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Notes, Quotes, Observations & Video From Stanford Regional…

CB360 Contributor Kevin Kennedy is at the Palo Alto Regional for us this weekend…

Stanford's Stephen Piscotty helped his team beat Pepperdine on Saturday to help his team go to 2-0 in the Palo Alto Regional.

#1 Stanford 5 #2 Pepperdine 4

(Postgame Video Interviews Below)

The nightcap of Day 2 in the Stanford Regional featured the most exciting game of the regional so far with the host Cardinal pulling out a 5-4 win over Pepperdine in a tense game Saturday night.

The Cardinal (who were the designated road team) scored the winning run in the top of eighth on junior shortstop Kenny Diekroeger’s RBI double down the left field line to give Stanford (40-16) a 5-4 lead.

-“This is why we came to Stanford honestly, to play in front of a packed house. There was a lot of electricity tonight, and it was a really exciting game,” said Diekroeger.

-Stanford trailed 4-0 after three innings and 4-1 going into the sixth when Pepperdine starter sophomore Scott Frazier uncorked a wild pitch with the bases loaded to score one run. That’s where things got interesting Waves catcher senior Miles Silverstein lost the handle of the ball allowing another run to score on the error. The craziness continued when the ball appeared to hit the Stanford runner who scored the first run. The umpires ruled interfererence allowing a third run to score.

-The easiest way to say it is Stanford scored three runs on a wild pitch and tied the game 4-4.

-Stanford Sophomore first basemen Brian Ragira, who appeared to be the player the ball touched, said, “I didn’t see too much of it, ball in the dirt to the back stop, I’m busting to try and get home.” “Next thing I know the ball is rolling around and the pitch is around me and we ended up with three runs.”

-“I think it’s really hard on our guys when (Stanford scores) three runs on a wild pitch and a fluke play,” said Pepperdine Head Coach Steve Rodriguez.

-Rodriguez continued to talk about the play saying, “I think the call was correct in regards to the logistics of the rules. My only problem was the crowd control around the dugout (Stanford players). When their whole team is out there and the pitcher goes out for the ball-that was probably the only thing I could say was an issue, but the call in regards to officiating was correct.”

-Ragira said in the postgame press conference he was unsure if the ball touched him.

-Pepperdine scored first in the bottom of the third with a four run inning. The Waves scored their first two runs on an RBI single and a fielder’s choice and two batters later after Stanford pulled starter junior Brett Mooneyham after 2.1 IP the first batter Cardinal reliever junior Dean McArdle faced, freshman left fielder Bryan Langlois, doubled home the last two runs of the inning making it 4-0 Waves.

-Stanford made it 4-1 in the top of the fourth with a solo homerun from Ragira. His drive to dead center field was the first homer in any of the four games of the regional.

-After Pepperdine scored its four runs two Stanford relievers held them to two hits from the fifth inning on. The Waves did have chances, leaving two on in the seventh and eighth.

-In the sixth Langlois was thrown out at home on a ground ball to second that would have given the Waves the lead.

-Waves left 10 men on base

-Langlois lead the Waves offensively for the night going 3-for-4 with two RBI.

-WCC Player of the Year junior second basemen Joe Sever (.370 avg. entering NCAAs) went 2-for-5, a day after going 0-for-3 vs. Michigan St. He did strikeout in his final two at-bats in the seventh and ninth innings.

-“You got good stuff if you strike him out twice. He is a fantastic hitter,” said Stanford Head Coach Mark Marquess.

-Stanford sophomore reliever AJ Vanegas (4-0) got the win pitching 3.2 innings of relief allowing one hit, no runs, three walks and eight strikeouts. Vanegas struck out the 3-4-5 hitters for Pepperdine to end the game.

-“It was an unbelievable job by AJ. Obviously he was just fantastic, won some big spots, great stuff,” Marquess said.

-Vanegas and McArdle combined to pitch 6.2 innings of relief allowing no runs, three hits, three walks and 10 Ks.

-Waves starter sophomore Scott Frazier (7-5) took the loss going 7.2 innings, allowing five runs, four earned on nine hits with one walk and five strikeouts. When Frazier was replaced in the eighth it was the first time Pepperdine went to its bullpen during the regional.

-“That’s why I think he’s going to be a high draft pick next year,” said Rodriguez. “He’s a big ol’ donkey who wants to get out there and wants to compete and get after it.”

-Offensively for Stanford they were lead by Ragira who went 2-for-3 with a homerun, two runs and an RBI. Sophomore second basemen Danny Diekroeger and freshman third basemen Alex Blandino also had multi-hit games.

-Danny Diekroeger is 4-for-9 in the two games this weekend. Ragira and junior catcher Eric Smith are each 3-for-6.

-Pepperdine committed three errors, two by freshman third basemen Austin Davidson.

-Stanford is one win away from advancing to the Super Regional’s for a second straight year. Last time the Cardinal did that was when they made five straight from 1999-03.

-Pepperdine will have to win three straight games to move on to the Super Regional. Since winning the National Championship in 1992 the Waves have been eliminated in the regional’s the last nine times they have made the tournament.

-“It’s a hard pill to swallow…but what’s great is this is probably one of the best teams for us in regards to pitching depth and in regards to our own team, so I feel very comfortable with where we are right now,” said Rodriguez.

-“To be honest, it was an outstanding college baseball game. If people paid money to come and see this, they got to watch a really good game, and that’s my opinion. But I just told them they need to erase it because they have nothing to be ashamed of. And if they keep that same competitive nature, I like our chances, I really do,” said Rodriguez.

Stanford Head Coach Mark Marquess, 2B Kenny Diekroeger, 1B Brian Ragira and RP AJ Vanegas discuss their 5-4 win over Pepperdine in the winners bracket game of the Stanford Regional.

Pepperdine Head Coach Steve Rodriguez and LF Bryan Langlois speak after the Waves 5-4 winners bracket game loss to Stanford in the Stanford Regional.

