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By The Numbers And Analysis For Each Of The Omaha Eight

By Collegebaseball360.com Editor Sean Stires

The beginning of the end is almost here.  The last College World Series that will ever be played at Rosenblatt Stadium starts Saturday.  Below are statistical breakdowns of this year’s eight CWS teams as well as a “by the numbers” look at each team and analysis.

Once the CWS begins Collegebaseball360.com will have daily coverage of every game in Omaha, including post game video with players and coaches, a daily blog and a daily CWS scoreboard.

CWS Bracket One

Team	Record	Conf.	BA	Runs/ Game	HR	Slg%	OBP	SB- Att.	Fld%	ERA	CG	SV	K	BB	Opp. BA
Florida	47-15	SEC	.300	6.9	81	.480	.381	92-126	.978	3.96	1	18	441	130	.268
TCU	51-12	Mountain West	.340	8.6	92	.558	.415	71-104	.971	3.46	3	12	521	182	.251
Florida St.	47-18	ACC	.301	8.1	81	.497	.413	96-114	.971	4.38	0	19	524	255	.260
UCLA	48-14	Pac 10	.307	7.0	61	.464	.401	97-128	.970	2.97	2	11	639	189	.218

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Jim Schlossnagle

TCU Horned Frogs (51-12)
Head Coach: Jim Schlossnagle  (7th season)

1…College World Series appearance by the Horned Frogs.  It’s also the first CWS appearance by any Mountain West Conference team in the 11 year history of the league.

51…Wins this season-a school record.

37-3…Combined record of TCU starting pitchers Matt Purke, Kyle Winkler and Steven Maxwell.   The trio has also combined for 312 strikeouts and just 95 walks in 317 2/3 IP.

23-0…TCU’s record this season when its pitching staff strikes out at least 10 batters in a game.

14…Wins with no losses by Purke.  The freshman was also the 14th overall pick in the first round by the Texas Rangers in the 2009 MLB draft, but he chose to go to college instead.

5-1…The Horned Frogs’ record so far in the NCAA post season.  Their only loss was vs. Texas in game two of their Super Regional.

.340…Team batting average, which is 10th best in the nation this season.

3.46…Team ERA-good for a #7 national ranking.  TCU is the only team in the nation to rank in the top 10 in both team batting average and ERA.

.558…Team slugging percentage-the best of any of the eight CWS teams and good for a #6 NCAA ranking.

1…TCU player, Matt Curry, who has double-digit home runs and stolen bases.  Curry leads the Horned Frogs with 17 and 12, respectively.  Curry also has team highs with 26 doubles and an 1.173 OPS.

.373 & 66…Team best batting average and RBIs by outfielder Jason Coats, who has also hit 13 HR.

ANALYSIS: TCU has the best combination of pitching and hitting of the eight teams in Omaha.  Any questions about the Horned Frogs offensive and pitching stats against Mountain West Conference competition have already been answered.  They took two of three from one of the nation’s best offensive teams, New Mexico, during the regular season.  They also beat the nation’s best pitching team, Texas, in last week’s Super Regional.  The biggest question would appear to be whether they can avoid the awe factor of the program’s first CWS appearance.

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Mike Martin

Florida State Seminoles (47-18)
Head Coach: Mike Martin  (31st season)

20…College World Series appearances by the FSU-the fifth most all-time appearances by a school.

2,570…Florida State baseball games head coach Mike Martin has been involved in as a player, assistant and head coach.  Martin has been involved in nearly 75% of the 2,526 wins in the history of Florida State baseball.

15 & 68…Team leading home runs and RBIs by Mike McGee, who is also batting .328.

12…Team leading saves by McGee, which is tied for 10th in the nation.  The junior, who doubles as the team’s closer, is 4-0 on the mound with a 1.37 ERA.

0…Complete games by the FSU pitching staff.  The Seminoles join Arizona State as the only two CWS pitching staffs without a CG this season.

15…Out of 15 FSU pitchers who have made at least one relief appearance during the season.

255…Walks issued by the Seminole staff-the most of any of the teams in Omaha.

30…Team best stolen bases by Tyler Holt, who is also batting a team best .352 and leads the ‘Noles with 82 runs scored.

ANALYSIS: As usual, Mike Martin’s Seminoles have a team that can hit, but there are questions with their pitching depth.  Sean Gilmartin was knocked-out early in FSU’s Super Regional opener against Vanderbilt and then had to come back out of the bullpen to help win game three.  A win over TCU and freshman ace Matt Purke in the opener would be huge.

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John Savage

UCLA Bruins (48-14)
Head Coach: John Savage  (6th season)

3…College World Series appearances by the Bruins.  This is their first since 1997.

48…School record wins this season.

#6…National seed of the Bruins, which are one of just three national seeds to make it to Omaha.

22…School record wins to open the season by UCLA.  The Bruins first setback was an 8-4 loss to Stanford on April 3rd.

2.94 & .218…Team ERA and opponent batting average of the Bruin pitching staff.  The ERA is the second best in the nation (behind Texas).

639…NCAA leading strikeouts fired by the UCLA pitching staff.

396…Of the strikeouts that have been recorded by weekend starters Gerrit Cole, Trevor Bauer and Rob Rasmussen.  The trio is also a combined 31-8 this season.

11…Wins this season by Rasmussen.  The junior has the most wins by a Bruin hurler since Jim Parque set the school record with 13 on the team’s 1997 CWS team.

1…Career complete game Rasmussen has tossed.  It came in Sunday’s Super Regional clincher vs. Cal State Fullerton.

.464 & .401…Team slugging percentage and on-base percentage.  The slugging percentage is the lowest in the CWS field, while the on-base percentage is tied for the second lowest with Oklahoma.

0…Double digit home run hitters for UCLA.  They’re the only such CWS team this year.

.328-7-45…Batting average, HR and RBIs by Tyler Rahmatulla, who started 61 of UCLA’s 62 games this season as their primary 3-hole hitter.  The sophomore will miss the CWS after breaking his wrist in the Bruins’ Super Regional celebration dog pile.

ANALYSIS: As evidenced by the strikeout total UCLA is built on not just pitching, but power arms and that’s what usually gets it done in the post season (although not for Texas last week).  The Bruin pitchers aren’t just strong-armed, they’re confident as well.  UCLA must overcome the loss of Rahmatulla, who emerged early as one of their top run producers.  A team that doesn’t have a lot of offense to begin with can’t afford to lose what offense it has.

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Kevin O'Sullivan

Florida Gators (47-15)
Head Coach:  Kevin O’Sullivan  (3rd season)

6…College World Series appearances by the Gators.  This is their first trip to Omaha since finishing as the national runner-up in 2005.

3…Years as a head coach by Gator boss Kevin O’Sullivan.  He made trips to the CWS as a Clemson assistant in 2000, 2002 and 2006.

3…National seed of the Gators, making the first round Florida vs. UCLA game the only one to feature two national seeds.

