Big Pitching Performances Headline The Week

Justin Jones

the first to do it Friday afternoon.  He was followed by: Alex Wimmers-Ohio St., Cole Green-Texas, Justin Jones-Cal, D.D. Hanks-South Alabama, Merrill Kelly-Arizona St., and Asher Wojciechowski-The Citadel.

1…Freshman among that group of eight game winners-Cal LHP Justin Jones (8-2, 2.62 ERA), who has both of his team’s complete games this season.

12…Strikeouts by Wojciechowski in his Friday complete game 4-2 win over Furman.

4…ACC series lost by North Carolina this season after being swept in Miami over the weekend.

4…ACC series lost by the Tar Heels over the previous three seasons combined.  UNC lost three conference series last year, none in 2008 and one in 2007.  They also lost just two in 2006 for a total of six ACC series defeats from ’06-’09 en-route to four trips to the College World Series.

David Guetierrez (Miami photo)

7…RBIs by Hurricane catcher Yasmani Grandal, who homered to help his team to the weekend sweep of the Tar Heels.

7…Perfect innings pitched by Miami’s David Guetierrez in Wednesday’s 9-0 win over Florida Gulf Coast.  The senior struck out seven and retired all 21 batters he faced in just his second start of the season before leaving the game after throwing 84 pitches.  Hurricane reliever Eric Whaley lost the perfect game and no-hitter when he hit a batter and gave-up a single in the 8th inning.

3…Wins by #6 Georgia Tech over visiting #16 Clemson.  The sweep was sparked by Friday’s 10th inning walk-off home run by Yellow Jacket right fielder Chase Burnett.

15…Consecutive games in which a Georgia Tech player has homered after second baseman Jacob Esch went deep in Sunday’s 11-3 series finale, which gave Clemson its fifth straight loss.

9…Of Clemson’s 13 losses this season (including three in its five-game slide) which have been decided by one or two runs.

5…Runs scored by #25 Virginia Tech in the top of the 9th inning in Sunday’s 8-5 win over #3 Virginia, which avoided a 3-game sweep.  The rally was capped by Buddy Sosnoskie’s 2-out bases clearing double.

3…Walks issued in just 1/3 of an inning by Cavalier closer Kevin Arico, who had earned his Division One leading 12th save earlier in the series, in that Hokie rally.

4…Walks issued by Arico (0-1)  in 20 innings pitched prior to Sunday’s outing.

0 & 23…Runs allowed and strikeouts totaled in 25 combined innings by Texas starting pitchers Brandon

Brandon Workman (Texas photo)

Workman, Taylor Jungmann and Cole Green in the Longhorns’ weekend sweep of arch rival Texas A&M.  The trio also surrendered a grand total of seven hits on the weekend.

12 & 6…Consecutive wins by Texas and losses by Texas A&M, respectively, after the Aggies’ fourth sweep at the hands of the Longhorns in the last five seasons.  The sweep keeps Texas 2 1/2 games ahead of Kansas State in the Big 12 Conference standings.

14…Big 12 leading home runs hit by Nebraska’s Adam Bailey this season.

1…Hit by Bailey in 13 at-bats vs. Kansas (not a home run), while the Jayhawks took two of three games in the series from the Cornhuskers.

1996…The last time Kansas won a series in Lincoln prior to the weekend’s wins.

1,000…Career wins by Rutgers head coach Fred Hill after his Scarlet Knights beat South Florida 6-1 Saturday en-route to a 3-game weekend sweep of South Florida.  The wins move RU into a first place tie with Connecticut atop the Big East Conference standing.

1…Home run this season by LSU sophomore Grant Dozer-a walk-off shot that ended Sunday’s 6-5 14-inning win over Alabama to cap a 3-game weekend sweep.

2002…The last time LSU (30-6, 11.4) swept a series from Alabama (22-15, 5-10).

7…Ride or die innings pitched by LSU closer Matty Ott to earn his first win of the season.  The sophomore allowed two runs on four hits in the longest outing of his career.  He gave-up the runs in the 8th inning and then proceeded to toss six scoreless frames.

32…Division One leading wins by Coastal Carolina, which beat Gardner-Webb 13-0 Sunday for its 13th straight win.

4…Third inning home runs hit by UC Riverside in Sunday’s 7-5 win over Long Beach State.

Marcus Stroman

3…Hits by Duke second baseman Marcus Stroman in Saturday’s upset of #8 Florida State.

3…Scoreless innings pitched by Stroman, who moved to the mound and earned his fourth win in relief in that same game.

4…RBIs along with a home run hit by Arkansas’ Brett Eibner in Saturday’s win over Georgia.  He is tied for the team lead with 11 HR this season.

7…Innings pitched in that game by Eibner, who earned his third win in his ninth start of the season.

11…Straight wins by the Razorbacks (31-6, 12-3) after Sunday’s 13-5 win over the Bulldogs.  Arkansas has the most overall wins and conference wins of any team in the SEC.

20…Combined strikeouts by starting pitchers Blake Cooper of South Carolina and Drew Pomeranz of Ole Miss in Friday’s Gamecock win over the Rebels.  Cooper (7-0) scattered four hits with 10 K in the complete game effort to help

Christian Walker (USC photo)

South Carolina win two of three games in the series.

