College Baseball Conference Tournament Central

2010 Conference Tournament Central

Below on this page you will find information on all of this week’s college baseball conference tournaments.  Links to brackets (in most cases each conference’s tournament central page) as well as All-Conference Teams are provided.

Only five of 27 #1 seeds won their conference tournaments.

America East Tournament (May 26-28)

Bracket Champion: Stony Brook

All-Conference Team

ACC Tournament (May 26-30)

Bracket Champion:  Florida State

All-Conference Team

Atlantic Sun Tournament (May26-29)

Bracket Champion:  Mercer (First title since 1983)

All-Conference Team

Atlantic 10 Tournament (May 26-29)

Bracket Champion:  St. Louis

All-Conference Team

Big East Tournament (May 26-30)

Bracket Champion:  St. John’s

All-Conference Team

Big South Tournament (May 25-29)

Bracket Champion: Coastal Carolina

All-Conference Team

Big Ten Tournament (May 26-29)

Bracket Champion:  Minnesota

All-Conference Team

Big Twelve Tournament (May 26-30)

Bracket Champion:  Texas A&M

All-Conference Team

Big West Conference – No Post Season Tournament

Regular Season Champion: Cal State Fullerton

All-Conference team

CAA Tournament (May 27-29)

Bracket Champion:  Virginia Commonwealth

All-Conference Team

Conference USA Tournament (May 26-30)

Bracket Champion:  Southern Mississippi

All-Conference Team

Great West Tournament (May 26-29)

Bracket Champ: Utah Valley (No NCAA Bid)

All-Conference Team

Horizon League Tournament (May 26-30)

Bracket Champion:  Wisconsin-Milwaukee

All-Conference Team

Ivy League – Best of Three Series

Champion:  Dartmouth beat Columbia

All-Conference Team

Metro Atlantic Tournament

Bracket Champion:  Rider

All-Conference Team

Mid-American (MAC) Tournament (May 26-29)

Bracket Champion:  Kent State

All-Conference Team

Missouri Valley Tournament (May 26-29)

Bracket Champion:  Illinois State

All-Conference Team

Mountain West Conference Tournament (May 25-29)

Bracket Champion:  TCU

All-Conference Team

Northeast Conference Tournament (May 27-29)

Bracket Champion: Central Connecticut St.

All-Conference Team

Ohio Valley Tournament (May 26-30)

Bracket Champion:  Jacksonville St.

All-Conference Team

Pac 10 Conference – No Postseason Tournament

Regular Season Champion:  Arizona State

All-Conference Team

Patriot League – Best of Three Series

Champion:  Bucknell

All-Conference Team

SEC Tournament (May 26-30)

Bracket Champion:  LSU

All-Conference Team

Southern Conference Tournament (May 26-30)

Bracket Champion:  The Citadel

All-Conference Team

Southland Conference Tournament (May 26-29)

Bracket Champion:  Lamar

All-Conference Team

SWAC Tournament (May 26-30)

Bracket Champion:  Grambling St.

All-Conference Team

Summit League Tournament (May 27-29)

Bracket Champion:  Oral Roberts

All-Conference Team

Sun Belt Conference Tournament (May 26-29)

Bracket Champion:  Florida International

All-Conference Team

West Coast Conference – No Postseason Tournament

Regular Season Champion:  San Diego

All-Conference Team

Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Tournament (May 26-30)

Bracket Champion:  Hawaii (First since 1992)

All-Conference Team

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Analysis: Bob Todd’s Time Had Come At OSU

Collegebaseball360.com contributor Chris Webb runs the blog Buckeyestatebaseball.com.  He lives in Columbus, OH, and provides his thoughts on Bob Todd’s recent retirement as well as the current state of the Ohio State baseball program.

By Chris Webb

The spring of 2010 has been a bit of a struggle for me. While I could go on at great length at how much it sucks that my car was totaled while I was not driving it, life happens. The upper resporitory turned viral eye infection has not been overly pleasant, but again those things happen. What has caused me the most disdain and provided the most discomfort is what has transpired on the baseball diamond.

Ken Griffey Jr. isn’t Ken Griffey Jr.

Junior is reason number one as to why I am a baseball fan, writer, ex-player, junkie, nut, whatever. As a kid in the early 90s none captured my imagination like the Kid. So much is the fact I thought he name was King Griffey Jr. and he automatically was the best baseball player by being the King. As I now watch Baseball Tonight or SportsCenter I cringe whenever I see a Mariners highlight knowing Junior is a shell of the greatness he once possessed.

The same can be said of Ohio State baseball.

When the calendar changed to 2010 for Buckeye baseball faithful the resounding thought was “our year”. The players would say they practiced and prepped harder than before in hopes that the season would take Ohio State baseball to a place they last saw 42 seasons ago. Instead of taking a step towards Omaha the members of the Ohio State baseball team are walking through the Oval as conference tournaments are underway across the country.

It is easy to say the season was a bust. It was, there is no way around it. It is one thing for Michigan to go from first to seventh from 2008 to 2009, they lost a handful of extremely talented underclassmen to the MLB Draft and returned little from their championship team. Ohio State? This was a team that lost three players to graduation, returned eight starters in the field, the entire weekend rotation. Instead of being the toast of Columbus the Bucks are the butt of jokes around college baseball.

Which is unfortunate because the student-athletes and program deserve better, and this fall from grace was a longtime coming.

As Bob Todd retires as head coach of the baseball team at Ohio State there is no denying that the program is better for his time. With 901 wins, seven Big Ten titles, another eight tournament crowns, and never a losing season, Coach Todd has done more than any coach in Ohio State baseball history.

Yet his resume is void of one major accomplishment, a trip to Omaha, and he leaves a program that needs rebuilding.

I am fully aware of the context and the difficulty of such a task. A trip to Omaha is a major achievement for any program and many fail to come close to the final field of eight. However it is hard to bleed Scarlet & Gray while having baseball in your blood and not have a bitter taste for Coach Todd’s tenure.

While Ohio State was dominating the Big Ten in the early 90s, they were hardly more than a blip on the radar screen. In racking up five-consecutive 40 win seasons from 1991-1995 Ohio State twice went 0-2 in NCAA Regional play, advancing just once to a Regional final in 1993. The string of great seasons was capped with a 49-9 mark in 1995 which was the best record in the nation, yet the Bucks were blown out 20-6 by Kansas in game one of the Regional before falling 6-5 to Jacksonville to end the season.

