http://collegebaseball360.com/2011-college-baseball-surprises/ http://collegebaseball360.com/2011-college-baseball-surprises/#comments Thu, 07 Apr 2011 14:15:31 +0000 http://collegebaseball360.com/?p=17905

www.simplesharebuttons.com

Both The Good & The Bad…

We are roughly at the midway point in the 2011 college baseball season. Probably the biggest conversation coming into the season was the new bat standards and how they would affect the college game.

It’s no surprise that offense has been down, while pitching numbers have been better so far this season. However, nobody predicted James Madison would erupt for 91 runs with those new bats in a four-game sweep of Bucknell to open the season. Jake Lowery and David Herbek have combined to lead not only the Dukes, but also the nation with 14 and 12 home runs, respectively, while also sitting among the nation’s Division One leaders in sever other offensive categories.

Following is a look at some other surprises, both good and bad, to this point in the season.

Pleasant Surprises…

Danny Hultzen is 6-0 with a 1.36 ERA in 2011

Virginia was supposed to be good this year, but Brian O’Connor’s Cavaliers have been flat-out great so far. UVA debuted at #15 in our Preseason Composite National Rankings, but is 29-2 overall and 11-1 in ACC play heading into this weekend’s showdown with Georgia Tech. The Cavs lost just one game in the month of March-their series finale against Florida State. They’ve done anything but mash the ball out of the yard en-route to their 29 victories. Keith Werman has nearly twice as many sac bunts (13) as his team has home runs (7), while they still average 7.3 runs a game with a .300 team batting average. Danny Hultzen (6-0, 1.36 ERA) is second in the nation with 78 strikeouts for a pitching staff that’s so deep that midweek starter Will Roberts, who pitched a perfect game last week, is riding a 21-inning scoreless streak. Virginia has a 1.93 team ERA with 333 strikeouts and just 64 walks this season.

Fresno State was a team that many thought deserved an NCAA bid in 2010, but the Bulldogs (38-25) just missed the field of 64 after Hawaii ended their reign of four straight WAC Tournament titles. Offense wasn’t a problem for Mike Batesole’s squad, but the pitching staff ended the season with a 6.05 ERA. Things have been much different for the 2011 edition of the Bulldogs (20-3). Greg Gonzalez (6-0, 1.36 ERA) fronts a pitching staff that sports a 2.50 ERA. The senior led the staff with 73 strikeouts last year, but he already has 52 Ks with just 9 BB in 46 1/3 IP in 2011. Charlie Robertson has slammed the door at the end of games with 9

Fresno State's Charlie Robertson is among the DI leaders with 9 saves.

saves in 10 appearances. He is yet to surrender an earned run in 16 1/3 IP this year. Like everyone, Fresno State’s offense is still adjusting to the new bats. Most notably Jordan Ribera, who hit .343 and led the nation with 27 home runs last year. He is batting just .244 with one HR and 7 RBIs in 23 starts in ’11. Dusty Robinson has picked-up the slack though, with a .321 BA, 6 HR and 19 RBIs.

Georgia was just 16-37 last year with a dismal 5-23 record in the SEC. Outfielder Zach Cone (.363, 10 HR, 53 RBIs) was practically the entire offense for Dave Perno’s Bulldogs, while the pitching staff had a bloated 8.51 ERA with no complete games. The Bulldogs (15-14, 6-3) are one win from matching last year’s overall win total, while a series win over LSU and a sweep of Mississippi State has already exceeded last year’s conference win total. Georgia also boasts wins over UCLA, Florida State and South Carolina. There’s still work to be done, but where UGA is now is a far cry from a season that started by being swept in a 3-game series at Stetson.

Cal State Bakersfield is well on its way to eclipsing last year’s win total. The Roadrunners are off and running to a 20-7 start after finishing with a 26-30 record in 2010. Bill Kernan’s squad hasn’t shied away from tough competition either. The DI independent has wins over top 10 opponents Arizona State and defending national champion South Carolina along with series wins over Washington and Ohio State. Ryan McIntyre (.363, 10

Tommy Hoenshell has helped spearhead Bakersfield's pitching staff.

doubles, 4 triples, .966 OPS) leads an offense that has five regulars hitting above .300, but it’s pitching that’s really fueled Bakersfield so far. Tommy Hoenshell (5-3, 1.97 ERA) has two complete games and leads the nation with 64.0 IP, Jonathon Montoya (5-1, 3.06 ERA) is tied for the DI lead with four complete games and closer Martin Medina (1-1, 2.45 ERA, 5 saves) has 19 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings to date.

Cal may or may not be reinstated beyond this season, but the Golden Bears are doing everything they can to make 2011 memorable. Dave Esquer has his team off to a 19-7 record, including 5-1 in the Pac-10, in what could be the program’s swan song. The pitching was expected to be good in 2011, but so far it’s been flat-out great. Justin Jones and Erik Johnson are each 4-1 with respective 2.47 and 2.08 ERAs, while Kevin Miller (3-2, 0.63 ERA, 1 save) has been nearly lights-out in a swing role. The senior has made three relief appearances and five starts, with a team-high 53 strikeouts and just 7 BB in 43.0 IP. Cal has a balanced offensive attack. Six regulars are batting between .317 and Austin Booker’s team-best .346, while eight players have accounted for the team’s 12 home runs.

Central Florida’s sites have been set on Omaha since Terry Rooney left his job as an LSU assistant to take over in Orlando. Now in his third year, Rooney has a team that’s starting to make some noise. The Knights (20-9) opened Conference USA with the program’s first ever series win over Rice only to be swept last weekend by Southern Mississippi.  However, UCF responded by toppling Florida 4-3 Tuesday night in Gainesville. D.J. Hicks (.347, 6 HR,

UCF's D.J. Hicks is among the top overall Conference USA hitters this season.

