http://collegebaseball360.com/college-baseball-360-podcast-brian-oconnor/ http://collegebaseball360.com/college-baseball-360-podcast-brian-oconnor/#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:39:51 +0000 http://collegebaseball360.com/?p=23836

www.simplesharebuttons.com

Virginia Coach Ready For New Challenge…

Brian O'Connor being interviewed by ESPN's Jenn Brown during the 2011 CWS

The last three seasons have been unprecedented for head coach Brian O’Connor and the Virginia baseball team. The Cavaliers are coming off their second trip to the College World Series in the last three years, with a Super Regional appearance sandwiched between the trips to Omaha.

Most of the players, including All-American two-way player Danny Hultzen, are gone from those two teams though. The roster turnover leaves O’Connor and his coaching staff faced with the new challenge of restocking not only the entire weekend pitching rotation, but also most of the everyday lineup.

In this exclusive interview with College Baseball 360 editor Sean Stires, O’Connor discusses those challenges and more – including the one thing he would change if he were king of college baseball for a day.

Press the “Play” button below to listen to the interview.

O\’Connor.mp3

 

 

 

www.simplesharebuttons.com

]]> http://collegebaseball360.com/college-baseball-360-podcast-brian-oconnor/feed/ 0

College Baseball Foundation Honors 2011’s Best…

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!

If you’re going to the College World Series your one stop for the most officially licensed 2011 College World Series apparel is the all new Dugout, located right across the street from the Road To Omaha statue outside TD Ameritrade Stadium.

The Dugout has all the hats, t-shirts, and special CWS memorabilia as well as the same game caps worn by the top college baseball teams.

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!

Big First Round For College Guys…

Gerrit Cole – RHP – UCLA

2011 Stats: (6-8), 3.31 ERA, 114 1/3 IP, 119 K, 24 BB, .242 Opp. BA, 4 CG

After helping UCLA to the College World Series Championship Series last year, Cole suffered his second losing season in three years in Westwood. The 6’4 right hander has a 21-20 record in his three seasons. He tied his season high with 11 strikeouts in 7 1/3 IP in UCLA’s L.A. Regional-opening 3-0 loss to San Francisco. Cole was a first round draft pick by the New York Yankees out of high school. He has a 98 mph fastball that you would expect from an overall #1 pick. he has a slider and change-up as well. Cole is the first player in UCLA history to be selected first overall in the MLB Draft.

Peter Gammons: “He is that horse.”

Harold Reynolds: “How can you pass up that arm?”…”You get a guy throwing 98 with that kind of movement…forget about it.”

2. Seattle Mariners

Danny Hultzen – LHP – Virginia

2011 Stats: (11-3), 1.57 ERA, 103 1/3 IP, 148 K, 17 BB, .189 Opp. BA

Hultzen has a 31-5 record on the mound in three seasons at Virginia. He was 9-1 with a 2.23 ERA while helping the Cavs reach the College World Series as a freshman in 2009. He also batted .327 with 37 RBIs that year. He has amassed 378 in 210 innings in his career. His 148 K this year are second nationally to only UCLA’s Trevor Bauer and his 203 K this season. He was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2008. He became the first Virginia pitcher to be named ACC Pitcher of the Year this season.

3. Arizona Diamondbacks

Trevor Bauer – RHP – UCLA

2011 Stats: (13-2), 1.25 ERA, 136 2/3 IP, 203 K, 36 BB, .154 Opp. BA, 10 CG

Bauer struckout 14 batters in what is likely to be his last collegiate start-a 3-1 Regional elimination game win over Fresno State. He logged his ninth straight complete game in the win, while setting the Pac-10 single-season strikeout record (203) in the process. Former USC pitcher Mark Prior (202) set the previous record in 2001. He also passed Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum, who fanned 199 batters for Washington in 2006. Bauer was 34-8 in his three seasons at UCLA, including a 9-3 mark in 2009. He would have still been a senior in high school that year had he not graduated early to start his college career. Bauer’s delivery is uncannily similar to Lincecum’s.

Harold Reynolds: “(Bauer was) previously not drafted, that’s what I’m thinking about.” “(Scouts) think he’s going to get to the Big Leagues quicker than all the other guys in the draft.”

John Hart: “Bottom line is, this kid can pitch, he’s a winner, he can strike you out. That go-to breaking ball is special.”

Click Here for recent CB360 video interview with Bauer.

6. Washington Nationals

Anthony Rendon – 3B – Rice

2011 Stats: .327 BA, 6 HR, 37 RBIs, 214 AB, 70 H, 20 doubles, .523 slg%, .520 OBP, 33 K, 80 BB, 13 SB

Rice head coach Ray Graham calls Rendon “the complete player”. He was the 2009 National Freshman College Player of the Year and the Dick Howser National Player of the Year last year when he hit 26 home runs. Rendon was bothered by a right shoulder injury and was primarily a designated hitter as a result this season. The 6’0, 190 lb. junior was a shortstop in high school. He was drafted on his 21st birthday.

Harold Reynolds: “He’s and athlete. You draft the athlete and you figure it out after that.”

Peter Gammons: “This guy is a really good hitter and he doesn’t necessarily need to hit home runs.”

10. San Diego Padres

Cory Spangenberg – IF – Indian River Community College

2010 Stats: .370 BA, 11 HR, 49 RBIs, .596 slg%, .414 OBP, 24 SB

Spangenberg was named a Freshman All-American and the Big South Conference Freshman of the Year in his only season at Virginia Military Institute in 2010. He was sixth in the nation among Division One Juco players with a .477 batting average this year. His .553 OBP ranked 10th nationally as well. Spangenberg is signed to attend Miami (FL) next year, so he could use that as signing leverage with the Padres.

John Hart: “What they drafted was possibly the best hitter in the draft. They drafted an athlete who can run…the only issue for him is where’s he gonna play.”