6.9…Runs a game scored by Florida-the lowest of the eight teams in the field in Omaha.

.381…On-base percentage by the Gators-the lowest of the eight CWS competitors.

1…Complete game this season by the Florida pitching staff.  Alex Panteliodis got it last week when he struck out 12 in Florida’s 7-2 win over Miami in the Super Regional opener.

11…Saves by Kevin Chapman, who has made a staff high 30 appearances while holding opposing batters to a .183 average.

6…Florida position players who have started at least 25 games who are either freshmen or sophomores.

2…Freshmen, Brian Johnson (6-4) and Hudson Randall (8-3), who join the sophomore Panteliodis (11-2) in the weekend pitching rotation.

3.97 & .413…Johnson’s ERA and batting average this season.  The freshman has started 14 times on the mound as well as 26 games in the Gator line-up.

17 & 70…Team leading home runs and RBIs by freshman Austin Maddox, who has started 61 of his team’s 62 games this season.

.358 & 23…Team high batting average and stolen bases by Matt den Dekker, who is one of a handful of seniors on the team.  He has also hit 13 home runs and has scored a team best 64 runs.

.978…Team fielding percentage-the best of the eight CWS teams and 6th best in the nation.

ANALYSIS: The Gators don’t do anything particularly flashy, they are just good across the board and they find a way to win.  They’re battled tested with big SEC series wins, including the regular season finale vs. fellow CWS team South Carolina.   There’s a possible Omaha awe factor as well for the young Gators.

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CWS Bracket Two

Team	Record	Conf.	BA	Runs/ Game	HR	Slg%	OBP	SB-Att.	Fld%	ERA	CG	SV	K	BB	Opp. BA
South Carolina	48-15	SEC	.302	7.3	90	.493	.396	45-66	.975	3.61	4	16	568	208	.230
Arizona St.	52-8	Pac 10	.338	8.5	68	.539	.436	134-176	.976	3.14	0	23	537	160	.239
Clemson	43-23	ACC	.310	8.8	93	.500	.407	122-146	.963	4.72	1	12	460	213	.280
Oklahoma	49-16	Big 12	.312	7.9	100	.523	.401	95-126	.976	3.79	2	16	562	207	.257

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Tim Esmay

Arizona State Sun Devils (52-8)
Head Coach: Tim Esmay  (1st season)

#1…National seed.  The Sun Devils are one of just three national seed (along with UCLA and Florida) to make it to Omaha this year.

22…College World Series appearances by ASU-the third most all-time behind Texas (33) and Miami (23)

24…Consecutive wins by ASU to open the season.  They suffered their first loss on April 2nd with a 6-5 setback to Oregon in 12 innings.

134…Stolen bases by the Sun Devils-the most of any CWS team.  Drew Maggi leads ASU with 35 swipes.

14…NCAA leading triples hit by Pac 10 Player of the Year Zack MacPhee, who also leads the Sun Devils with a .679 slugging percentage.  MacPhee’s .394 batting average is second only to Riccio Torrez’s .399 avg.

33-3…Combined record of starting pitchers Merrill Kelly, Jake Borup and Pac 10 Pitcher of the Year Seth Blair.

7-2…The trios ASU record last year, with all the decisions courtesy of Blair.  Kelly is in his first year at ASU after transferring from Yavapai CC, while Borup made just eight appearances last year as a freshman.

0…Innings pitched this year by Josh Spence due to an elbow injury.  Spence was 10-1 with a 2.37 ERA for last year’s CWS team.  He was drafted in the third round of last year’s MLB draft by the Angels, but chose to return to ASU for his senior season.

0…Complete games by the ASU pitching staff.  They join Florida State as the only two staffs in Omaha without a CG this year.

23…Saves by Sun Devil pitchers-the most of any CWS team this season.  Jordan Swaggerty leads the way with 14, which is tied for the third most in the nation.

.239…Opponent batting average by the Sun Devil staff.  The mark is second only to UCLA’s CWS leading .219.

ANALYSIS: Arizona State brought plenty of confident teams to Omaha under former head coach Pat Murphy, but never brought home the big prize.  Under Tim Esmay the Sun Devils enter the CWS this year in circumstances similar to last year’s Cal State Fullerton team that was 5-0 in Regionals and Super Regionals, but went 0-2 in Omaha.  ASU still has the same swagger under Esmay as they head under Murphy, but can they finally go the distance with it?

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Jack Leggett

Clemson Tigers (43-23)
Head Coach: Jack Leggett  (17th season)

12…College World Series appearances by Clemson – the 11th most all-time appearances by a team.

43…Wins by the Tigers – the fewest of the eight CWS teams.

23…Clemson losses – the most of the field in Omaha.

20 & 20…Touchdown passes thrown and home runs hit by quarterback/outfielder Kyle Parker, who is the first such 20/20 two-sport athlete in Division One history.  The Colorado Rockies took Parker with the 26th pick in the first round of this year’s MLB draft.

4.72…Team ERA – the highest of this year’s CWS teams.

.280…Opponent batting average, which is also the highest of the eight pitching staffs in Omaha.

8.8…Runs a game scored by the Tigers, making them the highest scoring offense in Omaha this year.

17 & 23…Home runs hit and stolen bases by 3B John Hinson, who is also batting .345 with 72 RBIs.

15 & 85…Home runs and RBIs by OF Jeff Schaus, whose RBI total ranks fifth in the nation and is the most of any player at the College World Series.

7-2…Alex Frederick’s record on the mound.  The reliever has made just one start with a team high 30 appearances and is tied with starter Casey Harman (7-3) for the second most wins on the Tiger staff.

1…Complete game (tossed by Harman) by the Clemson pitching staff.

5…Tigers relievers, incuding Frederick, who have made at least 20 appearances this season.  Harman and Scott Weismann (8-2) have each made 17 starts and are the only Clemson pitchers without a relief appearance in 2010.

ANALYSIS: The Tigers hit and then hit some more, as evidenced by their 31 runs in their three Super Regional games vs. Alabama.  They scored at least 10 runs in a game 25 times this season, but how will they fair in their first round match-up against an Arizona State team that pitches, hits and plays defense?  ASU is going to put it in play and Clemson’s defense also ranks just 135th in the nation.

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Sunny Golloway

Oklahoma Sooners (49-16)
Head Coach: Sunny Golloway  (6th season)

10…College World Series appearances by the Sooners, who haven’t been to Omaha since 1995.  OU won the 1994 National Championship.

100…Home runs hit this season by Oklahoma – the most by any of the eight CWS teams and good for eighth in the nation.

65…Sac bunts by the Sooners, which is also the most by any of the eight CWS teams and good for seventh in the nation.

4…Home runs hit in OU’s two Super Regional wins over Virginia by Cody Reine.  The OF was 5-for-8 with 11 RBIs in the game two and three victories.  Five of his 10 HR this year have come in NCAA play.

