College Baseball 360 » 2012 NCAA Baseball Tournament

Sunday College World Series Video

Sean Stires — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 02:49:24 +0000

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The first elimination game of the College World Series sent the first team home on Sunday when Florida State beat Stony Brook 12-2. Collegebaseball360.com caught-up with several CWS performers Sunday, including FSU’s Mike Martin and South Carolina pitcher Michael Roth.

2012 CWS shirts & more are now at The Dugout!

They’re HERE!! The Dugout in Omaha has official College World Series gear for each of the eight teams, including those Stony Brook Seawolves. If you want to be the first kid (no matter what age) on your block to have this year’s official CWS shirts, hats and more (both for individual teams or generic) click the red link and get to The Dugout’sweb site!

If you’re going to Omaha for the CWS you can also visit The Dugout. It’s right across the street from the home plate entrance to TD Ameritrade Park.

Florida State head coach Mike Martin discusses Stony Brook’s run to Omaha, his team’s win over the 2012 CWS Cinderella and Rosenblatt Stadium memories.

Stony Brook third baseman Willie Carmona discusses his time at the 2012 College World Series.

South Carolina pitcher Michael Roth discusses his team’s success and the part he has played in helping the Gamecocks win two national championships.

Arizona’s Seth Mejias-Brean discusses the Wildcats’ Sunday win over UCLA in Omaha.

Pitcher Konner Wade discusses his complete game victory over UCLA on Sunday at the CWS.

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Arkansas CWS Preview

Sean Stires — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 20:13:15 +0000

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Arkansas Razorbacks
(Advanced through Houston Regional and Waco Super-Regional)

Record: 44-20
Conference: Southeastern (2nd Place Western Division)

Head Coach: Dave Van Horn (10th season at Arkansas; 24th season overall)

First Game In Omaha: Sat., June 16 vs. Kent State (4 CT; ESPN)
Series vs. Kent State: First Meeting
Previous Meeting: First Meeting

D.J. Baxendale

ROAD TO OMAHA
It shouldn’t be a particular surprise that Arkansas – a youthful, but talented squad regarded highly entering the season – ended up in the College World Series. But the journey was anything but smooth. The Razorbacks spent the first month and a half of the season ranked in the national top five and stood 22-3 heading into a big road series against LSU. Arkansas left Baton Rouge after having been swept (though a pair of games were decided by one run – the finale in 11 innings). The Razorbacks battled through the perennially-rugged SEC, a slog that was highlighted by winning two out of three against eventual NCAA national No. 1 seed Florida and going 1-2 vs. two-time defending national champ South Carolina. Eventually, though, the Razorbacks fell out of the Top 25 and slipped under .500 in league play before a sweep of Tennessee on the final weekend allowed Arkansas to finish second in the Western Division, behind LSU, with a 16-14 record. The SEC tournament would prove a disappointment, though, as the Razorbacks dropped their first two games while being outscored 11-1.

The Road to Omaha forced Arkansas to conquer the Lone Star State and some of its best teams. The Razorbacks, the No. 2 seed in the Houston regional, rallied for a 5-4 opening victory over third-seeded Sam Houston State and then managed just two hits – but scored the lone run – in a 1-0 victory over host and top-seeded Rice. After the Bearkats eliminated the Owls, Arkansas took down SHSU to advance. Next up was a trip to Waco to face the national No. 4 seed, Baylor. The Bears imposed their will in an 8-1 game-one triumph and then held a 4-3 lead entering the bottom of the ninth of the second game. But Arkansas would load the bases and then get back-to-back RBI hit batsmen to force a deciding game. In game three, the Razorbacks worked out of a pair of bases-loaded situations early, but couldn’t manage much offense of their own. Neither team could scratch out a run – combining for just 10 hits in the game – until defensive replacement Jake Wise slapped a seeing-eye single into shallow left field and Brian Anderson scored from second in the 10th to give Arkansas what would be the lone run in a 1-0 win and it seventh trip to Omaha.

“It was just a great baseball game,” said coach Dave Van Horn. “At this level, one to nothing and extra innings to go to Omaha – I do not know if it gets any better. I know baseball purists probably love this game. As a coach, it was very stressful and thank goodness it is over.”

â€¢ PITCHING, PITCHING, PITCHING
The reason for Arkansas’ success is no secret. The Razorbacks have one of the best pitching staffs in the country – which has allowed them to pile up wins all season and overcome some offensive shortcomings. The Razorbacks rank seventh nationallay – and tops among teams at the CWS – in team ERA with a 2.90 mark. They are also fifth in hits allowed per nine innings (7.66) and have registered 10 shutouts on the season, the second-most in program history.

The Razorbacks feature a strong rotation of DJ Baxendale (7-5, 3.18 ERA), Ryne Stanek (7-4, 2.91 ERA) and Randall Fant (2-2, 3.00 ERA) and have several strong arms in the bullpen, aswell – including Barrett Astin, who has 10 saves on the season.

Among teams in this year’s CWS, the Razorbacks are the lowest-scoring (5.3 runs/game) and have had trouble offensively at times. But their pitching staff has been able to keep them in games. In the Houston Regional, UA hit just .228, but went 3-0 thanks to their staff allowing just one earned run in 27 innings (0.33 ERA). Against Baylor in the Super Regional, Arkansas didn’t allow the Bears to score in the final 14 innings of the season, which gave its offense enough time to manufacture enough runs to advance.

Roster Breakdown:
… 3 Seniors, 10 Juniors, 11 Sophomores, 17 Freshmen
… home states: 17 from AR … 8 from TX … 4 from CA … 3 from OK … 2 each from KS, LA & MO … 1 each from AZ, CO and IN.

Probable Lineup
1. Tim Carver SS – 6-0/185 – R-Sr. – Fayetteville, AR (Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year 25-Player Watch List)
… .304, 30 RBI, 35 Runs, 2 HR, 0 Triples, 14 Doubles, .384 Slg.%, .343 OB%, 10 BB, 7 HBP, 34 K, 14-25 SB
… Drafted in 19th round (608th overall) of 2012 Draft by Phillies

2. Jacob Mahan DH – 6-0/185 – Jr. – Camarillo, CA
… .266, 18 RBI, 15 Runs, 0 HR, 0 Triples, 3 Doubles, .288 Slg.%, 11 BB, 2 HBP, 18 K, 2-2 SB
… Played last two seasons at Oxnard College

3. Matt Reynolds 3B – 6-1/200 – Jr. – Tulsa, OK (Collegiate Baseball All-America Third Team; All-SEC First Team; All-SEC Defensive Team; SEBaseball.com All-SEC Team)
… .338*, 43 RBI*, 48 Runs*, 7 HR*, 0 Triples, 20 Doubles*, .523 Slg.%*, .443 OB%*, 39 BB*, 6 HBP, 28 K, 15-20 SB*
… One of team’s three captains
… Played for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team last summer
… Both of his older sisters played collegiate volleyball: Megan at Drury and Kelsey at Central Oklahoma
… Drafted in 2nd round (71st overall) of 2012 Draft by Mets

4. Dominic Ficociello 1B – 6-4/185 – So. – Fullerton, CA (Two-Time All-SEC Defensive Team)
… .301, 40 RBI, 45 Runs, 6 HR, 1 Triple, 14 Doubles, .444 Slg.%, .396 OB%, 33 BB, 8 HBP*, 41 K, 4-8 SB
… Played for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team last summer

5. Brian Anderson RF – 6-3/185 – Fr. – Edmond, OK (SEBaseball.com All-SEC Freshman Team)
… .287, 10 RBI, 21 Runs, 2 HR, 0 Triples, 4 Doubles, .380 Slg.%, .395 OB%, 12 BB, 8 HBP*, 28 K, 1-4 SB

6. Bo Bigham 2B – 5-10/185 – Sr. – Texarkana, AR (All-SEC Second Team)
… .261, 18 RBI, 28 Runs, 1 HR, 0 Triples, 9 Doubles, .320 Slg.%, 11 BB, 3 HBP, 28 K, 8-11 SB
… One of team’s three captains

7. Matt Vinson CF – 6-2/210 – Jr. – Alma, AR
… .208, 10 RBI, 16 Runs, 0 HR, 1 Triple, 4 Doubles, .264 Slg.%, 23 BB, 0 HBP, 31 K, 1-4 SB

8. John Clay Reeves C – 6-0/200 – Fr. – Monroe, LA
… .281, 57 AB, 4 RBI, 5 Runs, 0 HR, 0 Triples, 3 Doubles, .333 Slg.%, 2 BB, 3 HBP, 11 K, 1-1 SB

