Cards Must Overcome McDonnell’s Suspension

Chris Lemonis will help run the Cardinals during Dan McDonnell's three game suspension.

nation, especially without a quality leader like McDonnell guiding the ship, the talent that comprises the Louisville roster will make the job of assistant coach Chris Lemonis a lot easier.

A trio of All-Americans will be on display this weekend for Louisville starting with third baseman Phil Wunderlich who headlines a lethal Cardinal attack.

Wunderlich, a Junior, leads Louisville with 20 home runs, while being tied for third on the team in average (.357) and RBI’s (58).

The leading hitter for the Cards is first baseman Andrew Clark who comes into Regional action with a .377 clip, along with 12 home runs, and 58 RBI.

Ryan Wright is the Cardinals’ leading run producer with 77 RBI to compliment his .366 average.

To speak to the depth of the Louisville sluggers, the team boasts seven starters with averages north of .310, which could have been even greater if the programs top offensive prospect – Josh Richmond – hadn’t been lost for 40 games due to a wrist injury.

With Richmond healthy, the team carries a .317 cumulative batting average, while collecting 156 doubles, 9 triples, and 85 home runs in 60 games, equating to a gaudy .517 slugging percentage, along with an on-base percentage of .402.

The aggressiveness as the plate continues on the base paths as 80 bags have been swiped in 103 attempts, led by Cardinal Catcher Jeff Arnold, who leads the team with 16 stolen bases.
Wunderlich has swiped 12 himself as well.

As impressive as the offensive numbers are, the pitching staff might one-up their peers.

Thomas Royse was named a 3rd Team All-American this week by Louisville Slugger. (Louisville photo)

As a team Louisville has a 3.71 ERA while collecting 454 strikeouts in 550 innings. Seven Cardinal pitchers with at least 30 innings have ERAs sub-4 with a pair of All-Americans that bookend the staff.

At 9-1, Thomas Royse is the leader of the Louisville rotation. Royse has a 2.91 ERA in 99 innings with 94 strikeouts. Opponents who bat .252 off Royse don’t fare much better against the rest of the pitching staff, as opposing offenses (.261 ave) are finding it difficult to string hits together.

The other All-American arm the Cardinals have is closer Neil Holland. With 16 saves Holland is one of the best in the country, a sentiment reflected by his 2.10 ERA, with 52 strikeouts in 51 innings of work. Holland has held the opposition to a stingy .153 batting average while collecting eight wins on the season.

Justin Amlung (5-1, 4.01), and Dean Kiekhefer (4-3, 4.31) are two starters with at least nine starts between them. If not seeing action in the rotation Bob Revesz (1-1, 1.95), Matt Koch (2-0, 3.55), Derek Self (7-0, 4.53), and Tony Zych (4-2, 5.47) will see action in relief.

With such a complete program, Louisville is the favorite in their own regional.  McDonnell’s suspension should do little to derail this team, if not bring them closer together.

Louisville has it all this year on the diamond.  Contact, power, speed and a quality pitching staff that has a lights-out Friday night starter, along with a great closer, and several other quality arms,  Vanderbilt will have a hard time eliminating Louisville, even with the loss of their head coach this weekend.

In securing a national seed, the Cardinals are looking forward to hosting a Super Regional, and will leave no rock unturned in that pursuit.

Here’s a look at the official Division One NCAA baseball statistics leaders in selected categories.