Regardless of national shortcomings, Ohio State was the premier program in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes dominated the diamonds across the Big Ten just as football powered through the gridiron. Coach Todd had made Ohio State a conference powerhouse after being a cellar-dweller in the season leading to his arrival.

Riding the wave of momentum, construction was set forth for a new baseball stadium, one that became Bill Davis Stadium. The stadium which will host the Big Ten Tournament this week ironically, now in its 14th season cost $4.7 million to construct. While Ohio State was showing an interest in upgrading facilities throughout its Department of Athletics, soon after the Schottenstein Center and Jesse Owens Stadium were constructed  as well as renovations to Ohio Stadium, Coach Todd provided Ohio State a program to pour money into.

With a decade of conference and regional success and a state-of-the-art facility in his back pocket, Coach Todd was primed to take Ohio State to the next level.

Initially it appeared the Buckeyes were there.

In just year three of Bill Davis, the stadium would be home to a NCAA Regional and Super Regional. At 50-14, 25-3 in the Big Ten, the 1999 season provided Coach Todd with his shining moment. Sweeping through the Regional field, Ohio State hosted Cal-State Fullerton with a shot to advance to Omaha. For a team that rattled off winning streaks of 14 and 21 games during the course of the season, winning two would seem to be not a problem.

Unfortunately Ohio State would again be exposed on the national level. A 23-3 loss at Miami early in the season, coupled with Ohio State being outscored 24-7 by the Titans after taking game one of the Super Regional, left many wondering if Ohio State could truly compete on a national level. While the future would answer that question, the first 11 years of Todd’s tenure provided optimism for Buckeye baseball in the new millenium.

The optimism would turn into misery.

Ohio State would again host a Regional, doing so in 2001, but in doing so Ohio State would begin to be exposed to a changing collegiate baseball environment.

Perhaps victims of their own success, Ohio State began to see programs across the Big Ten show a renewed interest in a once-proud sport. Interest and, more importantly, money began to stream into the baseball programs across the Midwest. Where Ohio State had done so five years prior, discussion to increase facilities were soon heard around the Big Ten.

Though easily the top dog in the Big Ten still, was Ohio State starting to lose grip on an Ohio stranglehold? The rising program at Kent State would reach a program high as the Flashes were the team to knock off Ohio State in the Columbus Regional, ending the 2001 season with yet another 0-and-2 Regional showing.

Either unknowing of the changing environment or steadfast in set ways, little changed for Coach Todd in the early 2000s compared to the 1990s. While the Bucks continued their conference supremacy, failing to finish out of the top two in the Big Ten from 2001-2004, the program already had four 20-loss seasons in the decade’s first five years, a number that topped the three such seasons in the 1990s.

Beyond the diamond, college baseball itself was undergoing changes.

A sport that once received little notice was finding a home and voice on the internet. With the likes of Eric Sorenson and Mark Etheridge those who loved the game started to fill the college baseball void. Though small in product, with the internet an infinite audience could be reached as attention was slowly turning towards the college game. Online blogs and sites began to creep up providing analysis and opinions on the game that once were falling on deaf ears were being heard.

This would be a wave Ohio State failed to jump on. Relying on the raw number of wins, Coach Todd neglected building a RPI-favorable schedule for his teams. With the idea of reaching 40 wins to secure a Regional at-large berth, pushovers would line the schedule. Instead of facing stiffer competition to prep for an improving Big Ten or Regional field, the fascination with obtaining as many wins as possible was there.

Not only did Ohio State lose touch of what an elite program needed to do, the grip on the Big Ten continued to lessen. Four of the decade’s first five seasons yielded 12 or more conference losses, just twice in the 1990s did this happen. Yet by winning the Big Ten Tournament Ohio State would still advance to Regional play in 2002 and 2003, with the 2003 season joining the 2001 campaign as a season Ohio State hosted a Super Regional. Yet again the Bucks fell short as Southwest Missouri State swept the Super Regional.

The last half of the decade would prove that the game had indeed passed Coach Todd and a once dominate Ohio State program quickly became middle-of-the-pack.

The run of 12 or more conference losses would extend through the 2000s, ending at eight seasons with an 18-6 mark in 2009. Equally as long was the drought Ohio State suffered in winning a Big Ten championship, compared to how Ohio State won five-consecutive titles from 91-95. The run in the mid-90s ended with a 6th place 15-13 Big Ten mark. In 2007 and 2008 Ohio State fell to a .500 conference program going 15-15 each season finishing sixth and fifth, respectively.

Getting hot at the right time was needed in 2005 and 2007 as Ohio State won the conference’s automatic bid, even though they finished the conference season tied for fourth and sixth respectively, while having seasons the RPI rated to be well beyond those of the contending at-large teams.

Along with the ongoing issues on the field, resentment off of the field began to invade the Buckeye clubhouse. While his players of the 1990s speak fondly of Coach Todd, a different sentiment is struck with those of the latter half of his career. While notable alumni of various Big Ten and Midwest schools openly give back and speak of their time at such and such U in favor, Ohio State’s biggest star, Nick Swisher is silent and nowhere to be found.

For those who would travel to Bill Davis Stadium in the late-2000s, you would think the stadium was little more than an extension of Union Cemetary found up the street on Olentangy River Road. The exuberance and passion that separates the collegiate game from the professional world could be found everywhere but Columbus. Winning cures all, yet the bottom-feeders of the Big Ten would show more fire and joy of donning their uniform than those who wore the Scarlet & Gray. Not only was Ohio State not winning, the Buckeyes at times seemed to want to be anywhere but on the diamond.

The little pomp on the field was matched by declining fanfare in the stands.

A program that boasted attendance figures that once rivaled elite programs in the nation saw a steady decline in those who entered the Bill Davis gates. In 2005 Ohio State was 23rd in the nation in average attendance with an average crowd of 2,570 per game. The number would fall to 2,260 in 2006 a mark that finished 26th. The slide continued in 2007 with 27th best average attendance of 2,073. In 2008 Ohio State fell out of the top 30, down to 32 at 1,863. Then in 2009 the number would shrink to 1,768, 35th best.

A prolonged drought in championship seasons, disdain in the clubhouse, and now a shrinking fanbase or more importantly, a decline in support and money into the program. The were ills abound with Ohio State baseball as Coach Todd entered the final season of his contract. The program was appearing to be in shambles.

All of that seemed to change after 2009.

A year after the championship drought was ended, 40-wins put down in the record books, and a trip to a Regional, Ohio State baseball was supposed to be back. Yeah it was back, back to be a middle of the road team again.

