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The continued game between Clemson and Oklahoma was an appropriate 3-inning appetizer on Wednesday for the main course thriller that was TCU’s dramatic 11-7 win over Florida State.

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FINAL: Continuation of Clemson 6,  Oklahoma 4

FINAL: TCU  11, Florida State 7 (Elimination Game)

The rain was blowing sideways by the time we left the stadium after midnight on Wednesday evening. It was Sean Stires’ last memory of his favorite stadium.

(Blog entry by Chase Titleman)

What a difference a day makes here in Omaha … or does it?

For the third consecutive day here in Omaha, wewere awakened by an earsplitting thunderstorm that rocked the windows of our hotel. I wasn’t sure if it was a freight train, tornado or just another of my wild and willy dreams, but when the lightning flashed and the thunder instantly cracked at 5:25 a.m. this morning it was quite a way to wake up.

Oklahoma looks to benefit most from Wednesday evening’s sudden thunderstorm that cropped up with the high humidity and the stifling temperatures, spawning a tornado alert that never materialized. As of 10:00 this morning, a tornado watch box was up on the weather channel for the eastern half of Iowa, but sunny skies are predicted for today at the “Blatt.”

The heat index was 102 when I was sitting in the photo box along the first-base line. ESPN analyst Kyle Peterson (an Omaha native) looked like a camel jockey with towels draped all over his body trying to shade himself from the scorching sun.

With Clemson leading Oklahoma 6-1 going into the top of the 6th, the Sooners will need to get on it in a hurry if they expect to get back into the ballgame and avoid the losers bracket. At the start of yesterday’s game, the wind was howling out to left-center, but today the wind has switched directions and is blowing quite briskly to right-center – so look for some home runs coming in that direction.

If you are coming to the ballpark and have general-admission tickets, that would be the place to sit!

Yesterday’s first game between Arizona State and South Carolina was an example of what a team can accomplish when it plays the wind properly, for it is no secret that the ball will sail out of the “Blatt” with ease if aided by a driving wind (especially when the heat index is cranking as well).

Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a monster, wind-aided bomb to left-center yesterday to kick start an eight-run 2nd inning that sent the Sun Devils packing.

Rosenblatt Surprises: The weather hasn’t been the only surprise here in Omaha …

Coming into the CWS, Arizona State looked to be the premier team, leading the KSI Index that I have put together here over at Road2Rosenblatt.com!

Florida State and Clemson were 7th and 8th in the KSI Index and I boldly predicted that “if I were a betting man (which I am not), I wouldn’t bet that Clemson student-athletes would be roaming around in Omaha towards the end of the week. I ran into some Clemson players, parents and alumni over at The Union Pizzeria and Bar over near where the new TD Ameritrade Ball Park is going up in the old downtown area near Quest Arena, and boy did they let me hear about it!

Humbled but unfeathered, I promptly told them that the Tigers in my opinion are the most impressive team in Omaha thus far. I really like the way Jack Leggett has this team playing at present. They are peaking at the right time, playing fast and loose while brimming with confidence – all things needed to quiet the nerves of playing in front of 22,000 on a nightly basis.

Clemson won its game despite its 1-2-3 batters (Chris Epps, Mike Freeman and Jeff Schaus) combining to go 0-for-11.

The two teams that have been eliminated, Florida and Arizona State, both had that “deer in the headlights” look and used the same excuse of not playing like the team that got them to Omaha.

How about TCU? Or, more appropriately, how about Matt Curry’s grand slam! Curry had the biggest blast of the series so far with his 8th-inning slam to help the Horned Frogs to a stunning 8-run inning in their 11-7 win over Florida State. Just as clutch was TCU catcher Bryan Holaday’s double, which also came with two outs (two batters before Curry). I’d take eight guys like Holaday on my team any day.

Closing Comments:

In the postgame press conference yesterday after being eliminated, ASU Coach Tim Esmay had this to say:

“Well, obviously very disappointed in the outcome today. You can’t have a start like we did against a quality team of South Carolina. I thought they did a heck of a job of putting us on our heels, and I think you have to do that in a game like this where you lose and you go home.

“And I think the team that kind of takes control of that and is the aggressor and puts you on your heels, it really makes it tough for you to battle up climb.

“I’ll say this. I haven’t been any prouder in my years of being a Sun Devil than this team right here. It’s an amazing team. They were fighting until the end. They didn’t give up. They played hard and that’s what they did all year long.

“And I’m just very proud and very blessed that they gave me this opportunity to coach them this year, because this is a heck of a team. And having to deal with expectations, and expectations of Arizona State is to play deep in this tournament. And they know that. They battled that day-in, day-out, and they answered the bell all year long.

“Obviously we did not want to end this tournament the way it ended, but I’ll tell you this, there’s nobody that feels as bad or as upset than those 35 guys in that clubhouse, and I’m extremely proud of this ball club.”

Q: Could you talk a little bit about Sam Dyson and how he pitched today?
COACH ESMAY: “Man, boy, talk about grinding one out. I felt like we had opportunities every inning. I didn’t feel like he really breezed through any inning. But you look up and 100‑and‑some pitches later and he’s battling and making pitches when he needed to, and that’s a performance that I’m sure they’re proud of, because he was a warrior out there today.:

Q: You guys came in as the No. 1 seed. … I talked to a lot of Arizona State media that says it doesn’t even look like it’s the same team, like it’s imposters in the uniforms. Could you address what went wrong here over the last two games?

COACH ESMAY: “You’re playing good talent. I wouldn’t necessarily call them imposters. They are 18‑, 19‑, 20‑year‑old kids, that had a heck of a year and were playing very good baseball. But being in the College World Series enough to see that sometimes when balls aren’t hit or situations don’t come your way, it just happens.

“I’m not going to say that this is not the Sun Devil team that I saw all year long because it was. It was a team that showed up to play, they were ready to play, and they were confident enough to play. But when you have eight teams at the end, everybody’s had a sense of how to win and how to play and take advantage of things, and that’s what I saw happen. The other teams took advantage.

