BETHEL COLLEGE NEWS

[Bethel] Ron Paulsen Memorial Grant to be Awarded at Halftime this Saturday (Click Here to View) The announcement of the Ron Paulsen Memorial Grant male and female recipients will announced at halftime of this Saturday's men's basketball contest versus Cardinal Stritch University.  In addition, all 14 finalists and their families will be recognized.  The game begins at 3:00 pm.

 

OTHER BETHEL COLLEGE NEWS

[Men's Basketball] Homer Drew Receives Wooden 'Keys to Life' Award
Former Bethel College men's basketball coach and Hall of Fame member, Homer Drew was honored this past weekend at the NCAA Final Four with the 2012 Coach John Wooden ‘Keys to Life" Award.


[Baseball] Baseball Loses Two at Taylor
The Bethel College baseball team dropped their fourth consecutive game to Taylor University on Saturday afternoon after losing both games of the doubleheader.  The Pilots fell in game one by the score of 4-2 before losing game two 10-1.


[Softball] Softball Opens MCC Play with Sweep of Mount Vernon Nazarene
The Bethel College softball team's season long hitting slump came to an end in a big way on Saturday as the Pilots took both games of a doubleheader by scores of 7-2 and 16-0.The day got off to a shaky start as Mount Vernon blasted a two run home run in the bottom of the first inning off starter Natalie Newell to take the early lead.


[Men's Golf] Klotz Earns Third Place Finish, Team Fourth at Capital Purple and White
Brady Klotz shot 71-75-146 to earn a third place finish at the Capital University Purple and White Invitational in Lockbourne, Ohio on Saturday afternoon.


[Women's Golf] Women's Golf Wins Capital University Purple and White Invitational
Jessica Layman, Melanie Day, Katie Powell, and Sarah Henderson finished second through fifth respectively to lead the Lady Pilots to a first place team finish at the Capital University Purple and White Invitational in Lockbourne, Ohio on Saturday.The Pilots shot 326-311-637 to win the event.


[Men's Outdoor Track & Field] Track and Field Teams Sweep Goshen College Invitational
Complete ResultsThe Bethel College Track and Field teams swept the Goshen College Invitational on Saturday afternoon.  The Pilots won the six team men's meet with 251 points over Trine University in second with 167.5 points.  The Lady Pilots won the seven team women's meet with 272 point over second place Trinity Christian with 100 points.


[Baseball] Baseball Swept at Home by Taylor
The Bethel College baseball team suffered its eighth consecutive loss after being swept in a doubleheader against Taylor University by scores of 6-2 and 9-1.Taylor jumped out to the early lead with four runs in the first inning off starter Elliot Rowe.  Rowe lasted six innings while giving up 11 hits and six earned runs in the loss.


[Baseball] Baseball Drops Sixth Straight
The Bethel College baseball team lost both ends of a doubleheader on Tuesday to Spring Arbor University by scores of 8-7 and 6-1.Game one started promising as the Pilots built a 5-2 lead after three innings of play. The Pilots extended that lead to 7-2 after a two run fifth, but fell apart allowing six runs over the final two innings to fall 8-7.


[Softball] Seven Errors Contribute to Softball's Split at Cornerstone
The Bethel College softball team was back on the road Tuesday and came away with a doubleheader split at Cornerstone University by score of 6-2 and 3-4.Natalie Newell struck out 14 batters in the opener to go the distance in the circle for the victory while seven Pilots recorded hits in the 6-2 win.


[Women's Basketball] Lady Pilots Collect Post Season Honors
Thanks to an incredible 2011-12 women's basketball season, which saw the Lady Pilots make a trip to the NAIA National Championship in Sioux City, Iowa, many players have been honored with post season awards.


[Baseball] Former Bethel Pitcher Justin Masterson Earns Opening Day Start for Cleveland Indians
by Paul R. Condry of RRSNThe Cleveland Indians announced that former Bethel College standout Justin Masterson will take the ball on "Opening Day" (April 5) when the Tribe face-off against the Toronto Blue Jays.  Last season, Masterson emerged as the Indians' most reliable starter after beginning the year in the rotation's third slot. Overall, the big right-hander went 12-10 with a 3.21 ERA over 34 appearances.  Masterson's win total would surely have been higher had it not been for a significant lack of run and defensive support throughout the year.  Masterson's numbers during the 2011 campaign were solid. The lanky 6-foot-6 right-hander posted career highs in strikeouts (158), wins (12), innings pitched (216) and games started (33).  His 3.21 ERA was the 12th best in the American League in 2011. These impressive totals allowed the 27-year old Masterson to sign an arbitration deal in the seven figure range during the off-season.


[Softball] Softball No Contest for Madonna
The Bethel College softball team dropped a road doubleheader to Madonna University on Saturday afternoon by score of 8-4 and 8-0.In game one, the Pilots fell down by a score of 3-0 after three innings but bounced back to take the lead with four runs in the top of the fifth inning.


[Baseball] Baseball Swept by Spring Arbor
Perennial MCC baseball power, Spring Arbor University flexed its muscle with a doubleheader sweep of the Bethel College baseball team by scores of 6-0 and 13-3 on Saturday afternoon in Mishawaka.The Pilots had five hits in the opener but failed to push across a run in the 6-0 game one loss.