1.008 OPS) leads an offense that has seven starters batting above .300. Freshman Ben Lively (5-0, 1.88 ERA) has been UCF’s top weekend starter, while relievers Nick Cicio (1.08 ERA) and Joe Rogers (2.04 ERA) have each made 11 appearances out of the Knight’s bullpen, combining for 8 saves and 42 Ks with 5 BB in 44.0 IP.

Stetson (22-7) is another Florida school that’s exceeded most expectations so far. The Hatters need just five wins to match the win total of last year’s team that finished 27-31. Head coach Pete Dunn’s 32nd edition of the Hatters is also just five wins away from matching its 14 Atlantic Sun Conference win total from 2010. Robert Crews (.378, 3 HR), Nick Rickles (.345, 10 doubles, 3 HR, 28 RBIs) and Mark Jones (.343) have provided the bulk of the offense, while relievers Robbie Powell (4-0, 1.05 ERA) and Jake Boyd (2-0, 2.45 ERA) have combined for 8 saves in 31 appearances. The pitching staff has notched 232 strikeouts with 94 walks so far this season.

Head-scratching Surprises…

Connecticut was the darling of the north heading into the 2011 season. The Huskies brought back most of their line-up and pitching from last year’s team that won a school record 48 games and hosted an NCAA Regional. Most is the key word. UConn struggled to an 8-9-1 start to the new campaign without table setter Pierre LePage (.327, 63 R, 29 SB) and top run producer Mike Olt (.318, 23 HR, 76 RBIs), who were both drafted last June. The Huskies (15-10-1) have won seven of their last eight and look like they are back on the right track after sweeping St. John’s last weekend. Ace pitcher Matt Barnes (5-2, 1.00 ERA, 2 CG) has been as dominant as advertised. After starting the season in the Saturday starting role, he’s now the Friday night man. The UConn staff currently sports a 2.78 ERA, which should go a long way toward curing what ails Jim Penders‘ team now that Big East play is here.

UCLA road its pitching and a scrappy offense to a national runner-up finish in Omaha last year. The Bruins might have to lean on the arms of Trevor Bauer and Gerrit Cole even more this year. UCLA hit .304 as a team and averaged 6.8 runs a game last year, but those numbers are down to .244 and 4.0 through 24 games this year. John Savage’s Bruins (14-10) weren’t a team built on power to begin with (Dean Espy’s 9 HR led the club last year), but they have just four home runs to date in ’11. Seven different Bruin regulars batted .308 or better last year, but Cody Keefer’s .293 currently leads the team. Bauer (5-1, 1.46 ERA), who leads the nation with 82 Ks, and Cole (3-2, 2.06 ERA, 57 K) and the staff have been overpowering, with a 2.06 staff ERA and 259 strikeouts vs. just 74 walks in 218 2/3 innings this season. But consider this: After a 22-game win streak to start the season, UCLA didn’t lose its first game until April 2 last year. They lost 17 times in 68 games last year, but they have already lost 10 games this season.

San Diego has been to the NCAA Tournament in four of the last five seasons, but the Toreros will have a tough time getting back this year. San Diego (7-19) is off to one of the worst starts in Rich Hill’s 13-year tenure. USD currently sports a .256 team batting average, .325 on-base percentage and 4.82 ERA. The holes in the weekend pitching rotation left by Kyle Blair (8-4, 2.84 ERA) and Sammy Solis (9-2, 3.42 ERA) have been tough to fill on the mound, while the bats of Chris Engall (.416) and James Meador (.391) have left a big offensive void as well. To its credit, San Diego has played a tough schedule, with losses to the likes of Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Cal, Coastal Carolina, and Fresno State.

New Mexico had its best season in nearly 50 years in 2010, but things have been different this year. After earning the program’s first NCAA bid since 1962, the 2011 Lobos are off to a 9-20 start, including eight straight losses to start the campaign. However, Ray Birmingham’s squad returned just one position starter and six pitchers from last year’s team that went 38-22. Birmingham’s teams have always been offensive minded, but it’s hitting a whopping 80 points below last year’s .346 team batting average, while reaching base at a .342 clip (down nearly 70 points). The lack of offense, combined with a 6.05 staff ERA has been a recipe for  misfortune so far. Give Birmingham credit though. He knew what kind of turnover he would be facing this year, but still scheduled the likes of Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Arizona, and Oklahoma. The first of two conference series against TCU is this weekend.

Oregon is off to just a 14-12 start after an NCAA berth in just the second year of existence in the program’s return. The 40-24 record and that postseason appearance brought high expectations and a top 10 ranking coming into 2011. Like UCLA, George Horton’s offense is know for its small ball approach, but the Ducks are waddling to the tune of a dismal .229 team batting average and a .310 slugging percentage. Aaron Jones (.310) and Danny Pulfer (.301) are the only Ducks batting above .300, while K.C. Serna, who hit a team-best .348 in ’10, is struggling at .194 this season. Oregon scored just three runs in last week’s sweep at the hands of Arizona State to open Pac-10 play, making this weekend’s home series against Washington huge.

Dugouthats.com has officially licensed 2010 College World Series memorabilia year round!

From t-shirts and caps to limited edition prints commemorating the last CWS ever played at historic Rosenblatt Stadium. Dugouthats.com also always  hats of your favorite college teams like LSU, Texas, Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, UCLA, South Carolina, Miami and more.

www.simplesharebuttons.com

]]> http://collegebaseball360.com/2011-college-baseball-surprises/feed/ 0

The TCU – Cal State Fullerton and Vanderbilt – Stanford series were two of the top match-ups of the second week of the 2011 college baseball season. This week’s Notebook includes those series as well as other notables from around the nation.

