College World Series Day-5 Blog

The continued game between Clemson and Oklahoma was an appropriate 3-inning appetizer on Wednesday for the main course thriller that was TCU’s dramatic 11-7 win over Florida State.

Our coverage of the 2010 College World Series is brought to you by The Dugout in Omaha, with everything you’re looking for when it comes to officially licensed CWS hats and shirts. If you can’t make it to Rosenblatt make sure to follow the link for all of your CWS gear!

FINAL: TCU  11, Florida State 7 (Elimination Game)

(Blog entry by Chase Titleman)

What a difference a day makes here in Omaha … or does it?

For the third consecutive day here in Omaha, wewere awakened by an earsplitting thunderstorm that rocked the windows of our hotel. I wasn’t sure if it was a freight train, tornado or just another of my wild and willy dreams, but when the lightning flashed and the thunder instantly cracked at 5:25 a.m. this morning it was quite a way to wake up.

Oklahoma looks to benefit most from Wednesday evening’s sudden thunderstorm that cropped up with the high humidity and the stifling temperatures, spawning a tornado alert that never materialized. As of 10:00 this morning, a tornado watch box was up on the weather channel for the eastern half of Iowa, but sunny skies are predicted for today at the “Blatt.”

The heat index was 102 when I was sitting in the photo box along the first-base line. ESPN analyst Kyle Peterson (an Omaha native) looked like a camel jockey with towels draped all over his body trying to shade himself from the scorching sun.

With Clemson leading Oklahoma 6-1 going into the top of the 6th, the Sooners will need to get on it in a hurry if they expect to get back into the ballgame and avoid the losers bracket. At the start of yesterday’s game, the wind was howling out to left-center, but today the wind has switched directions and is blowing quite briskly to right-center – so look for some home runs coming in that direction.

If you are coming to the ballpark and have general-admission tickets, that would be the place to sit!

Yesterday’s first game between Arizona State and South Carolina was an example of what a team can accomplish when it plays the wind properly, for it is no secret that the ball will sail out of the “Blatt” with ease if aided by a driving wind (especially when the heat index is cranking as well).

Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a monster, wind-aided bomb to left-center yesterday to kick start an eight-run 2nd inning that sent the Sun Devils packing.

Rosenblatt Surprises: The weather hasn’t been the only surprise here in Omaha …

Coming into the CWS, Arizona State looked to be the premier team, leading the KSI Index that I have put together here over at Road2Rosenblatt.com!

Florida State and Clemson were 7th and 8th in the KSI Index and I boldly predicted that “if I were a betting man (which I am not), I wouldn’t bet that Clemson student-athletes would be roaming around in Omaha towards the end of the week. I ran into some Clemson players, parents and alumni over at The Union Pizzeria and Bar over near where the new TD Ameritrade Ball Park is going up in the old downtown area near Quest Arena, and boy did they let me hear about it!

Humbled but unfeathered, I promptly told them that the Tigers in my opinion are the most impressive team in Omaha thus far. I really like the way Jack Leggett has this team playing at present. They are peaking at the right time, playing fast and loose while brimming with confidence – all things needed to quiet the nerves of playing in front of 22,000 on a nightly basis.

Clemson won its game despite its 1-2-3 batters (Chris Epps, Mike Freeman and Jeff Schaus) combining to go 0-for-11.

The two teams that have been eliminated, Florida and Arizona State, both had that “deer in the headlights” look and used the same excuse of not playing like the team that got them to Omaha.

How about TCU? Or, more appropriately, how about Matt Curry’s grand slam! Curry had the biggest blast of the series so far with his 8th-inning slam to help the Horned Frogs to a stunning 8-run inning in their 11-7 win over Florida State. Just as clutch was TCU catcher Bryan Holaday’s double, which also came with two outs (two batters before Curry). I’d take eight guys like Holaday on my team any day.

Closing Comments:

In the postgame press conference yesterday after being eliminated, ASU Coach Tim Esmay had this to say:

“Well, obviously very disappointed in the outcome today. You can’t have a start like we did against a quality team of South Carolina. I thought they did a heck of a job of putting us on our heels, and I think you have to do that in a game like this where you lose and you go home.

“And I think the team that kind of takes control of that and is the aggressor and puts you on your heels, it really makes it tough for you to battle up climb.

“I’ll say this. I haven’t been any prouder in my years of being a Sun Devil than this team right here. It’s an amazing team. They were fighting until the end. They didn’t give up. They played hard and that’s what they did all year long.

“And I’m just very proud and very blessed that they gave me this opportunity to coach them this year, because this is a heck of a team. And having to deal with expectations, and expectations of Arizona State is to play deep in this tournament. And they know that. They battled that day-in, day-out, and they answered the bell all year long.

“Obviously we did not want to end this tournament the way it ended, but I’ll tell you this, there’s nobody that feels as bad or as upset than those 35 guys in that clubhouse, and I’m extremely proud of this ball club.”

Q: Could you talk a little bit about Sam Dyson and how he pitched today?
COACH ESMAY: “Man, boy, talk about grinding one out. I felt like we had opportunities every inning. I didn’t feel like he really breezed through any inning. But you look up and 100‑and‑some pitches later and he’s battling and making pitches when he needed to, and that’s a performance that I’m sure they’re proud of, because he was a warrior out there today.:

Q: You guys came in as the No. 1 seed. … I talked to a lot of Arizona State media that says it doesn’t even look like it’s the same team, like it’s imposters in the uniforms. Could you address what went wrong here over the last two games?

COACH ESMAY: “You’re playing good talent. I wouldn’t necessarily call them imposters. They are 18‑, 19‑, 20‑year‑old kids, that had a heck of a year and were playing very good baseball. But being in the College World Series enough to see that sometimes when balls aren’t hit or situations don’t come your way, it just happens.

“I’m not going to say that this is not the Sun Devil team that I saw all year long because it was. It was a team that showed up to play, they were ready to play, and they were confident enough to play. But when you have eight teams at the end, everybody’s had a sense of how to win and how to play and take advantage of things, and that’s what I saw happen. The other teams took advantage.

“We did a great job all year of not letting the crack, the door open, and these last couple of games, a crack opened and the other teams took advantage of it. And that’s what happens in a national championship type tournament.

* * * * *

First of all, that question that was posed to coach Esmay is a solid question, although I cringed myself when I heard the word imposters. Arizona State does have a recent history and questions to answer for – they typically are the top-ranked program every year that they have come to the CWS since the turn of the century, yet they have come up empty handed.

It was their tournament to lose. There are questions to answer, especially since they came off perhaps the toughest Super Regional as Arkansas took them to task in back-to-back, 12-inning grinders that smelled of national championship destiny.

But like coach Kevin O’Sullivan over at Florida, this was the first time in Omaha for the Esmay staff, and you could sense a little apprehension in the body language of the assistants and the players.

