Top 10 YSU Sports Storylines of 2012-13

[IAA Fan]

YSU will be counting down their top-10 moments in sports for this past year. Let's count them down with them over the next 10-days?

10: Women's Golf: Allison Mitzel Takes Medalist Honors at Horizon League Golf Championship.
  9: Soccer: Farmers National Bank Field Built for YSU Soccer.
  8: Baseball:Dosch Repeats as Second-Team Academic All-American, Gets Drafted By Orioles.
  7: Swimming: Ashley Dow Becomes First YSU Swimmer to Win Two League Titles.
  6: Basketball: Basketball’s Memorable Season.
  5: Women's Tennis: Trio Leads Tremendous Turnaround in Women’s Tennis
  4: Women’s Basketball: Turnaround Catches National Spotlight
  3: Football and Basketball: Teams Win 31 Home Games
  2: Football, Men’s and Women’s Basketball: Beat BCS Teams
  1: Women’s Basketball: Brandi Brown Highlights 2012-13 in YSU Athletics

[IAA Fan]

Youngstown State sophomore women's golfer Allison Mitzel shot 71 and 73 in the final two days of the Horizon League Championship to win the conference title by seven strokes, earning her the No. 10 spot in the top 10 moments and story-lines of Penguins athletics in 2012-13.

Mitzel, who was tied-for-fourth after the first round with a 77, surged into first with a one-under-par round of 71 on the second day. She added six strokes to her lead in the final day to become the fourth Penguin in school history to win the conference tournament.

In her 54 holes at the Mission Inn Resortshe had eight birides, 11 bogeys (five of which came on her first eight holes on Friday) and just one double bogey.

Youngstown State finished second at the conference tournament, earning the runner-up trophy for the fifth time since 2002. Mitzel's performance helped cap an impressive career by women's golf coach Roseann Schwartz, who retired after the season. She was YSU's only head coach since the program's inception in 1996.

[IAA Fan]

Youngstown State added a new facility gem on its campus, and the Penguins soccer team will play its inaugural season at Farmers National Bank Field this fall. The construction of the new soccer field and softball complex along Fifth Avenue is the No. 9 story in YSU athletics in 2012-13.

Farmers National Bank donated $500,000 toward the new complex, which is being built across from Stambaugh Stadium. The complex has significantly upgraded one of the gateway entrances to campus, with Farmers National Bank Field and the softball complex filling up the area between the Eastbound Service Road, Fifth Avenue, Grant Street and Ford Avenue.

"Farmers National Bank believes in community investment, believes in YSU and believes in providing opportunity for young people here in the Valley," said John S. Gulas, president and chief executive officer of Farmers National Banc Corp./Farmers National Bank, at the announcement of the donation in December. "We serve all three of these missions with this donation."

Farmers National Bank Field was completed this month, and the track surrounding the field should be surfaced in the coming weeks. Construction of the softball field will begin shortly, and all three facilities should be operational in the fall. Lighting, stands, restrooms, walkways and fencing are also part of the project.

[IAA Fan]

In a span of eight days, Youngstown State baseball player Drew Dosch repeated as a Second-Team Academic All-American and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the seventh round. Dosch's successes earned him eighth place on the list of top 10 moments and storylines of YSU athletics in 2012-13.

Dosch became the first student-athlete in school history to earn Second-Team Academic All-America honors twice. An integrated social studies education major, Dosch finished his junior year with a 3.97 grade-point average.

On the baseball field, Dosch earned First-Team All-Horizon League honors at third base for the second straight season. He led the league with a .434 on-base percentage and a .922 OPS while also ranking among the top five with a .338 batting average, 40 runs, 68 hits, .488 slugging percentage and 15 doubles.

When the Orioles selected Dosch as the 23rd pick of the Major League Baseball draft on June 7, he became the fourth-highest draft choice in school history. Only one position player, Chris Durkin in the third round in 1991, has been selected higher.

[IAA Fan]

Sophomore Ashley Dow became the first Penguin swimmer in school history to win two individual titles at the Horizon League Championships, which is the No. 7 story in Youngstown State athletics in 2012-13.

Dow swept the backstroke events in dominating fashion at the league meet on the first two days of March. She also became the first YSU swimmer to defend an event title after winning the 100-yard backstroke crown in 2012.

Dow set a new conference record with a time of 54.40 seconds in the 100 back, surpassing the mark she set as a freshman in 2012. A day later, she won the 200 back by two-and-a-half seconds with another conference-record time of 1:58.68.

Dow also set a school record in the 200-yard individual medley at the conference meet with a mark of 2:07.10. That is more than three-and-a-half seconds faster than any other Penguin in school history. Dow holds the school record in the 100 back by 3.8 seconds and the record in the 200 back by 7.4 seconds.

[IAA Fan]

The Youngstown State men's basketball team had one of its most successful seasons as a Division I program, and, with its berth in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, it is the No. 6 storyline in Penguins athletics in 2012-13.

