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There are but two remaining unbeaten teams with double-digit games played heading into college baseball’s fourth weekend of the 2015 season. Virginia (10-0) is no surprise after going all the way to the College World Series Finals last June. Texas A&M (13-0) is not all that surprising either, considering the Aggies won seven of their first eight games and advanced to a Regional last year.

Virginia hosts Pittsburgh to open ACC play this weekend, while A&M plays Nebraska, Houston and Baylor at the Astros College Classic. Here’s a By the Numbers look at the Aggies and Cavaliers:

Pavin Smith leads Virginia with a .500 batting average.

.280…Virginia team batting average. The Cavs have still averaged 5.9 runs-per-game.

7…Players who have started all 10 Virginia games to date. Six other players each have at least one start.

.371…Combined batting average of Virginia’s top four bats in the line-up. The team is led by first baseman Pavin Smith’s .500 (21-for-42) clip. He also leads the Cavs with seven doubles and an .810 slugging percentage.

.162…Combined batting average of the next three players who have started all 10 games. Second baseman Justin Novak has just one hit in 34 at-bats – a .029 average – to start the year.

1.27…Staff ERA posted by Virginia. The team’s 111 strikeouts and just 31 walks issued have held teams to just 2.1 runs-per-game.

0.84…ERA of UVA closer Josh Sborz – a weekend starter in 2014. Sborz has three of his team’s six saves.

6…Virginia pitchers who have more strikeouts than innings pitched. The group is led by Friday starter Nathan Kirby (3-0). The lefty has fanned 24 opposing batters in 18 1/3 innings while posting a 0.49 ERA in three starts.

0.56…ERA of Saturday starter Connor Jones. The sophomore has allowed just one earned run in his three starts, but he has the second-best ERA on the team.

0…Home games Virginia has played so far. Three midweek games have been canceled and three other games were moved to Myrtle Beach, SC last weekend.

167…Virginia’s current Warren Nolan strength of schedule – a full 103 spots ahead of Texas A&M’s 270 SOS.

.342…Texas A&M’s team batting average. The Aggies have mashed the ball to the tune of 8.9 runs-per-game in their 13-0 start.

4…Times the Aggies have scored at least 10 runs this season. The high-water mark came in a 19-2 thumping of Holy Cross to open the season.

Logan Taylor leads Texas A&M with five home runs.

7…Aggie players with at least 10 RBIs. The group is led by Nick Banks (14), who has played in 12 of 13 games.

5…Team-leading home runs by Logan Taylor. The left fielder is hitting .405 with a team-best .892 slugging percentage.

.450…Team-leading batting average of Mitchell Nau. Nick Banks is on his heels at .444.

7…Relievers who are yet to allow an earned run. The group has combined for five saves, 26 1/3 IP, 29 strikeouts and just one walk while helping the Aggies to a 1.85 ERA.

0.56…ERA sported by starting pitcher A.J. Minter (2-0). The lefty has 23 strikeouts and eight walks in 16 IP.

13…Home games TAMU has played. The three games in Houston this weekend will be the first away from College Station in 2015.

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It’s hardly a secret formula. Good pitching + good defense goes a long way on the baseball diamond and great pitching + great defense tends to lead to big championships.

Florida’s Dane Dunning fired 5.0 no-hit innings in Sunday’s start against rival Miami (Photo Courtesy Florida).

Case in point – the top four teams in this week’s CB360 Top-50 Rankings. Vanderbilt, Virginia, TCU and Florida, have been stellar on the mound and in the field. Those four teams have combined to go 24-4 and have a total of 22 errors and 18 unearned runs.

The defending national champion Commodores have outscored opponents just 26-22 in their 4-2 start after a 6-0 series-clinching win over Indiana State Sunday, but stellar pitching and defense have (as always) made up for it. The Commodores have just six errors and four unearned runs allowed while also posting a 2.95 ERA.

Virginia (8-0), runner-up to Vandy in Omaha last year, has committed eight errors and allowed six unearned runs while turning in a stealth 1.12 ERA. Virginia has also essentially played a ninth game after Sunday’s 5-4 win over Marist in 18 program record-setting innings.

TCU (6-1), another 2014 CWS team, and Florida (6-1) have been stellar both in the field and on the mound so far. The Horned Frogs (1.45 ERA) have just four errors and four unearned runs charged through seven games. That includes a weekend series win at Arizona State. Florida (2.14 ERA) has just six errors and four unearned runs after taking two of three games against Miami this weekend.

At the other end of the spectrum in the early part of 2015 is Cal Poly. The Mustangs started the season at 28th in our preseason rankings after a 47-12 record and a Big West championship in 2014. They have limped out of the gates to a 1-7 start in 2015 though, and pitching and defense have been the main culprits.

After committing two errors and surrendering four unearned runs in Sunday’s 9-3 loss to Grand Canyon, Poly now has 17 errors and 18 unearned runs allowed in the first two weeks of the season. On top of that, the staff ERA, which finished at 3.05 last year, is currently a hefty 4.95.

Kyle Smith leads Cal Poly with 16 strikeouts in 9 1/3 IP (Photo courtesy Cal Poly).

Casey Bloomquist only went 4.0 innings in Poly’s season-opening 8-6 loss at Baylor. He surrendered five total runs on 81 pitches and four hits, but he walked four and yielded two unearned runs thanks to three errors in the field.

Slater Lee lasted just 2.0 innings in another 8-6 loss the next day. Two of the four runs reliever Kyle Smith allowed in his 3.1 innings were unearned. The Mustangs committed three more errors in that setback.

Justin Calomeni needed 63 pitches (just 58% for strikes) to get through 3.0 innings in a demoralizing 6-0 loss to the Bears in the series finale. He did go 6.0 innings against Grand Canyon on Sunday, but two errors led to four unearned runs in the 9-3 defeat.

Andrew Bernstein provided Cal Poly with its first quality start in a midweek win at Fresno State. Bernstein allowed just two hits in 5.1 shutout innings in the 7-6 victory. Two late errors paved the way for four unearned runs to score after the Mustangs led 7-0 going into the bottom of the 8th inning. Poly still out-hit the Bulldogs 16-8 and the pitching staff combined for 10 strikeouts and just three walks.

Bloomquist made it to 6.2 innings against Grand Canyon in his second start this past Friday, but he needed 110 pitches to get there. Three Mustang errors led to two unearned runs allowed by Bloomquist, who fanned nine batters, as well as another unearned run tagged to reliever Erich Uelman in the 10-4 loss.

UCSB pitcher Dillon Tate is yet to allow a run in 13 2/3 IP this season (Photo courtesy UCSB).

Two other teams whose fortunes correlate directly to defense through the first two weekends have been Indiana and Arizona State.

Indiana committed just two errors in its first two games of the season – a pair of wins at Stanford – before committing eight errors and allowing a total of four unearned runs in consecutive losses to Stanford, Presbyterian and Furman. The spiral was punctuated by five miscues and three unearned runs in Friday’s 5-2 loss to the Blue Hose.

Arizona State struggled holding onto the ball this weekend as well. The Sun Devils had a pair of errors that led to two unearned runs in Friday’s 3-0 loss to visiting TCU. To be fair, Preston Morrison (2-0) was so dominant the miscues were probably moot. Morrison needed just 88 pitches to fire a three-hit complete game.

ASU had three more errors, but just one unearned run allowed, the next day in a 7-6 win. Two errors in Sunday’s series finale gave the Horned Frogs their first two runs.

UC Santa Barbara (6-1) committed just five errors and allowed a mere three unearned runs while getting off to a 6-0 start. The injury bug hit in Sunday’s series finale against Kentucky in a 12-7 Wildcat win (the only Kentucky victory in the series). Three Gaucho errors accounted for seven, yes – seven unearned runs in defeat.

UCSB, which sports a stellar 1.57 team ERA, will put its pitching, defense and strong start to the test with a midweek game at Pepperdine followed by a three-game home series vs. Oregon next weekend.

Tim Corbin’s Vanderbilt Commodores and Brian O’Connor’s Virginia Cavaliers are set to begin the College World Series Finals on Monday. It’s a meeting of two programs that now stand on unchartered ground after making meteoric strides into the ranks of college baseball elite since the arrival of their respective head coaches.

Virginia is playing in its third College World Series and 11th consecutive NCAA Tournament since O’Connor took the helm in 2004, while Vanderbilt is in its second CWS and is playing in its ninth straight and 10th NCAA Tournament in Corbin’s 12-year tenure.

“I think the programs have been built along the same lines to be honest with you,” Corbin said during Sunday’s pre-finals press conference. “There’s a very similar timeline to the timing that Brian became a head coach and that I became a head coach. We both had great mentors.”

