A Look At Father’s Day Action From Omaha…

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If you’re going to the College World Series, your one stop for the most officially licensed 2011 College World Series apparel is the all new Dugout, located right across the street from the Road To Omaha statue outside TD Ameritrade Stadium. If you can’t make it to Omaha, simply follow this link to Dugouthats.com. You’ll save 20% on your order when you enter the coupon code CB360!

Game 3: Virginia 4-9-1 def. California 1-6-0
Final Stats | VA Recap | Cal Recap

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It took roughly two-and-a-half hours for the first runs of the game to score in this day-2 matchup, with Virginia breaking through for a pair of runs in the bottom of the 7th. The Cavs produced their runs after Chris Taylor followed Keith Werman‘s leadoff single with a walk. John Barr then executed a sac bunt, John Hicks followed with an RBI single and Steven Proscia plated Taylor with a sac fly to fight field.

Virginia head coach Brian O'Connor conducts his midgame interview with ESPN's Jenn Brown.

The previous time that a CWS game was scoreless through six innings was May 31, 1987, when Florida State ultimately beat Arizona State 3-0.

Cal’s Justin Jones did not pitch after injuring his pitching elbow in the previous week’s Super Regional win over Dallas Baptist. Jones is not expected to pitch during the CWS.

ACC pitcher of the year Danny Hultzen faced Pac-10 player of the year Tony Renda, three times in the game. Renda went 0-for-2 againt Hultzen, with a strikeout, popup to first base and a groundout field by the pitcher. It says “1-3″ in the scorebook on the play, but Hultzen had to charge off the mound on the tapper toward the third-base line. As he was spinning toward first to make the throw, Hultzen fell down but still managed to fire a bullet to get the forceout.

Attendance for the game was 21,275 for a three-game total of 69,541. That’s only 214 behind the 3-game total in 2010 at Rosenblatt Stadium.

– Quotable –

“I think we got them right where we want them. I think from here on out everyone’s going to be coming off a loss and we’ll be coming off a win. I think that’s where we were at our best, so we might as well go with that. At least that’s what I’m trying to convince our guys. We’re kind of used to backs up against the wall and we’ll see.” – Cal head coach David Esquer when asked if his team has what it takes to come through the loser’s bracket like it did with four straight victories to win the Houston Regional.

“I think we made it clear that if you’re just happy to be here, then you’ll be going home fairly soon. They’re here to win ballgames. I told them if you don’t come to win, we might as well not go. We get a participant’s badge or trophy whether we win or not. Let’s come here to win.” –Esquer when asked if his team has anything left to prove, considering they made it to Omaha after initially being told a few months ago that their program was going to be eliminated.

“I think Cal being here is one of the best things that could happen for college baseball, because I think it sends a message across the country that there’s a lot of programs that really care about their baseball programs and there’s a lot of good coaches out there and a lot of good players. I think it’s really great the fact that everybody knows the story of what they’ve been through and the fact that they could make it here to Omaha.” –Virginia head coach Brian O’Connor

Virginia's David Coleman drops down a bunt.

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If you’re going to the College World Series, your one stop for the most officially licensed 2011 College World Series apparel is the all new Dugout, located right across the street from the Road To Omaha statue outside TD Ameritrade Stadium. If you can’t make it to Omaha, simply follow this link to Dugouthats.com. You’ll save 20% on your order when you enter the coupon code CB360!

Game 4: South Carolina 5-10-1 def. Texas A&M 4-4-1
Final Stats | USC Recap | TAMU Recap

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After it took Virginia and Cal more than 2 1/2 hours to score a run in the first game of the day, Texas A&M and South Carolina put on an offensive display in the first inning of their Father’s Day nightcap. The Aggies scored minutes into the game, with the big hit being a 3-run triple by Brandon Wood off Gamecocks ace Michael Roth. A&M led 4-0 after just one-half inning, but SC answered with four runs of its own in the bottom of the frame to tie the game. Only two of the eight 1st-inning runs were earned.

After South Carolina loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the 9th, Texas A&M brought reserve infielder Scott Arthur off the bench to deploy a five-man infield. Arthur stood a few feet away from second base, with two other infielders to his right. It was a moot move, though, as Scott Wingo ripped a long single off the rightfield wall to bring home Robert Beary with the game-winning run. Beary earlier had sparked the rally with a leadoff double to right.

