There were plenty of opening-week series still to be decided during Sunday’s action involving top-50 teams from the CB360 Composite National Rankings – at the end of the day, only two of those 19 series ended up being won by the underdogs via Sunday wins. Texas Tech beat visiting cb360 #7 Indiana, 7-0, to win that 4-game series while Pittsburgh clinched its series at Coastal Carolina with a 10-6 victory. Cal Poly (cb360 #27) completed an impressive sweep of visiting (18) Kansas State, winning the series finale, 10-1. All told, higher-ranked teams won at a 78% clip (35-10) in Sunday’s games involving CB360 top-50 teams – yielding an Opening Week avg. of 71% wins by higher-ranked teams in those top-50 games.
Rohn Pierce (Canisius)
CLICK HEREÂ for Opening Day scoreboard & wrapup for CB360 Top-50 (Feb. 14)
DAY-2Â scoreboard & wrapup (Feb. 15)
Several teams were playing at multi-team tournament, rather than in single-opponent series, and these tournaments yielded four of Sunday’s 10 upsets in the top-50. One of the biggest upsets actually came in a 3-0 win by Canisius at cb360 #8 North Carolina State, as the Griffins beat ace lefthander and elite pro prospect Carlos Rodon. That Sunday matchup was the season opener for both teams, as NC State has cancelled its initial season-opening trip to UC Santa Barbara while Canisius similar saw its tournament games in Cary, N.C., called off.
Record by higher-ranked teams in CB360 top-50 action (2014 Opening Week)
Fri. – 27–11  (71%)
Sat. –32–17  (68%)
Sun. –35–10  (78%)
Total: 94–38  (71%)
Texas Tech wrapped up a series win vs. Indiana, winning 3-of-4 vs. the visiting Hoosiers.
Sunday’s five other upsets in the CB360 top-50 included the following:
• Jacksonville 2-0 at (22) TCU – Frogs still won series, 2-1
• VCU 5-3 at (35) Georgia Tech – GT tournament
• Gonzaga 5-3 vs. (39) Nebraska – in Tempe, AZ (Huskers tournament host)
• VMI 10-9 vs. (44) Kentucky – UNCW tournament
• South Florida 12-1 at North Florida – UNF tournament
Brian Mundell (Cal Poly)
In addition to Cal Poly vs. Kansas State, there were four other head-to-head series between fellow CB360 top-50 teams and each resulted in non-sweeps. (42) Stanford won 12-3 on Sunday to avert a sweep visiting by visiting (15) Rice, while (1) Cal State Fullerton beat (46) Washington State to claim that home series, after losing to the Cougars on Saturday. (33) San Diego rolled to a series-deciding, 17-2 win at home vs. (40) New Mexico, and (4) Mississippi State win 7-2 to win its home series vs. (38) Western Carolina. There was one other Sunday game between CB360 top-50 teams, as (3) Virginia won 7-2 vs. tournament host (36) UNC Wilmington.
Beyond the three Cal Poly wins over Kansas State, there were 11 other cb360 top-50 series that ended in sweeps (again, several among the top-50 were playing in multi-team tournaments). A couple cb360 top-10 teams – (5) Florida State (vs. Niagara) and (10) Vanderbilt (vs. Long Beach State) – opened the season by sweeping home series, as did (12) South Carolina (vs. Bucknell) and (25) Texas AUM (vs. Northeastern). The other series sweeps within the top-50 included (all at home): (30) Arkansas vs. Appalachian State … (32) Mississippi vs. Stetson … (41) Wichita State vs. SIU Edwardsville … (co-46) Mercer vs. High Point … (co-46) Sam Houston State vs. Northern Colorado … (co-46) UNLV vs. Central Michigan) … and (50) Houston vs. Nicholls State.
Stephen Vranka (Pittsburgh)
(9) Oregon took a 3-0 lead in its 4-gm series at Hawaii, while (13) North Carolina won Sunday at the College of Charleston to set up a series-deciding battle on Monday.