Taylor Jungman has thrown two complete game shutouts to open the season.

junior did it again Friday with a 2-0, 4-hit win at Hawaii. All nine hits Jungmann has given-up this year have been singles. He has 18 strikeouts and just one walk.

15…Innings it took on Saturday for Hawaii to scratch-out a 5-4 win over the Longhorns. David Peterson scored the winning run on a wild pitch with two outs in the bottom of the 15th. Pitchers from the two teams combined for 25 strikeouts, seven walks, four hit batters, and six wild pitches in the 4 1/2 hour maraton. Hawaii’s Pi’ikea Kitamura and Texas’ Paul Montalbano were each o-for-7 at the plate.

3…Big wins for Cal at the Baseball at the Beach Tournament in Myrtle Beach, SC. In the second weekend of their swan song season, the Golden Bears outscored Coastal Carolina, North Carolina State and Kansas State by a combined 29-1 to improve to 5-1. The bulk of the runs came in their 17-0 win over Coastal Carolina. Chanticleer ace Anthony Meo yielded 9 ER on 10 hits in just 5.0 IP in the drubbing.

7…RBIs to go along with 2 HR by Golden Bears CF Chad Bunting in the win over Coastal Carolina. Bunting was 7-for-12 (.583) for the weekend in Myrtle Beach.

5…Straight wins to open the season by Michigan State before dropping an 8-0 decision at Clemson Sunday. The 5-0 start for Jake Boss, Jr.’s squad is the best by MSU since 1964. Senior centerfielder Brandon Eckerle leads the Spartans with a .696 (16-for-23) average.

6…Straight losses to open the season by Michigan after being swept in three games by Rutgers in Port St. Lucie, FL. All six Wolverine losses are to Big East Teams (they were 0-3 at the Big East/Big Ten Challenge). Rutgers starter Tyler Gebler tossed a complete game to earn the win in the series-opener.

10…Combined runs allowed (7 earned) by UCLA aces Trevor Bauer and Gerrit Cole in Saturday and Sunday’s shocking 5-3 and 8-3 losses to San Jose State. After the losses, the Bruins fell to 4-2 after opening last year with 22 straight wins.

Matt Zahel saved both of Toledo's wins at Louisville.

2…Wins to start their series at Louisville by Toledo. The Rockets won by scores of 3-1 and 4-2 Friday and Saturday as the Cardinals lost their first two home games of a season for the first time in 20 years. Toledo closer Matt Zahel saved both wins with a total of 2.0 perfect innings with three strikeouts. Toledo had lost twice to Canisius and once to Creighton in the season’s opening weekend. Louisville won Sunday’s finale 4-2.

0…Hits allowed by Georgia Tech starter Jed Bradley in 7.0 IP in Saturday’s 5-0 win over St. John’s. Bradley fanned 10 with three walks to earn his first win of 2011. Bradley has 20 Ks and has allowed just four hits and one run in 12 1/3 innings this season.

.800…Batting average of Yellow Jacket 3B/1B/C Matt Skole in the 3-game series. Skole was 8-for-10 with a HR and 7 RBIs on the weekend.

0…Runs scored by St. John’s in their first two games of the series with the Yellow Jackets before finally erupting for a 13-3 win in Sunday’s series finale. The Red Storm has scored a total of 35 runs in their three games at the season-opening Big East/Big Ten Challenge.

10…Runs scored in the first inning by Georgia Tech in Friday’s 13-0 series-opening win. Red Storm starter Sean Hagan exited after allowing all 10 ER on 9 hits in just 2/3 IP.

2…Of 3 games won by Cal State Fullerton at TCU to hand the Horned Frogs their first series loss in nearly two years. After dropping Friday’s opener, the Titans won by finals of 8-4 and 2-1 Saturday and Sunday, respectively. TCU ace Matt Purke (17-0 in his career) did not pitch in the series due to a blister on his finger. TCU last lost a series in March 2009 when they lost two of three to San Diego State.

1…Career Division One win by Delaware pitcher Eric Young. It came in Friday’s 7-3 upset at Arizona State. Young, a transfer from Riverside CC, gave-up two runs in 5.0 IP in his first career start in the series-opener against the Sun Devils. Blue Hens DH Jimmy Yezzo helped Young by going 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs.

Danny Hultzen

15…Strikeouts with no walks in 7.0 IP by Virginia’s Danny Hultzen in Friday’s 10-1 win over East Carolina. Hultzen yielded a single to open the game and then retired 19 straight Pirates. He struckout the side three times.

19…Combined strikeouts by Texas A&M’s John Stilson and Gonzaga’s Ryan Carpenter in Friday’s 1-0 win in 11 innings by the Aggies. Stilson, who was one of the top closers in the country last year, fanned 9 in 9.0 shutout innings in his second start of 2011, while Carpenter rang-up 10 Ks in 7 1/3 IP.

2…Wins over Top-30 teams (CB360 composite poll) by Stanford’s Jordan Pries. The junior helped the Cardinal beat #26 Cal in his first start on Tuesday and then earned another victory at #3 Vanderbilt on Sunday for Stanford’s only win in the 3-game series in Nashville. Pries totaled 11.0 IP with 8 Ks and 6 BB. He didn’t allow a hit through the first four innings of the 5-2 win over Vandy (7-1), although the first seven pitches he threw were balls. Stanford (3-3) will rely on Pries even more this year after the announcement that teammate Brett Mooneyham will miss the season after requiring surgery to repair a finger he cut in January.

