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Previews Continue With Teams 11-20…

Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin took his team to its first CWS in 2011

With the start of the season rapidly approaching, here’s a look at some of the top teams in the country heading into the 2012 college baseball season.

Our rankings are based on a “composite formula” that combines not only the existing weekly preseason national polls, but also other factors like strength of schedule and preseason conference polls. Other criteria will continually be added throughout the season to our composite rankings.

Here is a look at teams 11-20 heading into the season.

( ) Stats in parenthesis are from the 2011 season.

* After a statistic denotes team leader in that statistical category.

CLICK HERE to see capsules for teams 1-10

CLICK HERE to see capsules for teams 21-30

CLICK HERE to see the entire CB360 2012 Preseason Composite National Rankings

11. Vanderbilt

2011 Record: 54-12

With three straight national championships and a slew of NCAA bids every year, it is apparent just how good and how tough the SEC is on a yearly basis. However, the SEC’s Western Division took that to another level last year.

After several near misses, Vanderbilt finally reached the College World Series in 2011. Vandy’s historic bid made it one of three teams from the SEC West to reach Omaha. The other two, of course, were eventual national champion South Carolina and national runner-up Florida.

If Commodore head coach Tim Corbin is to get back to the CWS in 2012, it may be his best coaching job ever. Vandy suffers major key losses after having 11 – that’s right 11 – players from last year’s CWS team sign professional contracts last summer.

The most significant losses are in the weekend rotation, where All-Americans Sonny Gray (12-4, 2.43 ERA) and Grayson Garvin (13-2, 2.48 ERA) as well as less heralded, but still valuable Taylor Hill (6-1, 2.73 ERA) all must be replaced. The trio combined for 337 1/3 of the staff’s 583 innings and 325 of 567 strikeouts in 2011. As if the front end losses weren’t bad enough, closer Navery Moore (4-2, 1.21 ERA, 11 SV*) is now in the pro ranks as well. Will Clinard (2-2, 2.75 ERA, 35 App*, 39 1/3 IP, 48 K, 3 SV), T.J. Pecoraro (7-0, 1.59 ERA, 39 2/4 IP, 41 K) and Kevin Ziomek (3-0, 1.59 ERA, 45 1/3 IP, 47 K) are among the returnees who will assume larger roles in ’12.

There are a few more recognizable names back in the everyday lineup for Vandy. Notably, Anthony Gomez (.336, 48 RBIs, 61 Runs*, 12 Doubles), leadoff man Tony Kemp (.329, 58 Runs, 7 Triples*, 17 SB) and Mike Yastrzemski (.296, 60 Runs, 42 RBIs, 23 SB*). Vandy will still miss the run production of Aaron Westlake (.344, 18 HR*, 56 RBIs, .640 Slg.%) and Jason Esposito (.340, 9 HR, 59 RBIs*, 22 Doubles*).

Chris Harvey will be the one to watch for Vanderbilt all season. The strong armed catcher skipped his senior year of high school completely to enroll at Vanderbilt last fall. Corbin says of the 18 year old phenom “What separates him from most young players is his feel for hitting and his overall maturity for the game.” Harvey, who is part of what Baseball America has rated as the No. 1 freshman class in the country, comes from an athletic family. His sister, Megan, is a swimmer at Georgetown, while his brother, Michael, wrestles at North Carolina.

12. TCU

2011 Record: 43-19

A trip to the 2010 College World Series was the watershed moment for Jim Schlossnagle’s Horned Frogs, and heading into 2011 they looked like they were set for another Omaha run. The script didn’t quite hold though, as an injury to ace Matt Purke (5-1, 1.71 ERA) caused too much ripple effect in the roles of the rest of the pitching staff. Ultimately, TCU took two steps back, seeing upstart Dallas Baptist win the Ft. Worth Regional.

Purke signed a professional contract after two years at TCU, but fellow starters Kyle Winkler (8-2*, 1.39 ERA*, 13 Starts*, 2 CG, 90 2/3 IP*) and Steven Maxwell (5-1, 3.13 ERA) must also be replaced along with the bat of Taylor Featherston (.335*, 3 HR, 42 RBIs).

Despite that substantial turnover, TCU still has plenty back for a shot at another deep NCAA run. The offense is led by Josh Elander (.333, 5 HR, 38 RBIs, 11 Doubles), Jantzen Witte (.331, 4 HR, 45 RBIs, 21 Doubles*), Jason Coats (.325, 8 HR*, 56 RBIs*, 16 Doubles) and Brance Rivera (.324, 7 HR, 36 RBIs, 14 SB*). The most intriguing new addition is that of 6’5, 260 pound freshman Kevin Cron, who is the younger brother of former Utah All-American C.J. Cron. Kevin was a third round selection out of high school in last year’s MLB Draft, while C.J. went to the Angels in the first round.

Sophomore Andrew Mitchell (6-1, 2.84, 12 Starts, 22 App., 2 SV, 76 IP, 73 K) did a little of everything last year, with the Horned Frogs going 17-5 in games he pitched. He will have a more settled role this year with the previously mentioned departures. Stefan Crichton (6-3, 1.98 ERA, 26 App., 5 SV*, 50 IP) and  Nick Frey (1-0, 3.45 ERA, 10 App., 4 Starts) will look to expanded roles as well.

TCU will be tested early, with a season-opening home series against Ole Miss, followed by three games at Cal State Fullerton the next weekend. With a move to the Big 12 on the way, 2012 will be the Horned Frogs’ last season in the Mountain West Conference.

13. Florida State

2011 Record: 46-19

One thing has become automatic in Mike Martin’s first 32 years as Florida State head coach – an NCAA appearance. The Seminoles have gone to 32 straight NCAA Tournaments, gone to 14 College World Series and averaged an amazing 52 wins in Martin’s first 32 seasons at the helm.

The only thing the ABCA Hall of Famer hasn’t done is the same thing no ACC team has done since 1955 – win a national championship.

As usual, the Seminoles return a lot of offense to make a run at Omaha. James Ramsey (.364*, 10 HR*, 67 RBIs*, 18 Doubles, 58 Runs*, 3 Triples, 11 SB*, 1.022 OPS*) was FSU’s top all-around bat in 2011. He’s joined by the likes of Jayce Boyd (.343, 8 HR, 60 RBIs, 17 Doubles, 44 Runs, 10 SB), Devon Travis (.329, 6 HR, 33 RBIs, 26 Doubles*, 58 Runs*), Justin Gonzalez (.264, 8 HR, 40 RBIs, 13 Doubles, 50 Runs) and Sherman Johnson (.256, HR, 40 RBIs, 18 Doubles, 51 Runs, 10 SB).

The biggest losses to the pitching staff are ace Sean Gilmartin (12-2*, 2.09 ERA, 120 1/3 IP*, 130 K*), two-way player Mike McGee (4-3, 4.68 ERA, 5 SV/.321, 10 HR*, 58 RBIs) and closer Daniel Bennett (3-1, 2.29 ERA, 39 App.*, 15 SV*).

A solid group of returning pitching includes Robert Benincasa (3.58 ERA, 2-2, 20 App.), Gary Merians (6-2, 4.03 ERA), Brian Busch (6-2, 4.29 ERA, 26 App., 63 IP), Hunter Scantling (3-3, 4.45 ERA, 12 Starts, 58 2/3 IP), and Scott Sitz (4-2, 5.92 ERA, 51 2/3 IP).

14. Arizona

2011 Record: 39-21

While the majority of the teams in Division I baseball were struggling to adjust to the new BBCOR bats last year, that was not the case for Arizona. The national batting average dropped from .305 in 2010 to .282 last year (.023), but the Wildcats’ average slipped just .001 – from .321 to .320. Arizona finished third in the nation with its .321 average last season, and was one of just 49 of the nearly 300 DI teams to hit at a .300 or better clip.

Andy Lopez returns his top five bats, Bryce Ortega (.353*, HR, 28 RBIs, 57 Runs*, 25 SB*), Joey Rickard (.347, 4 HR, 37 RBIs, 16 SB), Cole Frenzel (.346, 3 HR, 16 Doubles, 48 RBIs), Alex Mejia (.335, 42 RBIs, 12 Doubles, 4 Triples), and Robert Refsnyder (.320, 6 HR*, 55 RBIs*, 6 Triples*, 13 Doubles) from that high octane offense. Those five combined for more than half of the team’s 370 RBIs and 14 of 29 home runs in 2011.

