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A By The Numbers Rundown Of The Action…

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

Here’s the by the numbers look…

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

Brandon Eckerle (MSU photo)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jeremy Baltz (SJU photo)

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

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

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

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

Josh Dezse

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

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

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

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

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

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

Matt Morgan (Purdue photo)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Will Walsh (Seton Hall photo)

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

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

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

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

Josh Parr (Illinois photo)

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

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

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

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We have finally made it around the infield. After this list of first basemen, we only have pitchers and outfielders remaining as we continue to look at some of the top players in the country at each position.

1. Paul Hoilman – East Tennessee State

Hoilman went from good as a sophomore in 2009 to great in 2010. The 6’4, 230 pound slugger hit .380 with 17 home runs, 19 doubles, 66 RBIs and a .740 slugging percentage in ’09.  He elevated those numbers to a .421 avg., 25 HR, 24 doubles, 84 RBIs, and a Division One-leading .860 slugging percentage last year. Hoilman had a Ruthian 1.386 OPS for the season, while his home run total tied for fifth in the nation. He won the inaugural TD Ameritrade Home Run Derby in July when he hit seven home runs in his first 11 swings in the contest at Rosenblatt Stadium. Hoilman received All-American accolades and was also named the 2010 Atlantic Sun Conference Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. He was drafted in the 49th round last June by the Tampa Bay Rays, but opted to return for his senior season at ETSU.

2. Jordan Ribera – Fresno State

Ribera finished second to Hoilman at the TD Ameritrade Home Run Derby. He came absolutely out of nowhere in 2010 to become one of the premiere power hitters in the country. His junior season included a .343 average with 20 doubles, 69 RBIs and a nation-leading 27 home runs. He also sported a healthy 1.187 OPS. That from a player who hit just nine home runs in 2008 and 2009 combined. Ribera was named WAC Player of the Year and also earned All-American honors from four different publications for his efforts. The 6’0, 220 pound senior is one of the few remaining players from Fresno State’s 2008 National Championship team.

3. Ricky Oropesa – USC

While Hoilman and Ribera are both more pure first basemen, Oropesa is one of several players on this list who play both 1B and 3B. Now a junior, Oropesa led the Trojans last year in the following categories: Batting average-.343, HR-20, RBIs-67, Doubles-22, Runs-53, Hits-83, Total Bases-167 (next closest was 87), Slugging % – .711, OBP-.434, Stolen Bases- 7, and BB – 33. He was a Freshman All-American in 2009 and earned All-Pac-10 Conference and All-American accolades in ’10 for a 28-32 Trojan team. Oropesa was a 24th round draft pick of the Boston Red Sox coming out of high school in 2008.

4. Nick Ramirez – Cal State Fullerton

Ramirez is one of the top two-way players in the nation. It showed last year when the sophomore hit .346 with 17 home runs, with team-highs of 28 doubles and 75 RBIs. He also recorded 11 saves (and made one start) with a 3.50 ERA as Fullerton’s closer. His efforts made him a finalist for the inaugural John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award and also garnered All-Big West first team and All-American honors. Ramirez also played for the USA Collegiate National Team last summer, with two HR and 16 RBIs, along with a save and a 1.59 ERA in 5 2/3 IP. Titan head coach Dave Serrano also served as his pitching coach for Team USA.

5. Riccio Torrez – Arizona State

Torrez could be the top all-around athlete on this list. He started 56 games at first base last year, while his now graduated brother, Rauol Torrez, played third base. He won the Pac-10 batting crown with his .393 average, and also had 10 home runs with a team-best 27 doubles, 54 RBIs, 65 runs, and 20 stolen bases. Torrez committed just four errors for a .992 fielding percentage and was hit by pitch a Pac-10 leading 25 times. His efforts earned First Team All-Pac-10 and Third Team All-American honors, while helping the Sun Devils to their second straight College World Series. With his brother gone, Torrez is expected to also see time at third base in 2011.

