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Milligan College
SPORTS NEWS RELEASE By Trey Williams
But Milligan manager Danny Clark doesn’t see the Buffs (28-18, 16-8) any less motivated for this week’s AAC tournament championship. Milligan opens against seventh-seeded Union today at 4 p.m. at Milligan. The other three games today are at Cardinal Park beginning with the Virginia Intermont-Bluefield matchup at 9 a.m. “These seniors have finished second twice in this tournament,” Clark said. “Having been that close, I know they’d love to win one.” Milligan will start senior Matt Simmons in its opener. A senior from Richlands, Va., Simmons is 8-1 with a 3.56 ERA. He struck out 50 while walking 12 in 552/3 innings. “I wouldn’t say Matt’s been a huge surprise because he was throwing so well two years ago and then he got hurt,” Clark said. Depending on the opponent, Clark will follow with Dustin Barrett or Todd Speas, who’s moved up in the rotation since Brad Zachritz injured his hand. Speas, who transferred from East Carolina before last season, is 5-3 with a 3.95 ERA. Barrett, a senior from Tazewell, Va., is 6-3 with a 2.75 ERA. He’s struck out 40 and walked 15 in 59 innings. A pair of seniors, Erwin’s Scott Shealy and Elizabethton’s Ben Whittemore, headline the Milligan lineup. Shealy led the Buffs in batting (.388), runs (46), hits (64), triples (5) and home runs (7), slugging percentage (.600), walks (20) and stolen bases (18). Whittemore hit .357 while leading the team in RBIs (44) and doubles (20). “Ben’s a blue-collar guy who’s really done a good job the past two years,” Clark said. Former Science Hill standout Dustin Price hit .342 and was second on the team in home runs with six. Other regulars hitting .300 or better are Pat Gould, Nathan Meade, David Rusaw and Nathan Chandler. Clark said regular-season champion Tennessee Wesleyan will be tough to dethrone. The two-time defending regular-season champions, the Bulldogs are ranked No. 4 in the national NAIA poll. “It’s going to be hard for anybody to knock them off,” Clark said. The highest finisher in the tournament other than Tennessee Wesleyan and Milligan will receive the league’s third regional berth. Simmons, Shealy and Whittemore made the all-conference team. Price was honorable mention. ###
About Milligan College Milligan College is a private Christian liberal arts college in Northeast Tennessee, nationally recognized for its commitment to excellence in academic, social and spiritual development. The college has consistently been named one of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, visit www.milligan.edu or call 423.461.8719. Return to Sports News Release Page | Return to Milligan College Home Page |
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