Fairfax Nationals Collegiate Baseball Team
Clark Griffith Collegiate Baseball League

July 2, 2009
Cards Edge Nats 4-3
Well Played Battle Leaves Nats Just Short

Despite solid pitching by Mike Backes and a huge blast from Nick Lovett, the boys from Fairfax could not overcome the Cards, playing in their home stadium in Waldorf, MD. Details to come in a later edition.

Friday night see the boys playing a twin bill against the first place Senators in Vienna tonight.

July 1, 2009
Game Suspended In 9th After Lights Out
Nats Leading 10-7 When Play Suspended..Completion Scheduled for Later

A srong outing by Chason Choate went for naught when the Grays rebounded on Nats relievers following a rain delay. With the offense working hard, the lights stopped the game, which was at Maury Wills Stadium in Washinton DC. More details as they pour in...

June 30, 2009
Nats Lose Another to Pirates
4 Errors in 8th Doom Fairfax 7-4

After a shaky first inning, Kyle Paplow pitched effectively to help keep the Nats even with the Pirates for most of the game. Matt Nodelman, Max Langford and Mark Montgomery all pitched well in relief, and Aaron Miller, Keith Morrisroe and Johnny Bladel had solid at bats. But it was the eight inning nightmare that started the end for the Nats. The Pirates scored 3 runs on 1 hit to seal the victory. The boys return to action tonight against the Grays in Washington DC.

June 27, 2009
Nats Hammered by Cardinals
Nothing Worked in 15-5 Loss

Two nights after beating the Cardinals by 10-1, Southern Maryland returned the favor yesterday in Lorton, Va. Playing in the midst of the historical Lorton Prison grounds, which feature guard towers pre-dating the Civil War, the Cards scored early and often en route to easy victory. Few things went right for the hometown boys on this sunny afternoon, as they allowed 11 unearned runs.

June 27, 2009
Nats Rumble Past Renegades
Good Pitching and Timely Hitting Make Difference

Another night at Madison and another victory for the hometown boys, this time against an overmatched Howard County Renegades from the Maryland Colleage Baseball League. Starting pitcher Randy Leeson (Missouri Baptist) struggled with his command but limited the Renegades to 1 run over 4 innings. Branden Bartlett (George Mason) came in relief and looked sharp. Matt Nodleman (Presbyterian) had an easy 7th, while Max Langford (Dartmouth) made short work of the last 2 innings, relying on his exceptional fast ball. Several Nats made strong statements at the plate, headed by Montgomery College's Alex Siegle's 2-run blast to right field in the 4th. Brig Tison (George Mason), playing on his high school field, tripled in 2 runs in the same inning. Our other Alex (Swenson from Jacksonville) hammered a 2 RBI double in the 8th to put the game out of reach.

The boys head to prison Sunday to face the Cardinals at 4:30. Game time of our schedule page is incorrect. The field is located on 8400 Lorton Road, just off Silverbrook in Fairfax County.

June 26, 2009
Nats Roll Over Southern Maryland 10-1
Team Firing On All Cylinders

Facing a team likely tired from a busy week of baseball, the Nats played a compete game tonight at Madison Field in Vienna. Chason Choate pitched 6 strong innings, allowing a single unearned run in the first inning, but cruising on his way to an easy victory. Davis Hall and Drew Lowry finished off the game by holding the Cards scoreless.

The boys return to Madison Saturday night for an interleague game against the Howard County Renegades. On sunday, the Nats play the Cardinals again at Laurel Hill, on the historic former prison grounds.

Click on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AieAVre_wno

for a video interview of Coach Nolan.

June 25, 2009
Nats Lose Close One to Pirates
Lost Opportunties and Mental Mistake Prove Costly

Once again the Nats had their chances, but lack of timely hitting and another pick-off made the difference in this close contest at Paul VI in Fairfax, VA. Kyle Paeplow suffered his first lost but generally looked good, as did Mike Backes and Branden Bartlett in relief. Alex Swenson and Aaron Miller had 2 hits in the losing cause. But it took a spectacular play by the Pirates to save them the game. In the ninth, Swenson doubled to start the inning, followed by a pinch hit single by Brig Tyson, one out later both were in scoring position when Kouril's sinking line drive was snared by a diving center center. His risky play made the difference by saving 2 runs.

