College Baseball 360 » Tyler Anderson

UCLA Makes Statement At Oregon’s Expense

Sean Stires — Tue, 10 May 2011 12:08:21 +0000

www.simplesharebuttons.com

Bruins Gain Momentum – Ducks Seek Identity…

By CB360 Contributor Kris Anderson

As the regular season winds down, we are starting to gain a better idea of what the postseason might look like. In Eugene, Ore. over the weekend, the UCLA Bruins and the Oregon Ducks showed they are two teams heading in opposite directions.

The Bruins, behind their dominate starting pitching, swept the Ducks, and continued to silence the criticism of their offense. On the other side of the diamond, the Ducks all but played their way out of any hopes of the postseason, due in large part to an offense that only got worse as the series went on.

Beginning with the first game of the series, the Bruins offense seemed unhindered by Oregon’s elite starting pitching.

Seattle Mariners General Manager Jack Zduriencik was among those in attendance for last Friday's UCLA-Oregon game.

Friday’s series-opener marked one of the most anticipated pitching match ups in PK Park’s short history. Gerrit Cole, a potential number one overall pick in this year’s draft, faced off against Oregon’s Tyler Anderson, a probable first round draft pick. An estimated 25 scouts were on-hand, including Seattle Mariners General Manager Jack Zduriencik.

The Bruins took advantage of Anderson’s lack of control, tagging him for four runs (three earned) on six hits and drew four walks. Anderson only lasted 5 1/3 innings. Cole’s stuff wasn’t as sharp as usual, but he only allowed one earned run through 7 1/3 innings. A steady drizzle throughout the game could have been a factor for both pitchers, although Anderson said it wasn’t.

Saturday night against Ducks’ sophomore Madison Boer, the Bruins bats did get to Boer early, but not often. UCLA right fielder Chris Giovinazzo led the game off with a double and would later score. They rattled Boer once more in the fifth innings, scoring two runs on three hits and a walk.

The nation’s strikeout leader, Trevor Bauer, was on the hill for the Bruins, and he dazzled as usual. The probable top-10 pick struck out 12 on the way to earning his fifth consecutive complete game (sixth on the year). The only sign of life in the Oregon lineup came from freshman Ryon Healy who drove a 4-seam fastball over the wall for his second home run of the year.

Healy’s performance in recent series’ has earned him a starting spot in the lineup, and has many excited about his future as a Duck.

Adam Plutko was named Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week for his efforts on Sunday.

UCLA looked to earn the sweep behind the arm of freshman Adam Plutko on Sunday. Plutko was a sixth round draft pick in 2010 by the Houston Astros out of high school, and showed he why on Sunday. He and Oregon starter Alex Keudell matched zeroes until Keudell came out of the game after 6 2/3 innings. In the eighth inning, UCLA got on the board first. Things fell apart for the Ducks in the ninth as relief pitcher Scott McGough was tagged for three earned runs.

Plutko earned his first complete game of the season in a shutout effort. He pitched to his scouting report, as he worked his fastball and changeup effectively and recorded seven strikeouts. He did show an extreme lack of confidence in his curveball. Following a base hit up the middle by Oregon center fielder Brett Thomas on a hanging curveball in the fourth inning, Plutko did not appear to throw another curve throughout the rest of the game.

By series end, the Bruins had outscored the Ducks 14-2, and continued to prove that their weekend rotation is among the best—if not the best—in the nation. They also out-hit the Ducks 30-to-13. UCLA was able to get to the Oregon pitching staff in a way that not many teams have. Bruins head coach John Savage said that any concerns about his team’s offense were “a non-issue,” and that is hard to argue after their showing at the plate over the weekend.

John Savage's UCLA offense is starting to get hot at the right time of year.

Bruins third baseman Cody Regis raised his batting average over the weekend from .287 to .302—he went 4-for-4 in the final game of the series. Including Regis, the Bruins two, three, four and five hitters in Sunday’s lineup are all hitting above .300.

