by Lumination Staff | May 7, 2020 | News Slider, Sports
By. Makena Sneed, Alex Newsome and Erika Plunkett The 2020 Lipscomb Bison baseball team was off to the best start in program history when its season — along with the rest of the country — came to a crashing halt as the coronavirus concern grew. “I don’t think any of us knew the magnitude of what was going on, and to have the season canceled at first it was like, ‘wow, that is that really what we’re doing,’” said Bisons head coach Jeff Forehand. “And then as the thing has played out a little bit more we’ve all recognized that it was probably the best decision.” While the shock of the sudden decision has faded into understanding and respect for the safety of players, coaches and fans, the pain of losing such a promising season is still fresh on the Bisons’ minds. “My heart dropped when I heard the news,” said sophomore catcher Chaz Bertolani. “It was a total letdown to hear from our coach that our season was terminated. I felt heartbroken looking at my teammates, as we sat in the bullpen in silence.” “We were just super disappointed because we knew we had a really good thing going,” said senior infielder Haddon Adams. On March 30, the NCAA made an unprecedented decision to try and ease the heartbreak from the impact of COVID-19 when it was announced that all spring athletes will receive an extra year of eligibility. The catcher said that certainly won’t hurt the team next season: “Preparation will be the same [for next season], but with all the returning and new players, our team...
by Chad Johnson | Mar 29, 2015 | News Slider, Sports
The Lipscomb baseball team took home the weekend series against Georgetown after a 4-1 victory on Sunday afternoon at Ken Dugan Field at Stephen L. Marsh Stadium. After dropping the first game 8-5 on Friday night, the Bisons bounced back on Saturday afternoon to claim an 8-3 victory. With the win on Sunday, Lipscomb improved to 17-8 on the season and 2-1 against the Hoyas in the all-time series. Lipscomb coach Jeff Forehand gave credit to Georgetown and said that this non-conference win should help the team heading into conference play. “Georgetown has a solid team; they are scrappy and hard to play against,” Forehand said. “This was a good series win for our club with conference play just a week away. Hopefully we can continue to build the momentum.” Several players contributed to win on the offensive end led by senior outfielder Jonathan Allison who went 3-for-3, including two RBI and one run scored. “We are beginning to expect that from Johnny [Allison] every time out,” Forehand said. “Hitting is difficult, but he is really swinging a good bat right now. When we get runners on base, everyone looks forward to him coming to the plate. He is producing every week, so hopefully he can continue that.” On the mound, junior right-hander Denton Norman held the Hoyas in check. He gave up just one run and four hits in eight and one-third innings of work. “It was a solid performance for Denton today,” Forehand said. “We always talk about how the starter can’t win us the game, but he can put us in a position to win, and that is exactly what we got from him...
by Logan Butts | May 20, 2014 | Sports
The Lipscomb baseball team ended their season with a three-game home stand against the first place team in the Atlantic Sun, Florida Gulf Coast. With the number one seed in the Atlantic Sun Tournament in sight, the Bisons won their first game against Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday 11-6, keeping their hopes alive for one more day. Junior center fielder Jonathan Allison led Lipscomb with three hits in the game. Junior left fielder Josh Lee was one of many Bisons with two hits during the explosive offensive outing. Due to expected inclement weather on Saturday, the Bisons and Eagles played a doubleheader on Friday. Needing to win twice to have a shot at first place in the conference, Lipscomb split the games, dropping the first game 3-2 and winning the second match-up 7-1 to take the series. Junior shortstop Grant Massey led the Bisons in the first outing by batting 2 for 4, while junior designated hitter Griffin Moore paced Lipscomb by going 3 for 4 and belting a home run in the second game. The two victories helped to solidify the Bisons’ fourth place finish for the season in the Atlantic Sun, a position which matches them up against fifth place Jacksonville (13-13 conference record, 20-31 overall record) in the opening game of the A-Sun Tournament. Lipscomb defeated Jacksonville at Dugan Field in two out of the three games that they played in March. Lipscomb heads into the tournament with a 17-10 conference record and a 30-26 overall record, both big improvements on the 2012-13 season. Photo courtesy of Lipscomb...
by Aaron Schmelzer | Feb 17, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
While there were plenty of pitches thrown at Dugan Field this past weekend, one of the most special was thrown by Lipscomb baseball’s most recent addition to the roster. Brooks Russell, the five-year-old recruit who was signed to the team by baseball coach Jeff Forehand on Feb. 5., was given the honor of throwing the season-opening pitch for the Bisons on Saturday in their season opener against Evansville. Standing halfway between the pitcher’s mound and home plate, Brooks delivered a toss that received a round of applause. Kari Russell, Brooks’ mother, said that Brooks is very excited for the upcoming season. “He’s been super excited, asking about coming to the games,” Kari Russell said. “He really feels like he’s a part of the team.” “It’s totally boosted his confidence; some of it’s gone to his head a little,” she joked. While the team battled Evansville, Brooks sat right above Lipscomb’s dugout for much of the game. The Bisons, however, fell to the Purple Aces 8-2 on Saturday and also lost in their double-header on Sunday, 10-7 and 3-2. Despite the losses, Kari Russell says that Brooks will forever hold on to the memory of getting to be a part of the Bisons’ team. “I’m very sure that he’ll remember this for the rest of his life,” Kari Russell said. The Bisons begin their season 0-3 at Dugan Field, a downgrade from last season’s series opener when the team won two games out of three against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Lipscomb started the game off well on Saturday, but the team could not keep pace with Evansville, which scored four runs...
by Travis Byrd | Feb 11, 2014 | Sports
Baseball is a game of consistency. Every game comes down to being able to execute the fundamentals that will win or lose a game. The Lipscomb Bisons baseball team is ready to prove that they have what it takes to compete in 2014. “Consistency is huge,” said Lipscomb baseball head coach Jeff Forehand. “A team that is built that way through pitching, hitting and defense is going to be successful. Everybody being consistent in every phase of the game is going to be huge for us.” Opening day is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 14 (Valentine’s Day), and this group of Bisons are itching to finally get the games started. “Every year when the first game comes around, everybody is excited,” Forehand said. “We have practiced and prepared so much without being able to play games. It’s a thrill to finally get out there and play.” This team’s identity is rooted in consistency, and Forehand believes that these players are ready for the grind of a new season. “We recognize who were are,” Forehand said. “They know that through consistency we will be good.” Baseball is also an individual sport at times. A lot of focus is put on the individual performance of players, but for this group to be successful, they are going to have to take on a selfless quality. “Others will want to hear about their batting average or pitching stats, but this team has to be willing to sell out for their team,” Forehand said. The road to success will not be easy. The Bisons will play schools such as Connecticut, Western Kentucky and Vanderbilt during the season. To Forehand,...
