Day of Upsets (Thursday’s Top-50)

It was a night for underdogs, as Pepperdine (5-3 vs. #12 ECU) led four teams that knocked off CB360 top-50 teams (#9 Clemson was only top-50 team to win on Thursday). California hit a pair of 3-run home runs (plus a late solo shot) and held on for an 8-6 win at #23 Rice, while BYU won its home opener vs. #40 Washington (10-4) and Fresno State shut out #42 Cal State Fullerton (5-0; at San Diego State). Pepperdine, Cal and Fresno each had been ranked in the CB360 Composite National Rankings earlier this season (front-page photo courtesy of Pepperdine).

Links to live-coverage offerings and team season info. are included below – as are various postgame links (stats and recaps from both teams, plus photos, video, etc. when available).

Thursday’s Top-50 Results (upsets in italics)

• at #9 Clemson 13,  Gardner Webb 2 | Final Stats
CLEM Recap |  GW Recap

• at Pepperdine 5,  #12 East Carolina 3 | Final Stats
PEP Recap (w/ Cook postgame video)  |  ECU Recap

•  California 8,  at #23 Rice 6 | Final Stats
Cal Recap |  Rice Recap

• at BYU 10,  #40 Washington 4 | Final Stats
BYU Recap |  WASH Recap

• Fresno State 5,  #42 Cal State Fullerton 0 (at San Diego St.)  | Final Stats
FRES Recap |  CSF Recap

• #50 Fairfield vs. Miami (OH)  (Auburndale, FL) – canceled

Thursday’s Top-50 Schedule

• 4:30 ET – #50 Fairfield vs. Miami (OH)  (Auburndale, FL)
live coverage: Live Stats
FAIR info.:  Game Notes  |  Roster |  2010 Stats |  Media Guide |  Quick Facts

• 5:00 ET – Gardner Webb at #9 Clemson
live coverage: Live Stats
CLEM info. – Game Notes |  Roster |  2010 Stats |  Media Guide |  Quick Facts

• 5:00 ET (2PT) – #12 East Carolina at Pepperdine
live coverage: Live Stats |  Audio (ECU)  | Video
ECU info.: Game Notes |  Roster |  2010 Stats |  Media Guide |  Quick Facts

Around The Bases-March 11

A Look At Teams Trending In Different Directions

The fourth week of the college baseball season is under way, and we are starting to get a true feel for what teams are (and aren’t).  UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton were each top 10 teams at the start of the season, so who could have predicted they would be a combined 9-12 heading into this weekend’s action?

Here are a few teams that caught my eye this week:

Stock-Up

UCLA:  The Bruins lost a lot of offensive production from last year’s team, but they’re 11-0 thanks to solid contributions throughout the line-up as well as stellar pitching.  UCLA is batting .372 and averaging 8.7 runs a game while the pitching staff has a 2.00 ERA with 130 strikeouts and just 24 walks in 90 innings.  Dean Espy (.440, 3 HR, 12 RBIs), Steve Rodriguez (.400, 5 HR, 11 RBIs)  and Niko Gallego (.314, 3 HR, 13 RBIs) have powered the offense, while Gerrit Cole (3-0, 2.50 ERA) and Trevor Bauer (2-0, 2.45 ERA) have combined for 49 strikeouts with just 6 BB in 32 2/3 IP.

Duke:  Since going 1-3 to open the season in Waco, TX vs. Baylor and Georgia (with a win over the Bulldogs) Duke has rattled-off eight straight wins.  Granted, the wins have been over Fordham, Temple and Quinnipiac, but 3 of the Blue Devil’s last four wins have been by shutout.  The Duke pitching staff has a 0.80 ERA over its last five games with 55 strikeouts and 13 walks.  It would  be easy to write the Blue Devils off as they prepare to open ACC play this weekend vs. arch rival North Carolina, but Duke did take 2 of 3 games from the Tar Heels last year.  Could this be the year Duke gets to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1961?

Kansas State:  The Wildcats, fresh off the program’s first NCAA Tournament in 2009, had a lot of questions coming into the season.  They lost Big 12 Pitcher of the Year A.J. Morris as well as several key bats, including Justin Bloxom.  They’re 9-2, and while they don’t have a “signature” win, they’re hitting .342 with 30 stolen bases and averaging 9.6 runs a game.  Carter Jurica leads the way with a .449 average, 15 runs, 20 RBIs, and 6 SB.  But what’s most impressive is K-State’s pitching.  The Wildcats aren’t overpowering anyone, but they don’t walk anyone either.  The pitching staff has a 3.83 ERA with 77 Ks and just 17 walks in 101 IP.   Ryan Daniel (3-0, 2.81 ERA) has 10 strikeouts and just one free pass in 16 IP, while Evan Marshall (2-0, 1.71 ERA) is yet to walk a batter with 13 Ks in 20 IP.

Villanova:  If we’re going to mention the K-State Wildcats we have to mention the Villanova Wildcats, which handed KSU its last loss last week in Winter Haven, FL.  The win over K-State along with an 8-1 victory over Indiana at the the Big Ten/Big East Challenge gives VU two wins over 2009 NCAA Tourney teams.  Outfielder Justin Bencsko is batting .525 with a 1.218 OPS to lead the Wildcats (10-2) to their best start in head coach Joe Godri’s nine years at the helm.  The senior has spearheaded an offense that is averaging 9.0 runs a game despite just one home run.

Stock-Down

Georgia:  The Bulldogs have lost five straight after Tuesday’s 11-1 drubbing at the hands of Kennesaw State.  Georgia (6-7) was outscored 62-11 in those games by KSU, Alabama and Florida State (3 games).   Bulldog batters are hitting just .288 and they’ve struckout 95 times while drawing just 45 walks.  Those numbers combined with 21 errors (.957 fielding %) and a 7.55 staff ERA make it easy to see why Georgia is struggling.  They’ll hope to get better with a 3-game series with Siena this weekend and a midweek game at Georgia Tech before opening SEC play next week vs. Auburn.

San Diego:  Since opening the season with three home wins over Indiana, the Toreros have lost 7 of their last 10 games to fall to 6-7.  San Diego has plenty of pop with 11 home runs, but it’s batting just .283 with a .363 on-base percentage.  18 errors have led to 12 unearned runs that have proven costly.