Esmay had made six trips to Omaha, as both a player and coach for the Sun Devils, but pitching coach Ken Knutson (former head coach at Washington) and Travis Jewett (former assistant at Washington State) were making their first visits. Although 15 members of the Sun Devil squad were returning to Omaha, led by Raoul Torrez who made his third appearance in the CWS, there also were 11 members of the squad that were first-timers and played as if they may have been a little overwhelmed by the environment (a fate that hits many CWS participants).

The other aspect that is important to consider in the Sun Devils’ demise is the fact that they played only 21 games away from Steven Packard Stadium in Tempe. Playing most of their career at home, as well as both the Regional and Super Regional, certainly doesn’t get a team battle-tested for a hostile environment on the road.

In my opinion, it is something to point a finger at, for the key to beating ASU this year was jumping out of the gate early with big innings. The old axiom in baseball is that the majority of the time, the winning team has scored more in one inning than the opposing team has scored the entire game.

In the elite field of Omaha, it is hard to overcome an 8-spot in the second inning. Although the Devils battled hard, they just didn’t peak at the right time. It reminds me of a conversation that Sean Stires and I had when I first arrived in Omaha near midnight on Friday evening. The Sun Devils were the only team that hadn’t really had any type of hiccup the entire year, as they hadn’t lost back-to-back games in 2010 … that is until they got to Omaha.

That will be hard to reflect on during the offseason.

College World Series Day-4 Blog

Two More Games On Tap At Rosenblatt …

Our coverage of the 2010 College World Series is brought to you by The Dugout in Omaha, with everything you’re looking for when it comes to officially licensed CWS hats and shirts. If you can’t make it to Rosenblatt make sure to follow the link for all of your CWS gear!

Tuesday Games

3:30 pm – South Carolina 11, #1 Arizona State 4 (ASU Eliminated)

8:00 pm – Oklahoma vs. Clemson

By Collegebaseball360.com Editor Sean Stires

2:25 p.m. – I’m currently sitting inside the Rosenblatt Stadium pressbox getting ready for the start of the Arizona State-Clemson game. Just moments ago, I hiked the Rosenblatt hill from Bob Gibson Boulevard to the press box for the last time. I’m heading out of Omaha tomorrow morning, but Chase Titleman and Paul Fairkoski will be here the rest of the week to provide more coverage of the last College World Series at Rosenblatt. I’ll have more on today’s events throughout the day …

• As I write this, longtime CWS official scorer Lou Spry is being helped out of the pressbox by EMTs. He has an oxygen tank in tow. As we mentioned earlier this week, Spry has worked more than 600 CWS games here at Rosenblatt. Someone else now is in his seat scoring the game. Hopefully Lou is OK. Nebraska baseball media relations director Shamus McKnight filled in for both games. He did Monday morning’s game as well.
  

  CWS official scorer Lou Spry

• After it rained for about an hour this morning, the game-time temperature is 91 degrees with a heat index of 98.

• It took South Carolina pitcher Sam Dyson 12 pitches to finally retire ASU leadoff man Drew Maggi to start the game. Dyson threw 13 pitches against the next six Sun Devil batters combined.

• The Gamecocks erupted for eight runs in the second inning, including a 3-run HR by Jackie Bradley, Jr. and a 2-run blast by Adrian Morales. It’s South Carolina’s biggest offensive inning this season.

• Arizona State starter Merrill Kelly had given up only four HR in 98.1 innings coming into Tuesday’s start, but he surrendered both home runs and gave up 8 ER in only 1.2 IP.

• Yet more celebrity sightings in and around Rosenblatt. Former Nebraska football player Ndamukong Suh and baseball Hall of Famer Steve Garvey both have been around.

• Home plate umpire David Savage left the field with medical staff due to apparent dehydration, prior to the bottom of the 7th inning. There was a brief delay in the game while Kelly Gonzales put on the home-plate gear.

• The overall #1 seed has not won the College World Series since Miami did it in 1999. With top seed Arizona State now out of the tournament, that streak will continue for at least another year.

• “Well, for me it’s just heartbreaking. That was my last college game that I’ll ever play, you know?” – Arizona State senior first baseman Kole Calhoun, after Tuesday’s loss to South Carolina.
• 

• “Well, I think it’s been the same. I’ve always been a bad coach in the first game.  It’s hard to explain.” – South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner, when asked after the game about the fact that in three trips to Omaha his Gamecocks have lost their CWS opener but then won their next game.

• Both teams from South Carolina (the Tigers and Gamecocks) managed 14 hits against ASU. All 14 Clemson hits were singles, while USC had a pair of doubles and three home runs.

• Speaking of home runs, the three SC long balls brings the College World Series total to 11 through seven games. That’s $2,200 so far that will go to Boys Town here in Omaha.

• With #1 Arizona State and #3 Florida eliminated, that leaves #6 UCLA as the only national seed still alive at the CWS. ASU is the first #1 seed to go 0-2 at the CWS since the NCAA Tournament field expanded to 64 teams (in 1999).

• Does right field really suck?

• Does left field really suck?

• Will the two sides continue their back and forth chants at the new park next year?

• Oklahoma starting pitching Bobby Shore threw 14 straight balls to Clemson batters in the bottom of the 4th inning before he got a called strike on John Hinson, who lined the next pitch for an RBI single to center field. Hinson’s hit chased Shore from the game. He gave up four earned runs on two hits and five walks in 3.0 IP.

10:40 p.m. - The Oklahoma-Clemson game officially has been suspended. Play will resume tomorrow at 3:30 central time. Clemson leads 6-1 going into the 6th inning.

College World Series Day 3 Blog

Three Games On Tap For Monday…Hopefully!

Our coverage of the 2010 College World Series is brought to you by The Dugout in Omaha, with everything you’re looking for when it comes to officially licensed CWS hats and shirts.  If you can’t make it to Rosenblatt make sure to follow the link for all of your CWS gear!

CB360 CWS Scoreboard

Monday Schedule

10 am – FINAL: Clemson 6, #1 Arizona St. 3
3:30 pm – FINAL: Florida St. 8,  Florida 5 (Gators Eliminated)
8 pm – FINAL: UCLA 6, TCU 3

By Collegebaseball360.com Editor Sean Stires

Sunday’s CB360 CWS Blog

8:20 am – Well, the Arizona State vs. Clemson game that was supposed to have been played last night is supposed to start in about an hour and a half.  It’s not looking too promising right now though, because it’s been pouring down rain all morning.  I woke-up at around 3:45 this morning and heard it coming down pretty good then.  It stopped for a short time, but it’s been raining pretty steadily for a few hours now.  The local weather shows a front that looks like it could pass within the next couple hours.

