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Gamecock Streak Ends, Gators Sent Packing…

Elimination Game: Kent State defeats Florida 5-4

CLICK HERE to see the complete CB360 CWS Scoreboard

Jason Bagoly (left) and Taylor Gushue (Photo by Pete LaFleur)

OMAHA, Neb. — That smell wafting through the air you may have smelled just after 8 pm Eastern Monday night was a barbeque in Omaha. As in two and ‘que…as in the Florida Gators at the College World Series.

The team that was the preseason number one and held that ranking for a great deal of the season came into its third CWS with the No. 1 national seed and a national championship in its sights.

Instead of hoisting a title trophy though head coach Kevin O’Sullivan’s team is feeling the weight of a second 0-and-2 Omaha performance in the last three seasons after falling 5-4 to Kent State in the second elimination game at TD Ameritrade Park in as many days.

“The game was not decided by the umpires,” O’Sullivan said after being asked about a questionable strikeout in the ninth inning. “The game was decided by both teams playing.  We made a couple errors in the first and second, and they capitalized and got two runs there in the bottom of the second.  That was the difference in the ballgame.  Simple as that.  The umpires had nothing to do with it.”

The Gators left the bases loaded to end the game.

The downfall started when Florida starting pitcher Hudson Randall was tended to behind by O’Sullivan and the Gator training staff. Randall would get the final out, but he would not return to the hill for the second inning due to heat related illness. The heat index was above 100 during the game. It was the hottest start time temperature at the CWS since 2001.

Jonathon Crawford, two weeks removed from an NCAA Tournament no-hitter, pitched the next three innings, but Florida trailed 5-1 by the time he exited.

Kent State starter Ryan Bores earned the win after going six strong innings. He allowed two runs on six hits while withstanding the blistering Omaha heat to improve to 10-3.

“That’s the most important thing that we wanted as a team and as a program, and as a university was to make a statement that we belong here,” head coach Scott Stricklin said after the first CWS victory in program history. “We’re not a fluke.  We’re a really good baseball team. That is the biggest win in school history.”

The Golden Flashes played the game with heavy hearts. Designated hitter Jason Bagoly’s mother passed away just before the start of the CWS. He was on deck on Saturday when Kent State’s 8-1 loss to Arkansas ended.

“The last couple nights I’ve really been wrestling with the decision,” Stricklin said of Bagoly’s heart breaking situation and whether or not to play him. “I was really disappointed in myself that I didn’t get him in (on Saturday).  I should have had him bat in the second or third inning and I was disappointed he didn’t get that at‑bat.”

“We talked about it as a staff and we went back and forth. You think about the ramifications if he has a bad game. He gets out there and plays, and things go wrong. I think that shows you what kind of kid he is, and how tough he is. It gave our team a lift. It really did.”

Bagoly will return home on Tuesday for his mother, Cheryl McHenry’s, funeral. Kent State players have been wearing a “CM” logo on the bills of their hats in her honor.
Kent State starting pitcher Ryan Bores

Florida catcher & first round MLB Draft pick Mike Zunino

Kent State head coach Scott Stricklin

Arkansas defeats South Carolina 2-1…

The king is not quite dead, but an historic NCAA Tournament run has come to an end. Two-time defending national champion South Carolina fell 2-1 to SEC rival Arkansas on Monday in Omaha to see its NCAA postseason record 22-game winning streak come to a screeching halt.

The win moves the Razorbacks to 2-0 in the 2012 CWS, while the Gamecocks drop to 1-1 and facing elimination in Omaha for the first time in two years. Thy had won 12 straight games at the College World Series.

South Carolina’s last NCAA Tournament/CWS loss came on June 20, 2010 with a 4-3 setback to Oklahoma. They rattled off a total of six straight wins, including four elimination game victories, to claim the program’s first national championship.The Gamecocks won six Regional and four Super Regional victories over the next two seasons as well as five straight wins at the 2011 CWS en-route to their second straight national crown.

Arizona is the other 2-0 team at the 2012 CWS, marking the first time since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams and the introduction of Super Regional play that two non-national seeds have gone 2-0 in Omaha.

South Carolina next faces Kent State in Wednesday’s elimination game. Head coach Ray Tanner has not decided who his starting pitcher will be.

Florida State and UCLA  meet in Tuesday’s elimination game at 8 pm ET in the other bracket’s elimination game.

South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner

Arkansas pitcher Ryne Stanek

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Game Three: Arkansas 8-10-1… def. Kent State 1-4-0

D.J. Baxendale

OMAHA, Neb. – Cinderella has not fared well in Omaha. First, Stony Brook dropped the 2012 College World Series opener 9-1 to UCLA on Friday and then the clock ticked closer to midnight in Cinderella’s latest twirl on the TD Ameritrade grass in Saturday’s 8-1 Kent State loss to Arkansas.

After each making stunning runs to make their first CWS journeys Kent State and Stony Brook have been outscored 17-2. Worse yet, they now each find themselves on the brink of elimination.

“We either play the number one team in the country (Florida) or the two-time defending national champion (South Carolina),” Kent State head coach Scott Stricklin said afterward of the task that now awaits his team in Monday’s elimination game.

It didn’t take long for the Golden Flashes’ glass slipper to begin to crack on Saturday. Starting pitcher David Starns, who has averaged 2.5 walks in his 18 mound appearances this season,  issued three free passes in the first inning. He was bailed-out of a possible big inning for the Razorbacks when his infield turned a 6-4-3 double play to end the frame.

Starns battled his control throughout the afternoon though. He walked six and struckout four in his 18^th start of the season. He threw 102 total pitches, but just 51 for strikes. His last pitch was a double that rolled to the left field corner, scoring Derrick Bleeker and Bo Bigham.

With his seven walks in his Super Regional start last week vs. Oregon the lefty has walked 13 in his last two NCAA Tournament starts.