San Diego State:  The Aztecs are just 5-7 heading into their SDSU Invitational this weekend.  With the losses of Stephen Strasburg and two other starters pitching would have appeared to be the concern heading into 2010.  However, Addison Reed, who saved 20 games last year, has transitioned nicely into a starter.  The junior (2-1, 3.20 ERA) leads the pitching staff with 23 strikeouts and has issued just five walks.  Bryan Crabb (1-1, 1.72) has also been solid.  Tony Gwynn’s .963 fielding percentage (17 errors) and .261 batting average have been the biggest problem.

Fresno State:  Just two years removed from a National Championship, Fresno State is a shell of the 2008 Wonderdog team.  The Bulldogs are hitting .312 with 16 home runs but….(drum roll please)…defense (the recurring theme this week) is the worst of any team mentioned this week.  FSU (6-6) has committed 26 errors already this season to lose 6 of their last 9 games since opening 2010 with three wins over Nebraska.  Fresno State should be fine once WAC play begins if Mike Batesole’s defense can cure itself.

Two Sport Report #1

The First Report Of The Baseball Season

Last fall we reported on how college baseball players did in their “other” sports and now we’ll be following how they’re doing on the diamond this spring.  You will also find summaries of their fall/winter sport performances.

Clemson

Kyle Parker- 6’1-200 – Football: QB & Baseball: OF

Parker, a junior, leads the team with a .378 BA, with 4 HR and 10 RBI through 10 games.  He’s also 2-3 in stolen bases this season.

Parker passed for 2,526 yards with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2009.  Clemson finished 9-5 last season beating Kentucky 21-13 in the Music City Bowl.

Columbia

Alexander Aurrichio- 6’6-225 – Soccer: GK & Baseball: 1B

Aurrichio, a sophomore, is 3-9 with a run and two RBI is two games this season.  The Lions are 1-3 this season.

In the fall, Aurrichio started all 17 games in goal for the Lion men’s soccer team with 76 saves, and1.32 goals allowed a game.  He also collected two shutouts on the season.  Columbia finished the 2009 season with a 4-12-1 record.

Elon

Scott Riddle-6’0-210-Jr. – Football: QB & Baseball: IF/C

Riddle is 4-21 on the season with two runs and an RBI while playing in 11 games, starting 4 of them.  Elon is 8-4 on the 2010 season.

This season Riddle became the  Southern Conference record holder for career completions and passing yards.

Riddle passed for 3,345  yards with 23 touchdowns and seven interceptions for the Phoenix in 2009.

Riddle led Elon (9-3)to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, but the Phoenix lost 16-13 to #4 Richmond in the first round.  He finished seventh in the nation with 278.7 passing yards a game.

Fairfield

Tucker Nathans-6’0-180-Jr. – Soccer: Forward & Baseball: 2B

Nathans is hitting 4 for 26 with a run, a double, and 5 walks in 7 games this season.  Fairfield is 4-3 so far in 2010.

Nathans started 10 of Fairfield’s 17 soccer games and totaled three points in 2009.  Nathans started all 47 games for the Fairfield baseball team last season, and led the Stags with a .377 average with a 1.006 OPS.

George Washington

Marshall Seedorf-6′3-185-So. – Swimming: Sprints & Baseball: P

On the mound this season, Seedorf has made 4 appearances, throwing 5 innings total.  He is 1-0 with a save striking out 3 and walking 1, while only giving up 4 hits.  GW is 8-4 overall this season.

Seedorf was one of just two freshman to qualify for the Atlantic 10 Championship finals in both the 50 and 100 meter freestyle events in 2009.  He pitched in relief in 13 games last season for the GW baseball team.

Holy Cross

Josh Hauser-6’4-218-Fr. – Football: TE & Baseball: P

Hauser has thrown 3 innings giving up 4 hits and 3 runs while striking out 3 and walking 2 in his 3 appearances.

Hauser did not play in the 2009 season.

Holy Cross (9-3) won the Patriot League title but lost 38-28 to Villanova in the first round of the FCS playoffs.

Indiana

Matt Ernest-6’2-190-Jr. – Football: CB & Baseball: P

Ernest has made 4 appearances on the mound, throwing 9 innings giving up 10 hits, 4 ER, 3 K, and 6 BB.  The Hoosiers are 4-7 early in the season.

Ernest moves to defense after spending his first two seasons as a WR.  Last season Ernest caught 7 passes for 69 yards and a TD.  He was also a 4-time special teams player of the week.  The Hoosiers finished 2009 4-8.

Kentucky

Brian Adams-6’4-212-Fr. – Football: WR & Baseball: OF

Adams has gone 2 for 4 in limited action this season.  Kentucky is 10-2 overall to start 2010.

Adams did not play in 2009 for the football team.  The Wildcats finished last season 7-6, losing to Clemson 21-13 in the Music City Bowl.

Louisiana-Monroe

Kolton Browning-6’2-181-Fr. – Football: QB & Baseball: Pitcher.
Browning is a true freshman that is a back-up quarterback on the football team and is expected to pitch for the Warhawk baseball team next spring.

McNeese State

Jace Peterson-6’1-190-So. – Football: Safety & Baseball: IF

Peterson is batting .391 with 4 doubles, 1 HR, and 10 RBI in 11 games this season.  He is also 10-12 in stolen bases this season in helping the Cowboys to a 6-5 mark thus far.

Peterson had 39 tackles, three sacks and an interception in 2009.  McNeese State lost 49-13 to New Hampshire in the first round of the FCS playoffs.

Nebraska

Khiry Cooper-6’2-180-rsFr. – Football: WR & Baseball: OF

Cooper has started this season batting .381 with 4 RBI and a stolen base while starting 5 games and appearing in 8 overall.  The Huskers are 4-7 this season.

Cooper caught 13 passes for 80 yards and a TD in 12 games for the Cornhusker football team.  Nebraska finished 2009 10-4 beating Arizona 33-0 in the Holiday Bowl.