Wingo’s 4-hit game (4-for-4) is a career-high.

South Carolina has now won 12 straight NCAA Tournament games, since losing their opener at the 2010 College World Series. Seven straight CWS wins are included in that streak for the defending national champs. Oregon State in 2006 & 2007 was the previous team to win seven straight games in Omaha (the Beavers also are also the most recent team to win back-to-back national titles).

The 2010 CWS Most Outstanding Player, Jackie Bradley, Jr., made his first start after missing 26 straight games due to a wrist injury he suffered in April. Bradley batted ninth and started in center field.

Despite five walks, South Carolina starter Michael Roth battled his was to eight strikeouts (one shy of his season-high).

After four games, Vanderbilt’s Connor Harrell still has the only home run of the CWS. He hit that long ball in Saturday’s opening win over North Carolina.

With South Carolina’s win, the SEC East is 3-0 at the College World Series. Vanderbilt and Florida both won on Saturday.

Former Nebraska and current New York Yankee pitcher Joba Chamberlain was wearing some new colors during the game. Chamberlain was sporting both a sling (after recent surgery on his shoulder) as well as a Texas A&M hat during the game. The connection? Aggies head coach Rob Childress was Chamberlain’s pitching coach at Nebraska. The two were together for the Cornhuskers’ CWS apperance in 2005.

Attendance for game-4 was 23,395, for a four-game total of 92,936.

Texas A&M and Cal will meet in Tuesday’s 1:00 p.m. elimination game, while South Carolina and Virginia meet in the winner’s-bracket game at 7. Virginia and Texas A&M will be the home teams.

– Quotable –

“This isn’t the first time we’ve lost a game. I mean, we’ve lost 21 on the year and our guys have been very, very resilient. We haven’t lost an awful lot in a row, and our guys know there’s still tomorrow. I can tell you this, Cal’s going to get our best.” – Texas A&M head coach Rob Childress

“Coach Tanner told me before the inning started that I needed to get on base – I knew my job. Before I walked up to the plate, I was talking to myself: I gotta hit one for my father. He’s in Afghanistan, so he couldn’t be here today. But, well, when I saw the ball go off the wall and it coming towards the infield, I thought I had third, but I felt my coach holding me up, and I didn’t want to make the first out at third, so I just listened to him and stayed there.”– South Carolina catcher Robert Beary, whose double to leadoff the 9th inning led to him scoring the game’s winning run on Scott Wingo’s hit

Aggies head coach Rob Childress makes a 9th-inning pitching change.

South Carolina pitcher John Taylor delivers an 8th-inning pitch.

Scott Wingl delivers his game-ending hit.

A Look At The Teams Bound For Omaha…

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

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

California Golden Bears

David Esquer

Head Coach:  David Esquer

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

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

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

Team Leader Board

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

Florida Gators

Kevin O'Sullivan

Head Coach: Kevin O’Sullivan

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

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

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

Team Leader Board

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

North Carolina Tar Heels

Mike Fox

Head Coach: Mike Fox

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

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

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

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

Team Leader Board

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

South Carolina Gamecocks

Ray Tanner

Head Coach: Ray Tanner

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

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

Team Leader Board

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

Texas Longhorns

Augie Garrido

Head Coach: Augie Garrido

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

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

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

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

Team Leader Board

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

Texas A&M Aggies

Rob Childress

Head Coach: Rob Childress

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

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

Team Leader Board

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

Vanderbilt Commodores

Tim Corbin

Head Coach: Tim Corbin

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

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

Team Leader Board

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

Virginia Cavaliers

Brian O'Connor

Head Coach: Brian O’Connor

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

Virginia is the No. 1 national seed.

Team Leader Board

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

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

There have been eight 9-inning perfect games pitched in Division One baseball since 1957. Virginia’s Will Roberts fired the eighth of them Tuesday (March 29) in a 2-0 win over George Washington.

The junior used just 98 pitches to register 27 straight outs to pick-up just the second perfect game in ACC history, and the first Division One perfect game since 2002. Roberts struckout 10 in what is also his first career complete game. His gem was the exclamation point on the 2,000th win in Virginia baseball history.

In this exclusive podcast interview with College Baseball 360 Editor Sean Stires, Roberts discusses his night of perfection, including the near misses and the 3-0 count that nearly spoiled his night.

