Rochester College Athletics - News

[Baseball] Warrior Baseball Signs Purman For 2014

Jordan Ackerman — Wed, 15 May 2013 07:35:00 -0600

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. -- On Wednesday, May 15, Rochester College Head Baseball Coach Jordan Ackerman announced the signing of Jacob Purman.

Purman joins the Warriors after prepping at Reese High School in Reese, Mich. Under Reese Head Coach David Elliot, Purman has earned two varsity letters in route to being selected to the Greater Thumb West All-Conference Team. Purman led his Rockets to a GTW Conference Championship in 2012.

Off the field, Purman is a two-time Academic All-Conference and member of the National Honor Society.

Coach Ackerman on Purman:

"We are excited about Jake being a Warrior. He attended our winter baseball camp and displayed some things that immediately caught our attention. Aside from his baseball talents, Jake is extremely smart and comes from a great family. He is exactly the type of kid we want in our program. I am very confident in what Jake will bring to the table this fall. I look forward to watching him grow throughout the next four years."

[Men's Golf] Birchmeier Newest Addition to Men's Golf Team

Jordan Ackerman — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:35:00 -0600

FOWLER, Mich. -- Rochester College Head Golf Coach Clayton Bissett announced the signing of Fowler High School senior Andrew Birchmeier.

Birchmeier enjoyed four years of varsity golf under Eagle's Head Golf Coach Dan Bengel. He also earned three varsity letters on the basketball court. Birchmeier led his team to three conference, one district, and one regional title. He also qualified for States as an individual in 2011.

In 2010 and 2011, Birchmeier was selected as his teams Most Improved Player before earning 1st Team Division 4 All-Area and 1st Team All-CMAC honors in 2012. His personal bests involve a 78 at the 2012 Districts and an 82 at the 2012 Regionals.

Coach Bissett on Birchmeier:

"This is a great day for Rochester College Golf. Being able to sign a guy like Andrew is really exciting. He has a solid high school golf track record and he just keeps getting better. He is really dedicated to the game and to practicing which is key. He is having a very good year thus far in his high school season and I look for that to continue when he gets here. He has great backing at home as well. I think Andrew is going to have a very successful career here."

[Women's Soccer] Turner Inks With Women's Soccer

Jordan Ackerman — Thu, 09 May 2013 09:50:00 -0600

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich -- On Wednesday, May 8, Rochester College Womens Head Soccer Coach Todd Stank announced the signing of North Branch High School senior Brittney Turner.

Turner joins the Warriors after prepping under North Branch High School Head Coach Rick Skelton. Turner was a three year letter winner and was selected as a Honorable Mention All-Tri-Valley Conference pick. In her junior year, Turner had 11 goals, 5 assists, 20 stops, and 32 shots on goal.

Coach Stank on Turner:

"Brittney is a great student-athlete that we have been interested in since she attended one of our first clinics three years ago. Brittney has years of experience playing for high school and club teams. She has solid fundamental skills and a great knowledge of the game. Brittney is able to combine those attributes as well as her speed to create many problems for her opponents on both sides of the ball."

[Men's Golf] Men's Golf Adds Maksimovski for 2013

Jordan Ackerman — Thu, 09 May 2013 09:35:00 -0600

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. -- On Wednesday, May 8, Rochester College Head Golf Coach Clayton Bissett announced the signing of Eli Maksimovski.

After a stellar career at Stevenson High School in Sterling Heights, Mich., Maksimovski will look to do the same for the Warriors. Maksimovski was a two-sport athlete at Stevenson lettering in wrestling and golf. After his sophomore and junior seasons, Maksimovski was selected as The Most Improved Player. After working hard in the off-season, Maksimovski was selected as his team captain for his senior year. His personal best round for 18 holes is a 79.

Coach Bissett on Maksimovski:

"I am very excited to be able to have Eli join our team for next year. He has not been playing golf for very long, but has improved greatly in that short time frame. He has a ton of potential and the work ethic to reach it. I think he is going to be someone who really helps out next year and I am looking forward to seeing how much better he can become in his time here. The sky is the limit for him."

