Game Three: Arkansas 8-10-1… def. Kent State 1-4-0

D.J. Baxendale

OMAHA, Neb. – Cinderella has not fared well in Omaha. First, Stony Brook dropped the 2012 College World Series opener 9-1 to UCLA on Friday and then the clock ticked closer to midnight in Cinderella’s latest twirl on the TD Ameritrade grass in Saturday’s 8-1 Kent State loss to Arkansas.

After each making stunning runs to make their first CWS journeys Kent State and Stony Brook have been outscored 17-2. Worse yet, they now each find themselves on the brink of elimination.

“We either play the number one team in the country (Florida) or the two-time defending national champion (South Carolina),” Kent State head coach Scott Stricklin said afterward of the task that now awaits his team in Monday’s elimination game.

It didn’t take long for the Golden Flashes’ glass slipper to begin to crack on Saturday. Starting pitcher David Starns, who has averaged 2.5 walks in his 18 mound appearances this season,  issued three free passes in the first inning. He was bailed-out of a possible big inning for the Razorbacks when his infield turned a 6-4-3 double play to end the frame.

Starns battled his control throughout the afternoon though. He walked six and struckout four in his 18^th start of the season. He threw 102 total pitches, but just 51 for strikes. His last pitch was a double that rolled to the left field corner, scoring Derrick Bleeker and Bo Bigham.

With his seven walks in his Super Regional start last week vs. Oregon the lefty has walked 13 in his last two NCAA Tournament starts.

Arkansas pitcher D.J. Baxendale was the complete opposite of his Saturday counterpart. The Razorback right hander commanded a fastball that had the Flashes looking overmatched for a good deal of the day. Baxendale (8-5) retired the first six batters he faced and did not allow a hit until Sawyer Polen’s two out single in the fifth inning.

Baxendale finished with finished with five strikeouts and just one walk while allowing three hits in his 6.1 innings.

Kent State Lineup

CF Evan Campbell
SS Jimmy Rider
C  David Lyon
1B George Roberts
RF T.J. Sutton
DH Nick Hamilton
3B Sawyer Polen
LF Alex Miklos
2B Derek Toadvine

SP – David Starn – 5.2 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 6 BB, 4 K, 102 pitches, 51 strikes

Arkansas Lineup

SS Tim Carver
DH Joe Serrano
3B Matt Reynolds
1B Dominic Ficociello
RF Brian Anderson
2B Bo Bigham
LF Derrick Bleeker
CF Matt Vinson
C  Jake Wise

SP – D.J. Baxendale – 6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, BB, 5 K

Jimmy Rider

Notes

• The Kent State baseball team wore a purple sticker with the initials CM on it in memory of junior catcher Jason Bagoly’s mother Cheryl McHenry who unexpectedly passed away late Thursday evening.

• After the game Stricklin lauded the approach that Arkansas batters took with them to the plate. He noted that Starns faced 26 batters in his 5.2 innings, but only two of them swung at a first pitch. “If they have that kind of approach at the plate they’re going to be tough outs,” Stricklin said of Arkansas’ chances moving forward in the CWS. “No question about it. With their pitching, if they have that offensive approach and play clean defense with that pitching, they have a chance to win it all.”

• The SEC is 25-10 in Omaha the last three years … Six of the 10 losses have come to SEC teams.

• Arkansas catcher Jake Wise hit his second home run of the season in the second inning. It was the third home run in as many games in the 2012 CWS. Creighton played 24 home games at TD Ameritrade Park during the season and just one total home run was hit in those games.

• Kent State’s Jimmy Rider aka “Opie Taylor” homered in the top of the sixth for the Golden Flashes. Kent State head coach Scott Stricklin recently referred to the diminutive Rider as an Opie Taylor look alike who more resembles a bat boy than a D1 baseball player. Rider is the MAC’s all-time hit leader.

• Kent State alum and current Cleveland Brown wide receiver Josh Cribbs was in the house to see the Golden Flashes in their CWS debut. Cribbs was a quarterback at Kent State in his college days. He grabbed some camera time with ESPN’s Jenn Brown late in the game.

Attendance: 23,980

Kent State’s Jimmy Rider discusses his CWS home run and his College World Series experience.