[Track & Field] Pilot Track and Field Program Wins 21 Events to Kick Off Outdoor Season at ...
The Bethel College Track and Field teams won 21 events as a program at the Defiance College, Ohio Meet to kick off their outdoor season. The women were led by dual event winner, Cinnamon Green, and NAIA Outdoor National qualifier Kate Carr.  Green won the shot put at 12.55 and the discus at 30.00, while Carr won the pole vault at 3.60, which hit the NAIA Outdoor Nationals mark.  Other event winners on the track for the women were Betty Graber in the 100m at 13.04, Arielle Byl in the 200m at 27.14, Kaila Stevens in the 400m at 59.56, Keri Lencke in the 1500m at 5:02.82, Brittany Fabris in the 3K steeplechase at 12:44.70, Sam Etter in the 100m hurdles at 15.81, and Irene Kangai in the 400m hurdles at 1:05.69.  The other event winner in the field events was Caitlyn Ramirez in the triple jump at 9.74.  The Lady Pilots also won all three relays which included the 4x100m team of Stevens, Etter, Byl, and Graber at 49.76, the 4x400m relay team of Etter, Stevens, Kangai, and Rebecca Witzig at 4:09.77, and the 4x800m relay team of Lencke, Fabris, Ashley Baber, and Courtney Chapman at 10:52.71.  Kristen Zeilenga was runner up in two events, the 100m hurdles at 16.34 and the high jump at 1.52.


[Baseball] Baseball Swept by Grace
The Bethel College baseball team lost both ends of a doubleheader to Grace College in Winona Lake, Ind. on Thursday afternoon.The Pilots couldn't get much going offensively in the opener as they recorded five hits but were shutout 6-0 by Grace starter, Brad Heintz.


[Baseball] Baseball Splits MCC Opener with Grace
The Bethel College baseball team split its MCC opener on Tuesday afternoon by falling in game one by the score of 7-4 before bouncing back to pick up the 3-1 win in game two.Grace jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the opener with a big six run inning in the second off Bethel starter Brant Jones.  Jones lasted only 2.1 innings while allowing three hits and three walks and seven earned runs.


[Men's Tennis] Men's Tennis Signs Mason Heller
Leo High School (IN) senior, Mason Heller, has signed a national letter of intent to continue his academic and tennis career at Bethel College in the fall 2012. Mason has been a two-sport athlete at Leo High, participating in tennis and baseball. Mason earned second team all conference honors in 2011 playing the number two singles position, and help lead his team to the 2011 team conference championship. In addition, Mason was the recipient of the team's 2011 mental attitude award.


[Softball] Hedrick Shines as Softball Splits with Robert Morris
Jenny Hedrick drove in a run in the first inning and then again in the 13th inning to lead softball past Robert Morris University by the score of 2-1 in a 13 inning marathon on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately for the Pilots and starting pitcher Natalie Newell, Hedrick's two RBI's were bookends around 11 scoreless innings as the Bethel offense struggled to get much of anything going.Hedrick opened the scoring with her first collegiate homerun in the bottom of the first inning to give the Pilots the 1-0 advantage.Newell made that lead last through the first five innings as she mowed down Eagles with relative ease. In the sixth inning, however, Newell hit the leadoff batter.  The Eagles leadoff hitter then, moved to second after an error on a pickoff attempt.  A sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly followed to score the game tying run even though Robert Morris had only one hit on the day.


[Baseball] Baseball Takes Two from Lourdes
The Bethel College baseball team welcomed NAIA newcomer Lourdes University to Mishawaka on Thursday and came away with the doubleheader sweep by scores of 4-3 and 11-2.Jerrod Long earned the win in the opener by throwing 5.2 innings, allowing six hits and three runs. Long struggled early with control as he allowed four base on balls which helped Lourdes take a 2-1 advantage after two innings of play.


[Men's Basketball] Michiana McDonald's All-Stars Announced
The 2012 Michiana McDonald's High School All-Star rosters were announced today in preparation for the event taking place on Monday, March 26 at 7:00pm on the campus of Bethel College.


[Men's Tennis] Hamman Prevents Sweep as Men's Tennis Falls to Ohio Dominican 8-1
In the spring season opener for the Bethel College men's tennis team, the Pilots hosted the Ohio Dominican University Panthers (NCAA D-II). And the visitors from Columbus, Ohio claimed an 8-1 win over the Pilots


[Women's Basketball] Lady Pilots One and Done at NAIA National Championship
By Jake Knabel, NAIA Communications & Sports Information Intern Janelle Bagneski was a model of efficiency in pushing Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) to the second round of the State Farm-NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship. Bagneski's 20 points fueled the Wolves to a 71-58 victory over Bethel (Ind.) on Thursday.


[Men's Basketball] Bethel to host Michiana McDonald's All-Star game
Bethel College men's basketball coach Mike Lightfoot announced today that Bethel and McDonald's restaurants are teaming up to host the first annual Michiana McDonald's High School All-Star Game in late March at the Wiekamp Center.


[Baseball] Baseball Home Opener Moved Up to Wednesday
Baseball's home opener versus Concordia University scheduled for Thursday has been moved up to Wednesday, March 7 at 1:00 pm because of the potential for poor weather on Thursday.


[Baseball] Late Inning Collapse Costs Baseball Sweep of Holy Cross
Up four runs heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, the Bethel College Baseball team gave up five runs to fall to Holy Cross College by the score of 9-8 before salvaging game two of the doubleheader by the score of 7-6 in South Bend on Monday.The Pilots trailed by a run heading into the top of the sixth inning before they put up five runs to take the lead. The big inning started with a leadoff walk from Kyle Revella.  Drew Eads then laid down a bunt single.  A balk by the Holy Cross pitcher moved each runner up a base followed by an RBI bunt single from Jerrod Long.  Jonathan Shembarger followed that up with an RBI sacrifice.  Later, Casey Weaver singled to right field and Cody Nealeigh had an RBI double to left to account for the Pilots scoring.


[Baseball] Baseball Splits with Concordia
The Bethel College baseball team split a non-conference doubleheader with Concordia University on a blustery Wednesday afternoon in Mishawaka.  The Pilots dropped the first game by the score of 5-2 before capturing game two by the score of 8-7.Jerrod Long took the mound in the opener and took the loss throwing six innings while allowing five hits and five runs (four earned).The Pilots actually out-hit the Cardinals 7-5 but were only able to push across two runs on those seven hits while Concordia combined their five hits with six base on balls to account for their offensive output.