[Men's Basketball] Bullis to Suit up for National Champs

Jordan Ackerman — Thu, 09 May 2013 09:25:00 -0600

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. - On Wednesday, May 8, Rochester College Assistant Basketball Coach Tom Webb announced the signing of Chase Bulliss.

Bullis will suit up for the Crimson and White USCAA National Champs after playing his high school ball at Sandusky High School in Sandusky, Mich under Head Coach Tristin Pennington. Bullis earned six varsity letters as a prep, three in basketball and three for track and field.

As a varsity basketball player for three years, Bullis was selected three times as a 2nd Team All-Greater Thumb Conference selection. His best games came against Dryden High School when he scored 24 points and Vassar High School when he scored 21 points. Bullis also earned 1st Team All-NCTL Honors for the 3200 Relay.

Coach Webb on Bullis:

"Chase is a student-athlete that we believe will highlight our freshman roster. Aside from his ability to shoot the ball on the hardwood, he's a great kid, and even better student. We will look to Chase for help on leading this new group of incoming freshman on and off the court."

[Baseball] Baseball Post-Season Honors Announced

Jordan Ackerman — Wed, 08 May 2013 08:10:00 -0600

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. -- The USCAA and A.I.I. Conference announced the 2013 post-season awards and the Warriors were well represented by senior Ray Yesh (Dearborn, MI/Allen Park Cabrini) and sophomores Luke Strobl (St. Clair Shores, MI/Lakeview) and Chaz Hill (Imlay City, MI/Lapeer East).

Strobl earned 2nd Team All-American and 2nd Team All-A.I.I. honors. Strobl batted .309 in the clean-up spot with a team leading three home runs. Strobl also led the Warriors with 25 runs batted in.

Yesh and Hill were recognized as Honorable Mention All-Americans with Yesh also earning a 2nd Team All-A.I.I. spot.

Yesh batted a team high .397 clip as the designated hitter with 5 doubles.

Hill finished the season batting .301 with 6 doubles, 1 triple, and 11 runs batted in.

"These three guys worked hard and were consistent for us all season," said head coach Jordan Ackerman. "These guys battled the terrible spring weather, injuries, and our inconsistent team play all season long. To rise above all the challenges and put up good numbers says a lot about the kind of athletes they are."

The Warriors finished the season 9-24 and did not qualify for post-season play for the first time in three years. "This season was a roller coaster for us," said Coach Ackerman. "Injuries hurt us all season with the ace of our staff (Johnny Barreto) being out most the year and two-time All-American David Woodson battling with injury all season. However, our young guys stepped it up and played big roles early on."

Freshman Kevin Moore (Detroit, MI/Renaissance) batted .308 from the lead-off spot and led the Warriors in stolen bases with 8. Freshman Ryan Rosati (Harrison Twp., MI/Lanse Creuse) made the most of his opportunities batting .379 with 2 doubles in his first year of college. "Both of these young men did what we asked of them this season. It is a task to step in as a freshman and put up the kind of numbers they did this season," said Coach Ackerman.

The Warriors were forced to cancel 16 games this season due to the weather. "In my five years here, this has been the worst weather I have seen. We were only able to play three dates at home. We spent a lot of time on the road," said Coach Ackerman. "That is the nature of college baseball in the north. We are one of the many colleges that battled with the weather this season."

Highlights for the Warriors this season included a 10-2 victory over #16 Madonna University and winning three of four on the road against Robert Morris University Springfield. "Beating a solid team like Madonna really displayed the kind of baseball we were capable of playing. Our pitchers hit their spots and our offensive game was as solid as you can get with our batters having great approaches at the plate," said Coach Ackerman.

Despite the tough spring, Coach Ackerman is optimistic about his team moving forward. "The only thing we can do is move forward and work even harder than we did this season. The seniors graduating had great careers here and they definitely made their mark, but I am very excited about what we have in this program going into next season," said Coach Ackerman.

