A Look At The Teams Bound For Omaha…

CLICK HERE to see the daily schedule of games and TV assignments. The 2011 College World Series starts on Saturday, June 18.

If you can’t make it to Omaha, be sure to visit Dugouthats.com to find the biggest selection of 2011 CWS apparel. Enter the coupon code CB360 to save 20% on your order! If you are going to the CWS, the new Dugout is easy to find – it’s right across the street from TD Ameritrade Park’s home plate entrance!!

California Golden Bears

David Esquer

Head Coach:  David Esquer

Cal is probably the darling of all darlings to play in the College World Series. Esquer’s journey to Omaha with his Golden Bears was a movie script waiting to happen. From a program whose elimination was announced back on Sept. 28 to earning a CWS berth on June 12 … what more can be said?

The Golden Bears, a No. 3 regional seed in Houston (hosted by No. 8 national seed Rice) have won six straight postseason games to earn a trip to Omaha for the first time since 1992. The previous time Cal won six consecutive postseason games was 1957 – the year the program earned its second (and to this point last) national championship.

While Esquer is taking a team to the CWS for the first time, he is no stranger to Omaha. He played for now rival head coach Mark Marquess‘ 1987 Stanford national championship team. Esquer’s seven career postseason wins are tied for the second-most in Cal history. Hall of Fame coach Bob Milano tops that list with 20 victories.

Team Leader Board

Batting Avg.: Tony Renda – .335
RBIs: Chadd Krist – 43
HR: Chad Bunting – 7
Sac Bunts: Marcus Semien – 16
Slg%: Chad Bunting – .509
OBP: Vince Bruno – .394
Runs: Marcus Semien – 39
Wins: Justin Jones (9-6)
ERA: (Releiver) Kyle Porter – 1.59 … (Starter) Erik Johnson – 2.91
Saves: Matt Flemer – 5
Strikeouts: Erik Johnson – 100

Florida Gators

Kevin O'Sullivan

Head Coach: Kevin O’Sullivan

This is Florida’s second straight and seventh overall trip to the CWS. It marks the first time the Gators have ever gone to Omaha in consecutive seasons. Florida’s win over Mississippi State in game three of the Super Regional was the first-ever for the program in “if necessary” NCAA games. The Gators had lost their previous five such games.

Florida hit five home runs in its deciding game against MSU to give it 67 long balls this season. The Gators are the No. 2 national seed and face Texas in their 2011 CWS opener.

In addition to leading the Gators to back-to-back CWS appearances, head coach Kevin O’Sullivan was an assistant on Clemson’s 2000 and 2002 Omaha teams. Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin was an assistant for those two teams as well.

Team Leader Board

Batting Avg.: Mike Zunino –.376
RBIs: Preston Tucker – 68
HR: Mike Zunino – 18
Sac Bunts: Josh Adams – 11
Slg%: Mike Zunino – .686
OBP: Mike Zunino – .444
Runs: Mike Zunino – 72
Wins: Hudson Randall (10-3)
ERA: (Reliever) Keenan Kish – 0.63 (Starter) … Hudson Randall – 2.29
Saves: Austin Maddox – 5
Strikeouts: Karsten Whitson – 83

North Carolina Tar Heels

Mike Fox

Head Coach: Mike Fox

This is North Carolina’s ninth overall and fifth trip to Omaha in the past six seasons. After going to the CWS four straight times from 2006-2009, UNC bowed out of the 2010 NCAA Tournament in the regional round when they were eliminated by Omaha-bound Oklahoma (interestingly, Cal was at that regional as well).

Head coach Mike Fox also played for UNC’s 1978 College World Series team.

The Tar Heels’ two Super Regional wins over Stanford gives them 37 NCAA Tournament wins since 2006 – the most of any team in the country in that span. They also are 23-1 in NCAA home games in that stretch – including 16 straight such wins.

North Carolina has trailed in only four of 45 innings they have played so far in this year’s tournament. The No. 3 national seed has won five straight and 10 of its past 12 games overall, heading into the CWS.

Team Leader Board

Batting Avg.: Coin Moran – .335
RBIs: Colin Moran – 69
HR: Colin Moran – 9
Sac Bunts: Tommy Coyle & Ben Bunting – 6
Slg%: Colin Moran – .551
OBP: Levi Michael – .446
Runs: Tommy Coyle – 57
Wins: Patrick Johnson (13-1)
ERA: (Reliever) Tate Parrish – 2.35 … (Starter) Patrick Johnson – 2.27
Saves: Michael Morin – 10
Strikeouts: Patrick Johnson – 120

South Carolina Gamecocks

Ray Tanner

Head Coach: Ray Tanner

South Carolina is in the College World Series for the second straight year and the 10th time overall. Half of those CWS appearances have come under head coach Ray Tanner. The Gamecocks are the first defending national champion to get back to Omaha the next year since 2006 champion Oregon State returned (and won again) in 2007. The Gamecocks are 16-1 in their past 17 NCAA Tournament games. They have won 11 straight NCAA Tournament games, since falling to Oklahoma in their 2010 CWS opener.

The Gamecocks are flat-out dominant at home in NCAA Tournament games. They now are 8-0 all-time at Carolina Stadium, with 19 straight postseason home wins, which dates back to 2002. South Carolina is the No. 4 national seed.

Team Leader Board

Batting Avg.: Christian Walker – .359
RBIs: Christian Walker – 60
HR: Christian Walker – 10
Sac Bunts: Peter Mooney – 12
Slg%: Christian Walker – .560
OBP: Scott Wingo – .466
Runs: Christian Walker – 60
Wins: Michael Roth (13-2)
ERA: (Reliever) John Taylor – 1.27 … (Starter) Michael Roth – 1.02
Saves: Matt Price – 18
Strikeouts: Michael Roth – 95

Texas Longhorns

Augie Garrido

Head Coach: Augie Garrido

This marks the 34th trip to the College World Series for Texas. In fact, the Longhorns (current #7 national seed) have advanced to Omaha in eight consecutive decades. This is the fifth decade in which Augie Garrido has led a team to the CWS (70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, and now 10s). He already is the only coach to win national championships in four different decades (1979, 1984, 1995, 2002, ’05).