95…Stolen bases by Oklahoma.  With five more swipes OU would join Coastal Carolina and Miami as the only three teams with at least 100 HR and 100 SB this season.

2…Straight wins by Oklahoma to close their Super Regional series after losing 3-2 to Virginia in the opener.  The Cavaliers hadn’t lost back to back games all season.

0…Runs allowed by the Sooners in their 11-0 Super Regional clinching win over UVA.  It’s their first shutout in NCAA play since 1992.

.371/16/64…Team best batting average, home runs and RBIs by Garrett Buechelle.  The sophomore is the son of 11-year MLB veteran Steve Buechelle.

.311/15/52…Batting average, home runs and RBIs by Cameron Seitzer.  The sophomore is the son of 12-year MLB veteran Kevin Seitzer.

.976…Team fielding percentage – tied with Arizona State for the second best fielding rate at the CWS.

5-0…Record of pitcher Jack Mayfield.  The freshman has made just three starts with 13 relief outings, but he has one of the pitching staff’s three complete games this year.

7 & 5…Wins and saves by Jeremy Erben, who leads the Sooners with 31 appearances, including 29 in relief.  Erben’s saves are second to Ryan Duke, who leads the team with 11.

540…Miles from OU’s campus in Norman, OK to Omaha, NE.  The number has been posted in the Sooner’s dugout all season.

ANALYSIS: Oklahoma took a page out of Virginia’s own book when it went on the road to beat the Cavs in last week’s Super Regional (as UVA did last year at Ole Miss).  The first round match-up vs. South Carolina’s Blake Cooper (see below) is an intriguing one.  Despite the big offensive numbers the Sooners have put-up this year they were shutout twice and scored just three runs in three games against the best pitchers they’ve seen so far: Texas.

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Ray Tanner

South Carolina Gamecocks (48-15)
Head Coach: Ray Tanner  (14th season)

9…College World Series appearances by the Gamecocks.  Their last appearance was in 2004.

3…Times (including this year) that South Carolina made it to Omaha in the same year as intrastate rival Clemson.  The two also appeared together at the CWS in 2002 and 1977.

2-0…South Carolina’s record vs. Clemson at the ’02 CWS – the only games between the two teams in Omaha.

12…Home runs hit and stolen bases by Whit Merrifield.  The junior leads his team in both categories and he’s the only Gamecock with double digit home runs and stolen bases.

13 & 70…Sacrifice bunts and runs scored by Merrifield - both tops in the SEC.

9…South Carolina players who have hit at least seven home runs and driven-in at least 28 runs in 2010.

15 & 52…Team leading doubles and RBIs by Adrian Morales.  The junior is batting .286.

.371…Team high batting average of Jackie Bradley, Jr., who had 51 RBIs entering the CWS.

12 & 118 1/3…Wins and innings pitched by Gamecock ace Blake Cooper, who leads the SEC in both departments.  The senior (12-1, 2.81 ERA) suffered his only loss of the season in his last start of the regular season to SEC regular season champion Florida.

4…Complete games pitched by the SC pitching staff – the most of the eight CWS teams.  Sam Dyson (5-5, 4.39 ERA) has tossed three of them, while Cooper has the other.

91…Combined relief appearances by Michael Roth (1-1, 1.50, 3 SV), Matt Price (3-1, 2.54, 10 SV) and Jose Mata (7-1, 2.34).  Roth is second in the SEC with 33 appearances, while Mata’s 31 are tied for third.

568…Strikeouts by the Gamecock pitching staff.  The total ranks third in the nation and is second only to UCLA’s 619 of the teams in Omaha.

ANALYSIS: Like SEC rival Florida, South Carolina is a team that lacks a lot of flash, but just gets it done.  Cooper is a bulldog who has gone up against the top pitchers in the SEC and lost just once all season.  While none of the other starters approach his production, the bullpen is deep enough to make the Gamecocks a legit threat.  Their Sunday match-up with OU could be the best of the four first round games.

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ASU Faces Clemson/Alabama Winner At CWS

Drew Maggi sent ASU back to Omaha with his 12th inning two run HR.

of the 9th.

By clicking the “Tempe Super Regional” link above this page will expand to fully support the table below.

CLICK HERE for our Super Regional Central page where you will find links to other Super Regionals.

Arizona St. Super Regional Media Guide

Best two of three series (all times Eastern)

Gm 1  Saturday - FINAL: Arizona State 7,  Arkansas 6 (12 inn.)  |  Final Stats
ASU Recap | ARK Recap

Gm 2  Sunday – FINAL:  Arizona State 7,  Arkansas 5 (12 inn.) |  Final Stats
ASU Recap | ARK Recap

* ASU wins series (2-0)

The Skinny

This Super Regional pits two teams that both advanced to last year’s College World Series.  They also played against each other in Fayetteville during the 2009 regular season with Arkansas ranked #1 in one national poll and Arizona State ranked #1 in another poll.

Arizona State: (#1 National Seed) The Sun Devils are the overall #1 national seed in this year’s tournament.  Tim Esmay is in his first year as the Sun Devil’s head coach, but he is no stranger to Omaha.  He played in the CWS twice at ASU and he was an assistant coach on four of Pat Murphy’s Omaha teams.

Esmay is 50-8 in his first season at the helm, and what’s probably the most impressive is the fact that he’s done it without two pitchers who led last year’s Pac 10 champs to Omaha.  Josh Spence (10-1, 2.37 ERA last yr.) returned to ASU after being drafted, but he’s missed the entire season due to injury, while Mike Leake (16-1, 1.71 ERA in ’09) is 5-0 with a 2.22 ERA in 11 starts this year for the Cincinnati Reds.  Starters Merrill Kelly, Jake Borup and Seth Blair have combined to go 33-3 this season, while Jordan Swaggerty (2.05 ERA, 14 SVs) slams the door at the end.  The 3.10 team ERA ranks third nationally.

Arizona State’s line-up is filled with tough outs.  Seven different players who have started at least 33 games are batting .325 or better this year, and three different players lead the team in the triple crown categories.  Riccio Torrez is batting .404, Zack McPhee leads the team with 63 RBIs and Kole Calhoun has a team best 16 HR.  McPhee also leads the nation with 14 triples.  The athletic Sun Devils have also stolen 130 bases this season and the team’s .975 fielding % is 11th.

Arkansas: Dave Van Horn’s Razorbacks limped toward this year’s NCAA Tournament by winning just two of its last five SEC series and then going 0-2 at the conference tournament.  The late season slump cost the Hogs any shot they had at being a national seed.  However, like last year, Arkansas was 3-0 in Regional play.  Only this year they got to host rather than go on the road.

Third baseman Zack Cox (.427, 9 HR, 48 RBIs) is considered one of the best pure hitters in the nation.  Brett Eibner (.337, 21 HR, 69 RBIs) is the team’s top run producers.  He made 11 starts on the mound this season, but his only outing at last week’s Regional was one inning in relief.