Nicholls State

Mike Barba-6’1-180-Fr. – Football: WR & Baseball: OF

Barba has appeared in 9 games, starting 2 of them for the Colonels.  He’s hitting 2 for 13 with 4 runs, a walk, and a stolen base.

Barba caught 9 passes for 177 yards and 3 TDs in 2009.

Kyle Hughes-6’5-220-Sr. – Football: LB & Baseball: P

Hughes has made just one appearance so far on the mound.  He’s thrown 2/3 of an inning giving up 2 hits, a run, while striking out 1 and walking 1.

Hughes recorded 34 tackles with an interception for the Colonel’s (3-8) in 2009.

North Carolina State

Russell Wilson-5’11-201 – Football: QB & Baseball: 2B

Wilson has played in 9 games, starting 2 on the diamond.  He’s hitting 8 for 20 with 9 runs, 2 HR and 6 RBI in helping the Wolfpack to an 11-1 start.

He totaled 3,027 passing yards with 31 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 2009, while also rushing for 260 yards and 4 more scores.   His 31 touchdown passes led the ACC.

He passed for 259 yards and 4 touchdowns to help N.C. State (5-7) upset North Carolina (8-4) to end an otherwise disappointing season for the Wolfpack.

Notre Dame

Eric Maust-6’2-190-Sr. – Football: P & Baseball: Pitcher

Maust has appeared in 3 games, starting 2 on the mound this season.  In his 11 innings of work, he’s given up 11 hits, 8 earned runs, striking out 5 and walking 5.  His ERA is 6.55.  The Irish are 5-6 this season.

Maust averaged 35.8 yards on 19 punts in 2009.  As the holder on ND’s field goal team he completed a pass to convert a first down on a fake FG vs. USC.

Penn State

Jesse Alfreno-5’11-194-Jr. – Football: CB & Baseball: P

Alfreno has made 5 appearances on the mound and sports a 1-0 record.  In 5.2 innings of work, he has given up 6 hits, 7 runs, striking out 3 and walking 7.  The Nittany Lions are 4-5 this year.

Alfreno made one appearance for the football team last season.

Sacred Heart

Steve Tedesco-6’1-195-Sr. – Football: WR & Baseball: IF

Tedesco is 5 for 22 with 7 runs and an RBI in 6 starts this season.

Tedesco is the Sacred Heart (2-8) school record holder with 37 career touchdowns.  Tedesco had a career day with 12 catches for 144 yards and four touchdowns in the Pioneer’s season-ending 45-42 loss to Duquesne.  He finished the 2009 season with a team-high 67 receptions for 865 yards and 11 touchdowns.  He was selected to play in the 9th annual East Coast Bowl All-Star Game.

Bobby Shepherd-6’1-180-rs Fr. – Football: P & Baseball: P

Shepherd has thrown 4 innings in 2 appearances this year giving up 6 hits and 5 earned runs with 3 K and 1 BB.

On the gridiron, Shepherd punted the ball 13 times averaging 34.7 yards per punt.  He also had 10 kickoffs with a touchback.

Texas State

Jeff McVaney-6’2-220-So. – Football: FB & Baseball: OF/LHP

McVaney is 1 for 5 at the plate with a run and an RBI.  On the mound, he’s thrown 2.1 innings in 3 appearances, giving up only 2 hits as the Bobcats start the season 5-6.

The fullback had four carries for nine yards in 2009.

Villanova

Matt Szczur-5’11-195-Jr. – Football: WR & Baseball: OF

Szczur is second on the team with .455 BA scoring 16 runs and 5 RBI in helping Villanova to a 10-2 start.

Szczur was second team All-CAA in football last season as a sophomore.  He was named the Colonial Athletic Associations Offensive Player of the Year and Special Teams Player of the Year in 2009.   He is just the second player in CAA history to receive two major awards in the same season.

Szczur’s 2009 stats include:  45 catches for 534 yards and 4 touchdowns, 86 rushes for 562 yards and 7 TDs, 3 of 3 pass attempts for 21 yards and 2 touchdowns, and 26 kickoff returns for a 27.7 average and another TD.

The Wildcats beat Montana 23-21 to win the NCAA Championship.

Marlon Calbi-5’11-180-So. – Football: QB/Holder & Baseball: SS

Calbi is hitting .220 with 9 runs  and 2 RBI.

Calbi was the third-string quarterback who played in 14 games as the team’s holder.

Christian Culicerto-5’9-190-So. – Football: QB & Baseball: LHP

Culicerto has thrown 3 innings in 2 appearances giving up 1 hit, with 2 K, and 1 BB

Culicerto did not appear last year for the Wildcat football team.

Wofford

Landon Bennett-6’3-200-So. – Football: K/P & Baseball: OF

Bennett is hitting .289 with 10 runs, 1 HR, and 9 RBI this season.  He’s also 3 for 3 in stolen bases.  Wofford is 5-6.

Bennett did not appear in 2009 for the football team.

Wednesday’s Top-50 Results/Links

Evansville handed #19 Kentucky its first home loss of the season (8-4), as one of four games on Wednesday that saw a CB360 top-50 team suffer an upset loss. Four other games were postponed, leaving a total of 20 games played on Wednesday involving top-50 squads. (front-page photo of Trent Copeland courtesy of Evansville)

(based on the CB360 Composite National Rankings)

Wednesday’s Top-50 Matchups (March 10, 2010)

Results (upsets in italics)

• #1 LSU vs.  #43 Northwestern State (in Shreveport, La.) – postponed

• #2 Virginia 12,  at William & Mary 6  |  Final Stats
UVa Recap |  W&M Recap

• at #4 Florida State 6,  North Florida 2  |  Final Stats
FSU Recap (w/ postgame video)  |  UNF Recap

• Gardner-Webb at #9 Clemson – postponed

• at #10 Florida 8,  Illinois State 0  |  Final Stats
FL Recap |  ISU Recap

• at #11 North Carolina 8,  #34 St. John’s 2  |  Final Stats
UNC Recap |  SJU Recap |  Photos

• at Cal State Northridge 5,  #12 East Carolina 3 |  Final Stats
CSN Recap |  ECU Recap

