On The Ground In Omaha The Day Before The Series

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Groundskeepers prepare Rosenblatt Stadium for the College World Series. (AP photo)

6:45 am – I live in the Eastern Time zone and I usually get up at around 7:30, so it’s no surprise that my internal clock is still set even though my body now a time zone to the west.  I’m wide awake even though I had no intention to be.  Time to make the coffee…good thing I brought my own coffee maker (the perks of driving rather than flying), even though my wife gave me that look when I packed it!

7:30 am – I’ve been watching Mike and Mike on TV.  All the talk is, of course, about Kobe and the Lakers.  Puke.  Local TV had some CWS driving tips last night, like avoiding the 13th street exit off I-80 as much as possible.  I found that out the hard way last year.  It gets backed-up pretty quickly.

7:45 am – I was just going to head outside the hotel to stretch the legs with a stroll for a bit, but then I heard this rush of wind.  I hadn’t pulled back the blackout curtains yet.  When I did I saw big black storm clouds…not good for practice day for the eight teams at Rosenblatt.  Most of last year’s practice day was scrapped by rain, although teams still signed autographs inside the packed stadium walkways.  Storms never shock in Omaha during the CWS, but there were more than 30 tornadoes a couple states north of here in Minnesota last night.  Hopefully this doesn’t get too serious.  TCU has the first scheduled practice of the day in a little bit more than an hour.

8:05 am - One of the local TV stations just showed some shots from Rosenblatt from about an hour ago.  They said it went from a beautiful sunny morning to black in just a matter of minutes.  The satellite TV here at the hotel keeps cutting in and out.  Bad looking stuff on the radar.  Not looking good at all for practices, autographs and Fan Fest…at least for the next few hours.

8:40 am – Great news!  It’s clearing-up outside and the local weather guys are saying most of the storms are heading south of Omaha.  Supposed to be…wait for it…hot and humid this afternoon with a chance for some showers this evening during opening ceremonies and fireworks.  Getting ready to venture out soon.

10:30 am – After picking-up my media credential downtown I’m at the stadium and caught the end of Florida State’s batting practice.  Didn’t see anyone hit any out, but there was a bit of a breeze blowing in.  It’s a beautiful morning right now after what was looking like the start of a nasty day.  Nomar Garciaparra, who’ll be working the CWS for ESPN, was chatting-up FSU head coach Mike Martin behind the batting cage.

11 am – At the first press conference of the day, featuring Tim Esmay of Arizona

Tim Esmay

State, Jack Leggett of Clemson, Sunny Golloway of Oklahoma, and South Carolina’s Ray Tanner.  This is the group of coaches from teams that will play Sunday’s first round games.

Some of the highlights…

Leggett talked about playing at the CWS against an Arizona State team that included future Major Leaguers like Hubie Brooks, Bob Horner, Floyd Bannister, and Bob Welch.  He says yellow school buses picked-up players at their hotels to take them to Rosenblatt Stadium.

Esmay talked about his ASU team playing against Robin Ventura and Oklahoma State in 1987 when Ventura was in the midst of what would end-up his NCAA record 58-game hitting streak.

Leggett/Esmay Video

Tanner/Golloway Video

Tanner talked about something that happened at last week’s Super Regionals.  South Carolina ace Blake Cooper had just finished his start against Coastal Carolina and was icing his shoulder in the dugout.  A hard hit foul ball was headed right at Cooper’s head, so he instinctively put his hand up to protect his head.  It was his pitching hand, and it was sore and swollen for a few days, but after some ice Tanner says it’s now better.  He will start Sunday vs. Oklahoma.

The other three coaches announced their starters as well:  South Carolina-Blake Cooper (12-1, 2.81) vs. Oklahoma- Michael Rocha (7-2, 3.57), Clemson-Casey Harman (7-3, 3.73) vs. Arizona State-Seth Blair (12-0, 3.35).

12:05 – I caught part of UCLA’s on-field practice.  Tyler Rahmatulla, who broke his right wrist in the Bruin’s Super Regional dog pile celebration, has a cast on his wrist.  No surprise, he wasn’t looking very happy.

I talked to UCLA SID Alex Timiraos and he filled me in on the story of Bruin pitcher Trevor Bauer’s hat, which is as faded looking as an old worn-out pair of denim jeans.  Bauer is a sophomore who enrolled at UCLA in what would have been his senior year in high school.  He got the hat right after getting to Westwood and it’s the only game cap he’s worn since he started playing.  Bauer (10-3, 3.02) will start Saturday vs. Florida.  It’s his first game one start of the season.  Gerrit Cole (10-3, 3.25) has been UCLA’s game one guy to this point so far.

1 pm – Writing in the Rosenblatt press box right now while Oklahoma is on the field taking batting practice.

