Notes & Thoughts From Day 1 NCAA Action (updated)

CLICK HERE for DAY-1 NCAA SCOREBOARD

• Minnesota was the only #4 seed that won on Friday (3-1 at Cal State Fullerton, see notes below), while the collective #3 seeds went 9-7 vs. the #2s. The #3 seeds that posted the “minor upsets” (some may have been considered the favorites?) included: Louisiana-Lafayette 1, Rice 0 (in Austin) … The Citadel 7, Virginia Tech 2 (in Columbia) … Washington State 8, Kansas State 6 (in Fayetteville) … Arizona 10, Baylor 9 (in Ft. Worth) … New Mexico 9, Stanford 5 (in Fullerton, which also had the 4-vs.-1 upset) … Oregon State 6, Florida Atlantic 4 (in Gainesville) … North Carolina 12, California 3 (in Norman) … Oregon 5, Connecticut 3 (in Norwich) … and Hawaii 4, San Diego 2 (in Tempe). See bullet notes below for some highlights from Friday’s nine “upsets” (along with info. from the other games).

• Regional host teams have the option to take the first or second game on Day-1 of NCAA Regional play. The hosts traditionally take the second or “Prime Time” game, and this year was no different with 12 of 16 Regional hosts opting for game two. Coastal Carolina, Virginia, Arkansas, and Oklahoma were the only Regional hosts to opt for the early game rather than the night cap (some coaches prefer to get the game out of the way, avoid risk of rain delays, get their team a few hours more rest, etc.). All four of those teams won.
  

  11 year MLB veteran turned college baseball analyst Eric Byrnes

• Disclaimer: I (Sean Stires … Pete LaFleur ditto) like Eric Byrnes. That said, Byrnes was considered by many to be more style than substance in his playing days, so it’s only fitting that ESPNU has continued its tradition of going with style over substance by using the newly-retired Byrnes in the broadcast booth during the Coral Gables Regional. Case in point:  Texas A&M was trailing FIU 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning. After Aggie leadoff man Jaoquin Hinojosa reached base safely, 2-hole batter Tyler Naquin tried (unsuccessfully) to bunt him over. This prompted Byrnes to question why A&M was playing for only onw run so early in the game…. An inning later, with #9 batter Andrew Collazo at the plate in the same situation, Byrnes said, “We’re not bunting again are we?” Uh, yes Eric they were, and after Collazo executed his 8th sac-bunt of the season a graphic popped-up on the screen that showed that A&M had just tied a school record with its 59th sac-bunt of the season. The Aggies entered the day tied for 14th nationally in that department. Apparently game preparation was not high on Byrnes’ list of things to do prior to his college baseball broadcasting debut.
• Byrnes, who played at the 1997 College World Series for UCLA, again showed his lack of knowledge of the current college game later in the broadcast when the subject of NCAA bids came up. Minnesota was mentioned as the only Big Ten representative in the tournament, while the Pac-10 was one of three conferences to get eight bids. “How does that happen, though,” Byrnes asked. “We’re talking one team from the Big Ten and eight from the Pac.” Um…do I really need to say more? Thankfully, Kyle Peterson was there to keep Byrnes pointed in the right direction.
• In fairness to Byrnes, he did provide some needed entertainment when the game turned into a blowout in the middle innings.
• When Florida International pitcher Daniel DeSimone hit Caleb Shofner with a pitch in the bottom of the 5th inning, it marked the 100th HBP by the Golden Panther pitching staff this season. The dubious mark sets an NCAA single-season record.
• Garrett Wittels extended hit hitting streak to 55 games in FIU’s loss to Texas A&M. He doubled to right-center field by swinging at a 3-0 pitch to lead off the top of the 6th inning. A smattering of boos were directed at A&M pitcher Barret Loux when the count reached 3-0 and it looked like Wittels might not have a chance to swing in his third at-bat of the day.
• The hit by Wittels marked the 16th time he extended the streak with a hit between the 4th and 6th innings this season. He’s kept the streak going 25 times in the first three innings of a game, 13 times from the 7th through 9th innings, and once (March 26 vs. Arkansas-Little Rock) in the 12th inning.
• Five different Texas A&M players hit home runs in the 17-3 win, while Aggie winning pitcher Loux (11-2) struck out 10 in 8 IP. He’s now fanned 136 in 104 innings this season.
• The Aggies have won seven straight, 13 of their past 14 and 19 of 22 games dating back to April 27.
• Southern Mississippi’s got some work to do if they’re going to make a return trip to the College World Series (and possibly extend Brett Favre’s NFL career … although something tells us he’s coming back anyway!). The Golden Eagles fell 10-1 to Clemson in their Regional opener. USM ace Scott Copeland dropped to 11-1 with his first loss of the season, after winning as a starter and deep reliever at the C-USA Tournament (to earn CB360 national Primetime Pitcher of the Week honors).
  

  Brett Eibner hit 3 HR in Arkansas' Friday win over Grambling St. (Arkansas photo)