 

Fresno State head coach Mike Batesole got his first NCAA Tournament win on Saturday since winning the 2008 national championship.

Game 1: #4 Fresno St 8 #3 Michigan St 2

(Postgame Video Interviews Below)

-In Saturday’s first game #4 seed Fresno St eliminated #3 Michigan St with an 8-2 win.

-Fresno St (31-27) started ace pitcher senior Thomas Harlan after he was scratched from Friday night’s game with an injury. Harlan struggled in the first allowing two runs and two hits. Harlan then allowed just two base runners until he was pulled after 4.1 innings.

-Bulldogs Head Coach Mike Batesole did not want to risk overusing his starter and risk injury. Harlan was pulled after 64 pitches allowing two runs, three hits, two walks and two strikeouts. He retired seven of the last eight hitters he faced.

-“Tommy gave us everything he had,” Batesole said.

-Batesole’s plan was to use Harlan and senior relievers Gene Escat and Taylor Garrison in that order for the game and the plan worked to perfection.

-“That almost never happens the way you plan that out,” said Batesole.

-Escat (4-0) got the win and closer Garrison picked up his 11^th save. The two relievers combined to pitch 4.2 innings allowing four hits, no runs or walks with two strikeouts.

-“I wasn’t too disappointed to see the lefty (Harlan) leave the game.” Michigan St Head Coach Jake Boss said. “The right-hander they brought in threw just as well.”

-The Dogs scored in the top of the first to take a 2-0 lead, but from the second to the fifth Fresno had one hit against Michigan St junior starter Andrew Waszak

-Batesole called scoring first, “the best thing we did today.”

-Offensively Fresno was lead by Garrison was 3-for-4 with three RBI’s. Junior catcher Austin Wynns, senior second basemen Patrick Hutcheson and freshman left fielder Jordan Brink also had multi-hit games.

-Brink, 2-for-4, was hitting just .210 coming into Saturday.

-Garrison is 5-for-8 with four RBI’s in the first two games of the regional.

-One of two Fresno hitters that did not have a hit was freshman right fielder Jordan Luplow who was the only Bulldog hitter who had two hits against Stanford ace Mark Appel on Friday.

-Fresno St did not commit an error Saturday after having four in the loss to Stanford.

-Batesole’s club is now 16-3 in NCAA/WAC Tournament elimination games since 2008. Fresno is 4-0 in do-or-die games in 2012.

-Batesole on elimination games, “That’s the sign of an experienced team that’s been through these kind of wars.”

-“It’s a lot of fun playing in these elimination games. Coming in today, we played the game we always play. We stuck to our plan of getting clutch hits, and luckily everything worked out together,” said Garrison.

-The Bulldogs win was their first NCAA victory since winning the National Title in 2008.

-This was the first time Fresno and Michigan St played in baseball.

-On the losing side the biggest positive for Michigan St (37-23) was pulling the likely play of the regional with a triple play in the top of the eighth. With runners at 1^st and 2^nd Spartan center fielder freshman Andrew Cheky made a diving catch. The runners were well on their way to scoring and the Spartans turned a F-8-3-6-3 triple play.

-Michigan St left six runners on base. Spartans left a total of 15 in their two regional games.

-After scoring two runs in the bottom of the first to tie the game 2-2 the Spartans only had one hit until the seventh inning.

-Michigan St had three singles in the seventh but did not score. Fresno had a 1-6-4-3 double play

-“There were a few (good at-bats) and they made a couple plays on us, said Head Coach Jake Boss. “Again, when we got in the positive counts, we took some tentative swings and you’re not going to win that way.”

-Cheky was the only Spartan hitter with two hits, going 2-for-3. Freshman DH Blaise Salter had MSU’s 2-RBI’s.

-Junior left fielder Jordan Keur, who came in leading the Spartans with a .359 average, went 1-for-7 in MSU’s two games.

-On the mound Waszak (4-4) took the loss throwing 7 innings allowing four runs on eight hits with four strikeouts.

-After allowing two runs in the first Waszak set down 11 of the next 12 Fresno hitters. He allowed two runs and four hits in his last two frames.

-MSU’s two relievers senior Bryce Jenney and junior closer Tony Wieber combined to allow four runs on seven hits in their two innings of relief.

-Michigan St scored just four runs and hit .265 as team in their two games. They entered the tournament hitting .298.

-“Very disappointing as far as today is concerned, I thought we were capable of playing better, which is probably the most disappointing thing,” Boss said.

-Michigan St made the tournament for the first time since 1979 and just the fifth time in school history.

-The Spartans have had three consecutive winning seasons for the first time since they had four straight from 1990-94.

-Boss on his team’s historic season. “Obviously losing today hurts right now, but in a week or two when we really step back and take a look at things. A lot of credit goes to our senior class. Really, all the credit goes to our senior class. All those guys came in our first year and they bought in and changed the culture of the program.”

Sunday’s schedule will have Pepperdine facing Fresno St in an elimination game at 1 p.m. PST. Pepperdine will start sophomore Corey Miller (8-3 3.56 ERA). Fresno did not announce a starter.

The winner will play Stanford at 6 p.m. The Cardinal will start junior Stephen Piscotty (5-2 2.57 ERA). If Stanford wins they advance to the Super Regional’s. If Stanford loses than the final two teams will play again Monday night.

Fresno St Head Coach Mike Batesole, Pitcher Thomas Harland and 1B Trent Garrison speak after the Bulldogs 8-2 elimination game victory over Michigan State.

Michigan St Head Coach Jake Boss and SS Justin Scanlon speak after the Spartans season ending 8-2 loss in the Stanford Regional.

 

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Postgame Videos With Stanford, Pepperdine & More…

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

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

Game 2: #1 Stanford vs. #4 Fresno St (Postgame Video Below)

Palo Alto, CA— After a year of scouting, the process that leads up to the Major League Baseball Draft is almost complete. With the 2012 draft coming up on Monday the evaluation process is all but finished and now it is time for teams to make their final decisions.