9…Straight South Carolina batters who reached base safely in a seven-run 2nd inning-capped by Christian Walker’s grand slam-in Saturday’s 9-5 win over the Rebels.

4…Runs scored by Arizona in the bottom of the 9th inning to rally to beat Washington State 12-11 Sunday in Tucson.

11…Straight wins by the home team in the series between the Wildcats and Cougars.

14…Strikeouts in 8 2/3 IP by Arizona’s Kurt Heyer in Friday’s 5-3 win over Wazzou.

18…Scoreless inning streak by Pepperdine’s Matt Bywater that ended when Gonzaga scored a 1st inning run en-route to a 16-3 win.

8…Runs scored by Miami (OH) in the bottom of the 9th inning of Tuesday’s 12-11 win over Xavier.

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

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6…Cougars who were hit by pitch in Sunday’s 9-5 series-clinching win over ASU.  Garry Kuykendall was plunked three times.

Clemson's Mike Freeman

6…RBIs by Clemson second baseman Mike Freeman in Wednesday’s win over Georgia.  Freeman played for the Bulldogs in 2007 before transferring to Georgia.

300…Career wins by Georgia head coach Dave Perno with a 6-5 Sunday win over Ole Miss-UGA’s only win in the series. Perno is in his 9th season at the helm at his alma mater.

15…Strikeouts in 8 IP by Ole Miss pitcher Drew Pomeranz in Friday’s 4-1 win over Georgia.  It’s the second time this season Pomeranz has fanned 15 in a game.

14…School record runs scored in the first inning by Arkansas in Wednesday’s 32-8 win over visiting St. Louis.  The Razorbacks also combined to tie a school record with 30 RBIs in the game.

2…Men named Fred Hill who were head coaches at Rutgers last week.  Fred Hill, Sr.-of the RU baseball team and Fred Hill, Jr.-of the Scarlet Knight men’s basketball team.

1…Fred hill who is currently coaching at Rutgers after Fred Hill, Jr. was dismissed as basketball coach last week.  The younger Hill’s dismissal was in part precipitated in part by an alleged profanity laced tirade directed at Pittsburgh baseball coach Joe Jordano during an April 1 9-8 win by RU.

2…Wins at Notre Dame over the weekend by Rutgers.  Saturday’s 25-5 win gave the elder Hill and his team its first win at Notre Dame since 2002.  The road series win at Eck Stadium is RU’s first since the Irish and Scarlet Knights joined the Big East together in 1996.

Michael Lang

7…Home runs hit by Rutgers in Saturday’s 25-5 onslaught.  Outfielder Michael Lang had two of the long balls with 7 RBIs.

3…Wins needed by Fred Hill, Sr. to reach 1,000 for his career.  He’s been the head coach at Rutgers since 1984.

1…Closer the Jersey coach could not use in Friday’s 9-8 loss to the Irish due to a jersey flap.  His closer, Tyler Gebler, was wearing jersey #4 instead of his usual #43 in the game and with the tying run at 2nd base and two outs in the bottom of the 8th Hill went to the pen to the freshman.  However, Gebler was ruled an illegal substitution in the game, because Hill had crossed-out Steve Nyisztor’s #41 instead of Gebler’s #43 on the line-up card he turned-in before the game.  Hill had to go to Kevin Lillis, who gave-up back-to-back RBI hits, including Adam Norton’s game-winning triple.  Gebler has a 1.50 ERA, while his 6 saves are tied for second-best in the Big East.

2…Triples hit and innings pitched by Notre Dame’s David Mills in Tuesday’s 13-6 win over Oakland.  The lefty started the game as the Irish DH and later entered the game on the mound.  He had 2 RBIs and pitched 4 innings in relief to earn another win on Friday in ND’s only win of the Rutgers series.

2…Wins by Pittsburgh over fifth-ranked Louisville in their weekend series at Pitt’s Trees Field.  Losses Friday and Saturday to start the series, combined with a midweek loss to Kentucky, gave the Cardinals their first back-to-back setbacks of the season as well as their first series loss.

4…Runs scored in the top of the 9th inning of Sunday’s series finale to give Louisville a 9-7 win and avoid the series sweep.  Adam Duvall and Ryan Wright each belted two-run home runs to provide the offense.

17…Combined runs surrendered 13 1/3 by Louisville starting pitchers Thomas Royse, Dean Kiekhefer and Gabriel Shaw in the three games vs. Pitt.  Royse (6-1) suffered his first loss in the series-opener.  Shaw was making his first start of the season in Sunday’s finale after 14 relief outings.

36…Combined runs that same trio had surrendered in 104 1/3 previous innings pitched this season.

Alex Wimmers

14…Strikeouts with no walks by Ohio State’s Alex Wimmers (7-0) in Friday’s 7-1 win over Indiana.  Hoosier outfielder Alex Dickerson went 0-for-4 in the game to end his 21-game hitting streak.

4…Home runs in as many games to end the week by Duke’s Will Currier.  His 8 RBIs over the weekend helped the Blue Devils take two of three games from #12 Clemson.

