Friday (3/13) News Links
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OWH: Husker offense hoping to hit its stride
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OWH: Husker offense hoping to hit its stride
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OWH: Husker offense hoping to hit its stride
LJS: Alvarado enjoys journey that led to Nebraska baseball
Luis Alvarado came to Nebraska through the grapevine.
"My coach (Hector Stewart) back home in Puerto Rico knew a guy with the Mets, who knew Coach (Darin) Erstad when he was with the Angels, and he said, 'I have a great place for you,' and he sent a video to Nebraska and I ended up talking with Coach Erstad. And that's how I got here," Alvarado said. "Here is a big-name coach, who knows a lot about baseball. That's important to me."
Simple enough.
Alvarado, a standout at the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy last year, has already found a home in Lincoln and in left field for the Huskers. He'll start NU's series against Florida Gulf Coast that begins with Friday's 4 p.m. game. The series continues with games Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
The slender 6-foot-3 freshman visited Nebraska during his spring break last year, which coincided with a chilly series between the Huskers and UNLV in Lincoln. He was one of the top players in Puerto Rico. Last June, he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 33rd round. He chose Nebraska, despite his introduction to the change of weather.
"I left that morning from home and it was 90-95 (degrees). I didn't have anything other than a hoodie and I thought 'Wow, this is cold,'" he said. He bought a jacket, another hoodie, a coat and gloves but was still cold. "I had to go to one of the suites (at Haymarket Park) because it was so cold."
But he was convinced Nebraska was the place to be, and he's proved to be a great find for the Huskers as a .286 hitter with plenty of range.
"I got used to the cold," he said. "The first day it snowed last winter here, my roommate told me to be careful, because I ride a bike to classes. The first thing I do is go fast and the first corner I went down. The next corner I went down. So I just stopped using the bike."
Everything else has worked out well.
"I think I'm putting too much pressure on me at the start of the season, but I've calmed down and started taking things easy - I've got three more years here," Alvarado said.
He's gotten advice from teammate Blake Headley, a senior third baseman from Millard South. "I believe what he tells me, about what he did as a freshman," Alvarado said. "Look at his success. That shows me he's like a team captain and a leader."
Last fall, Erstad and new assistant coach Mike Kirby talked about how Alvarado was going to be one of the many freshmen to contribute this year. Erstad said Alvarado has a very good swing. Kirby said the freshman has hidden power, too.
Alvarado also has plenty of baseball behind him.
He lived in Florida his junior year of high school. Then he was invited to one of two baseball academies in Puerto Rico. He went to school until 1 p.m., then had baseball practice and games. At the academy, sponsored by Major League Baseball, he had a tight schedule.
"I went to the academy until 5 p.m.," he said. "Then home, to work on baseball skills and fitness. Then dinner, then study.
"Sometimes I wanted a day off, but my dad is a boxing trainer, and he pushed me through it," Alvarado said. "I never boxed since I was a little guy. We decided it was best for him not to coach me in boxing. So he said, if I like baseball, stick with baseball."
Alvarado seems to be fitting in.
"This is a great team, a bunch of great guys and nothing is boring now," he said. "I think they were surprised I was pretty good at English. I've been speaking it since I was 12.
"I still talk to myself in Spanish, like if I make a mistake, I say something (harsh) in Spanish and the other guys try to pick it up. I've been watching college games and my dream is to play in college. At the beginning, it was fast, but I'm getting used to it.
"It's normal for me."
LJS: Alvarado enjoys journey that led to Nebraska
Luis Alvarado came to Nebraska through the grapevine.
"My coach (Hector Stewart) back home in Puerto Rico knew a guy with the Mets, who knew Coach (Darin) Erstad when he was with the Angels, and he said, 'I have a great place for you,' and he sent a video to Nebraska and I ended up talking with Coach Erstad. And that's how I got here," Alvarado said. "Here is a big-name coach, who knows a lot about baseball. That's important to me."
Simple enough.
Alvarado, a standout at the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy last year, has already found a home in Lincoln and in left field for the Huskers. He'll start NU's series against Florida Gulf Coast that begins with Friday's 4 p.m. game. The series continues with games Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
The slender 6-foot-3 freshman visited Nebraska during his spring break last year, which coincided with a chilly series between the Huskers and UNLV in Lincoln. He was one of the top players in Puerto Rico. Last June, he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 33rd round. He chose Nebraska, despite his introduction to the change of weather.
"I left that morning from home and it was 90-95 (degrees). I didn't have anything other than a hoodie and I thought 'Wow, this is cold,'" he said. He bought a jacket, another hoodie, a coat and gloves but was still cold. "I had to go to one of the suites (at Haymarket Park) because it was so cold."
But he was convinced Nebraska was the place to be, and he's proved to be a great find for the Huskers as a .286 hitter with plenty of range.
"I got used to the cold," he said. "The first day it snowed last winter here, my roommate told me to be careful, because I ride a bike to classes. The first thing I do is go fast and the first corner I went down. The next corner I went down. So I just stopped using the bike."
