Players rely on referees to make calls concerning traveling, goaltending and palming on the court, but they look to the athletics department to help with judgment calls off the court.

Associate Athletic Director Beth Goetz, whose job includes making sure all conference, NCAA and institutional rules are followed from the recruiting process onward, said the men’s basketball team’s runs to the NCAA National Championship game have led to her spending more time on compliance with team members.

“It’s not that when you’re not in the limelight that you’re not concerned about rules, because you always are, but the success of men’s basketball raises different questions,” Goetz said.

Athletic Director Barry Collier said the department has had to deal with increased external interest in the program but that the focus on compliance has grown at every school regardless of size or notoriety.

“The NCAA wants you to be more thorough than ever before,” Collier said.

A heightened sense of compliance has reached the top levels of all colleges and universities in light of recent scandals at Ohio State and Miami in which football players received extra benefits and allegedly broke numerous rules.

“Your president wants to know what you’re doing, and it has definitely trickled down to all institutions, even though the big cases have been through Bowl Championship Series institutions,” Goetz said.

For players the main rules cover receiving benefits, handling speaking requests, keeping others from profiting by using their name or likeness and avoiding banned substances. Coaches’ rules are focused mostly on recruiting.

Penalties for noncompliance can include mandatory education, a reduction in the number of contacts a coach can have with a prospect, repayment, fines, loss of games or permanent ineligibility.

Goetz said she credits coach Brad Stevens and the Butler environment with creating an atmosphere of compliance on the men’s basketball team.

“Coach Stevens creates an environment that is ethical,” Goetz said. “It’s part of our mantra, whether spoken or unspoken, that we’re going to do it the right way and win the right way.”

Goetz said growing attention to Butler also brings greater support from donors and boosters. Educating these fans becomes part of NCAA compliance, since the recent scandals were caused or exacerbated by donors offering players illegal benefits.

Associate Athletic Director Mike Freeman oversaw the Bulldog Club until last March when Associate Athletic Director Bill Lynch took over. The Bulldog Club is a group for individuals looking to donate to the athletic department, and Freeman said it has grown from about 1,500 to 1,900 members in past years to nearly 2,800 members.

To keep all donors and boosters aware, the athletics department sends out periodic newsletters that outline compliance and donation rules. Freeman said the newsletters generate a lot of questions, but answering them is an important part of the athletics department’s duty.

“Our members and boosters are outstanding, but part of our mission is to make sure they do the right thing, just as our student-athletes do,” he said.

Goetz said she expects new rules to come from the NCAA in the next year that focus on extra benefits and how donors interact with players and recruits.

“The reason you see all these problems with big programs is because they’re in the limelight,” Goetz said. “People and donors become very attached, and the success of their team becomes this goal that they want to be a part of and contribute to and control—sometimes in ways that aren’t legislated, aren’t healthy and aren’t part of their purview.”

Goetz meets with all Butler teams at the beginning of the year and then meets with them periodically throughout the season. There are also monthly compliance sessions with coaches and yearly meetings with all non-coaching staff members.

The system is set up so that universities monitor themselves and self-report violations. Butler has never had a major violation, although it has reported some secondary violations—most of which were inadvertent, Goetz said.

“If we don’t submit violations, we’re probably not doing our job because [the rule book] is pretty thick,” Goetz said.

The Butler men’s tennis team was never able to hit full stride last Thursday during its first-round matchup in the Horizon League Championship.

The No. 5-seed Bulldogs suffered a narrow 4-3 loss to No. 4-seed UIC in a match that saw senior Brandon Bayliss’ first conference singles loss of the season.

The Flames started red hot and swept doubles play to begin the match.

But the Bulldogs began to settle their postseason nerves, led by senior Chris Herron’s No. 2 singles victory over senior Luiz Gonzaga, 6-4, 6-0.

Junior Zach Ervin won the No. 3 singles match, 6-1, 6-1, and senior Lenz Theodor picked up the No. 5 singles victory, 7-5, 6-1, to tie the match at three.

In the end, the effort in singles play was not enough to make up for the poor doubles performance and the point lost at the beginning of the day.

The team was back on the courts the following day for the fifth-place consolation match. Butler faced No. 6 Youngstown State, who had lost to No. 3-seed and eventual champions Cleveland State the previous day.

Butler swept doubles play in convincing fashion to start the match. The Bulldogs won the No. 1 and No. 2 matches, making the third inconsequential.

Herron and senior David Dolins won the No. 1 match, 8-5. Bayliss and Theodor won the No. 2 match, 8-3.

Bayliss returned to his old form, picking up a win against junior Tariq Ismail, who had to withdraw from competition during the match.

Two other Butler seniors capped their collegiate careers with 2-0 records in the conference tournament—Herron won 6-2, 6-4, and Theodor won with similar ease, 6-2, 6-2.

Ervin also won in convincing fashion, winning the No. 3 singles match, 6-3, 6-1.

Throughout the season, Butler’s Achilles’ heel had been its inconsistent play during matches and its inability to stay healthy.

Ultimately, this caused their early departure from the conference tournament.