2…Hits allowed by Oregon State’s Greg Peavey in Friday’s complete game 4-1 win over #2 UCLA.  Peavy’s efforts handed the Bruins their first consecutive losses after a midweek setback to Cal State Fullerton.

16…Innings needed for UCLA to beat OSU 3-1 in game two of the Pac 10 series on Saturday.  The game lasted 6 hours and 23 minutes.

39…Combined runners left on base by the Bruins (22) and Beavers (17) in Saturday’s marathon.

529…Pitches thrown in the game by a total of 12 pitchers, including eight sent to the mound by Oregon State.

11…Consecutive scoreless innings pitched by UCLA pitchers-with seven scoreless frames to end the 16-inning game combined with four shutout half innings to start Sunday’s series finale, which the Bruins won 8-2.

18…Combined pitchers used by LSU (8) and Southern Mississippi (10) in Wednesday’s 6-5 win in 12-innings in Metairie, LA.

2…Wins by Auburn over defending SEC & National Champion LSU in their weekend series at Auburn’s Samford Stadium.  The Tigers win game three 6-5 after a game-ending squeeze bunt by right fielder Justin Fredejas.

1998…The last time Auburn had won a home series vs. LSU prior to the weekend’s wins.  LSU had swept the last two series between the two teams and had won eight of the previous 11 series since 1999.

0…Outs recorded by Auburn starting pitcher Cole Nelson, who surrendered six earned runs on seven hits in Friday’s 14-10 loss to open the series.

0…Hits by Auburn catcher Tony Caldwell, who still had 3 RBIs in Saturday’s 11-7 Auburn win.  Caldwell was 0-for-1, but drove-in his runs with a bases loaded walk and two sac flies.  He also had a sacrifice bunt on the day.

Trent Mummey

7…RBIs in the series by Auburn’s Trent Mummey, who made his first three starts of the year after injuring his ankle prior to the start of the season.  Mummey hit two home runs, including his second career grand slam.

2 of 3…Wins by Oregon in its series at Stanford to give the Ducks their first Pac 10 series win since 1980 and their first Pac 10 road series win since 1976 at Washington.

21…Wins by Oregon through 32 games this season after winning just 17 games all of last year-the first year baseball was played at the school after it was disbanded following the 1981 season.

26…Game hitting streak by Kansas State’s Nick Martini-the longest active D1 streak in the nation this season.  A pair of 21-game hitting streaks ended over the weekend.  Martini had at least one hit in KSU’s series vs. Nebraska.  His streak is a school record and the fifth-longest in Big 12 history.

62…Career stolen bases by Martini’s teammate, Adam Muenster, to set a school record that had held since 1995.  Muenster’s record-breaker came in Sunday’s 8-3 win over the Cornhuskers.

8,540…Fans who saw K-State take two of three games from Nebraska to set a 3-game series attendance record at Tointon Family Stadium in Manhattan.

9-0…Kentucky’s lead over Alabama heading into the top of the sixth inning of Sunday’s game in Lexington, KY.

11-9…Final score of Alabama’s win in that game.  Jake Smith’s grand slam capped a 5-run sixth inning and the Tide scored five more runs in the 8th and another in the 9th to cap the biggest comeback in school history.

Jason Coats

4…Combined shutout innings pitched by Alabama’s Tyler White and Nathan Kilcrease in Sunday’s improbable comeback.  White got the win to improve to 3-1 while Kilcrease earned his second save.

3…Home runs off three different pitchers by TCU’s Jason Coats in Sunday’s 12-2 win over Houston.   Coats’ efforts helped the Horned Frogs outscore the Cougars 33-3 in the series.

2…Wins by Virginia Tech over #14 Miami in their weekend series.  The Hokies’ first ever series win over the Hurricanes comes a week after their first win over another traditional college baseball power-Florida State.

3…ACC series won by Virginia Tech all of last season.  They have won four of five conference series already this season, with their only loss (a sweep) coming at the hands of Clemson.

Jamie Skagerlind

2…Walk-off home runs in as many days by Bryant first baseman Jamie Skagerlind to help his team win three of four games vs. Central Connecticut State.  Skagerlind’s shot in the bottom of the 10th inning ended Saturday’s 3-2 win in game one of a doubleheader.  His blast to end Sunday’s 7-inning twin bill opener capped a 5-run Bryant rally.  The game-winning blasts are his only home runs of the season.

3…No-hitters thrown last week.  Fresno State’s Greg Gonzalez and Lehigh’s Greg Angelo each tossed 7-inning no-hitters, while Kevin Johnson of West Florida fired the second 9-inning no-no of 2010.  Gonzalez is the first Bulldog to pitch a no-hitter in 34 years, while Angelo had the first at Lehigh since 1988.

11…Shutout innings pitched across two games by North Florida’s John Atteo.  He earned the win with two scoreless innings in Tuesday’s 3-1 upset of Florida State, and then fired a complete game shutout in Sunday’s 10-0 win over USC Upstate.

1,201…Career wins by UNF head coach Dusty Rhodes-who will retire at season’s end-with Atteo’s Sunday victory.

