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Magic Continues For Defending Champs…

CWS Finals Game 1: South Carolina 2-7-1 def. Florida 1-8-3
Final Stats | FL Recap | SC Recap

Florida starting pitcher Hudson Randall

Fifteen was the lucky number for South Carolina on Monday night at the 2011 College World Series.

Thirteen was not Hudson Randall‘s lucky number Monday night. The Florida starting pitcher had walked just 12 batters in 123 1/3 innings heading into the eighth inning of the College World Series Finals vs. South Carolina, but with he issued his 13th walk of the year to Peter Mooney to start the inning and it cost him in South Carolina’s 2-1 victory in 11 innings.

The Gamecocks tied Texas by winning their 15th straight NCAA Tournament game. The Longhorns won 15 in a row in 1983 and ’84.  South Carolina also tied USC (1972-’74) and LSU (1996-’98) with their 10th straight win at the CWS.

Randall, who was nursing a 1-0 lead after seven innings, had been dominant all night, having retired 18 of the previous 19 Florida batters (including 10 straight) and allowed just a pair of hits heading into the inning. In two starts vs. South Carolina this season, Randall totaled 16 2/3 IP, 10 strikeouts and allowed just eight hits with one walk.

Robert Beary followed Mooney’s walk with a sacrifice bunt to move him into scoring position. The shortstop then moved to third base on a flyout to centerfield by Evan Marzilli. Mooney scored when Scott Wingo sent a 2-2 pitch from Randall up the middle and into centerfield.

“Well, (Hudson) Randall, he had my number all night,” Wingo said after the game. “And that last at-bat I think I swung through two sliders, and I just said to myself: Stay late if I get beat  inside I get beat inside and he threw another curveball and I was able to hit it up the middle.”

Wingo’s hit snapped a 1-for-12 slump against the Gators this season. It was also his first hit since his game-winner against Texas A&M in South Carolin’s CWS opener nine days ago.

In a season and a series where runs have been at a premium, it was only fitting that both teams manufactured their runs. Florida scored the first run of the game in the third inning when Cody Dent‘s sacrifice fly scored Tyler Thompson, who had advanced to third base after a wild pitch by South Carolina starter Forrest Koumas.

The Gators looked like they had the game in hand in the bottom of the 9th inning when Mike Zunino worked a leadoff walk against John Taylor, who was facing his first batter in his 49th appearance of the year out of the Gamecock bullpen.

Brian Johnson failed to bunt Zunino to second, but got him all the way to third base when he ripped a 2-2 pitch into right field for a single. The action really started after an intentional walk to Josh Adams to load the bases.

With the infield in, Wingo dove to his right to snare a chopper off the bat of Tyler Thompson. Wingo jumped to his feet and fired to the first base side of the plate, but Beary was able to grab it and step on the plate for the force out and the first out of the inning.

With the infield still in, Daniel Pigott hit a hard hop right to Wingo, who this time fired a strike to Beary who then relayed to Christian Walker at first base to turn the 4-2-3 double play and send the game to extra innings.

“We needed to elevate the ball there, and to  their credit Wingo makes a great play,” said Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan. “And then Beary makes a great snag at the plate on the short hop and obviously they pick it to ground out the double play that was probably the most pivotal part of the game we probably needed to do something that inning unfortunately we didn’t you have to credit South Carolina they made the pitches and made the plays.”

Christian Walker played Monday despite a broken bone in his left hand.

Florida had a chance to win it again in the bottom of the 10th inning with two outs and Dent at second base. Zunino broke a 2-for-15 slump at the CWS when he lined a hit to left field. Dent was racing toward home on contact, but South Carolina left fielder Jake Williams gunned him out at the plate.

South Carolina scored the winning run in the top of the 11^th when Christian Walker made a mad dash around the bases. Walker singled to lead-off the inning, stole second, took third base on a throw by Zunino that went into center field, and then scored when Bryson Smith’s errant throw skipped into the stands.

Walker was playing in the game despite suffering a broken bone in his left hand during Friday’s win over Virginia. He said he wasn’t sure himself if he would be able to take the field for the game.

“You know I knew it was going to take a lot of pain specifically for me not to play.  For the last half of yesterday I think I didn’t think I was going to be able to play. But you know, they came out and really — I mean, I’m speechless about it. And they did a great job. And I mean, I can’t thank them enough.”

Florida had a chance to at least tie it when Brian Johnson led-off the bottom of the 11th with a single, but after pinch-runner Paul Wilson replace him on the bases, South Carolina reliever Matt Price recorded the final three outs for his 19th save of his sophomore season. He is tied for the national lead with Corey Knebel of Texas.

Price was coming off a 5 2/3 inning, 95 pitch relief appearance on Friday in South Carolina’s 3-2 win in 13 innings vs. Virginia.

South Carolina can win a second straight national championship with a win over Florida Tuesday night. The Gators hope to force a third game of the CWS Finals if they can snap the Gamecocks’ 15-game NCAA streak on Tuesday.

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Notes

• Florida was 46-0 this season when leading after seven innings heading into the game. South Carolina is now just 7-13 when trailing or tied after seven innings.

• South Carolina played its second straight CWS extra innings game. Four of their last night games in Omaha have gone to extras…they are 4-0 in those games.

• Florida was just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position in the game. The lone hit saw Dent thrown out at the plate with the potential winning run.

• The Gamecocks have allowed just three earned runs in their four CWS games this year.

• South Carolina has won seven of its 15 straight NCAA Tournament games by one run, including three of its four wins this week.

