http://collegebaseball360.com/college-baseball-notebook-week-5/ http://collegebaseball360.com/college-baseball-notebook-week-5/#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:30:18 +0000 http://collegebaseball360.com/?p=5468

www.simplesharebuttons.com

A By The Numbers Look At The Latest Week Of 2010

20 & 16…Wins without any defeats by Arizona State and UCLA, respectively, to start the season.  The Pac-10 teams are the only remaining undefeated Division 1 college baseball teams in the nation.  ASU’s start is the best since the 1961 team opened at 21-0, while the Bruin’s 16-0 start is a school record as is their 16-game winning streak.

41-7…Combined score of UCLA’s weekend 3-game sweep of 12-time defending Summit League champion Oral Roberts.

30 & 10…Strikeouts and walks in 27 IP in the series by the Bruin pitching staff.

1…Former Northern Iowa baseball player-Lucas O’Rear-who is in the NCAA Basketball Tournament’s Sweet 16 this week.  O’Rear, a junior forward on the UNI basketball team, helped 9th seeded Panthers beat UNLV 69-66 in the first

Lucas O'Rear

round of the tournament last Thursday, then shock overall #1 seed Kansas 69-67 Saturday night.

17 1/3…Innings O’Rear pitched for the UNI baseball team in 2009-it’s last season of existence.  Northern Iowa eliminated baseball after last season due to budget cuts.  The 6’6-255 pound O’Rear, whose fastball has touched 92 mph, struckout 15 batters and finished with a 4.67 ERA after making 10 appearances out of the Panther bullpen.

4.2 & 4.5…O’Rear’s scoring & rebounding averages this season for the 30-4 UNI basketball team, which faces Michigan State on Friday in St. Louis this week in the Sweet 16.

26…Consecutive scoreless innings pitched by Indiana’s Drew Leininger-who tossed 6 shutout frames in IU’s 10-3 win over Akron Saturday.  Leininger dropped his Big Ten-leading ERA to 0.70 while improving his record to 3-0.

14…Straight games in which TCU freshman Josh Elander had a hit to begin his career before going hitless in the Horned Frogs’ 6-4 win over Oral Roberts last Tuesday.

1…Career home run by Elander-it came in TCU’s next game, an 11-3 win over BYU last Friday.  It was also the freshman outfielder’s birthday.

1,825…Fans in attendance last Wednesday to see the first night game in James Madison history-a 6-3 loss to #1 Virginia-at the Dukes’ new Veterans Memorial Park.

10…Runs in 1+ inning pitched by Western Kentucky starter Taylor Haydel in Wednesday’s 17-6 loss to Vanderbilt.

32-5…Combined score of Arizona’s two mid-week wins over Wichita State in Tucson.

4…Wins in relief by Villanova’s Kevin Crimmel after pitching an inning in Friday’s 2-1 win over Niagara.

10…Strikeouts in 8 IP by VU starter Brian Streilein in that game.

9…Stolen bases by the Wildcats in a St. Patrick’s Day 11-8 win over Fairleigh Dickinson.

Dan Gentzler (Maryland photo)

2…Home runs by Maryland’s Dan Gentzler in Friday’s 5-2 win over Georgia Tech to hand the Yellow Jackets just their second loss of the season. Both HR came off 2009 ACC Pitcher of the Year Deck McGuire.

4…Saves this season earned by Gentzler after pitching a scoreless 9th inning of that same game.  Terp starter Brett Harman struckout eight in eight innings to earn the win.

8…RBIs by Georgia Tech’s Jay Dantzler the next day in GT’s 24-4 win over Maryland.  Dantzler was 4-for-6 in the game with a pair of home runs.

4…Home runs hit by Clemson in an 8-run first inning of its 22-6 win over Georgia Southern.  The Tigers hit 6 home runs, 9 doubles and a triple in the game.

0…Losses by Clemson (17-2, 6-0 ACC) through the first two weekend’s of conference play, making the Tigers the only ACC team without a league blemish, after a 3-game sweep of Virginia Tech.

12…Strikeouts in 8 IP by Virginia’s Danny Hultzen (4-1) in Friday’s 7-1 win over Boston College to give him 43 Ks and just 4 BB in 34 innings this season.

Tommy LaStella (Coastal Car. photo)

30 of 34…Innings that Hultzen has pitched this season that have been “goose eggs” on the scoreboard.

1…Cycle achieved by Tommy LaStella in Coastal Carolina’s 29-13 win over Charleston Southern.  The redshirt sophomore drove-in seven runs en-route to his first career cycle.

