The Ferris Sate softball team looked to ride the momentum from last weekend’s four victories to the start of the GLIAC season. The Bulldogs traveled east this past weekend to take on the Northwood University Timberwolves on Saturday, April 5 and the Saginaw Valley State University Cardinals on Sunday, April 6.

Ferris State’s trip to Fischer Stadium in Midland, Mich. proved to be victorious for the Bulldogs as they beat the Timberwolves twice. The Bulldogs battled back to win 14-6 in the first contest and never looked back in the second winning 9-5.

Ferris State’s 14 runs in game one came in spurts as the Bulldogs crossed home plate in each of the five innings. The Bulldogs started the game scoring three runs in the first inning. Sophomore second baseman Amanda Harrington started off the game for Ferris State by drawing a walk. Junior pitcher Sarah Mueller advanced Harrington to second on an infield single to the shortstop. With two runners on, junior catcher Krystle Bailey gave up her bat by sacrificing the runners over to second and third.

With two on and one out, a Timberwolves wild pitch allowed the Bulldogs to score and get on the board early. Clean up hitter, senior third baseman Katie Kraai got Ferris State’s first RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly out to left field scoring Mueller from third. The Bulldogs continued their success with junior first baseman Amanda Jager’s solo homerun over the right centerfield wall.

The Timberwolves struck back in the bottom of the first inning scoring five runs of their own. Northwood’s five runs came on five hits and one error.

Ferris State countered Northwood’s five runs with three more of its own in the second. The Bulldogs went on to score one in the third and fourth and six in the top of the fifth.

The Bulldogs bats were led by sophomore designated player Rhea Flores, Jager, Mueller and junior left fielder Holly Bruntjens. Flores grabbed three hits, two runs and three RBIs. Jager tallied up three runs, three hits and two RBIs. Mueller and Bruntjens totaled together four runs, five hits and two RBI’s. Ferris State bats combined for 14 runs and 15 hits.

Pitching the victory for the Bulldogs, Mueller picked up her sixth win of the season. Mueller allowed seven hits and one earned run while striking out two in her 23 batters faced.

In the second game of the Timberwolves double header, Bruntjens picked up her seventh win of the season. Bruntjens pitched six and a third innings, allowing 10 hits, five runs and four walks while striking out four of the 33 batters she faced. Sophomore pitcher Kayle Stevenson stepped in to pitch the final two thirds of the seventh inning.

The Bulldogs answered the Timberwolves one run in the bottom of the first by scoring four of their own. The four runs came in one swing as junior shortstop McKenzie West homered over the right centerfield wall. West drove in Harrington and Bailey who both walked and Jager who was hit by a pitch.

In the bottom of the third inning, the Bulldogs scored two more runs on two solo home runs. Jager followed up game one’s home run with another over the right centerfield wall. Flores copied that two batters later by touching all the bases after a homerun down the leftfield line.

Ferris State bats were led by Harrington, Bailey and West. Harrington tallied two runs scored on two hits and one RBI as the Bulldogs leadoff hitter. Bailey grabbed two hits in two at bats, scored once and knocked in two RBI’s and West scored one run on one hit with four RBIs.

On Sunday, the Bulldogs traveled to University Center, Mich. home of the Saginaw Valley State Softball Complex. The Cardinals edged their way by the Bulldogs in the first game of the double header by scoring two runs late in the seventh inning giving them the 3-2 victory. Bruntjens suffered the loss for the Bulldogs allowing two earned runs and one walk in the sixth and two third innings.

Ferris State started the scoring in the first game of the double header. Mueller singled past the third baseman into left field and Bailey walked giving the Bulldogs a scoring threat. Mueller advanced to third as Bailey was eliminated on a force play at second base allowing Kraai to reach on a fielder’s choice. Ferris State put on the double steal as Kraai stole second base which allowed Mueller to come home.

The Timberwolves tied the game up in the bottom of the second inning with a hit by pitch, a steal and a single. Ferris State was able to answer right back and take the lead in the top of the third as Bruntjens hit a solo homerun with no one out.

The Bulldogs were only able to get four hits off of Saginaw Valley State pitching. Leading the way for Ferris State were Mueller, Jager and Bruntjens. Jager reached a base on two hits in three at bats. Bruntjens got the Bulldogs only RBI of the game on one hit and Mueller scored one run and one hit in her two times at bat.