Tom Clayton

BATTING AVERAGE

1.  Tom Clayton-Youngstown State  .474

2.  Sean Allaire-Central Connecticut St.  .473

3.  Effrey Valdez-New York Tech  .472

4.  Jonathon Kaskow-Stanford  .462

5.  Phil Cerreto-Longwood  .457

6.  Joe Leonard-Pittsburgh  .455

7.  Gary Brown-Cal State Fullerton  .454

7.  Kevin Tokarski-Illinois State  .454

9.  Paul Hoilman-East Tennessee St.  .452

10.  Casey Jones-Southeast Missouri St.  .449

Jordan Ribera

HOME RUNS

1.  Jordan Ribera-Fresno State  20

2.  Jacob Tanis-Mercer  19

3.  A.J. Kirby-Jones-Tennessee Tech  18

4.  J.D. Ashbrook-Morehead St.  17

4.  Alex Dickerson-Indiana  17

6.  Jordan Ballard-VMI  16

Chris Duffy-Central Florida  16

Paul Hoilman-East Tennessee St.  16

Matt Leeds-College of Charleston  16

Justin Miller-Middle Tennessee St.  16

Peter O’Brien-Bethune-Cookman  16

Dan Paolini-Siena  16

Kyle Parker-Clemson  16

Nate Woods-Belmont  16

Jacob Tanis

RBIs

1.  Jacob Tanis-Mercer  71

2.  Mac Doyle-Wofford  63

3.  Drew Lee-Morehead St.  62

3.  Matt Leeds-College of Charleston  62

3.  Jake Overstreet-South Alabama  62

3.  Greg Wallace-Evansville  62

7.  Nate Woods-Belmont  61

8.  Chris Duffy-Central Florida  60

8.  Connor Powers-Mississippi St.  60

10.  Danny Brock-St. Louis  58

Justin Miller-Middle Tennessee St.  58

Anthony Ottrando-Eastern Kentucky  58

Brandon Williams-Georgia State  58

Taylor Dugas

ON-BASE PERCENTAGE

1.  Taylor Dugas-Alabama  .575

2.  Nate Roberts-High Point  .573

3.  Michael Choice-UT Arlington  .571

4.  Kevin Tokarski-Illinois St.  .570

5.  Effrey Valdez-New York Tech  .561

6.  Jonathon Kaskow-Stanford  .551

7.  J.D. Ashbrook-Moorehead St.  .548

7.  Yasmani Grandal-Miami (FL)  .548

9.  Paul Hoilman-East Tennessee St.  .542

9.  Shane Brown-Central Florida  .542

Paul Hoilman

SLUGGING PERCENTAGE

1.  Paul Hoilman-East Tennessee St.  .890

2.  Mac Doyle-Wofford  .876

3.  A.J. Kirby-Jones-Tennessee Tech  .854

4.  Chris Duffy-Central Florida  .836

5.  J.D. Ashbrook-Morehead St.  .834

6.  Rob Segedin-Tulane  .830

7.  Phil Cerreto-Longwood  .829

8.  Wes Cunningham-Murray St.  .827

9.  Dan Scheffler-Florida Atlantic  .825

10.  Jayson Langfels-Eastern Kentucky  .818

Nate Roberts

RUNS

1.  Nate Roberts-High Point  65

2.  J.D. Ashbrook-Morehead St.  62

3,  Ryan Aguayo-New Mexico St.  61

3.  Dallas Poulk-North Carolina St.  61

5.  Jeff Rowland-Georgia Tech  59

6.  Tyler Holt-Florida St.  58

7.  Wes Cunningham-Murray St.  57

8.  Jared Andreoli-Western Kentucky  56

8.  Mark Micowski-Georgia St.  56

8.  Jonathon Ross-Savannah St.  56

TEAM BATTING AVERAGE

1.  Georgia State  .375

2.  Pittsburgh  .369

3.  Utah Valley  .361

4.  Southeast Missouri St.  .357

5.  New Mexico St.  .356

6.  New Mexico  .350

7.  Auburn  .349

8.  Central Connecticut St.  .347

9.  Arizona  .346

10.  Dallas Baptist  .345

Corey Baker

WINS

1.  Corey Baker-Pittsburgh  (9-1)

1.  Cole Green-Texas  (9-0)

1.  D.D. Hanks-South Alabama  (9-2)

1.  Alex Wimmers-Ohio St.  (9-0)

5.  Jake Borup-Arizona St.  (8-1)

Blake Cooper-South Carolina  (8-0)

Justin Jones-California  (8-3)

Merrill Kelly-Arizona St.  (8-0)

Anthony Meo-Coastal Carolina  (8-1)

Shawn Teufel-Liberty  (8-1)

Asher Wojciechowski-The Citadel  (8-1)

Brandon Workman-Texas  (8-1)

* 25 pitchers are tied for 13th with seven wins

Chance Ruffin

ERA

Minimum 40 IP & Pitchers must have 1.0 IP for every game played by team

1.  Chance Ruffin-Texas  0.88

2.  John Stilson-Texas A&M  1.17

3.  Adam Izokovic-Gardner-Webb  1.43

4.  Nathan Forer-Southern Illinois  1.48

4.  Nathan Kilcrease-Alabama  1.48

6.  Alex Wimmers-Ohio St.  1.61

7.  Josh Slaats-Hawaii  1.71

8.  Chase Whitley-Troy  1.74

9.  Anthony Meo-Coastal Carolina  1.79

10.  Cole Green-Texas  1.82

Asher Wojciechowski

STRIKEOUTS

1.  Asher Wojciechowski-The Citadel  98

2.  Drew Pomeranz-Mississippi  93

2.  Chris Sale-Florida Gulf Coast  93

4.  Josh Smith-Lipscomb  89

5.  Barret Loux-Texas A&M  88

6.  Taylor Jungmann-Texas  87

7.  Gerrit Cole-UCLA  86

8.  Trevor Bauer-UCLA  85

9.  Daniel Bibona-UC Irvine  84

10.  Eric Cantrell-George Washington  83

10.  Luke Irvine-Northwestern St.  83

10.  Jason Mitchell-UT Arlington  83

Chris Patterson

SAVES

1.  Kevin Arico-Virginia  13

1.  Chris Patterson-Appalachian St.  13

3.  Matty Ott-LSU  11

4.  Ryan Duke-Oklahama  10

Neil Holland-Louisville  10

Kevin McKague-Army  10

Jordan Swagerty-Arizona St.  10

8.  Andrew Burkett-Cincinnati  9

Lenny Linsky-Hawaii  9

Andy Mee-Florida Atlantic  9

Brooks Pinckard-Baylor  9

Chance Ruffin-Texas  9

Chad Sheppard-Northwestern St.  9

TEAM ERA

1.  Texas  2.30

2.  UCLA  2.80

3.  Coastal Carolina  3.02

4.  Oregon  3.14

5.  Arizona State  3.21

6.  Vanderbilt  3.29

7.  South Carolina  3.31

8.  Portland  3.39

9.  Louisiana-Lafayette  3.47

10.  Connecticut  3.56

10.  TCU  3.56

Here’s a look at the official Division One NCAA baseball statistics leaders in selected categories.

Carlos Alonso

BATTING AVERAGE

Minimum 3.0 Plate Appearances Per Game & Min. 80 Plate Appearances

1. Carlos Alonso-Delaware  .466

2. Kevin Tokarski-Illinois St.  .465

3. Anthony Gomez-Vanderbilt  .462

4. Phil Cerreto-Longwood  .461

5. J.D. Ashbrook-Morehead St.  .460

6. Justin Frane-Valparaiso  .459

7. Jonathon Kaskow-Stanford  .455

8. Jerrud Sabourin-Indiana  .454

9. Effrey Valdez-NY Tech  .453

10. Chris Benson-Utah Valley  .449

A.J. Kirby-Jones

HOME RUNS

1. A-J Kirby-Jones-Tennessee Tech  18

1. Jacob Tanis-Mercer  18

3. J.D. Ashbrook-Morehead St.  17

4. Jordan Ballard-VMI  16

4. Alex Dickerson-Indiana  16

4. Matt Leeds-College of Charleston  16

4. Peter O’Brien-Bethune-Cookman  16

4. Nate Woods-Belmont  16

9. Pat Biserta-Rutgers  15

9. Drew Lee-Morehead St.  15

9. Jordan Ribera-Fresno St.  15

9. Mike Sodders-New Mexico St.  15

(7 tied with 14)