Despite a disappointing finish to the season, Bayliss ends his career as the 2011 Horizon League Player of the Year.

“It’s gratifying,” Bayliss said. “I wasn’t really recruited by any Division I schools except Butler so I wasn’t sure if I would even be able to compete at this level.”

Bayliss ended the season winning nine of his last 10 singles matches. He beat every conference opponent he faced during the regular season.

Looking ahead to next season, the team returns just three players from this year’s roster of nine—Ervin, junior Stephen McLoughlin and freshman Brad DiCarlo.

“They’ve been through a lot of adversity this year,” Bayliss said of the three who will be returning next season. “They’ll know how to lead the talented group of freshmen coming in. I’m excited to see what happens.”

Professional athletes have the stigma of being flashy over-spenders. Butler student-athletes have a reputation for humility.

So what happens when a Butler men’s soccer player is drafted into Major League Soccer?

Ben Sippola, drafted 84th overall by the Columbus Crew, kept his humble roots and bought a used Honda Civic, which he says he got partially for the 40 miles to the gallon.

Sippola gave The Butler Collegian some time to catch up on his life since being drafted.

Collegian: What were your feelings around the time of the draft?

Ben Sippola: That was a pretty anxious time for me, since I had no idea where I was going. I asked myself, “Should I come back to Butler for the start of the second semester?” and “Should I drop out of college and focus solely on soccer?” Fortunately, the academic staff at Butler has been very flexible in working with me, so I was able to stay in college and pursue my dream of playing professional soccer.

C: Once you went to Columbus, what were things like, and did you have any concerns?

BS: At that point, I was going with the flow of being a draftee. I lived in a hotel for nine weeks—that was an experience in itself—but who am I to complain?

It has been an easy transition moving to Columbus because the cities are comparable, and I am a Midwestern guy at heart, so I could not be happier to be playing here. But, I do miss my Butler family, friends, teammates, etc. I’ve been back twice since I was drafted.

C: What were things like trying to make the Crew?

BS: I tried out for three weeks before I was offered a contract. I was nervous the first few practices because I didn’t know what to expect or what the level of play would be like compared to college. There was definitely a level of jitters that I had not felt for a long time, but now I think I’m doing well and rising to the level of the players around me.

C: What has your role been like within the team?

BS: Right now, I’m not in the starting 11, so my role is to work hard and push the other players around me. As a rookie, sometimes that is all you can do. You have to take pride in working hard and not getting much reward for it. I’d love to be playing more, but I couldn’t be happier going to work every day on the soccer field. I am living a dream I’ve had since I was seven years old.

There are some really great guys here. I made a bet with some teammates from UConn [about the outcome of the NCAA Championship Game], and since Butler lost, I had to wash both their cars. But it’s OK, because our basketball team gave me bragging rights for most of the tournament.

C: What have you taken from Butler and applied during your time with the Crew?

BS: Butler has taught me that there is no replacement for hard work. When things are not going your way, you can’t put blame on other people or exterior factors. You just have to hit the field and work hard and hope that it pays off. I think that’s the “Butler Way” when it comes to athletics.

C: What’s on the horizon for you?

BS: When I get some free time, I’ll go on a road trip in my Honda. Also, I desperately need to get my fly fishing fix in. That is one thing you can count on—that I’ll be somewhere near a trout stream until the day I die.

The Butler softball team’s four-game win streak was snapped yesterday when the Bulldogs got swept in a non-conference doubleheader at the Miami (Ohio) Redhawks.

Butler freshman Leah Bry took the mound in the opener for the Bulldogs (25-17, 11-3 HL), allowing three runs in five innings of work.

Bry held Miami (21-17, 4-6 MAC) scoreless until the third inning when two Butler errors and four Miami hits resulted in three runs for the Redhawks.

Miami freshman first baseman Allie Larrabee drove in two of those runs with a one-out single to left-center field.

“We’ve got to get rid of some silly errors defensively,” Butler head coach Scott Hall said. “We need to make the routine plays and execute on the offensive end, such as getting bunts down and smart baserunning.”

Current MAC East Division Pitcher of the Week Jessica Simspon picked up the win for Miami, throwing a complete game shutout and striking out 14 batters en route to her 18th win of the season.

Junior leftfielder Lauren McNulty recorded the lone hit for the Bulldogs, breaking up Simpson’s no-hit bid in the sixth inning with a single to second base.

In the second game of the day, Miami used a big first inning to spark a 7-1 victory.

The Redhawks scored five runs in the opening inning, three of which were earned.

Senior Jennifer Chasteen took the loss for the Bulldogs.

Before yesterday, Butler won six of its last seven games, including a series sweep over the Green Bay Phoenix.

Sunday, the Bulldogs completed that three-game sweep over Green Bay (15-15, 2-7 HL) with a 5-4 win.

Sophomore Jenny Esparza picked up her 12th win of the year, striking out six batters in five innings of work. She allowed three earned runs, putting  an end to her streak of 47 consecutive scoreless innings.