Vanderbilt began playing baseball in 1889 (famed writer Grantland Rice coached the team for a year in 1908), with Virginia’s first year playing the sport in 1886 (famed writer John Grisham’s son once played for Virginia). Each school had exactly three NCAA Tournament appearances prior to the arrival of its current head coach.

Corbin and O’Connor have used similar blueprints to build their programs. Pitching, defense and strong attention to detail form the foundation of both programs, which have also both seen their schools invest substantially in facilities over the past decade. Both coaches also took similar paths early in their careers to get to where they are today.

“I would say the teams are very similar and the programs are a lot alike in a lot of different ways,” said Corbin. “We run into them sometimes in recruiting and I would say we go after very similar kids.”

O’Connor’s Omaha bloodline is possibly the most well known by now. O’Connor was a regular at Rosenblatt Stadium attending the College World Series with his dad while growing up just across the Missouri river from Omaha in Council Bluffs, IA.

He pitched for Omaha-based Creighton and helped the hometown Blue Jays, coached by future Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry, reach the 1991 CWS. Eighteen years later, O’Connor would lead his Cavs to Omaha after taking the helm prior to the 2004 season.

“It doesn’t mean any more to me than it does coach Corbin or any of our players on either one of our teams,” O’Connor said Sunday when asked about coaching for a title in his childhood backyard. “A lot is to be made that I’m from here, but it’s about these kids’ experience. The only difference between me and those young men is my birth record.”

O’Connor cut his teeth as a college coach in his nine seasons at Notre Dame under current LSU head coach Paul Mainieri. Not so coincidentally, it was Hendry who gave Mainieri his first coaching job at Miami’s Christopher Columbus High School in 1980.

The Hendry-Mainieri connection led O’Connor to Notre Dame, where he was twice named National Assistant Coach of the Year (2001 and 2003) as ND’s pitching coach and associate head coach. The 2002 Fighting Irish team, which had no all-conference pitchers on its staff, knocked-off a No. 1 ranked Florida State team in Tallahassee to advance to ND’s first CWS appearance since 1957.

Just seven years later, Mainieri and O’Connor were going head-to-head in the first round of the 2009 CWS (a 9-5 LSU win over Virginia as Mainieri’s Tigers won the national championship). The Cavs were 1-2 in O’Connor’s CWS homecoming that season. They were 2-2 in their return to Omaha in the first TD Ameritrade CWS in 2011 (both losses to eventual champ South Carolina).

“I learned how to run a college baseball program from somebody who I believe is the best out there and does it the right way,” O’Connor said of his time with Mainieri under the golden dome.

O’Connor coached future MLB pitchers Brad Lidge and Aaron Heilman in his time at ND. His top Virginia pitcher was Danny Hultzen, who started game ones in Omaha in 2009 and 2011 and was the No. 2 overall pick (Seattle) in the 2011 MLB Draft.

Corbin didn’t grow up in the shadow of the College World Series. In fact, he grew up about as far outside the college baseball universe as could be. The New Hampshire native played his college ball at Ohio Wesleyan and began his coaching career as head coach at Presbyterian in Clinton, SC. He helped the previously defunct program transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II from 1988-1993 before joining Jack Leggett’s (another New Englander) staff at Clemson.

Corbin helped Leggett’s Tigers reach the College World Series four times in his nine seasons on staff, including the same 2002 CWS as Mainieri, O’Connor and Notre Dame. Known as one of the top recruiters in the country during his Clemson tenure and was named National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2000.

Corbin’s background has been working with hitters and outfielders, but pitching has been Vanderbilt’s calling card. David Price (2012 AL Cy Young winner) and Sonny Gray (Oakland A’s) preceded current ace Tyler Beede (No. 14 overall pick this year by San Francisco) as Commodore pitchers to be selected in the first round of the MLB Draft.

True to Corbin’s roots, Vanderbilt has also featured several New England natives who have figured prominently in the program’s recent success. Curt Casali (New Canaan, Conn), Mike Yastrzemski (Andover, Mass) and Jason Esposito (Bethany, Conn) were all key cogs for the 2011 CWS squad, while Beede (Auburn, Mass) and Rhett Wiseman (Mansfield, Mass) have both been key to the current Vandy team’s Omaha run.

In a CWS that has been dominated by pitching, Virginia carries a miniscule 0.55 staff ERA through three games into the Championship Finals, while Vanderbilt (3.50) has the highest staff ERA of the Omaha Eight. With four games under their belts, the Commodores lead the Omaha field with a .259 team batting average and 15 runs scored. Virginia’s .239 team average in the second-best, but their stellar pitching has allowed them to win three games (including one in 15 innings) with a total of nine runs scored.

A big early April weekend of college baseball is in the books, so consider this your look back at some great action. The April 8-10 weekend saw some great baseball played around the country.

The weekend’s action included 39 series that featured College Baseball 360 Top-50 teams, with 12 of those series being won by the lower-ranked/unranked teams. Sunday’s games alone had 41 total games involving top-50 teams, with the higher-ranked teams winning 61% of those games (25-16). In fact, less than one-third of the weekend’s series involving CB360 top-50 teams (12 of 39) resulted in sweeps.

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Here’s a look back at some of the Top 50 highlights:

Big, Bad Beavers…

#19 Oregon State made history by sweeping #5 Arizona State in Corvallis over the weekend. It’s OSU’s first sweep of the Sun Devils at home and also marks its first sweep of ASU since 1966. Arizona State (22-9, 5-4) had not been swept in Pac-10 play since 1999.

Ryan Dunn (courtesy Oregon State).

Oregon State’s Ryan Dunn batted in the 8-hole for the Beavers (24-7, 5-1) all weekend. The shortstop batted 6-for-11 with three doubles, a home run and six RBIs. He helped OSU’s 6-9 batters go 22-for-42 (.523) over the three games, with 12 RBIs and 15 runs. Oregon State’s 24-7 start is the program’s best since its 2007 national championship season. 7,751 fans saw the three games at OSU’s Goss Stadium.

Cavs Cooled…A Little…

Virginia had its 12-game winning streak snapped when it lost 10-8 at Georgia Tech Sunday, but the Cavs still took two of three games from the Yellow Jackets in the big ACC series. Saturday’s 12-9 UVA win to clinch the series extended Virginia’s school record road winning streak to 11 games.

No surprise, Cavalier ace Danny Hultzen (7-0, 1.33 ERA) fanned 12 with just one walk in 8.0 IP in Friday’s 6-2 Virginia win. Hultzen is second in the nation with  90 strikeouts in  54 1/3 IP this season.

Virginia (31-3, 13-2) roughed-up Georgia Tech starters Mark Pope and Jed Bradley in the first two games. The duo combined to give-up 11 runs on 15 hits in 12 1/3 IP on Friday and Saturday. Virginia has won all five of its ACC series this season, including three on the road. It’s only other ACC loss also came on Sunday against Florida State.

Jake Davies was 4-for-4 with 3 RBIs to lead the Yellow Jackets to Sunday’s win. Georgia Tech (24-9, 12-3) suffered its first ACC series loss of the season. Buck Farmer earned his sixth straight win for GT, despite giving-up seven runs (four earned) in 7.0 innings on Sunday.

Woo Pig Sooie…

James McCann

Arkansas swept LSU in their 3-game SEC series in Fayetteville and if you were lucky enough to see any of the action you saw some great baseball. The Razorbacks won each of the last two games of the series in walk-off fashion. Saturday night’s game on ESPNU ended on James McCann’s 3-run home run that gave the Razorbacks a 4-3 win in front of a record 11,103 delirious fans. LSU, after going scoreless over the first 17 innings of the series, had scored three runs in the top of the 9th before McCann’s shot in the bottom of the inning.

Sunday’s game ended on Kyle Robinson’s sac fly to centerfield to score Bo Bigham for a 5-4 win and the series sweep. It’s just the third time Arkansas (23-8, 6-6) has swept LSU since joining the SEC in 1992. The Razorbacks are now a game behind Alabama in the SEC West. LSU (21-11, 3-9) has won just one of its four SEC series this season. Austin Nola’s 6th inning grand slam gave the Tigers their four runs. 28,657 fans packed Baum Stadium for the 3-game set.

Sooner Pain, Cowboys Gain…

Oklahoma State continues to make some noise in the Big 12 after a 3-game sweep of Missouri. The Cowboys’ 7-3 win over the Tigers on Sunday gives the program its first conference series sweep since April 27, 2008.