• Brett Eibner smacked 3 HR to help Arkansas rout Grambling State 19-7.  Eibner was 4-for-5 with 7 RBIs and 5 runs. Look for the two-way talent on the mound this weekend as well. Collin Kuhn and Andy Wilkins each homered twice for the Hogs.
• The Citadel pulled-off a minor upset as the #3-seeded Bulldogs beat #2 Virginia Tech, 7-2. The win is the 13th straight for The Citadel, but the best news is they didn’t even use ace Asher Wojciechowski (3.25 ERA, 12-2. 144 Ks in 119 IP). Lefty Matt Talley (8-3) tossed 7.0 innings and won, while 3B David Greene had a 2-run HR from the 7-hole. The jr. RHP “Wojo” is slated to be opposed on Saturday by South Carolina’s ace, sr. RHP Blake Cooper (2.94, 10-1, 88 Ks in 104 IP). Justin Wright was the losing pitcher on Friday vs. Citadel (5.1IP-6R-10H-BB-5K), as VT’s #1-3 hitters combined to hit only 2-for-14 (CF/leadoff Sean Ryan has a 2-run HR in the 7th).
• Zach Osborne registered Louisiana-Lafayette’s first NCAA Tournament shutout since 2002 by blanking Rice, 1-0. Catcher/cleanup hitter Chad Keefer’s 2-out single in the 8th inning plated the game’s lone run.
• Baylor scored five runs in the bottom of the 9th inning, but they came up short in a 10-9 loss to Arizona at the Ft. Worth Regional. The Bears left runners at first and third to end the game. They committed three errors to give the Wildcats five unearned runs in the 6th inning. Steve Selsky & DH/6-hole Josh Garcia (2RBI-2R-HBP) homered for the Wildcats, while SS Alex Mejia was 3-for-4 with 4 RBI, a double & run scored from the bottom of the order.
• Baylor’s Logan Vick walked twice to set a single-season school record with 56 BBs this year. The Bears left 12 men on base (including the two in the 9th), with Gregg Glime‘s home run and 3 RBI pacing the Baylor offense. Logan Verrett had no-decision (3.1IP-3R-5H-BB-2K) and Shawn Tolleson (2-7) was let down by his defense in the hard-luck loss (3.2IP-6R/1ER-5H-BB-2K).
• Closing in on 200: … Friday’s win by Coastal Carolina (6-0 vs. Stony Brook) is the 199th victory for the Chanticleers over past four seasons (199-50-0, from 2007-10).
  

  Oklahoma's Chris Ellison

• Chris Ellison drove in Cody Reine in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Oklahoma a 7-6 win over Oral Roberts. Reine had homered two innings earlier to tie the game (6-6) and ultimately force extra innings.
• One-time Little League World series participant Michael Broad hit one of Miami’s two 1st-inning, 3-run home runs to help the Hurricanes beat Dartmouth, 12-8. The ‘Canes held on after leading 11-0 thru five innings. Joe Sclafani homered twice for the Big Green.
• Oregon State beat Florida Atlantic, 6-4, in Gainesville, Fla. The start of the game was delayed a total of 3:15 by rain. Tyler Smith hit his first home run in nearly two months in the win.
• “Lobos fight scratch and claw baby, we’ll play anybody, anywhere anytime and we’re trying to spend a lot of our effort trying to prove that we can play with anybody in the country.” – Those were New Mexico third-year head coach Ray Birmingham’s comments during his in-game interview on ESPNU while his team was playing Stanford. Is it any wonder UNM is making its first NCAA appearance since 1962?
• New Mexico won that game, 9-5, for the second NCAA Tournament win in school history. Willy Kesler had no-decision (5.2IP-4R-11H-BB-5K) and Jason Oatman (1-2) picked up the relief win (3.1IP-R-3H-2K). RF Chris Juarez went 3-for-4 (3RBI-2B) from the 5-hole, while the 2-hole-batting catcher Rafael Neda homered and scored 4 times (1B/2-hole Justin Howard had 3R).
• Don’t know how to say his name, but Pi’ikea Kitamura was hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded in the top of the 9th inning to give Hawaii a 4-3 win over San Diego in Tempe, Ariz. San Diego ace Kyle Blair had another solid outing but did not figure into the decisions (8IP-3R/1ER-7H-8K). USD’s Mike Ferraro homered from the 7-hole and had 2 RBI, but USD’s #1-5 hitters combined for only 4 hits.
  

  LSU's Trey Watkins

• In his only at-bat of the night, LSU’s Trey Watkins smacked a 2-strike, 2-out double in the bottom of the 11th to lift LSU to an 11-10 over UC-Irvine. LSU’s Austin Nola forced extra innings when his blooper to right with 2 outs in the 9th scored Johnny Dishon, who motored all the way  aroundfrom first base.
• Jack Armstrong’s pinch-hit single scored Andrew Giobbi to give Vanderbilt an 8-7 win over Illinois State at the Louisville Regional opener. If the name of the offensive hero sounds familiar, it’s because Armstrong has been one of Vandy’s top starting pitchers this season and we’re sure to see him make a start over the weekend.
• Oregon beat Connecticut, 5-3, in Norwich, Conn., thanks to three runs in the top of the 9th inning.
• TCU didn’t use freshman ace Matt Purke (12-0), but the Horned Frogs still cruised to a 16-3 win over Lamar. Kyle Winkler and Greg Holle combined for 11 strikeouts to improve TCU to 20-0 this year when its pitchers have at least 10 K in a game. Purke will go Saturday vs. Arizona.
• Louisville also sat its ace, Thomas Royse (9-1), in its 11-2 win over Saint Louis. Head coach Dan McDonnell was not in the dugout, as he served the first game of his three-game suspension for last week’s dustup with an umpire at the Big East Tournament.
• Minnesota pulled-off the biggest Day-1 upset, as the #4 seed Golden Gophers downed #1 seed andnd host Cal State Fullerton, 3-1 in Fullerton. Jr. RHP  Seth Rosin (9-4) faced only 26 batters and struck out 7 with no walks in 8.0 innings to move his season totals to 95 Ks and only 12 BB. All the Gophers runs came in the opening frame, with RBI singles from Kyle Knudson and Matt Puhl scoring AJ Pettersen & AndyHenkmeryer (other run scores on error/unearned).
• Washington State registered its 19th come-from-behind win of the season, an 8-6 victory over Kansas State in Fayetteville, Ark. Adam Conley postedhis 19th save, while the Cougar bullpen notched its 18th win of the year (one away from tyingthe school record set in 1987). Cody Barlett’s 2-run HR in the 8th inning proved to be the game-winner.
• It took a 5-run 8th inning for South Carolina to rally to a 9-5 home win over Bucknell. It’s the Gamecock’s 12th straight postseason home win.
• Texas scored all 11 of its runs with 2-outs in an 11-0 win over Rider in Austin. Brandon Workman (12-1) tossed a complete game.
• Ole Miss held off St. John’s, 10-5, in Charlottesville, Va. The Red Storm scored all five of their runs in the last two innings.
• Tony Plagman was 5-for-5 in Georgia Tech’s 10-0 win over Mercer in Atlanta.
• Florida freshman Hudson Randall notched a career-best 10 strikeouts in 7.1 innings to help the Gators beat Bethune-Cookman, 7-3. Randall didn’t allow a hit until the 5th inning.
• UCLA routed Kent State, 15-1 in L.A., for the Bruins 25th home win of the season. Their 44 total wins are one away from tying the program’s single-season record set in 1997.
• North Carolina validated its NCAA berth with a 12-3 win over Cal in Norman, Okla. The Tar Heels have scored eight or more runs in 16 of their past 24 first- or second0round NCAA Tournament games.
• 5,684 fans saw Oregon beat UConn, 5-3 at Dodd Stadium in Norwich, Conn. The Ducks rallied for three runs in the top of the 9th. Reliever Madison Boer has notched a save in Oregon’s past four wins. An attendance of 1,948 was on hand earlier in the day to see Florida State beat Central Connecticut, 11-3.
• Kole Calhoun hit his team-leading 14th HR to help overall #1 seed Arizona State beat Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 6-2 in Tempe.