[Volleyball] Kevin Ulmer Named New Volleyball Coach
Bethel College Athletic Director Jody Martinez announced today that Kevin Ulmer has accepted the position as Head Volleyball Coach at Bethel College. Ulmer comes to Bethel after serving as an assistant coach at Georgetown College (Ky.) for the 2011 season.  At Georgetown, Kevin also taught in the kinesiology and health science department.


[Track & Field] Calen Boyd Becomes Bethel's Second to Earn All-American at NAIA Nationals
The 2012 NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships in Geneva, Ohio concluded on Saturday afternoon and the Bethel College Track and Field program claimed their second All-American in two days. On Friday, Kate Carr earned All-American honors for the Lady Pilots by placing 3rd in the nation in the women's pole vault clearing a mark of 3.75m. And on Saturday, Bethel's Calen Boyd also became an NAIA All-American by finishing 4th in the country in the men's triple jump with a mark of 14.90m. Boyd earned his honor by bettering his jump twice in succession in the finals. Elsewhere, Bethel's Cinnamin Green placed 10th in the nation in the women's shot put with a mark of 13.03m, and Robbie Rose finished 22nd in the country for the Pilots in the men's shot put with a mark of 14.62m.


[Track & Field] Kate Carr Earns All-American Honors at NAIA Indoor Nationals
The Bethel College track and field team is competing this weekend at the 2012 NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships in Geneva, Ohio and on Friday, Bethel's Kate Carr became an NAIA All-American by placing 3rd in the nation in the women's pole vault clearing a mark of 3.75m.


[Women's Basketball] Women's Basketball NAIA National Tournament Bracket Released
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has released its 32-team bracket for the 21st Annual State Farm-NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship. The Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena in Sioux City, Iowa, will host the event March 7 – 13. The Lady Pilots earned a No. 5 seed and will take on the No. 4 seed Cardinal Stritch University on Thursday at 6:15 p.m. Click here for the entire bracket.


[Softball] Softball Takes Two Nailbiters from Biola
The Bethel College softball team used solid pitching and timely hitting to sweep a doubleheader from RV Biola University on Thursday afternoon in La Mirada, Calif.Down three starters from Monday's season opener due to injury, the Pilots used a complete team effort to squeak out two road wins against a tough Biola University squad.


[Men's Tennis] Men's Tennis Signs Kyle Hanby
Cass City High School (MI) senior, Kyle Hanby, has signed a national letter of intent to continue his academic and tennis career at Bethel College in the fall 2012. Kyle has been a four-year varsity player at Cass City High School, playing doubles as a freshman, and singles his sophomore, junior and senior seasons. In 2010, Kyle earned first team all-conference playing at the number two singles position, helping his team to the league championship. Academically, Kyle has an interest in studying accounting and business."We are very pleased to be welcoming Kyle into our tennis program," stated Coach John Natali. "We know that Kyle is a very hard worker and will continue to improve his tennis game over the next four years. Furthermore, we feel that he will have an opportunity to contribute right away to the program's success in 2012."


[Softball] Softball Splits Doubleheader with No. 11 Azusa Pacific
Freshmen Natalie Newell couldn't ask for much more as her Pilots teammates staked her to a five run lead before she even stepped into the circle to make her collegiate pitching debut on Wednesday evening. Pitching with the lead and confidence, Newell did more than her part as she threw seven innings allowing five hits and striking out 11 en route to the complete game shutout victory.


[Softball] Softball Struggles in Season Opener at No. 8 Concordia
The No. 12 ranked Bethel College softball team opened up the 2012 campaign with a sloppy 8-0 loss to No. 8 ranked Concordia University on a rainy day in Irvine, Calif. on Monday.Playing their first game of the season against a talented and experienced Concordia University squad, the Pilots knew they would have to bring their "A" game to come away with a victory on the Eagles home field.  Unfortunately, just the opposite happened as defensive miscues and undisciplined hitting opened the door for the Concordia route.


[Baseball] Baseball Picks Up First Win on Day Two Split
The Bethel College baseball team played two nine innings games on day two of the Russ Matt Central Florida Invitational and picked up their first win of the season over Davenport University by the final score of 8-4.  Later Monday, the Pilots traveled to Lake Wales, Fla. to play Warner University on their home field and fell by the score of 5-2.


[Women's Basketball] Lady Pilots Battle But Fall in MCC Championship Game
In a matchup between the MCC's two top teams, NAIA No. 1 Indiana Wesleyan defeated No. 18 Bethel 68-56 to claim the Mid Central College Conference Championship. Both teams entered the contest already claiming automatic bids to the upcoming NAIA National Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa taking place March 7-13.


[Women's Basketball] Lady Pilots Advance to MCC Finale, Punch Ticket to NAIA Nationals
With an automatic spot in the upcoming NAIA National Tournament on the line, there were plenty of heroes Friday night in the Lady Pilots 60-47 semi-final victory over Huntington University. Junior sharpshooter Laura Johnson got things started quickly for Bethel, nailing two three pointers to give BC an early five point lead but it was the first half spark of freshman Chelsea Ward and the inspired play of senior center Sarah Clark that ignited the Lady Pilots in the first half. Ward and Clark came off the bench amidst BC foul trouble and combined for 15 first half points as Bethel finished the half on a 16-2 run and held a 36-22 lead at the break. Ward, stepping in at the point for the foul plagued Katy Stuppy, scored seven points and dished out two assists, while Clark, the Lady Pilots lone senior, was four for five from the floor for eight points. Bethel was 6 for 12 from behind the arc in the opening half and forced 13 Forester turnovers before the break.


[Track & Field] Track Teams Gear Up for NAIA Indoor Nationals in Ohio
The Bethel College men's and women's track and field program is gearing up for the NAIA Indoor Nationals Championships to be held in Geneva, Ohio on March 1-3.  Coming off a very impressive Indoor season, the Pilots will be represented by ten women and five men at the Championships.


