Lotzkar's debut is a losing one for Dayton - Dayton Daily News (Dayton, OH)

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Konrad Schmidt doubled, singled and drove ina run as the South Bend Silver Hawks defeated the Dayton Dragons 6-3 Friday, June 13, in the first of a three-game series.

The game featured the debut of Dayton (27-39) starting pitcherKyle Lotzkar, a first-round draft pick by the Reds in 2007.

The 18-year-old worked the first four innings and allowed fourhits and three runs with three walks and five strikeouts. He wascharged with the loss.

South Bend scored single runs in each of the first three inningsagainst Lotzkar to take a 3-0 lead. They added two more runs againstDragons reliever Joseph Krebs in the fifth to build their lead to 5-0.

Dayton's Zack Cozart drilled a solo home run leading off thesixth to get the Dragons on the board. It was Cozart's sixth homerof the season.

DDN on the Web

What's cookin' on the Dayton Daily News sports blogs:

Through the Arch: Beavercreek High School graduate and Red Soxpitcher Justin Masterson is making his own way in majors.

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The Real McCoy: The Mayor, Sean Casey, is in town and enjoyingevery second in the Queen City.

DaytonDailyNews.com/mccoy

Ludwig At Large: Keep up with the latest in the soap opera thatis Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson.

DaytonDailyNews.com/ludwig

'Boro's fantastic freshmen ; Girls ninth-grade basketball team finishes season with 19-1 record. - Dayton Daily News (Dayton, OH)

SPRINGBORO -- Must be the Year of the Freshman in Springborogirls basketball.

Not just Olivia Schretzman. The fearless freshman was a quickstudy on the varsity team and helped it to the Division I regionalsemifinals.

There's more promising talent coming up in that class. Thefreshman team won 19 straight before losing a heartbreaker, 32-31,to Centerville in the finals of the Greater Western Ohio Conferencetournament in a game decided by a halfcourt heave.

The young Panthers owned a 32-28 win over Centerville in anearlier meeting and produced a 15-0 record against GWOC regular-season competition.

'We just had a well-balanced team and athletic,' said coach LeonLacy. 'I played eight or nine girls in a rotation and the team nevermissed a beat.'

Wins are important at this level, but the main priority is playerdevelopment, Lacy said.

'When I was interviewed by varsity coach Tom Benjamin last yearfor the coaching opening, he emphasized that freshman basketballwill be a priority,' Lacy said. 'He wanted it to be an integral partof the program. I try to put these girls in a position where theycan (meet) expectations to step into a high school program once theyleave here.'

The successful varsity team (GWOC South and Sweet 16 qualifier)will graduate seven seniors, so there will be an opportunities forthese girls at the varsity level.

The team's signature game came in the semifinals of the GWOCtournament when it ousted Trotwood at Ed Zink Arena in Beavercreek.

The Rams brought down varsity player Amber McCann for thefreshmen tournament. McCann was featured, along with 'Boro'sSchretzman, in the Dayton Daily News sports story titled 'A Breathof Frosh Air' on impact freshman at the varsity level. 'Boroeliminated the McCann-led Rams, 53-47.

The list of team standouts stretches long: Taylor Hurley, who ledthe team in scoring with 13 points, point guard Kelli Johnson, guardSarah Rhule, and interior threats Emily Dippold, 5-10 Sara Van Wertand high-leaping Alyssa Mitterholzer.

Dippold epitomizes the team's progress as she improved in leapsand rebounds. She became a double-double machine after starting outslowly.

'Emily was timid early on and would average one or two points,but then she came on scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds in our finalstretch of games,' Lacy said. 'She made dramatic improvement.'

Other key players were Ryan Ford, Loran Ramsey, Chasity Kirkland,Anita Sharkey, Brittany Baker and Alyssa Greco.

Defense was the Panthers calling card, limiting opponents to 26points a game while scoring 48.

'We played our tough games early and that set the tone, beatingAlter, Centerville, Western Brown and Butler -- all establishedprograms,' Lacy said.

Rules changed, Kelly's Flyers thrived ; Dayton kept winning even after team was barred from playing for D- III championship - Dayton Daily News (Dayton, OH)

In January 1991, NCAA delegates met in Nashville, Tenn., for theassociation's annual convention with a major issue on the docket'sfinal day. Upset for some time that Division I athletic programswere playing football in Division III, including the successfulUniversity of Dayton, D-III presidents wanted those teams out.