Everything else has worked out well.
"I think I'm putting too much pressure on me at the start of the season, but I've calmed down and started taking things easy - I've got three more years here," Alvarado said.
He's gotten advice from teammate Blake Headley, a senior third baseman from Millard South. "I believe what he tells me, about what he did as a freshman," Alvarado said. "Look at his success. That shows me he's like a team captain and a leader."
Last fall, Erstad and new assistant coach Mike Kirby talked about how Alvarado was going to be one of the many freshmen to contribute this year. Erstad said Alvarado has a very good swing. Kirby said the freshman has hidden power, too.
Alvarado also has plenty of baseball behind him.
He lived in Florida his junior year of high school. Then he was invited to one of two baseball academies in Puerto Rico. He went to school until 1 p.m., then had baseball practice and games. At the academy, sponsored by Major League Baseball, he had a tight schedule.
"I went to the academy until 5 p.m.," he said. "Then home, to work on baseball skills and fitness. Then dinner, then study.
"Sometimes I wanted a day off, but my dad is a boxing trainer, and he pushed me through it," Alvarado said. "I never boxed since I was a little guy. We decided it was best for him not to coach me in boxing. So he said, if I like baseball, stick with baseball."
Alvarado seems to be fitting in.
"This is a great team, a bunch of great guys and nothing is boring now," he said. "I think they were surprised I was pretty good at English. I've been speaking it since I was 12.
"I still talk to myself in Spanish, like if I make a mistake, I say something (harsh) in Spanish and the other guys try to pick it up. I've been watching college games and my dream is to play in college. At the beginning, it was fast, but I'm getting used to it.
"It's normal for me."
LJS: Alvarado enjoys journey that led to Nebraska
NU: Huskers Welcome Eagles to Hawks Field
Friday, March 13 (4:05 p.m.)
Probable Starters: RHP Sinclair (1-3) vs. RHP Murray (1-2)
TV: None
Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: HuskersNSide
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Saturday, March 14 (2:05 p.m.)
Probable Starters: LHP Kubat (2-0) vs. LHP Smeltzer (1-1)
TV: None
Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: BTN Plus
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Sunday, March 15 (1:05 p.m.)
Probable Starters: RHP Burkamper (1-1) vs. TBA
TV: None
Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: BTN Plus
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Fresh off a pair of wins against Northern Colorado, the Nebraska baseball team (9-6, 0-0 Big Ten) continues its 16-game homestand with a three-game series against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles (8-9-1, 0-0 Atlantic Sun) that starts on Friday afternoon.
Friday's series opener is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. and will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams. They are scheduled to meet on Saturday at 2:05 p.m., before wrapping up the series on Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
The Eagles have yet to play a game outside of the state of Florida this season. They have played 16 of their 18 games at home, while their two road games were in Tampa and Miami.
After opening the season with a win at UNLV, senior Chance Sinclair has dropped his last three starts and will look to break the streak in Friday's opener. Sinclair, who was 9-1 last season, will match up against junior right-hander Mike Murray, who is 1-2 on the year after posting a 13-1 record last season. The 6-3 Murray was the Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year in 2014, and was also named a second-team All-American by Louisville Slugger as well as a third-team All-American by both the NCBWA and ABCA. He has gone at least 7.0 innings in each of his last three starts, including 8.0 innings in a loss to Minnesota on Feb. 27.
Senior Kyle Kubat is scheduled to start Saturday for the Huskers and is 2-0 on the year, including wins in each of his past two starts. The Eagles are scheduled to start a left-handed pitcher also in freshman Devin Smeltzer. A native of Voorhees, N.J., Smeltzer is 1-1 on the year in four starts and has given up at least three runs in every start.
Sophomore Derek Burkamper is set to climb the hill for the Huskers in Sunday's finale. Burkamper is coming off a loss to LSU where he struggled early, but allowed just four base runners and two hits over his final five innings of work. The Eagles have not yet announced a starting pitcher for Sunday.
On the Radio
Fans across Nebraska and around the world can listen to Greg Sharpe and Lane Grindle call all of the action on the Husker Sports Network - including KLIN 1400 AM in Lincoln - and live on Huskers.com, the Official Husker App or the TuneIn Radio App.
TV Coverage
No TV coverage this week.
Web Streams
Friday's game will be carried on HuskersNSide (subscription required). Both Saturday's and Sunday's games will be carried on BTN Plus (subscription required and more info at BTN2Go.com)
90 Yards
Senior Blake Headley nearly ran the length of a football field on four different occasions over two games against the Northern Colorado Bears, as Headley roped a pair of triples against the Bears on both Tuesday and Wednesday. The senior now has five triples this year after hitting two triples over his first three seasons at Nebraska, both came last season.
Through Wednesday, Headley is tied with North Florida's Donnie Dewees and LSU's Andrew Stevenson for the NCAA lead in triples this season.
Headley achieved the feat in back-to-back games after it only happened once for the Huskers last season when Michael Pritchard notched two triples in NU's season-opening win against Pacific on Feb. 13, 2014.
