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Florida State & Clemson Are Among The Nation’s Elite

2009 Division Winners: Florida State won the Atlantic & North Carolina won the Coastal.

2009 Champion: Virginia defeated Florida State 6-3 to capture their 3^rd ACC championship and first since 1996.

2010 No Easier: The ACC has three teams in the top 10 and six teams ranked in the top 16 in Collegiate Baseball’s “Fabulous 40” Preseason Poll, the most by any conference in the country.  Virginia leads the way ranked 3^rd, followed by Georgia Tech at number 6, and Florida State 7^th.  Miami starts the year ranked 12^th, while North Carolina checks in at number 13 and Clemson begins the year 16^th.

Premier Players: 11 ACC players find themselves on the Louisville Slugger pre-season All-America teams including a conference high four 1^st teamers.  Those on the first team are RHP Deck McGuire from Georgia Tech, C Yasmani Grandal from Miami, OF Jarrett Parker of Virginia, and OF Tyler Holt from Florida State.

2010 ACC Atlantic Division Preview

*We will preivew the ACC’s Coastal Division and make our predictions for overall conference winner, Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year tomorrow.

Boston College

2009 Season: (34-26, 14-15)

Nickname: Eagles

Head Coach: Mik Aoki

Location: Chestnut Hill, MA

Vitals: .304 BA, 58 HR, .382 OBP, .972 Fld. %…4.65 ERA, 11 SVs, 460 K, 222 BB, .278 Opp. BA

History Made: BC’s 25-inning NCAA Regional loss to Texas last year was named the #1 collegiate baseball game to remember for the past decade by the Yahoo Sports blog Destination: Omaha.  It also ranked fourth on the Collegebaseball360.com “Top Moments of 2009” list.  The game lasted an NCAA record 7 hours and 3 minutes, saw 683 pitches thrown, and 171 official at-bats.

Eagles Lost, Return : Boston College deals with the loss of C Tony Sanchez (.346, 14 HR, 51 RBI) who was selected 4^th overall in the 2009 MLB draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.  BC does welcome back Sr. OF Robbie Anston who finished second on the team with a .344 BA and stealing a team-high 15 bases.

Battle of Boston: The Eagles play an exhibition game against the Red Sox March 3^rd down in Fort Myers, FL.

Clemson

2009 Season: (44-22, 19-11)

Nickname: Tigers

Head Coach: Jack Leggett

Location: Clemson, SC

Vitals: .299 BA, 65 HR, .387 OBP, .967 Fld. %…3.68 ERA, 13 SVs, 548 K, 203 BB, .253 Opp. BA

Big Arms Return: The 3.68 team ERA was fifth best in the nation last year and Clemson returns several of their top

Clemson two sport standout Kyle Parker

pitchers from 2009, including Jr. LHP Casey Harman (7-3, 3.95 ERA, 1 SV) and So. LHP Chris Dwyer who led the team with 95 Ks, becoming the first freshman to lead the Tigers in strikeouts since 1997.

Back Among the Elite: Clemson’s 44 wins last year was a 13-game improvement, third best in school history.  They also made their 22^nd NCAA tournament appearance in the past 23 years and their 8^th trip to a super-regional.

Passing Parker:  Tiger outfielder Kyle Parker is also Clemson’s starting quarterback.  He threw 20 touchdown passes while helping Clemson beat Kentucky in this season’s Music City Bowl.  Parker hit 12 home runs with 52 RBIs on last years Super Regional team as well.  CLICK HERE to see more two-sport college baseball players in the Collegebaseball360.com Two Sport Reports.

Home Sweet Home: The Tigers play 22 of their first 30 games at home and don’t leave the state of South Carolina until game 16 – a one game battle against Charlotte in North Carolina.