9. Derrick Bleeker LF – 6-5/225 – Jr. – Longmont, CO
… .252, 23 RBI, 20 Runs, 6 HR, 3 Triples*, 10 Doubles, .471 Slg.%, 12 BB, 2 HBP, 34 K, 2-2 SB, 8 GDP*
… Made two appearances on the mound this season, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings
… After freshman season at Arkansas, played 2011 at Howard Junior College before returning to UA
… Drafted in 37th round (1122nd overall) of 2012 Draft by Orioles

Starting Pitching (3)
DJ Baxendale – 6-2/190 – Jr. – RHP – Jacksonville, AR (One of 5 Finalists for Premier Player of College Baseball; SEBaseball.com All-SEC Team)
… Drafted in 10th round (310th overall) of 2012 Draft by Twins
… (7-5) 3.18 ERA, 96.1 IP*, 89 K*, 23 BB, .241 Opp. BA (90 H*), 9 HR allowed*, 29 XBH allowed*, 7 HBP
… One of team’s three captains
… Played for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team last summer

Ryne Stanek – 6-4/180 – So. – RHP – Overland Park, KS (SEBaseball.com All-SEC Team, Houston Regional Most Outstanding Player)
… (7-4) 2.91 ERA, 86.2 IP, 80 K, 33 BB*, .235 Opp. BA (72 H), 2 HR allowed, 9 WP*
… Will represent the United States as part of the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team for the second summer in a row.

Randall Fant – 6-4/185 – Jr. – LHP – Texarkana, TX
… (2-2) 3.00 ERA, 51.0 IP, 39 K, 10 BB, .275 Opp. BA (55 H), 2 HR allowed, 7 HBP
… Drafted in 29th round (893rd overall) of 2012 Draft by Indians

Bullpen
Brandon Moore – 6-3/228 – So. – RHP – Van Buren, AR
… (5-2) 2.71 ERA, 2 SV, 73.0 IP, 35 K, 10 BB, .241 OPP BA (65 H)
… Named to SEC Community Service Team for involvement in several service projects, including Lift Up America, the SEC Together We CAN Food Drive, the Sweat Hawgs and Book Hogs program and Miracle League Baseball.

Trent Daniel – 6-2/195 – RJr. – LHP – Bryant, AR
… (2-0) 5.23 ERA, 1 SV, 31.0 IP, 24 K, 13 BB, .265 OPP BA (31 H), 6 HBP, O HR allowed
… Played at Arkansas-Fort Smith as a freshman

Barrett Astin – 6-1/200 – So. – RHP – Forrest City, AR
… (3-5) 2.15 ERA, 10 SV, 30 APP*, 54.1 IP, 59 K, 24 BB, .215 OPP BA (44 H), 6 WP, 8 HBP*, 0 HR allowed

Nolan Sanburn – 6-1/205 – So. – RHP – Kokomo, IN
… (4-1) 2.52 ERA, 39.1 IP, 47 K, 22 BB, .197 OPP BA (28 H), 8 WP*, 6 HBP
… Drafted in 2nd round (74th overall) of 2012 Draft by A’s

Colby Suggs – 6-0/225 – So. – RHP – Sulphur Springs, TX
… (7-0*) 1.22 ERA, 37.0 IP, 35 K, 16 BB, .211 OPP BA (26 H)

Tyler Wright – 6-2/175 – Jr. – LHP – Houston, TX
… (1-0) 2.60 ERA, 17.1 IP, 19 K, 12 BB, .234 OPP BA (15 H)
… Played two seasons at San Jacinto Community College

“We’re just thrilled to be here. This season has been something else. It’s been exciting and disappointing, a little bit of everything.” – Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn

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Florida State CWS Preview

Sean Stires — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 15:43:54 +0000

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Florida State Seminoles
(Advanced through Tallahassee Regional and Tallahassee Super Regional)

Record: 48-15

Conference: ACC (Atlantic Division Champs )

Head Coach: Mike Martin (33rd season) ACC Coach of the Year

First Game In Omaha: Fri., June 15 vs. #4 national seed Arizona (8 CT; ESPN2)
Series vs. Arizona: Arizona leads series 6-5 (4-1 in Omaha)
Previous Meeting: Arizona 3, FSU 2 (Feb. 16, 1991 in Tucson, AZ) (send PL links to the recaps & final stats of prev. series meeting, if you can find them)

NCAA Tournament History:

James Ramsey

ROAD TO OMAHA

Florida State rolled through the regular season posting a 43-12 mark, including a 24-6 record in the ACC Regular season … the 24 wins tied the most by an ACC team and gave them the #1 seed in the ACC Tournament … The Noles posted 12 wins against ranked teams in the regular season … Unfortunately, FSU’s trip to the ACC Tournament was short lived as they went 0-3 in the round robin portion of the event … Things got back on track as they hosted the Tallahassee Regional and went 3-0 defeating UAB and Samford twice … the three wins extends their winning streak to 16 games at Regionals … At the Tallahassee Super Regional, they blitzed Stanford by a combined score of 35-8 (17-1, 18-7) to advance to their 21^st CWS … Only the second time in the current format that FSU has swept the Regional and Super Regional.

HURTS SO GOOD

Florida State players have been hit by pitch 95 times this year, with five Noles being hit at least 9 times each.

THE FIRST ONE IS ALWAYS THE TOUGHEST

Despite making the College World Series 21 times, FSU has lost it’s opening game 12 times, including it’s last three … In addition, their first loss at the CWS in 4 of their last 5 appearances has been to a Pac-12 team.

DON’T COUNT THEM OUT

FSU has 18 come from behind wins this season, with six coming in the 7^th inning or later

Roster Breakdown
… 5 Seniors, 7 Juniors, 2 Redshirt Sophomores, 2 Sophomores, 11 Freshmen
… home states: 22 from Florida … 3 from Georgia, 1 each from Illinois & Missouri.

If you’re going to Omaha for the CWS you can also visit The Dugout. It’s right across the street from the home plate entrance to TD Ameritrade Park.

Probable Lineup

1. Sherman Johnson- 3B – 5’10/183 – Sr. – Tampa, FL (Tallahassee All-Regional Team)
… .274, 35 RBI, 59 Runs, 4 HR, 0 Triples, 15 Doubles, .391 Slg.%, .444. Obp%, 65* BB, 8 HBP, 40 K, 4-5 SB
… Taken in the 14^th Round by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim … Has started 196 straight games … Brother is a pitcher for the team

2. Devon Travis – 2B – 5’9/180 – Jr. – Wellington, FL (First Team All-ACC; 2nd Team All-American)
… .310, 40 RBI, 59 Runs, 7 HR, 0 Triples, 22* Doubles, .480 Slg.%, .382. Obp%, 26 BB, 5 HBP, 38 K, 7-8 SB
… Leads team in Grounded into Double plays
… Drafted in 13^th Round by the Detroit Tigers

3. James Ramsey – CF – 6’0/190 – Sr. – Alpharetta, GA (ACC Player of the Year, Semifinalist for Dick Howser and Golden Spikes Award, First Team All-American, Academic All-America of the Year)
… .382, 57 RBI, 76* Runs, 13* HR, 6* Triples, 12 Doubles, .673* Slg.%, .519*. Obp%, 60 BB, 9 HBP, 39 K, 11-15 SB
…Has more triples than the entire team combined
…First round draft pick of the St. Louis Cardinals … Has started 196 straight games … Dad was captain of FSU’s ’80 CWS team … mom played tennis at FSU … member of the homecoming court.