Since 1998, Headley is only the fifth Husker to record two triples in a game and the only player to do it twice. The other four include, Pritchard (2014), Will Bolt (1999), Jeff Leise (2002) and Adam Shabala (2000).
Only two players in school history have ever hit three triples in a game. Dan Boever did it first in 1983 against Benedictine and Shawn Buchanan became the second player to do it against Wayne State in 1990.
17 Hits to Go
After Michael Pritchard and Pat Kelly each joined Nebraska 200-hit club last season, senior Austin Darby is 17 hits away from becoming the program's 23rd member.
If he joins the club, Darby would be the fourth Husker to join over the past three seasons, as Chad Christensen ended his career with 247 hits in 2013.
Prior to Christensen, Jake Opitz was the last Husker to join the club in 2008.
Matt Hopper holds the school record with 338 career hits and is one of just two players in school history to have topped 300 hits.
NU 200-Career Hit Club
1. 338 Matt Hopper 2000-03
2. 305 Jeff Leise 2000-03
3. 281 Will Bolt 1999-02
4. 261 Darin Erstad 1993-95
5. 251 Michael Pritchard 2011-14
6. 250 Paul Meyers 1984-86
7. 249 Joe Simokaitis 2002-05
8. 248 Jed Dalton 1992-95
9. 247 Chad Christensen 2010-13
10. 246 Darin Petersen 1992-95
11. 242 Mark Kister 1985-87
12. 240 Alex Gordon 2003-05
13. 238 DJ Belfonte 2007-10
14. 234 Todd Sears 1995-97
15. 231 Daniel Bruce 2002-05
16. 229 Ken Ramos 1987-89
17. 227 Jake Opitz 2005-08
18. 223 Curtis Ledbetter 2003-05
19. 222 John Cole 1999-01
20. 212 Pat Kelly 2012-14
21. 203 Ken Harvey 1997-99
22. 201 Francis Collins 1995-97
Confidence in the Pen
During Darin Erstad's tenure at Nebraska, the Husker bullpen has done its job when it has a lead.
Led by pitching coach Ted Silva, the Huskers are 84-11 since 2012 when they lead after the sixth inning. The Huskers are 86-6 when leading after seven innings and nearly perfect when leading after eight innings with a 95-4 record.
Double Digits
Last season the Huskers produced double-digit hits in 30 of their 62 games, including 14 of their 27 home games.
The Huskers were 25-5 when notching double-digit hits last season.
Through 15 games this season, the Huskers have notched double-digit hits four times and are a perfect 4-0 in those games.
The Huskers are 5-1 this year when out-hitting their opponent. The only loss came against LSU, when the Huskers out hit the Tigers, 9-8, but lost 4-2.
Last season, Nebraska was 32-3 when they out hit their opponent, with losses coming against Oregon State, as well as both of NU's losses to Cal State Fullerton in the NCAA Tournament.
Pitcher's Best Friend
Since 2012, the Huskers are tied with Fresno State for 12th in the nation with 180 double plays turned, including 16 this season though 15 games. Mississippi State leads the nation since 2012 with 222 double plays.
Double Plays Since 2012
1. Mississippi State 222
2. Georgia Tech 205
3. Southern Miss 201
4. Washington State 198
Oregon State 198
6. Arkansas 199
7. Notre Dame 191
8. Florida State 190
9. Tulane 186
10. New Mexico 185
11. East Carolina 182
12. Fresno State 180
Nebraska 180
14. Siena 173
Tanner Turning the Corner
Tanner Lubach didn't get off to the start he wanted in his senior year, going 0-for-18 to start to the season.
Lubach broke the dry spell with a double that nearly left the park against BYU on Saturday, Feb. 21.
Since the double against the Cougars, Lubach is hitting .379 (11-for-29) with a home run and four multi-hit performances over his past seven games.
More importantly, Lubach has struck out just twice over the past eight games, after notching nine strikeouts through his first six games of the season.
Like Your Chances with Sinclair
Even though Chance Sinclair is coming off three straight losses, after losing just one game last season, fans should feel confident with him on the mound Friday night.
A third-team All-American and unanimous first-team All-Big Ten performer last season, Sinclair has a career record of 10-3, including a perfect 6-0 record during Big Ten play.
Sinclair dropped a tough 2-1 decision to unbeaten Texas A&M last weekend in Houston at the Houston College Classic. The senior took the loss, but did all he could to keep the Huskers in the game, going 8.0 inning and retiring 17 straight Aggies at one point in the game.
During his career, the right-hander has gone 6.0 or more innings in 14 of his 20 starts, including 10 outings of at least 7.0 innings or more, including a 9.0-inning complete game against Ohio State in 2014.
Miller's Time
Sophomore Ben Miller has been a key cog in NU's offense this season. The left-handed hitter from Clive, Iowa, Miller ranks second on the team with 14 RBIs, one more than the 13 RBIs he totaled in 29 starts last season.