Louisville Looks To Continue Recent Dominance

2009 Regular Season Champion:  Louisville

2009 Tournament Champion:  Louisville

Louisville enters 2010 with two straight Big East Tournament championships, and the Cardinals are fresh off their second Super Regional appearance in the last three years.  UL has a loaded line-up back this season, but teams with veteran offenses like West Virginia and Connecticut along with talented pitching staffs at USF and Notre Dame are poised to challenge as well.

Ten Big East teams will take part in the 2010 Big Ten-Big East Baseball Challenge, hosted by the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission.  The second annual event  takes place Feb. 26-28. For tickets visit www.BigTenBIGEASTChallenge.com.

2010 Big East Baseball Preview

Cincinnati

2009 Record:  (29-29, 13-14)

Mascot:  Bearcats

Head Coach:  Brian Cleary

Location:  Cincinnati, OH

Vitals:  .285 BA, 72 HR, .382 OBP, .965 Fld%…6.73 ERA, 1 CG, 12 SV, 376 K, 194 BB, .318 opp. BA

Thefts Are Down:  After stealing 130 and 133 bases in 2007 and 2008, respectively, the Bearcats swiped just 33 bases last year.  The only Big East team with fewer stolen bases was West Virginia with 23.

Long Gone Spina:  Cincinnati has a big hole to fill in the middle of the order with the loss of Mike Spina (.342, 23 HR, 69 RBIs).  The third baseman was taken in the 11th round of last year’s MLB Draft by the Oakland A’s.  His home run total was second in the Big East to Louisville’s Chris Dominguez (25).  Spina had an 1.121 OPS last year.

More Losses:  The Bearcats also lose Lance Durham, whose .427 average was the second-best in the conference last year.  Durham was drafted in the 14th round by Toronto last June.  His 99 hits set the UC single-season record formerly held by Boston Red Sox infielder Kevin Youklis.  Cincinnati also loses its top pitcher, Jake Geglein (6-1, 2.97 ERA, 9 SV), who signed a free agent contract with the Texas Rangers.  Geglein was the only Bearcat pitcher with either a winning record or a sub-3.00 ERA last year.

Across The Pond:  Cincinnati head coach Brian Cleary served as the pitching coach for the British National Baseball Team at the 2009 Baseball World Cup.  He served in the same role when the team won the silver medal at the 2007 European Championships.

Connecticut

2009 Record:  (36-24, 14-13)

Mascot:  Huskies

Head Coach:  Jim Penders

Location:  Storrs, CT

Vitals:  .318 BA, 51 HR, .393 OBP, .959 Fld%…4.39 ERA, 1 CG, 14 SV, 455 K, 197 BB, .269 opp. BA

George Springer

Hungry Huskies:  UConn returns eight batters from a scrappy line-up who hit .301 or better last year, including George Springer (.358, 16 HR, 57 RBIs, 1.133 OPS), Mike Nemeth (.346, 6 HR, 47 RBIs, 22 doubles), Pierre LePage (.340, 1 HR, 38 RBIs), and Mike Olt (.301, 8 HR, 40 RBIs).  LePage helped the Bourne Braves win the Cape Cod League Championship last summer.  The biggest loss is that of Pete Fatse (.354, 11 HR, 54 RBIs).  CLICK HERE to listen to a podcast interview with LePage.

Husky Hurlers:  The Huskies lose key relievers David Erickson (3.21 ERA, 12 SV), Dusty Odenbach (2-3, 3.34 ERA) and Dennis Accomando (1-1, 3.46 ERA), who combined to make 75 relief appearances last year.  They also lose John Folino whose six wins led the staff.   Top returnees to the staff include Soph. Scott Oberg, who was 4-0 with a team-best 1.78 ERA, Matt Barnes (5-3), and Elliott Glynn (5-4, 4.76 ERA).  Glynn led the team with 12 starts and also hit .266 while making 24 starts as an outfielder.

Coast To Coast:  After opening its season in Florida at the Big Ten/Big East Challenge UConn heads to California for a four-game series with Cal State Northridge followed by a game at USC.  The Huskies then play Tennessee, Marshall and Ohio State in Knoxville, TN.

Georgetown

2009 Record:  (17-34, 8-18)

Mascot:  Hoyas

Head Coach:  Pete Wilk

Location:  Washington, D.C.

Vitals:  .279 BA, 45 HR, .354 OBP…6.04 ERA, 0 CG, 9 SV, 269 K, 163 BB, .311 opp. BA

Key Returns:  Georgetown returns six of its top seven batters from a year ago.  Junior Erick Fernandez led the team in average (.349, doubles (16) and OPS (.970).  The catcher also hit five home runs.  Fellow junior Sean Lamont hit just .267, but he smacked a team-best 14 home runs while driving-in 50 runs.  The players Georgetown returns this year combined to hit 37 of the club’s 45 home runs in 2009.

Pitching:  Senior Tim Adleman(4-8, 5.40 ERA) is the only returning weekend starter from 2009.  His four wins were a team-high.  The Hoyas do return a quartet of solid relievers, Pablo Vinent (0-1, 4.24 ERA), Bobby Kirby (1-1, 5.09 ERA), Billy Concannon (1-0, 5.12), and Tommy Isaacs (2-2, 5.40 ERA), who combined to make 55 appearances with six starts and three saves last year.  They’ll likely take-on more significant roles with the departures of Jimmy Saris and Will Harris who combined to make 24 starts.