2010 Conference Tournament Central

America East Tournament (May 26-28)

Bracket Champion: Stony Brook

All-Conference Team

ACC Tournament (May 26-30)

Bracket Champion:  Florida State

All-Conference Team

Atlantic Sun Tournament (May26-29)

Bracket Champion:  Mercer (First title since 1983)

All-Conference Team

Atlantic 10 Tournament (May 26-29)

Bracket Champion:  St. Louis

All-Conference Team

Big East Tournament (May 26-30)

Bracket Champion:  St. John’s

All-Conference Team

Big South Tournament (May 25-29)

Bracket Champion: Coastal Carolina

All-Conference Team

Big Ten Tournament (May 26-29)

Bracket Champion:  Minnesota

All-Conference Team

Big Twelve Tournament (May 26-30)

Bracket Champion:  Texas A&M

All-Conference Team

Big West Conference – No Post Season Tournament

Regular Season Champion: Cal State Fullerton

All-Conference team

CAA Tournament (May 27-29)

Bracket Champion:  Virginia Commonwealth

All-Conference Team

Conference USA Tournament (May 26-30)

Bracket Champion:  Southern Mississippi

All-Conference Team

Great West Tournament (May 26-29)

Bracket Champ: Utah Valley (No NCAA Bid)

All-Conference Team

Horizon League Tournament (May 26-30)

Bracket Champion:  Wisconsin-Milwaukee

All-Conference Team

Ivy League – Best of Three Series

Champion:  Dartmouth beat Columbia

All-Conference Team

Metro Atlantic Tournament

Bracket Champion:  Rider

All-Conference Team

Mid-American (MAC) Tournament (May 26-29)

Bracket Champion:  Kent State

All-Conference Team

Missouri Valley Tournament (May 26-29)

Bracket Champion:  Illinois State

All-Conference Team

Mountain West Conference Tournament (May 25-29)

Bracket Champion:  TCU

All-Conference Team

Northeast Conference Tournament (May 27-29)

Bracket Champion: Central Connecticut St.

All-Conference Team

Ohio Valley Tournament (May 26-30)

Bracket Champion:  Jacksonville St.

All-Conference Team

Pac 10 Conference – No Postseason Tournament

Regular Season Champion:  Arizona State

All-Conference Team

Patriot League – Best of Three Series

Champion:  Bucknell

All-Conference Team

SEC Tournament (May 26-30)

Bracket Champion:  LSU

All-Conference Team

Southern Conference Tournament (May 26-30)

Bracket Champion:  The Citadel

All-Conference Team

Southland Conference Tournament (May 26-29)

Bracket Champion:  Lamar

All-Conference Team

SWAC Tournament (May 26-30)

Bracket Champion:  Grambling St.

All-Conference Team

Summit League Tournament (May 27-29)

Bracket Champion:  Oral Roberts

All-Conference Team

Sun Belt Conference Tournament (May 26-29)

Bracket Champion:  Florida International

All-Conference Team

West Coast Conference – No Postseason Tournament

Regular Season Champion:  San Diego

All-Conference Team

Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Tournament (May 26-30)

Bracket Champion:  Hawaii (First since 1992)

All-Conference Team

This week Sean Stires and Chris Webb (from Buckeyestatebaseball.com) are talking about how things are shaping-up in the Midwest.  They talk about this weekend’s key Big Ten series between Ohio State and Michigan State, as well as the future of OSU head coach Bob Todd, MAC leaders Toledo and Kent State and 2009 NCAA teams Xavier and Wright State.

Webb1

Segment #1

Webb

Segment #2

A New CB360 Contributor Provides Insight

It’s time to welcome a new contributor to Collegebaseball360.com.  Chris Webb follows everything that is college baseball in the state of Ohio on Buckeyestatebaseball.com.   Whether it’s Divsion I, II or III if it happens in college baseball in Ohio you’ll find it there.  Here’s a great preview of the six Ohio MAC teams heading into conference play.

The first five weeks have been full of ups and downs, twists and turns, upsets and letdown across the board for our MAC schools. As we hit week six of the Division I college baseball season, the upcoming weekend kicks off conference play in the MAC.

Where preseason MAC-East favorites Bowling Green and Kent State stumbled out of the gate before rebounding in the last few weekends, the division has a pair of teams that have flown under the radar in Akron and Miami, looking to take home a championship. Where Toledo is the only Ohio team in the conference, the Rockets have started fast and stayed strong, looking like a team on a mission. Back in the East, the Bobcats hope conference play welcomes the start of good fortunes.

Buckeye State prepares you for MAC play in our conference primer, giving the ins and outs of what has transpired, the players vital to their team’s success, and what to expect in the 2010 slate of conference games.