The CIT was the Penguins' first postseason tournament since moving to Division I in 1981-82. YSU put up its best offensive effort of the season in the opening round at Beeghly Center, posting a season-high 99 points in a 99-87 victory over future Horizon League member Oakland. YSU also beat Loyola just before the buzzer in the Horizon League Tournament at home in one of the top moments in any YSU sport during the year.

Youngstown State finished with an 18-16 record, its best mark since 2000-01. The Penguins also posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1983-84 and 1984-85, signifying that coach Jerry Slocum's program continues to be on the rise. YSU was also 12-5 at home this past season for its most victories at Beeghly Center since 1984-85.

Three players reached the 1,000-point plateau during the season. First-Team All-Horizon League honoree Kendrick Perry reached the milestone at home on Dec. 29, and Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year Damian Eargle surpassed 1,000 points on Feb. 26 at Valparaiso. Blake Allen scored his 1,000th point in the CIT victory over Oakland on March 19 as part of a 27-point night.

[IAA Fan]

Led by Paula de Man, Margarita Sadovnikova and Marta Burak, the Youngstown State women's tennis team advanced to the Horizon League Championship match and won more matches in 2012-13 than it did in the previous three seasons combined. That is the No. 5 storyline in Penguins athletics in 2012-13.

The Penguins went 15-10 in 2012-13 after winning 12 matches combined over the previous three seasons, a tremendous turnaround under second-year head coach Mark Klysner. Of the Penguins' 10 losses, seven came by 4-3 scores, including the conference final against 17-time defending champion UIC. That all came after the Penguins won just one dual match in 2011-12.

The trio of de Man, Sadovnikova and Burak went a combined 21-0 at singles against Horizon League opponents during the regular season and 6-0 during the postseason. All three were named First-Team All-Horizon League, and de Man was honored as the Horizon League Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. The sophomore from the Netherlands went 23-1 during the year at No. 1 singles, and all but three of those wins came in straight sets. Sadovnikova was 23-11, and Burak set a school record by winning 28 of her 33 singles matches.

The second seed in the Horizon League Championships, the Penguins beat Cleveland State 4-2 in the semifinals to advance to the title match for the second time in school history. They held leads of 2-1 and 3-2 against UIC, but the Flames held on despite an intense comeback attempt by Annina Brendel at No. 5 singles. Brendel won the second set tiebreaker and rallied back from a 4-1 deficit in the third set before losing 6-4. UIC had not been pushed to a 4-3 decision since 2008.

[IAA Fan]

Three years removed from an 0-30 season, the women's basketball team won 23 games to finish second in the Horizon League and earn a berth in the Women's National Invitational Tournament, which is the No. 4 story in Penguins athletics in 2012-13.

Behind Horizon League Player of the Year Brandi Brown, Coach of the Year Bob Boldon and All-Newcomer Team selection Shar'Rae Davis, the Penguins won 13 more games than they did the previous year. That was the fourth-best win improvement in the country, and no team improved its RPI more from the previous season. YSU's turnaround was featured on ESPN.com and NCAA.com.

The Penguins set school records with 11 Horizon League wins and 14 wins at Beeghly Center, and their 23-10 was the best since 1997-98. While Brown's performance on the offensive end will likely be most remembered, the turnaround was also keyed by a monumental improvement on defense. The Penguins allowed 9.7 fewer points per game in 2012-13 than the previous year, which was the 12th-best improvement in the country.

After tying a school record for non-conference wins, the Penguins went 11-5 in Horizon League play to finish second in the conference standings. They defeated Cleveland State at Beeghly Center in the tournament quarterfinals, and they later had a home win over Indiana State in the first round of the WNIT. It was YSU's first appearance in a postseason tournament since 1999-2000, and the Penguins earned their first postseason win in 15 years.

[IAA Fan]

In the 40th anniversary season of Beeghly Center and the 30th anniversary season of Stambaugh Stadium, the Youngstown State football and basketball teams combined to win more than 80 percent of its home games in 2012-13. That is the No. 3 story in Penguins athletics in the last academic year.

The football team was 5-1, the men's basketball team was 12-5 and the women's basketball team was 14-1 for a combined record of 31-7. The 31 wins tied the 1994-95 academic year for the most since Stambaugh Stadium was opened in 1982, and the .816 winning percentage is the third-best in the stadium era and the best since 1997-98.

The football team won its first three contests at Stambaugh Stadium, capped off by a thrilling 42-35 come-from-behind victory over No. 8 Northern Iowa on Sept. 22. In front of 19,277 fans, the Penguins scored the final two touchdowns in the final eight minutes to knock off the Panthers for the first time since 2000. Youngstown State ended the season by beating No. 18 Indiana State 27-6 on Senior Day. Jamaine Cook broke YSU's record for career all-purpose yards in his final game at the stadium.

The men's basketball team had its most home wins since 1984-85 and provided plenty of memorable moments. The Penguins beat Horizon League regular season champion Valparaiso on Jan. 30, and they had two victories over Loyola in the final seconds at Beeghly Center. Blake Allen hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 10.3 seconds against the Ramblers on Feb. 7, and D.J. Cole hit a layup with 2.5 seconds remaining on March 5 in the Horizon League Tournament. Youngstown State also beat Oakland 99-87 in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament at home.

