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Game 1: Vanderbilt 7-10-1 def. North Carolina 3-12-1
Final Stats | Vandy Recap | UNC Recap

Vanderbilt beat North Carolina 7-3 in the first ever College World Series game played at TD Ameritrade Park, on Saturday afternoon. The game’s first batter, Tony Kemp, had the first CWS hit on a bunt single to start the game. He scored the game’s first run two batters later on Aaron Westlake‘s sacrifice fly to center field.

Commodores ace Sonny Gray had a no-decision after allowing three earned runs on eight hits in only 4.2 innings. Gray threw 99 pitches with five walks and five strikeouts. Reliever Corey Williams (2-0) earned the win in his school’s first-ever CWS game, while Tar Heels starter Patrick Johnson (13-2) suffered the loss.

Vanderbilt next faces Florida on Monday while North Carolina will plays Texas in the first 2011 CWS elimination game.

Some of the College World Series firsts on the first day of action at the new TD Ameritrade Park:

• Omaha’s Gene Klosner sang the stadium’s first CWS national anthem prior to the game

• Former President George W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch after his father, George H.W. Bush, who played for Yale at the CWS in 1947 and ’48, introduced him from a pre-recorded open on the massive video scoreboard in right field.

Attendance for the game: 22,745.

Vanderbilt players celebrate after Tony Kemp's 8th-inning RBI single.

• First CWS Pitch at TDAP: Thrown by UNC’s Johnson to Vanderbilt’s Kemp at 1:11 p.m Central

Hit: Kemp – Vanderbilt:

Run: Kemp – Vanderbilt

Error: Johnson – North Carolina pitcher

RBI: Aaron Westlake – Vanderbilt 3-hole

Strikeout (pitcher): Johnson – UNC

Strikeout (batter): Mike Yastrzemski – Vanderbilt

Triple: Chaz Frank – North Carolina

Walk (pitcher): Gray – Vanderbilt

Strikeout (batter):  Jacob Stallings – North Carolina

5-Pitch Walk: Kemp – Vanderbilt … he took first base after what should have been ball four (it was verified by instant replay), but after home plate umpire Mike Conlin made him Kemp go back the plate, the leadoff batter took another ball and then was awarded first.

Wild Pitch: Gray – Vanderbilt

Passed Ball: Curt Casali – Vanderbilt

Sac Bunt: Gomez – Vanderbilt

HBP: Westlake – Vanderbilt

Double Play: (5-4-3) Hit into by UNC’s Jesse Wierzbicki … turned by Vanderbilt’s Esposito, Riley Reynolds & Westlake

Double: Conrad Gregor – Vanderbilt

Home Run: Harrell – Vanderbilt … after after Gregor’s double in the 6th inning. The missle gave Vandy a 5-3 lead.

Balk: Williams – Vanderbilt (moved Levi Michael to second base)

Stolen Base: Kemp – Vanderbilt, in the top of the 7th inning

Beach ball on the field: Just prior to the top of the 8th inning

North Carolina catcher Jacob Stallings is the son of Vanderbilt men’s basketball coach Kevin Stallings.

Vanderbilt rightfielder Mike Yastrzemski is the grandson of Boston Red Sox great Carl Yastrzemski.

– Quotable –

“It’s not helping us, that’s for sure. I may have to get him out of the two-hole, drop him down a little bit. That’s really the only thing you can do this late, maybe switch things up a little bit. He’s trying as hard as he can, certainly, and he’s getting pitched pretty well also, But he can’t get anything going.”– North Carolina head coach Mike Fox on the current 4-for-24 slump by Tar Heels junior Levi Michael

“They can keep it. I didn’t even think about it until I guess after the game, someone brought it up. I guess it’s a pretty cool trivia fact.” – Vanderbilt centerfielder Connor Harrell, who hit the first CWS home run at TD Ameritrade, a missle of a two-run shot in the 6th inning, when asked if he would like to make a plea to get the historic ball as a keepsake.

CLICK HERE to see more photos from day one of the CWS on the CB360 Shutterfly page. All photos taken for College Baseball360.com by Kirk Markus.