The vote for Proposition 53 was conclusive at 569-157 and createda major change for the Flyers and coach Mike Kelly.

'How did Mike handle it? Like a pro,' said Larry Kehres, theMount Union College coach who has a 260-21-3 record and nineDivision III national championships in 22 seasons. 'He stayed withhis school, stayed loyal and gave Dayton a solid days' work everyday.'

It wasn't the only challenge Kelly faced at UD, but it wasperhaps the most significant. In 1993, when the new rule tookeffect, the Flyers went from perennial Division III power andchampionship contender to the six-team Pioneer Football League,playing as one of a handful of Division I programs withoutscholarships. Without a playoff, only a league championship waspossible.

To some, it was a downward move. But, more than his 246-54-1record, Kelly's brilliance in 27 seasons as Dayton's football coachwas guiding the program through such a change and continuing itsmassive on-field success. Without a playoff at season's end, Kellyrecruited players and fans with solid blocking and tackling as wellas his focused view of winning the game in front of them.

Some programs faltered, but UD remained a winner with a WestMilton-raised coach who became a Dayton institution along the way.

'Once you're dealt a hand, you can moan and gripe or you canbuckle it up and say we're going to figure out the best way to run aprogram,' said Walt Hameline, the 27th - year coach at Wagner, whichalso moved from D-III to I-AA in 1993. 'That's what Mike did.'

Assistant first

After graduating from Manchester College in 1970, Kelly took highschool coaching jobs in Union City, Ind., and Logansport, Ind. Inhis spare time, he scouted upcoming opponents for Earlham Collegeand later Hanover College when both were coached by Rick Carter.

Kelly and Carter had a relationship since childhood, when theirfathers worked side-by-side at NCR. Carter invited Kelly to join hisHanover staff in 1975 as defensive coordinator, and Kelly signed on -- with a $4,000 pay cut and duties including wrestling coach,baseball coach, intramural director and teaching 12 hours ofclasses.

Meanwhile, Dayton football was near a major change. Afterstarting football in 1905, UD entered its modern era in 1923, thefirst of 24 seasons for legendary coach Harry Baujan. By the 1970s,though, the program was struggling to keep up with other Division Ischools and chose to eliminate scholarships and join D-III forfootball.

To former players and many fans, it was a lesser brand offootball. That's the Dayton world Kelly entered when Carter washired in 1977, the first season in D-III.

'They approached it by saying, 'This is good football, just watchus,' ' said Rick Chamberlin, who was then a UD All-Americanlinebacker and became a 28-year Dayton assistant before taking thehead coaching job Tuesday. 'We were winning, and people love awinner.'

In 1980, UD punctuated that success by winning its first D-IIInational championship. Soon after, Carter left for Holy Cross andDayton promoted the 32-year-old Kelly.

'I felt like if I was ever going to become a head coach,' Kellysaid at the time, 'this was the time, the time to cut the cord.'

In Kelly's first season, Dayton again played in the nationalchampionship game. In his first 12 seasons, his teams won 10 or moregames eight times, with another D-III national championship in 1989and four title game appearances overall.

Dayton's success was widely known, enough that New York Yankeesowner George Steinbrenner once cut through a gathering of reportersto point to Dayton Daily News sports editor Si Burick.

'How,' barked the Ohio native, 'does the University of Daytonproduce all those winning football teams?'

Changing football

Division III administrators grew more frustrated with higher-division schools playing for their championship in 1987, when Daytonlost to Wagner in the title game.

'Two Division I schools,' one D-III president said, 'playing forour championship.'

Although not drastically smaller in enrollment, the D-III schoolswere uncomfortable about Dayton's facilities and its ability to takerecruits to UD basketball games. Schools such as Wittenberg andWilmington couldn't compete with such amenities.

'For instance, we had a 200-piece marching band,' Kelly said.'There were some who thought that wasn't what Division III was meantto be. My answer was I don't remember any of our band membersrunning for a touchdown.'

Still, the NCAA voted in 1991 to restrict Division I schools.Beginning in 1993, they could no longer play Division III infootball. Some called it the Dayton Rule, as the Flyers had a 158-29-3 record since eliminating scholarships in 1977.

'I was relieved,' Kelly said. 'We were tired of trying to defendwhat we were doing even though we were doing exactly what everyoneelse was doing. Could we take a recruit to see Dayton-Notre Dame inbasketball? Sure we could. But now we didn't have to face thecriticism and we could focus on football.'