Young Guns
Through 15 games this season the Huskers have seen six freshmen pitchers take the mound. The six newcomers have combined for 29.2 innings of work over two starts and 16 relief appearances.
The six freshmen have shown early success as well, as three of them have yet to allow a run, while the group holds an ERA of 1.85.
Over the past three seasons combined the Huskers had a total of nine freshmen see time on the mound, including three in 2012, two in 2013 and four in 2014.
Experienced Lefty
Senior Kyle Kubat has four starts under his belt in 2015 and enters his start on Saturday against Florida Gulf Coast with 32 career starts on the mound, which ties him for 11th all time at Nebraska. The lefty from Waterloo, Neb., started eight games in each of his first two seasons before making 12 starts last year.
His 33rd career start on Saturday will give him sole possession of 11th on the NU career list.
If Kubat starts at least 12 games in 2015 he will become the first Husker since Johnny Dorn to make at least 40 career starts. Dorn ranks second all-time at Nebraska with 58 career starts from 2000 to 2003.
Since 2000, only four pitchers at Nebraska have made at least 40 career starts, including Shane Komine (59), Dorn (58), Jamie Rodrigue (53) and Zach Kroenke (41).
Welcome Home
After one season at Hutchinson CC, sophomore infielder Jake Schleppenbach returned to Lincoln to play for the Huskers. The Pius X graduate has been a welcome addition to the 2015 squad, as he has filled a defensive hole at second base left by Pat Kelly and he ranks third on the team with a .327 batting average (18-for-55).
Schleppenbach hit in the bottom third of the lineup over the first six games of the year, before moving to the leadoff spot in on Saturday, Feb. 21, a 9-1 win over BYU. The sophomore made the most his opportunity with a 3-for-5 performance and a pair of runs scored.
Since moving to the leadoff spot the Huskers are 6-3, and Schleppenbach is tied with Ryan Boldt for the team lead with 10 runs scored.
14th Season at Hawks Field
The Nebraska baseball program is celebrating its 14th year at Hawks Field. Entering Friday's series opener with Florida Gulf Coast, the Huskers are 282-103-1 (.732) since opening the park on March 5, 2002 with a 23-1 win over Nebraska-Kearney.
NU: Huskers Welcome Eagles to Hawks Field
Friday, March 13 (4:05 p.m.)
Probable Starters: RHP Sinclair (1-3) vs. RHP Murray (1-2)
TV: None
Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: HuskersNSide
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Saturday, March 14 (2:05 p.m.)
Probable Starters: LHP Kubat (2-0) vs. LHP Smeltzer (1-1)
TV: None
Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: BTN Plus
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Sunday, March 15 (1:05 p.m.)
Probable Starters: RHP Burkamper (1-1) vs. TBA
TV: None
Audio Stream: Huskers.com | Video Stream: BTN Plus
Radio: Husker Sports Network
Fresh off a pair of wins against Northern Colorado, the Nebraska baseball team (9-6, 0-0 Big Ten) continues its 16-game homestand with a three-game series against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles (8-9-1, 0-0 Atlantic Sun) that starts on Friday afternoon.
Friday's series opener is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. and will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams. They are scheduled to meet on Saturday at 2:05 p.m., before wrapping up the series on Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
The Eagles have yet to play a game outside of the state of Florida this season. They have played 16 of their 18 games at home, while their two road games were in Tampa and Miami.
After opening the season with a win at UNLV, senior Chance Sinclair has dropped his last three starts and will look to break the streak in Friday's opener. Sinclair, who was 9-1 last season, will match up against junior right-hander Mike Murray, who is 1-2 on the year after posting a 13-1 record last season. The 6-3 Murray was the Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Year in 2014, and was also named a second-team All-American by Louisville Slugger as well as a third-team All-American by both the NCBWA and ABCA. He has gone at least 7.0 innings in each of his last three starts, including 8.0 innings in a loss to Minnesota on Feb. 27.
Senior Kyle Kubat is scheduled to start Saturday for the Huskers and is 2-0 on the year, including wins in each of his past two starts. The Eagles are scheduled to start a left-handed pitcher also in freshman Devin Smeltzer. A native of Voorhees, N.J., Smeltzer is 1-1 on the year in four starts and has given up at least three runs in every start.
Sophomore Derek Burkamper is set to climb the hill for the Huskers in Sunday's finale. Burkamper is coming off a loss to LSU where he struggled early, but allowed just four base runners and two hits over his final five innings of work. The Eagles have not yet announced a starting pitcher for Sunday.
On the Radio
Fans across Nebraska and around the world can listen to Greg Sharpe and Lane Grindle call all of the action on the Husker Sports Network - including KLIN 1400 AM in Lincoln - and live on Huskers.com, the Official Husker App or the TuneIn Radio App.
TV Coverage
No TV coverage this week.