Game 2:Florida 8-8-2 def. Texas 4-5-0
Final Stats | FL Recap | TX Recap

Florida overcame a pair of early errors to beat Texas 8-4 in the second game of the 2011 CWS on Saturday night. Texas ace (and 1st-round MLB Draft pick) Taylor Jungmann suffered his third straight bad outing and his third straight loss. Jungmann (13-3) gave up four runs on three hits in just 4.1 IP. He walked four with two wild pitches and hit another batter.

Jungmann lost in the NCAA Regional, Super Regional and CWS openers spanning the last three weeks. Texas managed to win six straight elimination games after the first two losses. The Longhorns now will have to win four straight such games (as South Carolina did in 2010) just to get into the CWS Championship Series. Centerfielder Bryson Smith led the Gators by going 2-for-2 with two RBIs. Brian Johnson, playing his first game since the SEC Tournament, had a two-run double.

Florida leftfielder Tyler Thompson is the son of former big-leaguer Robby Thompson. Gator third baseman Cody Dent is the son of former big-leaguer Bucky Dent.

Attendance for the game was 25,521 … guess what? It’s a TD Ameritrade Park record.

ESPN’s replay showed that what should have been called a home run for Brian Johnson was ruled a double by the umpires. Here’s the explanation from NCAA umpire coordinator Gene McArtor:

“The batted ball in the  bottom of the seventh inning was mistakenly ruled in play rather than a home run that did clear the yellow line of the outfield fence [the ball must completely clear the yellow line, not hit on the yellow line to be called a home run]. The umpires did and are allowed to conference to determine if any others of the crew had different information, which they did not. The umpires do not have the ability for video review.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Florida's Bryson Smith races around third base.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hudson Randall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Florida head coach Kevin O'Sullivan conducts his midgame interview with ESPN's Kyle Peterson.

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Big SEC Series Headlines Weekend Action…

Here’s a look at some of this weekend’s action(all rankings are based on the latest College Baseball 360 Composite National Rankings).

CLICK HERE for Friday’s College Baseball 360 Top 50 Matchup/Scoreboard coverage page.

Click this link to find out how to save 50-75% on college baseball caps and 2010 College World Series gear and memorabilia at Dugouthats.com!!

#3 Vanderbilt (31-3, 10-2 SEC) @ #4 South Carolina (26-6, 10-2 SEC)

Christian Walker

The new bat standards have made many college offenses look quite mortal this season, but not these two powers. Christian Walker (.344, 7 HR, 37 RBIs, 1.031 OPS) leads the offensive charge for the defending national champion Gamecocks. Jackie Bradley, Jr.’s average sits at .286, but he’s still belted 6 HR as well. Vanderbilt’s balanced offensive attack is hitting .316, with seven players who have started at least 20 games batting .303 or better. Anthony Gomez (.379), Jason Esposito (.320) and Curt Casali (.319) share the team RBI lead with 27 each. Aaron Westlake (.397, 5 HR, 25 RBIs) has been the top overall Commodore hitter. The Friday pitching match-up is one to see. South Carolina send 2010 College World Series hero Michael Roth (7-1, 1.25 ERA) to the mound, while Vandy counters with Sonny Gray (7-1, 1.54 ERA). The two teams have closers who have been lights-out as well. Commodore Navery Moore has a ridiculous 0.46 ERA with 7 saves in 18 appearances, while the Gamecocks counter with Matt Price (3-2, 2.82 ERA, 10 saves). SC set-up man John Tayler is 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 29 1/3 IP.

Oklahoma (25-8, 6-5 Big 12) vs. Oklahoma State (26-8, 8-4 Big 12)

Dane Phillips

Bedlam. That’s what they call it when these two programs get together, and it should be no different when they square-off this weekend. For years Oklahoma State was the perennial baseball power in the Sooner State, but it’s Oklahoma that’s coming-off a trip to Omaha. However, OSU is back on track in 2011. The Cowboys need three wins to match their overall 2010 win total and they already have as many wins in conference play as they did last year. The series features a pair of .400 hitters. Dane Phillips (.404, 3 HR, 26 RBIs, 1.096 OPS) leads the Oklahoma State offense and Garrett Buechele (.401, 7 HR, 42 RBIs, 1.046 OPS) tops an OU that’s batting .330. Brad Propst (6-1, 1.25 ERA) tossed his (and OSU’s) second complete game of the season in last week’s sweep of Missouri. Michael Rocha (7-1, 1.02 ERA, 2 CG) fronts the Oklahoma staff. Game one of the series in in Tulsa, with the last two games are in Oklahoma City.