“We did a great job all year of not letting the crack, the door open, and these last couple of games, a crack opened and the other teams took advantage of it. And that’s what happens in a national championship type tournament.

* * * * *

First of all, that question that was posed to coach Esmay is a solid question, although I cringed myself when I heard the word imposters. Arizona State does have a recent history and questions to answer for – they typically are the top-ranked program every year that they have come to the CWS since the turn of the century, yet they have come up empty handed.

It was their tournament to lose. There are questions to answer, especially since they came off perhaps the toughest Super Regional as Arkansas took them to task in back-to-back, 12-inning grinders that smelled of national championship destiny.

But like coach Kevin O’Sullivan over at Florida, this was the first time in Omaha for the Esmay staff, and you could sense a little apprehension in the body language of the assistants and the players.

Esmay had made six trips to Omaha, as both a player and coach for the Sun Devils, but pitching coach Ken Knutson (former head coach at Washington) and Travis Jewett (former assistant at Washington State) were making their first visits. Although 15 members of the Sun Devil squad were returning to Omaha, led by Raoul Torrez who made his third appearance in the CWS, there also were 11 members of the squad that were first-timers and played as if they may have been a little overwhelmed by the environment (a fate that hits many CWS participants).

The other aspect that is important to consider in the Sun Devils’ demise is the fact that they played only 21 games away from Steven Packard Stadium in Tempe. Playing most of their career at home, as well as both the Regional and Super Regional, certainly doesn’t get a team battle-tested for a hostile environment on the road.

In my opinion, it is something to point a finger at, for the key to beating ASU this year was jumping out of the gate early with big innings. The old axiom in baseball is that the majority of the time, the winning team has scored more in one inning than the opposing team has scored the entire game.

In the elite field of Omaha, it is hard to overcome an 8-spot in the second inning. Although the Devils battled hard, they just didn’t peak at the right time. It reminds me of a conversation that Sean Stires and I had when I first arrived in Omaha near midnight on Friday evening. The Sun Devils were the only team that hadn’t really had any type of hiccup the entire year, as they hadn’t lost back-to-back games in 2010 … that is until they got to Omaha.

That will be hard to reflect on during the offseason.

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Two More Games On Tap At Rosenblatt …

Our coverage of the 2010 College World Series is brought to you by The Dugout in Omaha, with everything you’re looking for when it comes to officially licensed CWS hats and shirts. If you can’t make it to Rosenblatt make sure to follow the link for all of your CWS gear!

Tuesday Games

3:30 pm – South Carolina 11, #1 Arizona State 4 (ASU Eliminated)

8:00 pm – Oklahoma vs. Clemson

By Collegebaseball360.com Editor Sean Stires

2:25 p.m. – I’m currently sitting inside the Rosenblatt Stadium pressbox getting ready for the start of the Arizona State-Clemson game. Just moments ago, I hiked the Rosenblatt hill from Bob Gibson Boulevard to the press box for the last time. I’m heading out of Omaha tomorrow morning, but Chase Titleman and Paul Fairkoski will be here the rest of the week to provide more coverage of the last College World Series at Rosenblatt. I’ll have more on today’s events throughout the day …

• As I write this, longtime CWS official scorer Lou Spry is being helped out of the pressbox by EMTs. He has an oxygen tank in tow. As we mentioned earlier this week, Spry has worked more than 600 CWS games here at Rosenblatt. Someone else now is in his seat scoring the game. Hopefully Lou is OK. Nebraska baseball media relations director Shamus McKnight filled in for both games. He did Monday morning’s game as well.
  

  CWS official scorer Lou Spry

• After it rained for about an hour this morning, the game-time temperature is 91 degrees with a heat index of 98.

• It took South Carolina pitcher Sam Dyson 12 pitches to finally retire ASU leadoff man Drew Maggi to start the game. Dyson threw 13 pitches against the next six Sun Devil batters combined.

• The Gamecocks erupted for eight runs in the second inning, including a 3-run HR by Jackie Bradley, Jr. and a 2-run blast by Adrian Morales. It’s South Carolina’s biggest offensive inning this season.

• Arizona State starter Merrill Kelly had given up only four HR in 98.1 innings coming into Tuesday’s start, but he surrendered both home runs and gave up 8 ER in only 1.2 IP.

• Yet more celebrity sightings in and around Rosenblatt. Former Nebraska football player Ndamukong Suh and baseball Hall of Famer Steve Garvey both have been around.

• Home plate umpire David Savage left the field with medical staff due to apparent dehydration, prior to the bottom of the 7th inning. There was a brief delay in the game while Kelly Gonzales put on the home-plate gear.

• The overall #1 seed has not won the College World Series since Miami did it in 1999. With top seed Arizona State now out of the tournament, that streak will continue for at least another year.

• “Well, for me it’s just heartbreaking. That was my last college game that I’ll ever play, you know?” – Arizona State senior first baseman Kole Calhoun, after Tuesday’s loss to South Carolina.
• 

• “Well, I think it’s been the same. I’ve always been a bad coach in the first game.  It’s hard to explain.” – South Carolina head coach Ray Tanner, when asked after the game about the fact that in three trips to Omaha his Gamecocks have lost their CWS opener but then won their next game.

• Both teams from South Carolina (the Tigers and Gamecocks) managed 14 hits against ASU. All 14 Clemson hits were singles, while USC had a pair of doubles and three home runs.

• Speaking of home runs, the three SC long balls brings the College World Series total to 11 through seven games. That’s $2,200 so far that will go to Boys Town here in Omaha.

• With #1 Arizona State and #3 Florida eliminated, that leaves #6 UCLA as the only national seed still alive at the CWS. ASU is the first #1 seed to go 0-2 at the CWS since the NCAA Tournament field expanded to 64 teams (in 1999).

• Does right field really suck?

• Does left field really suck?

• Will the two sides continue their back and forth chants at the new park next year?

• Oklahoma starting pitching Bobby Shore threw 14 straight balls to Clemson batters in the bottom of the 4th inning before he got a called strike on John Hinson, who lined the next pitch for an RBI single to center field. Hinson’s hit chased Shore from the game. He gave up four earned runs on two hits and five walks in 3.0 IP.