Garrido’s connection to the College World Series dates back to his playing days on the 1959 Fresno State CWS squad. His 1975 Cal State Fullerton team reached Omaha in its first season as a DI team. He won three national titles with the Titans and has two under his belt on the Forty Acres.

Texas now is 149-62-1 all-time in NCAA Regional and Super Regional play, including 15-6 in eight Super Regional appearances.

Longhorn ace Taylor Jungmann‘s only two losses this season have come in the past two weeks against Kent State and Arizona State, in NCAA games.

Team Leader Board

Batting Avg.: Erich Weiss – .358
RBIs: Erich Weiss – 44
HR: Tant Sheppard – 5
Sac Bunts: Mark Payton – 19
Slg%: Erich Weiss – .532
OBP: Erich Weiis – .492
Runs: Tant Sheppard – 53
Wins: Taylor Jungmann (13-2)
ERA: Corey Knebel – 1.15
Saves: Corey Knebel – 19
Strikeouts: Taylor Jungmann – 123

Texas A&M Aggies

Rob Childress

Head Coach: Rob Childress

Texas A&M is in the College World Series for the fifth time in the 108-year history of the program and for the first time since 1999. While the Aggies had nott been to Omaha in more than a decade, their head coach is no stranger there. Sixth-year skipper Rob Childress was an assistant coach on Nebraska’s 2001, 2002 and ’05 CWS teams.

The Aggies missed out on a national seed despite winning their second straight Big 12 Tournament, but they upended No. 5 seed Florida State in Tallahassee to win their Super Regional. Last year’s closer-turned-starter John Stilson is out with a torn labrum, but part-time reliever/starter Ross Stripling (14-2, 4 CG, 4 SVs) has stepped up.

Team Leader Board

Batting Avg.: Tyler Naquin – .390
RBIs: Matt Juengel & Jacob House – 49
HR: Matt Juengel – 7
Sac Bunts: Krey Bratsen – 18
Slg%: Tyler Naquin – .556
OBP: Tyler Naquin – .460
Runs: Tyler Naquin – 65
Wins: Ross Stripling (14-2)
ERA: (Reliever) Nick Fleece – 1.48 (Starter) … John Stilson – 1.68 (injured)
Saves: Joaquin Hinojosa – 8
Strikeouts: Michael Wacha – 110

Vanderbilt Commodores

Tim Corbin

Head Coach: Tim Corbin

While the other seven teams in this year’s field have been to the College World Series previously, Vanderbilt is making the program’s first trip to Omaha. In fact, the Commodores hadn’t even been to the NCAA Tournament in 24 years prior to head coach Tim Corbin‘s arrvial in 2003. The program has totaled 10 NCAA Tourney berths all-time, including six straight under Corbin. This year marked Vandy’s third Super Regional appearance and the first time to host that round. As an assistant at Clemson, Corbin helped Jack Leggett‘s Tigers reach the CWS four times. He and Florida head coach Kevin O’Sullivan were on the staff together for Omaha trips in 2000 and ’02.

The Commodores have, arguably, the top 1-2 punch in this year’s CWS field when it comes to pitching rotation. Sonny Gray (12-3) was the 18th overall pick (Oakland) in in the 2011 MLB Draft, while Grayson Garvin (13-1) was selected 41 picks later to Tampa Bay.

Team Leader Board

Batting Avg.: Jason Esposito – .357
RBIs: Jason Esposito – 59
HR: Aaron Westlake – 17
Sac Bunts: Riley Reynolds – 13
Slg%: Aaron Westlake – .651
OBP: Aaron Westlake – .474
Runs: Anthony Gomez – 61
Wins: Grayson Garvin (13-1)
ERA: (Reliever) Navery – 1.21 … (Starter) Sonny Gray – 1.97
Saves: Navery Moore – 11
Strikeouts: Sonny Gray – 119

Virginia Cavaliers

Brian O'Connor

Head Coach: Brian O’Connor

Virginia is back in the College World Series for the second time in school history. Both of those appearances have come in the past three years. While the Cavs’ history in Omaha is short, their head coach’s connection with the city and its biggest event is legendarily long. Brian O’Connor grew up just across the Missouri River in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He and his father attended the CWS throughout his childhood and the younger O’Connor played in the 1991 CWS for hometown Creighton (he pitched vs. Wichita State, in what most consider to be one of the greatest CWS games ever). O’Connor was an assistant coach on Notre Dame’s 2002 CWS team and he now has led Virginia to Omaha in 2009 and this year. And, yes, his face is one of the players on the famouse Road To Omaha statue outside TD Ameritrade Stadium.

Virginia is the No. 1 national seed.

Team Leader Board

Batting Avg.: David Coleman – .366
RBIs: Steven Proscia – 58
HR: Steven Proscia – 8
Sac Bunts: Keith Werman – 24
Slg%: John Hicks – .510
OBP: David Coleman & Kenny Swab – .426
Runs: Chris Taylor – 60
Wins: Danny Hultzen (12-3)
ERA: (Reliever) Kyle Crockett – 1.73 … (Starter) Danny Hultzen – 1.49
Saves: Branden Kline – 17
Strikeouts: Danny Hultzen – 151

If you can’t make it to Omaha, be sure to visit Dugouthats.com to find the biggest selection of 2011 CWS apparel. Enter the coupon code CB360 to save 20% on your order!

By Collegebaseball360.com Editor Sean Stires

Gobble, Gobble…

To kick-off this week’s Notebook, we first want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving! No matter where you are or what you are doing this week and throughout the holidays, do it safely! Also, with the end of the year fast approaching and football winding down, be sure to look for more pre-season college baseball information coming soon. The start of the 2011 college baseball season is now less than three months away!

TD Ameritrade Park will be the new home of the CWS in 2011.

New Stadium, Higher Prices…

With the hoopla of the last College World Series played at Rosenblatt Stadium, the emphasis is now on the CWS’ move to downtown Omaha and TD Ameritrade Park. While ticket prices won’t have the same kind of hike in price that Yankee Stadium had when the new palace in the Bronx went up last year, CWS season ticket holders will pay more to watch the first series in the new building. Multiple Omaha media outlets have reported that College World Series of Omaha, Inc. has informed season ticket holders that ticket prices will be higher next year.

