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Titans, Cardinal Back At It…

By CB360 Contributor Jack Blanchat

(Jack will be at the Fullerton Regional all weekend. Look for his post-tourney analysis here next week.)

Preview: Fullerton Regional

Once again, the NCAA schedule makers couldn’t resist the allure of a Stanford – Cal State-Fullerton matchup – but if the Cardinal and Titans are to square off for a trip to the Super Regionals, they must slip past a sneaky good Kansas State team and Big Ten Champion Illinois.

The Favorite:

The Fullerton is definitely the favorite to advance to the Supers this weekend – they’re a 40-win team with some eye-popping stats. The Titans have the nation’s 13th-best team ERA (2.85) thanks to a phenomenal pitching staff, but they also play a brand of small ball that can be confusing and frustrating to teams – the Titans’ 75 sac bunts are ninth in the nation – and they don’t need many runs to win games thanks to their pitchers.

Junior Noe Ramirez (8-3) has a 1.74 ERA and his opponents’ batting average is just .183, and junior Tyler Pill (6-1) has a 2.08 ERA and 99 strikeouts this season. Third starter Colin O’Connell has a 2.42 ERA and a 7-3 record – and he’s walked just 6 batters all season. To cap it all off, closer Nick Ramirez has 16 saves this year and a 1.12 ERA – on top of his .285 batting average and nine home runs as a first baseman.

The Challenger:

Stanford and Fullerton are familiar rivals – the teams usually play every year, and this is the second consecutive time the Cardinal have played in Fullerton’s regional. In 2008, Stanford sent Fullerton home in the Super Regional in SoCal, but in 2010, Fullerton returned the favor by knocking out the Cardinal. Hence why the NCAA wanted to see these teams go at it again, and why this regional will be televised.

Stanford is a legitimate threat to knock off the Titans this weekend because it can counter an excellent pitching staff. Stanford has a .298 team batting average, and sophomore Stephen Piscotty leads the squad with a .361 batting average. After that is Pac-10 Freshman of the Year Brian Ragira, who hits .321, and sophomore Tyler Gaffney, who is hitting .320 and riding a 17-game hit streak. Even Stanford’s “weakest” hitter is a threat – senior catcher Zach Jones, who has a .268 batting average, is actually batting .323 in his last 36 games after starting the season hitting .130 in his first 16 games. Jones also leads the team in extra-base hits. Stanford has a pretty solid pitching staff to boot – it’s 3.50 team ERA is 47th best in the country, and closer Chris Reed has a 6-2 record and eight saves of his own. It all adds up to one thing: don’t count out the Cardinal this weekend.

The Others:

Kansas State and Illinois will certainly be overlooked this weekend, but these are two solid squads who are both riding hot streaks. Illinois won the Big Ten Tournament by beating Michigan State by a combined 13-2 in two games, and the Fighting Illini are 16-4 in their last 20 games. However, Illinois doesn’t have a scary pitching staff – all of the Illini starters have an ERA over 4.00.

The story is almost the same for Kansas State, which staved off elimination once in the Big 12 Tournament before eventually losing to Texas A&M in extra innings in the Big 12 Championship game in Oklahoma City. The Cats can count on the big bats of brothers Jason and Jared King, who combined for 18 home runs this season, and have a combined slugging percentage of .577 (Jared’s is .547, Jason’s is .608). The Cats also have some small ball of their own to compliment the Kings’ power, with 2010 Big 12 Player of the Year Nick Martini swiping 24 bags to compliment the team’s 62 sac bunts. The pitching staff is a weakness for the Wildcats, though, as no starter has an ERA under 4.00. The back end of the pen does have closer James Allen, who has 17 saves, but all signs suggest that the Wildcats will be looking to win a slugfest this weekend.

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We are finally down to the pitchers in our look at some of the top college baseball players to watch heading into the 2011 season. Our list of top pitchers will conclude soon with the top relievers.

1. Matt Purke – TCU – So. – LHP

Purke was everything he was supposed to be in 2010. The 14th overall pick in the 2009 MLB Draft went right down the wire in his decision to turn pro or attend TCU before picking college. The Spring, TX native went 16-0 with a 3.02 ERA to help Jim Schlossnagle’s Horned Frogs reach the College World Series for the first time in program history. He struckout 142 batters in 116 1/3 innings with just 34 BB and he thrived in all the big moments. Purke fanned 11 in TCU’s Super Regional win over Texas. He then went 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA in Omaha with wins over Florida State and UCLA to earn CWS All-Tournament honors. Oh by the way, he was also named the National Freshman of the Year.