Roberts

6’4 – 205 – Jr. – Richmond, VA

Head Coach:  Brian O’Connor

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.

Virginia has released its 2011 college baseball schedule. The Cavaliers open the season February 18-20 with games against Auburn, UAB and Arkansas State at the Auburn Tournament. It will be UVA’s first meeting with both UAB and Arkansas State and its first game against Auburn since 2003.

CLICK HERE to see the complete 2011 Virginia baseball schedule (PDF).

Virginia opens ACC play when it travels to Clemson for a March 11-13 series. Other conference road series are at Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Boston College, and North Carolina. UVA hosts Florida State, Maryland, Duke, North Carolina State, and Miami in ACC play.

In all, the Cavaliers will play 36 home games and a total of 25 games against 2010 NCAA Tournament teams in 2011.

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

The place to find authentic Virginia Cavalier baseball caps as well as College World Series apparel and more is Dugouthats.com!

Top Performers Shine During Opening Weekend

Max Willett (NewMexico/CF)

CollegeBaseball360.com has recognized a group of players from throughout the nation for their “primetime performances” during the season’s opening weekend (Feb. 19-21). Leading the way are three top honorees – as New Mexico senior centerfielder Max Willett (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) and Oregon sophomore second baseman Danny Pulfer (Cypress, Calif.) share the inaugural honor as Co-Primetime Players of the Week while Ball State senior righthander Morgan Coombs (West Terre Haute, Ind.) is the first Primetime Pitcher of the Week. These three players headline the first Primetime Performers Weekly Honor Roll (listed below).

Willette batted 7-for-11 (RBI, 3R, 2B) in leading New Mexico to a series win at top-ranked Texas, while Pulfer hit .412 (7-for-17) and had a hand in nearly 40% of Oregon’s 32 runs (6 RBI, 6 R) during the Ducks’ breakout southern-California roadswing (highlighted by wins over #3 Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State). Coombs delivered in a pressure-packed situation at #15 Arkansas, closing Ball State’s 5-2 win with 5.0 strong innings (UER, 4H, 8K) despite 8,000-plus spirited Razorbacks fans cheering against him.

Danny Pulfer (Oregon/2B)

Similar to the weekly awards presented on sister site CollegeSoccer360.com, the CB360 Primetime Performer honors various players based on any/all of the following “primetime” criteria…not solely based on raw stats.

Primetime Performer Award Criteria

• Must have been playing for or against a CB360 top-50 team (in the Composite National Rankings)  or performed a high level in a game that could be key to a team’s conference/NCAA postseason qualification.

Morgan Coombs (Ball St./RHP)

• Involved in clutch performances, such as late game-winning hits, noteworthy comebacks, game-changing plays, team leadership, etc.

• Performing 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.

• Overcoming adversity or extreme circumstances (for the team and/or individual).

Additional information and bio. data on the Primetime Performers, along with headshots and action photos, is being added to this release.

The other 17 members of the CB360 Primetime Performer Weekly Honor Roll include New Mexico senior 1B Justin Howard, two sophomores (LHP/1B Danny Hultzen and 3B Steven Proscia) from the Virginia team that took 2-of-3 at East Carolina en route to the #1 national ranking, and two players (so. RHP Jordan Pries, jr. SS Jake Schlander) from the Stanford team that swept Rice, along with the following clutch performers: Northwestern State so. OF/1B Colin Bear … Hawaii so. RF Collin Bennett … Georgia Tech so. LHP Jed Bradley … East Carolina so. LHP Kevin Brandt … Louisiana-Monroe jr. RHP Wil Browning … Pepperdine jr. LHP Matt Bywater … Florida sr. CF Matt den Dekker … TCU fr. RF/C Josh Elander … Gonzaga sr. CF Drew Heid … Kentucky so. RHP/1B Braden Kapteyn … Baylor sr. RHP Willie Kempf … and Fresno State jr. 1B Jordan Ribera.

The 20 honorees include nine pitchers (pair of 2-way players; 5 RHP/4 LHP), five first baseman (including both 2-way players, plus one who also played OF), three centerfielders, three corner outfielders (one also played 1B, one C), one second baseman, one shortstop, one third baseman and one catcher (also played OF). TCU’s Elander is the only freshman among the Primetime players, which also include a fifth-year senior, six seniors, three juniors and a big sophomore-class representation of nine honorees.

