Follow along live with this interactive chat as top-seeded Valparaiso opens Horizon League Tournament play on Thursday evening against sixth-seeded Youngstown State. First pitch is slated for 8 p.m. CDT with the chat will begin at approximately 7:45 p.m.

Ten members of the Valparaiso University baseball program received postseason accolades on Tuesday as the Horizon League announced its annual awards. The Crusader award winners were highlighted by Kevin Wild (Brown Deer, Wis./Brown Deer H.S.) being named the Horizon League’s Pitcher of the Year, Kyle Wormington (Norman, Okla./North H.S.) being named the co-Newcomer of the Year, and Tracy Woodson being honored as the Coach of the Year.

Valparaiso University’s Spencer Mahoney (LaGrange Park, Ill./Lyons Township H.S.) has been named the final Horizon League Batter of the Week after helping to lead the Crusaders to a weekend sweep of Youngstown State and the Horizon League regular season championship.

Valparaiso will open play as the number one seed in the 2012 Horizon League Baseball Championship which begins this week at Les Miller Field in Chicago, Ill. on the campus of UIC. The Crusaders will play their first game on Thursday evening (May 24) at 8 p.m.

By the time fifth-year senior closer Jarad Miller (Fort Wayne, Ind./Carroll H.S.) pinch hit for the first time in his career on Saturday afternoon, Valparaiso could already taste an outright Horizon League Championship. His double to the right-centerfield gap drove home the Crusaders’ 12th run of the game as the Brown and Gold defeated Youngstown State 13-2 at Emory G. Bauer Field to clinch the conference crown.

Tanner Vavra’s (Menomonie, Wis./Menomonie H.S.) hard smash to short with two outs in the 11th inning scored Spencer Mahoney (LaGrange Park, Ill./Lyons Township H.S.) with the winning run to give Valparaiso an 8-7 victory over Youngstown State on Friday afternoon at Emory G. Bauer Field. With the victory, the Crusaders have clinched at least a share of their first Horizon League regular season title, and first overall conference title since 1977.

Valparaiso won its 30th game of the season for the first time since 1999 on Thursday afternoon, and in the process moved into a tie for first place in the Horizon League standings with an 8-3 victory over Youngstown State at Emory G. Bauer Field.

Valparaiso wraps up the 2012 regular season this weekend in search of its first Horizon League title. The Crusaders enter the weekend one game behind Wright State in the conference standings. Valpo hosts Youngstown State in a three-game series, culminating with Senior Day on Saturday.

Valparaiso’s scheduled baseball game for Tuesday afternoon at Emory G. Bauer Field against Chicago State has been cancelled due to scheduling conflicts with the Cougars and will not be made up.