February 25, 2001
Air Force Wins Service Academy Spring Classic with 3-1 Triumph Over Memphis
AFA's Thiessen Named Tournament MVP
Tournament MVP Mike Thiessen ripped his second homer of the weekend and Air Force won their fifth Service Academy Spring Classic championship in 12-year history of the tournament downing Memphis 3-1 Sunday at USA Stadium. Air Force (11-5) also won the Classic in 1990, 1991, and 1999 and shared the championship with Memphis and Notre Dame in 1996. Sunday's final was shortened to seven innnings so the Falcons could catch a 6:00 p.m. flight back to Colorado.

Thiessen's homer came in the top of the second and gave Air Force a hort-lived 1-0 lead. The Tigers (6-1), who lost for the first time, clawed their way back in the bottom of the frame when rightfielder Josh Payne doubled down the left field line and scored two batters later on a James Rouse infield ground out.

The Falcons took the lead for good in the third when catcher Brian Petro singled to center to lead off the inning and moved to second on a passed ball. Nelson Prouty then moved Petro to third with a single up the middle before Brian LaBasco's sacrifice fly to centerfield gave the Falcons a 2-1 lead.

Sophomore Johnny Koegel was strong for Air Force on the mound, hurling his first career complete game and striking out a career-best 10 Memphis hitters. The West Hills, Calif., namtive allowed only four hits and one earned run, striking out the side in the sixth. Junior left-hander Ryan O'Malley dropped to 1-1 on the season for the Tigers, yielding three runs (two earned) on six hits over 4.2 innings of work.

Air Force picked up an unearned run in the fifth when Prouty reached on an error by Tiger third basebman Tyler Shelton and came around to score on a Price Paramore double.

The 2002 Service Academy Spring Classic lineup with include Air Force, Navy, Memphis, Iowa State, Villanova, and either Illinois or Vanderbilt.

Navy Downs Army in Consolation Game Slugfest
Navy pounded out 12 hits and weathered a late Army rally to win 12-10 in the consolation game of the 2001 Service Academy Spring Classic Sunday at USA Stadium. Scott Mackes and Dan Falkner had three hits each for the Midshipmen, who moved to 2-5 on the season. Army was led by catcher Brandon Boyce who homered twice, including a third-inning grand slam, for the the Black Knights.

Navy took a 2-0 lead in the second on a two-run single by Nick Sylvester. The Midshipmen tacked on five more in the third with the big blow, a three-run inside the park home run, by Falkner.

Army (0-4) struck back five runs in the bottom of the frame with Boyce's grand slam closing the gap to 7-5. Four more Navy runs sealed the win for the Midshipmen.

Ryan Naquin (1-0) earned the win in relief of Navy starter Karl Pauli. Naquin went 3.1 innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on six hits and struck out three. Brian Pennell pitched the ninth for Navy to notch the save. Army starter Jacob Schneider took the loss for the Black Knights, yielding nine runs, all earned on 10 hits.

February 24, 2001
Clinton's Big Night Keeps Tigers Perfect
Ricky Clinton's solo homer, three-run triple, and five total RBI lifted the University of Memphis to a 9-3 win over Air Force Saturday at the 2001 Service Academy Spring Classic. For only the sixth time in school history the Tigers have started the season 6-0. The two teams will meet again Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in the championship game.

Clinton, whose homer was the first extra-base hit of his career, opened the scoring in the second with a mammoth blast over the scoreboard in leftfield into the teeth of a 30-mph wind. The sophomore from Lagrange, Ky., struck again the next inning when with the bases loaded he ripped a liner into the right field corner that one-hopped the wall. The hit followed an RBI single by senior Tyler Shelton and gave the Tigers a 6-0 advantage.

Senior Jarod Wilson shut down the Air Force attack, pitching six shutout innings and allowing only two hits in earning his first win of the season for the Tigers. Sophomore Nick Rogers hurled the last three innings for Memphis and picked up his first save. The Olive Branch, Miss., native gave up four hits and three runs (one earned) and struck out five.

Air Force (10-5) scored their first two runs in the seventh inning a Daniel Petro RBI double and a run-scoring ground out. They added one more in the bottom of the ninth on a David Diehl double that plated Rob Arnett.

Junior Matt Kaercher suffered the loss for the Falcons, surrendering five runs on four hits over 3.1 innings. Air Force used five pitchers in the game.

Army and Navy meet in the tournament's consolation game at 10:00 a.m. prior to the Memphis-Air Force rematch.

Memphis Scores Big Early, Holds On to Defeat Army
The University of Memphis scored six runs in the first inning and weathered a four-run ninth to defeat Army 11-7 and earn a spot in the championship game of the 2001 Serveice Academy Spring Classic. Memphis also improved to 5-0 to start the season, their best start since starting 7-0 in 1991.