10:40 p.m. - The Oklahoma-Clemson game officially has been suspended. Play will resume tomorrow at 3:30 central time. Clemson leads 6-1 going into the 6th inning.

By The Numbers And Analysis For Each Of The Omaha Eight

The beginning of the end is almost here.  The last College World Series that will ever be played at Rosenblatt Stadium starts Saturday.  Below are statistical breakdowns of this year’s eight CWS teams as well as a “by the numbers” look at each team and analysis.

Once the CWS begins Collegebaseball360.com will have daily coverage of every game in Omaha, including post game video with players and coaches, a daily blog and a daily CWS scoreboard.

CWS Bracket One

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Jim Schlossnagle

TCU Horned Frogs (51-12)
Head Coach: Jim Schlossnagle  (7th season)

1…College World Series appearance by the Horned Frogs.  It’s also the first CWS appearance by any Mountain West Conference team in the 11 year history of the league.

51…Wins this season-a school record.

37-3…Combined record of TCU starting pitchers Matt Purke, Kyle Winkler and Steven Maxwell.   The trio has also combined for 312 strikeouts and just 95 walks in 317 2/3 IP.

23-0…TCU’s record this season when its pitching staff strikes out at least 10 batters in a game.

14…Wins with no losses by Purke.  The freshman was also the 14th overall pick in the first round by the Texas Rangers in the 2009 MLB draft, but he chose to go to college instead.

5-1…The Horned Frogs’ record so far in the NCAA post season.  Their only loss was vs. Texas in game two of their Super Regional.

.340…Team batting average, which is 10th best in the nation this season.

3.46…Team ERA-good for a #7 national ranking.  TCU is the only team in the nation to rank in the top 10 in both team batting average and ERA.

.558…Team slugging percentage-the best of any of the eight CWS teams and good for a #6 NCAA ranking.

1…TCU player, Matt Curry, who has double-digit home runs and stolen bases.  Curry leads the Horned Frogs with 17 and 12, respectively.  Curry also has team highs with 26 doubles and an 1.173 OPS.

.373 & 66…Team best batting average and RBIs by outfielder Jason Coats, who has also hit 13 HR.

ANALYSIS: TCU has the best combination of pitching and hitting of the eight teams in Omaha.  Any questions about the Horned Frogs offensive and pitching stats against Mountain West Conference competition have already been answered.  They took two of three from one of the nation’s best offensive teams, New Mexico, during the regular season.  They also beat the nation’s best pitching team, Texas, in last week’s Super Regional.  The biggest question would appear to be whether they can avoid the awe factor of the program’s first CWS appearance.

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Mike Martin

Florida State Seminoles (47-18)
Head Coach: Mike Martin  (31st season)

20…College World Series appearances by the FSU-the fifth most all-time appearances by a school.

2,570…Florida State baseball games head coach Mike Martin has been involved in as a player, assistant and head coach.  Martin has been involved in nearly 75% of the 2,526 wins in the history of Florida State baseball.

15 & 68…Team leading home runs and RBIs by Mike McGee, who is also batting .328.

12…Team leading saves by McGee, which is tied for 10th in the nation.  The junior, who doubles as the team’s closer, is 4-0 on the mound with a 1.37 ERA.

0…Complete games by the FSU pitching staff.  The Seminoles join Arizona State as the only two CWS pitching staffs without a CG this season.

15…Out of 15 FSU pitchers who have made at least one relief appearance during the season.

255…Walks issued by the Seminole staff-the most of any of the teams in Omaha.

30…Team best stolen bases by Tyler Holt, who is also batting a team best .352 and leads the ‘Noles with 82 runs scored.

ANALYSIS: As usual, Mike Martin’s Seminoles have a team that can hit, but there are questions with their pitching depth.  Sean Gilmartin was knocked-out early in FSU’s Super Regional opener against Vanderbilt and then had to come back out of the bullpen to help win game three.  A win over TCU and freshman ace Matt Purke in the opener would be huge.

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John Savage

UCLA Bruins (48-14)
Head Coach: John Savage  (6th season)

3…College World Series appearances by the Bruins.  This is their first since 1997.

48…School record wins this season.

#6…National seed of the Bruins, which are one of just three national seeds to make it to Omaha.

22…School record wins to open the season by UCLA.  The Bruins first setback was an 8-4 loss to Stanford on April 3rd.

2.94 & .218…Team ERA and opponent batting average of the Bruin pitching staff.  The ERA is the second best in the nation (behind Texas).

639…NCAA leading strikeouts fired by the UCLA pitching staff.

396…Of the strikeouts that have been recorded by weekend starters Gerrit Cole, Trevor Bauer and Rob Rasmussen.  The trio is also a combined 31-8 this season.

11…Wins this season by Rasmussen.  The junior has the most wins by a Bruin hurler since Jim Parque set the school record with 13 on the team’s 1997 CWS team.

1…Career complete game Rasmussen has tossed.  It came in Sunday’s Super Regional clincher vs. Cal State Fullerton.

.464 & .401…Team slugging percentage and on-base percentage.  The slugging percentage is the lowest in the CWS field, while the on-base percentage is tied for the second lowest with Oklahoma.

0…Double digit home run hitters for UCLA.  They’re the only such CWS team this year.

.328-7-45…Batting average, HR and RBIs by Tyler Rahmatulla, who started 61 of UCLA’s 62 games this season as their primary 3-hole hitter.  The sophomore will miss the CWS after breaking his wrist in the Bruins’ Super Regional celebration dog pile.

ANALYSIS: As evidenced by the strikeout total UCLA is built on not just pitching, but power arms and that’s what usually gets it done in the post season (although not for Texas last week).  The Bruin pitchers aren’t just strong-armed, they’re confident as well.  UCLA must overcome the loss of Rahmatulla, who emerged early as one of their top run producers.  A team that doesn’t have a lot of offense to begin with can’t afford to lose what offense it has.