Florida State

2009 Season: (45-18, 19-9)

Nickname: Seminoles

Head Coach: Mike Martin

Location: Tallahassee, FL

Vitals: .321 BA, 89 HR, .432 OBP, .960 Fld. %…4.58 ERA, 13 SVs, 468 K, 303 BB, .256 Opp. BA

Tallahassee Talent: Florida State returns four players named to the Louisville Slugger Preseason All-America

Sean Gilmartin

Teams.  Jr. OF Tyler Holt (.401, 87 R, 34 SB) is a first team selection.  Jr. OF Mike McGee (.379, 19 HR, 78 RBI) is on the second team, while So. LHP Sean Gilmartin, 2009 ACC Pitcher of the Year, (12-3, 3.49 ERA, 2 CG) and Sr. SS Stephen Cardullo (.376, 10 HR, 20 SB) are third-teamers.

Record Breakers: The Seminoles advanced to their 9^th Super Regional in school history by beating Ohio State 37-6 in the Regional Championship.  FSU set school records for runs (37), hits (38), doubles (15), and total bases (66) in one game.

Schedule Notes: FSU opens their season February 19^th when they host Georgia State.  They will also play the Philadelphia Phillies March 3^rd in Clearwater.  And in what could amount to an Atlantic Division Championship Series, the Seminoles travel to Clemson to wrap up the regular season May 20-22.

Maryland

2009 Season: (27-27, 10-20)

Nickname: Terrapins

Head Coach: Erik Bakich

Location: College Park, MD

Vitals: .281 BA, 48 HR, .368 OBP , .968 Fld. %…5.93 ERA, 11 SVs, 384 K, 215 BB, .293 Opp. BA

New Era: Erik Bakich was named the 6^th head coach in Maryland history in June after former coach Terry Rupp resigned.  Rupp left after nine seasons despite leading Maryland to 10 ACC wins in 2009, the most since 1972.

Need Some Offense: The .281 BA in 2009 was 11^th in the league last year, and Maryland loses 3 of their top 4 hitters.  They do return they top hitter in Sr. INF David Poutier who hit .321 with 14 doubles and 8 stolen bases.

Young Foundation: Maryland returns just 18 players from a year ago, and has only 5 seniors on their current roster.

North Carolina State

2009 Season: (25-31, 10-20)

Nickname: Wolfpack

Head Coach: Elliott Avent

Location: Raleigh, NC

Vitals: .266 BA, 48 HR, .371 OBP, .951 Fld. %…5.12 ERA, 9 SVs, 469 K, 230 BB, .272 Opp. BA

Two sport star Russell Wilson

Future Pack Attack: NC State’s incoming recruiting class is ranked 11^th by Baseball America.  It’s the 3^rd highest ranked class in the ACC behind North Carolina (7^th) and Virginia (9^th).

Key Returners: The Wolfpack hit a league-worst .266 as a team, but do return several of their top hitters from 2009.  Sr. INF Andrew Ciencin (.308, 15 doubles, .481 Slg%), Sr. OF Drew Poulk (.266, 9 HR, 36 RBI), and Sr. INF Kyle Wilson (.265, 5 HR, 30 SB) will lead the offensive attack this season.

Friendly Down the Stretch: If NC State can be in contention toward the end of the season, the schedule plays nicely in their favor.  The last month of the season keeps the Wolfpack at home for 14 of their final 17 ballgames, including home series against ACC foes Boston College, Georgia Tech, and Duke.  The only road trip is a three game series at Florida State May 14-16.

Double Duty:  Wolfpack infielder Russell Wilson is also the starting quarterback for the NC State football team.  He passed for an ACC-leading 31 touchdowns with 11 interceptions in 2009.  CLICK HERE to see more two-sport college baseball players in the Collegebaseball360.com Two Sport Reports.

Wake Forest

2009 Season: (22-30, 6-24)

Nickname: Demon Deacons

Head Coach: Tom Walter

Location: Winston-Salem, NC

Vitals: .284 BA, 55 HR, .364 OBP, .951 Fld. %…7.30 ERA, 10 SVs, 360 K, 242 BB, .329 Opp. BA

Pitchers Returning: Several top pitchers return for Wake Forest this season, including standout So. LHP Zach White (4-1, 3.32 ERA, 3 SVs, .237 Opp. BA), So. LHP Austin Stadler (4-5, 4.13 ERA, 2 SVs), and Jr. RHP Ryan McGrath (3-1, 5.95 ERA, .236 Opp. BA).