J.D. Ashbrook

RUNS

1. J.D. Ashbrook-Morehead St.  62

2. Dallas Poulk-NC State 57

3. Ryan Aguayo-New Mexico St.  56

3. Nate Roberts-High Point  56

5. Wes Cunningham-Murray State  54

5. Tyler Holt-Florida St.  54

5. Jeff Rowland-Georgia Tech  54

8. Danny Lopez-Pittsburgh  51

8. Cory Spangenberg-VMI  51

8. Jacob Tanis-Mercer  51

Jacob Tanis

RBIs

1.  Jacob Tanis-Mercer  68

2.  Drew Lee-Morehead St.  61

3.  Nate Woods-Belmont  59

4.  Jake Overstreet-South Alabama  58

5.  Matt Leeds-College of Charleston  57

6.  Chris Duffy-Central Florida  55

6.  A.J. Kirby-Jones-Tennessee Tech 55

8.  Dexter Kelley-Savannah St.  54

8.  Brandon Williams-Georgia St.  54

10. Danny Brock-St. Louis  53

10.  Tyler Huelsing-Memphis  53

10.  Connor Powers-Mississippi St.  53

Mac Doyle

SLUGGING PERCENTAGE

1.  A.J. Kirby-Jones-Tennessee Tech  .899

2.  Mac Doyle-Wofford  .874

3.  J.D. Ashbrook-Morehead St.  .867

4.  Jacke Healey-Youngstown St.  .860

5.  Paul Hoilman-East Tennessee St.  .859

6.  Chace Perkins-New Mexico St.  .853

7.  Chris Duffy-Central Florida  .847

8.  Wes Cunningham-Murray St.  .846

9.  Ryan Fleming-Georgia St.  .838

10.  Dan Scheffler-Florida Atlantic  .837

Kevin Tokarski

ON-BASE PERCENTAGE

1.  Kevin Tokarski-Illinois St.  .576

2.  Taylor Dugas-Alabama  .572

3.  Nate Roberts-High Point  .564

4.  Michael Choice-UT Arlington  .563

5.  J.D. Ashbrook-Morehead St.  .561

6.  Curtis Wilson-Southern  .556

7.  Chad Salem-Manhattan  .554

7.  Kyle Roller-East Carolina  .554

9.  Brian Harris-Vanderbilt  .552

10.  Anthony Rendon-Rice  .547

TEAM BATTING AVERAGE

1.  Georgia State  .378

2.  Pittsburgh  .370

3.  New Mexico St.  .367

4.  Arizona  .355

5.  Southeast Missouri St.  .354

5.  VMI  .354

7.  Utah Valley  .352

8.  Dallas Baptist  .348

9.  Auburn  .346

9.  New Mexico  .346

D.D. Hanks

WINS

These seven pitchers are tied with eight wins

Corey Baker-Pittsburgh

Cole Green-Texas

D.D. Hanks-South Alabama

Justin Jones-Cal

Merrill Kelly-Arizona State

Alex Wimmers-Ohio State

Asher Wojciechowski-The Citadel

These 16 pitchers are tied with seven wins

Matt Andress-Appalachian State

Matt Barnes-UConn

Jake Borup-Arizona State

Blake Cooper-South Carolina

Quintavious Drains-Jackson State

Brandon Efferson-Southeastern Louisiana

Kyle Hunter-Kansas State

Kyle Kraus-Portland

Keegan Linza-Liberty

Anthony Meo-Coastal Carolina

Matt Ridings-Western Kentucky

Thomas Royse-Louisville

Josh Smith-Lipscomb

Shawn Teufel-Liberty

Brandon Workman-Texas

Chance Ruffin

ERA

Minimum 35 IP & 1 IP for every game played by team

1.  Chance Ruffin-Texas  0.95

2.  John Stilson-Texas A&M  1.17

3.  Drew Leininger-Indiana  1.20

4.  Nathan Forer-Southern Illinois  1.23

5.  Drew Pomeranz-Mississippi  1.38

6.  Nathan Kilcrease-Alabama  1.46

7.  Neil Holland-Louisville  1.50

8.  Alex Wimmers-1.71

9.  Adam Izokovic-Gardner-Webb  1.75

10.  Garrett Claypool-UCLA  1.85

Kevin Arico

SAVES

1.  Kevin Arico-Virginia  12

2.  Matty Ott-LSU  11

2.  Chris Patterson-Appalachian St.  11

4.  Ryan Duke-Oklahoma  10

4.  Jordan Swaggerty-Arizona St.  10

6.  Kevin McKague-Army  9

6.  Brooks Pinckard-Baylor  9

6.  Chance Ruffin-Texas  9

9.  Andrew Burkett-Cincinnati  8

9.  Adam Conley-Washington St.  8

9.  Chris Dennis-Portland  8

9.  Tom Heithoff-Evansville  8

9.  Neil Holland-Louisville  8

9.  Ryne Purcell-Eastern Kentucky  8

9.  Chad Sheppard-Northwestern St.  8

Drew Pomeranz

STRIKEOUTS

1.  Drew Pomeranz-Mississippi  90

2.  Asher Wojciechowski-The Citadel  86

3.  Josh Smith-Lipscomb  80

4.  Taylor Jungmann-Texas  79

5.  Barret Loux-Texas A&M  78

5.  Chris Sale-Florida Gulf Coast  78

7.  Daniel Bibona-UC Irvine  76

7.  Gerrit Cole-UCLA  76

7.  Danny Hultzen-Virginia  76

10. Eric Cantrell-George Washington  75

TEAM ERA

1.  Texas  2.41

2.  UCLA  2.44

3.  Oregon  2.92

4.  Arizona State  3.06

4.  Vanderbilt  3.06

6.  Coastal Carolina  3.18

7.  South Carolina  3.27

8.  TCU  3.35

9.  Connecticut  3.37

10.  Portland  3.39

Stats through games as of 4/18/10

Here are this week’s college baseball Division One leaders in selected categories, including Team ERA and Team Batting Average.  All stats are updated as of Thursday, April 15.