7 2/3…Scoreless innings pitched by Radford relievers Jason Patton, Brad Wimmers and Abram Williams in Friday’s 13-inning 8-6 win over Auburn. Highlander LF Matt Hillsinger led-off the to of the 13th with a home run to help Radford to the upset.

14…Runs allowed in 11.0 IP by Alabama starting pitchers Adam Morgan, Nathan Kilcrease and Tucker Hawley in losses at the Jaguar Classic, hosted by South Alabama. The Crimson Tide staff surrendered a total of 43 hits in setbacks to Southeastern Louisiana, South Alabama and Central Florida.

26…Game hitting streak, to tie a school record, by Central Florida’s Beau Taylor that ended in Saturday’s loss to Southeastern Louisiana . Taylor made-up for in by going 2-for-4 with a home run and 4 RBIs in Sunday’s 12-4 win over Alabama.

3…RBIs and a home run by Appalachian State’s Jeremy Dowdy in Friday’s 7-4 upset of Miami in Coral Gables. The Hurricanes still took two of three games in the series.

Lawrence Pardo

29…Years since Appalachian State had beaten a ranked opponent prior to that win at #19 Miami. Freshman (and Miami native) Lawrence Pardo earned his first win in his second career start in his return to his home town. Prado gave-up three unearned runs on four hits in 6.0 IP.

2…Wins in the first two weeks of the season by Connecticut. The Huskies entered the season with the program’s first top 10 ranking, but have stumbled to a 2-4 start. Their lone wins are over winless Michigan and Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Friday and Saturday starters Elliott Glynn and Matt Barnes, respectively, have suffered all four defeats.

1.2…Runs-a-game scored by UConn in its four losses, while averaging 11 runs in its two wins, but just 1.2 runs in its four losses. Coaches we spoke to at the Big East/Big Ten Challenge last weekend said the losses of Pierre LePage (.327-29 SB) and Mike Olt (.381-23 HR-76 RBIs) from last year’s line-up will be tough to overcome.

10…Strikeouts by Oregon State’s Sam Gaviglio in Friday’s complete game, two-hit 2-0 over UConn. The junior has 15 Ks with one BB and has allowed just two unearned runs in 15 2/3 IP this season.

2…RPI-boosting wins last week by Texas A&M Corpus Christi, which beat Texas 8-7 on Tuesday and then topped Oregon State by the same score on Saturday. Islanders catcher Jumpy Garcia was 2-for-5 with 4 RBIs in the win over the Longhorns.

16…Innings it took Elon to defeat South Florida 7-5 Sunday in Tampa to tie the longest game in USF history. The game featured 14 pitchers, but amazingly took just under 3 1/2 hours to play. 21 of the game’s 24 hits were singles, the other three went for doubles.

16…Strikeouts in 7 2/3 IP by Memphis pitcher Dan Langfield in Friday’s win over Kennesaw State. The sophomore gave-up a pair of first inning singles, struckout the side in the second innings and then retired 16 of the next 19 batters he faces.

240…Points raised on Mike McGee’s batting average (.440) after the Florida State outfielder went 9-for-15 with two HR, 9 runs and 11 RBIs. McGee made his first pitching appearance of the season in the top of the 8th inning  and then homered in the bottom of the inning Sunday against Hofstra. It marks the eighth time McGee has homered and pitched in the same game.

27…Consecutive batters retired, spanning two starts, by Florida’s Brian Johnson. The lefty set down 10 straight batters to end his first start of 2011 against South Florida and then retired the first 17 men he faced in last Thursday’s win over Boston College. He is 2-0 with 12 shutout innings to open his sophomore campaign.

A By The Numbers Rundown Of The Action…

College baseball’s opening weekend is in the books and now it’s on to the grind of the regular season. We got to see a ton of baseball and a lot of teams at the third annual Big East/Big Ten Challenge in St. Petersburg, Clearwater and Dunedin over the weekend, so we thought we would share some observations, insights and numbers from a weekend that saw 24 games played in beautifully sunny weather.

Here’s the by the numbers look…

3-0…Records by Louisville and Michigan State at this year’s Challenge. It’s the third straight year two teams have finished unblemished, but it’s the first time each conference has had a 3-0 team. Louisville and St. John’s both did it last year, while Michigan and Ohio State accomplished the feat in 2009.

Brandon Eckerle (MSU photo)

19…Years since Michigan State last started a season with a 3-0 mark. Head coach Jake Boss, Jr.’s team sported a .343 batting average, 2.42 ERA and .981 fielding percentage (2 errors) to start the 2011 campaign.

.667…Batting average by MSU centerfielder Brandon Eckerle to tie the Challenge record. The senior earned MVP honors after going 8-for-12 in wins over Notre Dame, Seton Hall and Cincinnati.

6…Pitchers used by the Spartans in their three games. Starters Kurt Wunderlich, Tony Bucciferro and Andrew Waszak combined to allow seven runs in 17 1/3 IP.

0.67…ERA turned-in by the Louisville pitching staff-a new single Challenge record. The Cardinals allowed a total of three runs in their wins over Michigan, Ohio State and Minnesota. The Cardinal staff pitched 23 straight innings without allowing a run. Understandably, Ian Dooley, who announced Louisville’s win over Ohio State here on Collegebaseball360.com, called the Louisville staff the best one he saw all weekend.

13…Strikeouts by the Louisville staff, including eight by starter Matt Koch, in the 6-3 win over Michigan. The 13 Ks are the third most in a Challenge game by a pitching staff. Louisville pitchers fanned 27 with eight BB in 27.0 innings over the weekend.

2…Errors committed by Louisville all weekend-both in the same game by shortstop Alex Crittendon, who was one of a handful of freshmen making their debut for the Cards.