11. Houston Astros

George Springer – OF – UConn

2011 Stats: .350 BA, 12 HR, 76 RBIs, 234 AB, 82 H, .628 slg%, .428 OBP, 38 K, 35 BB, 31 SB*

Like pretty much every college baseball player, Springer’s power numbers were down this year thanks to the new BBCOR bats. However, his numbers are only slightly down from 18 last year. The 6’3, 200 lb. junior was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 2008, but instead of signing he became the first player in UConn history to be named Big East Conference Rookie of the Year in 2009. His 46 career HR and 76 career SB have him in the same mold in the power/speed department as LSU’s Mahtook.

Peter Gammons: “His upside is huge. There aren’t many athletes like this who come around.”

John Hart: “This is a talented, talented young man. I think this guy has a chance to be something very special. The issue for me is going to be his ability to make adjustments to breaking balls and to be able to handle good fastballs inside.”

* Numbers entering Monday’s Regional final vs. Clemson.

12. Milwaukee Brewers

Taylor Jungmann – RHP – Texas

2011 Stats: (13-1), 1.40 ERA, 128 1/3 IP, 119 K, 29 BB, .168 Opp. BA, 5 CG

All Jungmann has done since starting his career at Texas is win. The 6’6, 220 lb. junior is 32-7 in three seasons wearing burnt orange. He has also racked-up 349 strikeouts in his career. Jungmann helped the Longhorns to a national runner-up finish at the 2009 College World Series. He finished third in the national with a .193 opponent batting average and finished fifth nationally with a 2.00 ERA that year. Jungmann’s only loss (to date) in 2011 came to Kent State in Texas’ NCAA Regional opener. He was the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year this year.

John Hart: “This is an advanced pitcher. This guy’s been a winner. He doesn’t have electric stuff.”

15. Milwaukee Brewers

Jed Bradley – LHP – Georgia Tech

2011 Stats: (7-3), 3.49 ERA, 98 IP, 106 K, 31 BB, .239 Opp. BA

16. Los Angeles Dodgers

Chris Reed – LHP – Stanford

2011 Stats: (6-2), 2.54 ERA, 9 Saves, 49 2/3 IP, 48 K, 15 BB, .201 Opp. BA

17. L.A. Angeles of Anaheim

C.J. Cron – 1B/C – Utah

2011 Stats: .434 BA, 15 HR, 59 RBIs, 198 AB, 96 H, .803 slg%, .503 OBP, 21 K, 31 BB

18. Oakland A’s

Sonny Gray – RHP – Vanderbilt

2011 Stats: (11-3), 2.01 ERA, 107 2/3 IP, 115 K, 39 BB, .192 Opp. BA

19. Boston Red Sox

Matt Barnes – RHP – UConn

2011 Stats: (11-4), 1.62 ERA, 116 2/3 IP, 111 K, 31 BB, .177 Opp. BA, 3 CG

20. Colorado Rockies

Tyler Anderson – LHP – Oregon

2011 Stats: (8-3), 2.17 ERA, 107 2/3 IP, 114 K, 35 BB, .201 Opp. BA

Click Here for recent video interview with Anderson.

22. St. Louis Cardinals

Kolten Wong – 2B – Hawaii

2011 Stats: .378 BA, 7 HR, 53 RBIs, 209 AB, 79 H, .560 slg%, .492 OBP, 23 SB

2010 Cape Cod League MVP – Click Here to listen to CB360 Podcast interview

23. Washington Nationals

Alex Meyer – RHP – Kentucky

2011 Stats: (7-5), 2.94 ERA, 101 IP, 110 K, 46 BB, 4 CG, .222 Opp. BA

28. Atlanta Braves

Sean Gilmartin – LHP – Florida State

2011 Stats: (12-1), 1.83 ERA, 113 1/3 IP, 113 K, 20 BB, .209 Opp. BA

29. San Francisco Giants

Joe Panik – SS – St. John’s

2011 Stats: .398 BA, 10 HR, 57 RBIs, 226 AB, 90 H, .642 slg%, .508 OBP, 21 SB, 44 BB, 24 K

30. Minnesota Twins

Levi Michael – SS – North Carolina

2011 Stats: .297 BA, 5 HR, 48 RBIs, .455 slg%, .444 OBP, 15 SB

Michael enrolled at North Carolina and became a starter for UNC’s 2009 College World Series team in what would have been his senior semester in high school.

31. Tampa Bay Rays

Mikie Mahtook – OF – LSU

2011 Stats: .383 BA, 14 HR, 56 RBIs, .709 slg%, .496 OBP, 29 SB, 32 K, 41 BB

(End of first round)

Compensation Round

37. Texas Rangers

Zach Cone – OF – Georgia

40. Boston Red Sox

Jackie Bradley, Jr. – OF – South Carolina

43. Arizona Diamondbacks

Andrew Chafin – LHP – Kent State

A big early April weekend of college baseball is in the books, so consider this your look back at some great action. The April 8-10 weekend saw some great baseball played around the country.

The weekend’s action included 39 series that featured College Baseball 360 Top-50 teams, with 12 of those series being won by the lower-ranked/unranked teams. Sunday’s games alone had 41 total games involving top-50 teams, with the higher-ranked teams winning 61% of those games (25-16). In fact, less than one-third of the weekend’s series involving CB360 top-50 teams (12 of 39) resulted in sweeps.

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

Here’s a look back at some of the Top 50 highlights:

Big, Bad Beavers…

#19 Oregon State made history by sweeping #5 Arizona State in Corvallis over the weekend. It’s OSU’s first sweep of the Sun Devils at home and also marks its first sweep of ASU since 1966. Arizona State (22-9, 5-4) had not been swept in Pac-10 play since 1999.

Ryan Dunn (courtesy Oregon State).

Oregon State’s Ryan Dunn batted in the 8-hole for the Beavers (24-7, 5-1) all weekend. The shortstop batted 6-for-11 with three doubles, a home run and six RBIs. He helped OSU’s 6-9 batters go 22-for-42 (.523) over the three games, with 12 RBIs and 15 runs. Oregon State’s 24-7 start is the program’s best since its 2007 national championship season. 7,751 fans saw the three games at OSU’s Goss Stadium.

