champions of not only the American League East, but the entire Major League. 

 They definitely will be pushed by their long-time rivals from Beantown, though, as the Red Sox made a splash in the off-season adding the top free agent pitcher on the market in John Lackey. A revamped defense may push the Sox ahead of the Yankees, but all signs point at the Boston boys taking a backseat in the division and holding on to the AL Wild Card.

Projected Finish: Yankees – Red Sox – Rays – Blue Jays – Orioles

AL Central: Indians fans be prepared to get ready for Cavaliers and Browns games a little earlier than usual, as the Tribe will more than likely be out of contention for anything by the middle of the summer. The Central Division has three teams that all have legitimate chances a winning the division.

 With Boston taking the Wild Card, the Tigers, Twins and White Sox have their sights set on the division crown.  Arguments can be made for each of the three clubs, as they all combine solid hitting, pitching and defense. The Twins boast one of the most potent, yet underrated lineups in the Bigs. Detroit and Chicago both have concrete pitching rotations that can compete with some of the best. In the end, the M&M Boys of Mauer and Morneau from the Twin City will head into October with the division.

 Projected Finish: Twins – White Sox – Tigers – Royals – Indians

 AL West: The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have owned this division for the last three years and it appears as though the supremacy of the West still resides in Los Angeles. Even though the Angels lost leadoff hitter Chone Figgins and ace John Lackey, their only real competition appears to be from the Oakland Athletics. The A’s made strides towards locking down a rotation with the signing of the oft-injured, yet equally dominant Ben Sheets. The job of the rotation is to get the ball to stud closer,  reigning American League Rookie of the Year Andrew Bailey.

 The Rangers offense will be potent again, however, their pitching still looks to be one of the worst staffs in all of baseball. Even though Seattle brought in big name players like Cliff Lee and Figgins to go along with bonafide superstar Felix Hernandez, an inconsistent offense will prevent the Mariners from taking any significant steps forward in the division.

 Projected Finish: Angels – Athletics – Rangers – Mariners

National League

NL East: Coming off a tough World Series loss to the Yankees, the Phillies will be looking to bounce back in an exceedingly competitive division. They added arguably the best pitcher in the majors when they acquired Roy Halladay in a trade from Toronto during the off-season winter meetings. The two teams that stand in the Phills’ road back to the October Classic both will be relying on young talent to carry the club. 

 The Florida Marlins, who have the third-youngest team in the league, are carried by stats monster Hanley Ramirez. Atlanta is trying to send their longtime, and sure-fire Hall of Fame coach, Bobby Cox out on the right note with a championship, in his last year at the helm. The “other” New York team has a lot to prove after a very disappointing 2009 season, which was plagued with numerous injuries to big-time players. Don’t expect a repeat of the 2000 Subway Series this year though. Philadelphia’s starting rotation and loaded lineup make them shoe-ins for a fourth straight division title.

 Projected Finish: Phillies – Marlins – Braves – Mets – Nationals

 NL Central: As close as the AL Central appears to be, the NL side of the card may be the most uncompetitive division in the majors. The Cardinals are head and shoulders above every other team here. The one-two punch of starting pitchers Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright is dominant, to say the least, and that duo has the ability to produce 40 wins by themselves.  

 Package that pair with the best hitter in the game in Albert Pujols and all-star outfielder Matt Holliday and the Cardinals should run away with this division. The five remaining clubs will be battling for second place.

 Projected Finish: Cardinals – Reds – Brewers – Cubs – Astros – Pirates

 NL West: The West looks to be a genuine four-horse race as the Giants, Dodgers, Rockies and Diamondbacks will all make serious bids to bring home a division title. The California teams are projected favorites, although each team aims to win with different styles. 

 San Francisco will do it with pitching as their top two pitchers are warranted Cy Young candidates and their ace Tim Lincecum has won the award the previous two seasons. Los Angeles will rely on their big bats to win them games. Outstanding young players like outfielders Matt Kemp and pitcher Clayton Kershaw are set to play a deciding role in whether or not the City of Angels sees two teams in the playoffs this year. Pitching wins championships, however, and the Giants are simply too strong in that department.

 Projected Finish: Giants – Dodgers – Rockies – Diamondbacks – Padres

Other Predictions

Other Predictions

Rookie of the Year

AL: Brian Matusz, Orioles

This standout lefty will be the lone bright-spot in the 2010 Orioles season.

 NL: Jason Heyward, Braves

Believe the hype. This kid is an absolute phenom and will show it this season.

 Most Valuable Player 

AL: Evan Longoria, Rays

In his third full year, expect to see Longoria put up monstrous numbers with on-base machines like Jason Bartlett and Carl Crawford ahead of him in the lineup.

 NL: Albert Pujols, Cardinals

It’s tough to argue against this already three-time league MVP. He’s in the prime of his career, and facing the worst pitching in the majors in the NL Central; might as well start engraving the award now. 

Cy Young Award

AL: CC Sabathia, Yankees

With lights-out stuff, and a dominant offense backing him, Sabathia is a lock to get 20 wins this year.

 NL: Roy Halladay, Philies

After commanding the juggernaut of the AL East for 11 years, Halladay will have a much easier time against the weaker lineups of the National League, and should bring in his second career Cy Young award.

 World Series

 Cardinals over Red Sox

The John Carroll University women’s basketball team looked for a chance at a fresh start as they opened the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament last night after a difficult home stretch to end the regular season.

Three straight losses to Capital University, Heidelberg University and Ohio Northern University pushed the Blue Streaks down to the sixth seed in the tournament. The team played cross-town rival Baldwin-Wallace College last night in Berea. 

The toughest loss of the week came at the hands of the Student Princes from Heidelberg. 