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Kevin O'Sullivan

Florida Gators (47-15)
Head Coach:  Kevin O’Sullivan  (3rd season)

6…College World Series appearances by the Gators.  This is their first trip to Omaha since finishing as the national runner-up in 2005.

3…Years as a head coach by Gator boss Kevin O’Sullivan.  He made trips to the CWS as a Clemson assistant in 2000, 2002 and 2006.

3…National seed of the Gators, making the first round Florida vs. UCLA game the only one to feature two national seeds.

6.9…Runs a game scored by Florida-the lowest of the eight teams in the field in Omaha.

.381…On-base percentage by the Gators-the lowest of the eight CWS competitors.

1…Complete game this season by the Florida pitching staff.  Alex Panteliodis got it last week when he struck out 12 in Florida’s 7-2 win over Miami in the Super Regional opener.

11…Saves by Kevin Chapman, who has made a staff high 30 appearances while holding opposing batters to a .183 average.

6…Florida position players who have started at least 25 games who are either freshmen or sophomores.

2…Freshmen, Brian Johnson (6-4) and Hudson Randall (8-3), who join the sophomore Panteliodis (11-2) in the weekend pitching rotation.

3.97 & .413…Johnson’s ERA and batting average this season.  The freshman has started 14 times on the mound as well as 26 games in the Gator line-up.

17 & 70…Team leading home runs and RBIs by freshman Austin Maddox, who has started 61 of his team’s 62 games this season.

.358 & 23…Team high batting average and stolen bases by Matt den Dekker, who is one of a handful of seniors on the team.  He has also hit 13 home runs and has scored a team best 64 runs.

.978…Team fielding percentage-the best of the eight CWS teams and 6th best in the nation.

ANALYSIS: The Gators don’t do anything particularly flashy, they are just good across the board and they find a way to win.  They’re battled tested with big SEC series wins, including the regular season finale vs. fellow CWS team South Carolina.   There’s a possible Omaha awe factor as well for the young Gators.

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The Dugout in Omaha has everything you’re looking for when it comes to officially licensed CWS hats and shirts!

CWS Bracket Two

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Tim Esmay

Arizona State Sun Devils (52-8)
Head Coach: Tim Esmay  (1st season)

#1…National seed.  The Sun Devils are one of just three national seed (along with UCLA and Florida) to make it to Omaha this year.

22…College World Series appearances by ASU-the third most all-time behind Texas (33) and Miami (23)

24…Consecutive wins by ASU to open the season.  They suffered their first loss on April 2nd with a 6-5 setback to Oregon in 12 innings.

134…Stolen bases by the Sun Devils-the most of any CWS team.  Drew Maggi leads ASU with 35 swipes.

14…NCAA leading triples hit by Pac 10 Player of the Year Zack MacPhee, who also leads the Sun Devils with a .679 slugging percentage.  MacPhee’s .394 batting average is second only to Riccio Torrez’s .399 avg.

33-3…Combined record of starting pitchers Merrill Kelly, Jake Borup and Pac 10 Pitcher of the Year Seth Blair.

7-2…The trios ASU record last year, with all the decisions courtesy of Blair.  Kelly is in his first year at ASU after transferring from Yavapai CC, while Borup made just eight appearances last year as a freshman.

0…Innings pitched this year by Josh Spence due to an elbow injury.  Spence was 10-1 with a 2.37 ERA for last year’s CWS team.  He was drafted in the third round of last year’s MLB draft by the Angels, but chose to return to ASU for his senior season.

0…Complete games by the ASU pitching staff.  They join Florida State as the only two staffs in Omaha without a CG this year.

23…Saves by Sun Devil pitchers-the most of any CWS team this season.  Jordan Swaggerty leads the way with 14, which is tied for the third most in the nation.

.239…Opponent batting average by the Sun Devil staff.  The mark is second only to UCLA’s CWS leading .219.

ANALYSIS: Arizona State brought plenty of confident teams to Omaha under former head coach Pat Murphy, but never brought home the big prize.  Under Tim Esmay the Sun Devils enter the CWS this year in circumstances similar to last year’s Cal State Fullerton team that was 5-0 in Regionals and Super Regionals, but went 0-2 in Omaha.  ASU still has the same swagger under Esmay as they head under Murphy, but can they finally go the distance with it?

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Jack Leggett

Clemson Tigers (43-23)
Head Coach: Jack Leggett  (17th season)

12…College World Series appearances by Clemson – the 11th most all-time appearances by a team.

43…Wins by the Tigers – the fewest of the eight CWS teams.

23…Clemson losses – the most of the field in Omaha.

20 & 20…Touchdown passes thrown and home runs hit by quarterback/outfielder Kyle Parker, who is the first such 20/20 two-sport athlete in Division One history.  The Colorado Rockies took Parker with the 26th pick in the first round of this year’s MLB draft.

4.72…Team ERA – the highest of this year’s CWS teams.

.280…Opponent batting average, which is also the highest of the eight pitching staffs in Omaha.

8.8…Runs a game scored by the Tigers, making them the highest scoring offense in Omaha this year.

17 & 23…Home runs hit and stolen bases by 3B John Hinson, who is also batting .345 with 72 RBIs.

15 & 85…Home runs and RBIs by OF Jeff Schaus, whose RBI total ranks fifth in the nation and is the most of any player at the College World Series.

7-2…Alex Frederick’s record on the mound.  The reliever has made just one start with a team high 30 appearances and is tied with starter Casey Harman (7-3) for the second most wins on the Tiger staff.

1…Complete game (tossed by Harman) by the Clemson pitching staff.

5…Tigers relievers, incuding Frederick, who have made at least 20 appearances this season.  Harman and Scott Weismann (8-2) have each made 17 starts and are the only Clemson pitchers without a relief appearance in 2010.

ANALYSIS: The Tigers hit and then hit some more, as evidenced by their 31 runs in their three Super Regional games vs. Alabama.  They scored at least 10 runs in a game 25 times this season, but how will they fair in their first round match-up against an Arizona State team that pitches, hits and plays defense?  ASU is going to put it in play and Clemson’s defense also ranks just 135th in the nation.