Offense Back: The Demon Deacons return speed and power to the lineup this season.  Jr. OH Steven Brooks (.313, 30 RBI, 11 SB), Sr. C Mike Murray (.306, 6 HR, 37 RBI), and So. 3B/OF Carlos Lopez (.268, 12 HR, .562 Slg. %) all are back to lead the offense.

Home Sweet Home: Wake Forest plays their first 13 games at home, and 34 of their 57 regular-season games at Wake Forest Baseball Park.

2010 ACC Atlantic Predictions:

ACC Atlantic Winner: Florida State, with Clemson right on their heels.

Top ACC Atlantic Player: Tyler Holt—Florida State

Top ACC Atlantic Pitcher: Sean Gilmartin—Florida State

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CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – The Boston College baseball team released its schedule for the 2010 season. The 58-game slate begins on February 19 at Tulane and concludes with a nine-game home stand that features two perennial ACC powerhouses.

BC Head Coach Mikio Aoki

following weekend, BC will compete in a tournament at Auburn where it will face the host Tigers, Florida Atlantic and Missouri.

Complete 2010 Boston College Schedule

Boston College’s annual exhibition game with the Boston Red Sox is scheduled for March 3 at 6:05 p.m. at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers, Fla. Last season, BC nearly won for the first time as it led 1-0 after four and a half innings (in a six inning game). The Red Sox scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth and went on to win, 7-1.

The Eagles will stay in Florida until March 14 as they have a three-game series at Florida Atlantic (March 5-7) and then a two-game midweek set at Florida International (March 9-10). BC then opens ACC play at Miami on March 12. The Hurricanes finished No. 20 in the final USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll and reached the NCAA Regionals.

Boston College returns to New England for two more away contests at Connecticut (March 16) and Bryant (March 17) before traveling to Virginia, which reached the College World Series and finished No. 5 in the country.

The Eagles open their home schedule on March 23 when they host Hartford at Eddie Pellagrini Diamond at Commander Shea Field. Holy Cross visits Chestnut Hill the next day before Duke comes into town for a three-game ACC series beginning March 26.

BC’s early ACC away schedule does not get any easier as the next weekend it heads to South Carolina to take on Clemson, which finished No. 14 in the poll and advanced to the Super Regionals.

The Eagles will spend a good amount of time at home after their Clemson trip as it hosts Maryland beginning April 9, sandwiched by two non-conference games at Shea Field against Bryant (April 7) and Massachusetts (April 13).

Wake Forest will make a trip to Chestnut Hill on April 16 for a three-game series and BC will also host Harvard in a local tilt on April 21.

The Beanpot is also scheduled for April but dates and times will be announced at a later date. The championship game of the Beanpot is annually played at Fenway Park.

Boston College will be back on the road for two more ACC series at NC State (April 23-25) and Virginia Tech (April 30-May 2) before closing out the season with a nine-consecutive games in Chestnut Hill.

The Eagles will host non-conference match ups against Northeastern (May 4), Connecticut (May 10) and St. John’s (May 18) to finish up its out of league contests. BC will also host a pair of ACC and national powers to close out the season as Florida State (May 7-9) and Georgia Tech (May 20-22) come to town. The Seminoles reached the Super Regionals and finished No. 10 in the poll and the Yellow Jackets advanced to the Regionals and ended at No. 18.

The 2010 ACC Baseball Tournament will be held May 26-30 at NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro, N.C.

(Release)

By Collegebaseball360.com Editor Sean Stires

Murphy Was 629-284-1 In 15 Seasons At ASU

Nothing has been confirmed, but the two most prevalent theories are that Murphy’s resignation either had to do with possible NCAA infractions, a dispute over a contract extension with ASU Vice President for Athletics Lisa Love or some combination of the two.

In the time since his resignation I have talked to several people who know Murphy, and while most of them were “shocked” to hear of his depature, most of them were not shocked at the idea that Murphy might have left ASU in a huff after a disagreement with his AD.