The price of a 2011 season ticket package at TDA will reportedly go for $374-up from $293 this year. A general admission book of 10 tickets will also go from the $70 price over the last three years to $80. Individual reserved seats will see a slight bump in price as well from $22 to $28. The new stadium also will not have box seats like Rosenblatt did. Some 2,800 season ticket holders who have the rights to buy roughly 14,600 tickets will receive renewal notices the first week of December. They have until February 1 to return their orders.

Tar Heel Gone…

Brian Goodwin

North Carolina has suspended Brian Goodwin for the 2011 spring semester for a violation of university policy . Goodwin earned Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American honors last season by batting .291 with seven home runs and team-highs of eight triples and 63 RBIs. UNC has not disclosed what rule Goodwin broke, but does say that his suspension is not related to the NCAA investigation into the Tar Heel football program.

Gone Batty…

Most of the emphasis on the new bat regulations for the upcoming 2011 season has been on college baseball, but high school baseball players will face some changes as well. Composite bats will still be allowed in 2011 for high schoolers, but the list of allowable composites is short. CLICK HERE for the list of composite bats that meet the ball exit speed ratio (BESR) for high schools (excluding California) for the upcoming season. The National Federation of State High School Associations will follow college baseball’s lead and completely ban composite bats in 2012.

Speaking Of Bats…

Black Friday will be upon us soon, but if you are looking for baseball, softball or football gear for your athlete there’s no need to fight the crowds during the Holiday Season. Baseball Express is one of College Baseball 360’s top sponsors, and they have special Baseball Internet Specials for you right now. Just click the link and enter the coupon code AFSSPD2 to receive 15% off baseball orders of $99 or more from Nov. 23-28. The softball code is AFSSPD3 and the football code is AFSSPD3.

The Conference Shuffle…

The biggest announcements regarding conference realignments this came out of the Big 12, Big Ten and Pac 10, but the situation remains very fluid. Texas State, UT-San Antonio and Denver are set to join the WAC for the 2012-2013 academic year. Denver is the only one of the three that plays neither Division One baseball nor football, while TSU and UTSA will both move from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS or DI) next year. Meanwhile, Hawaii could be ready to follow Boise State and Fresno State to the Mountain West Conference, but that move may not include baseball. There’s a good chance Hawaii will be a football only member of the MWC, with the rest of its sports possibly joining the Big West. At least one recent report says 16 of Hawaii’s 18 teams would prefer the Big West, which would mean much shorter travel times and costs for the lower-revenue generating sports.

New Name, Same Stage…

One of college baseball’s premiere early season events has a new name. What used to be the Whataburger Classic in Corpus Christi, TX is now the Kleberg Bank College Classic. Kleberg recently signed a five-year naming rights contract for the event, which will still be played at Whataburger Field-the home of the minor league Corpus Christi Hooks. Last year’s event saw Oklahoma and UCLA both go to the College World Series. This year’s field includes Oregon State, Indiana, UConn, and Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

Auf Deutsch Bitte…

Greg Frady (10) led Germany to a third place finish at the European Championships.

Georgia State baseball coach Greg Frady has been named the European Baseball Coach of the Year. Frady was honored for leading the German National Team to a third-place finish at this year’s European Baseball Championship. It’s the highest finish for the Germans and their first medal in the history of the event. Frady has led his Georgia State Panthers to 73 wins over the last two seasons, including a 2009 NCAA Regional bid.

Three For The SEC…

National letter of intent signings continue to be announced by college baseball teams across the country. It’s a big enough feather in the cap of any high school to send just one player to the Division One ranks, but Lake Wales High School in Lake Wales, FL has a full plume this Thanksgiving. The Highlanders had three players recently sign baseball NLIs with SEC schools. Colton Davis and Jarred Smith will continue to be teammates next year after signing with Auburn, while Justin Shafer signed to play at Florida. Davis and Shafer both turned down DI football offers to play baseball. Lake Wales has a population of roughly 12,000.

Players are timed in the 60-yard dash at Arizona's scout day.

And At The Next Level…

All 30 MLB teams were represented by more than 70 scouts at the University of Arizona’s scout day over the weekend. Scouts put draft eligible Wildcats through their paces in things like the 60-yard dash, a half dozen rounds of batting practice and positional throwing (including pitchers). Senior outfielder Bobby Rinard turned-in the top 60 time at 6.5 seconds. The workout was the last such event for the scouts before the holidays.

Wearing It Out…

We received a question in our mail bag this week about the record for home runs in consecutive at-bats by a DI baseball player. The email cited former Sam Houston State player Tommy Cliffe, who homered in five straight at-bats in 1999. The e-mailer wanted to know if that might be the NCAA record. Turns out, Florida State’s Marshall McDougall did Cliffe one better in that same season. After singling in his first at-bat, McDougall went on to go yard in his next six trips to the plate in his historic 16 RBI day in the Seminole’s 26-2 win over Maryland on May 9, 1999. Have a question for us? Make sure  to drop us a line by clicking here.

V Is For Verlander…

Old Dominion recently retired the jersey of  Justin Verlander. The current Detroit Tiger set the ODU and Colonial Athletic Association record with 427 strikeouts in 335 2/3 innings in his three-year career from 2002-2004. Verlander was the second overall pick in the 2004 MLB Draft by Detroit after winning 21 games for his alma mater. He also helped Team USA to a silver medal finish at the 2003 Pan Am Games.

Keep Growing College Baseball…

Three more schools have made recent additions and/or renovations to their college baseball facilities. Lamar just finished the H.D. “Tex” and Emma Strait Baseball Training Facility. It’s a 9,600 square foot indoor practice center. Butler has made several tweaks to Bulldog Park, with a new turf halo around home plate, new laser-graded infield sod, new netting, and a still to be completed fan patio area down the left field line. Columbia also just dedicated its new Robertson Field at Satow Stadium. The digs include new chairback seating, a new home dugout and a state-of-the-art scoreboard.

