By Collegebaseball360.com Editor Sean Stires
- This week’s Notebook starts with some great news out of Berkley, where the announcement was made just weeks ago that baseball would be eliminated at Cal after the 2011 season. According to a direct message we received from the Save Cal Baseball Facebook page, Cal Baseball will be saved if the program can raise the money to
fund the program on an annual basis. It’s estimated that around $1 million a year will be needed to keep Cal baseball going. The first step in Cal’s fund raising starts next Monday, Oct. 25 when it hosts the 2010 Cal Baseball Golf Classic at Contra Costa Country Club. Anyone from inside or outside the Cal Baseball family is welcome to play. The field will be limited to 144 players. For more information on the event or to find out how to donate to the Save Cal Baseball fund contact Sam Petke: spetke@gmail.com or Dave Baker: dbaker@moorebaker.com or visit the Save Cal Baseball Facebook page.
- Texas hosted Vanderbilt in a pair of weekend 12-inning exhibitions. Both teams advanced to Super Regionals earlier this year. The Commodores won the first one 7-2 on Friday, while the Longhorns were victorious 7-5 on Sunday. Texas starter Taylor Jungmann gave-up four runs in 4.0 innings Friday night, while Vanderbilt ace Sonny Gray faced nine batters with a walk and two strikeouts in his 3.0 hitless innings. St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday, who is the brother of Vandy assistant Josh Holliday, was in attendance. Matt lives in the Austin area. Texas fell behind 5-0 in Sunday’s scrimmage, but seven Longhorn hurlers then combined for 8.0 shutout innings to let Texas rally for a 7-5 win. Vandy starter Grayson Garvin tossed 3.0 perfect innings, while UT’s Cole Green allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits in his 3.0 innings.
- The Great One’s son has chosen baseball over hockey. Trevor Gretzky, the son of NHL Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky, has committed to play baseball for baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn at San Diego State. Trevor hit .341 with two home runs at Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, CA. It’s the same high school
Trevor and Wayne Gretzky
current Carolina Panther and former Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen attended.
- Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon was honored during Saturday’s Rice-Houston football game. Rendon was re-presented this year’s Dick Howser Trophy by Jana Howser (Dick Howser’s daughter) and Bo Carter of the NCBWA. Rendon originally received the award in July as the National Player of the Year. The junior batted .394 with 26 home runs and 85 RBIs in 2010. His 26 home runs were four more than his strikeout total of 22.
- Florida State is among the most recent teams to unveil its 2011 schedule. A trip to Georgia for a three-game series the first weekend of March is the most notable non-conference trip the Seminoles will make. They also play four single games against Florida in Tampa, Jacksonville, Gainesville, and Tallahassee.
- Nebraska has a marquee non-conference series on its 2011 schedule. The Cornhuskers welcome 2010 College World Series runner-up UCLA to Lincoln for three games March 4-6. It will be decidedly colder in Nebraska than it was when the Bruins made their Omaha run in June. Nebraska also hosts three games with Fresno State March 11-13.
Nebraska's Hawks Field at Haymarket Park
- Speaking of the Cornhuskers, the University of Nebraka’s Board of Regents has approved $4.75 million to build the school’s new indoor baseball/softball facility that we mentioned last week. The 22,000 square foot facility will be located at Haymarket Park, near the current playing facilities for both teams. The new building will include batting cages, pitching mounds and a turf system to allow the baseball and softball teams to take indoor infield practice.
- Michigan plays its first 18 games of the 2011 season in Florida, Texas, South Carolina, and California. The Wolverines concluded that season-opening swing with three games at Stanford March 18-19. They also play a 19th game, an exhibition against the New York Mets on February 27 in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- Speaking of Stanford, Baseball America recently released its ranking of college baseball’s top recruiting classes and Mark Marquess tops the list. Here’s a look at the top 10: 1. Stanford 2. LSU 3. UCLA 4. San Diego 5. Oregon 6. Florida 7. Georgia Tech 8. Arkansas 9. Rice 10. Cal State Fullerton. Who has the #11 class according to BA? None other than the Cal Golden Bears…which were supposed to become extinct after the 2011 season.