Jeremy Baltz (SJU photo)

32…RBIs in three games by St. John’s en-route to scoring 34 runs. The 32 RBIs is one away from the Challenge record set by the Red Storm in 2010. The Johnnies batted .383 with 11 doubles, two triples and a home run over the weekend. They were paced by 2010 National Freshman of the Year Jeremy Baltz, who was 7-for-14 at the plate with five runs and seven RBIs.

7-2…Three year record posted by St. John’s in the three years of the Big East/Big Ten Challenge, after going 2-1 in 2011.

2…Earned runs allowed by Red Storm starting pitchers Matt Carasiti, Sean Hagan and Brendan Lobban in 15 1/3 combined IP. The bullpen combined to allow 11 ER in 15 2/3 innings.

7-1…Lead the Red Storm blew in Sunday’s 8-7 loss in 11 innings to Ohio State. St. John’s was held scoreless over the last eight innings after jumping out to the early lead. It was the first win of the Greg Beals era at OSU.

Josh Dezse

2…Shutout innings pitched by Ohio State freshman Josh Dezse to earn earn his first collegiate win. It was his second relief appearance of the weekend for the Buckeyes.

.583…Team-high batting average by Dezse (7-for-12), who was also the Buckeye’s starting DH in all three games. His batting average is the third-highest in the Big Ten after opening weekend, while his .111 opponent batting average ranks third in the conference.

.545…Team-best batting average by Cincinnati freshman Justin Glass (6-for-11), who collected four of the hits and an RBI in his team’s season-opening win over Ohio State.

.156…Batting average by Minnesota en-route to a 1-2 weekend. The Golden Gophers managed just three doubles and a triple, while committing eight errors. Nick O’Shea, who hit .456 with 6 RBIs, was one of the few offensive bright spots.

12 1/3…Total innings pitched by Minnesota’s three starting pitchers. Phil Isaksson gave-up just a run in 5.0 IP in his no-decision in the head-to-head match-up against UConn All-American Matt Barnes in Minnesota’s only win.

11…Strikeouts by Barnes in 6.0 IP, while suffering the loss in that game. Barnes set the Challenge single-game strikeout record in the Saturday start, but Friday starter Elliot Glynn surrendered 3 ER in 4 2/3 IP in UConn’s season-opening 10-2 loss to Purdue, in what was the upset of the Challenge. Glynn’s stuff looked good, but he appeared to overthrow at times, with three walks and two hit batters in the loss.

Matt Morgan (Purdue photo)

5 2/3…Scoreless innings pitched by Purdue’s Matt Morgan in the upset of the Huskies. The senior struckout five and allowed just three hits to earn the win.

11…Pitchers used by Purdue in three games-the most of any team at the Challenge. The Boilermakers ended the weekend with a 6.00 ERA.

19…Runs scored by Notre Dame in its 19-2 Saturday win over the Boilermakers-a new single-game Challenge record. It was also Mik Aoki’s first win at Notre Dame.

3…RBIs on a double by Irish outfielder Herman Petzold to spark an 11-run fourth inning in that game. Petzold is a fifth-year senior who had three hits and no RBIs in his first four years at Notre Dame. He finished the weekend by going 5-for-12 with three runs, two doubles and five RBIs in the first three starts of his career.

0-3…Record by Michigan at the ’11 Challenge. The Wolverines had by far the toughest draw of any team at the event, with losses to Louisville, St. John’s and Connecticut.

.311…Team batting average for the Wolverines, but the pitching staff had a 9.00 ERA. Starters Brandon Sinnery, Bobby Brosnahan and Ben Ballantine combined to allow 12 ER in just 10.1 IP, while the Michigan defense committed six errors.

Will Walsh (Seton Hall photo)

4…Times hit by pitch by Seton Hall’s Will Walsh in Friday’s 8-6 loss to Penn State-one away from the single-game NCAA record held by former Stanford OF Carlos Quentin. Penn State starter Heath Johnson accounted for five of his team’s Challenge record seven hit batsmen in the contest. PSU pitchers hit nine batters in three games, while Seton Hall pitchers plunked one batter all weekend.

4…Wild pitches by Seton Hall pitchers in that game-also a Challenge record.

2.77…Team ERA for a Penn State team that hit just .240, while going 2-1. However, seven Nittany Lion errors allowed eight unearned runs to score. Starting pitchers Steven Hill and John Walter combined to allow just four earned runs in 15 1/3 IP.

2.42…Staff ERA for a West Virginia team that is traditionally strong on hitting and thin on pitching. Mountaineer starters Jonathon Jones and Harrison Musgrave combined to allow no runs with 13 Ks, five hits and no walks in 13.0 IP.

Josh Parr (Illinois photo)

4…Stolen bases in three games by Illinois shortstop Josh Parr-a new Challenge record. His biggest steal came in the top of the 9th inning of Sunday’s 5-4 loss to West Virginia. After stealing second base with two outs, his brother, Justin Parr, drove him in to tie the game, but WVU plated the winning run in the bottom of the inning.

40-38…Head-to-head record of the two conferences in the three years of the Big East/Big Ten Challenge, with the slight edge going to the Big East. The Big Ten took the first Challenge 15-9, but the Big East won 17-13 last year and 14-10 this year.

20,064…Total viewers who joined us to watch 13 2011 Big East/Big Ten Challenge games webcast here on Collegebaseball360.com. Thanks to everyone who watched and thanks as well to both conferences as well as Angel Natal from the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission and Bo Carter from the NCBWA!

UConn Tabbed As Coaches’ Favorite…

Matt Barnes

The Huskies received nine of a possible 11 first-place votes in the preseason poll. The coaches also chose Connecticut outfielder George Springer as the BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year and named righthanded pitcher Matt Barnes the BIG EAST Preseason Pitcher of the Year.