The team from Tiffin was after the eighth and final spot in the conference tournament and came out poised to knock off JCU. 

A hair-raising finish was the only way this game could have ended.

With five seconds on the clock and JCU trailing by two, junior Lee Jennings went to the free-throw line for a pair.  

After nailing both attempts, it took a mere four seconds for Heidelberg’s Jordan Ickes to progress the ball down the court and convert a layup to halt any hopes for a captivating exit for JCU’s four seniors. 

Jennings poured in 34 points in the contest to finish off the regular season as the leading scorer in the conference with 22.1 points per game.

John Carroll ended the year as the top scoring team in the conference. However, the Blue Streaks also surrendered the second most points in the league. 

This unbalanced production is the primary cause for the team’s 8-10 record in OAC play.

“Inconsistent play has been hurting us since the beginning of the season,” said senior Caitlin Sureck.  “Our defense and rebounding needs to change immediately.”

JCU now turns its attention to the Yellow Jackets, who defeated the Blue Streaks by an average of 13 points in their two regular season matchups. 

Both teams come in struggling though, as B-W has lost three of their last five and JCU has dropped six of eight.

It is going to be nearly impossible for JCU to make the NCAA tournament without running the table and winning the OAC tournament to obtain the automatic bid.

Their 11-13 overall record does not make them an ideal choice for an at-large selection in the field of 64.

Editor’s Note: For full details of last night’s game between JCU and B-W,  log on to www.jcusports.com

That final game will mark the conclusion of a lengthy run made by seniors T.J. DiSanto and Rudy Kirbus.

The two grew up on the same street in Willoughby Hills, Ohio and have been playing organized basketball together since the sixth grade at St. Paschal Baylon in Highland Heights, Ohio.

From their small beginnings, both made their way to Cleveland’s St. Ignatius High School.

As Wildcats, they excelled on and off the court, as each graduated with over a 3.0 GPA.

During their senior season the two were named co-captains of the basketball team, and in that campaign Kirbus became the school’s all-time leading scorer.

Playing together for those seven years not only forged a bond between the two, but also provided an extra advantage on the court.

“It definitely helped out a lot,” DiSanto said about being teammates with Kirbus. “We both are very aware of each other’s strengths in the game.”

Their companionship continued as both enrolled at JCU in 2006. As if they had not already spent enough time together, they decided to be roommates.

The duo played a pivotal role in the team’s success their freshman year as they each started 12 games for the Blue Streaks as JCU made it to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament.

Sophomore year saw more of the same production as DiSanto started 19 of 25 games and Kirbus contributed over 13 points a game.

The 2008-2009 season brought an element that neither player had experienced in nine years.

When DiSanto decided to take a year off from the team and study abroad in Italy for the second semester it made for a difficult adjustment.

“It was definitely strange when he wasn’t here last year,” Kirbus said. “When you’ve played with someone since 6th grade and they’re not there all of a sudden, it takes some getting used to.”

Senior year has brought the two back together on the court for one final run together, where the team has once again locked up an OAC title for the school.

Both players are certainly aware of the kind of rare experience they have been able to share with one another.

“Having the opportunity to play on the same grade school, high school and college team with the same person is something a lot of people don’t get to do,” Kirbus said. “It has been a special experience I am sure we will never forget.”

Even though the last whistle this season will signify the end of a long playing partnership, it surely will not symbolize the end of a friendship.

“It will be sad that playing basketball together is over,” DiSanto said. “But we’ll still be friends and that’s more important.”

They lost to Mount Union College and then were able to hold off a tough Wilmington College team on Feb. 6.

One thing athletes hate to do is look back on games that got away from them and think what could have been.  It is easy to say that feeling hit the Blue Streaks after their loss to the Mount Union Purple Raiders in Alliance, Ohio on Feb. 3. 

With 7:33 left in the second half and the Blue Streaks holding onto a 12-point lead, the game looked to be locked up. The Purple Raiders broke free from their shooting woes and went on a dominating run as they erased the lead in exactly three minutes.

The game went back and forth with both teams exchanging buckets for the final four minutes. Mount Union was able to capitalize on free throw opportunities down the stretch and it proved to be integral in deciding the outcome, 83-80.

“That game was a hard one to swallow,” said junior Sadie Zander.  “The defeat still shows us that we belong in the top part of the OAC.”

Four of the five starters for the Blue Streaks were in double figures with junior Lee Jennings, the top scorer in the Ohio Athletic Conference, leading the way with 30 points.

Following the Mount game JCU made the long trek to Wilmington for a crucial game against the Quakers. 

No one would have thought much if the Blue Streaks folded up in the game given the crushing defeat of only a few days earlier.

However, the first half showed that the team was up to the task of putting the Mount Union game behind them.

JCU went into the locker room with a commanding 14-point lead and was up by as many as 18 points during the first half. 

The second half brought some flashbacks to the previous game as Wilmington was able to cut the lead all the way down to three points.

John Carroll, however, refused to let this game get away and converted their final five free throw attempts to put the game away, 90-81. 

Jennings and senior Caitlin Sureck combined for 51 points in the contest.

With the win, JCU moves to 7-7 in OAC play and now holds the tie-breaker over Wilmington, the team they are currently tied with, in the conference standings.

“Having the tie-breaker with them in our favor is big for us,” Sureck said. “We need to get a couple more key wins to finish the season.”

Three of the team’s last four games will come against opponents who are either currently ahead of or one game back of the Blue Streaks in the conference standings.

“We need to win our last four games,” said senior Laura Gruber.  “At this point in the season there is only one thing to do, and that’s to win.”

Editor’s Note: Results from last night’s game against Otterbein were unavailable for this edition of The Carroll News. For details, log on to www.jcusports.com.

