The Golden Grizzlies are looking ahead with their eyes set on the horizon — the Horizon League that is.

Oakland University’s athletics department has recently expressed a strong interest in joining the Horizon League if an invitation is offered.

“We are interested in the possibility of going to the Horizon League, but have not been contacted,” said OU Assistant Athletic Director Scott MacDonald. “So for now, everything is speculation.”

MacDonald’s comments were reiterated by Athletic Director Tracy Huth, who spoke with The Detroit News.

“Absolutely, we would definitely be interested,” Huth told The Detroit News. “ We have enjoyed our affiliation with the Summit League over the years, (but) it makes sense.”

Huth continued to explain the monetary and geographic benefits to joining Horizon as opposed to remaining with the Summit League.

The Horizon League is a Great Lakes regional conference in NCAA Division 1. Member schools of the conference are located in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and also includes the University of Detroit-Mercy in Michigan.

The league is looking to replace Butler, who will be leaving the conference in the 2013-14 seasons for the Atlantic-10 conference. The league, which will be down to nine members after Butler leaves, is looking for up to three universities to bring into the conference. Oakland has been rumored to be amongst those in talks.

The change in conference would greatly benefit Oakland in this respect, as the Summit teams are spread between Michigan and the Dakota’s after this year.

The travel for the athletics teams has been costly on the university due to this geographical issue. A switch to the Horizon would create a less costly travel schedule for Golden Grizzly teams. If Oakland does leave the Summit League, it would be common sense for all sports to move to the new conference, instead of just one, basketball for example.

Looking past the seemingly obvious benefits, a conference move could create a strong local basketball rivalry with the University of Detroit-Mercy. Another possible rivalry Oakland brings to the table is with Valparaiso, who once belonged to the Summit League.

The Horizon has a rich history in the sport of basketball. Multiple teams have made appearances in the later rounds of the NCAA men’s tournament, with Butler advancing to the championship game in both 2010 and 2011 but in a losing effort.

“Competitively, the premier sport is basketball and that suits us,” Huth told The Detroit News.

Huth said that the switch to the Horizon League with be a positive for the Oakland fan base as well, leading to a better turnout at games both home and away. The possibility of the men’s basketball team playing a team a couple hours away may lead to better fan turnout at away games.

One issue facing Oakland if an invitation is offered is in the bylaws of the Horizon League charter. A member school that is located within 25-miles of a possible new member can veto the offer, making it void. This is a problem with Detroit Mercy located roughly twenty miles from the OU campus.

While there has yet to be any official talks, OU athletics are optimistic about the possibility of playing in a more name-brand conference with regional value.

Oakland University is leaning towards the possibility of joining the Horizon League — if an invitation is offered by the conference, that is.

While there is no indication that the Golden Grizzlies will even be offered an invitation to the Horizon League, those in the athletics department are strongly interested in the chance of moving to a more regional league.

“We are interested in the possibility of going to the Horizon League, but have not been contacted,” said OU Assistant Athletic Director Scott MacDonald. “So for now, everything is speculation.”

Athletics Director Tracy Huth reiterated these same feelings to The Detroit News, citing the geographical benefits to be of general interest.

“We have enjoyed our affiliation with the Summit League over the years, but it makes sense. Geographically, it makes a tremendous amount of sense,” Huth said.

The Horizon League is losing staple member Butler to the Atlantic-10, which will leave the conference with only nine schools. While Oakland’s possible move is just speculation, the Horizon League has yet to meet with any OU officials on the matter.

One Oakland University team has risen to the occasion this season.

Composed of 17 student-athletes, this team has successfully defended a division title for the sixth year in a row and has beaten powerhouse teams such as the University of Michigan and West Virginia.

However, this team fails to attract large crowds. In fact, many students on campus do not even know of the existence of this defending champion.

The team in question? The Oakland women’s lacrosse team. Ranked No. 8 in the nation in the Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association Division II poll, the team sports a 10-5 record.

“It is really unfortunate that we don’t get the same recognition that other sports do,” Jessica Burke, a freshman defender, said. “We compete nationally and we’ve given Oakland lacrosse a good reputation, yet no one would know.”

The squad sports the black and gold in their matches, but lack the key distinction of being a varsity team. Instead, they’re a club without any scholarship players who must pay to play.

According to head coach Towbey Kassa, each player must pay at least $1,500 to cover expenses for equipment, travel and officials.