[Women's Basketball] "Bombs Away" as Lady Pilots Advance with Win Over Mount Vernon ...
Nobody ever said the Lady Pilots were gun-shy and they proved it Tuesday night, hoisting up 30 trifectas on the night and connecting on 12 on their way to a 73-60 win over Mount Vernon Nazarene University in the opening round of the Mid-Central College Conference Tournament at the Wiekamp Center. Bethel trailed early in the game by four points 11-7 before stepping on the pedal and going on a 9-2 run to give them a lead they would never relinquish. Junior guard Chrissy Hooks was the spark in the first half for BC, coming off the bench and scoring eight points in eight minutes of action in the opening stanza as Bethel took the lead into the intermission 31-24.


[Men's Basketball] Pilots Drop Senior Day Loss to Marian
The Bethel College men's basketball team celebrated senior guards Matt Owens and Stephen Ward, but the Marian University Knights were too much winning 80-61 over the Pilots.


[Men's Indoor Track & Field] Women Place Third, Men Fifth and NCCAA Indoor Track Nationals
The Bethel College women's track team finished third and the men finished fifth at the NCCAA Indoor National Championships at Cedarville University.The women were led by the NCCAA National Champion in the pole vault Kate Carr.  Carr cleared 3.49 on her to the championship.  Other NCCAA All-American performances were turned in by second place finishers Cinnamin Green in the shot put at 12.85, Arielle Byl in the 200m at 26.21, and the 4x800m relay team of Irene Kangai, Carli Mast, Lauren Dudley, and Dominique Dvojacki   at 9:52.84, and third place finishers Green in the weight throw at 15.02, Etter in the 55m hurdles at 8.61, Byl in the 55m at 7.35, and the 4x400m relay team of Etter, Byl, Kangai, and Kaila Stevens at 4:05.98.


[Women's Basketball] Lady Pilots End Regular Season Second in the MCC Despite Dropping Season ...
The Bethel College women's basketball team travelled to Marian University Saturday for the regular season finale. The weather outside was unseasonably balmy but unfortunately for the Lady Pilots, their shooting touch was as cold as could be as they shot just 27% from the floor overall(16-59), 19% from behind the arc(5-26) and 56% from the charity stripe(13-23) in a 65-50 loss.Bethel, who was picked seventh by the Mid-Central College Conference coaches in the preseason poll, did lock up the No. 2 seed in the upcoming MCC Tournament, finishing second behind conference champion Indiana Wesleyan.


[Men's Basketball] Miller earns MCC Newcomer Honors
The Mid-Central College Conference men's basketball coaches met Sunday afternoon to announce the 2011-2012 All-MCC honors. As a part of those honors Bethel freshman Zach Miller was voted upon as the All-MCC Newcomber of the Year. 


[Women's Basketball] Johnson Leads the Way for Lady Pilots Post Season Awards
Following the conclusion of the Mid-Central College Conference women's basketball regular season, Bethel junior Laura Johnson was named First Team All-Conference as voted by the MCC coaches.Johnson led the Lady Pilots and finished second in the MCC in scoring with a 16.14 points per game average.  Johnson also sits in fifth in the conference in field goal percentage at 37.8% and third in steals with 70.


[Men's Basketball] Bethel Falls to No. 7 Grace in Double Overtime
One of the greatest rivalries in small-college basketball continued Tuesday night in another classic contest in Winona Lake, Ind. between Bethel and No. 7 ranked (NAIA D-II) Grace College.


[Women's Basketball] Lady Pilots Bounce Grace, Clinch Second in the MCC
It took four games, but the Lady Pilots finally earned their 20th win of the season… and it couldn't have come at a better time as Bethel travelled to Winona Lake and defeated the Grace Lancers 73-68 at the Orthopaedic Capital Center Tuesday night. Bethel jumped out to a quick lead, canning their first four shots from behind the arc – a trend that would continue throughout the contest. The Lady Pilots scorched the nets in the first half, hitting on 63% from the floor, including 8 of 9 from three point land and held a halftime lead of 33-24. BC's Laura Johnson led the way in the opening stanza, hitting all four of her trifecta tries and scoring 12 points. It probably should have been a bigger margin, but 17 turnovers were the Lady Pilots doom.


[Track & Field] Track and Field Teams to Compete at NCCAA Indoor Nationals
The Bethel College Men's and Women's Track teams will be participating in the NCCAA Indoor National Championships this Saturday, February 18 at Cedarville University in Ohio. The Pilots will be represented by 34 men and 24 women that have hit the qualifying standard during the indoor season.  The women are shooting for their third Indoor National Championship in a row, and the men are going after their second National Championship in program history.


[Softball] Softball Signs Pitcher Angela King
Senior pitcher, Angela King, from Marlette Community High School (Marlette, Mich.) has decided to continue her academic and athletic careers at Bethel College starting in the fall of 2012.


[Men's Basketball] Pilots Fall Late vs. No. 14 IWU
The Bethel College Pilots played host to the Indiana Wesleyan University Wildcats (No. 15 NAIA D-II) on Saturday afternoon, hoping to sweep the Wildcats in the regular season series. However, Bethel had to settle for a split as they dropped a hard fought 94-87 decision to IWU. As a result, the Bethel record slipped to 16-12 on the season, and 7-9 in the MCC.


[Women's Basketball] Lady Pilots Stumble Late in Loss at Indiana Wesleyan
The NAIA No. 12 Lady Pilots travelled to Indiana Wesleyan Saturday to take on the nation's top ranked team, jumping out early, controlling much of the game before finally falling late by a score of 60-53. Bethel started out the game with a 7-0 run, controlled the first half and led at the break 27-21. BC's defense held IWU to 34% from the floor in the first half, including just 3 of 12 from behind the arc. The Lady Pilots scored the first three points of the second half and grabbed their largest lead of nine points at 30-21 but the Wildcats recovered quickly, finally getting hot from downtown and used a 30-10 run to take their biggest lead at 51-40.