Give a unique gift this Christmas from Dugouthats.com.  The Dugout in Omaha has officially licensed 2010 College World Series memorabilia that would make the perfect gift this holiday season (click on the image to left to enlarge).

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

North Carolina has released its 2011 college baseball schedule. The Tar Heels open their season February 18-20 in Los Angeles with games against Cal Poly, Cal State Fullerton, USC, and Missouri.

CLICK HERE to see the complete 2011 North Carolina baseball schedule.

North Carolina opens ACC play March 11-13 in Winston-Salem, NC against Wake Forest. Other conference road series are at Virginia Tech, North Carolina State, Florida State, and Georgia Tech. UNC hosts ACC series against Duke, Clemson, Miami, Maryland, and Virginia.

The ACC Tournament is May 25-29 in Durham, NC.

The Tar Heels host a total of 34 games at Boshamer Stadium in 2011. Half of their 56 games are against teams that qualified for the 2010 NCAA Tournament.

The place to find authentic college baseball caps is Dugouthats.com. The Dugout has been selling officially licensed gear during the College World Series in Omaha for 15 years, and now you can find all the same great gear online at Dugouthats.com. Whether it’s CWS apparel, or hats of your favorite teams like LSU, Texas, Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, UCLA, South Carolina, Miami and more you’ll find them at Dugouthats.com!

Ten Questions On The Eve Of The College Baseball Season

A new college baseball season is about to begin.  It’s a season that is started a week earlier than it was originally slated to begin, and one school (James Madison) has already canceled its season opener, because (spoiler) it snows in roughly two-thirds of the country in mid-February.

Anyway, from time to time different thoughts pop into my head and I have managed to corral a few of them here.  So, here are Ten College Baseball Questions For 2010… (in no particular order)…

1.  Can LSU Repeat? The odds say it’s not going to happen.  Oregon State (2006-2007), LSU (1996-1997) and Stanford (1987-1988) are the only teams to win back-to-back crowns since Rod Dedeaux’s USC Trojans ended a streak of five straight titles from 1970-1974.  Paul Mainieri’s Tigers have a lot of key elements returning, like Blake Dean’s bat and Anthony Ranaudo & Matty Ott’s arms, but the odds just aren’t in their favor.  On the other hand…

Russell Moldenhauer (Texas Photo)

2.  Can Texas Be Stopped? The odds (along with a sick pitching staff and a lot of returning everyday players) would seem to be in Augie Garrido’s favor.  The Longhorns return three starters, Taylor Jungmann, Cole Green and Chance Ruffin who could all be just about anyone’s number one starter.  The trio combined to win 26 games last year.  Cameron Rupp, Kevin Keyes and Omaha long ball ace Russell Moldenhauer are also back to lead the offense.  With all that back the biggest question right now seem to be can they stay number one from now until season’s end?

3.  Would An LSU vs. Texas Championship Re-Match Be Good For College Baseball? It would be good for TV ratings, but I don’t know that it would actually be good for the game as a whole.  Does anyone who’s not a Yankees fan think that the cash cow’s 27th title is good for any other MLB team other than the one in the Bronx with the new stadium and overpriced (and often empty) seats?  Texas and LSU at the College World Series is good for college baseball, because it gets casual fans a little more interested.  But when it comes time for all the marbles David vs. Goliath  is just more fun.

4.  Speaking Of David…Who Will Be This Year’s Cinderella? Fresno State was the ultimate Cinderella two years ago, but Mike Batesole’s great-great-great grand children will be playing before we see that kind of run again.  But that doesn’t mean there won’t be more Cinderellas.  They’re quite common when it comes to the CWS.  Fresno State, Southern Mississippi, Louisville, Southwest Missouri State, Notre Dame, and San Jose State all made it to Omaha in the last decade in what was either their first appearance or their first trip after a long CWS drought.  The odds say there’ll be a Cinderella, but the waiting is the hardest (and most fun) part.

Bryce Brentz (MTSU photo)

5.  Will Bryce Brentz Win the NCAA’s Triple Crown? The Middle Tennessee State slugger just about did it last year.  He led the nation with his .465 batting average, and he tied Alabama’s Kent Matthes for the home run title with 28.  Brentz also topped the charts with his .930 slugging percentage, but he missed the Triple Crown with “just” 73 RBIs.  That technically tied for 31st nationally, but Brentz was just 14 RBIs behind NCAA leader Paul Goldschmidt of Texas State.  Logical thinking would say Brentz, now a junior, doesn’t have a chance, but logic never pitched to Brentz.

6.  Can Arizona State Overcome The Loss Of Pat Murphy? Love him or hate him, it’s hard to argue with the success that Murphy had in his 15 years in the ASU dugout.   But it’s not like ASU had never won prior to Murph’s arrival.  He led his team to Omaha four times, but the program has 21 CWS appearances since 1964 thanks to Bob Winkles and Jim Brock.  Now it’s Tim Esmay’s turn to guide the cruise ship Sun Devil.  Esmay, a former Utah head coach, himself played for Brock in Omaha twice, and he was also on Murphy’s staff for the last five seasons.  He also has a lot of experience sitting with him in the dugout.  Ken Knutson is in his first year as an assistant on the ASU staff after 17 seasons as the Washington Huskies’ head coach.  ASU’s line-up is loaded again, and there’s plenty of pitching too.  For now anyway the good ship ASU doesn’t show any signs of running aground.

Jarrett Parker (UVA photo)

7.  Is Virginia The Next National Power Or A One-Hit Wonder? The Cavaliers can hardly be considered a Cinderella.  Yes, last year was their first-ever College World Series trip, but they are from the ACC and they won their conference tournament last year.  Glass slippers aside, it would be easy to write-off UVA as a team that got hot and made a big run.  However, last year’s CWS squad included 23 underclassmen and set 11 school records…and the most prominent components-like Danny Hultzen, Jarrett Parker and Kevin Arico to name a few-are all back this year.  Who saw North Carolina coming prior four years ago?  Mike Fox’s Tar Heels hadn’t been to Omaha since 1989 prior to 2006 & now they’ve gone four straight times.  Cavalier head coach Brian O’Connor has now guided the Cavs to six straight NCAA berths, and he has been a guy whose destiny has always seemed to be Omaha.  He grew-up in the shadow of Rosenblatt Stadium in Council Bluffs, NE, pitched in the ’91 CWS for Creighton, helped Notre Dame get to Omaha in 2002 as the Irish pitching coach, and finally took his own team to the promised land last year…not to mention the fact that his mug is one of the players on the famed “Road To Omaha” statue outside Rosenblatt.  So, if you’re asked what lies in the shadow of the statue the safe answer might be “O’Connor’s Cavaliers”.