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Sunny Golloway

Oklahoma Sooners (49-16)
Head Coach: Sunny Golloway  (6th season)

10…College World Series appearances by the Sooners, who haven’t been to Omaha since 1995.  OU won the 1994 National Championship.

100…Home runs hit this season by Oklahoma – the most by any of the eight CWS teams and good for eighth in the nation.

65…Sac bunts by the Sooners, which is also the most by any of the eight CWS teams and good for seventh in the nation.

4…Home runs hit in OU’s two Super Regional wins over Virginia by Cody Reine.  The OF was 5-for-8 with 11 RBIs in the game two and three victories.  Five of his 10 HR this year have come in NCAA play.

95…Stolen bases by Oklahoma.  With five more swipes OU would join Coastal Carolina and Miami as the only three teams with at least 100 HR and 100 SB this season.

2…Straight wins by Oklahoma to close their Super Regional series after losing 3-2 to Virginia in the opener.  The Cavaliers hadn’t lost back to back games all season.

0…Runs allowed by the Sooners in their 11-0 Super Regional clinching win over UVA.  It’s their first shutout in NCAA play since 1992.

.371/16/64…Team best batting average, home runs and RBIs by Garrett Buechelle.  The sophomore is the son of 11-year MLB veteran Steve Buechelle.

.311/15/52…Batting average, home runs and RBIs by Cameron Seitzer.  The sophomore is the son of 12-year MLB veteran Kevin Seitzer.

.976…Team fielding percentage – tied with Arizona State for the second best fielding rate at the CWS.

5-0…Record of pitcher Jack Mayfield.  The freshman has made just three starts with 13 relief outings, but he has one of the pitching staff’s three complete games this year.

7 & 5…Wins and saves by Jeremy Erben, who leads the Sooners with 31 appearances, including 29 in relief.  Erben’s saves are second to Ryan Duke, who leads the team with 11.

540…Miles from OU’s campus in Norman, OK to Omaha, NE.  The number has been posted in the Sooner’s dugout all season.

ANALYSIS: Oklahoma took a page out of Virginia’s own book when it went on the road to beat the Cavs in last week’s Super Regional (as UVA did last year at Ole Miss).  The first round match-up vs. South Carolina’s Blake Cooper (see below) is an intriguing one.  Despite the big offensive numbers the Sooners have put-up this year they were shutout twice and scored just three runs in three games against the best pitchers they’ve seen so far: Texas.

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Ray Tanner

South Carolina Gamecocks (48-15)
Head Coach: Ray Tanner  (14th season)

9…College World Series appearances by the Gamecocks.  Their last appearance was in 2004.

3…Times (including this year) that South Carolina made it to Omaha in the same year as intrastate rival Clemson.  The two also appeared together at the CWS in 2002 and 1977.

2-0…South Carolina’s record vs. Clemson at the ’02 CWS – the only games between the two teams in Omaha.

12…Home runs hit and stolen bases by Whit Merrifield.  The junior leads his team in both categories and he’s the only Gamecock with double digit home runs and stolen bases.

13 & 70…Sacrifice bunts and runs scored by Merrifield - both tops in the SEC.

9…South Carolina players who have hit at least seven home runs and driven-in at least 28 runs in 2010.

15 & 52…Team leading doubles and RBIs by Adrian Morales.  The junior is batting .286.

.371…Team high batting average of Jackie Bradley, Jr., who had 51 RBIs entering the CWS.

12 & 118 1/3…Wins and innings pitched by Gamecock ace Blake Cooper, who leads the SEC in both departments.  The senior (12-1, 2.81 ERA) suffered his only loss of the season in his last start of the regular season to SEC regular season champion Florida.

4…Complete games pitched by the SC pitching staff – the most of the eight CWS teams.  Sam Dyson (5-5, 4.39 ERA) has tossed three of them, while Cooper has the other.

91…Combined relief appearances by Michael Roth (1-1, 1.50, 3 SV), Matt Price (3-1, 2.54, 10 SV) and Jose Mata (7-1, 2.34).  Roth is second in the SEC with 33 appearances, while Mata’s 31 are tied for third.

568…Strikeouts by the Gamecock pitching staff.  The total ranks third in the nation and is second only to UCLA’s 619 of the teams in Omaha.

ANALYSIS: Like SEC rival Florida, South Carolina is a team that lacks a lot of flash, but just gets it done.  Cooper is a bulldog who has gone up against the top pitchers in the SEC and lost just once all season.  While none of the other starters approach his production, the bullpen is deep enough to make the Gamecocks a legit threat.  Their Sunday match-up with OU could be the best of the four first round games.

Six 2009 Semifinalists On 2010 List

USA Baseball announced Thursday its preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List, marking the organization’s first step toward identifying the top amateur baseball player in the country. Sponsored by Major League Baseball, the Golden Spikes Award will be presented in 2010 for the 33rd time.

The Watch List features 50 of the nation’s top amateur talents, and it will be a “rolling” list to ensure that athletes can play themselves into consideration for the Golden Spikes Award, to be presented live on Tuesday, July 13, at the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star FanFest in Anaheim, Calif.

Headlining the 2010 Watch List are six athletes who were among the 30 semifinalists for the 2009 Golden Spikes Award. Those players are Daniel Bibona (LHP, Sr., UC Irvine), Bryce Brentz (OF/RHP, Jr., Middle Tennessee), Deck McGuire (RHP, Jr., Georgia Tech), Addison Reed (RHP, Jr., San Diego State), Anthony Rendon (3B, So., Rice) and Alex Wimmers (RHP, Jr., Ohio State).

“We’re very pleased to announce the 50 members of the preseason Watch List for the 2010 Golden Spikes Award,” said Paul Seiler, Executive Director/CEO of USA Baseball. “The level of amateur baseball talent in our country continues to rise each year, and there is no greater evidence of this than seeing six 2009 semifinalists named to the 2010 Watch List.”

The list of 50 names also features Bryce Harper of the College of Southern Nevada, a junior. The freshman catcher is the only junior-college player named to the list. Alex Fernandez, as a sophomore pitcher for Miami Dade Community College (now Miami Dade College) in 1990, stands as the only junior-college player to ever win the Golden Spikes Award.