#13 Oregon State (24-7, 5-1 Pac-10) at #16 Stanford (16-9, 3-3 Pac-10)

Mark Appel

Stanford’s record is anything but spectacular, but the Cardinal has played some pretty spectacular competition so far. Consider this, Stanford Friday starter Mark Appel is just 2-3, but he has gone head-to-head with Vanderbilt’s Sonny Gray and Taylor Jungmann of Texas. Both are expected to be high first round draft picks in June. It won’t get much easier for Appel this weekend when he faces OSU’s Sam Gaviglio (6-1, 1.34 ERA, 3 CG). Both pitching staffs are solid, but neither has “strikeout” pitchers. The Stanford staff has a 3.28 ERA with 116 Ks and 85 BB in 217.0 IP, while the Beavers have 228 punchouts and 79 walks in 277 2/3 innings. Oregon State has 33 sac bunts, compared to just 13 home runs. Andrew Susac (.364, 25 RBIs) and Parker Berberet (.256, 27 RBIs) share the team lead with 4 HR each. Stanford has gone yard just 14 times.  Kenny Diekroger (.373) has the top Cardinal average, while Brian Ragira (.304, 3 HR, 24 RBIs) is the RBI leader. In a series where a lot of balls will be put in play defense could be the x-factor. Oregon State has a slight edge with a .973 fielding percentage, compared to Stanford’s .965.

Click Here to read more about this series.

#22 Arizona (22-11, 4-5 Pac-10) @ #25 UCLA (17-11, 7-2 Pac-10)

Kurt Heyer

This sneaky series features three of the top power pitchers in the country, let alone the Pac-10. UCLA’s Trevor Bauer (6-1, 1.67 ERA) and Gerrit Cole (4-2, 1.74 ERA) don’t sneak-up on anyone, but Arizona’s Kurt Heyer (5-1, 1.38 ERA) also checks-in with 80 strikeouts in 65.0 innings pitched as well. Bauer leads the nation with 97 strikeouts, Heyer’s 80 ranks third and Cole’s 64 Ks is 13th. Arizona’s .342 team batting average has defied the national offensive downward trend. The Wildcats, led by Joey Rickard (.428) and Cole Frenzel (.408) took two of three last weekend from Cal against, arguably, the second-best pitching staff in the Pac-10, but they’ll face the top staff in the conference this week. UCLA has struggled to score enough runs to support its vaunted hurlers in 2011. The Bruins have actually brought their team batting average up to .258 in recent weeks, but they’ve still managed to win their first three conference series against USC, Washington and Washington State. Dean Espy (.318) is the only UCLA regular batting over .300.

We have covered the catchers. We have covered the shortstops. We are staying up the middle with a look at some of the top second basemen in the game as we look at some of the top college baseball players across the country in our countdown to the start of the 2011 season.

1. Zack MacPhee – Arizona State

MacPhee had a good freshman season at ASU, but he was great as a sophomore in 2010. The switch-hitting second baseman was named the Pac 10 Player of the Year and also earned unanimous First Team All-American recognition after batting .389 with nine home runs, 64 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases to help the Sun Devils reach the College World Series under first-year head coach Tim Esmay.  MacPhee also broke a nearly 40 year-old school record with 14 triples. His 1.150 OPS, helped by his .664 slugging percentage, were both team-highs. MacPhee combines with sophomore shortstop Deven Marrero to give ASU one of the youngest, fastest and best middle infield combos in the nation this season.

2. Ryan Wright – Louisville

After earning Freshman All-American honors in 2009, Wright stepped-up his game for the Cardinals in 2010. He  hit .366 with 16 home runs, 17 doubles and a team-best 80 RBIs for a Louisville team that was ranked from start to finish last season. The Ft. Wayne, IN native also scored 61 runs with 19 stolen bases and a 1.051 OPS. He committed just three errors for a stellar .989 fielding percentage. Wright’s torrid pace didn’t end when Louisville’s season did. He continued his hot hitting by batting a team-high .381 for the USA Collegiate National Team over the summer. He scored 18 runs with 12 RBIs while starting in 17 of 19 games.