In the second game of the double header, the Bulldogs battled back to win the game in the bottom of the eighth inning. Pitching all eight innings and getting the victory for the Bulldogs was Mueller. She allowed seven hits and two earned runs while striking out five batters of the 32 batters she faced.

The Cardinals jumped out to a 3-0 lead after scoring a run in the top of the first, second and third innings. The Bulldogs got on the board in the bottom of the third inning with Bailey’s sacrifice fly to right field as redshirt freshman right fielder Rachel Wade tagged from third and scored. Ferris State earned their run by reaching on one hit and two errors in the inning.

The Bulldogs closed the gap in the bottom of the fifth inning as Wade tagged and scored on Mueller’s sacrifice fly to left field. Wade had reached second on a throwing error by the Cardinals third baseman and took third on Harrington’s sacrifice bunt.

Ferris State tied the game in the bottom of the sixth inning. Jager reached base on a Cardinal error and was replaced by pinch runner freshman Colleen Roney. Roney came around to score on West’s RBI double into the left centerfield gap.

In the bottom of the eighth inning Kraai led off and reached base on a single to center field. Jager was called upon to bunt and successfully sacrificed as Kraai moved down to second base, putting the Bulldogs in scoring position. West came through as she singled into right field, scoring Kraai from second base giving the Bulldogs a victory.

Ferris State returns home to play GLIAC leader Wayne State on Wednesday, April 9, at 4 p.m. The Bulldogs then travel to Tiffin University on Friday, April 11, Findlay University on Saturday, April 12, and Ashland University on Sunday, April 13.

I know Adidas put together a nice ad campaign for March Madness saying there is no such thing as a Cinderella team. Adidas is right, “Cinderella Teams” emerge from hard work, dedication, sweat, blood and tears. Yet, these are the teams we will forever remember. So in honor of these non- Cinderella Teams, here are the Top 10.

10) 2006 Detroit Tigers. Where did these guys come from? From last place in the entire league in 2003 to playing in the 2006 World Series, defeating the powerhouse favorites New York Yankees and sweeping the Oakland A’s. Okay, they didn’t produce in the World Series, but look what they did to get there.

9) 2005 Boston Red Sox. They lost three games to the Yankees in the American League division series, and were one game away from watching another World Series on their couches, when the “Curse of the Great Bambino” went 'poof.' And they won their first World Series in like 70 years.

8) 2006 George Mason. This is a team that still makes fans cringe. Everybody surely remembers the Patriots’ OT win over top-seeded UConn to get to the Final Four. It was merely an encore to also beating heavyweights North Carolina and Michigan State on the way to Indianapolis.

7) 2007 New York Giants. They beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl, ruining the Patriots perfect season, and making many Patriots and their fans cry.

6) 2007-2008 West Virginia (Basketball). They defeated the most hated college basketball team in the second round of the 2008 NCAA basketball tournament. HA! Go Mountaineers!

5) 2007-2008 Davidson. No one knew where Davidson was located. No one even knew basketball was played there. No one even knew the team existed until it made it to the Elite Eight, knocking out nearly every top seeded team to get there.

4) 1980 USA Olympic Hockey Team. This rating may be kind of high for this team, but they united Americans during the Cold War. They beat the Soviets. Enough Said.

3) 2007 Rockies. Who knew Colorado had a baseball team? Then it emerged winning won 13 of their last 14 games. After winning the wild card tiebreaker game against the San Diego Padres, the Rockies went on to sweep the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS and Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS, and won their first national league pennant.

2) 2003 Florida Marlins. Now the 2008 Tigers, but that’s a horse I’ve beaten to death. The Marlins used a strong second half to win the World Series, after upseting the San Francisco Giants, the Chicago Cubs, and the New York Yankees. The 2003 NCLS were especially memorable for the Marlins’ rally and another Cubs collapse.

Schools from around the country traveled to Big Rapids this past weekend as Ferris State University hosted the annual Bulldog Invitational track meet.

The meet began with the women’s 100 yard dash where senior Amy Woodman finished third with a time of 12.62.