Sophomore Drew Smyly (9-1, 2.56) has both of the pitching staff’s complete games this season.  T.J. Forrest (8-0, 3.10 ERA) started two Regional games, and picked-up his 8th win in the title game vs. Washington State.

Tempe Super Regional

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The Sun Devils Win If?

The Sun Devils will need to ignore their past transgressions as this is the best program in the country (kind of like Vanderbilt in the SEC) that has not won a national title recently.

If the Devils continue to play as they have all season, under the calm collective influence of Esmay and staff, they have more than a snowballs chance.

Lurking in the shadows of the Sun Devil mindset, however, is the fact that Washington State gave the Sun Devils their only series loss of the season, and Arkansas just defeated the Cougars last weekend from the field of 64.

Other common opponents between the two include California, which the Devils swept, while the Hogs took two-of-three in Berkeley in the early spring.

Arizona State is loaded with talent and depth, and I would really be surprised if they botch this series, but it has happened to the Sun Devils before, losing to Oregon State in Omaha in both 2006 & 2007, and losing in a home super-regional match-up with the Wonderdogs of Fresno State in 2008.

Like Casey said, “the best teams don’t always win the title.”

Should be an entertaining series with both teams having a host of players drafted in the 2010 MLB Draft.

The Razorbacks Win If?

Zach Cox will play a pivotal role in this series, but he limped off the field on the final day of the Fayetteville Regional and his health is in doubt for the game on Saturday.

Drew Smyly will have to perform his magic in Game #1, as this is a must win for the Hogs, and they must get into the bullpen and the psyche of the Sun Devils.

This has been a hard thing to do as the Sun Devil Regional was the 10th weekend sweep for the Sun Devils this year, 11 if you count the Coca-Cola Classic.

ASU is number one for a reason.

Arkansas will need to score runs in bunches to win this series as they don’t have the pitching to match up with one of the deepest bullpens in the country.

Smyly, however, does have the stuff needed to get the Hogs off to a fast start.

The question becomes, should the Hogs hold Smyly back from Game #1 and try to work backwards in their pitching match-ups, or should they come right out and attack ASU head-to-head?

This would be a gutsy move by Arkansas skipper Dave Van Horn, who is no stranger to the College World Series, being one of a small number of coaches that have taken two schools (Nebraska & Arkansas) to the greatest show on dirt.

Big Names & Lessor Known Hurlers On The List

LUBBOCK, TX — As starting pitchers across the country continue to impact the success of their teams, the College Baseball Foundation has released the first Pitcher of the Year Watch List for 2010.  The Pitcher of the Year Award will be presented in Lubbock, Texas,on July 2 as part of the College Baseball Awards Show.

“This watch list is full of great college pitchers from around the country,” said Landon Holly, who together with Justin Knowles serves as co-chair for the Pitcher of the Year committee.  All the major conferences across the country have multiple representatives on the list, with the Pac-10 leading the way with nine.  Many of the smaller conferences also have representation on the list.

This is the second year the CBF will present the Pitcher of the Year Award.  Deck McGuire of Georgia Tech is the only 2009 finalist to appear on the 2010 watch list.  2009 Stopper of the Year Award winner Addison Reed of San Diego State (now a starter) is on the Pitcher of the Year watch list as well.

The award will be presented on July 2 in Lubbock, TX as part of the College Baseball Awards Show.

2010 College Pitcher of the Year Watch List

Jimmy Nelson-Alabama-SEC

Jake Borup-Arizona State-Pac 10

Mitchell Lambson-Arizona State-Pac 10

Josh Spence-Arizona State-Pac 10

Drew Smyly-Arkansas-SEC

Logan Verrett-Baylor-Big 12

Eric Johnson-California-Pac 10

Asher Wojciechowski-The Citadel-Southern

Matt Rein-Coastal Carolina-Big South

Cody Wheeler-Coastal Carolina-Big South

Alex Panteliodis-Florida-SEC

John Gast-Florida State-ACC

Sean Gilmartin-Florida State-ACC

Deck McGuire-Georgia Tech-ACC

Drew Leininger-Indiana-Big 10

Matt Little-Kentucky-SEC

Shawn Teufel-Liberty-Big South

Anthony Ranaudo-LSU-SEC

Neil Holland-Louisville-Big East

Thomas Royse-Louisville-Big East

Matt Harvey-North Carolina-ACC

Francis Brooke-Northwestern-Big 10

Alex Wimmers-Ohio State-Big 10

Jeremy Erben-Oklahoma-Big 12

Aaron Barrett-Mississippi-SEC

Drew Pomeranz-Mississippi-SEC

Tyler Anerson-Oregon-Pac 10

Greg Peavey-Oregon State-Pac 10

Tanner Robles-Oregon State-Pac 10

Addison Reed-San Diego State-Mountain West

D.D. Hanks-South Alabama-Sun Belt

Trevor Vermeulen-South Dakota State-Summit

Josh Janway-Southeastern Louisiana-Southland

Scott Copeland-Southern Mississippi-Conference USA

Todd McInnis-Southern Mississippi-Conference USA

Cole Green-Texas-Big 12

Taylor Jungmann-Texas-Big 12

Chance Ruffin-Texas-Big 12

Barret Loux-Texas A&M-Big 12

John Stilson-Texas A&M-Big 12

Daniel Bibona-UC Irvine-Big West

Eric Pettis-UC Irvine-Big West

Mario Hollands-UC Santa Barbara-Big West

Trevor Bauer-UCLA-Pac 10

Gerrit Cole-UCLA-Pac 10

Jason Mitchell-UT Arlington-Southland

Sonny Gray-Vanderbilt-SEC

Danny Hultzen-Virginia-ACC

Jesse Hahn-Virginia Tech-ACC

Six 2009 Semifinalists On 2010 List

USA Baseball announced Thursday its preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List, marking the organization’s first step toward identifying the top amateur baseball player in the country. Sponsored by Major League Baseball, the Golden Spikes Award will be presented in 2010 for the 33rd time.

The Watch List features 50 of the nation’s top amateur talents, and it will be a “rolling” list to ensure that athletes can play themselves into consideration for the Golden Spikes Award, to be presented live on Tuesday, July 13, at the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star FanFest in Anaheim, Calif.

Headlining the 2010 Watch List are six athletes who were among the 30 semifinalists for the 2009 Golden Spikes Award. Those players are Daniel Bibona (LHP, Sr., UC Irvine), Bryce Brentz (OF/RHP, Jr., Middle Tennessee), Deck McGuire (RHP, Jr., Georgia Tech), Addison Reed (RHP, Jr., San Diego State), Anthony Rendon (3B, So., Rice) and Alex Wimmers (RHP, Jr., Ohio State).