• at #15 Vanderbilt 9,  Tennessee-Martin 1  |  Final Stats
VAN Recap |  TM Recap

• at #16 Arkansas 21,  South Dakota State 2  |  Final Stats
ARK Recap |  SDS Recap

• #17 Georgia Tech at Mercer – postponed

• at #18 Mississippi 10,  Austin Peay  2 |  Final Stats
Ole Miss Recap | AP Recap

• Evansville 8,  at #19 Kentucky 4 |  Final Stats
EV Recap |  KY Recap

• at #20 Oklahoma 9,  Houston Baptist 1  |  Final Stats
OK Recap |  HB Recap

• at #24 South Carolina 7,   Valparaiso 3  |  Final Stats
SC Recap |  Valpo Recap |  Quotes (SC)  |  Video Replay

• Michigan State at #25 Alabama — postponed

• at #27 Texas A&M 7,  Penn State 0 | Final Stats
A&M Recap |  PSU Recap

• #30 Appalachian State at #49 Auburn — postponed

• at #31 Wichita State 8,  Central Arkansas 2  |  Final Stats
WICH Recap (w/ video hi-lites)  |  CA Recap

• at #32 New Mexico 13,  New Mexico State 4  |  Final Stats
UNM Recap |  NMS Recap

• at #36 Western Carolina 12,  Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 8  |  Final Stats
WCU Recap |  SIUE Recap

• at # 44 Mississippi State 9,  #41 Western Kentucky 3 |  Final Stats
MissSt Recap |  WKU Recap

• at #47 College of Charleston 7,  Ball State 4  |  Final Stats
CofC Recap |  BSU Recap

•  Bryant 5,  at #48 Virginia Tech 3 |  Final Stats
BRY Recap |  VT Recap

• Rhode Island 20,  #50 Fairfield 3 (Winter Haven, Fla.)  |  Final Stats
URI Recap |  FAIR Recap

CB360 Composite National Rankings #4 – March 10

Following an expanded and reconfigured CB360 Composite National Rankings, two teams – #7 Louisville (up from #11) and #8 UCLA (which jumped from #17) – have moved into the CNR top-10, replacing current #17 Georgia Tech (down from #7) and #13 TCU (previously #8). Several teams maintained their spots in the CNR, including the top-4 (LSU, Virginia, Texas and Florida St.), along with #6 Arizona State and #9 Clemson. Current #5 Coastal Carolina and #10 Florida complete the current CNR top-10, after swapping places from the previous rankings.

In addition to including five national polls, the current CNR formula now features four RPI-type ratings – meaning that nine different groups of “experts” (spanning coaches, media and computers) have combined to produce this composite top-50. Teams rising or falling in the CNR can be attributed to results from the previous week and/or the introduciton of the various RPI calculations (which was the case for GT and TCU). (Note – scroll to end of this release for detailed description of the CNR).

CNR Contact: Pete LaFleur (pete@collegebaseball360.com)

CNR TOP-50 CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN (March 10)
SEC (10) – #1 LSU, #10 Florida, #15 Vanderbilt, #16 Arkansas, #18 Mississippi, #19 Kentucky, #24 South Carolina, #25 Alabama, #44 Mississippi State and #49 Auburn
ACC  (8) – #2 Virginia, #4 Florida St., #9 Clemson, #11 North Carolina, #17 Georgia Tech, #21 Miami, #33 N.C. St. and #48 Virginia Tech
Pacific-10 (7) – #6 Arizona St., #8 UCLA, #14 Oregon St., #22 Stanford, #29 Washington St., #40 Washington and #45 Oregon
Big 12 (4) – #3 Texas, #20 Oklahoma, #27 Texas A&M and #35 Kansas St.
Conference USA (3) – #12 East Carolina, #23 Rice and #38 Southern Mississippi
Southern Conference (3) – #30 Appalachian St.,  #36 Western Carolina and #43 Northwestern St.
2 Each – Big South (#5 Coastal Carolina & #46 Liberty) … BIG EAST (#7 Louisville & #34 St. John’s) … Mountain West (#13 TCU & #32 New Mexico) … Big West (#28 UC Irvine & #42 Cal State Fullerton)
1 Each – Big Ten (#26 Ohio St.) … Missouri Valley (#31 Wichita St.) … Southland (#37 Southeast Louisiana) … Western Athletic (#39 Hawaii) … Sunberlt (#41 Western Kentucky) … Southern (#47 College of Charleston) … Metro Atlantic (#50 Fairfield)

BIGGEST JUMPS IN THE CNR – Vanderbilt (#28 to #15) … Texas A&M (#38 to #27) … UCLA (#17 to #8) … Alabama (#33 to #25)
BIGGEST DROPS IN THE CNR – CS Fullerton (#23 to #42) … UC Irvine (#13 to #28) … Georgia Tech (#7 to #17) … Miami (#12 to #21) … Wester Kentucky (#32 to #41)
NEWCOMERS TO THE CNR – #30 Appalachian State … #35 Kansas State … #36 Western Carolina … #39 Hawaii … #40 Washington … #43 Northwestern (La.) St. … #44. Mississippi State … #48 Virginia Tech – 46.26 … #49 Auburn – 45.98 … #50 Fairfield – 45.97
DROPPED OUT OF THE TOP-50 – #27 Georgia … #29 Kansas … #37 San Diego … #41 Jacksonville … #42 Middle Tennessee … #42 Florida International …  #44 Florida Gulf Coast … #44 California … #44 Fresno State … #48 Alabama Birmingham … #50 Winthrop

College Baseball 2010 Composite National Rankings #4 (CNR)