2. Trevor Bauer – Jr. – RHP – UCLA

Bauer is 21-6 with a 3.00 ERA in his first two years at UCLA. He has earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors both years, including last year when he was 12-3 with a 3.02 ERA and a nation-leading 165 strikeouts in 131 1/3 innings. He was 9-3 with a team-best 2.99 ERA as a freshman in 2009. He made 10 relief appearances and 10 starts with four complete games (of UCLA’s five) that season, which would have been his senior year of high school had he not enrolled early at UCLA. Bauer was 2-0 in two starts at the 2010 College World Series. He had 13 strikeouts in an elimination game start against TCU to get the Bruins into the CWS Finals. He finished with 24 strikeouts and four walks in 15.0 IP in Omaha. The Valencia, CA native had 24 strikeouts in 17 1/3 IP for the USA Collegiate National Team in 2009.

3. Gerrit Cole – Jr. – RHP – UCLA

Cole was selected in the first round of the 2008 MLB Draft out of high school by the New York Yankees, but opted to attend UCLA instead. That made him the first high school first round draft pick to ever attend UCLA. Cole was a Freshman All-American in 2009, going 4-8 with a 3.49 ERA, 104 strikeouts, 38 walks, and a .191 opponent batting average in 85 innings. In his seven losses as a starter that year the UCLA offense averaged just 2.0 runs-a-game. Cole was 11-4 with a 3.34 ERA to earn All-Pac-10 and All-American honors for the College World Series runners-up last year. He was third in the nation with 153 strikeouts in 123.0 IP. The Santa Ana, CA native has gone 6-0 over the last two summers for the USA Collegiate National Team. He had a 0.76 ERA in 2010 and a 1.06 ERA in ’09.

4. Danny Hultzen – Virginia – Jr. – LHP

Hultzen was one of the top two-way players in the country as a freshman in 2009, when he became the first Virginia player to be named ACC Freshman of the Year. He hit .327 with 37 RBIs in 54 starts, while going 9-1 with a 2.17 ERA and  107 Ks in 95 1/3 innings and 16 starts on the mound. Hultzen had a 2.05 ERA in his NCAA Tournament starts to help Brian O’Connor’s Cavs to their first College World Series. Hultzen was used primarily as a pitcher in 2010 and was just as dominant. The Bethesda, MD native was 11-1 with 123 strikeouts in 106 2/3 IP and a 2.78 ERA in 16 starts to become the first Cav to be named ACC Pitcher of the Year. His 20 career wins are tied for sixth in Virginia school history.

5. Taylor Jungmann – Jr. – RHP – Texas

Jungmann earned second team All-Big 12 honors last year after going 8-3 with a 2.03 ERA. He fired a team-high 120.0 innings with 129 strikeouts, 41 walks and one complete game. His .209 opponent batting average was also the best among the Longhorn’s starters. Jungmann was 11-3 with 101 strikeouts in 94 2/3 IP as a freshman in 2009, while finishing third in the nation with a .193 opponent batting average. The Temple, TX native made four appearances for the 2009 national runner-up Longhorns at the College World Series. He was 3-0 with a 0.59 ERA, 15 strikeouts, five and five walks in 15 1/3 total innings. Jungmann also fired a complete-game in his only Omaha start, which was game two of the CWS Championship Series.

6. Noe Ramirez – Cal State Fullerton – Jr. – RHP

Ramirez was named a Freshman All-American and Co-Big West Freshman of the Year (along with teammate Tyler Pill) in 2009 after going 9-2 with a 3.33 ERA. He struckout a Fullerton freshman record 100 batters in 110 2/3 IP to help the Titans to the College World series. He earned All-American status in 2010 after going 12-1 with a 2.54 ERA as the Friday starter for the Titan’s Super Regional team. The East Los Angeles native pitched at least 7.0 innings in 10 of his 14 starts, with two complete games. He struckout 119 in a team-best 109 1/3 IP. With Fullerton head coach Dave Serrano working as his pitching coach, Ramirez had five saves in nine relief appearances for the USA Collegiate National Team over the summer. He combined with Vanderbilt’s Sonny Gray and TCU’s Kyle Winkler to no-hit Korea on July 15.