7…Runs scored in the 7th inning by LSU in Saturday’s 8-7 win over Arkansas in game two of their SEC-opening series in Baton Rouge. Arkansas had won the first game of the series 6-3 a day prior.

2…Hits by the Tigers-both singles by Micah Gibbs-through the first six innings off Razorback starter Drew Smyly, who left after 6 IP with a 5-1 lead.

0…Games won by Kansas since winning 2 of 3 games vs. LSU.  The Jayhawks dropped four games vs. Tulane and St. Louis last week after their March 12-14 series win in Baton Rouge.

12…RBIs with 3 home runs in four games last week by St. Louis 1B Danny Brock.  The son of former Big Leaguer Greg Brock leads the Billikens in batting average (.405) HR (10) RBIs (36) and slg. % (.892) through 20 games this season.

9…Innings pitched and strikeouts-both career-highs-by Michigan State pitcher A.J. Achter (2-0) in Saturday’s 13-0 win over Notre Dame.

5…Errors committed by the Fighting Irish in that game, leading to 7 unearned runs scored by the Spartans.

6 & 1…Strikeouts and hits allowed by Ball State reliever Perci Garner in Saturday’s 5-1 win over Louisville to hand UL (17-2) just its second overall loss and first home loss of 2010.

1-for-20…What Louisville’s 4 through 9 batters combined to hit in that game.

141…Batters faced by Kansas State pitcher Evan Marshall without issuing a walk prior to Friday’s 3rd inning free pass in the Wildcat’s 2-1 win over Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  The sophomore’s no-walks streak spanned 29.0 innings.  He struckout a career-best eight batters in the no-decision to help K-State improve to 15-3.

Chris Duffy

11…RBIs with 4 home runs in five games last week by Florida’s Preston Tucker.  The Gator 1B homered in four straight games-the longest stretch by a UF player since 2007.  His efforts helped UF down Florida State 8-5 in a midweek game and then sweep its SEC opening series vs. Mississippi State.

2…Times Florida State scored game-winning runs in the 9th inning to take 2 of 3 games from North Carolina.  The Seminoles won 4-3 on Friday and 5-3 on Sunday.  FSU has claimed 9th inning wins 3 of the last 4 times it has faced UNC.

12…Nation-leading home runs by Central Florida outfielder Chris Duffy.  He also tops the nation with 39 RBIs.

3…Sacrifice flies last week by Duffy after none in his first three seasons at UCF.

www.simplesharebuttons.com

]]> http://collegebaseball360.com/college-baseball-notebook-week-5/feed/ 0

Can Wichita State Continue Its Dominance?

2009 Regular Season Champion: Missouri State

2009 Tournament Champion: Wichita State defeated Creighton 4-2 to win its second straight and 17^th overall conference championship.

9 Becomes 8: Northern Iowa eliminated itsbaseball program after last season to cut costs, trimming the league to eight teams this season.  Head Coach Rick Heller landed on his feet as he is now in his first season as head coach of Indiana State

Wichita State finished 3^rd in the conference during the regular season but was able to put it together and capture a league-leading 17^th tournament title to earn the 8^th straight trip to the NCAA tournament.  With the Shockers returning its top 3 starters and 19 letter winners overall, they should be the team to beat once again.

2010 MVC Preview

Bradley

2009 Season: (17-31, 4-17)

Nickname: Braves

Head Coach: Elvis Dominguez

Location: Peoria, IL

Vitals: .259 BA, 21 HR, .355 OBp, .960 Fld. %…5.51 ERA, 1 CG, 6 SVs, 327 K, 214 BB, .281 Opp. BA

The Future is Bright: Bradley’s incoming 16-man recruiting class is ranked #48 according to Collegiate Baseball. It’s the first time Bradley has cracked the top 50, and only Wichita State is ranked higher (#19) among the other Missouri Valley teams.

Strong Foundation: Jr. catcher Kevin Sullivan is the only Brave to be named to the preseason All-MVC team.  Last season, Sullivan hit .277 with 7 doubles and 15 RBI in 34 games.  Also back this season is So. LHP Joe Bircher (4-2, 3.39 ERA, 50 K) who will lead the staff.

Schedule Notes: The Braves play their first 20 games on the road, including match-ups with Illinois, Pittsburgh, Memphis, Notre Dame, Gonzaga, and Indiana.  The first home game is March 31^st when they host Northern Illinois.  Bradley also will host an exhibition game against the local minor league Peoria Chiefs on April 7^th.