No Challenge:  For the second straight year Georgetown will not participate in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge.

Louisville

2009 Record:  (47-18, 19-7)

Mascot:  Cardinals

Head Coach:  Dan McDonnell

Location:  Louisville, KY

Vitals:  .304 BA, 85 HR, .394 OBP, .970 Fld%…4.32 ERA, 2 CG, 13 SV, 536 K, 182 BB, .261 opp. BA

Cardinals Trending Hot:  Louisville’s 135 wins over the last three seasons rank sixth in the nation.  The Cardinals   have made three straight NCAA appearances, including two Super Regionals and a College World Series trip, under head coach Dan McDonnell.

Phil Wunderlichappearances with two Super Regionals and a 2007 College World Series appearance during his tenure. Cal State Fullerton beat Louisville last year in the Fullerton Super Regional to advance to Omaha.

Loaded Line-Up:  The Cardinals return seven of eight everyday players from last year’s Super Regional squad.  All-American junior Phil Wunderlich (.367, 18 HR, 68 RBIs, 1.113 OPS) leads the group of returnees.  Seniors Andrew Clark (.350, 9 HR, 55 RBIs) and Adam Duvall (.328, 11 HR, 51 RBIs, 12 SB) are back as well.

Ready To Return:  Outfielder Stewart Ijames is back after last season with a shoulder injury.  Ijames was a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American in 2008 after hitting .351 with 8 home runs, 11 doubles and 39 RBIs.  He led the Coastal Plain League with 12 home runs for the Thomasville HiToms last summer.

Pitching Prowess:  Louisville returns 12 of the 15 pitchers who saw action last year, but they do lose their ace, Justin Marks (11-3, 3.77 ERA, 129 K in 105 IP).  The left was taken by Oakland in the 3rd round of last year’s MLB draft. Dean Kiekhefer (6-5, 5.00 ERA),  Gabriel Shaw (3-1, 3.73 ERA, 3 SV), Tony Zych (6-2, 3.25 ERA, 2 SV) and Thomas Royse (3-2, 3.48 ERA, 2 SV) lead the group of returnees.

Gone But Not Forgotten:  The Cardinals also lose 6’4, 240 lb. Chris Dominguez (.345, 25 HR, 82 RBIs) who hit 61 home runs with a school record 218 RBIs in his three-year career (he only played three games in 2006 due to a broken forearm).  He was taken in with the 86th overall pick by San Francisco in last year’s draft.  His 25 home runs in ’09 are a single-season school record, while his 61 career long balls are second in the Louisville record books.

Reunion Time:  Louisville plays a 3-game series in Oxford, MS vs. 2009 Super Regional team Ole Miss March 12-14.  McDonnell was a Rebel assistant for five seasons prior to his current tenure.

Notre Dame

2009 Record:  (36-23, 15-12)

Mascot:  Fighting Irish

Head Coach:  Dave Schrage

Location:  Notre Dame, IN

Vitals:  .309 BA, 51 HR, .392 OBP, .966 Fld%…5.36 ERA, 7 CG, 12 SV, 328 BB, 220, .286 opp. BA

Line-Up Losses:  The Irish lose their top three hitters, including their top two run producers from 2009. CF  A.J. Pollock (.365, 10 HR, 52 RBIs, 21 SB) was taken by Arizona with the 17th overall pick in last year’s MLB draft.  He was the highest Irish player drafted since 1965.  SS Jeremy Barnes (.353, 15 HR, 70 RBIs) was drafted in the 11th round by Philadelphia.  Barnes was Notre Dame’s RBI leader in 3 of his 4 years.  Meanwhile, OF Golden Tate (.329, 45 R, 13 SB), who won the Biletnikoff Award on the football field last fall, won’t play baseball this year to prepare for April’s NFL Draft.

Solid Nucleus:  Despite the significant losses Notre Dame still returns six players who hit .301 or better in 2009,

Cole Johnson

including Jr. INF Mick Doyle (.327) and Sr. OF David Mills (.325), who was also 2-1 with a save as a relief pitcher.

Plenty Of Pitching:  Virtually every significant pitcher from 2009 is back this season, including the entire weekend rotation of Jr. Cole Johnson(7-3, 4.47 ERA),  Jr. Brian Dupra (6-5, 3 CG) and Sr. Eric Maust (6-3, 4.94) who has also doubled as a punter on the Irish football team.  Relievers Will Hudgins (2-0, 3.65 ERA, 3 SV), Todd Miller (1-2, 5.40 ERA, 5 SV) and Ryan Richter (5-2, 3.85 ERA) return as well.  RHP Ryan Sharpley is also back after missing all of 2009 due to injury.

Addition By Addition:  Collegiate coaching veteran Dave Dengler joins the Irish staff as the pitching coach for 2010.  As a head coach he led Linn-Blinton CC and Yavapai JC to a combined five Junior College World Series appearances, including the 1993 NJCAA National Championship (Yavapai).  Dengler was also the head coach at Portland State for four years before the program was disbanded.  In his 23 years as a college coach Dengler had 23 pitchers, including World Series MVP Curt Schilling, selected in the MLB Draft.