OSU (24-8, 8-4) are in third place in the Big 12 standings, behind Texas and Texas A&M. The Cowboys finished last season with a 29-26 overall record, including just 8-19 in conference play.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma (24-8, 6-5) dropped two of three games at Kansas State. The series loss is the second for the Sooners in Big 12 play this season, to equal their total from all of last year’s College World Series team. It’s a big series win for K-State (18-12, 4-8), which takes a series from OU for the first time in 10 years and earns its first conference series win of 2011.

California Crash…

Three California schools, Cal, Stanford and Fresno State, all suffered series upsets over the weekend. Maybe #18 Cal was breathing a sigh of relief after finding out the program had been spared the ax prior to its series at Arizona, but the Golden Bears lost two of three in Tucson to the Wildcats. Cal’s Justin Jones was tagged for 7 ER in 4 1/3 IP in Sunday’s 10-8 loss. Golden Bear Erik Johnson and Wildcat Kurt Heyer each fanned 11 in the series-opener, but neither earned a decision as Arizona scored three in the bottom of the 9th to win 5-4. Arizona pounded-out 40 hits in the series.

Jordan Ribera

#10 Fresno State didn’t lose its series, but that’s due in part to the fact that the WAC plays 4-game conference series. The Bulldogs (22-5, 2-2) dropped two of its first three games at #50 San Jose State (21-11, 2-2) and then pulled-out a 5-3 win in Sunday’s finale to settle for the tie. Last year’s DI home run leader, Jordan Ribera, hit a three-run homer to break out of a season-long swoon, while closer Charlie Robertson earned his 10th save of ’11. Ribera is still batting just .223 with 2 HR and 11 RBIs after belting 27 HR with 69 RBIs last year.

#14 Stanford dropped two of three in its series at USC as well. The Cardinal (15-9, 3-3) has played five of its first six weekend series on the road against the likes of Vanderbilt, Rice, and Texas. They host the aforementioned red hot Oregon State Beavers next weekend. The series win was the first for the Trojans (13-19, 4-5)  in their last five series vs. Stanford. Logan Odom tossed 7.0 scoreless innings in Sunday’s 6-2 series clincher. All three of his wins this year have come over ranked teams.

Tallahassee Tar Heels…

#8 North Carolina (29-5, 12-3) did something this weekend that it hadn’t done in 16 years-win a series against #7 Florida State (23-9. 9-6) in Tallahassee. The Tar Heels won 7-6 in Sunday’s series finale to end the Seminoles’ streak of 25 straight Sunday wins. UNC reliever Michael Morin earned saves Saturday and Sunday after relief stints of 1.0 and 3.0 innings, respectively.

Historic Spartans…

Michigan State made history after sweeping reigning Big Ten champion Minnesota for the first time ever. The MSU-Minnesota series dates all the back to 1925, and it also marks the first time the Spartans (20-7, 5-1) took back-to-back series against the Golden Gophers (10-12, 2-4) after taking two of three at Minnesota last year. Brandon Eckerle leads a Spartan offense that’s batting .316 with a .439 average. First baseman Jeff Holm is the top run-producer with a .398 average, 4 HR, 29 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, and an 1.102 OPS. The Michigan State pitching staff sports a 2.70 ERA. Starters Kurt Wunderlich and Tony Bucciferro are each 6-1.

(Front page photo courtesy Arkansas.)

Both The Good & The Bad…

It’s no surprise that offense has been down, while pitching numbers have been better so far this season. However, nobody predicted James Madison would erupt for 91 runs with those new bats in a four-game sweep of Bucknell to open the season. Jake Lowery and David Herbek have combined to lead not only the Dukes, but also the nation with 14 and 12 home runs, respectively, while also sitting among the nation’s Division One leaders in sever other offensive categories.

Following is a look at some other surprises, both good and bad, to this point in the season.

Pleasant Surprises…

Danny Hultzen is 6-0 with a 1.36 ERA in 2011

Virginia was supposed to be good this year, but Brian O’Connor’s Cavaliers have been flat-out great so far. UVA debuted at #15 in our Preseason Composite National Rankings, but is 29-2 overall and 11-1 in ACC play heading into this weekend’s showdown with Georgia Tech. The Cavs lost just one game in the month of March-their series finale against Florida State. They’ve done anything but mash the ball out of the yard en-route to their 29 victories. Keith Werman has nearly twice as many sac bunts (13) as his team has home runs (7), while they still average 7.3 runs a game with a .300 team batting average. Danny Hultzen (6-0, 1.36 ERA) is second in the nation with 78 strikeouts for a pitching staff that’s so deep that midweek starter Will Roberts, who pitched a perfect game last week, is riding a 21-inning scoreless streak. Virginia has a 1.93 team ERA with 333 strikeouts and just 64 walks this season.

Fresno State was a team that many thought deserved an NCAA bid in 2010, but the Bulldogs (38-25) just missed the field of 64 after Hawaii ended their reign of four straight WAC Tournament titles. Offense wasn’t a problem for Mike Batesole’s squad, but the pitching staff ended the season with a 6.05 ERA. Things have been much different for the 2011 edition of the Bulldogs (20-3). Greg Gonzalez (6-0, 1.36 ERA) fronts a pitching staff that sports a 2.50 ERA. The senior led the staff with 73 strikeouts last year, but he already has 52 Ks with just 9 BB in 46 1/3 IP in 2011. Charlie Robertson has slammed the door at the end of games with 9

Fresno State's Charlie Robertson is among the DI leaders with 9 saves.

saves in 10 appearances. He is yet to surrender an earned run in 16 1/3 IP this year. Like everyone, Fresno State’s offense is still adjusting to the new bats. Most notably Jordan Ribera, who hit .343 and led the nation with 27 home runs last year. He is batting just .244 with one HR and 7 RBIs in 23 starts in ’11. Dusty Robinson has picked-up the slack though, with a .321 BA, 6 HR and 19 RBIs.

Georgia was just 16-37 last year with a dismal 5-23 record in the SEC. Outfielder Zach Cone (.363, 10 HR, 53 RBIs) was practically the entire offense for Dave Perno’s Bulldogs, while the pitching staff had a bloated 8.51 ERA with no complete games. The Bulldogs (15-14, 6-3) are one win from matching last year’s overall win total, while a series win over LSU and a sweep of Mississippi State has already exceeded last year’s conference win total. Georgia also boasts wins over UCLA, Florida State and South Carolina. There’s still work to be done, but where UGA is now is a far cry from a season that started by being swept in a 3-game series at Stetson.

Cal State Bakersfield is well on its way to eclipsing last year’s win total. The Roadrunners are off and running to a 20-7 start after finishing with a 26-30 record in 2010. Bill Kernan’s squad hasn’t shied away from tough competition either. The DI independent has wins over top 10 opponents Arizona State and defending national champion South Carolina along with series wins over Washington and Ohio State. Ryan McIntyre (.363, 10

Tommy Hoenshell has helped spearhead Bakersfield's pitching staff.

doubles, 4 triples, .966 OPS) leads an offense that has five regulars hitting above .300, but it’s pitching that’s really fueled Bakersfield so far. Tommy Hoenshell (5-3, 1.97 ERA) has two complete games and leads the nation with 64.0 IP, Jonathon Montoya (5-1, 3.06 ERA) is tied for the DI lead with four complete games and closer Martin Medina (1-1, 2.45 ERA, 5 saves) has 19 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings to date.

Cal may or may not be reinstated beyond this season, but the Golden Bears are doing everything they can to make 2011 memorable. Dave Esquer has his team off to a 19-7 record, including 5-1 in the Pac-10, in what could be the program’s swan song. The pitching was expected to be good in 2011, but so far it’s been flat-out great. Justin Jones and Erik Johnson are each 4-1 with respective 2.47 and 2.08 ERAs, while Kevin Miller (3-2, 0.63 ERA, 1 save) has been nearly lights-out in a swing role. The senior has made three relief appearances and five starts, with a team-high 53 strikeouts and just 7 BB in 43.0 IP. Cal has a balanced offensive attack. Six regulars are batting between .317 and Austin Booker’s team-best .346, while eight players have accounted for the team’s 12 home runs.

Central Florida’s sites have been set on Omaha since Terry Rooney left his job as an LSU assistant to take over in Orlando. Now in his third year, Rooney has a team that’s starting to make some noise. The Knights (20-9) opened Conference USA with the program’s first ever series win over Rice only to be swept last weekend by Southern Mississippi.  However, UCF responded by toppling Florida 4-3 Tuesday night in Gainesville. D.J. Hicks (.347, 6 HR,

UCF's D.J. Hicks is among the top overall Conference USA hitters this season.