Players still must work extra jobs and come up with extra finances on top of what they already pay for their education.

“People don’t realize the hard work and dedication that goes into this,” Burke said. “Many of us work two or three jobs to afford playing.

Not a ‘cupcake schedule’

That dedication has paid off for the Golden Grizzlies this season as they won four games over Division I opponents such as Central Michigan and Michigan State.

While Kassa was pleased with the wins over the big name schools, he pointed to some of their losses as signs of the strength of his team.

“I am really proud of our five losses,” Kassa said. “We played North Carolina tough, and we took the No. 1 team in the country (Westminster) to double overtime.”

On Saturday, the girls will head to Columbus, Ohio for the WCLL Conference Championships as the No. 1 seed.

If Oakland wins the tournament, which would be its fourth straight, they will clinch the automatic qualifier for the National Tournament in Colorado in May.

Other teams in OU’s conference pad their schedule with lesser opponents to build up their record and ranking, but the Golden Grizzlies prefer a trial by fire.

“We don’t have a cupcake schedule,” Burke said. “By showing that we can compete with the top teams, hopefully that will pay off in nationals.”

Kassa cited the quality of the schedule as not only something to prepare his team, but also as a motivational tool.

“I put together a schedule that is hard to be perfect in,” Kassa said. “We proved that we were not scared of anyone.”

Experience at the top

While Kassa is quick to pass off the credit to his team, the players believe much of the success is a direct result of his guidance.

“In my six years as the head coach, I have worked very hard on putting out a good product on the field and giving young women a place to play competitively after high school” Kassa said. “Our goal as a team is to win nationals and one day help elevate to varsity status.”

Before becoming a coach, Kassa was an All-American on the men’s team at Oakland, serving as the captain from 1998-2002.

He played professionally for the Chicago Machine in the Major League Lacrosse for a season.

“Towbey (Kassa) is honestly the reason for most of our success,” Kassa said. “He pours so much of his time and energy into this team and this program”

Finishing the journey

If Kassa is the leader from the sidelines, junior midfielder Desiree Messina is the field general.

Messina, a co-captain of the team, leads the WCLL with 68 goals and 26 assists.

“(Messina) has an aggressive nature, (because) she wants it more than anyone else,” Burke said. “Sometimes in practice I play defense against her, but there’s no point because she will score through 17 people.”

While Messina is the focal point of the team, she loves her teammates and the journey they have taken together.

“Being a member of such a competitive and successful team has given me an identity in college I never thought I would have,” Messina said. “I definitely think we have the talent.”

With the pieces all coming together, the team believes they can add another trophy, and more importantly, recognition from their peers.

When I look around Oakland University, a 1964 lyric by folk legend Bob Dylan runs through my head.

“… The times they are a-changin’.”

When you first pull into the University entrance, you immediately see the construction of the new Health Science building, which is ironic because Oakland’s image is also under the knife.

The campus additions like the medical school and various degree programs, go hand-in-hand with what OU athletics has done the past 10 years: grow.

I’ve gotten to know the various coaches in my year as the sports editor of The Oakland Post. Most athletes and athletic staff members share a unique mentality of optimism, as well.

That may seem like an obvious quality, but there is a degree of pride that involves much more than wearing a jersey.

Although there is progress in terms of interest, there are three ideas that I think will bring the Golden Grizzlies brand further into prominence.

Advertise the product

Having classes in different buildings, I’ve gotten an idea of what the students think of the athletics here. Frankly, most of them are oblivious. I can’t say I blame them.

You rarely see any commercials advertising the games and the O’rena sign is much too small. It’s not uncommon to hear of people driving right past it or not knowing where it’s located at.

The leading scorer in the nation, Reggie Hamilton, passed under the nose of many students.

The Oakland Basketball All-Access series that premiered this season on Fox Sports Detroit is a good start, but outside of the website, I didn’t hear hardly any buzz about it on local news or around campus.

To get more people at games, they’ll have to put more money in advertising.

‘If you build it, they will come’

The University of Michigan has opened both a brand new indoor football and practice facility in the past two years.

Opening a dedicated practice facility will put Oakland among the state’s elite and will no doubt give them a recruiting advantage against schools in the Summit League and comparable in-state schools like University of Detroit-Mercy.

Head basketball coach Greg Kampe  discussed the importance of a dedicated facility last December on WXOU.