3. Kolten Wong – Hawaii

Wong earned WAC Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-American honors as Hawaii’s starting centerfielder in 2009, but a move to second base helped his team reach new heights in 2010. Wong batted .357 with seven home runs, 15 doubles, 40 RBIs, and team-highs of 57 runs and 19 stolen bases to help the Warriors reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years. Wong was named the WAC Tournament MVP while helping his team to its first WAC Tourney title since 1992. The Hilo, HA native had more success over the summer, when he was named the Cape Cod League MVP after batting .341 for the Orleans Firebirds.

4. Tommy La Stella – Coastal Carolina

The Closter, NJ native played sparingly in 2008 in his only season at St. John’s, but he was a vital member of the Chanticleers in his first season in Conway, SC in 2010. La Stella led the Chants with his .378 batting average, while  posting 14 home runs, 66 RBIs, 63 runs, and 14 doubles. His 1.072 OPS was the second-best among Coastal Carolina batters who combined to hit 111 home runs last season. La Stella also struckout just 15 times with 32 walks in 246 at-bats last season (once every 16.4 ABs), to make him the 29th toughest batter to strikeout in Division I baseball. On top of that, he committed just five errors all season. His .977 fielding percentage is the best by a second baseman in Coastal school history.

5. Dan Paolini – Siena

Now a junior, Paolini has blasted 37 home runs in his first two seasons at Siena. He was named a Freshman All-American and Metro Atlantic Conference Rookie of the Year in 2009 after batting .430 with 11 home runs. His average came down, but his home runs went off the charts last year when he hit .368 with 26 HR and 64 RBIs. His 26 long balls set a new MAAC single-season record and tied for the second-most in Division I baseball in 2010. Paolini’s .816 slugging percentage (6th in the NCAA) helped him to a whopping 1.255 OPS. The 6’0 slugger, who participated in the inaugural TD Ameritrade Home Run Derby last summer, was also stellar in the field. He committed just four errors and finished with a .985 fielding percentage.

6. Kevin Tokarski – Illinois State

Tokarski’s 2009 season ended too soon, but he had a 2010 campaign that he probably didn’t want to to ever end. He played in just four games in 2009 after breaking his wrist, but bounced-back big time last year to set six Illinois State single-season offensive records. Tokarski was named the Missouri Valley Conference Joe Carter Player of the Year after batting .412 with 84 hits, 70 runs, 25 doubles, 33 stolen bases, and 53 walks. His .412 average wasn’t a school record, but it was good for 36th in the nation, while his .538 on-base percentage ranked 7th nationally. The Redbird leadoff man also has the ISU career stolen base record with 66.

7. Tyler Rahmatulla – UCLA

Rahmatulla didn’t get to play during UCLA’s runner-up finish at last year’s College World Series, but the Bruins would have never made it to Omaha if not for his clutch hitting. He infamously broke his wrist in the dog pile celebration that followed UCLA’s June 13 Super Regional-clinching win over Cal State Fullerton. A day earlier, Rahmatulla’s two-out 9th inning home run staved-off elimination to help the Bruins to an 11-7 win in 10 innings. It was all part of a season that saw the 5’11 sophomore bat .328 with seven home runs, 45 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, and a team-best 52 runs scored. The All-Pac 10 second baseman looks to again be a vital cog in the UCLA offensive attack in 2011.

8. Anthony Gomez – Vanderbilt

The guy they call “Go-Go” got it done as a freshman in 2010. Gomez earned Freshman All-American status after leading his team as well as all SEC freshmen with a .379 average. He had 30 RBIs with 41 runs, while dropping down a team-best 13 sacrifice bunts as the Commodore’s primary two-hole batter. Gomez also struckout just nine times in 214 at-bats in his first season in the SEC. His first career home run came off LSU All-American closer Matty Ott in the top of the 9th inning in a May 7 game in Baton Rouge. He committed just five errors in the field for Vandy’s Super Regional team.