Connecticut returns seven starting position players and its top two pitchers from last year’s team, which went 48-16 overall and 20-6 in the BIG EAST Conference, finishing a half-game behind Louisville in the regular-season standings. The Huskies advanced to the BIG EAST Championship final for the third time in the last four years and hosted the Norwich Regional of the NCAA Championship.

George Springer

Connecticut’s returning starters include Springer, who hit .337 with 18 home runs, 62 runs batted in and 33 stolen bases last season, and Barnes, the Huskies’ Friday starter who went 8-3 with a 3.92 ERA in 2010. First baseman Mike Nemeth (.386, 15 HR, 84 RBI) joined Springer and Barnes as unanimous Preseason All-BIG EAST selections, while designated hitter Kevin Vance (.322, 7 HR, 36 RBI) was named to the team as well.

St. John’s, which went 43-20 overall and 16-11 in BIG EAST play, was picked second in the preseason poll, edging Louisville with 107 points. The Red Storm won a record sixth BIG EAST Championship last season and were selected for the NCAA Regionals for the third time in the last four years. Outfielder Jeremy Baltz (.396, 24 HR, 85 RBI), a Baseball America All-America First Team pick and the BIG EAST Rookie of the Year last season, was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, along with righthanded pitcher Kyle Hansen (8-3, 3.71 ERA), who was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2010 BIG EAST Championship.

Louisville was picked third with 105 points following a 2010 season in which the Cardinals went 50-14 overall, won the BIG EAST regular-season title at 21-6 in the conference, and earned the No. 7 national seed in the NCAA Championship. Louisville set a school record for wins and finished the year ranked as high as No. 16 nationally. Second baseman Ryan Wright (.366, 16 HR, 80 RBI) was unanimously chosen to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team, joining outfielder Stewart Ijames (.324, 14 HR, 63 RBI).

USF (26-32, 16-11 BIG EAST) was picked fourth in the preseason poll with 87 points on the strength of two of the top pitchers in the BIG EAST. Southpaw Andrew Barbosa went 8-2 with a BIG EAST-leading 2.40 ERA, while righthander Randy Fontanez went 5-7 with a 3.59 ERA and led the conference in innings (110.1) and strikeouts (105)  last season. Both pitchers were chosen to the Preseason All-BIG EAST team.

Pittsburgh was tabbed fifth by the BIG EAST coaches with 82 points. The Panthers went 38-18 overall and 18-8 in the BIG EAST last year, finishing third in the regular-season standings, but will have to replace the production of 2010 BIG EAST Player of the Year Joe Leonard. Catcher Kevan Smith (.361, 5 HR, 46 RBI) and lefthanded pitcher Matt Iannazzo (11-2, 3.76 ERA) were the Panthers’ Preseason All-BIG EAST picks.

Rutgers was chosen sixth in the preseason poll with 75 points. The Scarlet Knights played a challenging schedule to a 30-26 overall record and a 15-12 mark in BIG EAST play last year, finishing sixth in the conference. Steve Nyisztor was the Preseason All-BIG EAST choice at shortstop after he hit .410 with four home runs and 51 RBI last year, while Ryan Kapp (.318, 9 HR, 39 RBI) was chosen as a designated hitter.

Cincinnati (29-29, 13-14 BIG EAST ) and Notre Dame (22-32, 10-17 BIG EAST) tied for seventh in the preseason poll with 56 points. The Bearcats will have 15 new players and 16 returning letterwinners in 2011, including righthanded pitcher Andrew Strenge, who set a BIG EAST record with a 0.62 ERA in BIG EAST games as a freshman. Overall, Strenge went 7-1 with a 1.93 ERA to lead a strong Bearcat staff. Notre Dame and new head coach Mik Aoki are led by second baseman Frank DeSico (.333, 1 HR, 25 RBI) as the Irish look to return to the BIG EAST Championship in 2011.

West Virginia was picked ninth in the preseason poll with 38 points. The Mountaineers were 27-30 overall and 10-17 in BIG EAST play last season, qualifying for the BIG EAST Championship on the last day of the regular season. Third baseman Grant Buckner (.363, 8 HR, 50 RBI) was the Mountaineers’ lone representative on the Preseason All-BIG EAST team.

Villanova was 10th in the preseason poll with 31 points, followed by Seton Hall (25 points ) and Georgetown (13 points). The Hoyas placed catcher Erick Fernandez (.315, 5 HR, 29 RBI) on the Preseason All-BIG EAST team.

The 2011 baseball season begins Feb. 18 with the early season highlighted by the third annual BIG EAST/Big Ten Challenge taking place in Florida. The first weekend of league play is March 25-27 with all 12 schools in action. The 2011 BIG EAST Baseball Championship will return to Bright House Field in Clearwater, Fla., May 25-29, with the championship game to be televised on ESPNU.