Web Streams
Friday's game will be carried on HuskersNSide (subscription required). Both Saturday's and Sunday's games will be carried on BTN Plus (subscription required and more info at BTN2Go.com)
90 Yards
Senior Blake Headley nearly ran the length of a football field on four different occasions over two games against the Northern Colorado Bears, as Headley roped a pair of triples against the Bears on both Tuesday and Wednesday. The senior now has five triples this year after hitting two triples over his first three seasons at Nebraska, both came last season.
Through Wednesday, Headley is tied with North Florida's Donnie Dewees and LSU's Andrew Stevenson for the NCAA lead in triples this season.
Headley achieved the feat in back-to-back games after it only happened once for the Huskers last season when Michael Pritchard notched two triples in NU's season-opening win against Pacific on Feb. 13, 2014.
Since 1998, Headley is only the fifth Husker to record two triples in a game and the only player to do it twice. The other four include, Pritchard (2014), Will Bolt (1999), Jeff Leise (2002) and Adam Shabala (2000).
Only two players in school history have ever hit three triples in a game. Dan Boever did it first in 1983 against Benedictine and Shawn Buchanan became the second player to do it against Wayne State in 1990.
17 Hits to Go
After Michael Pritchard and Pat Kelly each joined Nebraska 200-hit club last season, senior Austin Darby is 17 hits away from becoming the program's 23rd member.
If he joins the club, Darby would be the fourth Husker to join over the past three seasons, as Chad Christensen ended his career with 247 hits in 2013.
Prior to Christensen, Jake Opitz was the last Husker to join the club in 2008.
Matt Hopper holds the school record with 338 career hits and is one of just two players in school history to have topped 300 hits.
NU 200-Career Hit Club
1. 338 Matt Hopper 2000-03
2. 305 Jeff Leise 2000-03
3. 281 Will Bolt 1999-02
4. 261 Darin Erstad 1993-95
5. 251 Michael Pritchard 2011-14
6. 250 Paul Meyers 1984-86
7. 249 Joe Simokaitis 2002-05
8. 248 Jed Dalton 1992-95
9. 247 Chad Christensen 2010-13
10. 246 Darin Petersen 1992-95
11. 242 Mark Kister 1985-87
12. 240 Alex Gordon 2003-05
13. 238 DJ Belfonte 2007-10
14. 234 Todd Sears 1995-97
15. 231 Daniel Bruce 2002-05
16. 229 Ken Ramos 1987-89
17. 227 Jake Opitz 2005-08
18. 223 Curtis Ledbetter 2003-05
19. 222 John Cole 1999-01
20. 212 Pat Kelly 2012-14
21. 203 Ken Harvey 1997-99
22. 201 Francis Collins 1995-97
Confidence in the Pen
During Darin Erstad's tenure at Nebraska, the Husker bullpen has done its job when it has a lead.
Led by pitching coach Ted Silva, the Huskers are 84-11 since 2012 when they lead after the sixth inning. The Huskers are 86-6 when leading after seven innings and nearly perfect when leading after eight innings with a 95-4 record.
Double Digits
Last season the Huskers produced double-digit hits in 30 of their 62 games, including 14 of their 27 home games.
The Huskers were 25-5 when notching double-digit hits last season.
Through 15 games this season, the Huskers have notched double-digit hits four times and are a perfect 4-0 in those games.
The Huskers are 5-1 this year when out-hitting their opponent. The only loss came against LSU, when the Huskers out hit the Tigers, 9-8, but lost 4-2.
Last season, Nebraska was 32-3 when they out hit their opponent, with losses coming against Oregon State, as well as both of NU's losses to Cal State Fullerton in the NCAA Tournament.
Pitcher's Best Friend
Since 2012, the Huskers are tied with Fresno State for 12th in the nation with 180 double plays turned, including 16 this season though 15 games. Mississippi State leads the nation since 2012 with 222 double plays.
Double Plays Since 2012
1. Mississippi State 222
2. Georgia Tech 205
3. Southern Miss 201
4. Washington State 198
Oregon State 198
6. Arkansas 199
7. Notre Dame 191
8. Florida State 190
9. Tulane 186
10. New Mexico 185
11. East Carolina 182
12. Fresno State 180
Nebraska 180
14. Siena 173
Tanner Turning the Corner
Tanner Lubach didn't get off to the start he wanted in his senior year, going 0-for-18 to start to the season.
Lubach broke the dry spell with a double that nearly left the park against BYU on Saturday, Feb. 21.
Since the double against the Cougars, Lubach is hitting .379 (11-for-29) with a home run and four multi-hit performances over his past seven games.
More importantly, Lubach has struck out just twice over the past eight games, after notching nine strikeouts through his first six games of the season.
Like Your Chances with Sinclair
Even though Chance Sinclair is coming off three straight losses, after losing just one game last season, fans should feel confident with him on the mound Friday night.
A third-team All-American and unanimous first-team All-Big Ten performer last season, Sinclair has a career record of 10-3, including a perfect 6-0 record during Big Ten play.
Sinclair dropped a tough 2-1 decision to unbeaten Texas A&M last weekend in Houston at the Houston College Classic. The senior took the loss, but did all he could to keep the Huskers in the game, going 8.0 inning and retiring 17 straight Aggies at one point in the game.