First it was a 74-62 setback at OAC-leading Baldwin-Wallace College, followed by a tough three-point loss to Muskingum College, a team that entered the contest with a conference record of 1-10.

In the B-W game, JCU played evenly with the Yellow Jackets in the first half and went into the locker room down by just a single point.

A quick offensive burst by JCU was thwarted swiftly by B-W as the team that sits atop the OAC standings showed why it’s there.

On the heels of a 24-8 run, the Yellow Jackets opened up a 15-point lead that would prove to be insurmountable.

The final score of 74-62 did not display how close the majority of the game actually was.

Despite solid offensive outputs from junior Lee Jennings and senior Caitlin Sureck, who scored 18 and 16 points, respectively, the Yellow Jackets bench production proved to be the difference as they outscored JCU’s bench 19-5.

“We were playing very inconsistent,” said senior Laura Gruber. “It was two completely different halves.”

The Blue Streaks returned home on Saturday, where they welcomed in a Muskingum team that had been struggling all season.

Clearly the emotional loss at Berea carried over, as the Fighting Muskies were able to pick up their second OAC victory of the season.

JCU could not make a three-point halftime lead standup as Muskingum shot nearly 60 percent from the field in the second half and immediately eliminated the small deficit.

One positive sign from the game was the “never say die” attitude displayed by Coach Maravalli’s team as they managed to go on an 8-0 run in the last two minutes to draw within two points of the Muskies.

After Muskingum split a pair from the free throw line to grow their lead to three, the Blue Streaks had a chance to tie it on the game’s final possession. Unfortunately for JCU, a missed three-pointer as time expired ended the valiant comeback effort.

Jennings was in top form again as she added a career-high 35 points to go along with 10 rebounds, nine assists and four steals.

With the back-to-back losses, JCU drops to sixth place in the conference with six games remaining in OAC play.

“We need to pick up our defense and rebounding,” Gruber said. “Those two things have been losing us games from day one and it’s time for that to change.”

This Saturday, JCU will go on the road to battle Wilmington College, a team that, as of Feb. 2, was tied with the Blue Streaks with a 6-6 record in OAC play. JCU narrowly edged out the Quakers, 59-58, back on Dec. 12, and a win Saturday would give them the tiebreaker over Wilmington when it comes.

Editor’s Note: Details from last night’s game against Mount Union were not available for this edition.

From the opening tip JCU displayed their superior talent as they were able to get into the locker room with a commanding 25-point lead. 

The Blue Streaks were hot from all over the court as they shot nearly 58 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes. 

“We were able to get a lot of defensive rebounds and get out in transition,” said junior Lee Jennings. “That was key for us.”

Seniors Caitlin Sureck and Whitney Hamilton, along with Jennings, each contributed over 20 points in the game.

“When we all play together and are at our best, we really click,” Sureck said. “That’s exactly what happened in the game.”

As an extra bonus, everyone in attendance was rewarded with free chips and salsa from Chipotle, a giveaway for the team going over the century mark.

With the win, JCU pulls into fourth place in Ohio Athletic Conference standings with a league record of 6-4.

This win to open the semester came on the heels of a holiday break that was full of presents for the team as they went 5-2 over the month-long hiatus from classes. 

Included in those wins were three big conference wins over Heidelberg, Otterbein and Marietta. 

Jennings received conference “Player of the Week” honors after notching her first career triple-double against the Marietta Pioneers on Dec. 31. 

Only a month remains in the regular season for the Blue Streaks. Being slated as the fourth seed would assure the team of a home game in the opening round of the conference tournament if they are able to remain solid with their play.

“We need to keep winning,” Jennings said. “Every game is important at this point.”

The upcoming week will be especially important in determining the squad’s ranking in the post-season tournament as they face-off against Baldwin-Wallace College and Mount Union College, two teams currently ahead of JCU in the OAC standings, in what are sure to be difficult road contests.

“Those two games are huge for us in determining where we will finish in the rankings,” Sureck said. “We need to play hard and consistent for 40 minutes.”

O’Keefe’s road has been a long one that has taken him from the sweltering heat of Texas to the bewildering cold of Russia.

Looking back on his years at JCU, O’Keefe, whose daughter Meghan is a JCU senior, remembers the lifestyle of a student-athlete.

“We always had to make sure we got our work done,” he said. “But we also had our fair share of fun.”

Many of the friendships he made at that point in his life, he still holds today.

“Some of those guys I played with and were close with come to Iowa games now,” he said. “Being able to see those people allows me to stay connected to that time in my life.”

The head coach during his playing days, Jerry Schweickert, who still teaches classes at JCU, played an integral role in shaping his coaching style.

“I have very fond memories of Coach Schweickert,” O’Keefe said. “He taught me how important it was to love your players.”

After graduating in 1975, O’Keefe began his lengthy journey towards becoming a high-profile collegiate coach.

Two years as an assistant at New Haven University was the first taste of NCAA coaching experience that he would undergo before moving to the high school prep level.

He would spend the next seven years in Massachusetts and Texas, before finally returning to the college ranks as an offensive line coach at Allegheny College.

In 1990, he was promoted to head coach at Allegheny and began what was one of the most successful tenures in program history.

O’Keefe led the Gators to an undefeated season and Division III National Championship in his first year at the helm. In addition to the championship, he was named the Division III National Coach of the Year.

Over his eight seasons leading the program at Allegheny, O’Keefe compiled a career record of 79-10-1 with four undefeated regular seasons and conference coach of the year honors four times.

Following the 1992 season, O’Keefe led an all-star team to Russia to compete in an exhibition game against a semi-pro team.

While there, he was asked to help teach younger kids to play American football, and proceeded to spend two years running camps in the country.