UCLA’s offense was reeling during the first half of the year, but that was likely due to a lack of comfort with the new bats. While they did leave 26 runners on base over the weekend, they found ways to get on base and continuously executed sacrifices, helping to bring runners home. With their pitching staff, that might be all it takes to win games now, and possibly into June.

Following the game on Sunday, there was plenty of insult to add to the injury. Second baseman Danny Pulfer’s streak of reaching base consecutively ended at 31 games. It was the first time the Ducks have been swept at home since May 24, 2009. They were also held to a season low two hits.

Last year the Ducks were selected for regionals with a 13-14 record in the Pac-10. They now sit at 5-13 and would have to go 8-1 through their remaining conference schedule to match their record from last season. That includes a three game series against No. 3 Oregon State at home to finish the regular season.

Oregon appeared to be a team finding their stride as of late. After taking two out of three against Arizona , the Ducks went on the road and played No. 21 Cal. Oregon did drop the series but both losses came on walk-off hits by the Bears.

In the week before UCLA, the Ducks beat Oregon State during a mid week, non-conference game, 7-2.

But by many accounts following the sweep, this is a team that consists of some players who have given up on the season.

“Pretty sure we established that we’re soft two weeks ago…” Pulfer said. “Some guys are focused, some guys aren’t.”

George Horton's Oregon Ducks have struggled to find consistency in 2011.

Ducks head coach George Horton echoed Pulfers thoughts. “I feel like throwing up. I thought it was one of the weakest offensive efforts that I’ve seen in a long time,” he said of Sunday’s game. “I’m out of speeches.”

While by last year’s standards the Ducks are not yet eliminated from the postseason, mentally they appear to be. In the week leading up to this series, Horton described his team as being “immature”, and those feelings are probably even stronger after the weekend. 21 of the 35 Oregon players are underclassmen, and the immaturity could be a result of that.

This is a team that hasn’t found an identity, nor do they have the emotional stability that would make them poised enough to finish the year by going 8-1. To be a year older and a year wiser could create for an impressive turnaround next season. They’re a team with raw offensive talent and freshman set to become the face of the program in the next couple of years. But with every step forward comes two steps backwards.

Barring a dramatic epiphany, Oregonis a team better suited for the future than the present.

www.simplesharebuttons.com

Has The Real Oregon Stood-Up?

Sean Stires — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:24:30 +0000

www.simplesharebuttons.com

Ducks Take Two Of Three From Arizona…

By CB360 Contributor Kris Anderson

This was the Oregon baseball team many expected to see this year- just two months later than expected.

For Oregon (21-17, 4-8 Pac-10) and the No. 23 Arizona Wildcats (24-25, 6-9 Pac-10), it was arguably the most pivotal series of the year for both teams to this point. The Ducks had failed to win a Pac-10 Conference series this season and believed that any hopes of an NCAA regional rested on the result of this weekend. The Wildcats, who had lost six of their last ten games and had lost two out of three against UCLA a week ago, thought this series would be an opportunity to get back to their winning ways.

The starting pitching for both teams highlighted the first two games of the series. With that being the case, there was little margin for error for the guys starting on the hill. In the final game of the series, it was the Oregon bats—including five freshmen in the starting lineup—that propelled the Ducks to the win, as they took two out of three from the Wildcats.

On the hill Thursday night was Kurt Heyer for Arizona, who ranks fourth in the Pac-10 in earned run average. Oregon countered with Tyler Anderson, who ranks fifth in the Pac-10 in the same category.

Anderson out-dueled Heyer by going the distance, with 9 strikeouts. He scattered three hits and allowed only two earned runs, while showing why he is a projected first round draft pick. He retired Arizona batters in order in the first three and last three innings of the game. Anderson showed tremendous confidence in his curveball, as he used that pitch to get ahead of hitters early—often throwing it for a first pitch strike.

The 6’4 junior from Las Vegas turned to the fastball to strike hitters out. Anderson found himself in a little trouble in the fourth inning after allowing a leadoff walk to Joey Rickard and then a double to Cole Frenzel that scored Rickard from first.