6. Barrett Barnes – Texas Tech

Barnes got his college career off to a fast start and he never really cooled down last year. He was 3-for-4 with two home runs and six RBIs on opening day, enroute to being named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year.  He also became just the fifth Texas Tech player to ever receive Freshman All-American honors in 2010. Barnes had team-highs with a .341 average, .641 slugging percentage, 14 home runs, and 71 runs. He also had 19 doubles and 12 stolen bases. His 71 runs were the second-most in the Big 12, while his 14 HR were the most by a Red Raider freshman since 1986 (he was the only TT player with double digit long balls). Barnes helped the Falmouth Commodores to a second place finish in the Cape Cod League over the summer.

7. Christian Walker – South Carolina

Walker’s 2010 freshman season was one to remember. His three-run Super Regional home run against Coastal Carolina on June 13 sent the Gamecocks to the College World Series, but Walker didn’t stop there. He was named to the CWS All-Tournament Team after helping South Carolina win its first National Championship. Walker batted .327 with nine home runs and 51 RBIs in 2010. He also batted a team-best .346 in SEC action, while striking out just 18 times in 226 at-bats-the fewest of any USC batter with at least 100 ABs during the ’10 campaign. Walker was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team and earned Freshman All-American honors.

8. Mike Nemeth – Connecticut

Nemeth’s junior season at UConn was a career-best for him as well as a program-best for his team. Nemeth was solid in his first two years for the Huskies, with a .314 batting average, six home runs and 76 total RBIs. He put those to shame though in 2010, batting .386 with 84 RBIs (both team-highs), 15 home runs and 20 doubles to help the Huskies to a school-record 48 wins and an NCAA Regional berth. He was also one of three UConn regulars to start and play in a program-topping 64 games. Nemeth sported an 1.120 OPS, while striking out just 24 times with 38 walks in 254 at-bats. He also played for the Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod League over the summer. Nemeth is part of a nucleus of returnees that includes George Springer and Matt Barnes who will try to take UConn even farther in 2011.

9. Nate Woods – Belmont

The 6’6 senior had a junior year to remember in 2010. Woods set Belmont school records with 20 home runs and 78 RBIs, while batting .319 to earn All-Atlantic Sun honors. It was also his first full season as an everyday starter. Woods had his 2009 season cut short due to injury after starting 35 times as an A-Sun All-Freshman performer in 2008. He has also made 30 starts on the mound over his first three seasons in Nashville, including 13 last year with a 5-6 record. The 2011 Preseason All-American was drafted in the 28th round of the 2007 draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of Cedar Rapids, IA.

10. Nick O’Shea – Minnesota

As a redshirt sophomore, O’Shea was the top run producer for the Big Ten champion Golden Gophers. He hit .334 with team-highs of 13 home runs and 60 RBIs to help Minnesota win its conference tournament and the Fullerton NCAA Regional bid that came with it. O’Shea was one of three Gophers to start all 62 of his team’s games in 2010. He scored 44 runs with 19 doubles to land on the All-Big Ten First Team. After a redshirt 2008 season, the Blaine, MN native hit 11 HR with 44 RBIs to earn Freshman All-American honors in 2009.

11. Cameron Seitzer – Oklahoma

Seitzer’s breakout 2010 season helped Oklahoma reach the promised land at the College World Series. He batted .323 with three home runs and 14 RBIs before his season ended with a broken wrist in 2009. Things went much better last year when Seitzer hit .305 with 16 home runs, 15 doubles and 53 RBIs. Seitzer’s .600 slugging percentage was second on his team to third baseman Garrett Buechele’s .630. His .431 OBP was helped by being hit by pitch a team-high 20 times. Like Buechele, Seitzer comes from good lineage. He is the the son of 12-year MLB veteran Kevin Seitzer (Buechele’s dad is 11-year MLB vet Steve Buechele).

Others To Watch…

Alex Aurrichio – Columbia

Troy Channing – St. Mary’s

Ryan Durrence – Bethune-Cookman

Dean Espy – UCLA

Kelvin Freeman – North Carolina A&T

Jonathon Griffin – Central Florida

Brian Johnson – Florida

Max Muncy – Baylor

Jerrud Sabourin – Indiana

Doug Schribman – Bucknell

Matt Snyder – Ole Miss

Aaron Westlake – Vanderbilt

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