Cavs Cooled…A Little…

Virginia had its 12-game winning streak snapped when it lost 10-8 at Georgia Tech Sunday, but the Cavs still took two of three games from the Yellow Jackets in the big ACC series. Saturday’s 12-9 UVA win to clinch the series extended Virginia’s school record road winning streak to 11 games.

No surprise, Cavalier ace Danny Hultzen (7-0, 1.33 ERA) fanned 12 with just one walk in 8.0 IP in Friday’s 6-2 Virginia win. Hultzen is second in the nation with  90 strikeouts in  54 1/3 IP this season.

Virginia (31-3, 13-2) roughed-up Georgia Tech starters Mark Pope and Jed Bradley in the first two games. The duo combined to give-up 11 runs on 15 hits in 12 1/3 IP on Friday and Saturday. Virginia has won all five of its ACC series this season, including three on the road. It’s only other ACC loss also came on Sunday against Florida State.

Jake Davies was 4-for-4 with 3 RBIs to lead the Yellow Jackets to Sunday’s win. Georgia Tech (24-9, 12-3) suffered its first ACC series loss of the season. Buck Farmer earned his sixth straight win for GT, despite giving-up seven runs (four earned) in 7.0 innings on Sunday.

Woo Pig Sooie…

James McCann

Arkansas swept LSU in their 3-game SEC series in Fayetteville and if you were lucky enough to see any of the action you saw some great baseball. The Razorbacks won each of the last two games of the series in walk-off fashion. Saturday night’s game on ESPNU ended on James McCann’s 3-run home run that gave the Razorbacks a 4-3 win in front of a record 11,103 delirious fans. LSU, after going scoreless over the first 17 innings of the series, had scored three runs in the top of the 9th before McCann’s shot in the bottom of the inning.

Sunday’s game ended on Kyle Robinson’s sac fly to centerfield to score Bo Bigham for a 5-4 win and the series sweep. It’s just the third time Arkansas (23-8, 6-6) has swept LSU since joining the SEC in 1992. The Razorbacks are now a game behind Alabama in the SEC West. LSU (21-11, 3-9) has won just one of its four SEC series this season. Austin Nola’s 6th inning grand slam gave the Tigers their four runs. 28,657 fans packed Baum Stadium for the 3-game set.

Sooner Pain, Cowboys Gain…

Oklahoma State continues to make some noise in the Big 12 after a 3-game sweep of Missouri. The Cowboys’ 7-3 win over the Tigers on Sunday gives the program its first conference series sweep since April 27, 2008.

OSU (24-8, 8-4) are in third place in the Big 12 standings, behind Texas and Texas A&M. The Cowboys finished last season with a 29-26 overall record, including just 8-19 in conference play.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma (24-8, 6-5) dropped two of three games at Kansas State. The series loss is the second for the Sooners in Big 12 play this season, to equal their total from all of last year’s College World Series team. It’s a big series win for K-State (18-12, 4-8), which takes a series from OU for the first time in 10 years and earns its first conference series win of 2011.

California Crash…

Three California schools, Cal, Stanford and Fresno State, all suffered series upsets over the weekend. Maybe #18 Cal was breathing a sigh of relief after finding out the program had been spared the ax prior to its series at Arizona, but the Golden Bears lost two of three in Tucson to the Wildcats. Cal’s Justin Jones was tagged for 7 ER in 4 1/3 IP in Sunday’s 10-8 loss. Golden Bear Erik Johnson and Wildcat Kurt Heyer each fanned 11 in the series-opener, but neither earned a decision as Arizona scored three in the bottom of the 9th to win 5-4. Arizona pounded-out 40 hits in the series.

Jordan Ribera

#10 Fresno State didn’t lose its series, but that’s due in part to the fact that the WAC plays 4-game conference series. The Bulldogs (22-5, 2-2) dropped two of its first three games at #50 San Jose State (21-11, 2-2) and then pulled-out a 5-3 win in Sunday’s finale to settle for the tie. Last year’s DI home run leader, Jordan Ribera, hit a three-run homer to break out of a season-long swoon, while closer Charlie Robertson earned his 10th save of ’11. Ribera is still batting just .223 with 2 HR and 11 RBIs after belting 27 HR with 69 RBIs last year.

#14 Stanford dropped two of three in its series at USC as well. The Cardinal (15-9, 3-3) has played five of its first six weekend series on the road against the likes of Vanderbilt, Rice, and Texas. They host the aforementioned red hot Oregon State Beavers next weekend. The series win was the first for the Trojans (13-19, 4-5)  in their last five series vs. Stanford. Logan Odom tossed 7.0 scoreless innings in Sunday’s 6-2 series clincher. All three of his wins this year have come over ranked teams.

Tallahassee Tar Heels…

#8 North Carolina (29-5, 12-3) did something this weekend that it hadn’t done in 16 years-win a series against #7 Florida State (23-9. 9-6) in Tallahassee. The Tar Heels won 7-6 in Sunday’s series finale to end the Seminoles’ streak of 25 straight Sunday wins. UNC reliever Michael Morin earned saves Saturday and Sunday after relief stints of 1.0 and 3.0 innings, respectively.

Historic Spartans…

Michigan State made history after sweeping reigning Big Ten champion Minnesota for the first time ever. The MSU-Minnesota series dates all the back to 1925, and it also marks the first time the Spartans (20-7, 5-1) took back-to-back series against the Golden Gophers (10-12, 2-4) after taking two of three at Minnesota last year. Brandon Eckerle leads a Spartan offense that’s batting .316 with a .439 average. First baseman Jeff Holm is the top run-producer with a .398 average, 4 HR, 29 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, and an 1.102 OPS. The Michigan State pitching staff sports a 2.70 ERA. Starters Kurt Wunderlich and Tony Bucciferro are each 6-1.

(Front page photo courtesy Arkansas.)