Freshman Marva Goodson finished fifth with a time of 12.76 and junior Lauren Rose came in with a time of 13.49 which was good enough for 18th place.

Junior Krystle Wilson placed first in the 200 meter dash with a time of 25.95. Lauren also competed in the event and finished 20th with a time of 27.99.

Freshman Jade Kaufman was the only track star to compete in the 400 meter dash where she finished in ninth place with a time of 1:01.21.

Freshman Sarah Creed finished 14th in the 1500 meter dash with a final time of 5:09.51.

The 3000 meter run was next as freshman Tina Muir took fourth place in the event with a time of 10:39.60, just 17 seconds behind the leader. Freshman Kelly Jezierski also competed in the event and placed 22nd with a time of 12:15.65.

In the 5000 meter run senior Jackie Green and junior Jenelle Keinath both had great performances with Green placing eighth with a time of 20.51.54 and Keinath ending up in ninth place with a time of 21.20.22.

Sophomore Emily Cross and senior Dia Price competed in the 100 meter hurdles with Cross finishing eighth with a time of 16.17 and Price coming in at 21st with a time of 18.23.

Cross also competed in the 400 meter hurdles where she finished 15th with a time of 1.17.24.

The women’s track team finished in the top spot of the 4x100 meter relay with a time of 48.75.

In the 4x400 relay, Ferris State finished in seventh with a time of 4:17.63, just over 20 seconds behind the leader.

Cross joined the first place club also as she finished ahead of everyone else in the high jump competition with a height of 1.67m.

Price also competed in the event and finished in ninth with a jump of 1.52m.

The women’s long jump was the highlight of the day for the Bulldogs as Woodman and Goodson took the two top spots in the event. Woodman placed first with a jump of 5.66m and Goodson was right behind her in second place with a distance of 5.24m.

Rose also competed in the event and finished in 16th place with a jump of 4.06m.

Price was the only Ferris track member to compete in the triple jump where she took fourth place with a distance of 10.38m.

Senior Kamitra Carroll competed in the shot put and was able to walk away in first place with a throw of 13.74m.

Freshman Amy Joostberns and senior Sonya White competed in the javelin throw with Joostberns taking 26th place with a throw of 22.09m and White placing 33rd with a throw of 14.65m.

For the Ferris State Men’s track team, Freshman Pat Gillespie finished in 22nd of the 100 yard dash with a time of 12.73.

In the 200 meter dash freshman Jacob Page finished in 27th with junior Joe Periord right behind him in 28th. Page had a time of 24.73 as he was neck and neck with Periord who finished with a time of 24.74.

Senior Jare Kelsh, junior Dan Volk, and junor Drew Knizacky all competed in the 800 meter dash with Kelsh finishing in fourth with a time of 1:58.26. Volk finished 29th and Knizacky finished 37th.

Sophomore Matt Jozwiak competed in the 1500 meter run for Ferris State and placed 24th with a time of 4:14.87.

Junior Mike Mangiere finished in 13th for the Bulldogs, competing in the 500 meter run and ending with a time of 16:10.68. Freshman Rob Kaufman competed in the 110 meter hurdles where he finished in 20th with a time of 18.15.

Kaufman also placed 17th in the 400 meter hurdles along with fellow teammate freshman James Armstrong who finished in ninth with a time of 58.74.

In the 4x100 meter relay, the men’s track team finished in eighth place with a time of 45.09, just three seconds behind the leader. The team was also able to place seventh in the 4x400 meter relay with a time of 3:31.63.

Senior Dave Czerny placed in the top spot for the Bulldogs in the pole vault with a height of 4.60m. Sophomore Joe Leppek also competed in the event finishing in 11th place with a height of 3.65m.

Freshman Paul Sturgiadis, sophomore Chuck Mauris, and freshman Brian Hower all competed in the javelin throw with Sturgiadis finishing in 13th place with a throw of 39.21m.

Mauris finished in 21st and Hower ended up in 22nd.

The men's and women’s Ferris State Track Team travel to Knoxville, Tenn. next weekend to compete in the annual Tennessee Sea Ray Relays.