9. Tyler Hanover – LSU

Hanover  is one of the few remaining everyday players from LSU’s 2009 National Championship team. He batted .321 in 53 starts as a freshman in ’09 and then hit .332 with 16 doubles, 35 RBIs, and 49 runs while starting all 63 LSU games last year. Hanover also batted .526 at the SEC Tournament and drove-in the winning run in the championship game win over Alabama. The 5’6 junior also played solidly in the field, with just six errors and a .979 fielding percentage. Hanover has played in the last two Cape Cod League All-Star Games at Fenway Park for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.

10. Keith Werman – Virginia

Werman is another classic two-hole batter. He ranked 31st in the nation with a .414 batting average and also dropped down a team-high 15 sacrifice bunts as a sophomore in 2010. His .414 average was the highest by a Virginia player since 1981 and is the fifth-best in school history. Werman scored 32 runs with 23 RBIs and 10 stolen bases, while sporting a respectable .500 slugging percentage. The momentum for his breakout sophomore campaign began during Virginia’s run to the 2009 College World Series, when the 5’7 freshman hit .442 over the course of UVA’s last 16 games. That included a .600 clip in Omaha. Werman committed just two errors in the field in 2010 for Virginia’s Super Regional team.

11. Danny Muno – Fresno State

Muno is one of those guys who has been around forever. He was Fresno State’s starting shortstop as a freshman when the Bulldogs ran to the CWS National Championship in 2008. He earned WAC Freshman of the Year honors that season. Now a senior, he could end his career with more games than anyone who’s ever worn an FSU uniform. Muno batted .329 with seven home runs, 33 RBIs, 10 stolen bases, and scored a team-best 68 runs in 2010. He earned first team All-WAC honors at second base in 2009, but settled for second team last year with Hawaii’s Kolten Wong taking top honors.

Others To Watch…

Ross Heffley – Western Carolina

Riley Henricks – Portland

Matt Jensen – Cal Poly

Ryan Jones – Michigan State

Trevor Knight – James Madison

Kevin Muno – San Diego – The 5th year senior is the older brother of Danny Muno.

Will Muzika – Furman

Michael Ratteree – Rice

As Well As…

Cory Spangenberg – He was named Big South Conference Freshman of the Year in 2010 at VMI after batting .380 with 11 HR, 49 RBIs, and 24 stolen bases. However, he is playing at Indian River CC this year and plans transfer to Miami (FL) for the 2012 season.

Dugouthats.com has officially licensed 2010 College World Series memorabilia year round!

From t-shirts and caps to limited edition prints commemorating the last CWS ever played at historic Rosenblatt Stadium. Dugouthats.com also always  hats of your favorite college teams like LSU, Texas, Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, UCLA, South Carolina, Miami and more.

Just click on any of the red links above or the image on the left to find the best selection of college baseball apparel.

Related

Top 11 Non-Conference Schedules In 2011

Top 11 Catchers To Watch In 2011

Top 11 Shortstops To Watch In 2011

FSU Next Faces TCU At CWS

Mike McGee & FSU celebrate Friday's walk-off HR. (Photo Larry Novey FSU)

By clicking the “Tallahassee Super Regional” link above this page will expand to fully support the table below.

CLICK HERE for our Super Regional Central page where you find links to the other Super Regionals.

Best two of three series (all times Eastern)

Gm 1 -Friday – FINAL: Florida State 9, Vanderbilt 8 |  Final Stats
FSU Recap | Vandy Recap FSU leads series 1-0
* Highlight: Mike McGee hits 2-out walk-off home run

Gm 2-Saturday – FINAL:  Vanderbilt 6, Florida State 2 |  Final Stats
VANDY Recap | FSU Recap Series Tied 1-1

Gm 3-Sunday FINAL: Florida State 7, Vanderbilt 6 |  Final Stats
FSU Recap | VANDY Recap

Florida State wins series (2-1)

Podcast with Vanderbilt’s Richie Goodenow

The Skinny

Florida State: The Seminoles were the only #1 seed to go on the road for Regional play this year.  They were 3-0 at the Norwich, CT Regional, and get to host the Super Regional after Vanderbilt upset #7 national seed Louisville last week.  Mike Martin’s FSU teams have made it to at least a Super Regional in 10 of the 12 years the format has been in place.