In addition to the big bats that are back, the Wildcats also return their top two pitchers - Kurt Heyer (8-5, 2.41 ERA*, 138 1/3 IP*, 134 K*) and Kyle Simon (11-3*, 2.72 ERA, 129 IP, 5 CG*). The duo accounted for 19 of the pitching staff’s 39 wins, 38 of 60 starts, more than half of its 534 innings, and all seven complete games.

15. Miami

2011 Record: 38-23

Since going to the College World Series in 2008, the last three seasons have all ended the same for Jim Morris’ Miami Hurricanes – with losses to Florida in Gainesville. The 2009 and 2011 campaigns ended in Regionals, while 2010 came in an error plagued Super Regional defeat.

Maybe Morris decided it was time to find an ace in the hole…or behind the plate anyway.

After three great seasons at Bethune-Cookman, Peter O’Brien looks to provide instant impact after transferring to Miami for his final year of eligibility. The NCAA ruled recently that O’Brien will be allowed to play immediately. The senior catcher batted .304 with 14 home runs and 69 RBIs in 2011.

O’Brien was the MEAC Player of the Year in 2010 and went on to play for the USA Collegiate National Team that summer. He was selected in the third round of the 2011 MLB Draft, but turned down the chance to turn pro for a year in Coral Gables and the ACC.

O’Brien will have plenty of help in the lineup, with Rony Rodriguez (.308, 13 HR*, 44 RBIs*, 16 Doubles*, 43 Runs, 1.008 OPS*), Brad Fieger (.280, 2 HR, 29 RBIs, 14 Doubles, 28 Runs), Dale Carey (.271, 24 RBIs, 30 Runs), and Stephen Perez (.263, 31 RBIs, 12 Doubles, 25 Runs, 14 SB) among those in the supporting cast.

The Hurricanes have one of the more experienced pitching staffs in the ACC this year as well, with juniors Steven Ewing (8-2, 2.66 ERA*, 74 1/3 IP, 77 K), Eric Whaley (7-5, 2.70 ERA, 93 1/3 IP*, 82 K) and E.J. Encinosa (5-6, 3.45 ERA, 86 IP) as well as sophomore Bryan Radziewski (9-2*, 3.35 ERA, 91 1/3 IP, 92 K*) all back. Those four combined to make all but two of the team’s 61 starts in ’11. The biggest hole to fill is that of closer Daniel Miranda (3-1, 2.67 ERA, 15 SV*), who was an eighth round pick in last year’s MLB Draft.

16. Oklahoma

2011 Record: 41-19

After a trip to the 2010 College World Series, Sunny Golloway and Oklahoma had high expectations heading into last season. There was reason, with the bulk of the CWS squad returning. However, despite 41 wins, the Sooners went two-and-out after being sent to the Ft. Worth Regional (hosted by fellow ’10 CWS participant TCU).

While no coach ever wants to say he’s in rebuilding mode, that’s where Golloway is entering 2012.

A total of 11 Sooners, including six pitchers, were drafted last June, leaving OU with big holes to fill in both the everyday lineup and on the mound. Kevin Seitzer (.358*, 4 HR, 17 Doubles*, 41 RBIs), catcher Tyler Ogle (.343, 9 HR*, 45 RBIs*, 53 Runs*) and Garrett Buechele (.317, 8 HR, 63 RBIs*) and the most significant offensive losses. The pitching staff is hit just as hard, with the departures of starters Michael Rocha (10-3*, 1.75 ERA*, 5 CG*, 113 IP*, 82 K*) and Burch Smith (10-4*, 3.90 ERA, 87 2/3 IP) and closer Ryan Duke (2-1, 4.05 ERA, 7 SV*). Rocha and Smith made 32 of the team’s 60 starts last year, while Duke leaves as the program’s all-time saves leader (35).

Lefites Jordan John (4-2, 2.35 ERA, 7 Starts, 61 1/3 IP), who was drafted in 28^th round by Houston last year and 2011 Freshman All-American Dillon Overton (8-4, 2.30 ERA, 7 Starts, 71 1/3 IP) move to the front of the rotation this year. They are joined by a slew of junior college transfers, including expected closer Damien Magnifico.

Top returning bats in the lineup include Evan Mistich (.316, 2 HR, 16 RBIs), Erik Ross (.315, 21 RBIs, 19 SB*), Caleb Busheyhead  (.288, 18 RBIs), Max White (.286, 3 HR, 20 RBIs), and 2010 NCAA hero Cody Reine (.256, 4 HR, 27 RBIs).

17. UCLA

2011 Record: 35-24

The Bruins were not a potent offensive team in 2010 when they advanced all the way to the College World Series Finals before losing to South Carolina. They didn’t have to be though, because they had dual aces Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer. Even with those two, they were upset at their own NCAA Regional by San Francisco in their first round game and then were eliminated by UC Irvine. Cole and Bauer went first and third, respectively, overall in last year’s MLB Draft, so while head coach John Savage has reinforcements, there are still huge shoes to fill.

Adam Plutko (7-4, 2.01 ERA, 107 2/3 IP, 92 K) becomes the man at the front of the rotation, while guys like Nick Vander Tuig (3-4, 2.90 ERA, 9 SV*, 28 App.*) and Zack Weiss (5-3, 2.86 ERA, 66 IP, 53 K) will have more important roles as well.

There is some flux in the everyday lineup, but the biggest impact will be the loss of Rick Vanderhook. The veteran assistant ran the Bruin offense for three seasons while helping Savage win two Pac-10 titles, but he is now the head coach at Cal State Fullerton.

Cody Keefer (.303, 18 RBIs, 29 Runs, 13 Doubles), Beau Amaral (.299, 2 HR, 29 RBIs, 37 Runs*, 16 Doubles*), Cody Regis (.284, 6 HR*, 45 RBIs*), Jeff Gelalich (.268, 2 HR, 13 RBIs, 35 Runs, 4 Triples*, 13 Doubles, 10 SB), and Chris Giovinazzo (.250, 2 HR, 18 RBIs, 28 Runs, 15 SB*, 12 Doubles) are the most notable returnees.

18. Clemson

2011 Record: 43-20

Last year’s NCAA Tournament looked like it was set-up for an early shot at redemption for Clemson, but instead it turned into an early exit. The Tigers started the 2010 College World Series by going 2-0, only to fall to their biggest rival, South Carolina, en-route to the Gamecocks’ first national title.

Both Palmetto State school hosted Regionals last year, and if each won they would square-off in a Super Regional with the winner advancing to Omaha. Problem was, UConn got in the way of that super power match-up by knocking off the Tigers twice to claim the Clemson Regional.

Jack Leggett begins his 19^th season at the Clemson helm (where he’s averaged better than 45 wins a season) with a wealth of both pitching and offensive talent, but he does have some vital production to replace. Namely, Brad Miller (.395*, 5 HR, 50 RBIs, 1.057 OPS*, 21 SB), Will Lamb (.348, 3 HR, 39 RBIs), John Hinson (.331, 9 HR, 41 RBIs, 23 SB*), and Chris Epps (.292, 10 HR, 42 RBIs).

The good new is, while those formidable bats are gone, Leggett has the likes of Richie Shaffer (.315, 13 HR*, 15 Doubles, 55 RBIs*, 62 Runs*), Phil Pohl (.333 avg., 4 HR, 33 RBIs, 22 Doubles*), Spencer Kieboom (.282 avg, 1 HR, 31 RBIs, 10 Doubles) Jon McGibbon (.339 avg., 1 HR, 14 RBIs, 4 Doubles), and Jason Stoltz (.285, HR, 27 RBIs, 30 Runs) to carry the load while talented youngsters break into the lineup.