4. Jayce Boyd – 1B – 6’3/200 – Jr. – Cantonment, FL
(First Team All-ACC, Second Team All-American, Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist)
… .389*, 59* RBI, 44 Runs, 4 HR, 0 Triples, 21 Doubles, .527 Slg.%, .467. Obp%, 36 BB, 4 HBP, 23 K, 8-9 SB
… Drafted in the sixth round by the New York Mets

5. Stephen McGee – C – 6’3/200 – R-So. – Port St. Lucie, FL (Johnny Bench Award Candidate)
… .243, 40 RBI, 34 Runs, 0 HR, 0 Triples, 9 Doubles, .291 Slg.%, .441. Obp%, 58 BB, 16* HBP, 28 K, 2-6 SB
…Thrown out 22 of 58 would be base stealers
… brother also played at FSU

6. Justin Gonzalez – SS – 6’2/200 – Jr. – Miami, FL (ACC All-Tournament Team)
… .242, 37 RBI, 41 Runs, 8 HR, 0 Triples, 9 Doubles, .412 Slg.%, .369. Obp%, 29 BB, 11 HBP, 71* K, 13-15 SB
… Leads team with 22 errors
… Chosen 27^th by the Los Angeles Dodgers

7. Josh Delph – RF – 6’0/175 – Fr. – Bartow, FL (Tallahassee Regional All-Tournament Team)
… .282, 20 RBI, 18 Runs, 0 HR, 0 Triples, 9 Doubles, .359 Slg.%, .366. Obp%, 11 BB, 5 HBP, 32 K, 3-4 SB
… Father played semi-pro baseball, while grandfather played college baseball

8. Stephen Spradling – DH – 6’0/205 – Jr. – Boyton Beach, FL
… .275, 4 RBI, 11 Runs, 0 HR, 0 Triples, 1 Doubles, .300 Slg.%, .482. Obp%, 4 BB, 12 HBP, 13 K, 0-1 SB

8. John Holland – DH – 5’11/175 – Fr. – Johns Creek, GA
… .250, 8 RBI, 15 Runs, 0 HR, 0 Triples, 7 Doubles, .353 Slg.%, .378. Obp%, 10 BB, 4 HBP, 19 K, 1-1 SB
… Uncle Bob was FSU’s former clubhouse manager

9. Jose Brizuela – LF – 6’0/182 – Fr. – Weston, FL
… .226, 38 RBI, 33 Runs, 2 HR, 2 Triples, 12 Doubles, .330 Slg.%, .325. Obp%, 26 BB, 7 HBP, 42 K, 4-5 SB
… Leads outfielders with 8 assists

Starting Pitching

Brandon Leibrandt – 6’4/190 – Fr. – LHP – Alpharetta, GA (Freshman All-American)
… (8-2), 2.58 ERA, 94.1* IP, 78* K, 27 BB, .233 Opp BA (80 H)
… First FSU freshman to start on opening day … Father is former MLB pitcher Charlie Leibrandt.

Mike Compton – 6’2/195 – Fr. – RHP – Branson, MO (2nd Team All-ACC, Freshman All-American)
… (11-2), 2.86 ERA, 85.0 IP, 60 K, 26 BB, .260 Opp BA (83 H)
… Leads all freshman pitchers in wins

Scott Sitz – 5’10/210 – Jr. – RHP – Jacksonville Beach, FL
… (3-3), 3.99 ERA, 58.2 IP, 42 K, 20 BB, .263 Opp BA (60 H)

Bullpen

Robert Benincasa – 6’2/195 – Jr. – RHP – Tampa FL (First Team All-ACC, Third Team All-American, Finalist for Stopper of the Year, Semifinalist for Dick Howser Award)
… 4-1, 1.25 ERA, 36.0 IP, 51 K, 6, BB, 15 SV, 30 APP, .169 Opp BA (22 H)
… Drafted in the seventh round by the Washington Nationals

Gage Smith – 6’1/190 – R.SO – RHP – Tallahassee, FL
… (5-0), 3.12 IP, 49.0 IP, 32 K, 14 BB, 3 SV, 37 APP, .259 Opp BA (49 H)
… Uncle Jerry played basketball for FSU

Brian Busch – 6’2/237 – SR – LHP – Boca Raton, FL
… (0-1), 5,25 ERA, 24.0 IP, 20 K, 17 BB, 0 SV, 27 APP, .314 Opp BA (32 H)

Bryant Holtman – 6’5/200 – FR – LHP – New Baden, IL
… (2-0), 3.47 ERA, 23.1 IP, 16 K, 9 BB, 0 SV, 22 APP, .236 Opp BA (21 H)

Kyle Bird – 6’2/170 – FR – LHP – Orange Park, FL
… (0-1), 6.75 ERA, 22.2 IP, 27 K, 19 BB, 0, 21 APP, .273 Opp BA (24 H)

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Stony Brook CWS Preview

Pete LaFleur — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 15:25:16 +0000

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Don’t Call Them Cinderellas …

Stony Brook Seawolves
(No. 4 Regional Seed, advanced through Coral Gables Regional & Baton Rouge Super-Regional)

Record: (52-13)

Conference: America East (regular-season & tournament champions)

Head Coach: Matt Senk (22nd season)

First Game In Omaha: Fri., June 15 vs. No. 2 national seed UCLA (4 CT; ESPN2)

NCAA Tournament History: First College World Series appearance, 4th trip to the NCAAs (also 2004, ’08, ’10)

Stony Brook Info. – CWS Notes | Season Stats | Roster | Media Guide | Head Coach Matt Senk

CWS/NCAA Interactive Bracket … CWS Printable Bracket … NCAA 64-Team Printable Bracket

Travis Jankowski

ROAD TO OMAHA

In our final Composite National Rankings, CB360 had projected Stony Brook as a #3 Regional seed (#44 overall) but the Seawolves were slotted as a #4 and sent to the Coral Gables Regional, where they rode ace Tyler Johnson and the clutch hitting of Willie Carmona to a 10-2 opening upset of host Miami. They then lost a tight battle with 2-seed Central Florida (9-8) but came all the way back through the losers bracket, posting a comeback win over Missouri State (10-7) and then beating UCF twice (12-2, 10-6) to advance, with Johnson returning to start and win the final game. The stage magnified in the Super-Regional series at #7 national seed LSU, but the Seawolves prevailed (4-5 in 12, 3-1, 7-2) behind timely hitting, tremendous pitching and strong all-around play. The three starting pitchers against LSU – Brandon McNitt, Johnson and Frankie Vanderka – combined to allow only two earned runs (four total runs) and nine hits in their 25 innings during the Super-Regional series.

Historical Perspective

“Back in the day” (prior to 1987), the eight NCAA regionals were geographically-based and fed directly to the College World Series – meaning that there always was a team from the Northeast and Midwest in Omaha. Since that shift away from geographically-based regionals, no team from the Northeast had reached the College World Series – until Stony Brook completed the unique feat this season. Previously, Notre Dame in 2002 had been the “most-northern” team in Omaha since Maine advanced out of the northeast regional back in 1986.

Stony Brook joined Missouri (2006) and Fresno State (2008 national champs) as the only #4 regional seeds ever to advance past the NCAA Regional round.

Balanced Attack

Stony Brook ranks second nationally in batting (.335), fourth in scoring (7.2 runs/gm) and 12th in staff ERA (2.99), plus 12th in fielding pct. (.978) – making them the nation’s most-balanced team in terms of offense, pitching and defense.

Big-Game Hitting

Stony Brook is batting .330 as a team in the NCAAs (.307 at LSU), with both of its losses in the NCAAs coming by one run. Leadoff batter Travis Jan

Feeling a Draft

Seven Stony Brook players recently were selected in the 2012 MLB draft (see player notes below).

Lords of Discipline

Plate-discipline – which can be measured by adding “free-passes” (walks plus hit-by-pitch) is an often-overlooked statistic but it often can be a telling measure for team success. Stony Brook is a classic case-in-point – as the entire Seawolves team is +42 in plate-discipline for the season (237BB+83HBP-278Ks). Leading the way are: the team’s amazingly versatile catcher and #2 batter Pat Cantwell (+33), cleanup hitter Maxx Tissenbaum (+23), leadoff batter Travis Jankowski (+11) and 6-hole hitter Cole Peragine (+11). All of the nine starters have a positive plate-discipline or are neer even (lowest among the starting-9 is Kevin Krause’s -5).

They’re HERE!! The Dugout in Omaha has official College World Series gear for each of the eight teams, including Stony Brook. If you want to be the first kid (no matter what age) on your block to have this year’s official CWS shirts, hats and more (both for individual teams or generic) click the red link and get to The Dugout’s web site!

If you’re going to Omaha for the CWS you can also visit The Dugout. It’s right across the street from the home plate entrance to TD Ameritrade Park.