Solid starts for Anderson are sometimes haunted by one bad inning—such was the case in his last start at home against the Washington Huskies. Anderson pitched seven innings, but showed how costly one bad inning can be with a struggling Oregon offense. The Ducks would loose that game in extra innings.

On this night, Anderson was in ace-like form, and he only seemed to get better as the night progressed.

Heyer pitched well in his own right, but didn’t have his lights-out stuff that has made him one of the most dominant pitchers in the Pac-10 this year. He went 7 2/3 innings, while allowing three earned runs on nine hits, walked two batters and struckout four. The strike out total was lower than expected for the pitcher who ranks second in the conference in strikeouts—did I forget to mention that Anderson in third in the same category?

Heyer’s best pitch was without-a-doubt his curveball. In the eighth inning with the game tied at two and a runner at second, the Wildcats made a mound visit with thoughts of pulling Heyer from the game. He told the coach to leave him in, as he believed he would strikeout Oregon’s Tyler Kuresa in a critical situation. And he did just that—with a curveball.

Heyer’s fastball was effective against a rather weak Oregon lineup, but his location was prone to becoming inconsistent at times. His slider was used at times when hitters forgot that he had that weapon in his holster. But it was the changeup that let him down on this night. When used, it was ineffective, and he said it’s the pitch that needs the most work.

Friday night’s match up proved even more impressive than the previous nights. With scouts on hand to watch Oregon junior Madison Boer, the starter did not disappoint. He earned his first career complete game, while allowing two earned runs on six hits and struckout five.

Boer, who ranks eighth in the Pac-10 in earned run average, got ahead of hitters early and often. He threw first-pitch strikes to more than 18 batters that he faced. Boer was not weary of the Arizona hitters who crowded the plate. He used his fastball to pound the inside part of the plate and generated a lot of balls off the handle. Once ahead of hitters, Boer went to his slider to expand the zone. But on this night, one mistake could mean all the difference, and that was the case when Arizona left fielder Johnny Field was at the plate. Field led off the seventh inning with a home run to take a one run lead—it would prove to be the game-winning run. Boer showed his maturity by striking out the next two batters and didn’t allow a hit the rest of the way.

That one mistake was all it took for Arizona to escape with a 2-1 victory.

As good as Boer was, Kyle Simon was just a little better. Like Boer, Simon went the distance and scattered three hits, allowed one earned run and struck out five—and he did it on only 94 pitches. He took advantage of the overly aggressive Oregon hitters by challenging them early in the count. Simon used that aggressiveness to induce many ground balls. In fact, the Ducks were only retired four times on fly balls.

Emerging as the offensive MVP for the Ducks is second baseman Danny Pulfer. He has established himself as a leader off the field, as well as at the top of the Ducks’ order. Pulfer has reached base safely in 24 consecutive games. Against Simon, Pulfer earned two of the ducks three hits. In that game, Pulfer led off the game with a single that he earned early in the count. After the game, he said that he set the wrong tone for the rest of the hitters by being overly aggressive in his first at-bat.

He’s the only player I’ve ever heard apologize for a hit—but the more I talk to him, the more I learn that’s just the kind of guy he is. He is also one of the best base runners in the Pac-10—if not the country. Pulfer is a perfect fit for Oregon head coach George Horton’s small-ball and aggressive base running style of play.

On the other side of the diamond, Arizona’s leadoff hitter Joey Rickard—leading the Pac-10 with a .409 batting average entering the series—struggled at times with Oregon’s stellar pitching. While reaching base five times in 13 at-bats, it was not one of his better series’ at the plate. No better was that seen than during Thursday nights game, when with a runner on first with one out in a tie game, Anderson got the better of Rickard, getting him to hit into a 6-4-3 double play.