The pitching staff faces far fewer significant losses, with the likes of David Haseldon (6-1, 2.23 ERA, 25 App. 76 2/3 IP, 3 SV), Kevin Pohle (5-2, 1.93 ERA*, 32.2 IP, 17 K), Jonathan Meyer (5-2, 3.31 ERA, 68 IP, 63 K, CG*, SV), Dominic Leone (6-2, 3.70 ERA, 65 2/3 IP, 72 K), ), and Scott Firth (5-1, 3.06 ERA) all back to anchor a likely 18^th NCAA appearance in 19 seasons for Leggett.

Clemson and South Carolina play their traditional non-conference series the first weekend of March, with three games in three different cities in three days: March 2 in Charleston, SC, March 3 in Columbia and March 4 in Clemson.

19. Georgia

2011 Record: 33-32

A 3-1 mark at the SEC Tournament got Georgia above .500 and into the NCAA Tournament last year. Included in those three wins were triumphs over eventual national champion South Carolina and national runner-up Florida.

The Bulldogs were shipped to the Corvallis Regional, going 2-2 before falling to host Oregon State in the Regional final. The NCAA bid was the sixth in 10 seasons under head coach David Perno and the 11th in program history (seven of those 11 all-time NCAA bids have come since 2001). It was also a much needed berth, after missing the tournament in 2010.

Perno must replace Zach Cone (.275, 4 HR, 35 RBIs), who struggled with BBCOR last year, but was still the 37^th overall pick in last year’s draft. The pop of Chase Davidson (.278, 7 HR, 31 RBIs) will also be missed, but Georgia’s top two statistical bats, Kyle Farmer (.308 avg., 8 HR*, 58 RBIs*, 16 Doubles) is the and Levi Hyams (.332 avg.*, 5 HR, 38 RBI, 17 Doubles*) are both back along with Pete Verdin (.258 avg., 1 HR, 15 RBI, 6 Doubles).

Ben Cornwell was one of a pair of Bulldog pitchers who signed pro contracts last summer, but the pitching staff still returns Michael Palazzone (10-5*, 3.14 ERA, 4 CG*, 128.1 IP*, 78 K) along with Alex Wood (6-7, 4.44 ERA, 1 CG, 101.1 IP, 79 K*). The duo combined for all five of the staffs complete games, , more than 40-percent of the innings pitched and made 31 of 65 starts. Closer Tyler Maloof (2-2, 7.16 ERA, 18 SV*, 27.2 IP, 25 K) and Blake Dieterich (3-3, 3.67 ERA) each made 28 appearances, with the latter making four starts. Bryan Benzor (2-0, 3.94 ERA, 17 App.), Chase Hawkins (2-3, 4.82 ERA, 22 App., 8 Starts), Patrick Boling (1-2, 5.62 ERA, 18 App.) and Earl Daniels (1-0, 6.20 ERA, 24 App.) give the Bulldogs added staff depth.

20. Cal State Fullerton

2011 Record: 41-17

Rick Vanderhook begins his first season as head coach at Cal State Fullerton in 2012, but he is anything but unfamiliar with the land of the Titans. Vanderhook, who spent the last three seasons as an assistant at UCLA, is just the fifth head coach in program history. He was an assistant coach for a total of 21 seasons in Fullerton under the previous four head coaches –  Augie Garrido, Larry Cochell, George Horton, and Dave Serrano (who left to become head coach at Tennessee), so don’t look for the Titans’ offensive philosophy to change.

Vanderhook inherits a lot of returning experience offensively, but he’ll need to replace a ton of pitching. Noe Ramirez (8-4*, 1.69 ERA) and two-way player Tyler Pill (7-1, 2.28 ERA/.323, HR, 30 RBIs, 11 Doubles) are gone from the weekend rotation. Another two-way player and closer Nick Ramirez (1-1, 2.13 ERA, 16 SV*/.291, 17 Doubles*, 9 HR*, 49 RBIs*) is gone as well.

Fullerton’s top returnees include Michael Lorenzen (.342*, 2 HR, 31 RBIs, 3 Triples, 33 Runs, 19 SB,  .906 OPS*), Carlos Lopez (.342*, 34 RBIs, 4 Triples*), Richy Pedroza (.331, 22 RBIs, 37 Runs), and Dylan Floro (4-2, 4.23 ERA, SV).

The Titans will be tested early and often. The season starts with a three game series at 2011 national runner-up Florida, followed by a three game home series against TCU. The Titans have three games at 2011 CWS participant Texas A&M March 9-11, not to mention two games at Arizona State later in the month as well as midweek games against UCLA.

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Bubble Teams Not Fans Of Lobos, Tigers…

Ray Birmingham

The Lobos had lost seven straight games heading into the MWC Tourney, but the first four of those losses came at Oklahoma and the last three setbacks were to conference rival TCU. Both of those teams have already eclipsed 40 wins this season as they shoot to get back to Omaha after trips there last year.

Birmingham’s Lobos have been seemingly unfazed by their late season misfortunes since arriving in San Diego, and now find themselves one win away from a return trip to the NCAA tournament. New Mexico (19-39) has beaten #3 seed BYU, #1 seed TCU and #2 seed Utah in succession to advance to Friday’s MWC Championship game against either TCU or Utah.

“This team has been through a lot,” Birmingham said after Thursday’s win over the Utes. ” There is a method to my madness and we’re getting there.”

That “madness” has included a brutal schedule this season after Birmingham guided New Mexico to its first NCAA bid in nearly five decades in 2010. The Lobos started the season by dropping three games at Arizona State (a fourth game was rained-out). Their non-conference slate also included games against Oklahoma State, Arizona, Texas Tech, Gonzaga and Oklahoma, finishing just 1-17 against those teams which are all in the NCAA conversation this weekend.

The Lobos also faced TCU, which was a preseason #1 team in some polls, six times (going 1-5) in conference play during the regular season.

“A lot of blogs said we had the hardest schedule in the nation and I believe we did,” Birmingham said after his team’s tournament win over TCU. “We’re not afraid to face the best now. We know how to face the best.”

New Mexico, a team with an RPI of 158 entering the week, is just the second No. 6 seed to advance to the championship game of the MWC Tournament. The only other team to do it was Utah in 2009. The Utes claimed the title that year.

TCU and Utah play at 6 p.m. ET Friday. New Mexico faces the winner at 10 p.m. A Lobo win would give them the tournament title and automatic NCAA bid. If the TCU/Utah winner beats UNM they would play an “if necessary” winner take all game on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET. All games are televised by the Mtn. Network and CBS College Sports (channels 616 and 613, respectively on DirecTV).

Missouri players celebrate after Thursday's win (courtesy Big 12).

Missouri is another team that is causing migraines for NCAA bubble teams this week. The Tigers brought just a 24-30 record into this week’s Big 12 Tournament, but they won four of their last five conference series to close the regular season. Those wins all came against teams with higher seeds in this week’s tournament: Texas A&M (2), Baylor (5), Kansas State (6), and Texas Tech (7).

Two teams Missouri did not beat during the regular season were No. 1 seed Texas and No. 4 seed Oklahoma State. The Tigers dropped all six match-ups to the Longhorns and Cowboys in back-to-back weekends at the start of April, but their fortunes changed in rematches this week in Oklahoma City.

Missouri knocked-off top-seeded Texas 6-4 on Wednesday and then held-off OSU 6-5 on Thursday to advance to the tournament semifinals. Missouri led Oklahoma State 5-0, only to see the Cowboys score five runs over the last two innings to tie the game before Eric Garcia‘s walk-off hit with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning.

“I’m really proud of these guys, not just this weekend, but the last five or six weeks,” Mizzou head coach Tim Jamieson said after his team’s fifth walk-off win of the season. “These guys read the blogs and read the websites much more than I do. They know we have to finish above .500 or win the tournament. We can’t finish above .500, so it’s pretty simple math.”

The Tigers now have Friday off and wait until Saturday morning at 10 ET to face the winner of Friday’s Texas-Oklahoma State elimination game. The eight-team Big 12 Tourney is formatted similarly to the College World Series, so if Mizzou wins Saturday it moves on to Sunday’s championship game (Texas A&M is 2-0 in the other four-team pool). If the Texas/OSU winner beats Missouri Saturday morning there will be a rematch that afternoon.

The Big 12 Championship game is Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. ET on Fox Sports Regional Networks.