LSU leads all schools with four players named to the Watch List. Texas is second with three, and Alabama, Arkansas, Cal State Fullerton, Coastal Carolina, Florida State, Georgia Tech, University of Miami, Rice and Virginia have two apiece.

The SEC tops all conferences with 15 Watch List players. Other leading conferences include the ACC with 10 athletes, the Big 12 with five, and the Big West and Conference USA with three each. Juniors dominate the list with 35 players named. Sophomores are next with nine players, there are five seniors, and Harper is the lone freshman.

On Tuesday, June 1, USA Baseball officials will cut the list of players to 30 names. The final list of 30 will then be sent to a voting body consisting of select professional baseball personnel, past USA Baseball National Team coaches, select members of the media, former USA Baseball sports information directors, and current USA Baseball staff — about 150 voters in total.

All voters will be asked to choose five players from the list of 30 names. Fan voting will once again be a part of the Golden Spikes Award in 2010. June 1 will also mark the day when college baseball fans from across the country will be able to vote for their favorite player for the Golden Spikes Award on goldenspikesaward.com. On Tuesday, June 8, USA Baseball will announce the five finalists, and voting for a winner will commence that same day.

The 2010 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award will be presented nationally July 13 on an award show via live telecast from Anaheim on goldenspikesaward.com, USABaseball.com and MLB.com in conjunction with All-Star FanFest.

Past winners of the Golden Spikes Award include Terry Francona (1980), Will Clark (1985), Robin Ventura (1988), Jason Varitek (1994), J.D. Drew (1997), Mark Prior (2001), Jered Weaver (2004), Tim Lincecum (2006), David Price (2007), Buster Posey (2008) and last year’s winner, Stephen Strasburg.

2010 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Important Dates

Thursday, Feb. 18 – 50-player Watch List released, shaped by USA Baseball officials, advisors and college SIDs
Tuesday, June 1 – 30 semifinalists announced, selected by USA Baseball officials; semifinalist voting begins; voters select five
Friday, June 4 – Deadline to vote for finalists, 5:00 p.m. ET
Tuesday, June 8 – Five finalists announced; finalist voting begins; voters to select one
Friday, June 18 – Deadline to vote for winner, 5:00 p.m. ET
Tuesday, July 13 – Golden Spikes Award presentation live at All-Star FanFest in Anaheim

Complete 2010 preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List:

Name, School, Position, Class (in order of name)

Chad Bettis, Texas Tech, RHP, Junior
Daniel Bibona, UC Irvine, LHP, Senior
Bryce Brentz, Middle Tennessee, OF/RHP, Junior
Michael Choice, Texas-Arlington, OF, Junior
Gerrit Cole, UCLA, RHP, Sophomore
Christian Colon, Cal State Fullerton, SS, Junior
Zack Cox, 3B/RHP, Arkansas, Sophomore
Todd Cunningham, OF, Junior
Blake Dean, LSU, Jacksonville State, 1B/OF, Senior
Sam Dyson, South Carolina, RHP, Junior
Brett Eibner, Arkansas, RHP/OF, Junior
Micah Gibbs, LSU, C, Junior
Sean Gilmartin, Florida State, LHP, Sophomore
Yasmani Grandal, University of Miami, C, Junior
Sonny Gray, Vanderbilt, RHP, Sophomore
Justin Grimm, Georgia, RHP, Junior
Jedd Gyorko, West Virginia, 2B/3B, Junior
Rick Hague, Rice, SS, Junior
Bryce Harper, College of Southern Nevada, C/3B/OF, Freshman
Cody Hawn, Tennessee, 1B, Junior
Chris Hernandez, University of Miami, LHP, Junior
Tyler Holt, Florida State, OF, Junior
Danny Hultzen, Virginia, LHP/1B, Sophomore
Kevin Jacob, Georgia Tech, RHP, Junior
Taylor Jungmann, Texas, RHP, Sophomore
Leon Landry, LSU, OF, Junior
Deck McGuire, Georgia Tech, RHP, Junior
Hunter Morris, Auburn, 1B/OF, Junior
Jarrett Parker, Virginia, OF, Junior
Drew Pomeranz, Mississippi, LHP, Junior
Anthony Ranaudo, LSU, RHP, Junior
Addison Reed, San Diego State, RHP, Junior
Anthony Rendon, Rice, 3B, Sophomore
Daniel Renken, Cal State Fullerton, RHP, Junior
Kyle Roller, East Carolina, 1B, Senior
Cameron Rupp, C, Junior, Texas
Chris Sale, Florida Gulf Coast, LHP, Junior
Jake Smith, Alabama, 3B/RHP, Senior
Josh Spence, Arizona State, LHP, Senior
Tony Thompson, Kansas, 3B, Junior
Preston Tucker, Florida, 1B, Sophomore
Kolbrin Vitek, Ball State, 3B/RHP, Junior
Austin Wates, Virginia Tech, OF, Junior
Cody Wheeler, Coastal Carolina, LHP, Junior
Ross Wilson, Alabama, 2B/SS, Junior
Alex Wimmers, Ohio State, RHP, Junior
Mickey Wiswall, Boston College, 3B/1B, Junior
Kolten Wong, Hawaii, 2B, Sophomore
Scott Woodward, Coastal Carolina, 3B, Junior
Brandon Workman, Texas, RHP, Junior

Half Of The Division Made NCAA Field Last Year

2009 Eastern Division Champion:  Florida

2009 Western Division Champion:  LSU & Ole Miss Tied with 20-10 records

2009 SEC Tournament Champion:  LSU

Banner Year:  Teams outside the SEC often complain the conference gets too much respect when it comes to NCAA Tournament bids, but the SEC lived-up to its lofty status last year.  Eight SEC teams received NCAA bids in 2009, with half of them, LSU, Ole Miss, Florida, and Arkansas, advancing to at least a Super Regional.  Arkansas and LSU both made it to Omaha, while the Tigers winning the 2009 National Championship.

