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Scott Schild
NYCBL BASEBALL: Ebers energizes Power pitchers
When Eric Ebers speaks, his pitchers listen. Sounds simple, but often times summer-league coaching goes in one ear and out the other.
Then again, when your pitching coach was part of an SEC championship-winning staff at Mississippi State and later pitched a handful of seasons professionally in the Independent leagues, absorbing as much information as possible is probably the best course of action.
“Everybody on this pitching staff respects him, where he’s been and what he’s done as a player,” Niagara Power hurler Matt Schimpf said of his pitching coach. “He’s not treating it like a summer league. He wants us to get better so that when we go back to our respective schools, we’re better than when we left.”
Third-year Power skipper Sam Kirby also had high praise for Ebers, who currently teaches and coaches in the Columbus (Miss.) School District.
“He is the most prepared pitching coach I’ve ever coached with at any level,” Kirby said. “Guys definitely respect his knowledge and experience, but they also know he genuinely cares about them and how they can get better.”
Ebers believes the key to pitching is the ability to process information quickly, something he has been doing ever since playing for the legendary Ron Polk at Mississippi State. He’s brought that message to his pitchers — and coaches — on a daily basis while with Niagara.
“Every day he’s comes in with unique stats like first-pitch strikes with nobody on or on-base percentage for opponents with a full count,” Kirby said. “He really pays attention to detail and then communicates the information to his pitchers well.”
His philosophy appears to be working as Niagara’s top three pitchers Anthony Cimabue, Shelby Robertson and Schimpf each have a sub-3.00 ERA. Ebers credits the hard work his starters have put in in between starts.
“I love their work ethic and attitude,” the coach said. “They’re buying into the program and it’s beginning to lead to some nice things. They’ve become accountable and are showing that seven solid innings is something that can be done every time out.”
And while Ebers is currently focused on helping the Power staff improve, he’s also got an eye on his coaching future. With his wife, Katie, set to finish veterinarian school, he’s hoping to land a job in the collegiate ranks.
If Kirby, an assistant at Western Oregon, has any say, that will be sooner rather than later.
“When I hopefully get a head coaching job, he’s going to be my first call,” Kirby said.
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Bleumink leads Porter Cup after first-round 64
LEWISTON — Luke Bleumink weathered the wind and beat the rain to take a one-shot lead on the opening day of the 52nd Porter Cup at Niagara Falls Country Club.
Bleumink, 25, an Australian playing here for the third year in a row, shot a 6-under-par 64 on Wednesday highlighted by an eagle on the third hole.
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NFCC rolls out repaired greens at Porter Cup
LEWISTON — Heading into the Fourth of July weekend, Steve Denn was confident that this year’s Porter Cup was going to be a success.
Then the sprinklers at Niagara Falls Country Club started spewing fertilizer on the carefully manicured greens.
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Flynn surgery deemed successful
Niagara Falls native Jonny Flynn underwent successful surgery on his left hip Tuesday in Colorado that could sideline him for the start of his second season in the NBA.
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It's all work for Gailey in bid to rebuild Bills
After a little over a month off since the end of minicamps, the work for the Bills begins in earnest Thursday when the team opens training camp at St. John Fisher College in suburban Rochester.
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Wilson's Geltz promoted to Double A
Wilson native Steve Geltz continued his climb in the Los Angeles Angels farm system last week when he was promoted to the team’s affiliate in Arkansas.
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McDonald dances for cameras, delivers for Power
Even though McDonald’s life mostly revolves around baseball, he has one interesting hobby that would seem quite out of the ordinary for a baseball player — making dance videos.
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Report: Flynn to miss 3-4 months
According to a Yahoo! Sports writer, Niagara Falls product Jonny Flynn won’t be in the lineup when his second National Basketball Association season starts.
Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports said via Twitter on Monday night that Flynn will likely miss three to four months due to a hip problem that will require surgery.
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Petrosian, locals excited about Cup
When Matt Petrosian got the call — the one he’d dreamed about as a little kid growing up just below the hill in Lewiston — he was standing, appropriately enough, in a golf course pro shop.
The Lewiston-Porter graduate works at nearby Niagara Frontier Country Club in Youngstown and when Marty Shimmel of the Porter Cup organizing committee called to see if Petrosian might be interested in participating in this week’s tournament, he got an emotional reaction.
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New book brings Porter Cup history to life
Former Gazette sports editor’s narrative covers tourney’s first 50 years
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Locals gleam with Empire State Games medals
The Western-most Westerners — athletes from the Niagara Falls area — helped the host region win the medal count at the Empire State Games, which concluded Sunday.
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