• Ray Tanner’s “battling” squad also escaped two bases loaded situations in Friday’s 3-2 win over Virginia.

• The Gamecocks will be the home team in Tuesday’s game.

• Monday’s attendance was25,851,  making the total 2011 CWS attendance 294,963, for an average of 22,689.

CLICK HERE to see the CB360 Shutterfly photo page with shots of every team and most games from this year’s College World Series (All photos by Kirk Markus).

Florida's Tyler Thompson scored the first run of the game in the third inning.

Gamecocks catcher Robert Beary tags out Cody Dent at the plate.

Christian Walker slides safely into third base after Mike Zunino's overthrow at second allowed him to advance...

 

Walker scores the eventual game-winning run after another overthrow at third base.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Attendance for the game: 22,745.

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

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

Hit: Kemp – Vanderbilt:

Run: Kemp – Vanderbilt

Error: Johnson – North Carolina pitcher

RBI: Aaron Westlake – Vanderbilt 3-hole

Strikeout (pitcher): Johnson – UNC

Strikeout (batter): Mike Yastrzemski – Vanderbilt

Triple: Chaz Frank – North Carolina

Walk (pitcher): Gray – Vanderbilt

Strikeout (batter):  Jacob Stallings – North Carolina

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

Wild Pitch: Gray – Vanderbilt

Passed Ball: Curt Casali – Vanderbilt

Sac Bunt: Gomez – Vanderbilt

HBP: Westlake – Vanderbilt

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

Double: Conrad Gregor – Vanderbilt

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

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

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

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

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

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

– Quotable –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Florida's Bryson Smith races around third base.

Hudson Randall

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

Talent Heavy Field Ready To Play On Big Stage …

Danny Hultzen

Virginia pitcher Danny Hultzen is more than just your everyday pitcher. He’s also been one of the top two-way players in the country in his three years. This is his second go-round at the CWS, after helping the Cavs advance to Omaha as a freshman. Hulzten is an All-American and the ACC Pitcher of the Year in 2011. The Seattle Mariners made Hultzen (12-3, 1.49 ERA, .320 BA) the second overall pick in last week’s draft. His 151 strikeouts rank second in the nation. He’ll be on the mound when Virginia faces Cal in Sunday’s 2 p.m. ET game.

Hultzen’s teammate, Will Roberts, has emerged as a top pitcher in his own right. Roberts (11-1, 1.58 ERA) started the season pitching in midweek games, but he moved into the weekend rotation not long after firing a perfect game against George Washington on March 29. It’s just the eighth Division I  nine-inning perfect game since 1957. CLICK HERE to listen to a podcast interview CB360 recorded right after that start. Roberts also was named an NCBWA second team All-American this week.

Taylor Jungmann

Like Hultzen, Texas pitcher Taylor Jungmann was pitching on the big stage in Omaha two years ago. Also like Hultzen, Jungmann (13-2, 1.38 ERA) was a high first-round draft pick last week when the Milwaukee Brewers nabbed him with the 12th overall selection. Jungmann made his mark at the CWS in 2009, going 3-0 with a complete game and 15 strikeouts in 15.1 innings to help the Longhorns reach the title series. The 2011 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year will be on the hill Saturday night looking to snap his personal two-game NCAA Tournament losing streak when Texas faces Florida. The three-time All-American lost in this year’s Austin Regional to Kent State and he fell to Arizona State in the Super Regional – for his only setbacks of the year.

While Jungmann and Texas are no strangers to Omaha, two significant Longhorns will make their Omaha debuts this weekend. Big 12 Freshman of the Year Erich Weiss and NCBWA First Team All-American Corey Knebel have figured prominently into their team’s success this season. Weiss leads the Longhorns in batting average (.358), RBIs (44), slugging percentage (.532), and on-base percentage (.495). The lanky 6-foot-3 third baseman is one of three Longhorns to start all 66 games this season. While Weiss is the Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Knebel is the NCBWA’s National Freshman of the Year. The closer has 19 saves with a sparkling 1.15 ERA in 37 appearances. He earned his most-recent pair of saves with a total of 3.0 shutout innings in the Super Regional wins over the Sun Devils.

Tyler Naquin

Texas A&M Big 12 Player of the Year Tyler Naquin gives the conference three top award winners at this year’s CWS. His .390 average and .460 OBP fit the bill for a leadoff batter, and the third team NCBWA All-American also leads the Aggies with his .556 slugging percentage, which is helped by 23 doubles and a whopping seven triples. While the big-armed right fielder has only six stolen bases, centerfielder Krey Bratsen has totaled 31 swipes along with a .335 avg. to help him earn Freshman All-America honors. Aggie pitchers Michael Wacha (8-3, 2.10 ERA) and Ross Stripling (14-2, 2.29 ERA, 4 CG, 4 SVs) are the real deal too.

Finding just one or two Vanderbilt players to highlight is hard to do, because the Commodore roster is brimming with top talent. Consider the fact that while Sonny Gray (12-3, 1.97 ERA) was tabbed by the Oakland A’s with the 18th overall pick in the MLB Draft, fellow junior Grayson Garvin (13-1, 2.36 ERA)  was named the SEC Pitcher of the Year and is a second team All-American – not to mention being the 59th overall pick by Tampa Bay. The starting duo has the luxury of turning things over to NCBWA third team All-America closer Navery Moore (1.21 ERA, 11 SVs). Vandy also boasts SEC Freshman of the Year Tony Kemp (.325 BA, 16 SB, 56 Runs). The Commodores set an SEC record with 12 players selected in the 2011 draft. In addition to Gray, Garvin and Moore, Jason Esposito, Jack Armstrong, Aaron Westlake, Corey Williams, Taylor Hill, Mark Lamm, Curt Casali, Will Clinard, and Joe Loftus all had their names called during the three-day draft.