2010 saw Ohio State fail to win 30 games for the first time under Coach Todd. Another first was the Buckeyes finished below .500 in the Big Ten at 11-13. Yet another first was Ohio State closing the season dropping their last five conference series. Before 2010 Ohio State never lost more than two series in a row.

From a conference powerhouse, to conference elite, to middle of the road, to out of the picture, the bottom had fallen out of Ohio State baseball. For the first time ever, Ohio State’s expected operating budget for the baseball program topped the $1 million mark. A million dollar program was now being passed by Northwestern, a school which does not fulfill the allotted 11.7 scholarships. Providing the program’s biggest black eye were back-to-back losses to Webber International, and Rollins. Institutions that are respectively NAIA and DII, with enrollments smaller than one freshman dorm at Ohio State.

Ironically Coach Todd’s lowest of moments might save the future of Ohio State baseball.

After dropping a pair of midweek games to nationally ranked Louisville, a team in-region which has risen to national prominence including a trip to Omaha in the last five seasons, Coach Todd announced he was retiring at season’s end. Citing the lack of desire and passion for the game Coach Todd stated he wanted to get out before it was too late, the thought of retiring and spending more time with his family had come to him during the spring trip.

In missing the Big Ten Tournament for just the second time in 20 years, while finishing with a conference losing record for the first time since 1987, a season that started with no current Buckeye yet born.  Energy, time, and passion is needed to return Ohio State to where it once was, while then taking the final step that eluded Coach Todd.

While myself, and hopefully every Buckeye alum, fan, parent, and player is thankful for what Coach Todd has done for Ohio State in his 23 years. Instead of forcing Ohio State to not renew his contract, Coach Todd knew he no longer had it in him to be the coach at Ohio State. While the memories of the 1990s are great, like Junior, Ohio State is a shell of what it once was.

Coach Bob Todd by the numbers

• 1,052-559-2 overall
• 413-236 in the Big Ten
• Seven Big Ten Championships (1991-95, 99, 2001, 09)
• Eight Big Ten Tournament Championships (1991, 94, 95, 97, 2002, 03, 05, 07)
• 13 NCAA Regional Appearances (1991-95, 97, 99, 2001-2003, 05, 07, 09)
• 2 Super Regional Appearance (2001, 2003)
• 22 years of 30 or more victories (1987-2009)
• Never a losing season
• 72 professional signed players
• 19 All-Americans
• Eight Academic All-Americans

College Baseball Notebook-Week 13

FIU’s Wittels Heads This Week’s “By The Numbers”…

45…Game hitting streak by Florida International’s Garrett Wittels.  The sophomore had at least one hit in each of FIU’s three wins over South Alabama over the weekend to tie Roger Schmuck of Arizona State (1971) for the third longest Division One hitting streak of all-time.

47…Game hitting streak by Phil Stephenson of Wichita State in 1981 for the second longest streak in NCAA history.  Oklahoma State’s Robin Ventura’s 58 game streak (which ended at the 1987 College World Series) is the longest in DI history.

3…Teams that have qualified for the 2010 NCAA Baseball Tournament.  San Diego and Cal State Fullerton joined Ivy League champ Dartmouth by claiming the their regular season crowns over the weekend.  San Diego won the WCC thanks to losses by Portland, while Fullerton claimed at least a share of the Big West after sweeping Long Beach State.  The Titans own the tie-breaker with UC Irvine and need just one win or one Cal State Northridge loss to win the title outright.

18-2…Fullerton’s record in its last 20 games since losing game one of its series vs. Irvine back on April 9th.

19…Straight NCAA Tournament appearances Fullerton will make when it plays in its NCAA regional this season.  It’s the third longest active streak in the nation behind Miami (37) and Florida State (32).

47…Days it took to complete TCU’s 19-17 win in 12 innings over Air Force to clinch the 2010 Mountain West

Conference Championship.  The game began on March 28th in Colorado Springs, and was suspended due to weather.  It resumed in the 7th inning Friday afternoon in Ft. Worth with TCU leading 16-15.

12…Strikeouts by TCU pitcher Matt Purke, who gave-up just a run on five hits in six innings of relief in that game to improve to 10-0.  The freshman is the Horned Frog’s regular Friday starter.

8…Home runs TCU hit in that game to help the Horned Frogs to a new school record total of 84 HR hit this season.  The record had stood since 1998.

3…Weekend wins by Kentucky (29-23, 12-15) over LSU to hand the defending national champions their fourth straight SEC series loss.  The Tigers (34-18, 12-15) have lost 11 of their last 12 SEC games and 12 of their last 14 games overall.

19…Years since Kentucky had last swept a weekend series from LSU.

21…Years since LSU played in the NCAA Tournament but did not host a Regional.  The Tigers played in College Station Texas that year.  LSU has hosted 18 NCAA Regionals since then, but could find themselves on the road when the tournament starts this year.

16-8…Score by which Indiana trailed Kentucky heading into the bottom of the 8th inning of Tuesday’s game vs. Kentucky.  The Hoosiers plated five runs with two outs in the 8th and then added three more in the 9th to force extra innings before Michael Early’s walk-off hit gave IU an improbable 18-17 victory.

0-for-6…What Early was at the plate in the game prior to drilling a pitch off the left field wall to plate Dylan Smith with the game-winning run.

4 & 7…Home runs hit and RBI’s by St. John’s left fielder Jeremy Baltz in Friday’s 8-5 win over #6 Louisville (the Red

Storm lost the other two games in the series).  The freshman leads St. John’s with a .412 average, 18 home runs and 68 RBIs this season.

14-0…Northwestern’s lead over Michigan in the middle of the third inning Sunday in Ann Arbor.

15-14…The final score of Michigan’s comeback win over the Wildcats.  The game ended on Mike Dufek’s walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning.

5 2/3…Scoreless innings pitched by Wolverine reliever Matt Miller to pick-up the win.  The junior struck out seven and gave-up just two hits to keep the Wildcats scoreless while Michigan scored the last nine of its 15 unanswered runs.

14…Straight games Virginia has won after sweeping North Carolina over the weekend.  North Carolina (32-20, 11-16) had won eight straight and 10 of its last 11 games heading into the series with the Cavs (43-9, 21-6).

2…Walk-off hits the Cavaliers needed to pull off the sweep.  John Barr’s 2-out RBI single capped Saturday’s game one 3-2 victory,  while John Hicks ended Sunday’s 5-3 win with a 3-run home run.

900…Wins at Ohio State by head coach Bob Todd after Sunday’s 11-6 win over Iowa for the Buckeyes’ lone win of the 3-game series.  Todd will retire at season’s end.