Both The Good & The Bad…

It’s no surprise that offense has been down, while pitching numbers have been better so far this season. However, nobody predicted James Madison would erupt for 91 runs with those new bats in a four-game sweep of Bucknell to open the season. Jake Lowery and David Herbek have combined to lead not only the Dukes, but also the nation with 14 and 12 home runs, respectively, while also sitting among the nation’s Division One leaders in sever other offensive categories.

Following is a look at some other surprises, both good and bad, to this point in the season.

Pleasant Surprises…

Danny Hultzen is 6-0 with a 1.36 ERA in 2011

Virginia was supposed to be good this year, but Brian O’Connor’s Cavaliers have been flat-out great so far. UVA debuted at #15 in our Preseason Composite National Rankings, but is 29-2 overall and 11-1 in ACC play heading into this weekend’s showdown with Georgia Tech. The Cavs lost just one game in the month of March-their series finale against Florida State. They’ve done anything but mash the ball out of the yard en-route to their 29 victories. Keith Werman has nearly twice as many sac bunts (13) as his team has home runs (7), while they still average 7.3 runs a game with a .300 team batting average. Danny Hultzen (6-0, 1.36 ERA) is second in the nation with 78 strikeouts for a pitching staff that’s so deep that midweek starter Will Roberts, who pitched a perfect game last week, is riding a 21-inning scoreless streak. Virginia has a 1.93 team ERA with 333 strikeouts and just 64 walks this season.

Fresno State was a team that many thought deserved an NCAA bid in 2010, but the Bulldogs (38-25) just missed the field of 64 after Hawaii ended their reign of four straight WAC Tournament titles. Offense wasn’t a problem for Mike Batesole’s squad, but the pitching staff ended the season with a 6.05 ERA. Things have been much different for the 2011 edition of the Bulldogs (20-3). Greg Gonzalez (6-0, 1.36 ERA) fronts a pitching staff that sports a 2.50 ERA. The senior led the staff with 73 strikeouts last year, but he already has 52 Ks with just 9 BB in 46 1/3 IP in 2011. Charlie Robertson has slammed the door at the end of games with 9

Fresno State's Charlie Robertson is among the DI leaders with 9 saves.

saves in 10 appearances. He is yet to surrender an earned run in 16 1/3 IP this year. Like everyone, Fresno State’s offense is still adjusting to the new bats. Most notably Jordan Ribera, who hit .343 and led the nation with 27 home runs last year. He is batting just .244 with one HR and 7 RBIs in 23 starts in ’11. Dusty Robinson has picked-up the slack though, with a .321 BA, 6 HR and 19 RBIs.

Georgia was just 16-37 last year with a dismal 5-23 record in the SEC. Outfielder Zach Cone (.363, 10 HR, 53 RBIs) was practically the entire offense for Dave Perno’s Bulldogs, while the pitching staff had a bloated 8.51 ERA with no complete games. The Bulldogs (15-14, 6-3) are one win from matching last year’s overall win total, while a series win over LSU and a sweep of Mississippi State has already exceeded last year’s conference win total. Georgia also boasts wins over UCLA, Florida State and South Carolina. There’s still work to be done, but where UGA is now is a far cry from a season that started by being swept in a 3-game series at Stetson.

Cal State Bakersfield is well on its way to eclipsing last year’s win total. The Roadrunners are off and running to a 20-7 start after finishing with a 26-30 record in 2010. Bill Kernan’s squad hasn’t shied away from tough competition either. The DI independent has wins over top 10 opponents Arizona State and defending national champion South Carolina along with series wins over Washington and Ohio State. Ryan McIntyre (.363, 10

Tommy Hoenshell has helped spearhead Bakersfield's pitching staff.

doubles, 4 triples, .966 OPS) leads an offense that has five regulars hitting above .300, but it’s pitching that’s really fueled Bakersfield so far. Tommy Hoenshell (5-3, 1.97 ERA) has two complete games and leads the nation with 64.0 IP, Jonathon Montoya (5-1, 3.06 ERA) is tied for the DI lead with four complete games and closer Martin Medina (1-1, 2.45 ERA, 5 saves) has 19 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings to date.

Cal may or may not be reinstated beyond this season, but the Golden Bears are doing everything they can to make 2011 memorable. Dave Esquer has his team off to a 19-7 record, including 5-1 in the Pac-10, in what could be the program’s swan song. The pitching was expected to be good in 2011, but so far it’s been flat-out great. Justin Jones and Erik Johnson are each 4-1 with respective 2.47 and 2.08 ERAs, while Kevin Miller (3-2, 0.63 ERA, 1 save) has been nearly lights-out in a swing role. The senior has made three relief appearances and five starts, with a team-high 53 strikeouts and just 7 BB in 43.0 IP. Cal has a balanced offensive attack. Six regulars are batting between .317 and Austin Booker’s team-best .346, while eight players have accounted for the team’s 12 home runs.

Central Florida’s sites have been set on Omaha since Terry Rooney left his job as an LSU assistant to take over in Orlando. Now in his third year, Rooney has a team that’s starting to make some noise. The Knights (20-9) opened Conference USA with the program’s first ever series win over Rice only to be swept last weekend by Southern Mississippi.  However, UCF responded by toppling Florida 4-3 Tuesday night in Gainesville. D.J. Hicks (.347, 6 HR,

UCF's D.J. Hicks is among the top overall Conference USA hitters this season.

1.008 OPS) leads an offense that has seven starters batting above .300. Freshman Ben Lively (5-0, 1.88 ERA) has been UCF’s top weekend starter, while relievers Nick Cicio (1.08 ERA) and Joe Rogers (2.04 ERA) have each made 11 appearances out of the Knight’s bullpen, combining for 8 saves and 42 Ks with 5 BB in 44.0 IP.