Mike McGee does a little bit of everything for the Seminoles.  The junior leads the team with 14 HR, 67 RBIs, 11 saves, and a 0.38 ERA to go with a 4-0 record on the mound.  Starter Sean Gilmartin (8-7, 4.74 ERA) is a two-way player as well.  He’s hitting .409 with 11 RBIs in limited plate appearances.  Tyler Holt is the team’s top overall hitter with a team leading .349 avg. as well as 12 HR, 42 RBIs, 24 doubles, 29 stolen bases, and a 1.069 OPS.

Vanderbilt: This season marks the fifth straight NCAA appearance for Tim Corbin’s Commodores, and it’s his second trip to the Super Regionals.  Vanderbilt players buzzed their heads prior to last week’s Regional win at Louisville, and now Corbin has a debt to pay.  He promised his team he would buzz his head as well if they won the Regional, and he says he will keep his promise.

Freshman Anthony Gomez (.377) has been one of the top hitters in the SEC all year.  Jason Esposito (.359/10 HR/59 RBIs/30 SB) and Aaron Westlake (.308/14 HR/58 RBIs) are the team’s top run producers.  The Commodores have players with some pedigree.  Sophomore Jack Armstrong (7-3, 4.32 ERA) is the son of the former big league pitcher with the same name and freshman Mike Yastrzemski (.233/2 HR/16 RBIs) is the grandson of Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski.

Staff ace Sonny Gray (9-5, 3.51) pitched for USA baseball last year and is invited again this year.  He is perhaps the best pitcher in the nation with five losses.  Russell Brewer (2-2, 3.07 ERA, 6 SVs) heads a relief corps that has seen six hurlers total 13 saves.  Richie Goodenow (podcast above) was the story of last week’s Regional.  The junior made just his second career start in what was his 68th career appearance in Sunday’s elimination game vs. Louisville an tossed a two-hit shutout to force Monday’s deciding game.

Tallahassee Super Regional

SLU’s Brock, ‘Bama’s Morgan Headline Primetime Performers Weekly Honor Roll … CollegeBaseball360.com has announced its fifth group of Primetime Performers, for action during the third week of March. St. Louis University senior first baseman Danny Brock (Loveland, Colo.) is the CB360 Primetimer Player of the Week while Alabama sophomore lefthander Adam Morgan (Marietta, Ga.) is the Primetime Pitcher of the Week.

Danny Brock

Adam Morgan

Brock and Morgan are joined by 14 other clutch players from throughout the nation in comprising the CB360 Primetime Performer Weekly Honor Roll for May 15-21.

BROCK – son of 10-year Major Leaguer Greg Brock (’82-86 Dodgers; ’87-’91 Brewers) – played a lead role in SLU’s doubleheader sweep of a Kansas team that was #25 in the CB360 Composite National Rankings (KU was fresh off a pair of wins at national power LSU). During the pair of convincing wins (12-8/8-5), the 3-hole hitter Brock smacked his 10th home run of the season while batting 4-for-8, reaching base two other times (BB, HBP) and factoring directly into half  of the Billikens’ 20 runs (6 RBI, 5 R).

Danny Brock scored or drove in 10 of SLU's 20 runs during the convincing doubleheader sweep of #25 Kansas.

The 6-1, 210-pount righthanded hitter led the way for a SLU offense that roughed up a pair of the KU pitching staff’s top righthanded starters – junior T.J. Walz (a 2009 all-Big 12 Conference performer) and senior Cameron Selik. Walz was touched for eight runs and nine hits in 6.1 innings (2BB-6K) while Selik surrendered seven runs and eight hits in 6.0 IP (2BB-7K). Walz was the Jayhawks’ game-1 winner one week earlier at LSU while Selik had started and won the series clincher vs. the defending national champions.

Brock’s three-run homer in the bottom of the 7th put SLU ahead for good in the opener vs. Kansas (3-for-4, 5RBI-3R-BB) and he tacked on another strong effort in the game-2 victory (1B-RBI-2R-HBP). He ended the week with a .405 season batting average and was the Atlantic 10 Conference leader in home runs (10), RBI (36), slugging percentage (.892), walks (17) and runs scored (24), plus third in the A-10 with a .525 on-base percentage. He entered this week with an eye-popping 1.417 season “OPS” (on-base plus slugging), through 20 games.