7. Sonny Gray – Vanderbilt – Jr. – RHP

Gray was a Freshman All-American in 2009 after going 5-1 with a 4.30 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings for the Commodore’s NCAA Regional team. He was 10-5 with a 3.48 ERA and team-highs of 113 strikeouts and 108 2/3 IP last year. Gray earned his tenth win of the season in Vandy’s only win against Florida State at the Tallahassee Super Regional. The Smyrna, TN native has pitched for the USA Collegiate National Team in 2009 and 2010. He was drafted in the 27th round by the Chicago Cubs out of high school. At 5’11, 180 pounds, he has a build similar to former South Carolina ace Blake Cooper.

8. Jed Bradley – Jr. – LHP – Georgia Tech

Bradley was one of three Georgia Tech pitchers to win nine games (along with Deck McGuire and Brandon Cumpton) during his sophomore 2010 season. In fact, he became the ACC’s first nine-game winner when the Yellow Jackets beat fifth-ranked Miami on May 16. He was 9-5 with a 4.83 ERA in 16 starts in ’10. He struckout 99 with just 25 walks in 91 1/3 innings to earn second team All-ACC honors. The Huntsville, AL native saw his stock rise even further last summer when he became a Cape Cod League All-Star as a member of the Wareham Gateman. Baseball America tabbed Bradley the number four prospect in the Cape League heading into 2011.

9. Tyler Anderson – Jr. – LHP – Oregon

Anderson turned-in a 7-5 record with a 2.98 ERA as Oregon’s Friday starter in a Pac-10 that sent a record eight teams to the NCAA Tournament in 2010. He led the Ducks with 102 2/3 innings, with just 33 walks and 105 strikeouts, which ranked 36th in the nation. The 2010 All-Pac-10 performer was also a member of the USA Collegiate National Team over the summer. He was 1-0, while giving-up no earned runs in three starts. The Las Vegas, NV native was drafted in the 50th round by the Minnesota Twins in 2008. He is Baseball America’s #16 college prospect heading into the 2011 season.

10. Cole Green – Texas – Sr. – RHP

Green was the top pitcher on a team that is built on pitching in 2010. He earned Big 12 Pitcher of the Year honors after going 11-2 with a 2.74 ERA. He logged 111 2/3 innings and tied Brandon Workman with a team-high four complete games. His big year came after a combined record of 8-10 in his first two years in Austin. Green had three no-decisions in three starts at the 2009 College World Series, but he struckout 15 in 15.0 IP. The Coppell, TX native was drafted in the fourth round of last year’s MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers, but he turned down the chance to go pro in favor of returning for his senior season.

11. Alex Panteliodis – Jr. – LHP – Florida

Panteliodis started the season in the bullpen, but soon became a stalwart in the weekend rotation as a sophomore in 2010. He earned two wins in relief in Florida’s season-opening series against South Florida and then gave-up just two hits in 5 2/3 IP in his first start of the year against Miami. Panteliodis ended his season with an 11-3 record, which included a five-game winning streak heading into the College World Series. The highlight of the Tampa, FL native’s season was his first career complete game, 12 strikeout performance in the Gators’ Super Regional opening win against the Hurricanes. He retired the last 14 batters of the game for the win.

12. Anthony Meo – Jr. – RHP – Coastal Carolina

Meo is 22-4 with a 2.74 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 173 1/3 innings in his first two years at Coastal Carolina. He enters his junior season with the eighth-best ERA and tied for 11th in wins in school history. Meo was a Freshman All-American in 2009 after going 9-2 with a 2.93 ERA. He earned All-American honors in 2010 with his 13-2 record, 2.61 ERA and 94 strikeouts. His wins and ERA were team-highs, while he finished second to former teammate Cody Wheeler’s (12-0, 3.64 ERA) 113 Ks. The duo helped Coastal Carolina to the program’s first Super Regional, which they dropped to eventual national champion South Carolina. Meo pitched for the Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod League last summer.

13. Steven Maxwell – Sr. – RHP – TCU

Maxwell is back for his redshirt senior season at TCU after a breakthrough 2010 season that saw him drafted in 12th round by the Minneosta Twins. Maxwell was 5-2 from 2007-2009 for the Horned Frogs, but he was 11-2 with a team-best 2.70 ERA for TCU’s College World Series team in 2010. He finished with 93 strikeouts and earned All-American accolades and Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Year honors. Maxwell’s 2008 season was cut short after three appearances due to an elbow injury that would require Tommy John surgery. He was the starting pitcher in four of TCU’s six shutouts in 2010.

