College Baseball 360

Wednesday’s College Baseball Scoreboard (5/23/12)

Pete LaFleur — Wed, 23 May 2012 20:49:25 +0000

We’re up to 20 conference tournament on the docket for Wednesday’s D-I baseball schedule – and CB360 as usual is here to track the action for you. There are 63 games on the schedule that have NCAA Tournament implications, including Oregon’s non-conference game at Portland. front-page photo courtesy of Evansville

Schedule, results and more included below … we also again will be naming Primetime Performers of the Day.

CLICK HERE for Tuesday’s CB360 Primetime Performers Daily Honor Roll
CLICK HERE for Tuesday’s CB360 scoreboard

CLICK HERE for the CB360 Conference Tournament Central home page

CLICK HERE for CB360 Primetime Performers Weekly Honor Roll for the past week (May 14-20)

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WEDNESDAY’S KEY GAMES (schedule & results; May 23, 2012)
(sorted based on conference RPI, per WarrenNolan.com)

upsets in italics

ACC Tournament (Greensboro, NC) … Tournament Central
• 8-seed Georgia Tech 5 … def. (1) Florida State 4
• 3-seed North Carolina State 3 … def. (6) Miami 2

SEC Tournament (Hoover, AL) … Tournament Central
• 9 seed Mississippi 2 … elim. (6) Arkansas 0
• 7-seed Mississippi State 3 … def..(1) LSU 2

Big 12 Tournament (Oklahoma City, OK) … Tournament Central
• 4-seed Oklahoma 1 … def. (5) Oklahoma State 0
• 1-seed Baylor 11 … def. (8) Kansas State 1
• 2-seed Texas A&M 10 … def. (7) Kansas 4

Conference USA Tournament (Pearl, MS) … Tournament Central
• 5-seed Memphis 14 .. def. (4) Southern Mississippi 3
• 1-seed Rice 7 … def. (8) Houston 5

Missouri Valley Tournament (Springfield, MO) … Tournament Central
• 5-seed Evansville 8 … elim. (1) Indiana State 5
• 2-seed Missouri State 7 … elim. (3) Wichita State 0
• 8-seed Creighton 11 … def. (4) Illinois State 5

Southern Conference Tournament (Greensville, SC) … Tournament Central
• 7-seed The Citadel 8 … def. (2) College of Charleston 6
• 6-seed Georgia Southern 19 … def. (3) Elon 2

Western Athletic Tournament (Mesa, AZ) … Tournament Central
• 6-team event starts at 3 PT on May 23

Big Ten Tournament (Columbus, OH) … Tournament Central
• 5-seed Michigan State 10 … def. (4) Nebraska 9
• 6-seed Ohio State 12 … def. (3) Penn State 5

Atlantic Sun Tournament (DeLand, FL) … Tournament Central
• 5-seed Mercer 11 ... def. (2) South Carolina Upstate 2
• 4-seed Florida Gulf Coast 12 … def. (3) Kennesaw State 4

BIG EAST Tournament (Clearwater, FL) … Tournament Central
• 3-seed Seton Hall 6 … def. (6) Rutgers 1
• 2-seed St. John’s 12 … def. (7) Notre Dame 2
• 1-seed Louisville 8 … def. (8) Pittsburgh 4

Southland Tournament (San Marcos, TX) … Tournament Central
• 4-seed Texas Arlington 6 … def. (5) McNeese State 2
• 8-seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 9 … def. (1) Sam Houston State 2

Mountain West Tournament (Las Vegas, NV) … Tournament Central
• 4-team tournament starts at 3 PT at May 24

Sun Belt Tournament (Bowling Green, KY) … Tournament Central
• 5-seed Louisiana-Monroe 7 … def. (4) South Alabama 4
• 2-seed Arkansas State 12 … def. (7) Middle Tennessee 1

Big South Tournament (High Point, NC) … Tournament Central
• 2-seed Campbell 10 … def. (7) High Point 4 (resumed from 5/22)
• 4-seed Gardner-Webb 4 … elim. (8) Charleston Southern 3
• 7-seed High Point 7 elim. (6) UNC Asheville 1

Colonial Tournament (Harrisonburg, VA) … Tournament Central
• 5-seed VCU 11 … def. (4) George Mason 7
• VCU/GMU loser vs. TOW/DEL loser (CAA, gm-3; elim. game) – ppd to 5/24

Ohio Valley Tournament (Jackson, TN) … Tournament Central
• 4-seed Eastern Illinois 2 … def. (5) Morehead State 1

Atlantic 10 Tournament (Bronx, NY) … Tournament Central
• 5-seed Richmond 9 … def. (4) UMass 5
• 6-seed St. Joseph’s 3 … def. (3) Rhode Island 0

Mid-American Tournament (Avon, OH) … Tournament Central
• 5-seed Western Michigan 4 …def. (4) Ohio 2
• 6-seed Eastern Michigan 4 … def. (3) Central Michigan 3
• 7-seed Miami Ohio 5 … def.. (2) Toledo 0

Metro Atlantic (MAAC) Tournament (Troy, NY) … Tournament Central
• 4-team tournament begins May 24

Horizon Tournament (Chicago, IL) … Tournament Central
• 4-seed Illinois-Chicago 10 … def. (5) Butler 1
• 6-seed Youngstown State 8 … def. (3) Milwaukee 8

America East Tournament (Stony Brook, NY) … Tournament Central
• 3-seed Binghamton 2 … def. (2) Albany 1
• 1-seed Stony Brook 14 … def. (4) Maine 6

Summit Tournament (Tulsa, OK) … Tournament Central
• 4-team tournament begins May 24

Great West Tournament (no auotomatic NCAA bid; 8-team tournament) Tournament Central
• 1-seed Utah Valley plays next at 7 MT on May 23, vs. (5) Houston Baptist

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• 3:30 ET – 6-seed Towson vs. (3) Delaware (CAA, gm-2; weather delay)

• 5:30 ET – 8-seed Furman vs. (1) Appalachian State (SoCon, gm-3)

• 5:30 ET (4:30 CT) – 10-seed Auburn vs. (8) Georgia (SEC; gm-7, elim. game)

• 6 ET (3 PT) – 5-seed Fresno State vs. (4) Hawaii (WAC, gm-1)

• 7 ET – 7-seed Wake Forest vs. (2) North Carolina (ACC, gm-3)

• 7 ET – 6-seed Stetson vs. (1) Belmont (A-Sun; gm-3)

• 7 ET – 5-seed Radford vs. (1) Coastal Carolina (Big South, gm-7)

• 7 ET – 4-seed UMass vs. StJoe/URI loser (A-10, gm-3; elim. game)

• 7:30 ET – 8-seed Buffalo vs. (1) Kent State (MAC, gm-4)

• 8 ET – 5-seed Connecticut vs. (4) South Florida (Big East, gm-4)

• 8 ET – 8-seed Western Kentucky vs. (1) Florida Atlantic (Sun Belt, gm-3)

• 8 ET (7 CT) – 6-seed East Carolina vs. (4) Tulane (CUSA; gm-2)