Facing challenges

The D-III football refugees included Dayton, Butler, Drake,Evansville, San Diego and Valparaiso, so the six schools joined toform the Pioneer Football League. If nothing else, the leagueprovided a chance for a championship, as the teams were now barredfrom the Division III playoffs.

'The league was created by necessity,' said Ted Kissell, the UDathletic director. 'It was without historical rivals, withouttradition, but with essentially a common problem, as we wanted tocontinue to play this brand of football. The rug had been pulled outfrom under us, all of us. The challenge there is keeping the fansinvolved as much as recruiting players.'

Dayton didn't stop winning. From 1993-96, its first six seasonsplaying I-AA nonscholarship football, the Flyers went 37-5 beforeclaiming I-AA Mid-Major national titles in 2002 and '07.

But many consider Kelly's greatest achievement his ability, as anassistant and head coach, to guide the program through two majorchanges and preserve its place as one of the winningest programs inall of college football.

'One of the best things Coach Kelly did was keep his playersfocused at all times,' said former quarterback Brian Kadel, who wasa sophomore when the Flyers moved into I-AA and was the team MVP in1995.

'We didn't even think two weeks out. We focused on the calls,blocking and tackling; that was it. That's why he was alwayssuccessful.'

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7389 orknagel@DaytonDailyNews.com.

The modern era of UD football

Although the University of Dayton fielded its first football teamin 1905, the 'modern era' began when Harry Baujan coached the firstof his 24 seasons in 1923. From there, UD went through threeseparate incarnations of football: major college and Division I,Division III and nonscholarship Division I-AA.

Mike Kelly, who retired this week after 27 seasons, arrived at UDas an assistant during its first season in D-III, and he guided theFlyers through some significant changes.

Division I (or major college): 1923-1976 Record: 249-231-20

Coaches: Harry Baujan (1923-46), Joe Gavin (1947-53), Hugh Devore(1954), Bud Kerr (1956-59), Stan Zajdel (1960-62), Pete Ankney (1963-64), John McVay (1965-72), Ron Marciniak (1973-76)

Significant season: In 1951, Dayton went 7-2 and played in theSalad Bowl, where it lost to Houston 26-21.

Division III: 1977-1992 Record: 158-29-3

Change: The program dropped its 40 scholarships to participate inthe nonscholarship D-III without a winning season in Division I in10 years and a 39-54-3 record in that time.

Coaches: Rick Carter (1977-80), Mike Kelly (1981-92)

Significant season: In 1980, Dayton went 14-0 and won the D-IIInational championship. Carter left for Holy Cross the next season,and Kelly was promoted to head coach.

Division I-AA nonscholarship: 1993-present Record: 127-32

Change: The NCAA disallowed schools from upper divisionscompeting in D-III for football, which made UD one of a handful ofschools to play Division I football without scholarships. And, therewas no longer a playoff.

Coach: Mike Kelly (1993-2007)

ESPN program to examine sellout streak ; 'Outside the Lines' sees 'unique sports story' in the Dragons' success. - Dayton Daily News (Dayton, OH)

DAYTON -- Their record sellout streak has brought nationalattention to the Dayton Dragons. It continues today with ESPNjumping back into the mix.

Team president Bob Murphy and part owner Earvin 'Magic' Johnsonwill be interviewed at 3 p.m. on 'Outside the Lines' by Steve Bunin,who is filling in for vacationing host Bob Ley.

'It's a unique sports story that we thought was worth discussingwith a national audience,' said Dwayne Bray, the show's seniorcoordinating producer.

On July 9, during a game against the Peoria Chiefs, the Dragonsattracted the 815th consecutive sellout to Fifth Third Field,surpassing the professional sports record established by the NBA'sPortland Trail Blazers. The streak grew to 827 on Tuesday as theDragons opened a series with the West Michigan Whitecaps.

'This is just another opportunity to shine a positive light onthe community and talk about the great fans of Dayton,' Murphy said.

Bray, a former Kettering resident and Dayton Daily News sportseditor, attended the Dragons' first game -- their first sellout --on April 27, 2000, and has marveled at the streak's progress sinceleaving Dayton in August of that year. That it's lasted this long is'further proof that some of the country's best baseball fans live inthe Miami Valley,' he said.