[Men's Indoor Track & Field] Women Win, Men Finish Second at DePauw Indoor Track Meet
The Bethel College women's track and field team won the DePauw University Indoor Invitational, while the men's team finished second in the meet.  The women won the 13 team invitational with 140 points.  Millikin University finished second with 99 points.  The men scored 131 points on the day finishing only behind Wabash University in the 13 team field.


[Women's Basketball] Lady Pilots Continue Late Season Skid in Loss to Huntington
After rolling along for a two week stretch, the Bethel College women's basketball team has hit a speed bump, losing their second straight Mid-Central College Conference game, this time to the Foresters of Huntington University, 69-52. Bethel led the game early 9-5, but did very little right the rest of the night. The Lady Pilots trailed by eight at the half, 33-25, in large part to poor shooting (31.5%) and 13 turnovers, most of which were unforced. In the second half, BC clawed their way back and closed the gap to two points with two possessions to tie or take the lead but was never able to convert. In the blink of an eye, the Forester lead again grew to double figures and Bethel was never able to gain any offensive momentum the rest of the way.


[Men's Basketball] Bethel gets great home win over (RV) Huntington
The Bethel College Pilots returned home on Tuesday night to host the Huntington University Foresters and registered a solid 89-80 victory to sweep the two game series from Huntington in 2012 with the Pilots winning six of the last eight meetings. The win improves Bethel's record to 16-11 on the season, and 7-8 in MCC play.


[Men's Basketball] No. 21 Saint Francis Cruise by Men's Basketball
The Bethel College Pilots made the trip to Fort Wayne, Ind. to take on the No. 21 ranked (NAIA D-II) University of Saint Francis Cougars and fell 108-72.


[Women's Basketball] Big Opportunity Slips as Lady Pilots Wilt in Home Loss
It was a team-wide disappearing act for the Lady Pilots Saturday as they hosted the University of St. Francis at the Wiekamp Center. Senior Day, the final regular season home game of the year, one game back in the Mid Central Conference… big game… big disappointment. It was one of those days where nothing seemed to go right for Bethel. From early foul trouble, to horrendous shooting, turnovers, poor defense – all the ingredients for disaster as Bethel fell 65-56.


[Men's Indoor Track & Field] Track and Field Wins Five Events and Qualify Three for NAIA Indoor
The Bethel Pilot Track and Field programs competed at the Taylor University Indoor Meet on Saturday and came away with five event winners and three NAIA Indoor National qualifiers on the day.


[Women's Basketball] Defense Carries Lady Pilots Again in 63-45 Win Over Mount Vernon Nazarene
The Bethel College women's basketball team continued to roll Wednesday night, defeating MCC newcomer Mount Vernon Nazarene University 63-45 in another impressive defensive effort. In the opening minutes of the game, it appeared as if the Lady Pilots would blow their visitors away, racing out to a 16-2 lead at the 14:42 mark. BC led 21-7 with 11:22 left in the half before a seven minute dry spell where BC failed to score. Bethel managed a 28-16 lead at the break as the Lady Pilots defense forced 13 first half turnovers and held MVNU to just 24% from the floor (7 for 29).


[Men's Basketball] Benner helps lift Bethel over Mount Vernon Nazarene
The Bethel College men's basketball team made the five hour drive to Mount Vernon, Ohio and came away with an 87-66 victory over the Cougars.


[Women's Basketball] Laura Johnson Named MCC Player of the Week for Second Time
The Mid-Central College Conference announced its basketball players of the week on Monday and Bethel's Laura Johnson was named the winner for the second time this season.


[Men's Basketball] Men's and Women's Basketball to Play at 6:00 PM
A reminder to all Pilots basketball fans that both the men's and women's basketball games against Mount Vernon Nazarene University will be at 6:00 pm this week.The men's team travels to Mount Vernon, Ohio on Tuesday to take on the Cougars while the women's team will host MVNU on Wednesday.


[Men's Indoor Track & Field] Track and Field Produce Eight Event First Places at IWU Indoor
The Bethel College Track and Field program competed at the Indiana Wesleyan indoor Invitational on Saturday and came away with eight first place finishes and a new school record in the women's pole vault.


[Men's Basketball] Pilots woes continue with loss to Taylor
The Bethel College Pilots returned home on Saturday afternoon to host the Taylor University Trojans in the Wiekamp Athletic Center, and dropped a 70-61 decision.


[Women's Basketball] Lady Pilots Storm Past Taylor in 75-58 Road Win
Following the lead of the inspired play of junior Ashlee Ort, the Bethel College Lady Pilots traveled south to Upland, Ind. and came away with another huge conference win on the road, soundly defeating Taylor University 75-58. Ort, mostly known for her tenacious defense and hard-nosed play, brought her usual talents to the court but also added a career high 18 points to go along with her eight rebounds and three steals. The gritty southpaw nailed 7 of 10 shots from the floor, including 2 of 4 from downtown to back up the 21 point performance of fellow junior Laura Johnson.


[Softball] NAIA Launches New Website, Bethel's Holly Weaver Featured on Softball Page
The National Office is pleased to announce the re-launch of the new NAIA.org website on Friday January 27, 2012.Our year-long evaluation and development process was guided by the goals of promoting the NAIA's brand visibility, showcasing the NAIA experience for prospective student-athletes and improving accessibility to membership services. The new NAIA.org combines the former sports information and membership sites into a single destination for both membership and the public.Click here to visit the new naia.orgClick here to see the feature on softball's Holly Weaver


[Bethel] Pilot Club Reaches 900 Members for Second Year in a Row
Financial gifts comprise a large portion of the athletic department's overall budget and support team travel, equipment, training and facilities. For the second year in a row, Director of Athletic Development Mike Lightfoot is proud to announce that over 900 people, businesses, or families have decided to make a gift to the athletic department and become members of the Pilot Club.