Game Four: South Carolina 7-12-0… def. Florida 3-8-3

South Carolina extended its NCAA Tournament record winning streak to 22 games with a 7-3 win over No. 1 Florida in the much anticipated rematch of last year’s CWS Finals participants.

The Gators held an early 2-0 lead after four innings, but the Gamecocks plated five runs in the top of the fifth inning and never looked back. South Carolina led 5-3 going into the ninth inning, but added two more runs in the top of the final frame thanks to a pair of Florida errors.

“I thought South Carolina beat us in every phase of the game today,” Gator head coach Kevin O’ Sullivan said after seeing his team commit three errors in the loss. ” They outpitched us. They obviously outhit us, and they played better defense. It was just a really well played game by South Carolina.”

South Carolina starter Michael Roth improved to 7-0 all-time in NCAA Tourney games. The senior lefty worked 6.1 innings and allowed 3 earned runs on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

“Anytime you play a team like the Gators and every pitch is a big deal,” South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner said after the game. “It was pretty much like that tonight.  Even at the end of the game we scored a few extras, but they were coming right back and they almost got the tying run until they played at the end.”

South Carolina closer Matt Price earned the save for his 12th. He also tied the SEC record with 42 career saves.

The Gamecocks next face Arkansas in Monday’s winner’s bracket game at 8 pm CT. The Gators play Kent State in the 4 pm elimination game.

South Carolina Starting Lineup

SS Joey Pankake
CF Evan Marzilli
1B Christian Walker
RF Adam Matthews
DH Erik Payne
3B L.B. Dantzler
LF Tanner English
2B Chase Vergason
C  Dante Rosenberg

SP – Michael Roth 6.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K

Florida Starting Lineup

SS Nolan Fontana
RF Preston Tucker
C   Mike Zunino
DH Brian Johnson
CF Daniel Pigott
2B Casey Turgeon
LF Justin Shafer
1B Vickash Ramjit
3B Josh Tobias

SP – Brian Johnson 4.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K

South Carolina has now won 12 straight College World Series games.

The last time the two teams in the championship the preceding year met in the opening round of the Men’s College World Series (MCWS) was 1960 when defending champion Oklahoma State met Arizona.

South Carolina’s Evan Marzilli after Saturday’s win over Florida…

South Carolina’s Erik Payne after Saturday’s win over Florida…

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

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.”

• 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

School Record 36 Home Games Set…

Arkansas has released its 2012 college baseball schedule. The Razorbacks open their season with a 10-game homestand. It includes a season opening three game series against Villanova, followed by two against Northwestern State, three against Valparaiso, and two games against BYU.

The Razorbacks head to Houston, TX March 2-4 for three games at the Houston College Classic. Their three opponents are still TBA.

Arkansas then returns home for an 11-game homestand that starts with three games vs. Binghamton. Gonzaga and Nevada also visits Baum Stadium for two games each during that stretch.

SEC play opens at home March 16-18 with three games against Alabama. Other conference home series are against Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Auburn. The Razorbacks go on the road to face Mississippi State, LSU, Ole Miss, Florida, and Tennessee in conference play.

The Dugout in Omaha is your one stop for the most officially licensed 2011 College World Series apparel.

The Dugout is located right across the street from the Road To Omaha statue outside TD Ameritrade Stadium, but if you left Omaha without that College World Series hat, shirt or memorabilia you were thinking about you can still get it at Dugouthats.com!  The Dugout also has fitted college and minor league caps – just like the ones the players where on the field.

The best part is, when you click on one of the red links to Dugouthats.com you will save 20% on your order when you enter the coupon code CB360!

Arkansas is the latest SEC school to release its 2011 college baseball schedule. The Razorbacks open their season with an 11-game homestand that includes games against Delaware State (3), Utah (3), McNeese State (2), and Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

CLICK HERE to see the complete 2011 Arkansas baseball schedule.

The March 18-20 series at Auburn opens SEC play. Other conference road series are at Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, and defending national champion South Carlina. SEC road series are at Vanderbilt, LSU, Mississippi State, Florida, and Ole Miss.

Arkansas also hosts a notable midweek game against 2010 College World Series participant Oklahoma on March 29. The game against the Sooners along with SEC games against Florida and South Carolina gives the Razorbacks seven games against 2010 CWS teams.