Now it’s the waiting that players will have to deal with leading up to the draft.

Stanford ace junior Mark Appel (10-1) will go into Monday knowing his name will be called very early in the 1^st Round but Friday night in the NCAA Regional in Palo Alto Appel had one more start to show why he is so highly rated.

Easy to say he only improved his stock with his complete game 11 strikeout performance in #1 seed Stanford’s 9-1 win over #4 seed Fresno St in the second game of the Stanford Regional.

The Cardinal (39-16) ace also got some revenge on the only team that beat him during the season. Fresno St beat Appel and Stanford 7-4 on March 2 in Fresno. It was the first loss of the season for the Cardinal and Appel allowed a season high seven runs.

Friday was a much different outing.

“I thought it was a great performance by Mark. He was tough and had good command with his stuff,” said Stanford Head Coach Mark Marquess.

Appel cruised through the first six innings allowing just one Bulldog (30-27) hit. He retired the first six batters he faced and following a single to lead off the third he set down the next twelve hitters.

Appel accounted for 10 of his 11 punch-outs in the first six innings.

Fresno St got to Appel in the last three innings of the game, but only scored in the seventh. By the time the Bulldogs cracked the scoreboard Stanford was up 5-1.

Appel finished the game allowing one run, two walks along with the 11 strikeouts on 122 pitches.

Fresno St Head Coach Mike Batesole said this may have been the best game Appel pitched all year.

“I’m pretty sure he could have won a big league game today,” said Batesole.

It was Appel’s fifth complete game of the season and second in his last three starts. It was the eight time this year Appel struck out at least 10 hitters.

Fresno St head coach Mike Batesole said last time they faced Appel they were able to take his fastball away. Three months later Batesole said Appel made adjustments and threw two breaking pitches he did not throw back in March.

“Last time out we took his fastball away early and we were pretty sure he was going to come out and make an adjustment this week and he surely did,” Batesole said.

Appel said “They are a fastball hitting team, so we knew the off-speed would be effective against them. We learned from the mistakes we made against them the first time.”

The game was 0-0 through four innings, but while Appel cruised Fresno St starter junior Justin Haley (7-4) faced trouble nearly every inning early.

Stanford left six men on base in the first four frames, including leaving a runner at third each inning from the second through the fourth.

In the fifth Appel finally got support from his offense.

After Haley retired the first two hitters of the inning, for the first time all game, a double by junior left fielder Stephen Piscotty and a walk to first basemen sophomore Brian Ragira kept the inning alive. Sophomore right fielder Austin Wilson singled up the middle to give the Cardinal a 2-0 lead.

The wheels came off for Haley in the sixth. Stanford sent nine batters to the plate while scoring three runs to increase their lead to 5-0.

Second basemen sophomore Danny Diekroeger had an RBI infield single. Stanford scored it’s other two runs with the bases loaded when Haley hit Ragria with a pitch followed by a walk to Wilson.

Haley was pulled after the walk going 5.2 innings allowing eight hits, five runs, six walks and five strikeouts. It was the third straight outing Haley pitched on short rest.

“I think he emptied his tank on short rest,” said Batesole. “What I really like is he pitched with a lot of heart.”

The Cardinal put the game away with a four run bottom of the eighth increasing their lead to 9-1. The Cardinal scored on the second bases loaded hit batter of the game, a 2-RBI single by junior shortstop Kenny Diekroeger and a throwing error on the Diekroeger single giving Stanford a 9-1 lead going into the ninth.

Stanford was lead offensively by Kenny Diekroeger who finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBI’s, junior catcher Eric Smith was 2-for-4 with an RBI and Austin Wilson who had three RBIs. Danny Diekroeger and Piscotty also had multi-hit games.

It was a tough night for Fresno St all around. Along with being shut down by Appel the Bulldogs committed four errors.

Freshman right fielder Jordan Luplow was the only Fresno player with multiple hits going 2-for-3. He also had a nice diving catch to end the bottom of the first inning.

The Bulldogs went 12-4 in the month of May and won the WAC Tournament last weekend in Arizona as the #5 seed in a six-team tournament.

Fresno St will look to avoid going 0-2 in regional play for the third consecutive tournament appearance. The Bulldogs have not won a tournament game since winning the National Championship in 2008.

Stanford is seeking a second straight Super Regional appearance and their first CWS trip since 2008.

Fresno State head coach Mike Batesole and outfielder Jordan Luplow after the Bulldogs 9-1 loss to Stanford…

Game 1: #2 Pepperdine vs. #3 Michigan St (Postgame Video Below)

Palo Alto, CA— In the first game of the day at Stanford #2 seed Pepperdine defeated #3 seed Michigan State 6-2 behind Waves (35-21) junior ace Jon Moscot’s sixth complete game of the season.

It was Moscot’s second consecutive complete game after he tossed one last weekend against San Diego in the first game of a de-facto WCC Championship Series against the Toreros last Friday.

Though he went the distance the junior had to battle all afternoon against the Spartans (37-22).

Michigan St. collected 10 hits, but left nine men on base.

After retiring Michigan St. in order in two of the first three innings Moscot allowed base runners every inning for the rest of the game.

Moscot worked out of jams in the second, fourth, sixth and eighth innings with out allowing any runners to score.

“Today was kind of the same it’s been all year. When there were guys on base, I seem to bare down,” Moscot said.

Moscot (7-5) finished the game allowing 10 hits, two earned runs, four strikeouts and two walks throwing 126 pitches.

“He’s got a good arm, there’s no doubt,” said Michigan State Head Coach Jake Boss. “We’re close, I thought we hit some balls hard that just had been hit right at some guys. It’s a cruel game sometimes.”

The game started off as a pitchers duel between Moscot and Michigan St. senior ace Tony Bucciferro (6-4).