Akron (11-8)

Quick Facts:

Offensive: .313 (Average) 36 (Doubles), 3 (Triples), 20 (HR)  131 (RBI)  .463 (Slugging) .381 (On-base) 6-10 (Stolen bases)
Pitching/Defensive: 5.36 (ERA) 3 (Saves) 100 (Strikeouts) 64 (Walks) .306 (Batting Average Against), 28 (Errors), .962 (Fielding Percentage)

Non-conference Recap

The Zips ride into MAC play higher than any other team.  With modest expectations in the preseason, a fifth-place finish in the MAC-East preseason coaches poll, Akron certainly has exceeded expectations. A revamped pitching rotation, players emerging from injuries, and strong leadership has fueled the Zips fast start.

Centerfielder/closer Drew Turocy has been a one-man wrecking ball, after missing the 2009 season with Tommy-John surgery. The red-shirt sophomore leads Akron in batting average, RBI, stolen bases, and saves. Providing power behind Turocy is fellow outfielder senior Jake Plata. Plata launched five of his team-high seven home runs over Akron’s spring break, leading him to receive Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week honors. The senior trio of captains, shortstop Kevin Haas, DH Kyle Hallett, and first baseman Brian Kordal all boast averages north of .300 in hopes of ending their career with their first MAC tournament appearance.

On the mound Akron has a quartet of reliable starting pitchers as it’s disposal. In Andrew Brown, Ben Danzinger, Scott Foster, and Alex Loftin, Akron sports four pitchers with at least two wins, and ERA’s of 4.60 or lower. While sophomore closer Chris Bassitt remains out with an injury, Turocy has filled in nicely in the closer’s role picking up three saves to lead the club. Each start has averaged more than six innings per start, keeping the bullpen fresh and well-rested.

Akron’s best win of the year is a 13-11 victory on the road at New Mexico State in the lid-opener of a four game set. The Zips also have a victory over Minnesota, and two over UNC-Wilmington.

Expected Rotation

Alex Loftin: (3-2), 3.60 ERA, 35.0 IP, 25 K, 13 BB, .281 BAA

Andrew Brown: (3-2), 3.41, 31.2 21, 12, .297

Ben Danzinger: (2-2), 4.60, 31.1, 14, 7, .286

Closer: Drew Turocy (0-0), 5.06, 3 SV, 10.2, 13,  .310

Key Players

CF Drew Turocy: .411 (average), 3 (home runs), 21 (RBI), .622 (SLG), .419 (OBP), 3-3 (Stolen Bases)

SS Kevin Haas: .333, 1, 13, .429, .400

DH Kyle Hallett: .333, 1, 15, .444, .392

C John Turk: .322, 1, 7, .424, .373

OF Jake Plata: .267, 7, 27, .600, .360

MAC Expectations

Coming out of nowhere, as things stand of today, Akron would be the MAC’s representative in the NCAA post-season by many across the country. Pitching has led the resurgence of Pat Bangtson’s program with a deep and productive line-up to supplement. Not very aggressive on the bases, and outside of Plata, not overly powerful, the Zips scrape together runs with a solid plate approach and consistency at the dish.

Still, success of Akron will rest on the arms of their pitching staff. Being four-men deep, the depth and versatility will allow Bangtson multiple options in deciding how to approach a weekend, and keeping his team in a position to take every weekend series. While you cannot garner a Regional berth during MAC play, aligning yourself and having momentum going into the MAC Tournament will allow yourself a greater chance to succeed. Early results have led to have no reason to believe this cannot be the season Akron receives the conference’s automatic bid.

Bowling Green (6-9-1)

Quick Facts

Offensively: .321, 31, 9, 12, 11, .471, .395, 22-30

Pitching/Defensively: 7.02, 3, 89, 69, .315, 34, .942

Non-conference Recap

Going into MAC play, the Falcons are 6-9-1 with a weekend sweep of Eastern Kentucky being the bright spot so far. The offense has been what has powered Bowling Green so far and kept the team in almost every game. Getting On-Base has not been a problem for Bowling Green, maintaining a .395 OBP with the team batting average being a superb .321. Along with those stats the Falcons have amassed a gaudy .472 slugging percentage. Stud senior T.J. Blanton has six of the nine home runs hit so far by the Falcons along with a team high 19 of the 111 RBI’s recorded.

Unfortunately for Coach Danny Schmitz, the pitching staff has staggered through the non-conference portion of the schedule. While reliever Ross Gerdeman has amassed a 1.42 ERA over 19 innings pitched, the team as a whole have combined for an underwhelming 7.02 ERA. The staff have struck out 89 and walked 69 in 132 innings pitched and given up a .315 BAA.

Bowling Green has played a tough non-conference schedule so far, going to Kentucky on three separate weekend series to play Louisville, Kentucky, and Eastern Kentucky. The team lost the first six games of the season before going down to Florida during spring break, where they were able to defeat Northeastern for the first win of the season. The squad was only able to play five games out of the eight scheduled due to rain, but went 3-1-1 over those five games.

Expected Rotation

Brennan Smith: (1-2), 11.57, 18.2, 15, 18, .388

Michael Frank: (0-1), 4.98, 21.2, 14, 6, .279

Kevin Leady: (2-1), 4.76, 22.2, 18, 7, .281

Key Players

OF T.J. Blanton: .456, 6, 19, .895, .484, 7-9

SS Jon Berti: .397, 0, 8, .476, .441, 10-12

OF/C Ryan Schlater: .396, 1, 13, .566, .444, 2-3

2B Logan Meisler: .351, 0, 13, .566, .465

MAC Expectations

Offensively the Falcons should be able to slug it out with any team that comes their way in-conference, they have scored seven or more runs in 10 of the 16 games played so far. T.J. Blanton is a player to look out for and will be in contention for player of the year in the MAC conference. The senior belted four home runs in the Eastern Kentucky series, all on the same day during a double-header. The 2009 Academic All-MAC selection has a .895 slugging % so far and is hitting .456. Speedy lead off hitter Jon Berti leads the team with 10 stolen bases in 12 attempts, with Blanton the only other player on the team who has attempted to steal more than three stolen bases, swiping seven bags in nine attempts.