Arkansas pitcher D.J. Baxendale was the complete opposite of his Saturday counterpart. The Razorback right hander commanded a fastball that had the Flashes looking overmatched for a good deal of the day. Baxendale (8-5) retired the first six batters he faced and did not allow a hit until Sawyer Polen’s two out single in the fifth inning.

Baxendale finished with finished with five strikeouts and just one walk while allowing three hits in his 6.1 innings.

Kent State Lineup

CF Evan Campbell
SS Jimmy Rider
C  David Lyon
1B George Roberts
RF T.J. Sutton
DH Nick Hamilton
3B Sawyer Polen
LF Alex Miklos
2B Derek Toadvine

SP – David Starn – 5.2 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 6 BB, 4 K, 102 pitches, 51 strikes

Arkansas Lineup

SS Tim Carver
DH Joe Serrano
3B Matt Reynolds
1B Dominic Ficociello
RF Brian Anderson
2B Bo Bigham
LF Derrick Bleeker
CF Matt Vinson
C  Jake Wise

SP – D.J. Baxendale – 6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, BB, 5 K

Jimmy Rider

Notes

• The Kent State baseball team wore a purple sticker with the initials CM on it in memory of junior catcher Jason Bagoly’s mother Cheryl McHenry who unexpectedly passed away late Thursday evening.

• After the game Stricklin lauded the approach that Arkansas batters took with them to the plate. He noted that Starns faced 26 batters in his 5.2 innings, but only two of them swung at a first pitch. “If they have that kind of approach at the plate they’re going to be tough outs,” Stricklin said of Arkansas’ chances moving forward in the CWS. “No question about it. With their pitching, if they have that offensive approach and play clean defense with that pitching, they have a chance to win it all.”

• The SEC is 25-10 in Omaha the last three years … Six of the 10 losses have come to SEC teams.

• Arkansas catcher Jake Wise hit his second home run of the season in the second inning. It was the third home run in as many games in the 2012 CWS. Creighton played 24 home games at TD Ameritrade Park during the season and just one total home run was hit in those games.

• Kent State’s Jimmy Rider aka “Opie Taylor” homered in the top of the sixth for the Golden Flashes. Kent State head coach Scott Stricklin recently referred to the diminutive Rider as an Opie Taylor look alike who more resembles a bat boy than a D1 baseball player. Rider is the MAC’s all-time hit leader.

• Kent State alum and current Cleveland Brown wide receiver Josh Cribbs was in the house to see the Golden Flashes in their CWS debut. Cribbs was a quarterback at Kent State in his college days. He grabbed some camera time with ESPN’s Jenn Brown late in the game.

Attendance: 23,980

Kent State’s Jimmy Rider discusses his CWS home run and his College World Series experience.

Game Four: South Carolina 7-12-0… def. Florida 3-8-3

South Carolina extended its NCAA Tournament record winning streak to 22 games with a 7-3 win over No. 1 Florida in the much anticipated rematch of last year’s CWS Finals participants.

The Gators held an early 2-0 lead after four innings, but the Gamecocks plated five runs in the top of the fifth inning and never looked back. South Carolina led 5-3 going into the ninth inning, but added two more runs in the top of the final frame thanks to a pair of Florida errors.

“I thought South Carolina beat us in every phase of the game today,” Gator head coach Kevin O’ Sullivan said after seeing his team commit three errors in the loss. ” They outpitched us. They obviously outhit us, and they played better defense. It was just a really well played game by South Carolina.”

South Carolina starter Michael Roth improved to 7-0 all-time in NCAA Tourney games. The senior lefty worked 6.1 innings and allowed 3 earned runs on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

“Anytime you play a team like the Gators and every pitch is a big deal,” South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner said after the game. “It was pretty much like that tonight.  Even at the end of the game we scored a few extras, but they were coming right back and they almost got the tying run until they played at the end.”

South Carolina closer Matt Price earned the save for his 12th. He also tied the SEC record with 42 career saves.

The Gamecocks next face Arkansas in Monday’s winner’s bracket game at 8 pm CT. The Gators play Kent State in the 4 pm elimination game.

South Carolina Starting Lineup

SS Joey Pankake
CF Evan Marzilli
1B Christian Walker
RF Adam Matthews
DH Erik Payne
3B L.B. Dantzler
LF Tanner English
2B Chase Vergason
C  Dante Rosenberg

SP – Michael Roth 6.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K

Florida Starting Lineup

SS Nolan Fontana
RF Preston Tucker
C   Mike Zunino
DH Brian Johnson
CF Daniel Pigott
2B Casey Turgeon
LF Justin Shafer
1B Vickash Ramjit
3B Josh Tobias

SP – Brian Johnson 4.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K

South Carolina has now won 12 straight College World Series games.

The last time the two teams in the championship the preceding year met in the opening round of the Men’s College World Series (MCWS) was 1960 when defending champion Oklahoma State met Arizona.

South Carolina’s Evan Marzilli after Saturday’s win over Florida…

South Carolina’s Erik Payne after Saturday’s win over Florida…

A Look At One of Two 2012 CWS Cinderellas …

Kent State Info. – KS Tournament Central  |  S-Reg. Notes (w/ PDF) |  Season Stats  |  Roster  |  Record Book  |  Head Coach Scott Stricklin

CWS/NCAA Interactive Bracket … CWS Printable Bracket … NCAA 64-Team Printable Bracket

Kent State first baseman George Roberts is the 2012 MAC Player of the Year.

There’s a good chance Kent State shortstop Jimmy Rider doesn’t even know who Opie Taylor is, but that’s ok. Rider was recently compared to the iconic TV character from the 1960’s sitcom The Andy Griffith Show by his head coach Scott Stricklin.

It was Rider’s bloop single to left field Monday night in Eugene that gave Kent State a 3-2 win over Oregon and sent the team to the program’s first College World Series, but it the spirit of Opie Taylor that will make fans fall in love with Rider and his Golden Flashes teammates in Omaha.