Stetson (22-7) is another Florida school that’s exceeded most expectations so far. The Hatters need just five wins to match the win total of last year’s team that finished 27-31. Head coach Pete Dunn’s 32nd edition of the Hatters is also just five wins away from matching its 14 Atlantic Sun Conference win total from 2010. Robert Crews (.378, 3 HR), Nick Rickles (.345, 10 doubles, 3 HR, 28 RBIs) and Mark Jones (.343) have provided the bulk of the offense, while relievers Robbie Powell (4-0, 1.05 ERA) and Jake Boyd (2-0, 2.45 ERA) have combined for 8 saves in 31 appearances. The pitching staff has notched 232 strikeouts with 94 walks so far this season.

Head-scratching Surprises…

Connecticut was the darling of the north heading into the 2011 season. The Huskies brought back most of their line-up and pitching from last year’s team that won a school record 48 games and hosted an NCAA Regional. Most is the key word. UConn struggled to an 8-9-1 start to the new campaign without table setter Pierre LePage (.327, 63 R, 29 SB) and top run producer Mike Olt (.318, 23 HR, 76 RBIs), who were both drafted last June. The Huskies (15-10-1) have won seven of their last eight and look like they are back on the right track after sweeping St. John’s last weekend. Ace pitcher Matt Barnes (5-2, 1.00 ERA, 2 CG) has been as dominant as advertised. After starting the season in the Saturday starting role, he’s now the Friday night man. The UConn staff currently sports a 2.78 ERA, which should go a long way toward curing what ails Jim Penders‘ team now that Big East play is here.

UCLA road its pitching and a scrappy offense to a national runner-up finish in Omaha last year. The Bruins might have to lean on the arms of Trevor Bauer and Gerrit Cole even more this year. UCLA hit .304 as a team and averaged 6.8 runs a game last year, but those numbers are down to .244 and 4.0 through 24 games this year. John Savage’s Bruins (14-10) weren’t a team built on power to begin with (Dean Espy’s 9 HR led the club last year), but they have just four home runs to date in ’11. Seven different Bruin regulars batted .308 or better last year, but Cody Keefer’s .293 currently leads the team. Bauer (5-1, 1.46 ERA), who leads the nation with 82 Ks, and Cole (3-2, 2.06 ERA, 57 K) and the staff have been overpowering, with a 2.06 staff ERA and 259 strikeouts vs. just 74 walks in 218 2/3 innings this season. But consider this: After a 22-game win streak to start the season, UCLA didn’t lose its first game until April 2 last year. They lost 17 times in 68 games last year, but they have already lost 10 games this season.

San Diego has been to the NCAA Tournament in four of the last five seasons, but the Toreros will have a tough time getting back this year. San Diego (7-19) is off to one of the worst starts in Rich Hill’s 13-year tenure. USD currently sports a .256 team batting average, .325 on-base percentage and 4.82 ERA. The holes in the weekend pitching rotation left by Kyle Blair (8-4, 2.84 ERA) and Sammy Solis (9-2, 3.42 ERA) have been tough to fill on the mound, while the bats of Chris Engall (.416) and James Meador (.391) have left a big offensive void as well. To its credit, San Diego has played a tough schedule, with losses to the likes of Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Cal, Coastal Carolina, and Fresno State.

New Mexico had its best season in nearly 50 years in 2010, but things have been different this year. After earning the program’s first NCAA bid since 1962, the 2011 Lobos are off to a 9-20 start, including eight straight losses to start the campaign. However, Ray Birmingham’s squad returned just one position starter and six pitchers from last year’s team that went 38-22. Birmingham’s teams have always been offensive minded, but it’s hitting a whopping 80 points below last year’s .346 team batting average, while reaching base at a .342 clip (down nearly 70 points). The lack of offense, combined with a 6.05 staff ERA has been a recipe for  misfortune so far. Give Birmingham credit though. He knew what kind of turnover he would be facing this year, but still scheduled the likes of Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Arizona, and Oklahoma. The first of two conference series against TCU is this weekend.

Oregon is off to just a 14-12 start after an NCAA berth in just the second year of existence in the program’s return. The 40-24 record and that postseason appearance brought high expectations and a top 10 ranking coming into 2011. Like UCLA, George Horton’s offense is know for its small ball approach, but the Ducks are waddling to the tune of a dismal .229 team batting average and a .310 slugging percentage. Aaron Jones (.310) and Danny Pulfer (.301) are the only Ducks batting above .300, while K.C. Serna, who hit a team-best .348 in ’10, is struggling at .194 this season. Oregon scored just three runs in last week’s sweep at the hands of Arizona State to open Pac-10 play, making this weekend’s home series against Washington huge.

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

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

Here’s our by the numbers look at the highs and lows from the latest week of college baseball.

Mike Gillespie

900…Career wins for UC Irvine head coach Mike Gillespie. The 23-year Division One veteran notched the milestone with Saturday’s 5-3 home win over Sacramento State. The 2010 ABCA Hall of Fame inductee is 901-526-2 in his career (he picked-up another win in Sunday’s series finale), including a 1998 national championship as head coach at USC.

1…Career loss for TCU ace Matt Purke. The sophomore is now 18-1 in his still young career after suffering his first loss Saturday to Houston Baptist, which was 0-14 going into the match-up in Ft. Worth. Purke, who has missed a start this year due to a finger blister, gave-up four runs (one earned) in just 3 2/3 IP in the 7-4 setback.

31…Career saves for Matty Ott, to set a new LSU program record. Ott recorded his record-setting 30th save in Friday’s 7-6 win over Cal State Fullerton. He notched #31 (and his fourth of the season) in another one run game on Saturday.

10…Errors committed by Fullerton en-route to being swept in their 3-game series at LSU (15-1). The Titans (8-6) had committed just seven errors in their first 11 games prior, but suffer a 3-game sweep for the first time since 2009. They look to snap their skid Tuesday at Texas A&M.

Sam Gaviglio (Courtesy Oregon State).

29…Scoreless innings pitched by Oregon State’s Sam Gaviglio. The junior fired 8.0 shutout innings in Friday’s win over New Mexico State for his third win of 2011. He gave-up two unearned runs in a season-opening win over Gonzaga, but has a 0.00 ERA with 26 strikeouts and just four walks in 29 2/3 innings this season.