The SEC Baseball Tournament is May 25-29 in Hoover, AL.

Give a unique gift this Christmas from Dugouthats.com.  The Dugout in Omaha has officially licensed 2010 College World Series memorabilia that would make the perfect gift this holiday season (click on the image to left to enlarge).

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.

National Champ LSU And Arkansas Look For CWS Returns

2009 Eastern Division Champion:  Florida

2009 Western Division Champion:  LSU & Ole Miss Tied with 20-10 records

2009 SEC Tournament Champion:  LSU

Banner Year:  Teams outside the SEC often complain the conference gets too much respect when it comes to NCAA Tournament bids, but the SEC lived-up to its lofty status last year.  Eight SEC teams received NCAA bids in 2009, with half of them, LSU, Ole Miss, Florida, and Arkansas, advancing to at least a Super Regional.  Arkansas and LSU both made it to Omaha, while the Tigers winning the 2009 National Championship.

Big Crowds:  The SEC drew a record of nearly 1.9 million fans to its on-campus ballparks in 2009, the fourth year in a row to draw over 1.6 million. Seven SEC teams drew in excess of 100,000 fans to their parks in 2009. The SEC averaged a record 4,689 fans per game in 2009, the third straight year to exceed the 4,000 mark.

2010 SEC Western Division Preview

Alabama

2009 Record:  (37-21, 18-11)

Mascot:  Crimson Tide

Head Coach: Mitch Gaspard

Location:  Tuscaloosa, AL

Vitals:  .330 BA, 107 HR, 60 SB, .415 OBP, .971 Fld%…5.13 ERA, 4 CG, 11 SV, 487 K, 182 BB, .277 opp. BA

New Head Coach:  Mitch Gaspard took the reigns of the Alabama program after long time skipper Jim Wells

Ross Wilson (ESPN.com)

retired last summer.  Gaspard served two stints as an assistant to Wells, including the last two seasons as Alabama’s recruiting coordinator.  He was the head coach at Northwestern State from 2002-2007.  Prior to that he helped Wells take Alabama to the College World Series three times as a Crimson Tide assistant.

Solid Returns:  Preseason All-American 2B Ross Wilson (.353, 9 HR, 57 RBIs) is one of four returning players who started at least 49 games last year.  Senior Jake Smith (.359, 18 HR, 54 RBIs), Freshman All-American Taylor Dugas (.352, 13 SB) and Josh Rutledge (.305) are back as well, as is Clay Jones (.331, 7 HR, 39 RBIs), who started just 35 games last year.  The biggest loss to the line-up is OF Kent Matthes (.358, 28 HR, 81 RBIs), who tied for the NCAA home run lead.

Pitching Questions:  Alabama loses starters Austin Hyatt (8-3, 3.76 ERA) and Del Howell (5-3, 6.33 ERA).  Those two combined to make 26 starts & tossed three of the staff’s four complete games.  With nine starts last year soph. LHP Adam Morgan (4-2, 4.17 ERA) is the team’s most experience returning starter.  Redshirt soph. reliever Tyler White (1-0, 2.28 ERA, 2 SV) and Jr. Nathan Kilcrease (4-4, 4.11 ERA, 2 SV) are among the top returning relievers.

Arkansas

2009 Record:  (41-24, 14-15)

Mascot:  Razorbacks

Head Coach:  Dave Van Horn

Location:  Fayetteville, AR

Vitals:  .273 BA, 80 HR, 67 SB, .368 OBP, .968 Fld%…4.67 ERA, 1 CG, 16 SV, 511 K, 245 BB, .267 opp. BA

Andy Wilkins

All-American Trio:  Juniors Brett Eibner (.231, 12 HR, 54 RBIs) & Andy Wilkins (.319, 19 HR, 58 RBIs) and sophomore Zach Cox (.266, 13 HR, 39 RBIs) have all received preseason All-American recognition.  Arkansas, LSU and Texas are the only three schools in the country to have three players receive All-American recognition.  Cox was a Freshman All-American last year as well.