1.008 OPS) leads an offense that has seven starters batting above .300. Freshman Ben Lively (5-0, 1.88 ERA) has been UCF’s top weekend starter, while relievers Nick Cicio (1.08 ERA) and Joe Rogers (2.04 ERA) have each made 11 appearances out of the Knight’s bullpen, combining for 8 saves and 42 Ks with 5 BB in 44.0 IP.

Stetson (22-7) is another Florida school that’s exceeded most expectations so far. The Hatters need just five wins to match the win total of last year’s team that finished 27-31. Head coach Pete Dunn’s 32nd edition of the Hatters is also just five wins away from matching its 14 Atlantic Sun Conference win total from 2010. Robert Crews (.378, 3 HR), Nick Rickles (.345, 10 doubles, 3 HR, 28 RBIs) and Mark Jones (.343) have provided the bulk of the offense, while relievers Robbie Powell (4-0, 1.05 ERA) and Jake Boyd (2-0, 2.45 ERA) have combined for 8 saves in 31 appearances. The pitching staff has notched 232 strikeouts with 94 walks so far this season.

Head-scratching Surprises…

Connecticut was the darling of the north heading into the 2011 season. The Huskies brought back most of their line-up and pitching from last year’s team that won a school record 48 games and hosted an NCAA Regional. Most is the key word. UConn struggled to an 8-9-1 start to the new campaign without table setter Pierre LePage (.327, 63 R, 29 SB) and top run producer Mike Olt (.318, 23 HR, 76 RBIs), who were both drafted last June. The Huskies (15-10-1) have won seven of their last eight and look like they are back on the right track after sweeping St. John’s last weekend. Ace pitcher Matt Barnes (5-2, 1.00 ERA, 2 CG) has been as dominant as advertised. After starting the season in the Saturday starting role, he’s now the Friday night man. The UConn staff currently sports a 2.78 ERA, which should go a long way toward curing what ails Jim Penders‘ team now that Big East play is here.

UCLA road its pitching and a scrappy offense to a national runner-up finish in Omaha last year. The Bruins might have to lean on the arms of Trevor Bauer and Gerrit Cole even more this year. UCLA hit .304 as a team and averaged 6.8 runs a game last year, but those numbers are down to .244 and 4.0 through 24 games this year. John Savage’s Bruins (14-10) weren’t a team built on power to begin with (Dean Espy’s 9 HR led the club last year), but they have just four home runs to date in ’11. Seven different Bruin regulars batted .308 or better last year, but Cody Keefer’s .293 currently leads the team. Bauer (5-1, 1.46 ERA), who leads the nation with 82 Ks, and Cole (3-2, 2.06 ERA, 57 K) and the staff have been overpowering, with a 2.06 staff ERA and 259 strikeouts vs. just 74 walks in 218 2/3 innings this season. But consider this: After a 22-game win streak to start the season, UCLA didn’t lose its first game until April 2 last year. They lost 17 times in 68 games last year, but they have already lost 10 games this season.

San Diego has been to the NCAA Tournament in four of the last five seasons, but the Toreros will have a tough time getting back this year. San Diego (7-19) is off to one of the worst starts in Rich Hill’s 13-year tenure. USD currently sports a .256 team batting average, .325 on-base percentage and 4.82 ERA. The holes in the weekend pitching rotation left by Kyle Blair (8-4, 2.84 ERA) and Sammy Solis (9-2, 3.42 ERA) have been tough to fill on the mound, while the bats of Chris Engall (.416) and James Meador (.391) have left a big offensive void as well. To its credit, San Diego has played a tough schedule, with losses to the likes of Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, Cal, Coastal Carolina, and Fresno State.

New Mexico had its best season in nearly 50 years in 2010, but things have been different this year. After earning the program’s first NCAA bid since 1962, the 2011 Lobos are off to a 9-20 start, including eight straight losses to start the campaign. However, Ray Birmingham’s squad returned just one position starter and six pitchers from last year’s team that went 38-22. Birmingham’s teams have always been offensive minded, but it’s hitting a whopping 80 points below last year’s .346 team batting average, while reaching base at a .342 clip (down nearly 70 points). The lack of offense, combined with a 6.05 staff ERA has been a recipe for  misfortune so far. Give Birmingham credit though. He knew what kind of turnover he would be facing this year, but still scheduled the likes of Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Arizona, and Oklahoma. The first of two conference series against TCU is this weekend.

Oregon is off to just a 14-12 start after an NCAA berth in just the second year of existence in the program’s return. The 40-24 record and that postseason appearance brought high expectations and a top 10 ranking coming into 2011. Like UCLA, George Horton’s offense is know for its small ball approach, but the Ducks are waddling to the tune of a dismal .229 team batting average and a .310 slugging percentage. Aaron Jones (.310) and Danny Pulfer (.301) are the only Ducks batting above .300, while K.C. Serna, who hit a team-best .348 in ’10, is struggling at .194 this season. Oregon scored just three runs in last week’s sweep at the hands of Arizona State to open Pac-10 play, making this weekend’s home series against Washington huge.

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THE FINAL RELEASE

Vanderbilt sophomore lefthander Richie Goodenow

With the Super-Regional round fast approaching, CB360 takes a look back at the Primetime Performers from the Regional Round that wrapped up on Tuesday during this condensed week. Coastal Carolina junior centerfielder Rico Noel (Lawton, Okla.) has been selected the national Primetime Player of the Week while Vanderbilt junior lefthander Richie Goodenow (Nashville, Tenn.) is the Primetime Pitcher of the Week. (front-page photo courtesy of Coastal Carolina)

Coastal Carolina junior centerfielder Rico Noel

It doesn’t get much more “primetime” than during NCAA Tournament play, with 104 high-stakes games played over the five-day stretch of June 4-8. Noel and Goodenow are joined by 19 others in comprising CollegeBaseball360.com’s latest installment of the Primetime Performer Honor Roll, which included a player from each of the 16 advancing teams (plus one each from the five runner-up teams that were playing on the road and forced a game-7 finale).

NOEL supplied his all-around game througout the regional, with Coastal Carolina serving as the host and top seed at BB&T Field in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Chanticlers battled back from a 16-6 loss vs. 2-seed College of Charleston (in the winners-bracket), winning three straight games to earn a spot in the Super-Regional round.

Coastal Carolina's Noel Rico (pictured in action earlier this season) batted 10-for-23 in the Myrtle Beach Regional with 7 RBI, 7 runs scored, a pair of home runs and 6 stolen bases. His 9th-inning, 2-run blast vs. College of Charleston took Coastal from the brink of elimination to a decisive Monday rematch (photo courtesy of Coastal Carolina).

Over the course of the five regional games, Noel patroled center field while batting .435 (10-for-23) from the 2-hole/leadoff spots. He factored into 12 of Coastal’s runs (7 RBI, 7 R, 2 HR). The speedy veteran swiped six bases during the regional, yielding a nation-leading 56 stolen bases for the season.

The 5-foot-9, 170-pound righthanded hitter went 5-for-13 in three showdown games vs. Charleston (6-16; 8-7; 11-10, in 10) – highlighted by his 9th-inning home run as the Chanticleers were 2-outs away from elimination. That home run (his 11th of the season) came on a 1-2 pitch, with the ball sailing over the leftfield wall to turn a 1-run deficit into a 1-run win. His final line in that dramatic game also included batting 4-for-5 with 5 RBI and his 18th double of the season.

Noel collected three stolen bases in Monday’s clinching win, also batting 3-for-6 with a triple in that extra-inning finale. Earlier in the tournament, he helped post a pair of wins (6-0, 25-7) over a scrappy Stony Brook squad that upset 3rd-seed North Carolina State.

In addition to his 56 stolen bases, Noel ranks second on his team in season batting average (.348) and has motored home for a team-leading 81 runs, plus 62 RBI and 40 walks (.464 on-base pct.).

GOODENOW had been a solid lefthanded setup man for Vanderbilt throughout the 2010 season, making 28 appearances before being tabbed for his first start of the season in a pressure-packed situation. Homestanding and top-seeded Louisville was awaiting with a fresher and deeper pitching staff, along with a potent offense that ultimately finished the season with a .314 team batting average and 88 home runs.

Vanderbilt sophomore Richie Goodenow – typically a spot reliever and setup man – rose to the challenge in his first start of the season (second of career), fashioning a 2-hit shutout vs. the potent Louisville offense (7-0) that forced a decisive rematch. Goodenow had a pair of walks – but also rolled up two double-play balls – in facing only 29 batters during the 99-pitch complete game. (photo courtesy of Vanderbilt)

With his team needing to beat Louisville in that Sunday game (and again on Monday), Goodenow delivered a complete game that preserved the bullpen and set up the clinching Monday win. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound lefthander fashioned a 2-hit shutout (7-0) while facing only two batters over the minimum (29, with a pair of walks). He located 60 of 99 pitches for strikes, with 19 of his outs coming via strikeouts (5), groundballs (12, including pair of double-play balls) or infield popups (2).