“He’s 5’9 and 165 pounds and he’s the all-time hit leader in our conference,” Stricklin beamed of Rider while his team was busy winning the Gary Regional two weeks ago. “He’s the best shortstop I’ve seen all year. I wouldn’t trade him for anybody in the country. He’s that good. He’ll be a Gold Glove winner in college baseball this year. When you look at him he looks like the bat boy.”

Rider exemplifies what is great about college baseball. It’s not the size of the kid in the uniform, but the size of the organ pumping in the middle of his chest that counts when the game is on the line.

A Bunch of Ballplayers

ESPN baseball analyst John Kruk was once told by a fan that he couldn’t possibly be a professional baseball player, because he didn’t look athletic enough. Kruk responded “We’re not athletes, we’re ballplayers.”

Stricklin’s Kent State squad looks very much the part of “athletes”,  but they still don’t fill out their uniforms in the same way as the teams they’ve beaten on the Road to Omaha. To get to the College World Series Rider and his undersized teammates have two wins each over SEC power Kentucky and Oregon from the Pac-12.

“We’ve got good baseball players,” Stricklin responded when I asked him how his Opie-esque group could compete with the Kentuckys of the world while we were in Gary, Ind for the Purdue Regional. “We’ve got a roster full of 34 baseball players. They’re guys that play hard and believe in what we’re going and they’re experienced.”

Experience Matters

While this trip to Omaha is Kent State’s deepest venture into the NCAA Tournament, it is far from its first dance. When the Golden Flashes were sent to the Gary Regional to begin this year’s trek it marked the fourth straight NCAA appearances for the team’s seniors.

Those five seniors – Joe Koch, David Starn, David Lyon, Ryan Mace, and Rider – previously stepped foot on the soil of regionals at Arizona State, UCLA and Texas prior to playing in Gary this year. With games against Kentucky, Purdue and Oregon the Flashes have by far been more experienced than any team they’ve played during their current tournament run.

Oregon’s group of 12 juniors and seniors who played four tournament games at Connecticut in 2010 represented the only players Kent State has gone against in the last two weeks with NCAA Tournament games on their college resumes.

“They’ve got experience (too) and I think that’s a dangerous thing right now,” Stricklin said of his team in Gary. “Our guys are confident with experience and they’re good baseball players.”

The experience and ballplayer ability has helped the Golden Flashes to a 5-1 record in NCAA play over the last two weeks. Five of those games, including four KSU wins, have been decided by a single run.

The experience advantage ends in Omaha though. The other three teams in Kent State’s four-team CWS bracket are SEC big boys South Carolina, Florida and Arkansas.

The Gamecocks have won two straight national championships and bring a record 21-game NCAA Tournament winning streak to TDA, Florida is making its third straight CWS trip after falling to the Gamecocks in last year’s championship series and Arkansas boasts a roster that has just as much NCAA Tourney experience as the Golden Flashes.

Stricklin’s club did well performing in front of crowds in the 4,000-5,000 range in Gary and Eugene, but in addition to the stakes, the crowds and the setting will be considerably larger now in Omaha.

Noteworthy

Kent State is the first MAC team to reach the College World Series since Eastern Michigan in 1976.

Along with Stony Brook the Golden Flashes are also the northern most program to advance to Omaha since Notre Dame in 2002.

Kent State played the second-longest game in NCAA Tournament history when it beat Kentucky 7-6 in 21-innings in the Gary Regional opener on June 1.

The Golden Flashes had their program record 21-game winning streak snapped with their game two Super Regional loss to Oregon. They clinched their CWS berth the next day.

The team’s 46 wins this season are a program record.

Head coach Scott Stricklin has won 313 games in his eight seasons at Kent State for an average of just over 39 wins a year.

Kent State’s most prominent baseball alum is Hall of Fame catcher Thurman Munson.

They’re HERE!!  The Dugout in Omaha has official College World Series gear for each of the eight teams, including Kent State. If you want to be the first kid (no matter what age) on your block to have this year’s official CWS shirts, hats and more (both for individual teams or generic) click the red link and get to The Dugout’s web site!

If you’re going to Omaha for the CWS you can also visit The Dugout. It’s right across the street from the home plate entrance to TD Ameritrade Park.

Projected Lineup

1. (LH) Evan Campbell CF – 6-0/170 … Jr. … Beloit, OH … #14 … 2nd-Team All-MAC
… .327, 40 RBI, 61 Runs, 7 HR, 4 Triples*, 20 Doubles, .506 slug.%, 19 BB, 13 HBP, 36 K, 5-9 SB

2. (RH) Jimmy Rider SS – 5-10/170 … Sr. … Venetia, PA … #1 … 1st-Team All-MAC
… .364, 56 RBI, 66 Runs, 5 HR, 3B, 29 Doubles, .527 slug %, .432 OB%, 33 BB, 3 HBP, 39 K, 3-3 SB
… MAC record holder with 350 career hits (103 in ’12)
… 26th-round MLB draft pick (Pittsburgh)

3. (switch) David Lyon C – 5-11/205 … Sr. … Emporium, PA … #36 … 2nd-Team All-MAC
… .279, 41 RBI, 51 Runs, 10 HR*, 3 Triples, 17 Doubles, .506 slug %, .404 OB%, 50 BB, HBP, 37 K, 3-3 SB
… 34th-round MLB draft pick (Texas)

4. (RH) George Roberts 1B – 6-0/195 … Jr. … Summerhill, PA … #6 … 2012 MAC Player of the Year
… .368*, 64 RBI*, 44 Runs, 8 HR, 3B, 23 Doubles, .561 Slg.%*, 16 BB, 2 HBP, 49 K, 2-3 SB
… 2012 Second Team All-American (Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball magazine)

5. (LH) T.J. Sutton RF – 5-10/180 … So. … Uniontown, OH … #5
… .305, 3o RBI, 32 Runs, 3 HR, 12 Doubles, 18 BB, 5 HBP, 22 K