(courtesy of CollegeBaseball360.com; March 10, 2010)
1. LSU – 97.98  (1st on March 3 … 1st on Feb. 24 … 2nd preseason)
2. Virginia – 95.56  (2 … 3 … 4)
3. Texas – 91.30  (3 … 2 … 1)
4. Florida State – 91.01  (4 … 6 … 7)
5. Coastal Carolina – 90.84  (10 … 18 … 18)
6. Arizona State – 90.13  (6 … 9 … 10)
7. Louisville – 89.25  (11 … 14 … 19)
8. UCLA – 87.98  (17 … 24 … 25)
9. Clemson – 87.65  (9 … 11 … 12)
10. Florida – 86.73  (5 … 8 … 9)
11. North Carolina – 83.33  (15 … 12 … 13)
12. East Carolina – 81.31  (18 … 21 … 17)
13. TCU – 80.65  (8 … 10 … 11)
14. Oregon State – 80.38  (16 … 15 … 16)
15. Vanderbilt – 78.85  (28 … 33 … 31)
16. Arkansas  – 78.78  (14 … 16 … 15)
17. Georgia Tech – 78.17  (7 … 7 … 8 )
18. Mississippi – 76.66  (20 … 23 … 22)
19. Kentucky – 75.86  (22 … 32 … 38)
20. Oklahoma – 75.83  (26 … 28 … 28)
21. Miami (FL) – 75.06  (12 … 13 … 14)
22. Stanford – 72.35  (25 … 20 … 29)
23. Rice – 70.22  (21 … 17 … 6)
24. South Carolina – 68.29  (19 … 19 … 20)
25. Alabama – 67.05  (33 … 39 … 34)
26. Ohio State – 63.11  (24 … 25 … 24)
27. Texas A&M – 62.51  (38 … 29 … 30)
28. UC Irvine – 61.73  (13 … 5 … 5)
29. Washington State – 59.40  (35 … – … –)
30. Appalachian State – 56.90  (– … – … –)
31. Wichita State – 55.76  (30 … 34 … 32)
32. New Mexico – 53.74  (31 … –)
33. North Carolina St. – 53.65  (39 … – … –)
34. St. John’s – 53.11  (34 … – … –)
35. Kansas State – 52.6  (– … 45 … 36)
36. Western Carolina – 52.11  (– … – … –)
37. Southeastern Louisiana – 50.09  (36 … – … –)
38. Southern Mississippi – 49.49  (44 … 26 … 26)
39. Hawaii – 49.29  (– … – … –)
40. Washington – 49.20  (– … – … –)
41. Western Kentucky – 49.07  (32 … – … –)
42. Cal State Fullerton – 48.61  (23 … 4 … 3)
43. Northwestern (La.) State – 48.23  (– … – … –)
44. Mississippi State – 47.93  (– … – … –)
45. Oregon – 47.08  (40  … 30 … –)
46. Liberty  – 46.61  (49 – … –)
47. College of Charleston – 46.33  (50 – … –)
48. Virginia Tech – 46.26  (– … – … –)
49. Auburn – 45.98  (– … – … –)
50. Fairfield – 45.97  (– … – … –)

Dropped Out – #27 Georgia … #29 Kansas … #37 San Diego … #41 Jacksonville … #42 Middle Tennessee … #42 Florida International …  #44 Florida Gulf Coast … #44 California … #44 Fresno State … #48 Alabama Birmingham … #50 Winthrop

COMPOSITE NATIONAL RANKINGS (CNR) CRITERIA

CB360’s 100-point Composite National Rankings formula currently is centered around five national polls – USA Today/ESPN (coaches poll), NCBWA (writers), Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, and Rivals –along with four RPI-type ratings (Boyd Nation’s ISR and pseudo-RPI, plus Warren Nolan’s RPI and NRPI). Teams receive points based on their standings in each poll/rating (60 pts for #1, 59 for #2, etc.). For polls involving voting points (coaches and CB) and the RPI ratings, the CNR adjusts to reward teams that have larger margins in the voting/point totals (whereas two teams with nearly the same voting-point total will be closer in the CNR allotment for that poll). Note that strength-of-schedule typically is factored into RPI formulations … thus the actual SOS numbers are not used in the CNR when RPI already are in the mix.

Currently, the five national polls are averaged and then account for two-thirds of the CNR initial 60-point formula, while the RPI ratings and averaged and account for one-third of the overall CNR (keeping on a 60-point scale) … with 40 points then added to each total to yield the 100-point benchmark.

The CNR top-50 currently combines a collection of nine “experts” to provide a projection of the 2010 NCAA Championship field (hypothetically 50 teams, plus 14 others from lower-rated automatic-bid conferences – those teams will be projected in upcoming CNR updates). Later in the season, other factors – such as NCAA-field predictions and “last-10-games” records – will be included in the CNR formula.

Tuesday’s Top-50 Results/Links

FSU’s Cardullo, Wright St.’s Kaminsky Headline Primetime Performers #3

First Week of March Yielded Plenty of Clutch Performances …

CollegeBaseball360.com has announced its third group of Primetime Performers, for action during the first week of March. Florida State senior shortstop Stephen Cardullo (Coral Springs, Fla.) has been named the Primetime Player of the Week while Wright State senior righthander Alex Kaminsky (Fostoria, Ohio) is the CB360 Primetime Pitcher of the Week. Cardullo (pictured at left) and Kaminsky (right) headline a Primetime Performer Honor Roll that includes 18 other players who delivered in the clutch during the past week of college baseball action. (front-page photo courtesy of FSU/Larry Novey)

Cardullo (pictured; FSU photo/David Gast) lived up to his batting position as FSU’s key 3-hole hitter, leading the Seminoles (#4 in the CB360 composite rankings) to an early-week win over in-state rival and #5 Florida (10-5, in Tampa) and a dominating series sweep of #27 Georgia (12-1/9-2/17-5). He batted .600 during the four games (9-for-15), with 8 RBI, 5 runs scored, 4 walks and a stolen base (also reached base a 14th time after being hit-by-pitch and made no errors during the week). At one point in the series, Cardullo reached base on nine consecutive plate appearances – and he capped the week by factoring into seven of FSU’s runs in the series finale vs. the Bulldogs (2-for-5, 4 RBI, 3 R, BB, SB).

Kaminsky (pictured below) was up to the challenge while facing #2 Virginia (#1 in some polls) on the Cavaliers’ home field. He yielded only one run while striking out seven and scattering seven hits, with only one walk over 7.0 innings. The Raiders went on to post the 2-1 upset, reprising their historic win over then-#1 Georgia during the 2009 season.

Similar to the weekly awards presented on sister site CollegeSoccer360.com, the CB360 Primetime Performer honors various players based on any/all of the following “primetime” criteria…not solely based on raw stats.