He played an integral role in the Friendship Through Football program that brought together youth teams from the United States and Russia.

After moving on to Fordham University in 1998, an opening in the University of Iowa staff led O’Keefe to the Big Ten.

He accepted the position of offensive coordinator in 1999 and has never looked back.

Now in his 11th season as the playcaller for the Hawkeyes, O’Keefe’s offenses have taken Iowa to seven bowl games since 2001, while also bringing Iowa back to national prominence.

“I love it,” O’Keefe said of the University of Iowa. “I am around so many great people every day; it makes it tough to not love coming to work.”

The Hawkeyes are set to play Georgia Tech in the FedEx Orange Bowl this January in their first BCS bowl game since 2002.

As for whether or not O’Keefe could ever see himself leaving Iowa for the NFL, like so many Blue Streaks before him,  the jury is still out.

“All of that kind of stuff usually takes care of itself,” he said. “I am very fortunate to be in a job that I love so much.”

Throughout all of the years,  O’Keefe still is grateful for what John Carroll provided him.

“I learned how to learn [at JCU],” he said. “Carroll doesn’t just teach excellence in the classroom, but excellence in life.”

In a year that saw a half-dozen games come down to the final minute, this game would follow the trend.

JCU scored on its opening drive giving the Blue Streaks an early lead. However, a missed extra point came back to haunt them.

Both teams exchanged leads throughout the game as the fourth quarter began with the game’s outcome once again in question.

With three minutes left in its season and an eight point deficit on the scoreboard, JCU needed one more scoring drive to get to overtime.

Senior quarterback Jeff Javorek proceeded to lead the offense 77-yards on 11 plays. Javorek, who completed six passes on the final drive, drew JCU within two points when he connected with fellow senior Scottie Williams on a six-yard touchdown pass.

The missed extra point from the first quarter proved to be costly as an incomplete pass on a two-point conversion essentially ended the game and the season for the Blue Streaks.

“It was heartbreaking,” senior running back Teree Harris said. “To go through another game like that to finish the year was tough.”

John Carroll outgained a high-powered Cardinals offense, which had been averaging nearly 400 yards a game, 374-286 in the contest.

Conversely, JCU racked up 112 yards on seven penalties.

“We made mistakes and penalties that killed us,” senior Chris Esparza said. “It seemed like every time we had a huge play it was scratched by a penalty.”

This game, as well as the other heartbreaking losses this seasons, certainly had an impact on team morale.

“With the high number of missed opportunities, and upset plays it was hard to remain composed,” Harris said. “But you have to focus on the good parts in order to get better.”

John Carroll finished the season with a 3-7 overall and 3-6 in Ohio Athletic Conference competition.

The seven losses are the most since the 1986 team finished 2-7; also the last year the Blue Streaks had a losing record.

“When I look back on this season, I’ll try to remember the good parts,” Esparza said. “There’s no point in dwelling on the negative aspects cause I can’t change them now anyways.”

The Blue Streaks were 1-5 this season in their six games that were decided by eight points or less. JCU lost their last two games by a combined five points.

With unseasonably warm weather conditions on Senior Day, spirits were high at Don Shula Stadium.

“The emotions were overwhelming,” said senior Frank Ross. “I’ll never have the same feeling of walking up those steps to play on Saturdays.”

The first half for JCU, however, was not as pleasant. While the Blue Streaks dominated almost every statistical category, both teams entered the locker room tied at 21. The Muskies in fact, mustered up only 66 yards of total offense and converted a meager two first downs.

Three JCU turnovers, including a 94-yard fumble return, were all converted into touchdowns by the visitors in the first 30 minutes.

Coming back for the final two quarters, JCU knew they needed to protect the ball better in order to give itself a chance.

John Carroll would find itself down quickly, however, as Muskingum took the opening kickoff and drove down the field and took its first lead of the game.

After a JCU field goal, both offenses would go stagnant as the teams exchanged punts in order to take control of field position.

With all of the excitement of the first half, it was difficult to determine if either of the teams had anything left in the tank.

The final 1:47 of the game certainly answered that question.

After re-entering the game, senior quarterback Jeff Javorek led JCU on an improbable drive, which included a crucial fourth down conversion by Ross who absorbed a vicious hit after making an 11-yard reception.

With 35 seconds to play, Javorek connected with a wide-open receiver, senior Chris Esparza, for a 43-yard touchdown putting the Blue Streaks ahead 31-28.

With 28 seconds remaining on the clock it appeared as though John Carroll’s senior leaders would come through and pull out a miraculous win.

Unfortunately, this Senior Day was to be memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Following a solid kickoff return and big pass completion, the game would come down to one final play.

Three seconds showed on the scoreboard, but it was plenty of time as Muskingum’s prayer was answered when quarterback Jake Burns completed the Doug Flutie-eque Hail Mary pass to Dwight Sutton.

As the Muskies swarmed the field in celebration, a look of shock and desolation came over JCU fans in attendance.

“There was dead silence and disappointment,” Esparza said of the locker room after the game. “It was by far the most devastating loss I have ever experienced.”

A day that had started out as a joyous celebration had turned into an emotionally regrettable experience for the 20-plus seniors on the team.

The team will conclude its season on Saturday when they travel to Westerville to take on Otterbein, ranked no. 23 in the country by d3football.com.

Playoffs are out of the question, but the team is still focused.

“We have to prepare like it’s week one of the season,” Ross said. “This group of seniors wants to go out with a win.”

It was a one-man-show as ONU junior running back Brent Donley carried the ball a school-record 44 times for 287 yards and two touchdowns.

The Polar Bears opened up the scoring with a seven play, 61-yard drive over that ended with Donley’s first touchdown. Donley carried  the ball on all seven plays.