The boys return to Madison tonight and Saturday night, then at the former historical Lorton prision grounds for a sunday affair.

June 23, 2009
Nats Shut Out Cards
Pitching and Hitting in Sync

On a pleasant evening at Regency Stadium, Fairfax pounded out 14 hits to overpower the Cardinals. Joshua White (Gardner-Webb) picked up the victory by hurling 6 2/3 shut out innings. He was followed by Matt Nodleman (Presbyterian) and Max Langford (Dartmouth) and closer Mark Montgomery (Longwood). Nats pitchers did not yield a walk while every player recorded at least one hit. Trice Powers (Tennessee Tech) had 2 as did several others, including Mike Stancik (Longwood) who also legged out a triple.

The boys are off Wednesday, but begin a long stretch of games leading up to the all star break.

June 23, 2009

Notes on schedule change. The July 3 game with the Senators in Vienna will be a double header. After 2 days off, the boys travel to MD to play the Cardinals at Regency Furniture Stadium. Directions are on the league website and our website. Stadium address is: 11765 St. Linus Drive, Waldorf, MD 20602.

June 20, 2009
Nats Upended by Senators 13-2
Nothing Goes Right In Biggest Loss in 3 Years

On a beutiful night in Vienna, VA, all phases of the Nats game went awry as Vienna pulled away early and often. The boys hoped to rebound Saturday night against Gaithersburg but once the rain gods would show no mercy.

June 18, 2009
Nats Split With Cards
Nats Shut Out 5-0 In First Game, Win 4-3 in Second

Kyle Paeplow (Gardner-Webb) struggled in the first game with Randy Leeson (Missouri Baptist) looking strong in relief. In Game 2, Max Langford (Dartmouth) and closer Mark Montgomery (Longwood) made the difference. Nick Caito (St Leo) went 2 for 3. More details later.

June 16, 2000

No game tonight, which will be made up as a double header this thursday in Maryland. Instead, Coach Nolan ordered a 9 am workout at local field, followed by a 7 pm workout at McLean high school. Nolan was not especially happy after the Nats turned an easy victory into a very sloppy loss last night against the Grays in Washington DC. With most players getting home around midnight, the early session was designed as a wake up call. Nats fans needed not worry, they'l live.

June 14, 2009

Nats lose close one to Pirates 4-3

On a nice June Sunday, Chason Choate (Texas Tech) has a strong outing, giving up 3 earned runs over 6 innings, but the an error led to an unearned run which made the difference. Matt Nodleman (Presbyterian) and Davis Hall (Tennessee) pitched scoreless innings to keep the Pirates at bay.

Johnny Bladel (James Madison) continued his strong hitting with 2 more. Mike Stancik (Longwood) added another RBI in this low scoring affair.

The boys are off to DC on Monday to play the DC Grays. Their Tuesday game with the Cards is cancelled and they will play 2 Thursday against the Cards at Riverdale Baptist in Maryland.

Note: box scores for all the games are found on the league web site: clarkgriffithbaseball.com.

June 12 2009

Nats Drub Maryland Orioles 8-0
Undefeated Oriols Limted to 2 Hits by Paeplow and White

Kyle Paeplow (Gardner-Webb) picked up his first victory with another strong performance, limiting the Orioles to 1 hit over 5 innings while striking out 8. Paeplow has yet to give up a run. Josh White (Gardner-Webb) pitched the remaining 3 scoreless innings. The Gardner- Webb show continued with Aaron Miller (Gardner-Webb) scoring 3 times, had a coupla hits, and stole some bases to rattlle Maryland the whole game.

The game was shortened to 8 innings when the umpires heard lightening off in the distance, panicked, and halted the action.