Primetime Performer Award Criteria
• Must have been playing for or against a CB360 top-50 team (in the Composite National Rankings)  or performed a high level in a game that could be key to a team’s conference/NCAA postseason qualification.
• Involved in clutch performances, such as late game-winning hits, noteworthy comebacks, game-changing plays, team leadership, etc.
• Performing at a top level against a team rated highly nationally (or within its conference), with bonus consideration given for key performances away from home field and vs. traditional rivals.
• Overcoming adversity or extreme circumstances (for the team and/or individual).
• Any accomplishment that is rare, historic, record-setting, etc., on a national level.

Additional information and bio. data on the Primetime Performers (including stats/notes in chart at bottom of page), along with action photos, is being added to this release (headshots/action photos also will be added to the previous two Primetime Performer releases, which can be accessed via the Awards sidebar link).

(top row, from left) Jacksonville State’s Daniel Adamson, Arkansas’ Tim Carver, St. Mary’s Troy Channing, Rice’s Jimmy Comerata, Clemson’s Chris Epees, (bottom row, from left) St. Louis’ Steve Fernandez, Houston’s Michael Goodnight, Texas’ Taylor Jungmann and Texas A&M’s Barret Loux.

The other 18 members of the CB360 Primetime Performer Weekly Honor Roll include Jacksonvolle St. senior CF  Daniel Adamson (Centerpoint, Ala.), East Tennessee St. so. 3B/RHP Bo Reeder (Cookeville, Tenn.), Arkansas so.  SS Tim Carver (Fayetteille, Ark.), St. Mary’s so. DH Troy Channing (Pleasanton, Calif.), Rice sr. 1B Jimmy Comerata (Missouri City, Texas), Clemson jr. CF Chris Epps (Stone Mountain, Ga.), St. Louis so. utility player Steve Fernandez (St. Louis, Mo.), Houston so. RHP Michael Goodnight (Houston, Texas), Texas so. RHP Taylor Jungmann (Temple, Texas), Texas A&M jr. RHP Barret Loux (Houston, Texas), Arizona St. so. SS Drew Maggi (Phoenix, Ariz.), Arizona fr. 3B Seth Mejias-Brean (Tucson, Ariz.), Cal jr. RHP Kevin Miller (San Jose, Calif.), UCSB sr. catcher Marty Mullins (Los Gatos, Calif.), Florida so. RHP Alex Panteliodis (Tampa, Fla.), Oregon sr. catcher Eddie Rodriguez (Warden, Wash.), Alabama jr. SS Josh Rutledge (Cullman, Ala.) and jr. LHP Chris Sale (Lakeland, Fla.).

The 20 honorees include seven pitchers (six of them RHPs), four centerfielders, two catchers and a pair of utility players, a first baseman, shortstop, third baseman, DH and a corner outfielder. The selections feature eight sophomores, six seniors, five juniors and a freshmen – with four of the honorees hailing from the home state of Texas, plus three each from California and Florida, two each from Alabama and Arizona, and one each from Arkansas, Georgia, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Washington.

(top row, from left) Arizona State’s Drew Maggi, Arizona’s Seth Mejias-Brean, Cal’s Kevin Miller, UCSB’s Marty Mullins, Florida’s Alex Panteliodis, (bottom row, from left) East Tennessee’s Bo Reeder, Oregon’s Eddie Rodriguez, Alabama’s Josh Rutledge and Florida Gilf Coast’s Chris Sale.

Primetime Performer Weekly Honor Roll #3 (March 1-7)

(presented by CollegeBaseball360.com)
“It’s not so much what you do, as it is when you do it.”

Player (Pos.) … School … Yr. … Hometown … Stats & Notes
Daniel Adamson (CF) … Jacksonville State … Sr. … Centerpoint, AL …
helped post two upset wins (8-5/9-6) over #43 Middle Tennessee (3-for-8, 3 RBI, 3 R, HR, 2B in the wins)

*Stephen Cardullo (SS) … Florida State … Sr. … Coral Springs, FL …
hit 9-15 (8RBI-4R-4BB-HBP-SB) in four wins vs. top-30 (10-5 vs. #5 Florida; 12-1/9-2/17-5 vs. #27 UGa)

Tim Carver (SS) … Arkansas … So. … Fayetteille, AR …
went 5-13 (4 RBI-2HR-4BB) spanning  win over #29 Kansas (15-3) and series at #44 Cal (7-3/9-5/0-6)

Troy Channing (DH) … St. Mary’s … So. … Pleasanton, CA …
hit 10th-inning home run to complete 4-2 comeback win over #13 UC Irvine (3HR-7RBI in series)

Jimmy Comerata (1B) … Rice … Sr. … Missouri City, TX …
tripled and scored 9th-inning tying run, in 5-4 win vs. #8 TCU, at Minute Maid Park (earlier hit 2-run HR)

Chris Epps (CF) … Clemson … Jr. … Stone Mountain, GA …
led series win (4-3/5-7/19-6) vs. #19 So. Carolina  (7–14/ 6 RBI-6R-2HR-2B-2BB-SB; gm-3 grand slam)

Steve Fernandez (OF) … St. Louis … So. … St. Louis, MO …
had 3-run double, 2-run single and scored a run in 10-9 comeback win vs. #24 Ohio State

Michael Goodnight (RHP) … Houston … So. … Houston, TX …
beat #3 Texas (1-0) with 7.0 shutout innings, allowing only 2 hits and no walks while striking out 7

Taylor Jungmann (RHP) … Texas … So. … Temple, TX …
repeated Primetime honor after winning 2-1 pitchers duel vs. Rice (7.2 IP-1R-4H-2BB-8K)

*Alex Kaminsky (RHP) … Wright State … Sr. … Fostoria, OH …
posted 2-1 win at #2 Virginia, allowing the lone run in 7.0 innings (7H-1BB-7K)

Barret Loux (RHP) … Texas A&M … Jr. … Houston, TX …
had 7.0 shutout IP and K’d 12 in 7-0 win over potent #50 Winthrop (1H-2BB; only 2 balls out of infield)