“Our pitching staff has been unbelievable this whole year,” McNulty said. “We might not have our best offensive game each time out, but our pitchers have been there to pick us up. They are really what’s holding us together.”

Butler trailed, 4-3, heading into the bottom of the fifth inning before McNulty belted a two-run homer to put the Bulldogs on top for good.

McNulty finished the day 3-for-3 with 3 RBIs and was subsequently named Horizon League Softball Player of the Week.

“I was seeing the ball better,” McNulty said. “And our bench does a great job of keeping track of what the pitchers have been throwing. I had a pretty good idea of what the pitchers were going to throw me.”

Chasteen got her 10th win of the season in Butler’s second Saturday game. Her two-hit outing led the Bulldogs to a 2-0 victory.
Freshman designated hitter Callie Dennison shared the spotlight with Chasteen in the second game.

Dennison did all the damage required in the second inning by using a double to left-center field to drive in both of the Bulldogs’ runs.

In the opening game of the series versus Green Bay, junior first baseman Erin Falkenberry recorded a pair of RBIs that put her atop Butler’s all-time RBI list.

Falkenberry currently has 109 RBIs in her career, including 38 this season.

She is six RBIs from tying the Butler single-season record, and 18 from breaking into the Horizon League’s single-season top 10 list.

With at least 11 games left this season and her senior year to boot, Falkenberry is likely to move up the Horizon League’s top  10 for career RBIs.

The Bulldogs will close out their home schedule this weekend against Youngstown State. The teams will play a doubleheader Friday and another game Saturday.

Saturday’s game will mark the last regular season home game for seniors Chasteen, Erin Jackson and Lauren Ott.

Butler’s final six games will be on the road—three at Wright State (18-18, 7-2 HL) and then three at Loyola (16-18, 6-5).

Butler now leads the Horizon League standings and is 3.5 games ahead of second-place Wright State (18-18, 7-2 HL).

The Bulldogs will travel to Wright State on Tuesday to begin a crucial series that could decide the regular season conference championship.

The regular season league champion will host the Horizon League tournament, which will be from May 11 to 14.

”If we keep playing the way we’ve been playing in conference, I think we have a great chance to win the league,” McNulty said. “It would be huge for us.”

A bruised and battered Butler men’s tennis team fell to the Green Bay Phoenix Saturday, 6-1.

Senior Bryce Warren, in action for the first time since March 6, teamed with senior Chris Herron to pick up a win at No. 1 doubles, 8-7. Senior Brandon Bayliss also won for the Bulldogs (4-11, 1-1 HL), taking the No. 1 singles point, 7-5, 6-4.

“When healthy, we have the best doubles team in the conference,” head coach Jason Suscha said. “We can compete against any team in the league.”

Staying healthy has been a problem for the Bulldogs this season.

Warren, who has been battling a back injury for the past month, was unable to play singles on Saturday, even after winning at doubles. He expects to be completely healthy by the Horizon League Championship Tournament, which begins April 22.

Junior Stephen McLoughlin has been out of action with an elbow injury since Jan. 22.

“He hasn’t been cleared to serve,” Suscha said. “It’s tough because we are watching him cream shots from the baseline, but he just can’t play.”

Suscha hopes McLoughlin can return by the April 16 match against Valparaiso so he can get a full week of playing time in before the conference tournament gets underway.

The Bulldogs won’t get much time to rest and recuperate.

Beginning Saturday against Youngstown State, Butler will play six matches in an eight-day span.

Junior Zach Ervin, who lost at No. 3 singles to Green Bay, 7-6, 6-3, is confident that the squad can overcome the tough stretch.

“We won’t mind all the matches in the short amount of time,” Ervin said. “Playing matches is way more fun than practicing.”

In the meantime, a few unfamiliar faces are getting significant playing time.

Since McLoughlin’s injury, walk-on senior David Dolins has been filling in at the No. 6 singles spot.

Freshman Brad DiCarlo has also seen more court time, including the March 19 contest versus Detroit in which he recorded the match-clinching win.

“We have a lot of confidence in the guys filling in,” Ervin said.

Dolins teamed with Ervin at No. 3 doubles against Green Bay, losing 8-4. Dolins also lost at No. 5 singles, 6-2, 6-1. DiCarlo fell at No. 6 singles, 6-0, 6-4.

The Bulldogs need to finish sixth or better in the Horizon League in order to qualify for the Horizon League tournament.

Butler currently sits at fifth place in the conference, ahead of Detroit, Youngstown State and Valparaiso. The Bulldogs defeated Detroit  March 19 and will play the latter two teams within the next week.

“Against Green Bay, we made some mental errors that made the match tougher for us,” Suscha said. “We just need to work on getting healthy and limiting mental mistakes.”

Butler will begin a seven-match homestand on Saturday against Youngstown State.

The Bulldogs will then play conference leader Cleveland State Sunday, followed by matches Tuesday and Wednesday against  Horizon League opponents Wright State and Ball State, respectively.

“We are as good as any team in the conference when healthy,” Ervin said. “Even if we aren’t healthy, we are going to go out there and battle.

“We can stack up with anybody.”