2…Players who hit for the cycle last week. Tennessee’s Matt Duffy became just the second Volunteer to ever achieve the feat when he did it in Wednesday’s win over New Orleans. Matt Holland also hit for the cycle in Texas A&M Corpus Christi’s upset of Texas Tech.

11…Combined scoreless innings pitched by Cal relievers Kevin Miller (7.0 IP) and Kyle Porter (4.0 IP) in Saturday night’s 7-6 win in 15-innings over Rice. Golden Bear ace Justin Jones surrendered an uncharacteristic 6 ER in just 4.0 IP, but the duo combined to allow just two hits with 10 strikeouts in the marathon.

5:22…As in 5 hours and 22 minutes, the time of Pacific’s 11-10 win in 13 innings on Tuesday against San Jose State. The game featured 127 plate appearances, 513 pitches by a combined 13 pitchers and just three errors in 219 total fielding chances.

42…Game hitting streak by Ronnie Freeman in Friday’s loss to Belmont. Freeman had extended his streak to school record status in mid-week losses to Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt.

Danny Hultzen (Photo courtesy Virginia).

14…Strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings (14 of 20 outs) by Virginia’s Danny Hultzen in Friday’s 5-0 win over Clemson. Justin Thompson notched 4 Ks in 2 1/3 IP to close the game to give the Cavs a season-high 18 strikeouts in the game, which also marked the first time Clemson had been shutout since May 22, 2008-a stretch of 148 games. The Tigers had entered the game with an ACC-best .343 batting average. Hultzen (4-0) now had 50 Ks with just 4 BB in 27 1/3 innings this season. He lowered his ERA to 0.66.

17-4…Virginia’s record against Clemson since 2004 after sweeping their ACC-opening series over the weekend at Clemson. Virginia (16-1) has won 10 straight, while Clemson (7-6) has dropped four straight and four of its last five overall. The Tigers dropped two of three games to South Carolina prior to the UVA series.

2…Combined home runs hit by Virginia and Duke through the first month of the season. The two teams have a combined 28-5 record, but each hit its first long ball of 2011 over the weekend. Virginia’s came Sunday, while Duke’s came Saturday. The Blue Devils opened ACC play by taking two of three from NC State.

1-2…UCLA‘s record over each of the last three weekends. The Bruins (8-6) dropped two of three at Nebraska last week after losing two of three to San Jose State to close February. They lost two of three again this past weekend, with a win over St. Mary’s and losses to Georgia and arch rival USC at the Dodgertown Classic. The pitching remains the team’s strength, with a stellar 1.80 and 165 strikeouts in 130 1/3 innings. However, the team is hitting just .245 and averaging 4.1 runs-a-game.

0…Road wins through the first month of the season by New Mexico after dropping three games over the weekend at Oklahoma State (12-3). The Lobos (3-11) started the season with three losses at Arizona State (11-3) and have also lost a game at New Mexico State. After the program’s first NCAA berth in more than 40 years in 2010, New Mexico has struggled this year due to nearly complete roster turnover.

Sean Gilmartin

11…Strikeouts in each of his last two starts registered by Florida State Friday starter Sean Gilmartin. The senior fanned 11 in 8.0 IP in Friday’s 3-1 win over Boston College. In his last two starts against BC and Georgia, Gilmartin (4-0) has allowed just one earned run on three hits with 22 strikeouts and two walks in 15.0 innings. The ‘Noles (15-1) face #1 Florida on Tuesday.

64…Two-out runs scored by Florida State through 16 games this season. The Seminoles scored 11 two-out runs in Saturday’s 15-6 win over Boston College alone. The 64 two-out runs represents 45% of the team’s 138 total runs to date. Meanwhile, FSU’s opponents have crossed the plate just 13 times this season. Jayce Boyd and James Ramsey are Florida State’s top two-out RBI men with 12 and 10, respectively.

1.30…ERA by Long Beach State’s Andrew Gagnon, with four starts against four ranked teams this season. Gagnon (2-2) earned his second win after allowing just a run in 8.0 innings Friday against Rice in San Francisco. He has also faced Cal State Fullerton, Oregon and Arizona this season.

0…Walks issued by the Central Florida pitching staff in a 3-game weekend sweep of Wagner. The Knights (13-3) registered 29 strikeouts in 27.0 IP. The pitching staff has failed to issue a free pass in seven different games this season. Ben Lively turned-in UCF’s first 9-inning complete game in three years in Saturday’s win, while Ray Hanson followed suit the next day. For the season, UCF has 152 strikeouts and just 29 walks in 142.0 innings.

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.

We are finally down to the pitchers in our look at some of the top college baseball players to watch heading into the 2011 season. Our list of top pitchers will conclude soon with the top relievers.

1. Matt Purke – TCU – So. – LHP

Purke was everything he was supposed to be in 2010. The 14th overall pick in the 2009 MLB Draft went right down the wire in his decision to turn pro or attend TCU before picking college. The Spring, TX native went 16-0 with a 3.02 ERA to help Jim Schlossnagle’s Horned Frogs reach the College World Series for the first time in program history. He struckout 142 batters in 116 1/3 innings with just 34 BB and he thrived in all the big moments. Purke fanned 11 in TCU’s Super Regional win over Texas. He then went 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA in Omaha with wins over Florida State and UCLA to earn CWS All-Tournament honors. Oh by the way, he was also named the National Freshman of the Year.

2. Trevor Bauer – Jr. – RHP – UCLA

Bauer is 21-6 with a 3.00 ERA in his first two years at UCLA. He has earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors both years, including last year when he was 12-3 with a 3.02 ERA and a nation-leading 165 strikeouts in 131 1/3 innings. He was 9-3 with a team-best 2.99 ERA as a freshman in 2009. He made 10 relief appearances and 10 starts with four complete games (of UCLA’s five) that season, which would have been his senior year of high school had he not enrolled early at UCLA. Bauer was 2-0 in two starts at the 2010 College World Series. He had 13 strikeouts in an elimination game start against TCU to get the Bruins into the CWS Finals. He finished with 24 strikeouts and four walks in 15.0 IP in Omaha. The Valencia, CA native had 24 strikeouts in 17 1/3 IP for the USA Collegiate National Team in 2009.

