SIU's Matthew Schark in playing baseball this summer for the Newport Gull of the New England College Baseball League. As of this morning (through 18 games), Schark is .273 with 2 doubles, a triple and 3 home runs. The NECBL is a wooden bat league, and the Gulls play their home games at Historic Cardines Field (opened for play in 1919).
Home games are Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6:35 PM and ESPN Plus has recently started to pick up some of the games. Check your local listing for a Schark sighting.
I watched Shark hit a couple of walk-off home runs this year .. he's a valuable player on the Salukis. Big dude with some power.
Schark goes yard twice Friday night, with a pair of two run blasts. Now has five on the season.
Just looking at his stat line and after 19 games, he is hitting .288 with 2 doubles, one triple, 5 homers and 18 RBI (to lead the team).
Way to go, Saluki.
Matthew Schark is one of five Newport Gulls selected to participate in the New England Collegiate Baseball League All Star game! Game is this Sunday in Lynn, Massachusetts...just outside of Boston.
Go Big Dawg.
Matthew Schark at bat in Historic Cardines Field (the Newport Gulls home field), Newport, Rhode Island.
I'm the guy in the straw hat over his right shoulder.
Post season play gets underway tonight in the New England Collegiate Baseball League as the Newport Gulls (the Coastal Division Champs) host the Ocean State Waves in the first round of the playoffs. Hopefully, SIU's Matthew Schark will start at DH or First Base. You can watch all the action tonight from Historic Cardines Field in Newport, Rhode Island on ESPN Plus, beginning at 6:35 PM Eastern Time.
Newport Gulls advance to the second round after bouncing back from an opening night playoff lost and win the best of three 2 games to one. Matt Schark was 2 for 12 in the 3 games, but the two hits were productive...solo shot to start the scoring in game one and an RBI single to open the scoring in game 3. He scored two runs in the series, drove in two, walked and was hit by a pitch.
Second round play begins tonight with the Gulls hosting the Danbury (CT) Westerners. First pitch at 6:35.
Final report...The Newport Gulls, with SIU's Matthew Schark, win the New England Collegiate Baseball League Championships.
Good for Matt. I hope I'll be watching him hit some walkoffs again next Spring.
@saluki44 Both. Graduated in 1975. Hammer thrower for Lew Hartzog and his tracksters.
Very cool!
I’m a younger alum (just of SIU, not any sports), and I’m always impressed when reading about the historical success of the non-revenue sports at SIU, particularly baseball and track and field.
SIU in the ‘70s and ‘80s seems like it was quite the place to be.
Lew Hartzog was such a great coach. We had some really good track teams back in the day.
Gymnastics was really good also. The women's team was almost always ranked top 10. Real shame they dropped gymnastics in my opinion.