Two more games are also scheduled for later today.  Florida State vs. Florida in the afternoon elimination game and TCU vs. UCLA tonight.  It’s likely to be a touch and go day.  Stay tuned…

10:22 am - The sun is shining and Arizona State vs. Clemson is underway.  It’s the first morning game at the CWS since June 10, 2000 when USC played Florida State.  This morning’s game is also a rematch of last year’s Tempe Super Regional won by the Sun Devils.

Clemson head coach Jack Leggett was fired-up after the home plate meeting with ASU’s Tim Esmay and the umpires.  Leggett raced away from the plate and was immediately engulfed in a near dog pile by his team before they batted in the top of the first inning.

• ASU starter Seth Blair (12-1) has already walked a season-high four batters in his first two innings on the mound.  Blair is the Pac 10 Pitcher of the Year.  He ended his day with five free passes.

• Blair topped the 100 pitch mark with two on and no outs in the top of the 5th inning.  He left after 4 1/3 innings with runners at the corners in the top of the 5th.  He threw 110 pitches and gave-up five earned runs.  It was his second shortest start of the season, after a 3.0 inning start vs BYU on May 10.

• It’s easy to see why ASU’s Rauol Torrez wears the “C” (for captain) on his
  

  Rauol Torrez

  chest.  Torrez lined what could have easily been just a single to left field in the third inning, but he didn’t settle for one base.  Torrez never broke stride and made it into second ahead of the throw from Jeff Schaus.  He then took third on a wild pitch by Casey Harman and scored on a Sac Fly to right by Austin Barnes.  His slide home just beat the throw by Kyle Parker.

• As if the heads-up base running weren’t enough, Torrez made a Brooks Robinson-esque play at third in the top of the next inning.  Spencer Kieboom hit a hot shot just inside the line, which carried Torrez into foul territory.  He did a piroutett and fired a strike across the diamond to get the out.

• Clemson came into the series with 95 errors this season, which ranks in the bottom one-third of the 301 Division One college teams in the country.  However, the Tigers also came into the CWS with 75 double plays turned, which is good for 3rd nationally.

• The Tigers caught a break in the top of the 5th with ASU LF Drew Maggi lost a fly ball off the bat of Richie Shaffer in a high sky.  Maggi froze with his hands up in the air to both sides…the ball landed some 30 feet away from him.

• The biggest “BOO” of the CWS so far came from the smallest crowd to date when a ball girl dropped a foul ball that caromed off the net behind the plate.  Some traditions never change…

• The announced attendance for the morning game was 14,198 for a four game total of 83,953.

• All 14 of Clemson’s hits in its 6-3 win over ASU were singles.

CB360 Clemson/ASU Postgame Video

• The Florida vs. Florida State match-up in the 3:30 pm elimination game was the 5th meeting in the 5th different city between the two rivals this season.  Florida State won previous encounters in Tampa, Jacksonville and Tallahassee, while Florida beat the Seminoles in Gainesville.

• Florida State leadoff man Tyler Holt started the bottom of the first inning with a home run high off the batter’s eye in center field.  Holt was starting in his 198th consecutive game.

• Mike McGee launched a 3-run shot in the third inning.  McGee is also FSU’s closer and is a finalist for the John Olerud Award given to the two-way player of the year.   He came into a bases loaded situation with the tying run at first base in the 9th inning.  The game ended on a line drive to shortstop Stephen Cardullo who then stepped on second to end the game.  McGee now has 13 saves and 16 HR this season.
  

  Stephen Cardullo

• Cardullo had an even more impressive blast when he sent one over the batter’s eye and out of the stadium to straight away centerfield…where the distance is 408.

• Clemson and Florida State are trying to end a 55-year championship drought for the ACC.  The only Atlantic Coast Conference team to win the College World Series was Wake Forest in 1955.

• Does anyone else always make an audible “Oooo” every time they see a batter get hit by a pitch?

• Florida called on #3 starter Brian Johnson after fellow freshman and #2 starter Randall Hudson gave-up four runs in 2 2/3 IP.  Johnson didn’t fair much better though.  He surrendered two runs on six hits in 3 1/3 innings in just his second relief appearance of the season.  The last hit Johnson gave-up was Cardullo’s HR.

• It worked!  99.9 % of the time the old “fake to third throw to first” never works, but it did today.  FSU pitcher Daniel Bennett picked-off Florida’s Tyler Thompson at first base when he executed the move to end the top of the 8th inning.

• The announced crowd for the Florida-Florida State game was 19,841 for a five game total of 103,794 and an average of 20,759.

CB360 Florida/Florida State Postgame Video

• UCLA pitcher Trevor Bauer said after Saturday’s start that he doesn’t like big baseball caps that make him look “like a conductor”.  That’s why he has worn the same hat for the last two years.

• Every win UCLA gets during the CWS adds to its school record season total.

• Beach balls in the outfield bleachers are the norm here, but there was a barrage of beach balls on the warning track in left field just before the start of the sixth inning.

• The most electric moment of the CWS so far was Taylor Featherston’s 2-out, 3-run triple in the top of the 7th inning.  The TCU shortstop laced a Gerrit Cole pitch over Beau Amaral in left centerfield to get the Horned Frogs on the board.  TCU had managed just one hit throught the first six innings, but had four hits in the inning to cut their deficit to 5-3.

• The TCU-UCLA game drew a crowd of 23,345 to make it a six game total of 127,139…still about 10 K behind last year’s pace.  Does no LSU and no Texas really affect the draw that much?  So much for Rosenblatt nostalgia…

• Gerrit Cole (11-3) had 13 strikeouts to lead UCLA to its 6-3 win over TCU.  He had the one hiccup when he gave-up the bases loaded triple to Taylor Featherston in the 7th, but he came back in the 8th and had the last two of his punchouts.  Cole and TCU’s Matt Purke have lived-up to their billing.  They have been the most impressive individuals of the CWS so far.

• With its win UCLA now waits until Friday to play either Florida State or TCU again.  Those two play an elimination game Wednesday night.

UCLA/TCU Postgame Video Interviews

College World Series Day Two Blog

Note & Thoughts On Sunday’s Action In Omaha

Our coverage of the 2010 College World Series is brought to you by The Dugout in Omaha, with everything you’re looking for when it comes to officially licensed CWS hats and shirts.  If you can’t make it to Rosenblatt make sure to follow the link for all of your CWS gear!

Sunday’s Games

Game 3 – South Carolina 4-8-0, Oklahoma 3-9-0

Visit the CB360 Scoreboard Page for full details.

CB360 OU/South Carolina Postgame Video

Game 4 – Arizona State vs. Clemson-The game has been moved to a 10:08 am start time Monday morning.

Day One CWS Blog

• The start of the Oklahoma vs. South Carolina game was delayed 4 hours and 15 minutes by rain.

• The game was halted in the middle of the 6th inning with Oklahoma leading 3-2.  The game resumed at 9 pm CT after a 2:01 rain/lightning delay.