Pittsburgh

2009 Record:  (28-21, 13-15)

Mascot:  Panthers

Head Coach:  Joe Jordano

Location:  Pittsburgh, PA

Vitals:  .307 BA, 60 HR, 77 SB, .376 OBP, .971 Fld%…6.35 ERA, 4 CG, 8 SV, 304 K, 189 BB, .314 opp. BA

Needed Facelift:  The Big East baseball facility that was most in need of an upgrade will finally get one.  Pittsburgh announced a “generous and substantial gift” last fall for the construction of the Peterson Sports Complex, which will be built on 12 acres of Pitt’s upper campus.  The complex will benefit baseball, softball and soccer.  Baseball upgrades include a press box, team dugouts, synthetic playing surface, practice areas, and lighting.  Completion is scheduled to be ready for next season.

So Long Sedon:   Junior college transfer Chris Sedon made the most of his only year at Pitt.  The second baseman led the Panthers in average (.398), HR (22), RBIs (62), Slg% (.796), OBP (.449), and SB (19).  He signed professionally after being taken by Detroit in the 10th round of last year’s MLB Draft.

Panthers Back:  Pitt returns five players, Kevan Smith (.363), Danny Lopez (.323), John Schultz (.319), Joe Leonard (.316), and Frank Mercurio (.306), who will try to make-up for the loss of Sedon’s production.  However, their combined home run total was just 19, while Leonard’s 35 RBIs led the group.  The Panthers also return two-thirds of their weekend rotation with Corey Baker (6-3, 5.91 ERA) and David Kaye (3-4, 5.74 ERA).  They combined for three of the staff’s four complete games.

Un-Challenged:  For the second straight year Pittsburgh will not compete in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge.  The Panthers open their season with three games at Wofford and then play Bradley, Memphis and Toledo at the Service Academy Classic in Memphis, TN Feb. 26-28.

Rutgers

2009 Record:  (22-31, 8-19)

Mascot:  Scarlet Knights

Head Coach:  Fred Hill

Location:  Piscataway, NJ

Vitals:  .292 BA, 35 HR, 52 SB, .374 OBP, .956 Fld%…6.24 ERA, 1 CG, 10 SV, 311 K, 236 BB, .310 opp BA

King Of The Hill:  Entering his 27th season at Rutgers, Fred Hill is easily the longest tenured head coach in the Big East.  Hill will become just the third person to have his jersey retired at Montclair State at a Feb. 13 ceremony.  He

Jaren Matthews

started his head coaching career there and guided Montclair to the 1983 NCAA Division III World Series.  Hill enters 2010 just 20 wins away from 1,000. Hill’s  brother Brian is currently an assistant coach for the NBA’s Detroit Pistons, and his son, Fred, is the head coach of the Rutgers men’s basketball team.

A Lot In The Line-Up:  The Scarlet Knights return eight position players, a DH and 10 of their top 11 hitters from last year’s team.  Michael Lang (.343, 8 HR, 38 RBIs, 10 SB and Jaren Matthews (.328, 6 HR, 28 RBIs, 10 SB) head the pack.

Mound Presence:  2009 Cape Cod All-Star Casey Gaynor (2-9, 5.54 ERA) is among the pitching staff’s top three pitchers who return.  Gaynor was the pitching staff’s workhorse, with the team’s only complete game.  Willie Beard (0-2, 2.28 ERA) thrived as the team’s closer with 8 saves as a freshman, while senior RHP Matt Giannini returns after missing 2009 due to injury.

Challenges Abound:  Rutgers makes its Big Ten/Big East Challenge debut this year, but it has a pair of challenges sandwiched around the second weekend of the season.  The Scarlet Knights open 2010 with three games vs. the Miami Hurricanes in Coral Gables, FL and then face another ACC power with three more games vs. Georgia Tech in Atlanta March 5-7.

Seton Hall

2009 Record:  (25-24, 13-14)

Mascot:  Pirates

Head Coach:  Rob Sheppard

Location:  South Orange, NJ

Vitals:  .274 BA, 20 HR, .371 OBP, .954 Fld%…4.33 ERA, 9 CG, 5 SV, 307 K, 199 BB, .282 opp. BA

All In The Family:  Head coach Rob Sheppard’s brother, Mike Sheppard, Jr., is the head baseball coach at Seton Hall Prep.  Their father, Mike Sheppard, Sr., coached the Pirates from 1974-2003.

All In The Family II:  Seton Hall volunteer assistant Zach Porcello’s younger brothers, Rick and Jake Porcello, both played for Mike Sheppard, Jr. at Seton Hall Prep.  Rick Porcello was a first round draft pick by the Detroit Tigers in 2007.  He was 14-9 with a 3.96 ERA for the Tigers last year.   Jake Porcello is now a freshman pitcher on the Seton Hall roster.