CLICK HERE to listen to a podcast interview with Brock.

MORGAN delivered #21 Alabama’s 4-1 opening victory in its series win vs. a Vanderbilt team listed 17th in the CB360 composite rankings. The 6-1/180-pound lefthander shut out the Southeastern Conference’s top offense through six innings, ultimately allowing only on run on six hits and three walks through 6.2 innings (3 Ks). The Commodores entered the game with a gaudy .352 team batting average while averaging nearly nine runs and 12 hits per game in the first 17 games of the season (VU was 15-2 before losing to Morgan and the Tide in game-1). Morgan did not allow a Vanderbilt runner to reach second base until there was two outs in the seventh, which also is when VU managed its only extra-base hit of the day vs. Morgan (an Anthony Gomez double; VU’s five other hits vs. Morgan included four 2-out singles with nobody on base).

Adam Morgan shut out the SEC's top offense (#17 Vanderbilt) through six innings, leading the Tide to a game-1 victory and eventual series win.

In addition to the challenge of facing the Vanderbilt hitters, Morgan had the added pressure of knowing that VU sophomore RHP Sonny Gray (a projected 1st-rounder in 2011) would be facing his teammates. Morgan proved up to the task, rolling up a 1-2-3 inning to start his outing, then allowing a leadoff walk to Jason Esposito but quickly erasing the runner on a pickoff play. Brian Harris had a 2-out single vs. Morgan in the third but was stranded at first, as was cleanup hitter Andrew Giobbi after his single in the fourth.

Gomez managed a 2-out single in the fifth, but was forced out at second. Bryan Johns earned a leadoff walk vs. Morgan in the sixth, but he was caught stealing and Giobbi later was stranded at first following his 2-out single. Vanderbilt’s only run came in the seventh, courtesy of two more 2-out hits.

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

Primetime Performer Award Criteria
• Must have been playing for or against a CB360 top-50 team (in the Composite National Rankings)  or performed a high level in a game that could be key to a team’s conference/NCAA postseason qualification.
• Involved in clutch performances, such as late game-winning hits, noteworthy comebacks, game-changing plays, team leadership, etc.
• Performing at a top level against a team rated highly nationally (or within its conference), with bonus consideration given for key performances away from home field and vs. traditional rivals.
• Overcoming adversity or extreme circumstances (for the team and/or individual).
• Any accomplishment that is rare, historic, record-setting, etc., on a national level.
The other 14 members of the CB360 Primetime Performer Weekly Honor Roll include: Utah sophomore catcher C.J. Cron (Phoenix, Ariz.), Arkansas jr. CF/RHP Brett Eibner (Houston, Texas), Ball State righthanded reliever Perci Garner (Dover, Ohio), Maryland 1B/RH closer Dan Gentzler (Berwyn, Pa.), Stanford jr. catcher Zach Jones (Draper, Utah), LSU so. LHP Chris Matulis (Lake Worth, Fla.), Florida State jr. RF/RH closer Mike McGee (Port St. Lucie, Fla.), Mississippi LHP Drew Pomeranz (Collierville, Tenn.), Fordham 5th-yr. sr. DH Angelo Ponte (Old Tappart, N.J.), Arizona fr. LF Robert Refsnyder (Laguna Hills, Calif.), High Point jr. RF Nate Roberts (Spring Grove, Ill.), San Diego jr. SS Tony Strazzara (Scottsdale, Ariz.), Florida so. 1B Preston Tucker (Tampa, Fla.) and Charlotte senior catcher Zane Williams (Claremore, Okla.).

C.J. Cron

Brett Eibner

Perci Garner

Dan Gentzler

Zach Jones

Chris Matulis

Mike McGee

Drew Pomeranz

Angelo Ponte

Robert Refsnyder

Nate Roberts

Tony Strazzara

Preston Tucker

Zane Williams

The 16 honorees include three two-way players (RHP/RF; CF/RHP; 1B/RHP), four other pitchers (three of them lefties), three catchers, two first basemen, a shortstop, leftfielder, rightfielder and DH. The selections feature a 5th-year senior, three seniors, seven juniors, four sophomore and the freshman Refsnyder. Three of the players are Florida natives and two are Arizona products, with all of the others coming from different home states: California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah.