This will no doubt come with a cost but a new facility is worth the investment.

Time to jump ship

The Grizzlies need to move onto what I believe is greener pasture in the Horizon League. They might have their chance very soon.

ESPN’s senior college basketball writer Andy Katz mentioned in late March Butler University has interest in moving  to the Atlantic-10 conference and replacing Temple University, according to many sources.

If you’re an OU basketball fan, you’ve no doubt heard the rumor of UDM blocking Oakland from the move to the more favorable and geographically-friendly conference, but it has never been officially confirmed.

The possibility of an UDM and OU matchup could generate excitement in the Metro Detroit area, which has been predominately controlled by professional sports.

A move to the Horizon League, would cut travel costs more than half across the board.

Oakland has had success over Horizon teams like Valparasio, formerly of the Summit League (then called the Mid-Con).

Invested emotion

Oakland has done something crucial and done it correctly: created a core fan base — the Grizz Gang.

People cared that OU lost to Southern Utah in the Summit League Tournament in a disappointed fashion.

Seeing multiple tweets and comments from fans and students alike, voicing their disapproval isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Emotion  shows a bond is there.

People change, relationships come and go, but love for sports teams rarely does.

OU can capitalize on this student relationship by showing that school pride isn’t only tied to academics, but also to the fields and courts of the campus.

Behind Ryan’s play, Grizzlies move into first place

Senior centerfielder Tim Ryan collected the Summit League Player of the Week award on Monday. Ryan’s performance over the past five games has led the Golden Grizzlies to the top of the Summit League standings, with a 10-24 record, 4-3 in the conference.

During the past week, Oakland went 4-1, fueled by the hot bat of Ryan. In that span, the senior hit .421 and extended his hitting streak to six games. Ryan swiped two bases, giving him a team-high 17 for the season. He only needs six more to set the school career-record of 80 stolen bases.

Oakland took three of the four games in a home series against IPFW this past week. Ryan went 7-for-16 in the four games against the Mastodons and hit a two-run homer in the series finale, an 11-6 victory.

Earlier this season, Ryan joined rare company, becoming just the third player in school history to reach 200 career hits.

Women’s golf takes second at Bowling Green tourney

The Oakland women’s golf team concluded the regular season strong with a runner-up finish in the Dolores Black Falcon Invitational. The event, hosted by Bowling Green, featured schools such as Ohio, Detroit and Indianapolis.

Indianapolis was the only school able to better OU’s final combined score of 636 (+60 for the course). Senior Liz Ecker led the Golden Grizzlies with a 156 (+12) over two rounds. Ecker led all players after the first day with a 73, but struggled the following round with an 83 in windy conditions.

Sophomore Kassandra Komma carded an 80 in the final round, while junior Mara Kovac was close behind, shooting an 81 to help Oakland secure the runner-up trophy.

The Golden Grizzles look ahead to the Summit League Tournament on April 22-24. The event will be held in Primm, Nev.

Coriasso leads men’s golf in Louisiana competition

The Oakland softball team snapped a 16 game losing streak with two straight victories against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits.

By taking two of the three matchups in the home series, Oakland captured its first Summit League series of the season.

On Friday, Oakland took the nightcap of a doubleheader with the Jackrabbits in walk-off fashion, winning 6-5. Junior third baseman Erin

Galloway had three RBIs in the game, providing the game-winning win in the bottom of the seventh inning. Her hit capped off a four run barrage in the seventh, completing a comeback win. Junior Abbie Richardson earned the win, pitching a complete game, giving up runs and striking out five batters.

Galloway added two more hits in the game on Saturday, a 5-3 victory. Freshman Morgan Muron led the Oakland attack with two hits and two RBIs as the team improved to 5-31 on the year and 3-15 in the Summit League.

The season continues for the Grizzlies with a road doubleheader today at Toledo beginning at 2 p.m.

Lithuanian big-man signs with men’s basketball team

Viktoras Merkevicius signed his National Letter of Intent to play college basketball at on April 12. Merkevicius used his 6-foot-9 frame to dominate the paint in high school at Stoneridge Prep in Simi Valley, Calif.

A native of Vilkaviskis, Lithuania, Merkevicius is exactly the kind of player Oakland head coach Greg Kampe is looking for.

“We are very excited to sign Viktor, because he meets a need we have,” Kampe said. “I believe he can play the four or the five. He’s a great free-throw shooter, good jump shooter, left-handed and will fit very well in our dribble-drive offense as a four. We believe he has a chance to play right away.”