By weekend’s end, the Oregon bats were just a little better than Arizona’s—who would have guessed that after looking at the numbers of both teams? It’s a testament, not only to the potential of Oregon’s young offense, but the depth of the Pac-10 conference. Oregon finds itself riding the wave of a little momentum built from recent clutch performances, while Arizona has hit the skids. For the Ducks, every series from here on is a must win. For Arizona, time will tell if they are in the midst of a slump or were merely the recent victims of the Oregon and UCLA pitching staffs.

www.simplesharebuttons.com

Top College Baseball Starting Pitchers To Watch In 2011

Sean Stires — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 17:45:26 +0000

www.simplesharebuttons.com

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

1. Matt Purke – TCU – So. – LHP

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

2. Trevor Bauer – Jr. – RHP – UCLA

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

3. Gerrit Cole – Jr. – RHP – UCLA

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

4. Danny Hultzen – Virginia – Jr. – LHP

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

5. Taylor Jungmann – Jr. – RHP – Texas

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

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

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

7. Sonny Gray – Vanderbilt – Jr. – RHP

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

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

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

9. Tyler Anderson – Jr. – LHP – Oregon

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

10. Cole Green – Texas – Sr. – RHP

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

11. Alex Panteliodis – Jr. – LHP – Florida

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

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

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

13. Steven Maxwell – Sr. – RHP – TCU

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

14. Justin Jones – So. – RHP – Cal

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

15. Kyle Winkler – Jr. – RHP – TCU

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

Others To Watch…

Matt Andriese – UC Riverside

Jack Armstrong – Vanderbilt

Chad Arnold – Washington State

Matt Barnes – UConn

Brian Dupra – Notre Dame

Dylan Floro – Cal State Fullerton

Kyle Hansen – St. John’s

Kurt Heyer – Arizona

Brian Johnson – Florida

Seth Manness – East Carolina

Ben Nelson – Navy

Tyler Pill – Cal State Fullerton

Mark Pope – Georgia Tech

Hudson Randall – Florida

Carson Smith – Texas State

Nick Tropeano – Stony Brook

Logan Verrett – Baylor

Tony Zych – Louisville

Related

Top 11 Non-Conference Schedules In 2011

Top 11 Catchers To Watch In 2011

Top 11 Shortstops To Watch In 2011

Top 11 Second basemen To Watch In 2011

Top 11 Third basemen To Watch In 2011

Top 11 First basemen To Watch In 2011

To Outfielders To Watch In 2011

Dugouthats.com has officially licensed 2010 College World Series memorabilia year round!

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.

Just click on any of the red links above or the image on the left to find the best selection of college baseball apparel.

www.simplesharebuttons.com

U.S. Collegiate Baseball Team Loses Second Straight

Sean Stires — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:04:44 +0000

www.simplesharebuttons.com

Another Loss After Nine Straight Wins…

Taipei, Taiwan - After starting its summer tour with a perfect 9-0 record, the Collegiate National Team dropped its second-straight contest Monday night falling to Chinese-Taipei, 1-0, at Hsinchuang Baseball Field.

Final Stats

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

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

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

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

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

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

(USA Baseball Release)

www.simplesharebuttons.com

USA Collegiate Baseball Team Blanks Korea

Sean Stires — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 13:46:45 +0000

www.simplesharebuttons.com

Wright’s Triple Sparks Victory…

DURHAM, N.C. - Ryan Wright (Louisville) broke a scoreless tie in the eighth inning with a RBI triple to right center and Gerrit Cole (UCLA) preserved the win with two innings of relief giving Team USA a 1-0 win over Korea at Goodmon Field inside the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Louisville's Ryan Wright

Scoreless heading into the eighth frame, Jackie Bradley Jr. (South Carolina) reached on an one-out infield single then moved into scoring position when Sung Bun Na tried to pick him off of first, throwing the ball wide right of the bag. Wright then laced a 1-2 offering just out of reach of the center fielder, Jong Wook Ko, scoring Bradley, Jr. easily from second.

Kyle Winkler (Texas Christian) picked up the win working two innings of scoreless relief with a pair of strikeouts. Starter Tyler Anderson (Oregon) scattered three hits over five innings fanning three and walking two. Cole, who made his first appearance on the bump, notched the save in two innings with a pair punch outs.

Na (0-1) suffered the loss despite giving up two hits and one run (earned) in two innings of relief work. Chi Young Lim held Team USA scoreless through 5 1/3 innings where he allowed four hits, walked four and struck out five. A trio of Korean pitchers closed the final 1 2/3 innings giving up just one base hit.