The group includes four Texas natives – Bear, Elander, Howard and Kempf – and four more from California (Bywater, Pries, Pulfer and Ribera), along with two Primetime players from Washington and one each from Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New York and North Carolina.

(from left) Oregon second baseman Danny Pulfer, Ball State closer Morgan Coombs and New Mexico centerfielder Max Willett headline CB360’s first group of Primetime Performers (photos courtesy of each school).

WILLETT – batting from the #6 spot – combined with Howard to lead a Lobos offense that hit .284 with 10 extra-base hits in a three-game road series versus #1-ranked Texas and its vaunted pitching staff. UNM shocked the college baseball world by taking the series in Austin (2-6/6-5/3-1), with Willett batting 7-for-11 (.636, RBI, 3 R, 3B, 2B, HBP, SF) and playing error-free in center field.

After a solid showing in the opener (2-for-4, 2B), Willett went 3-for-4 in UNM’s game-2 upset. He led off the 6th by placing and opposite-field triple into the right-center gap and scored moments later for a 5-4 deficit. Three innings later, moments after Howard’s game-tying home run, Willett delivered in a situational plate appearance – flying out the left field for a sacrifice fly that plated Devon Conley as the eventual winning run.

Willett’s game-3 effort (2-for-3, 2R, 2B) helped produce another win over the Longhorns. He hit a 1-out single up the middle and scored the game’s first run in the 4th, later adding the game’s final run in the 8th (after a 2-out double down the leftfield line).

A second team all-Mountain West Conference selection in 2009 (.355, 46 RBI, 4 HR, 15 2B, 12-13 SB, 15 sac. bunts, 0 errors), Willett played sparingly in his first three seasons at UNM – totaling only 59 games played and 31 starts spanning the 2006-08 seasons. He batted only .229 as a sophomore in 2007 before seeing his junior season (12 GS) cut short by a hand injury. He is a product of Colorado’s Thunder Ridge High School, where he played on state-championship teams in both baseball and football.

Primetime Performer Weekly Honor Roll (Feb. 19-21)

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

Player (Pos.) … School … Yr., Ht./Wt. … Hometown … Stats & Notes

Colin Bear (OF) … Northwestern St. … So., 6-3/210 … Houston, TX

Collin Bennett (RF) … Hawaii … So., 6-1 … Bellevue, WA

Jed Bradley (LHP) … Georgia Tech … So., 6-4/210 … Huntsville, AL

Kevin Brandt (LHP) … East Carolina … So., 6-2/190 … Fuquay Varina, NC

Wil Browning (RHP) … La. Monroe Jr., 6-3/200 … Kosciusko, MS

Matt Bywater (LHP) … Pepperdine … Jr., 6-2/195 … Thousand Oaks, CA

*Morgan Coombs (RHP) … Ball State … Sr., 6-1/190 … West Terre Haute, IN

Matt den Dekker (CF) … Florida … Sr., 6-1/210 … Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Josh Elander (RF/C) … TCU … Fr., 6-0/205 … Round Rock, TX

Drew Heid (CF) … Gonzaga … Sr., 5-10/175 … Touchet, WA

Justin Howard (1B) … New Mexico … Sr., 6-0/205 … Ennis, TX

Danny Hultzen (LHP/1B) … Virginia … So., 6-3/200 … Bethesda, MD

Braden Kapteyn (RHP/1B) …Kentucky … So., 6-4/220 … Lansing, IL

Willie Kempf (RHP) … Baylor … Sr., 6-0/195 … Castroville, TX

Jordan Pries (RHP) … Stanford … So., 6-0/190 … Alameda, CA

Steven Proscia (3B) … Virginia … So., 6-2/215 … Suffern, NY

*Danny Pulfer (2B) … Oregon … So., … 5-10/190 … Cypress, CA

Jordan Ribera (1B) … Fresno State … Jr., 6-0/220 … Fresno, CA

Jake Schlander (SS) … Stanford … Jr., 6-2/195 … Scottsdale, AZ

*Max Willett (CF) … New Mexico … Sr., 5-10/190 … Highlands Ranch, CO

* – Note: Pulfur and Willett shared the CB360 Primetime Player of the Week award, while Coombs was the inaugural Primetime Pitcher of the Week

Milestones & Upsets Highlight The First Week Of 2010

Max Willett (UNM photo)

2…wins by unranked New Mexico at #1 Texas in Austin.  The Lobos lost the season-opener on Friday, but came back with 3-1 and 6-5 wins Saturday and Sunday.  The wins are the first ever for New Mexico over a #1 ranked team.  Texas topped every national poll heading into the season.

