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Milestones & Upsets Highlight The First Week Of 2010

Max Willett (UNM photo)

2…wins by unranked New Mexico at #1 Texas in Austin.  The Lobos lost the season-opener on Friday, but came back with 3-1 and 6-5 wins Saturday and Sunday.  The wins are the first ever for New Mexico over a #1 ranked team.  Texas topped every national poll heading into the season.

.636…batting average by Lobo Max Willett in the 3-game series.  He had a 1.615 OPS with two doubles and a triple.  Willett also had the game-winning RBI in Saturday’s win.

23…runs by Washington State in Sunday’s 23-o rout of Seattle-the most runs by a Cougar team since 1999.  15 different Cougars had at least one hit.

5…Wazzou pitchers who combined in the shutout.

1,001…Career wins by LSU head coach Paul Mainieri after his Tigers’ 3-game weekend sweep of Centenary.  Mainieri hit the 1,000 win mark with Saturday’s 25-8 victory.

1,000…Career wins by Ohio State head coach Bob Todd after his Buckeyes won three games over the weekend in Jacksonville, FL.  OSU pounded Richmond 20-9 Sunday to get Todd to the milestone.

Danny Hall (GT photo)

901…career wins for Georgia Tech’s Danny Hall after a weekend sweep of Missouri State.

36…runs scored by Canisius in a doubleheader sweep of Illinois-Chicago Saturday at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary, NC.  The Golden Griffins won the first game 20-4 and took the second game 16-10.

3…games Stanford won vs. 5th ranked Rice in Palo Alto.

11…runs Stanford scored in the 7th inning of game two of the series on Saturday.  The Cardinal was trailing 4-2 at the time.

5…pitchers Rice used during Stanford’s biggest inning in nearly two years.

265…wins at Cal State Fullerton’s Goodwin Field by Oregon (and former Fullerton) head coach George Horton after Friday’s upset of the 4th ranked Titans.

6-5…the score of Friday’s Louisiana-Monroe win over Ole Miss.  It was the Rebels’ first season-opening loss since 1981.

Paul Karmas (St. John's photo)

1 & 15…combined hits and strikeouts by St. John’s starting pitchers Bruce Kern (5 IP-0H-0BB-8K) and Nick Cenatiempo (4 IP-1 H-0R-BB-7) in Friday and Saturday wins over New Orleans.

3…home runs by Red Storm 1B Paul Karmas in Sunday’s 31-6 win over UNO.

5…total runs by West Virginia in weekend losses to #17 Coastal Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia Tech.

9 1/2…runs a game scored by the Mountaineers last year-which ranked 12th in the nation.

14,922…fans who saw #2 Virginia win two of three games over #11 East Carolina at ECU’s Clark-LeClair Stadium.  Friday’s opening day crowd of 5,012 is the largest in stadium history.  Saturday’s crowd of 5,136 marked the first time ECU ever had back-to-back attendance of more than 5.000.

14…combined pitchers used by the Cavaliers (6) and Pirates (8) in Sunday’s 14-11 UVA series-clinching win.

3 2/3…innings pitched by UVA starter Cody Winiarski.  It was the longest stint for any of the 14 hurlers.  Virginia had 19 hits while East Carolina totaled 11.

4:11…the total time of the 9-inning game.

4:39…time of Lamar’s 5-4 win in 17-innings over Maine.  The game is the longest in Lamar history.  The two teams had played a 2 hour and 27 minute 9-inning game prior to the marathon.

12…strikeouts in 6 innings by Georgia Tech’s Jed Bradley in Sunday’s 13-0 win over Missouri State.  The lefty allowed just four hits and retired 6 of the first 8 batters he faced via strikeout.

13…strikeouts in 6 innings by Arizona freshman Kurt Heyer.  Heyer allowed just three hits and fanned 13 of the 22 batters he faced in Sunday’s win over Utah Valley in his collegiate debut.

2,500…all-time wins for the Arizona baseball program after Heyer’s performance Sunday.

Kevin Tokarski (ISU photo)

8…straight wins by UC Irvine pitcher Daniel Bibona after his 10 strikeout performance in a 5-1 win over Loyola Marymount.

3…the magic number during opening weekend for Illinois State’s Kevin Tokarski.  The redshirt sophomore tripled on the Redbirds’ first pitch of 2010.  He stole 3 bases with 3 doubles in his team’s first three games of the season.   Tokarski was a 2008 Freshman All-American, but missed last season due to wrist surgery.

