Osgood Journal Sports
April 22, 2008

BJ Sieverding chooses to play Division II
baseball for St. Joseph's

Gary Franklin, Sports Writer

Among the joys of covering high school sports, primarily for the three schools of Jac-Cen-Del, Milan and South Ripley, is getting to share first hand when an athlete gets to advance his education through his love and dedication also to sports. Many times I have been able to witness that joy over the past three years, and this is another of those most joyous occasions.
During a signing ceremony held at the South Ripley High School in Versailles, South Ripley Raider senior, BJ Sieverding, son of Ben and Karen, signed a National Letter of Intent to play Division II baseball for the St. Joseph Pumas at Rensselear, beginning with the '08-'09 season. In addition to playing baseball at SJC, Sieverding plans to major in Criminal Justice and minor in Mass Communications.
Sieverding's selection by SJC was primarily as a pitcher, but he is also considered to be a two-way player as both a pitcher and an infielder. The St. Joseph Pumas are a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference and are currently ranked #1 in the GLVC East, as well as being ranked at #17 in the nation for NCAA Division II baseball.
The Pumas Head Coach, Rick O'Dette, took the Puma lead in 2000 and has continued to lead the team with positive results. The 2008 GLVC East baseball standings as of April 15, show them at #1 with a 17-3 record for a .850 Pct. They are 14-2 in Division play and carry an overall Pct of .805, with a four game winning streak in progress. The current home of the SJC's baseball team is Rueth-Fitzgibbon Baseball Complex/Gil Hodges Field, which is considered one of the premier Division II baseball facilities in the country.
GLVC East Division schools include St. Joseph's, Northern Kentucky, Bellarmine, Indianapolis, Lewis, Kentucky Wesleyn and UW-Parkside. The West division schools include Southern-Indiana, STU-Edwardsville, Drury, Quincy, Missouri-St. Louis Missouri S&T and Rockhurst.
Continued success BJ!

GARY FRANKLIN PHOTO A happy moment is shared with others as BJ Sieverding signs a National Letter of Intent. Pictured front, from left are: Karen - mother, BJ Sieverding and father - Ben. Standing are: South Ripley High School Staff, Athletic Director - Debbie Jett, SRHS Varsity Basketball Coach - Scott Holdsworth, SRHS Principal - Bob Meyer and SRHS Varsity Baseball - Coach Rodney Hite.