2 pm – At the press conference with Florida’s Kevin O’Sullivan, Florida State’s

Mike Martin

Mike Martin, TCU’s Jim Schlossnagle, and UCLA’s John Savage.  It’s always interesting and fun to see how different coaches react and interact when they’re around each other.  I was right behind Savage when we were walking into the press conference room and O’Sullivan was talking to someone in the entryway.  They shook hands and after Savage moved along O’Sullivan had a youth-like nervous kind of innocent look as if to say “That’s the guy we’re going up against.”

Martin/Schlossnagle Video

O’Sullivan/Savage Video

The four coaches officially announced Saturday’s starting pitchers:  UCLA-Trevor Bauer (10-3, 3.02) vs. Florida- Alex Panteliodis (11-2, 3.26), Florida State-Sean Gilmartin (9-7, 4.89) vs. TCU-Matt Purke (14-0, 3.23)

Noteable quotes…

Martin on FSU outfielder Tyler Holt “He’s a dirt bag, fireball redneck…take your pick”.  And on TCU being in its first College World Series “They belong here.  To do what they did in Austin (beating Texas in the Super Regionals) is an unbelievable accomplishment”.

“I fell off my chair.” – Savage on his reaction when he learned that sophomore pitcher Gerrit Cole would attend UCLA instead of signing pro after being drafted in the first round of the 2008 MLB draft by the New York Yankees.

“We’ll find a spot.” – Schlossnagle on what he said to Matt Purke last fall when he asked him if he had a spot on the roster for him at TCU.  The freshman was drafted in the first round out of high school a year ago by the Texas Rangers.

“He’s the coach of all coaches.” – Savage talking about the late great former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, who died earlier this month.

2:45 pm – Eating lunch in the press box while watching South Carolina finish its batting practice.  A cheeseburger from Omaha Steaks…that’s a pretty solid lunch!

3:30 pm – Arizona State has been taking batting practice while I’ve been writing and editing video.  It’s strange to look down at the field and not see Pat Murphy with the Sun Devils.

4:30 pm - Stepped outside the stadium to get an ice cream cone at Zestos.  It’s a College World Series tradition, but like a lot of other traditions it doesn’t sound like it’s one that will continue once things move downtown next year.  Let’s hope they at least have a Zestos tent or stand next to the new stadium next year.

After grabbing my cone I headed across the street to check out the shirts and hats and everything else at the tents, including The Dugout on the corner right across from Zestos.  A lot of great stuff!  I don’t know which ones to choose…and I have a lot of people to bring stuff home for!

7:15 pm – I’m back at my hotel after leaving the Rosenblatt neighborhood for the day.  I’ve been posting video from earlier today as well as updating this blog.  I’ve also been watching The Long Home Run on one of the local stations.  It’s the documentary about the College World Series and Rosenblatt.  It’s definitely worth a watch.

(Full Release)

Oklahoma sophomore rightfielder Cody Reine

Two sophomores who helped take their teams to Super-Regional series wins on the road are the featured individuals on the latest edition of CB360’s exclusive Primetime Performer Weekly Honor Roll, for the NCAA Super-Regional round spanning games played on June 11-14. (front-page photo courtesy of Oklahoma)

TCU sophomore righthander Kyle Winkler

Oklahoma rightfielder Cody Reine (Walker, La.) is the Primtime Player of the Week and TCU righthander Kyle Winkler (Sugar Land, Texas) the Primetime Pitcher of the Week, with 11 others joining them on the Primtime Honor Roll (as selected by CollegeBaseball360.com). Reine and Winkler headline the 17th installment of the CB360 Primetime Performer Weekly Honor Roll, which includes 11 other players who helped carry their teams to the College World Series (or, in a few cases, to the brink of advancing).

CLICK HERE for the Primetime Honor Roll archive (scroll down on that page for the 16 previous Honor Roll releases).

REINE – who also was a CB360 Primetime Honor Roll selection following the NCAA Regional round – showed that he packs plenty of power into his 5-9, 215-pound frame, as the lefthanded-hitting cleanup hitter posted a pair of 2-HR games while sparking Oklahoma to the Super-Regional series win at #5 national seed Virginia (2-3, 10-7, 11-0). During the two wins, Reine racked up 11 RBI and hit 5-for-8 (plus a walk) while batting in the #5 spot.

Oklahoma sophomore rightfielder Cody Reine homered twice in the series-tying win of the Super Regional at #5 national seed Virginia ... and he matched the 2-HR feat one day later, in the decisive third game (photo courtesy of Oklahoma).

In the Super-Regional opener, Virginia ace Danny Hultzen limited Reine (batting cleanup) and six other Oklahoma starters to 0-1 hits, but Reine’s power stroke quickly put the Sooners back in the series. He drove in half of his team’s runs (5 of 10) in the game-2 win, starting with a 3-run blast in the 1st inning (0-1 pitch from Robert Morrey) as OU claimed an early 4-2 cushion.