Colin Moran

North Carolina has a top duo that combines youth and veteran presence. ACC Freshman of the Year Colin Moran leads the Tar Heels in nearly every offensive category, including batting average (.335), RBIs (69), HR (9), slg.% (.551), and OBP (.443). His RBIs rank 14th in the nation and are the most of any player at the 2011 CWS. Moran’s older brother Brian was an All-American at UNC. Their uncle, B.J. Surhoff, played for 19 years in the Major Leagues after a great career at North Carolina. Like Moran, junior Levi Michael (.300, 5 HR, 48 RBIs) jumped into the middle of the Tar Heel order as a freshman. Michael was selected with the 30th overall pick to the Minnesota Twins last week.

Jackie Bradley, Jr.

South Carolina is back to defend its national championship, but its reigning CWS Most Outstanding Player, Jackie Bradley, Jr., has been out of action since injuring his wrist back on April 23. Despite the injury, Bradley still was tabbed with the 40th overall pick last week by the Boston Red Sox. He said this week that he hopes to contribute in some way for his team in Omaha. Michael Roth made only two 2010 starts for the Gamecocks, but they both were in Omaha. The first was a complete-game win over archrival Clemson to help SC reach the CWS Finals, and the second came four days later against UCLA in the Finals. Roth (13-2, 1.02 ERA) has been South Carolina’s ace this year. He and veteran closer Matt Price (5-3, 2.16 ERA, 18 SVs) recently were named NCBWA second team All-Americans. The Gamecocks return several other everyday players from the 2010 championship team, including team triple-crown leader Christian Walker (.359 BA, 10 HR, 60 RBIs), who is only a sophomore.

Catcher Mike Zunino on a play at the 2010 CWS.

SEC Player of the Year Mike Zunino (.376, 18 HR, 66 RBIs) leads Florida back to Omaha for a second straight year. The iron-man catcher boasts a gaudy .686 slugging percentage that ranks 15th in the nation and is the best of any player in the College World Series field. Zunino is an NCBWS second team All-American who is one of only two Gators (Preston Tucker-.314 BA, 14 HR, 68 RBIs) to play in all 67 of his team’s games in 2011. Sophomore Brian Johnson (.312 BA, 5 HR, 27 RBIs – 8-3, 3.66 ERA) joins Virginia’s Hultzen as another top two-way player – but Johnson has yet to play since May 28, when he was injured at the SEC Tournament after a fluke play saw him hit by a throw from home plate to second base. Freshman pitcher Karsten Whitsen (8-0, 2.45 ERA)  joins the likes of 2010 CWS pitcher Gerrit Cole of UCLA and TCU’s Matt Purke to turn down first-round MLB Draft money in order to play college baseball. Whitsen was the ninth overall pick by San Diego in the 2010 draft. The decision to go to college worked out for Cole, who later became the number-one overall pick in the 2011 draft.

Justin Jones

California doesn’t have one or two players with eye-popping numbers to watch like the rest of the teams in the field. With six straight NCAA Tourney wins, the Golden Bears are the only non No. 1 regional seed that advanced to Omaha this year. What they do have though is “mojo” and a group of players who have refused to see their season, let alone program, end. Tony Renda (.335, 3 HR, 42 RBIs) is the Pac-10 Player of the Year. He is one of four Cal players to start all 58 games this season. Roommate Chadd Krist (.304, 2 HR, 43 RBIs) joins Renda with the superstition of eating an apple before every game. Sophomore pitcher Justin Jones (9-6, 2.93 ERA) could be the Cal player to watch for a multitude of reasons. First, the lefty has a head of shaggy hair that would make Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl jealous. Second, he wore a sling in the dugout in the Super Regional clincher after holding his arm midway through his game-one start. And finally (and probably most importantly), the fact that Jones is even still at Cal is a story in itself. The 2010 Freshman All-American thought about transferring when Cal announced it was eliminating the baseball program on Sept. 28, 2010. However, his decision to stay, along with the performances of fellow starter Erik Johnson (7-4, 2.91 ERA, 100 Ks) and the rest of his teammates, have helped propel the Golden Bears to a place they haven’t been in nearly 20 years (in Omaha for the CWS).

These are just some of the top players we’ll see over the next couple of weeks. One of the best things about the College World Series is the players who will burst out of the shadows to become stars with the flick of a bat, the twirl of a seam and the blink of an eye. Don’t believe me? Just ask Michael Roth!

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If you can’t make it to Omaha, just follow this link to Dugouthats.com. You’ll save 20% on your order when you enter the coupon code CB360!

The college baseball season continues to gain momentum as well swing into week four. This week’s Notebook combines some of the observations of College Baseball 360 Editor Sean Stires with the observations and insights of CB360 contributor Jack Blanchat.

Bryan Peters had both of Nebraska's game-winning hits over UCLA.

weekend in Lincoln. All three games went to extra innings. How rare is that? Nebraska has been playing baseball since 1889, but prior to Friday and Saturday it had never had extra inning games in back-to-back days go to extra frames. Gerrit Cole lost a perfect game after retiring Nebraska’s first 20 batters Friday, but still helped the Bruins win 1-0 in 11 innings thanks to nine shutout innings.