A third-inning double represented the only Louisville batter who reached second base during the entire game.

Goodenow retired the first five batters he faced (four on strikeouts) before allowing a double by Cade Stalling (before a 4-3 groundout and F-9 flyout). Ryan Wright later was stranded after a 2-out walk in the 4th, with Goodenow then retiring seven straight before Andrew Clark’s leadoff walk in the 7th (followed by a 5-4 groundout and 4-6-3 double play).

The Cardinals’ fourth and final baserunner came in the 8th, when Josh Richmond sent a 1-out double up the middle but quickly was erased on a 4-6-3 double play.

Louisville’s #1 thru #6 hitters all went hitless (0-for-18 combined) during Goodenow’s masterpiece.

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 19 members of the CB360 Primetime Performer Weekly Honor Roll for the NCAA Regionals include (see capsules for each player at bottom of release): St. John’s fr. LF Jeremy Baltz (Vestal, N.Y.) … Virginia jr. DH John Barr (Ivyland, Pa.) … Washington State sr. 2B Cody Bartlett (Kent, Wash.) … UCLA so. RHP Trevor Bauer (Valencia, Calif.) … Arizona State sr. RF Kole Calhoun (Buckeye, Ariz.) … Cal State Fullerton jr. SS Christian Colon (Corona, Calif.) … South Carolina sr. RHP Blake Cooper (Neeses, S.C.) … Texas A&M jr. catcher Kevin Gonzalez (Houston, Texas) … Clemson jr. 3B  John Hinson (Asheville, N.C.) … College of Charleston jr. SS Jamie Holler (Rock Hill, S.C.) … Florida State so. 3B Sherman Johnson (Tampa, Fla.) … Texas so. RHP Taylor Jungmann (Temple, Texas) … Arkansas so. LF Collin Kuhn (Beaver Dam, Wis.) … Miami sr. 2B Scott Lawson (Grapevine, Texas) … TCU sr. RHP Steven Maxwell (The Woodland, Texas) … Alabama so. LHP Adam Morgan (Marietta, Ga.) … Oklahoma so. RF Cody Reine (Walker, La.) … Minnesota jr. RHP Seth Rosin (Shoreview, Minn.) … and Florid so. LF Tyler Thompson (Tequesta, Fla.).

The week-16 honorees ended up including at least one player from every position, with seven total pitchers (five RHPs and a pair of LHPs), three leftfielders, two shortstops, two third basemen and two rightfielders, plus a catcher, first baseman, second baseman, centerfielder and DH. The 21 selections feature five seniors, eight juniors, seven sophomores and the freshman Balyz. The honorees hail from 15 different home states, led by four from Texas and two each from California, Florida and South Carolina – plus one each from Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Washington and Wisconsin.

PRIMETIME PERFORMERS WEEKLY HONOR ROLL #16
(NCAA Regionals; June 4-8, 2010 … presented by CollegeBaseball360.com)

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

JEREMY BALTZ (LF … #18)
St. John’s  •  Fr.
Vestal, NY  •  Vestal HS
6-3  •  190  •  Bats: Right

Power-hitting rookie (finished with 24 HR) who wrapped up impressive first season by batting 7-for-16 (.438) with 19 total bases (4 HR) and 13 times on-base (3BB-3HBP) spanning five regional games at Virginia, as 3rd-seed SJU reached the final game … racked up a 1.779 OPS (.591 on-base + 1.188 slugging pct.) at the regional, highlighted by 2-HR game in 6-5 win over the top seed/host Cavaliers … his 2-run blast in the bottom of the 8th of that game sent Red Storm from brink of elimination into Monday rematch (won by UVa, 5-3; Baltz had RBI 1B) … helped eliminate 2-seed Ole Miss (20-16; 1-for-3, RBI-2R-BB-2HBP), after homering in earlier 10-5 loss to the Rebels (2-for-3; 3RBI-2BB) … collected his other HR in 8-6 win over VCU (2RBI, HBP, sac-fly).

JOHN BARR (DH … #7)
Virginia  •  Jr.
Ivyland, PA  •  Germantown Academy
6-2  •  195

Provided bonus production from the 9-hole in key 13-7 winners-bracket game vs. 2-seed Mississippi (4-for-4, 4 RBI, 2B, HBP) … also had some timely offensive moments in pair of games vs. upstart St. John’s (R, BB in 6-5 loss … BB, HBP in 5-3 clinching win) … hit .500 in the four regional games (6-12; 5RBI-2R-2B-2BB-2HBP-SB), including 15-4 opener vs. Virginia Commonwealth (RBI-R-SB).

CODY BARTLETT (2B … #2)
Washington State  •  Sr./Jr.
Kent, WA  •  Kentwood HS
5-8  •  170  •  Bats: Right

Flashed his shortstop background with error-free showing (22 fielding chances) at the regional, also batting .381 (8-for-21) with several key plays from the 2-hole  … factored into 10 runs (4RBI-8R-2HR; 2BB) for 3rd-seeded Cougars squad that made run to regional’s final day … walked and scored twice in 10-7 win over top seed/host Arakansas, forcing the final game … helped knock off #2 seed Kansas State on opening day (9-6; 2-for-4, R-BB) and later smacked huge 8th-inning HR in elimination-game win over KSU (8-6; 3-for-5, 2RBI-3R) … also homered in winners-bracket loss vs. Arkansas (6-4;2-4, 2RBI-R) and had a single/run in 7-2 loss to the Razorbacks.

TREVOR BAUER (RHP … #47)
UCLA  •  So.
Valencia, CA  •  Hart HS
6-1  •  175

Came through in 6-3 winners-bracket victory over LSU, allowing only a single earned run (plus 2 UERs) in 8.0 strong innings … struck out 11 of the 33 batters he faced in that 121-poitch outings, with 7 hits allowed and a pair of walks.

KOLE CALHOUN (RF … #49)
Arizona State … Sr.
Buckeye, AZ  •  Yavapai JC/Buckeye HS
5-11  •  190  •  Bats: Left

Helped Sun Devils reach 50-win mark, following victories over Milwaukee (6-2) and Hawaii (12-1, 8-4) … homered in all three games (giving him 16 HR for the season) while reaching base seven times … factored into four runs vs. Milwaukee (3RBI-2R-HR; BB-HBP) … hit 2-for-4 to help close out Hawaii (BB).

CHISTIAN COLON (SS … #4)
Cal State Fullerton  •  Jr.
Corona, CA  •  Canyon HS
6-0  •  180  •  Bats: Right

Helped Titans win their 4th straight elimination game (9-5 clincher vs. Minnesota) – on the same day he was selected 4th overall in the MLB draft … hit .476 (10-for-21) while factoring into 15 runs (9RBI-8R-2HR) during the five regional games … top-seeded and host team Fullerton had been upset by Minnesota in opener (3-1) before staying alive with 6-5 win over 2-seed Stanford, with Colon homering twice in that key win (4RBI) … went 3-for-5 later that day to help eliminate New Mexico, 11-3 (2RBI-3R-2B-BB) … helped beat Minnesota on Sunday night (7-2; 2-for-4, BB) to force decisive 9-5 finale in which he went 3-for-4 with 3 RBI and 3 runs scored (2 2B, HBP).

BLAKE COOPER (RHP … #27)
South Carolina  •  Sr.
Neeses, SC  •  Edisto HS
5-10  •  180

Battle-tested veteran who delivered victory for his team in top pitching matchup opposite The Citadel’s ace Asher Wojciechowski, during 9-4 winners-bracket game … did not allow an earned run (4 UER) in game that saw Citadel holding a 4-2 lead entering the 7th … struck out 12 while allowing 6 hits and 3 walks over 7.1 innings, en route to boosting his season record to 11-1.

KEVIN GONZALEZ (C … #10)
Texas A&M  •  Jr.
Houston, TX  • Mayde Creek HS
5-10  •  195  •  Bats: Right

Veteran catcher who supplied bonus offense from the 8-hole, as 2nd-seeded Aggies reached final game in regional … launched huge solo HR in top of 9th vs. Dartmouth, as A&M rallied to avoid elimination with 4-3 comeback win … hit .389 (7-for-18) with an .889 slugging pct. (2 HR, 3 2B) in five games at the regional (5RBI-3R) … helped blow out surging 3-seed Florida International in 17-3 opener (2-for-5, 2RBI-R-HR) … went 2-for-5 with a double in 11-7 win over host team Miami and then 2-for-4 (2RBI-R-2B) in final game, a 10-3 loss to the ‘Canes.

