GLENDALE – Two time Xenia Scouts Alumnus Cory Popham was named 2012 Western State Conference Pitcher of the Year. Popham led the Glendale Community College Vaqueros staff by going 7-2 with a 2.92 earned-run average and 71 strikeouts to 29 walks.

“He’s well-deserving,” said Vaqueros Coach Chris Cicuto, who was named the WSC Coach of the Year for the second straight season. “There were some really good pitchers in our conference.”

Popham allowed just two home runs in 77 innings of work and tossed two complete games.

“I was excited [to get the award], it’s an individual award, but it also shows how well my team played behind me,” Popham said. “Without a good defense, none of that happens. I was just very fortunate.”

Popham is in his first year at Glendale CC after transferring from Occidental College last season.

XENIA, OH – Former Xenia Scouts players JJ Turbin and Bryan Lucas were both honored by the Golden State Athletic Conference as All Conference Performers. Not only were Turbin and Lucas named All Conference for their play, but they were also named to the Gold Glove team for the defensive efforts.

Turbin played for the Scouts in 2010 as an outfielder. He began his career at Oregon State University, before transferring to Westmont University the following season. This summer Turbin will be playing his second consecutive season with the Chugiak-Eagle River Chinooks, Athletes in Action’s Alaska Baseball League team. It will be his third season with AIA.

Lucas, a catcher, competed for the Scouts in 2009, and later played for Athletes in Action’s New York team. Lucas is in his junior season for The Master’s College where he batted .298 and led the team with 8 homeruns.

RICHARDSON, Texas – McMurry senior first baseman Matt Thompson (Southlake, TX / Carroll HS) was named as the American Southwest Conference “Hitter of the Week” for a fourth time this season, the league announced Tuesday.

Thompson went 4-for-9 with two home runs –back-to-back shots – a double and four RBIs over a three-game ASC West Division series against Mary Hardin-Baylor. Thompson was also walked once in each game, with one leading to the game-winning run in a 2-1 finale that clinched a conference tournament spot for the War Hawks. Thompson also stole a base and scored three runs. He leads the ASC with nine homers.

On the year, Thompson is batting a lofty .400 (52-130) and has 10 doubles, four triples and nine home runs. He has driven in 34 runs to go along with a .746 slugging percentage and a .521 on-base average. Thompson has drawn 27 walks and been hit by a pitch seven times

This article was taken from the McMurry University Athletic Website

XENIA, OH – Please be aware of the change in the schedule for July 3 and July 26. The Scouts will now travel to Hamilton to play the Joes on Tuesday, July 3 at 7:05 pm and will host the Joes on Thursday, July 26 at Grady’s Field at 7:00 pm.

The Scouts will begin their season on Friday, July 8 in Lexington against the Hustlers.

McMurry first baseman Matt Thompson has been named NCAA Division III National Hitter  of the Week for the week of April 2-8 as voted on by a panel of D-III members of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Thompson, a senior first baseman from Southlake, Texas, batted .667 (8-for-12) with two home runs, one triple, three doubles, a 1.583 slugging percentage, and eight RBIs over three games against Hardin-Simmons University, the War Hawks’ American Southwest Conference and Abilene, Texas, cross-town rivals.  Thompson also scored six runs, walked twice for a .714 on base percentage, and played errorless defense. He went 5-for-5 with a homer in his first at-bat and three doubles in the War Hawks’ 15-4 series-opening win.  In a 17-13 second-game loss, he went 3-for-5 with a triple, a home run, three RBIs and two runs scored.  Thompson was named the ASC West Division Hitter of the Week for the third time this season.

SPRINGFIELD, MO. – Xenia Scouts pitcher Blake McKnight of Evangel University was named HAAC Pitcher of the Week following his performance last week.

McKnight was the winning pitcher in a complete game, one-hit shutout over Avila on Saturday. The junior from O’Fallon, Missouri allowed just a single while walking one batter and striking out seven in Evangel’s 1-0 win.

The win was McKnight’s fourth complete game, his second shutout and improved his season record to 5-0 with a 1.76 earned run average. The award is also McKnight’s second of the year as he was the conference’s Pitcher of the Week on March 5.

The Crusaders are 12-13, 1-3 in the HAAC.

For more stats and stories, check out the Evangel Athletic Website, where this story was taken from.

XENIA, OH – Warner University Junior pitchers Aaron Kehres (RHP) and Ryan Ruble (LHP) are two of the latest to join the Xenia Scouts for the 2012 Summer Season. Kehres and Ruble are not only college teammates, but were also high school teammates at Centennial High School in Florida. Both are in the rotation as starters for a Warner team that is currently 19-21 on the season.

For stats and a bio of each player, check out the Warner University Athletics Website.

RICHARDSON, Texas – McMurry Senior first baseman Matt Thompson (Southlake, Texas/Carroll H.S.) was named as the American Southwest Conference West Division “Hitter of the Week” for the second-consecutive week, it was announced by the league office.

In McMurry’s three-game series sweep of Schreiner University last weekend, Thompson hit .667 (6-9), drew four walks and did not strike out.  Thompson scored six runs and drove in four more. He hit for the cycle in the Sunday doubleheader and had a 1.333 slugging percentage on the week, as well as a .786 on-base average.

Thompson was 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts and had a .972 fielding percentage in 36 total chances.

During McMurry’s current six-game winning streak, Thomson has posted some impressive corresponding numbers, as well.  During the span, the 6-1, 210-lb. left-handed batter was 14-for-19, a blistering .737 batting average. He has driven in 10 runs and scored 13 times. Among his hits are two doubles, one triple and three homers, adding up to a 1.421 slugging percentage.

Thomson has been issued seven walks in the six games (three times alone in the Schreiner series finale on Monday) and struck out just once. He has an on-base average at a lofty .815 and a fielding percentage of .985 (in 66 chances).

Thompson played for the Xenia Scouts in 2011 where he was fourth on the team with a .291 batting average and finished second on the team in both homeruns (2) and RBI (25).

This article was taken from the McMurry Athletic Website.

RICHARDSON, TX – McMurry senior first baseman Matt Thompson (Southlake, TX / Carroll HS) went 8-for-10 with two home runs, a double and six RBIs to fuel a three-game series sweep over East Texas Baptist. Thompson, who hit both of his homers in a 5-0 win in the opener, also scored seven runs and walked three times. He had at least two hits and one RBI in each game.

In addition to being named ASC Player of the Week, Thompson was also named to the NCAA Division III National Team of the Week for his performance. You can see the entire team of the week here.

Thompson played for the Xenia Scouts in 2011 where he was fourth on the team with a .291 batting average and finished second on the team in both homeruns (2) and RBI (25).