Two-Way Duo:  Eibner and Cox are pitchers as well.  Eibner (5-5, 5.00 ERA) tied a team-high with 17 starts last year with the staff’s only complete game.  Cox (5-1, 4.82 ERA, SV) mad all 14 of his appearances out of the bullpen.

Plenty More Pitching:  Senior Mike Bolsinger (6-4, 2.99 ERA, 2SV) is among the top returning pitchers to the Razorback staff.  He picked-up the only save at last year’s College World Series.  Drew Smyly (3-1, 4.66 ERA, 14 starts).  Dallas Keuchel (9-3, 3.92 ERA) and Stephen Richards (6-2, 2.19 ERA, 9 SV) are the biggest staff losses

Auburn

2009 Record:  (31-25, 11-19)

Mascot:  Tigers

Head Coach:  John Pawlowski

Location:  Auburn, AL

Vitals:  .286 BA, 103 HR, 40 SB, .381 OBP, .969 Fld%…6.12 ERA, 0 CG, 12 SV, 411 K, 228 BB, .321 opp. BA

Notable Drought:  Since going to the NCAA Tournament five times from 2000-2005 Auburn has missed the tourney the last four years.

Mound Presence:  Junior LHP Grant Dayton (2-6, 5.92 ERA) and soph. Jon Luke Jacobs (3-4, 5.74 ERA) are back to lead the weekend rotation.  They are expected to be joined by 6’7 lefty Cole Nelson, a junior college transfer who was drafted in the 48th round by Tampa Bay last year.  Austin Hubbard (3-3, 4.20 ERA, 12 SV) and Bradley Hendrix (7-3, 5.09 ERA) are back to lead the bullpen.  Hendrix’s 7 wins led the staff as did his 24 relief appearances.  Another juco transfer, Stephen Kohlscheen, helped lead Cowley College to last year’s Junior College World Series.

A Lot In The Line-Up:  Auburn returns seven of its top nine hitters from 2009.  Justin Hargett led the Tigers in average (.330) and on-base percentage (.426).  He’s joined by Brian Fletcher (.301, 17 HR, 54 RBIs), Casey McElroy (.286, 7 HR), Hunter Morris (.282, 12 HR), and Tony Caldwell (.281, 9 HR).

No Mummey…For Now:  Auburn recently announced that centerfielder Trent Mummey (.289, 15 HR) will miss at least a month with a severely sprained right ankle.  Mummey had 17 of Auburn’s 40 stolen bases last year.  He was also named to the SEC All-Defensive Team.   Junior college transfer Justin Fradejas will fill-in until he returns.

Desert Challenge:  The Tigers go to Tempe, AZ for a 3-game series with Arizona State March 12-14.

LSU

2009 Record:  (56-17, 20-10)

Mascot:  Tigers

Head Coach:  Paul Mainieri

Location:  Baton Rouge, LA

Vitals:  .315 BA, 107 HR, 114 SB, .405 OBP, .974 Fld%…4.02 ERA, 679 K, 186 BB, .257 opp. BA

Anthony Ranaudo (ESPN.com photo)

LSU Line-Up Losses:  The Tigers lose four of their top five batters from last year’s National Championship team.  D.J. LeMahieu (.350, 12 SB), Ryan Schimpf (.336, 22 HR, 70 RBIs, 18 SB), Sean Ochinko (.333, 9 HR), and Jared Mitchell (.327, 11 HR, 36 SB) are all gone.

Top Bats Back:  LSU still returns the like of Sr. Blake Dean (.328, 17 HR, 71 RBIs), Tyler Hanover (.321), SEC Tournament MVP Mikie Mahtook (.316, 7 HR), Leon Landry (.300, 12 HR), and slick fielding Austin Nola, who didn’t join the starting line-up until LSU’s 40th game of the season last year.  He did not commit an error at shortstop in 24 chances at the College World Series.

On The Hill:  While they lose top overall pitcher Louis Coleman (14-2, 2.93 ERA, 142 K), the Tigers return several top notch pitchers to carry the load.  The group is led by junior Anthony Ranaudo (12-3, 3.04, 159 K).  He’s joined by Austin Ross (6-8, 5.18 ERA), soph.closer Matty Ott (4-2, 2.68 ERA, 16 SV), Daniel Bradshaw (4-0, 3.04 ERA), Paul Bertuccini (2-0, 3.86 ERA, 3 SV), and Chris Matulis (6-2, 4.82 ERA).