6. (switch) Nick Hamilton DH – 6-1/190 … Sr./Jr. … Avon Lake, OH … #7
… .347, 35 RBI, HR, 2 Triples, 12 Doubles, 15 BB, 2 HBP, 38 K, 1-2 SB
… 35th-round MLB draft pick (Cleveland)

7. (RH) Sawyer Polen 3B – 6-0/170 … Fr. … Wooster, OH … #24
… .271, 30 RBI, 4 HR, 4 Triples*, 39 Runs, 25 BB, 9 HBP, 55 K, 3-5 SB

8. (RH) Alex Miklos LF – 5-10/185 … Fr. … Grove City, PA … #12
… .260, 21 RBIm 22 Runs, 2 HR, 4 Triples*, 18 BB, 3 HBP, 45 K, 5-7 SB

9. (RH) Derek Toadvine 2B – 5-11/165 … So. … Springfield, OH … #2
… .255, 15 RBI, 35 Runs, 20 BB, HBP, 39 K, 8-11 SB*

* Team-leading totals

Starting Pitching

LHP David Starn – 6-3/190 … Sr. –… Hudson, OH … #37 … 2012 MAC Pitcher of the Year
… (11-3) 2.21 ERA, 114 IP*, 123 K*, 45 BB, .213 opp. BA
… 2012 Second Team All-American (Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball magazine)
… 7th-round MLB draft pick (Atlanta)

RHP Ryan Bores – 6-3/195 …  Jr. … Strongsville, OH … #19 … 2nd-Team All-MAC
… (9-3) 3.35 ERA, 104.2 IP, 67 K, 16 BB, .268 opp. BA
… 27th-round MLB draft pick (Texas)

RHP Tyler Skulina – 6-6/245 … So. … Strongsville, OH … #31 … 2nd-Team All-MAC
… (11-2) 3.63 ERA, 101 .2 IP, 97 K, 41 BB, .235 opp. BA

* Team-leading totals

Bullpen

LHP Brian Clark – 6-3/210 … Fr. … Monroe Falls, OH … #30 … 2nd-Team All-MAC
… (5-0) 1.59 ERA, 20 App., 4 SV, 28.1 IP, 27 K, 9 BB, .160 opp. BA
… Freshman All-American (Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball magazine)

RHP Josh Pierce – 6-1/215  … So./Fr. … Avon, OH … #8
…  (1-0) 2.93 ERA, 19 App., 2 SV, 27.2 IP, 25 K, 17 BB, .242 opp. BA

* Team-leading totals

“A lot of people thought we didn’t have a very good club this year and that we would be an average team in the process of rebuilding.”  – Kent State head coach Scott Stricklin on the success his team has had in 2012.

EUGENE Super Regional
• Gm-1 (Sat.): Kent State 7-9-1 … won at national 5-seed Oregon 6-7-3
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  AP Recap  |  KS Recap  |  ORE Recap  |  Photos (KS Practice Day)
Video Highlights  |  Postgame Video (KS)  |  Postgame Video (ORE)
• Gm-2 (Sun.): at (5) Oregon 3-7-0 … def. Kent State 2-6-2 … series tied
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  AP Recap  |  ORE Recap  |  KS Recap  |  Photos (KS)
Video Highlights  |  Postgame Video (ORE)  |  Postgame Video (KS)
• Gm-3 (Mon.): Kent State (H) 3-8-0 … won at (5) Oregon 2-4-0
… Final Stats: HTML & PDF  |  AP Recap  |  KS Recap  |  ORE Recap
Photos (KS)  |  Video Highlights  |  Postgame Video (KS)  |  Postgame Video (ORE)

2012 CWS Bracket Two

Notes, Video & More…

The Road To Omaha leads to TD Ameritrade Park and The Dugout – located right across the street from TDA’s home plate entrance. The Dugouthas a ton of authentic college baseball caps – just like the ones the players wear on the field.

If you’re going to Omaha for the College World Series make sure to make your first stop The Dugout for all officially licensed CWS apparel. If you can’t make it to Omaha just follow our red links to The Dugout!

Big League players shake teammate's hands after a game, but in college they still shake the other team's hands.

#2 Kentucky – 8 … # 4 Valparaiso – 1

(Video Interviews Below)

The best news for head coach Gary Henderson was after using five pitchers Friday night Kentucky used just two arms in Satuday’s win. Starter Jerad Grundy allowed just a run in 6.0 innings, while Chandler Shepherd worked the final 3.0 innings to earn his first save of the season.

“I don’t know the right word, but it was huge,” Henderson said of only needing two pitchers to get through the game. “We were set to throw anybody and everybody to win the game. We made that decision early this morning. This gives us a chance now to win a couple ball games tomorrow.”

The Wildcats now play Purdue in Sunday’s 4 p.m. ET elimination game and if they win that game they move into the championship round for a rematch with the Golden Flashes.

Kentucky’s Mike Williams caught all 21 innings of Friday’s 7-6 loss to Kent State. The senior was behind the plate for all nine innings of Saturday’s game. “He’s Superman,” is how Henderson referred to Williams after Saturday’s game.

In addition to going 21 innings, Friday’s game also lasted six hours and 38 minutes. In stark contrast, Saturday’s Kentucky-Valpo game was over in a tidy two hours and 24 minutes.

The final score is not as close as it actually was for almost two third of the game. The score was tied 1-1 until Kentucky erupted for five runs in the top of the 6^th. They added two more runs in the 8^th and 9^th.

The Wildcats have scored runs in nine of the 30 innings they have played in the regional. Their pitchers have posted goose eggs in 24 of the 30 innings they have pitched.

Kentucky players & head coach Gary Henderson discuss Saturday’s 8-1 elimination game win over Valparaiso at the Gary Regional.

Valparaiso head coach Tracy Woodson discusses his team’s loss to Kentucky in the Gary, IN Regional as well as the bright future of his program.