They followed up that effort with a 47-yard march down the field, capped off by Donley’s second score of the opening quarter.

JCU’s offense would not enter the ONU red zone until halfway through the third quarter. That drive resulted in a score when redshirt freshman Aaron Schecter finished off an impressive 14-play, 81-yard drive with a seven-yard touchdown run, the first of his collegiate career.

JCU was able to gain over 350 yards of total offense, but once again turnovers halted crucial drives, and set up their opponent with outstanding field position. Four turnovers – two interceptions, two fumbles – were their undoing in the upset bid.

The Blue Streaks were never able to get within 14 points of ONU during the contest and dropped their second straight Ohio Athletic Conference match-up.

The ground attack for ONU was the story of the game as JCU could not stop the run. Play calling for the Polar Bears surely reflected the tempo of the game as they ran the ball 57 times while only going to the air on 17 occasions. ONU was able to connect on three passing touchdowns however, out of their seven completions.

“Their big offensive line and the field conditions led to them having a pretty good day on the ground,” said senior defensive lineman Matt Hodges. “We were physically outplayed.”

Senior Frank Ross was able to keep his solid play going as he snagged 11 balls for 131 yards. While the defense was led by redshirt freshman Emmett Lydon, junior Jon Cooley and senior defensive lineman Zac Hesketh, all who had nine tackles in the game.

JCU fell to 3-4 overall and 3-3 in the OAC.

They must shift their focus to national power, and d3football.com No. 1 ranked team in the country Mount Union College.

The Purple Raiders, currently undefeated, will be coming into town for a Halloween showdown with the Blue Streaks.

“The game this Saturday will be in the hands of the team that plays disciplined football,” said senior wide receiver Chris Esparza. “We have to pressure them into making mistakes and eliminate our own errors.”

Mount Union has been unstoppable this year as they have run their record to 7-0 and 6-0 in conference play. They have outscored their opponents 285 to 69 through their first seven games.

Mount Union has captured six national titles since 2000.

Coming off of their most deflating loss of the season, JCU was able to regain their focus and put away an opponent in what was a must-win game for the team. The Blue Streaks were able to take control from the opening kickoff and proceeded to prove to not only themselves, but also the fans in attendance, that this team is one of the better ones in the Ohio Athletic Conference.

JCU’s defense easily made its best effort of the season. For a unit which had been giving up an average of over 325 yards per game, they were able to completely shut down the offense of the Pioneers. 

“We had the utmost sense of urgency to be perfect on every play of the game,” said senior defensive back Marty Glose, who had six tackles in the game. “We have to focus on ourselves, in order to keep our playoff hopes alive.”

The defense was led by seniors Jim Gilchrist and Joe Cigas who contributed 10 and eight tackles, respectively.

In a game where the defense was in top form, freshman kicker Brad Marchese stole the show. He converted all five of his field goal attempts during the game, setting a new single-game record for field goals made. 

“The feeling is kind of unreal,” Marchese said of setting the record. “I don’t really know how to describe it, but it feels good.” 

In a position where the mental aspect plays such a big part, Marchese seems to have a solid grip on his role. 

“Most kickers are head cases,” he said. “But every time you make one it builds your confidence for the next one.”

Marchese was the benefactor of an offense that was unable to finish off drives and get the ball in the endzone once they were deep into Pioneer territory. Miscommunication and missed opportunities prevented the Blue Streaks from making the score even uglier than it was. 

It is difficult to envision this team beating the top teams in the OAC if they are forced to settle for field goal after field goal.

“We did struggle scoring touchdowns, but we did come away with points and that’s a good thing,” said JCU head coach Regis Scafe. “We will continue to work hard to improve on our scoring opportunities.”

All red-zone scoring issues aside, JCU was able to outgain Marietta by 130 yards on Saturday. The turnover battle, which has been a deciding factor in many of the Blue Streaks’ games this season, again went in favor of the Blue Streaks as they were able to force four Pioneer turnovers. 

Fans may not have been extremely excited by the way in which the Blue Streaks won the game, but  Scafe will take wins whatever way he can get them.

“We are excited about our performance on Saturday,” Scafe said. “We rebounded from a tough week and it was Homecoming. I know we played in front of a lot of alumni, as well as a good and excited crowd.”

With the win, John Carroll improves to 3-2 overall and 3-1 in conference play. Currently tied for second place in the OAC, the Blue Streaks are still thinking about what could have been. Both their losses easily could have gone the other way.

“We are a lot better team than what our record says,” said senior wide receiver Scottie Williams. 

The Blue Streaks will be able to  show the rest of the conference just how good they truly are on Saturday as they head to Columbus for a showdown with the Capital Crusaders, ranked 16th in the country by d3football.com. 

Capital will be looking for revenge from last year’s game when they were ranked eighth in the country and fell to JCU.

The Blue Streaks came back after a disappointing loss the week before to defeat Marietta on Oct. 10.

The annual homecoming game for John Carroll University was a memorable one as the Blue Streaks were able to knock off Marietta College in a dominating 22-0 performance. Coming off of their most deflating loss of the season, JCU was able to regain their focus and put away an opponent in what was a must-win game for the team.

The Blue Streaks were able to take control from the opening kickoff and proceeded to prove to not only themselves, but also the fans in attendance, that this team is one of the better ones in the Ohio Athletic Conference.

JCU’s defense easily made its best effort of the season. For a unit which had been giving up an average of over 325 yards per game, they were able to completely shut down the offense of the Pioneers.  “We had the utmost sense of urgency to be perfect on every play of the game,” said senior defensive back Marty Glose, who had six tackles in the game. “We have to focus on ourselves, in order to keep our playoff hopes alive.”