Team USA stranded eight runners on base and threatened to score in the third, fourth and sixth innings where they left at least one runner in scoring position. In the four games thus far in the series Team USA has outscored Korea 16-2 with two shutouts, including a no-hitter in the opening game of the series.

The five-game series will wrap-up Sunday afternoon at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, N.C. with a first pitch scheduled for 5:05 p.m. (EST).

Notes: Nick Ramirez (Cal State Fullerton) extended his hit streak to five games with his single through the right side in the fourth inning … Jackie Bradley, Jr. collected his second three-hit game of the summer season with his single in the eighth … Team USA’s pitching staff has struck out 46 batters while issuing 12 free passes in the four-game series with Korea … Jason Esposito (Vanderbilt) made his debut for Team USA as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning.

(USA Baseball release)

www.simplesharebuttons.com

West Coast College Baseball Notebook

Sean Stires — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:08:13 +0000

www.simplesharebuttons.com

Notes On Pac-10, Big West, WCC, WAC Teams & More…

If you follow Collegebaseball360.com you know that we post a weekly Notebook every Monday throughout the college baseball season. We try to hit as many happenings from across the nation as we can, but it’s tough to get everything. With that in mind, we will be adding more “regional” notebooks this season. Our first one covers the left side of the country. (All stats are prior to games on Tuesday, March 23).

20…Wins by Arizona State to open the season. It’s the best start for the ASU program since the 1961 team opened at 21-0.

79-76…Combined record of the nine Division One teams the Sun Devils have faced so far this season. ASU opens Pac-10 play against Cal this weekend.

Zack MacPhee

2…Zac(k/h)s batting over .400 for the Sun Devils. Zack MacPhee (.484) leads ASU, while Zach Wilson is hitting .441 for a team that’s hitting at a .362 clip.

16…Wins by UCLA to open the season. It’s the best start in program history. The 16-game winning streak is also a program best.

125-82…Combined record of the 12 Division One teams the Bruins have played this season. After a midweek game vs. UC Santa Barbara this week UCLA hosts a 3-game non-conference series with Cal Poly this weekend.

7…Bruin batters hitting .360 or better. Tyler Rahmatulla (.431) leads the way. Steve Rodriguez and Dean Espy are each batting .395.

2.13 & 2.97…UCLA and ASU’s respective team ERAs. UCLA’s staff has recorded 193 strikeouts in 135.0 innings, while ASU’s has 187 Ks in 176.0 IP.

11…Straight wins by the Arizona Wildcats (16-4) after a weekend sweep of Sacramento State.

92…Of 196 runs (46 %) Arizona has scored this year that have scored in the first three innings of a game.

12…Wins by Pacific through the first five weeks of 2010 after taking 2 of 3 games from USC in Stockton, CA over the weekend. The Tigers won a total of 21 games last year.

Marcus Pointer

9-0…Combined record of Pacific starting pitchers Marcus Pointer (5-0, 2.04 ERA) and David Rowse (4-0, 3.09 ERA).

3…Straight wins over Washington by Cal State Fullerton over the weekend to match a season-high win streak. The Titans (10-9) are above .500 for the first time this season after opening 2010 ranked in the top 10 nationally.

12…Wins by Cal State Northridge (12-6) , which is already half of the team’s win total from a year ago.

.406…Team-leading batting average of fifth-year senior C.J. Belanger to pace a Matador squad that’s averaging 7.7 runs a game.

6…Straight wins by UC Irvine to improve to 13-6 after a weekend 3-game sweep of Gonzaga. Like Fullerton, the Anteaters started sluggishly after being among the highly ranked teams in the preseason polls.

Alex Pracher

8-11…Gonzaga’s record-a year after winning 36 games and claiming the program’s first WCC championship.

3-0…Record of Stanford reliever Alex Pracher, who has made eight relief appearances this season. Pracher (2.19 ERA) has two saves-to directly factor in half of the 10-4 Cardinal’s wins to date.