With Trevor Bauer on the mound, Nebraska’s hopes for a win weren’t looking any better on Saturday. Bauer fanned 17 in 10 innings, but settled for a 129 pitch no-decision in the Cornhusker’s 2-1 win. Bryan Peters had the game-winning hit in the bottom of the 12th for Nebraska, while Dylan Vogt pitched five no-hit innings of relief to earn the win.

The Cornhuskers then plated three runs in the bottom of the 9th inning in Sunday’s series finale and eventually won 5-4 in 11 innings. Peters was the hero again, belting a game-ending home run to give Nebraska back-to-back walk-off wins for the first time in eight years.

Nebraska is 8-4 with a team batting average of .303. UCLA is 7-4, despite a 1.55 team ERA with 126 strikeouts and 42 walks in 104 1/3 IP.

Gator Bait…

Florida (10-1) suffered its first loss of the season to Florida State in the Florida Four event last week, but the Gators came back strong over the weekend with a three-game sweep of Miami in Gainesville. Florida’s starting rotation of Brian Johnson, Hudson Randall and Karsten Whitson combined to allow just two earned runs in 17.0 innings during the series. It’s just the second time in school history that Florida has swept a three-game set from the Hurricanes.

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise…

Cal State Bakersfield's Jonathon Montoya

Don’t look now, but Cal State Bakersfield is on a run. The Roadrunners have won 10 straight with the help of some great pitching. Bakersfield, playing its first games away from home this season, gave up just two runs while going 4-0 at the Coca Cola Classic over the weekend in Surprise, AZ. The biggest of the wins was a 2-1 10-inning victory over Arizona State. Freshman Cael Brockmeyer’s 10th inning home run off ASU All-American Mitchell Lambson was the difference. The Roadrunners also turned-in wins over Kansas (12-0), Air Force (5-0) and Northern Illinois (6-1). Bakersfield starting pitchers Tommy Hoenshell, Mike McCarthy, Jonathon Montoya, and Brandon Van Dam combined to pitch 35 innings, while giving-up just two runs. McCarthy was the only one not to pitch 9.0 innings.

Sycamore No-No…

Indiana State’s Jason Van Skike tossed a no-hitter in Saturday’s 8-0 win over Central Arkansas. It’s the school’s 10th all-time no-hitter, but the first nine inning no-no for a Sycamore since 1943. Van Skike needed 143 pitches to complete the gem, which still had its share of base runners. Van Skike struckout five, but he walked eight batters and hit one more.

TCU’s Aces…

When talking about TCU pitchers, 2010 freshman phenom Matt Purke is typically the first name to come to mind. However, Kyle Winkler has been lights out so far this year for the Horned Frogs. Winkler (3-0) has allowed just two unearned runs in 22 1/3 IP so far this season. The senior has 19 strikeouts and just one walk with a .149 opponent batting average. He moved to the Friday spot in the rotation the last two weeks while Purke battled a blister on his pitching hand.

Purke has pitched 10.0 shutout innings himself this season (he pitched against Kansas on opening weekend and pitched Sunday against Texas Tech) to improve to 2-0 this year and 18-0 in his career. Meanwhile, freshman Andrew Mitchell has surrendered just a run in his first 15 2/3 IP, including a Sunday start against Cal State Fullerton last week when Purke missed his start.

The Horned Frogs’ bullpen is still a work in progress though. TCU’s opponents have scored winning runs in the 8th inning or later in all four of the team’s losses this year.

Kyle Robinson

Razorback Off & Running…

Arkansas senior Kyle Robinson played sparingly in his first year at Arkansas last year after transferring from Indian River CC. Injuries played a part in his limited time, but Robinson is making-up for it this year. He hit .474 (9-for-19) with three home runs and 13 RBIs last week. The outfielder’s .465 batting average is the third best in the SEC through the first three weeks of 2011. He also ranks in the top five in the conference in slugging percentage (#3 – .791), runs (#5 – 14), hits (T-#1 – 20), and RBI (#1 – 21).

Quality Pitching…

Notre Dame is just 4-6 through Mik Aoki’s first ten games at the helm, but it’s not for a lack of pitching. Starting pitchers Brian Dupra, Cole Johnson and Todd Miller combined to give the Irish nine straight quality starts (at least 6.0 IP and 3 ER or less) to open the season. The last time a Notre Dame staff had just six straight quality starts was 2001, when 2000 and 2001 first round draft pick Aaron Heilman helped the program achieve its first ever #1 national ranking. Dupra, Johnson and Miller combined for 22 2/3 IP with 21 strikeouts and no walks in their three starts last weekend, but went 0-2 with a no-decision (the Irish beat Manhattan in extra innings in Miller’s start).

Duke-ing It Out…

James Madison is off to a record-setting start in 2011. The Duke’s 11-1 start is the best in program history. JMU leads the nation with 30 home runs and 13.3 runs-a-game through the season’s first three weeks.

Stanford @ Texas…

Now we’ll turn things over to Jack Blanchat, who was at the Stanford vs. Texas series in Austin. The Longhorns took two out of three games in the series. Blanchat’s insights start with thoughts on Texas ace Taylor Jungman, who saw his run of 22.0 scoreless innings to open the season come to a close in Friday’s 4-3 Texas win.

Taylor Jungmann

Taylor Jungmann is the real deal – it doesn’t get much simpler than that. He’s confident, aggressive, and he mixes up his pitches and gets outs in every way. His odd delivery makes it hard to pick up the baseball coming out of his hand, and he gets results. It shows something that Friday night was his worst outing of the season so far, considering he pitched eight and two-thirds innings and only gave up three runs on six hits. Even more impressive about those six hits was that nobody got multiple hits off Jungmann – and nothing was hit particularly hard other than a triple from Brian Ragira that broke up Jungmann’s perfect game in the fifth inning.