The defense was led by seniors Jim Gilchrist and Joe Cigas who contributed 10 and eight tackles, respectively. In a game where the defense was in top form, freshman kicker Brad Marchese stole the show. He converted all five of his field goal attempts during the game, setting a new single-game record for field goals made.

“The feeling is kind of unreal,” Marchese said of setting the record. “I don’t really know how to describe it, but it feels good.”  In a position where the mental aspect plays such a big part, Marchese seems to have a solid grip on his role.  “Most kickers are head cases,” he said. “But every time you make one it builds your confidence for the next one.”

Marchese was the benefactor of an offense that was unable to finish off drives and get the ball in the endzone once they were deep into Pioneer territory. Miscommunication and missed opportunities prevented the Blue Streaks from making the score even uglier than it was.  It is difficult to envision this team beating the top teams in the OAC if they are forced to settle for field goal after field goal.

“We did struggle scoring touchdowns, but we did come away with points and that’s a good thing,” said JCU head coach Regis Scafe. “We will continue to work hard to improve on our scoring opportunities.”

All red-zone scoring issues aside, JCU was able to outgain Marietta by 130 yards on Saturday. The turnover battle, which has been a deciding factor in many of the Blue Streaks’ games this season, again went in favor of the Blue Streaks as they were able to force four Pioneer turnovers.

Fans may not have been extremely excited by the way in which the Blue Streaks won the game, but  Scafe will take wins whatever way he can get them.

“We are excited about our performance on Saturday,” Scafe said. “We rebounded from a tough week and it was Homecoming. I know we played in front of a lot of alumni, as well as a good and excited crowd.”

With the win, John Carroll improves to 3-2 overall and 3-1 in conference play. Currently tied for second place in the OAC, the Blue Streaks are still thinking about what could have been. Both their losses easily could have gone the other way. “We are a lot better team than what our record says,” said senior wide receiver Scottie Williams.

The Blue Streaks will be able to  show the rest of the conference just how good they truly are on Saturday as they head to Columbus for a showdown with the Capital Crusaders, ranked 16^th in the country by d3football.com. Capital will be looking for revenge from last year’s game when they were ranked eighth in the country and fell to JCU.

After driving 62 yards on their opening possession, JCU’s offense stalled at the 11-yard line of Wilmington.

A missed 28-yard field goal attempt would be a prelude to what was to come for the rest of the game.

Wilmington was able to intercept passes on the next two Blue Streak possessions and converted both turnovers into scores to open up a 14-0 lead, which would prove to be insurmountable.

The Blue Streaks have typically been the beneficiary of the turnover battle this season, but this time around it was JCU that proceeded to give the game away to the Quakers.

The Blue Streaks trailed 21-16 in the fourth quarter when the JCU defense came up with a huge turnover.

The JCU offense had the ball and the chance to take the lead, but on the very first play the Blue Streaks’ coughed it up and Wilmington suddenly had the ball back deep in the Blue Streak end.

The Blue Streak defense did a great job to hold the Quakers to three points and keep it at an eight point margin, thus keeping it at a one-possession game.

Even with all of the mistakes and slip-ups, John Carroll was still in a position to send the game to overtime with just over three minutes left in the game.

The Blue Streaks were able to quickly and efficiently drive the ball down the field against what had become a rather stingy Wilmington defense, after starting on their own 46-yard line.

With 35 seconds left in the game, JCU was at the Quakers’ 1-yard line facing fourth down and goal.

A costly false start penalty backed the ball up to the six-yard line. On fourth down, senior quarterback Jeff Javorek rolled to his right and his pass to the end zone was knocked to the turf, dashing all hopes the team had of starting 3-0 in conference for the first time since 2002.  

“The defeat was pretty disappointing because we know we should have beaten Wilmington,” said senior defensive tackle Matt Hodges. “We had plenty of opportunities to come back and win.”

The Blue Streaks outgained the Quakers in total yards and were able to convert more first downs. Unfortunately for the Blue Streak cause, those numbers don’t matter too much.

It was, however, the turnovers that put the nail in the coffin as JCU slipped to 2-2 overall and 2-1 in OAC play.

The Blue Streaks now turn their attention to the Marietta College Pioneers who defeated Wilmington two weeks ago.

“We have to forget about the loss and move on. Every team in the OAC is extremely talented so we have to take everything one week at a time,” senior wide receiver Chris Esparza said. “This allows us to focus 100% of our attention on who we are playing Saturday as though nothing else matters.”

With the loss, JCU slips into sole possession of fourth place in the Ohio Athletic Conference.

 It will be a tough climb to the top of the conference standings with three OAC teams rated in top-25 of the d3football.com poll: No. 21 Capital University, No. 13 Otterbein College  and the top-ranked team in the country, Mount Union College.

The Blue Streaks will battle all three of those teams in next five weeks.

Senior Mark Elsaesser, above, and the JCU offense were too much for the B-W defense as the Blue Streaks pulled out a 43-29 win.

There was plenty of electricity flowing through the lighting towers surrounding Don Shula Stadium Saturday night, but the real high voltage was on the field as John Carroll University knocked off Baldwin-Wallace College, 43-29.

John Carroll’s offense, the one that was only able to muster seven points in their season opener, erupted for 43 points in their victory and combined with their cross-town foe for the highest scoring contest in the rivalry’s rich history.

“We were excited and ready to play our rivals,” said senior running back Teree’ Harris. “Being under the lights just got us more pumped up to play them.”

Midway through the third quarter though, the outcome of the game was certainly in doubt.

Each team had been trading blows but was unable to deliver the knockout punch.

Tied at 16 with 11 minutes left in the third quarter, JCU’s defense delivered the blow to open up the game.