Five innings later, with the Sooners holding a 6-4 lead, Reine jumped on a 1-1 pitch from Cody Winiarski and drove the ball over the fence in right-center for another 2-run shot.

The deciding game saw Reine rise up for 6 RBI, including a 1st-inning home run for the second straight day (this 3-run blast came with 2-outs, on a 1-0 pitch from Branden Kline).  He added another 3-run HR in the 8th, as OU inched closer to Omaha.

Reine is batting .341 for the season, with 42 RBI and 10 home runs.

WINKLER was placed into a pressure-packed spot for game-3 of the Super-Regional series at #2 national seed Texas. Not only did he have the chance to pitch TCU to the program’s first CWS trip, but such a victory would come against the in-state rival that had knocked off the Horned Frogs one year earlier in the same Super-Regional round.

TCU sophomore Kyle Winkler delivered a clutch game-3 outing at #2 national seed Texas, logging 7.2 shuout innings as the Frogs won (4-1) to secure the program's first College World Series trip (photo courtesy of TCU).

With so much riding on his shoulders – and Texas talented #3 starter Brandon  Workman opposing him – Winkler met the challenge head-on by working into the 8th while Workman (5IP-R-4H-4K) was forced out three innings earlier. The TCU sophomore was the much-deserved pitcher of record in the historic 4-1 victory, after limiting Texas to 5 hits and 3 walks in his 7.2-inning shutout stint (he struck out six 0f his 32 batters faced, during the 112-pitch outing).

Winkler will enter the College World Series with a 2.84 season ERA and 12-1 record in 17 starts this season, plus 90 strikeouts, 33 walks and 103 hits allowed (.242 opp. batting avg.) in 114 innings pitched.

Primetime Performer Award Criteria (not based solely on raw stats, but rather …)
• Must have been playing for or against a CB360 top-50 team (in the Composite National Rankings) or performed a high level in games that could be key to a team’s conference/NCAA postseason qualification/advancement; made significant contribution to team’s postseason positioning (single-game wins, “quality” wins, series wins, road wins, etc.).
• Involved in clutch performances, such as late game-winning hits, noteworthy comebacks, game-changing plays, team leadership, key defensive efforts, etc.
• Performed at a top level against a team rated highly nationally (or within its conference), with bonus consideration given for key performances away from home field and vs. traditional rivals.
• Overcame adversity or extreme circumstances (for the team and/or individual).
• Any accomplishment that is rare, historic, record-setting, etc., on a national level.

The other 11 members of the CB360 Primetime Performer Weekly Honor Roll for the NCAA Regionals include (see capsules for each player at bottom of release): Vanderbilt jr. DH Curt Casali (New Canaan, Conn.) … Florida State so. 3B Sherman Johnson (Tampa, Fla.) … Arizona State so. LHP Mitchell Lambson (Tualatin, Ore.) … Florida so. LHP Alex Panteliodis ( Tampa, Fla.) … TCU fr. LHP Matt Purke (Spring, Texas) … UCLA so. 2B Tyler Rahmatulla (Mission Viejo, Calif.) …UCLA jr. LHP Rob Rasmussen (Arcadia, Calif.) … Clemson fr. 1B Richie Shaffer (Charlotte, N.C.) … Oklahoma jr. RHP Bobby Shore (Oceanside, Calif.) … Alabama sr. 3B/RHP Jake Smith (Shannon, Ala.) … and South Carolina fr. 1B Christian Walker (Limerick, Pa.).

The week-17 honorees include four impressive lefthanded pitchers (Lambson, Panteliois, Purke and Rasmussen), along with righthanders Winkler and Shore, the two-way talent Smith (3B/RHP), a pair of first basemen (Shaffer and Walker), second baseman Rahmatulla, third baseman Johnson, rightfielder Reine and DH Casali. The 13 selections feature the lone senior Smith, three juniors (Casali, Rasmussen and Shore), six sophomores (Reine, Winkler, Johnson, Lambson, Panteliodis and Rahmatulla), and the freshman trio of Purke, Shaffer and Walker.

The honorees hail from nine different home states, including a pair of players (Johnson and Panteliodis) who were teammates at Alonso High School in Tampa, Fla. There also are three California products – Shore and UCLA teammates Rahmatulla and Rasmussen – along with two who have Texas hometowns (Winkler and Purke), plus one each from: Alabama (Smith), Connecticut (Casali), Louisiana (Reine), North Carolina (Shaffer), Oregon (Lambson) and Pennsylvania (Walker).