• 8 ET (7 CT) – 6-seed Southeast Missouri vs. (3) Jackson State (OVC, gm-2)

• 8:30 ET (7:30 CT) – 6-seed Missouri vs. (3) Texas (Big 12; gm-4)

• 8:30 ET (7:30 CT) – 7-seed Bradley vs. (6) Southern Illinois (MVC, gm-8)

• 9 ET – 5-seed Western Carolina vs. (4) Samford (SoCon, gm-4)

• 9 ET (8 CT) – 5-seed Vanderbilt vs. (2) South Carolina (SEC; gm-8)

• 9 ET (7 MT) – 5-seed Houston Baptist vs. (1) Utah Valley (GW, gm-8)

• 9 ET (6 PT) – Portland at Oregon (non-conference)

• 10 ET – 3-seed Liberty vs. (2) Radford (Big South, gm-8)

• 10 ET (7 PT) – 6-seed Louisiana Tech vs. (3) Nevada (WAC, gm-2)

College Baseball Primetime Performers of the Day (May 22)

Pete LaFleur — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:31:07 +0000

CB360 has expanded its honor-roll awards feature to recognize postseason Primetime Performers of the Day, starting with Tuesday, May 22. Six total players have been selected for their contributions on Tuesday in games with NCAA tournament implications. The top honorees from that group include: Creighton junior lefthander Ty Blach (Centennial, Colo.) … Army senior catcher J.T. Watkins (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) … and Kentucky freshman RHP/DH A.J. Reed (Terra Haute, Ind.). front-page photo courtesy of Army

As with the CB360 Primetime Performers Weekly Honor Roll, this daily recognition goes beyond the raw stats – also taking into account quality of opponent (i.e. upsets and high-end matchups), significance towards NCAA qualification/seeding, all-around play, clutch efforts and other situational factors.

Three other players round out the CB360 Primetime Performers Daily Honor Roll for Tues., May 22: Bradley junior leftfielder Mike Tauchman (Palentine, Ill.) … Southern Illinois senior first baseman Chris Serritella (Glenview, Ill.) … and Washington State freshman lefthander Joe Pistorese (Kalispell, Mont.). See below for photos and info. on each of the six honorees (listing of Tuesday’s key results also included, at bottom of page).

Blach is the CB360 Primetime Pitcher of the Day, Watkins the Primetime Player of the Day, and Reed the Primetime 2-Way Threat of the Day, for May 22, 2012.

CLICK HERE for CB360 Primetime Performers Weekly Honor Roll for the past week (May 14-20)
Previous CB360 Primetime Performers (2012) … Week-1 … Week-2 … Week-3
Week-4 … Week-5 … Week-6 … Week-7 … Week-8 … Week-9
Week-10 … Week-11 … Week-12 … Week-13

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CB360 PRIMETIME PITCHER OF THE DAY
#31 TY BLACH
Creighton … LHP … Jr
Centennial, CO

The Bluejays ace logged his third straight complete game in impressive fashion, posing a -hit shutout of Missouri Valley regular-season champion Indiana State, 5-0, in the opening game of the MVC Tournament held in Springfield, Ill. (an 8-seed upset of the #1 seed) … the 6-foot-1, 200-pound lefty faced only 30 batters in the 109-pitch outing, with a pair of walks and six strikeouts … his only hit allowed was Rob Ort’s 2nd-inning, infield single that was stopped going up the middle … retired 18 straight from the 3rd-8th innings … his string of three straight complete games includes a recent win over a potent Dallas Baptist team (UER-5H-BB-5K), earning Blach a spot on the CB360 Primetime Honor Roll for that week … has not allowed an earned run during the current streak of three complete games (10H-3BB, in 27.1 innings) … his 2.67 career ERA would rank first in the Creighton record book … has a 2.39 ERA, 6-5 record and .208 opp. batting avg. (76 K, 27 BB in 109.1 IP) … hails from the same hometown (Centennial, Colo.) as LSU sophomore ace and elite MLB draft prospect Kevin Gausman (Blach attended Grandview HS and Gausman went to Regis Jesuit).

CB360 PRIMETIME PLAYER OF THE DAY
#4 J.T. WATKINS
Army … C … Sr.
Tuscaloosa, AL … 5-hole … bats: R

Blasted a three-run home run late in the Patriot League Championship Series finale vs. Holy Cross, providing final 8-4 margin as Black Knights won league title (and NCAA automatic bid) for sixth time (four in past nine years) … delivered in the 7th inning of that game, driving a 2-out/full-count pitch over the leftfield fence shortly after that game had been resumed … the teams had split a doubleheader on Sat. (May 19) and then saw the decisive third game suspended on Sunday (4-4, top-7th) … ended up hitting 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored in the 2-day third game (also reached on a hit-by-pitch) … team captain and veteran director of pitching staff that is fronted by ace Chris Rowley (who leads nation in wins, at 11-0) … batting .318 while ranking second on team in RBI (31) and sharing team home run lead (5) … has three more free-passes (12 BB + 8 HBP) than strikeouts (17).

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CB360 PRIMETIME 2-WAY THREAT OF THE DAY
#18 A.J. REED
Kentucky … Fr. … RHP/DH
Terra Haute, IN … cleanup … bats: L

Two-way talent who proved up to the challenge on the mound and at the plate, picking up SEC Tournament win in tight 2-0 battle vs. Mississippi (opposite Ole Miss ace Bobby Wahl) while batting 4-for-4 with solo home run that opened scoring in the 4th … win helped keep Kentucky firmly in the mix for an NCAA Regional #1 seed (and hosting status) … midweek starter who was making his first start of the season vs. an SEC team, responding with 5.2 shutout innings (5H-BB-HB-3K) before giving way to the team’s aces Taylor Rogers (3.1-2K-111BF, who picked up the save in only the second relief appearance of his three-year college career) … erased his recent 3-for-22 slump in a big way, batting 4-for-4 from his usual cleanup spot in win over the Rebels … third on team with .311 batting avg. and second in RBI (40; 4 HR) … owns 2.62 ERA, 5-2 record and 6.1 K-to-walk ratio (43 K, 7 BB in 44.2 IP) AP Photo – Dave Martin

CB360 PRIMETIME PERFORMERS
DAILY HONOR ROLL
#10 MIKE TAUCHMAN
Bradley … Jr. … LF
Palentine, IL … 2-hole … bats: L

Came through on a full-count with 1-out in the top of the 9th, sending 2-run single to center field to break
3-3 deadlock and give 6-seed Braves a 5-3 win over Missouri Valley #2 seed Missouri State (putting a late dent in the Bears’ NCAA hopes) … the clutch hit came vs. closer Tyler Burgess, who ended the regulars season with a 1.27 ERA, .144 opp. batting avg. and 11 saves … hit 2-for-5 from the 2-hole in the postseason opening win … second on team with .301 batting avg. (22 RBI, 25 runs).