Purdue basketball great Robbie Hummel (talking to a fan) was at Saturday's baseball game.

#3 Kent State – 7…#1 Purdue – 3

(Video Interviews Below)

Like Kentucky, Kent State went through five pitchers in Friday’s 21-inning game. But while the Wildcats used two pitchers to eliminate Valparaiso, the Golden Flashes needed just Ryan Bores to get the job done against Purdue.

Bores tossed Kent State’s first complete game of the season to improve to 9-2 in the victory.

Meanwhile, Purdue starter Lance Breedlove lasted just 1 2/3 innings, while surrendering six earned runs in the loss.

“He wasn’t getting ahead of hitters like he usually can,” Purdue head coach Doug Schreiber said of Breedlove’s short outing. “He was down, so they weren’t even some challenge pitches I thought. They were getting barrel on the ball…it was just one of those days for Lance.”

Breedlove was knocked-out of the game in a five-run Kent State outburst in the bottom of the second inning that began with two outs.

The uncharacteristic short outing means Schreiber may bring Breedlove back this weekend.

“Possibly tomorrow,” Schreiber said when asked if he would send Breedlove to the mound again before the regional concludes. “If we get this thing going and rolling we haven’t seen the last of him this weekend.”

Joe Haase, who pitched 7.0 innings in Friday’s late night/early morning win over Valpo is the only pitcher Schreiber ruled out for Sunday.

Kent State players relax before Saturday's game.

Kent State’s game lasted just two hours and 20 minutes, meaning the combined total of Saturday’s two games was 4:44 and 18 innings, compared to the 6:38 and 21 innings it took to play the first game of the regional.

Kent State has won 19 straight games after the win over Purdue.

The Golden Flashes are one of three No. 3 seeds in the NCAA Tournament to start 2-0. St. John’s, which upset North Carolina Saturday in Chapel Hill, and Ole Miss, with a Saturday win over Texas A&M, are the others.

This is the fourth straight regional appearance for Kent State. The Golden Flashes also started 2-0 at the Austin Regional last year before dropping their last two games to host Texas.

“We’ve got good baseball players,” head coach Scott Stricklin said of his feisty squad. “Guys play hard and believe in what we’re doing. They’re experienced.”

While they might be experienced, they are far from intimidating looking in their uniforms.

“Jimmy Rider (a 5’10, 170 pound senior) looks like Opie Taylor,” Stricklin joked when asked about the unimposing look of his players compared to the more robust looking Purdue and Kentucky teams they’ve beaten so far. “He’s the all-time hit leader in our conference. He’s the best shortstop I’ve seen all year and I know there are good shortstops here, but I wouldn’t trade him for anybody in the country.”

Rider was 3-for-5 with 3 RBIs while hitting his team-leading 27^th double of the season in the victory.  George Roberts, a 6’0 195 pound first baseman, collected five RBIs to give him five in two games and a team-best 62 in 2012.

With a win over either Purdue or Kentucky Sunday night Kent State would become the first MAC team to advance to a Super Regional.

Purdue’s Angelo Cianfrocco is the son of former Major Leaguer Archie Cianfrocco. The younger Cianfrocco is a junior first baseman/outfielder/LHP for the Boilermakers. The elder Cianfrocco also played at Purdue before going on to a career with the Montreal Expos and San Diego Padres. Angelo was 2-for-4 with a double Saturday.

Eric Charles was suspended from Purdue’s first NCAA Tournament game since 1987 Friday night for his part in a fight at last weekend’s B1G Tournament. The red shirt second baseman was back in the lineup Saturday though. He was 1-for-4 at the plate in the loss.

Former Purdue basketball player Robbie Hummel was in attendance watching Saturday’s game at the Steel Yard in Gary. Hummel is a Valparaiso, Ind native. He finished his career as the 9^th leading scorer in Boilermaker history with 1,772 career points.

Sunday’s Schedule

Elimination Game: No. 1 Purdue vs. No. 2 Kentucky 4 pm ET

Championship Round: No. 3 Kent State vs. Elmination Game winner – a Kent State win would send the Golden Flashes to a Super Regional to face the Eugene Regional winner. A loss would force a Monday winner take all game with the same team.

Kent state head coach Scott Stricklin discusses his win over Purdue as well as the state of his program on Saturday at the Gary, IN Regional.

Purdue head coach Doug Schreiber discusses his team’s loss to Kent State on Saturday at the Gary, IN NCAA Regional.

Reaction To 21 Inning Marathon In Gary…

Kent State head coach Scott Stricklin discusses his team’s 7-6 win in 21 innings over Kentucky on Friday in the first game of the Gary Regional.

The Road To Omaha leads to TD Ameritrade Park and The Dugout – located right across the street from TDA’s home plate entrance. The Dugout has a ton of authentic college baseball caps – just like the ones the players wear on the field.

If you’re going to Omaha for the College World Series make sure to make your first stop The Dugout for all officially licensed CWS apparel. If you can’t make it to Omaha just follow our red links to The Dugout!

Kentucky head coach Gary Henderson and players Mike Williams and A.J. Reed discuss the 21 inning game.

Marathon Sees Plenty Of Unique Marks…

Kentucky's Mike Williams (seated center) and head coach Gary Henderson (right) before the 21-inning game.

Friday’s Kentucky-Kent State 21-inning game at the Gary Regional marked the first extra inning game of this year’s NCAA Tournament, but the fact that it was the first extra inning game didn’t even begin  to scratch the surface of its significance.

The game, won 7-6 by the No. 3 seed Kent State, is the second longest in NCAA Tournament history. The only game to go longer was the 2009 25-inning game at the Austin Regional that saw Texas defeat Boston College 3-2. Texas would go on to a national runner-up finish at that year’s College World Series.

The game began at 3:01 pm Central Time and ended at 9:38 pm for a total time of six hours and 37 minutes.