After facing the minimum through two innings, Bucciferro got into trouble in the third.

Number seven-hitter senior designated hitter Matt Forgatch started the inning with a double followed by a bunt single by senior catcher Miles Silverstein. Ninth place hitter freshman center fielder Matt Gelalich than brought home the first run with a safety squeeze scoring Forgatch. Two batters later freshman third basemen Austin Davison hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Silverstein making it 2-0 Waves.

The Spartans answered in the top of the fifth with an RBI single by left fielder junior Jordan Keur cutting the Waves lead to 2-1.

Pepperdine broke open the pitcher’s duel with a four run sixth inning. After Bucciferro retired the first hitter of the inning the Waves put the next seven men on base with four singles, a double, an error and hit batter.

After Forgatch and Silverstein singled home the first two runs of the inning Gelalich hit a two RBI double to right making it a 6-1.

Gelalich, who came into the tournament hitting just .202, finished the game with three RBI’s.

“In order to win championships, you have to have guys step. It can’t be the same guy everyday,” said Pepperdine Head Coach Steve Rodriguez.

The bottom of the order was huge for the Waves. Forgatch went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI while Silverstein was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run.

The bottom three hitters for the Waves (Forgatch, Silverstein and Gelalich) combined to go 6-for-11 with five of the team’s six RBI’s.

Bucciferro was pulled after 5.1 innings allowing ten hits, five earned runs and four strikeouts. It was his shortest outing of the season.

Michigan St cut the deficit to 6-2 with a run in the top of the seventh but could not get anything across in the eighth when three runners reached base.

It was a frustrating day for the Spartans who along with leaving nine men on base equaled the Waves with 10 hits.

“We made a lot of the same mistakes we made a lot of the year, to be honest with you,” said Boss. “We left nine guys on base, so it’s more of the same for us.”

Seven of the nine Michigan St starters recorded a hit with junior second basemen Ryan Jones, freshman first basemen Ryan Krill and right fielder freshman Jimmy Pickens each collecting two hits apiece.

Michigan St, which received one of the last at-large bids in the tournament, was playing in the NCAA’s for the first time since 1979, but Head Coach Jake Boss said his team was not satisfied by just making the tournament.

“I think we came out with a purpose and a focus,” said Boss. “Nobody likes to lose. So to say we’re just happy to be here, I think, is incorrect.

Pepperdine is in the NCAA’s for the first time since 2008. Four years ago they also played in Palo Alto starting the regional 2-0 before being eliminated by host Stanford.

Saturday’s schedule will have Fresno St going up against Michigan St in an elimination game at 1 p.m. PST, followed by the winners bracket game between Stanford and Pepperdine at 6 p.m. PST.

Pepperdine Head Coach Steve Rodriguez and pitcher Jon Moscot after the Waves 6-2 win over Michigan St in Opening Round of Stanford Regional

Michigan St Head Coach Jake Boss and Starting Pitcher Tony Bucciferro speak after the Spartans 6-2 loss to Pepperdine

A Look At Stanford’s Regional…

Stanford's Stephen Piscotty drove-in seven runs in a game twice in 2012 (Stanford photo)

#1 Seed: Stanford Cardinal

Record: 38-16 (18-12 Pac-12, Tied for 4^th, 2 games back of first)

How they qualified: At-large

Ranking: (All rankings): #10 CB360 Composite/#10 NCBWA/#12 Collegiate Baseball/#13 USA Today/#19 Baseball America

Tournament History: 31^st NCAA Appearance/(3^rd straight/Lost in Super Regional in 2011)/16 CWS Appearances (Last 2008)/Two National Championships (1987, 1988)

Head Coach: Mark Marquess (36^th year at Stanford)

Top Hitters: Junior UTL Stephen Piscotty, All Pac-12 (.319 avg., 54 RBIs, 72 hits)

Sophomore UTL Brian Ragira, Pac-12 Honorable Mention (.318 avg., 47 RBIs, 75 hits)

Sophomore OF Austin Wilson, Pac-12 Honorable Mention (.290 avg., 46 RBIs, 9 HRs)

Top Pitchers: Junior Mark Appel, All Pac-12 (9-1, 14 starts, 2.37 ERA 116 Ks)

Junior Brett Mooneyham (7-5, 13 starts, 4.05 ERA, 88 Ks)

Sophomore A.J. Vanegas (3-0, 19 appearances, 2.38 ERA, 5 Saves)

Notable Wins: Three-game sweeps of Vanderbilt, Texas, and Arizona State

Series victories vs. Rice, and at UCLA

2012 Results vs. Palo Alto Regional Opponents: Won two out of three at Fresno State

All-time records: Pepperdine: 22-5, Michigan St: Never played, Fresno St: 79-45

Season Recap: Stanford started the season 8-0, and 16-3 with series sweeps of Vanderbilt and Texas in Palo Alto. Following a series sweep at Arizona in late March the team won four of their next five games to improve to 20-7. In April the Cardinal lost a series at Oregon, but picked up a sweep of Arizona State and a road series win at UCLA to enter May 27-11. The Cardinal started the month losing four of five, including a series loss at Oregon St. Stanford then rattled off seven straight wins to enter the final week of the season with a chance to win the Pac-12, but the team lost two of three at home to rival Cal last weekend.

CLICK HERE to listen to an exclusive preseason podcast interview with Stanford head coach Mark Marquess by CB360’s Sean Stires.

CLICK HERE to listen to an exclusive interview with Stanford pitcher Mark Appel with Sean Stires.