14. Justin Jones – So. – RHP – Cal

Along with TCU’s Matt Purke, Jones was one of the top freshman pitchers in the nation in 2010. He earned first team All-Pac-10 and Freshman All-American honors after going 10-6 with a 4.22 ERA. He not only led the Golden Bears in wins, but also had more than a third of the NCAA Regional team’s 29 victories on the season. Jones also tossed Cal’s only two complete games. One of his top wins of the season came on March 12 against Rice to help Cal split their four-game series with the Owls in Houston. His ten wins ranked third in the Pac-10, behind UCLA’s Gerrit Cole and Trevor Bauer. The Oakdale, CA native was a seventh round pick of the Chicago White Sox in the 2009 MLB Draft.

15. Kyle Winkler – Jr. – RHP – TCU

The fact that TCU is favored to get back to Omaha in 2011 is evidenced by the fact that the Horned Frogs have three starters on this list. Winkler was 12-3 with a 3.39 ERA in 2010. His 19 starts, two complete games and 116 2/3 innings led the TCU pitching staff. His 12th win of the season was the biggest of his career. Winkler fired 7 2/3 shutout innings of five-hit ball at Texas on June 13 to clinch the Super Regional and send Jim Schlossnagle’s Horned Frogs to the College World Series for the first time in program history. Winkler has a two-year record of 19-4 with a 3.69 ERA. The Sugar Land, TX native was a member of the 2010 USA Collegiate National Team.

Others To Watch…

Matt Andriese – UC Riverside

Jack Armstrong – Vanderbilt

Chad Arnold – Washington State

Matt Barnes – UConn

Brian Dupra – Notre Dame

Dylan Floro – Cal State Fullerton

Kyle Hansen – St. John’s

Kurt Heyer – Arizona

Brian Johnson – Florida

Seth Manness – East Carolina

Ben Nelson – Navy

Tyler Pill – Cal State Fullerton

Mark Pope – Georgia Tech

Hudson Randall – Florida

Carson Smith – Texas State

Nick Tropeano – Stony Brook

Logan Verrett – Baylor

Tony Zych – Louisville

Related

Top 11 Non-Conference Schedules In 2011

Top 11 Catchers To Watch In 2011

Top 11 Shortstops To Watch In 2011

Top 11 Second basemen To Watch In 2011

Top 11 Third basemen To Watch In 2011

Top 11 First basemen To Watch In 2011

To Outfielders To Watch In 2011

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UCLA Duo Heads Louisville Slugger Teams…

UCLA's Trevor Bauer

Other first team pitchers are Matt Purke-TCU (16-0, 3.02 ERA), Taylor Jungmann-Texas (8-3, 2.03 ERA), Danny Hultzen-Virginia (11-1, 2.78 ERA), Noe Ramirez-Cal State Fullerton (12-1, 2.54 ERA), and John Stilson-Texas A&M (9-1, 10 SV, 0.80 ERA).

First team position players are C-Peter O’Brien-Bethune-Cookman (.386-20 HR), 1B-Paul Hoilman-East Tennessee State (25 HR, .421), 2B-Zack MacPhee-Arizona St. (.389, 20 SB), 3B-Anthony Rendon-Rice.394, 26 HR), SS-B.A. Vollmuth-Southern Mississippi (.386, 20 HR), OF-Jackie Bradley, Jr.-South Carolina (.368, 13 HR), OF-Alex Dickerson-Indiana (.419, 24 HR), OF-George Springer-Connecticut (.337, 18 HR, 33 SB), DH-Garrett Wittels-Florida International (.413, 56-game hitting streak), UT-Mike McGee-Florida State (.328, 17 HR).

Purke is projected by Collegiate Baseball as the National Player of the Year.

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Team USA Prevails In Extra Innings…

O’Brien Homers In Win…

Pete O'Brien

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(USA Baseball Release)

Another Loss After Nine Straight Wins…

Final Stats

With the game scoreless heading to the ninth inning and down to its last strike, Chinese-Taipei pinch hitter Yen-Wen Kou slapped two-out, 0-2 offering from Noe Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) to right field scoring Hsien-Hsien Yang from third base for the game-winning run. Yang reached on an errant throw by third baseman Jason Esposito (Vanderbilt) and wound up on second base before moving to third on a ground out to second by Chen-Yu Hung.