7…Scoreless innings pitched by South Carolina’s bullpen in a 3-game weekend sweep of Arkansas.  Five relievers combined to give-up just two hits after starter Tyler Webb left after giving-up three runs in three innings in Sunday’s 5-3 win to cap the sweep.

33…Consecutive Big South Conference games won by #5 Coastal Carolina (45-6, 23-0) after a 3-game sweep of #39 Liberty (37-15, 18-6).  The Chanticleers remain in good shape to receive a top 8 national seed after sweeping the second place team in their conference.

14,619…Fans who saw Florida’s 3-game sweep of Georgia over the weekend in Gainesville.  It’s the best 3-game attendance figure in program history.  Florida (37-12, 20-7) and South Carolina (41-11, 29-7) are tied for first place in the SEC East.  They go head to head this weekend.

4…Straight SEC series won by Auburn after taking two of three games from Tennessee.  The Tigers (35-17, 17-10) now lead the SEC West.

15…Years since Auburn last won the SEC’s Western Division.  They close the regular season this weekend at Ole Miss.

10…Run deficit faced by Rice as the Owls prepared to bat in the bottom of the third inning Sunday vs. Southern Mississippi.

19…Unanswered runs Rice scored to beat the Golden Eagles 21-14.  Anthony Rendon paced the Owls, going 4-for-5 with two home runs and 4 RBIs to help Rice lock-up the top seed in the Conference USA Tournament.

7…RBIs by USM’s B.A. Vollmuth in the loss.  The sophomore shortstop belted a pair of home runs himself, including a grand slam.

1,000…Career wins by Arizona head coach Andy Lopez after his Wildcats topped #1 Arizona State 12-4 Sunday night in Tucson.  Lopez is the 16th active coach and the 46th all-time Division One coach to reach the milestone.

1…Loss by ASU’s Merrill Kelly (9-1) this season after giving-up six runs (five earned) in just 3 2/3 IP-his shortest start of the season.  The 12 runs are the most given-up by the Sun Devils this year.

25…Consecutive scoreless innings pitched by Rhode Island’s Tim Boyce (a new URI school record).  The senior struck out 10 and gave-up just two singles with his second straight complete game shutout in Friday’s 6-0 win over Richmond.

27 1/3…Consecutive scoreless innings pitched by Wichita State’s Jordan Cooper after Friday’s 3-0 win over Missouri State.  The sophomore fanned 14 and struck out at least one batter in every inning to improve to 8-2.

69…Walks issued to UT Arlington outfielder Michael Choice this season to set a new Southland Conference single season record.  Choice is batting .401 with 16 home runs and 58 RBIs for the Mavericks (26-26).  He was walked

intentionally in the first inning of Sunday’s 11-8 win over Lamar to set the record.

19…Times Choice has been intentionally walked this season to help him lead the nation with his 69 free passes 2010.

10…Big Ten teams that are all still alive in the race to qualify for next week’s 6-team Big Ten Tournament. Four  teams, Michigan State, Ohio State, Indiana, and Iowa, are tied for fifth place.

.266…UC Riverside’s Tony Nix’s season batting average entering last week’s action.

.341…Nix’s current average after a week in which he was 17-for-26 with three home runs, five doubles, a triple, 11 runs scored, and 15 RBIs.  Nix had a stretch during which he had nine straight hits, including a 6-for-6 game against Loyola Marymount.

4…Home runs hit by Bucknell’s Paul Shribman to help the #4 seed Bison beat #1 seed Army in the Patriot League’s best two of three semifinal series.  Shribman belted a grand slam in the series clinching win and finished the weekend by batting 8-for-13 with 9 RBIs and 7 runs scored.  Bucknell faces #3 seed Holy Cross in this weekend’s Patriot League Championship Series.

2010 NCAA Baseball Tournament Automatic Qualifiers

30 conference champions earn automatic berths into the field of 64 in the 2010 NCAA Division One baseball tournament.  We will list them as they secure their bids.

CLICK HERE to see the NCAA selection handbook, which includes at-large selection criteria and more information.

NCAA Tournament Selection Timeline

America East-Stony Brook

ACC:  Florida State

Atlantic Sun:  Mercer

Atlantic 10-St. Louis

Big East-St. John’s

Big South-Coastal Carolina

Big Ten-Minnesota

Big 12-Texas A&M

Big West-Cal State Fullerton

CAA-Virginia Commonwealth

CUSA-Southern Mississippi

Horizon:  Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Ivy League-Dartmouth

MAAC-Rider

MAC-Kent State

MEAC-Bethune-Cookman

Missouri Valley-Illinois State (Won First Ever Tournament)

Mountain West-TCU

Northeast-Central Connecticut St.

Ohio Valley-Jacksonville St.

Pac 10-Arizona State

Patriot League-Bucknell

SEC-LSU

Southern-The Citadel

Southland-Texas St.

SWAC-Grambling St.

Summit League-Oral Roberts (Won 13th straight tournament)

Sun Belt-Florida International

WCC-San Diego

WAC-Hawaii (First title since 1992)

College Baseball Notebook-Week 11

Streaks, Upsets And Other Notable Action…

38…Game hitting streak by Florida International’s Garrett Wittels.  The sophomore extended the nation’s longest active streak with an RBI single in his last at-bat of the game on Sunday with two on and two out in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings (an 8-7 loss to Louisiana-Monroe).  Wittels’ current streak is the longest in

Division One baseball in the last 11 years.

8…Underdogs that won weekend series vs. CB360 Top 50 teams.  The most notable wins were: #26 Auburn took two of three at #5 Arkansas and  unranked North Carolina State won two of three against #8 Georgia Tech.

7…Straight losses by defending national champion LSU (32-13, 11-10) after dropping all three games in its weekend series at Florida (31-11, 15-6).  The Tigers were swept by Ole Miss last weekend as well.

14…Years (1996) since Florida last swept a series against LSU.

.390…The Gators’ team batting average in their sweep while outscoring the Tigers by a combined 28-14.  Matt den Dekker led Florida’s nine starters who all had at least one hit in Sunday’s finale by going 5-for-5 with a home run and 4 RBIs.

4…Strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings pitched, wins this season and RBIs in Sunday’s game by freshman starting pitcher/designated hitter Brian Johnson (4-2), who hit the first grand slam of his young career.

2…Home runs hit in an 8-run fifth inning by Auburn’s Hunter Morris in Saturday’s win over Arkansas.  Morris started the inning with a homer and later launched a two-run blast to help the Tigers (30-15, 12-9) total four HR and all eight of their runs in the 8-7 victory.