• Gamecock starter Blake Cooper did not return to the mound after the delay.  Michael Roth went to the mound instead for his 34th appearance of the season. Cooper gave-up three earned runs on six hits in 5 IP with five strikeouts and one walk.  He threw 67 pitches with 48 of them strikes.

• Oklahoma starter Michael Rocha did not return after the delay either.  He was relieved by Jeremy Erben.  Rocha gave-up two runs on solo home runs in 6 IP.  He had two strikeouts with three walks and threw 86 pitches, including 47 strikes.

• A lot of strategy was going on in the bottom of the 7th inning.  Sunny Golloway sent pinch-hitter Ricky Eisenberg to the plate for Eric Ross.  As soon as John Taylor got Eisenberg to line to second base the Gamecocks called-on Steven Neff to face fellow lefty Chris Ellison, who filed to centerfield.  That prompted Ray Tanner to call upon Jose Mata go get Max White to line to second base.  So to that point after the delay South Carolina had used four relievers to get six outs.

• You think maybe all this rain and lightning is Johnny Rosenblatt getting his revenge for moving the event he brought to Omaha out of the stadium that bears his name?

• Oklahoma and South Carolina played for just the second time ever today.  The first and only time they played previously was in 2007.  South Carolina won 13-2.

• The Sooners have won 14 of their last 16 games coming into Sunday’s game.  They were 3-0 when they hosted the Norman Regional with a win over Oral Roberts and two wins vs. North Carolina.   OU lost its Super Regional opener at Virginia only to win games two and three by a combined 21-7 score.

• The last time UNC was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament during Regional play was in 2005 in Gainesville.  The Tar Heels had been to Omaha four straight times prior to being eliminated by the Sooners.  Florida also advanced to the CWS from its Regional in ‘05

• Since losing four of its last five games prior to the NCAA Tournament South Carolina is a perfect 5-0 so far this year in NCAA play.  The Gamecocks swept through Bucknell, The Citadel and Virginia Tech in Regional play and then beat Coastal Carolina in two one-run games at the Myrtle Beach Super Regional.

• Reese’s and Hy-Vee Supermarkets are donating $200 to Boys Town in Omaha for every home run hit during the College World Series.  TCU’s Bryan Holaday and Florida’s Josh Adams each homered on day one of the CWS.  South Carolina’s Christian Walker & Jackie Bradley, Jr. and OU’s Caleb Bushyhead & Garret Buechele have also gone deep today.

• Buechele’s HR to lead-off the bottom of the 8th was a MOON SHOT.  It was the thunder to the lightning that was flashing around Rosenblatt all night.  The blast nearly left the stadium, but landed in front of the giant scoreboard in left field.  They should donate $600 to Boys Town for Buechele’s blast.

• Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops is in the house today to see OU’s first CWS game since 1995.
  

  Jim Monaghan (right) and his brother Terry. (Photo Paul Fiarkoski)

• Paul Fiarkoski, who is helping us with our coverage of the CWS, met an interesting person outside in the stadium today.  Jim Monaghan told Paul that he played in the very first game ever played at Rosenblatt Stadium.  It was a youth game played in 1948…two years before the CWS moved to Omaha from Kalamazoo, MI.

• Jim also told Paul that he paid $550 for his pair of tickets for this year’s College World Series.  How much has he paid for his tickets for next year’s CWS at the new downtown stadium?  $3,300…can you say STICKER SHOCK!?!

• Just realize I haven’t mentioned it yet, so Happy Father’s Day! Starting with my day Jim, who was here with my family and I last year.  My son’s Scrappers baseball team was playing in the Omaha Slumpbuster Tournament here last year and we all had a blast.  They were supposed to come back this year, but didn’t get to due to some logistical issues. So happy Father’s Day as well to the Scrapper dads who didn’t get to make the return visit to Omaha this year:  Tom Lane, Don Milliser, Hal Farmwald, and Rob Coffel!

• ESPN’s Erin Andrews and Robin Ventura were seen out in the Old Market area in Omaha Saturday night with a couple of body guards as well.  No…they were not dancing.

• Chicago Cubs General Manager Jim Hendry was in the Rosenblatt press box tonight.

• The announced attendance of Sunday’s game was 22,800.  The total attendance through three games is 69,755 for a three game average of 23,252.  It’s about 3,000 behind last year’s average for the first three games.

College World Series Day One Blog

Notes & Thoughts From Saturday…

By Collegebaseball360.com Editor Sean Stires

I will be checking in throughout the day and into tonight with notes and quotes and happenings from Saturday’s action.  The first game of the day is TCU vs. Florida State, with UCLA facing Florida in the night cap.  Don’t forget you can follow results with recaps and more throughout the series on our CWS Scoreboard page.

Game 1 Final- TCU 8-11-2, Florida State 1-4-0 WP-Matt Purke (15-0), LP-Sean Gilmartin (9-8)
Postgame Video

Game 2 Final - UCLA 11-18-2, Florida 3-6-1 WP-Trevor Bauer (11-3), LP-Alex Panteliodis (11-3)
Postgame Video

• It’s a fairly overcast day in Omaha as we get ready for the start of the TCU-Florida State game.  The clouds mixed with a nice breeze make it pretty comfortable for fans who are used to sun and sweltering humidity at this time of year.

• Saw a lot of LSU t-shirts and tailgate canopies and the like on the streets and in the parking lot when I was making my way into the stadium today.  I don’t know if they actually made their way here from Louisiana or if they’re just local LSU fans…which there are a lot of here in Omaha.

• TCU’s Jim Schlossnagle has been named the NCBWA’s National Coach of the Year.  Schlossnagle’s Horned
  

  Jim Schlossnagle

  Frogs (51-12) have already set a school record for wins in a season, while reaching the CWS for the first time in program history.

• The NCBWA also named Texas pitcher Chance Ruffin the National Stopper of the Year.  Ruffin’s 1.11 ERA ranks second in the nation.  He was 6-1 with 14 saves this season before Texas was eliminated by TCU in last week’s Super Regional in Austin.

• One more announcement today from the NCBWA: Drew Pomeranz of Ole Miss, Miami’s Yasmani Grandal and Anthony Rendon of Rice are the three finalists for the Dick Howser Trophy.  The winner will be announced at a ceremony on July 2 in Lubbock, TX.

• TCU is not only making its first CWS appearance, it’s also its first ever game vs. Florida State.  In fact, any meeting with the other two teams in its bracket, Florida and UCLA, will also be TCU’s first game against those schools.

• Longtime official scorer Lou Spry is working his overall 600th CWS game today in some capacity.
  

  CWS Scorer Lou Spry

• The Horned Frogs can flat-out hit.  TCU scored five runs on six hits in the first inning off FSU starter Sean Gilmartin, who was not fooling anyone.  The lowest batting average by TCU’s starting nine is Aaron Schultz’s .303.  They were hitting ropes off Gilmartin in the three innings he worked.  Even Bryan Holaday’s 2nd inning infield single was a liner that hit Gilmartin.  The lefty was uninjured.