_______________________________________________________

Stony Brook Roster Breakdown
• 4 Seniors … 7 Juniors … 10 Sophomores … 7 Freshmen
• Home States/Provinces – 15 from New York … 4 each from California & Ontario … 2 each from Connecticut & Pennsylvania … 1 from Pennsylvania (Travis Jankowski)

Projected Lineup

*Denotes team category leader

1. (LH) Travis Jankowski CF – 6-3/190 … Jr. … Lancaster, PA … #6 (All-American)
… .422, 46 RBI*, 78 Runs*, 109 H*, 5 HR, 11 Triples*, 18 Doubles, .636 slug.%, .485 OB%*, 24 BB, 8 HBP, 21 K, 36-42 SB*, 1E (.994)
… Supplemental 1st-round MLB draft pick (44th overall; San Diego)
… Cape Cod League MVP (summer 2011)

2. (RH) Pat Cantwell C – 6-1/205 … Sr. … West Islip, NY .. .#3
… .296, 32 RBI, 56 Runs, HR, 4 Triples, 11 Doubles, 17 sac. bunts*, .400 OB%, 15 BB, 27 HBP, 11 K, 10-13 SB
… Has throw out 22 of 30 attempted base-stealers (73%)
… 3rd-round MLB draft pick (Texas)

3. (switch) Willie Carmona 3B – 6-0/220 … Jr. … Hempstead, NY … #5
… .399, 72 RBI*, 62 Runs, 12 HR*, 7 Triples, 25 Doubles*, .702 slug. %*, .470 OB%, 35 BB, HBP, 36 K, 7-9 SB
… Batting 18-for-35 (.514) with 12 RBI in the 2012 NCAAs
… Served as team’s closer during 2010-11 seasons (3.63 career ERA, 9 SV, 23 K in 44.2 IP)
… 11th-round MLB draft pick (Philadelphia)

4. (LH) Maxx Tisenbaum 2B – 5-11/190 … Jr. … Toronto, Ontario … #8
… .389, 51 RBI, 44 runs, 3 HR, 3B, 20 Doubles, 22 BB, 9 HBP, 8 K, 0-1 SB
… National leader in “hardest to strike out” (29.3 ABs per K; 234/8)
… 11th-round MLB draft pick (San Diego)

5. (RH) Kevin Krause DH – 6-2/190 … Fr. … Staten Island, NY … #2
… .335, 40 RBI, 38 runs, 3 HR, 12 Doubles, 25 BB, 30 K, 6-8 SB
… Freshman All-American (NCMWA & Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball magazine)
… Father played baseball at Seton Hall

6. (switch) Cole Peragine SS – 5-11/170 … Fr. … Belle Ewart, Ontario … #28 (A-East Rookie of the Year)
… .314, 39 RBI, 42 Runs, 6 Triples, 11 Doubles, 16 sac. bunts, 21 BB, 9 HBP, 19 K, 8-10 SB
… Freshman All-American (NCMWA & Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball magazine)

7. (LH) Steven Goldstein LF – 5-11/175 … Fr. … East Meadow, NY … #16 (2nd team all-America East)
… .344, 34 RBI, 36 Runs, 4 HR, 3 Triples, 8 Doubles, 11 Sac Bunts, 20 BB, HBP, 19 K, 14-19 SB
… Freshman All-American (Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball magazine)
… Homered in late back-and-forth Super-Regional opener at LSU

8. (LH) Kevin Courtney 1B – 6-1/195 … So. … Lindenhurst, NY … #25
… .296, 38 RBI, 31 Runs, 4 HR, 13 Doubles, 24 BB, 10 HBP, 35 K, 1-5 SB
… Batting 9-for-28 in the 2012 NCAAS (6RBI-HR- 4 2B)

9. (RH) Sal Intagliata – 6-2/210 … Sr. … Franklin Square, NY … #14
… .264, 16 RBI, 22 Runs (34 starts), 2 HR, 6 Doubles, 19 BB, 4 HBP, 26 K
… His 2-run HR opened scoring early in Super-Regional series at LSU

Starting Rotation

RHP Tyler Johnson – 6-0/180 … Sr. … Chatsworth, CA … #44
(12-1*) 1.94 ERA*, 97.2 IP *, 48 K, 25 BB, .244 opp. BA
… 33rd-round MLB draft pick (Oakland)
… Second Team CoSIDA Academic All-American (3.71 cum. GPA, history)
… Owns 4 of the 7 NCAA tournament wins in program history (2012 vs. Miami, UCF & LSU; 2.49 ERA in 21.1 IP)
… Cape Cod League all-star during summer of 2011
… High school teammate of UCLA infielder Kevin Williams

RHP Brandon McNitt – 5-10/170 … So. … Chino Hills, CA … #20
(7-1) 2.80 ERA, 100.2 IP*, 61 K*, 24 BB, .236 opp. BA
… No-decision in first game at LSU (7-plus IP, UER)

RHP Frankie Vanderka – 6-2/205 … So. … Levittown, NY … #23
(3-3) 2.37 ERA, 5 SV*, 64.2 IP, 47 K, 22 BB, .174 opp. BA*
… Served as closer for most of season but complete-gm winner in final Super-Reg. game at LSU
… Father Frank Vanderka reached triple-A in Yankees organization (Columbus Clippers)

Bullpen

RHP James Campbell – 6-1/195 … Jr. … Bridgeport, CT… #15
(5-0) 3.09 ERA, 18 App, 7 Starts, 3 SV, 55.1 IP, 40 K, 16 BB, .204 opp. BA
… MVP of America East Tournament
… 12th-round MLB draft pick (Dodgers)

RHP Jasvir Rakkar – 6-2/200 … Jr. … Brampton, Ontario … #27
(6-2) 3.83 ERA, 19 App., 3 starts, 3 SV, 47 IP, 37 K, 18 BB, .224 opp. BA
… 26th-round MLB draft pick (Cubs)

RHP Joshua Mason – 6-2/180 … So. … Woodland Hills, CA … #26
(3-1) 3.34 ERA, 18 App., 3 SV, 35 IP, 31 K, 14 BB, .226 opp. BA
… Long-reliever who finished both Regional wins over UCF; starting RF in 2011

2012 CWS Bracket One

TEAM	CONF.	RECORD	BA	R/GM	HR/ Sac Bunts	SLG%	OBP	SB-Att.	FLD%	ERA	CG	SV	K	BB	OPP.BA
UCLA	Pac-12	47-14	.309	6.2	23/62	.401	.396	61-96	.976	3.13	2	16	416	226	.241
Stony Brook	America East	52-13	..335	7.2	37/75	.483	.414	93-127	.978	2.99	12	16	384	163	.235
Florida State	ACC	48-15	.282	6.9	43/24	.415	.406	62-85	.969	3.52	0	20	469	214	.250
Arizona	Pac-12	43-17	.333	7.5	20/68	.454	.403	81-119	.968	3.93	14	10	414	157	.263

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Arizona CWS Preview

Sean Stires — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 14:26:15 +0000

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Wildcats End CWS Drought…

Arizona Wildcats
(Advanced through Tucson Regional and Super Regional)

Record: 43-17

Conference: Pac-12 – Regular Season co-Champions with CWS Participant UCLA

Head Coach: Andy Lopez

First Game In Omaha: Sat., June 16 vs. Florida State (4 CT; ESPN2)
Series:

Filed by CB360 Contributor Paul Fiarkoski

Alex Mejia is the 2012 Pac-12 Player of the Year

PAC Is Back

Arizona returns to the College World Series for the first time since 2004 Under the leadership of 11-year head coach Andy Lopez. This will be the Wildcats’ sixteenth trip to Omaha in team history.

The Wildcats split the Pac-12 Conference title with UCLA (also in the 2012 CWS) and went undefeated in the regional and Super-regional tournaments by executing the club’s philosophy to throw strikes, play simple catch and throw and deliver timely hits.

Arizona hosted both a Regional and Super Regional en-route to Omaha. Amazingly, it was the first time in 20 years the Wildcats had hosted postseason games.

Head coach Andy Lopez

This is Coach Lopez’s fifth trip to the College World Series and the second in his eleven year career at Arizona. His 1992 Pepperdine team won the national championship. Lopez also coached the Florida Gators to two College World Series appearances. This one will be extra special because his two sons, Michael and David, will make the trip with him as walk-on reserves for Arizona.

Experience Beyond Their Years

With only one senior on the 34-man roster (outfielder Bobby Brown of San Diego) the team plays with the poise and experience of a team of veterans, having outscored opponents 61-20 in post-season play. Five of the Wildcats’ twelve juniors were picked up by Major League teams in the top nine rounds of the 2012 draft.

Arizona’s 15-man pitching staff consists of only 4 lefties. Only one player, Catcher Riley Moore, offers switch-hitting capabilities and thirteen men bat left-handed.

Hot Bats, Cool Fielding

Arizona’s bats have been the story as of late, hitting .420 as a team in postseason and .333 overall (4th in the NCAA). Quality defense at all positions and solid pitching back up the bats. It’s a potent cocktail that is sure to deliver some excitement in Omaha.

Roster Breakdown

… 1 Senior, 12 Juniors, 6 Sophomores, 14 Freshmen
… home states: 14 from California … 12 from Arizona, 3 from Nevada, 2 from Texas and 1 each from Indiana, Minnesota and Washington.

If you’re going to Omaha for the CWS you can also visit The Dugout. It’s right across the street from the home plate entrance to TD Ameritrade Park.