RICHIE GOODENOW (LHP … #15)
Vanderbilt  •  Jr.
Nashville, TN  •  Overton HS
6-2  •  200

Setup man who rose to the occasion in his first start of the season with 2-hit shutout vs. top seed Louisville (7-0), helping his 2nd-seed team rally to beat the host team twice … faced only 29 batters (2 over the minimum) in masterful outing vs. potent Cardinals offense … issued only a pair of walks in the 99-pitch outing that includes 60 strikes thrown … 19 of his outs came via strikeouts (5), groundballs (12, including pair of double-play balls) or infield popups (2) – while a 3rd-inning double represented the only Louisville player that reached scoring position … held each of Louisville #1 thru #6 batters hitless (0-for-18 combined).

JOHN HINSON (3B … #4)
Clemson  •  Jr./So.
Asheville, NC  •  Reynolds HS
6-0  •  175  •  Bats: Left

Delivered clutch play at the hot corner (no errors) and from the 6-hole, batting .563 (9-for-16) with and 19 total bases (3HR-2B; 5RBI-5R-BB-HBP) for 2nd-seeded Clamson … turned in strong efforts during three games (10-1, 10-11, 13-7) vs. top seed Auburn (7-for-12, 4RBI-4R-2HR-2B-BB-HBP) … had a pair of singles and an RBI in winners-bracket game and closed 2-for-3 in clinching win (RBI-3R-HR-2B-BB-HBP) … helped team nearly win second game vs. Auburn (3-5, 2RBI-R-HR) … opened regional going 2-for-4 with a HR vs Southern Mississippi.

JAMIE HOLLER (SS … #4)
College of Charleston … Jr.
Rock Hill, SC  •  Sumter JC/Northwestern HS
6-0  •  170  •  Bats: Right

Slick fielder who made no errors in four regional games (22 fielding chances) while coming through with some timely offense from the 9-hole for 2nd-seeded Cougars … played lead role in 16-6 winnners-bracket victory over top seed and host Coastal Carolina (3-for-5, 2RBI-2R) … connected on a 2-out/2-run blast for his 4th HR of season in that win over CC … batted 7-for-14 in three games vs. Coastal (pair of 1-run losses, 8-7 & 11-10, in 10), factoring into 7 of his team’s runs (3RBI-5R-HR-2B) … also singled and scored in opening win over N.C. State (9-6).

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

Steady 2-hole hitter who helped Seminoles advance from a rare road regional, in Norwich, Conn. (11-3 vs. Central Connecticut; 6-4 and 5-3 vs. Oregon) … hit .417 (5-12) with a pair of HR and a double while factoring into seven of team’s runs (4RBI-5R) during the three games (2 BB, SB) … went 2-for-3 with his 8th HR of season in final win over the Ducks (2RBI-BB) … also homered and hit his 14th 2B in earlier win over Oregon (2R).

TAYLOR JUNGMANN (RHP … #26)
Texas  •  So.
Temple, TX  •  Georgetown HS
6-6  •  195

Closed out home regional with impressive outing that helped beat 2nd-seed Rice, 4-1 … faced only 25 batters (2 over the min.) in 7.2 innings, while improving to 7-3 for the season … allowed the lone run on 2 hits and 2 walks, with 7 strikeouts and 9 groundball outs in that 84-pitch outing.

COLLIN KUHN (LF … #25)
Arkansas  •  So.
Beaver Dam, WI  •  Beaver Dam HS
5-11  •  190  •  Bats: Right

Leadoff batter who blasted 4 home runs in the regional … hit 4-for-9 and factored into six runs (4RBI-3R-HR; 2 2B-BB-HBP) during pair of wins vs. Washington State (6-4 winners-bracket; 7-2 finale) … hit .412 (7-16) at the regional and had a hand in 11 of the team’s runs (7RBI-8R-4HR; 2 2B-3BB-2 HBP-SB), with the other games including 19-7 win over Grambling and 10-7 loss to WSU (16th HR of season) … went 3-for-5 with 2RBI-2R-HR-2B in the pivotal first win over the Cougars.

SCOTT LAWSON (1B … #2)
Miami  •  Sr.
Grapevine, TX  •  Grayson JC/Colleyville Heritage HS
5-10  •  185  •  Bats: Left

One of a handful of players across the nation with a 3-HR game during regional round, doing so from the 2-hole in 14-1 winners-bracket win over 2-seed Texas A&M … went 4-for-6 in that game while factoring into 7 of the Hurricanes runs (6RBI-4R-3HR) … hit .529 (9-17) with 22 total bases in the four regional games (6RBI-5R-4HR-2B-4BB), with a single, walk and two runs scored in 10-3 clinching win over A&M … opened regional batting 2-for-4 in 12-8 win over Dartmouth (3RBI-R-BB) and added another 2-for-4 game in 11-7 loss to A&M (HR-2B).

STEVEN MAXWELL (RHP … #4)
TCU  •  Sr./Jr.
The Woodlands, TX  •  The Woodlands HS
6-0  •  180

Veteran leader of strong 3-man rotation, delivering key victory in 9-0 winners-bracket game vs. Baylor … faced only 27 batters (3 over the min.) in 8.0 strong innings … struck out 10 while holding the Bears to 3 hits and a pair of walks in the 114-pitch outing.

ADAM MORGAN (LHP … #32)
Alabama  •  So.
Marietta, GA  •  Kell HS
6-1  •  180

Surging lefthander whose complete game sparked a regional-winning rally by 2nd-seeded ‘Bama … picked up the Sunday-night win (8-1) over top seed/host Georgia Tech, forcing the decisive game on Monday … faced only 33 batters in that 114-pitch outing (75 strikes), with only 5 hits allowed and a walk while totaling 9 strikeouts and 10 groundouts … limited GT’s #1 thru #5 hitters to a combined 3-for-19 batting.

RICO NOEL (CF … #1)
Coastal Carolina  •  Jr.
Lawton, OK  •  Lawton HS
5-9  •  170  •  Bats: Right

Talented all-around hitter from the 2-hole/leadoff spots, batting .435 (10-for-23) and factoring into 12 runs (7RBI-7R-2HR) during five regional games … hit 5-for-13 in three showdown games with the College of Charleston (6-16; 8-7; 11-10, in 10) – including the 9th inning, 1-out/2-run HR that won the middle game in dramatic fashion … racked up six stolen bases in the regional, pushing his season total to a nation-leading 56 … his big game in the 8-7 win over CofC included batting 4-for-5 with 5 RBI, his 11th HR of season and 18th 2B … came back next day to hit 3-for-6, triple score twice and collect 3 SBs in clinching win … also helped post pair of wins over scrappy Stony Brook squad (6-0, 25-7).

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

Provided several key offensive plays from the 6-hole, as Sooners advanced with three 1-run wins (7-6 vs. Oral Roberts in 10; 7-6 vs. North Carolina in 10; and 3-2 vs. UNC) … his 7th-inning, 2-out single scored final run in finale vs. the Tar Heels … sparked 10th-inning rally vs. ORU with 1st-pitch/1-out single up the middle (went on to score winning run) … hit 2-for-5 with a sac.-bunt in crucial first win over UNC … batted 5-for-11 in the regional (2RBI-3R-HR-2BB-HBP-SAC).

SETH ROSIN (RHP … #29)
Minnesota  •  Jr.
Shoreview, MN  •  Mounds View HS
6-6  •  245

Shocked top seed and host team Cal State Fullerton with 8.0 dominating innings, as 4th seed Minnesota won its opening game at the regional (9-4) … allowed a single run on 3 hits and no walks, with 7 strikeouts and 6 groundouts among his 26 batters faced (2 over the min.).

TYLER THOMPSON (LF … #18)
Florida  •  So.
Tequesta, FL  •  Jupiter HS
6-1  •  190  •  Bats: Left

Platoon starter in left field who picked perfect time for best game of his career, leading the way regional clinching win over 2-seed Florida Atlantic (15-0) … batted 4-for-5 out of the 9-hole in that game, with his 3 home runs matching his career total entering the game … factored into 7 runs during that final win (6RBI-4R-3HR-2B) … tied program record for total bases (14) while becoming first Gator with 3HR in an NCAA Tournament game (his RBI 2B opened the scoring) … earlier hit 2-for-4 (R-3B) in 10-2 winners-bracket game vs. Oregon State.

* – Coastal Carolina’s Noel is the CB360 Primetime Player of the Week and Vanderbilt’s Goodenow the Primetime Pitcher of the Week … primary class years are based on academic standing (some players may have an extra year of eligibility)

Oklahoma Next Faces South Carolina At CWS

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CLICK HERE for our Super Regional Central page where you will find links to other Super Regionals.