2011 Preseason BIG EAST Baseball Coaches’ Poll

1.              Connecticut (9)                                 117

2.              St. John’s (2)                                     107

3.              Louisville (1)                                     105

4.              USF                                                    87

5.              Pittsburgh                                           82

6.              Rutgers                                               75

7.              Cincinnati                                            56

7.             Notre Dame                                        56

9.              West Virginia                                      38

10.             Villanova                                             31

11.             Seton Hall                                           25

12.             Georgetown                                        13

Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year:

George Springer, OF, Connecticut

Preseason BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year:

Matt Barnes, RHP, Connecticut

Preseason All-BIG EAST Team

Pos.    Name, Class, School                                           Key 2010 Stats

P    Matt Barnes, Sr., Connecticut *                         8-3, 3.92 ERA, 82.2 IP, 75K, 25 BB, .257 OBA

P    Matt Iannazzo, Jr., Pittsburgh                            11-2, 3.76 ERA, 93.1 IP, 58 K, 22 BB, .289 OBA

P    Kyle Hansen, So., St. John’s                                8-3, 3.71 ERA, 94.2 IP, 85 K, 38 BB, .227 OBA

P    Randy Fontanez, Sr., USF                                   5-7, 3.59 ERA, 110.1 IP, 105 K, 28 BB, .241 OBA

P    Andrew Barbosa, Sr., USF                                  8-2, 2.40 ERA, 86.1 IP, 95 K, 22 BB, .228 OBA

C    Erick Fernandez, Sr., Georgetown                      .315, 5 HR, 29 RBI

C    Kevan Smith, Sr., Pittsburgh                               .361, 5 HR, 46 RBI

1B    Mike Nemeth, Sr., Connecticut *                       .386, 15 HR, 84 RBI

2B    Ryan Wright, Jr., Louisville *                              .366, 16 HR, 80 RBI, 10 SB

SS    Steve Nyisztor, So., Rutgers                               .410, 4 HR, 51 RBI, 11 SB

3B    Grant Buckner, Sr., West Virginia                      .363, 8 HR, 50 RBI

OF    George Springer, Jr., Connecticut *                    .337, 18 HR, 62 RBI, 33 SB

OF    Stewart Ijames, Jr., Louisville                            .324, 14 HR, 63 RBI

OF    Jeremy Baltz, So., St. John’s *                            .396, 24 HR, 85 RBI

DH    Kevin Vance, Jr., Connecticut                              .322, 7 HR, 36 RBI

DH    Ryan Kapp, Jr., Rutgers                                       .318, 9 HR, 39 RBI

* – unanimous selection

A bit later than I intended, but I’m back with another Inside the Webb edition, and the latest round takes one last look inside the Big East where a coach is doing great things at his alama mater.

Jim Penders

While the Huskies have accomplished a lot and made significant strides during Penders’ tenure, with the tradition within the Penders’ family as well as the Huskies’ program, he knows there is still work to be done.

“We still have a long way to go,” said Penders.  “As a program we have been to Omaha five times and I want to get back as a participant. But I certainly am proud of the progress that has been made.”

The expectations and level of success sought to be obtained by the Huskies are displayed day in and day out, with a constant reminder of the excellence that preceded Penders.

“I’m just the third coach in the program since J.O. Christian,” said Penders referring to the legendary Huskies’ skipper who coached from 1936-61. “Larry Panciera (1962-79), Andy Blalock (1980-2003), and Christian all have their numbers retired and names on the outfield wall. It’s is a reminder of the standard you have to live up to and gives me pride to put on the Blue & White.”

Those mentioned standards could explain why though the Huskies set a program record with 48 wins in their 64 games played a season ago, Penders alluded to the fact his team did not reach any of the benchmarks set forth and there is not a sense of complacency settling in.

“We did not reach any of the goals we set last year,” said the coach who is now entering his eighth season. “Our goals were not to host a Regional, or to win 48 games, nor to win 22 in a row. We set our goals to win the Big East, win a Regional, and win a Super Regional to get to Omaha. We didn’t do any of those.”

Those failures have allowed Penders to keep his players hungry and humble as the 2011 season nears, but so too do the actions of the former Huskie himself.

“During the first meeting of the year I read the team an article,” said Penders. “It was a 2010 preseason article where I substituted Ohio State with Connecticut, Buckeyes for Huskies, their player’s names with ours, and our players thought that article was really about us.”

Penders hopes his Huskies do not follow the course that would embark the Buckeyes who were ranked as high as 14th in the preseason before finishing 2010 with a 28-23 record. Tying for seventh in the Big Ten, Ohio State failed to make the conference’s postseason tournament, let alone a Regional.

“We have a ton of respect for Ohio State, for what Coach Todd did who is a Hall of Fame coach, and the unbelievable amount of success they have had,” said Penders. “But I know they didn’t reach their goals and I just wanted our guys to be aware of that. You can get caught up in hype. Preseason rankings and such is very useful for recruits and boosters to feel good about, but it is absolute poison to us within the program.”

“Every year the media likes to pick a Northern sweetheart. Everyone falls in love with a Northern team that might get to Omaha. We refuse to drink the poison.”
While Penders wants his team to avoid the poison and to have blinders to the preseason hype, internally the bar has been raised and the desire to fulfill high expectations churn, if not publicly.

“We really focused on everyday keeping the same attitude,” said Penders on the autumn practice environment. “With talent we have back, we’re confident we’re capable of getting there, but at the same time, just as we are, there are 300 other teams that are undefeated at this moment. We’re never going to be afraid of talking about Omaha and getting there, but we also don’t talk about it every day. We talk about hitting the outside pitch, getting bunts down, running the bases properly.”

Before steps to Omaha can be made, steps to the top of the Big East ladder need be made first. As Louisville under Dan McDonnell has become the powerhouse program, Penders knows in order to reach the ultimate goal they first need to conquer those closer to home.

“We expect to compete for the Big East championship,” said Penders once again mentioning the first Connecticut baseball goal. “If we focus on the same goal, of the Big East title, nowadays if you win that, the rest, Regionals, and hosting, you’re in competition for.”

Each step Connecticut makes, every goal it achieves, and the success the program encounters is doubly special for Penders who has spent 18 of the past 20 years inside the Huskies’ program. As a player from 1991-1994, Connecticut advanced to NCAA Regionals in Penders’ final two seasons, also winning the Big East in 1994, a season Penders was a co-captain catcher.