.636…batting average by Lobo Max Willett in the 3-game series.  He had a 1.615 OPS with two doubles and a triple.  Willett also had the game-winning RBI in Saturday’s win.

23…runs by Washington State in Sunday’s 23-o rout of Seattle-the most runs by a Cougar team since 1999.  15 different Cougars had at least one hit.

5…Wazzou pitchers who combined in the shutout.

1,001…Career wins by LSU head coach Paul Mainieri after his Tigers’ 3-game weekend sweep of Centenary.  Mainieri hit the 1,000 win mark with Saturday’s 25-8 victory.

1,000…Career wins by Ohio State head coach Bob Todd after his Buckeyes won three games over the weekend in Jacksonville, FL.  OSU pounded Richmond 20-9 Sunday to get Todd to the milestone.

Danny Hall (GT photo)

901…career wins for Georgia Tech’s Danny Hall after a weekend sweep of Missouri State.

36…runs scored by Canisius in a doubleheader sweep of Illinois-Chicago Saturday at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary, NC.  The Golden Griffins won the first game 20-4 and took the second game 16-10.

3…games Stanford won vs. 5th ranked Rice in Palo Alto.

11…runs Stanford scored in the 7th inning of game two of the series on Saturday.  The Cardinal was trailing 4-2 at the time.

5…pitchers Rice used during Stanford’s biggest inning in nearly two years.

265…wins at Cal State Fullerton’s Goodwin Field by Oregon (and former Fullerton) head coach George Horton after Friday’s upset of the 4th ranked Titans.

6-5…the score of Friday’s Louisiana-Monroe win over Ole Miss.  It was the Rebels’ first season-opening loss since 1981.

Paul Karmas (St. John's photo)

1 & 15…combined hits and strikeouts by St. John’s starting pitchers Bruce Kern (5 IP-0H-0BB-8K) and Nick Cenatiempo (4 IP-1 H-0R-BB-7) in Friday and Saturday wins over New Orleans.

3…home runs by Red Storm 1B Paul Karmas in Sunday’s 31-6 win over UNO.

5…total runs by West Virginia in weekend losses to #17 Coastal Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia Tech.

9 1/2…runs a game scored by the Mountaineers last year-which ranked 12th in the nation.

14,922…fans who saw #2 Virginia win two of three games over #11 East Carolina at ECU’s Clark-LeClair Stadium.  Friday’s opening day crowd of 5,012 is the largest in stadium history.  Saturday’s crowd of 5,136 marked the first time ECU ever had back-to-back attendance of more than 5.000.

14…combined pitchers used by the Cavaliers (6) and Pirates (8) in Sunday’s 14-11 UVA series-clinching win.

3 2/3…innings pitched by UVA starter Cody Winiarski.  It was the longest stint for any of the 14 hurlers.  Virginia had 19 hits while East Carolina totaled 11.

4:11…the total time of the 9-inning game.

4:39…time of Lamar’s 5-4 win in 17-innings over Maine.  The game is the longest in Lamar history.  The two teams had played a 2 hour and 27 minute 9-inning game prior to the marathon.

12…strikeouts in 6 innings by Georgia Tech’s Jed Bradley in Sunday’s 13-0 win over Missouri State.  The lefty allowed just four hits and retired 6 of the first 8 batters he faced via strikeout.

13…strikeouts in 6 innings by Arizona freshman Kurt Heyer.  Heyer allowed just three hits and fanned 13 of the 22 batters he faced in Sunday’s win over Utah Valley in his collegiate debut.

2,500…all-time wins for the Arizona baseball program after Heyer’s performance Sunday.

Kevin Tokarski (ISU photo)

8…straight wins by UC Irvine pitcher Daniel Bibona after his 10 strikeout performance in a 5-1 win over Loyola Marymount.

3…the magic number during opening weekend for Illinois State’s Kevin Tokarski.  The redshirt sophomore tripled on the Redbirds’ first pitch of 2010.  He stole 3 bases with 3 doubles in his team’s first three games of the season.   Tokarski was a 2008 Freshman All-American, but missed last season due to wrist surgery.