If Bowling Green is to win their third straight MAC Regular Season title, it is the pitching staff that will be the key for that is the most glaring weakness. The starting rotation consists of Brennan Smith, Michael Frank, and Kevin Leady, whose combined average ERA is a 7.10 over 63 innings pitched. The bullpen is led by Ross Gerdeman and Patrick Martin who have given up a combined seven runs in 31.2 innings of relief. For as potent as the bats have been for Bowling Green, the pitching has been just as shaky having allowed a .408 OBP and collected a WHIP of 1.81 so far.

Kent State (9-12)

Quick Facts

Offensively: .281, 55, 7, 17, 114, 439, .362, 17-25

Pitching/Defensive: 5.72, 3, 130, 110, .289, 24, .971

Non-conference Recap

The general thought regarding Kent State going into the season was talented, but young, especially on the mound. Nothing shows the youth of team more than inconsistencies. Where the Flashes would have a solid weekend at the plate, the performance on the mound was less than desirable. When the pitching came through, the bats were cold. Playing a challenging schedule out of the gate doesn’t help either. Though Coach Scott Stricklin sets the bar high for his program, he understands the battles his team faces.

“Every program in the North sees inconsistencies early in the season. Errors, bad base running, bad plate approaches, struggles on the mound, its comes with playing outside for the first few weeks. It’s tough to play three games then sit for a week. Now that we’re playing midweek games, you’re seeing guys come around” Stricklin in the sixth season stated.

Still the skipper expects more from his players. “They have to know they’re accountable not to just themself, but to the team” Stricklin added in regards to players needing improvement. Needing hardly any improvement is sophomore shortstop Jimmy Rider who Stricklin referred to as Kent State’s most consistent playing. With a .376 average headed into MAC player, its hard to disagree. Anthony Gallas and Travis Shaw have provided the Flashes with power, each swatting five home runs. Ben Klafczynski and Jared Humphrey’s each are hitting over .300 as mainstays in the order.

The individual success at the plate has yet to be matched on the mound.  With four starters who have started at least three games each, none sport an ERA below 6.00. Robert Sabo, Ryan Mace, David Starn, and Kyle Hallock have had their ups and downs but will be the group Stricklin counts on.

“We have four guys for three spots. We’ll use the midweek games to determine who will be the three that start and who goes to the bullpen, right now nothing has been determined” Stricklin stated.

“All have been good at times, all have been bad at times as well. what plays an important role as well is who can be the best out of the bullpen. The first guy out (of the bullpen) is very important” the coach added.

With Starn, and Mace being sophomores experiencing heavy playing time for the first time, bumps were expected. In addition to Hallock, and Sabo, a red-shirt junior who was drafted in 2009, the group is talented. Only time will tell if the on-the-fly learning will allow the pitching staff to lead the Flashes to prominence.

Expected Rotation

David Starn: (2-1), 6.59, 27.1, 23, 11, .359

Robert Sabo: (1-3), 6.12, 25.0, 19, 15, .296

Ryan Mace: (0-2), 6.26, 23.0, 11, 6, .235

Closer: Brett Weibley (1-1), 2.00, 2, 12.0, 8, 10, .194

Key Players

SS Jimmy Rider: .376, 1, 15, .505, .431, 4-6

2B/OF Jared Humphreys: .307, 1, 13, .500, .384, 4-7

OF Ben Klafczynski: .318, 0, 11, .412, .392, 1-1

OF Anthony Gallas: .310, 5, 25, .583, .398, 2-2

1B/3B Travis Shaw: .302, 5, 18, .547, .380

MAC Expectations

Surprising as it might sound, hitting and not pitching is the current worry around the Kent area. With a team that has a collective average of .281, the offense does have room for improvement. Golden Flash faithful hope a strong showing in the Coca-Cola classic, the last weekend before conference play, carries over into MAC competition.

After scoring 26 runs in the final two games, Stricklin is pleased with what he saw. “It was good to finally swing the bats. We think and feel we’re a good offensive team, but we haven’t shown that we are. We’re trying to teach and need our players to be more consistent, and we think they’ll coming around” Stricklin proclaimed.

Still it is hard to overlook the questions reside in the pitching staff. Having lost a lot of innings due to graduation and the MLB Draft following the 2009 season, the quartet of starting pitches have yet to prove they can be successful game in and game out. With flashes of brilliance here and there, the potential is there, but will 2010 yield a season of production.

You can never count out a Stricklin-led team, but there is reason to view Kent State with caution. Nonetheless Stricklin feels his team is ready for conference play. “They know whats at stake. They know to reach NCAA postseason play you have to win the conference tournament, and how you play now will shape your odds of getting there and succeeding.”

Miami (9-10)

Offensively: .287, 33, 5, 20, 131, .441, .353, 25-26

Pitching/Defensively: 7.33, 5,  114, 56, .338, 22, .967

Non-conference Recap

Entering MAC play with the conference’s toughest non-conference schedule to date, Miami has had its ups and downs, but have fared well in the early portion of the 2010 schedule. Where injuries have sidelined two of the RedHakws top offensive threats in Bryce Redeker and Jon Edgington, other players have emerged providing head coach Dan Simonds with a multitude of options during conference play.

“Things feel pretty good. We would like them to be a bit better, but we’re feeling pretty good” Simonds stated. “For having just one home game, things have gone alright. Starting pitching we feel is pretty good, we have three quality starters, and we’ve been able t overcome a few injuries in Redeker and Edgington. Redeker had just hit for the cycle before going out for four weeks after the fourth game, but guys have stepped up.”

Of those who have stepped up, perhaps none more than two-way player Jordan Jankowski. Serving as a catcher and DH along with the team’s closer, Jankowski has been a forced with his .375 average. All-MAC outfielder Adam Eaton continues to add to a stellar career with a robust spring so far. In 19 games, Eaton has collected five doubles, three triples, five home runs and is a perfect 11-11 on the bases. Adam Weisenburger, Zak Hatfield, and Brad Gschwind all are hitting over .300 for a deep lineup.