Elsewhere…

Auburn and Georgia were both teams with work to do to heading into the SEC Tournament, but the bubble has already burst for one of those teams. Georgia (29-29) eliminated Auburn (29-29) in more ways than one with Thursday’s 3-2 victory.

Since a team must finish above .500 to receive an NCAA at-large bid, Auburn’s season is now done. With that in mind, Georgia must not only beat South Carolina on Friday, but they would also have to beat Florida Saturday afternoon to meet the above .500 requirement. South Carolina fell 7-2 to Vanderbilt Thursday night, while Florida is 2-0 with wins over Mississippi State and Alabama.

The fact that Georgia and Auburn could both finish below .500 after qualifying for the SEC field could indirectly help the at-large cases of two teams that didn’t make it to Hoover. Three-time defending SEC champion LSU (36-20 overall) is home this week with an RPI of 23, while Ole Miss (30-25) awaits selection Monday with an RPI of 40.
The only realistic shot the Big East had to get two teams in the NCAA Tournament was for someone other than Connecticut to win its conference tourney. That’s closer to happening after defending champion St. John’s (34-18 and this year’s #2 seed) downed Pittsburgh 6-4 Thursday to improve to 2-0, while UConn (40-16-1) was upset 4-3 by #4 seed Seton Hall (31-23) to fall into the elimination bracket.

The Huskies (38 RPI) are still in good shape for an at-large bid, but anything other than a conference tournament title would all but kill any chances of hosting a regional for a second straight year.
Houston pulled-off its second straight upset at the Conference USA Tournament Thursday. The No. 6 seed Cougars downed No. 2 Southern Mississippi 7-6 a day after downing No. 3 East Carolina 8-5. As we reported earlier this week, Southern Miss. is without two of its top three starting pitchers, Geoffrey Thomas and Jonathon Thompson, who are suspended for academic reasons. Houston (27-30) now faces No. 7 Tulane (30-26).
It didn’t quite match Wednesday’s 20-inning marathon between Western Carolina and Elon in the SoCon Tournament, but Georgia Tech outlasted North Carolina State 6-5 in 15 innings Thursday at the ACC Tourney. Yellow Jacket Matt Hyde stole home in the top of the 15th to give his team the win in the longest game in ACC Tournament history. Georgia Tech, NC State, Clemson and Florida State all are 1-1 in Pool B.

No. 8 seed Arkansas-Little Rock has clinched spot in Sunday’s Sun Belt Championship game. UALR (22-32) has wins over No. 1 Troy and No. 4 Western Kentucky.

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A Rundown Of The Day’s Highlights…

Ross Heffley

Why did that game end so late? Because of the 20-inning game between Western Carolina and Elon that proceeded it. The eighth seeded Catamounts won that game 10-7 over the top-seeded Phoenix.

College Baseball 360’s Pete LaFleur was up working the Twitter feed most of the night (and into the morning). Here are some highlights, courtesy of him and team and conference SIDs from around the country.

• Following the nearly 400-minute game between WCU and Elon, Georgia Southern vs. College of Charleston started 12:30 a.m. (end 3:01 a.m.).
• Ross Heffley’s two-run home run in the top of the 20th inning provided the winning margin. Heffley’s home run came on his 10th at-bat of the game.
• Western Carolina starter Matt Benedict logged 8.0 innings, less than half of the 20-inning game vs. Elon (5R/3ER-6H-5BB-3K).
• Official game time of the WCU-Elon eternity was six hours and 33 minutes … Elon used 23 players (15 in the field, 8 pitchers), WCU 19.
• WCU most ABs without a out hit: Macon Smith 0-for-8 … Elon’s Garrett Koster 0-for-8; 3- & 4-hole hitters Sebastian Gomez & Ryan Kinsella both 0-for-7.
• WCU 1B/6-hole Tyler White lined-out to right field in 2nd inn. vs. Elon … but then he reached 9 straight times! (6-for-7, 2BB-HBP; 1 RBI). White’s six hits are a new SoCon Tournament record.
• Elon used eight pitchers who threw 307 total pitches. WCU used five pitchers who threw 332 total pitches. Benedict (131) and Johnson (113) both over 100. 639 total pitches combined were thrown in the marathon.
• The two teams combined for 34 strikeouts. Elon batters fanned 20 times. WCU pitcher Brandon Johnson notched a career-best 10 Ks.
• WCU left 20 runners on base, Elon stranded 13.
• The game is the longest in SoCon Tournament history. The previous record was 18 innings, originally set in 1996 and tied in 2009 by Elon and Wofford.
• Here’s the Box Score from the epic game.

Anthony Meo

Earlier in the day, Coastal Carolina pitcher Anthony Meo made history of his own. Meo fired the first no-hitter in Big South Tournament history to lead the top-seeded Chanticleers to a 5-0 win over Radford. Meo retired the first 16 batters he faced until Blake Sipe reached base on an error in the top of the sixth inning. The junior walked just one batter and fired 103 pitches to up his record to 9-3. Here’s the final box score.

The aforementioned Creighton was one of a handful of top seeds to lose a conference tournament game on Tuesday. After winning that 9 a.m. game against Bradley, the Blue Jays were back in action at 9:40 p.m. against Missouri State. The fourth-seeded Bears knocked-off Creighton 10-3 in the Blue Jays’ newly minted home park. The game finished after midnight in Omaha, and Creighton now comes back at 12:30 p.m. for an elimination game against Southern Illinois.

Matt Purke

TCU’s Matt Purke made his first start in more than a month in the Horned Frogs’ Mountain West opener vs. New Mexico. The sophomore has been out since mid April with shoulder issues. He looked anything but his old self in the sixth seeded Lobos’ 4-3 upset win over top-seeded TCU. Purke pitched just 4.0 innings and gave-up a run on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts in the no-decision. TCU will now have fans of bubble teams around the country the rest of the week.

Vanderbilt pounded Georgia 10-0 in the first round of the SEC Tournament to drop the Bulldogs to 28-29 overall and put a big hit in their NCAA hopes. In order to meet the NCAA requirement of finishing with a record above .500 to receive an at-large bid Georgia now needs to win three straight games.

No. 1 seed Texas and No. 3 seed Oklahoma both lost on the first day of the Big 12 Tournament. The Longhorns fell 6-4 to surging Missouri, while the Sooners lost 5-4 to Kansas State. In the past an opening-round loss wouldn’t have been a big deal in a tournament that featured a round-robin format, but the Big 12 switched to double-elimination this year. At 25-30, Mizzou has to win the tournament to receive an NCAA bid, but they are the team nobody wants to play this week in Oklahoma City. Texas now has work to do (starting with today’s elimination game vs. Baylor) to assure itself a top eight national seed. The Longhorns came into the week with an RPI of 12.

Eight seed Nicholls State upset #1 Texas State 6-0 in the first round of the Southland Tournament. No. 2 seed was the lone higher seed to win a first round game at that tournament.

Other notable Wednesday conference tournament upset victims: Florida State (7-0 to NC State), Rice (9-8 to UAB), Arkansas (7-4 to Alabama), East Carolina (8-5 to Houston), Troy (4-2 to Arkansas-Little Rock), and Stetson (15-3 to Belmont), Belmont has now beaten the A-Sun’s top seed three straight times in the last six days. The Hatters are likely to be a bubble team favorite as well.

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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.

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A Look At Some Of The Best Non-Conference Slates…

College Baseball 360 has been steadily posting the some 300 Division I baseball schedules since July as schools have released them. We have also made a few new additions to our Schedule Page for this season. You can now access not only 2011 schedules for every DI baseball team, but also 2011 rosters, and team statistics pages for both 2010 and 2011. Links are also provided for every conference’s official baseball web site.

In any case, when it comes to schedules college baseball is obviously different from Major League Baseball. MLB teams basically have the same degree of difficulty in their year-to-year schedules. The biggest variations come with interleague play and whether or not you happen to reside in the AL East.

But it’s different in college. While conferences dictate league games, each college baseball team is free to set its own non-conference slate.

With that in mind, we thought we would take a look at the top 11 schools that set the bar high with their non-conference schedules in 2011. We also have an honorable mention list of teams that didn’t quite make the cut.