8,803…total attendance of TCU‘s season-opening 3-game sweep of 2009 NCAA participant Sam Houston State.  The mark is a single-series TCU record.

.800…batting average by Horned Frog freshman Josh Elander.  He was 8-for-10 with a team-high six RBIs to start his career.

1…hit allowed in 6 innings on the mound by Conference USA Preseason Pitcher of the Year Todd McInnis.  The Southern Mississippi hurler didn’t give-up a hit until there were two outs in the 5th inning of Friday’s win over Northwestern State.  He exited the game after he reached his 75 pitch limit.

10 of 10…Pac 10 Conference teams that finished opening weekend with a winning record.  The Pac 10 is the only BCS conference that claimed that distinction over the first three days of the 2010 season.

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Can Wichita State Continue Its Dominance?

2009 Regular Season Champion: Missouri State

2009 Tournament Champion: Wichita State defeated Creighton 4-2 to win its second straight and 17^th overall conference championship.

9 Becomes 8: Northern Iowa eliminated itsbaseball program after last season to cut costs, trimming the league to eight teams this season.  Head Coach Rick Heller landed on his feet as he is now in his first season as head coach of Indiana State

Wichita State finished 3^rd in the conference during the regular season but was able to put it together and capture a league-leading 17^th tournament title to earn the 8^th straight trip to the NCAA tournament.  With the Shockers returning its top 3 starters and 19 letter winners overall, they should be the team to beat once again.

2010 MVC Preview

Bradley

2009 Season: (17-31, 4-17)

Nickname: Braves

Head Coach: Elvis Dominguez

Location: Peoria, IL

Vitals: .259 BA, 21 HR, .355 OBp, .960 Fld. %…5.51 ERA, 1 CG, 6 SVs, 327 K, 214 BB, .281 Opp. BA

The Future is Bright: Bradley’s incoming 16-man recruiting class is ranked #48 according to Collegiate Baseball. It’s the first time Bradley has cracked the top 50, and only Wichita State is ranked higher (#19) among the other Missouri Valley teams.

Strong Foundation: Jr. catcher Kevin Sullivan is the only Brave to be named to the preseason All-MVC team.  Last season, Sullivan hit .277 with 7 doubles and 15 RBI in 34 games.  Also back this season is So. LHP Joe Bircher (4-2, 3.39 ERA, 50 K) who will lead the staff.

Schedule Notes: The Braves play their first 20 games on the road, including match-ups with Illinois, Pittsburgh, Memphis, Notre Dame, Gonzaga, and Indiana.  The first home game is March 31^st when they host Northern Illinois.  Bradley also will host an exhibition game against the local minor league Peoria Chiefs on April 7^th.

Creighton

2009 Season: (31-25, 14-9)

Nickname: Bluejays

Head Coach: Ed Servais

Location: Omaha, NE

Vitals: .299 BA, 37 HR, .391 OBP, .984 Fld. %…4.05 ERA, 4 CG, 9 SVs, 338 K, 164 BB, .267 Opp. BA

Bluejay Revival: Creighton is picked to finish 3^rd in the MVC by the coaches this year, with one first place vote, a year after just missing out on the NCAA tournament with a loss in the MVC tournament championship game.  Three Jays are on the preseason All-conference team with Jr. SS Elliot Soto (.322, 77 H, 13 SB), Sr. OF Robbie Knight (.344, 18 doubles, 41 RBI) and Sr. RHP Bobby Lackovic (6-1, 3.55 ERA, SV) all earning the honors.

Moving Homes: This season is the last for Rosenblatt Stadium, home of the College World Series.  Creighton will split games between Rosenblatt and its on campus facility.  Beginning next year, the Jays will play some of their home games at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha before moving there full-time in 2012.

Evansville

2009 Season: (25-30, 7-17)

Nickname: Purple Aces

Head Coach: Wes Carroll

Location: Evansville, IN

Vitals: .269 BA, 29 HR, .352 OBP, .967 Fld. %…5.44 ERA, 4 CG, 12 SVs, 373 K, 183 BB, .295 Opp. BA

Tom Heithoff (EU photo)

Plenty of Offense Back: Evansville returns 6 starters and should have a much better offense.  Leading the offense is 2^nd team All-MVC players Sr. DH Andy Pascoe (.331, 9 doubles, 21 RBI) and Jr. 3B Cody Fick (.307, 9 HR, 46 RBI).