[Men's Basketball] Freshmen Duo Leading Bethel
 Freshman Duo leading Bethel At the close of the 2010-2011season for the Bethel College men's basketball program last February the squad would lose two outstanding senior veterans that carried their team to the NAIA D-II Fab Four, an Elite Eight appearance and a Sweet 16 run during their careers.


[Men's Basketball] Cochran brings size to Bethel
Bluffton High School center Keith Cochran has signed his National Letter of Intent to continue his academic and basketball careers at Bethel College.


[Men's Basketball] Bethel feels growing pains at No. 21 Goshen
Landon Booker did all he could to lead the Pilots with 23 points, but it was not enough as a late Bethel rally fell short against the Goshen Maple Leafs 92-84.


[Women's Basketball] Lady Pilots Use Second Half Swarm to Pound Goshen
Waiting several minutes into the game to "show up" is not typically the recipe for success but once again the Bethel College Lady Pilots delayed their mental arrival Tuesday night before revving up the engine in the second half to trounce host Goshen College 75-40 at Gunden Gymnasium. The first 12 minutes of the game were hideous moments for BC, as they trailed 19-12, showing no immediate signs of life. A media timeout at the 7:58 mark would've been an excellent opportunity for Coach Jody Martinez to blow a gasket, but instead it was the Lady Pilots who got fired up and finished the half on a 23-8 run and held the lead at the intermission 35-27, despite shooting a morbid 11 for 45 from the floor (24%).


[Women's Soccer] Alexis Ummel Signs with Women's Soccer
Leo High School's Alexis Ummel has signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her soccer and academic careers beginning in the 2012-2013 school year at Bethel College in Mishawaka, Ind.


[Men's Indoor Track & Field] Four Hit NAIA Indoor Mark at Grand Valley Meet
The Bethel College Pilot Track and Field program was back in action this week end at the Mike Lints Invite at Grand Valley State University. The men were paced by senior Calen Boyd.  Boyd hit the NAIA Indoor National qualifying mark in the long jump at 7.04m.  That jump placed Boyd second in the meet.  Boyd also placed seventh in the 60m at 6.99. The Pilot 4x400m relay team of Robby Burns, Calvin Lewis, Talal Maree, and Boyd placed sixth at 3:25.86.  The Pilot throwers produced the other top ten places on the night. In the shot put Robby Rose placed eighth at 14.81 and Michael Ponce placed tenth at 14.32.  In the weight throw Ryan Carlock placed fifth at 16.39 and BJ VanderZwaag placed sixth at 15.98.


[Men's Basketball] Turnovers Costly in Bethel Loss to No. 22 Spring Arbor
The Bethel College men's basketball team had costly turnovers in key possessions that cost them a 64-62 loss to No. 22 Spring Arbor University.


[Women's Basketball] Dominant First Half Carries Lady Pilots Over Spring Arbor
It was a Jekyll and Hyde performance for the Lady Pilots Saturday as they visited Spring Arbor University in a key Mid-Central College Conference game. Bethel, coming off a lop-sided pounding of Huntington University Wednesday, looked to stay within reach of conference leader Indiana Wesleyan as the MCC's second round began. BC was beautiful in the first half, shooting 53% from the field, 43% from the three point line and 83% from the FT line – leading to a comfortable 43-25 cushion over the Cougars. Bethel junior forward Kristen Hicks led the way in the opening half, scoring 12 points on five of eight shooting.


[Men's Basketball] Pilots upset No. 19 Huntington
The Bethel College Pilots were back on the road once again Tuesday night, traveling to Huntington University to meet the Foresters (No. 19 NAIA D-II) in another key MCC battle. And once again, the young Pilots pulled off the upset by downing the Foresters by the score of 84-77. The win improves Bethel's overall record to 14-7 and 5-4 in the MCC. At the halfway point in the conference season, the Pilots now find themselves in second place.


[Women's Basketball] Lady Pilots Crank Up Defense in Dismantling of Huntington
After suffering through two disappointing losses last week, the Lady Pilots returned to their winning ways in strong fashion, jumping out to an early lead and never looking back in a lopsided 61-34 win over Huntington University. Bethel jumped out to a 12-2 lead early in the game and led 23-6 with just eight minutes remaining in the half before Huntington went on a 15-6 run of their own to cut the BC lead to just six points, 27-21. However, Bethel scored the final five points of the half and led 32-21 at the break. Laura Johnson led the way for BC in the opening half with 10 points and the Lady Pilots held the Foresters to just 5 of 31 (16%) from the floor in the half.


[Women's Basketball] Jody Martinez - More Than a Coach
by Maggie CaldwellJody Martinez is a man of many titles. He is the Bethel women's basketball coach and athletic director. He is the chairman of elders at Grace Church and school. And most importantly, he is a husband to Sonya and a father to Hannah and Josalyn. The most notable aspect of Martinez's life is not number of duties, but the Christ-like way he manages them. Hectic doesn't begin to describe his schedule. On a typical day, he wakes at 5:30 a.m. and has what he calls "spiritual breakfast," immersing himself in scripture. Then, he is off to an elder meeting at 6:30, followed by a 9 a.m. meeting to count up and deposit concession revenue. He monitors the athletic department's budget report daily; crunching numbers to keep the BC athletic department financially sound. From 9:30 to noon, he catches up on paperwork, emails, voicemail, makes a practice plan, or facilitates one-on-one drill work with his athletes. But none of this is done without interruption.


[Men's Indoor Track & Field] Track Teams Start Season at Grand Valley State Meet
The Bethel College Track and Field teams started off their Indoor season at Grand Valley State University this week end.  Both the men's and women's team showed very well to start off the 2012 season.


