Viking Tennis off to fast start
The Lawrence University Men’s Tennis team is off to one of its best starts ever at 3-1. The Vikings are a perfect 2-0 in the MWC after a monumental victory over Ripon.The Vikings defeated the Redhawks 4-3 in February. Brian Hilgeman won the deciding singles match for the Vikings over Alex Wente 7-6, 6-4. It was the first time the Vikings had defeated the Redhawks since 1984. The Vikings then went on to crush Carroll 7-0, to go a perfect 2-0. Their sole loss this year was a 6-1 whipping by UW-Whitewater, with the Vikings only getting the point for a 2-1 victory in doubles matches. The Vikings are next in action tomorrow and Sunday at 9:00 a.m. They play Dominican, Ill. on Saturday, and Beloit on Sunday. Both matches are on the Vikings home court on Drew street.
Vikings on five game winning streak
The Lawrence University softball team struggled early on during its spring break trip to Florida, losing its first five games; however, they have since found a groove, capping off a five game winning streak with a 14-2 spanking of Hendrix State.
The Vikings are being led on the mound by junior pitcher Lauren Kost. Kost, who has been the Vikings best pitcher each of the last two seasons, has all five LU wins, and is 5-2 on the season with a 1.85 ERA. After ten appearances, Kost has 27 strikeouts.
The Vikings bats are being led by exactly who you would think. Senior all-everything Jenny Burris leads the team with a .424 batting average, has two doubles, two triples, one home run, and has stolen seven bases. Burris leads the team in everything except doubles, where Loni Philbrick-Linzmeyer has three. A freshman is making herself known as well for LU: Jamie Garman is second in the team in batting average, hitting .360. Garman is tied for second on the team in RBI’s with 12, behind Burris’ 23.
The Vikings start their home season with a game today against Finlandia. Their first MWC game is April 8th against St. Norbert.
Vikings get off on the right foot in Florida
The Lawrence University baseball team went 6-6 on its Florida spring break trip, and got off to a good start on the season. The Vikings are looking to begin the home portion of their season, and will do so April 8th against rival Ripon.
The Vikings were led by several stellar pitching performances in Fort Myers. B.J. Chase is 2-0 on the season with just a 2.00 ERA with 14 innings pitched. Aaron Sorenson is 1-1 on the season, but his victory was a one hitter against Oberlin College, and his loss came at the hands of national powerhouse University of St. Thomas, which won the national championship in 2001, and was the runner-up in 2000 and 2002. Sorenson’s one-hitter was only the eighth one-hitter in LU history, and the first since Justin Anthony did it in 2001. He struck out eleven Oberlin batters in his effort.
Andrew Wong led the bats for the Vikings. He is hitting .375 with two homers and two doubles for LU. The Vikings RBI leader is R.J. Rosenthal, who hit a grand slam against Plymouth State. He also has five doubles to lead the ball club. He is also 1-1 on the mound for the Vikings.
The Vikings are one of the favorites to win the MWC crown this season, getting much-needed help in spots in the lineup. Doug Coe, the Vikings new starting catcher is one of a few freshmen who are expected to make major contributions immediately. If the Vikings can get the pitching they need, they will be at the top of the heap by the end of the year.