Every where we go, people want to know, who we are, (and where we are). If you answer with pride, “we are the Ferris State Bulldogs!” Apply to be the 2008-2009 Ferris State mascot: Brutus the Bulldog, by 5 p.m., Friday, April 18, 2008 at the Alumni Relations Reception Desk in Prakken 101.

The current Brutus is graduating this spring and a new Bulldog is needed for next year. The Bulldog makes appearances at all varsity-sporting events and several post-season events that require travel.

Brutus also appears at all Admissions Office Dawg Days, homecoming and several United Way events. Other appearances will be made for a variety of charity, University, and community events.

Brutus was involved with “Get Caught Reading” during March for National Reading Month. He signed autographs for the children and had his picture taken with the best readers, who received 11x17 inch posters of them with Brutus.

In addition to community events, Brutus attends football, hockey, volleyball, basketball and softball games for free to develop fan unity, and get the crowd into the game.

“You have to be a little crazy, but there is a line between acting crazy and being professional. You come up with funny skits and acts but be appropriate. You represent Ferris and have to be professional,” Brutus said.

According to Brutus, he’s done some things that haven’t gone over very well, so he’s had to come up with other ideas to get the fans into the game. He wants to encourage creativity and bring everybody together. “Don’t ridicule a fan that comes up with a new cheer that doesn’t go well, encourage creativity,” Brutus said. He also stressed creating cheers that are clean.

One of the ways Brutus has found to get the fans into the game is by sledding down bleachers after Ferris scores a goal in a hockey game.

Brutus has also become more acrobatic in recent years. A new mascot costume was designed this year, which has become a fan favorite. The costume’s lighter, softer head allows the Bulldog to perform moves that are more acrobatic than in the past.

While Brutus doesn’t appear in Capital One’s mascot competition, he has inspired those who do compete.

“According to a reputable source one man behind [Michigan State’s Spartan] Sparty, was inspired to become Sparty by the Ferris Bulldog,” Brutus and Mascot Coordinator Joe Periord said.

Interviews to be Brutus for the 2008-2009 school year will begin the week of April 21 for qualified candidates. Candidates are encouraged to be entertaining and creative. Periord suggested bringing a CD player to play music and dance, or bring other types of props. If you are able to juggle, or perform flips and twists, they want to see it.

There is no size or strength requirement, but the ability to tumble is encouraged, but is not a requirement. If you are interested in representing Ferris at university events, you can download the application at ferris. edu/HTMLS/alumni/sagc/ mascotapp.pdf.

The more people that interview, the better chance there will be for more than one bulldog to divvy up mascot responsibilities.

“It’s a job in the sense that you can’t have another one,” Brutus said. Mascots are unpaid but have access to a scholarship in addition to Ferris State University apparel, varsity sports tickets, access to the Bulldog Varsity Athletics Weight Room and trainer, and other benefits as they become available, such as attendance at special events arranged by the Alumni Office.

Remember back to spring training a couple of weeks ago when Leyland said the Tigers were developing a swagger? Remember back to the winter when we acquired third baseman Miguel Cabrera and pitcher Dontrelle Willis from the Florida Marlins, and second baseman Edgar Renteria from the Atlanta Braves?

Remember how these three players were to strengthen the Detroit Tigers already loaded arsenal? Then spring training came. Detroit wants to win the World Series, wants to win the American League Central, wants to be the best team in baseball.

Instead Detroit is in a position many of us have grown accustomed to; where many of us grew up watching the Tigers in rankings. The worst in Major League Baseball with a dismal 0-5 start.

The Tigers have been close in all five of their games, until one minor mishap allows the floodgates to open, and it usually involves the bullpen. I’m not blaming the pitchers for everything, but you’re only as good as your pitchers.

Pitching is everything in baseball, from Little League on up. The best teams have the best pitchers. Detroit has solid pitchers. Detroit has strong pitchers. Detroit has pitchers that get the job done.

Detroit has a mediocre bullpen. No strong finisher like the Yankees have in Mariano Rivera, or Chicago White Sox have in Bobby Jenks.

No, Detroit has Jason Grilli for middle relief, who may not realize he wants a low ERA, as he gives up on average two runs an inning.

Yes, we have Todd Jones to close, but he’s the one that tells fans to go into the kitchen to make a sandwich, and when you’re done, so will he, either with a win, or a loss.