Army (0-3) aided the Memphis cause in the first inning with three errors and three walks by Black Knight starter Zach Watkins. Freshman Josh Payne and junior Ryan O'Malley each had two-run singles in the inning. Junior Paul Reuer and O'Malley scored the other two runs on wild pitches.

Memphis madie it 9-0 in the third inning, with Reuer scoring two on a triple to right field and senior Gabe Interiano lining a single to center plating Reuer. Reuer finished the day 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBI.

Junior Matt Krabbe startedfor the Tigers, but went only one inning before giving way to Layne Dawson. The senior went five innings and allowed only one hit and two unearned runs to earn his first win of the season. Watkins took the loss for Army, yielding ten hits and ten runs (eight earned) while walking four and striking out four.

The Tigers took an 11-3 lead into the bottom of the ninith, but two U of M errors led to four Army runs. Four consecutive Black Knight hitters drove in runs off reliever Joshua Padgett before Joshua Cartwright came on to get the final two outs.

Brian Scioletti went 2-for-4 with three RBI to lead Army.

Memphis will face Air Force in the championship game Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. Army will take on Navy in the consolation game at 10:00 a.m.

Cocca Leads Navy to Victory Over Army
Navy junior leftfielder John Cocca went 4-for-4 with three RBI, including one in the Midshipmen's three-run sixth, to lead Navy to a 7-4 win over Army Saturday at the 2001 Service Academy Spring Classic. The win for Navy snapped a five-game season-opening losing streak, and their 13 base hits marked a season high.

With the game ties 3-3, Navy second baseman Jason Guidos led off the sixth with an infield single. After moving to second on a sacrifice bunt, Guidos scored on a Nick Sylvester RBI double to left. Cocca then plated Sylvester with his fourth hit of the contest, a line drive single to left. Navy made it 6-3 on a run-scoring groundout.

Sophomore Matt Fosterpicked up the win on the mound for Navy, hurling six innings and allowing three runs, all earned, on seven hits. Senior Brad Deafenbaugh earned his first save of the year, throwing three solid innings. Brian Elliott took the loss, his first of the season, for Army, allowing six runs and 11 hits in 5.1 innings.

Army (0-2) took a 3-1 lead in the top of the fifth on an RBI single by freshman Brad Scioletti and a run-scoring double off the bat of senior Buddy Gengler. Navy struck right back to tie the game in the botton of the frame with Cocca driving in David Woolsey on a single and Cocca scoring on a Willie Gury basehit.

The Black Knights took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Josh Minney scored on a Dominic Trippodo double. The Midshipmen evened the game in the second on a Cocca single that plated Sylvester.

Both teams notched single runs in the seventh inning.

Navy finished 1-2 in round-robin action at the tournament and will play in the consolation game at 10:00 a.m. Sunday.

February 23, 2001
Tigers Homer Twice, Pound Navy 11-2
Second baseman Daniel Uggla and centerfielder Daniel O'Malley each homered and pitcher Jason Wiedmeyer pitched five strong innings as the University of Memphis Tigers blew out Navy 11-2, Friday in the 2001 Service Academy Spring Classic. Uggla finished the game 3-for-5 and added two doubles and three RBI.

Thiessen's Blast Lifts Air Force over Navy in 10 innings
Senior centerfielder Mike Thiessen blasted a 10th inning, two-run homer over the left field fence to give Air Force a 4-2 win over Navy in the second game of the 2001 Service Academy Spring Classic at USA Stadium. Earlier in the game, the Modesto, Calif., native became the Falcons' career-hit leader with base knock number 244, a ringing double off the left field wall.

Air Force Shuts Out Army to Open Service Academy Classic
Air Force senior right-hander Michael Tufte pitched eight shutout innings and downed the Army 5-0 in the opening game of the 2001 Service Academy Spring Classic at USA Stadium. The Falcons took advantage of four Army errors to score four unearned runs. Air Force senior centerfielder Mike Thiessen walked twice in the game, setting the school's career walk record at 117. He also tied the AFA's career hit record with 243.

Tufte (4-1) limited Army (0-1) to only four hits while striking out seven. Army senior Buck Adams (0-1) took the loss, going six innings and surrendering two runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out six and walking six.

Air Force (9-4) got on the board first in the third inning when Thiessen walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch, went to third on a throwing error, and scored on a passed ball.

The Falcons, who had six hits in the game, tacked on a second run in the fifth inning when freshman Price Paramore lofted a triple off the right field wall scoring Thiessen, who led off the inning with the record- breaking walk.

Three Army errors led to three more unearned Air Force runs in the top of the ninth.

The Black Knights had their best chance to score in the bottom of the ninth when senior Buddy Gengler and junior Kyle Kalkwarf opened the inning with back-to-back singles. Senior Kiwedin Cornell came on to replace Tufte and hit Dave Plotts to load the bases with no outs. Cornell then induced an infield popup before striking out the last two Army hitter to close the game.