Staff Aces: Leading the pitching staff is Sr. closer Tom Heithoff (4-3, 2.87 ERA, 8 SVs) as well three different returnees, LHP Seth McCabe, LHP Sean McCarthy and RHP Matt Netherton, who missed 2009 due to Tommy John surgery.

Tough Contests: The Purple Aces travel to Lexington to play Kentucky, play and home-and-home series with Louisville, and host Dallas Baptist all this season.

Illinois State

2009 Season: (25-23, 11-11)

Nickname: Redbirds

Head Coach: Mark Kingston

Location: Normal, IL

Vitals: .281 BA, 32 HR, .372 OBP, .964 Fld. %…5.47 ERA, 8 CG, 7 SVs, 313 K, 175 BB, .275 Opp. BA

Corey Maines (ISU photo)

Pitching Strength: Illinois State brings back several top-notch pitchers from last year.  Returning are Sr. LHP Ryan Copeland (4-5, 3.63 ERA, 6 CG), Jr. RHP Corey Maines (6-5, 4.26 ERA, 69 K), So. RHP Ryan Camp (6-3, 4.73 ERA, .251 Opp. BA), and Sr. RHP Jim Sajewich (4-2, 4.36 ERA, 4 SVs).

Top Hitters: Illinois State loses top hitter Mike Stalowy, but do return Sr. INF Ryan Court (.323, 5 HR, 41 RBI), Sr. OF Anthony Ruffalo (.315, 4 HR, .401 OBP), and Sr. 1B Evan Kohli (.308, 13 doubles, .431 OBP).  Also back is Corey Maines, who only hit .202, but did have 5 HR in 21 total hits.

New Era: Mark Kingston enters his first season as head baseball coach after Jim Brownlee retired after 7 seasons.  Kingston was an assistant for the 2009 season, helping the Redbirds to their first winning season since 2001.

Indiana State

2009 Season: (33-21, 15-7)

Nickname: Sycamores

Head Coach: Rick Heller

Location: Terre Haute, IN

Vitals: .317 BA, 59 HR, .404 OBP, .976 Fld. %…5.94 ERA, 2 CG, 5 SVs, 365 K, 222 BB, .301 Opp. BA

Starting Over: Indiana State begins a new era this year with Rick Heller taking over as head coach.  Heller came from Northern Iowa after they eliminated their baseball program following the 2009 season.  Heller succeeds Lindsay Meggs who left to become the head coach at Washington.

Rebuilding Year?: ISU’s 33 wins in 2009 was the most since 2003, and their 15-7 league record was good enough for second place, best finish since 1998.  This year, however, the Sycamores return just 5 regular starters, and only 4 out of 11 pichers return.  The biggest losses are leading hitter Nick Ciolli (.401, 5 HR, 50 RBI), Brady Shoemaker (.359, 14 HR, 50 RBI), and closer Matt Shelton (4-1, 5.45 ERA, 5 SVs).

Good Rotation: 2 of the 4 pitchers that do return are the top two pitchers from last season.  Jr. RHP Jacob Petricka (7-3, 4.76 ERA, 49 K) and Sr. LHP Joe Rodriguez (7-3, 5.29 ERA, 1 CG) are back to lead the inexperienced pitching staff.

Missouri State

2009 Season: (34-20, 17-5)

Nickname: Bears

Head Coach: Keith Guttin

Location: Springfield, MO

Vitals: .302 BA, 61 HR, .395 OBP, .961 Fld. %…4.51 ERA, 5 CG, 11 SVs, 431 K, 199 BB, .264 Opp. BA

Big 2009: Missouri State began 2009 a disappointing 4-10, but quickly rebounded going 30-10 over the final 40 games capturing the MVC title, their first since 2003.  Two MSU players earned All-American honors with Buddy

Kevin Medrano (MSU photo)

Baumann (11-1, 3.23 ERA, 101 K), the MVC Pitcher of the Year, a second-team selection by Collegiate Baseball and the ABCA, and Brayden Drake (.414, 10 HR, 54 RBI), MVC Player of the Year, a third-team All-American from Collegiate Baseball.

Still Talented: While the Bears lose Baumann and Drake, and had 6 players drafted, Missouri State still brings back a lot of talent for 2010.  The offense will be led by Freshman All-American So. INF Kevin Medrano (.329, 76 H, 40 RBI) while Jr. LHP Aaron Meade (9-2, 3.39 EA, 89 K) heads up the pitching staff.

Challenges Abound: A tough non-conference slate faces the Bears this season.  Among the non-conference slate are games against Georgia Tech, Southern Mississippi, Oklahoma State, Kansas, and Oral Roberts.