• Schlossnagle got bold in the third inning and it paid off…at least a little.  With runners at second and third with one out TCU 9-hole batter Brance Rivera plated Jantzen Witte with a squeeze bunt, but the play didn’t end there.  Taylor Featherston, who was at second base, never broke stride and tried to score from second base.  He was thrown out at the plate to finish a 1-3-2 double play on the throw home by first baseman Jayce Boyd.

• Matt Purke was just electric.  The freshman did walk four to tie a season-high, but he was untouchable when he wanted (and needed) to be.  His final line: 7 IP, 4 H, 1 UER, 7 K, 4 BB, 116 pitches, 66 strikes.

• TCU had four sac bunts in its win over Florida State.  The Horned Frogs kept bunting, even in the late innings when they were up 6-1.  Jason Coats said after the game that it’s “near automatic” for them to bunt with runners at first and second and no outs.  They now have 61 sac bunts this season.

• Local authorities have put-up a temporary chain link fence around the Rosenblatt Stadium and parking lot perimeter.  There are just a handful of gates where fans can go in and out.

• Florida and UCLA’s first round Saturday match-up was a rematch from the Women’s College World Series first round.  The UCLA softball team beat Florida 16-3 en-route to winning the program’s 12th softball national championship.

• From CB360 co-editor Pete LaFleur on our Twitter feed today:  “Do we really need to be reminded constantly about the differences between college and pro baseball?”  I didn’t get to hear exactly what he was talking about, but it’s not the first time ESPN has done this.  Yes, there are subtle differences.  Yes, the bat goes “PING”, but it’s still baseball!

• Erin Andrews isn’t Dancing With The Stars anymore.  She’s back doing sideline reporting at the CWS for game two (Kyle Peterson had game one).  This could end-up being her last event for ESPN, because her contract is up at the end of the month.

• In both of Saturday’s games the first two batters reached base safely for all four teams in the first inning.  The lead-off man scored for each of the four teams.

• Holy den Dekker!  Florida center fielder Matt den Dekker made a
  

  Matt den Dekker

  sensational over the shoulder and sliding catch to rob Bruin right fielder Brett Krill of extra bases in the bottom of the fourth inning.  If you didn’t see it watch Sports Center Saturday night and Sunday morning.  It’s a web gem.

• When Trevor Bauer struckout Jonathon Pigott to start the bottom of the 7th it was his 10th of the night as well as his third straight at that point, but it was also his 151st strike out of the season.  The total breaks an 18 year old school record.

• Bauer finished his night with 11 strike outs and two walks in 7 IP.  He also
  

  Trevor Bauer

  balked twice to become the fifth pitcher in CWS history to balk twice in the same game.

• I’ve been extremely impressed with UCLA’s offense.  I never would have thought that the team that would have double digit hits and runs on day one would be the Bruins…especially with 3-hole hitter Tyler Rahamatulla out with the broken wrist.  The Bruins hit the ball hard all night and scored at least a run in all but the second inning.

Our coverage of the 2010 College World Series is brought to you by The Dugout in Omaha, with everything you’re looking for when it comes to officially licensed CWS hats and shirts.  If you can’t make it to Rosenblatt make sure to follow the link for all of your CWS gear!

Sunday Super Regional Notebook

Some Thoughts/Notes After A Super Day 3…

Five Alive: Five More teams clinched spots in the College World Series by clinching Super Regional series on Sunday.  Florida State beat Vanderbilt, UCLA downed Cal State Fullerton, TCU toppled Texas, South Carolina erased Coastal Carolina, and #1 national seed Arizona State outlasted Arkansas to join Florida in Omaha.  The Gators had clinched their spot with Saturday’s win over Miami.

24 = 2: It goes down as a sweep, but what a series between Arizona State and Arkansas.  The Sun Devils won a pair of 12 inning games to advance to the CWS for the 22ndt time.  ASU won 7-5 Sunday night thanks to Drew Maggi’s home run in the top of the 9th, but the game only got that far because of Brett Eibner’s two-strike, two-out home run for the Hogs in the bottom of the 9th inning.  Great clutch hitting all the way around.  it’s just a shame the series didn’t go to what was sure to have been an epic third game.

Austin Shocker: TCU beat #2 national seed Texas 4-1 Sunday to clinch the first CWS appearance in Horned Frogs history.  Texas outscored TCU 16-8, but lost the series 2-1.  Unearned runs led to Saturday’s 14-1 laugher, which was the Longhorn’s only win in the series, but it turns out TCU has a pretty good pitching staff of its own.  Games one and three starters Matt Purke and Kyle Winkler combined for 15 1/3 IP with 17 Ks while allowing just one run.

Bruins On The Brink: UCLA was down to its last out against Cal State Fullerton Saturday night before Tyler Rahmatulla’s home run put the Bruins in front in a game they would eventually win in extra innings.  UCLA #3 starter Rob Rasmussen then fired his first career complete game to help UCLA win 8-1 in Sunday’s finale.

Good Point: UCLA is in just its third College World Series, while Fullerton was biding for its 17th trip to Omaha.  As Robin Ventura pointed out during Sunday’s broadcast, the Bruins lack Omaha appearances in part because the Titans have owned them over the years, including in NCAA play.  Fullerton had won 19 of 22 games vs. UCLA over the last six years prior to losing Saturday and Sunday.  They’ve also still won 39 of the last 50 meetings between the two teams.

Match (up) Points: There was a lot of talk about the unfairness of some of the Super Regional match-ups, which are largely made due to geography.  To many TCU vs. Texas didn’t seem fair, neither did South Carlina vs. Coastal, UCLA-Fullerton, or ASU-Arkansas, which pitted two teams from last year’s CWS field.   Fans, players, coaches, and analysts looking at those match-ups argued that any of those teams were Omaha worthy, and they were right.  However, Arkansas vs. UCLA, Arizona State vs. Cal State Fullerton, TCU vs. South Carolina, or Coastal Carolina vs. Texas would have been brutal match-ups as well.  It’s not a great system, but with so many very good teams somebody’s gotta go home…

On A Mission: That said, if the NCAA really “Puts its money where its mission is” (you know, like all those commercials during the games say) shouldn’t they just seed the #1 seeds 1-16 (to match the Regional sites) rather than just the top eight national seeds?  Should saving a few bucks on air fares trump at the least the perception of fairness in seeding the field?

Lack Of Legacies: Texas, Miami, USC, and LSU have combined to make 91 College World Series appearances, but none of them will be in Omaha for Rosenblatt Stadium’s swan song.  How rare is that?  Since the CWS moved to Rosenblatt in 1950 this season marks just the eighth time that at least one of those four teams has not been a part of the eight team College World Series field.