The list is obviously subjective. It is not meant to be a strict “strength of schedule” ranking. Factors like “going outside the comfort zone” and a program trying to challenge itself beyond recent or traditional success. IE-If a team hasn’t been a year-to-year NCAA team, but has several traditional NCAA teams on the schedule that carries extra weight, as does a “power” team going on the road for more than one game on another team’s home field.

Cal State Fullerton

Dave Serrano’s Titans made it to Omaha in 2009 and they were a win away from a return trip last year. With that in mind, Fullerton had no reason to ratchet-up the schedule this season, but that’s what they did. The Titans opening weekend includes three “non-conference” games against Big West rival Long Beach State (they play again in conference play) as well as a game against North Carolina. That appetite wetter is followed by a three-game series in Ft. Worth against  pre-season #1 TCU (Collegiate Baseball Poll). After three games against USC, Serrano then takes his team to Baton Rouge for three games against LSU. Just to make sure they get their money’s worth before going home, the Titans stop in College Station to take on Texas A&M on March 15. Want more? Fullerton plays three games at Washington, followed by two home games against Arizona State and then heads to Hawaii for four games against the Warriors. A home game and a Super Regional rematch against UCLA awaits the Titans when they get home from the islands (Fullerton and UCLA will play again in Westwood later in the season). That’s 15 of 25 games to open the season against 2010 NCAA Tournament teams, with six of those contests against 2010 CWS squads.  There’s also a home and home with another ’10 NCAA team, San Diego.   

New Mexico

After ending a 48-year NCAA Tournament drought, head coach Ray Birmingham could have eased off the pedal when it comes to scheduling in 2011, but that’s not his style. The Lobos set the tone for their historic year by taking two of three from #1 Texas to start 2010. They will have the chance to make a statement right off the bat again this year when they play four games at Arizona State. The Lobos also have three games at Oklahoma State, two games at Arizona, three games at Gonzaga (NCAA ’09), a four-game home and home series with Texas Tech, and a four-game series in May at 2010 CWS team Oklahoma. All that plus a pair of three-game series against Mountain West Conference rival TCU. Hopefully it’s all as fun for the Lobos to play as it is for us to watch (and hopefully Birmingham gets some of those teams to Albuquerque in 2010)!

Oklahoma

Before he even thinks about setting his non-conference schedule, OU head coach Sunny Golloway knows one thing: In any given year he could face nine other Big 12 squads that could be NCAA Tournament teams (all 10 Big 12 teams made the NCAA field at least twice in the last decade). Forgive Golloway for the nine season-opening games in Norman against the likes of William & Mary, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Oakland (MI), but trust me, it gets better from there. The 2010 CWS Sooners hit the road for five total games against San Diego, San Diego St. and Cal at the USD Tournament in early March. After three against Arkansas-Little Rock, OU heads to Tempe for two games against Arizona State. There are mid-week home and home series against both TCU and Arkansas on the schedule, and the aforementioned four-game set in May against New Mexico. That’s four games against 2010 CWS teams and a total of 11 non-conference games against 2010 NCAA squads.  

Stanford

After a 31-win season in 2010, Mark Marquess’ Cardinal enters 2011 with a #10 Collegiate Baseball national ranking. With that in mind, Stanford could easily sit at home in Palo Alto and schedule a bunch of home games against the likes of Sacramento State, Nevada and various repeat California foes. That’s not even close to the plan for Marquess and Stanford in 2011. The schedule starts with 10 of 11 non-conference games against 2010 NCAA teams, with nine of those games in different time zones and six of them against 2010 Super Regional squads. Here’s how it goes: Three games at Rice (Regional), a home game vs. rival Cal (Regional), three games at Vanderbilt (Super Regional) in Nashville, a home game vs. Santa Clara, and three games at Texas (Super Regional). All that is followed by a three-game home series against Michigan. Three home games against Long Beach State, another game against Cal (they also close the season and possibly the long rivalry with three games in Berkley), and a sneaky home and home against a rising Pacific team (coached by former Stanford and MLB player Ed Sprague) are among other non-conference games. While Michigan and LBSU have both been down the last couple years, they are both teams that could challenge for their conference crowns in any given year. It all adds up to a schedule that’s great for college baseball and tough for Stanford.

Arizona State

For now, Tim Esmay’s Sun Devils will not be participating in the 2011 NCAA Tournament (ASU is appealing the recent NCAA ban), but Arizona State has plenty of non-conference opponents on its schedule that made it last year and could be back again this year. The schedule starts with that four-game series with New Mexico. It cools a bit over the next couple weeks, but gets hot again March 11-23 with 10 straight non-conference games against 2010 NCAA participants. ASU starts the stretch with three games at Auburn, followed by two home games with Oklahoma, three home games against Oral Roberts, and then finishes the stretch with two games at Cal State Fullerton. The Sun Devils open Pac 10 play against arch rival Arizona after that stretch. They play two more games against the Wildcats in “non-conference” action.

Long Beach State

The Dirt Bags have averaged just 24 wins over the last two seasons, but that won’t stop first-year head coach Troy Buckley’s squad from challenging itself early in 2011. LBSU opens with 18 of its first 23 non-conference games against 2010 NCAA Tourney teams. The campaign begins with the three “non-league” games against Cal State Fullerton (their official Big West series in in May) and continues with games against Arizona (3), Oregon (3), Hawaii, Rice, Cal, Oregon State (3), and Stanford (3). The degree of difficulty of the Dirt Bags’ schedule also bumps-up with a home and home series with UCLA and a three-game set at Arizona State in May.

Georgia

Most SEC teams don’t schedule a high degree of difficulty in their non-conference games since they know they’ll cannibalize each other once conference play begins. A three-game series at Stetson to open the season doesn’t necessarily scream “must-see”, but give Dave Perno credit for starting on the road and outside his comfort zone. Things do get tougher though as the early portion of the season progresses with three-game home series vs. Baylor (Georgia played two games at Baylor last year) and Florida State. A “non-league” game against Alabama at Lawrenceville, GA’s Coolray Field also precedes a trip to L.A. for games against UCLA, USC and St. Mary’s. A mid-week game against Clemson and three games against intrastate rival Georgia Tech also dot the 2011 slate.

Oral Roberts

It’s tough for a smaller program that’s had a lot of success (13 straight conference titles) to get the big boys to play, but Rob Walton has his Golden Eagles playing a slew of tough teams on the 2011 docket. ORU has a three-game series with Baylor, a home and home with perennial midwest power Wichita State, three games at Arizona State, three at San Diego State, and single games at Texas and TCU. There’s also an early three-game home series against a Bethune-Cookman team that includes preseason All-American Pete O’Brien, who belted 20 HR last year.

Rutgers

The Scarlet Knights will not participate in the Big East/Big Ten Challenge this year. Instead, Fred Hill’s team from New Jersey will open the schedule with three games in Coral Gables against Miami. It’s a team Rutgers has traditionally faced over the years. Georgia Tech is another frequent stop for Rutgers, and they’ll visit Atlanta for three games again this year. RU also has three games against Michigan in Port St. Lucie, FL and three games at East Carolina. All four of those teams have been to at least a Super Regional over the last five seasons.

San Diego

The Toreros open their 2011 season with 15 of their first 20 games against 2010 NCAA teams. Three of their first four games are against Vanderbilt. Other NCAA foes in that stretch include UConn (4), Oregon (4), Oklahoma, and Coastal Carolina (2). There are also home and home series with Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine as well as a four-game set at Fresno State.

Wichita State

Just a glance a the Shocker’s 2011 schedule doesn’t make anyone go “wow”, with early three-game home series against Niagara and North Dakota. However, there’s more appreciation after looking a little deeper. WSU follows their home-opening series against the Purple Eagles with a trip to Tulsa to face Oral Roberts. There is also good competition at the Dallas Baptist Tournament against the host Patriots as well as UT-Arlington and New Orleans, as well as another game against Arlington before returning home. Gene Stephenson then goes to Tulane for three games before welcoming Arizona to Wichita for a two-game set. The Shockers then play four games at Oregon, followed by four more at Hawaii. There are also home and home series against Kansas, Kansas State and Oklahoma State, as well as home games against Nebraska and Oral Roberts.