Best two of three series (All times Eastern)

Gm 1 – Saturday - FINAL: Virginia 3, Oklahoma 2 |  Final Stats

UVA Recap | OU Recap *Virginia leads series 1-0

Gm 2 – Sunday – FINAL: Oklahoma 10, Virginia 7 | Final Stats
OU Recap | UVA Recap * Series tied (1-1)
* Highlight: OU’s Cody Reine 2 HR & 5 RBIs

Gm 3 – Monday FINAL: Oklahoma 11, Virginia 0 | Live Stats
OU Recap | UVA Recap

* Oklahoma wins series (2-1)

The Skinny

Virginia:  (#5 National Seed) This is head coach Brian O’Connor’s seventh season at Virginia, and the Cavaliers have been to the NCAA Tournament in each of those seven seasons.  The team is in its second straight and overall Super Regional, but this is the first time it has hosted a Super.  They advanced to last year’s College World Series by winning the last two games of their Super Regional at Mississippi.

Danny Hultzen (10-1, 2.83) is the ACC Pitcher of the Year.  He had a 2.05 ERA during last year’s NCAA Tournament, but he had a rough Regional outing last week when he gave-up six runs in six innings in a 13-7 win over Ole Miss. Hultzen hit  last year, but he’s focused more on pitching this year with a .281 average and just 15 starts.

Kevin Arico has been one of the nation’s top closers all year.  He is tied for the NCAA lead with 17 saves, a 2.59 ERA and 40 strikeouts with just seven walks in 31 1/3 IP.

Keith Werman leads the Cavs with a .430 average, Steven Procsia tops the team with 10 HR and 64 RBIs (he’s tied with Jarrett Parker for the HR lead), while Phil Gosselin stuffs all the stats with a .378 avg., 9 HR, 57 RBIs, 18 SB, and a 1.066 OPS.

Oklahoma:  Sunny Golloway has the Sooners in the Super Regionals for just the second time since the format began in 1999.  OU saw Arkansas advance to the College World Series last year out of the Norman Regional, but the Sooners were 3-0 in Regional play this year, including the championship game win over four-time CWS participant North Carolina.

The Sooners don’t have the vaunted starting pitching that Big 12 rival Texas has, but they have big arms in the bullpen.  Jeremy Erben (7-1, 3.90, 4 SVs) has the second most wins on the staff, but he’s made just two starts while coming out of the pen 27 times.  Ryan Duke slams the door at the end with a 3-1 record and 11 saves.

The OU line-up has both power and pedigree.  Cameron Seitzer (14 HR) and Garrett Buechele (16 HR) have helped Oklahoma top the Big 12 with 93 home runs.  Seitzer is the son of former Kansas City Royals Rookie of the Year Kevin Seitzer, while Buechele’s dad is former Texas Ranger Steve Buechele.

Charlottesville Super Regional

INDIANAPOLIS, IN—The eight super-regional hosts were announced today by the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee.

The determination of the Men’s College World Series order of first-round games both Saturday, June 19, and Sunday, June 20, will be announced Monday, June 14. The ESPN family of networks and www.NCAA.com/cws will release the CWS game dates and times as soon as they are available.

The 64th College World Series begins play Saturday, June 19, at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska.

(NCAA Release)

A By The Numbers Look At Day 3 NCAA Play…

8…Winner take all Regional championship games that will take place on Monday (CLICK HERE to see our full Regional scoreboard with Monday’s match-ups.

8…Teams that went 3-0 in Regional play over the weekend to advance to Super Regionals: Arizona State, Florida, Florida State, Oklahoma, South Carolina, UCLA, TCU, and Texas.

15…Years since Oklahoma had started NCAA play with a 3-0 record before beating North Carolina 3-2 to advance to the second Super Regional in program history (the format switched in 1999).

Oklahoma celebrates after earning the program's second Super Regional appearance. (OU photo)

2005…The last time a North Carolina team failed to get out of the Regional round of the NCAA Tournament.  Mike Fox’s UNC squad had made four straight College World Series trips, but are eliminated in Regional play for the first time since falling to Notre Dame in ’05 at the Gainesville, FL Regional.

1…Super Regional match-up that is set.  TCU and Texas will square-off in a rematch of last year’s Super Regional that sent the Longhorns to Omaha.

3…Runs allowed in three Regional wins by the vaunted Texas pitching staff.

32…Strikeouts in its three Regional victories by the TCU pitching staff.

1…#4 seed, Minnesota, that started this year’s Regional action 2-0.  The Golden Gophers join the 2004 Pepperdine team and the 2008 eventual National Champion Fresno State squad as the only #4 seeds to start 2-0 since 2003.  Minnesota lost 7-2 to Cal State Fullerton Sunday night and will play for the Regional title Monday night.

8…First inning runs scored by St. John’s en-route to a 22-16 elimination game win over Ole Miss in Charlottesville.

7…Runs given-up in just 2/3 of an inning by Ole Miss starter David Goforth in that game.

Jereymy Baltz (SJU photo)

24…Home runs this season by St. John’s freshman Jeremy Baltz after he hit a pair in Sunday 6-5 upset of #5 national seed Virginia.  The win forced Monday’s Regional Championship game.

10…Runs scored in the first inning by Coastal Carolina in its 25-7 elimination game win over Stony Brook.

23-0…Dartmouth’s record this season when leading after 6 innings prior to Sunday’s 4-3 loss to Texas A&M.  The Big Green lost after Joe Patterson homered in the 8th to tie the game, followed by a long ball by Kevin Gonzalez to lead-off the 9th for the final margin.

10…Home runs hit so far in Regional play by the Aggies after they hit two more in Sunday night’s 11-7 win over Miami to force Monday’s title game.

36 2/3…Innings pitched without allowing an earned run by A&M closer John Stilson.  The sophomore (9-1, 10 saves) tossed 3 scoreless innings in the Dartmouth win, and then fired the final 3 2/3 innings of the win over Miami.

116…Strikeouts by Stilson in 82 2/3 IP this season.

6…Runs in just 2/3 of an inning by Oregon State starter Tyler Waldron in Sunday’s 11-7 elimination game loss to Florida Atlantic.

25-7…Final score of Coastal Carolina’s elimination game win over Stony Brook.  The Chanticleers broke the game open with 10 runs in the top of the 3rd inning.  They scored at least one run in each of the last seven innings of the game.

3…Straight at-bats with a home run by Virginia Tech’s Buddy Sosnoskie, who homered in his first AB of Sunday’s 4-3 win over The Citadel.  He also went deep in his last two trips to the plate in Saturday’s win over Bucknell.

Tyler Thompson and Florida celebrate a home run. (UF photo)

3…Home runs by Florida 9-home batter Tyler Thompson in Sunday’s 15-0 win over Florida Atlantic.  Thompson had hit just two HR all season, but had a power surge to help send the Gators to the Super Regionals for a second straight year.

3…Run home run in the 8th inning by Creede Simpson to propel Auburn to an 11-10 win over Clemson.  The teams rematch for the Regional championship Monday night.

5 1/3…Scoreless innings pitched by St. John’s reliever Kevin Kilpatrick to help the Red Storm shock #5 national seed Virginia 6-5 to force a Monday Regional final game in Charlottesville.

2…Outs in the bottom of the 8th inning when Red Storm freshman Jeremy Baltz homered to provide the eventual winning runs in the St. John’s win.  It was Baltz’s second homer of the game and his24th this season.  He already ranks fourth in the St. John’s all-time home run record book (career home runs, not single season).

5…RBIs by Baltz’s teammate, Matt Wessinger, earlier in the day in a 20-16 elimination game win over Ole Miss.  Wessinger finished a home run shy of the cycle.

8…Runs scored by the Red Storm in the first inning of that game, which sent the Rebels home and St. John’s to the Regional championship round.

Richie Goodnow is congratulated after his first career complete game. (Vandy photo)

0…Runs allowed by Vanderbilt pitcher Ritchie Goodenow in his first career complete game-a 7-0 upset of #7 national seed Louisville on Sunday to force Monday’s Regional final game.

68…Career appearances Goodenow has made.  The win over the Cardinals was just the lefty’s second career start.

5…Runs scored in the 9th inning by Vandy to beat Illinois State 10-4 in an elimination game earlier in the day just to advance for the right to play Louisville.

2…Years in a row Vanderbilt has beaten the Cardinals in an elimination game in Louisville to force a winner take all Regional final.  Louisville won last year to advance to the Fullerton Super Regional.  The winner this year faces Florida State.