The environment at Disch-Falk Field was like an NCAA super regional – absolutely crazy, and jam-packed. It’s one of the biggest stadiums in college baseball in terms of capacity and playing dimensions. The stadium also has field turf instead of a natural grass playing surface, so that made conditions a little harder because the baseball would occasionally act very strangely after it bounced off the turf. The playing conditions, which included wind coming in from left field most of the time, resulted in no home runs for a Stanford team that had six dingers in eight games coming into this series, but it also contributed to the three triples in the series as well.

Texas trotted out a few new faces in their lineup, and they all had a few bright spots, but they still looked very much like freshmen. Jacob Felts did a nice job behind the plate, catching Jungmann’s Friday win(although, the way Jungmann is pitching, it’s hard not to do a good job behind the plate), and he went 2-for-7 and scored a run offensively – altogether not a bad weekend for a freshman catcher. Freshman rightfielder Mark Payton went just 1-for-10 at the plate, but he still scored a run and had two RBI in the series thanks to some erratic Stanford pitching. Finally, freshman third baseman Erich Weiss was solid on offense – he had a hit in every game – but he struggled defensively in Saturday’s contest. He had two errors at the hot corner, and could have been docked for one more if the scorekeeper had been less friendly.

Dean McArdle

Stanford’s pitching rotation is shaping up pretty well – now the offense just has to go out and get Mark Appel a win on Friday night. The sophomore has had tremendous stuff in all three of his starts this season, but by virtue of going up against Sonny Gray and Taylor Jungmann, Appel’s record sits at 0-2 so far. It’s easy to believe that Appel will get back in the win column as the season goes along, but he has shown he can be a primetime player on Friday nights – something the Cardinal will need if they want to overtake UCLA and Gerrit Cole in the Pac-10 down the road.

Dean McArdle pitched very well Saturday (in a 9-2 win) – he’s a bulldog pitcher who had his control working and now has a 7-0 career record at Stanford. He and Jordan Pries are surprisingly similar pitchers, both
righthanders with great control and a nice array of pitches, even though they don’t have overpowering stuff.

I think at this point in the season Stanford head coach Mark Marquess is just trying to mix up his rotation a little bit and see how guys work in different places. Mark Appel brings the power on Friday night and has almost out-dueled both Sonny Gray and Taylor Jungmann.
The three week “Country Music Swing” – Houston, Nashville, and Austin – has been tough on the Cardinal’s record, but they have been impressive so far. I get the sense that the team is ready for a few days off, and they’ll get it with finals week this week. In the big picture, Stanford won’t face as consistently good pitchers as they’ve faced these last three weeks, and that should help cut down on strikeouts. Stanford struck out 27 times in the series against Texas (Jungmann had nine) and therefore stranded 23 runners. All in all, this three-week test has been good for Stanford, though. They’ll be ready to take on teams in a deep Pac-10 Conference, and they’ll have just as much or more experience against the nation’s top teams when it comes time for the NCAA Tournament.

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The TCU – Cal State Fullerton and Vanderbilt – Stanford series were two of the top match-ups of the second week of the 2011 college baseball season. This week’s Notebook includes those series as well as other notables from around the nation.

Taylor Jungman has thrown two complete game shutouts to open the season.

junior did it again Friday with a 2-0, 4-hit win at Hawaii. All nine hits Jungmann has given-up this year have been singles. He has 18 strikeouts and just one walk.

15…Innings it took on Saturday for Hawaii to scratch-out a 5-4 win over the Longhorns. David Peterson scored the winning run on a wild pitch with two outs in the bottom of the 15th. Pitchers from the two teams combined for 25 strikeouts, seven walks, four hit batters, and six wild pitches in the 4 1/2 hour maraton. Hawaii’s Pi’ikea Kitamura and Texas’ Paul Montalbano were each o-for-7 at the plate.

3…Big wins for Cal at the Baseball at the Beach Tournament in Myrtle Beach, SC. In the second weekend of their swan song season, the Golden Bears outscored Coastal Carolina, North Carolina State and Kansas State by a combined 29-1 to improve to 5-1. The bulk of the runs came in their 17-0 win over Coastal Carolina. Chanticleer ace Anthony Meo yielded 9 ER on 10 hits in just 5.0 IP in the drubbing.

7…RBIs to go along with 2 HR by Golden Bears CF Chad Bunting in the win over Coastal Carolina. Bunting was 7-for-12 (.583) for the weekend in Myrtle Beach.

5…Straight wins to open the season by Michigan State before dropping an 8-0 decision at Clemson Sunday. The 5-0 start for Jake Boss, Jr.’s squad is the best by MSU since 1964. Senior centerfielder Brandon Eckerle leads the Spartans with a .696 (16-for-23) average.

6…Straight losses to open the season by Michigan after being swept in three games by Rutgers in Port St. Lucie, FL. All six Wolverine losses are to Big East Teams (they were 0-3 at the Big East/Big Ten Challenge). Rutgers starter Tyler Gebler tossed a complete game to earn the win in the series-opener.

10…Combined runs allowed (7 earned) by UCLA aces Trevor Bauer and Gerrit Cole in Saturday and Sunday’s shocking 5-3 and 8-3 losses to San Jose State. After the losses, the Bruins fell to 4-2 after opening last year with 22 straight wins.

Matt Zahel saved both of Toledo's wins at Louisville.