4…Combined runs given-up by Oregon State relievers Sam Gaviglio, Ryan Gorton, Kraig Sitton, and Kevin Rhoderick who are a combined 2-1 with 4 saves in 19 total relief appearances for the 13-4 Beavers. The quartet has pitched 24 1/3 innings with 28 strikeouts.

15…Wins by Oregon (15-6) to surpass last year’s win total of 14 in the first year of baseball in Eugene since 1981. The Ducks have won 11 of their last 12 games after a 4-game weekend home sweep of Nevada. They open Pac-10 play this weekend at Arizona.

2.49…The Oregon pitching staff’s ERA. Tyler Anderson (4-1, 1.60 ERA, 36 K in 33 2/3 IP) has been the top starter, while Drew Gagnier (3 SV, 1.00 ERA) leads the bullpen.

0…Series wins to date this season by Cal Poly, which won 11 of its 14 series last year en route to the program’s first NCAA Regional appearance.

7…Runs scored in the 7th inning by Fresno State in Sunday’s 16-10 win over Loyola Marymount. It was the lone win by the Bulldogs (10-10) in the 4-game series.

39…Errors committed by San Diego this season (.950 fld %), a preseason favorite to win the WCC. The Toreros were able to take 2 of 3 home games from Rice over the weekend despite committing 7 errors in the series. USD plays a 3-game series at Coastal Carolina this weekend.

Matt Hauser

0…Runs allowed in 3 1/3 total innings by San Diego reliever Matt Hauser, who earned both a win and a save in his two appearances vs. Rice.

27…Errors committed by San Diego State this season (.963 fld %). The Aztecs (9-10) have still won three straight vs. Santa Clara heading into Tuesday’s series finale.

5…Starts made by SDSU’s Addison Reed (4-1, 2.70 ERA), who has made a smooth transition to becoming a starter after saving 20 games while making 25 relief appearances last year.

www.simplesharebuttons.com

Top College Baseball Moments Of 2009 #24

Sean Stires — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 14:43:48 +0000

www.simplesharebuttons.com

Oregon Brings Back Baseball

(With the end of the year fast approaching, we’re counting down some of the top moments from the 2009 college baseball season (in no particular order). We’ll have one a day through New Year’s Eve.)

After 28 years without a baseball team, Oregon played its first college baseball game on February 20, 2009. With

Oregon Head Coach George Horton

former Cal State Fullerton national championship head coach, George Horton, at the helm, but Ducks beat St. Mary’s 5-3 in Morago, CA. (The Gaels would win the next two games of the series. A scheduled fourth game was canceled by weather.)

Senior Caleb Tommasni got Oregon’s first hit, while freshman left-hander Tyler Anderson pitched 5 2/3 innings in his first career start for the Duck’s first win since 1981.

The following week Oregon won its first home game at the new PK Park with a 1-0 win over defending National Champion Fresno State. The Ducks won the game in dramatic fashion with a walk-off single by Andrew Schmidt-a redhirt sixth year senior graduate student who had attended Tallahassee Community College and Pensacola Junior College prior to his arrival in Eugene. (Schmidt was granted a sixth year by the NCAA after suffering two previous season-ending injuries.) Oregon won the next day as well, but the Bulldogs salvaged a win in the series finale.

With a high-profile head coach and the backing of Nike (the baseball team’s uniform combinations are rivaled only by that of the Duck football team), Oregon baseball was going to make a run at Oregon State and the national stage, right?

(goducks.com photo)

Well…not exactly. The Ducks would win just 11 more games the rest of the season, including their last 13 of 2009, to finish at 14-42 overall and 4-23 in the Pac-10. (They were 1-5 vs. Oregon State.)

Still, at a time when college budgets are tight and programs are being cut (two were announced during 2009) the return of baseball to a Pac-10 school like Oregon helps breath new life into the sport…especially with a man like Horton at the helm.

Horton and his Ducks open their 2010 campaign on February 19 at Cal State Fullerton, where Horton led the Titans to six College World Series appearances and the 2004 National Title. Their 2010 home opener is on March 2 vs. Washington at the all new PK Park.