I’m Mobile: I’m still getting used to my new tricked-out cell phone, but it came in handy again on Sunday.  I was able to watch part of the Virginia-Oklahoma game on my phone while I was at my daughter’s game.  I’m still not giving-up the name of my provider, but it’s definitely a cool perk.

Omaha Bound: The eight CWS teams will be heading to Omaha this week and so will we.  I’ll be in Omaha Friday for open practice and pre-series press conference day.  We will post several videos with player and coach interviews that day, and we will have extensive coverage from Omaha during the entire series.  Among our coverage:  Daily video & audio, daily CWS scoreboard pages and a daily Notebook/blog.  Collegebaseball360.com will have someone in Omaha from start to finish for the 2010 College World Series!

Goaaaalllll: Soccer, seriously?  When there’s college baseball on?

More Coverage

Friday Super Regional Notebook

Saturday Super Regional Notebook

Super Regional Central

Friday Super Regional Notebook

Thoughts and Notes From Day One Super Regional Play

By Collegebaseball360.com Editor Sean Stires

A Slow Start: I couldn’t be in front of the TV for most of the day on Friday, but I was using my new cell phone and cell phone provider to keep track of the action.  I was in a doctor’s office while most of the Vanderbilt-Florida State game was going on, and I was keeping track of most of it on our live stats link on the Tallahassee Super Regional page.  That’s how I “saw” Mike McGee’s walk-off home run to give FSU the game one victory (his third game-winner this year).  Things would get better…

(Cover photo of McGee courtesy Larry Novey-FSU) 

A New Discovery: Turns out live stats were not the only option I had to follow games on this new phone of mine.  My son (who was also out and about) filled me in on the best part of my new gizmo:  I could actually watch the game live!

(I’m not going to mention the name of my phone provider, because c’mon this isn’t a product placement blimp.)  Anyway, I got to watch most of the last three innings of the Texas-TCU game on my phone while dining…and while my wife was driving.  I say “most”, because my phone ran out of juice with one out to go in the game.  I guess I still need to make the extra investment for a car charger.

Purked: How about the performance by TCU freshman Matt Purke in the 3-1 upset of #2 national seed Texas?  The lefty retired the first eight batters he faced and then 11 of the next 12 after allowing a hit in the third inning.  He struckout 11 and is now 14-0.

Backs To The Wall: Give Vanderbilt credit for rallying from a 6-0 deficit in the first three innings of the game.  The Commodores actually rallied back to tie the game and then take 7-6 and 8-7 leads before McGee’s heroics.  One Vandy loss now sends Florida State to Omaha and the Commodores back to Nashville.  Don’t count Tim Corbin’s guys out though.  They were 3-0 in elimination games to win last week’s Louisville Regional, including two wins over the #7 national seeded Cardinals.

Credit Where It’s Due: I was critical of the newly retired Eric Byrnes when he was making his debut as a college baseball analyst last week for his apparent lack of preparation.  Byrnes noted during Friday’s Florida-Miami telecast that he stayed in Florida all week to do his research rather than return home to the west coast.  Byrnes came with good stuff Friday, including locker room material Miami provided Florida, like Hurricane head coach Jim Morris calling his team the New York Yankees of college baseball.  Byrnes, Kyle Peterson and play-by-play man Clay Matvick seem a lot more comfortable together in the booth this week, and Byrnes’ care free attitude seems to bring out a lot more of Peterson’s personality.  More “Oppo Tacos” please.

Costly Miscue: It wasn’t scored as an error, but a big mistake by Miami shortstop Stephen Perez led to Florida’s first three runs of the Gainesville Super Regional.  With two outs and the bases loaded Perez thought he caught a sinking line drive off the bat of Brian Johnson to apparently end the inning.  However, it was ruled the he took it on a short hop, and since Perez never threw to first base it was ruled a hit and a run scored.  Florida’s next batter, Mike Zunino, then lined a single to left to score two more & make the score 3-0.

Upon Further Review: Instant replay of Perez’s non catch appeared to show he had actually caught the ball.  Byrnes asked about using instant replay in college baseball like it’s used in college football and to some extent in MLB games.  “If you have the technology use it,” Byrnes said.  I agree with that to an extent.  I do think the big leagues need more replay, but I’m not in favor of it in the college game.  The biggest reason is with 301 Division One teams the Super Regionals and the College World Series are the only games guaranteed to be on TV.  Even the Regionals don’t have full television coverage.  The argument can be made that post season games are the most important, so available technology should be used when it’s there.  But what about those last three games of the regular season?  They were just as important to teams like Tennessee and Kentucky and several others who were trying to get into their post season tournaments, but TV isn’t uniformly in play like it is for the MLB.  When every college game’s on TV I’ll go for it (and by the way, that would be a pretty big day if every game is on TV), but until then no replay is the way to go.

Johnny Pants: A big time effort from Florida pitcher Alex Panteliodis.  The sophomore fanned 12 in a career-best nine innings to help the Gators down the Hurricanes 7-2.  It’s not just the first complete game of the season for Florida, it’s the staff’s first since 2008.  Pitching isn’t quite the same precious commodity in Super Regional play as it is in Regionals, but it’s always big to save every arm possible in the first game of a big series.  While Panteliodis went the distance for Florida, David Guiterrez and Jason Santana each worked four innings for Miami.

Miscues II: Miami had two errors which lead to five unearned runs in the five-run loss.  The Hurricanes have now committed 10 errors in their six NCAA Tournament games this year, while Florida is yet to commit an error in its four NCAA games.

Son Of A Robby: Florida’s Tyler Thompson is the son of 11-year MLB veteran Robby Thompson.  He was named to our Regional Prime Time Performer Honor Roll this week for his three home run game in last week’s Regional title game win over FAU.  Thompson homered again in Friday’s win over Miami to give him four HR in his last two games after hitting just two during the regular season.

Special K Day: Friday was a big strikeout day for starting pitchers.  Cal State Fullerton’s Noe Ramirez (12-1) had 13 Ks in 7 IP in a 4-3 win over #6 national seed UCLA.  Bruin starter Gerrit Cole had 7 Ks in 6 2/3 IP in the loss to move his season total to 138, which is the third best in Bruins history.

On The Clock: Don’t be surprised if the subject of the length of games comes up during and after the College World Series.  Last night’s Cal State Fullerton-UCLA game lasted 3:35.  Remember that experimental 20 second clock at the SEC Tournament?  It kept most 9-inning games at around three hours.  I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s implemented in the NCAA post season soon.

Visit our Super Regional Central Page – with links to all eight Super Regional capsules.

Sunday Regional Baseball Notebook

A By The Numbers Look At Day 3 NCAA Play…

8…Winner take all Regional championship games that will take place on Monday (CLICK HERE to see our full Regional scoreboard with Monday’s match-ups.