The Warriors paid tribute to their eight seniors at their final home game this season against Concordia University. Pitchers Fernando Delacruz, Andrew Jarrell, Johnny Barreto, and Tommy Moore, catcher Carlos Zabaleta, outfielders David Woodson and Eric Ramirez, and utility player Ray Yesh all finished their final season as college athletes.

Next season the Warriors will look to return to their winning ways when they open up in Vero Beach, FL at the USCAA Invitational in early March.

[Men's Basketball] National Champs Reload for 2013-14

Jordan Ackerman — Mon, 06 May 2013 09:35:00 -0600

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. -- On Monday, May 6, Rochester College Head Basketball coach Klint Pleasant announced the signing of three standout basketball players. The Warriors welcomed Jude Gouveia, Viktoras Merkevicius, and John Irons Jr. to the regning USCAA National Champions team.

Jude Gouveia comes to Rochester College after playing for Coach McGregor at Kirtland Community College where he averaged 20 points, 3.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 2 steals per game. He also shot 51% from the field while shooting 43% from behind the three-point line. Before playing at Kirtland, Gouveia lettered at Dr. G.W. Williams High School in Aurora, Ontario where he was selected as a 2009 Region All-Star.

Coach Pleasant on Gouveia:

"We're excited Jude is joining our program. He has been very well coached by Ty at Kirtland CC. Jude was hurt for several games throughout his tenure at Kirtland but when he was healthy he put up very impressive numbers. Most importantly Jude is a good fit for our school and program. He is a like-able guy that has always done well off the court as well. Jude possesses the ability to play multiple guard spots, he is good off the dribble and an extremely good 3 point shooter. We are thrilled to have him."

Viktoras Merkevicius will wear the crimson and white after playing his first year of college ball at McLennan Community College in Waco, TX. Merkevicious hails from Vilkaviskis, Lithuania. In high school, Merkevicius averaged 24 points, 17 rebounds, and 5.9 blocks per game. Before signing with the Warriors, he had orginally signed with NCAA DI Oakland University.

Coach Pleasant on Merkevicius:

"Signing Vic was a big deal for our program. He is a very talented big man at 6'8" and is extremely strong and athletic. But most important, he plays very hard. His motor never quits and he is relentless both offensively and defensively as well as on the glass. He runs the floor as good as anyone I've coached at his size. His energy and enthusiasm is exactly what we need. He has a great attitude and we look forward to coaching him for three years."

Local boy, John Irons heads to RC after playing at Macomb Community College. As the second leading scorer and assists leader, Irons earned Honorable Mention All-MCCAA honors. Before playing at MCC, Irons was a two-year letter winner at Sterling Heights Stevenson High School where he was selected in 2008 as his team's Most Valuable Player.

Coach Pleasant on John Irons Jr.:

"We are excited to have John join our program. John is a very good outside shooter and has the ability to both shoot off screens and get his own shot off the dribble. He is also very good with the ball and can make plays. He was well coached at Macomb CC and they leaned on him as a scoring threat. His basketball IQ is high and as we watched him this year in junior college he always struck us as a guy that would fit well in our program. He understands and appreciates our schools mission and was drawn to it during the recruiting process. We look forward to working with him."

[Men's Soccer] Soccer Signs Dream Team Selection

Jordan Ackerman — Mon, 06 May 2013 09:10:00 -0600

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. -- Rochester College Head Soccer Coach Kevin Garner has not wasted any time recruiting top notch soccer players. The newest addition to the Warrior soccer team is as decorated a player as they come. On Friday, May 3, Coach Garner announced the signing of Troy, Mich. native, Nathan Hicklin.

Hicklin, a junior college transfer from Schoolcraft Community College, inks with Garner's Warriors after a very successful college and high school career. As a prep at Troy High School, Hicklin led his Colts to two conference titles and three district titles. As a sophomore, Hicklin earned All-OAA Red honors as well as 2nd Team All-State honors. In his junior season, Hicklin notched a spot on the 1st Team All-State team and again earned First Team All-OAA Red honors. As a senior, Hicklin had a stellar year to close out his high school career as All-State Dream Team selection, First Team All-OAA Red selection, team Most Valuable Player, and most goals scored for the Troy High School Colts.