Probable Lineup

1. Joey Rickard CF Jr. R/L 6-1 185 Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman HS
… .326, HR, 31 RBIs, 16 Doubles, 18 SB*

2. Johnny Field LF OF/INF So. R/R 5-10 194 Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman HS
… .383*, 3 HR, 43 RBIs, 67 Runs*, 11 SB, .490 OBP*, 7 Triples

3. Alex Mejia SS Jr. R/R 6-1 200 Sylmar, Calif./El Camino Real HS – Pac-12 Player of the Year
… .361, 3 HR, 52 RBIs, 12 Doubles, 6 Triples

4. Robert Refsnyder OF Jr. R/R 6-0 199 Laguna Hills, Calif./Laguna Hills HS – All Pac-12
… .354, 6 HR*, 61 RBIs*, .544 Slg. &, .445 OBP, 12 SB, 58 Runs, 19 Doubles, 6 Triples

5. Seth Mejias-Brean 3b Jr. R/R 6-2 210 Tucson, Ariz./Cienega HS – All Pac-12
… .366, HR, 57 RBIs, 21 Doubles, 10 SB, 55 Runs

6. Bobby Brown DH Sr. L/R 6-3 200 San Diego, Calif./Rancho Bernardo HS – All Pac-12
… .356, 4 HR, 57 RBIs, 7 Triples*, .555 Slg. %

7. Brandon Dixon 1B So. R/R 6-1 211 Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta Valley HS
… .252, 13 RBIs

8. Riley Moore C Fr. S/R 6-3 190 Santa Barbara, Calif./San Marcos HS
… .292, HR, 38 RBIs

9. Trent Gilbert 2B Fr. L/R 6-1 180 Torrance, Calif./Torrance HS
… .280, 37 RBIs

Starting Pitching

Kurt Heyer RHP Jr. R/R 6-2 211 Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison HS – All Pac-12
… (12-2) 2.28 ERA, 7 CG, 138 IP*, 102 K*, .257 Opp. BA

Konner Wade RHP So. L/R 6-3 182 Scottsdale, Ariz./Chaparral HS
… (9-3), 4.49 ERA, 4 CG, 118 1/3 IP, 98 K, .246 Opp. BA

James Farris RHP So. R/R 6-2 213 Gilbert, Ariz./Highland HS
… (7-3) 4.18 ERA, 3 CG, 99 IP, 69 K

Bullpen

Mathew TroupeRHP Fr. R/R 6-2 189 Northridge, Calif./Chaminade College Prep
… (4-1), 3.90 ERA, 6 SV, 31 1/3 IP, 39 K, 17 BB, .281 Opp. BA

Stephen Manthei RHP Jr. R/R 6-1 210 Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman HS
… (6-4) 4.29 ERA, 23 App.*, 35 2/3 IP, 25 K, 16 BB

2012 CWS Bracket One

TEAM	CONF.	RECORD	BA	R/GM	HR/ Sac Bunts	SLG%	OBP	SB-Att.	FLD%	ERA	CG	SV	K	BB	OPP.BA
UCLA	Pac-12	47-14	.309	6.2	23/62	.401	.396	61-96	.976	3.13	2	16	416	226	.241
Stony Brook	America East	52-13	..335	7.2	37/75	.483	.414	93-127	.978	2.99	12	16	384	163	.235
Florida State	ACC	48-15	.282	6.9	43/24	.415	.406	62-85	.969	3.52	0	20	469	214	.250
Arizona	Pac-12	43-17	.333	7.5	20/68	.454	.403	81-119	.968	3.93	14	10	414	157	.263

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UCLA CWS Preview

Sean Stires — Fri, 15 Jun 2012 13:31:53 +0000

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Revamped Bruins Return To Omaha…

UCLA Bruins
(Won the Los Angeles Regional and Super Regional)

Record: 47-14

Conference: Pac-12 (20-10) – Regular Season co-Champions with CWS Participant Arizona

Head Coach: John Savage (8^th season at UCLA, 2^nd CWS Appearance)

First Game In Omaha: Fri., June 15 vs. Stony Brook (4 CT; ESPN2)
Series: First Meeting

Jeff Gelalich has helped UCLA reach its second College World Series in the last three seasons.

ROAD TO OMAHA

After beginning the season 2-3, including a series loss at home to Maryland to open the schedule, the Bruins would win 18 of their next 20 games. During that time UCLA won a non-conference series vs. Baylor, a road sweep at Georgia and took two out of three vs. Arizona St. UCLA did not lose back-to-back games until early April. After those two straight defeats the Bruins won six of seven including a series victory at CWS participant Arizona. After dropping back-to-back Pac-12 series to Oregon St and Stanford the Bruins would go 14-2 and 8-1 in the Pac-12 during May. During the month the Bruins took two of three vs. Purdue. UCLA finished the regular season with a series sweep of rival USC and that coupled with Oregon being swept by Oregon St gave the Bruins a share of the conference title with Arizona. UCLA won the Pac-12 for the second straight season, something the program had never previously accomplished.

UCLA entered the tournament as the #2 National Seed, the second time the Bruins were given a top-eight seed. They cruised through the LA Regional by allowing just one run in their first two games. They opened the NCAAs with a 3-0 win over Creighton and a 7-1 victory over New Mexico. The Bruins wrapped up the regional with a 13-5 win over Creighton. In the Super Regional UCLA faced a TCU team that they matched-up with three times during the 2010 CWS. In that CWS UCLA took two of three in bracket play from the Horned Frogs in route to an appearance in the National Championship Series. Last weekend UCLA only needed two games to dispatch TCU sweeping the Frogs by the scores of 6-2 and 4-1.

UCLA enters their 4^th CWS having won nine in a row and 19 of their last 21.

Hotter Bats Equal Different Results?

For the past two seasons UCLA’s bread and butter was their pitching staff, led by Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer, one of the top pitching duos in college baseball history last season. Cole went 6-8 with a 3.31 ERA and 119 strikeouts and Bauer was 13-2 with a 1.25 ERA, 10 complete games and 203 punch-outs. The team had an ERA of 2.44. The offense couldn’t come close to matching the Bruins’ arms. The team hit just .263 for the season and had only two hitters above .300. UCLA was eliminated in regional going 2-2 and scoring just 10 runs.

In 2012 UCLA still boasts quality pitching with a team ERA of 3.13 but team enters the CWS with a .309 average, a 46-point increase from last year. The team has six hitters averaging over .300. Jeff Gelalich has raised his average 97 points to .365 this year. Trevor Brown increased his average 111 points from .217 to .328.

The missing piece

The UCLA athletic program has won 129 team National Championships, with 108 NCAA Titles. The Bruins have always been known for John Wooden and the Men’s Basketball program. The team has won 11 titles but that is only tied for fourth, with Softball, on the list of teams with the most National Championships in school history, behind Men’s Volleyball (19) and Tennis (16). Even football has a National Title (1954, UPI).

Of the twenty-four teams UCLA currently fields only five have never won a National Title. Baseball is one of the five. It is probably the most notable omission from the athletic departments trophy case. The other four sports are Men’s and Women’s Cross Country and Women’s Swimming and Soccer.

They’re HERE!! The Dugout in Omaha has official College World Series gear for each of the eight teams, including Kent State. If you want to be the first kid (no matter what age) on your block to have this year’s official CWS shirts, hats and more (both for individual teams or generic) click the red link and get to The Dugout’sweb site!

If you’re going to Omaha for the CWS you can also visit The Dugout. It’s right across the street from the home plate entrance to TD Ameritrade Park.

Roster Breakdown

0 Seniors, 9 Juniors, 12 Sophomores, 13 Freshmen

Home states: 31 from California and one each from Arizona, Nevada and Washington.