Chris Benson

BATTING AVERAGE

1.  Effrey Valdez-New York Tech  .473

2.  Chris Benson-Utah Valley  .467

3.  Phil Cerrato-Longwood  .461

4.  Zach Wentz-North Dakota St.  .460

5.  J.D. Ashbrook-Morehead St.  .459

6.  Carlos Alonso-Delaward  .458

7.  Aaron Senne-Missouri  .457

8.  Casey Jones-SE Missouri St.  .453

9.  Kevin Tokarski-Illinois St.  .451

9.  Garrett Bivone-UT Pan American  .451

A.J. Kirby-Jones

HOME RUNS

1.  A.J. Kirby-Jones-Tennessee Tech  17

1.  Jacob Tanis-Mercer  17

3.  Mike Sodders-New Mexico St.  15

4.  J.D. Ashbrook-Morehead St.  14

4.  Adam Bailey-Nebraska  14

4.  Jordan Ballard-VMI  14

4.  Wes Cunningham-Murray St.  14

4.  Alex Dickerson-Indiana  14

4.  Chris Duffy-Central Florida  14

4.  Matt Leeds-College of Charleston  14

4.  Peter O’Brien-Bethune-Cookman  14

4.  Jordan Ribera-Fresno St.  14

Jacob Tanis

RBIs

1.  Jacob Tannis-Mercer  65

2.  Jake Overstreet-South Alabama  56

3.  A.J. Kirby-Jones-Tennessee Tech  53

4.  Danny Brock-St. Louis  52

5.  Chris Duffy-Central Florida  51

6.  Drew Lee-Morehead St.  50

6.  Ryan Soares-George Mason  50

8.  Phil Cerreto-Longwood  49

8.  Wes Cunningham-Murray St.  49

8.  Tyler Huelsing-Memphis  49

8.  Jose Iglesias-Coastal Carolina  49

8.  Matt Leeds-College of Charleston  49

8.  Nick Rogers-North Carolina A&T  49

8.  Nate Woods-Belmont  49

Taylor Dugas

ON-BASE PERCENTAGE

1.  Taylor Dugas-Alabama  .577

2.  Brian Harris-Vanderbilt  .574

3.  J.D. Ashbrook-Morehead St.  .570

4.  Jon Kelton-Alabama  .568

5.  Kevin Tokarski-Illinois St. .566

6.  Michael Choice-UT Arlington  .563

6.  Chad Salem-Manhattan  .563

6.  A.J. Kirby-Jones-Tennessee Tech  .563

9.  Curtis Wilson-Southern  .556

10. Kyle Roller-East Carolina  .553

Mac Doyle

SLUGGING PERCENTAGE

1.  A.J. Kirby-Jones-Tennessee Tech  .941

2.  Mac Doyle-Wofford  .908

3.  Chris Duffy-Central Florida  .879

4.  Wes Cunningham-Murray St.  .869

5.  Paul Hoilman-East Tennessee St.  .867

6.  Ben Harty-New Mexico St.  .843

7.  Phil Cerreto-Longwood  .836

8.  J.D. Ashbrook-Morehead St.  .830

8.  Chace Perkins-New Mexico St.  .830

8.  Chad Salem-Manhattan  .830

J.D. Ashbrook

RUNS

1.  J.D. Ashbrook-Morehead St.  56

2.  Ryan Aguayo-New Mexico St.  55

3.  Jeff Rowland-Georgia Tech  51

4.  Mike Sodders-New Mexico St.  50

5.  Wes Cunningham-Murray State  48

5.  Danny Lopez-Pittsburgh  48

5.  Nate Roberts-High Point  48

5.  Cory Spangenberg-VMI  48

9.  Tyler Holt-Florida St.  47

9.  Jacob Tanis-Mercer  47

TEAM BATTING AVERAGE

1.  Georgia State  .386

2.  New Mexico St.  .370

3.  Pittsburgh  .369

4.  VMI  .355

4.  SE Missouri State  .355

6.  Utah Valley  .354

7.  Arizona  .351

8.  Auburn  .350

9.  Central Connecticut St.  .347

10.  Arizona State  .346

Justin Jones

WINS

These eight pitchers are tied with seven wins

Corey Baker-Pittsburgh

Cole Green-Texas

D.D. Hanks-South Alabama

Justin Jones-California

Merrill Kelly-Arizona State

Keegan Linza-Liberty

Alex Wimmers-Ohio State

Asher Wojciechowski-The Citadel

* 29 pitchers are tied with six wins each.

Chance Ruffin

ERA

1.  Chance Ruffin-Texas  0.50

2.  Adam Izokovic-Gardner-Webb  1.06

3.  Neil Holland-Louisville  1.09

4.  Trever Vermeulen-South Dakota St.  1.21

5.  John Stilson-Texas A&M  1.25

6.  Drew Leininger-Indiana  1.38

7.  Chris Sale-Florida Gulf Coast  1.41

8.  Elliot Glynn-Connecticut  1.52

9.  Michael Wacha-Texas A&M  1.53

10.  Drew Pomeranz-Ole Miss  1.57

Drew Pomeranz

STRIKEOUTS

1.  Drew Pomeranz-Ole Miss  80

2.  Asher Wojciechowski-The Citadel  74

3.  Gerrit Cole-UCLA  71

4.  Barret Loux-Texas A&M  70

4.  Josh Smith-Lipscomb  70

6.  Daniel Bibona-UC Irvine  68

6.  Taylor Jungmann-Texas  68

8.  Trevor Bauer-UCLA  67

8.  Chris Sale-Florida Gulf Coast  67

10.  Danny Hultzen-Virginia  66

10.  Mike McCarthy-Cal St. Bakersfield  66

10.  Jason Mitchell-UT Arlington  66

10.  Tanner Peters-UNLV  66

10.  Noe Ramirez-Cal State Fullerton  66

10.  John Stilson-Texas A&M  66

Kevin Arico

SAVES

1.  Kevin Arico-Virginia  11

2.  Matty Ott-LSU  10

2.  Chris Patterson-Appalachian St.  10

4.  Brooks Pinckard-Baylor  9

4.  Chance Ruffin-Texas  9

6.  Adam Conley-Washington St.  8

6.  Neil Holland-Louisville  8

6.  Ryne Purcell-Eastern Kentucky  8

6.  Chad Sheppard-Northwestern St.  8

6.  Jordan Swagerty-Arizona St.  8

TEAM ERA

1.  UCLA  2.28

2.  Texas  2.58

3.  Vanderbilt  2.92

4.  Oregon  2.93

5.  Oregon State  2.97

6.  Arizona State  3.03

7.  Coastal Carolina  3.17

8.  Portland  3.25

8.  TCU  3.25

10.  Connecticut  3.34

Passion Buckets Full Of Baseball And Final Four

April is here, and my Passion Bucket is overflowing.  For those who’ve never heard of a Passion Bucket, it’s a term that was coined by UCLA football coach Rick Neuheisel and made popular on the Dan Patrick Radio Show.  It’s also a term that was used by Cornell basketball player Ryan Wittman prior to last week’s Sweet 16 basketball match-up with Kentucky.