[Women's Basketball] Lady Pilots Fall at Home to Indiana Wesleyan
The NAIA's Game of the Week did not live up to its billing as No.1 IWU soundly defeated No. 8 Bethel 66-46 Saturday at the Wiekamp Center. Bethel held an early lead 4-0 but 19% shooting from the floor and 12 turnovers in the first half were too much to overcome as the Lady Pilots trailed by 12 at the half, 29-17.


[Men's Basketball] Bethel knocks off No. 14 IWU on the road
Last second heroics by Landon Booker and Matt Schauss would help give Bethel a great road win over No. 14 ranked (NAIA D-II) Indiana Wesleyan University 83-80 in Marion, Ind.


[Women's Basketball] Lifeless Lady Pilots Lose to Grace
In matchup featuring two top 20 teams in the NAIA DII, the No.8 Bethel College Lady Pilots lost to the No. 16 Grace College Lancers 67-61 Tuesday night at the Wiekamp Center. Grace jumped out to an 11 point lead in the first half and led by seven, 30-23 at the intermission. Bethel's inability to rebound or take care of the ball were costly but the biggest factor was the fact that nearly hustle/effort play went to the Lancers, who entered the night on a 15 year and 30 game losing streak to BC.


[Men's Basketball] No. 5 Grace Overpower Pilots
The Bethel College Pilots and the Grace College Lancers renewed their long-standing rivalry on Tuesday night at the Wiekamp Athletic Center. The visiting Lancers, currently ranked No. 5 in the country (NAIA D-II), prevailed by the score of 77-69.


[Softball] Anna Welsh to Leave Bethel at the End of the Season
Bethel College Athletic Director, Jody Martinez announced today that Anna Welsh has resigned from her positions of Assistant Athletic Director and Head Softball Coach effective June 30 and has accepted the same positions at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla. Welsh will remain with the Pilots for the entire 2012 season.In her seven years at the helm of the Pilots, Welsh has compiled a record of 304-81-1 while leading Bethel to five consecutive trips to the NAIA National Championship tournament. The Pilots have won the Mid-Central College Conference regular season title in five out of the seven years she has coached.  During her time at Bethel, Welsh has coached 10 NAIA All-Americans, 32 MCC All-Conference winners, four MCC Players of the Year, four MCC Pitchers of the Year, and the NAIA career all-time homerun leader in Katie Boocher,  who blasted 58 career round trippers.


[Men's Basketball] Historic Rivalry Continues
The historic rivalry continues as Bethel hosts Grace.


[Women's Basketball] Laura Johnson Named MCC Player of the Week
The Mid-Central College Conference announced its basketball players of the week on Monday and Bethel's Laura Johnson was named the winner on the women's side.


[Women's Basketball] Better Late Than Never as Lady Pilots Continue Winning Ways
Tip-off time was supposed to be at 1:00 pm Saturday in a big showdown of highly ranked MCC foes Bethel and Marian… apparently the Lady Pilots didn't get the memo… It was at the 15:13 mark of the first half when the 10th ranked Lady Pilots decided to play ball, surging back quickly on a 15-4 run of their own and ultimately knotting the game at 28-28 on a Kristen Hicks layup at the 4:26 mark and then taking a 40-38 lead into the halftime break. After showing no signs of life early on, Bethel was sparked by the scoring of juniors Laura Johnson and Hicks, who combined for 26 of the BC first half points.


[Bethel] Bethel Gets Solid Road Win at Marian


[Women's Basketball] Defense Carries Lady Pilots in Road Win Over Mount Vernon Nazarene
Coming off consecutive losses and a two week break, the Bethel College Lady Pilots traveled to Mount Vernon, Ohio Tuesday and came away with a hard fought Mid-Central College Conference victory, 56-48. Neither team shot the ball very well in the opening minutes of the game, but Bethel junior Kristen Hicks did have her touch, splashing in three of four rainmakers from three point land to lead the Lady Pilots with 12 of BC's 20 first half points. However, a last second trifecta by MVNU's Melissa Eikholt gave the host Cougars the lead at the break, 21-20.


[Men's Basketball] Men's Basketball Not Enough for Saint Francis
The Bethel College Pilots hosted the University of St. Francis Cougars on Thursday night and fell by the score of 69-58. 


[Women's Basketball] Lady Pilots Bounce Saint Francis in Overtime Thriller
The Bethel College Lady Pilots traveled to the University of Saint Francis Thursday night, taking the lead early, trailing late and ultimately pulling out a gutsy 86-79 overtime win. It appeared as if Bethel forgot there was a game being played as USF jumped out to an immediate 5-0 lead when the Lady Pilots turned the ball over on their first three possessions. After waking from their opening daze, Bethel responded with a 14-0 run of their own and held the lead for the remainder of the half, sparked by the inside play of junior Baysia Cox and senior Sarah Clark who combined for 12 huge first half points in the paint. Bethel led at the break 36-32, despite coughing the ball up 15 times before the timely break.


[Men's Basketball] Benner and Miller pace Pilots over MVNU


[Women's Basketball] Early Lump of Coal as Lady Pilots Fall at Home
Leading by as many as 15 points in the game and still by seven with just 1:28 left in the game, the Lady Pilots failed to finish, falling 76-75 to IU Northwest. Bethel came out flat early and trailed by a score of 11-2 at the 15:52 mark before finally catching fire and turning the tables with a 24-4 run to lead 26-15. The Lady Pilots built their lead to 36-21 before settling for a 43-30 lead at the break. Laura Johnson's 21 first half points led the way for BC in the opening stanza.


[Volleyball] Julia Reininga Resigns as Volleyball Coach
Bethel College Athletic Director, Jody Martinez announced today that Julia Reininga has resigned from her position of Head Volleyball Coach effective Friday, December 16.