On The Bayou:  LSU plays its first 21 games of the season in Louisiana.  The only road game is at Northwestern State in Natchitoches.

Mississippi

2009 Record:  (44-20-, 20-10)

Mascot:  Rebels

Head Coach:  Mike Bianco

Location:  Oxford, MS

Vitals:  .310 BA, 56 HR, 92 SB, .398 OBP, .970 Fld%…4.06 ERA, 4 CG, 17 SV, 623 K, 189 BB, .271 opp. BA

Dealing With Draft Losses:  After setting a school record with 20 wins in SEC play Ole Miss had 11 players drafted last year, including five underclassmen who signed pro contracts.  Jordan Henry (.343, 38 SB), Logan Power (.311, 7 HR, 20 doubles) and Kyle Henson (.338, 8 HR) are the top losses in the line-up.   Scott Bittle (5-2, 2.17 ERA), Phillip Irwin (8-3, 3.84 ERA), Brett Bukvich (9-3, 4.42 ERA), and Nathan Baker (4-3, 3.63 ERA) are all gone from the pitching staff.

Matt Smith (secsports.com)

Bats That Are Back:  The good news for the Rebles is three players shared the team lead with 8 home runs, and two of those players, Matt Smith (.336, 8 HR, 59 RBIs) and Matt Snyder (.298, 8 HR, 31 RBIs) are back this year.  Smith was the team RBI leader.  Snyder and his twin brother, Mike, are expected to share the corner infield spots.  Tim Ferguson (.358, 18 SB) and Zac Miller (.341) are among other top returnees to the line-up.

Mound Returnees:  Junior LHP Drew Pomeranz (8-4, 3.40 ERA) will lead the weekend rotation.  Closer Jake Morgan (4-1, 3.46 ERA, 9 saves) suffered an injury in the off-season, so David Goforth (1-1, 2.80 ERA, 3 SV) is expected to move into that role.   Senior Rory McKean (5-1, 4.53 ERA) is among a handful of other experience relievers who return.

Welcome Back?:  The Rebels will host a 3-game series with reigning Big East Champion Louisville March 12-14.  The Cardinals are coached by former Ole Miss assistant Dan McDonnell and have been to Super Regionals in two of the last three seasons.

Mississippi State

2009 Record:  (25-29, 9-20)

Mascot:  Bulldogs

Head Coach:  John Cohen

Location:  Starkville, MS

Vitals:  .298 BA, 61 HR, 72 SB, .398 OBP, .968 Fld%…6.57 ERA, 5 CG, 12 SV, 365 K, 246 BB, .304 opp. BA

Dogs Absent:  Since making NCAA Tournament appearances from 2003-2007, including the ’07 CWS, Mississippi State has missed the last two NCAA Tourneys.  In fact, the Bulldogs have not been to the SEC tournament for the last two years either.

Big Dogs Back:  1B Connor Powers (.301, 19 HR, 63 RBIs) and DH Ryan Duffy (.339, 10 HR, 33 RBIs) were MSU’s top home runs hitters last year, and they’re both back to lead the offense.  Jet Butler (.335) and Russ Sneed (.333, 9 HR, 43 RBIs) return as well.  Leading hitter Scott DeLoach (.353) and Grant Hogue (.315, 29 SB) are the biggest offensive losses.

Hard Working Dogs:   Nick Routt (5-3, 4.15 ERA, 4 CG) and Tyler Whitney (3-4, 5.18 ERA, CG), who accounted for 24 of the staff’s 54 starts and all five complete games last year, are both back.   The Bulldogs lose saves leader Chad Crosswhite (6 SV, 7.38 ERA).  Routt is expected to lead the rotation, while Whitney could move to the closer role.  Lefty junior college transfer Trey Johnson and freshman Chris Stratton could factor in the weekend rotation.  Johnson hit 19 HR as a two-way player last year at Blinn (TX) CC.

Special Delivery:  For the second straight year Mississippi State players hand delivered tickets in neighborhoods throughout Starkville to local fans who ordered 2010 season tickets.  Head coach John Cohen started the program when he was the head coach at Kentucky.