2…Wins to start their series at Louisville by Toledo. The Rockets won by scores of 3-1 and 4-2 Friday and Saturday as the Cardinals lost their first two home games of a season for the first time in 20 years. Toledo closer Matt Zahel saved both wins with a total of 2.0 perfect innings with three strikeouts. Toledo had lost twice to Canisius and once to Creighton in the season’s opening weekend. Louisville won Sunday’s finale 4-2.

0…Hits allowed by Georgia Tech starter Jed Bradley in 7.0 IP in Saturday’s 5-0 win over St. John’s. Bradley fanned 10 with three walks to earn his first win of 2011. Bradley has 20 Ks and has allowed just four hits and one run in 12 1/3 innings this season.

.800…Batting average of Yellow Jacket 3B/1B/C Matt Skole in the 3-game series. Skole was 8-for-10 with a HR and 7 RBIs on the weekend.

0…Runs scored by St. John’s in their first two games of the series with the Yellow Jackets before finally erupting for a 13-3 win in Sunday’s series finale. The Red Storm has scored a total of 35 runs in their three games at the season-opening Big East/Big Ten Challenge.

10…Runs scored in the first inning by Georgia Tech in Friday’s 13-0 series-opening win. Red Storm starter Sean Hagan exited after allowing all 10 ER on 9 hits in just 2/3 IP.

2…Of 3 games won by Cal State Fullerton at TCU to hand the Horned Frogs their first series loss in nearly two years. After dropping Friday’s opener, the Titans won by finals of 8-4 and 2-1 Saturday and Sunday, respectively. TCU ace Matt Purke (17-0 in his career) did not pitch in the series due to a blister on his finger. TCU last lost a series in March 2009 when they lost two of three to San Diego State.

1…Career Division One win by Delaware pitcher Eric Young. It came in Friday’s 7-3 upset at Arizona State. Young, a transfer from Riverside CC, gave-up two runs in 5.0 IP in his first career start in the series-opener against the Sun Devils. Blue Hens DH Jimmy Yezzo helped Young by going 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs.

Danny Hultzen

15…Strikeouts with no walks in 7.0 IP by Virginia’s Danny Hultzen in Friday’s 10-1 win over East Carolina. Hultzen yielded a single to open the game and then retired 19 straight Pirates. He struckout the side three times.

19…Combined strikeouts by Texas A&M’s John Stilson and Gonzaga’s Ryan Carpenter in Friday’s 1-0 win in 11 innings by the Aggies. Stilson, who was one of the top closers in the country last year, fanned 9 in 9.0 shutout innings in his second start of 2011, while Carpenter rang-up 10 Ks in 7 1/3 IP.

2…Wins over Top-30 teams (CB360 composite poll) by Stanford’s Jordan Pries. The junior helped the Cardinal beat #26 Cal in his first start on Tuesday and then earned another victory at #3 Vanderbilt on Sunday for Stanford’s only win in the 3-game series in Nashville. Pries totaled 11.0 IP with 8 Ks and 6 BB. He didn’t allow a hit through the first four innings of the 5-2 win over Vandy (7-1), although the first seven pitches he threw were balls. Stanford (3-3) will rely on Pries even more this year after the announcement that teammate Brett Mooneyham will miss the season after requiring surgery to repair a finger he cut in January.

7 2/3…Scoreless innings pitched by Radford relievers Jason Patton, Brad Wimmers and Abram Williams in Friday’s 13-inning 8-6 win over Auburn. Highlander LF Matt Hillsinger led-off the to of the 13th with a home run to help Radford to the upset.

14…Runs allowed in 11.0 IP by Alabama starting pitchers Adam Morgan, Nathan Kilcrease and Tucker Hawley in losses at the Jaguar Classic, hosted by South Alabama. The Crimson Tide staff surrendered a total of 43 hits in setbacks to Southeastern Louisiana, South Alabama and Central Florida.

26…Game hitting streak, to tie a school record, by Central Florida’s Beau Taylor that ended in Saturday’s loss to Southeastern Louisiana . Taylor made-up for in by going 2-for-4 with a home run and 4 RBIs in Sunday’s 12-4 win over Alabama.

3…RBIs and a home run by Appalachian State’s Jeremy Dowdy in Friday’s 7-4 upset of Miami in Coral Gables. The Hurricanes still took two of three games in the series.

Lawrence Pardo

29…Years since Appalachian State had beaten a ranked opponent prior to that win at #19 Miami. Freshman (and Miami native) Lawrence Pardo earned his first win in his second career start in his return to his home town. Prado gave-up three unearned runs on four hits in 6.0 IP.

2…Wins in the first two weeks of the season by Connecticut. The Huskies entered the season with the program’s first top 10 ranking, but have stumbled to a 2-4 start. Their lone wins are over winless Michigan and Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Friday and Saturday starters Elliott Glynn and Matt Barnes, respectively, have suffered all four defeats.

1.2…Runs-a-game scored by UConn in its four losses, while averaging 11 runs in its two wins, but just 1.2 runs in its four losses. Coaches we spoke to at the Big East/Big Ten Challenge last weekend said the losses of Pierre LePage (.327-29 SB) and Mike Olt (.381-23 HR-76 RBIs) from last year’s line-up will be tough to overcome.

10…Strikeouts by Oregon State’s Sam Gaviglio in Friday’s complete game, two-hit 2-0 over UConn. The junior has 15 Ks with one BB and has allowed just two unearned runs in 15 2/3 IP this season.

2…RPI-boosting wins last week by Texas A&M Corpus Christi, which beat Texas 8-7 on Tuesday and then topped Oregon State by the same score on Saturday. Islanders catcher Jumpy Garcia was 2-for-5 with 4 RBIs in the win over the Longhorns.