“We’re very pleased to announce the 50 members of the preseason Watch List for the 2010 Golden Spikes Award,” said Paul Seiler, Executive Director/CEO of USA Baseball. “The level of amateur baseball talent in our country continues to rise each year, and there is no greater evidence of this than seeing six 2009 semifinalists named to the 2010 Watch List.”

The list of 50 names also features Bryce Harper of the College of Southern Nevada, a junior. The freshman catcher is the only junior-college player named to the list. Alex Fernandez, as a sophomore pitcher for Miami Dade Community College (now Miami Dade College) in 1990, stands as the only junior-college player to ever win the Golden Spikes Award.

LSU leads all schools with four players named to the Watch List. Texas is second with three, and Alabama, Arkansas, Cal State Fullerton, Coastal Carolina, Florida State, Georgia Tech, University of Miami, Rice and Virginia have two apiece.

The SEC tops all conferences with 15 Watch List players. Other leading conferences include the ACC with 10 athletes, the Big 12 with five, and the Big West and Conference USA with three each. Juniors dominate the list with 35 players named. Sophomores are next with nine players, there are five seniors, and Harper is the lone freshman.

On Tuesday, June 1, USA Baseball officials will cut the list of players to 30 names. The final list of 30 will then be sent to a voting body consisting of select professional baseball personnel, past USA Baseball National Team coaches, select members of the media, former USA Baseball sports information directors, and current USA Baseball staff — about 150 voters in total.

All voters will be asked to choose five players from the list of 30 names. Fan voting will once again be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2010. June 1 will also mark the day when college baseball fans from across the country will be able to vote for their favorite player for the Golden Spikes Award on goldenspikesaward.com. On Tuesday, June 8, USA Baseball will announce the five finalists, and voting for a winner will commence that same day.

The 2010 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award will be presented nationally July 13 on an award show via live telecast from Anaheim on goldenspikesaward.com, USABaseball.com and MLB.com in conjunction with All-Star FanFest.

Past winners of the Golden Spikes Award include Terry Francona (1980), Will Clark (1985), Robin Ventura (1988), Jason Varitek (1994), J.D. Drew (1997), Mark Prior (2001), Jered Weaver (2004), Tim Lincecum (2006), David Price (2007), Buster Posey (2008) and last year’s winner, Stephen Strasburg.

2010 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Important Dates

Thursday, Feb. 18 – 50-player Watch List released, shaped by USA Baseball officials, advisors and college SIDs
Tuesday, June 1 – 30 semifinalists announced, selected by USA Baseball officials; semifinalist voting begins; voters select five
Friday, June 4 – Deadline to vote for finalists, 5:00 p.m. ET
Tuesday, June 8 – Five finalists announced; finalist voting begins; voters to select one
Friday, June 18 – Deadline to vote for winner, 5:00 p.m. ET
Tuesday, July 13 – Golden Spikes Award presentation live at All-Star FanFest in Anaheim

Complete 2010 preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List:

Name, School, Position, Class (in order of name)

Chad Bettis, Texas Tech, RHP, Junior
Daniel Bibona, UC Irvine, LHP, Senior
Bryce Brentz, Middle Tennessee, OF/RHP, Junior
Michael Choice, Texas-Arlington, OF, Junior
Gerrit Cole, UCLA, RHP, Sophomore
Christian Colon, Cal State Fullerton, SS, Junior
Zack Cox, 3B/RHP, Arkansas, Sophomore
Todd Cunningham, OF, Junior
Blake Dean, LSU, Jacksonville State, 1B/OF, Senior
Sam Dyson, South Carolina, RHP, Junior
Brett Eibner, Arkansas, RHP/OF, Junior
Micah Gibbs, LSU, C, Junior
Sean Gilmartin, Florida State, LHP, Sophomore
Yasmani Grandal, University of Miami, C, Junior
Sonny Gray, Vanderbilt, RHP, Sophomore
Justin Grimm, Georgia, RHP, Junior
Jedd Gyorko, West Virginia, 2B/3B, Junior
Rick Hague, Rice, SS, Junior
Bryce Harper, College of Southern Nevada, C/3B/OF, Freshman
Cody Hawn, Tennessee, 1B, Junior
Chris Hernandez, University of Miami, LHP, Junior
Tyler Holt, Florida State, OF, Junior
Danny Hultzen, Virginia, LHP/1B, Sophomore
Kevin Jacob, Georgia Tech, RHP, Junior
Taylor Jungmann, Texas, RHP, Sophomore
Leon Landry, LSU, OF, Junior
Deck McGuire, Georgia Tech, RHP, Junior
Hunter Morris, Auburn, 1B/OF, Junior
Jarrett Parker, Virginia, OF, Junior
Drew Pomeranz, Mississippi, LHP, Junior
Anthony Ranaudo, LSU, RHP, Junior
Addison Reed, San Diego State, RHP, Junior
Anthony Rendon, Rice, 3B, Sophomore
Daniel Renken, Cal State Fullerton, RHP, Junior
Kyle Roller, East Carolina, 1B, Senior
Cameron Rupp, C, Junior, Texas
Chris Sale, Florida Gulf Coast, LHP, Junior
Jake Smith, Alabama, 3B/RHP, Senior
Josh Spence, Arizona State, LHP, Senior
Tony Thompson, Kansas, 3B, Junior
Preston Tucker, Florida, 1B, Sophomore
Kolbrin Vitek, Ball State, 3B/RHP, Junior
Austin Wates, Virginia Tech, OF, Junior
Cody Wheeler, Coastal Carolina, LHP, Junior
Ross Wilson, Alabama, 2B/SS, Junior
Alex Wimmers, Ohio State, RHP, Junior
Mickey Wiswall, Boston College, 3B/1B, Junior
Kolten Wong, Hawaii, 2B, Sophomore
Scott Woodward, Coastal Carolina, 3B, Junior
Brandon Workman, Texas, RHP, Junior

Can ASU Keep On Winning Without Murphy?

2009 Pac 10 Champion:  Arizona State (No Pac 10 Postseason Tournament)

The More Things Change…:  There wasn’t much change at the top of the Pac 10 ranks, but there was some turnover in the middle.  Arizona State’s 2009 Pac 10 title was its third straight to give the Sun Devils their 10th straight NCAA appearance.  However, Washington State went from the bottom of the conference in 2008 to a second-place finish last year.  It was the Cougars’ first top five finish in the conference since 1991 and they earned their first NCAA Regional appearance since 1990.  Meanwhile, Oregon brought back baseball & played its first games since 1981, Oregon State was back in the tournament after staying home in 2008 and Stanford missed the NCAAs after a 2008 trip to the CWS.  The biggest news from the Pac 10 in 2009 though came in the off season with the departure of ASU head coach Pat Murphy.  The big question now is: Can ASU continue its success with a new head coach?