Tale Of The Tape:  The Pirates lose their top two hitters, Matt Smedberg (.382, 2 HR, 26 RBIs) and Chris Affinito (.324, 9 HR, 50 RBIs), as well as two of their weekend starters, Sean Black (4-6, 3.99 ERA, 2 CG) and Keith Cantwell (6-3, 3.48 ERA, 5 CG), from last year’s team.   Their top returners are Sr. OF Michael Rogers (.299, HR, 23 RBIs), Jr. SS A.J. Rusbarsky (.271, 1 HR, 20 RBIs) and Jr. RHP Joe DiRocco (4-3, 4.46 ERA, 2 CG).

Texas 3-Step:  Seton Hall opens the season with a 3-game series in College Station, TX vs. Texas A&M.

St. John’s

2009 Record:  (30-22, 16-11)

Mascot:  Red Storm

Head Coach:  Ed Blankmeyer

Location:  Queens, NY

Vitals:  .349 BA, 42 HR, .422 OBP, .963 Fld%…6.20 ERA, 1 CG, 10 SV, 328 K, 235 BB, .315 opp. BA

Red, White & Blue:  Head coach Ed Blankmeyer will serve as an assistant coach this summer for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.  The 2010 schedule is highlighted by the V FISU World University Championships in Japan.

Greg Hopkins

Red Storm Regulars:  St. John’s returns five players who made at least 34 starts and hit .331 or better.  Soph. OF Jimmy Parque (.360, 5 HR, 61 RBIs) and Jr. third baseman Greg Hopkins (.349, 7 HR, 45 RBIs).  They lose Tim Morris (.415, 12 HR) and Matt Kemp (.379, 16 SB) who were selected in the 11th and 19th rounds, respectively, in last year’s MLB Draft.

Plus Pitching:  The Red Storm returns a group of pitchers that accounted for 44 of the staff’s 52 starts last year, including Nick Cenatiempo (5-3, 7 starts), Eddie Medina (5-3, 4 starts, 1 SV), Brendan Lobban (4-2, 7 starts) and Bruce Kern (5-4, 11 starts) who had the team’s only complete game.  Senior closer Ryan Cole (2-0, 3.49 ERA, 5 SV) is back as well.

Last Go ‘Round:  St. John’s opens its season with a 3-game series at New Orleans.  This will be the Privateers’ last season of Division I competition as they transition to Division III in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

South Florida

2009 Record:  (34-25, 18-9)

Mascot:  Bulls

Head Coach:  Lelo Prado

Location:  Tampa, FL

Vitals:  .315 BA, 36 HR, .407 OBP, .968 Fld%…4.79 ERA, 8 CG, 11 SV, 402 K, 204 BB, .274 opp. BA

Big Plans:  Plans are in the works for a new baseball stadium at USF.  The stadium is part of a $30 million facilities upgrade that will benefit other sports as well.  The overall capacity of the stadium is expected to exceed 3,000 and is being designed to accommodate additional seating that will enable USF to host NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals.l The new home plate and press box area will be built on what is currently the right field foul pole area of Red McEwen Field.

Sophomore Slump:  Junior OF Ryan Lockwood will look for a big bounce-back season in 2010.  He hit .415 and

Randy Fontanez

was named Collegiate Baseball’s 2008 National Freshman of the Year, but slumped to just a .289 average last year.

The Champ Is Back:  Lockwood and 2009 Big East batting champion (conference games only) Junior Carlin (.384 overall/.471 Big East games)) are among five line-up regulars who return in 2010.  57 of Carlin’s hits last year were singles, which contributed to USF’s .441 ranking 8th in the 12-team Big East.

Great Expectations:  League coaches named Jr. RHP Randy Fontanez (7-3, 3.09 ERA, 6 CG) the Preseason Big East Pitcher of the Year.  Fontanez made 13 starts in 2009, while holding opponents to a .250 average.  He tossed six of the staff’s eight complete games.   USF also returns starters Derrick Stultz (5-4, 4.48 ERA) and Teddy Kauffman (3-5, 5.86 ERA) as well as reliever Kevin Quackenbush (2-2, 3.94 ERA, 6 SV).

Villanova

2009 Record:  (22-28, 6-20)

Mascot:  Wildcats

Head Coach:  Joe Godri

Location:  Villanova, PA

Vitals:  .282 BA, 23 HR, .384 OBP, .970 Fld%…6.15 ERA, 4 CG, 8 SV, 283 K, 206 BB, .308 opp. BA

Matt Szczur

Hail Szczur:  OF/C Matt Szczur (pronounced like Julius Caesar) helped lead the Villanova football team to the 2009 FCS Division I National Championship in December.  He was named both the CAA’s Offensive and Special Teams Player of the Year this for the season.  The junior ran for 810 yards and 10 touchdowns, passed for 22 yards and 2 TDs, averaged 27.2 yards on 30 kickoff returns, and had 51 catches for 610 yards and 4 more TDs in 2009.  Szczur missed his freshman baseball season due to injury, but he led the Wildcats with a .346 average and 18 stolen bases last year.  CLICK HERE to listen to a recently recorded podcast interview with the two sport star.

More Experience:  Szczur is one of five returning position playing starters for VU, including Jr. INF David Koczirka (.340, HR, 39 RBIs) 12 of 14 pitchers who saw action for the Wildcats last year are back as well.  The group combined to make all 50 starts in 2009.  Senior RHP Brian Streilein (5-8, 5.46 ERA, 2 CG) leads the rotation, while Jr. LHP Mike Francisco (1-2, 4.24 ERA, 4 SV) leads the relief corps.