Despite allowing two walks in an inning of relief, Yu-Ching Lin picked up the win for Chinese-Taipei, who has taken the first two games of the four-game international friendly series. Chen-Hua Lin recorded the save after striking out two of the three batters he faced to end the game. Starter Wen-Yang Liao went four innings allowing three hits and striking out six, while Hung-Cheng Lai (2.0 IP) and Hao Chiu (1.0 IP) each kept Team USA hitless.

Scott McGough (Oregon) absorbed the loss falling to 1-1 on the summer after allowing one run (unearned) in an inning of relief. Fellow Oregon hurler Tyler Anderson pitched six innings of shutout ball in the start where he fanned five, walked one and gave up one hit. Brian Johnson (Florida), who made his fifth appearance, tossed 1 1/3 innings of scoreless ball with three walks and a hit before Ramirez toed the rubber for the ninth inning.

Team USA, which was held to a season-low three hits, was shutout for the first time since Aug. 10, 2007 when the same Chinese-Taipei squad claimed a 1-0 victory in the World Port Tournament held in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The Collegiate National Team stranded nine runners on base including five through the first four innings with three of those in scoring position. USA’s pitching staff held their opponent to three or fewer hits for the fifth time this summer and lowered its season ERA to 1.05.

Chinese-Taipei and Team USA will continue the four-game series on Tuesday, July 27 with a 6:30 a.m. (EST) first pitch scheduled.

(USA Baseball Release)

Team Improves To 8-0…

Gerrit Cole

Cole (1-0) was impressive from the outset retiring nine of his first 10 batters with three strikeouts and allowed just one extra base hit on the night. Team USA’s bullpen was just as impressive as Sonny Gray (Vanderbilt) and Noe Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) worked the final three innings allowing two hits with a pair of strikeouts. Ramirez recorded his team-best third save on CNT’s tour.

Takayuki Fujii (0-1) suffered the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) on 11 hits with six walks and three strikeouts. The right-hander threw 143 pitches on the night and faced 39 batters.

Nolan Fontana (Florida) gave USA an early 1-0 lead in the first inning when he grounded out to second scoring Drew Maggi (Arizona State) from third base. Maggi lead off the game lacing a triple to right center, Team USA’s second three-bagger of the summer tour.

Team USA pushed across two more runs in the second taking a 3-0 lead. Jason Esposito (Vanderbilt) walked to start the frame then took second on Steve Rodriguez’ (UCLA) first hit of the summer, a shot back up the middle. A double-steal by Esposito and Rodriguez moved runners in scoring position before Maggi lifted a ball to center with one out scoring Esposito. Jackie Bradley, Jr. (South Carolina) singled to right with runners on the corner scoring Rodriguez for the second run of the inning before Fontana was hosed at the plate.

Japan scratched across a run in the fourth cutting USA’s lead to 3-1 when Takasi Ikusima doubled home Ryunisuke Kobayasi with a shot to left center.

Team USA scored its final run in the eighth inning when Mike Mahtook (LSU) touched home on a passed ball for a 4-1 lead. Mahtook singled up the middle with two outs then stole second and moved to third on Fontana’s bunt single back to the pitcher.

Offensively Team USA pounded out double-digit hits (11) for the third-straight game and fourth time this summer.

The Collegiate National Team will be back in action Thursday when they square off against The Strike Zone at Westside High School. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. (CST).

Notes: Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) extended his current hitting streak to six games with his single to center in the third inning … Steve Rodriguez, who recorded his first career hit for Team USA, was 2-for-4 in the game with a run scored … Nine members of Team USA (Jackie Bradley, Jr., Gerrit Cole, Nolan Fontana, Sean Gilmartin, Brian Johnson, Drew Maggi, Brad Miller, Steve Rodriguez and Kyle Winkler) are among a select group of college players who played in the last College World Series and suited up for the last amateur baseball game ever at Rosenblatt Stadium … Also joining the players on this list is Team USA’s athletic trainer Danny Wheat (Texas Christian) … Team USA will participate in a closed clinic Thursday morning at Creighton University starting at 10 a.m.