I feel confident in him, don’t you? No, Jones is a solid pitcher, as are the majority of Detroit’s pitchers. However, none of them have been able to dominate the opposing team’s lineup.

Detroit’s lineup is another slight issue in this less than good start to the season. Tiger fans were told that the Tigers could produce 10 runs a game. They haven’t. The most runs they have recorded in the first five games are five runs.

I know center fielder Curtis Granderson is out with a broken finger. I know he brings enthusiasm and power to the lineup. He provides that spark that every lineup needs. I would believe he is the sole issue to the offensive woes, if the lineup wasn’t stacked with experienced power.

We have Cabrera, Gary Sheffield, Magglio Ordonez, Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, and Carlos Guillen. These guys are monsters at the plate. Granted, Cabrera wasn’t in the lineup against the Royals in game three, because of a sore leg.

Sheffield injured himself sliding, and what do you know, Brandon Inge has stepped up, and is hitting like I’ve never seen. Who else has stepped up? Thinking. Thinking. And still thinking.

Nope. No one. It seems like these Tigers are waiting for something or somebody to take charge, but nobody wants the pressure or responsibility of the leader.

Funny, look at the last two years when leadership was shown by the veteran players. Now look at this year. It seems like everyone is waiting for somebody else to emerge as the leader.

There is no standout leader, and no one appears to be having fun. There is no “Gum Time!” No one dancing in the dugout, no one messing around. They are all sitting there, trying to figure out what is happening.

I just hope they take responsibility in the next 120 games otherwise this season may be longer than 2003.

The National Hockey League play-offs are less than two weeks away and these look to be the most competitive play-offs in recent memory.

The Red Wings began their domination of the NHL early in the season. But lately, even the iron strong defense of the Wings has succumbed to the fierce competition from teams like the San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars, and the Anaheim Ducks.

There’s a reason why hockey playoffs are a little different from all other sports. It takes four rounds of grueling, competitive play to claim the top spot as Stanley Cup Champions, and this year looks to be one of the roughest playoffs yet.

With the Ducks winning the cup last year, and being the team with the most penalty minutes in the league, teams have taken a different stance on what it takes to win the Stanley Cup. These days, teams are picking up big tough grinders and enforcers to fill their bench instead of the showoff fancy players who score 50 goals a season.

The Sharks are a perfect example. After nearly defeating the Red Wings last season in the second round of the playoffs, the Sharks have decided to play a game based of off physical play, and with the roll they're on lately with clinching the Pacific Title, they will be a scary foe for whoever takes them on in the first round.

Even the Wings have added a few tough guys on the team. With the addition of forward Aaron Downey, the Wings now have an enforcer who isn’t afraid to drop the gloves and go fist-to-fist with the first available opponent.

The Wings have even brought back ol’ Darren McCarty, who we all remember as 'the reaper' that dealt the blows to a once hated Colorado Avalanche team.

The Dallas Stars will be another difficult hill to climb as they look to finish in one of the top three spots of the league with their play lately, and with guys like forward Mike Modano scoring goals every game, they look like they could be the team to beat this post-season.

And then there’s the Ducks. In my opinion, the dirtiest team in the NHL, but that’s just my opinion. They're tough, they're mean, and they have some of the most talented players in the NHL today. Their record as of late hasn’t been exactly stellar, but they are a force to be reckoned with when the game starts to take on a physical tone and the fists start flying.

Western Conference Matchups Detroit vs. Nashville
The Red Wings couldn’t have asked for a better first round match up but Nashville is not a team to take lightly. Despite the fact that the short trip down to Tennessee and back will be a plus for the Wings, a recent list of injuries will force the them to reach deep into their pockets to pull out this series.

Nashville is also one of the most underrated teams in the NHL. Goalie Dan Ellis has taken over the top spot, pushing out fellow teammate Chris Mason. The playoffs are all about goaltending and with a struggling Hasek compared to a hungry young goaltender, it looks to be a good matchup.
Pick: Detroit

San Jose vs. Calgary
It seems Calgary drew the short straw this year as they face-off against the NHL’s hottest team as of late. With Joe Thornton leading the Sharks this team looks to decimate anyone that enters their tank. Calgary will need more than 50-goal scorer Jarome Iginla to catch these Sharks.
Pick: San Jose

Colorado vs. Minnesota
With Peter Forseberg back in the lineup, the Avalanche are 8-1, without him 2-4-1. Colorado is a classic case of a team bulking up at the trade deadline to gain a late season spark, but those sparks usually die out in the early rounds.

