Brown new Harper baseball coach; men's soccer rolling
It has been a busy week for Harper College athletics this week, which includes the hiring of new baseball coach Clif Brown and the men's basketball team changing opponents for its season-opener on Nov. 3.
Brown has spent time coaching at the Division I and II levels and overseeing the Chicago White Sox Training Academy. He also coached with their rookie ball minor-league team.
The men's basketball squad was scheduled to play at home against NAIA opponent Olivet Nazarene JV team. But the Tigers wanted to schedule a different opponent so the two schools agreed not to play the scheduled game.
Instead, the Hawks will play the Northwestern University club team on the original date at home.
Hot start for men's soccer: After having its season opener again Kishwaukee canceled the Harper men's soccer team is off to a 3-0 start.
The Hawks have three games this week - including two in the N4C on the road. That includes a visit at 4 p.m. today to NJCAA Division III Triton, last year's national runnerup which is ranked second in the nation.
"We've always have had a bit of a rivalry with them," said Hawks coach Jason Diebold. "It's always a tough game against Triton. As long as they (Harper players) pay attention to the little things I expect to win."
Don't take Diebold's comments as cockiness, though. He and his team knows it still has to work hard to end up on the victorious side today and doesn't want a repeat of Wednesday's game where it won late against Milwaukee.
Tough cross country schedule: When looking at the men's and women's cross country schedule, one's attention might automatically turn to the two meets against Division I opponents.
The first one is this weekend when the Hawks travel to Bloomington-Normal to compete at Illinois State University. Then they compete at the Univiersty of Minnesota next weekend.
"You go out and run and see where you are," coach Paul Paynter said of the meets at the Division I schools. "The next two meets are big for us because of the new people we get to look at."
Minnesota is the second-biggest cross country meet in the country.
Jesus Escareno won the Waubonsee meet for a short-handed Harper men's squad. "He got pushed more," Paynter said. "He left a little early and had to lead for three miles" of a five-mile race.
The woman's team wasn't as lucky as top runner Irene Valladares out with a probable stress fracture.
"We need her in there," Paynter said of his top woman's runner.
Football looks to rebound: Harper looks to bounce back from its season-opening loss to College of DuPage when it travels to Rock Valley (0-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday for a Midwest Football Conference game.
"The first couple of days the guys where down on themselves," said Harper coach Eric Waldstein. "(Thrusday's) practice was one of the best practices we've had all year."
Rock Valley lost to Grand Rapids last week. It features a 3-4, cover-two defense and a wing-T offense that likes to run the ball.
"They don't bring a lot of pressure but they are big," Waldstein said.
Waldstein said Pat Czerwiec will start at quarterback but Cam Kinley will also get time.
"We have not figured out how we are going to do the rotation yet," Waldstein said. "If it is a close game in the fourth quarter we'll go with whoever has the hot hand."
Waldstein said freshman offensive lineman Ronald Haver took a couple of days off but will start after suffering a chest injury last week.