Pepperdine's Joe Sever is the 2012 WCC Player of the Year

#2 Seed Pepperdine Waves

Record: 34-21 (16-8 WCC, 1^st in WCC. Finished 1 game ahead of San Diego)

How they qualified: Won WCC Automatic Bid by winning regular season title. (WCC does not have a conference tournament)

Rankings: #24 Baseball America/#26 CB360 Composite

Tournament History: 26th NCAA Appearance (Last 2008)/Two CWS Appearances (Last 1992)/One National Championship (1992)

Head Coach: Steve Rodriguez (9^th year at Pepperdine)

Top Hitters: Junior INF Joe Sever, WCC Player of the Year (.370 avg., 52 RBIs, 6 HRs)

Junior INF Zach Vincej, All-WCC and Conference Defensive Player of the Year (.348 avg., 23 RBIs, 18 2Bs)

Senior INF Tony Cooper, WCC Honorable Mention (.309 avg., 25 RBIs, 50 hits)

Top Pitchers: Junior Jon Moscot, All-WCC (6-5, 14 starts, 2.97 ERA, 91 Ks)

Sophomore Corey Miller, WCC Honorable Mention (8-3, 15 starts, 3.56 ERA, 65 Ks)

Sophomore Eric Karch (3-3, 24 appearances, 2.83 ERA, 28 Ks)

Notable Wins: Two out of three vs. Oklahoma and San Diego

2012 Results vs. Palo Alto Regional Opponents: Two out of three vs. Fresno State

All-time records: Stanford: 5-22, Michigan St: 1-0 (1979 NCAA Tournament), Fresno St: 26-40

Season Recap: Pepperdine began the season 7-2 with home series victories over Oklahoma and Fresno State. After a series loss at Louisville the Waves won eight of their next nine entering late March at 16-5. From March 23 to April 6 the team went 2-8, including being swept at home by Texas A&M. After an up and down stretch the Waves entered the last three weeks of the season at 26-19. In those three weeks Pepperdine caught fire winning six of seven. The Waves went into the final week of the season tied for first in the WCC with San Diego. In what was essentially a conference championship series the Waves won two out of three at home vs. the Toreros to take the WCC championship, their first conference title since 2006. Pepperdine won the championship with a 5-1 win over USD last Sunday in the regular season finale.

2012 Palo Alto Regional

All-B1G player Jordan Keur leads Michigan St. with a .359 batting average.

#3 Michigan State Spartans

Record: 37-21 (13-11, 5^th in the Big Ten, four games back of first)

How they qualified: At-large

Ranking: Not ranked

Tournament History: 5^th NCAA Appearance (Last 1979)/One CWS Appearance (1954)/0 National Championships

Head Coach: Jake Boss Jr. (4^th year at Michigan State)

Top Hitters: Junior OF Jordan Keur, 1^st team All Big Ten (.359 avg., 33 RBIs, 14 2Bs)

Junior INF Ryan Jones, 2^nd team All Big Ten (.356 avg., 38 RBIs, 16 2Bs)

Junior INF Torsten Boss, 3^rd team All Big Ten (.306 avg., 43 RBIs, 5 HRs)

Top Pitchers: Senior Tony Bucciferro, 3^rd team All Big Ten (6-3, 15 starts, 2.80 ERA, 90 Ks)

Junior Andrew Waszak (4-3, 15 starts, 2.81 ERA, 75 Ks)

Junior Tony Wieber (2-2, 1.37 ERA, 9 Saves)

Notable Wins: at Baylor, vs. St. John’s and at Purdue

2012 Results vs. Palo Alto Regional Opponents: Did not play any of the Stanford Regional Participants

All-time records: Stanford: Never Played, Pepperdine: 0-1 (1979 NCAA Tournament), Fresno St: Never Played

Season Recap: Michigan State opened the season going 1-2 in the Big Ten/Big East Challenge. After going 3-1 in the First Pitch Invitational in Greenville, SC the Spartans traveled to Texas where they were swept at Texas A&M and picked up a win at Baylor. After the win in Waco Michigan State won 13 of 15 from March 9 to April 4. The streak included an eight game win streak. The team went into early April 18-8. The Spartans finished April by going 9-7 and entered the final month of the season 27-15. They finished the month losing two of three at conference champion Purdue. After starting the month by winning seven of nine the squad finished the regular season losing a series at Penn State. The Spartans then went 2-2 last weekend in the Big Ten Tournament. Michigan State was able to grab one of the last at-large tournament bids. The Spartans are the first Big Ten team to receive an at-large bid since 2009.

CLICK HERE to listen to an exclusive interview with Michigan State pitcher Tony Bucciferro.

Fresno State's Kenneth Wise earned 1st team All-WAC honors

#4 Fresno State Bulldogs

Record: 30-26 (8-10, 5^th in WAC, three games back of first)

How they qualified: Automatic Bid – Won WAC Tournament

Ranking: Not ranked

Tournament History: 34^th NCAA Appearance (2^nd straight/Last Year 0-2 in UCLA Regional)/Four CWS Appearances (Last 2008)/One National Championship (2008)

Head Coach: Mike Batesole (10^th year at Fresno State)

Top Hitters: Junior C/INF Trent Garrison, 2^nd team All WAC (.333 avg., 35 RBIs, 10 2Bs)

Senior OF Kenneth Wise, 1^st team All WAC (.323 avg., 36 RBIs, 4 HRs)

Sophomore OF Aaron Judge (.312 avg., 25 RBIs, 13 2Bs)

Top Pitchers: Senior Thomas Harlan, 2^nd team All WAC (7-7, 15 starts, 2.73 ERA, 83 Ks)

Senior Justin Haley, 2^nd team All WAC (7-3, 2.98 ERA, 89 Ks)

Senior Taylor Garrison (1-2, 26 appearances, 2.77 ERA, 10 Saves)

Notable Wins: Two out of three at New Mexico State and wins vs. Pepperdine, Stanford and New Mexico

2012 Results vs. Regional Opponents: 1-2 vs. Pepperdine, 1-2 vs. Stanford

All-time records: Stanfords: 45-79, Pepperdine: 40-26, Michigan St: Never Played

Season Recap: The Bulldogs started the season by winning three of four vs. Butler, but followed that by losing six of their next eight with series loses at Pepperdine and vs. Stanford.. The win vs. #1 Stanford on March 2 the Bulldogs handed Stanford ace Mark Appel his only loss of the season. Fresno entered mid-March at just 7-9 before winning five straight. From late March to the end of April the Bulldogs went 6-13 to enter May 18-22. Fresno lost each of its first three conference series. The team turned their season around by going 7-3 in May to finish the regular season. During those ten games FSU won series vs. WAC Regular Season Co-Champions Sacramento State and New Mexico State. The Bulldogs started last weekends WAC Tournament 2-0 before losing to Sacramento St. The Bulldogs then won three straight elimination games to win the tournament title. In the final game the Bulldogs defeated Sacramento St 4-3 in 13-innings on a walk-off single.