Big Crowds:  The SEC drew a record of nearly 1.9 million fans to its on-campus ballparks in 2009, the fourth year in a row to draw over 1.6 million. Seven SEC teams drew in excess of 100,000 fans to their parks in 2009. The SEC averaged a record 4,689 fans per game in 2009, the third straight year to exceed the 4,000 mark.

2010 SEC Eastern Division Preview

Florida

2009 Record:  (42-22, 19-11)

Mascot:  Gators

Head Coach:  Kevin O’Sullivan

Location:  Gainesville, FL

Vitals:  .309 BA, 68 HR, 72 SB, .393 OBP, .966 Fld%…4.27 ERA, 0 CG, 13 SV, 427 K, 188 BB, .282 opp. BA

Preston Tucker (Florida photo)

The Good With The Bad:  After winning the SEC Eastern division last year Florida advance to a Super Regional for the first time since going to the 2005 College World Series.  However, the Gators lost both of their Super Regional games on their home field to Cinderella Southern Mississippi.

Notable Returns:  The Gators return four of their top six batters from last year’s team.  2009 SEC co-Freshman of the Year Preston Tucker (.364, 15 HR, 85 RBIs) heads the group.  He’s joined by two time All-SEC performer Josh Adams (.342, 8 HR, 52 RBIs) and OF Matt den Dekker (.296, 5 HR, 37 RBIs).

Oh Brother:  Brothers Jonathon (.357, 6 HR, 32 RBIs) and Daniel Pigott (.301, 3 HR, 21 RBIs) are back to patrol the Gator outfield.  Jonathon is a senior while Daniel is a sophomore.

The Sophomore Four:  Sophomore pitchers Tommy Toledo, Anthony DeSclafini (6-3, 4.98 ERA), Nick Maronde (3-1, 4.40 ERA) and Alex Pantaliodis (6-5, 4.38 ERA) are expected to lead the Gator pitching staff.  Toledo missed all of his freshman season while recovering from shoulder surgery.

Arms And Innings To Replace:  Bullpen stalwarts Tony Davis (5-0, 2.25 ERA) and Billy Bullock (3-3, 2.64 ERA, 11 SV) are both departed.  The duo combined for 66 appearances with 87 strikeouts in 91 2/3 IP last year.

Keep It In Florida:  Not only do the Gators play their first 22 games in the state of Florida, they also play 15 games vs. intrastate rivals South Florida, Florida State, Miami, Central Florida, Florida Gulf Coast, Florida Atlantic, Bethune-Cookman and North Florida.

Georgia

2009 Record:  (38-24, 15-15)

Mascot:  Bulldogs

Head Coach:  David Perno

Location:  Athens, GA

Vitals:  .292 BA, 109 HR, 72 SB, .381 OBP, .966 Fld%…4.86 ERA, 0 CG, 12 SV, 487 K, 257 BB, .274 opp. BA

Tough Slate:  According to Boysdworld.com Georgia’s 2010 schedule is the 8th toughest in the nation.  It is also the toughest schedule in the SEC.  The Bulldogs open the season with two games against Baylor and two vs. Duke in Waco, TX.  They also play non-conference games against the likes of Florida State, Georgia Tech, Clemson, and Georgia State-all made the 2009 NCAA field (as did Baylor), with FSU & Clemson going to Super Regionals.

Near Total Turnover:  Georgia loses six of its top eight batters from last year’s NCAA Regional team, including team triple crown winner Rich Poythress (.376, 25 HR, 86 RBIs), Bryce Massanari (.305, 19 HR, 57 RBIs), Matt Cerione (12 HR), and Joey Lewis (19 HR).  Freshman All-American third baseman Colby May (.339, 11 HR, 42 RBIs) heads the list of returnees.  Players who had part-time roles last year like Zach Cone (.323, 4 HR) and Peter Verdin (.316, 2 HR) are likely to see bigger roles this year.

The Pitching:  The Bulldogs return starters Justin Grimm (4-4, 4.15 ERA) and Alex McRee (4-4, 6.27 ERA) as well as relievers like Cecil Tanner (3-1, 4.29) , Jeff Walters (2-0, 4.64 ERA) and Michael Palazzone (3-0, 5.13 ERA).  They lose Trevor Holder (7-5, 4.48 ERA) and closer Dean Weaver (3.60 ERA, 10 SV).

Kentucky

2009 Record:  (28-26, 12-18)

Mascot:  Wildcats

Head Coach:  Gary Henderson

Location:  Lexington, KY

Vitals:  .297 BA, 56 HR, 71 RBIs, .385 OBP, .966 Fld%…5.55 ERA, 4 CG, 9 SV, 523 K, 202 BB, .284 opp. BA

Wildcats Back:  Kentucky returns 8 of its top 10 batters from 2009, including team batting & RBI leader Chris Bisson (.360, 52 RBIs, 13 SB), Chad Wright (.343), Braden Kapteyn (.319), and team home run leader Marcus Nidiffer (.312, 10 HR, 32 RBIs).

Pitching:  Kapteyn (5-0, 6.06 ERA, 4 SV) also made 23 relief appearances last year as a freshman.  Fellow sophomore Alex Meyer (1-4, 5.73 ERA) is the only starter to return who made more than 10 starts last year.   Jr. LHP Logan Darnell (5-6, 4.50 ERA, 3 SV) is back as well.  Starters Chris Rusin (7-4, 4.20 ERA) and James Paxton (5-3, 5.86 ERA) are both gone.  Rusin had all four of the staff’s complete games last year.

Midweek Madness:  The Wildcats play home-and-home midweek games vs. intrastate rivals Western Kentucky and Louisville, which both made the 2009 NCAA Tournament.  They also have midweek games vs. Indiana, Wright State and Xavier, which also qualified for last year’s NCAA field.