A fumble recovery and then an interception on consecutive Yellow Jacket possessions gave the Blue Streaks the breaks they needed as the offense converted both turnovers into touchdowns and opened up a 14-point lead that they would not surrender.

The John Carroll defense employed a “bend, but don’t break” philosophy as they gave up 439 yards of total offense to the Yellow Jackets.

They did, however, force six turnovers; four fumbles and two interceptions.

The turnover battle was the tipping point of the game as four of the Baldwin-Wallace giveaways resulted immediately in Blue Streak touchdowns.

The return of senior Jeff Javorek, who sat out against Thomas More with an injury, had an immediate impact on the Blue Streak offense.

Javorek, making his first career varsity start as quarterback, showed Blue Streak fans that he was certainly capable of carrying the offense. He finished the night a solid 30 of 51 for 309 yards and five touchdowns through the air.

Easily Javorek’s favorite target of the night was senior wide receiver Scottie Williams, who had his best game as a Blue Streak catching 11 balls for 129 yards and two touchdowns.

“Having [Javorek] back for this game helped out the mentality of our team,” Williams said. “He knows our offense inside and out, as well as being one of our captains, so knowing he was back was definitely encouraging for us.”

JCU was able to overcome a lackluster run game, as well as a sub-par third down conversion rate, to end what was a beautiful night in University Heights. For their efforts, JCU reclaimed the title of Cuyahoga Gold Bowl winners after a disappointing loss last season.

“We dominated the game last year, but we let it slip away,” said senior wide receiver Chris Esparza. “That was a tough pill to swallow and we weren’t going to let it happen again.”

The Blue Streaks, now 1-1 overall and 1-0 in Ohio Athletic Conference play, turn their attention to their next opponent, Heidelberg College who they will battle on Saturday night in Tiffin, Ohio.

JCU narrowly knocked off the Student Princes last season, 17-15, in a hard fought contest at Don Shula Stadium.

Before the first whistle was even blown, JCU received some disheartening news. Senior quarterback Jeff Javorek, who had won the quarterback job after the graduation of Mark Petruziello,  would be out due to an injury suffered during the final scrimmage before the opener. 

Sophomore Devin O’Brien, who had never taken a collegiate varsity snap, was thrown into the starter’s role for the Blue Streaks. 

“Jeff Javorek took most of the snaps for us throughout the preseason so him not playing did not necessarily change our game plan, but we would have had more of a feel for which quarterback would be running the show,” said senior wide receiver Frank Ross. Ross caught a game-high eight passes for 81 yards from O’Brien.

The scoring opened in the first quarter after Thomas More’s Cordario Collier busted outside for a 33-yard run to set up the offense inside the red-zone. 

The defense would hold the line as the Saints prepared for what looked liked a field goal try on fourth down. As quarterback Trevor Stellman took the snap and began to set it in place for his kicker, he quickly rolled out to his right and scampered three yards for the first touchdown of the day.

Both offenses would go stagnant for much of the first half until the Blue Streaks went on an 11-play, 80-yard drive that culminated in a three yard touchdown run by freshman running back DaQuan Grobsmith. 

The second half saw much of the same as both defenses were holding the offenses to little production.

The tide looked to be turning for JCU late in the third quarter when a punt was downed on the two-yard line of the Saints. 

Unfortunately, the experience of Thomas More’s Stellman proved to be the difference. He was able to lead his team 98 yards over 11 plays. The drive was capped off with a 17-yard scramble for Stellman’s second rushing touchdown of the day.

O’Brien was not willing to give up the game that easily. He managed to get his team down inside the Saints’ 20-yard line, before throwing an interception on a desperation jump ball to his 6-foot-4-inch sophomore receiver Kyle Hubbard. 

Penalties played a crucial part in the game as JCU racked up over 85 yards in violations on 10 separate infractions. No penalty was more significant than the illegal block, which brought back the possible game-tying touchdown with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter.

“We did some great things Saturday,” said Ross. “We successfully marched down the field twice so we know we can move the ball, but shooting ourselves in the foot play after play really hurts us.”

John Carroll is off this week before returning to action on Sept. 19 for their lone, home night game of the season. Adding more excitement to the lone night contest is the fact that it’s a battle against Baldwin-Wallace College.

JCU showed its flair for the dramatics as both of the games would be ended with resounding home runs. Junior Samantha Thompson would clinch the first game with her second long ball of the season.

In the second half of the twin bill freshman Erin Riccardi proceeded to go a step further and cap the day off with a walk-off grand slam home run.
While the offense was the star on Thursday, Friday’s games belonged to the pitchers as JCU’s starters both threw complete game shutouts against Capital University.

In the opener, freshman Brittany Danilov would allow a mere two hits while striking out a then career-high nine batters.

All the offense that was needed would be provided by senior Jamie Smrdel and junior Laura Boselovic who were able to tally three RBI’s against Capital’s Brittany Stefano, the reigning Ohio Athletic Conference pitcher of the week.

The second game would see a very similar story; the only difference was the pitcher in the circle. Thompson was able to hold the Crusaders to only four hits over her seven innings of work to pick up her fifth win of the season.

JCU then made the long trip down to Wilmington College to play the Quakers, a team that has not won a single conference game all season.
Game one would see Danilov continue her dominance as she threw her second consecutive shutout of the season. She struck out a career-high 10 batters while winning her school-record 14th game of the season.

With the ending still in question, junior Julie Marlowe would seal the game with a two-run triple, which was part of a four-run seventh inning.
The second game of the day would be much closer than many people imagined.

After a quick start by Wilmington, Danilov would come on in relief to put an end to the offensive outburst, while giving time to the JCU offense to make a come back.