3. Gerrit Cole – Jr. – RHP – UCLA

Cole was selected in the first round of the 2008 MLB Draft out of high school by the New York Yankees, but opted to attend UCLA instead. That made him the first high school first round draft pick to ever attend UCLA. Cole was a Freshman All-American in 2009, going 4-8 with a 3.49 ERA, 104 strikeouts, 38 walks, and a .191 opponent batting average in 85 innings. In his seven losses as a starter that year the UCLA offense averaged just 2.0 runs-a-game. Cole was 11-4 with a 3.34 ERA to earn All-Pac-10 and All-American honors for the College World Series runners-up last year. He was third in the nation with 153 strikeouts in 123.0 IP. The Santa Ana, CA native has gone 6-0 over the last two summers for the USA Collegiate National Team. He had a 0.76 ERA in 2010 and a 1.06 ERA in ’09.

4. Danny Hultzen – Virginia – Jr. – LHP

Hultzen was one of the top two-way players in the country as a freshman in 2009, when he became the first Virginia player to be named ACC Freshman of the Year. He hit .327 with 37 RBIs in 54 starts, while going 9-1 with a 2.17 ERA and  107 Ks in 95 1/3 innings and 16 starts on the mound. Hultzen had a 2.05 ERA in his NCAA Tournament starts to help Brian O’Connor’s Cavs to their first College World Series. Hultzen was used primarily as a pitcher in 2010 and was just as dominant. The Bethesda, MD native was 11-1 with 123 strikeouts in 106 2/3 IP and a 2.78 ERA in 16 starts to become the first Cav to be named ACC Pitcher of the Year. His 20 career wins are tied for sixth in Virginia school history.

5. Taylor Jungmann – Jr. – RHP – Texas

Jungmann earned second team All-Big 12 honors last year after going 8-3 with a 2.03 ERA. He fired a team-high 120.0 innings with 129 strikeouts, 41 walks and one complete game. His .209 opponent batting average was also the best among the Longhorn’s starters. Jungmann was 11-3 with 101 strikeouts in 94 2/3 IP as a freshman in 2009, while finishing third in the nation with a .193 opponent batting average. The Temple, TX native made four appearances for the 2009 national runner-up Longhorns at the College World Series. He was 3-0 with a 0.59 ERA, 15 strikeouts, five and five walks in 15 1/3 total innings. Jungmann also fired a complete-game in his only Omaha start, which was game two of the CWS Championship Series.

6. Noe Ramirez – Cal State Fullerton – Jr. – RHP

Ramirez was named a Freshman All-American and Co-Big West Freshman of the Year (along with teammate Tyler Pill) in 2009 after going 9-2 with a 3.33 ERA. He struckout a Fullerton freshman record 100 batters in 110 2/3 IP to help the Titans to the College World series. He earned All-American status in 2010 after going 12-1 with a 2.54 ERA as the Friday starter for the Titan’s Super Regional team. The East Los Angeles native pitched at least 7.0 innings in 10 of his 14 starts, with two complete games. He struckout 119 in a team-best 109 1/3 IP. With Fullerton head coach Dave Serrano working as his pitching coach, Ramirez had five saves in nine relief appearances for the USA Collegiate National Team over the summer. He combined with Vanderbilt’s Sonny Gray and TCU’s Kyle Winkler to no-hit Korea on July 15.

7. Sonny Gray – Vanderbilt – Jr. – RHP

Gray was a Freshman All-American in 2009 after going 5-1 with a 4.30 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings for the Commodore’s NCAA Regional team. He was 10-5 with a 3.48 ERA and team-highs of 113 strikeouts and 108 2/3 IP last year. Gray earned his tenth win of the season in Vandy’s only win against Florida State at the Tallahassee Super Regional. The Smyrna, TN native has pitched for the USA Collegiate National Team in 2009 and 2010. He was drafted in the 27th round by the Chicago Cubs out of high school. At 5’11, 180 pounds, he has a build similar to former South Carolina ace Blake Cooper.

8. Jed Bradley – Jr. – LHP – Georgia Tech

Bradley was one of three Georgia Tech pitchers to win nine games (along with Deck McGuire and Brandon Cumpton) during his sophomore 2010 season. In fact, he became the ACC’s first nine-game winner when the Yellow Jackets beat fifth-ranked Miami on May 16. He was 9-5 with a 4.83 ERA in 16 starts in ’10. He struckout 99 with just 25 walks in 91 1/3 innings to earn second team All-ACC honors. The Huntsville, AL native saw his stock rise even further last summer when he became a Cape Cod League All-Star as a member of the Wareham Gateman. Baseball America tabbed Bradley the number four prospect in the Cape League heading into 2011.

9. Tyler Anderson – Jr. – LHP – Oregon

Anderson turned-in a 7-5 record with a 2.98 ERA as Oregon’s Friday starter in a Pac-10 that sent a record eight teams to the NCAA Tournament in 2010. He led the Ducks with 102 2/3 innings, with just 33 walks and 105 strikeouts, which ranked 36th in the nation. The 2010 All-Pac-10 performer was also a member of the USA Collegiate National Team over the summer. He was 1-0, while giving-up no earned runs in three starts. The Las Vegas, NV native was drafted in the 50th round by the Minnesota Twins in 2008. He is Baseball America’s #16 college prospect heading into the 2011 season.

10. Cole Green – Texas – Sr. – RHP

Green was the top pitcher on a team that is built on pitching in 2010. He earned Big 12 Pitcher of the Year honors after going 11-2 with a 2.74 ERA. He logged 111 2/3 innings and tied Brandon Workman with a team-high four complete games. His big year came after a combined record of 8-10 in his first two years in Austin. Green had three no-decisions in three starts at the 2009 College World Series, but he struckout 15 in 15.0 IP. The Coppell, TX native was drafted in the fourth round of last year’s MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers, but he turned down the chance to go pro in favor of returning for his senior season.