38…Years since Ole Miss last swept a series vs. Mississippi State in Starkville, MS prior to taking three games from the rival Bulldogs over the weekend at Dudy Noble Field.  The three wins have the Rebels tied for first place with Arkansas in the SEC West.

20…Straight wins by Texas after Sunday’s 4-1 win over Baylor to cap a 3-game weekend sweep.  The 20 consecutive wins are the most at Texas since the 1988 team also rattled-off 20 in a row.

5…Consecutive Big 12 series sweeps by the Longhorns (38-7, 19-2) to help them set a new conference record with 17 straight wins in league play.  The previous record was set in 2008 by Texas A&M.

1…Earned run allowed by Texas starting pitchers, who combined to strike out 29 batters in 33.0 innings in the three games.

12…Scoreless innings pitched in the three games by the Longhorn bullpen, highlighted by Hoby Miner’s four perfect innings to pick-up the win in Saturday’s 2-1 win in 14 innings.

3…Games won by #1 Arizona State at #4 UCLA to give the Sun Devils their first sweep at Jackie Robinson Stadium since 1994.

23-4…Combined score by which the Sun Devils (38-5, 14-4) outscored the Bruins (30-10, 7-8) in the three games.  20 of the 23 runs allowed by the UCLA pitching staff, which came into the weekend with the second best ERA in the nation at 2.80, were earned.

7…First inning RBIs by Louisville’s Andrew Clark, who hit both a 3-run blast and a grand slam in the 10-run opening frame of Saturday’s 24-6 win over Rutgers.  Clark ended the game 4-for-4 with 2 HR, 8 RBIs, 4 runs, and a HBP.

16…Barry Larkin’s jersey number, which was retired in Ann Arbor on Saturday prior to the Wolverine’s 3-2 loss to Ohio State.  Larkin played at Michigan from 1983 to 1986.

2…Wins by the Wolverines (27-15, 9-6) over the Buckeyes (24-15, 8-7) to remain tied with Northwestern (18-25, 9-6) atop the Big Ten conference standings.  Ohio State was part of a four-way tie first place heading into the weekend.

0…Innings pitched in the series by Ohio State’s Alex Wimmers, who was a scratch after he  injured a hamstring just moments before Friday’s 4-1 OSU loss.  Wimmers (9-0, 1.61 ERA) entered the weekend tied for the national lead with his nine wins.  His ERA ranks sixth nationally.

17…Game winning streak by #6 Coastal Carolina snapped in Tuesday’s 6-3 loss to #3 Virginia.

30…Straight Big South Conference home wins by Coastal Carolina after a weekend 3-game sweep of UNC Asheville in Conway, SC.

22…Game winning streak by # 18 Connecticut snapped in Wednesday’s 7-3 loss to Central Connecticut State.  The Huskies (35-9, 14-3) split two home games vs. #34 Pittsburgh (31-11, 13-4) (game three was rained-out) to maintain a narrow lead over Louisville (36-7, 14-4) at the top of the Big East Conference standings.

24…Game hitting streak by UConn’s Mike Nemeth that ended when he went o-for-4 in a 13-4 loss to Pitt in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader.  Nemeth had extended the streak to 24 earlier in the day when he hit his 9th home run of the season in UConn’s 11-7 game one victory.

12 & 487…Games played and batters faced by Notre Dame pitchers without giving-up a home run.  The longest such

stretch for the Irish pitching staff since 2006 ended Friday when Paul Karmas of St. John’s hit a solo shot in the fifth inning of Notre Dame’s 14-5 win.

13…Strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings by North Carolina State’s Jake Buchanen in Friday’s 6-5 win over #8 Georgia Tech.  The effort helped the Wolfpack (28-18, 11-13) take two of three games from the Yellow Jackets (36-9, 17-7) to keep their NCAA hopes alive.

32…Career home runs hit by UT Arlington’s Michael Choice to set a new program record.  Choice hit his 14th HR of the season in Saturday’s win over Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

16…Of Choice’s home runs that have come in “clutch” situations, including seven tie-breaking shots, five game-tying home runs and two that have provided the eventual winning runs for his team.

10…Strikeouts in 8.0 innings by Florida Gulf Coast pitcher Chris Sale (7-0)  in Friday’s 4-2 win over #27 Clemson to give the Eagles (28-15) their only win in the weekend’s non-conference 3-game series.

16…Strikeouts by Nicholls State’s Clint Dempster in Friday’s 5-3 complete game win over #44 Southeastern Louisiana.

15…RBIs last week by Wichita State’s Preston Springer, who hit .565 (13-for-23) with 9 runs, five doubles and three home runs last week.  Springer helped the Shockers to midweek wins over Big 12 teams Kansas and Oklahoma State.  He hit his first career grand slam against the Cowboys on Wednesday.

3…Home runs by Illinois State third baseman Ryan Court in Saturday’s 18-8 win over Wichita State.  The win gave the Redbirds their first ever run rule victory over the Shockers.

College Baseball 360 Podcast-April 15

This week Sean Stires and Chris Webb (from Buckeyestatebaseball.com) are talking about how things are shaping-up in the Midwest.  They talk about this weekend’s key Big Ten series between Ohio State and Michigan State, as well as the future of OSU head coach Bob Todd, MAC leaders Toledo and Kent State and 2009 NCAA teams Xavier and Wright State.

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Segment #1

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Wimmers Fans 14 In Ohio State Win

Reigning Big 10 Pitcher of the Yr. Looks To Right Buckeyes

Chris Webb of Buckeyestatebaseball.com is a new contributor to Collegebaseball360.com.  He was at Friday’s 7-1 Ohio State win over Indiana to see OSU’s Alex Wimmers strike out 14 Hoosiers.  Here are his thoughts.

CLICK HERE to see more Friday results and performances.

Columbus, OH– Have you ever shared a hug with a longtime but forgotten friend that just felt right? That felt like for one small moment you were exactly where you needed to be, at exactly the right time?

Today I welcomed home Division I Ohio college baseball.

While I have seen a handful of games this season, wrote about hundreds of others, a certain feeling wasn’t there. Tonight that feeling returned. Led by Alex Wimmers dominating performance over Indiana, Ohio State showed the promised that had them being touted as a potential Omaha-bound team.

This was the team those who bleed Scarlet & Gray hoped and looked for. This was the team leading the way to another great spring of collegiate baseball in Ohio. Finally it felt like Ohio DI baseball is right where it should be.

