Erik Kratz Archives

Catcher Erik Kratz, now with the San Diego Padres, reflects on the blessings of a baseball life

January 27, 2016Last updated February 11, 2016 by Rich Preheim/MWR and EMU communications staff

Inside Goshen College’s athletics building, metallic “pings” pricked the air as bat-wielding kids hit — and missed — balls thrown by Goshen baseball players. Murmurs of conversation gurgled in the

Safe at home: Royals baseball coach Ben Spotts makes local recruiting a key contributor to success

March 27, 2015Last updated April 10, 2015 by Chris Yoder and Lauren Jefferson

Eastern Mennonite University head baseball coach Ben Spotts has a simple recruiting philosophy: Do not lose local athletes to other Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) schools. That’s a tough goal,

EMU’s Top 10 Shares and Social Media Posts of 2014

January 5, 2015Last updated January 22, 2015 by Joel Christophel and Mike Zucconi

What a year! In 2014 Eastern Mennonite University welcomed back an alum and Nobel Peace Laureate to speak at commencement, greeted its most diverse class ever, and cheered on a 2002 graduate

Grad Jeremy Auker has a professional baseball career, but it’s not on the field

December 29, 2014Last updated January 15, 2015 by David Driver

Late in the season in 2004 the Burlington (N.C.) Indians, a minor league baseball team in the low-level Appalachian League, were forced to start a rain-delayed game after 10 p.m.

Former EMU baseball star Erik Kratz heads to World Series

October 22, 2014Last updated October 31, 2014 by Tim Huber, Mennonite World Review

This article excerpt appears courtesy of Mennonite World Review. On July 28, Erik Kratz was scratched from the lineup of the Buffalo Bisons AAA minor-league baseball team. The Toronto Blue Jays

Kratz a Royal once again after trade to Kansas City

August 1, 2014Last updated August 20, 2014 by James De Boer

For the second time in less than eight months Erik Kratz has been traded, this time to the Kansas City Royals. The former Eastern Mennonite University baseball player figures to be the

Posey and McAlister go out in style

June 20, 2014Last updated July 7, 2014 by James De Boer

Seniors Adam Posey (Poquoson, Va./Poquoson) and Ryan McAlister (Bridgewater, Va./Turner Ashby) have each been named All-State by the Virginia Sports Information Directors. It is the first all-state award for each of the baseball men.

Posey adds another all-region award

May 28, 2014Last updated June 13, 2014 by James De Boer

Adam Posey (Poquoson, Va./Poquoson) has added one more award to his shelf, being named All-South Region Third Team by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA). EMU’s baseball player was one

Royals finish 2014 baseball season with most wins in 12 years

April 11, 2014Last updated April 22, 2014 by James De Boer

When the dust settled after a flurry of action over the final two innings on April 10, EMU’s baseball men had taken down Southern Virginia 9-5 and logged a very

EMU Alum Erik Kratz Is Catching a Dream

March 27, 2013Last updated September 10, 2013 by Mike Zucconi

Erik Kratz, a 2002 Eastern Mennonite University graduate, went from taking pictures for fans to being the subject of their pictures during a roller-coaster 2012 Major League Baseball season with

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