PRIMETIME PERFORMERS WEEKLY HONOR ROLL #17
(NCAA Super-Regionals; June 11-14, 2010)
presented by CollegeBaseball360.com

“It’s not so much what you do, as it is when you do it.”

CURT CASALI (DH … #9)
Vanderbilt  •  Jr.
New Canaan, CT  •  New Canaan HS
6-2  •  215  •  Bats: Right

5-hole hitter who batted .500 (7-for-14) during tight Super-Regional series at Florida State, with FSU posting pair of 1-run wins (9-8, 7-6) while Commodores took game-2 (6-2) … had pair of RBI doubles (one in the 1st and another in 8th, for 4-2 lead) during win over the Seminoles (also scored a run) … his strong game in opener (4-for-5, 8th HR of season, 2-out RBI double) nearly carried Commodores to game-1 win … also had a pair of RBI in close series finale.

SHERMAN JOHNSON (3B … #32)
Florida State  •  So.
Tampa, FL  •  Alonso HS
5-10  •  180  •  Bats: Left

Repeat CB360 Primetime honoreee who followed up clutch performances in the Regional round by delivering several key plays in hard-fought Super-Regional series vs. Vanderbilt (9-8, 2-6, 7-6) … factored into 3 runs (2RBI-2R; 9th HR of season) during the tight opener, also adding a single in 7th-inning rally that tied score (7-7) … singled and reached on a HBP in game-2 before driving in four of FSU’s 7 runs in the decisive third game (his 2-out/3-run double in the 8th turned a 4-3 lead into a 7-3 cushion … played error-free at the hot corner during the three games.

MITCHELL LAMBSON (LHP … #40)
Arizona State  •  So.
Tualatin, OR  •  Tualatin HS
6-1  •  195

Faced the minimum 15 batters in huge 5-inning relief appearance that closed 12-inning win (7-6) over Arkansas in Super-Regional opener … allowed pair of baserunners (H-BB) that were erased on a pickoff move and a batters-interference call … his 7 strikeouts included 3-up/3-down in the 11th.

ALEX PANTELIODIS (LHP … #24)
Florida  •  So.
Tampa, FL  •  Alonso HS
6-2  •  235

Continued his stellar season with yet another appearance on the Primetime Honor Roll, after logging complete-game victory in Super-Regional opener vs. in-state rival Miami (7-2) … faced only 30 batters (3 over min.; 3H-BB) while recording 22 of his outs via strikeouts (12) or groundball outs (10, including a double-play) … retired finaal 14 batters he faced (6 Ks, 7 GOs) … located nearly 75% of his pitches for strikes (85 of 116).

MATT PURKE (LHP … #47)
TCU  •  Fr.
Spring, TX  •  Klein HS
6-4  •  180

Extended his stellar rookie campaign by winning Super-Regional series opener at #2 national seed Texas (3-1), getting the best of pitchers duel opposite Cole Green (who dropped to 11-2, after 5.2IP-3R-5H-3BB-4H) … allowed the lone run while working into the 8th (7.2), with 19 of his outs coming via Ks (11) or groundouts (8) … faced only 28 batters (3H-BB-HB) in the 110-pitch outing, en route to a 14-0 season record.

TYLER RAHMATULLA (2B … #5)
UCLA  •  So.
Mission Viejo, CA  • Mater Dei HS
5-11  •  180  •  Bats: Right

3-hole batter who delivered one of the biggest hits in the entire 2010 NCAA Tournament, driving 3-1 pitch over left-center fence for 2-out/2-run blast in 9th inning of game-2 vs. Cal State Fullerton … that home run lifted UCLA into 7-6 lead and Bruins went on to force game-3 by winning in the 10th (11-7) … played error-free in the series (14 fielding chances) … also had pair of doubles in 4-3 opening-game loss (RBI, R) and closed 2-for-4 with an RBI in the 8-1 clincher.

ROB RASMUSSEN (LHP … #27)
UCLA  •  Jr.
Arcadia, CA  •  Pasadena Poly HS
5-11  •  170

Lived up to his reputation as nation’s top #3 starter in the rotation, with 2-hitter that beat Fullerton in Super-Regional finale (8-1) … faced only 32 batters in that 112-pitch outing, limiting the potent Titans lineup to a pair of hits and a single walk (2 HB) while striking out 9 CSF batters.

*CODY REINE (RF … #11)
Oklahoma  •  So.
Walker, LA  •  Grayson JC/Walker HS
5-9  •  215  •  Bats: Left

Cleanup/5-hole batter who filled that role in timely fashion by batting 5-for-8 in pair of wins over #5 national seed Virginia (with 2 HRs in each game), as Sooners overcame game-1 loss to win Super-Regional series on the road (2-3, 10-7, 11-0) … hit 2–for-3 with a walk and 5 RBI in game-2 before driving in 6 runs (3-for-5) during the stunning runaway clincher.