Hicklin did not miss a beat in his first two years of college as a 2012 Second Team All-American and 2012 First Team All-Conference pick at Schoolcraft Community College.

Hicklin was also a member of the 2008 Derby County Wolves U16 team that won the US Academy National Championship.

Coach Garner on Hicklin:

"We are over the moon that Nathan chose Rochester over our competitors. He will do extremely well for us. Nathan is a player that has experience at the top level of youth soccer in the United States and will bring a wealth of knowledge to the program. Nathan's vision and passing range is second to none. He can pick out a player 50 yards away and put the ball right on their foot. If you couple this with some of the dynamic attacking players we have currently, and the players we have signed, it should make us very dangerous going forward."

[Women's Soccer] Warriors Add Edwards to Women's Soccer Roster

Jordan Ackerman — Fri, 03 May 2013 09:50:00 -0600

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. -- On Tuesday, Apr. 30, Rochester College Women's Head Soccer Coach Todd Stank announced the signing of Morgan Edwards.

Edwards will join the Warrior's roster this fall after attending Southview High School in Sylvania, OH. While playing for Head Coach Amy Knepper, Edwards earned three varsity letters. In her sophomore and junior years, Edwards earned the Cougar Award. In her junior and senior seasons, Edwards was her team captain and voted as a Northern Lakes League All-Star.

Coach Stank on Edwards:

"Morgan is an experienced player who immediately fit in with our current players on her campus visit. She is an intelligent athlete who can play multiple positions on the field. We are fortunate that she has chosen to join our program, and I look forward to how her skill set will compliment our current players. She is a welcome addition to the RC community and to our soccer program."

[Men's Soccer] Drew Niewoit Signs With Men's Soccer

Jordan Ackerman — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:10:00 -0600

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. -- On April 14th, Rochester College Head Soccer Coach Kevin Garner announced the signing of Drew Niewoit.

Niewoit graduates this May from Henry Ford II where he led the Falcons throughout his entire high school career. In his senior season, under the direction of Falcon's head coach Teri Stenwascher, Niewoit led the squad to District and Regional Championships.

In his junior season, Niewoit was voted as the Falcon's Most Valuable Player. Niewoit not only earned Most Valuable Player honors in his senior season, but he also was picked to the First Team All-Macomb Area Conference Red team, First Team All-Region Team, and Second Team All-State.

Coach Garner on Niewoit:

"We are very excited to sign Drew here at Rochester College. He is a very exciting player to watch, as his ability to beat people 1v1 is as good as it gets. He will certainly excite the fans, that is for sure."

[Women's Golf] Women's Golf Finish 5th at NAIA Invitational

Jordan Ackerman — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:15:00 -0600

St. Joseph, Ind. -- The Rochester College Women's Golf team braved the cold last weekend as they traveled to Indiana to compete in the 2013 NAIA Invitational hosted by Holy Cross College. Day one of the event was canceled due to the cold and wet weather. The winner of the tournament would get an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship held in Lincoln, Neb.

At the conclusion of day two, the Warriors finished in 5th place out of a field of six.

"I am really proud of these ladies. We had the first round cancelled because of poor weather and the second round's weather was not much better. It was really cold out there. The ladies played as well as I could have possibly hoped for. We had a very good showing. This was our best score all year and we picked a great time to shoot it. What a great way to end the season," said Head Coach Clayton Bissett.

The Warriors finished the day with a 377, one stroke behind 4th place finisher, Robert Morris University.

Sophomore Danielle Godair (New Hudson, MI/South Lyon) led the Warriors with a 10th place finish shooting a 89.

Junior Felica Hamel (Flat Rock, MI/Huron) finished the day 16th shooting a 91.

Junior Audrie Bedenis (Davisburg, MI/Clarkston) shot a 92, good enough for a top 20 finish, while freshman Emma Alexander (Holly, MI/Holly) finished 29th shooting a 106.

[Baseball] Stellar Pitching Earns Warriors Three Weekend Wins

Jordan Ackerman — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:05:00 -0600

Four strong pitching performances led the Rochester College baseball team to three out of four victories this weekend as they defeated the Robert Morris Springfield (Ill.) Eagles, 5-2, 8-1 and 1-0. The Warriors' only loss came when the bats went quiet during a 3-0 Eagles' win.