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CB360 PRIMETIME PERFORMERS DAILY HONOR ROLL
#21 CHRIS SERRITELLA
Southern Illinois … Sr./Jr. … 1B
Glenview, IL … 3-hole … bats: L

Had lead role in yet another upset at the Missouri Valley Tournament, batting 3-for-4 with a solo home run, two RBI, a pair of runs scored and a stolen base as SIU knocked off 3rd-seeded Wichita State, 6-3 … opened game with RBI single, stolen base and run scored – as Salukis jumped out to a 2-0 lead … later hit his 12th home run of season, tying him with teammate Jordan Sivertsen for first among MVC players … has fashioned a dominating season at the plate, leading SIU in batting avg. (.400), RBI (58), home runs (12), slugging (.682), doubles (24), runs (54), on-base (.473) and walks (33).

CB360 PRIMETIME PERFORMERS DAILY HONOR ROLL
#31 JOE PISTORESE
Washington State … Fr. … LHP
Kalispell, MT

Logged seven shutout innings in rare scoreless game that extended to extra-innings, with WSU winning 1-0 in the 10th
to hand Gonzaga costly loss in its quest for NCAA at-large berth … faced 27 batters in the 87-pitch start,allowing only three hits, two walks and a hit batter while striking out five … leads staff with 2.55 ERA (3-3, .265 opp. batting avg.).

CLICK HERE for the CB360 Conference Tournament Central home page

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TUESDAY’S KEY GAMES (schedule & results; May 22, 2012)

upsets in italics

SEC Tournament (Hoover, AL) … Tournament Central
• 4-seed Kentucky 2 … def. (9) Mississippi 0
• 7-seed Mississippi State 9 … def. (6) Arkansas 1
• 3-seed Florida 6 … def. (10) Auburn 1
• 5-seed Vanderbilt 4 … def. (8) Georgia 1

Big South Tournament (High Point, NC) … Tournament Central
• 5-seed Gardner-Webb 8 … def. (4) Gardner-Webb 2
• 1-seed Coastal Carolina 9 … def. (8) Charleston Southern 8
• 3-seed Liberty 9 … def. (6) UNC Asheville 2
• 7-seed High Point vs. (2) Campbell – suspended to 5/23( (HP leads 2-1, t3)

Missouri Valley Tournament (Springfield, MO) … Tournament Central
• 4-seed Illinois State 10 … def. (5) Evansville 3
• 8-seed Creighton 5 … def. (1) Indiana State 0
• 6-seed Southern Illinois 6 … def. (3) Wichita State 3
• 7-seed Bradley 5 … def. (2) Missouri State 3

Patriot League (title series; gm-3/final)
• at 1-seed Army 8 … def. (2) Holy Cross 4
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF | Army Recap | HC Recap | Photos

Great West (no auotomatic NCAA bid; 8-team tournament) Tournament Central
• 1-seed Utah Valley 17 … def. (8) New York Tech 10

Non-Conference
• Oregon at Portland – rainout (no makeup; still set to play Wed., May 23 at Oregon, 6 PT)
• UCLA 6 … won at UC Irvine 1
• Stanford 10 … won at Santa Clara 5
• at Washington State 1 … def. Gonzaga 0 (10 inn.)

2012 NCAA College Baseball Tournament Selection Process 101

Sean Stires — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:40:06 +0000

A Refresher Course On The Selection Process & More…

The Road To Omaha statue outside TD Ameritrade Park awaits eight CWS teams (Kirk Markus photo).

Just five days remain until the selections are announced for this year’s NCAA Division One Baseball Tournament. We always receive questions about how selections are made and just how the whole process works.

The tournament starts in just over a week with a field of 64 and culminates with the College World Series in Omaha in June. With all that in mind, here’s a look at how selections will be made this weekend, who is on the selection committee and the formats for the Regional, Super Regional and CWS rounds of the NCAA baseball tournament.

64 teams will qualify for the NCAA Baseball Championship.
30 of the 64 teams that qualify for the tournament will receive automatic bids based on winning conference championships. Most of those automatic bids go to teams that win their conference tournaments.
The minimum requirement for at-large selection is an above .500 record against Division One competition.
The West Coast Conference, Big West and Pac-10 do not sponsor postseason tournaments, so their automatic bids go to the regular-season champion.
Since there are only 30 automatic bids, 34 at-large spots in the tournament are selected by the NCAA baseball committee.
The committee uses the Rating Percentage Index (RPI), a computer program that provides the committee with (1) the institution’s Division I winning percentage, (2) opponents’ success and (3) opponents’ strength of schedule. The RPI is an additional tool used in the evaluation of at-large teams. Please note that the adjusted RPI takes into account a bonus/penalty structure. Bonus and penalty values only will be used for non-conference games.
Regular-season conference standings and/or conference postseason competition shall be considered by the committee when selecting at-large teams.
The committee may consider comparing data of individual teams, including, but not limited to, overall record, Division I record, overall RPI rank, non-conference record and RPI rank, conference regular-season record and conference tournament results, road record and RPI, last 15 games’ record, its record against teams ranked 1-25, 26-50, 51-100, 101-150 and below 150 in the RPI, head-to-head record, common opponents’ record and input from regional advisory committees.

The same criteria is also used to determine seeding for Regionals and the top-eight national seeds. RPI was said to have been de-emphasized last year, but it is still a huge factor in the selection and seeding process.

The top-eight national seeds essentially are the eight teams that (at least in theory) should make it to the College World Series. Top-eight seeds are guaranteed they would not have to play each other until the CWS.

Regional host sites will be announced on Sunday, May 27, while the field of 64 will be announced on Monday, May 28 (Memorial Day). Selections will be televised on ESPNU.

CLICK HERE to see the list of 30 automatic qualifiers.

The 2012 NCAA Selection Committee

Kyle Kallander – Big South Conference Commissioner
Gary Overton – East Carolina Assistant Athletic Director
David Heeke – Central Michigan Athletic Director
John Hardt – Bucknell Athletic Director
Larry Gallo – North Carolina Associate Athletic Director
Dennis Farrell – Big West Conference Commissioner
Chris Monasch – St.John’s Athletic Director
Mark LaBarbera – Valparaiso Athletic Director
Eric Hyman – South Carolina Athletic Director
Randy L. Buhr – Washington State Associate Athletic Director

The Road To Omaha leads to TD Ameritrade Park and The Dugout – located right across the street from TDA’s home plate entrance. The Dugouthas a ton of authentic college baseball caps – just like the ones the players wear on the field.

If you’re going to Omaha for the College World Series make sure to make your first stop The Dugout for all officially licensed CWS apparel. If you can’t make it to Omaha just follow our red links to The Dugout!