(USA Baseball Release)

Vandy’s Esposito Added To Roster…

Peter O'Brien (photo courtesy Bethune Cookman)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Final Stats |  Cumulative Stats

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

(USA Baseball Release)

39 Players Invited – 22 Will Make Final Roster…

USA Baseball Collegiate Team 2010 Schedule

COLUMBUS, OH - Alex Wimmers has been chosen as the best pitcher in college baseball for the 2010 season. Ohio State’s junior All-American, who fashioned a 9-0 record and a 1.61 earned run average this season, was named by the College Baseball Foundation (CBF) as its National Pitcher of the Year Friday in Lubbock, Texas.

Alex Wimmers (OSU photo)

The 10 semifinalists included Arizona State’s Seth Blair, Cal State Fullerton’s Noe Ramirez, Coastal Carolina’s Anthony Meo, Texas’ Chance Ruffin, Texas A&M’s John Stilson, Virginia’s Danny Hultzen and TCU’s Matt Purke.

“It’s such a great honor to be chosen by the College Baseball Foundation for this award,” Wimmers said. “It’s hard to explain what I am feeling. To think that Stephen Strasburg won this award last year and now I’m getting it this year. It’s really crazy, isn’t it? This is just so unbelievable and it truly is an honor.”

The Foundation, in conjunction with the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association of America, announced its National Pitcher of the Year winner in Lubbock, Texas, as part of its College Baseball Awards Show. The event also included the naming of the Dick Howser Award for the National Player of the Year and the Brooks Wallace Shortstop of the Year Award. The awards followed the College Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony that took place July 1 in Lubbock.

Bob Todd, Ohio State’s retiring head coach, attended the awards show in support of his ace hurler.

“This is an outstanding award for a very deserving person,” Todd said. “Alex has worked extremely hard and it has made him the pitcher that he is today. I think there would be so many more accolades that would have been bestowed upon Alex if he hadn’t have gotten hurt and missed a month of the season. But all-in-all, I think this is absolutely great for our baseball program at Ohio State to have a national award winner in Alex Wimmers.”

Ironically, the CBF Hall of Fame’s inaugural induction ceremony in 2008 included Ohio State’s Steve Arlin, who set the standard of greatness for an Ohio State pitcher. Arlin, Ohio State’s first two-time first-team All-American, helped lead the Buckeyes to back-to-back appearances at the College World Series in 1965 and 1966 and to its only national championship in 1966.

For his efforts Arlin was honored as the Most Valuable Player at the College World Series in 1966 and is a member of the All-Time College World Series Team and the College World Series Legend’s team. His Ohio State jersey, No. 22, was retired in 2004.

Wimmers, the first Buckeye to win one of the national season-long awards and the second two-time first-team All-America, certainly did his best to reach the rare air of Arlin. After pitching out of the bullpen as a freshman in 2008, Wimmers put together two outstanding seasons as an Ohio State starter.

• He first came onto the college baseball national scene in 2009 when he went 9-2 with a 3.27 ERA and was named first-team All-America by PING! Baseball and second- or third-team All-America by five other awarding publications. He threw the first nine-inning no hitter in Ohio State history May 2 vs. Michigan with 14 strikeouts. He also picked up back-to-back complete game victories with 29 combined strikeouts vs. Indiana (14 Ks) and Pittsburgh. He also got the win vs. No. 2 Miami and he was named Big Ten Conference co-Pitcher of the Year. He led the Big Ten with 136 strikeouts and with a .211 opponents’ batting average.
• In 2010, Wimmers led the Big Ten in ERA and opposing batting average (.218) while posting his 9-0 mark despite missing three starts with a hamstring injury. He was 4-0 with a 1.15 ERA in five Big Ten starts and he was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Year at the conclusion of the season, becoming the first back-to-back award winner in Big Ten history.

Career-wise Wimmers, who was drafted in the first round of the 2010 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft by the Minnesota Twins, ranks among Ohio State’s all-time Top 5 in four key statistical areas and he is sixth in another. He is fourth at Ohio State in fewest runs allowed (81) and he is fifth in strikeouts (273), fewest earned runs allowed (71) and fewest hits (173). He is also sixth in earned run average (2.94). His 18 career victories rank 23rd. His strikeout total is also good for a tie for 16th-place all-time in the Big Ten Conference.

The College Baseball Foundation was established in 2004 and has inducted 57 greats into its College Baseball Hall of Fame in Lubbock. The group promotes the highest ideals and recognition of greatness on college baseball diamonds in the 150 years since the first intercollegiate contest in 1859 between Amherst and Williams.