Creighton

2009 Season: (31-25, 14-9)

Nickname: Bluejays

Head Coach: Ed Servais

Location: Omaha, NE

Vitals: .299 BA, 37 HR, .391 OBP, .984 Fld. %…4.05 ERA, 4 CG, 9 SVs, 338 K, 164 BB, .267 Opp. BA

Bluejay Revival: Creighton is picked to finish 3^rd in the MVC by the coaches this year, with one first place vote, a year after just missing out on the NCAA tournament with a loss in the MVC tournament championship game.  Three Jays are on the preseason All-conference team with Jr. SS Elliot Soto (.322, 77 H, 13 SB), Sr. OF Robbie Knight (.344, 18 doubles, 41 RBI) and Sr. RHP Bobby Lackovic (6-1, 3.55 ERA, SV) all earning the honors.

Moving Homes: This season is the last for Rosenblatt Stadium, home of the College World Series.  Creighton will split games between Rosenblatt and its on campus facility.  Beginning next year, the Jays will play some of their home games at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha before moving there full-time in 2012.

Evansville

2009 Season: (25-30, 7-17)

Nickname: Purple Aces

Head Coach: Wes Carroll

Location: Evansville, IN

Vitals: .269 BA, 29 HR, .352 OBP, .967 Fld. %…5.44 ERA, 4 CG, 12 SVs, 373 K, 183 BB, .295 Opp. BA

Tom Heithoff (EU photo)

Plenty of Offense Back: Evansville returns 6 starters and should have a much better offense.  Leading the offense is 2^nd team All-MVC players Sr. DH Andy Pascoe (.331, 9 doubles, 21 RBI) and Jr. 3B Cody Fick (.307, 9 HR, 46 RBI).

Staff Aces: Leading the pitching staff is Sr. closer Tom Heithoff (4-3, 2.87 ERA, 8 SVs) as well three different returnees, LHP Seth McCabe, LHP Sean McCarthy and RHP Matt Netherton, who missed 2009 due to Tommy John surgery.

Tough Contests: The Purple Aces travel to Lexington to play Kentucky, play and home-and-home series with Louisville, and host Dallas Baptist all this season.

Illinois State

2009 Season: (25-23, 11-11)

Nickname: Redbirds

Head Coach: Mark Kingston

Location: Normal, IL

Vitals: .281 BA, 32 HR, .372 OBP, .964 Fld. %…5.47 ERA, 8 CG, 7 SVs, 313 K, 175 BB, .275 Opp. BA

Corey Maines (ISU photo)

Pitching Strength: Illinois State brings back several top-notch pitchers from last year.  Returning are Sr. LHP Ryan Copeland (4-5, 3.63 ERA, 6 CG), Jr. RHP Corey Maines (6-5, 4.26 ERA, 69 K), So. RHP Ryan Camp (6-3, 4.73 ERA, .251 Opp. BA), and Sr. RHP Jim Sajewich (4-2, 4.36 ERA, 4 SVs).

Top Hitters: Illinois State loses top hitter Mike Stalowy, but do return Sr. INF Ryan Court (.323, 5 HR, 41 RBI), Sr. OF Anthony Ruffalo (.315, 4 HR, .401 OBP), and Sr. 1B Evan Kohli (.308, 13 doubles, .431 OBP).  Also back is Corey Maines, who only hit .202, but did have 5 HR in 21 total hits.

New Era: Mark Kingston enters his first season as head baseball coach after Jim Brownlee retired after 7 seasons.  Kingston was an assistant for the 2009 season, helping the Redbirds to their first winning season since 2001.

Indiana State

2009 Season: (33-21, 15-7)

Nickname: Sycamores

Head Coach: Rick Heller

Location: Terre Haute, IN

Vitals: .317 BA, 59 HR, .404 OBP, .976 Fld. %…5.94 ERA, 2 CG, 5 SVs, 365 K, 222 BB, .301 Opp. BA

Starting Over: Indiana State begins a new era this year with Rick Heller taking over as head coach.  Heller came from Northern Iowa after they eliminated their baseball program following the 2009 season.  Heller succeeds Lindsay Meggs who left to become the head coach at Washington.

Rebuilding Year?: ISU’s 33 wins in 2009 was the most since 2003, and their 15-7 league record was good enough for second place, best finish since 1998.  This year, however, the Sycamores return just 5 regular starters, and only 4 out of 11 pichers return.  The biggest losses are leading hitter Nick Ciolli (.401, 5 HR, 50 RBI), Brady Shoemaker (.359, 14 HR, 50 RBI), and closer Matt Shelton (4-1, 5.45 ERA, 5 SVs).