Drew Maggi (SS) … Arizona State… So. … Phoenix, AZ …
leadoff batter who went 6-for-15 (6 RBI-3R-3B-3 2B-3BB-HBP-2SB) while playing SS-LF-2B in four wins at Surprise, Ariz. (Cal Poly 12-9/#16 Oregon St. 6-4/UC Riverside 16-2/#44 FIU 4-1)

Seth Mejias-Brean (3B) … Arizona … Fr. … Tucson, AZ …
delivered 11th-inn., game-ending hit on 0-2 pitch to beat #23 Fullerton, 8-7 (3RBI in 10-1 series clincher)

Kevin Miller (RHP) … California … Jr. … San Jose, CA …
shut out #14 Arkansas through 6.0 innings (6-0 win), allowing 4 hits and 2 walks (3 Ks)

Marty Mullins (C) … UC Santa Barbara … Sr. … Los Gatos, CA …
1st-inning grand slam sparked 15-11 win at #25 Stanford (3R-2BB); scored in 11-inn. loss (4-5)

Alex Panteliodis (RHP) … Florida … So. … Tampa, FL …
held #12 Miami hitless into the 5th, en route to series-opener 7-1 win (5.2 IP, R, 2H, 2 BB, 8 K)

Bo Reeder (3B/RHP) … East Tennessee State … So. … Cookeville, TN …
helped post pair of upset wins (11-7/8-6) over #34 St. John’s (3-for-9, 2 RBI, 2 R, HR, BB)

Eddie Rodriguez (C) … Oregon … Sr. … Warden, WA …
hit .688 (11-16, 4 RBI, 6R, HR) during busy week (6-2/3-5 vs. Wash.; 7-2/8-4/5-2/8-3 at #44 Fresno St.)

Josh Rutledge (SS) … Alabama … Jr. … Cullman, AL …
sparked offense (6-17, 6RBI-7R-2HR-3SB) vs. #27 UGa (13-2) and at #50 Charleston (6-2/4-0/6-7)

Chris Sale (LHP) …  Florida Gulf Coast … Jr. … Lakeland, FL …
had strong outing at #30 Wichia St. (6IP-2R-5H-BB-11K), allowing FCG offense to rally in 9th for 7-2 win

* – Cardullo is the CB360 Primetime Player of the Week and Kaminsky the Primetime Pitcher of the Week … note that class years are based on academic standing (some players may have an extra year of eligibility)

NCBWA Division II College Baseball Poll-March 9

Florida Southern Keeps The Top Spot

NATIONAL COLLEGIATE BASEBALL WRITERS ASSOCIATION
MARCH 8, 2010 DIVISION II POLLS

NATIONAL POLL

RANK SCHOOL W-L PTS PREV
1 Florida Southern (11) 16-2 418 1
2 Mount Olive, N.C. (3) 17-1 388 2
3 UC San Diego (1) 19-3 384 10
4 Southern Arkansas (1) 16-3 367 4
5 Central Missouri 14-4 350 9
6 Columbus State, Ga. 16-2 302 13
7 Grand Valley State, Mich. 4-1 297 6
8 West Chester, Pa. 10-3 294 8
9 Abilene Christian, Texas 15-2 283 15
10 New Mexico Highlands 12-3 250 11
11 Emporia State, Kans. 10-3 235 3
12 Cal State San Bernardino 12-5 216 5
13 Valdosta State, Ga. 17-5 208 22
14 Franklin Pierce, N.H. 4-1 202 14
15 Kutztown, Pa. 7-0 178 20
16 UNC Pembroke 14-3 177 NR
17 Tampa, Fla. 15-5 159 T-24
18 Chico State, Calif. 13-3 151 T-16
19 Southern Indiana 8-4 112 RV
20 Francis Marion, S.C. 13-4 110 7
21 Minnesota State Mankato 7-3 88 21
22 Delta State, Miss. 13-5 83 12
23 Nebraska-Omaha 9-1 65 RV
24 Adelphi, N.Y. 4-2 37 RV
25 Erskine, S.C. 16-5 35 RV

Dropped out: #T-16 Ashland, #18 Florida Tech, #19 Catawba, #23 Dowling, #T-24 Texas-Permian Basin.

Also receiving votes: Ashland, Ohio (4-3) 30; Florida Tech (14-5) 23; Incarnate Word, Texas (17-5) 20; Slippery Rock, Pa. (4-5) 19; Winona State, Minn. (6-2) 10; Cal State Dominguez Hills (12-7) 7; USC Aiken (11-7) 7; Armstrong Atlantic, Ga. (13-3) 5; Rollins, Fla. (14-5) 5; West Virginia State (4-0) 5; Fort Hays State, Kans. (9-3) 1; Hawaii Pacific (12-3) 1.

College Baseball Notebook-Week 3

A By The Numbers Look At The Weekend’s Action

1…Run allowed in 7 IP by Wright State starter Alex Kaminsky in Friday’s 2-1 win over #1/#2 Virginia.  Kaminsky struckout 7 to earn his first win of the season in a head-to-head dual with UVA sophomore ace Danny Hultzen.

2…Wins in the last two years by the Raiders on a top ranked team’s home field.  WSU beat #1 Georgia last year in Athens.

10…Runs and hits allowed in 2 1/3 innings by Kentucky starter Taylor Rogers in Saturday’s 14-13 win over Monmouth.

0 & 9…Hits allowed & strikeouts recorded in 4 IP by Wildcat reliever Matt Little, who earned the win in that game after allowing just two hits.

10…Hit batters by Monmouth pitchers in the loss to Kentucky to tie an NCAA record.  It’s just the third time a pitching staff has hit 10 batters in a game.

4…Straight hit batters by Monmouth pitchers Andy McDonnell (1) and Stephen Prosapio, who hit Kentucky’s Braden Kapteyn with the bases loaded and the score tied 13-13 to give the Wildcats the winning run.

1…Career home run by 5′9-160 pound Kentucky redshirt junior Neiko Johnson, whose long ball on a 2-2 pitch in the bottom of the 9th inning tied the score at 13 just before the four straight hit batsmen.

103…Runs scored by Georgia State in a 4-game series vs. North Carolina Central.