Buckeyes Cruise in Showdown of Champions

Columbus- Few things in life ultimately live up to it’s hype. That trip to Myrtle Beach? Yeah you’re on vacation one of the 11 days of the year it rains. The bike you bought yourself as a New Year’s resolution to get in shape? It’s still sitting in the garage corner waiting to be rode. For whatever reason, things rarely turn out how you think, hope, and expect them to be.

Alex Wimmers is proving to be an exception of expectations.

Nothing was as hyped up as the right-handed pitcher Wimmers entering the 2010 collegiate baseball season here in Ohio. The Cape Cod League’s #3 prospect, a  Preseason All-American, a projected first-round draft pick, the makings where there, regardless of performance, to fail to meet what was expected of the Buckeye ace. Midway through the season Wimmers has not only met all expectations, he’s exceeding them.

With his first start from the Bill Davis mound this season, Wimmers made sure the cost of attendance was merited for the Scarlet and Gray faithful who braved a stiff wind and temperatures falling into the 40s to support the home team. Assuming one is sane and realizes a 14-strikeout, complete game effort in which he scattered six hits yielding just one run is worth the $5 or $10. Especially when the game features the reigning conference champions and tournament champions, with two teams coming off of Regional showings sharing the field.

While weather may have played a role in limiting the crowd to just 1,269 in attendance, the Hoosier bats needed no thermometer to find out why their bats were ice cold.

After outbursts of 26 and 12 runs in their previous two games, Indiana came into the contest as Wimmers toughest test to date. A leadoff double on a green-lighted 3-0 count, followed by a second-consecutive 3-0 count to the next batter, made it appear that the night was going to be long and un-Wimmerseque. The remainer of the inning showed it would be wise to doubt the All-American.

The 3-0 count quickly turned into the first of many strikeouts, a mere three pitchers later. Then facing the two most dangerous left-handed hitters in the Big Ten in Jerrud Sabourin and Alex Dickerson, strikeout victims two and three were rung up. Sabourin who entered with a .480 average saw the number fall to .466 with a 1-for-4 effort, while Dickerson who entered with a .444 clip and 21-game hitting streak, finished 0-for-4, losing .28 points on his average.

After sending two of the most prolific hitters in the conference down swining, the thought went from an off-night to, lights out night.

“Once he settled down, ther’s no doubt he made it tough on Indiana’s hitters tonight” Coach Bob Todd stated afterwards.

No doubt at all.

In the complete game, Wimmers threw 85 of his 121 pitches for strikes. 12 of the 14 strikeouts were swings-and-misses. While 21 balls were put in play, 28 pitches were swung on and missed by the Hoosiers. After a first inning in which 10 pitches were for balls, over the next six innings, only 11 pitches were balls.

“When he’s on the mound I don’t need a glove in the field” left-fielder Zach Hurley joked after another Wimmers gem. “I think maybe one or two balls all season have come my way.”

It was Hurley who put the Buckeyes out in front, doing enough himself to leave the game to Wimmers. The Buckeye leadoff hitter went 3-for-4 on the evening, drawing a walk, and driving in a run. Hurley also scored the games first run, coming around from first after a leadoff infield single, on a Cory Kovanda double.

“I take pride in being the leadoff hitter. Just trying to get a hit every single time. I’m the first up to represent or offense every game and I just look to get things going with a bang” the senior outfielder who turned down a  professional contract from the Florida Marlins added.

For nearly the entire game it appeared Hurley’s run would stand as the only support Wimmers needed.

“He had all three pitches tonight. He was able to keep hitters off balance with the curveball and change-up… When you have a guy like Alex Wimmers, who is an awfully good pitcher, having all three pitches going for him it’s going to be an awful night for hitters” Todd the reigning Big Ten Coach of the Year added.

With nearly a dozen scouts on hand, Wimmers showed why he is a highly-coveted prospect, but a few other Buckeyes would also make a lasting impression on Major League brass.

Providing all of the insurance Wimmers would need, in the bottom of the fourth, a first-pitch, opposite field leadoff

home run over the right-field wall for center-fielder Michael Stephens made it a 2-0 game. Stephens, the clean-up hitter, joined Hurley and Kovanda  as Buckeyes with multi-hit games, carrying the Ohio State offense.

“You gotta play loose. If you play tight that’s when you make start to make errors. The biggest thing for me is to go out there and have fun. If a team likes you, they’ll take a shot on you, if not you go out there and just enjoy it. For us as seniors, it’s our last year going out in front of Bill Davis and the crowd.” Stephens stated deflecting any additional pressure after a 2-for-4, two run effort, home run, and double effort.

“Mentally, you have t be sharp every game, whether 100 scouts, or no scouts, you have to play the same every game.” Stephens added.

If the performance Wimmers showed is duplicated game in and game out, the reigning Big Ten Pitcher of the Year is going to need a second trophycase for the hardware headed his way.

“Felt today I could throw any pitch, any count, against any batter” Wimmers said after the victory moved him to 7-0, a mark matched only by 2007 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Cory Luebke.

“I knew Indiana was a great team coming in. They’re a good fastball-hitting team, and if they weren’t able to lay off my changeup, I’m going to keep going after them until they make an adjustment.”

If the Hoosiers who entered the contest with a .329 team average, the third-best collective average in Big Ten play, what is to expect of Wimmers over the final six weeks?

“I just attack hitters like anyone is the best in the country” Wimmers added.

Expect Wimmers to rise to the occassion with little exception.

Ohio State looks to capture the weekend series tomorrow in hosting Indiana at 1:05 from Bill Davis Stadium. Drew Rucinski will take the mound for Ohio State, opposite Indiana ace Drew Leininger, who enters the contest with a Big Ten leading 1.66 ERA, edging out Wimmers for the top honor after the Buckeye’s one-run complete game lowered his mark to 1.68.

Indiana (14-14, 1-3) @ Ohio State (18-7, 3-1)
———————————————–
Indiana…………. 000 000 010 -  1  6  1
Ohio State………. 100 311 10X -  7 10  2
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College Baseball Notebook-Week 6

A By The Numbers Look At The Latest Week’s Action

36,056…Fans who attended the first game at the new Target Field in Minneapolis, MN-a college game in which Louisiana Tech beat Minnesota 9-1.

0…Hits allowed by South Florida’s Randy Fontanez in Friday’s 4-0 win over Notre Dame.  The right-hander struck out 12 with two walks in the first 9-inning no-hitter in Division One baseball this season.

18…Years since a USF pitcher last tossed a no-hitter, when Mark Reed spun a perfect game vs. Charlotte in 1992.