For the Dragons, national exposure is becoming old hat. In recentweeks, their streak has been the subject of stories in The New YorkTimes, Sports Illustrated, Street & Smith's Sports-Business Journal,The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Baseball America. CNN washere when the record fell, and ESPN showed a clip on SportsCenter ofthe July 23 celebration when Johnson appeared.

The Dragons, who hired a public relations firm to get the wordout, say the streak has garnered more than 235 million worldwide'media impressions,' which refers to circulation of all outlets thatpicked up the story (web hits, newspaper subscribers, radiolisteners, TV viewers).

'We've been able to track it,' said Tom Nichols, director ofmedia relations and broadcasting. 'We have a list of everynewspaper, TV station and web site that picked it up. It's prettyimpressive when you consider there were a number of Canadian outletsthat picked it up, and all over the U.S., from Seattle to Kissimmee(Fla.).'

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2408 or smcclelland@DaytonDailyNews.com

Burick scholarship deadline is March 31 - Dayton Daily News (Dayton, OH)

Applications are being accepted for the annual Si BurickJournalism Scholarship.

The scholarship, now in its 20th year, is named for Si Burick,legendary Dayton Daily News sports writer and editor for 58 years whoalso was a WHIO radio and TV personality.

Burick wrote his first sports story for the Daily News when he was16, and became sports editor when he was 19. He remained with thenewspaper until his death in 1986. He wrote four to seven columns andstories a week, and his ability to attract local and national readersled to his being elected by his peers in 1982 and inducted to thewriters' wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.

The scholarship, aimed at helping students who are interested injournalism, is awarded by the Dayton Foundation from an endowmentcontributed to by individuals and corporations in Burick's memory.

Si Burick scholars can also participate in the Mickey Davis SummerInternship program, which is available to recipients during theirfour years in college.

Davis, a reporter, editor and columnist for the Journal Herald andDaily News, died in 1997. He was one of the first Burick scholarshipjudges.

Students in Montgomery, Greene, Miami, Butler, Shelby, Darke,Preble and Warren counties are eligible. The scholarship goes towardfirst-year college tuition.

Burick scholarship deadline set - Dayton Daily News (Dayton, OH)

Applications are being accepted for the annual Si BurickJournalism Scholarship.

The scholarship, now in its 20th year, is named for Si Burick,legendary Dayton Daily News sports writer and editor for 58 years whoalso was a WHIO radio and TV personality.

Burick wrote his first sports story for the Daily News when he was16, and became sports editor when he was 19. He remained with thenewspaper until his death in 1986.

He wrote four to seven columns and stories a week, and his abilityto attract local and national readers led to his being elected by hispeers to the writers' wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1979.

The scholarship, aimed at helping students interested injournalism, is awarded by the Dayton Foundation from an endowmentcontributed to by individuals and corporations in Burick's memory.

Si Burick scholars can also participate in the Mickey Davis SummerInternship program, available to recipients during college.

Davis, a reporter, editor and columnist for the Journal Herald andDaily News, died in 1997 and was one of the first Burick scholarshipjudges.

Students in Montgomery, Greene, Miami, Butler, Shelby, Darke,Preble and Warren counties are eligible. The scholarship goes towardfirst-year college tuition.

'Brownie' lives on in hearts of baseball buffs The Ray Brown Memorial Fund honors the Negro League pitcher and Hall of Fame inductee. - Dayton Daily News (Dayton, OH)

He remembers the first black man -- the only black man -- he metwhile growing up in his all-white Miamisburg surroundings in the1950s and early '60s.

'His name was Brownie. He and my grandfather were friends andthey'd come to my great aunt and uncle's farm in Jefferson Township,'said Farmersville realtor and auctioneer Doug Sorrell. 'Mygrandfather ran the carton division at Sunshine Biscuits and Brownieworked there.

'As I think back to those times and what a unique friendship thatwas, I believe part of their bond was built on baseball.'

Doug said his grandfather -- Art Sorrell -- had been a catcherwith the Dayton Ducks, and his dad, Billy, was drafted by the NewYork Giants before World War II and Philadelphia after it.

Following spring training with the Phillies, Billy was offered aminor league contract by the club and a big ultimatum by hisgirlfriend, Dorla Yoder.

'Mom told him it was either baseball or her,' Doug laughed. 'Theywere married 56 years when he died a couple years ago. He used toalways tease, 'If I'd stuck (with baseball), I might be managing theReds today.'

It was against that baseball background that Doug met Brownie, andthe two often played pitch at the farm.