During his career, the right-hander has gone 6.0 or more innings in 14 of his 20 starts, including 10 outings of at least 7.0 innings or more, including a 9.0-inning complete game against Ohio State in 2014.
Miller's Time
Sophomore Ben Miller has been a key cog in NU's offense this season. The left-handed hitter from Clive, Iowa, Miller ranks second on the team with 14 RBIs, one more than the 13 RBIs he totaled in 29 starts last season.
Young Guns
Through 15 games this season the Huskers have seen six freshmen pitchers take the mound. The six newcomers have combined for 29.2 innings of work over two starts and 16 relief appearances.
The six freshmen have shown early success as well, as three of them have yet to allow a run, while the group holds an ERA of 1.85.
Over the past three seasons combined the Huskers had a total of nine freshmen see time on the mound, including three in 2012, two in 2013 and four in 2014.
Experienced Lefty
Senior Kyle Kubat has four starts under his belt in 2015 and enters his start on Saturday against Florida Gulf Coast with 32 career starts on the mound, which ties him for 11th all time at Nebraska. The lefty from Waterloo, Neb., started eight games in each of his first two seasons before making 12 starts last year.
His 33rd career start on Saturday will give him sole possession of 11th on the NU career list.
If Kubat starts at least 12 games in 2015 he will become the first Husker since Johnny Dorn to make at least 40 career starts. Dorn ranks second all-time at Nebraska with 58 career starts from 2000 to 2003.
Since 2000, only four pitchers at Nebraska have made at least 40 career starts, including Shane Komine (59), Dorn (58), Jamie Rodrigue (53) and Zach Kroenke (41).
Welcome Home
After one season at Hutchinson CC, sophomore infielder Jake Schleppenbach returned to Lincoln to play for the Huskers. The Pius X graduate has been a welcome addition to the 2015 squad, as he has filled a defensive hole at second base left by Pat Kelly and he ranks third on the team with a .327 batting average (18-for-55).
Schleppenbach hit in the bottom third of the lineup over the first six games of the year, before moving to the leadoff spot in on Saturday, Feb. 21, a 9-1 win over BYU. The sophomore made the most his opportunity with a 3-for-5 performance and a pair of runs scored.
Since moving to the leadoff spot the Huskers are 6-3, and Schleppenbach is tied with Ryan Boldt for the team lead with 10 runs scored.
14th Season at Hawks Field
The Nebraska baseball program is celebrating its 14th year at Hawks Field. Entering Friday's series opener with Florida Gulf Coast, the Huskers are 282-103-1 (.732) since opening the park on March 5, 2002 with a 23-1 win over Nebraska-Kearney.
NU: Huskers Welcome Eagles to Hawks Field
@FGCU_Baseball Travels to Nebraska for First Road Series of the Season
Mar. 13-15 vs. Nebraska (9-6) | Hawks Field | Tickets
Twitter: @FGCU_Baseball
Instagram: @FGCU_Baseball
Facebook.com/FGCUBaseball
Probable Starters
Mar. 13 | 5:05 PM ET | Live Stats | Video
FGCU | Mike Murray (1-2): 2.60 ERA, 27.2 IP, 21 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 34 SO
NEB | Chance Sinclair (1-3): 4.56 ERA, 23.2 IP, 29 H, 13 R, 12 ER, 6 BB, 18 SO
Mar. 14 | 3:05 PM ET | Live Stats | Big Ten Network Plus
FGCU | Devin Smeltzer (1-1): 4.29 ERA, 21.0 IP, 25 H, 14 R, 10 ER, 5 BB, 12 SO
NEB | Kyle Kubat (2-0): 1.44 ERA, 25.0 IP, 21 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 14 SO
Mar. 15 | 2:05 PM ET | Live Stats | Big Ten Network Plus
FGCU | TBA
NEB | Derek Burkamper (1-1): 3.50 ERA, 18.0 IP, 16 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 10 SO
LINCOLN, Neb. - The FGCU baseball team (8-9-1) will travel to Nebraska (9-6) to challenge the Huskers in its first weekend road series of the 2015 season. The Eagles have never met with Nebraska and will send Mike Murray to the mound in the first meeting on Friday night at 4:05 p.m. local time, 5:05 p.m. eastern. Nebraska will be the third Big Ten opponent already this season for the Green and Blue.
Friday's game can be seen live on HuskersNSide which is Nebraska's web-based video-streaming platform. The matchups on Saturday and Sunday can be seen on the Big Ten Network Plus which is the league's online video-streaming platform, similar to ESPN3, which requires a subscription.
MIKE MURRAY
Murray (West Palm Beach, Fla./Forrest Hill HS) will take the ball for the series opener and make his fifth start of the season opposite the Cornhuskers, his first on the road in 2015. His start on Friday will also be the third as many weeks that he will be in search of the 20th victory of his career, making the right-hander just the fifth pitcher in program history to accomplish that feat. The program record is 25 currently held by FGCU Pitching Coach Pete Woodworth.