Contact Timothy Pontzer via email at trpontze@oakland.edu and follow him on Twitter @timothy_pontzer

This season, the Grizz Gang faithful were treated to the heroics, leadership and spectacular play of a star senior on the hardwood.

While Reggie Hamilton may have grabbed the most headlines in the program and caused other performers to be lost in the shadow of his play, the Oakland women’s basketball team was led by a dominant force that cast a large shadow of her own.

Brittany Carnago cemented her place among the all-time Oakland greats by rewriting the books and being the unquestioned leader of her squad both on and off the court.

Head coach Beckie Francis pointed to her defensive prowess as what defined her game.

“Brit is an awesome defender, she holds the record in blocked shots at Oakland and was one of the best defenders in our conference and in the nation,” Francis said. “She intimidates with her size and is the best overall center the program has ever had since I have been the OU coach.”

The two-time Oakland captain finished her career with 276 blocks — a school record.

This season, Carnago was ranked 7th in blocks among all Division I female players, registering 3.28 per game.

On Dec. 11, she swatted away 11 shots in a win against the University of Illinois-Chicago, which ranked the second most in a game in all of the NCAA this season.

In addition, Carnago averaged 8.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game this season.

While Francis was obviously pleased with Carnago’s defensive dominance, the coach pointed to other aspects of her play and character that truly made Carnago one of the best to ever put on an Oakland uniform.

“Brit is a wonderful player and leader and is also very unselfish offensively, consistently being one of the tops (on the team) in assists,” Francis said. “Brit also leads by example academically, the team GPA is 3.3 or higher every semester and Brit consistently gets over a 3.5.”

While Coach Francis was quick to praise her star center, Carnago credited her coach for her success this season

“Coach Beckie has really helped me in ways to take my game to the next level and has instilled in me a work ethic that has helped me to develop into the player I am today,” Carnago said. “Not only has she helped me as a player, but she is always cheering me on and trying to get my name out there for professional coaches to see me.”

Carnago was able to show off her skills in front of many professional coaches at a recent showcase. Late last month, the 6-foot-4 center participated in the 2012 ProHoops Free Agent Camp in Denver. The invitation-only event showcased the abilities of some of the best players in the country in front of WNBA personnel.

“I feel that I represented myself and the program well (at the camp),” Carnago said. “I went hard in every drill, I was a leader, and I believe that I displayed my work ethic and talent with the time that I had.”

If scouts and coaches were impressed enough by her play, Carnago has the chance to become the first player in OU history to make the jump to the WNBA.

Francis recalled the first time she saw Carnago play, and she thought to herself “(Carnago) is a pro.” She also said the Oakland star already has three offers from teams overseas.

“I have two tremendous opportunities, one is playing overseas and the other is finishing (my) master’s degree,” Carnago said. “It’s a tough position to be in, but I am very lucky to have such amazing opportunities.”

Matt Pocket, the voice of the women’s team on WXOU for the past three seasons, believes that Carnago will make it to the “big show” next season.

“Her pro prospects are pretty darn good because the system that Coach Francis runs allowed Brit to showcase and develop a wide variety of skills,” Pocket said. “She’s a great system fit, in addition to being an intelligent player who can block shots, swing the ball on the perimeter, take the mid-range jump shot, post up with the ball and score off a couple of great moves.”

Fellow teammate Bethany Watterworth also believes Carnago will be able to make the jump to the professional stage.

“She will compete at the next level because she can match up with pro posts due to her size and athleticism and she has a great skill set,” Watterworth said. “You can’t coach height, and Brittany obviously has a lot of it and really knows how to use it to her advantage by using exceptional post moves.”

While Watterworth led the team in scoring this season, she pointed to Carnago as the true leader of the squad.

“Brittany is very hardworking and determined,” Watterworth said. “She is a great leader that I look up to, having the ability to rally the troops.”

Hopefully next season Watterworth and the rest of the Oakland community will be looking up to Carnago as she takes her talents to the next level.

Reggie Hamilton can’t stop.

“(Hamilton) is in the gym every single day,” said Saddi Washington, assistant Oakland basketball coach. “Whether it’s six o’clock in the morning or 11:00 at night, the kid is always in the gym. He hasn’t taken a day off since the season ended.”