On the mound the success hasn’t been as fortunate for the RedHawks who have a team ERA of 7.33. Still Simonds knows he has quality arms in the group. “We’ll have Tyler Melling (1-2, 9.11), Brooks Fiala (1-1, 8.20), and Mac Thoreson (1-1, 3.72) as our weekend guys” Simonds stated. While the numbers might appear less than desireable for a weekend rotation, Simonds feels they don’t tell the entire picture, especially when the tough non-conference schedule, which included games with Clemson, and Michigan State, along with weekend sets at Auburn and Louisiana-Lafayette.

“Guys are now getting into rhythm. Baseball is a game of rhythm, of routine. With timing and the flow of games, getting back to having midweek games and guys in a set routine really helps.” Continuing Simonds would add “Our non-conference schedule prepares us for MAC play. Playing these clubs (Clemson and Auburn) exposes our weaknesses. It shows us what we need to work on, but we’re also going in there to win and it shows our guys we can complete with anyone.”

Expected Rotation

Tyler Melling: (1-1), 9.11, 26.2, 15, 6, .368

Brooks Fiala: (1-1), 8-20, 26.1, 14, 7, .330

Mac Thoreson: (1-1), 3.72, 9.2, 9, 1, .342

Closer: Jordan Jankowski (1-1), 6.52, 3, 9.2, 15, 6, .263

Key Players

DH/C Jordan Jankowski: .375, 3, 13, .675, .419

OF Adam Eaton: .342, 4, 21, .658, .437, 11-11

C Adam Weisenburger: .338, 3, 17, .559, .427

IF Zak Hatfield: .333, 1, 4, .521, .396, 2-2

IF Brad Gschwind: .311, 1, 13, .405, .378

MAC Expectations

While the RedHawks have had solid success against a tough schedule, there is still work to be down for Miami, mainly on the mound. Miami has a stout bullpen with a handful of relievers  posting sub-4.00 ERA’s but the rotation that Simonds is fond of, needs to live up to the billing.

Offensively Miami plays an aggressive brand of baseball that will keep them in most games. An already deep lineup gains more with the return of Edgington this weekend (.286, 6 RBI), and Redeker down the road. The depth provides Simonds with options, though the head coach isn’t too fond of having a roster consistently influx. Eaton will continue to be one of the MAC’s premier players and set the tone out of his leadoff spot.

As is the key to nearly every time in the MAC, pitching will lead the way for the RedHawks. Maybe not on the level to knock off the conference favorites, it would be foolish to count Miami out just yet. However, in the a fourth-place finish, right where the coaches tabbed them in the preseason, seems just.

Ohio (2-15)

Offensively: .277, 29, 3, 17, 91, .422, .358, 13-15

Pitching/Defensively: 7.48, 0, 96, 69, .345, 42, .936

Non-conference Recap

Few things have gone right for the Bobcats who enter the weekend’s action on a seven-game skid, losing 13 straight to Division I teams. With just two wins overall, one against DII West Virginia State one would think bright spots are hard to find. While true, the bright spots that are there shine and glimmer. Most notably is the season preseason All-American outfielder Gauntlett Eldemire is having. Through the 17 games, Eldemire’s .433 average leads the team, as does his eight doubles, 19 RBI, and six stolen bases.

Also enjoying success at the plate if Kris McDonough, and Robert Maddox who offer support and protection for Eldemire, having a combined six home runs and 24 RBI. Both reach base at a .392 clip. Where there are highs offensively, there are lows pitching.

The Bobcats’ top two pitchers Ryan Bores and Bryce Butt each have 0-4 ledgers on the year and ERA’s above 7.00. The rest of the staff has been serviceable, led by the Trimbur bothers. Brock has a 1.98 ERA in 13.2 innings with Ben donning a 2.77 mark over 13 innings. The problem for coach Joe Carbone is very rarely do his relievers come in with the lead.

Expected Rotation

Bryce Butt: (0-4), 12.00, 18.0, 9, 4, .471

Ryan Bores: (0-4), 7.65, 20.0, 8, 9, .359

Seth Striech: (0-1), 9.64, 9.1, 5, 5, .325

Key Players

CF Gauntlett Eldemire: .433, 3, 19, .716, .519, 6-7

OF Kris McDonough: .340, 2, 7, .489, .392, 2-3

1B Robert Maddox: .329, 4, 17, .557, .392, 2-2

3B Bryan Barnes: .328, 2, 6, .534, .443

MAC Expectations

If you’re a Bobcat faithful you obviously are very worried about the pitching. If you’re a fan of baseball, you’re worried about the pitching. Where Ohio has a solid lineup, the starting pitching is prone to having nightmarish outings, putting the team in such a hole that a respectable day at the plate goes for naught.

MAC play gives new hope for Ohio who has had a lost season up to this date. In the game of baseball anything can happen, especially in a conference without proven success on mounds across the conference. Still it is hard to consider any situation that the Bobcats can threat the MAC-East favorites. However there is still reason to see Ohio play as Eldemire is an elite talent and one of the two best players in the MAC. The centerfielder is a joy to watch and has the potential to carry a team when hot. Just will the pitching provide the star with enough backing?

Toledo (11-7)

Offensively: .313, 50, 4, 20, 123, .495, .368, 23-31

Pitching/Defensively: 4.58, 4, 107, 76, .253, 27, .962

Non-conference Recap

Whereas the other five Ohio MAC programs play in the East Division, Toledo calls the West division home, though technically it is more eastward than Bowling Green. Geography aside the Rockets in the West brings balance to the MAC. Where three possibly four teams will duke it out in the East, Toledo will only have Ball State standing in their way of a West Division crown.

Coming into MAC play as the conference’s most complete team, the Rockets boast a team batting average of .313, and an ERA of 4.58. On both sides of the ball coach Cory Mee’s squad is getting it done. Where six Rockets are hitting better than .300, their power-hitting shortstop Jared Hoying comes into the weekend hitting just .274, but already has eight dingers on the year, along with five stolen bases. No team in the MAC has a power hitting speedster atop their line-up like Hoying who sets the table nicely for a lineup that has two .400+ hitters.