Wittman’s use of the term stirred-up some unwarranted controversy when John Feinstein took it to mean “we’re the smart kids”.   Turned out Wittman’s coach, Steve Donohue,  had just told him to drop the “Passion Bucket” during the presser at Patrick’s request.  Turns out Passion Bucket just stands for how much enthusiasm or excitement you have for something, and mine is overflowing with thoughts of college baseball and the Final Four…and even how they run together…

Brad Stevens

Butler’s in the Final Four.  How cool is that?  Their home floor, Hinkle Fieldhouse, is where the movie Hoosiers was filmed.  The college baseball equal would be Creighton making it to the College World Series.  Wait…that happened in 1991.  Butler’s coach, Brad Stevens, is home grown, just like Brian O’Connor, who pitched at the Series for the Blue Jays in ’91 and who took Virginia to Omaha last year.  Stevens looks so young he gets mistaken for the water boy, but he’s worked his way up the ladder since starting as Butler’s Coordinator of Basketball Operations ten years ago.  By the way, Minnesota Twins reliever Pat Neshek played college ball at Butler.

Tom Izzo is a guy you just have to respect.  He’s taken Michigan State to six Final Fours in 12 years.  His teams grind out possessions and games like a Polish lady with big forearms grinds out Kielbasa.  It got me thinking…what’s Michigan State’s college baseball counterpart?  I’m going with Texas:  Walk, sac bunt, infield hit, 4-3 RBI…Augie Garrido’s great pitching and small ball approach is college baseball’s answer to Izzo’s Spartans.  Augie’s obviously had some success at it too.  And how about Jake Boss, Jr.’s MSU baseball team?  At 16-4,  his Spartans open Big Ten play vs. Iowa this weekend with the best record in the conference.

Speaking of Texas, the Longhorns (18-7) leave their home state for the first time this season when they visit Oklahoma this weekend.  Texas has played road games at Rice and Texas Tech with three neutral site games at Minute Maid Park in Houston.

Arizona State (23-0) and UCLA (21-0) are the only two remaining unbeaten Division One teams in college baseball.

Merrill Kelly

The Sun Devils visit Oregon this weekend in their second Pac 10 series, while UCLA hosts Stanford in it conference opener.  The most amazing thing to me about ASU’s unblemished record is the fact they’ve done it without Josh Spence (10-1, 2.37 ERA in ’09) throwing one pitch so far this year.  The Aussie has been out all year with an arm injury, but his teammates have more than picked-up the slack.  Sophomore Jake Borup pitched all of 8.0 innings last year, but he’s 5-0, while juco transfer Merrill Kelly is tied for the national lead at 6-0.  Meanwhile, Gerrit Cole (6-0, 2.63 ERA) and Trevor Bauer (5-0, 2.33 ERA) have lived-up to their expectations at UCLA.  Both teams have off the charts talent and numbers in the line-up.  Too bad they don’t meet until the end of the month.  Oh, if you want to read a good rant on these teams and the national rankings check out what Chase Titleman has to say at Road2rosenblatt.com!

Who’s been impersonating as the three Conference USA teams that went to at least a Super Regional last year?  Last year’s CWS Cinderella, Southern Mississippi (14-9) , has lost five of its last seven games, including losing two of three last week to UAB.  East Carolina (17-9) just bludgeoned North Carolina Central by a combined 65-12 last weekend, but they just lost a 15-13 slug fest to UNC Wilmington and had losses to Monmouth and High Point.  ECU opens C-USA play this weekend vs. Tulane and then heads to Memphis next week.  Speaking of Memphis, the Tigers took two of three from Rice (14-12) last week for their first ever series win over the Owls, which are falling out of the polls with losses in five of their last eight games.  All three C-USA teams have played tough opponents, all three have hit in spots and consistent pitching has eluded all three as well.

Joe Godri

Villanova (17-4) is off to its best start since head coach Joe Godri arrived in 2002.  The Wildcats have a tough task ahead of them this weekend if they want to keep it going.  Godri’s ‘Cats will be “big game hunting” when they travel to Louisville (21-3) for their second Big East series of the season.  Godri has a tradition of plastering the logo of top-caliber teams his team has beaten on his office wall, and just one win at Louisville this weekend would go a long way.  Wildcats Justin Bencsko (.485) and Matt Szczur (.500) have names that are hard to pronounce, but they’re among the nation’s hitting leaders.  Louisville’s Thomas Royse (5-0, 1.42 ERA) and Neil Holland (4-0, 0.42 ERA, 6 SVs) might be the best pitchers they’ll face this season.

That series and many others start on Thursday this weekend due to Easter coming this Sunday.  Here’s hoping your Easter Baskets and Passion Buckets are full!