The 2012 NCAA scoring champion has been preparing for the Portsmith Invitational Tournament in Portsmith, Va. on April 11 to 14 nonstop, where the best college basketball players from around the country are invited to showcase their talents for various pro scouts from the NBA and overseas.

The PIT has been a place of discovery for NBA legends like Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen and many others. Hamilton hopes to benefit from what PIT has provided for current stars in the past.

“I’m not nervous at all — I’m excited,” Hamilton said. “I’m ready to go out there and just play my game.”

Washington, who has played in the preseason camps of the Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks, said Hamilton just needs to stay hungry.

“Every level you go up, the defense and learning a new scheme is different,” Washing
Terry Foster, former Detroit Pistons beat writer and current co-host of the Valenti and Foster Radio Show on 97.1 The Ticket, said Hamilton’s play in the two years has caught his attention.ton said. “He’s going to have to take a different mindset. That’s probably going to be his biggest adjustment but he’s capable of doing that.”

“(Hamilton) has that ‘spark,’” Foster said. “He’s a guy where you don’t know what’s going to happen and that’s what is exciting about him.”

Even though the Internet has changed the way NBA teams have scouted and view midmajor players, the smaller school stigma might be still in the eyes of some scouts.

“The reality of where and maybe the level he’s coming from, there are those who are going to try to find every avenue to say no (to

Hamilton),” Washington said. “If you put (Hamilton) on the floor with a bunch of other players he’s going to find a way to get your attention. He just needs the opportunity.”

Washington said Hamilton’s ‘spark’ or competitive nature is his greatest asset right now, and that’s something he’ll need to relay to the scouts.

Hamilton hopes he can show NBA teams he has other qualities that aren’t measurable.

“I hope I can show them my heart,” Hamilton said. “A lot of them might see me as ‘short point-guard that may not be able to compete at the NBA level but I’ve seen (players like) Chris Paul, J.J Barea and Ty Lawson all be successful.”

Even early on his career at the high school level, Hamilton’s infectious work ethic has benefited others around him.

Especially this year, where he led a young Grizzlies team to the post season and their fourth consecutive 20-win season.

“Reggie took a young team and bridged the gap,” Greg Kampe, head men’s basketball coach, said “He allowed our young players to get better.”

Foster believes Hamilton will get his shot at the next level. An unnamed NBA source also said he is projected to be a late second round pick.

Outside of impression he tries to relay to other players, Hamilton’s two strong seasons at Oakland have proven his offensive prowess isn’t up for debate. Hamilton was first in the nation with a regular season average of 25.7 points per game, and fifth in post-season scoring of 30.3 ppg.

“Reggie can score the ball better than anyone I’ve ever seen,” Kampe said. “Being able to score like that is commodity in the NBA.

Somebody is going to want that. Offensively, no one questions his talent.”

Washington believes people seem to forget the role as a distributor this season. Hamilton tacked on five or more assists in 22 of 32 games this season. Even though Hamilton is a shorter guard at 5-foot-11, Washington and Foster both agree Hamilton is going to have to figure out how to translate his game to the next level and may take a season or two. Whether that means in NBA developmental league or overseas.

“I do think there’s a pretty good chance he’s get drafted,” Foster said. “If he has the right coaching and the right attitude, I think he can come back and contribute to the league.” Hamilton acknowledges his game will have to evolve to succeed in the NBA.

“I know I’ll have to get other people involved first, then be a capable scorer.” Hamilton said. “I have no problem with changing my role.”

With an important summer on the horizon, Hamilton is optimistic about the next step.

“A lot of people in the past wouldn’t think I would be in the shoes I am in today,” Hamilton said. “Just to prove to myself that I made a huge accomplishment (by getting a chance at the NBA level) and all the hard work and sacrifice paid off would be blessing.”

After a disappointing 3-21 record to start the 2012 season, the Oakland University baseball team is back on the right track.

The team won their home opener on April 4 against Western Michigan University 4-3.

“We’ve been on the road for a long time,” center fielder Tim Ryan said. “We’ve played some good competition but it feels good to be home (and get) our first win in front of a home crowd.”

On March 28, OU lost to WMU 3-2. The beginning of last week’s game foreshadowed a similar result the first two innings. In the third inning however, Ryan began a three-run streak with a double.

Hits by Ryan, catcher Jake Morton, third baseman Mike Carson and designated hitter Robby Enslen brought in runs by left fielder Trent Drumheller, Ryan and Carson to give Oakland the lead.