South Carolina

2009 Record:  (40-23, 17-13)

Mascot:  Gamecocks

Head Coach:  Ray Tanner

Location:  Columbia, SC

Vitals:  .310 BA, 109 HR, 45 SB, .394 OBP, .974 Fld%…5.07 ERA, 6 CG, 8 SV, 500 K, 268 BB, .260 opp. BA

Regional Regulars:  South Carolina’s 10 straight NCAA Regional appearances is the longest such streak of any SEC school.  The Gamecocks have advanced to seven Super Regionals with three straight College World Series appearances

Sam Dyson (USC photo)

(2002, 2003 & 2004) since 2000.  They fell to host East Carolina in the championship of last year’s Greenville Regional.

Packing Some Pitching:  The Gamecocks return their entire weekend rotation, with 9-game winners Sam Dyson (9-4, 5.21 ERA) and Blake Cooper (9-4, 4.50 ERA) joined by LHP Nolan Belcher (4-5, 5.33), who earned Freshman All-American honors last year.   Senior Jay Brown (3-0, 3.35 ERA) returns as well.  Closer Alex Farotto (4-2, 4.96 ERA, 7 SVs) must be replaced.

Carolina Core:  Senior first baseman Nick Ebert (.321, 23 HR, 72 RBIs) is back to lead the USC line-up.  His 23 home runs are the second most of any returning player in all of college baseball this year.  He’s joined by Junior OF Whit Merrifield (.340, 11 HR, 49 RBIs, 15 SB), Jr. Parker Bangs (.328, 5 HR), and Sr. Bobby Haney (.291), who started all 63 USC games last year at shortstop.  The most notable losses are Mack DeAngelo (.360, 14 HR, 60 RBIs) and Justin Dalles (.324, 15 HR).

Out For A While:  USC recently announced that 2009 Freshman All-American Jackie Bradley, Jr. (.349, 11 HR, 46 RBIs) will miss 4-8 weeks with a broken hand.

Rematch:  After falling to East Carolina in last year’s NCAA Regional South Carolina plays a 3-game series at ECU the second weekend of the season.

Tennessee

2009 Record:  (26-29, 11-19)

Mascot:  Volunteers

Head Coach:  Todd Raleigh

Location:  Knoxville, TN

Vitals:  .286 BA, 87 HR, 39 SB, .378 OBP, .972 Fld%…6.16 ERA, 1 CG, 8 SV, 493 K, 215 BB, .290 opp. BA

They Have Their Number:  Despite finishing the 2008 & 2009 seasons with losing records Tennessee won 5 of the 6 games it played vs. LSU in the last two years.  The Tigers lost all three games vs. the Vols in their ’08 CWS season and dropped 2 of 3 games to Tennesse in Baton Rouge last year before going on to with the 2009 National Championship.

Valuable Vols:  Tennessee returns six of its top eight batters from 2009, including Cody Hawn (.364, 22 HR, 81 RBIs), who is just the 10th Vol to win the team Triple Crown.  Blake Forsythe (.347, 15 HR, 46 RBIs) and Josh Liles (.313, 8 HR, 8 SB) are among the other top returnees.

Experience Addition:  Junior shortstop Matt Duffy joins Tennessee after two years at Vermont.  Duffy was named the America East Conference Player of the Year in 2009 after hitting .388 with 13 HR, 57 RBIs and a .713 slugging percentage.  He transferred and is eligible to play this year after Vermont discontinued baseball after last season.

On The Mound:  Seniors Stephen McCray (4-3, 5.16 ERA) and Aaron Tullo (2-6, 7.80 ERA) return along with sophomores Adam Adkins (2-1, 5.27 ERA) and Matt Ramsey (5.45 ERA), who had team-highs with 27 appearances and 4 saves last yer.  The staff’s most experienced pitchers, Nick Hernandez (4-5, 5.23 ERA, 13 starts) and Ty’Relle Harris (4-4, 6.18 ERA), are both gone.

Early Tests:  The Vols play 11 of their first 15 games of the season against 2009 NCAA Tournament teams.  They start by hosting a 3-game series vs. Xavier, followed by three games at Oregon State, with games to follow vs. Binghamton, Ohio State, Western Kentucky, and Middle Tennessee State.

Vanderbilt

2009 Record:  (37-27, 12-17)

Mascot:  Commodores

Head Coach:  Tim Corbin

Location:  Nashville, TN

Vitals:  .306 BA, 56 HR, 89 SB, .392 OBP, .972 Fld%…4.66 ERA, 6 CG, 17 SV, 604 K, 207 BB, .271 opp. BA

Head East…Far East:  Vanderbilt traveled to Tokyo, Japan over their 2009 Thanksgiving break to play four exhibition games against Japanese universities.  The Commodores were 3-1 in those games in which wooden bats were used.

Commodore Arms:  Vandy loses just four of the 14 pitchers who saw action last year, but three of the losses, Mike Minor (6-6, 3.90 ERA), Caleb Cotham (7-5, 4.10 ERA) and Nick Christiani (6-6, 5.00 ERA), were their top three starters last year.  Those three accounted for more than a third of the staff’s strikeouts, 19 of the team’s 37 wins, 39 of 64 starts, and all 6 of the staff’s complete games last year.  Juniors Russell Brewer (1-2, 2.96 ERA, 4 SV), Chase Reid

Curt Casali (VU photo)

(3-0, 4.46 ERA) and Taylor Hill (2-1, 5.05 ERA) and sophomore Sonny Gray (5-1, 4.30 ERA) are among those who will look to fill the void.  Gray was recently invited to the 2010 USA Baseball Team Trials.

Power Down:  The Commodores lose their top two hitters, Aaron Westlake (.377, 10 HR, 57 RBIs) and Steven Liddle (.348, 10 HR, 51 RBIs), from last year’s NCAA team.  They tied with returning catcher Curt Casali (.336, 10 HR, 59 RBIs) for the team home run lead.  Riley Reynolds (.332, 12 SB), Brian Harris (.299, 9 HR, 10 SB), Andrew Giobbi (.289, 6 HR), and Jason Esposito (.287, 20 SB)  all return as well.

2010 SEC Eastern Division Predictions

Top Eastern Division Player:  Preston Tucker – Florida

Top Eastern Division Pitcher:  Sam Dyson – South Carolina

Eastern Division Champion:  South Carolina

CLICK HERE for the Western Division Preview with overall picks for Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year and conference champion.