Big Names & Lessor Known Hurlers On The List

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

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

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

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

2010 College Pitcher of the Year Watch List

Jimmy Nelson-Alabama-SEC

Jake Borup-Arizona State-Pac 10

Mitchell Lambson-Arizona State-Pac 10

Josh Spence-Arizona State-Pac 10

Drew Smyly-Arkansas-SEC

Logan Verrett-Baylor-Big 12

Eric Johnson-California-Pac 10

Asher Wojciechowski-The Citadel-Southern

Matt Rein-Coastal Carolina-Big South

Cody Wheeler-Coastal Carolina-Big South

Alex Panteliodis-Florida-SEC

John Gast-Florida State-ACC

Sean Gilmartin-Florida State-ACC

Deck McGuire-Georgia Tech-ACC

Drew Leininger-Indiana-Big 10

Matt Little-Kentucky-SEC

Shawn Teufel-Liberty-Big South

Anthony Ranaudo-LSU-SEC

Neil Holland-Louisville-Big East

Thomas Royse-Louisville-Big East

Matt Harvey-North Carolina-ACC

Francis Brooke-Northwestern-Big 10

Alex Wimmers-Ohio State-Big 10

Jeremy Erben-Oklahoma-Big 12

Aaron Barrett-Mississippi-SEC

Drew Pomeranz-Mississippi-SEC

Tyler Anerson-Oregon-Pac 10

Greg Peavey-Oregon State-Pac 10

Tanner Robles-Oregon State-Pac 10

Addison Reed-San Diego State-Mountain West

D.D. Hanks-South Alabama-Sun Belt

Trevor Vermeulen-South Dakota State-Summit

Josh Janway-Southeastern Louisiana-Southland

Scott Copeland-Southern Mississippi-Conference USA

Todd McInnis-Southern Mississippi-Conference USA

Cole Green-Texas-Big 12

Taylor Jungmann-Texas-Big 12

Chance Ruffin-Texas-Big 12

Barret Loux-Texas A&M-Big 12

John Stilson-Texas A&M-Big 12

Daniel Bibona-UC Irvine-Big West

Eric Pettis-UC Irvine-Big West

Mario Hollands-UC Santa Barbara-Big West

Trevor Bauer-UCLA-Pac 10

Gerrit Cole-UCLA-Pac 10

Jason Mitchell-UT Arlington-Southland

Sonny Gray-Vanderbilt-SEC

Danny Hultzen-Virginia-ACC

Jesse Hahn-Virginia Tech-ACC

Players Keeping Pace as Midseason Pressure Approaches …

CollegeBaseball360.com has announced its fourth group of Primetime Performers, for action during the second week of March. Virginia junior rightfielder Dan Grovatt (Tabernacle, Fla.) has been named the CB360 Primetime Player of the Week while Kansas senior righthanded closer Brett Bochy (Poway, Calif.) is the CB360 Primetime Pitcher of the Week.

360Lexy

LISTEN!

Grovatt (pictured at left) and Bochy (right)lead the way for a Primetime Performer Honor Roll that includes 19 other players who delivered timely performances in pressure-packed situations during the past week. (front-page photo courtesy of Virginia)

Grovatt (pictured above; UVa photo) – batting .424 for the season – played a central role in college baseball’s biggest series of the season thus far, as the Cavaliers (#2 in the CB360 Composite National Rankings) took 2-of-3 at #4 Florida State (5-0/9-8/8-9). Living up to his responsibility as the Cavs’ 3-hole hitter, Grovatt hit 8-for-14 (.571) during the FSU series and smacked three home runs while directly factoring into seven of the team’s runs spanning the three games (5 RBI, 5R). He helped deliver the first series win vs. Florida State in the history of Virginia baseball. Grovatt’s four hits and first career multi-HR game helped carry the Cavs to victory in the opener.

One day later, in the series clincher, Grovatt was the relief pitcher of record (1IP-R-H-K) while also playing a role (H-R) in UVa’s stunning six-run rally in the top of the 9th. He added a home run in the tight series finale – and earlier in the week helped beat a William & Mary team that was fresh off an upset vs. North Carolina.

Bochy (pictured below) – who has a year of eligibility remaining after this season – saved both of KU’s wins at top-ranked LSU (11-9, 8-4), in front of a raucous and expansive crowd at Alex Box Stadium. The son of San Francisco Giants  manager Bruce Bochy logged a total of 3.2 shutout innings and retired 11-of-13 batters he faced, with five strikeouts and no hits allowed (2 BB). His season numbers include a 0.87 ERA in 10.1 innings, with 19 Ks, four walks and only two hits allowed.

Similar to the weekly awards presented on sister site CollegeSoccer360.com, the CB360 Primetime Performer honors various players based on any/all of the following “primetime” criteria…not solely based on raw stats.

Primetime Performer Award Criteria
• Must have been playing for or against a CB360 top-50 team (in the Composite National Rankings)  or performed a high level in a game that could be key to a team’s conference/NCAA postseason qualification.
• Involved in clutch performances, such as late game-winning hits, noteworthy comebacks, game-changing plays, team leadership, etc.
• Performing at a top level against a team rated highly nationally (or within its conference), with bonus consideration given for key performances away from home field and vs. traditional rivals.
• Overcoming adversity or extreme circumstances (for the team and/or individual).
• Any accomplishment that is rare, historic, record-setting, etc., on a national level.

(top row, from left) UCLA’s Trevor Bauer, Pepperdine’s Cole Cook, BC’s Pat Dean, Louisville’s Neil Holland, Virginia’s Danny Hultzen, (bottom row, from left) Liberty’s P.J. Jimenez and Cal’s Erik Johnson.

The other 19 members of the CB360 Primetime Performer Weekly Honor Roll include UCLA so. righthander Trevor Bauer (Valencia, Calif.), Pepperdine jr. RHP Cole Cook (Los Aneles, Calif.), Boston College jr. LHP Pat Dean (Naugatuck, Conn.), Louisvile jr. RHP Neil Holland (Owensboro, Ky.), UVa so. LHP Danny Hultzen (Bethesda, Md.), Liberty sr. 2B P.J. Jimenez (Yucaipa, Calif.), Cal so. RHP Eric Johnson (Los Altos, Calif.), Duke jr. SS Jake Lemmerman (Newport Beach, Calif.), Kansas jr. RF Casey Lytle (Phoenix, Ariz.), Florida State sr. LF/RHP Mike McGee (Port St. Lucie, Fla.), Illinois jr. DH Casey McMurray (Willow Springs, Ill.), Northridge jr. CF Drew Muren (Ramona, Calif.), South Dakota St. jr. RHP Alex Oberle (San Jose, Calif.), Cal fr. 3B Tony Renda (Hillsborough, Calif.), Evansville fr. SS Eric Stamets (Dublin, Ohio), Long Beach so. 3B Joey Terdoslavich (Sarasota, Fla.), Charleston Southern RHP/RF  Tyler Thornburg (Atlanta, Ga.), The Citadel jr. RHP Asher Wojciechowski (Sturgis, Mich.) and BYU so. 1B Alex Wolff (Orem, Utah).

(from left) Duke’s Jake Lemmerman, KU’s Casey Lytle, Florida State’s Mike McGee, Illinois’ Casey McMurray, Northridge’s Drew Muren and South Dakota State’s Alex Oberle.