2010 Pac 10 Baseball Preview

Arizona

2009 Record:  (30-25, 13-14)

Mascot:  Wildcats

Head Coach:  Andy Lopez

Location:  Tucson, AZ

Vitals:  .314 BA, 46 HR, 71 SB, .387 OBP, .965 Fld%…5.46 ERA, 0 CG, 13 SV, 379 K, 215 BB, .293 opp. BA

Slight Returns:  The Wildcats have just 12 returning players from last year’s roster.  They will have as many as 16 freshman on the roster this season.

The Holes:  Pac 10 batting champion Dillon Baird (.433, 8 HR, 55 RBIs) leads the list of departed players.  Hunter Pace (.372, 15 SB) and Dwight Childs (.331) are gone from the line-up as well.  Arizona also loses its top starting pitcher, Preston Guilmet (6-5, 3.74 ERA), as well as relievers Cory Burns (2-0, 3.80 ERA, 40 appearances) and Jason Stoffel (2-1, 4.67 ERA, 39 app., 11 SV).

Who’s Back:  The top returning pitcher include Daniel Workman (3-1, 3.86 ERA), Joe Allison (5-1, 4.66 ERA) and Kyle Simon (3-5, 6.03 ERA, 11 starts).  Bryce Ortega (.324, 16 SB) and Steve Selsky (.318 will lead the offense).

Family Ties:  Brothers Michael and David Lopez will both wear the Wildcat uniform this season.  Their dad is head coach Andy Lopez.  Michael is a pitcher who redshirted last year, while David is a freshman infielder.

Tucson Time:  Arizona plays its first 26 games, including its conference-opening series vs. Oregon, on its home

Tim Esmay (ASU photo)

field in Tucson, AZ.  The Wildcats have a total of 44 home games in 2010.

Arizona State

2009 Record:  (51-14, 21-6)

Mascot:  Sun Devils

Head Coach:  Tim Esmay

Location:  Tempe, AZ

Vitals:  .303 BA, 75 HR, 116 SB, .418 OBP, .969 Fld%…2.90 ERA, 11 CG, 12 SV, 608 K, 157 BB, .239 opp. BA

Meet The New Boss:  Pat Murphy is gone after 15 seasons in the desert.  Murphy’s last win in a Sun Devil uniform was a 12-5 victory over North Carolina in Omaha, and it was the 1,000th of his career.  New head coach Tim Esmay is no stranger to the ASU

Kole Calhoun

program.  He played in the College World Series for Jim Brock’s Sun Devils in 1987 and ’88, and he was also an assistant to Murphy for the last five seasons.  Esmay was also the head coach at Utah from 1997-2004.

Line-Up Lowdown:  ASU returns 7 of its top 9 hitters who saw significant action in 2009.  The glaring losses are Pac 10 Player of the Year Jason Kipnis (.384, 16 HR, 71 RBIs, 27 SB) and catcher Carlos Ramirez (.338, 19 HR, 75 RBIs).  However, Kole Calhoun (.313, 12 HR, 53 RBIs) is back for his senior season.  Calhoun hit 3 HR with 11 RBIs in Omaha.  Sophomores Johnny Ruettiger (.360, 12 SB) & Drew Maggi (.309, 21 SB) and junior Matt Newman (.305, 7 HR, 54 RBIs) all return as well.

Oh Brother:  Senior co-captain Rauol Torrez (.250,15 SB) and soph. Riccio Torrez (.280, 6 HR) are the fifth set of brothers to play at ASU at the same time, but they are the first to start alongside one another in school history.  All 54 of Rauol’s starts came at third base, while most of Riccio’s were at first base.  The brothers are back as well to anchor the Sun Devil infield in 2010.

An Ace Down:  RHP Mike Leake (16-1, 1.71 ERA, 7 CG) and LHP Josh Spence (10-1, 2.37 ERA) were both good enough to be any team’s ace last year, but only senior Spence is back this season.  Leake signed after being taken in the first round of last year’s draft by Cincinnati.  Spence decided to return for his year after going in the third round to the Angels.  Other notable returning pitchers are LHP Mitchell Lambson (9-5, 3.01 ERA, 5 SV) and RHP Jordan Swaggerty (4-1, 4.50 ERA, 4 SV).

California

2009 Record:  (24-29, 9-18)

Mascot:  Golden Bears

Head Coach:  David Esquer

Location:  Berkeley, CA

Vitals:  .298 BA, 65 HR, 66 SB, .375 OBP, .966 Fld%…5.74, 2 CG, 13 SV, 423 K, 249 BB, .284 opp. BA

Big Bear Losses:  Cal loses three of its top four batters from last year, including two-way player Blake Smith (.319, 10 HR, 38 RBIs), who was drafted in the second round last year by the Dodgers.  Smith had two saves out of the

Mark Canha (Cal photo)

bullpen while starting three games as well.  Jeff Kobernus (.341, 8 HR, 20 SB) and Brett Jackson (.321, 8 HR, 11 SB) are both gone as well.

Top Bear Back:  Cal’s top overall hitter, Mark Canha, is returns.  The junior led Cal in average (.366), HR (12), RBIs (43), slg% (.634), and OBP (.444).  Brian Guinn (.315, 10 SB) and Danny Oh (.303, 7 HR) is back as well.

Plenty Of Pitching: The Golden Bears return most of their pitchers from a staff that finished with the worst ERA in the conference last year.  Reliver Dixon Anderson (3.98 ERA, 3 SV), LHP Chris Petrini (4-3, 3.98 ERA) and Erik Johnson (3-6, 4.41 ERA, 9 starts, CG, 4 SV) are among the top returnees.

No-Nonsense Non-Conference:  In consecutive weeks Cal plays non-conference games vs. 2009 CWS team Arkansas (3 at home), 2009 Super Regional team Rice (4 in Houston) and ’09 NCAA team Cal Poly (3 on the road).  They follow that with their Pac 10-opening series at Arizona State.

Call From The Hall:  Former Cal head coach Bob Milano was inducted into the ABCA Hall of Fame in January.  He won 688 games at Cal from 1978-1999 and led the Golden Bears to the College World Series in 1980, 1988 and 1992.

Oregon

2009 Record:  (14-42, 4-23)

Mascot:  Ducks

Head Coach:  George Horton

Location:  Eugene, OR

Vitals:  .227 BA, 16 HR, 60 SB, .296 OBP, .961 Fld%…5.07 ERA, 4 CG, 8 SV, 357 K, 239 BB, .271 opp. BA

Growing Pains:  Oregon fielded its first baseball team since 1981 last year, and things looked bright early when the Ducks beat St. Mary’s 5-3 in their season opener.  They lost the next two games of the series, but then won 2 of 3 games at home vs. defending national champion Fresno State.  That would be the high point of their inaugural season though, as they won just three games after March 31 en-route to a 14-win campaign.  Oregon finished last in the Pac 10 in these (and a few other) statistical categories:  Batting average, HR, runs, slg%, OBP, hits, RBIs, doubles, total bases, walks, strikeouts (by pitchers), saves.  They also committed the second most errors (85) in the conference behind USC”S 101.