8.  Is A Northern Team Ready To Make A Real National Statement? Michigan and Notre Dame flirted with it last decade.  St. John’s has had its moments, and Ohio State and Minnesota have each had some success, but it all comes down to pitching.  Or more specifically, pitching depth.  The biggest difference in teams in the good southern teams and the good northern teams is pitching depth.  There are guys coming out of the bullpen in the ACC and SEC who could be starters on most Big Ten and Big East teams.  Just look at last year’s save numbers in those conferences:  157 in the SEC & 160 saves in the ACC compared to 110 and 121 in the Big Ten and Big East, respectively.  But save totals don’t even tell half the story.

When it comes to playing in an NCAA Regional winning the first game is important, but for a northern team winning the first two games of a regional is critical.  The team that starts 2-0 at a regional is at least one starting pitcher ahead of each opponent it plays the rest of the weekend.  Look at Minnesota last year:  They lost their regional opener to Baylor, then out-slugged Southern 11-8 and Baylor 15-12 atfter that before falling 10-3 to LSU.  They played respectably, but they gave-up 10 runs a game over their last three contests, while LSU gave-up 3 runs with its third starter on the mound.   Ohio State lost 24-8 to Georgia to its regional opener last year, then won 6-4 and 13-6 in elimination games before getting trounced 37-6 by Florida State in game four (game 3 for FSU).  OSU’s starting pitcher gave-up 7 runs without getting an out in that game.  But what about Michigan in 2007?  The Wolverines won the first two games of their regional, lost game three, but then beat Vanderbilt in the deciding game four to advance to a Super Regional.  In 2002 Notre Dame used just five pitchers while going 3-0 at their Regional en-route to being the only northern team to advance to Omaha since the ’80s.  The Irish also used just two pitchers in their two Super Regional wins over Florida State the following week.   It’s no coincidence that in recent years only teams from the south have come back  to win a Regional after losing one of their first two games.

ECU's Kyle Roller (ECU photo)

9.  Is Conference USA The Most Underrated Baseball Conference In The Country? Quick question…what three conferences have sent at least one team to the College World Series in each of the last five seasons?  If you said the SEC, Pac 10 and Conference USA you get the gold star for the day (but remember to raise your hand before blurting out the answer next time).  Rice, Tulane and last year’s darling Southern Mississippi have all gone to Omaha in that stretch.  Terry Rooney left LSU after a trip to the 2008 CWS in part because C-USA had earned a reputation as a three bid league.  But Conference USA didn’t just get three bids last year.  Rice, Southern Miss. and East Carolina all advanced to Super Regionals, and ECU and USM did it by beating South Carolina and Georgia Tech, respectively, in Regional action.  USM then beat Florida on the road to advance to Omaha, Rice lost to eventual National Champ LSU in its Regional while ECU fell to a North Carolina team that made a fourth straight CWS appearance.  C-USA has arrived, and based on the talent the aforementioned ’09 Super Regional teams have back, the conference doesn’t appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.

10.  Will The Season Just Start Already? Really, aren’t you tired of waiting?  Oops, that’s another question, we don’t have room for eleven.  Is it here yet?  That’s another questions too…

Virginia Looks To Keep Rolling After CWS Season

2009 Division Winners: Florida State won the Atlantic & North Carolina won the Coastal.

2009 Champion: Virginia defeated Florida State 6-3 to capture their 3^rd ACC championship and first since 1996.

2009 Tough: Only two ACC teams finished with a below .500 record, with all ACC Coastal Division teams finishing at least 11 games over the mark.  The league also saw a record-tying seven teams earn a trip to the NCAA tournament with four teams (Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech and North Carolina) hosting regionals.

2010 No Easier: The ACC has 3 teams in the top 10 and 6 in the top 16 in Collegiate Baseball’s “Fabulous 40” Preseason Poll, the most by any conference in the country.  Virginia leads the way ranked 3^rd, followed by Georgia Tech at number 6, and Florida State 7^th.  Miami starts the year ranked 12^th, while North Carolina checks in at number 13 and Clemson begins the year 16^th.

Premier Players: 11 ACC players find themselves on the Louisville Slugger pre-season All-America teams including a conference high four 1^st teamers.  Those on the first team are RHP Deck McGuire from Georgia Tech, C Yasmani Grandal from Miami, OF Jarrett Parker of Virginia, and OF Tyler Holt from Florida State.

2010 ACC Coastal Division Preview

Yesterday we previewed the ACC’s Atlantic Division and today we look at the Coastal Division.

Duke

2009 Season: (35-24, 15-15)

Nickname: Blue Devils

Head Coach: Sean McNally

Location: Durham, NC

Vitals: .300 BA, 53 HR, .379 OBP, .979 Fld. %…4.83 ERA, 17 SVs, 427 K, 238 BB, .267 Opp. BA

Blue Devil Bats: Duke loses their top three hitters from a year ago including All-ACC 2^nd teamer Nate Frieman who led the team with a .340 BA, 20 HR, and 62 RBI.  The Devils, however, do return All-ACC 2^nd team performer Sr. OF Jeremy Gould (.340, 20 doubles, 7 HR) and Ping! All-Freshman So. OF Will Piwnica-Worms (.317, 37 R, 30 RBI).

Challenging Schedule: Duke plays nine NCAA tournament teams from last year this season.  25 of their 56 games are against teams that qualified for regionals, including non-conference foes Baylor and Georgia.

Two Home Parks: The Blue Devils will call two facilities home beginning this year.  Duke will still play at Jack Coombs Field, their home since 1931, but will also play 18 home games at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, home of the minor league team.