1…Career complete game by Rice’s Mike Ojala, who went the distance in his 34th career start to help the Owls beat Louisiana-Lafayette in a Sunday elimination game (they would lose 4-1 to Texas in their next game to see their season end).  Ojala (6-2) had ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery last June.

2…Starts made on Sunday by Washington State junior James Wise.  The junior gave-up six runs in just 2 1/3 innings in an eventual 9-6 elimination game win over Kansas State.  He then started and gave-up just a run in 3 IP to help WSU beat Arkansas 10-7, forcing a Monday Regional final.

James Wise

19…Wins this season by the Washington State bullpen with 6 1/3 shutout innings in the win over K-State.  Richie Ochoa (2-2)  tossed 4 1/3 scoreless frames to help the Cougar pen tie a school record that was originally set in 1987.

33….Years since Washington State last played in a Regional Championship game prior to Monday’s showdown with Arkansas in Fayetteville.

46…Wins this season by UCLA (46-13) to set a new single-season record after Sunday’s 6-2 Regional Championship win over UC-Irvine.  The Bruins are headed to the Super Regionals for the second time in the last four years.

18…50 win seasons by Arizona State (50-8) after beating Hawaii 8-4 to advance to the Super Regionals.

19…Combined College World Series appearances by Florida State head coach Mike Martin (13) and Oregon skipper George Horton (6 with Cal State Fullerton), whose teams met in the championship game of the Norwich Regional.  Martin’s Seminoles won 5-3 to advance to a third straight Super Regional.

1…Out and one runner on in the bottom of the 9th inning when  Rico Noel homered to give Coastal Carolina an 8-7 win over the College of Charleston to force a deciding game Monday in the Myrtle Beach Regional.  Charleston had beaten Coastal a day earlier.

A Look Around The Country At Saturday’s NCAA Action

• The hitting streak continues, but the season is over.  Garrett Wittels extended his hitting streak to 56 games in Florida International’s 15-9 loss to Dartmouth.  The loss eliminated FIU from the Coral Gables Regional.  That means Wittels will begin the 2011 season needing hits in his first two games to tie Robin Ventura for the all-time Division One record hit streak.
  

  Garrett Wittels (FIU photo)

• ““Teams are gonna know what to anticipate.  He likes to drive the ball away.  Look for some teams to try to different things next season.  Try busting him hard inside.  Nobody tried to do that.  We know he can push the ball into right center field, but can he turn on the ball?  I think that’s gonna be the test.”  That’s what ESPNU studio analyst Jay Walker had to say about Wittels and how other teams might approach him next year.  So let me get this straight…Wittels batted .409 this season, hit safely in 56 games, smacked 20 doubles, and came to the plate 237 times, but nobody ever challenged him inside once and he never once turned on the ball?  Great analysis Jay (I hope the sarcasm is detected)!  Anyone who hits in 56 straight and bats .400 over the course of the season is going to do it by going to all fields.  More great analysis by someone we’ve never heard of who probably saw all of eight of Wittels’ at-bats this season.
• Dartmouth clean-up batter Jason Brooks was 2-for-5 in the win over FIU with a grand slam and a total of 6 RBIs.  The win was the first for Dartmouth in the NCAA Tournament since 1987 and the first for the Ivy League since Princeton won a game in 2004.
• Not to be outdone, Illinois State got its first NCAA win in 34 years by downing St. Louis 8-3 in the Louisville Regional elimination game.  Kevin Tokarski homered and drove-in four.
  

  Anthony Rendon (Rice photo)

• Anthony Rendon jacked 3 HR and totaled 7 RBIs to lead Rice to a resounding 19-1 elimination game win over Rider at the Austin Regional.  With the Owls leading 11-0 Wayne Graham lifted starter Taylor Wall after 3 2/3 hitless innings.
• Southern Mississippi’s Taylor Walker was 4-for-4 with a home runs, 4 runs and 4 RBIs in an Auburn Regional elimination win over Jacksonville State.
• Matt Weisinger hit two of St. John’s‘ four home runs in Charlottesville to help the Red Storm eliminate VCU 8-6.
• Baylor beat Lamar 6-5 in Ft. Worth.  Logan Vick had his 29th extra base hit to set a freshman school record.
• Florida Atlantic had a season-high 18 hits to eliminate Bethune-Cookman with a 12-6 win in Gainesville.
• Buddy Sosnoskie belted two HR with 6 RBIs to help Virginia Tech beat Bucknell 16-7.
• Stony Brook eliminated North Carolina State with a 6-2 win in Myrtle Beach.  Sophomore Tyler Johnson (10-3) set a new Seawolves single-season record for wins.  Johnson notched 10 Ks in 8 IP.
• Tyler Garwal hit a walk-off home run to keep Oral Roberts‘ season going with a 9-8 win over Cal in Norman.  The Golden Eagles hit 4 HR and won despite walking 9 batters.
• Francis Larson hit his 25th career home run to help UC Irvine beat Kent State 19-9 in the L.A. elimination game.  Larson has now hit the most home runs in Anteater history.
  

  Neil Holland (UofL photo)

• Louisville’s 7-1 win over Vanderbilt set a program record with the 50th win of the season for the Cardinals.  Neil Holland got his 17th save with 3 shutout innings of one hit ball.
• How confident was Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell that his team could start Regional play 2-0?  Cardinal ace Thomas Royse (9-1, 2.91 ERA) did not start either of his team’s first two games.  He’ll start Sunday, which is the final game of McDonnell’s 3-game suspension.
• Mike Olt is UConn’s all-time home run (44) and RBI (177) leader after belting two long balls with a career-best 8 RBIs as the Huskies routed Central Connecticut State 25-5.  UConn now faces Oregon, which lost 6-4  to Florida State.
• Rain and lightening caused two hours and 28 minutes of delay, but Miami cruised to a 14-1 win over Texas A&M.  Hurricane 1B Scott Lawson was 4-for-6 with 3 HR and 6 RBIs.
• Danny Hultzen gave-up 6 earned runs in 6 IP, but still improved to 10-1 as Virginia beat Ole Miss. 13-7.  The Cavaliers tied a school record with their 49th win.
• Mike Ferraro was 4-for-6 with a home run, two doubles and 6 RBIs to lead San Diego to a resounding 22-1 elimination game win over Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Tempe.
• Here’s a lesson to the kids at home: ALWAYS RUN IT OUT.  Stanford’s Colin Walsh hit a fairly routine fly ball to left field, but Cal State Fullerton’s Casey Watkins dropped it.  Walsh motored all the way to third on the play and scored on a single by Stephen Piscotty.  The Titans still won 6-5 thanks to a pair of 2-run home runs by Christian Colon.
• Stanford goes 0-2 at the Fullerton Regional.  It’s just the second time Stanford has gone two and out in Regional play.  The last time it happened was in 1994 in Austin, TX.
• There were a total of seven upsets on Saturday.  Five #4 seeds won, with three of those wins vs. #2 seeds.  Two #1 seeds lost to #2 seeds.
• Minnesota is the Cinderella of the Regionals so far.  The fourth-seeded Golden Gophers downed #3 New Mexico 6-4 in 10 innings the Fullerton winner’s bracket game to go to 2-0.
• Scott Matyas struckout 8 in three scoreless, hitless innings of relief to improve to 5-1.
• Eight of Saturday’s Regional games were decided by double digits.
• Citadel’s 1-3 batters combined to go just 2-for-12 in their 9-4 loss to South Carolina.  The Gamecocks used a 5-run 7th inning to take the win.
• Starting pitchers Blake Cooper (11-1) of South Carolina and Asher Wojciechowski (12-3) of The Citadel combined for 23 strikeouts and just 4 walks.
  

  Trevor Bauer (UCLA photo)

• Trevor Bauer had 11 strikeouts to lead UCLA to a 6-3 win over defending national champion LSU in the L.A. winner’s bracket game.  Anthony Ranaudo had 10 Ks in the loss.
• The Bruins (45-13) tied a program record for most wins in one season.  It equals the win total from the Bruins’ 1997 team (45-19-1), which was the last UCLA program to go to the College World Series.
• Junior Casey Harman tossed the first complete game of his career to help #2 seed Clemson topple #1 Auburn 5-2  in Auburn.  Harman scattered five hits with 8 strikeouts.
• Arizona State’s Seth Blair is 12-0 after giving-up just a run in 7 IP as the overall #1 seeded Sun Devils rolled Hawaii 12-1.
• Joe Weik smacked two home runs and had a career-high 6 RBIs to help TCU down Arizona 11-5.  The Horned Frogs improve to 48-11 to tie the school record for wins in a season.
• TCU pitchers Matt Purke (13-0) and Tyler Lockwood combined for 10 strikeouts, making TCU 21-0 when its pitchers have at least 10 Ks in a game.