The Palo Alto Regional gets underway Friday with #2 Pepperdine taking on #3 Michigan State at 1 p.m. PST/4 EST followed by #1 Stanford going up against #4 Fresno State at 6 p.m. PST/9 EST. Saturday’s and Sunday’s games are scheduled for 1 and 6 p.m. local time as well. If a Monday game is necessary it will be played at 6 p.m. PST.

The winner of the regional takes on the winner of the Tallahassee Regional, which features #3 National seed Florida State, Mississippi State, Samford and UAB.

Pitcher Helps Michigan State To Historic NCAA Bid…

Tony Bucciferro (photo courtesy MSU)

Multiple NCAA Tournament bids have not been common in recent years for the Big Ten. The conference has had just one NCAA representative in each of the last two years, so things were tense in East Lansing on Selection Monday as pitcher Tony Bucciferro and his Michigan State teammates waited to find out if they would receive an NCAA bid.

The Spartans did receive a bid to join Big Ten regular season and tournament champion Purdue as the Big Ten’s two teams in the 2012 NCAA field of 64. In this exclusive podcast with CB360 co-editor Sean Stires, Bucciferro discusses the nerves and excitement in the room on Monday as he and his team awaited their NCAA announcement, the nerves he had watching a 10-2 lead over Nebraska evaporate last week at the B1G Tournament, the excitement of going to the Palo Alto Regional this week and more!

Bucciferro.mp3.

Tony Bucciferro – 6’3 – 200 – Sr. – Joliet, IL

Head Coach: Jake Boss, Jr.

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

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

22 Home Games Set For Spartans…

Michigan State has released its 2012 college baseball schedule. The Spartans open their season Feb. 17-19 at the Big Ten/Big East Challenge in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Fla. area. Their three opponents at the event are St. John’s, South Florida and Louisville.

The defending Big Ten regular season co-champions head to Greenville, SC for the second weekend of the season to play two games each against Miami (OH) and Furman.

MSU heads to both Texas and Florida for its spring break trip, which starts March 2-4 with a three game series at Texas A&M. After a March 7 game at Baylor, Michigan State heads to Port Charlotte, Fla. for games in successive days against Xavier, Seton Hall and Pittsburgh.

The Spartans play a three game series at Cincinnati March 16-18 and then play their first home games when they host Oakland (MI) March 23-25.

Other non-conference games include the May 15 Clash at Comerica vs. Central Michigan in Detroit and an April 10 home game against Notre Dame.

Big Ten play begins March 30-April 1 with a home series against Ohio State. Other conference home series are against Minnesota, Iowa and Penn State. Conference road series are at Indiana, Purdue and Illinois. MSU will split its series with Michigan. The first game of the series will be in Ann Arbor on April 6 and the last two games will be in East Lansing over the next two days.

Fall Ball Stirs Interest & Aids Evaluation…

By College Baseball 360 Editor Sean Stires

The sun was shining, a light breeze was blowing and there were thousands of fans milling around taking-in a college baseball game. It wasn’t Baton Rouge on a Friday night in the spring. It was South Bend, Ind. this past Saturday.

For the second straight year the Notre Dame and Michigan State baseball teams got together for a fall exhibition game on the same day their schools went head to head on the football field. They played in East Lansing, Mich. last year and they hooked-up in South Bend this year.

The two schools are not alone in connecting during the fall. It’s a trend that has been growing in recent years since the NCAA mandated the late February uniform start date to the college regular season spring schedule.

Michigan St. pitchers in the bullpen at Saturday's fall exhibition game prior to the Notre Dame - Michigan State football game.

“(The game was) a good chance for especially our first year guys to get out and compete at this level and compete against somebody else other than interquad,” Spartan head coach Jake Boss, Jr. said Saturday. “We learned a lot of things about our ball club and we got a lot of things that we can address as we move forward in practice this fall.”

Texas, Rice, Vanderbilt, and Cal State Fullerton are among the higher profile programs that have scheduled fall games.

They do it in part to evaluate their players (especially the younger ones) in live competition, but some also do it because those fall games count against their 56-game limit in the spring- meaning the two or three games they play in the fall are two or three fewer games they have to schedule in the spring.

The time is right for the NCAA to take the fall games a step farther. It’s time to make three or four of these games “exempt” each year so that they do not count against the 56-game limit.

“I think certainly I’d like to see some exempt games,” Irish head coach Mik Aoki told me after the game. “Especially if you’re not spending a ton of dough, you know? It’s not like you’re going to try to fly to California and you’re not missing any classes. I really don’t see the harm in a couple of thousand dollars getting spent on a bus to go to Michigan State to play.”

It’s just good for college baseball.

The fall games are a good thing, and Notre Dame and Michigan State have it figured out. Play them the day of a big football game when a lot of people are around.The Eck Stadium grandstand and surrounding area of the stadium had around 1,000 fans at any given time watching the game, with fans moving in and out taking-in parts of the game throughout the 10-inning exhibition.