Here’s how the tournament is formatted:

Regionals

16 four-team Regional tournaments take place at different locations around the country.
Ordinarily, all Regional and Super Regional tournaments are located on or near the campus of one of the competing institutions; however, a Regional or Super Regional tournament may be scheduled at a neutral site provided advance approval is obtained from the Division I Championships/Sports Management Cabinet.
The committee shall attempt to place Regional tournaments so that maximum national balance can be obtained, preferably at least one Regional in each of the eight Division I baseball regions.
Except for the 16 No. 1 Regional seeds, the pairings for the Regionals, whenever possible, will be based on closest geographical location of the teams to the tournament sites. Teams may be moved outside their regions, if necessary, to balance the bracket, or if the proximity to an opponent outside the region would be comparable and a better competitive matchup would occur.
Two teams from the same conference cannot be placed in the same Regional.
Teams from the same conference that are seeded first in their respective Regional will be placed on the bracket to avoid potentially meeting in a Super Regional.
Typically, #1 seeds host Regionals, but it is possible for a #2 seed to host.
Teams are seeded 1-4 within each Regional, with the #1 seed playing the #4 seed and the #2 seed playing the #3 seed on the first day of the tournament.
The tournament is played out in a double-elimination format, with the winner advancing to one of eight Super Regionals.
As noted below, one change made a couple years back is that the potential game-7 of a Regional (i.e. both teams have one loss) is played on Monday, whereas it used to be played on Sunday night (barring weather rescheduling, there never will be more than two games played in one day at a Regional site).

Here’s the Regional format:

Day 1
Game 1 — No. 1 seed vs. No. 4
Game 2 — No. 2 vs. No. 3

Day 2
Game 3 — Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2
Game 4 — Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2

Day 3
Game 5 — Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4
Game 6 — Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5

Day 4
Game 7 — If necessary, same teams as in Game 6

Super Regionals

Two teams will play a best 2-of-3 format to determine the Super Regional winner.
Super Regional competition takes place at on-campus sites or alternate sites that are approved by the baseball committee.
Consideration for hosting shall be given to the higher seed, including the eight national seeds, if a suitable hosting proposal has been received (e.g., meets financial guarantee and quality of facility criteria). If the higher seed has not submitted a proposal, the lower-seeded team will host if its proposal is acceptable.
If the Super Regional matchup is between equally-seeded teams, the committee shall review the hosting proposals according to the site selection criteria (e.g., quality and availability of the facility, revenue potential and other available accommodations) to determine the host. If only one of the teams has submitted a
proposal, that team shall host if the proposal is acceptable.
Winners of the eight Super Regional tournaments will qualify for the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
The 2012 College World Series begins on Friday, June 15 and runs through Monday/Tuesday June 25/26.

Note: While the tournament starts with 16 #1 seeds, for the purposes of Super Regional pairings only the top-eight national seeds are taken into consideration. According to the NCAA, the other eight #1 Regional seeds all “become a nine seed” when it comes to pairing which Regionals will face off in the Super Regional round. Super Regional pairings are made based on geography rather than actual seed.

Here’s the Super Regional format:

Day 1: Game 1 — Team A vs. Team B
Day 2: Game 2 — Team A vs. Team B
Day 3: Game 3 — if necessary, Team A vs. Team B

College World Series

The eight winners of the Super Regional competitions will advance to the College World Series.
Two four-team brackets will play a double-elimination tournaments to determine the bracket champions (similar to the regional format). The winner of each of those brackets advances to the CWS Finals.
The CWS Finals best 2-of-3 format consists of single games Sun., Mon. and Tues. (if necessary), June 24-26.

Tuesday’s College Baseball Scoreboard (5/22/12)

Pete LaFleur — Tue, 22 May 2012 22:47:29 +0000

Four conferences are starting tournament play on Tuesday, most notably the expanded 10-team SEC event. The Missouri Valley and Big South conference tournaments also are getting underway, along with the Great West (which does not have an NCAA automatic bid but features the Utah Valley team that recently rattled off 32 consecutive wins). front-page photo courtesy of Creighton

See below for a listing of the full SEC, MVC and Big South day-1 schedules, along with Utah Valley’s opening game and four other Tuesday games of note (involving Pac-12 and WCC teams), plus the completion of the decisive third game in the Patriot League title series.

CB360 plans to introduce a new postseason feature – as we will being recognizing Primetime Performers for each day of the 2012 postseason. Check back to this page throughout the day for results and the daily Primetime Performer honorees.

Also click on link below for complete conference tournament coverage:

CLICK HERE for the CB360 Conference Tournament Central home page

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TUESDAY’S KEY GAMES (schedule & results; May 22, 2012)

upsets in italics

Patriot League (title series; gm-3/final)
• at 1-seed Army 8 … def. (2) Holy Cross 4
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF | Army Recap | HC Recap | Photos

Great West (no auotomatic NCAA bid; 8-team tournament) Tournament Central
• 1-seed Utah Valley 17 … def. (8) New York Tech 10

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Sunday’s Key Results (cb360 top-50; May 20, 2012)

• at #4 Oregon 6 … def. Seattle 1 (series sweep)

• at California 6 … def. #5 UCLA 5 (UCLA won series, 2-1)

• #12 Stanford 4 … won at Utah 1 (series sweep)

• UC Riverside 1 … won at #15 Cal State Fullerton 0 (UCR won series, 2-1)

• #16 Arizona 6 … won at USC 1 (AZ won series, 2-1)

• #19 Oregon State 7 … won at Washington State 5 (OR-St. won series, 2-1)

• at #22 TCU 10 … def. San Diego State 2 (TCU won series, 2-1)
… TCU earned share of Mountain West regular-season title, with New Mexico

• at Loyola Marymount 4 … def. #34 Pepperdine 3 (PEP won series, 2-1)

• at #42 Arizona State 9 … def. Washington 6 (series sweep)

• #45 New Mexico State 15 … won at San Jose State 2 (series sweep)
… NMSU earned share of WAC regular-season title, with Nevada & Sacramento State

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC, title games; Norfolk, VA)
• north-1 seed Delaware State 3 … def. south-1 Bethune-Cookman 2
• Bethune-Cookman 8 … def. Delaware State 2

Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC, title game; Baton Rouge, LA)
• west-2 seed Prairie View A&M 7 … def. east-4 Mississippi Valley State 4

Patriot League (title series)
• at #1-seed Army 4 … def. (2) Holy Cross 0
• Holy Cross 7 … won at Army 4 (3-gm series tied)

College Baseball 360 Primetime Performers #14

Pete LaFleur — Tue, 22 May 2012 20:55:00 +0000

With plenty on the line during the final week of their teams’ regular season, Rice senior centerfielder Michael Fuda (Katy, Texas) and Wake Forest sophomore righthander Jack Fischer (Hinsdale, Ill.) delivered clutch performances to help solidify NCAA tournament positioning. They are joined by 18 others in comprising the week-14 Primetime Performers Weekly Honor Roll (full list at bottom of page), with Fuda and Fischer the top honorees as the respective CB360 Primetime Player of the Week and Primetime Pitcher of the Week. front-page photo courtesy of Rice

(Headshots, action shots and player info. for all of the week-14 Primetime honorees are included at the bottom of this page.)

Previous CB360 Primetime Performers (2012):
Week-1 … Week-2 … Week-3 … Week-4 … Week-5 … Week-6 … Week-7 … Week-8
Week-9 …Week-10 … Week-11 … Week-12 … Week-13

The Primetime Performer awards program – also utilized on affiliate sites CollegeSports360.com, CollegeSoccer360.com and CollegeFencing360.com – seeks to recognize players based on more than simple raw stats, instead taking into account quality of opponent, contribution to team success/postseason qualification, and various situational factors (such as clutch play, all-around performance, leadership, adversity overcome, etc.).