'He was a pleasant man, but I never knew his full name or anythingabout his past,' Doug said. 'Then I read the story last week aboutRay Brown, the Negro League pitcher going into the Hall of Fame andbeing buried in that unmarked grave (at Green Castle Cemetery) herein Dayton.

'When I saw he worked at Sunshine Biscuits, a light went on.Brownie? Ray Brown? It had to be the same guy. Right then I knew Ihad to do something so he wouldn't be forgotten.'

Many people -- people who care about their fellow man, people wholove baseball, people who have had good things happen to them -- feelthe same way, so Fifth Third Bank has agreed to help. StartingWednesday, each of the bank's 62 branches will begin acceptingdonations to the Ray Brown Memorial Fund.

Back in May, before the groundswell began, Nita Jennings readanother column on Brown and sent money directly to the cemetery whereit's being held.

'I'm just an old lady -- I'm almost 80 -- but I wanted to dosomething because I fell in love with the game when I was a littlegirl.

'My daddy took me to everything. We were very poor, we didn't havea car, but we rode the street car to Ducks Park and other places intown. I remember seeing Satchel Paige, Johnny Vander Meer, FrankMcCormick, a lot of ballplayers here.

'When I was 11, I won a radio contest (Dayton Daily News sportseditor) Si Burick had. It was done like a spelling bee. They'd askthings like what's so-and-so's batting average and I had a lot offacts and figures in my head. For winning I got two ($1.75) ticketsto the All-Star game in Cincinnati and $5. We took the Greyhoundthere, bought a program for 25 cents, ate hot dogs and came home withchange.'

She studied her young-girl penmanship from her line-up card thatday and read off the names of some of the greats she saw: JoeDiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Leo Durocher, Charlie Gehringer, Jimmy Foxx,Joe Cronin, Hack Wilson, Mel Ott, Ernie Lombardi...

'You always remember the great ball players,' she said. 'Ray Brownshould be remembered, too.'

As for Dayton attorney Steve Dankof, his interest in the NegroLeagues was spurred by his son, Steve Jr., who played on the OakwoodHigh School team that won state in 1997.

'His baseball got him to Yale and that got him to law school atOhio State,' said Dankof, whose son just passed the bar and willbegin work with top Dayton attorney Dave Greer.

'A lot of people took an interest in my son along the way, so youdo the same,' Dankof said. 'And for his senior thesis, Steve wroteabout the Negro Leagues. He educated me on the guys left on thefringes, guys like Ray Brown.'

Born in the small Hardin County town of Alger, Brown attendedWilberforce University and played his entire Negro League career withthe Pittsburgh-based Homestead Grays.

A right-hander with a vicious curve, he threw a perfect gameagainst the Chicago American Giants, one-hit Birmingham in the NegroLeague World Series and no-hit the New York Yankees in Puerto Rico.

He led the Grays to eight pennants in nine years, ended up secondin the Negro Leagues' lifetime winning percentage, fifth in victoriesand was just as big a star in Cuba and is in its Hall of Fame.

On July 4, 1935, he married Ethel Posey -- daughter of Grays'owner Cum Posey -- in a ceremony at home plate. Although that unionwould eventually end in divorce -- Brown would go on to Canada andeventually settle in Dayton from the mid-1950s until his death in1965 -- it did produce one child, Truman Posey Brown, who is now 64,mentally handicapped and lives near Pittsburgh. Ethel died severalyears ago.

At last Sunday's Hall of Fame ceremonies in Cooperstown, where CumPosey also was enshrined, Truman was escorted onto the stage bycousin Michael Flagg and accepted his dad's award.

Another cousin in attendance, Nancy Boxill, a Fulton County (Ga.)commissioner, said she'd heard family stories of Ray Brown, but hadnever known him and had no idea he was buried in Dayton in anunmarked grave. Once she heard how the community is responding, shesaid she hopes the family can join the effort:

'It sounds like people there really want to do something special.'

She's right and Dankof, like many of us, thinks this effort couldbe something people in the community could be proud of.

From the people who already have asked to take part -- thosemaking financial pledges to a guy who'd like to help the cashstrappedcemetery keep the grass mowed around Brown's grave -- I've heardplenty of stories of neighborly embrace and love of baseball.

And that reminded me of something Nita Jennings said as shegleefully recounted that contest she won so many years ago,

'Just a little girl beating all those folks,' she laughed, 'I wasquite the talk of the town back then.... That's probably my bestbaseball moment.'