The 21 honorees include eight pitchers (seven RHPs), three two-way players (RF/LHP, LF/RHP, RHP/RF), two shortstops, two third basemen, a first baseman, a second baseman, one player from each outfield spot, and a DH. The selections feature 11 juniors, five sophomores, three seniors and the freshmen Renda and Stamets. Roughly 40% of the honorees (9) hail from California – five of them playing at in-state schools (UCLA, Pepperdine, Cal 2 and Northridge), but others coming from throughout the country (Kansas, Liberty, Duke and South Dakota State). The other players include two from Florida and one each from Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio and Utah.’

(from left) Cal’s Tony Renda, Evansville’s Eric Stamets, Long Beach’s Joey Terdoslavich, Charleston Southern’s Tyler Thornburg, The Citadel’s Asher Wojciechowski and BYU’a Alex Wolff.

Primetime Performer Weekly Honor Roll #4 (March 8-14)

(presented by CollegeBaseball360.com)
“It’s not so much what you do, as it is when you do it.”

Player (Pos.) … School … Yr. … Hometown … Stats & Notes
Trevor Bauer (RHP) … UCLA … So. . … Valencia, CA
Took shutout into 9th and racked up 18 Ks, as Bruins beat #44 Mississippi in Corpus Christi (8+IP-3H-2BB)

*Brettt Bochy (RHP) … Kansas … Sr. … Poway, CA
Saved both of KU’s victories while retiring 11-of-13 batters faced, in series at #1 LSU (3.2IP-2BB-5K)

Cole Cook (RHP) … Pepperdine … Jr. … Los Angeles, CA
Set series tone with complete-game 9-3 win vs. #12 East Carolina (2 earned runs, 8H-3BB-8K)

Pat Dean (LHP) … Boston College … Jr. …  Naugatuck, CT
Struck out nine in big win at #21 Miami (8IP-6H-BB)

*Dan Grovatt (RF/LHPF) … Virginia … Jr. … Tabernacle, NJ
3-hole hitter who paced Virginia offense in series win (5-0/9-8/8-9) at #4 Florida St. (3HR-5 RBI-5 R)

Neil Holland (RHP) … Louisville … Jr. … Owensboro, KY
Picked up a win and 2 saves (4IP-R-H-BB-6K) spanning midweek game with Indian (9-7) and series at #18 Ol’Miss (6-1/12; 10-8)

Danny Hultzen (LHP) … Virginia … So. … Bethesda, MD
Made game-1 statement with 6.0 shuttout inning at #4 Florida State (2H-6K; UVa won 5-0)

P.J. Jimenez (2B) … Liberty … Sr. …  Yucaipa, CA
2-hole hitter went 5-for-10 to spark pair of wins (9-1/14-9) over #34 St. John’s ( RBI, 6R, HR, BB)

Erik Johnson (RHP) … California … So. … Los Altos, CA
Won 8-6 opener at #23 Rice (6IP-2H-BB-6K), leading Bears to split of 4-game series

Jake Lemmerman (SS) … Duke … Jr. … Newport Beach, CA
Leadoff batter who hit 4-for-9 in pair of wins (15-11/5-3) at #11 UNC (4RBI-4R-HR-2B-BB-SB)

Casey Lytle (RF) … Kansas … Jr. … Phoenix, AZ
Smacked 4 doubles while leading offense in series win at #1 LSU (5-for-9, 4 RBI, 5R, 2 BB; 11-9 & 8-4 wins)

Mike McGee (LF/RHP) … Florida State … Sr. … Port St. Lucie, FL
Two-way talent who paced team’s midweek 1-hitter vs. Jacksonville (6IP-4BB-9K; FSU won 2-0), then had strong series vs. #2 Virginia (4-RBI-3R-HR-2 2B), including key role in 9-8 win (2-5/3RBI-HR-2B; 1.2IP-2K)

Casey McMurray (DH) … Illinois … Jr. … Willow Springs, IL
Drove in 5 runs to lead upset win at #5 Coastal Carolina (HR-2B;also homered in loss vs. CC)

Drew Muren (CF) … CS Northridge … Jr. … Ramona, CA
His grand slam sparked 5-3 win over #12 East Carolina (also 6-16 in series win over LMU, 6RBI-5R-HR-2B-2BB-2SB)

Alex Oberle (RHP) … South Dakota State … Jr. … San Jose, CA
Posted impressive win at #16 Arkansas (6.2IP-R-3H-3BB-3K)

Tony Renda (3B) … California … Fr. … Hillsborough, CA
Led Bear offense during pair of wins (8-6/6-4) at #23 Rice (4-6, 5BI, 3R, HR, 3B, 2 BB)

Eric Stamets (SS) … Evansville … Fr. … Dublin, OH
2-hole hitter who delivered in clutch during 8-4 win at #19 Kentucky (2-5, 2 RBI, 2R, 2 2B, 2 BB, 2 SB)

Joey Terdoslavich (3B) … Long Beach State …  So. … Sarasota, FL
Hit 6-for-8 in pair of wins (7-4/7-3) over #33 Wichita St. (4RBI, 2R, 2B)

Tyler Thornburg (RHP/RF) … Charleston Southern … Jr. … Atlanta, GA
Complate-game win at #10 Florida (6-3;  7H-3BB-11K; also sac. fly and 2 other hits in series)

Asher Wojciechowski (RHP) … The Citadel … Jr. …  Sturgis, MI
His win in opener (4-0) headlined sweep of #36 Western Carolina (8IP-6H-14 Ks; 138 pitches/92 strikes)

Alex Wolff (1B) … BYU … So. …  Orem, UT
3-hole hitter came through in pair of wins (10-4/16-4) vs. # Washington (4-9, 11 RBI, 6R, 3 HR, 2B)

* – Grovatt is the CB360 Primetime Player of the Week and Bochy the Primetime Pitcher of the Week … note that rankings above refer to the CB360 top-50 … class years are based on academic standing (some players may have an extra year of eligibility)

A By The Numbers Rundown Of The Latest Action

Brett Bochy

13…Straight wins to open the season by Louisville-the best for the program since a 15-0 mark in 1957-after Friday’s 6-1 win at Ole Miss.

5…Runs scored by Louisville in the top of the 12th inning of that game to pick-up the victory.

17…Combined strikeouts by Rebel pitchers Drew Pomeranz (12 in 6 1/3 IP) and Brett Huber (5 in 4 1/3 IP) in the loss.