Michael Fuda (Rice)

FUDA proved his value as a versatile veteran during a pivotal 3-1 week, as the Owls won midweek at cb360 #40 Sam Houston State (5-0) before winning the showdown series at #18 Central Florida (6-8, 9-2, 5-2) to claim the Conference USA regular-season title while boosting Rice’s chances to be an NCAA Regional host team. The senior centerfielder reached base 10 times during the important week (5 hits, 4 walks and a hit-by-pitch) and had a hand in seven of his team’s runs (4RBI-4R-HR) – while batting from three distinct spots in the batting order (5-hole, 7-hole & 2-hole). His all-around contributions during the week also included three stolen bases and a sacrifice bunt.

In the road win over Southland Conference champion Sam Houston, Fuda contributed a single, HBP, sac-bunt and stolen base. He then singled and scored, along with drawing a pair of walks and a stolen base, in the opener at UCF that stretched over two days. Fuda went on to score twice and drove in three to help square the series, with a home run and walk in that game-2 matchup. He closed the series at UCF by batting 2-for-4 with an RBI, run, walk and stolen base in the title-securing win. Fuda is batting .308 for the season, with a team-best 42 RBI, seven home runs and 12 doubles.

Jack Fischer (Wake Forest)

FISCHER delivered the game-2 win (2-1) over cb360 #28 Clemson to clinch that series and secure a spot in the ACC Tournament, with Wake Forest going on to post the series sweep over the potent Tigers for a nice boost to its NCAA resume. The sophomore righthander faced only 29 batters in 7.2 shutout innings, scattering four hits and a pair of walks while striking out three. He carries a 2.77 ERA and 4-4 record into the postseason (.234 opp. batting avg., in 55.1 innings), for a Demon Deacons team that closed the regular season riding a 5-1 run (on the heels of a forgettable 7-error loss at Miami).

The week-14 Primetime Performers include six other starting pitchers: TCU freshman LHP Brandon Finnegan (Ft. Worth, Texas) … LSU sophomore RHP Kevin Gausman (Centennial, Colo.) … Prairie View A&M junior RHP Stef Hernandez (Galveston, Texas) … Sacred Heart sophomore LHP Nick Leiningen (Millwood, N.Y.) … Vanderbilt sophomore RHP T.J. Pecoraro (Dix Hills, N.Y.) … and UC Riverside sophomore LHP Dylan Stuart (Riverside, Calif.). Samford two-way player, RHP/DH C.K. Irby (Florence, Ala.), also is among the week-14 honorees.

Other position players among the week-14 Primetime Performers include: three first basemen – Seton Hall senior Michael Betz (Mine-Hill, N.J.), Utah junior Ethan Leiter (Osceola, Ind.) and Jacksonville (Ala.) State senior Ben Waldrip (Medford, Mass.) … a couple of second basemen, in Mercer sophomore DJ Johnson (Adel, Ga.) and Missouri State senior Kevin Medrano (Lee’s Summit, Mo.) … Mississippi State sophomore shortstop Adam Frazier (Bishop, Ga.) … a trio of third basemen – Arkansas State sophomore Claude Johnson (Pine Bluff, Ark.), Oral Roberts freshman Jose Trevino (Corpus Christi, Texas) and Iowa senior Chett Zeise (Green Bay, Wis.) … plus a couple other outfielders, in addition to Fuda: Central Arkansas junior RF/CF Forrestt Allday (Friendswood, Texas) and College of Charleston junior rightfielder Daniel Aldrich (Mt. Pleasant, S.C.).

The 20 honorees include five seniors, four juniors, nine sophomores and pair of freshmen. Five are natvies of Texas hometowns and two are from Georgia, with the others all hailing from different home states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina and Wisconsin.

Primetime Performer Award Criteria (not based solely on raw stats, but rather …)
• Must have been playing for or against a CB360 top-50 team (in the Composite National Rankings or performed a high level in games that could be key to a team’s conference finish and conference/NCAA postseason qualification; made significant contribution to team’s success and potential postseason positioning (single-game wins, “quality” wins, series wins, road wins, etc.).
• Involved in clutch performances, such as late game-winning hits, noteworthy comebacks, game-changing plays, team leadership, key defensive efforts, etc.
• Performed 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.
• Overcame adversity or extreme circumstances (for the team and/or individual).
• Any accomplishment that is rare, historic, record-setting, etc., on a national level.

CB360 PRIMETIME PERFORMERS WEEKLY HONOR ROLL (2012; #14)
(May 14-20, 2012 … presented by CollegeBaseball360.com)

“It’s not so much what you do, as it is when you do it.”

Forrestt Allday (Central Arkansas … RF/CF … Jr. … Friendswood, TX … leadoff … bats: L … #9)
Daniel Aldrich (Coll. of Charleston .. RF .. Jr./So. .. Mt. Pleasant, SC .. cleanup .. bats: L .. #32)
Michael Betz (Seton Hall … 1B … Sr. … Mine-Hill, NJ … 9-hole … bats: L … #26)
Brandon Finnegan (TCU … LHP … Fr. … Ft. Worth, TX … #29)
*Jack Fischer (Wake Forest … RHP … So. … Hinsdale, IL … #15)
Adam Frazier (Mississippi State … SS … So. … Bishop, GA … leadoff … bats: L … #12)
*Michael Fuda (Rice … CF … Sr. … Katy, TX … 5/7/2-hole …. bats: R … #15)
Kevin Gausman (LSU … RHP … So. … Centennial, CO … #12)
Stef Hernandez (Prairie View A&M … RHP … Jr. … Galveston, TX … #10)
C.K. Irby (Samford … RHP/DH … So. … Florence, AL … 6-hole … bats: R … #17)
Claude Johnson (Arkansas State … 3B … So. … Pine Bluff, AR … 5-hole … bats: R … #29)
DJ Johnson (Mercer … 2B … So. … Adel, GA … 9-hole … bats: R … #5)
Nick Leiningen (Sacred Heart … LHP … So. … Millwood, NY … #2)
Ethan Leiter (Utah … 1B … Jr. … Osceola, IN … 8/7-hole … bats: R … #5)
Kevin Medrano (Missouri St. … 2B … Sr. … Lee’s Summit, MO … leadoff/2-hole … bats: L … #13)
T.J. Pecoraro (Vanderbilt … RHP … So. … Dix Hills, NY … #40)
Dylan Stuart (UC Riverside … LHP … So. … Riverside, CA … #5)
Jose Trevino (Oral Roberts … 3B/RHP .. Fr. .. Corpus Christi, TX .. cleanup/3-hole .. bats: R … #5)
Ben Waldrip (Jacksonville, AL, State … 1B … Sr. … Medford, MA … cleanup … bats: L … #40)
Chett Zeise (Iowa … 3B … Sr. … Green Bay, WI … 6-hole/cleanup … bats: R … #18)

* Fuda and Fischer and the CB360 Primetime Player and Pitcher of the Week

DANIEL ALDRICH
College of Charleston … RF … Jr./So.
Mt. Pleasant, SC … cleanup … bats: L … #32

Played lead role during 3-1 week that included key midweek win over cb360 #32 Coastal Carolina (9-8, in 12) and then series win at UNC Greensboro (11-6, 8-10, 10-4) to earn share of Southern Conference title (first since 2007) … his 12th-inning single scored Marty Gantt for winning run vs. Coastal, capping a big game that saw him bat 4-for-7 with 3 RBI, a home run and a pair of runs scored … reached base five times during the UNCG series (2H-3BB) and factored into seven of his team’s runs (3RBI-5R-HR) during that closing three-game set … batting .287 with 10 home runs (one off the team lead) and team-best 43 RBI.