RICHIE SHAFFER (1B … #8)
Clemson  •  Fr.
Charlotte, NC  •  Providence Senior HS
6-2  •  190  •  Bats: Right

7-hole batter who had totaled only 2 home runs this season before besting that total with 3 HRs in Super-Regional series vs. Alabama (4-5, 19-5, 8-6) … hit 4-for-10 with 7 RBI in pair of wins over the Crimson Tide … smacked pair of home in decisive third game (3 RBI), after also homering in game-2 blowout (4 RBI, sac-fly) … drew a walk in low-scoring opener.

BOBBY SHORE (RHP … #16)
Oklahoma  •  Jr.
Oceanside, CA  •  Palomar JC/Oceanside HS
6-1  •  175  •  Bats: Right

Rose to the occasion in decisive third game of Super Regional at #5 national seed Virginia (11-0 win) … faced only 29 batters in his 8.0 shutout innings, allowing 4 hits and a pair of walks with 5 strikeouts in the 99-pitch outing … his clutch appearance helped Sooners complete series comeback, after narrow 3-2 loss in opener (won game-2, 10-7).

JAKE SMITH (3B/RHP … #14)
Alabama  •  Sr.
Shannon, AL  •  Hueytown HS
6-2  •  190  •  Bats: Right

Two-way talent who played big role in 5-4 win during Super-Regional opener at Clemson … went 2-for-4 from the 5-hole and smacked his 14th home run of the season, before closing the final 2.0 innings for his 6th save of the season (H, 2 Ks) … also homered in game-2 and had a walk and run scored in tight finale (8-6 loss).

CHRISTIAN WALKER (1B … #13)
South Carolina  •  Fr.
Limerick, PA  •  Kennedy-Kendrick HS
6-0  •  210  •  Bats: Right

5-hole hitter who helped South Carolina win Super-Regional series at #4 national seed Coastal Carolina (4-3, 10-9) … batted 2-for-5 in each of the wins, adding 5 RBI, 2 runs scored, a home run and hit-by-pitch … his 2-run single sparked SC to 3-0 lead in 1st inning of game-1 … supplied the big hit in the clinching win, as his 3-run blast in the 8th provided the final 10-9 margin (Coastal held an early 5-2 lead).

*KYLE WINKLER (RHP … #8)
TCU  •  So.
Sugar Land, TX  •  Kempner HS
5-11  •  190  •  Bats: Right

Delivered game-3 Super-Regional win at Texas (4-1) that sent Horned Frogs to Omaha for the program’s first College World Series appearance … worked into the 8th to outduel Brandon Workman (5IP-R-4H-4K), logging 7.2 shutout innings with 5 hits and 3 walks allowed … struck out 6 of his 32 batters faced, during 112-pitch outing.

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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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.

Day Two Super Regional Notes And Thoughts

Florida head coach Kevin O'Sullivan

Miami hasn’t won a postseason game in Gainesville since 2002.

The Big “E”s: Miami committed seven, that’s right seven errors in Saturday’s loss to Florida.  Only one of the four runs scored by the Gators was earned.  In fact, just two of Florida’s 11 runs in the two games was earned thanks to nine Hurricane miscues.  Miami hasn’t won a postseason game in Gainesville since 2002.

Mighty Mo: It didn’t take long for Texas to take back the momentum in it’s series with TCU.  After losing 3-1 in Friday’s opener the Longhorns drubbed the Horned Frogs 14-1 on Saturday to send the game to a deciding third game.  The rout was due in part to the dominant pitching of Taylor Jungmann, who struck out 9 in 8 1/3 IP, but also largely to three Horned Frog errors that led to six unearned runs scored by the Longhorns.  All five runs allowed in 3 2/3 IP by TCU starter Steven Maxwell (11-2) were unearned.

Crowded House: The first two games of the Texas-TCU Super Regional have drawn more than 7,300 fans each to Disch-Falk Field.  That makes 21 games this season in which the Longhorns have played in front of a crowd of more than 7,000.

Livin’ On The Edge: Vanderbilt downed Florida State 6-2 Saturday to force Sunday’s winner take all game.  The win makes the Commodores 4-0 in NCAA elimination games this year.  Saturday’s win halted Florida State’s seven game winning streak.

Not So Super: This is Florida State’s 10th Super Regional since 1999, but the Seminoles have won just one of their last seven Super Regional series since advancing to Omaha in the first two years of the format in 1999 and 2000.  Three of those Super Regional losses came on their home field.  Including their 1-1 mark this year, the Seminoles are 9-14 all-time in Super Regional games.

Great Garvin: Commodore reliever Grayson Garvin tossed three shutout innings to finish Saturday’s win.  Garvin has now given-up just two runs with 12 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings in three postseason appearances this year.