An NCAA official said afterward that about 12 dozen baseballs were used during the game. He said the NCAA only shipped 30 dozen balls to use for the entire weekend.

Each team sent five pitchers to the mound in Friday’s game. Kentucky’s A.J. Reed, a freshman from Terre Haute, Ind making his return to his home state, had the longest outing of any of the 10 hurlers with his team’s last 9.0 innings on the mound. Kent State starter David Starn had his team’s longest stint on the mound with 6.0 IP.

A total of 678 pitches were thrown in the game. Reed and Starn led the way with 108 pitches each.

The two teams combined to strikeout 47 times. The Golden Flashes fanned 26 times but still won the game. Fittingly, the game ended when Thomas McCarthy struckout while trying to check his swing.

Six different pitchers, Starn and KSU teammate Brian Clark, and Reed, Taylor Rogers, Alex Phillips, and Trevor Gott for Kentucky, fanned at least six batters in their time on the hill. Reed had a game-high eight Ks.

Three different batters finished with “Golden Sombreros” – with 4 Ks each. They were DH Nick Hamilton and 2B Derek Toadvine for Kent State and Reed for Kentucky. That gives Reed the distinction of having the game-high with eight strikeouts as a pitcher and tying for the game-high with four Ks at the plate.

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The Road To Omaha leads to TD Ameritrade Park and The Dugout – located right across the street from TDA’s home plate entrance. The Dugout has a ton of authentic college baseball caps – just like the ones the players wear on the field.

If you’re going to Omaha for the College World Series make sure to make your first stop The Dugout for all officially licensed CWS apparel. If you can’t make it to Omaha just follow our red links to The Dugout!

Kent State starters George Roberts and Toadvine each had 10 at-bats in the game. Roberts started the game by going 5-for-5 in the first nine innings, but was 0-for-5 the rest of the way. Toadvine was 2-for-10.

Kentucky catcher Mike Williams had 28 put outs. Kent State first baseman Roberts had 23.

The Wildcats are now 1-17 this season when trailing after the eighth inning.

Kentucky’s Steven Hoagland entered the game 1-for-3 at the plate for the season. He entered the game as a pinch-hitter and went 0-for-5.

Wildcat closer Trevor Gott pitched a season-high 4.0 innings. His previous long was a 2 1/3 inning stretch against Indiana on May 8. Gott was also 0-for-1 at the plate. He hit in Luke Maile’s spot in the order when the slugger was lifted for a pinch runner in the 9^th inning after injuring his leg.

Kent State brought centerfielder Evan Campbell in as a fifth infielder when Kentucky had the winning run at 3^rd base and one out in the bottom of the 10^th. Hoagland dropped down a squeeze bunt when he pinch-hit for Matt Reida and the runner at third was out when the bunt went right back to the mound.

Purdue and Valparaiso fans, who had packed the stadium waiting for the second game of the night, booed loudly at the end of the 19^th inning after Kentucky squandered a scoring opportunity.

The initial announced attendance for the game was less than 800, but it ended-up being 5,016 with those extra northwestern Indiana fans in attendance while the game continued into the night.

There were plenty of squandered scoring opportunities for both teams. Kent State left 20 runners on base, while Kentucky stranded 23.

Williams nearly ended the game, but instead only tied it, with an RBI double in the 18^th inning. Williams crushed a ball that would have been out of most parks in the country to plate one run, but Reed, who was on at first base and does not run well, was thrown out at the plate on a 9-6-2 relay. Kent State had scored a run in the top of the inning, so the game continued tied 6-6. The last run to score prior to that was by Kentucky in the bottom of the 9^th to send the game to extra frames.

The Kent State victory extends the nation’s longest D1 winning streak to 18 games. The Golden Flashes haven’t lost since April 25 at Penn State.

It was a very well played game with just two errors, one for each team, all night.

“It’s been a weird game.” – Kentucky radio PBP man Neil Price. He said it on the air in the top of the 13^th. The longest game of the year for Kentucky.

Ball State & Bowling Green Picked As Division Favorites

Cleveland, Ohio – Defending MAC Regular Season Champion Bowling Green and defending West Division Champion Ball State have been chosen by the league’s head coaches to win their respective divisions, released today by the league office. The Cardinals were also selected by six of the leagues head coaches to take home the 2010 MAC Tournament title.

The Falcons were followed by 2009 MAC Tournament Champion Kent State in the East, while Ohio was picked to finish third. Miami was selected to finish in fourth place, while Akron was tabbed to place fifth. Buffalo rounded out this year’s East Division predictions.

2009 MAC Tournament runner-up Toledo was picked to finish second in the West Division and was followed by Central Michigan in third place. Eastern Michigan, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan rounded out the remaining sports in the West.

Ball State returns 16 letterwinners, including six position starters and eight pitchers from its 2009 squad that went 26-26 (14-10 MAC). Among those returning are 2009 All-MAC first-team selections Zach Dygert and Kolbrin Vitek. Ian Nielsen will also return for the Cardinals after being named to the Freshman All-America team last season. Earlier this month Vitek was named to the 2010 Ping!Baseball Preseason All-America Third Team. Vitek finished second on the team and sixth in the MAC with a .389 batting average. He also led the MAC in doubles (25), was second in RBI (67), third in slugging percentage (.736), third in total bases (153) and was fourth on the mound in opponent batting average (.268).

The Falcons and 2009 MAC Coach of the Year Danny Schmitz welcome back 20 letterwinners, including 12 position starters and eight pitchers from last year’s MAC Regular Season Champion squad that finished with a 28-22 overall record (18-8 MAC). Among those returning are 2009 MAC Pitcher of the Year and All-MAC first-team selection Brennan Smith. Joining Smith are first-team selections Logan Meisler, Matt Malewitz and second-team honorees Tyler Elkins and Derek Spencer.

The MAC baseball season begins on February 19th, while conference play starts up March 26. The season will culminate with the MAC Baseball Tournament, which takes place May 26-29 at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, Ohio.