1…Win this season and career shutouts by Fontanez after Friday’s gem.  The Preseason Big East Pitcher of the Year was 0-4 prior to his team’s conference-opener with losses to the likes of Florida and Ohio State and a no-decision in a loss to Oklahoma.

23…Consecutive wins by Arizona State to open the season-a record for the storied program.

2…Runs scored by ASU in the 8th inning to tie Cal in Sunday’s 3-2 win.  Drew Maggi’s two out RBI single in the 9th gave the Sun Devils their 23rd straight win.

13…Strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings by ASU starter Jake Borup in Sunday’s win.  He allowed just two hits, but  settled for a no-decision.

20…Consecutive wins by UCLA to open the season-the longest winning streak in Bruin’s history.

6…Wins with no losses by UCLA pitcher Gerrit Cole.  He became the nation’s first 6-game winner with Thursday’s 11-7 win over Cal Poly.  Cole walked a season-high seven batters with seven strikeouts in the outing, which UCLA led 11-0 after four innings.

10…Combined double plays turned in Pacific’s 3-2 win in 11 innings over San Jose State on Sunday.  Each team turned five double plays to tie a single-game  NCAA record set on April 4, 1989 by Georgetown and George Mason.

8…Runs given-up in 5 2/3 IP by Texas pitcher Taylor Jungmann in Friday’s 12-5 loss to Texas Tech.

9…Runs given-up by Jungmann (2-1) in his first 36 1/3 IP this season prior to suffering his first loss.

10…Runs scored in the bottom of the 8th inning by George Mason in Friday’s CAA opener vs. James Madison and send the game to extra innings with the score tied 12-12.

9…Runs scored in the 10th inning of that same game by James Madison, which won the game 21-16.

14…Strikeouts by Cal State Fullerton’s Noe Ramirez in Friday’s 3-0 win over Hawaii in his second complete game of the season.

0.40…ERA of Hawaii starter Josh Slats, who was Ramirez’s counterpart in that game-which lasted just 2:18.

18…Game home field winning streak that ended last Tuesday when Elon beat Clemson 15-10 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.

4 of 5…Games Clemson lost last week after opening the season with a 17-2 record.  The Tigers also lost at home to Elon on Wednesday and then dropped 2 of 3 games at Virginia over the weekend.

5…Walks issued by Kansas State pitcher Evan Marshall in Friday’s 14-11 win over visiting Oklahoma State.

7…Runs scored in the 8th inning of that game to give the K-State its third straight win in a Big 12 opener.  (The Wildcats took two of three games in the series.)

2…Walks issued by Marshall (along with 22 strikeouts) in his first 33 2/3 IP this season.

15…Strikeouts in 6 IP by Oklahoma State’s Kevin Chambers, who allowed just one hit with one walk, in Tuesday’s 26-0 win over Alabama A& M.  It was the second game of a doubleheader in Stillwater, OK.

5…Strikeouts by Chambers’ teammate, Brian Denneny, who pitched the last three innings of that game.

13…Combined strikeouts by four OSU pitchers in a 6-5 loss to A&M in game one of that twin bill.

10…Home runs hit by ten different players in Tuesday’s 20-15 win by Morehead State over Indiana.  The teams combined for 35 runs on 43 hits.

8…Pitchers used by Webber International in Thursday’s 9-0 win over Ohio State.

617…Enrollment of Webber International-an NAIA school located in Babson Park, FL.

52,715…Enrollment of Ohio State-a Big Ten school located in Columbus, OH.

1…Career hit by The Citadel’s Josh Pless.  The freshman’s single to left field gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 win over Appalachian State Saturday afternoon.  He was 0-4 prior to the at-bat.

5…Runs scored by North Carolina State against Miami with two outs in the bottom of the 9th inning to tie the game at 6-6 & send it to extra innings.  The Wolfpack won 7-6 after a game-winning sac fly by Chris Schaeffer in the 11th inning.

4 1/3…Relief innings pitched in that game by freshman Felix Roque-a Miami native-to earn his first career win.

10…Consecutive hits by East Carolina in Sunday’s 20-1 win over North Carolina Central.

65-7…Combined score of the Pirates‘ three wins over the Eagles.

2 of 3…Games won by Memphis over Rice over the weekend to give the Tigers their first ever series win over the Owls.

11…Strikeouts in 7 IP by Louisville’s Thomas Royse (5-0, 1.42 ERA) in Friday’s Big East Conference opening 1-0 win over UConn.

4…RBIs by Cody Lassley on his game-ending grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Wichita State a

5-1 win over Bradley.

0…Runs allowed in his last 11 2/3 IP by TCU’s Paul Gerrish after 5 2/3 scoreless innings in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Texas State.

16-15…Air Force’s lead in Sunday’s game vs. TCU when play was halted in the 7th inning due to TCU’s travel plans.  The game will be resumed on May 15.  The two teams split the first two games of the Mountain West Conference Series.

7…Straight wins by Georgia Tech after Sunday’s 11-8 win in 10 innings over North Carolina.

5…Runs scored in the 9th inning by the Yellow Jackets to tie the game 8-8 and send it to extra innings.  The scoring was capped on a 2-run home run by Derek Dietrich, who had a career-high five hits in the game.

10…Years since Georgia Tech last swept a series from the Tar Heels, which were swept at home for the first time since 2003.

10…Strikeouts by GT pitcher Deck McGuire in 7 innings in Friday’s 2-1 series-opening win in Chapel Hill.

20-5…School record best start to a season by Western Kentucky after beating Louisiana-Monroe 10-8 on Sunday to cap a weekend sweep.

1…Win over a Division One team by Division II Lake Erie College after Sunday’s 19-4 win over Cleveland State.

11…Strikeouts by Charleston Southern’s Tyler Thornburg in 8 IP in a 1-0 win over VMI.

446…Wins at UC Santa Barbara by head coach Bob Brontsema after an 11-6 win over San Francisco.  The mark is a new school record.

Minnesota 2010 Baseball Schedule

MINNEAPOLIS– The Minnesota baseball team released its 2010 schedule on according to an announcement by Golden Gopher head coach John Anderson.

Minnesota’s 2010 schedule features one non-conference team that competed in the

NCAA Super Regionals in 2009 and four out of conference opponents that were part of NCAA Regional play in 2009.

Complete 2010 Minnesota Schedule

The Golden Gophers will start things off when they bring back the Pro-Alumni Game for the first time since 2007. It will take place on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 6:05 p.m.