Probable Lineup

Beau Amaral CF-Jr.-5-11/185-Huntington Beach, CA (All Pac-12)
…313 avg., 45 RBI, 62 Runs, 4 HR, 5 triples*, 9 doubles .434 Slg.%, 22 BB, 14 HBP, 37 K, 13-19 SB
(Father Rich played at UCLA in the early 80s before going on to have a 10-year MLB career.)
Tyler Heineman C-Jr-5-11/205-Pacific Palisades, CA (All Pac-12)
…343 avg., 27 RBI, 41 Runs, 1 HR, 1 triple, 7 doubles, .403 Slg.%, 21 BB, 17 HBP*, 14 K, 3-5 SB
Cody Keefer LF-Jr-6-1/195-Davis, CA
…339 avg., 36 RBI, 42 runs, 1 HR, 0 triples, 12 doubles, .400 Slg. %, 28 BB, 6 HBP, 7-15 SB
Jeff Gelalich RF-Jr-6-1/205-La Verne, CA (All Pac-12)
…365 avg.*, 46 RBI, 55 runs*, 11 HR*, 1 triple, 10 doubles, 85 hits*, .558 Slg. %*, 33 BB*, 8 HBP, 15-19 SB*
Trevor Brown 1B-Jr-6-2/195-Valencia, CA
…328 avg., 51 RBI*, 40 Runs, 3 HR, 2 triples, 13 doubles*, .434 Slg.%, 14 BB, 9 HBP, 4-8 SB
Pat Valaika SS-Soph-5-11/195-Valencia, CA
…271 avg., 37 RBI, 37 Runs, 1 HR, 1 triple, 4 doubles, .372 Slg. %, 17 BB, 2 HBP, 5-6 SB
Cody Regis DH-Jr-6-2/220-Glendora, CA…247 avg., 25 RBI, 30 Runs, 1 HR, 1 triple, 4 doubles, .298 Slg. %, 30 BB, 7 HBP, 3-5 SB
Kevin Kramer 3B-Fr-6-0/195-Turlock, CA
…274 avg., 12 RBI, 16 Runs, 0 HR, 0 triples, 4 doubles, .310 Slg. %, 5 BB, 6 HBP, 1-2 SB
Kevin Williams 2B-Soph-6-0/190-Van Nuys, CA
…305 avg., 19 RBI, 27 Runs, 2 HR, 0 triples, 5 doubles, .377 Slg. %, 18 BB, 11 HBP, 4-7 SB

Starting Rotation

Adam Plutko RHP-Soph-6-3/195-Glendora, CA (All Pac-12)
…(11-3), 17 Starts, 2 CG*, 2.56 ERA, 112.2 IP*, 92 K*, 45 BB*, .216 Opp. Avg., 86 H

Nick Vander Tuig RHP-Soph-6-3/195-Oakdale, CA
…(10-3), 17 Starts, 4.35 ERA, 103.1 IP, 68 K, 24 BB, .279 Opp Avg., (115 H*)

Zack Weiss RHP-Soph-6-3/210-Irvine, CA
…(3-2)-12 Starts, 4.04 ERA, 69 IP, 44 K, 29 BB, .273 Opp. Avg., (72 H)

Bullpen

Ryan Deeter RHP-RS Soph-6-0/185-Newark, CA-Pac-12 Honorable Mention…(1-0), 35 appearances, 0.94 ERA*, 28.2 IP, 25 K, 16 BB, .188 Opp. Avg., (18 H)

David Berg RHP-Fr-6-0/190-Covina, CA-All Pac-12…(5-3), 47 Appearances*, 1.58 ERA, 68.1 IP, 61 K, 16 BB, .172 Opp Avg.,*, (14 H)

Scott Griggs RHP-Jr-6-4/205-Alamo, CA-All Pac-12…(3-1), 35 Appearances, 2.70 ERA, 15 Saves*, 36.2 IP, 64 K, 31 BB, .172 Opp Avg.,*, (23 H)

2012 CWS Bracket Two

TEAM	CONF.	RECORD	BA	R/GM	HR/ Sac Bunts	SLG%	OBP	SB-Att.	FLD%	ERA	CG	SV	K	BB	OPP.BA
Florida	SEC	47-18	.284	5.9	75/42	.452	.360	66-92	.979	2.90	3	18	489	132	.241
South Carolina	SEC	45-17	.271	5.3	41/62	.398	.358	38-62	.979	3.06	0	25	513	191	.222
Arkansas	SEC	44-20	.273	5.2	38/41	.389	.356	63-96	.969	2.90	0	15	517	207	.231
Kent State	MAC	46-18	.302	6.8	43/27	.442	.379	52-71	.974	3.49	1	19	525	232	.246

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South Carolina CWS Preview

Sean Stires — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 17:01:45 +0000

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Gamecocks Look To Continue Historic Run …

South Carolina Gamecocks
(No. 8 National Seed, advanced through Columbia Regional & Super Regional)

Record: (45-17)

Conference: SEC (2012 Eastern Division champions)

Head Coach: Ray Tanner (16th season)

First Game In Omaha: Sat., June 16 vs. No. 1 national seed Florida (8 CT; ESPN)
Series vs. Florida: South Carolina leads 41-32
Previous Meeting: went 1-3 overall vs. Gators in 2012 (lost 7-2 at SEC Tournament)

NCAA Tournament History: 11th College World Series appearance, 28th NCAA Tournament appearance

CWS/NCAA Interactive Bracket … CWS Printable Bracket … NCAA 64-Team Printable Bracket

Led by ace Michael Roth (front) South Carolina looks to become just the second to ever win three straight CWS championships.

ROAD TO OMAHA

The Gamecocks are back in town. After winning the program’s first national championship in the last College World Series played at Rosenblatt Stadium followed by a repeat title in the first CWS at TD Ameritrade Park, South Carolina is back in Omaha for a chance to make history.

Ray Tanner’s squad has a chance to become just the second college baseball program to ever win three straight national championships. The only other team to accomplish the feat is Rod Dedeaux’s University of Southern California Trojans.

South Carolina comes into its third straight CWS riding a 21-game NCAA Tournament winning streak. Their last such loss came on June 20, 2010 when they dropped a 3-2 decision to Oklahoma in their College World Series opener. They ripped-off six straight wins after that though to claim their first national title and they haven’t lost an NCAA game since.

The last two wins in the 21-game streak came last weekend in the Columbia Super Regional against those same Oklahoma Sooners. Tanners team opens this year’ CWS against an all too familiar face – SEC rival Florida. The same Florida team that the Gamecocks beat to close last year’s CWS Finals.

The Constants

Probably the most impressive thing about South Carolina’s return to Omaha for a chance at a third straight championship is the roster turnover the team has undergone since 2010. Of the nine position players (DH included) who started for the Gamecocks against UCLA in the title clinching Rosenblatt finale only three players – Christian Walker, Evan Marzilli and Adam Matthews – were in the starting lineup in Monday’s Super Regional clincher against OU.

Marzilli started in leftfield in that championship game but is now in centerfield. Matthews has moved from DH to rightfield, while Walker remains a fixture at first base.

Gone are the likes of Jackie Bradley, Jr., Whit Merrifield, Adrian Morales, and Scott Wingo. All of which played prominent roles in the first two championships.

The only other South Carolina player to start that night was starting pitcher Michael Roth. Now a senior, Roth went from bullpen afterthought to CWS starting pitcher and hero in the span of less than two weeks in 2010. He has been his team’s Friday starter for the last two years though and joins Walker, Marzilli and Matthews as the handfuls of constants Tanner has had during the program’s golden run.

Roth “E”RA

Roth has been South Carolina’s Friday starter for the last two seasons, but he made his name in Omaha before he ever sniffed the mound as a starter in the SEC.

He made just two starts (35 relief appearances) as a sophomore in 2010, but they were two of the most important starts in South Carolina history. After pitching an inning of relief in the Gamecock’s CWS loss to Oklahoma and then going 1 1/3 four days later against the Sooners, Roth fired a complete game three-hitter in a 5-1 elimination game victory over Clemson in his first start. He took the ball again three days later, giving his team 5.0 quality innings in the 2-1 national championship win over UCLA.

Roth was the starting pitcher again last season, earning his 14^th victory of the season, in the national championship game as South Carolina beat Florida 5-2 to claim its second straight crown.

During Carolina’s current 21-game NCAA winning streak Ross has a miniscule 0.84 ERA in 53 2/3 IP. He is 21-4 with a 1.35 ERA during his last two seasons as a starter, but the lefty was just a ninth round selection of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the MLB Draft last week.

Roth would probably prefer to have been an earlier round pick this year or last, but for now he can settle for being a great college pitcher on a great college baseball team.

The Ups And The Downs

With the youngest team he’s had in recent years, Tanner didn’t have the most challenging non-conference schedule in the nation to begin the season. The Gamecocks played the likes of VMI, Elon and Princeton and jumped out to a 15-1 record through mid March. The lone loss was to arch rival Clemson in the finale of a three games in three days series.

Things changed quickly once SEC plan began.

The Gamecocks ran into a buzz saw in Lexington, dropping all three games of their SEC-opening series to a Kentucky team that was 21-0 when the dust had cleared. South Carolina returned home the following weekend for the highly anticipated rematch of the 2011 CWS Finals with Florida. The result was a 2-1 series win for the Gators and a 1-5 start to conference play for the Gamecocks.

The tide turned after that though, as South Carolina won 17 of its next 23 SEC games to finish 18-11 in conference action and edge Florida for the SEC’s Eastern Division crown.

If you’re going to Omaha for the CWS you can also visit The Dugout. It’s right across the street from the home plate entrance to TD Ameritrade Park.