Honorable Mention

Bethune-Cookman: UC-Irvine, @ Auburn (2), @ Oral Roberts (3), @ Oklahoma State (2), Florida International, @ Miami, @ Florida

Cal Poly: Missouri, North Carolina, USC, UCLA (3), @ Oklahoma State (3), Minnesota (3)

Cal State Bakersfield: Washington State (3), Washington (3), Arizona St., Kansas, Fresno St. (3), @ South Carolina (3), Ohio State (3), Minnesota (2), UC-Irvine (3), @ Kansas St. (2), @ UCLA (3), Cal Poly (3)

Coastal Carolina: Virginia Tech, Tennessee Tech, Kansas State, Cal, Western Kentucky, North Carolina State, Kent State, @ San Diego (2), The Citadel (2), @ Clemson, @ North Carolina, @Virginia.

Connecticut: Minnesota, Oregon State, Cal, @ San Diego (4), @ UC Irvine, College of Charleston, Southern Mississippi

Dallas Baptist: @ Oklahoma State, TCU (home and home), Wichita State, @ Washington State (2), @ Washington (3), @ Rice, @ Texas, @ Oklahoma, @ Texas A&M (3), Baylor

Florida: Miami (3), Florida State (3), Bethune-Cookman

Fresno State: Oregon State (2), @ Nebraska (3), Washington State (3), San Diego (4), Ohio State (2)

Hawaii: Oregon (4), Texas (3), Cal State Fullerton (4), Wichita State (4)

Illinois-Chicago: @ Kentucky (3), @ Missouri (4), @ Vanderbilt (3)

Kent State: @ Georgia Tech (3), @ Louisville (3), @ Coastal Carolina, @ Houston (3)

Louisville: Michigan, Ohio State, Minnesota, Kent State (3), @ Pepperdine (3), @ USC (2), Western Kentucky (2), Kentucky, Vanderbilt

Oklahoma State: Cal Poly (3), Washington State, Minnesota, TCU (3), Wichita St. (2), @ Ohio State (2)

Rice: Stanford (3), USC (3), Kentucky, Baylor, Texas, @Arizona (2)

TCU: Kansas (3), Cal State Fullerton (3), @ Texas Tech (3), Oklahoma (2), @ Oklahoma State (3), @ Oral Roberts, @ Texas A&M, plays nearly every DI team from Texas except Texas and Rice

Texas Tech: TCU (3), New Mexico (4-home and home), @ Michigan (2)

Tulane: Southeastern Louisiana (2), @ Ole Miss (3), Wichita State (3), LSU (2), Florida International

UCLA: @ Nebraska (3), @ Cal Poly (3), Cal State Fullerton (2), UC-Irvine (2), Long Beach State (2), Georgia

USC: Missouri, North Carolina, Cal Poly, @ Rice (3), Cal State Fullerton (3), Louisville (2), Pacific (3), Georgia, UC-Irvine (2)

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Collegebaseball360.com contributor Chase Titleman from Road2rosenblatt.com checks-in with a look at where coaches could be headed (and where some already are headed) during the off season.

Bob Todd retired after 23 seasons at Ohio State.

A natural power harbinger for the developing Big-10 Network, but given Todd’s apparent success – or to some – “the lack of success” at the school, is there a serious contender with head coaching experience from outside the great lakes region who would consider the position?

The Todd debate is a convoluted affair as most of his supporters are thrilled with the 837 all-time victories, but the corporate power players are less than enthralled, especially considering the closest he came to Omaha were Super Regional losses in 2003 and 1999.

Todd, who has been a head coach at the Division I level for 37 of the 39 years he has been coaching, is one of the few in coaching who has achieved the much revered 1000-win milestone, and he is a member of the College Coaches Association Hall of Fame, as voted in 2009.

A winner of eight Big-10 regular season titles and eight Conference Tournament championships, as well as 13 trips to the post season tournament, is this – perhaps – as good as Ohio State can expect for a northern program with such a talented coach guiding the ship?

The obvious question to ask is if Todd couldn’t get it done with all of his credentials and accomplishments…who can?

Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell certainly can, but the former assistant at Ole Miss who led Louisville to the College World Series in 2007 has his sight set on a bigger horizon as he is rumored to favor a return to the SEC, where both the climate and fertile recruiting grounds harbor greater hopes of reaching college baseball’s promise land on an annual basis.

Gary Gilmore and Coastal Carolina have won 35 straight Big South Conference games.

With openings rumored at both Tennessee and Georgia by seasons end, McDonnell will have to fend off stiff challenges within the region, especially from Coastal Carolina head coach Gary Gilmore, who won his 600th game in a 7-2 win over Radford last week.

Gilmore, who is 600-300 in 21 seasons heading the Chanticleer ship, is currently in the middle of his most successful campaign as Coastal Carolina (47-7, 25-0 Big South) is a major player in the race for the national championship this season.

Not that he is necessarily looking, but if ever there was a season that led Gilmore to the SEC, this would be it as his overall coaching record of 853-402 certainly fits the SEC criteria of success, and he has a trip to a super-regional to tack on his rising resume.

Another rising star within the SEC footprint is Western Kentucky’s Chris Finwood, who had his most successful season last year in guiding the Hilltoppers to their first 40-win season in 21 years.

No stranger himself to the post-seasons of the past, but this season his Topper program has struggled to maintain the high benchmark the program has recently established, falling all the way to 5th in the Sun Belt Conference standings with a little over a week to go in the regular season.

Finwood may no longer be a “Flavor of the Month,” hire the SEC is so duly noted for, and he may in fact need another year or two of seasoning before getting his SEC invitation.

But with McDonnell waiting patiently in the wings for an SEC opening to occur, his decision to return to the SEC could set off a potentially wild off-season of coaching changes across the landscape of college baseball.

Imagine the following scenario:

McDonnell takes the Georgia job, which opens up Louisville.  Gilmore then takes the Tennessee position, which opens up Coastal Carolina.  Would Finwood be interested in the lateral move to Coastal, or would his sights be set upon the beautiful ballpark in Louisville?  Would Louisville even be interested in Finwood considering the program’s latest fall?

Would the assistants under McDonnell or Gimore stay to take over Louisville and Coastal, or would they follow their leader to the SEC schools of Tennessee and Georgia and the land of higher paychecks and greater prestige?

And who knows, given the surreal and unrealistic demands of the SEC, it wouldn’t be uncommon to see Mississippi State or even Kentucky open as well, which would send the carousel into an absolute shark frenzy, and potentially leading college administrators to some stressful and sleepless nights.

Which brings us back to UNLV and the urgency that Jim Livengood is faced with for the various scenario’s must be keeping him up at night wondering how to attack and take advantage of the timing surrounding his baseball opening.

Given the current opportunities at low profile schools, such as Ohio State and the Air Force Academy, coupled with what would now be potentially high profile openings at Louisville and Coastal Carolina, two teams that could end up in Omaha this season, should Livengood wait until the end of the post-season, which could extend the Rebels coaching search into July and risk trying to sell UNLV as a destination job when so many are jockeying for high profile positions, or should he strike while the opportunity is hot in taking the best assistant coaches the country has to offer?

Florida took this option three seasons ago in hiring Clemson assistant coach Kevin O’Sullivan after Florida failed to make the post-season and look where the Gators are now…a solid Top-5 program and a legitimate contender with a solid pitching staff to win the national championship.

Given this scenario, Livengood should narrow his focus to two longtime successful assistant coaches who have major west coast ties and get his program moving in the right direction now while the irons are hot.

In most circumstances, the failure to reach postseason play would be a fatal doom to many assistant coaches looking for head coaching positions as the “Flavor of the Month” factor is a vital key for young coaches looking to capitalize on a masterful season.

However, with both Oklahoma State and Washington in the midst of youthful rebuilding projects, ironically, the timing may be just right for assistant coaches Dave Nakama (Washington) and Billy Jones (Oklahoma State) to capitalize on the marketplace for they are not involved with the daily preparations on the post-season “Road to Omaha.”

Both are no strangers to post-season play as Nakama has been to Omaha with the Stanford Cardinal on more than one occasion, even participating in a national championship game in recent past, while Jones has been as close to Omaha as you can get without actually getting there, losing in game three of the super’s at both NC State and Oklahoma State, programs that were largely built on his recruiting efforts.