FORREST ALLDAY
Central Arkansas … RF/CF … Jr
Friendswood, TX … leadoff … bats: L … #9

Helped knock off cb360 #36 Mississippi State in 2-0 midweek game, then contributed to 13-4 gm-2 win over Soutland Conference champ Sam Houston (cb360 #40), landing UCA in SLC Tournament for first time … reached base three times and scored one of the game’s precious two runs in upset of Mississippi State (2B, 2 BB) …registered big game in win over SHSU, batting 2-for-4 with a walk, 3 RBI and 2 runs scored … batting .331 for season (2nd on squad) with team-leading 49 runs scored and near-.500 on-base pct. (.492) that impressively includes 34 more “free passes” (55 BB, 3 HBP) than strikeouts (24).

MICHAEL BETZ
Seton Hall … 1B … Sr.
Mine-Hill, NJ … 9-hole … bats: L … #26

Provided clutch offense from bottom of batting order, as Pirates won series – and nearly swept – at BIG EAST leader St. John’s (cb360 #46; 4-1, 4-5 in 12, 5-4 in 11) … scored run in opening win and then crossed the plate twice in gm-2 thriller (1B, BB) … walked and scored as part of 3-run top of the 9th, sending that second game on to extra innings … his contributions in series finale (2-for-5, RBI-R) included leadoff double and scoring the eventual winning run, in top of 11th … had scored only 11 runs all season (in 41 games played) before scoring four times in the showdown series at StJ … directed pitching staff that compiled 3.68 series ERA vs. Red Storm offense that was averaging 6.3 runs per game … the pair of wins helped SHU earn the #3 seed (one win shy of sharing regular-season title), in quest to repeat as BIG EAST Tournament champions.

BRANDON FINNEGAN
TCU … LHP … Fr.
Ft. Worth, TX … #29

Helped Frogs solidify their status as a probable regional #2 seed in the upcoming NCAAs, after going toe-for-toe opposite Dillon Overton in winning effort vs. fellow NCAA contender Oklahoma (cb360 #38) … faced only 25 batter while logging seven strong innings in that rare 1-0 battle, with seven strikeouts, one hit allowed, no walks and a hit-batter (also worked around two errors) … owns a 2.68 ERA (3-3 record) while splitting time as starter (8 GP) and reliever (11), with 41 Ks, 20 walks and a .228 opp. batting avg. in 47 innings.

JACK FISCHER
Wake Forest … RHP … So.
Hinsdale, IL … #1

Delivered gm-2 win (2-1) over cb360 #28 Clemson to clinch series and secure spot in ACC Tournament, with WFU going on to post series sweep for nice boost to its NCAA resume … faced only 29 batters in 7.2 shutout innings, scattering four hits and a pair of walks (3 Ks) … carries a 2.77 ERA and 4-4 record into the postseason (.234 opp. batting avg., in 55.1 innings).

ADAM FRAZIER
Mississippi State … SS … So.
Bishop, GA … leadoff … bats: L … #12

Continued to provide solid contribution from leadoff spot, setting table during sweep of SEC series vs. cb360 #9 Kentucky (3-1, 4-3, 11-3) … reached base seven times during the pivotal series (5-for-12, 2 BB) … went 2-for-4 with a walk in tight second game, then helped complete sweep by batting 2-for-4 with another walk, a pair or RBI and a run scored in the finale … lone bright spot during midweek upset loss vs. upstart Central Arkansas (2-0), batting 3-for-3 with a walk (rest of team was 5-for-30 with no walks) … played error-free at shortstop throughout the week, in 14 fielding chances … leads team with .360 batting average and lofty .475 on-base pct. that includes more than twice as many “free-passes” (45 BB, 3 HBP) as strikeouts (21), plus team-best 39 runs scored and 14 doubles (one off the team lead).

MICHAEL FUDA
Rice … CF … Sr.
Katy, TX … 5/7/2-hole … bats: R … #15

Valuable and versatile veteran who hit in three different lineup spots (5/7/2) during pivotal 3-1 week, as Owls won at cb360 #40 Sam Houston State midweek (5-0) before winning showdown series at #18 Central Florida (6-8, 9-2, 5-2) to claim Conference USA regular-season title while boosting Rice’s chances to be an NCAA Regional host team … reached base 10 times during the important week (5-14, 4 BB, HBP) while having a hand in seven of his team’s runs (4RBI-4R-HR) … his all-around contributions included three stolen bases and a sacrifice bunt … had a single, HBP, sac and SB in win at Sam Houston … singled and scored, along with pair of walks and stolen base, in opener at UCF that stretched over two days … scored twice and drove in three to help square the series, with a home run and walk … closed 2-for-4 with RBI, run, walk and stolen base in title-securing win … batting .308 with team-best 42 RBI (7 HR, 12 2B).

KEVIN GAUSMAN
LSU … RHP … So.
Centennial, CO … #12

Elite draft prospect who came through in SEC title-deciding series at South Carolina, outdueling Gamecocks veteran ace Michael Roth en route to complete-game victory (5-2) that sparked Tigers on to winning the key road series (4-5, 3-2 in 10) and ultimately earning top seed in SEC Tournament … faced 35 batters while allowing the pair of runs on five hits, two walks and a hit batter, with six strikeouts (bringing his season K total to 118, in 100.2 innings) … averaging 10.6 Ks per 9 innings, with a 5.1 K-to-walk ratio (23 BB) … owns a 2.86 ERA and 9-1 record, with a .229 opp. batting avg.

STEF HERNANDEZ
Prairie View A&M … RHP … Jr.
Galveston, TX … #10

Came through in team’s biggest game of the season, going the distance in SWAC winners-bracket game vs. top seed Jackson State (2-0) – sparking Prairie View on to tournament title and NCAA automatic bid (program’s third all-time NCAA trip and first since 2007) … faced 31 batters while allowing only four hits and one walk, with 23 of his outs coming via strikeouts (5), groundballs (17, including a double-play) or pickoffs (1) … also served as DH during SWAC tournament, with a single, RBI and run scored in opening win (14-4 vs. Alabama State) and the same stat line during 8-5 win over Texas Southern while reaching on a hit-by-pitch and executing sac-bunt during 7-4 final vs. Mississippi Valley State … converted infielder who has posted six wins this season, with 45 Ks and a .237 opp. batting avg. in 66 innings … also batting .271 as a part-time positionplayer.