[Men's Basketball] Miller's 22 tops EWC in West Palm Beach


[Men's Basketball] No. 1 Seahawks Cruise by Pilots


[Women's Soccer] Women's Soccer Spread Holiday Cheer
Study Break!On Saturday, December 10 the Bethel women's soccer team took a break from studying to do a little shopping.  They weren't shopping for themselves, however.  The girls were buying gifts for three local elementary school students.


[Women's Soccer] Steller Voted NCCAA Midwest All-Region
Nicole Steller was voted on the NCCAA Midwest All-Regional Team it was announced earlier this week.Steller, a sophomore from Yorkville, Ill., led the Pilots in scoring this season with 13 goals and two assists.


[Bethel] Ron Paulsen Memorial Grant Awarded to Owens and Weaver
UPDATE:12/10/2011Matt Owens and Holly Weaver Win Paulsen GrantMen's basketball player Matt Owens and women's softball player Holly Weaver were recognized as the winners of the Ron Paulsen Memorial Grant during halftime of the men's basketball game on Saturday.Here is what their coaches had to say about them:Mike Lightfoot on Matt - "Matt is an outstanding young man.  He loves his teammates, his basketball program, his school and the Lord.  Matt epitomizes what a student-athlete should be at Bethel.   His sacrifice and dedication is truly a reflection of his character.  Matt is a blessing and I am honored to be called his coach.  The world needs more Matt Owens."Anna Welsh on Holly - "Holly is everything you would want in a student-athlete. She is an amazing player and an even better person. She has meant so much to our team off the field and on the field as an NAIA All American. She has been a strong spiritual, academic and physical leader for our team and our campus. She impresses me every day how she balances student teaching, softball and friends, and still does community service on a weekly basis. Her light for Christ shines bright and she is someone you want to be around all the time."The announcement of the Ron Paulsen Memorial Grant male and female recipients will announced at halftime of this Saturday's men's basketball contest versus Cardinal Stritch University.  In addition, all 14 finalists and their families will be recognized.  The game begins at 3:00 pm.


[Baseball] Eric Stults Signs Minor League Deal with White Sox
Recent Bethel College Hall of Fame inductee, Eric Stults signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox it was announced on Monday.


[Men's Basketball] No. 18 Cardinal Stritch too much for Pilots


[Women's Basketball] Winning Streak Ends in Sloppy Lady Pilots Loss
The Bethel College women's basketball team traveled to Joliet, Ill. Saturday night for a matchup with the University of Saint Francis. Unfortunately the fine play they displayed for the past three weeks during their seven game win streak stayed in Mishawaka as BC struggled early and often, eventually succumbing to the Saints by a score of 71-64. The score was knotted in the opening minutes of the game at 11-11 before the Saints went on an 18-6 run to open up the game with a lead that grew to 16 points at the half, 37-21. The Lady Pilots shot a putrid 24% from the floor in the first half and turned the ball over 14 times.


[Women's Basketball] Lady Pilots Pound Trinity Christian
The Bethel College Lady Pilots continued their impressive early season play, streaking out to a 46-17 halftime lead and routing the visiting Trolls of Trinity Christian by a score of 78-37.Bethel, ranked No. 9 in the latest NAIA DII national poll, shot 48% from the three-point line (12-25) and had a season high 23 assists. The Lady Pilots also forced 27 TCC turnovers and out-rebounded the Trolls 49-25.


[Men's Basketball] Pilots victorious over Holy Cross


[Men's Basketball] Trojans scorch nets for easy win over Pilots


[Women's Basketball] Lady Pilots Pull Out Thriller in 75-70 Win Over Taylor
There were no warning signs posted at the entrance to the Wiekamp Center Saturday, but perhaps there should have been for expectant mothers-to-be, children under the age of seven and those suffering from heart conditions. After all, general admission prices were supposed to be for a college basketball game, not the roller coaster of a battle that took place. Talk about a game of spurts… Bethel jumped out early to an 11-4 lead, followed by an amazing 27-5 run by Taylor to give the Trojans their biggest lead of the game 31-16 with just over eight minutes remaining in the opening half. After a gentle and soft spoken timeout talk by Bethel Coach Jody Martinez, it was Bethel's turn… and a 14-3 streak to cut the lead to four points with 30 seconds remaining before halftime – sparked by the play of the defensive chaos forced by Ashlee Ort, Alyssa Toupin, Alyshia Harvey and Chelsea Ward. Taylor ended BC's late first half heroics when Tess Rudolph nailed a three to give the Trojans a 37-30 lead into the break.


[Track & Field] Track Qualifies Four For NAIA Indoor Nationals in Early Season Competition
Twelve members of the Bethel College track and field team participated in the Blue and Gold Indoor track Meet at the University of Notre Dames on Friday, December 2. Of those twelve, four came away with NAIA indoor national qualifying marks.  Kate Carr won the pole vault with an NAIA qualifying mark of 11'8".  That mark hit the "A" standard.  Other qualifying marks were turned in by Ryan Carlock in the weight throw at 54'2", Mike Ponce in the shot put at 50'1", and Kaila Stevens in the 400m at 59.12.  Carlocks' mark placed him fourth in the weight throw in the meet, while Ponce was fifth in the shot put, and Stevens finished seventh in the 400m.  Other impressive finishes on the day were turned in by Calen Boyd who won the long jump at 22'7", and BJ VanderZwaag who finished fifth in the weight throw at 52'7". The entire Bethel College track and field team opens up the team portion of their schedule on Friday, January 13 at Grand Valley State University in Michigan.


[Men's Basketball] Pilots Grind out Win over rival IUSB


[Bethel] Ron Paulsen Memorial Grant to be Awarded at Halftime this Saturday
The announcement of the Ron Paulsen Memorial Grant male and female recipients will announced at halftime of this Saturday's men's basketball contest versus Cardinal Stritch University.  In addition, all 14 finalists and their families will be recognized.  The game begins at 3:00 pm.