Southern Illinois

2009 Season: (24-28, 11-9)

Nickname: Salukis

Head Coach: Dan Callahan

Location: Carbondale, IL

Vitals: .286 BA, 35 HR, .348 OBP, .971 Fld. %…4.77 ERA, 1 CG, 8 SVs, 288 K, 183 BB, .291 Opp. BA

Key Returners: Southern Illinois returns several key members from last season.  Seven starters return to the lineup including preseason All-MVC selection C Tyler Bullock (.292, 11 HR, 33 RBI) and Sr. OF Aaron Roberts (.301, 35 R, 6 SB).  The pitching staff is led by the schools all-time leader in saves Sr. RHP Bryant George (3-0, 3.21 ERA, 8 SVs), and returning starter Sr. LHP Jimmy Cornell (2-2, 3.26 ERA, .216 Opp. BA).

Courage Under Fire: SIU head coach Dan Callahan received the 2009 MVC Most Courageous Award given to those who demonstrates unusual courage in the face of personal illness, adversity or tragedy and whose behavior reflects honor on the institution or the Conference.  Callahan was diagnosed with a form of melanoma in 2006, and continues to battle the illness today.  After coaching full-time in 2007 and 2008, he was unable to travel with the team last season, but still coached every home game.  Callahan hopes to travel with the team once again this season.

Wichita State

2009 Season: (30-27, 11-7)

Nickname: Shockers

Head Coach: Gene Stephenson

Location: Wichita, KS

Vitals: .275 BA, 33 HR, .362 OBP, .964 Fld. %…4.26 ERA, 6 CG, 11 SVs, 508 K, 186 BB, .265 Opp. BA

Continuing Dominance: Wichita State finished 3^rd in the regular season last year, but put it together to capture their second consecutive, and 7th conference tournament title of the decade.  They also made the NCAA tournament for the 8^th consecutive year, and for the 21^st time in the last 22 years.  This season 7 starters and 20 letterwinners overall return.

Jordan Cooper (WSU photo)

Pitching Prowess: The Shockers return their top four starters from a season ago in Jr. Tim Kelley (5-4, 2.86 ERA, 3 CG), Freshman All-American So. Jordan Cooper (8-6, 2.78 ERA, 3 CG), Freshman All-American So. Charlie Lowell (6-2, 2.95 ERA, .246 Opp. BA), and So. Brian Flynn (2-5, 4.98 ERA, 59 K)

To Be the Best: Wichita State will play several challenging games this season with contests against Kansas, Oklahoma State, Florida Gulf Coast, Long Beach State, Arizona, Oral Roberts, Nebraska, and Dallas Baptist.

2010 Missouri Valley Predictions

Conference Champion: Wichita State

2010 Player of the Year: Elliot Soto–Creighton

2010 Pitcher of the Year: Jordan Cooper—Wichita State

Wichita State Picked By Coaches To Win Another Crown

ST. LOUIS – Wichita State, which returns a dominating young pitching staff and solid depth from last year’s Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship squad, has been tabbed as the league favorite in the annual coaches’ preseason poll.  The Shockers received seven of eight first-place votes.

Rank/Team (1st-place votes)    Points

1.    Wichita State (7)……………. 57

2.    Missouri State………………. 52

3.    Creighton (1)………………… 50

4.    Illinois State………………….. 38

5.    Southern Illinois……………. 33

6.    Indiana State………………… 29

7.    Evansville…………………….. 16

8.    Bradley……………………….. 13

The Valley demonstrates a depth of talent and experience returning to the league this season. The coaches have voted 14 players representing seven teams to the 2010 preseason all-MVC baseball squad.

MVC 2010 Preseason All-Conference Team

Clint McKeever, Wichita State      1B       Sr.

Kevin Medrano, Missouri State   2B      So.

Cody Fick, Evansville                         3B       Jr.

Elliot Soto, Creighton                        SS       Jr.

Kevin Sullivan, Bradley                      C        Sr.

Tyler Bullock, Southern Illinois     DH      Sr.

Tom Heithoff, Evansville                UT      Sr.

Ryan Strausborger, Indiana State OF     Sr.

Robbie Knight, Creighton              OF      Sr.

Aaron Conway, Missouri State    OF       Jr.

Jordan Cooper, Wichita State       SP      So.

Aaron Meade, Missouri State      SP       Jr.

Bryant George, Southern Illinois RP       Sr.

Bobby Lackovic, Creighton            RP       Sr.