C.K. IRBY
Samford … RHP/DH … So.
Florence, AL … 6-hole … bats: R … #17

Two-way talent who logged five solid innings (R-H-BB-2K) in 12-7 midweek win over cb360 #3 Florida whole also batting 2-for-5 with three key RBI vs. the Gators – on a bases-clearing triple in the bottom of the 1st … went on to help Bulldogs win series opener at cb360 #38 Oklahoma (4–2), further boosting Samford’s chances at an NCAA at-large bid … reached twice (1B, BB) and scored a valuable run in that tight gm-1 vs. the Sooners … ranks second in team with .332 batting avg., plus 45 RBI and 22 extra-base hits (4 HR, 4 3B, 14 2B) … has compiled 1.78 ERA, nine saves and 4-1 record in 25 appearances (3 starts; 23 Ks and .192 opp. batting in 30.1 innings).

CLAUDE JOHNSON
Arkansas State … 3B … So.
Pine Bluff, AR … 5-hole … bats: R … #29

Went 4-for-4 while having a hand in four of hits team’s runs (RBI, 3R, 2B, BB) to lead 10-5 upset of cb360 #26 Mississippi … also helped surging Red Wolves close regular season with sweep at Arkansas-Little Rock (10-5, 8-5, 10-8) to nearly share Sun Belt Conference regular-season title (Arkansas State finished 19-9, but FAU ended up 19-8 after a final-day rainout vs. FIU) … reached base five times during UALR series (with two RBI and pair of runs scored) … played error-free at the hot corner during 4-0 week … closed regular season with team-best .355 batting avg. (23 RBI, 21 runs, 21 walks, 16 doubles).

DJ JOHNSON
Mercer … 2B … So.
Adel, GA … 9-hole … bats: R … #5

Turned in impressive week while batting out of the 9-hole, as Bears upset cb360 #33 Georgia Tech (4-3) before sweeping Atlantic-Sun leader South Carolina State (7-6 in 14, 18-7, 5-2) to further jumble race for A-Sun regular-season title (Belmont ended up finishing first, after the other three contenders all lost on final day, with Mercer claiming 4th) … hit at a .706 clip during the week (12-for-17) while having a hand in 11 of his team’s runs (6 RBI, 5 R) … executed three sacrifice bunts during the week, including an 8th-inning suicide squeeze that provided the final 4-3 margin vs. Georgia Tech (also had a single earlier in that game) … earned rare distinction of posting consecutive 5-hit games … opened series vs. Upstate by hitting 5-for-6 (2 RBI, 2 R, sac), capped by game-ending single in the 14th … returned to hit 5-for-5 in gm-2 (3 RBI, 2 R, 2B) and 1-for-3 in finale (run, sac) … played error-free during the week, spanning 20 fielding chances at second base … has boosted his batting avg. over .300 (.303), with 23 RBI and 28 runs scored … key part of Mercer’s 13-1 surge for 37-19 record (most regular-season wins in program history).

NICK LEININGEN
Sacred Heart … LHP … So.
Millwood, NY … #2

Part of an impressive Sacred Heart pitching performance during the Northeast Conference Tournament, turning in his team’s second of three straight complete-game wins as Pioneers won to earn return trip to the NCAAs … won the pivotal winners-bracket game, 6-0 vs. top seed Monmouth, after facing only 31 batters with five hits and one walk allowed (5 Ks) … a year earlier, Sacred Heart won the NEC tournament with three complete games (the final two vs. Monmouth) and that scenario repeated itself this season (at same venue, Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Conn.) … Troy Scribner opened the 2012 tournament with 3-2 win over #3 seed Central Connecticut (7H-9K) while Kody Kerski delivered the title in final 5-1 win over Monmouth (5H-2BB-3K) … has team-best eight complete games this season (4.12 ERA, 6-5, .254 opp. batting avg.).

ETHAN LEITER
Utah … 1B … Jr.
Osceola, IN … 8/7-hole … bats: R … #5

Provided huge boost from bottom part of the lineup, batting 4-for-5 with 3 RBI, 3 runs scored and a home run – as Utes held on for 11-10 win amid raucous atmosphere at cb360 #43 Utah Valley (w/ nearly 5,000 fans on hand), halting the UVU win streak at 32 games (two shy of tying NCAA DI record and longest in DI since ’99) … had totaled only nine RBI all season before 3-RBI game vs. Wolverines (2-run HR in the 5th) … went on to reach base four times (2H, 2 BB, R) during series vs. talented pitching staff from cb360 #12 Stanford.

KEVIN MEDRANO
Missouri State … 2B … Sr.
Lee’s Summit, MO … leadoff/2-hole … bats: L … #13

Led resurgent offense in Missouri Valley showdown series at cb360 #31 Indiana State, with Bears winning final two games for key boost to their NCAA at-large resume (3-6, 7-5, 5-0) … hit .500 during the week (7-for-14, 3R, BB, 2B) while playing error-free on 15 fielding chances at second base … closed series with consecutive 3-hit games, as part of team’s 28 total hits spanning the final two games … hit 3-for-4 with a walk and run scored in series-tying second game … opened finale 3-for-4 – including his 300th career hit, which sparked 2-run rally in the 7th … stands 16 shy of tying the Missouri State record for career hits … leads team with .332 batting avg. (22 RBI, 33 runs, 11 stolen bases).

T.J. PECORARO
Vanderbilt … RHP … So.
Dix Hills, NY … #40

His miseason return from Tommy John reconstructive elbow ligament surgery has helped spark Vanderbilt team that became NCAA tournament eligible (by clinching finish above .500), following series sweep of cb360 #26 Mississippi (3-0, 6-2, 6-3) … went the distance (opposite Ole Miss ace Bobby Wahl) to deliver gm-1 win, after facing only 32 batters with five hits and no walks allowed … became first Vanderbilt pitcher since 2010 to register a solo shutout … allowed only three Rebels baserunners into scoring position while throwing first-pitch strikes to 27 batters … had only three strikeouts but retired seven others on 1-pitch outs … closed game strong, facing only 10 batters over final three innings … underwent elbow surgery at end of 2011 season, following impressive freshman season … returned to action on March 24 of this season and has made 10 appearances (six starts) while holding opponents to .238 batting, in 40.1 innings.

DYLAN STUART
UC Riverside … LHP … So.
Riverside, CA … #5

Closed series at cb360 #15 Cal State Fullerton by matching Grahamm Wiest with complete-game effort in rare 1-0 battle, emerging on the winning end after fashioning 6-hit shutout to give UCR the series … the two wins by the Highlanders set up a final-week showdown for the Big West title between Fullerton and Long Beach State … faced 33 batters while walking only two, with a pair of strikeouts in the 128-pitch outing … has surrendered only one earned run over his past three starts (24 innings) … owns 3.77 season ERA, with 7-6 record and .268 opp. batting avg.