Minnesota will open up the season against Akron (19-33, 12-15 in 2009) in Fort Myers, Fla. on Feb. 19-21. The next week, the Golden Gophers will travel to St. Petersburg, Fla. where they will compete in the Big East-Big Ten Challenge. Minnesota will face St. John’s (30-22, 16-11) in Dunedin on Friday, Feb. 26, Connecticut (36-24, 14-13) in St. Petersburg on Saturday, Feb. 27 and 2009 Super Regional participant Louisville in St. Petersburg on Sunday, Feb. 28.

The Golden Gophers will return home to host the Dairy Queen Classic on Mar. 5-7. Minnesota will welcome Loyola Marymount (30-29, 13-8), Northwestern (14-35, 5-17) and 2009 NCAA Regional participant Oklahoma State (34-24, 9-16) to the 26th annual installment of the Dairy Queen Classic. Minnesota will face Loyola Marymount on Friday, Mar. 5 at 6:35 p.m., Oklahoma State on Saturday, Mar. 6 at 6:35 p.m. and Northwestern on Sunday, Mar. 7 at 3:05 p.m.

Following the Dairy Queen Classic, the Golden Gophers will host Division III National Champion St. Thomas (41-13) at the Metrodome on Wednesday, Mar. 10. Minnesota will host the Metrodome Tournament on Mar. 12-14. The Golden Gophers will welcome Creighton (31-25, 14-9), Harvard (13-28, 10-10) and South Dakota State (26-30, 17-10) to the Metrodome that weekend. Minnesota will host Harvard on Friday, Mar. 12, Creighton on Saturday, Mar. 13 and South Dakota State on Sunday, Mar. 14.

After the Metrodome Classic, Minnesota will embark on six-game road trip to Alabama and Samford. The Golden Gophers will face 2009 NCAA Regional participant Alabama (37-21, 18-11) in a two-game series on Mar. 16-17. Minnesota will then head to Samford (17-35, 9-21) for a four-game series on Mar. 18-21.

Minnesota will host North Dakota State (16-28, 10-14) at the Metrodome on Mar. 23-24. The Golden Gophers will host a three-game series against Louisiana Tech (29-22, 13-11) on Mar. 26-28. The Saturday game will be played at Target Field at 1:05 p.m., while the Friday and Sunday games will be at the Metrodome.

The Golden Gophers will open up Big Ten play on the road at Purdue on Apr. 2-4. Minnesota will return home to the Metrodome for the first Big Ten series against Michigan State on Apr. 16-18.

Minnesota’s other road series in the Big Ten will be against Northwestern (Apr. 16-18), Iowa (Apr. 30-May 2) and 2009 Big Ten Regular-Season Champion Ohio State (May 20-22). The Golden Gophers will have home conference series at the Metrodome against 2009 Big Ten Tournament Champion Indiana (Apr. 23-25), Michigan (May 7-9) and Penn State (May 14-16).

The Golden Gophers will also play midweek games during the conference season against Concordia-Moorhead (Mar. 31), Hamline (Apr. 6), South Dakota State (at home Apr. 14, on the road Apr. 20), North Dakota State (on the road Apr. 28) and at Kansas State (May 4-5).

Minnesota returns 20 players who saw action from a 2009 squad that finished 40-19, finished second in the Big Ten regular-season at 17-6, advanced to the Big Ten Tournament Championship and advanced to the final game of the NCAA Regionals in LSU.

(Release)

Illinois 2010 Baseball Schedule

Illini to Face Tough Slate in 2010

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – University of Illinois coach Dan Hartleb announced his team’s schedule for the 2010 season Tuesday, with the team slated to play in the second-annual Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge on Feb. 26-28, and tournaments at 2009 NCAA Tournament qualifiers East Carolina and Coastal Carolina early in the season. The Illini will face six NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago in 2010 – East Carolina, Coastal Carolina, Missouri, Dartmouth, Indiana and Ohio State.

“We feel like we’ve put together a schedule that will challenge us and give us an opportunity to prove ourselves against some of the top teams in the country at the Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge, the LeClair Invitational Tournament and the Caravelle Resort Classic,” Hartleb said. “Playing tough opponents early in the season will prepare us for the rigorous Big Ten schedule. We’ve also added a number of home-and-home series with in-state schools for the 2010 season, which has helped us improve our mid-week schedule.”

Complete 2010 Illinois Schedule (PDF)
The Illini will open the season with a two-game home series against Bradley on Feb. 20-21, then will travel to the Clearwater/St. Petersburg, Fla., area, for the Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge, where it will face the challenging trio of Notre Dame, South Florida and St. John’s, three of the top five teams in BIG EAST conference play last year.

The next weekend, the Orange and Blue will travel to the Keith LeClair Invitational Tournament hosted by East Carolina, and will face the host Pirates, Western Carolina and West Virginia. The following weekend will be the Caravelle Resort Classic in Conway, S.C., where Illinois will play host Coastal Carolina twice as well as Lipscomb and Ball State. Over spring break, the Illini will take its annual trip to Winter Haven, Fla., where it will play in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. Illinois will face 2009 NCAA Tournament qualifier Dartmouth twice as well as Bucknell, Akron, North Dakota State and Southeastern (FL) University.

After Spring Trip, the Illini will travel to Illinois State on March 30 and return home on March 31 for a game against Chicago State before opening the Big Ten slate against Penn State at Illinois Field. The next week will by a trying one for Illinois, as it travels to Bradley, faces Missouri at Busch Stadium on April 7, and travels to Iowa for a weekend series.

The Illini will return home to host Eastern Illinois on April 13 before traveling to Marion, Ill., for the annual game against Southern Illinois at Rent One Park on April 14. That weekend, Michigan comes to Illinois Field for a three-game series before Illinois State visits Champaign on April 20. The Illini face EIU for the second time in eight days on April 21 when the two teams meet at Grimes Field at Peterson Park in Mattoon, the site of the teams’ matchup in 2008. That weekend, the Illini wrap up the first half of Big Ten play at Michigan State.

Illinois then returns home for its longest home stand of the season, a six-game stretch in which it faces Bradley, Northwestern, Southern Illinois and Butler. The Illini then travel to Ohio State for a weekend series before taking off the middle of the week for final exams. Illinois gets back to action by hosting Purdue for a three-game series and finishing its mid-week slate with a contest at Illinois Field against Western Michigan on May 18. Illinois finishes the regular season with a trip to Bloomington, Ind., for the final Big Ten series of the season. The Big Ten Tournament will be May 26-29.

(Release)

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