Murray has posted just 1-2 record over his first four starts but the record can be misleading. The junior has rolled to a 2.60 ERA in 27.2 innings with 34 strikeouts against just two walks while opponents are hitting a meager .202 against him. His strikeout-to-walk ratio of 17.00 ranks in a tie for seventh in the nation while his 34 punch outs are tied for 15th.
Last week opposite Western Michigan the junior would strike out 10 Broncos over 7.0 innings while allowing seven hits and three runs. Prior to that he rolled through his first six innings of work opposite Minnesota, retiring 15-straight after giving up a hit with no outs in the second. Three hits and a walk in the seventh would doom the junior, however, as three runs would come across on a bases clearing single to right to provide all the scoring Minnesota would need. Murray would finish the evening with eight innings under his belt to go with four strikeouts.
The junior would earn Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Week recognition after he cruised through 7.2 innings of work against Fordham, striking out eleven while allowing just five hits to pick up his first win of the season. The West Palm Beach native pitched exceptionally well out of the gate in his first outing of the season, allowing just one hit and striking out seven over the first four frames opposite Central Michigan. He struggled in the fifth, however, giving up three hits, including a one-out, two-run triple which would ultimately hand Murray his first loss of the season and third of his career. He would close the night with nine strikeouts after pitching into the sixth.
Murray was named a Preseason All-American by three separate publications. Perfect Game and the NCBWA selected Murray to the third team while Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball Newspaper chose the right-hander to the second team. He was also tabbed the Preseason A-Sun Pitcher of the Year and named to the 50-man Preseason Golden Spikes Award watch list.
DEVIN SMELTZER
Devin Smeltzer (Voorhees, N.J./Bishop Eustace Prep) will make his fifth start on Saturday after picking up the first win of his career last Sunday against Western Michigan after coming up one out short opposite Illinois and taking the first loss of his career last against Minnesota. The lefty tossed 6.2 innings against WMU and allowed four runs on seven hits while striking out five. Four relievers would guide FGCU the rest of the way. So far this season Smeltzer has provided a 4.29 ERA in 21.0 innings of the hill for FGCU while striking out 12 against five walks.
HEAD COACH MATCHUP
In 13 seasons of work, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 442-247-3 record as the only head coach in the program's history. He will match up with former Major League Baseball All-Star Darin Erstad who is in his fourth season as the head coach for the Cornhuskers. Erstad, who is the only player in MLB history to win Gold Gloves as an infielder (2004) and outfielder (2000 and 2002) and the first player in MLB history to win Gold Gloves at three positions (LF, 2000; CF, 2002; 1B, 2004) for the Los Angeles Angels has compiled a 114-80 record at Nebraska.
SCOUTING NEBRASKA
Nebraska racked up 41 wins last season with 18 coming in conference play and would advance all the way to the Big Ten title game. Despite a loss in the conference championship game, Nebraska advanced to the NCAA Regional but were knocked out by Cal-State Fullerton.
So far this season Nebraska is led at the plate by Ryan Boldt who is hitting .360 in 14 games. He has collected 18 hits and driven in three runs while teammates Blake Headley (.327) and Ben Miller (.300) have driven in 15 and 13 runs, respectively.
Chance Sinclair will take the mound opposite Murray and has struggled a bit in the early going this season. Sinclair has tossed 23.2 innings with a 4.56 ERA and 18 strikeouts against six walks. Kyle Kubat will matchup with Smeltzer on Saturday and has been the brightest of stars on the mound to this point. Kubat is 2-0 with a 1.44 ERA in 25.0 innings with 14 punch outs.
ADAM EGGNATZ
Eggnatz has had the most notable breakout season of any FGCU player in the lineup this year. The senior has hit .383 this season 60 at-bats after accumulating just 46 all of last season. He has collected 23 hits, a double, a triple and 11 RBI while building an eight-game hitting streak that was snapped on Tuesday opposite No. 19 Miami. He has also stolen three bags this season while maintaining an on base percentage of .439. In four games last week, Eggnatz hit .643 opposite Miami and Western Michigan.
Eggnatz also emerged late last season as a viable option on the mound out of the bullpen. In 2014 he appeared in two games, tossing 2.0 innings without allowing a run and striking out four. In his first and only appearance so far this season, the Tampa native threw 2.2 innings of scoreless relief and struck out four while giving up just three hits without walking a batter.
JAKE NOLL
Noll has continued to be the spark plug for FGCU at the top of the lineup. He has picked up right where he left off a season ago, leading the Eagles with 25 hits already through 18 games with a .347 batting average which ranks second on the team. He has also ripped three doubles, driven in 11 runs, stole six bases in seven attempts and hit the first home run of his career two weekends ago. The sophomore made the move from second to third base this season and has been able to produce a .431 slugging percentage to go with a .422 on base percentage while also walking seven times. After closing the 2014 season on a 23-game reached-base streak Noll has built a 13-game streak this season which is also a true hitting streak. Last season Noll built a hitting streak as long as 13 games on two separate occasions.