2010 SEC Western Division Predictions

Top Western Division Player:  Andy Wilkins – Arkansas

Top Western Division Pitcher:  Anthony Ranaudo – LSU

Western Division Champion:  LSU

CLICK HERE to see the Eastern Division Preview & Predictions

2010 SEC Baseball Overall Predictions

SEC Player of the Year:  Preston Tucker – Florida

SEC Pitcher of the Year:  Anthony Ranaudo – LSU

Overall SEC Champion:  South Carolina

Can Oral Roberts Repeat…AGAIN?

ORU head coach Rob Walton

The Skinny: To say that Oral Roberts has dominated the Summit League would be an insult to the word understatement.  The Golden Eagles not only run roughshod through the postseason by winning 12 straight Summit (formerly the Mid-Continent) League titles, but they have also gone 246-27 (.901) in Summit League regular-season games since joining the conference in 1998.  ORU is 36-1 in those conference tournament games.  They’ve won 27 straight such games, with the lone loss coming to Southern Utah in 2000.

All that success begs the obvious question:  Can anyone even challenge Oral Roberts in 2010?

Centenary

2009 Season: (33-19, 16-10)

Mascot:  Gents

Head Coach: Ed McCann

Location:  Shreveport, LA

Vitals: .312 BA, 36 HR, .398 OBP, .959 Fld%…4.87 ERA, 10 SVs, 387 K, 167 BB, .296 Opp. BA

Giant Killer: The Gents posted wins over top-ranked Texas A&M and 18^th ranked Arkansas in 2009.

No Cupcakes: Centenary opens the 2010 schedule in Baton Rouge against defending national champion LSU.  They also play a two-game set at another ’09 CWS team, Arkansas, in March.

Big Losses: Centenary has to deal with the loss of All-Summit League performers Chris LaLonde (4-0, 6.35 ERA) and Ricky Imperiali (.325, 19 doubles).  Travis Leverson led the team with a .386 BA & led the Summit with 18 stolen bases.

Who’s Back:  Michael Tompkins (.348, 8 HR, 45 RBIs) & Tell Ross (.350, 7 HR, 49 RBIs) will pace the offense.

Ace Rising:  Justin Kraft (6-4, 4.08 ERA, 4 CG, 77 K in 81.2 IP should be one of the top pitchers in the conference.

Northern Exposure:  Reigning America East champion Binghamton leaves New York for a 4-game series in Shreveport March 27-29.

IPFW

2009 Season: (13-38, 6-21)

Mascot:  Mastadons

Head Coach: Bobby Pierce

Location:  Ft. Wayne, IN

Vitals: .261 BA, 28 HR, .360 OBP, .952 Fld%…8.10 ERA, 264 K, 268 BB, .328 opp. BA

Boiler Up: IPFW notched two of their 13 wins on the season against Big 10 foe Purdue, sweeping the season series.

Mr. Everything: The Mastodons must replace INF Chris Gottschall, who led the team in every offensive category, except triples and stolen bases.

North Dakota State

2009 Season: (16-28, 10-14)

Mascot:  Bison

Head Coach: Tod Brown

Location:  Fargo, ND

Vitals:  .296 BA, 16 HR, .373 OBP, .952 Fld%…6.71 ERA, 285 K, 184 BB, .315 opp. BA

Youth Movement: NDSU returns two second team All-Summit League selections in So. P John Straka and So. C Justin Kilne.  Straka led North Dakota State with a 4-3 record with a 3.49 ERA and 54 strikeouts.  Kline set a Bison freshman record and led the Summit League with a team-leading .432 batting average.

Road Warriors: NDSU plays its first 26 games on the road this season before finally opening the home schedule April 13^th against Dakota Wesleyan.

Oakland

2009 Season: (22-34, 10-18)

Mascot:  Golden Grizzlies

Head Coach: John Musachio

Location:  Rochester, MI

Vitals:  .299 BA, 49 HR, .380 OBP, .960 Fld%…8.00 ERA, 5 CG, 8 SV, 274 K, 273 BB, .336 opp. BA

Record Setter: The Golden Grizzlies must replace infielder Andrew Stafford who broke single-season school records by smacking 82 hits and posting a .381 batting average.