In the fourth inning, Ryan singled and later scored what turned out to be the winning run on an error by the WMU second baseman.

Coming off a loss and facing the same team for the home opener became a lesson in mental toughness.

“We just tried to keep a good positive attitude going. Western is a good team, they put the pressure on you,” Ryan said. “We just tried to stay positive and keep getting better every day.”

In addition, the six OU pitchers walked no WMU hitters and only three WMU hits were allowed in the last five innings. Jake Paulson received his first pitching career victory and Russell Luxton pitched the save in the ninth.

“It meant a lot pitching that last inning,” Luxton said. “Last week at western I was pitching the last inning and I ended up losing it.”

The win against WMU was due to learning from past mistakes and adapting to overcome them according to Musachio

“We played smart because we made adjustments form this past weekend especially on the mound,” Head coach John Musachio said. “I think our guys were really mindful of the lessons they learned earlier in the season today.”

Series against Oral Roberts

Oakland started the series against ORU strong, shutting out the Golden Eagles 2-0. Senior pitcher Jeff Gorecki carried the Golden Grizzlies through 8.1 innings on April 6, recording a season-high five strikeouts and allowing just three hits.

Gorecki’s efforts earned him the Summit League Pitcher of the Week award—the first time he has won the award in his career.

Junior Mike Carson came through with the crucial hit in the third inning, blasting the eventual game-winning two RBI single. Carson’s two RBIs marked the only runs pushed across the plate in the entire game.

On April 7, Oakland carried it’s momentum into the second game, scoring five runs on five hits in the first inning. Freshman Spencer Marentette had a two RBI double to add to the three RBI singles by Carson, junior Nolan Jacoby and senior John Estes respectively.

Amidst two long rain delays, ORU strung together 13 unanswered runs to secure the victory.

Sunday brought a doubleheader between the two Summit League rivals. In the first game, Oakland built a lead that was never relinquished with a solo home run by Carson in the first inning. Oakland built its lead to 4-0 with a run in the third and two in the fourth on a two-RBI single by Marentette.

Sophomore Hayden Fox and junior Russell Luxton combined to only allow a single run over nine innings to give Oakland the 4-1 victory.

In the series finale, Oakland outhit the Golden Eagles 11-8, but lost the nightcap 8-6.

“I’m very proud of the way that our guys competed this weekend,” Musachio said. “Hayden Fox pitched very well and Luxton came in and shut the door against a very good hitting team.”

Jacoby notched a RBI single in the top of the fifth to give OU a 5-4 lead. However, ORU answered in the bottom of the inning with a grand slam to take the lead for good.

The series split marked the first time in school history that OU has won two games in a series with the Golden Eagles.

The series snapped ORU’s streak of 39 consecutive home victories, which was the longest in the nation and the second time the Golden Eagles has been shut out by a conference opponent.

Oakland continues the season with a matchup against local rival Central Michigan today at 3 p.m. at the OU baseball field.

Women’s golf wins Detroit Titans Invitational tourney

On Tuesday afternoon, the Oakland University women’s golf team captured their first tournament title of the spring season at the Detroit Titans Invitational.

The team enjoyed an impressive first day of play on Monday afternoon at the Western Golf and Country Club.

The team shot a combined 333 (+45 for the course) to finish atop the leaderboard after the first round. Oakland led the host, Detroit, by three strokes and came in third place against Illinois-Chicago by 27.

Senior Liz Ecker paced the Golden Grizzlies with an opening round of 78 (+6) which was the lowest mark by any player in the field during the whole tournament. Sophomore Kassandra Komma shot an 80 (+8) to tie for second place.

Fellow sophomore Elizabeth Dawkins was close behind with an 87 (+15) to place ninth and freshman Maya Parsons tied for 10th place with an 88 (+16).

On the second day of play, Komma and Parsons each shot a final round of 81 to help OU secure the victory. Overall, the team put up a combined 328 on the scorecard for the second round for a 36-hole total of 661 (+85).

Colette Hansen of Detroit claimed medalist honors with her two rounds of 80 to post a 160, only one shot better than Ecker, who shot 83 on the second day to have a total of 161 (+17).

Komma finished with a 161 as well to tie for second place.

