Sports - The Eastern Echo

“For my capstone communication class [that] I need to graduate, I need to work with a nonprofit organization,” senior center Matt Balkema said. “I chose Mentor2Youth. They work with local kids with troubled backgrounds. I figured I love being around kids, I love being a role model type so I figured why not.”

Basketball game to raise charity money

By Al Willman · Wednesday, April 3, 2013

While the Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball season is over and senior center Matt Balkema’s time with the team is done, he is still giving back off the court.

College Hunks Hauling Junk (pictured) and Art Road Nonprofit are collecting and delivering art supplies to Detroit Public School classrooms. They will be set up from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday.

Nonprofit to collect art supplies for Detroit Public Schools

By Al Willman · Wednesday, April 3, 2013

The season has already begun for the Detroit Tigers, but the day many people around town are looking forward to is Friday, which marks the home opener for the Tigers when the team takes on the New York Yankees at Comerica Park in Detroit.

EMU beat the Golden Grizzlies in the first game of a doubleheader Wednesday, then tied with them 4-4 in the second game.

Softball beats Oakland

By Al Willman · Friday, March 29, 2013

The Eastern Michigan University softball team opened the home portion of its season on Wednesday with an afternoon doubleheader against the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies. The Eagles scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth and three more in the bottom of the sixth to defeat the Golden Grizzlies by a score of 6-5.

Baseball club raises money for support

By Stanley Burkett · Friday, March 29, 2013

Chicken wings and donations were the topics of the Eastern Michigan University club baseball organization on Monday.

Senior shortstop and leadoff hitter Katy Blaharski

Blaharski ‘good leader’

By Al Willman · Friday, March 29, 2013

Senior shortstop and leadoff hitter Katy Blaharski can also be described as the workhorse for the Eastern Michigan University softball team.

Ignowski: ‘She’s a fighter’

By Al Willman · Friday, March 29, 2013

Jenna Ignowski is a senior pitcher on the Eastern Michigan University softball team. The Niles, Mich., native has been playing since she was eight years old.

Freshman Nick Rotola runs to make a catch. The Eagles had 21 players see action in Tuesday’s game, when a two-out rally in the fifth inning gave the team enough runs to defeat the Cardinals.

EMU beats Concordia in first home game

By Alex Alvarado · Wednesday, March 27, 2013

The Eastern Michigan University baseball team hosted its first home game of the year against the Concordia University Cardinals on Tuesday. A two-out rally in the fifth inning gave EMU (10-13) just enough runs to edge Concordia for their first Oestrike victory of the year, 4-3.

The Tigers will start the season April 1 against the Minnesota Twins and play at home April 5.

Detroit Tigers baseball season preview

By Alex Alvarado · Wednesday, March 27, 2013

It’s finally here: The Detroit Tigers baseball season. After suffering through the long, cold, stormy fall and winter seasons, being surrounded by all the noise of basketball, hockey and playoff football, we’ve survived. After being teased with the drumroll of spring training and the World Baseball Classic, we can finally have what we really want: No, not graduation (although that would be nice), but Tigers baseball.

Alum writes in Chicago

By Eugene Evans · Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Through hard work and determination, former Eastern Echo sports writer Creighton Hart has been able to keep his head above water as a journalist over the last decade, but there is always a story behind the success.

Gymnast’s passion began at young age

By Raven Gardiner · Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Anna “Willy” Willette, an Eastern Michigan University sophomore, has traveled from Pylesville, Md., to accomplish her goals of becoming a gymnast.

From left: Matt Balkema, Jamell Harris and Derek Thompson said their best memory was winning the MAC West in 2012.

Seniors reflect on accomplishments

By Al Willman · Sunday, March 24, 2013

The Eastern Michigan University men’s basketball team had its season come to an end in the Mid-American Conference quarterfinals against Western Michigan University March 14. With that game, the college careers of center Matt Balkema, forward Jamell Harris and guard Derek Thompson came to an end as well.

EMU wrestlers out of tourney

By Raven Gardiner · Sunday, March 24, 2013

The Eastern Michigan University men’s wrestling season finished when redshirt juniors Phillip Joseph and Nick Whitenburg competed at the NCAA Championship Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa, which took place Thursday through Saturday.

Senior swimmer finishes third at NCAA championships

By Eugene Evans · Sunday, March 24, 2013

Led by senior and All-American Kelly Hendricks’ third-place finish in the three-meter dive, the Eastern Michigan University women’s swimming and diving team completed their season at the NCAA championships held at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis, Ind., this past weekend.

EMU volleyball coach Kim Berrington thought the team’s performance was “solid,” and was pleased with the things they worked on.

EMU volleyball opens season

By Al Willman · Sunday, March 24, 2013

The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team opened its spring season Saturday by hosting and participating in the EMU Spring Tournament. The matches were scored, however, the wins and losses did not count toward regular season standings.

Megan Crawshaw, middle blocker, is expected to help the team to victory.

Eagles make changes for spring

By Al Willman · Wednesday, March 20, 2013

The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team finished the season with an 18-15 record and lost in the first round of the Mid-American Conference tournament. While the regular season isn’t set to begin until August, the spring season is getting underway this weekend.

Two wrestlers sent to NCAA tourney

By Raven Gardiner · Wednesday, March 20, 2013

The Eastern Michigan University men’s wrestling team is sending off two wrestlers to the NCAA tournament March 21-23. Redshirt juniors Phillip Joseph and Nick Whitenburg will head to the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa, to compete against some of the best wrestlers in the country.

Wrestler Nick Whitenburg suffered an injury but came back.

Whitenburg’s comeback

By Raven Gardiner · Wednesday, March 20, 2013

After spending half his season off the mat with an injury, Nick Whitenburg, an Eastern Michigan University 197-pound redshirt junior wrestler, has made a strong comeback in his wrestling season.

EMU staff members recall their top NCAA memories

By Eugene Evans · Wednesday, March 20, 2013

From buzzer-beaters to early round upsets, the NCAA tournament has everything that even the casual fan wants to see and puts the rest of the sports world on hold as it gravitates to this phenomenon.

Salary cap not a good fit for small colleges

By Al Willman · Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Following New York Times op-ed columnist Joe Nocera’s talk in Eastern Michigan University’s Student Center on Tuesday, I did some thinking about the plan he put forth to pay student-athletes at major schools and the relatively little he said about schools like EMU, widely known as “mid-major” schools.

New York Times columnist Joe Nocera spoke at EMU on Tuesday.

Nocera proposes salary for some college athletes

By Al Willman · Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Imagine, if you will, a world where college football and men’s basketball players are paid $25,000 a year. In that same world, imagine boosters who, instead of providing athletes cars or money, donate money into a fund, which would help to pay the athletes. New York Times op-ed columnist Joe Nocera already has.