8…Teams that went 3-0 in Regional play over the weekend to advance to Super Regionals: Arizona State, Florida, Florida State, Oklahoma, South Carolina, UCLA, TCU, and Texas.

15…Years since Oklahoma had started NCAA play with a 3-0 record before beating North Carolina 3-2 to advance to the second Super Regional in program history (the format switched in 1999).

2005…The last time a North Carolina team failed to get out of the Regional round of the NCAA Tournament.  Mike Fox’s UNC squad had made four straight College World Series trips, but are eliminated in Regional play for the first time since falling to Notre Dame in ‘05 at the Gainesville, FL Regional.

1…Super Regional match-up that is set.  TCU and Texas will square-off in a rematch of last year’s Super Regional that sent the Longhorns to Omaha.

3…Runs allowed in three Regional wins by the vaunted Texas pitching staff.

32…Strikeouts in its three Regional victories by the TCU pitching staff.

1…#4 seed, Minnesota, that started this year’s Regional action 2-0.  The Golden Gophers join the 2004 Pepperdine team and the 2008 eventual National Champion Fresno State squad as the only #4 seeds to start 2-0 since 2003.  Minnesota lost 7-2 to Cal State Fullerton Sunday night and will play for the Regional title Monday night.

8…First inning runs scored by St. John’s en-route to a 22-16 elimination game win over Ole Miss in Charlottesville.

7…Runs given-up in just 2/3 of an inning by Ole Miss starter David Goforth in that game.

24…Home runs this season by St. John’s freshman Jeremy Baltz after he hit a pair in Sunday 6-5 upset of #5 national seed Virginia.  The win forced Monday’s Regional Championship game.

10…Runs scored in the first inning by Coastal Carolina in its 25-7 elimination game win over Stony Brook.

23-0…Dartmouth’s record this season when leading after 6 innings prior to Sunday’s 4-3 loss to Texas A&M.  The Big Green lost after Joe Patterson homered in the 8th to tie the game, followed by a long ball by Kevin Gonzalez to lead-off the 9th for the final margin.

10…Home runs hit so far in Regional play by the Aggies after they hit two more in Sunday night’s 11-7 win over Miami to force Monday’s title game.

36 2/3…Innings pitched without allowing an earned run by A&M closer John Stilson.  The sophomore (9-1, 10 saves) tossed 3 scoreless innings in the Dartmouth win, and then fired the final 3 2/3 innings of the win over Miami.

116…Strikeouts by Stilson in 82 2/3 IP this season.

6…Runs in just 2/3 of an inning by Oregon State starter Tyler Waldron in Sunday’s 11-7 elimination game loss to Florida Atlantic.

25-7…Final score of Coastal Carolina’s elimination game win over Stony Brook.  The Chanticleers broke the game open with 10 runs in the top of the 3rd inning.  They scored at least one run in each of the last seven innings of the game.

3…Straight at-bats with a home run by Virginia Tech’s Buddy Sosnoskie, who homered in his first AB of Sunday’s 4-3 win over The Citadel.  He also went deep in his last two trips to the plate in Saturday’s win over Bucknell.

3…Home runs by Florida 9-home batter Tyler Thompson in Sunday’s 15-0 win over Florida Atlantic.  Thompson had hit just two HR all season, but had a power surge to help send the Gators to the Super Regionals for a second straight year.

3…Run home run in the 8th inning by Creede Simpson to propel Auburn to an 11-10 win over Clemson.  The teams rematch for the Regional championship Monday night.

5 1/3…Scoreless innings pitched by St. John’s reliever Kevin Kilpatrick to help the Red Storm shock #5 national seed Virginia 6-5 to force a Monday Regional final game in Charlottesville.

2…Outs in the bottom of the 8th inning when Red Storm freshman Jeremy Baltz homered to provide the eventual winning runs in the St. John’s win.  It was Baltz’s second homer of the game and his24th this season.  He already ranks fourth in the St. John’s all-time home run record book (career home runs, not single season).

5…RBIs by Baltz’s teammate, Matt Wessinger, earlier in the day in a 20-16 elimination game win over Ole Miss.  Wessinger finished a home run shy of the cycle.

8…Runs scored by the Red Storm in the first inning of that game, which sent the Rebels home and St. John’s to the Regional championship round.

0…Runs allowed by Vanderbilt pitcher Ritchie Goodenow in his first career complete game-a 7-0 upset of #7 national seed Louisville on Sunday to force Monday’s Regional final game.

68…Career appearances Goodenow has made.  The win over the Cardinals was just the lefty’s second career start.

5…Runs scored in the 9th inning by Vandy to beat Illinois State 10-4 in an elimination game earlier in the day just to advance for the right to play Louisville.

2…Years in a row Vanderbilt has beaten the Cardinals in an elimination game in Louisville to force a winner take all Regional final.  Louisville won last year to advance to the Fullerton Super Regional.  The winner this year faces Florida State.

1…Career complete game by Rice’s Mike Ojala, who went the distance in his 34th career start to help the Owls beat Louisiana-Lafayette in a Sunday elimination game (they would lose 4-1 to Texas in their next game to see their season end).  Ojala (6-2) had ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery last June.

2…Starts made on Sunday by Washington State junior James Wise.  The junior gave-up six runs in just 2 1/3 innings in an eventual 9-6 elimination game win over Kansas State.  He then started and gave-up just a run in 3 IP to help WSU beat Arkansas 10-7, forcing a Monday Regional final.

19…Wins this season by the Washington State bullpen with 6 1/3 shutout innings in the win over K-State.  Richie Ochoa (2-2)  tossed 4 1/3 scoreless frames to help the Cougar pen tie a school record that was originally set in 1987.

33….Years since Washington State last played in a Regional Championship game prior to Monday’s showdown with Arkansas in Fayetteville.

46…Wins this season by UCLA (46-13) to set a new single-season record after Sunday’s 6-2 Regional Championship win over UC-Irvine.  The Bruins are headed to the Super Regionals for the second time in the last four years.

18…50 win seasons by Arizona State (50-8) after beating Hawaii 8-4 to advance to the Super Regionals.

19…Combined College World Series appearances by Florida State head coach Mike Martin (13) and Oregon skipper George Horton (6 with Cal State Fullerton), whose teams met in the championship game of the Norwich Regional.  Martin’s Seminoles won 5-3 to advance to a third straight Super Regional.

1…Out and one runner on in the bottom of the 9th inning when  Rico Noel homered to give Coastal Carolina an 8-7 win over the College of Charleston to force a deciding game Monday in the Myrtle Beach Regional.  Charleston had beaten Coastal a day earlier.

Saturday Regional Baseball Notebook

A Look Around The Country At Saturday’s NCAA Action

• The hitting streak continues, but the season is over.  Garrett Wittels extended his hitting streak to 56 games in Florida International’s 15-9 loss to Dartmouth.  The loss eliminated FIU from the Coral Gables Regional.  That means Wittels will begin the 2011 season needing hits in his first two games to tie Robin Ventura for the all-time Division One record hit streak.
  