Challenge Debut:  Villanova opened the 2009 season by playing eventual national champion LSU in the first games in the new Alex Box Stadium, making this year the team’s debut in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge.

West Virginia

2009 Record:  (37-18, 17-10)

Mascot:  Mountaineers

Head Coach:  Greg Van Zant

Location:  Morgantown, WV

Vitals:  .360 BA, 68 HR, .443 OBP, .966 Fld%…5.40 ERA, 7 CG, 10 SV, 375 K, 199 BB, .300 opp. BA

Dinging It:  The Mountaineers led the Big East in batting average (.360), slugging percentage (.564), on-base percentage (.443), and runs scored (525) in 2009.

Dan DiBartolomeo

.400 Or Bust:  Two of the top three hitters in the Big East return to lead the West Virginia offense this year.  Dan DiBartolomeo’s .439 overall average led the conference, while Jedd Gyorko’s .421 avg. was third.  Gyorko is a 2009 Cape Cod League All-Star who was the 2008 Big East Freshman of the Year.  Big East coaches voted him the 2010 Preseason Player of the Year.  CLICK HERE to listen to a podcast interview with Gyorko.

Line-Up Losses:  WVU loses its top two home run hitters in Justin Parks and Austin Markel who hit 12 and 15 HR, respectively last year.

Mound Men:  Weekend starters Jr. RHP Jarryd Summers (7-3, 3.06 ERA, 2 CG) andLHP Jonathon Jones (6-2, 6.57 ERA) are joined by workhorse closer Chris Enourato (6-2, 3.66 ERA, 6 SV) as the top returnees on the pitching staff.  Enourato made 20 relief appearances last year and averaged more than two innings per outing.  The senior has been named to the NCBWA’s Preseason Stopper of the Year watch list.

Phantom Starts:  WVU pitchers Jarryd Summers, Jonathon Jones and Billy Gross were credited with a combined 15 “starts” on the offensive scorecard last season, but none of them had an at-bat or any offensive stat during the year.  Head coach Greg Van Zant’s custom is to substitute his DH for the pitcher when that spot in the batting order is due at the plate for the first time in a game.

2010 Big East Baseball Predictions

Player of the Year: Phil Wunderlich – Louisville

Pitcher of the Year:  Jarryd Summers – West Virginia

Conference Champion:  Louisville

Hill Needs Just 20 Wins To Reach 1,000 Mark

Fred Hill will have his #24 jersey retired at Montclair St., where his head coaching career began. (RU photo)

MONTCLAIR, N.J.– Rutgers head baseball coach Fred Hill, who will begin his 34th season as a collegiate coach and 27th with the Scarlet Knights this spring, served as head coach at Montclair State from 1977-1983 and will be honored by the school next month.

The Montclair State Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced plans to retire his jersey No. 24 in a ceremony Feb. 13 at the Mayfair Farms in West Orange, N.J. beginning at 5:30 p.m. Hill’s jersey number will be just the third in school history to be retired, joining Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member Carol Blazejowski (12) and College Football Hall of Fame inductee Sam Mills (62) as the only people to have that distinction bestowed upon them.

Tickets for the event are $45.00. For more information, please contact the MSU Diamond Club by phone at (973) 668-2560 or e-mail at cjpol104@yahoo.com.

“There’s no one more deserving of this honor than Coach Hill,” said current MSU head baseball coach Norm Schoenig. “For all that he has done, not only at Montclair State but the influence he has had on the many players and coaches in collegiate baseball throughout his career.”

“I am deeply honored and want to thank Montclair State,” said Hill. “Coach Schoenig and the Montclair State family have always held a special place in my heart. To be recognized with such an illustrious group is something I will truly cherish. I am fortunate to coach for a long time and am grateful to work with outstanding programs at Montclair State and Rutgers.”

Hill spent seven seasons as the head coach of Montclair State, compiling an impressive 148-92-1 mark (.619 winning percentage) turning and turning the then-Indians into a perennial Division III power. He won three New Jersey Athletic Conference championships and guided Montclair State to the program’s first three NCAA Division III Tournament appearances culminating in its first trip to the NCAA Division III World Series in 1983 and a school-record 31 victories. Hill was chosen as the American Baseball Coaches Association Mid-Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year. In addition he spent seven seasons as Montclair State’s football coach where he posted a 52-16-4 mark that included four NJAC titles and a berth in the NCAA Division III Playoff semifinals in 1981.

Hill came to Rutgers in 1984 and continued his coaching success “On the Banks” where he has captured 12 regular-season or conference championships and 11 NCAA Tournament appearances in his first 26 years. He owns an 832-532-7 record with the Scarlet Knights and enters the 2010 season just 20 victories shy of the prestigious 1,000-win total with a 980-638-9 career record.

“Rick Giancola (current MSU head football coach) and I would like to thank Coach Hill for giving us the opportunity to teach, coach and mentor student-athletes,” said Schoenig. “Hopefully we will continue to represent Coach Hill’s principles and values in a positive manner.”

(Release)