Livengood must face the music for UNLV is not a destination job to most, but rather a stepping stone job one can use to reach greater fortunes. He won’t attract names like McDonnell, Gilmore or Finwood for they would simply see a move to UNLV as a lateral move, or worse yet, a step down in stature.

For Jones and Nakama, however, who are no strangers to multiple second place finishes in multiple coaching searches across the country in the last decade, UNLV would in fact be the destination job that Livengood so intends to sell considering both have experienced the trials and tribulations of developing various schools into successful programs and recognize the importance of not only the timing, but the opportunity itself.

Plus their age, with both now over 40, is likely to make both realize the fragility of the opportunity.  Both can neither afford to take any job, for the job they take at their age may certainly be their last chance at the coaching carousel.

The ironic timing of the situation is that UNLV is not just any run of the mill coaching job.  It is a sleeping giant waiting for the right mix of coaching intelligence and fortitude to mold it into success.

With the Mountain West Conference on the verge of a possible automatic BCS invitation in the near future, the conference and its member schools may just be awash in revenue sooner than later.

With outstanding facilities and a state government friendly to the dynamic needs of the corporate world, UNLV could be a major player in the Western region if the right coach is hired, and the right coach is someone who recognizes that you can get to Omaha from Las Vegas if you are willing to develop the foundation and commit the time to see it to fruition.

If Livengood is serious about building a program in “Sin City,” he should focus on hiring a coach who is not intent on building a program for 5 years, padding his resume only to move on to greater exploits, which is exactly why Nakama and Jones make so much sense from the long term viewpoint.

If the small school baseball powers – all within the 500 radial mile footprint of UNLV – schools such as Cal-State-Fullerton, Cal-Irvine, Long Beach State or UC-San Diego can achieve success on the baseball diamond without a cash-cow football program generating substantial revenue for the entire athletic department, the Rebels certainly should have a major advantage over this list of baseball Titans in the west if they can get their act together.

In today’s climate of player motivation and team communication, you need a coach who can garnish the will of the athletes to grind out a championship.

You need a coach who can sell not only his institution, city or state, but himself.  You need a coach who can manage the educational demands of the classroom and the professional baseball aspirations of the family.  You need a coach who can sell the corporate sponsors within his region with excellent speaking and entertaining skill sets, as well as a grounded sense that the program is not about his personal coaching recognition, reputation and fame, but the recognition, reputation and fame of the university and the players who represent it.

For Livengood, he needs a coach who has been through the grind and recognizes that UNLV is not a stepping stone job and who isn’t going to bolt 5 years down the line, which is a rare combination when considering the current recycled head coaching candidates.

It is time for Livengood to give either Billy Jones or David Nakama, two often forgotten names among the coaching fraternity, a chance to develop a program that will one day play on the fertile soil in Omaha on a regular basis.

The Jones File

Jones began his coaching career in 1997 at Green River Community College in Washington State following in the footsteps of his coaching mentor Dan Spencer, who after over a decade of work at Oregon State and two national championship rings later, is now the head coach at Texas Tech.

Oklahoma State assistant Billy Jones

Green River College, under the direction of Jones, won the NWAACC’s Western Region championship in 1998 and a year later Spencer, then the lead assistant coach at Oregon State University under head coach Pat Casey, offered Jones the volunteer assistant position where he earned his degree in Liberal Studies.

Noted as an outstanding hitting coach (he hit .433 as a player at Lower Columbia College), his Green River wood bat program once hit 60 home runs in just 36 games.

The strong hitting trend has followed Billy’s coaching pursuits across the country as the Oklahoma State program led the Big-12 in home runs and batting average in 2005, his first season in Stillwater, and by year three at the school the Cowboys led the conference in batting average, home runs and slugging percentage altogether.

The 2008 team alone had 8 members in the starting line-up who hit .317 or higher!

A noted players coach, Jones developed national recruiting classes at both NC State and Oklahoma State after being mentored by Arizona State coach Pat Murphy, where he was the Director of Baseball Operations for two seasons.

While in Raleigh, North Carolina – Jones helped guide the Wolf Pack to two NCAA Regional appearances in three seasons and was one of five finalists for the Baseball America National Assistant Coach of the Year Award in 2003.

Although he coaches outfielders and hitting at present with the Cowboys, his troops at NC State improved their team fielding percentage every year, from .958 in 2002, to .966 in 2003 to .976 (4th best in the nation) in 2004, the year NC State lost in the super-regional finals.

Former Oklahoma State volunteer assistant coach Trevor Brown, who now works as the Northwest Area Scout for the Minnesota Twins Organization, has nothing but glowing words for his coaching mentor Jones.

Brown, a former NAIA All-American who won a national championship at Lewis and Clarke State College under the direction of Ed Cheff, claims that “Jones is the best coach he has worked for or played under in terms of getting the most talent out of his players.  “He has an innate ability to connect to all players of differing backgrounds as he approaches each player individually, playing to their strengths and masking their weaknesses to improve player performance.”

Brown played for both Cheff (Lewis & Clarke State) and Donny Harrel (the current head coach at Seattle University) at Lane Community College, and although not taking anything away from those other coaches, believes Jones has a special talent in developing players compared to most of the coaches around the country today.

“His players have extreme loyalty and he is somewhat of a master in identifying and recruiting diamond-in-the-rough type players and developing them into All-Americans and professional baseball prospects.  It would be a shame not to see him lead his own program in the near future as he is certainly qualified and well equipped to run a championship level program.”

The Nakama File

After spending 10 plus seasons at Stanford University, Dave Nakama has moved up north in the PAC-10 Conference joining coach Lindsey Meggs initial staff at Washington in 2010.

Washington assistant Dave Nakama

At Stanford, Nakama worked with the infielders and hitters while coaching first base, and was a central figure in recruiting, helping the Cardinal land four top-10 recruiting classes in the last 8 years according to BaseballAmerica.com

During his decade on “The Farm,” Nakama helped the team to four PAC-10 Championships, five NCAA regional titles and four trips to the College World Series.

Among the many he mentored as coach, Boston Red Sox shortstop Jed Lowrie, first-rounder John Mayberry Jr., and Seattle Mariners farmhand Chris Minaker stand out among a crowded and talented athletic baseball crop that populated the Stanford dugout.

Under Nakama’s watchful eye, the Cardinal posted their five best seasons for fielding percentage in school history, including a .977 mark in 2005 where they committed 51 errors in 59 games.  All in all, Nakama led the Cardinal to five top-10 finishes in his last eight years at the school, including another .977 mark in his last season.

According to Husky coach Lindsey Meggs, who worked with Nakama at Chico State and San Francisco State, “having Dave on the staff is like having another head coach in the dugout…he has all the intangibles needed to be a head coach as he can manage the game both offensively and defensively, and more importantly, he knows the PAC-10 Conference inside and out.”

Having personally watched Nakama work with the En Fuego Academy program in Seattle, he has an innate ability to communicate with young athletes and what impresses me the most is his genuine interest in helping players move on in college baseball, even if his school (currently the Huskies) isn’t on the players list of schools as he believes the college decision is one of the five defining choices a young man will make in his lifetime.

Like Jones, who has Junior College and collegiate summer-ball coaching experience, Nakama spent five seasons as the head coach at Mission Junior College (Santa Clara, CA), leading his squad to the California State Tournament in each of his final two seasons, earning conference Coach of the Year honors in 1996.

Although Nakama would be a great hire at UNLV, which is a job he wouldn’t turn down, the natural position for the Hawaiian native and perhaps the job he covets most is the Hawaii job.

A graduate from Kaiser High School in Honolulu and a former head and assistant coach for the collegiate summer-ball Hawaii Island Movers, it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if Nakama isn’t named the program’s next head coach.

That is if someone like UNLV doesn’t beat Hawaii to the punch.

The question athletic director Livengood should seriously consider is what other coaching candidates have ties to so many successful coaches and championships programs in comparison to Jones or Nakama?

Jones has worked with Pat Casey and Pat Murphy, no strangers themselves to the College World Series.

Since leaving NC State, the Wolf-Pack have not sustained the barometer set by Jones who led them to a super-regional.  Jones has also worked with Frank Anderson, who came to Oklahoma State after winning a national championship on the Texas staff in 2005.