It gets better for Mee. On the mound Toledo like Akron, has a rotation with ERAs sub-.500. With Mike Hamann, Lincoln Rassi, and Kyle Shaw, Toledo sends out three pitchers capable of going the distance each time out. The trio is complimented by five relievers with ERAs under 4.00, including lights out closer Matt Zahel who has three saves in eight appearances.

Top to bottom Toledo has it all. Pitching, hitting, power, base running, the Rockets are off to an 11-7 start that has victories over Pittsburg, Winthrop, and two on the road at Cincinnati on it’s resume.

Expected Rotation

Kyle Shaw: (2-1), 4.98, 20.1, 13, 5, .247

Mike Hamann: (2-1), 2.92, 24.2, 20, 2, .241

Lincoln Rassi: (1-1), 4.87, 20.1, 9, 16, .222

Closer: Matt Zahel (0-1), 3.38, 3, 8.0, 8, 3, .294

Key Players

DH Matt Delewski: .425, 0, 8, .500, .442, 1-2

OF Jason Edwards: .400, 2, 7, .550, .435, 1-1

C Aaron Dudley: .371, 1, 11, .486, .430, 1-3

3B Joe Corfman: .343, 1, 15, .500, .390, 5-6

2B Tim Krofcheck: .309, 4, 15, .574, .399, 2-4

SS Jared Hoying: .274, 8, 22, .685, .357, 5-6

MAC Expectations

Like Akron in the East, pitching has led Toledo to be considered alongside Ball State as the West Division’s favorite, if not ahead of the Cardinals. The Rockets truly have everything needed to not only cruise through conference play, but win in the all important conference tournament and lock up the automatic bid. From hitting to fielding, pitching to running, Toledo has done everything well up to now.

Where the West Division is weaker than the East, providing the toughest challenge for Toledo might be complacency. Mee will need to keep his team from reading their clippings and staying focused on the field. It helps that the Rockets are a veteran team and should have no problem doing so. Nothing should keep Toledo from the MAC postseason, and once in the cards are in their favor.

A deep and good bullpen combined with a good rotation gives Toledo the upper hand over its competition. The batting order has numerous weapons, enough to overcome a slump here or there, as evident by Hoying’s slow start. Expect Toledo to cruise through the MAC-West, until the season’s final weekend when the Rockets play the Cardinals. It works in favor of Toledo that the season-ending series is at home, which gives us enough reason to think Toledo will be the West’s champs, from there the auto-bid and tournament championship is there for the taking.

Statistical Comparision

Team, W-L, AVG, ERA, RPI, SOS (As of March 25th)

Akron .313, 5.36, 11-8, 176, 189

Bowling Green .321, 7.02, 6-9-1,  121, 92

Kent State .281, 5.79, 9-12, 155, 120

Miami .287, 7.33, 9-10, 111, 70

Ohio .277, 7.48, 2-15, 282, 175

Toledo .313, 4.58, 11-7,  87, 159

David Arnold of Rollalongbaseball contributed with the Bowling Green Preview

Filed under: Division I

Red Bird to play eight games against 2009 NCAA Tournament Teams

ISU Head Coach Mark Kingston

in Gainesville, Fla. Illinois State’s schedule features 53 games, including 19 contests at home against regional foes Illinois, Northern Illinois, Eastern Illinois, Purdue, and Valley rivals Southern Illinois, Wichita State and Bradley.

Complete 2010 IllinoisState Schedule (PDF)

“This is a very challenging schedule as we look forward to 2010,” Illinois State head coach Mark Kingston said. “Our non conference opponents will prepare us for the demands of a very competitive Missouri Valley Conference. At one point, we will play five-consecutive games against 2009 NCAA tournament teams. Being able to play at Florida and Vanderbilt will also be an experience that pays dividends. This high level of competition will be good for us in the long term, both individually, and as a team.”

Illinois State will play its first 18 games on the road and begin the 2010 season at the Austin Peay Classic (Feb. 19-21) in Clarksville, Tenn., against Austin Peay and Iowa. The trip is the first of three the Redbirds will make to the state of Tennessee. Illinois State will then travel to Winter Haven, Fla., for the 2010 RussMatt Central Florida Invitational (Feb. 27-March1), where the Redbirds will play four games against four different opponents.

The Redbirds will then tackle the grueling five-game stretch against tournament teams to start its spring break trip, but the competition doesn’t let up with two games against James Madison (March 12 and 14) wrapped around a date with North Florida (March 13) in Jacksonville, Fla., before Illinois State returns home.

Illinois State opens the home portion of its schedule at Duffy Bass Field with a four-game series against Central Michigan (March 19-21). The Redbirds won’t have time to get too comfy, as the team plays nine of its next 11 games on the road, including the conference-opening series at Indiana State (March 26-28), another trip to Tennesse for a three-game series with Lipscomb (April 2-3), and a match-up with Valley foe Creighton in Omaha (April 9-11).

ISU will host mid-week match-ups with Illinois (March 30), Northern Illinois (April 6), Purdue (April 14) and Eastern Illinois (May 12). The Redbirds open the home-conference slate against Southern Illinois (April 16-18). Illinois State will also welcome Wichita State (April 30-May 2) and Bradley (May 14-16) to Duffy Bass Field in Missouri Valley Conference action. Keeping history alive, Illinois State will travel across town for the annual Horenberger-Bass Classic against Illinois Wesleyan (April 27). The Redbirds will close the season on the road at Evansville (May 20-22).

Postseason play begins Tuesday, May 25, with the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, hosted by Wichita State at Eck Stadium in Wichita, Kan. The NCAA Tournament begins on Friday, June 4.

(Release)

IU Head Coach Tracy Smith

“We’re looking forward to what should be a challenging schedule in 2010,” Smith said. “It will be a good experience for our Southern California kids to open the season in San Diego where a lot of them are from, and with the second year of the Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge and the Vanderbilt Tournament, we should face some strong early-season competition which will prepare us for the Big Ten.”