Tim Prister played baseball at Notre Dame in the 1980s.  He currently writes for Irishillustrated.com, and he covered Murphy when Murphy was the head coach of the Irish.  When I asked Prister this week if he would be surprised at such a scenario Prister said with a wry grin “I would not be surprised at all if that were the case.”

Brian Cleary counts himself among Murphy’s supporters.  The current Cincinnati Bearcats head coach was a Murphy assistant in 1993 & 1994 in South Bend.  Cleary credits his mentor for “kick-starting” his coaching career and said that Murphy has been good for the game “There probably isn’t a more colorful personality on the national stage.  He’s passionate about college baseball and about coaching and about what we all do as coaches.  He is willing to speak on behalf of the sport”, he said.

Cleary also added “Certainly I think his personality adds to whatever event it is.  Be it a three game Pac-10 series or Omaha.  One of the things I think Murph brings is the willingness to speak his mind and speak on behalf of college

Brian Cleary

baseball.  I think the head coach at ASU is different than the head coach at a lot of places, because that program in relation to football and basketball is probably a lot different than it is at a lot of schools.  I think he was really a great ambassador for college baseball during his time there.”

Certainly Murphy’s departure at one of the premiere programs in college baseball (and possible return…somewhere) will have a ripple effect throughout the coaching ranks, whether it’s this year or next.

Here’s a “By The Numbers” look at Murphy’s career:

10…wins in his first season (1983) as a college head coach at Maryville (Tenn)

51…wins in his 25th season (2009) as a head coach at ASU

49…consecutive 30 win seasons by ASU baseball teams

2…head baseball coaches (Bobby Winkles and Jim Brock) in Sun Devil history prior to Murphy’s arrival in Tempe

17…NCAA Tournament appearances in 22 seasons as a Division I coach

12…NCAA Tournament appearances in 15 seasons at ASU

18…years between NCAA Tournament appearances for Notre Dame before earning a berth in 1989, Murphy’s second season at the Fighting Irish helm

4…College World Series appearances by ASU in the last 15 seasons

113…combined home wins by the Sun Devils over the last three seasons

12…ASU home losses in that span

441…wins since 2000 by ASU, the most by any Pac 10 team in that stretch

7…ASU players named Pac 10 Player of the Year in the last 15 seasons

506…games Arizona State played without being shutout between April 7, 1995 and February 15, 2004-an NCAA record

9.4…runs-a-game the Sun Devils scored in that 9-year stretch

119…Arizona State players taken in the MLB draft during the Murphy era-the most of any school

1…of those players tabbed a big league MVP-Boston Red Sox 2B Dustin Pedroia-2008 AL MVP

914…games played in Murphy’s 15 seasons at ASU

914…home runs hit by the Sun Devils in those 15 seasons

8,084…runs scored in those games-an average of 8.8 runs-a-game

Gamecocks’ slate features 25 games against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams

South Carolina Head Coach Ray Tanner

and face the Tigers at Doug Kingsmore Stadium on Friday, March 5 with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m. The two schools will then make the trek to Greenville, S.C. and face off at Fluor Field, home of the Greenville Drive, a minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. First pitch on Saturday is 2 p.m. The series then concludes on Sunday afternoon in Columbia at Carolina Stadium with a 2 p.m. start.

Complete 2010 South Carolina Baseball Schedule (PDF)

The Gamecocks’ 30-game SEC schedule begins on Friday, March 19 with South Carolina hosting Tennessee. The Gamecocks will also host Mississippi State (April 2-4), Ole Miss (April 16-18), Alabama (April 30-May 2) and Florida (May 20-22). SEC road contests include Auburn (March 26-28), Vanderbilt (April 9-11), Georgia (April 23-25), Kentucky (May 7-9) and 2009 CWS participant Arkansas (May 14-16). Carolina will also play 10 additional in-state contests this year with Charleston Southern, College of Charleston, Furman, Presbyterian, The Citadel, USC Upstate, Winthrop and Wofford.

The SEC Tournament is scheduled for May 26-30 at Regions Park in Hoover, Ala. with the NCAA Regionals and NCAA Super Regionals the following two weeks. The College World Series in Omaha, Neb. is slated from June 19-30.