Minnesota the third seed? This is a team that has surprised most. With a top lineup of Marian Gaborik, Pavol Demitra, Brina Rolston, and Pierre-Marc Bouchard, the Wild is fast and dangerous but lacks size. The Wild was pounded out of the first round last year and a hard-hitting Avalanche team looks to do it again.
Pick: Colorado

Dallas vs. Anaheim
This is going to be the one to watch. These two teams are matched perfectly and have been eyeing each other for months. Both play a tough, grind it out style of hockey with a bulk of penalty minutes and ugly-looking goals. Whichever team makes it out of this one alive with be fighting to stay above water the rest of the playoffs.
Pick: Too close to call

Folcik Earns All-American Honors
Senior center Rachel Folcik was named to the NCAA Division II All-American team for the second time. Folcik was named to the State Farm Coaches’ All-America Honorable Mention team sponsored jointly by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and State Farm.

Folcik was also named to the Daktronics All- Great Lakes Region First Team, along with being named to the WBCA Region Four (the Great Lakes Region) First Team, this season. She was also named to the All-GLIAC North Division First Team and a GLIAC North Division All- Defensive Team selection for the second-straight year.

DeGeneault Earns GLIAC Tennis Player of Week Kudos
Junior Lewis DeGeneault was named GLIAC Men’s player of the week on March 28, by the league office.

Men’s Tennis ends GLIAC Season with Win
The Bulldogs ended their regular season with a 6-3 win over the Wayne State Warriors.

The Bulldogs won two out of three doubles and four of the six singles flights to finish league play with a 6-1 overall mark in the GLIAC, with a 9-8 overall record.

Women’s Golf
The Lady Bulldogs competed in the Illinois Illini Classic on April 5 and 6. They finished the tournament with a team score of 969, to finish 9th of 15 teams.

Men’s Golf
The Bulldogs competed in the NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Tournament on April 5 and 6. The team posted a team score of 578 on 36 holes, finishing 2nd out of 20 teams.

The Los Angeles Galaxy soccer club welcomed back its superstar as David Beckham stepped into the spotlight for the start of his first full season with the team last week. Scoring his first goal of the season in his second game as the team captain, Beckham is already showing much improvement after a sprained knee that ended his season last year.

“A successful season for me would be to stay healthy, play as many games as possible and win a championship,” Beckham told Yahoo Sports. “Also, as MLS ambassador, trying to raise the profile of the game here. We want big crowds every time we play.”

Beckham, who is one of the greatest soccer players of all time, made world news last season when he signed with the LA Galaxy. The Galaxy acquired Beckham on Jan. 11, 2007 from Spanish Premier League La Liga contender Real Madrid. The Alex Rodriguez of Major League Soccer; Beckham signed with Los Angeles for five years, and a 250 million dollar deal.

Last season, Beckham played in only five contests due to the injury. He started in two of them, averaging 61 minutes per match of playing time. In the five contests, David dished out two assists, took eight shots on goal and scored one bending free kick goal. Beckham’s famous shot stunned the D.C. United and wowed the Galaxy crowd as he bent a shot after a foul from 25 yards out going up and around the wall.

The MLS star also spends time playing for his country, England's national team. Captaining the English team for six of the 10 years he’s been a member; Beckham appeared in 58 matches before stepping down after the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals. After stepping down as team captain, Beckham was cut by the new England manager Steve McClaren. McClaren noted that he wanted to take the team in a new direction and Beckham would not be part of that.

Almost a year passed, and Beckham was called back up to participate in friendlies with Brazil. As he entered Wembley Stadium in London, England he received a standing ovation from the crowd and played up to the pressure by tallying an assist.

Since his return, David played in his 100th international match on March 20, 2008. “I am very happy with David Beckham’s performance,” English coach Fabio Capello told CBS Sports. “He played like I know he can play.”

David Beckham is currently training to help England qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. I got my information from davidbeckham.com and lagalaxy.com