Projected Lineup

*Denotes team category leader

1. (RH) Joey Pankake SS – 6-0/195 … Fr. … Easley, SC … #9 (SEC All-Freshman Team)
… .286, 26 RBI, 41 Runs, 2 HR, 3 Triples, 15 Doubles, 30 BB, 4 HBP, 37 K, 3-7 SB

2. (LH) Evan Marzilli CF – 5-11/180 … Jr. … Cranston, RI .. .#31
… .288, 30 RBI, 50 Runs*, 2 HR, 3 Triples, 12 Doubles, 27 BB, 9 HBP, 51 K, 12-16 SB*
… SEC All-Defensive Team (2 E, .988 fielding pct.)
… 8th-round MLB draft selection (Arizona)

3. (RH) Christian Walker 1B – 6-0/220 … Jr. … Limerick, PA … #13 (1st Team All-SEC)
… .315, 54 RBI*, 44 Runs, 11 HR*, 2 Triples, 11 Doubles, .534 slug. %, .440 OB%, 43 BB, 8 HBP, 23 K, 2-3 SB
… 4th-round MLB draft selection (Baltimore)

4. (RH) Adam Matthews RF – 6-1/195 … Sr. … Lexington, SC … #26
… .240, 25 RBI, 28 runs, 5 HR, 5 Doubles, 9 Sac Bunts*, 21 BB, 3 HBP, 40 K, 7-10 SB
… 29th-round MLB draft selection (Cincinnati)

5. DH – (RH) Erik Payne/(RH) Connor Bright/(RH) Sean Sullivan/(LH) Kyle Martin
(Through five NCAA games this season, SC has used four different DHs)

6. (LH) L.B. Dantzler 3B – 5-11/205 … Jr. … Winter Haven, FL … #20
… .264, 45 RBI, 34 Runs, 9 HR, 13 Doubles, .431 Slg %, 25 BB, 2 HBP, 34 K, 0-2 SB

7. (RH) Tanner English LF – 5-7/160 … Fr. … Murrells inlet, SC … #3 (SEC All-Freshman Team)
… .306, 22 RBI, 41 Runs, 9 Sac Bunts*, 13 BB, 3 HBP, 62 K, 9-12 SB

8. (LH) Chase Vergason 2B – 6-0/180 … Jr. … Orlando, FL … #16
… .262, 10 RBI, 15 Runs, HR, 8 Doubles, 21 BB, 8 HBP, 15 K, 1-2 SB

9. (RH) Dante Rosenberg C** – 5-10/175 … Jr. … Coral Springs, FL … #18
… .212, 7 RBI, 7 Runs (20 starts), 3 Doubles, 5 BB, HBP, 12 K

** Note – Freshman catcher Grayson Greiner, one of three SC players named to SEC All-Freshman Team, started 48 games before tearing the lateral meniscus in his left knee on May 30 at the SEC Tournament. He has undergone surgery and was cleared to play in last week’s Super Regional, but he did not see action. Greiner recently was named a Freshman All-American by Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball magazine.

Starting Rotation

LHP Michael Roth – 6-1/210 … Sr. … Greer, SC … #29
… (7-1) 2.50 ERA, 115 IP *, 79 K, 37 BB, .215 ppp. BA (nearly 7.0 innings/start)
… First Team CoSIDA Academic All-American (3.83 cum. GPA, int’l business & marketing major)
… SEC All-Defensive Team
… 9th-round MLB draft selection (Angels)

RHP Colby Holmes – 5-11/200 … Jr. … Conway, SC … #44
… (7-1) 2.80 ERA, 74 IP, 61 K, 15 BB, .218 opp. BA

LHP Jordan Montgomery – 6-3/215 … Fr. … Sumter, SC … #34
… (5-1) 4.05 ERA, 66 2/3 IP, 51 K, 9 BB, .259 opp. BA
… Freshman All-American (Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball magazine)

Bullpen

RHP Matt Price – 6-2/215 … Jr. … Sumter, SC … #22 (2nd Team All-SEC)
(4-4) 3.47 ERA, 24 App, 5 Starts, 11 SV*, 70 IP, 82 K*, 29 BB, .197 opp. BA
… 7th-round MLB draft selection (Baltimore)

LHP Tyler Webb – 6-6/225 … Jr. … Nassawdox, VA … #38
(6-1) 1.91 ERA, 35 App.*, 3 SV, 47 IP, 50 K, 14 BB, .223 opp. BA

“I’m kind of at a loss for words. To be able to get a chance to continue to play after the way we started…you start reflecting throughout the season. As I told the guys in the huddle at the end, it didn’t start like we wanted, but we played. The team stayed the course and was resilient.” – South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner after clinching a third straight CWS appearance.

2012 CWS Bracket Two

TEAM	CONF.	RECORD	BA	R/GM	HR/ Sac Bunts	SLG%	OBP	SB-Att.	FLD%	ERA	CG	SV	K	BB	OPP.BA
Florida	SEC	47-18	.284	5.9	75/42	.452	.360	66-92	.979	2.90	3	18	489	132	.241
South Carolina	SEC	45-17	.271	5.3	41/62	.398	.358	38-62	.979	3.06	0	25	513	191	.222
Arkansas	SEC	44-20	.273	5.2	38/41	.389	.356	63-96	.969	2.90	0	15	517	207	.231
Kent State	MAC	46-18	.302	6.8	43/27	.442	.379	52-71	.974	3.49	1	19	525	232	.246

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Kent State CWS Preview

Sean Stires — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 13:53:16 +0000

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A Look At One of Two 2012 CWS Cinderellas …

Kent State Golden Flashes

Record: (46-18)

Conference: MAC

Head Coach: Scott Stricklin (8th season)

First Game In Omaha: Saturday, June 16 vs. Arkansas 4 pm CT (ESPN)
Series vs. Arkansas: First Meeting

NCAA Tournament History: 1st CWS appearance, 12th NCAA Tournament appearance

CWS/NCAA Interactive Bracket … CWS Printable Bracket … NCAA 64-Team Printable Bracket

Kent State first baseman George Roberts is the 2012 MAC Player of the Year.

There’s a good chance Kent State shortstop Jimmy Rider doesn’t even know who Opie Taylor is, but that’s ok. Rider was recently compared to the iconic TV character from the 1960’s sitcom The Andy Griffith Show by his head coach Scott Stricklin.

It was Rider’s bloop single to left field Monday night in Eugene that gave Kent State a 3-2 win over Oregon and sent the team to the program’s first College World Series, but it the spirit of Opie Taylor that will make fans fall in love with Rider and his Golden Flashes teammates in Omaha.

“He’s 5’9 and 165 pounds and he’s the all-time hit leader in our conference,” Stricklin beamed of Rider while his team was busy winning the Gary Regional two weeks ago. “He’s the best shortstop I’ve seen all year. I wouldn’t trade him for anybody in the country. He’s that good. He’ll be a Gold Glove winner in college baseball this year. When you look at him he looks like the bat boy.”

Rider exemplifies what is great about college baseball. It’s not the size of the kid in the uniform, but the size of the organ pumping in the middle of his chest that counts when the game is on the line.

A Bunch of Ballplayers

ESPN baseball analyst John Kruk was once told by a fan that he couldn’t possibly be a professional baseball player, because he didn’t look athletic enough. Kruk responded “We’re not athletes, we’re ballplayers.”

Stricklin’s Kent State squad looks very much the part of “athletes”, but they still don’t fill out their uniforms in the same way as the teams they’ve beaten on the Road to Omaha. To get to the College World Series Rider and his undersized teammates have two wins each over SEC power Kentucky and Oregon from the Pac-12.

“We’ve got good baseball players,” Stricklin responded when I asked him how his Opie-esque group could compete with the Kentuckys of the world while we were in Gary, Ind for the Purdue Regional. “We’ve got a roster full of 34 baseball players. They’re guys that play hard and believe in what we’re going and they’re experienced.”

Experience Matters

While this trip to Omaha is Kent State’s deepest venture into the NCAA Tournament, it is far from its first dance. When the Golden Flashes were sent to the Gary Regional to begin this year’s trek it marked the fourth straight NCAA appearances for the team’s seniors.

Those five seniors – Joe Koch, David Starn, David Lyon, Ryan Mace, and Rider – previously stepped foot on the soil of regionals at Arizona State, UCLA and Texas prior to playing in Gary this year. With games against Kentucky, Purdue and Oregon the Flashes have by far been more experienced than any team they’ve played during their current tournament run.

Oregon’s group of 12 juniors and seniors who played four tournament games at Connecticut in 2010 represented the only players Kent State has gone against in the last two weeks with NCAA Tournament games on their college resumes.