“I think what we’ve done here, us and Notre Dame, is tying the game into a football game, Boss said. “I think really it’s a neat atmosphere. It’s a good experience for our kids. Unfortunately it counts against one of our 56. It is what it is and we understand that. It can be tough sometimes to get all 56 in regardless of where you’re at in the spring. It’s a good opportunity to compete in a good environment. It would be outstanding if we could do more of it.”

The fact of the matter is, most southern and warm weather schools don’t have to worry about lopping-off three or four games from their regular season, because they know their RPI is typically going to be strong enough when it comes to at-large bids at NCAA selection time. That is not the case for northern schools, who need every game they can get for the chance to get as close to 40 wins as they can to merit NCAA selection.

Michigan State (36-21) found that out first hand in 2011 when they shared the Big Ten regular season championship, but missed an NCAA bid when Illinois won the conference tournament.

However, making a handful of fall games is not just about getting a few schools a few more games to try to pad or add to its NCAA resume. It’s also about fairness and allowing coaches from northern schools to better evaluate their players, especially incoming freshmen, in an outdoor setting.

“(Fall games are) a good chance for especially our first year guys to get out and compete at this level and compete against somebody else other than intersquad,” Boss said. ” We learned a lot of things about our ball club and we got a lot of things that we can address as we move forward in practice this fall.”

Those same things are much tougher for a Michigan State, St. John’s, Notre Dame, Illinois, Penn State, or any other northern school to evaluate in January and February when they are trying to do it indoors.

About half of the roughly 300 schools that play college baseball are located in northern climates, which means that those schools are preparing for a late February start to the regular season inside gyms, makeshift bubbles and indoor batting cages in January and early February. Meanwhile, their sun belt counterparts are out in the grass and the dirt every day in preparation for the start of a new season.

There’s a reason Major League Baseball teams go to Florida and Arizona at that same time of year for Spring Training and there’s no reason college baseball coaches shouldn’t be allowed to take advantage of better weather in the fall to better evaluate their teams without it counting against their spring schedules.

The NCAA lets college basketball play a pair of exhibition games every year, so what’s the harm in allowing college baseball teams to do the same thing?

The fall exhibition format also allows for a more flexible format that allows coaches to insert and remove players at will without worrying about strict substitution rules that come with regular season games. Notre Dame and Michigan State each sent 10 pitchers to the mound in Saturday’s 10-inning game (the agreed upon format was 14 innings or three hours, whichever came first). They also each used nearly every one of their position players.

The Irish have 13 freshmen on their 2011-2012 roster, while the Spartans have eight. The at-bats, innings pitched and time in the field were crucial to both coaches for outdoor evaluation that they won’t get in the middle of winter on the eve of the regular season.

Obviously, not every school has the advantage of scheduling a fall game around a big college football game, but there are other options. DI basketball schools play their games against lower division competition and DI baseball schools could do the same.

“If we had the opportunity to…I think it would be a big deal for the fledgling program at Holy Cross to come over here and play against us,” Aoki said of the new NAIA program right across the street from Notre Dame. “Or to play a Bethel or Goshen in our own area (both of those schools are located within 40 minutes of the ND campus). There’s almost no cost involved. You don’t miss any class time.”

There are plenty of similar smaller programs around the country- in Florida, Texas, California and other warm weather states-that could benefit from similar opportunities. They wouldn’t get that same experience in the spring, because there’s no benefit for Florida or Texas to play those schools when it counts.

Why not let Webber International or Trinity have a chance to mix it up with the big boys too. They typically only get the chance if they’re a late add to someone’s schedule due to a rain out.

“I don’t think you want to get carried away,” Aoki added. “But three exempt games would I think be pretty good.”

Good for college baseball and everyone who loves it and plays it.

Michigan State head coach Jake Boss, Jr. discusses his team’s fall exhibition game vs. Notre Dame. The game was played prior to the ND-MSU football game.

Schools To Play Second Exhibition On Eve Of Football Game…

ND's Mik Aoki

The Notre Dame football team hosts Michigan State Saturday afternoon at Notre Dame Stadium, but the baseball teams from the two schools will play an exhibition game that morning as well. The baseball exhibition is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. at Notre Dame’s Frank Eck Stadium, which is located just a couple hundred yards from the football stadium.

“Our team is excited about this weekend’s exhibition game with Michigan State,” second-year Irish head coach Mik Aoki said. “It not only gives the coaching staff a tremendous opportunity to evaluate our players in a game setting as opposed to practice, but it also gives the players a chance to compete against someone other than themselves.”

This is the second straight year the two schools have met on the same day as the ND-MSU football game. They squared-off in East Lansing in 2010 as well.

MSU's Jake Boss, Jr.

Notre Dame and Michigan State have become regular competitors on the baseball diamond in recent years. They opened the season against each other at last year’s Big East/Big Ten Challenge in Dunedin, Fla. The eventual Big Ten champion Spartans won that game 2-1. Michigan State won a game at Notre Dame on May 17 as well. Jake Boss, Jr.’s Spartans also swept a three game series at Notre Dame in 2010.

The format of the game is expected to be 14 innings or around three hours. Both teams are expected to use use most of the players on their rosters.

Saturday’s game counts against the teams’ 2012 56-game regular season limit, but it will not count toward their 2012 won-loss records.

Other fall exhibition games around the country this weekend include:

Friday:  Ontario Blue Jays at Central Michigan

Saturday:  USA at UNC Wilmington

Sunday:  Ontario National at Eastern Michigan

Sizzling Senior Excels On The Field & In Classroom…

Eckerle was named MVP of the Big East/Big Ten Challenge after helping MSU to a 3-0 record (MSU photo).

To make matters worse, Eckerle broke his leg on the football field that fall. He missed his senior season with the Corunna High basketball team in Durand, Mich to rehab and prepare for his last season with the baseball team.

Eckerle finally got the break he was looking for when he attended a February, 2007 winter camp at Michigan State and signed with the Spartans after they made him an offer.