For coach Nakama, is there another assistant coach in the country who has worked for two coaching icons like Mark Marquess at Stanford or Lindsey Meggs at Chico State?

With four trips to the College World Series and team records in fielding percentage, not to mention his recruiting prowess, what exactly is Livengood looking at to eliminate Nakama?

The same can be said of Jones.

Arkansas Had The Four Most Attended Games Last Week

CLICK HERE to see the full report

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

Garrett Wittels (FIU photo)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Matt Purke (TCU photo)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jeremy Baltz (SJU photo)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anthony Rendon (Rice photo)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tony Nix (UC Riverside photo)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s the week 12 college baseball attendance report as compiled by Tami Cutler of the NCBWA.  We have included the top ten most attended games from last week as well as the top ten season to date attendance averages and the ten top single-game attendances of the 2010 season.

CLICK HERE to see this week’s full report.

A By The Numbers Look At Week 12 Action…

Garrett Wittels (FIU photo)

58…NCAA record hitting streak set by Oklahoma State’s Robin Ventura in 1987.  Wittels needs hits in five more games to to Wichita State’s Phil Stephenson (1981) for the second longest streak in D1 history.

3 & 7…Home runs and RBIs by Wittels’ teammate, Mike Martinez, in the same game Wittels hit safely for the 41st game to help FIU down Arkansas State 15-4.

21…Game winning streak by Texas snapped in Friday’s 2-1 loss at Kansas State.  It’s the first ever home win against a number one ranked team for the Wildcats.

2…Consecutive Big 12 regular season titles for the Longhorns (41-8, 21-3), which clinched this year’s championship with wins in the last two games of the series with the Wildcats (32-15, 11-9), who are in third place in the Big 12.  Texas Tech (26-12, 12-9) is in second place.

50…Mile per hour wind gusts Saturday afternoon in the Buffalo, NY area where Canisius beat Manhattan 23-20.

Steve McQuail (Canisius photo)

68…RBIs this season by Canisus’ Steve McQuail-a new Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference single-season record-after the junior drove in 6 runs with the help of a grand slam in the Griffs’ win.  The previous record of 67 RBIs had stood since 1993.

3…Grand slams hit this season by McQuail, who is 8-for-9 with 24 RBIs this season with the bases loaded.

9…Saves this season by UCLA pitcher Dan Klein-the most for a Bruin pitcher since 1993.

28…Innings pitched without allowing an earned run by # 32 New Mexico’s Willy Kesler prior  to allowing a one out two run home run in the top of the 9th inning in Saturday’s 3-2 win over #12 TCU.

140…Pitches needed by Kesler (5-1) to pick-up his third complete game of the season.

6…Straight games New Mexico had lost to TCU prior to Saturday’s victory.

9 & 67…Home runs and total bases by TCU in Sunday’s series-clinching 26-4 win over New Mexico in Albuquerque.  The home runs ties a new single-game program record, while the total bases sets a new school record.  In addition to the nine long balls, the Horned Frogs tallied 20 singles, four doubles and a triple.

2 & 7…Home runs hit and RBIs by TCU’s Aaron Schultz, who was 4-for-4 with a double in the victory.

Aaron Schultz (Photo courtesy Brett Davis)

16…Straight series wins by the Horned Frogs dating back to last season.  TCU (36-10, 13-4) leads New Mexico (31-17, 13-7) by three games in the Mountain West Conference standings.

24-1…Record of TCU’s weekend pitching rotation.  Kyle Winkler (7-1) suffered his first loss Saturday to the Lobos, while Matt Purke (9-0) and Stephen Maxwell (8-0) remain unbeaten.

13…Combined earned runs given-up by Vanderbilt’s Sonny Gray and LSU’s Anthony Ranaudo in Friday’s 15-16 game won by the Tigers.

15…Strikeouts by San Diego’s Kyle Blair in Friday’s 2-0 win over Portland. Blair (7-3) gave-up just one hit in the complete game effort.

2…Outs in the 9th inning when Blair’s no-hit bid ended thanks to a double by Portland’s Kris Kauppila.

14…Wins with no losses in WCC play for San Diego after winning the first two games of the series.

3…Outs recorded on a ground ball off the bat of #30 Texas State’s Jeff McVaney in Saturday’s 5-2 upset loss to McNeese State.  Steven Irvine, Matt Fontenot and Bryn Thompson combined on the 5-4-3 triple play.

1…NCAA bid officially locked-up when Dartmouth beat Columbia 11-5 in Sunday’s deciding game three of the Ivy League Championship Series.

Quintavious Drains

4…Pitchers, Cole Green of Texas, Anthony Meo of Coastal Carolina, Quintavious Drains of Jackson State, and Pittsburgh’s Cory Baker, who share the Division One lead with 10 wins this season.

1,022…Career wins by Ohio State’s Bob Todd, who announced his retirement last week after 27 years as a college baseball head coach.  Todd has 898 wins in his time in Columbus.  His Buckeyes dropped two of three games to Illinois over the weekend after he announced his intentions to step down at the end of this season.

13…Runs scored by Tennessee in Saturday’s 25-5 win at Georgia.  The Vols hit four home runs in the inning and scored 9 runs before an out was recorded.

52…Total bases for the Vols in the game to break the previous program record of 47.

0 & 11…Runs allowed and strikeouts recorded in 8.0 IP by Arkansas’ Mike Bolsinger in Sunday’s 7-0 series-clinching win at Ole Miss.  The Rebels’ 1-7 batters combined to go 0-for-22 in the loss. The win has the Razorbacks (36-11, 15-8) tied with the Rebels (34-14, 15-8) tied for first place in the SEC’s Western Division.

2…Wins by #44 Kentucky ( 25-21, 8-15) over South Carolina (36-10, 17-6) to keep the Wildcats’ NCAA hopes alive.  The SEC series win is just the second of the season for the Wildcats.

10…Consecutive SEC series South Carolina had won (dating back to last season) prior to losing two of three games in Lexington.  The Gamecocks are now tied for first place in the SEC’s Eastern Division with Florida (33-11, 17-6), which took two of three games vs. Alabama over the weekend.  The Gamecocks and Gators meet in Columbia in two weeks in the final weekend of the regular season.

Rob Folsom's walk-off double capped Oregon State's sweep of Oregon (OSU photo)

3…Games won by #47  Oregon State (24-17, 7-11) over # 20 Oregon (30-18, 10-11) to give the Beavers just their second Pac 10 series win of 2010.

11 of 12…Games Oregon State had lost prior to sweeping its weekend series vs. the Ducks.

8…Teams within three games of one another in the Pac 10 Conference race.  Arizona State is 39-5 overall and leads the conference race with a 14-4 mark.  Cal (11-9) UCLA (10-8) and Stanford (10-8) are all tied for second place at four games back, followed by Arizona (9-9), Oregon (10-11), Washington State (8-9), Washington (8-10), and Oregon State (7-11).

4…Games won by Fresno State (30-20, 11-5) at #48 New Mexico State (35-16-1, 13-6-1) to move ahead of the Aggies and into first place in the WAC standings.

23…Years since Auburn (33-15, 15-9) had swept a series from Mississippi State prior to taking three games from the Bulldogs over the weekend.  The Tigers are in second place in the SEC East.

3…Consecutive SEC series lost by defending national champion LSU (34-14, 12-11) after dropping two of three vs. Vanderbilt of the weekend. The Bayou Bengals  are in fourth place in the SEC East.

11…Home runs hit this season by Notre Dame outfielder Ryan Connolly, who is the only Irish player with double digit long balls.  Connolly also leads the Irish with a .367 batting average and 1.140 OPS.

4…Home runs hit by Connolly from 2006-2009.  The fifth-year senior missed all of 2006 and most of the next three seasons due to shoulder injuries.  All four of his previous career home runs were hit over the last 13 games of the 2009 campaign.

10…RBIs by West Virginia’s Grant Buckner in Saturday’s 22-6 win over the Irish.  The third baseman was 4-for-5 with three home runs, while setting a new school record for single-game RBIs to help the Mountaineers to their first Big East series sweep of the season.