“They’ve got experience (too) and I think that’s a dangerous thing right now,” Stricklin said of his team in Gary. “Our guys are confident with experience and they’re good baseball players.”

The experience and ballplayer ability has helped the Golden Flashes to a 5-1 record in NCAA play over the last two weeks. Five of those games, including four KSU wins, have been decided by a single run.

The experience advantage ends in Omaha though. The other three teams in Kent State’s four-team CWS bracket are SEC big boys South Carolina, Florida and Arkansas.

The Gamecocks have won two straight national championships and bring a record 21-game NCAA Tournament winning streak to TDA, Florida is making its third straight CWS trip after falling to the Gamecocks in last year’s championship series and Arkansas boasts a roster that has just as much NCAA Tourney experience as the Golden Flashes.

Stricklin’s club did well performing in front of crowds in the 4,000-5,000 range in Gary and Eugene, but in addition to the stakes, the crowds and the setting will be considerably larger now in Omaha.

Noteworthy

Kent State is the first MAC team to reach the College World Series since Eastern Michigan in 1976.

Along with Stony Brook the Golden Flashes are also the northern most program to advance to Omaha since Notre Dame in 2002.

Kent State played the second-longest game in NCAA Tournament history when it beat Kentucky 7-6 in 21-innings in the Gary Regional opener on June 1.

The Golden Flashes had their program record 21-game winning streak snapped with their game two Super Regional loss to Oregon. They clinched their CWS berth the next day.

The team’s 46 wins this season are a program record.

Head coach Scott Stricklin has won 313 games in his eight seasons at Kent State for an average of just over 39 wins a year.

Kent State’s most prominent baseball alum is Hall of Fame catcher Thurman Munson.

If you’re going to Omaha for the CWS you can also visit The Dugout. It’s right across the street from the home plate entrance to TD Ameritrade Park.

Projected Lineup

1. (LH) Evan Campbell CF – 6-0/170 … Jr. … Beloit, OH … #14 … 2nd-Team All-MAC
… .327, 40 RBI, 61 Runs, 7 HR, 4 Triples*, 20 Doubles, .506 slug.%, 19 BB, 13 HBP, 36 K, 5-9 SB

2. (RH) Jimmy Rider SS – 5-10/170 … Sr. … Venetia, PA … #1 … 1st-Team All-MAC
… .364, 56 RBI, 66 Runs, 5 HR, 3B, 29 Doubles, .527 slug %, .432 OB%, 33 BB, 3 HBP, 39 K, 3-3 SB
… MAC record holder with 350 career hits (103 in ’12)
… 26th-round MLB draft pick (Pittsburgh)

3. (switch) David Lyon C – 5-11/205 … Sr. … Emporium, PA … #36 … 2nd-Team All-MAC
… .279, 41 RBI, 51 Runs, 10 HR*, 3 Triples, 17 Doubles, .506 slug %, .404 OB%, 50 BB, HBP, 37 K, 3-3 SB
… 34th-round MLB draft pick (Texas)

4. (RH) George Roberts 1B – 6-0/195 … Jr. … Summerhill, PA … #6 … 2012 MAC Player of the Year
… .368*, 64 RBI*, 44 Runs, 8 HR, 3B, 23 Doubles, .561 Slg.%*, 16 BB, 2 HBP, 49 K, 2-3 SB
… 2012 Second Team All-American (Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball magazine)

5. (LH) T.J. Sutton RF – 5-10/180 … So. … Uniontown, OH … #5
… .305, 3o RBI, 32 Runs, 3 HR, 12 Doubles, 18 BB, 5 HBP, 22 K

6. (switch) Nick Hamilton DH – 6-1/190 … Sr./Jr. … Avon Lake, OH … #7
… .347, 35 RBI, HR, 2 Triples, 12 Doubles, 15 BB, 2 HBP, 38 K, 1-2 SB
… 35th-round MLB draft pick (Cleveland)

7. (RH) Sawyer Polen 3B – 6-0/170 … Fr. … Wooster, OH … #24
… .271, 30 RBI, 4 HR, 4 Triples*, 39 Runs, 25 BB, 9 HBP, 55 K, 3-5 SB

8. (RH) Alex Miklos LF – 5-10/185 … Fr. … Grove City, PA … #12
… .260, 21 RBIm 22 Runs, 2 HR, 4 Triples*, 18 BB, 3 HBP, 45 K, 5-7 SB

9. (RH) Derek Toadvine 2B – 5-11/165 … So. … Springfield, OH … #2
… .255, 15 RBI, 35 Runs, 20 BB, HBP, 39 K, 8-11 SB*

* Team-leading totals

Starting Pitching

LHP David Starn – 6-3/190 … Sr. –… Hudson, OH … #37 … 2012 MAC Pitcher of the Year
… (11-3) 2.21 ERA, 114 IP*, 123 K*, 45 BB, .213 opp. BA
… 2012 Second Team All-American (Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball magazine)
… 7th-round MLB draft pick (Atlanta)

RHP Ryan Bores – 6-3/195 … Jr. … Strongsville, OH … #19 … 2nd-Team All-MAC
… (9-3) 3.35 ERA, 104.2 IP, 67 K, 16 BB, .268 opp. BA
… 27th-round MLB draft pick (Texas)

RHP Tyler Skulina – 6-6/245 … So. … Strongsville, OH … #31 … 2nd-Team All-MAC
… (11-2) 3.63 ERA, 101 .2 IP, 97 K, 41 BB, .235 opp. BA

* Team-leading totals

Bullpen

LHP Brian Clark – 6-3/210 … Fr. … Monroe Falls, OH … #30 … 2nd-Team All-MAC
… (5-0) 1.59 ERA, 20 App., 4 SV, 28.1 IP, 27 K, 9 BB, .160 opp. BA
… Freshman All-American (Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball magazine)

RHP Josh Pierce – 6-1/215 … So./Fr. … Avon, OH … #8
… (1-0) 2.93 ERA, 19 App., 2 SV, 27.2 IP, 25 K, 17 BB, .242 opp. BA

* Team-leading totals

“A lot of people thought we didn’t have a very good club this year and that we would be an average team in the process of rebuilding.” – Kent State head coach Scott Stricklin on the success his team has had in 2012.

2012 CWS Bracket Two

TEAM	CONF.	RECORD	BA	R/GM	HR/ Sac Bunts	SLG%	OBP	SB-Att.	FLD%	ERA	CG	SV	K	BB	OPP.BA
Florida	SEC	47-18	.284	5.9	75/42	.452	.360	66-92	.979	2.90	3	18	489	132	.241
South Carolina	SEC	45-17	.271	5.3	41/62	.398	.358	38-62	.979	3.06	0	25	513	191	.222
Arkansas	SEC	44-20	.273	5.2	38/41	.389	.356	63-96	.969	2.90	0	15	517	207	.231
Kent State	MAC	46-18	.302	6.8	43/27	.442	.379	52-71	.974	3.49	1	19	525	232	.246

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College Baseball Super-Regional Central & Wrapup

Pete LaFleur — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:04:16 +0000

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It was a wild four days of Super-Regional action and CB360 provides this convenient all-in-one wrapup page – containing information and a wide variety of links for all 16 teams and each of the 19 Super-Regional games that were played during June 8-11, 2012. front-page photo courtesy of Kent State

Features included below include: links to game recaps from the Associated Press & both teams … final stats in HTML & PDF format … photo galleries (AP & both teams) … video highlight packages from every game … postgame press-conference video … teams season links (tournament notes, stats, roster, media guide & head coach bio.). – Enjoy!

We’ve also included a convenient Super Regional Central dedicated Twitter feed (see below), populated with team-based tweets from all 16 Super-Regional teams.

CLICK HERE to sign up for free text-messages during Super-Regionals and College World Series (select the texts you want to receive). Easy signup … provided free, courtesy of CB360.

Two Pac-12 teams – Arizona and UCLA – advanced to the College World Series on Saturday, with the ‘Cats securing the program’s 15th CWS appearance (but first since 2004) while the Bruins are heading to Omaha for the fourth times in their history and second in the past three seasons. They were followed on Sunday by three more CWS qualifiers: Florida, Florida State and upstart Stony Brook (the second 4-seed to reach Omaha since the 64-team format began in 1999).

Monday’s action then saw South Carolina, Kent State and Arkansas round out the 8-team CWS field for 2012.

2012 CWS shirts & more are now at The Dugout!

If you’re going to Omaha for the CWS you can also visit The Dugout. It’s right across the street from the home plate entrance to TD Ameritrade Park.

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