The Hoosiers open the season with four games in San Diego, in a weekend that will be a homecoming for IU’s four natives of Southern California. Indiana will take on the University of San Diego on both Friday and Saturday, with a doubleheader scheduled for the second day. IU will also play a Sunday contest at NCAA participant San Diego State during the four-game weekend swing.

The second weekend of the season sees the second annual Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge in Clearwater/St. Petersburg, Fla. IU will face off against West Virginia for the second straight year at the Challenge in addition to the first-ever contests against Villanova and Connecticut. The Hoosiers took two out of three games at the 2009 Challenge as the Big Ten won the battle of the two leagues, 15-9.

After playing its first game in the state on March 2 at Indiana State, IU then travels to the Music City Classic in Nashville, Tenn., hosted by Vanderbilt. The Hoosiers and Commodores, who faced off at the Louisville NCAA Regional last year, will be joined by Illinois State and NCAA participant Kent State at the weekend event.

Following a March 9 trip to face off with NCAA opponent Louisville, Indiana will embark on its Spring Trip, which will take the Hoosiers to Winter Haven, Fla., for the second straight year. Times and opponents are yet to be determined for the trip.

After a road game at Morehead State on March 23, IU has its home opener against 2009 Houston Regional participant Xavier on March 24 to begin an eight-game homestand. IU faces St. Francis and Taylor on March 26 and 27, and then Louisville visits on March 30 for the final game before conference play. Indiana opens Big Ten action on Friday, April 2, against Michigan for a three-game set.

During Big Ten action, the Hoosiers also play host to Iowa (April 16-18), Purdue (April 30-May 2) and Illinois (May 20-22). Road series include sets at Ohio State (April 9-11), Minnesota (April 23-25), Northwestern (May 7-9) and Michigan State (May 14-16), as Penn State leaves the conference schedule for the 2010 and 2011 seasons.

Other non-conference highlights include a trip to Gary, Ind., to face Valparaiso at Railcats Stadium and home games against Ball State (April 6), Indiana State (April 28) and Kentucky (May 11). Other conference road contests pit the Hoosiers against Miami University (April 20) and Evansville (May 18).

The Hoosiers will look to return to the Big Ten Tournament for the third straight season after taking the conference title in 2009, the second such championship in school history. IU has never made three straight conference tourney appearances since the tournament’s inception in 1981. The 2010 tournament is scheduled for May 26-30, with the location yet to be determined.

(Press Release)

Commodores to play 35 games at Hawkins Field in spring

Vanderbilt Head Coach Tim Corbin

The Commodores will face 13 teams that made the NCAA tournament a year ago and 14 teams that finished with 30 or more wins.

Complete 2010 Vanderbilt Schedule (PDF)

Due to changes in the start date for baseball, Vanderbilt will open the season at home for the first time since 2005 as Niagara comes to Hawkins Field the weekend of Feb. 19-21 for a three-game series. VU will play Austin Peay on Feb. 23 before heading to Los Angeles to participate in the Jackie Robinson Tournament the weekend of Feb. 26-28. The Commodores will take on UCLA (Feb. 26) and USC (Feb. 27) at their home parks before concluding the trip against Big 12 power Oklahoma State (Feb. 28) at Dodger Stadium.

“I like the fact that we can open the season here at Hawkins Field for the first time in five years, then go out west the following week to play in a very high caliber tournament to prepare us for Southeastern Conference competition,” said Corbin.

Vanderbilt will return home for a nine-game homestand to start March, including hosting the Music City Classic after a one-year sabbatical. Tennessee Tech (March 2) will take on the Dores to open the skein before Kent State (March 5), Illinois State (March 6) and Indiana (March 7) come to Nashville to participate in the Classic the following weekend. Both Kent State and Indiana made the NCAA field in 2009, with the Commodores and Hoosiers facing off in the Louisville Regional last spring.

VU will close out its non-conference weekend schedule against Ohio (March 12-14) and will play home-and-home games against Western Kentucky (March 16 in Nashville, March 17 in Bowling Green) in midweek action.

The Commodores will open SEC play on the road against Alabama (March 19-21).

Vanderbilt will return home for a seven-game homestand with contests against Lipscomb (March 23), Wright State (March 24) Kentucky (March 26-28) and Wofford (March 30-31).

The Dores open April with a series at Florida (April 2-4) before beginning an eight game stretch at home against Belmont (April 6), South Carolina (April 9-11), Middle Tennessee (April 13) and Auburn (April 16-18).

The team will play its longest stretch away from home at the end of April with six games on the road: Lipscomb (April 20), Middle Tennessee (April 21), Tennessee (April 23-25) and at Austin Peay (April 27).

VU’s final stretch of regular season contests begins with a home series against Georgia (April 30, May 1-2) followed by a road series against defending national champions LSU (May 7-9). The Tigers are back on the schedule after a two-year absence due to the SEC schedule rotation. Ole Miss is not on the schedule for the next two years.

Vanderbilt will host Louisville in a rematch of last season’s regional championship game on May 11.

The Dores will travel to Mississippi State the weekend of May 14-16, before closing out the regular season at home against College World Series participant Arkansas on May 20-22. The series against the Razorbacks is a Thursday, Friday, Saturday set that every team in the league plays on the final weekend in preparation for the conference tournament.

The SEC tourney begins on May 26 in Hoover, Ala., and runs until May 30.

Schedule Notes:

• 2009 NCAA tournament teams on the schedule include Oklahoma State, Tennessee Tech, Kent State, Indiana, Western Kentucky, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Middle Tennessee, Georgia, LSU, Louisville, Arkansas.

• Opponents with 40 or more wins in 2009: Kent State (43-17), Western Kentucky (42-20), Florida (42-22), South Carolina (40-23), Middle Tennessee (44-18), LSU (56-17), Louisville (47-18), Arkansas (41-24).

• Opponents with 30 or more wins in 2009 (not including above teams): Oklahoma State (34-24), Tennessee Tech (31-24), Indiana (32-27), Alabama (37-21), Auburn (31-25), Georgia (38-24).

• Longest road trip: six games (April 20-27). Longest homestand: nine games (March 2-16).

(Press Release)