Now a senior in East Lansing, Eckerle’s future looks decidedly brighter. The Spartan center fielder has one of the hottest bats in the country, batting .696 (16-for-23) through MSU’s first six games.

“It feels really good,” Eckerle said of his torrid start to his senior season. “Everything seems to be going my way, and I’m just feeling really comfortable at the plate right now. It’s only six games, but I don’t remember ever being this hot.”

Eckerle’s current clip is somewhat of a culmination that began at the end of his sophomore season in 2009. A .390 clip over MSU’s last 12 games brought his final season average to .270 by season’s end. He took that momentum and batted just below .400 over the summer for the Hays Larks in the Jayhawk Summer League.

“I think that kind of carried over, kinda get some confidence back,” Eckerle said of his summer in Kansas. “I think that really sort of carried over into my junior season here at Michigan State. That summer season really helped me out a lot.”

That junior season saw Eckerle hit .362, while scoring a team-high 57 runs for the 34-win Spartans. His average rose above .400 twice in late March and early April, and it never dipped below .351 after a 4-for-4 performance against Notre Dame on March 21.

Jake Boss, Jr.

Michigan State head coach Jake Boss, Jr. has watched his leadoff man’s progress at the plate since he took over in East Lansing prior to the 2009 season.

“He’s really starting to figure things out offensively,” said Boss. “He was kind of in and out of the zone really quick. That barrel didn’t stay in the hitting zone for very long a while back (earlier in his career). He runs very well, so anything that’s hit on the ground he feels like he’s got a chance to beat out. He’s bought into that concept and obviously he’s had some success so far.”

Eckerle bounced back and forth from the top to the bottom of the order last year. Seeing more fastballs at the bottom of the order gave him confidence and led to more success that has had him in the leadoff spot so far this season.

It’s a success that hasn’t happened by accident either. Boss said Eckerle’s day-to-day work ethic sets the senior co-captain apart.

“You get outstanding effort, first and foremost, every time he walks onto the field. Whether it’s a practice or a game, the kid is unbelievable to watch work. The best part of practice is watching him go after fly balls during batting practice. He’s out there diving all over the place, more dirty than anybody on the field. He’s trying to catch anything that’s hit out there. We tell our pitchers just to get out of the way, because he’s probably gonna run you over. It’s impressive to watch.”

Eckerle has shined in the classroom, at the plate and in the field during his collegiate career (MSU photo).

Eckerle has sparkled not only on the diamond, but in the classroom as well. The General Business Administration/ Pre-Law major carries a 3.98 GPA that has earned him Academic All-American honors. He is also one of 30 candidates for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, which goes to a senior who excels in community, classroom, character, and competition.

With all that is going for him now, it’s hard to see how Eckerle had only drawn interest from schools like Central Michigan and Oakland (MI) before finally signing at Michigan State just before his senior high school season. Boss was still the head coach at Eastern Michigan when Eckerle signed with then MSU head coach David Grewe.

“We saw a guy with probably average arm strength who ran really well,” Boss remembers of seeing Eckerle. “He was a long way away with the bat at the time. It’s one of those things where as guys continue to grow and they continue to work, some guys figure it out and some guys don’t. That’s the tough part of recruiting. We didn’t have a need for an outfielder at that time, but Michigan State did. He ended-up coming here, and we’re reaping the benefits of that now.”

Part of the benefit of Eckerle’s presence has been a 5-1 start to the 2011 season. In fact, it’s the best start for a Michigan State team since 1964. An 8-0 setback to Clemson on Sunday in Greenville, SC is the only blemish on the Spartans’ record to date, but Eckerle chalks it up to a learning process for a program that hasn’t been to an NCAA Regional since 1979.

“If we want to go to a Regional and go on to have a good postseason, that’s the kind of team we’re going to have to play,” said Eckerle. “It’s always good to play some of those teams that are ranked high in the country to kind of show our team where we’re at and at the same time make us better. Playing lower competition isn’t really going to help us, but playing better teams and seeing what you need to work on will help us in the long run.”

While Michigan State’s postseason appearances are few, their current head coach has tasted success of his own. Boss was an assistant coach at Michigan when the Wolverines advanced to a Super Regional in 2007, before falling to eventual national champion Oregon State. He was also an assistant coach for Iowa Central Community College’s 1996 and ’97 NJCAA World Series teams.

Michigan State won 23 games in Boss’ first year in 2009 and improved to 34-19 last year. The 34 wins tied for the fifth-most in program history. Boss said that success has raised the bar heading into his third season.

“I feel good about where we’re at right now with out program as a whole in year three. We’ve raised the expectations within our own family here, and that’s the way it should be.”

While Eckerle’s start and the start of his team have been nice, the senior concedes there is a long way to go in 2011.

“It is a great start, but it is only six games,” said Eckerle. “But we’ve been in several one run games. I think it’s always important for a team to learn how to win those close games and learn how to handle some pressure. I think that’s an encouraging thing right now about our team.”

With a red-hot, hard charging leadoff man to lead the way, the Spartans have their sights set on a bright future the rest of the way.

Click here to listen to a podcast interview with Eckerle.

Hot Hitting Senior Has Team Off To Hot Start…

Michigan State center fielder Brandon Eckerle has one of the hottest bats in the country through the first two weeks of the season. The senior earned MVP honors at the season-opening Big East/Big Ten Challenge after going 8-for-12 (.666) at the plate while helping the Spartans to a 3-0 record. He followed that by batting 8-for-11 in three more games in South Carolina last weekend to up his average to .696.

Eckerle’s efforts have helped Michigan State to a 5-1 record for the program’s best six-game start since 1964. The only loss came to 2010 College World Series team Clemson.

In this podcast interview with College Baseball 360 Editor Sean Stires, Eckerle discusses the start to his senior season, college baseball’s new bats and more.

Eckerle

6’0- 175 – Sr. – OF – Durand, MI

Head Coach: Jake Boss, Jr.

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