Johnny Barreto (Colonia, NJ/Sussex) threw a 5-inning no-hitter in the 5-2 first game Saturday before being forced out of the game with a finger blister. The game marked the return for Barreto after a lower back strain early in the season, and he did not disappoint. The lefty struck out 11 and walked one before senior Andrew Jarrell (Commerce, MI/Walled Lake Central) took over for the save. Designated hitter Ray Yesh (Dearborn, MI/Cabrini) went 3-for-3, driving in 2 runs, while first baseman Luke Strobl (St. Clair Shores, MI/Lakeview) also collected 2 RBIs. Senior Eric Ramirez (San Antonio, TX/Catholic Central) and freshman Kevin Moore (Detroit, MI/Renaissance) each had 2 hits.

In the second game, Sophomore Justin Green (Lordsburg, NM/Lordsburg) struck out 10 and walked one while tossing a complete game 2-hitter. Yesh banged out a double and 2 singles and scored 2 runs. Freshman third baseman Dan Clouse (Chesterfield, MI/Lance Creuse North) doubled, singled and knocked in 2 runs.

Senior pitcher Tommy Moore (Armada, MI/Madonna) kept the Springfield hitters guessing as Rochester suffered its only loss of the weekend in the first game Sunday as the team went down, 3-0. Moore gave up just 6 hits and one walk in the complete game. Rochester could chalk up only 2 hits.

In the weekend's finale, Senior Fern Delacruz (Sarasota, FL/Riverview) pitched a 3-hit shutout striking out 2 and walking only 1. The game's only run came in the second inning when Clouse singled, went to third on senior David Woodson's (Vallejo, CA/Vallejo) bunt single and scored on sophomore Ryan Balazy's (Fowlerville, MI/Fowlerville) groundout.

Head Coach Jordan Ackerman said "These games were especially important to us, coming after a couple of losses and a long string of postponed games and practices. First, it was good to get back on the field and get some work in, and secondly, it was really good to pick up a few wins."

The Warriors host NCAA DIII Kalamazoo College on Wednesday. First pitch is slated for 2pm.

[Women's Basketball] Women's Basketball Inks Morgan for 2013

Jordan Ackerman — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:40:00 -0600

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. -- On Monday, Apr. 1, Rochester College Women's Basketball head coach Eric Sims announced the signing of Lake Shore High School senior Sydney Morgan.

Morgan joins sister Jordan on the RC hoops team after enjoying a highly decorated high school career where she was very successful in four sports. During her four years of high school, Morgan earned 13 varsity letters.

On the basketball court, Morgan was a two-time 1st Team All-Conference and 1st Team All-County selection, 3rd team Dream Team in 2012 and 1st team Dream Team in 2013. Morgan also earned Honorable Mention All-State honors in her senior year on top of the two consecutive Offensive Most Valuable Player awards and was selected as one of the top 100 players in the state of Michigan.

Morgan set the Lake Shore school record in Most Rebounds in a game and scored a career high 26 points against Mt. Clemens High School.

On the Shorian's volleyball team, Morgan was a two-time Honorable Mention All-County selection, 1st Team All-Conference, Offensive Most Valuable Player her junior year and Most Valuable Player in her senior year.

As a player on the soccer team, Morgan was a two-time 1st team All-County selection.

Finally, as the first female in Lake Shore history to play football, Morgan was the first female to score points on the football field and was selected as the Special Teams Player of the Year.

Coach Sims on Morgan:

"We are excited to have Sydney joining our program next season. She comes from a very successful program at Lake Shore. We expect Sydney to compete for playing time in the post right away, especially with Sam Tomaschko graduating. Sydney already has a pretty good understanding of how to play inside. She will be a welcome addition to the legacy of post players that we are building here at Rochester College. I know she is excited to be able to play with her sister Jordan, who will be a sophomore for us next year."