Strong Arms: Oakland returns all 10 pitchers who earned a win last season.

Tough Test: Oakland opens its season with a three-game series against Mississippi in Oxford.

Oral Roberts

2009 Season: (33-15, 16-2)

Mascot:  Golden Eagles

Head Coach: Rob Walton

Location:  Tulsa, OK

Vitals:  .303 BA, 80 HR, .403 OBP, .962 Fld%…3.76 ERA, 9 CG, 4 SV, 498 K, 193 BB, .242 opp. BA

Seth Furmanek

Key Departures: ORU faces the task of replacing Summit League Player of the Year Mark Serrano (9-1, 2.50 ERA), and San Diego Padres first round draft pick Jerry Sullivan (8-3, 3.12 ERA).

Key Returners: Senior C Seth Furmanek (.333, 17 HR) and senior INF Colby Price (.342, 10 doubles), lead a potent Golden Eagles offense.

Road Tests: Oral Roberts has trips this season to Baylor, UCLA, and Texas.

Home Cookin’: Since 1998 ORU’s J.L. Johnson Stadium has hosted either the Mid-Continent or Summit League postseason tournament 10 of 12 times.

South Dakota State

Jesse Sawyer

2009 Season: (26-30, 17-10)

Mascot:  Jackrabbits

Head Coach: Ritchie Price

Location:  Brookings, SD

Vitals:  .315 BA, 65 HR, .392 OBP, .963 Fld%…6.80 ERA, 4 CG, 6 SV, 322 K, 222 BB, .317 opp. BA

Country’s Best Eh: Junior third baseman Jesse Sawyer was named the top Canadian college baseball player according to CanadianBaseballNetwork.com after setting SDSU single season records for homeruns (19) and total bases (148).  Sawyer also led the team with 61 runs scored and 58 RBI.

Hot Streak: After starting the season 5-22, the Jackrabbits won 19 of their last 25 games while all nine regular starters finished the season hitting above .300

Southern Utah

2009 Season: (27-24, 15-7)

Mascot:  Thunderbirds

Head Coach: David Eldredge

Location:  Cedar City, UT

Vitals:  .318 BA, 52 HR, .396 OBP, .957 Fld%…5.85 ERA, 6 CG, 11 SV, 258 K, 237 BB, .313 opp. BA

Man on a Mission: Southern Utah third baseman Bo Cuthbertson earned Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America honors and was named to the PING!Baseball All-Freshman third-team after leading the team with a .393 average.  Cuthbertson, though, is taking the next two years off while serving on an LDS mission in Uruguay.

Thunderbird Hoosiers: SU returns just 15 players from last year’s roster.

Career Leader: Newly named assistant coach Keli’i Zablan finished his Thunderbird playing days first in career at-bats and total bases.

Western Illinois

2009 Season: (13-33, 8-16)

Mascot:  Leathernecks

Head Coach: Mike Villano

Location:  Macomb, IL

Vitals:  .297 BA, 37 HR, .956 Fld%…10.27 ERA, 235 K, 218 BB

Stan Hyman

Tragic Loss: Mike Villano was named Western Illinois head coach November 23^rd after Stan Hyman passed away at age 50 after battling leukemia.

Big Wins: The Leathernecks first victory last year was a 24-0 win over Medaille, with their second coming four days later over 12^th ranked Oklahoma State.

Major Opportunities: WIU faces some heavy hitters on this season’s schedule.  Included are trips to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.

Predictions:

2010 Champion: Oral Roberts, while Centenary looks to be the closest challenger

2010 Player of the Year: North Dakota State’s Justin Kline

2010 Pitcher of the Year: North Dakota State’s John Straka

#1 Arkansas Beats #1 Arizona State

17.  Rhode Island Beats Miami And Oklahoma State

18.  Kansas State’s A.J. Morris beats Arizona State’s Mike Leake

19.  North Carolina’s Mike Fox Wins His 1,000th Game

20.  Illinois Shocks #1 LSU In Baton Rouge

21.  Alabama’s Kent Matthes Launches Longballs

22.  Freshman Levi Michael Starts In North Carolina’s Season Opener

23.  LSU Opens The New Alex Box Stadium

24.  Oregon Brings Back Baseball