16…Innings it took Elon to defeat South Florida 7-5 Sunday in Tampa to tie the longest game in USF history. The game featured 14 pitchers, but amazingly took just under 3 1/2 hours to play. 21 of the game’s 24 hits were singles, the other three went for doubles.

16…Strikeouts in 7 2/3 IP by Memphis pitcher Dan Langfield in Friday’s win over Kennesaw State. The sophomore gave-up a pair of first inning singles, struckout the side in the second innings and then retired 16 of the next 19 batters he faces.

240…Points raised on Mike McGee’s batting average (.440) after the Florida State outfielder went 9-for-15 with two HR, 9 runs and 11 RBIs. McGee made his first pitching appearance of the season in the top of the 8th inning  and then homered in the bottom of the inning Sunday against Hofstra. It marks the eighth time McGee has homered and pitched in the same game.

27…Consecutive batters retired, spanning two starts, by Florida’s Brian Johnson. The lefty set down 10 straight batters to end his first start of 2011 against South Florida and then retired the first 17 men he faced in last Thursday’s win over Boston College. He is 2-0 with 12 shutout innings to open his sophomore campaign.

Team USA Prevails In Extra Innings…

Another Loss After Nine Straight Wins…

Final Stats

With the game scoreless heading to the ninth inning and down to its last strike, Chinese-Taipei pinch hitter Yen-Wen Kou slapped two-out, 0-2 offering from Noe Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) to right field scoring Hsien-Hsien Yang from third base for the game-winning run. Yang reached on an errant throw by third baseman Jason Esposito (Vanderbilt) and wound up on second base before moving to third on a ground out to second by Chen-Yu Hung.

Despite allowing two walks in an inning of relief, Yu-Ching Lin picked up the win for Chinese-Taipei, who has taken the first two games of the four-game international friendly series. Chen-Hua Lin recorded the save after striking out two of the three batters he faced to end the game. Starter Wen-Yang Liao went four innings allowing three hits and striking out six, while Hung-Cheng Lai (2.0 IP) and Hao Chiu (1.0 IP) each kept Team USA hitless.

Scott McGough (Oregon) absorbed the loss falling to 1-1 on the summer after allowing one run (unearned) in an inning of relief. Fellow Oregon hurler Tyler Anderson pitched six innings of shutout ball in the start where he fanned five, walked one and gave up one hit. Brian Johnson (Florida), who made his fifth appearance, tossed 1 1/3 innings of scoreless ball with three walks and a hit before Ramirez toed the rubber for the ninth inning.

Team USA, which was held to a season-low three hits, was shutout for the first time since Aug. 10, 2007 when the same Chinese-Taipei squad claimed a 1-0 victory in the World Port Tournament held in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The Collegiate National Team stranded nine runners on base including five through the first four innings with three of those in scoring position. USA’s pitching staff held their opponent to three or fewer hits for the fifth time this summer and lowered its season ERA to 1.05.

Chinese-Taipei and Team USA will continue the four-game series on Tuesday, July 27 with a 6:30 a.m. (EST) first pitch scheduled.

(USA Baseball Release)

Team Improves To 8-0…

Gerrit Cole

Cole (1-0) was impressive from the outset retiring nine of his first 10 batters with three strikeouts and allowed just one extra base hit on the night. Team USA’s bullpen was just as impressive as Sonny Gray (Vanderbilt) and Noe Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) worked the final three innings allowing two hits with a pair of strikeouts. Ramirez recorded his team-best third save on CNT’s tour.

Takayuki Fujii (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) on 11 hits with six walks and three strikeouts. The right-hander threw 143 pitches on the night and faced 39 batters.

Nolan Fontana (Florida) gave USA an early 1-0 lead in the first inning when he grounded out to second scoring Drew Maggi (Arizona State) from third base. Maggi lead off the game lacing a triple to right center, Team USA’s second three-bagger of the summer tour.

Team USA pushed across two more runs in the second taking a 3-0 lead. Jason Esposito (Vanderbilt) walked to start the frame then took second on Steve Rodriguez’ (UCLA) first hit of the summer, a shot back up the middle. A double-steal by Esposito and Rodriguez moved runners in scoring position before Maggi lifted a ball to center with one out scoring Esposito. Jackie Bradley, Jr. (South Carolina) singled to right with runners on the corner scoring Rodriguez for the second run of the inning before Fontana was hosed at the plate.

Japan scratched across a run in the fourth cutting USA’s lead to 3-1 when Takasi Ikusima doubled home Ryunisuke Kobayasi with a shot to left center.

Team USA scored its final run in the eighth inning when Mike Mahtook (LSU) touched home on a passed ball for a 4-1 lead. Mahtook singled up the middle with two outs then stole second and moved to third on Fontana’s bunt single back to the pitcher.

Offensively Team USA pounded out double-digit hits (11) for the third-straight game and fourth time this summer.

The Collegiate National Team will be back in action Thursday when they square off against The Strike Zone at Westside High School. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. (CST).

Notes: Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) extended his current hitting streak to six games with his single to center in the third inning … Steve Rodriguez, who recorded his first career hit for Team USA, was 2-for-4 in the game with a run scored … Nine members of Team USA (Jackie Bradley, Jr., Gerrit Cole, Nolan Fontana, Sean Gilmartin, Brian Johnson, Drew Maggi, Brad Miller, Steve Rodriguez and Kyle Winkler) are among a select group of college players who played in the last College World Series and suited up for the last amateur baseball game ever at Rosenblatt Stadium … Also joining the players on this list is Team USA’s athletic trainer Danny Wheat (Texas Christian) … Team USA will participate in a closed clinic Thursday morning at Creighton University starting at 10 a.m.