Primetime Performer Weekly Honor Roll #5 (March 15-21)

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

Player (Pos.) … School … Yr. … Hometown … Stats & Notes
*Danny Brock (1B) … St. Louis … Sr. . … Loveland, CO
Smacked 10th HR of season while batting 4-8 from 3-hole and factoring into 10 runs (6RBI-5R; BB-HBP) during sweep of #25 Kansas (12-8/8-5)

C.J. Cron (C) … Utah … So. . … Phoenix, AZ
Went 6-10 with 10 RBI (7R-2HR-2B) from cleanup spot, in pair of wins over #29 New Mexico (16-2/9-8 in 10)

Brett Eibner (CF/RHP) … Arkansas … Jr. . … Houston, TX
Homered twice (4 RBI) in gm-1 win at  #6 LSU; started series finale on mound (6IP-3R/2ER-7H-2BB-7K)

Perci Garner (RHP) … Ball State … Jr. . … Dover, OH
Flamethrower posted 4-inning win at #8 Louisville (R-2H-6K; 5-1/UL’s 2nd loss in ’10)

Dan Gentzler (1B/RHP) … Maryland … Sr. . …  Berwyn, PA
Homered twice (4RBI-3R-BB) and took mound in 9th for save (man on 3rd; 1-3 groundout/KL/4-3), in 5-2 win over #12 Ga. Tech

Zach Jones (C) … Stanford … Jr. . … Draper, UT
9-hole hitter who went 8-12 (2 RBI-3R) in sweep of Pepperdine (9-8/10-6/11-6)

Chris Matulis (LHP) … LSU … So. . … Lake Worth, FL
Starting pitcher in series finale 5-1 win vs. #13 Arkansas (5.1IP-R-5H-4BB-6K)

Mike McGee (RF/RHP) … Florida State … Jr. . … Port St. Lucie, FL
3-hole hitter who went 4-for-9 (RBI, R) and saved both wins (1.2 total shutout IP; 4-3/5-3) in series at #19 UNC

*Adam Morgan (LHP) … Alabama … So. . … Marietta, GA
Held SEC’s top offense to one run, in 4-1 series opener at #17 Vanderbilt (6.2IP-6H-3BB-3K)

Drew Pomeranz (LHP) … Mississippi … Jr. . … Collierville, TN
Logged 6.0 shutout innings in 9-0 opener at #28 Kentucky (H-2BB-9K)

Angelo Ponte (DH) … Fordham … 5th-Yr.-Sr. . … Old Tappart, NJ
Factored into all of Rams’ runs (3RBI-R) during 4-3 win at #20 Miami

Robert Refsnyder (LF) … Arizona … Fr. . … Laguna Hills, CA
Hit 6-10 with 8 RBI (2R) in dominating DH vs. #32 Wichita St. (13-5/19-0)

Nate Roberts (RF) … High Point … Jr. . … Spring Grove, IL
Went 3-4 (3RBI-2R) as 3-hole hitter in 13-12 win over #24 East Carolina, then 2-4 (RBI-3R) vs. #42 VMI (15-14)

Tony Strazzard (SS) … San Diego … Jr. . … Scottsdale, AZ
2-hole hitter who went 4-for-9 (4R-RBI) in pair of wins over #22 Rice (6-4/6-5 in 10)

Preston Tucker (1B) … Florida … So. . … Tampa, FL
#3 hitter who had 4 RBI and went 2-for-4 (HR, BB) in 8-5 rivalry win over #7 Florida St.;  batted 5-12 (4 RBI-3R-2 HR-2B) in sweep of #43 Mississippi St. (7-2/5-4/4-1)

Zane Williams (C) … Charlotte … Sr. . … Claremore, OK
Factored into 5 runs (4RBI-R-2B-2 BB) during 11-10 win over #5 Clemson

* – Brock is the CB360 Primetime Player of the Week and Morgan the Primetime Pitcher of the Week … note that rankings above refer to the CB360 top-50 … class years are based on academic standing (some players may have an extra year of eligibility)