[Baseball] Warriors Bats Cold Against Panthers

Jordan Ackerman — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 08:30:00 -0600

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Rochester College Baseball team (5-15) could not get things going last night at Davenport University (16-10). The Warriors dropped both games of the double header 13-0 and 8-0.

The Warriors gave up one run in the first inning on a fielder's choice before sophomore Justin Green (Lordsburg, NM/Lordsburg) would stop the bleeding by striking out the third out.

The Panthers scored two runs in each of the next two frames before shutting the door in the fifth inning by scoring 8 runs to go up 13-0.

The Warriors scattered only three hits in the first game. Freshmen Dan Clouse (Chesterfield, MI/Lanse Creuse North) and Ryan Rosati (Harrison Twp., MI/Lanse Creuse) each had a hit apiece while junior Lance Teeples (Flushing, MI/Flushing) had the third.

Green was the losing pitcher giving up 9 hits and 9 earned runs in 4 innings.

In game two, the Warriors could not produce a run off of their 7 hits. The game was scoreless until the second inning when the Panthers pushed one across after leading the inning off with a double. The runner advanced to third on a balk by the pitcher and later scored on a fielder's choice.

The Panthers broke the game open in the third to the tune of six runs before they scored one more in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Warriors were led by senior David Woodson (Vallejo, CA/Vallejo) who was 2 for 3. Sophomores Chaz Hill (Imlay City, Lapeer East), Luke Strobl (St. Clair Shores, MI/Lakeview), and Scott Kunert (Clinton Twp., MI/Chippewa Valley) each had a hit apiece while Clouse and Rosati each ended the game with one hit each.

Freshman Austin Suiter (Toledo, OH/Start) was the losing pitcher giving up 7 earned runs on 6 hits. Senior Fern Delacruz (Sarasota, FL/Riverview) pitched two innings of scoreless relief giving up one hit.

"We had a tough day on the diamond today," said Head Coach Jordan Ackerman. "We struggled in every aspect of the game. We will bounce back, our guys are hungry to get back after it on Saturday."

[Baseball] Warriors Come up Big in Game Two of Doubleheader

Jordan Ackerman — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 18:55:00 -0600

The Rochester College baseball team (5-13) chalked up its fifth win of the young 2013 season Saturday as the Warriors thumped Madonna University (13-6), 10-2, behind the stellar pitching of freshman Austin Suiter (Toledo, OH/Start) and the booming bats of senior David Woodson (Vallejo, CA/Vallejo), sophomore Chaz Hill (Imlay City, MI/Lapeer East), sophomore Luke Strobl (St. Clair Shores, MI/Lakeview) and senior Ray Yesh (Dearborn, MI/Cabrini).

The Crusaders entered the game after receiving votes in the first NAIA coaches poll of the season by knocking off three top 25 teams in the nation (#3 Lee University, #6 Point Park, and #19 University of St. Francis).

The Warriors dropped game one of the double header, 9-4, after spotting the Crusaders 5 runs in the first inning. Rochester's Yesh collected 3 hits in that game, while freshman Kevin Moore (Detroit, MI/Renaissance), Strobl and senior Carlos Zabaleta (Colonia, NJ/Sussex CC) each doubled.

In the second game, Woodson homered and singled to drive in 4 runs, Hill connected for 3 doubles and scored 3 runs, Strobl had 3 RBIs with a single, double and long sacrifice fly, and Yesh singled, doubled and knocked in 2 runs.

Rochester started off the game by putting up 5 runs in the 1^st inning. Senior Eric Ramirez (San Antonio, TX/Catholic Central) started off the early rally with a walk (he later singled). Hill, Strobl and Woodson capped the 1st-inning scoring with their barrage.

After nine straight cancellations because of the weather, Head Coach Jordan Ackerman said, "It was great to finally get outside and play. And, after a slow start in the first game, it was even better to get a win against a very tough Madonna team. They always play good baseball, so it was especially critical for us to jump on top in that second game and get a 'W' for the first time against them that I can remember."

The Warriors travel to Grand Rapids Thursday for a doubleheader against Davenport University, then face Aquinas College at home on Saturday.