UConn hosted an NCAA Regional at Thomas Dodd Stadium in 2010.

After two years away from the Storrs, Connecticut campus, Penders served as a graduate assistant for two seasons before becoming a full-time assistant coach under Baylock from 1999 until taking over for his former coach following the 2003 season.

Now at the helm of what many feel is the most talented Connecticut team ever, Penders is in a position to cement his legacy among the great Huskie coaches. With a team that returns seven position players, all of which batted .300 or better led by a shoe-in first-round draft pick junior outfielder George Springer, and two thirds of its weekend rotation, also bolstered by an expected first-round pick in Matt Barnes, the chance for a special season is a reality for Connecticut.

While the head coach knows that the talent is there, he knows the Huskies will only go as far as their hard work will take them, a staple that has been passed down from Christian, to Panciera, to Baylock, and now Penders.

“We emphasize staying level and controlling what you can control. Focus, attitude, and effort are the only three things that you can control and mastering those is what we need to work on, said Penders. “I pride myself on never being too high, never being too low.”

When it is all said and done, Penders may be forced to take pride in one last thing, the 2011 season. A season that looks to be ready to someday have stories told of a special Huskies team can be passed down to the next generation of Penders.

O’Brien Homers In Win…

Pete O'Brien

O’Brien’s fielder’s choice RBI in the fourth inning broke a one-all and gave USA the lead for good at 2-1. George Springer (Connecticut) singled to right to start the inning and moved over to second when Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) was hit by a pitch. Jason Esposito (Vanderbilt) advanced the runner’s on a sac bunt towards first before Springer sprinted home on O’Brien’s grounder to short.

Gerrit Cole (UCLA) posted his second win of the season after working a pre-determined four innings. Cole (2-0) allowed one run (unearned) on two hits with four punch outs and a pair of walks. Matt Barnes (Connecticut) also went four frames surrendering two runs on two hits with six strikeouts. Cal State Fullerton’s Noe Ramirez notched his team-leading fourth save tossing a perfect ninth with a strikeout.

Drew Maggi (Arizona State) scored on a wild pitch in the first inning staking USA to an early 1-0 lead. Maggi drew a leadoff walk then promptly swiped before Nolan Fontana (Florida) walked putting men at first and second with no outs. Jackie Bradley, Jr. moved both runner’s up 90-feet on a sac bunt prior to Maggi scoring during Ryan Wright’s (Louisville) at-bat.

Chinese-Taipei knotted the game at one in the bottom half of the first when Wei-Ting Lin scored on a passed ball with two outs. Lin singled to right and took second when USA outfielder Mikie Mahtook (LSU) misplayed the ball. Chen-Yu Hung pushed Lin over to third on a ground out back to Cole setting up the tying run.

O’Brien extended CNT’s lead to 3-1 in the sixth with a towering solo home run down the left field line.

RBI base knocks by Bradley, Jr. and Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) highlighted a three-run seventh for Team USA that pushed the lead to five, 6-1. Maggi reached on a bunt single, advanced to second on a wild pitch then stole third before crossing home when Bradley, Jr. singled back to the pitcher. With one out and runners on first and second, Springer loaded the bases with the third infield single of the inning, a high chopper to second shortly before Nick Ramirez reached on a fielder’s choice that scored both Fontana and Bradley, Jr.

Chinese-Taipei plated a pair of runs in the bottom half of the seventh cutting the lead in half, 6-3.

Starter Chuang-Ju Liao suffered the loss allowing two runs (both earned) on three hits in three innings. Hao Chiu allowed one run and Hung-Cheng Lai gave up three runs each in an inning of work. Yu-Hsun Chen and Yu-Ching Lin tossed two innings hitless relief.

Team USA will look to even the series Wednesday, July 28 when the two teams square-off in the final game of the four-game international friendly series. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 a.m. (EST).

Notes: Drew Maggi is a perfect 11-for-11 in stolen base attempts on the summer after swiping two on Tuesday night … Gerrit Cole improved to 6-0 for his career with Team USA.

(USA Baseball Release)

Vandy’s Esposito Added To Roster…

Peter O'Brien (photo courtesy Bethune Cookman)

Barnes, who was battling a stomach virus, worked six innings allowing one run on three hits for his first win of the summer. Sophomore Noe Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) recorded his second save on the tour scattering just one hit over three frames with four strikeouts.

Both pitchers kept their opponents at bay until Korea scratched across the games first run in the fifth inning on a solo blast to left field off the bat of Boung Gon Jeung.

O’Brien’s two-run homer to left field in the bottom half of the fifth highlighted a three-run frame for Team USA, which gave them its first lead at 3-1. Nick Ramirez knotted the game at one earlier in the stanza with a solo shot to right field before Alex Dickerson drew a two-out walk setting up O’Brien’s first home run that chased Myung June Yoon.

Miller got in on the home run derby sending a 2-1 offering from Ji Woong Yoon to left field putting Team USA up 4-1 in the sixth.

Korean starter Myung June Yoon, who retired the first 13 batters he faced before Ramirez’ homer in the fifth, suffered the loss after going 4 2/3 innings where he surrendered three runs on two hits with six strikeouts. Yoon went 1 2/3 innings with four punch outs and Kun Chong Cho closed the final 1 2/3 innings with three strikeouts.

The five-game series will continue Saturday night at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, N.C. with a first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. (EST).

Final Stats |  Cumulative Stats

Notes: Collegiate National Team General Manager Eric Campbell announced that sophomore infielder Jason Esposito (Vanderbilt) has been added to the roster taking the place of the injured Anthony Rendon (Rice) who broke his ankle earlier in the week… Esposito will be available when Team USA takes the field on Saturday against Korea at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

(USA Baseball Release)