June 12, 2000

Nats Rally To Beat DC Grays in 11 Innings
Fairfax Overcomes Grand Slam to Push Across Winning Run In Extra Inning Thriller

In a game with many clutch plays, brilliant pitching, and timely hitting, the boys from Fairfax notched their first victory in exciting fashion. With 40 fans in attendance on a warm but comfortable evening in Fairfax, the Nats looked good after 4 innings with a 3-1 lead. Davis Hall (Tennessee) was sharp for his 2 inning stint. Drew Lowry (University of Richmond) followed by pitching 2 perfect innings, his first mound appearance since high school. Johnny Bladel (Johnny Bladel) had a big night with a 3 for 4 performance and pitched a flawless 10th and 11th inning to notch the victory.

Mike Montgomery (Longwood), slated to be our closer, worked 2 perfect innings, striking out 5 of the 6 batters he faced. Branden Bartlett (George Mason) allowed a grand slam in the 5th, but worked 2 perfect innings later.

Trice Powers (Tennessee Tech) made another sparkling play at third, and earned high praise by knocking in the winning run in the bottom of the 11th. Keith Morrisroe (Concord) also had a 3 hit night and Richie Brown smacked a home run. Brig Tison (George Mason) had 2 hits, one of which was a pretty single to the right side on a hit- and- run in the deciding 11th inning to set up the winning play.

After the game, Coach Nolan said the boys played a great game, obviously pleased with the cluth hitting, reat defense and some outstanding pitching when it was needed. He saw this game as a momentum swing going into the weekend.

June 11, 2009

Nats Drop First Three Games To Start Season
Close Losses Show Good Pitching but Inconsistent Hitting

After several days of rain and lots of field work, the season finally got underway on Monday. Some fine pitching performances dominated the first three games while the Nats hitting form has yet to show itself. Base running mistakes have also been costly, as several good scoring chances vanished in the wake of costly mental errors.

The Nats lost the first game 2-4 against the Pirates on a pleasant evening in Fairfax. Kyle Paeplow (Gardner-Webb) started and looked very sharp, pitching 3 hitless innings. Davis Hall (Tennessee) followed and was rusty, not having pitched all season. Branden Bartlett (George Mason) closed with 3 solid innings, allowing 1 one. Alex Swenson (Jacksonville) has 3 hits and Mike Stancik (Longwood) 2 hits to lead all hitters.

The Nats lost their second game to Vienna by the same 2-4 score the next night at home in Fairfax. Nat's pitchers held Vienna scoreless through 7 innings, led by Chason Choate (Tennessee Tech) 5 scoreless innings. All the Senator's run came on one hit--a grand slam--in the 7th. Johnny Bladel (James Madison) started the game and pitched one inning before a 2 hour rain delay finished his evening. Matt Nodelman (Presbyterian) was victimized by the home run, and Josh White (Gardner-Webb) pitched a perfect ninth.

On Wednesday, yet another soggy evening characterized the evening as the Southern Maryland Cardinals jumped ahead 3 zip and the game was called after 5 innings. Michael Backes (Lake Erie) and Randy Leeson (Missouri Baptist) shared mound duties and both were sharp at times but struggled with their rhythm.

The Nats return to Fairfax tonight to face the DC Grays, but as usual these past few weeks, rain is in the forecast....

June 5,2009

Opening Night Washed Out
Saturday Game Also Gone

The tsunami that is currently hovering over the Metro area is wreaking havoc on the baseball season. No game on Friday, nor on Saturday given the conditions and that our field is out for other reasons. We don't play Sunday, unless we find a suitable field that is dry.

The boys are praticing tonight at an indoor facility, as well as Saturday (Saturday, from 1-2:30. It is at an indoor facility, Diamond Elite, http://www.diamondelite.com/. The address is 21598 Atlantic Blvd
Sterling, VA 20166. It is off Rte 28, just South of Rte 7, near the Dulles Town Center).

Stay tuned for schedule changes...

May 19, 2009

Nationals Closing In On Opening Day
Players to Report June 3

With the beginning of the 2009 season right around the corner, our roster is essentially complete. The Nats feature a new coaching staff (see below) and will play home games on a variety of local fields, as our home venue is undergoing renovation. Click on Roster for updates. The season starts Friday June 5, against returning champion Vienna Senators. The season ends July 31. This year, 38 regular season games are scheduled, with a double elimination post season tournament. The League Champion will advance to a second tournament in Pennsylvania in early August for those able to attend.