(USA Baseball Release)

But Rice’s Rendon Out With Broken Ankle…

Louisville's Ryan Wright

McGough and Team USA’s pitching staff held Korea to just two hits while striking out 13 total batters. Brian Johnson (Florida) got the start working two innings allowing one run with two strike outs before McGough relieved him in the third frame. Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) picked up the two-inning save with two strikeouts.

Team USA used a three-run sixth inning to take a 3-1 lead thanks to RBI singles by Nolan Fontana (Florida), Wright and Nick Ramirez. Mikie Mahtook (LSU) reached when he was plunked by a pitch then took second on a sac bunt from Drew Maggi (Arizona State). Fontana lifted a bloop single just behind bag at third pushing across Mahtook for Team USA’s first run of the contest. Jackie Bradley, Jr. drew a walk and Wright singled to left center scoring Fontana from second for the game-winning run. Nick Ramirez followed with a shot through the right side sending Bradley, Jr. home to cap the scoring.

After a two-hour rain delay, Korea struck first in the bottom of the first inning on a one-out double from Min Sik Kim that scored Hun Gon Kim from second. Hun Kim walked to lead off the inning then moved to second on a Bon Ki Shin sac bunt before Min Sik Kim stroked a two-base hit to left center.

Myung Sung Kim suffered the loss going 5 1/3 innings in the start where he surrendered two runs on two hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Korea would use five more pitchers over the final 3 2/3 innings allowing seven runs

Team USA scored five runs over the final two frames to claim its second win of the series and third of the season. Offensively the Collegiate National Team registered nine base hits with Wright and Nick Ramirez each posting multi-hit games.

Rice's Anthony Rendon will miss the rest of the summer with an ankle injury (photo courtesy Rice)

The two teams will travel to Fort Mill, S.C. for the third game ff the five-game series Friday night with a 7:15 p.m. (EST) first pitch scheduled at the Knights Stadium.

Notes: Team USA will take batting practice from 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. at the Knights Stadium on Friday.

Rendon Out: USA Baseball Collegiate National Team third baseman Anthony Rendon (Rice) suffered a fracture-dislocation of his right ankle in Wednesday night’s 3-0 win over Korea at the National Training Complex in Cary, N.C. Baseball America‘s Player of the Year will miss the remainder of Team USA’s 2010 summer season.

The injury occurred in the first inning as Rendon was picked off of first and attempted to avoid a tag in a rundown between first and second base. He was immediately treated on-field by USA Baseball team doctors and was taken to the hospital for X-rays and further treatment. Rendon is scheduled to return to Houston on Friday for evaluation and surgery.

A replacement player will be named to the team in the coming days.

CARY, N.C. – Sean Gilmartin (Florida State) fanned five and Jackie Bradley, Jr. (South Carolina) collected three hits as Team USA picked up its first win of the summer, 8-3, Tuesday night over the Fayetteville Swampdogs of the Coastal Plain League. The game was called after 8 innings due to lightning in the area.

Gilmartin (1-0) went five innings in the start allowing two runs (both unearned) with one walk to secure his first win of the summer tour. Brett Mooneyham (Stanford) gave up a run in two innings of relief work, while freshman Brian Johnson (Florida) worked the final inning.

Offensively Team USA pounded out 12 hits with Bradley, Jr., Alex Dickerson (Indiana) and Mikie Mahtook (LSU) posting multi-hit games. Second baseman Drew Maggi (Arizona State) tied a single-game record with three stolen bases (last was Jemile Weeks on 8/10/06) and finished the game 0-for-2 with three runs scored.

Nate Cudney suffered the loss after working two innings where he allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits. Carter Capps was effective in the start striking out five in three innings and allowing one run on four hits. Greg Selarz held Team USA scoreless but gave up five hits in two innings before Nate Kerkhoff closed out the final two-third’s of an inning allowing three runs (two earned).

Final Stats

Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) drove in the game-winning run in the four-run fifth with a single through the right side scoring George Springer (Connecticut) giving Team USA a 4-3 advantage. Dickerson laced a two-RBI double down the left field line that scored Maggi and Bradley, Jr. to start the frame. Springer followed with a walk and scored the for the final run of the inning on a two-out fielding error by second baseman Chris Wychock off the bat of Mahtook for a 5-3 advantage.

Bradley, Jr. drove in the games first run in the top of the first putting Team USA up 1-0 on single up the middle that scored Maggi from second base.

Fayetteville capitalized on a pair of Team USA errors to take a 2-1 lead in the third inning. Jake Carlson singled to open the frame then landed on second thanks to a throwing error by Steve Rodriguez (UCLA) and moved over to third on a fielder’s choice bunt by Jim Roesinger. The Swampdogs knotted the game at one on a sac fly from Benton Yaun and took the lead on a Gilmartin wild pitch that plated Roesinger, who advanced to third on a stolen base and another throwing error by Rodriguez.

Nick Natoli pushed across the Swampdogs third run of the contest cutting the lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the fifth. Yaun reached on an error then moved up on a ground out and took third on the third wild pitch of the evening for Team USA before scoring on Natoli’s groundout to first.

Team USA scored three more runs in the eighth pushing the lead to 8-3 before the game was called due to lightning.

The Collegiate National Team will be back in action Wednesday, July 14 when it opens a five-game international friendly series with Korea. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the National Training Complex in Cary, N.C.

(USA Baseball release)