7…Walks issued by Louisville starter Thomas Royse in 6 1/3 IP.  Royse had walked just 3 batters in 18 innings in his previous three starts this season.

9…Ks by Mississippi starter Drew Barrett in Saturday’s 8-3 win to hand Louisville its first loss of the season.

2…Wins by Louisville (14-1) in the series after winning 10-8 in Sunday’s series finale in Oxford.  Cardinal head coach Dan McDonnell, a former Ole Miss assistant, was making his first trip back to Oxford since becoming Louisville’s head coach in 2007.

1 & 1…Win and save by Cardinal pitcher Neil Holland in the series.  Holland pitched a total of four innings in his two appearances with 6 strikeouts and a walk while allowing a run on one hit.

8…Combined home runs hit by North Florida and James Madison in UNF’s 22-19 win over the Dukes.

7…RBIs powered by two home runs by Ospreys shortstop Andrew Hannon in the win.

2…Wins by Duke over North Carolina in its 3-game ACC-opening series.  The Blue Devils also took 2 of 3 games from the Tar Heels last year.

8…Runs scored in the 6th inning of Duke’s 15-11 win, which came a day after falling 21-9 in the series-opener.

1/3…Inning pitched by Illinois starter Brian de la Torriente-who gave-up 6 runs on 5 hits in the Illini’s 11-10 over Coastal Carolina.

Casey McMurray (Illinois photo)

5…RBIs by Illinois DH Casey McMurray who doubled and hit his first home run of the season in that game to hand the Chants just their second loss of 2010.

6…Runs scored by Virginia in the top of the 9th inning to rally to beat Florida State 9-8 at Dick Howser Stadium on Saturday.

4…Of the UVA runs that scored with two outs to give the Cavs the first two games of the series and the first series win over the Seminoles in program history.

15…Strikeouts by UCLA’s Gerrit Cole in 7 2/3 innings Friday vs. Texas A&M Corpus Christi at the Whataburger Classic.

41 & 4…Strikeouts and walks by Cole (4-0) in 25 2/3 IP so far this year.

15…Strikeouts by Cole’s teammate, Trevor Bauer, in 8 plus innings in Saturday’s 5-2 win over Mississippi State.

13-0…Record by UCLA after Sunday’s win over 5-2 win over Oklahoma in their finale at the Whataburger Classic.

1969…The last time the Bruins had a 13-game winning streak.  The 13-0 start is UCLA’s best of the modern era (dating back to 1955).

10…Straight games Oklahoma had won prior to Sunday’s loss to the Bruins.

Mario Hollands (UCSB photo)

16…Strikeouts in eight innings by Santa Barbara pitcher Mario Hollands in Friday’s 8-1 win over Northern Illinois.  The lefty matched a school record held by Barry Zito (1997) and Walt Rehm (1970).

8…Runs scored by Georgia Tech in the bottom of the 6th inning Saturday to rally for a 15-8 win over Wake Forest.

24…Total runs scored by Rice in the 6th, 7th and 8th innings of Saturday’s 26-11 win over Cal.

12…Of the runs that scored in the 6th inning as the Owls sent 17 batters to the plate in the frame.

7…Times Rice SS Rick Hague reached base in the game to tie a program record.  He was 4-for-4 with two walks with four runs scored and 3 RBIs.

8…RBIs in the game by Owl 3B Anthony Rendon, who homered twice in the victory.

8…Strikeouts in 8 IP by Manhattan’s Tom Costigan in a 13-1 win over West Virginia to help the Jaspers to a Saturday sweep of the Mountaineers.

4 & 3…Strikeouts and walks, respectively, in 8 total IP by Notre Dame’s Brian Dupra in his first two starts against Mississippi Valley State and Ohio State.  The junior surrendered 9 ER as he started the season 0-1 with a 10.12 ERA.

13 & 1…Strikeouts and walks, respectively, in Dupra’s last 14 IP vs. Stetson and Gonzaga to improve to 2-1 and drop his ERA to 4.91.

8…Total errors committed by Pacific in its first 13 games of the season.

5…Errors committed by Pacific in the 7th inning of Saturday’s 10-1 loss to Bradley in San Antonio.  The five miscues led to five unearned runs.

35 & 7…Strikeouts and walks by the Texas pitching staff in a weekend 3-game sweep of Iowa.

17…Strikeouts in 7 2/3 IP by Longhorn starter Taylor Jungmann in Friday’s 2-1 win.  It took a 10th inning walk-off home run by Tant Sheppard to get Texas the victory.

Taylor Jungmann

30-24…The score of Sunday’s Georgia State win over New Mexico State.

12…Combined home runs hit in the game by the Panthers and Aggies.

4…Of the home runs that were grand slams.   Ryan Aguayo hit the lone slam for NM State, while Carl Moniz, Bradley Logan and Joey Wood all had them for Georgia State.  The three slams ties an NCAA team record for a single game, while the four combined slams also ties an NCAA record.

14…RBIs in five games last week by Wood.  The sophomore DH batted .640 with an 1.160 slugging percentage for the Panthers.

10…Strikeouts in 8 innings by Ohio State’s Alex Wimmers (4-0) in Sunday’s 2-0 win over Tennessee.

8…Double digit strikeout performances by Wimmers in his 20 career starts.  He also won for the fourth time on the heels of a Buckeye loss.

5…Home runs last week by Tennessee Tech’s A.J. Kirby-Jones.  The junior is now Tech’s all-time home run leader with 33.  Kirby-Jones hit three of the long balls in Friday’s 9-0 win over Buffalo.

Jabari Henry (FIU photo)

2006…The last time an Indiana pitcher tossed a complete game shutout prior to sophomore Drew Leininger accomplishing the feat in Sunday’s 9-0 win over Central Michigan.

17…RBIs in five games by Florida International OF Jabari Henry, who hit five home runs while hitting .500 (9-18) during the week.

6…Home runs in five games by VMI 1B Jordan Ballard who had 14 RBIs in 14 at-bats.  He ended the week with a 1.929 slugging percentage.

7…Extra base hits-3 home runs, 3 doubles and a triple-in four games by Rutgers’ Pat Biserta.  The junior had a grand slam and totaled 13 RBIs to help RU go 4-0 after a 1-8 start to the season.