The Bright Side:  After a bumpy first year George Horton returns all but five players who saw action last year, while nine freshmen and a handful of junior college transfers join the team.  Here’s a look at some of the returnees with the category in which they led the Ducks last year Curt Raulinaitis (batting avg.-.291), K.C. Serna (RBIs-19 & HR-3), Danny Pulfer (starts-55 & BB-19), Drew Gagnier (ERA-2.70, appearances-23, saves-7).  Starting pitchers Erik Stavert (5-6, 3.04 ERA, 14 starts) & Tyler Anderson (2-9, 15 starts) are both gone.

Homecoming:  Oregon opens the season at Cal State Fullerton, where Horton played and later spent 11 seasons as the Titans’ head coach.  Horton guided Fullerton to six College World Series appearances and the 2004 National Championship.  Current Fullerton head coach Dave Serrano was an assistant under Horton.

Oregon State

2009 Record:  (37-19, 15-12)

Mascot:  Beavers

Head Coach:  Pat Casey

Location:  Corvallis, OR

Vitals:  .278 BA, 23 HR, 53 SB, .392 OBP, .977 Fld%…3.93 ERA, 3 CG, 13 SV, 431 K, 199 BB, .245 opp. BA

Sam Gaviglio (OSU photo)

Locked Line-Up:  Oregon State returns six starters from last year’s team.  All-Pac 10 honoree Adalberto Santos (.320, 4 HR, 43 RBIs, 15 SB) and team HR and RBI leader Stefan Romero (..291, 5 HR, 51 RBIs) head the group.

Plus Pitching:  The Beavers’ 3.93 team ERA ranked second in the Pac 10 last year to Arizona State, and they return two starters, Sam Gaviglio (10-1, 2.73 ERA) and Tyler Waldron (6-4, 4.15 ERA), and closer Kevin Rhoderick (3-3, 4.18 ERA, 9 SV).  Gaviglio was a Freshman All-American last year.

Turn The Page:  Baseball America recently named Oregon State the #2 team of the past decade, while tabbing head coach Pat Casey the coach of the decade.  The Beavers won back-to-back National Championships in 2006 and 2007 and made an additional trip to Omaha.  They averaged 35.6 wins a season from 2000-2009.

Stanford

2009 Record:  (30-25, 13-14)

Mascot:  Cardinal

Head Coach:  Mark Marquess

Location:  Palo Alto, CA

Vitals:  .279 BA, 49 HR, 46 SB, .360 OBP, .977 Fld%…5.12 ERA, 2 CG, 8 SV, 381 K, 222 BB, .268 opp. BA

Rare Absence:  After a trip to the 2008 College World Series Stanford missed the NCAA Tournament last year.  It was

Colin Walsh (Stanford photo)

the second time in three seasons that the Cardinal failed to receive a post season bid, but it’s also just the third time since 1990 that Stanford did not at least go to an NCAA Regional.

Core Cardinals:  Stanford returns 2B Colin Walsh (.320, .466 OBP), SS Jeff Schlander (.232), catcher Zach Jones (.239, 3 HR), and OF Kellen Killsgard (.313, 9 HR, 46 RBIs).  Walsh was the team’s top hitter as a sophomore and was named a Cape Cod League All-Star last summer,  while Schlander was named the 2009 Pac 10 Defensive Player of the Year.  The team loses top run producer Brent Milleville (.306, 14 HR, 52 RBIs).

Cardinal Arms:  Starting pitchers Jordan Pries (4-4. 4.62 ERA) and LHP Brett Mooneyham (6-3, 4.14 ERA) are back to lead the weekend rotation.  The duo combined to make 22 starts last year as freshmen.

Gerhart’s Gone:  Two-sport sensation Toby Gerhart (.288, 7 HR, 36 RBIs, 7 SB) burst on the national scene on the football field in 2009.  He was the Heisman Trophy runner-up and won the Doak Walker Award after rushing for a school record 1,871 yards and 28 TDs.  Gerhart hit 16 home runs in three years with the Cardinal baseball team.  He was an outfield starter on the 2008 CWS squad.  He won’t play baseball this year as he prepares for the April NFL Draft.

Tough Tests:  Stanford opens the season by hosting a 3-game series with perennial power Rice.  They go to Austin, TX the next weekend for a 3-game set with 2009 national runner-up Texas.

UCLA

2009 Record:  (27-29, 15-12)

Mascot:  Bruins

Head Coach:  John Savage

Location:  Los Angeles, CA

Vitals:  .285 BA, 54 HR, 55 SB, .382 OBP, .969 Fld%…4.28 ERA, 5 CG, 12 SV, 509 K, 197 BB, .259 opp. BA

Power Outage:  UCLA loses its top two run producers, Cody Decker (.322, 21 HR, 53 RBIs) and Casey Haerther

Gerrit Cole

(.305, 9 HR, 42 RBIs) from last year’s team.  Haerther was selected in the 5th round of last year’s MLB Draft by the Angels, while Decker was tabbed in the 22nd round by San Diego.

The Line-Up:  Justin Uribe (.318, 3 HR, 23 RBIs) and Blair Dunlap (.301, 7 HR, 39 RBIs, 15 SB) are the top hitters back in the Bruin batting order.  Uribe will move from the outfield to first base this year.  Junior college transfer Dean Espy will be expected to step-in at third base as well.

Bruin Pitching:  Sophomores Gerrit Cole (4-8, 3.49 ERA) and Trevor Bauer (9-3, 2.99 ERA, 4 CG) will lead the pitching rotation.  Bauer had pitched a  team-high of 105 1/3 IP last year.  Cole is a Preseason All-American who struckout 104 in 85 IP last year.  He pitched for the USA Collegiate National Team last summer.

Big 12 West:  UCLA plays five games against three Big 12 teams in 2010.  The Bruins host Oklahoma State in one of their three games in the Dodgertown Classic (Vanderbilt & USC are the other two opponents there).  They also host a 3-game series vs. Nebraska and play Oklahoma in their last game of the Whataburger College Classic in Corpus Christi, TX.

USC

2009 Record:  (28-28, 13-14)

Mascot:  Trojans

Head Coach:  Chad Kreuter

Location:  Los Angeles, CA

Vitals:  .274 BA, 41 HR, 58 SB, .359 OBP, .954 Fld%…4.06 ERA, 5 CG, 10 SV, 438 K, 231 BB, .259 opp. BA

Top Losses:  USC loses three players, Grant Green (.374, 4 HR, 32 RBIs, 16 SB), Brad Boxberger (6-3, 3.16 ERA) and Robert Stock (5-4, 2.90 ERA, 4 SV), who were taken in the first two rounds of last year’s MLB Draft.  Green went with the 13th overall pick to Oakland.