South Carolina owns the longest current streak of NCAA Regional appearances among the 12 SEC schools with 10 straight trips to the tournament dating back to the 2000 season. In that span, Carolina has seven NCAA Super Regional appearances (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007) and three trips to the College World Series (2002, 2003, 2004). South Carolina is one of only seven schools in the nation to make at least seven NCAA Super Regionals in the last 10 years and one of only eight schools in the country to have reached the NCAA Regionals every season in this decade. The program’s 10-year total record of 468-201 is the fourth highest win total among NCAA Division I schools.

South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner is entering his 14th season at the helm with the Gamecocks and his 23rd year as a collegiate head coach. Tanner’s career record is 975-439-3 (.689) with a 580-266 (.686) mark at South Carolina. The .686 winning percentage is third highest in SEC history.

(Release)

TEMPE, Ariz. – Former Arizona State Baseball stars Andre Ethier and Dustin Pedroia will join Muhammad

Former ASU & Current LA Dodger Star Andre Ethier

Ali at Coach Murphy’s Charity Home Run Derby on Friday night at Scottsdale Stadium. Ethier, from the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Pedroia, from the Boston Red Sox, will be in attendance to root on the home run derby contestants.

ASU Baseball Head Coach, Pat Murphy, is leading sluggers up to bat as he hosts his Inaugural Charity Home Run Derby & Family Fun Fall Festival. Celebrities including Muhammad Ali will make special appearances to root on contestants as they swing for the fences.

Entertainment will be featured throughout the night including The Rave, Phoenix’s hottest variety rock band. Attendees can also enjoy dinner options, a silent auction and raffle drawings. A Kid Zone is available for children 10 years old and under.

Former ASU & Current Red Sox Star Dustin Pedroia

The Home Run Derby & Family Fun Fall Festival will benefit The Crossroads, Inc. Transitional living for people in recovery. Substance abuse affects all of our lives. The Crossroads, Inc. has provided a safe and healthy environment for people recovering from alcoholism and addiction for nearly 50 years in the Phoenix area. Throughout its six facilities, it impacts residents, alumni, and community members with continuing support meetings and educational scholarships.

The event will be at Scottsdale Stadium on Friday, November 6 from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.protixonline.com.

(Press Release)

Rhode Island turned in a school-record 37 wins in 2009

URI Head coach Jim Foster (left) and Director of Athletics Thorr Bjorn (right)

This past season was one for the ages as the Rams amassed a school-record 37 victories, including wins over No. 8 Miami, No. 11 Oklahoma State and No. 25 Ohio State. In defeating the eighth-ranked Hurricanes, URI became the first unranked team to hold Miami scoreless since 2001. The Rams also became the first team to shut down the Hurricanes on their home field since 2004.

Rhody kept the momentum rolling in league play, finishing second overall in the Atlantic 10 and advancing to the Conference’s championship game by way of downing top-seeded Dayton by seven runs.

With just two seniors on the team, URI put together what, arguably, is best season in Rhode Island baseball history. The Rams saw seven players collect All-Conference honors, including A-10 Player of the Year Dan Rhault. Four Rams earned NEIBA All-New England honors while Nick Greenwood was an ABCA Northeast Region selection and the A-10’s first-ever recipient of a Rawlings Gold Glove Award.

Rhode Island also had a program-best four players taken in the 2009 MLB Draft, including URI’s highest-ever draft pick Eric Smith – who went 60th overall to Arizona.

Additionally, Foster was selected as the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association’s Division I Coach of the Year.

The Bosox Club, established in 1967, was formed to promote baseball at all levels and to assist the Boston Red Sox in community and charitable endeavors. With over 900+ die-hard Red Sox fans from all over New England (and beyond), the BoSox Club represents the largest officially sponsored baseball booster club in the world.

Traditionally, the BoSox Club has raised funds both inside and outside its membership to support many worthy causes including the Red Sox Foundation, the Jimmy Fund and New England Little League organizations. The BoSox Club is also instrumental in providing seating for challenged fans at Fenway Park through the Challenger Program, and provides financial assistance to a select group of deserving athletes to attend a baseball camp each summer.

(Press Release)