Son Of A Yaz: Vanderbilt freshman Mike Yastrzemski is the grandson of Red Sox Hall of Famer Carl

Vanderbilt freshman Mike Yastrzemski

Yastrzemski, but he has a Seminole connection as well.  Mike’s dad, Michael, played at Florida State from 1980-’83.  Mike is 4-for-7 in the Super Regional with a double, a home run and two RBIs.

Is That A Girl, What’s She Know About College Baseball? Those were my wife’s words, not mine, when she heard Pam Ward doing the play-by-play of Virginia’s 3-2 win over Oklahoma in game one of their series.  I’ll admit I was skeptical of Ward doing the game, and I’m sure I wasn’t alone.  I have to say though that Ward did a solid job.  She’s got a lot of experience doing softball games, and she even used that to provide some baseball insight.  Ward talked about the current moratorium on composite bats in college baseball and how college softball may consider the same thing with all of the home runs hit at this year’s Women’s College World Series.

Hoos Boom: Virginia scored all three of its runs in that game on home runs.  Phil Gosselin led-off the bottom of the 1st inning with his 10th HR of the year and then Dan Grovatt hit the deciding two-run blast in the 6th.

Nice Lid: Did you see the hat UCLA pitcher Trevor Bauer wore during the Fullerton game at Jackie Robinson Stadium?  It’s so faded and worn looking that it looks like Jackie Robinson could have worn it during his playing days with the Bruins.

That’s A Bold Statement: “Of all the guys I’ve seen hit Harold Martinez is my favorite hitter.  Manny Ramirez is my guy in Major League baseball.  When I walk into a room and a Manny Ramirez at-bat is on I’m not walking out.   That’s how I felt about Harold Martinez.”  That’s what Eric Byrnes said about injured Miami third baseman Harold Martinez, who was hospitalized in Gainesville with an infected shin.  Byrnes got to see first hand last week just how explosive Martinez’s bat is when the sophomore had 9 RBIs and two HR in the Coral Cables Regional.

Jake Smith hit a home run and earned a save in Alabama's win.

Tide Rolling: Alabama beat Clemson 5-4 in Saturday’s series opener.  The Crimson Tide, which barely made the SEC Tournament field,  has won 13 of its last 15 games to move to within one win from Omaha.  One more win would make Mitch Gaspard just the second rookie coach in the last 30 years to take a team to the College World Series.  Dan McDonnell did it at Louisville in 2007.

The Two Jakes: How about Alabama’s Jake Smith?  The senior started at third base and hit his 14th home run of the season to help the Tide win Saturday’s game.  He then gave-up just a hit over the final two scoreless innings of the game to earn his sixth save.

It’s On Where? With all eight Super Regionals in action on Saturday it was a little hard to actually find where some of them were (or weren’t) being televised.  I was never actually able to watch the Alabama-Clemson game on TV.  I did watch parts of it on ESPN3.com.  That’s where I found most of the UCLA-Fullerton game, and then the video froze.  Turned out they moved it to ESPN2 after the Florida-Miami game was over. It’s just a shame that unless you were on the west coast most of the UCLA-Fullerton series was either on TV after 11pm ET Friday night (it ended after 2am) or was not on TV at all.

Bopping Bruins: UCLA hit four home runs in Saturday’s 11-7 10-inning win over the Titans.  Tyler Rahmatulla had the biggest of the blasts.  With UCLA down to its last two strikes of the season the sophomore’s 2-run shot gave the Bruins a 7-6 lead in the top of the 9th.  Fullerton tied the score 7-7 in the bottom of the inning, and then UCLA plated four in the 10th for the win.

Golden Gallego: Bruin shortstop Niko Gallego made two great plays in the bottom of the 10th to help force Sunday’s deciding game.  Niko is the son of 13-year MLB vetern Mike Gallego.

White Between The Eyes: When Arizona State reliever Mitchell Lambson went to the mound in the top of the 8th inning umpires apparently told him he had too much rosin on his hat.  The reasoning would be that the white from the rosin could be deceptive to Arkansas batters.  Sounds fairly reasonable, and the rationale would be in line with the fact that pitchers cannot have white on their gloves.  What I’ve never understood is how a few white stitches on a pitcher’s glove (or in this case rosin on a hat that’s also covered in white salt stains) aids in hiding the ball than a full home white uniform (like ASU was wearing Saturday night)…or even white lettering on a dark uniform (like Arkansas had).

Lights Out Lambson: Rosin or no rosin, Lambson had 2 Ks in a 1-2-3 inning, and he wasn’t done there.  In a game ASU eventually won 7-6 in 12 innings, Lambson (8-2) fired five shutout innings of relief with six strikeouts to earn the win.