11. Alex Panteliodis – Jr. – LHP – Florida

Panteliodis started the season in the bullpen, but soon became a stalwart in the weekend rotation as a sophomore in 2010. He earned two wins in relief in Florida’s season-opening series against South Florida and then gave-up just two hits in 5 2/3 IP in his first start of the year against Miami. Panteliodis ended his season with an 11-3 record, which included a five-game winning streak heading into the College World Series. The highlight of the Tampa, FL native’s season was his first career complete game, 12 strikeout performance in the Gators’ Super Regional opening win against the Hurricanes. He retired the last 14 batters of the game for the win.

12. Anthony Meo – Jr. – RHP – Coastal Carolina

Meo is 22-4 with a 2.74 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 173 1/3 innings in his first two years at Coastal Carolina. He enters his junior season with the eighth-best ERA and tied for 11th in wins in school history. Meo was a Freshman All-American in 2009 after going 9-2 with a 2.93 ERA. He earned All-American honors in 2010 with his 13-2 record, 2.61 ERA and 94 strikeouts. His wins and ERA were team-highs, while he finished second to former teammate Cody Wheeler’s (12-0, 3.64 ERA) 113 Ks. The duo helped Coastal Carolina to the program’s first Super Regional, which they dropped to eventual national champion South Carolina. Meo pitched for the Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod League last summer.

13. Steven Maxwell – Sr. – RHP – TCU

Maxwell is back for his redshirt senior season at TCU after a breakthrough 2010 season that saw him drafted in 12th round by the Minneosta Twins. Maxwell was 5-2 from 2007-2009 for the Horned Frogs, but he was 11-2 with a team-best 2.70 ERA for TCU’s College World Series team in 2010. He finished with 93 strikeouts and earned All-American accolades and Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Year honors. Maxwell’s 2008 season was cut short after three appearances due to an elbow injury that would require Tommy John surgery. He was the starting pitcher in four of TCU’s six shutouts in 2010.

14. Justin Jones – So. – RHP – Cal

Along with TCU’s Matt Purke, Jones was one of the top freshman pitchers in the nation in 2010. He earned first team All-Pac-10 and Freshman All-American honors after going 10-6 with a 4.22 ERA. He not only led the Golden Bears in wins, but also had more than a third of the NCAA Regional team’s 29 victories on the season. Jones also tossed Cal’s only two complete games. One of his top wins of the season came on March 12 against Rice to help Cal split their four-game series with the Owls in Houston. His ten wins ranked third in the Pac-10, behind UCLA’s Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer. The Oakdale, CA native was a seventh round pick of the Chicago White Sox in the 2009 MLB Draft.

15. Kyle Winkler – Jr. – RHP – TCU

The fact that TCU is favored to get back to Omaha in 2011 is evidenced by the fact that the Horned Frogs have three starters on this list. Winkler was 12-3 with a 3.39 ERA in 2010. His 19 starts, two complete games and 116 2/3 innings led the TCU pitching staff. His 12th win of the season was the biggest of his career. Winkler fired 7 2/3 shutout innings of five-hit ball at Texas on June 13 to clinch the Super Regional and send Jim Schlossnagle’s Horned Frogs to the College World Series for the first time in program history. Winkler has a two-year record of 19-4 with a 3.69 ERA. The Sugar Land, TX native was a member of the 2010 USA Collegiate National Team.

Others To Watch…

Matt Andriese – UC Riverside

Jack Armstrong – Vanderbilt

Chad Arnold – Washington State

Matt Barnes – UConn

Brian Dupra – Notre Dame

Dylan Floro – Cal State Fullerton

Kyle Hansen – St. John’s

Kurt Heyer – Arizona

Brian Johnson – Florida

Seth Manness – East Carolina

Ben Nelson – Navy

Tyler Pill – Cal State Fullerton

Mark Pope – Georgia Tech

Hudson Randall – Florida

Carson Smith – Texas State

Nick Tropeano – Stony Brook

Logan Verrett – Baylor

Tony Zych – Louisville

Related

Top 11 Non-Conference Schedules In 2011

Top 11 Catchers To Watch In 2011

Top 11 Shortstops To Watch In 2011

Top 11 Second basemen To Watch In 2011

Top 11 Third basemen To Watch In 2011

Top 11 First basemen To Watch In 2011

To Outfielders To Watch In 2011

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

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

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

UCLA Duo Heads Louisville Slugger Teams…

UCLA's Trevor Bauer

Other first team pitchers are Matt Purke-TCU (16-0, 3.02 ERA), Taylor Jungmann-Texas (8-3, 2.03 ERA), Danny Hultzen-Virginia (11-1, 2.78 ERA), Noe Ramirez-Cal State Fullerton (12-1, 2.54 ERA), and John Stilson-Texas A&M (9-1, 10 SV, 0.80 ERA).

First team position players are C-Peter O’Brien-Bethune-Cookman (.386-20 HR), 1B-Paul Hoilman-East Tennessee State (25 HR, .421), 2B-Zack MacPhee-Arizona St. (.389, 20 SB), 3B-Anthony Rendon-Rice.394, 26 HR), SS-B.A. Vollmuth-Southern Mississippi (.386, 20 HR), OF-Jackie Bradley, Jr.-South Carolina (.368, 13 HR), OF-Alex Dickerson-Indiana (.419, 24 HR), OF-George Springer-Connecticut (.337, 18 HR, 33 SB), DH-Garrett Wittels-Florida International (.413, 56-game hitting streak), UT-Mike McGee-Florida State (.328, 17 HR).

Purke is projected by Collegiate Baseball as the National Player of the Year.

Click here to see the complete 2011 Louisville Slugger Preseason 1st, 2nd and 3rd Teams

Give a unique gift this Christmas from Dugouthats.com!  The Dugout in Omaha has officially licensed 2010 College World Series memorabilia that would make the perfect gift this holiday season and it’s all marked-down right now!

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