The win marked the second tournament victory of the campaign, following their top finish at the Cleveland State Invitational back in the fall. The season continues this weekend with the Dolores Black Falcon Invitational hosted by Bowling Green.

Coriasso leads men’s golf team in Indiana

The Oakland University men’s golf team took a trip south over the weekend to Bloomington, Ind. to compete in the NYX Hooiser Invitational, hosted by the University of Indiana.

Senior Michael Coriasso paced the Golden Grizzlies with a combined 219 (+6 for the course) over three rounds of play.

Coriasso’s mark placed him 30th overall in the tournament featuring Big Ten schools such as Northwestern and Indiana and familiar Summit League rivals like IUPUI.

Overall, Oakland finished in 14th place with a score of 914 (+62).

The team continues the season this weekend with the Detroit Titans Invitational in Highland, Mich. The tournament will be held Friday and Saturday at Prestwick Village Golf Course.

Oakland falls to local rival Detroit in dual-meet finale

Over Saturday afternoon, the Oakland University men’s and women’s track and field team faced off against local rival Detroit in the seventh annual UDM-Oakland Dual Meet.

Despite strong showings from the Golden Grizzlies, the women fell 111-77 and the men lost 111-71 against the Titans.

For the women, senior Micah Jones led the way by winning both the long jump and high jump events. She also was the runner-up in the triple jump.

Junior Brittini Hutton captured the top spot in the 3,000 meter run and 1,500 meter run. Junior Autumn Cleverley earned a first place finish in the 800-meter run.

For the men, senior Brandon Griffin won the 1-mile run and 3,000 meter run.

Fellow senior Steven Marcinkowski finished first in the 2,000 meter steeplechase and junior Anthony Sterzick took home the top spot in the 800-meter run.

Junior Andrew Stebbins shattered the school record in the shot put with a throw of 52 feet, 9 inches, beating the old mark by more than two feet.

The Golden Grizzlies continue their campaign as they head to Lewisburg, Pa. to compete in the Bison Outdoor Classic hosted by Bucknell on April 14 to 15.

The Oakland University baseball team faces the Western Michigan Broncos this afternoon at 3 p.m. While this is the twenty-fifth game of the season for the Golden Grizzlies, it marks the first contest of the year held in the friendly confines of the OU baseball field.

“Each year we open up with a lot of road games,” said Head Coach John Musachio. “It can wear guys out a bit, but that’s just the nature of the beast playing up north here in Michigan.”

Coming into his fifth season at the helm of the program, Musachio is looking at the home opener as the start of something special for Oakland.

“The guys are very excited to finally be playing at home,” Musachio said. “It’s going to be great to actually have the last at-bat. That will definitely be a psychological advantage for our guys.”

That very psychological advantage was seen the last time these two teams met on the diamond. Last week, Oakland lost at Western Michigan in ten innings on a walk-off single.

Hopefully today’s game will have a different outcome, with the home team scoring the winning run. One player who Oakland will look to for power is senior Aaron Cieslak.

From his cleanup spot in the order, Cieslak has carried the Oakland attack, leading the team with a .313 average, five home runs, 19 RBI and .563 slugging percentage. Over the past five games, the senior outfielder hit .364 and was named the Summit League Player of the Week for his efforts.

“Aaron is definitely a leader both on and off the field for us, and he has really hit his stride lately,” Musachio said. “He is playing with a lot of confidence right now, and that takes a lot of pressure off other guys because he is in the middle of the lineup and is a guy we depend on. The other guys can really take a deep breath seeing Aaron drive the ball the way he is, so we can relax and play better as a team.”

Musachio pointed out some of those other guys who are also making an impact, referring to two freshmen infielders, Spencer Marentette and Robby Enslen, as players who are key to Oakland’s success.

The coach also singled out two upperclassmen, senior outfielder Tim Ryan and junior third baseman Mike Carson. Musachio called Ryan a leader and said that Carson is a key to the offense of the Golden Grizzlies.

Ryan stole four bases last week, bringing his career tally to 70. He only needs 10 more to tie the school record in that category.

Overall, Musachio is excited for opening day and the opportunity it brings.

“Our goal is to make the Summit League Tournament this year,” Musachio said. “If we achieve that goal we’re going to be in the position to make a run at a league championship.”

Students are encouraged to head on down to the baseball field this afternoon to cheer on the Golden Grizzlies. Freshman left-hander Bryan Jagielo will deliver the first pitch at 3 p.m.