Among those teams playing in week-1 tournaments (rather than single-opponent series), two CB360 top-50 finished the weekend 3-0: (2) Oregon State (in Surprise, Ariz., vs. Gonzaga, Nebraska and UOP) and (20) Oklahoma State (vs. Incarnate Word, S.F. Austin and host Texas-Arlington).
A full rundown of the Day-3 results in the CB360 top-50 is included below (postgame links and additional photos to be added later ) …
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SUNDAY’S TOP-50 MATCHUPS Â (Feb. 16, 2014)
(based on the CB360Â Composite National Rankings)
upsets in italics
Daniel Pinero (Virginia)
• at (1) Cal State Fullerton 5 … def. (46) Washington State 4 – CSF won series (2-1)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  CSF Recap  |  WSU Recap
• (3) Virginia 7 … won at (36) UNC Wilmington 2 –UVa 2-1 at tournament (UNCW 1-2)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  UVa Recap  |  UNCW Recap
Brett Pirtle (Mississippi State)
• at (4) Mississippi State 7 … def. (38) Western Carolina 2 – Bulldogs won series (2-1)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  Miss.-St. Recap  |  WCU Recap
• (8) North Carolina State at (37) UC Santa Barbara – canc. due to weather/travel issues
Brett Michael Doran (Stanford)
• at (42) Stanford 12 … def. (15) Rice 3 – Owls won series (2-1)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  STAN Recap  |  Rice RecapÂ
• at (27) Cal Poly 10 … def. (18) Kansas State 1 – series sweep
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  CP Recap  |  K-St. Recap
• at (33) San Diego 17 … def. (40) New Mexico 2  – USD won series (2-1)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  USD Recap  |  UNM Recap
Louie Lechich (San Diego)
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SUNDAY’S OTHER TOP-50 RESULTS Â (Feb. 16, 2014)
(based on the CB360Â Composite National Rankings) Â Â upsets in italics
• (2) Oregon State 14 ... def. Univ. of the Pacific 6 (Tempe, AZ) – Beavs 3-0 at tournament (UOP 1-2)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  OR-St. Recap  |  UOP Recap
• Hofstra at (4) Mississippi State – DH canc. due to weather/travel issues
• at (5) Florida State 13 … def. Niagara 0 – series sweep
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  FSU Recap  |  NIA Recap
• at (6) LSU 7 … def. Grambling 0 – Tigers went 3-0 at home tournament (GRAM 0-3)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  LSU Recap  |  GRAM Recap
• at Texas Tech 7 … def. (7) Indiana 0 – Red Raiders won 4-gm series (3-1)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  TT Recap  |  IU Recap
• Canisius 3 … won at (8) North Carolina State 0 – season opener for both teams
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  CAN Recap  |  NC-St. Recap
• (9) Oregon 6 … won at Hawaii 5  (10 inn.) – Ducks clinched 4-gm series (3-0)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  ORE Recap  |  Hawaii Recap
• (10) Vanderbilt 6 … won at Long Beach State 2 – series sweep
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  VAN Recap  |  LBSU Recap
• at (11) UCLA 4 ... def. Portland 3  (11 inn.) – Bruins won series (2-1)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  UCLA Recap  |  PORT Recap
• at (12) South Carolina 12 … def. Bucknell 0 – series sweep
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  SC Recap  |  BUCK Recap
• (13) North Carolina 12 … won at College of Charleston 3 – series tied (series finale on Monday, Feb. 17)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  UNC Recap  |  CofC Recap
•  (14) Louisville 6 … def. Delaware 1 – LOU 2-1 at Citadel tournament, DEL 1-2
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  LOU Recap  |  DEL Recap
• at (16) Clemson 9 … def. Eastern Michigan 7 – Tigers won series (2-1)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  CLEM Recap  |  ECU Recap
• at (17) Miami 11 … def. Maine 2 – ‘Canes won series (2-1)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  Mimai Recap  |  Maine Recap