Returning Trojans:  Ricky Oropesa (.314, 13 HR, 48 RBIs) was named a Freshman All-American last year.  He and Mike O’Neill (.319) are the top returning players in the USC line-up.  Sophomore RHP Andrew Triggs (5-3, 3.96 ERA) is expected to be the staff’s #1 starter.  Fellow Soph. Chad Smith (3-4, 3.40 ERA) and Sr. Kevin Couture (3-3, 5.66 ERA) return as well.

New Faces In Many Places:  A total of 15 newcomers (7 transfers and 8 freshman) will look to contribute for USC in 2010.  One of them is redshirt sophomore Mike Greco, who hit .250 with 2 HR and 27 RBIs in 46 games as a freshman at Army.  He sat out last year after transferring and will battle for a spot at first base this year.

Washington

2009 Record:  (25-30, 13-14)

Mascot:  Huskies

Head Coach:  Lindsay Meggs

Location:  Seattle, WA

Vitals:  .265 BA, 64 HR, 42 SB, .357 OBP, .967 Fld%…4.88 ERA, 1 CG, 14 SV, 387 K, 194 BB, .276 opp. BA

Lindsay Meggs

New Skipper:  2010 will be Lindsay Meggs’ first season as head coach at Washington.  He arrives after three seasons at Indiana State.  Meggs was named the 2009 Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year after guiding the Sycamores to a 33-21 record and a second-place conference finish.  Prior to that Meggs spent 13 seasons at head coach at Chico State, where he won Division II National Championships in 1997 & 1999.

Draft Losses:  The Huskies lose their top run producer, Ryan Conley (.303, 19 HR, 55 RBIs), who was taken by St. Louis in the 7th round of last year’s draft.  Top reliever Brian Pearl (3.05 ERA, 8 SV) and starter Jason Erickson (5-4, 4.34 ERA) were both drafted and signed as well.

Husky Returns:  Pierce Rankin (.299, 6 HR, 26 RBIs) and Troy Scott (11 HR, 31 RBIs) are the top returnees in the line-up.  Sophomore Andrew Kittredge (4-5, 4.27 ERA, 3 SV, 7 starts) and LHP Geoff Brown (4-4, 5.01), who made 31 relief appearances, are among the top returning pitchers.

Big Home Slate:  Washington’s first nine home games are three 3-game series vs. 2008 National Champion Fresno State, perennial power Cal State Fullerton and intrastate rival Washington State.

Washington State

2009 Record:  (32-25, 19-8)

Mascot:  Cougars

Head Coach:  Donnie Marbut

Location:  Pullman, WA

Vitals:  .273 BA, 56 HR, 44 SB, .358 OBP, .971 Fld%…4.34 ERA, 1 CG, 15 SV, 453 K, 184 BB, .279 opp. BA

The Drought Is Over:  Last year’s NCAA Regional appearance was the first for the program since 1990.  The Cougars swept five series in 2009, including three in Pac 10 play.  All of the sweeps came on their home diamond, where they had just three series sweeps in the previous 11 seasons combined.

Leaving & Staying:  WSU loses its top three hitters, Alex Burg (.346, 7 HR), Jared Prince (.343, 7 HR) and Greg Lagreid (.332, 5 HR), from last year’s NCAA squad.  They return stolen base leader Garry Kuykendall (.299, 11 SB), Matt Argyropoulos (.277), Shea Vucinich (.230, team-high 40 runs), and Derek Jones, who hit a team-best 12

Chad Arnold

home runs despite just a .223 batting average.

On The Mound:  Junior Chad Arnold (8-3, 4.39 ERA) will lead the weekend rotation.  Arnold got the team’s only NCAA win with an elimination game victory vs. Wichita State in the Norman, OK Regional.  He’s joined by David Stilley (3-3, 4.64 ERA) and reliever Seth Harvey (2.25 ERA, 22 app.).  The Cougars lose starter Matt Way (8-4, 2.43 ERA) and closer Jeremy Johnson (6-2, 2.90 ERA, 10 SV).

Texas Time:  Washington State plays 12 of its first 18 games in the state of Texas.   After four games in Lubbock they return home for a 4-game set vs. Utah and then return to the Lone Star State for three games at Texas A&M and two games at Dallas Baptist.  They end their spring trip with a 3-game series in Wichita, KS vs. Wichita State.

2010 Pac 10 Conference Predictions

Player of the Year:  Kole Calhoun – Arizona State

Pitcher of the Year:  Sam Gaviglio – Oregon State

Conference Champion:  Arizona State, with Oregon State giving the closest challenge

LSU’s Ranaudo Tabbed Preseason National Player of the Year

The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association  has announced its 2010 Preseason All-America Team.  The first team looks like this:

Click Here To See The Complete NCBWA Release (PDF)

Murphy went to four College World Series, won four Pac-10 titles in 15 seasons

Former ASU Head Coach Pat Murphy

“Coach Murphy has an outstanding record of success on the playing field,” said Lisa Love, university vice president for athletics. “I thank him for 16 years of hard work and service to the university and the sport.”

Pat Murphy became ASU’s head baseball coach in August 1994. During his tenure, he was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year four times, his teams took three straight Pac-10 titles, four overall, and four College World Series berths, and in 1998 he was named the National Coach of the Year.

Since the 2000 season, no other Pac-10 school has won as many games as ASU, both overall and conference games. Murphy has also had more players drafted by Major League Baseball since 1995 than any other coach in the nation.

ASU will immediately begin a national search for a new head baseball coach.

(ASU Press Release)

ASU Player Reaction

Kole Calhoun:  Nobody was expecting this, and nobody thought this was gonna happen when we came in to lift this morning, but it did.  We can’t do anything about it.  We can just move forward.

Josh Spence:  Of course we’re all a little shocked.  We love the guy…I can honestly say that.  He’s a great coach, and I just wanna wish him all the best for his future.

Rauol Torrez:  This is a shock to everyone in the program…and it’s kinda hard to get over…to deal with right now.  We’re gonna be fine and stick together and get though.

Murphy had a $300,000 annual salary that was guaranteed through 2011.  ASU Vice President for Athletics Lisa Love told the Arizona Republic that Murphy’s resignation is not directly related to a two-year investigation after allegations made by a former baseball employee.

ASU hired the Indianapolis-based legal firm Ice Miller to investigate charges that include academic fraud, improper recruiting travel, improper use of training at Athletes’ Performance and violations relating to players working for Murphy’s non-profit PTM Programs for Youth.

Love became ASU’s Athletic Director in 2005, and she has hired eight coaches during her tenture.  Among them, football coach Dennis Erickson and men’s basketball coach Herb Sendek.

Collegebaseball360.com Editor, Sean Stires, shares some thoughts from a day of baseball at Rosenblatt Stadium…

The TCU-Texas game is just starting.  It’s the only Super Regional game remaining. Who would have thought that just two of the eight series would go the distance?  Here are a few random thoughts on some of what we saw this weekend…