14…Of the runs scored by Georgia State junior Mark Micowski, who transferred to the school this year after Vermont disbanded baseball last year.  Micowski hit for the cycle in the first four innings of Friday’s 32-3 victory.  He batted .636 with 10 RBIs in the four games.

17…Combined strikeouts by George Washington pitchers Matt Branham and Scott DeCecco in Friday’s 5-1 win over USC Upstate.  The combined effort tied a school record.

210…Career Ks by Branham-whose career high 12 strikeouts in the win made him the 3rd pitcher in GW history to top the 200 K mark.

6…Straight wins by USC Upstate prior to the loss-a record for the Spartans since joining the Division One ranks.

1…Hit allowed by West Virginia’s Jarryd Summers in 8 innings in a 1-0 loss to Western Carolina.  Summers fanned 11 in the loss.  The only hit he allowed was a solo home run by WCU third baseman Tyler Kirkpatrick.

3…Hits allowed by Catamount starter Jason Sullivan-who struckout 8 in 9 shutout innings to improve to 3-0 on the season with the win over the Mountaineers.

9…Strikeouts by Houston’s Michael Goodnight in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Texas at the Houston College Classic.

1…Wild pitch by Longhorn starter Brandon Workman-after a triple by Houston’s Blake Kelso-which allowed the game’s only run to score.

2…Losses by Cal State Fullerton in a 3-game series at Arizona to fall to 4-6 on the season.  The Titans started the year ranked in the top 10 in every poll.

1…Inning pitched by Titan All-American Daniel Renken in Friday’s 8-7 loss to the Wildcats.  Renken was lifted after hitting Wildcat CF Joey Rickard to lead-off the 2nd inning.

3…Walk-off wins by Arizona this season after freshman Seth Mejias-Brean singled home classmate Alex Mejia in the bottom of the 11th inning in that win over the Titans.

8…Strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings by Florida starter Alex Panteliodis in Friday’s 7-1 series-opening win over Miami (FL).

7…Strikeouts in 3 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings pitched by Gator reliever Nick Maronde to earn his first save of the season in that same win over the Hurricanes.

4…Shutout innings pitched by Florida reliever Kevin Chapman in Sunday’s series-clinching 4-2 win over Miami.  Chapman gave-up just one hit with two strikeouts to earn his second save of 2010.

17…Combined strikeouts in 12 innings pitched by Duke starters Eric Pfisterer (10) and Michael Ness (7) who each tossed six shutout innings to help the Blue Devils to a 3-game sweep of Temple.

11…Strikeouts in 6 IP by Florida Gulf Coast ace Chris Sale in a 7-2 win over Wichita State.

2…Home runs hit over the weekend by Middle Tennessee State’s Bryce Brentz.  The outfielder led the nation with 28 HR last year, but he had been shutout through the first two weeks of the season.

1…Loss this season by Washington State after falling 4-1 in Sunday’s finale of a 4-game series with Utah.  The Cougars had started 9-0 for their best opening to a season since 1988.

138…Pitches thrown by Santa Clara starter Alex Rivers in a 4-0 win over San Jose State.  Rivers scattered seven hits with five strikeouts for his third career complete game.

5…RBIs by St. Louis redshirt freshman Steve Fernandez to help St. Louis down Ohio State 10-9 on Saturday.

109…Pitches thrown by West Virginia’s Chris Enourato, who struckout 9 in seven innings of relief to help the Moutaineers to an 11-8 win over Illinois.  Enourato retired 16 of the first 17 batters he faced.

3…Wins by WVU (with seven losses) this season.  Enourato has earned two of the wins and a save in his five relief outings.

16…RBIs in five games by New Mexico State’s Wade Reynoso.  He batted .522 (12-23) with 3 home runs and 11 runs scored as well in wins over New Mexico and St. Joseph’s.

Monday’s Top-50 Results/Links

(Mike McGee – FSU photo)

Three Florida State righthanders – led by starter Mike McGee (who doubles as FSU’s regular leftfielder) – combined to one-hit Jacksonville on Monday, in the Noles’ 2-0 win. That game between CB360 top-50 teams was one of four total games on Monday featuring top-50 teams, with San Diego sweeping Monmouth (3-2/9-2) while Coastal Carolina rallied to edge visiting Ball State, 3-2. (front-page photo courtesy of FSU)

Game coverage and team-info. links are included below – as are final scores and postgame links. (front-page photo courtesy of Jacksonville)

CLICK HERE for the wrapup page from Sunday’s top-50 action (March 7)
CLICK HERE for the wrapup page from Saturday’s top-50 action (March 6)
CLICK HERE for the wrapup page from Friday’s top-50 action (March 5)
CLICK HERE for the wrapup page from Thursday’s top-50 action (March 4)

Final Scores & Links

• #4 Florida State 2,  at #41 Jacksonville 0  |  Final Stats
FSU Recap |  J’ville Recap

• at #10 Coastal Carolina 3,  Ball State 2  |  Final Stats
CC Recap |  BSU Recap

• at #37 San Diego 3,  Monmouth 2  (7 inn.; gm-1)  |  Final Stats
USD Recap |  MON Recap

• at #37 San Diego 8,  Monmouth 2  (gm-2)  |  Final Stats
USD Recap |  MON Recap

Monday’s Big-Game Matchup (both in top-50)

• 6:00 ET – #4 Florida State at #41 Jacksonville
live coverage: Live Stats |  Audio | Video (JU)  |  Video (FSU)
FSU info.: Game Notes |  Roster |  2010 Stats |  Media Guide
JU info.: Game Notes |  Roster |  2010 Stats |  Quick Facts (right sidebar link)

Monday’s Other Top-50 Games

• 2:00 ET (11:00 PT) – Monmouth at #37 San Diego
live coverage: Live Stats |  Video
USD info.: Game Notes |  Roster |  2010 Stats |  Quick Facts

• 4:00 ET – Ball State at #10 Coastal Carolina
live coverage: Live Stats | Audio
CC info.: Game Notes | Roster |  2010 Stats |  Media Guide |  Quick Facts

• 4:00 ET (2:00 PT) – Monmouth at #37 San Diego
live coverage: Live Stats |  Video
USD info.: Game Notes |  Roster |  2010 Stats |  Quick Facts

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