The women's basketball team set a new school record with 14 wins at Beeghly Center, with the lone loss coming to Horizon League Champion Green Bay. The Penguins earned their 500th victory as a program against Milwaukee on Jan. 17, and an emotional 58-53 win over Detroit on Feb. 7 helped solidify their eventual second place finish in the conference. Youngstown State won three home games in five days down the stretch behind Brandi Brown, and the Penguins went on to beat Cleveland State in the Horizon League Quarterfinals and Indiana State in the WNIT at Beeghly Center.

[IAA Fan]

Youngstown State caught national headlines three times in the first three months of the academic year as the football, men's basketball and women's basketball teams all earned early-season victories over teams from BCS conferences. Those big victories combine as the runner-up for the top storyline in Penguins athletics in 2012-13.

The football team scored one of the biggest upsets in the country last season when it opened the season with a 31-17 victory at Pittsburgh, who was competing in the Big East Conference for the final season. The Penguins beat an opponent from a Bowl Championship Series conference for the first time in school history and beat a team from the FBS for the first time since 2000. The Guins outgained the Panthers (381-369), had more first downs (23-17) and won the time of possession (35:10 – 24:50). The defense forced two turnovers and had a huge fourth-down stop in the third quarter. Youngstown State was trending nationally on Twitter during the second half of the contest.

The women's basketball team knocked off Pittsburgh at the Petersen Events Center two months later, giving an indication of the season it was about to have. The Penguins outscored the Panthers 43-17 in the second half and won 64-50. It was YSU's first win over a team currently in a BCS conference since 1997 and its first victory over a current Big East team since 1991. Brandi Brown scored 11 of her game-high 16 points in the second half, and Melissa Thompson hit three of YSU's eight second-half 3-pointers. Pitt had beaten YSU 89-37 just three years prior.

The men's basketball team joined the party just three days later with a 68-56 victory at Georgia in a game that was broadcast on ESPNU. The win marked the Penguins' first win over a team from the Southeastern Conference. Kendrick Perry scored 17 of his 23 points in the second half, and he was part of a tenacious defense that limited the Bulldogs to three field goals in the first half. The Penguins led by 11 at halftime and used a 13-4 run midway through the second half to take an 18-point lead.

The Youngstown State baseball team also beat West Virginia 10-7 in February for its first victory over a Big 12 team. The Penguins broke open a 4-4 tie by scoring six straight runs, including five in the seventh, to go up 10-4. Josh White had three hits, and Drew Dosch scored three times for the Penguins.

[IAA Fan]

When the Youngstown State athletics staff was trying to decide the order of the top four storylines in Penguins athletics in 2012-13, someone presented an overwhelming point on what should be number one. Without senior women's basketball player Brandi Brown, the other three would not have happened. For that, and for so many reasons over the past four years, Brown is the top storyline in YSU athletics from 2012-13.

Brown put together an incredible list of accomplishments during her senior year, but her development from a good player on an 0-30 team to one of the top players in the country on Youngstown State's best team in 13 years will be what is remembered most on campus.

As a California native who had the option to transfer closer to home when a coaching change occurred after that 0-30 season, she chose to remain a Penguin. She diversified her game and won the Horizon League scoring title as a sophomore, and she got the program close to the brink of turning the corner as a junior. She committed herself the following summer to being better than ever as a senior, and her hard work was rewarded with a season full of magical moments.

Brown culminated her career by being named the Horizon League Player of the Year, Honorable Mention All-American and First-Team Academic All-American as a senior. She averaged career highs of 20.1 points and 11.1 rebounds, and she helped make YSU among the most-improved teams in the NCAA. She was one of only two players nationally to rank among the top 20 in the country both scoring and rebounding, and she ranked fifth in the country with 23 double-doubles.

She will perhaps be most remembered by willing the Penguins to three straight wins at Beeghly Center down the stretch as they clinched second place in the regular season standings. Brown got a standing ovation every time she was announced over the final weeks of the season, and she rewarded fans by posting 33 points against Cleveland State and 39 versus UIC. Then, when fans wore "Brown 42" T-shirts on "Brandi Brown Appreciation Day", she added to her legend by scoring 42 points and grabbing 21 rebounds against Wright State. It was just the second 40-20 game in school history and the first in the country in a Division I game in six years, and she was named the espnW National Player of the Week for her efforts.

Brown came back from an ankle injury suffered in the regular season finale to score 31 points in a home victory over Cleveland State in the Horizon League Tournament. She then posted a double-double in the WNIT win over Indiana State in the final home game of her career.

Brown leaves Youngstown State as the career record holder in rebounds (1,239), defensive rebounds (819), free throws made (443), free throws attempted (646), games played (123), games started (123) and minutes (3,941). She also ranked second in school history with 2,079 points, making her one of only two players in YSU and Horizon League history to score 2,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds. Brown scored in double figures 105 times in 123 career games, and she posted 59 double-doubles.

[DiscMan]

Pretty surprising that Bobby Grace making and placing in a national competition this year, or Jarret or Seaver did not make this list.  I would think instances of success over long term would be held of greater value than winning home games or beating bad BCS teams.