  Garrett Wittels (FIU photo)

• ““Teams are gonna know what to anticipate.  He likes to drive the ball away.  Look for some teams to try to different things next season.  Try busting him hard inside.  Nobody tried to do that.  We know he can push the ball into right center field, but can he turn on the ball?  I think that’s gonna be the test.“  That’s what ESPNU studio analyst Jay Walker had to say about Wittels and how other teams might approach him next year.  So let me get this straight…Wittels batted .409 this season, hit safely in 56 games, smacked 20 doubles, and came to the plate 237 times, but nobody ever challenged him inside once and he never once turned on the ball?  Great analysis Jay (I hope the sarcasm is detected)!  Anyone who hits in 56 straight and bats .400 over the course of the season is going to do it by going to all fields.  More great analysis by someone we’ve never heard of who probably saw all of eight of Wittels’ at-bats this season.
• Dartmouth clean-up batter Jason Brooks was 2-for-5 in the win over FIU with a grand slam and a total of 6 RBIs.  The win was the first for Dartmouth in the NCAA Tournament since 1987 and the first for the Ivy League since Princeton won a game in 2004.
• Not to be outdone, Illinois State got its first NCAA win in 34 years by downing St. Louis 8-3 in the Louisville Regional elimination game.  Kevin Tokarski homered and drove-in four.
  

  Anthony Rendon (Rice photo)

• Anthony Rendon jacked 3 HR and totaled 7 RBIs to lead Rice to a resounding 19-1 elimination game win over Rider at the Austin Regional.  With the Owls leading 11-0 Wayne Graham lifted starter Taylor Wall after 3 2/3 hitless innings.
• Southern Mississippi’s Taylor Walker was 4-for-4 with a home runs, 4 runs and 4 RBIs in an Auburn Regional elimination win over Jacksonville State.
• Matt Weisinger hit two of St. John’s‘ four home runs in Charlottesville to help the Red Storm eliminate VCU 8-6.
• Baylor beat Lamar 6-5 in Ft. Worth.  Logan Vick had his 29th extra base hit to set a freshman school record.
• Florida Atlantic had a season-high 18 hits to eliminate Bethune-Cookman with a 12-6 win in Gainesville.
• Buddy Sosnoskie belted two HR with 6 RBIs to help Virginia Tech beat Bucknell 16-7.
• Stony Brook eliminated North Carolina State with a 6-2 win in Myrtle Beach.  Sophomore Tyler Johnson (10-3) set a new Seawolves single-season record for wins.  Johnson notched 10 Ks in 8 IP.
• Tyler Garwal hit a walk-off home run to keep Oral Roberts‘ season going with a 9-8 win over Cal in Norman.  The Golden Eagles hit 4 HR and won despite walking 9 batters.
• Francis Larson hit his 25th career home run to help UC Irvine beat Kent State 19-9 in the L.A. elimination game.  Larson has now hit the most home runs in Anteater history.
  

  Neil Holland (UofL photo)

• Louisville’s 7-1 win over Vanderbilt set a program record with the 50th win of the season for the Cardinals.  Neil Holland got his 17th save with 3 shutout innings of one hit ball.
• How confident was Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell that his team could start Regional play 2-0?  Cardinal ace Thomas Royse (9-1, 2.91 ERA) did not start either of his team’s first two games.  He’ll start Sunday, which is the final game of McDonnell’s 3-game suspension.
• Mike Olt is UConn’s all-time home run (44) and RBI (177) leader after belting two long balls with a career-best 8 RBIs as the Huskies routed Central Connecticut State 25-5.  UConn now faces Oregon, which lost 6-4  to Florida State.
• Rain and lightening caused two hours and 28 minutes of delay, but Miami cruised to a 14-1 win over Texas A&M.  Hurricane 1B Scott Lawson was 4-for-6 with 3 HR and 6 RBIs.
• Danny Hultzen gave-up 6 earned runs in 6 IP, but still improved to 10-1 as Virginia beat Ole Miss. 13-7.  The Cavaliers tied a school record with their 49th win.
• Mike Ferraro was 4-for-6 with a home run, two doubles and 6 RBIs to lead San Diego to a resounding 22-1 elimination game win over Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Tempe.
• Here’s a lesson to the kids at home: ALWAYS RUN IT OUT.  Stanford’s Colin Walsh hit a fairly routine fly ball to left field, but Cal State Fullerton’s Casey Watkins dropped it.  Walsh motored all the way to third on the play and scored on a single by Stephen Piscotty.  The Titans still won 6-5 thanks to a pair of 2-run home runs by Christian Colon.
• Stanford goes 0-2 at the Fullerton Regional.  It’s just the second time Stanford has gone two and out in Regional play.  The last time it happened was in 1994 in Austin, TX.
• There were a total of seven upsets on Saturday.  Five #4 seeds won, with three of those wins vs. #2 seeds.  Two #1 seeds lost to #2 seeds.
• Minnesota is the Cinderella of the Regionals so far.  The fourth-seeded Golden Gophers downed #3 New Mexico 6-4 in 10 innings the Fullerton winner’s bracket game to go to 2-0.
• Scott Matyas struckout 8 in three scoreless, hitless innings of relief to improve to 5-1.
• Eight of Saturday’s Regional games were decided by double digits.
• Citadel’s 1-3 batters combined to go just 2-for-12 in their 9-4 loss to South Carolina.  The Gamecocks used a 5-run 7th inning to take the win.
• Starting pitchers Blake Cooper (11-1) of South Carolina and Asher Wojciechowski (12-3) of The Citadel combined for 23 strikeouts and just 4 walks.
  

  Trevor Bauer (UCLA photo)

• Trevor Bauer had 11 strikeouts to lead UCLA to a 6-3 win over defending national champion LSU in the L.A. winner’s bracket game.  Anthony Ranaudo had 10 Ks in the loss.
• The Bruins (45-13) tied a program record for most wins in one season.  It equals the win total from the Bruins’ 1997 team (45-19-1), which was the last UCLA program to go to the College World Series.
• Junior Casey Harman tossed the first complete game of his career to help #2 seed Clemson topple #1 Auburn 5-2  in Auburn.  Harman scattered five hits with 8 strikeouts.
• Arizona State’s Seth Blair is 12-0 after giving-up just a run in 7 IP as the overall #1 seeded Sun Devils rolled Hawaii 12-1.
• Joe Weik smacked two home runs and had a career-high 6 RBIs to help TCU down Arizona 11-5.  The Horned Frogs improve to 48-11 to tie the school record for wins in a season.
• TCU pitchers Matt Purke (13-0) and Tyler Lockwood combined for 10 strikeouts, making TCU 21-0 when its pitchers have at least 10 Ks in a game.

Friday Regional Baseball Notebook

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