Uggghh: I really want to watch the Arkansas-Arizona State series, just not with Justin “I continually second guess head coaches who have been to the College World Series four times” Kutcher calling the action.  Ok, so Dave Van Horn didn’t bring in Brett Eibner to pitch leading 6-5 in the 9th inning…we get it.  Now go back to criticizing umpires.

Tough Night: Eibner was called out not once, but twice for batter’s interference.  The second one ended the top of the 12th inning.  The two-way star (21 HR, 69 RBIs) then gave-up the game-winning hit to Deven Marrero in the bottom of the 12th.

OSU’s Peavey Wins Duel With UCLA’s Cole

#24 Greg Peavey is congratulated after OSU's win (Chase Titleman photo)

Many of the baseball experts around the country have voiced their opinion that the Beavers, with a struggling hitting line-up and a pitching staff frantically trying to stay healthy, would stand very little chance against the hot-hitting bats and powerful arms of the Bruins.

Think again folks, the experts were wrong.

RHP Greg Peavey pitched a complete game 2 hitter, with 7 strike-outs as Oregon State once again used its uncanny formula of outstanding pitching, phenomenal defense and timely hitting to shock the Bruins, 4-1 in the first game of a key PAC-10 series that could have regional and super-regional implications on the road to Omaha.

UCLA’s counter-part, RHP Gerrit Cole (2.49 ERA, 6-0) added to his league leading 61 strike-outs, garnering 9 more on the night, but after a 30 pitch first inning by Cole energized the Beaver dugout and the 2,500 rabid fans in attendance, the first inning momentum swing was an ominous sign of more misfortune to come for UCLA.

Cole started the game strong by striking out Oregon State lead off hitter Adalberto Santos on five pitches, but then proceeded to throw 9 straight balls out of the strike zone, culminating in three walks, sandwiched around a hit batter, and Gerrit forced in the first run of the game without a ball touching a Beaver bat.

Although Cole struggled in doing so, he proceeded to strike out the next two batters to end the threat, but he never really got control of his secondary pitches on the night, the slider in particular.

UCLA, the hot-hitting offensive team of the two entering the game, never had a chance to get started as Adalberto Santos ran down two deep fly balls hit by (SS) Niko Gallego and (3B) Cody Regis that were caught as he banged into the outfield wall in right-center field.

UCLA suffered its third loss of the season and the last week Friday.

Santos, together with middle infielders Carter Bell (SS) and Keith Jennette (2B) were busy on the night recording 12 of Peavey’s 27 outs.  Overall, including the 7 strikeouts, only 6 balls left the infield all night, a rather uncharacteristic effort by what has been a fantastic Bruin offense this season.

While Cole continued to struggle with his pitch count most of the evening (he threw 120 pitches in 6 complete innings) the Bruins ran themselves out of a potential game changing big-inning in the 4th as (2B) Tyler Rahmatulla walked after (CF) Beau Amaral lined out sharply to left to lead off the inning.

Left-handed hitting (1B) Justin Uribe hit a perfectly executed opposite field hit and run through the six hole as Oregon State (SS) Carter Bell was covering the bag, and with one out in the inning, the Bruins were in business.

Peavey dug himself a bigger hole when he walked the next batter, (LF) Cody Keefer to load the bases.

Then, disaster struck for UCLA, further cementing an ominous tone for the Bruins in the first game of the series.

(3B) Cody Regis hit a fairly deep fly-ball to left-center, which scored Rahmatulla from third base on the sacrifice fly, but for whatever reason, Justin Uribe failed to advance all the way to third base after initially starting out for the bag, and Keefer kept running with his head down from first, assuming Uribe was headed to third.

By the time the two realized they both occupied second base, the ball was already in the infield and Uribe was tagged out by OSU (3B) Stefen Romero.

Inning over and the wave of momentum the Beavers were steadily building through the middle part of the game would soon crest over.

From here on out, the wind went out of the Bruin’s sail as they had just one other runner on the base paths the rest of the evening as Peavey retired 15 of the next sixteen UCLA hitters, getting six of his 7 strike-outs during the span of five scoreless innings through the middle portion of the game.

Although the hard-throwing right-hander from Vancouver (WA) struggled with a 24-pitch first inning and a 20-pitch fourth inning, he never threw more than 11 pitches in innings number 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8.

This in itself was the story line of the game.

In talking with OSU Associate Head Coach Marty Lees before the game, he mentioned that UCLA’s strength this year was their ability to run the count deep and work a walk, where in years past they were largely an overly aggressive first ball hitting team that could be fished in to hitting pitchers pitches.

The ability to run the count deep has improved the team batting average and on-base percentage as it has forced Bruin opponents into using their bullpen sooner than anticipated, which has helped the Bruin batting averages in the process as they force the starters off the bump and get deep into the pen.

But on this night, the tables were turned.