JOSE TREVINO
Oral Roberts … 3B/RHP … Fr.
Corpus Christi, TX … cleanup/3-hole … bats: R … #5

Homered twice while batting .538 (8-for-15, 5 RBI) and playing error-free at third base (on 17 fielding chances), as preseason favorite ORU took series from contender North Dakota State (5-1, 4-5, 3-2, 10-0) while also holding off Oakland to win Summit League regular-season title … opened series by hitting 4-for-4 (3 RBI, HR) and pitching 1-2-3 frame in the 9th … homered again in gm-2 (2-4, 2RBI), setting the ORU record for HR by a freshman (12) … his 50 RBI are two shy of tying that ORU freshman record … second on team with .321 batting avg. (16 doubles).

BEN WALDRIP
Jacksonville, Ala., State … 1B … Sr.
Medford, MA … cleanup … bats: L … #40

Imposing 6-foot-6, 245-pound lefthanded hittter who amassed an eye-popping 2.000 OPS (.667 on-base plus 1.333 slugging) during 3-1week that included 8-7 win at NCAA hopeful Auburn … his career-best week featured 11-for-18 batting, 24 total bases (3 HR, 3B, 2 2B), 14 times on-base (2 BB, HBP) and having a hand in 15 of his team’s runs (8RBI-10R-3HR) … homered as part of his 3-for-5 night (2RBI-3R) in JVSU’s second win this season over Auburn … helped secure team’s 3rd-place Ohio Valley finish with pair of wins over Eastern Illinois (7-2, 15-3) … hit 2-for-4 with two runs scored in each of the first two games of that series … legged out first triple of season in gm-2 win … closed regular season with big effort vs. EIU, batting 4-for-5 with a walk, a pair of home runs (one a grand-slam), 6 RBI and 3 runs scored … batting .333 with team-best 18 home runs and 55 RBI (13 doubles, 20 walks).

CHETT ZEISE
Iowa … 3B … Sr.
Green Bay, WI … 6-hole/cleanup … bats: R … #18

Enjoyed solid all-around week, as Hawkeyes posted 5-4 midweek win at Creighton before taking 2-of-3 from Big Ten reglar-season champion and cb360 #10 Purdue (8-11, 6-1, 7-6) … supplied pivotal 3-run HR for eventual winning margin in gm-2 vs. Boilers … closed series by batting 4-for-5 with an RBI and run scored … earlier had tripled and scored in series opener (also reached on a walk in gm-2) … his 2-run double and run scored provided spark for late rally from 4-0 deficit to beat Creighton … played error-free at hot corner during week (10 fielding chances), with several stellar defesnsive plays … the wins over Purdue were Iowa’s first victories over a ranked opponent since 2009 … batting .274 with 25 RBI, 25 runs scored, 4 home runs, 14 doubles and 10 stolen bases.

_________________

Action photos below (and above) courtesy of the respective schools.

Forrestt Allday (Central Arkansas)

Daniel Aldrich (College of Charleston)

Mike Betz (Seton Hall)

Brandon Finnegan (TCU)

Adam Frazier (Mississippi State)

Kevin Gausman (LSU)

Stef Hernandez (Prairie View A&M)

C.K, Irby (Samford)

Claude Johnson (Arkansas State)

DJ Johnson (Mercer)

Nick Leiningen (Sacred Heart; action photo unavailable)

Ethan Leiter (Utah)

Kevin Medrano (Missouri State)

TJ Pecoraro (Vanderbilt)

Dylan Stuart (UC Riverside)

Jose Trevino (Oral Roberts)

Ben Waldrip (Jacksonville State)

Chris Zeise (Iowa)

2012 Conference Tournament Central

Sean Stires — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:41:38 +0000

Keep Track Of The Start Of The Postseason Here…

Information is listed below on this page for all college baseball Division One conference tournaments as well as information on conference that do not have postseason conference tournaments. Keep track of all of the action on this page leading up to next Monday’s (5/28) NCAA Tournament selection day.

A total of 30 automatic NCAA Tournament bids will be claimed this week. We will post them here as they are secured.

The Road To Omaha leads to TD Ameritrade Park and The Dugout – located right across the street from TDA’s home plate entrance. The Dugout has a ton of authentic college baseball caps – just like the ones the players wear on the field.

2012 NCAA Tournament Automatic Bids (30)

Cornell (Ivy League)
Bethune-Cookman (MEAC)
Sacred Heart (Northeast Conference)
Army (Patriot League)
Prairie View A&M (SWAC)

America East Conference

Four team tournament May 23-25 on field of the highest seed

Collegiate Baseball Newspaper’s
NCAA Div. I Poll (As of May 21, 2012)
www.baseballnews.com
Rank School (Record)	Points	Previous
1. Oregon (41-14)	498	1
2. Louisiana St. (42-14)	496	4
3. South Carolina (39-15)	495	3
4. Florida (40-16)	493	5
5. Florida St. (43-12)	491	6
6. Baylor (42-12)	489	7
7. North Carolina (42-13)	486	10
8. Arizona (36-16)	485	8
9. Rice (39-15)	483	9
10. UCLA (38-14)	482	11
11. Texas A&M (41-14)	480	13
12. Stanford (36-14)	478	15
13. Kentucky (41-15)	477	2
14. Arkansas (39-17)	474	17
15. Cal. St. Fullerton (33-18)	471	12
16. N.C. State (38-15)	469	14
17. Arizona St. (35-18)	467	16
18. Purdue (41-12)	459	18
19. Central Florida (41-14)	457	19
20. San Diego (39-13)	454	20
21. Mississippi St. (34-21)	452	—
22. Texas (30-20)	449	21
23. Miami, Fla. (34-19)	448	—
24. Virginia (36-16-1)	446	23
25. Oklahoma (35-21)	442	24
26. Louisville (38-18)	441	25
27. Kent St. (37-17)	438	—
28. Oregon St. (35-18)	434	28
29. Texas Christian (35-17)	433	29
30. Utah Valley (43-12)	431	27

College Baseball 360

Wednesday’s College Baseball Scoreboard (5/23/12)

College Baseball Primetime Performers of the Day (May 22)

2012 NCAA College Baseball Tournament Selection Process 101

Tuesday’s College Baseball Scoreboard (5/22/12)

College Baseball 360 Primetime Performers #14

2012 Conference Tournament Central

2012 NCAA Tournament Automatic Bids (30)

America East Conference

ACC

Atlantic Sun Conference

Atlantic 10 Conference

Big East Conference

Big South Conference

Big Ten Conference

Big 12 Conference

Big West Conference

Colonial Athletic Association

Conference USA

Great West Conference

Horizon League

Ivy League

Metro Atlantic Conference

Mid-American Conference

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

Missouri Valley Conference

Mountain West Conference

Northeast Conference

Ohio Valley Conference

Pac-12 Conference

Patriot League

SEC

Southern Conference

Southland Conference

Southwestern Athletic Conference

Summit League

Sun Belt Conference

West Coast Conference

Western Athletic Conference

College Baseball Stats Leaders – May 21

Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Poll – May 21

NCBWA College Baseball Poll – May 21

USA Today/ESPN College Baseball Coaches’ Poll – May 21