2010 MAC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll

East Division
1. Bowling Green – 64 points
2. Kent State – 61 points
3. Ohio – 49 points
4. Miami – 39 points
5. Akron – 25 points
6. Buffalo – 14 points

West Division
1. Ball State – 72 points
2. Toledo – 52 points
3. Central Michigan – 44 points
4. Eastern Michigan – 35 points
5. Northern Illinois – 29 points
6. Western Michigan – 21 points

Tournament Champion:
Ball State (5), Kent State (3), Bowling Green (2), Eastern Michigan (1), Miami (1)

Top MAC Teams From 2009 Reside In The East

2009 Division Winners: Bowling Green won the East Division & Ball State won the West.

2009 Champion: Kent State defeated Toledo 5-3 to win their 7th MAC championship in school history.

East Side Rules: The top 4 teams in the East all had conference and overall records above .500, while only Ball State accomplished that in the West.

2010 MAC East Division Preview

CLICK HERE to see our MAC West Division with our picks for top player and pitcher in the division as well as division winner for 2010.

Akron

2009 Season: (19-33, 12-15)

Mascot: Zips

Head Coach: Pat Bangtson

Location: Akron, OH

Vitals: .302 BA, 57 HR, .384 OBP, .957 Fld. %…6.55 ERA, 10 SVs, 355 K, 188 BB, .311 Opp. BA

Big Returns: Akron welcomes back 4 of their top 5 hitter from a year ago.  Sr. OF Jake Plata (.357 BA, 3 HR, .453 OBP), Sr. OF/1B Brian Kordal (.346 BA, 4 triples, 44 RBI), Sr. IF Kevin Haas (.324 BA, 9 HR, 21 RBI), and Jr. C/OF Brandon White (.309, 6 HR, 32 RBI) all return in 2010.

Mound Struggles: The Zips had a team ERA of 6.55 and opponents hit over .300, but two top arms return.  Jr. RHP Ben Danzinger (3-4, 5.81 ERA, career-high 58 K) and closer Chris Bassitt (1-2, 3.52 ERA, 7 SVs, .184 Opp. BA) will look to lead an improved pitching staff.

Goin’ South: Akron begins its season with a three game series against Minnesota in Fort Myers, FL  at the Twins’ spring training facility.

Bowling Green

2009 Season: (28-22, 18-8)

Mascot: Falcons

Head Coach: Danny Schmitz

Location: Bowling Green, OH

Vitals: .345 BA, 63 HR, .416 OBP, .958 Fld. %…7.62 ERA, 12 SVs, 325 K, 195 BB, .316 Opp. BA

Very Offensive: Bowling Green boasted one of the top offenses a year ago hitting .345 as a team with 11 players over

Brennan Smith

the .300 mark individually.  This year’s team returns several top hitters, including 2nd team All-MAC selection Sr. C/IF Tyler Elkins (.406, 16 doubles, 31 RBI), slugger Sr. OF Derek Spencer (.385, 15 HR, 59 RBI), and 1st team All-MAC selection Sr. IF Logan Meisler (.361, 4 HR, 45 RBI).

Pitching Strength: The Falcons bring back several top pitchers including the 2009 MAC Pitcher of the Year Jr. RHP Brennan Smith (8-4, 4.41 ERA, 80K).  Soph. closer Charles Wooten (5 SVs, 39 K) returns, while  Frank Berry (7-1, 4.76 ERA in 2008) and Kevin Leady (3-4, 5.03 ERA in 2008) are back as well after missing 2009 with injuries.

Three-peat: Bowling Green is looking to win its 3rd consecutive MAC Regular Season Championship,  having won back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009.  They, however, haven’t won the MAC tournament title and appeared in the NCAA Tournament since 1999.

Buffalo

2009 Season: (20-35, 6-20)

Mascot: Bulls

Head Coach: Ron Torgalski

Location: Buffalo, NY

Vitals: .306 BA, 35 HR, .398 OBP, .954 Fld. %…8.49 ERA, 6 SVs, 358 K, 294 BB, .325 Opp. BA

On the Rise: The 20 wins a year ago were the most for Buffalo since they won 20 games in 1983.  The 50 wins over the past three seasons under Ron Torgalski are also the most wins for a Buffalo coach in his first three years in school history.

Key Losses: Buffalo will have to deal with the loss of P/DH Chris Ciesla (.372, 4 HR, 44 RBI), who set UB single-season records for hits and total bases in 2009, and OF Eric Flynn (.283, 4 HR, 13 SB).

Late Start: The Bulls start their season a week later than most teams when they begin a three game series February 26th at Charlotte.

Kent State

2009 Season: (43-17, 17-9)

Mascot: Golden Flashes

Head Coach: Scott Stricklin

Location: Kent, OH

Vitals: .324 BA, 80 HR, .410 OBP, .971 Fld. %…5.69 ERA, 20 SVs, 489 K, 239 BB, .287 Opp. BA

Challenges: Kent State plays Western Kentucky, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Indiana, and Kansas State in their non-conference slate.  All but Wake Forest made it to an NCAA Regional last year.

Season of Success: Kent State’s 43 regular season wins were 13 more than any other MAC program last year, yet they finished one game behind Bowling Green for the MAC East championship.  They went on to win the MAC Tournament and made their 8th NCAA Tournament appearance.

Key Losses: The Golden Flashes will have to replace sluggers Greg Rohan and Jason Patton who combined for 149 hits, 30 HRs, and 117 RBI.

Miami's Adam Eaton

Miami (OH)

2009 Season: (30-25, 15-12)

Mascot: Red Hawks

Head Coach: Dan Simonds

Location: Oxford, OH

Vitals: .310 BA, 67 HR, .397 OBP, .965 Fld. %…5.91 ERA, 10 SVs, 348 K, 205 BB, .303 Opp. BA

Offensive Loss: Miami loses its top 3 hitters from a season ago, including 2nd team All-MAC selection Tommy Nurre (.406, 18 doubles, 17 HR, 54 RBI).  Also gone are Jordan Petraitis (.364, 8 HR, 54 RBI, and Chris Nadeau (.356, 19 doubles, 5 HR, 50 RBI).