Oddly enough, the statement by Lee’s proved prophetical, as the Bruins let Peavey off the hook in the middle innings by reverting back to old form, swinging at the first pitch and hitting a rather large number of balls into the “Field Turf,” which plays into Oregon State’s strength.

The Beavers stole the momentum and the game in the process.

The big blow for the Beavers occurred in the seventh as light hitting (RF) Michael Miller, who was hitting a meager .193 entering the game, hit a line drive opposite field double down the right-field line and OSU had a man in scoring position to lead off the inning.

On a 1-2 pitch, (3B) Stefen Romero (.326) was plunked by LHH relief pitcher Mitchell Beacom (3.75, 1-0) on an inside fastball, which prompted Oregon State head coach Pat Casey to pinch-hit bunt specialist Andy Quiring for Danny Hayes, an odd move since Hayes was hitting .353 entering the game, but Casey obviously felt the lefty-lefty match-up with the bunt in order was not in OSU’s best interest.

However, on the first pitch to Quiring, the Beavers caught another break as Beacom drilled the second batter of the inning, this time an inside breaking ball, to load the bases.

This prompted UCLA head coach John Savage to pull Beacom after just 12 pitches, bringing in RHP Eric Goedell (3.15, 2-0)

The Beavers had the right man in the right spot as the rally train sounded its horn coming through the campus area next to the ballpark in Corvallis, and (C) Parker Berberet launched a 2-1 fastball into left center for a double, driving in all three base runners on base.

This had been a tradition at Oregon State for years and it is uncanny how many times the Beavers start a game changing rally after the rally train rolls through town, tooting its horn.

The horn was right on cue for the Beavers tonight and with a win in game two tomorrow, the Beavers can begin to toot their horn around the country in their drive to get back to the Dog pile in Omaha.

Claypool’s Big Night Helps Bruins Go To 17-0

Garrett Claypool

Claypool notched his second win in his third start of the season as UCLA extended its win streak to a school-record 17 games. The senior from West Hills, Calif. limited the Gauchos (9-7) to one run (unearned) and three hits and walked just one batter.

UC Santa Barbara right-hander Jesse Meaux (3-1) was tagged with his first loss of the season. Meaux allowed five runs and 10 hits through five innings in his fourth start of the spring.

UCLA’s offense was as impressive as Claypool’s dominant start. The Bruins registered 16 hits, striking for five runs and seven hits to snap a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth. All nine starters in UCLA’s batting lineup connected for at least one hit, as six Bruins had two or more hits.

Designated hitter Blair Dunlap extended his team-leading hitting streak to 12 games, going 3-for-5 with two runs. Left fielder Cody Keefer was 2-for-4 with one double, and third baseman Cody Regis was 2-for-5 with one double. First baseman Justin Uribe and center fielder Beau Amaral each went 2-for-3 with one RBI.

The Bruins’ five-run fourth inning featured three doubles and four singles, as two of the Bruins’ runs were scored with two outs. Keefer led off the frame with a double deflected into foul territory down the line by a diving attempt from first baseman Trevor White. After a base-hit by right fielder Brett Krill, Keefer scored from third on a double by Regis. A groundout to second by shortstop Niko Gallego plated Krill and pushed Regis to third. Catcher Trevor Brown reached on an infield single to score Regis and was thrown out at home on an ensuing double to left by Dunlap, who took third on the throw. A single up the middle by Amaral scored Dunlap, and after moving to second on a fielding error, Amaral scored from second on a single to right field by Uribe.

UCLA added one run in the sixth inning on a run-scoring groundout by pinch-hitter Dean Espy.

UC Santa Barbara got on the board with one run in the bottom of the seventh. Baserunners at first and second each advanced 90 feet on a passed ball, before a groundout to first base by designated hitter Beck Wheeler sent home second baseman Sean Williams from third base.

The Bruins scored one run in the top of the eighth, pushing their lead to 7-1, on an RBI-single by Keefer.

UCLA plays its final non-conference series of the regular season against Cal Poly, beginning Thursday, March 25. Game time Thursday is 6 p.m. The Bruins and Mustangs continue the series Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m.

Game Notes: Garett Claypool improved his career record to 8-4 and has now recorded 135 strikeouts in 147.2 career innings … the Bruins have won three of their last four games against UC Santa Barbara … Blair Dunlap notched his seventh multiple-hit game of the season and his second three-hit game … Tyler Rahmatulla recorded his team-leading 11th multiple-hit game of the year – Rahmatulla has hit safely in 15 of the Bruins’ 17 games … Erik Goeddel made his ninth appearance out of the bullpen, pitching a 1-2-3 eighth inning … Dan Klein made his team-leading  11th appearance of the year, recording two strikeouts in the ninth inning.

(UCLA Release)