Georgia Tech

Deck McGuire (GT photo)

2009 Season: (38-19-1, 17-10-1)

Nickname: Yellow Jackets

Head Coach: Danny Hall

Location: Atlanta, GA

Vitals: .315 BA, 111 HR, .411 OBP, .965 Fld. %…4.65 ERA, 12 SVs, 523 K, 234 BB, .267 Opp. BA

Wrapping Up the Decade: Georgia Tech played in the NCAA tournament for the 23^rd time in the last 25 years and hosted a regional for the 7^th time in the decade.  They advanced to the regional championship before falling to eventual College World Series participant Southern Mississippi.

Deep Staff: The Jackets return one of the top pitching staffs in the country led by 2009 Collegiate Baseball 1^st team All-American and ACC Pitcher of the Year Deck McGuire (11-2, 3.50 ERA, 118 K) and So. RHP Mark Pope (5-1, 6.00 ERA, 8 SVs).

Big Offense: In addition to the great pitching, Georgia Tech brings back plenty of offense from a team that hit a league high 111 homeruns from a year ago.  Four players hit double digit homeruns, and three of them are back this season: All-ACC 2^nd teamer Tony Plagman (.354, 18 HR, 73 RBI), Jr. SS Derek Dietrich (.311, 10 HR, 54 RBI), and 1^st Freshman All-American Matt Skole (.302, 17 HR, 58 RBI).

Miami

2009 Season: (38-22, 18-12)

Nickname: Hurricanes

Head Coach: Jim Morris

Location: Coral Gables, FL

Vitals: .294 BA, 68 HR, .394 OBP, .965 Fld. %…4.71 ERA, 19 SVs, 479 K, 206 BB, .259 Opp. BA

Yasmani Grandal (Miami photo)

Eye of the Storm: Miami loses OF Chris Herrmann (.341, 9 HR, 44 RBI), a 10^th round draft pick of the Baltimore Orioles, but do welcome back several big bats with the return of preseason 1^st team All-American C Yasmani Grandal (.299, 16 HR, 45 RBI), and Sr. 2B Scott Lawson (.333, 75 H, 21 doubles).

Pitching Strength: The Hurricanes will have to find a new closer since Kyle Bellamy (3-1, 0.97 ERA, 16 SVs) turned pro, but they do return Jr. LHP Chris Hernandez (7-5, 4.76 ERA, 93 K), and Sr. RHP David Gutierrez (4-6, 4.38 ERA, 1 CG).  They also get back Jr. LHP Eric Erikson who was a 2^nd team All-ACC selection in 2008, but missed 2009 after having Tommy John surgery.

Miami Bound : Miami looks to make the NCAA tournament for the 37^th consecutive year, and has a schedule that could lead to success.  The Canes play all but 19 games at home, including a season-ending series against Virginia.  They do have to travel to Florida State and Georgia Tech, plus play an exhibition game against the Florida Marlins March 3^rd in Jupiter, FL.

North Carolina

2009 Season: (48-18, 19-10)

Nickname: Tar Heels

Head Coach: Mike Fox

Location: Chapel Hill, NC

Vitals: .313 BA, 69 HR, .403 OBP, .970 Fld. %…3.73 ERA, 17 SVs, 661 K, 264 BB, .244 Opp. BA

Big Losses: The Tar Heels must deal with the loss of 1B Dustin Ackley, Rivals.com Player of the Year and 2^nd overall pick in the MLB draft by the Seattle Mariners.  Ackley led the ACC with a .417 BA, 111 H, and 22 HR and was named the Hitter of the Decade by Rivals.com.  Also gone is top pitcher Adam Warren who finished with a 10-2 record, 3.31 ERA, and 103 K.

Carolina History: UNC earned a 4^th straight trip to the College World Series last season becoming the first ACC team to accomplish that feat.  Carolina also became the first ACC school to send a team to the CWS, a bowl game, and the men’s Final Four in the same season.

Key Returners: UNC goes for 5 straight CWS appearances with a few key parts returning.  Jr. OF Ben Bunting (.336, 92 H, 63 R) leads the offense, while Jr. RHP Colin Bates (4-4, 3.15 ERA, 6 SVs) a 3^rd team preseason All-American, heads up the pitching staff.

Danny Hultzen (UVA photo)

Virginia

2009 Season: (49-15-1, 16-11-1)

Nickname: Cavaliers

Head Coach: Brian O’Connor

Location: Charlottesville, VA

Vitals: .327 BA, 59 HR, .401 OBP, .972 Fld. %…3.23 ERA, 18 SVs, 593 K, 190 BB, .239 Opp. BA

Let the Good Times Keep Rolling: Virginia, fresh off their first ever trip to the College World Series, returns 23 of 29 letterman and begin the season ranked

Jarrett Parker (UVA photo)

2^nd by Baseball America, their highest ranking ever in school history.

Stop Them If You Can: The entire starting lineup returns in 2009, including All-American Jr. OF Jarrett Parker (.355, 16 HR, 65 RBI, 20 SB), Jr. OF Dan Grovatt (.356, 51 RBI, 14 SB) and ACC Freshman of the Year LHP/1B Danny Hultzen (.327, 37 RBI, .993 Fld. %).

Dominant Pitching: The Cavaliers led the ACC with a 3.23 team ERA, a .239 Opp. BA, and 593 K and they return several key pitchers for 2010.  Among those back are Danny Hultzen (9-1, 2.17, 107 K), Jr. RHP Tyler Wilson (9-3, 2.97, 1 SV), and Jr. RHP Kevin Arico (2-3, 2.70, 11 SVs).

Virginia Tech

2009 Season: (32-21, 12-17)

Nickname: Hokies

Head Coach: Pete Hughes

Location: Blacksburg, VA

Vitals: .319 BA, 52 HR, .405 OBP, .960 Fld. %…5.18 ERA, 10 SVs, 428 K, 191 BB, .287 Opp. BA

Good Season, Tough League: Virginia Tech finished last in the ACC Coastal division last year, but still finished 11 games above .500 overall.  Jr. C/OF Steve Domecus was named to the All-ACC 2^nd team becoming the first Hokie player named to an All-ACC team in Tech’ five seasons in the league.