Key Returns: Back in 2010 is 2009 ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Mideast Region 2nd teamer OF Adam Eaton who hit .350 with 11 HR and 48 RBI.  Eaton also was 28-of-29 in stolen bases.  The RedHawks also return Jr. LHP Tyler Melling (6-3, 5.35 ERA, 1 CG) and So. RHP Jordan Jankowski (6-1, 4.95 ERA, 5 SVs).

Season Opener: Miami starts their season February 19th on the road at Clemson, before playing the next two days in Greenville, SC against Furman and Michigan State.

Ohio

2009 Season: (29-24, 18-9)

Mascot: Bobcats

Head Coach: Joe Carbone

Location: Athens, OH

Vitals: .314 BA, 102 HR, .404 OBP, .955 Fld. %…6.70 ERA, 10 SVs, 332 K, 191 BB, .328 Opp. BA

Packing Some Pop: Ohio’s offense in 2009 was one of the best in school history hitting .314 as a team with a .514 slugging percentage and crushing 102 HRs.

Gauntlett Eldemire

One of the Best: OF Marc Krauss had one of the most successful season in Bobcat history.  Krauss was named a First-Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, Baseball America and the American Baseball Coaches Association, and was a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award (nation’s top amateur player).  In addition, Krauss became the first player in Ohio history to win MAC Player of the Year.  He was selected 64th overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2009 draft.

Stars of the Future: Even with the loss of Krauss, Ohio should still have a powerful lineup in 2010 with the return of Jr. Robert Maddox III (.320, 13 HR, 55 RBI) and Jr. (.313, 21 HR, 56 RBI, 11 SB).

2010 MAC East Predictions

MAC East Champion: Bowling Green with Kent State on their heels

Top East Player: Tyler Elkins—Bowling Green

Top East Pitcher: Brennan Smith—Bowling Green

Coming Soon:  2010 MAC West Divsion Preview with overall predictions for MAC Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year and 2010 conference champion.

KENT, Ohio - The Kent State University Athletics Department and extended baseball family mourns the loss of Richard Schoonover, who passed away Monday (Dec. 7). Schoonover, 81, served as an assistant coach at Kent State on 1986 and 1989 and pitching coach from 1990-1996.

Richard Schoonover

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife JoAnn and his entire family.”

Schoonover first served the Golden Flashes as an assistant coach under former head coach Bob Todd. He followed Todd to Ohio State for the 1988 season, but returned to Kent State for the 1989 season and was the Golden Flashes pitching coach for the next seven seasons on the staffs of both Danny Hall from 1989-1993 and Rick Rembielak from 1994-96.

During his time with the Golden Flashes, the Kent State pitching staffs recorded the best seasons in program history. In 1992, KSU finished second in the NCAA in overall team ERA (2.61) and ranked first in the country in team ERA (2.37) during the 1993 campaign. Under his tutelage at KSU, three pitchers were named All-Americans by the American Baseball Coaches Association (Dustin Hermanson and Mike Nartker in 1993, Ted Rose in 1996). Schoonover mentored 12 All-Mid-American Conference pitchers, eight Mid-East Regional Team selections, six MAC Pitchers of the Year, four Kent State Varsity “K” Hall of Fame pitchers and three first round draft selections, including the third pick overall in 1994 (Hermanson).

Schoonover also served as pitching coach in the prestigious Cape Cod Summer Baseball League in 1994-96, 1998 and 2003. During the summer of ’03, the Bourne Braves recorded the league’s lowest ERA.

The Akron native also is well known as pitching coach in the international circles. In the summer of 1989, Schoonover was selected to coach in the Netherlands for six months. During the fall of 1989, the U.S. Sports Information Service asked him to teach pitching to coaches and players in four major Nicaraguan cities. In the fall of 1991, Schoonover returned to Nicaragua, working with the country’s Olympic team as well as instructing in clinics for coaches and players.

Most recently, Schoonover served as pitching coach and consultant for the Dick Schoonover Academy of Pitching Instruction and Professional Consulting. He was also inducted into the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame, the Akron Baseball Hall of Fame and was a Dapper Dan honoree.

Visitation will be Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Redmon Funeral Home at 3633 Darrow Road in Stow, Ohio. Rev. Arthur Cubbon will conduct service Friday, 2 p.m. at St. Stephen Lutheran Church, 3725 Kent Road, Stow, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Stewart’s Caring Place, 2955 W. Market Street, Akron, OH 44333 or St. Stephen Lutheran Church.

Former Kent State baseball coach Danny Hall: “Dick Schoonover was the most positive person I have ever been around. Even though he has passed away, his legacy will live on forever just because of the lives he has touched. In particular for me, he has had a major influence on my coaching career. Any success I was able to enjoy at Kent State, he deserves much of the credit. He did a tremendous job not only with the pitching staff, but he made a better person out of anyone that came in to contact with him. He is definitely going to be missed but his legacy will live on forever. Between he and his brother Hal, they have done so much for the baseball program at Kent State in particular as a coach and their donation to upgrade the facilities. He has contributed a lot to Kent State baseball over the years.”

Former Kent State baseball coach Rick Rembielak: “The first thought that I had after his passing is that I never met a more positive person. It was never about him but the other person, even his passing. He always got the most out of every player by making them feel as if they were the best person in the world. He had that golden touch.”

Kent State athletic director Laing Kennedy: “Dick Schoonover to me represents the heart and soul of any great program. His relationship with me personally, when I first became athletic director, was very helpful and supportive. As I got to know him, I understood his tremendous knowledge about intercollegiate baseball and in particular pitching.”

(Release)