• at (19) Florida 8 … def. Maryland 5  (8 inn.) – Gators won series (2-1)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  FL Recap  |  MD Recap
• (20) Oklahoma State 4 … won at Texas-Arlington 3 – OK-St. 3-0 at UTA tournament, UTA 0-3
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  OK-St. Recap  |  UTA Recap
• at (21) Arizona State  12 … def. Baylor 1 – ASU won series (2-1)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  | ASU Recap  |  BAY Recap
Justin Russell (Jacksonville)
• Jacksonville 2 … won at (22) TCU 0 – Frogs won series (2-1)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  JU Recap  |  TCU RecapÂ
• (23) Texas 5 … won at California 0 – 4-gm series split
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  TX Recap  |  Cal Recap
• at (24) Louisiana-Lafayette 9 … def. Eastern Illinois 8 – ULL won series (2-1)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  ULL Recap  |  EIU Recap
• at (25) Texas A&M 1 … def. Northeastern 0 – series sweep
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  A&M Recap  |  N’east Recap
• at (26) Alabama 9 … def. St. Louis 3 – Tide won series (2-1)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  AL Recap  |  SLU Recap
• at (28) Arizona 7 … def. Kent State 1 – ASU won series (2-1)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  AZ Recap  |  Kent Recap
• at (29) East Carolina 4 … def. James Madison 2 – ECU won series (2-1)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  ECU Recap  |  JMU Recap
• at (30) Arkansas 8 … def. Appalachian State 3 – series sweep
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  ARK Recap  |  App.-St. Recap
• at (31) Florida Atlantic 13  … def. Notre Dame 3 – FAU won series (2-1)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  FAU Recap  |  ND Recap
Bill Cullen (VCU)
• (32) Mississippi 8 … won at Stetson 2 – series sweep
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  OleMiss Recap  |  STET Recap
• at (34) Oklahoma 15 … def. Seton Hall 6  (8 inn.) – OU won series (2-1)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  OU Recap  |  SHU Recap
• VCU 5 … won at (35) Georgia Tech 3 – VCU 3-0 at GT tournament (GT 1-2)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  VCU Recap  |  GT Recap
Payden Cawley Lamb (Gonzaga)
• Gonzaga 5 … def. (39) Nebraska 3  (Tempe, AZ) – both teams 1-2 at NEB tournamentÂ
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  GON Recap  |  NEB Recap
• at (41) Wichita State 21 … def. SIU Edwardsville (SIUE) 2 – series sweep
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  WICH Recap  |  SIUE Recap
• Pittsburgh 10 … won at (43) Coastal Carolina 6 – Pitt clinched series (2-0)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  Pitt Recap  |  CC Recap
• at (43) Coastal Carolina 8 … def. Pittsburgh 5  (7 inn.) – Pitt won series (2-1)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  CC Recap  |  Pitt Recap
Eric Mayers (VMI)
• VMI 10 … def. (44) Kentucky 9 (at UNC Wilmington) – ‘Cats 2-1 at UNCW tournament (VMI 1-2)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  VMI Recap  |  KY Recap
• (45) Liberty 11 … def. Richmond 6  (at North Florida) – LIB 1-2 at UNF tournament (RICH 0-3)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  LIB Recap  |  RICH Recap
• at (46) Mercer 4 … def. High Point 3 – series sweep
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  MER Recap  |  HP Recap
• at (46) Sam Houston State 5 … def. Northern Colorado 0 – series sweep
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  SHSU Recap  |  NC Recap
• at (46) UNLV 6  … def. Central Michigan 2 – series sweep
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  UNLV Recap  |  CMU Recap
• at (50) Houston 3 … def. Nicholls State 2 – series sweep
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  HOU Recap  |  NICH Recap
• South Florida 12 … won at (50) North Florida 1 – USF 3-0 at UNF tournament (UNF 2-1)
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  USF Recap  |  UNF Recap
• Missouri at (50) North Florida (DH canc. due to weather/travel issues)
Luke Maglich (South Florida)