Top Offense Back: The Hokies return 3 of their top 4 hitters from 2009 with Steve Domecus (.406, 4 HR, 42 RBI), Jr. Austin Wates (.397, 5 HR, 16 SB), and Sr. OF Mike Kaminski (.340, 6 HR, 38 RBI) all back to lead the offense.

Hokie Arms: Tech Jr. Jesse Hahn (1-2, 1 SV, 23 K in 24 IP) was named a preseason All-American by PGCrosschecker.com, a team that is made up of players who rank among the best pro prospects.  Tech also welcomes back Jr. LHP Justin Wright (7-2, 3.95, CG, 59 K).

2010 ACC Coastal Predictions

ACC Coastal Winner: Virginia just beats out Georgia Tech

Top ACC Coastal Player: Jarrett Parker—Virginia

Top ACC Coastal Pitcher: Deck McGuire—Georgia Tech

2010 ACC Predictions:

ACC Winner: Florida State does it again

Top ACC Player: Tyler Holt—Florida State

Top ACC Pitcher: Deck McGuire—Georgia Tech

By Collegebaseball360.com contributor Shawn Lewallen

League Coaches Pick Virginia To Repeat As Champion

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Defending Atlantic Coast Conference champion Virginia, which made its first ever College World Series appearance last June, has been picked as the 2010 preseason favorite in a vote of the league’s 12 head baseball coaches.

The Cavaliers, who return a strong cast that includes All-America outfielder Jarrett Parker, 2009 ACC Freshman of the Year Danny Hultzen and 2009 ACC Championship MVP Dan Grovatt, were projected as the ACC’s 2010 champion on eight head coaches’ ballots. Three coaches chose Florida State, and North Carolina received one vote.

Eleven of the league’s head coaches picked Virginia as the favorite to win the Coastal Division, with defending division champion North Carolina receiving one vote. Florida State was a favored to claim a fourth straight Atlantic Division championship on 10 ballots, while two coaches favored Clemson.

Georgia Tech placed second in the overall Coastal Division preseason coaches’ voting, followed by North Carolina, Miami, Virginia Tech and Duke.

Clemson was picked to finish second in the Atlantic Division, followed by Boston College, NC State, Wake Forest and Maryland.

Teams were awarded six points for each first-place vote, five points for each second-place vote, etc.

Virginia, which won a school-record 49 games in 2009, was joined in the College World Series by North Carolina, which made its ACC-record fourth straight trip to Omaha. Boston College, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Miami also made the 2009 NCAA field, with Clemson and Florida State joining North Carolina and Virginia in the final 16.

ACC teams open their 2010 seasons Feb. 19 and conclude regular-season play May 22. The 2010 ACC Baseball Championship will be held May 26-30 at NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro, N.C.

Complete results of the 2010 ACC Baseball Coaches Preseason Poll are listed below. First-place votes are in parenthesis:

ATLANTIC DIVISION

Team                                                   Points              2009 Record

Florida State (10)                                  70                    45-18. 19-9 ACC

Clemson (2)                                         62                    44-22, 19-11 ACC

Boston College                                     42                    34-26, 13-15 ACC

NC State                                               38                    25-31, 10-20 ACC

Wake Forest                                         21                    22-30, 6-24 ACC

Maryland                                              19                    27-27, 10-20 ACC

COASTAL DIVISION

Team                                                   Points              2009 Record

Virginia (11)                                         71                    49-15-1, 16-11-1 ACC

Georgia Tech                                        57                    38-19-1. 17-10-1 ACC

North Carolina (1)                                 44                    48-18, 19-10 ACC

Miami                                                   42                    38-22, 18-12 ACC

Virginia Tech                                        20                    32-21, 12-17 ACC

Duke                                                    18                    35-24, 15-15 ACC

Overall champion: Virginia (8)

Others receiving votes: Florida State (3), North Carolina (1)

Binghamton Looks To Defend First Postseason Crown

Matt Duffy

Tennessee Transfer: Former Vermont shortstop Matt Duffy was the 2009 America East Player of the Year, and he has transferred to Tennesseee.  He batted .388 with 13 home runs and 57 RBIs.

Albany

2009 Record: (26-31-1)

Head Coach: Jon Mueller

Key Losses: Gary Pitcheralle led the Danes with a .335 avg. and scored 50 runs.  Ryan Gugel hit .303 with a team-high 9 HR and 49 RBIs.

Fast Fact: Albany stole 80 bases last season.

Binghamton

Head Coach: Tim Sinicki has been named America East Coach of the Year three in of the last five seasons.

Key Losses: Staff ace Murphy Smith was drafted in the 13th round of the MLB draft by the Oakland A’s.  Smith was 7-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 2009.  Closer Jeff

Corey Taylor

Dennis had 7 saves.

Top Returners: 1B Dave Ciocchi earned freshman All-American honors and was named America East Rookie of the Year after batting a team-high .381.  Jr. OF Corey Taylor hit .340 with team-highs of 16 HR and 56 RBIs.  He hit .418 as a freshman in ’08.

Tough Test: Binghamton faces defending national champion LSU in a single game in Baton Rouge on March 31.  It’s the first time in program history the Bearcats will play the defending NCAA champ.

The Bearcats have won three straight America East regular season titles, but they won their first conference tournament and earned the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament bid in 2009.

Hartford

2009 Record: (15-32, 7-15)

Head Coach: Dave Calcaterra

Top Returners:  Andy Drexel had the team triple crown with a .363 avg., 7 HR and 49 RBIs.  He also topped the Hawks with 13 doubles and 4 triples.  Senior catcher Mike Amendola hit .362.

Pack A Parka: Hartford opens its season on March 10 in New Britain, CT vs. Central Connecticut State.

Maine

2009 Record: (32-23, 13-11)

Head Coach: Steve Trimper

Youth Movement: Ian Leisenheimer earned Freshman All-American honors

Ian Leisenheimer

after batting .356 with 5 HR and a team-high 41 RBIs.  He was joined on the ’09 America East All-Rookie Team by Kevin Scanlan (6-3, 3.96 ERA), and A.J. Bazdanes (3-1, 4.30 ERA, 2 SVs).

Line-up Loss: Kevin McAvoy led Maine with a .379 avg. & 10 HR.  He had an OPS of 1.118.