8,803…total attendance of TCU‘s season-opening 3-game sweep of 2009 NCAA participant Sam Houston State.  The mark is a single-series TCU record.

.800…batting average by Horned Frog freshman Josh Elander.  He was 8-for-10 with a team-high six RBIs to start his career.

1…hit allowed in 6 innings on the mound by Conference USA Preseason Pitcher of the Year Todd McInnis.  The Southern Mississippi hurler didn’t give-up a hit until there were two outs in the 5th inning of Friday’s win over Northwestern State.  He exited the game after he reached his 75 pitch limit.

10 of 10…Pac 10 Conference teams that finished opening weekend with a winning record.  The Pac 10 is the only BCS conference that claimed that distinction over the first three days of the 2010 season.

Cavs Win Battle Of Ranked Teams

Steven Proscia (UVA photo)

Sophomore ace Danny Hultzen (1-0) picked up the win for UVA after working six strong frames where he allowed two runs on four hits, walked three and fanned four. Tyler Wilson picked up the three-inning save surrendering just two hits and striking out four.

ECU’s Seth Maness (0-1) was saddled with the loss after giving up four runs (all earned) on six hits in 5 2/3 innings, where he fanned four and walked one. For Maness it was his first regular season loss since his all- america freshman campaign when he dropped a 5-4 decision against Tulane on May 9. Zach Woods made his Pirate debut logging one inning (4 H, 2 R, 2 ER) and Patrick Somers closed out the final 2 1/3 frames with a pair of strikeouts.

The Pirates struck early in the bottom of the first taking a 2-0 lead off Virginia’s southpaw. Dustin Harrington extended his current hitting streak to nine games with a one out single then took third on Kyle Roller’s double to left center. After Devin Harris drew a four-pitch walk, Austin Homan drove in the first run on Hultzen’s second-straight walk of the frame. Senior Jared Avchen pushed across ECU’s final run on a ground out to first that plated Roller.

In the fourth, UVA knotted the game at two thanks to Jarrett Parker’s double to left center that plated Dan Grovatt. Hultzen led off with a single up the middle, which was followed by another UVA single off the bat of Grovatt to right. Proscia drove in the first of his four runs on a sac fly to draw UVA within one, 2-1.

John Barr led off the seventh for UVA with a single to right and scored three batters later when Gravott roped his second base knock of the day to right, pushing the lead to 5-2. Proscia followed with his second hit, this time a single through the left side scoring Grovatt and capping the scoring at 6-2.

Offensively ECU was limited to just six hits on the day, its lowest hit total since April 25, 2009 when they recorded five against Southern Miss in game two of a doubleheader in Clark-LeClair Stadium. Harrington (49 games) and Roller (52 games) each collected two hits, while Harris and Cam Freeman recorded singles.

Virginia’s 2-through-5 hitters combined for eight hits and drove in all six runs.

The Pirates and Cavaliers will play game two of the three-game tilt Saturday afternoon with a first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. (EST).

Ten Questions On The Eve Of The College Baseball Season

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

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

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

Russell Moldenhauer (Texas Photo)

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

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

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

Bryce Brentz (MTSU photo)

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

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

Jarrett Parker (UVA photo)

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

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

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

ECU's Kyle Roller (ECU photo)

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

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

Next Week’s Series vs. Marist Canceled

HARRISONBURG, Va., Feb. 12, 2010 – Due to the recent heavy snowfalls in the Shenandoah Valley, James Madison has cancelled its season-opening baseball series scheduled for next weekend, Feb. 19-21, at Veterans Memorial Park.  The games are unlikely to be rescheduled.

With the cancellation and previous movement of the Feb. 23 Radford game to March 30, JMU will now open its season at the Baseball at the Beach tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Feb. 26-28.  The Dukes will be looking at a challenging first four games with #12 Coastal Carolina Feb. 26 at 4 p.m., N.C. State Feb. 27 at 3:30 p.m., and #8 UC Irvine Feb. 28 at 11 a.m.  Two days later, JMU will be in Charlottesville to take on #2 Virginia at 4 p.m.

With its first four home games pushed back, JMU is now looking at March 3 against Longwood at 4 p.m. as the first game contested in Veterans Memorial Park.  Should that game also be affected by the weather, the home opener would be March 16 against Liberty.

(Release)