A four-run, fourth inning by the Blue Streaks, capped by a two-run home run off the bat of freshman Michelle Murphy would prove to be all that the team needed to complete a sweep and end their week of games with a record of 6-0.

With the wins JCU improves to a school record 23-7 through 30 games and 10-4 in conference play, good enough to tie for second place with two series remaining against conference teams before the postseason tournament begins next week.

“I think a lot of good teams in the conference don’t know our full potential,” Boselovic said. “We have the opportunity to prove to everyone our potential in winning an OAC championship.”

The Blue Streaks will host Case Western Reserve University in a non-conference doubleheader today before ending the regular season with the Pioneers of Marietta College on Saturday.

General Manager Mark Shapiro responded to some of those questions this offseason, adding two former Chicago Cubs, the versatile Mark DeRosa and closer Kerry Wood.

The addition of Kerry Wood has Cleveland Indians fans excited about their re-vamped bullpen. In addition to Wood, the Indians acquired his old Cubs teammate Mark DeRosa to play third base.

With the addition of Wood, who proved to be quite effective in 2008, in his first season coming out of the bullpen, the Indians have appeared to correct one of their biggest weaknesses from 2008.

Last year the Indians relievers had the second highest earned run average and the highest opponent batting average in the league. Other players, including Rafael Betancourt and Rafael Perez, will be needed late in ballgames to hold on to leads.

This year’s team has an unproven starting rotation. Cliff Lee, the 2008 American League Cy Young winner, will need to dominate if the Indians have postseason aspirations.

Fausto Carmona has shown that, when healthy, he can be a dominant major league pitcher. After those two, the last three spots could be up for grabs. Offseason acquisition Carl Pavano, who had a great statistical year in 2004 with the Florida Marlins before injuries halted his career, should slide into one of those openings along with Anthony Reyes and Scott Lewis.

Mark DeRosa, who was a teammate of Wood’s with the Chicago Cubs, will be called upon to play at third base with the possibility of seeing time at second base and the corner outfield spots throughout the year.

In 2008 he played six different positions for the Cubs and had the best offensive season of his career. More than likely, he will fill the hole at third base that was left by Casey Blake, who was traded in July of last season.
Alongside the new additions, certain team veterans will need to have bounce-back performances in order to take this team to the next level.
Victor Martinez, Travis Hafner and Carmona all suffered injuries that kept them out for significant stretches of last year.

Whether or not they can return to their All-Star caliber form will determine the team’s ability to get to the playoffs, much like they did when they were one game away from qualifying for the World Series in 2007.
Martinez, one of the most productive offensive catchers in baseball, will also be penciled in at first base occasionally to make room for Kelly Shoppach, who showed that he is more than capable as an offensive player in addition to his stellar defense.

The offense will undoubtedly be carried by centerfielder Grady Sizemore.
In his fourth full season he proved to be the best leadoff hitter in the league. Sizemore will need help from the rest of the lineup to produce runs, but there’s no doubt it starts with him.

If the season does not start off according to plan, it would not be a surprise to see Shapiro look to move some older, more established players in return for young talent.

Top prospects Carlos Santana and Matt LaPorta, the most coveted player in the CC Sabathia trade last season, will start the season at AAA Columbus and could be called up to help the big league club.

As for how the Indians will fare in the competitive American League Central, it is tough to say. The Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins will more than likely finish in the top two spots of the division with the Detroit Tigers and Indians fighting it out for third.

In the first game of the doubleheader, the Blue Streaks opened with an early 2-0 lead. However, the Cardinals answered with four runs of their own in the top of the second inning on a bases loaded, two-out error, to take early control of the game.

Freshman Brittany Danilov, above, ran her record to 8-3 with a shutout victory over Otterbein College.

Not being rattled by the defensive miscue, JCU responded when junior Julie Marlowe connected on a two-run home run to tie the game at four.
The pitching and defense held steady for the majority of the game, until the fifth inning when freshman Erin Riccardi untied it with one swing of the bat.

Riccardi belted her first collegiate home run at a perfect time, giving the Blue Streaks the lead at 5-4.

JCU received another stellar pitching performance from freshman Brittany Danilov, who threw a complete game to improve her record to a team-best 8-3 on the season.

In conference play, where each game is crucial to a team’s success, coming through in the tough games is what will separate the good teams from the great ones.

“Winning the opening game in a conference double header is essential,” junior Samantha Thompson said. “It’s just as important to stay focused and win the second game as well if we really want to compete for a championship this season.”

The second game of the day saw the team lose its focus momentarily in the field, and it cost them severely in the ballgame.

In the top of the first inning, JCU’s defense betrayed them as two untimely errors allowed three unearned runs to score for Otterbein.

“The two errors in the first really set us back,” Danilov said. “They were tough to recover from.”

In fact, the Blue Streaks were never be able to recover from the difficult opening frame.

They drew close in the bottom half of the first inning with two runs, but were quickly put down by a pair of RBI hits from the Cardinals that gave Otterbein a 3-0 lead.

Both teams tacked on a pair of runs in the third inning to give Otterbein a 5-4 lead, but a two-run fourth inning widened the gap to 7-4.

JCU made one more effort to come back in the bottom of the seventh, as they would load the bases with no outs, having the winning run at the plate.

However, a double play, followed by a fly out would cap off the difficult finish to the day for the Blue Streaks.

“We just need to relax,” Danilov added. “We need to have fun, instead of putting so much pressure on ourselves.”

With the split, JCU goes to 12-4 overall for the season and 1-1 in conference play.

JCU will looks to return to their winning ways on April 4th when they travel to New Concord, Ohio for a conference doubleheader with the Muskies of Muskingum College, who split their OAC opening doubleheader with Heidelberg University.