Strength Of Schedule: The Black bears play a 3-game series at North Carolina Feb. 26-28 and play a 4-game set at Oregon State in mid March.

The Road To Omaha: Maine has made 7 College World Series appearances.

Stony Brook

2009 Record: (29-23, 14-10)

Head Coach: Matt Senk

Power Outage: The Seawolves lose a combined 25 home runs and 76 RBIs after the graduations of Michael Tansey (.343, 13 HR, 40 RBIs) and Brian Witkowski (.341, 12 HR, 36 RBIs).

Corner Power: Senior first baseman Rob Dyer (.285, 15 HR, 50 RBIs) returns to lead the Stony Brook offense.  He had a .959 OPS in 2009.

Nick Tropeano

Ace In The Hole: Sophomore righthander Nick Tropeano (5-1, 5.12 ERA) was named the Atlantic Collegiate Summer League’s Pitcher of the Year over the summer.  Baseball America named him the league’s #1 prospect.

Road Challenges: Stony Brook plays a 4-game series at Alabama and then plays three games at Pepperdine and two at San Diego State in March.

UMBC

2009 Record: (9-36, 4-18)

Head Coach: John Jancuska

Big Shoes To Fill:  Shawn Retz led the Retrievers with a .383 avg. and 10 HR in 2009.  He also had a team-best 1.093 OPS while grounding into just 4 double plays.  Tom Meaney (.294, 9 HR, 15 doubles, 40 RBIs) is also gone.

Who’ll Provide The Pop?: While Retz and Meaney combined for 19 home runs last season, the rest of the Retrievers totaled just 15 long balls.

The America East Conference schedule is now a six-team format with two divisions.  Teams will play a pair of three-game series’ against divisional mates and play one four-game series against each of the other three teams. The four teams with the best overall win percentage (in either division) will advance to the America East Championship, played May 26-28 at the highest seed’s home field.

Southern Division: Binghamton, Stony Brook & UMBC

Northern Division: Albany, Hartford & Maine

Predictions

2010 Champion: Binghamton, but look for Maine to challenge

2010 Player of the Year: Binghamton’s Corey Taylor

2010 Pitcher of the Year: Stony Brook’s Nick Tropeano

North Carolina’s Mike Fox Wins His 1,000th Game

Fox has become a fixture on the CWS podium.

It’s not like Mike Fox is the first college baseball coach to reach a milestone.  In fact, when Fox’s Tar Heels beat Gardner-Webb 10-3 on March 4th in Chapel Hill he became the 51st head coach in NCAA history to reach the 1,000 win milstone.  But Fox’s recent succes at UNC that got him to 1K is impressive.

That win over Gardner-Webb was #8 of what turned out to be a 48-win season and a fourth straight trip to the College World Series.  Fox’s overall record now stands at 1,040-347-5, including a 500-208-1 record in 11 seasons in Chapel Hill.

Think about that for a minute.  He has averaged 45 wins a year since taking over at his alma mater (he’s also one of just six men to play in and then coach his team at the CWS).  Do you know how hard it is to win even 40 games a year in college baseball?

The ACC has sent at least two teams to Omaha in three of the four years Fox and his Tar Heels have gone to the CWS, and in 2008 UNC, Miami (FL), and Florida State all made it.   How about the fact that in this decade ACC teams Clemson, Florida State, Miami, Georgia Tech, Virginia, and Fox’s Tar Heels have all made it to Omaha at least once, while UVA is the only team on that list without multiple CWS trips in that span.  (And that’s only because the Cavs didn’t get good until Brian O’Connor showed-up in 2004.)

Carolina has made 10 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, and Fox’s 213 wins over the last four seasons is second to none in college baseball.

Fox had 28 former Tar Heels on MLB rosters in 2009 including:  Daniel Bard (Boston), Andrew Miller (Florida) and Chris Ianetta (Colorado), and guys like Dustin Ackley and Alex White are likely to suit-up in a big league uni soon.

Like any coach Fox would be the first to tell you it’s the players who make it happen, and he’s had some good ones help him top 1,000 wins while he’s worn his alma mater’s Tar Heel blue.

Other Top Moments Of 2009

20.  Illinois Shocks #1 LSU In Baton Rouge

21.  Alabama’s Kent Matthes Launches Longballs

22.  Freshman Levi Michael Starts In North Carolina’s Season Opener

23.  LSU Opens The New Alex Box Stadium

24.  Oregon Brings Back Baseball

Freshman Levi Michael Starts In North Carolina’s Season Opener

Levi Michael Started 65 of UNC's 66 games as a true freshman.

Levi Michael was far from the first freshman to start in a college baseball season opener, but he wasn’t just any freshman.  The Welcome, N.C. native was a three-year starter at North Davidson High School, but the only reason he wasn’t a four-year starter is because he graduated in December 2008 so he could enroll at North Carolina for the 2009 spring semester.

Did I mention UNC had a preseason #1 ranking and coming off its third straight trip to the College World Series?  (No pressure at all.)

Michael started from day one though.  He batted second in the Tar Heel line-up on Feb. 20 vs. VMI, and his job was to set the table for All-American Dustin Ackley.  (Again, no pressure.)  The freshman phenom came though in flying colors though. Michael went 1-for-3 with a walk and HBP, scoring three runs to help the Tar Heels down the Keydets 13-3.

For the series Michael finished 2-for-7 at the plate with 4 runs and an RBI.  He proved to be versatile by not

(UNC photo)

only batting in different parts of the order (including clean-up) by also playing 3B, 2B and SS, while helping head coach Mike Fox and North Carolina to their fourth straight College World Series appearance (a nice consolation for missing senior prom).

The 5’10 switch hitter was not surprisingly named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American by batting .290 with 13 home runs, 15 doubles, 4 triples, 54 runs scored, 57 RBIs, and a .954 OPS.  He started all but one of North Carolina’s games in 2009.

So what are the expectations for Michael at UNC in 2010 after Ackley’s graduation?  (No pressure…)

Other Top Moments Of 2009

23.  LSU Opens The New Alex Box Stadium

24.  Oregon Brings Back Baseball