Players are expected to report June 3, at Fairfax High School in Fairfax VA at 5 pm. Click on Field Directions for directions to Fairfax High. A warm up game is scheduled for June 4, and the season starts the following day in Vienna. Click on the schedule tab for details, along with the updated roster tab.

As reported before, the Southern Maryland Cardinals have joined the Clark Griffith League for 2009 campaign. The Cardinal's home field is Regency Stadium, home of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Pioneer League, owned by Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson. Robinson is a long time friend of the Fairfax Nationals and plays in National's owner Robert Duff's annual charity golf tournament.

The 2009 schedule is now up and running, but still has many tentative field dates.

Nationals John Nolan Has Assembled Impressive Staff of College and Professional Experience

Head Coach and Catholic University assistant coach John Nolan has put together a strong team to manage the Nats this summer. John played and coached in the League and his assistants have college coaching and professional experience.

-- John pitched for St. Bonaventure University from 2004-2006 and helped guide the team to the Atlantic Ten Championship and to the NCAA Regionals. John is also a Camp Instructor for Ross Natoli Baseball Camps and TPX Top 96 camps. He also played in the Florida Instructional League. He has a Bachelors in History, and is working on a Masters at George Mason University. He lives in Chantilly, VA.

Joining coach Nolan are Nick Sussman, Bernie Dennis, and John Dowling.

--Nick will serve as the team’s Hitting Coach. He is currently an assistant coach at San Diego City College, where he works with hitters, catchers, and infielders. This past summer Nick was a player/coach for a semi-pro team in the Swedish Independent League that he help guide to a championship. His past coaching experience includes, American Legion, RBI Baseball in Washington DC, and various skills camps. He is from Chevy Chase, Maryland and played in the Clark Griffith League in 2002. Nick is a graduate of Kenyon College (OH) where he received a BA in Sociology.

-- Bernie is an Assistant Coach at Catholic University and a head instructor at the Virginia Baseball Club. He played professionally from 2005-2008, spending the 2008 season with Wichita (KS) of the American Association. He split the 2007 season between Slipper Rock (PA) of the Frontier League and San Angelo (TX) of the United League. Bernie finished the 2006 season in the championship with Fullerton (CA) of the Golden League. He also spent 2005-2006 in the Milwaukee Brewer farm system. Bernie played for Catholic University from 2001-2004 where he lettered for four years as a catcher and pitcher. Like Coach Nolan, Bernie played in the Clark Griffith League, with both the Arlington Senators and Baltimore Pride. Originally from Arlington, VA.

--John coaches at Forest Park High School in Woodbridge, VA. He pitched for Ithaca College where he also earned a Bachelors and later a Masters at Syracuse. He started his coaching career in New York, coaching high performing youth teams. John earned numerous academic awards in college while becoming among the all-time leaders in career saves for Ithaca.

Final League Standings-2008

Volunteers Needed

Be a part of the Fairfax Nationals by volunteering. Our needs rang from web page development, stories, and game day activities. We especially need player host families for 2009. Call Gary Boss on 703-201-3346. This is a great way to contribute to college baseball and enjoy yourself at the same time.

The Fairfax Nationals are a premier wood bat college summer league team competing in the 64 year-old Clark Griffith Collegiate Baseball League. The League operates in the Washington, DC metropolitan area and has a long tradition of preparing college players for their collegiate and professional careers. Go to www.clarkgriffithbaseball.com for more information on one the Nation's oldest summer college leagues.

If you would like to be part of the Fairfax Nationals, as a volunteer, trainer, intern, sponsor, or as part of the investor/ownership group, please contact Gary Boss at garyboss@fairfaxnationals.com.

Robert Duff (RDuff@FedComp.com) is Owner and Chairman of the Fairfax Nationals Collegiate Baseball Team. He is also founder of FedComp (www.fedcomp.com ), provider of software services to the credit union industry, and founder of Diamond Dream Foundation, a charitable organization that supports baseball charities. The foundation operates an annual golf tournament with participation by dozens of ex-professional and members of baseball Hall of Fame.