Good Rotation: 2 of the 4 pitchers that do return are the top two pitchers from last season.  Jr. RHP Jacob Petricka (7-3, 4.76 ERA, 49 K) and Sr. LHP Joe Rodriguez (7-3, 5.29 ERA, 1 CG) are back to lead the inexperienced pitching staff.

Missouri State

2009 Season: (34-20, 17-5)

Nickname: Bears

Head Coach: Keith Guttin

Location: Springfield, MO

Vitals: .302 BA, 61 HR, .395 OBP, .961 Fld. %…4.51 ERA, 5 CG, 11 SVs, 431 K, 199 BB, .264 Opp. BA

Big 2009: Missouri State began 2009 a disappointing 4-10, but quickly rebounded going 30-10 over the final 40 games capturing the MVC title, their first since 2003.  Two MSU players earned All-American honors with Buddy

Kevin Medrano (MSU photo)

Baumann (11-1, 3.23 ERA, 101 K), the MVC Pitcher of the Year, a second-team selection by Collegiate Baseball and the ABCA, and Brayden Drake (.414, 10 HR, 54 RBI), MVC Player of the Year, a third-team All-American from Collegiate Baseball.

Still Talented: While the Bears lose Baumann and Drake, and had 6 players drafted, Missouri State still brings back a lot of talent for 2010.  The offense will be led by Freshman All-American So. INF Kevin Medrano (.329, 76 H, 40 RBI) while Jr. LHP Aaron Meade (9-2, 3.39 EA, 89 K) heads up the pitching staff.

Challenges Abound: A tough non-conference slate faces the Bears this season.  Among the non-conference slate are games against Georgia Tech, Southern Mississippi, Oklahoma State, Kansas, and Oral Roberts.

Southern Illinois

2009 Season: (24-28, 11-9)

Nickname: Salukis

Head Coach: Dan Callahan

Location: Carbondale, IL

Vitals: .286 BA, 35 HR, .348 OBP, .971 Fld. %…4.77 ERA, 1 CG, 8 SVs, 288 K, 183 BB, .291 Opp. BA

Key Returners: Southern Illinois returns several key members from last season.  Seven starters return to the lineup including preseason All-MVC selection C Tyler Bullock (.292, 11 HR, 33 RBI) and Sr. OF Aaron Roberts (.301, 35 R, 6 SB).  The pitching staff is led by the schools all-time leader in saves Sr. RHP Bryant George (3-0, 3.21 ERA, 8 SVs), and returning starter Sr. LHP Jimmy Cornell (2-2, 3.26 ERA, .216 Opp. BA).

Courage Under Fire: SIU head coach Dan Callahan received the 2009 MVC Most Courageous Award given to those who demonstrates unusual courage in the face of personal illness, adversity or tragedy and whose behavior reflects honor on the institution or the Conference.  Callahan was diagnosed with a form of melanoma in 2006, and continues to battle the illness today.  After coaching full-time in 2007 and 2008, he was unable to travel with the team last season, but still coached every home game.  Callahan hopes to travel with the team once again this season.

Wichita State

2009 Season: (30-27, 11-7)

Nickname: Shockers

Head Coach: Gene Stephenson

Location: Wichita, KS

Vitals: .275 BA, 33 HR, .362 OBP, .964 Fld. %…4.26 ERA, 6 CG, 11 SVs, 508 K, 186 BB, .265 Opp. BA

Continuing Dominance: Wichita State finished 3^rd in the regular season last year, but put it together to capture their second consecutive, and 7th conference tournament title of the decade.  They also made the NCAA tournament for the 8^th consecutive year, and for the 21^st time in the last 22 years.  This season 7 starters and 20 letterwinners overall return.

Jordan Cooper (WSU photo)

Pitching Prowess: The Shockers return their top four starters from a season ago in Jr. Tim Kelley (5-4, 2.86 ERA, 3 CG), Freshman All-American So. Jordan Cooper (8-6, 2.78 ERA, 3 CG), Freshman All-American So. Charlie Lowell (6-2, 2.95 ERA, .246 Opp. BA), and So. Brian Flynn (2-5, 4.98 ERA, 59 K)

To Be the Best: Wichita State will play several challenging games this season with contests against Kansas, Oklahoma State, Florida Gulf Coast, Long Beach State, Arizona, Oral Roberts, Nebraska, and Dallas Baptist.

2010 Missouri Valley Predictions

Conference Champion: Wichita State

2010 Player of the Year: Elliot Soto–Creighton

2010 Pitcher of the Year: Jordan Cooper—Wichita State