LAST TIME OUT
FGCU held a 4-2 lead over No. 19 Miami (11-6, 1-2 ACC) through two innings on Wednesday night under the lights of Swanson Stadium. It was the first-ever meeting between the two programs at the Eagles' home park. The lead would not last for long as Miami was able to score 13 unanswered runs to close the game out with the help of five FGCU errors that resulted in eight unearned runs. FGCU would ultimately go down 15-4 and have dropped the first two games of the season series. The finale will come a little over two weeks from now (Mar. 25) in Coral Gables.
Nick Deckert (Tallahassee, Fla./Tallahassee CC) would make the start on the mound for the Eagles and throw 36 pitches in the first inning, surrendering two runs and striking out two before being replaced by Garrett Anderson (Arcadia, Fla./DeSoto HS) in the second. Anderson would strikeout the side in the second then give up a two-run homerun to tie the game in the third. A rocky fourth would result in two more runs which would eventually hand Anderson his first loss of the season. The sophomore would give up four hits over 2.1 innings while allowing four runs, two earned with five strikeouts. Five FGCU relievers would work through the rest of the game but three more earned runs, nine total, would cross the plate.
Jake Noll (Punta Gorda, Fla./Charlotte HS) would be the lone Eagle to record multiple hits, extending his hit-streak to 13 games, matching his career-high. He would also score one, drive in a run and steal his sixth bag of the season. Kyle Gilbert (Lake Mary, Fla./Seminole HS), Colton Bottomley (Parkland, Fla./Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS) and Matt Reardon (Palm City, Fla./Martin County) each added one hit.
NEXT UP
FGCU will return home to face defending MEAC Champs Bethune-Cookman (3-15, 3-3 MEAC) Mar. 20-22. The Wildcats went 27-32 last season with a 14-10 record in the MEAC. B-CU currently holds the lead in the all-time series with FGCU, 8-7, but dropped two of three to the Green and Blue last season at home.
Following a midweek tilt with USF (10-6-1), Mar. 24 the Eagles will head to Coral Gables to face Miami for a third time (Mar. 25) before kicking off Atlantic Sun play at North Florida (10-8) Mar. 27-29. FGCU took two of three from the Ospreys during the regular season in 2014 then eliminated them from the A-Sun Tournament in the first round. The Ospreys posted an overall record of 22-31 and played their way into the A-Sun Tournament with an 11-16 league record. FGCU holds the edge in the all-time series, 17-7.
2015 SCHEDULE
The 2015 FGCU baseball schedule will feature six teams that participated in the 2014 NCAA Baseball Tournament, three conference tournament champions and one NCAA Super Regional participant. The Eagles will play 16 of their first 18 games on campus and a total of 37 at home this season.
The six NCAA Tournament participants are MEAC Champion Bethune-Cookman, Florida State, defending Atlantic Sun Tournament Champion and NCAA Super Regional participant Kennesaw State, Miami, Nebraska and MAAC Champion Siena. A total of 15 games are scheduled against those six programs with 10 taking place on the road.
ATLANTIC SUN CHAMPIONSHIP
The Eagles will once again host the Atlantic Sun Championship Tournament at Swanson Stadium this season. The event is set to take place May 20-23 and the top six teams in the standings at the end of the regular season will advance to the championship and compete in a double-elimination style tournament to determine the A-Sun's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles are four-time A-Sun Regular Season Champions with the most recent title coming in 2014.
2014-15 RECRUITING CLASS
FGCU baseball's 2014-15 recruiting class has been tabbed by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, the same publication that named second baseman Jake Noll the National Freshman Player of the Year in 2014 and FGCU alum Chris Sale the 2010 National Player of the Year, as the No. 38 class in the nation. The Eagles outclassed well-known national powers such as California, Texas A&M, Auburn, Alabama, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Baylor as well as defending Atlantic Sun Tournament Champion and 2014 NCAA Super Regional participant Kennesaw State.
#DRAFTCITY
The Eagles would have a total of three players taken in the 2014 MLB draft, Junior outfielder Michael Suchy (Bradenton, Fla./Southeast HS), Junior third-baseman/pitcher Zack Tillery (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) and Redshirt-Junior, left-handed reliever Ryan Atwood (Austin, Texas/Westwood HS/Navarro College). The Eagles have now produced 22 draft picks in their history with the most notable being 2014 AL Cy Young Award Finalist and three-time All-Star Chris Sale who was chosen in the first round, 13th overall by the Chicago White Sox in 2010. Suchy became the second-highest FGCU player ever taken when he went to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fifth round in last June's draft and is one of just seven players in FGCU history to be chosen in the top ten rounds. The Eagles would have a program record seven players selected during the 2013 draft. Freshman left-hander Devin Smeltzer is the lone FGCU player on the roster this season who has been drafted previously. He was selected in the 33rd round of the 2014 draft by the San Diego Padres but instead opted to attend FGCU.
DAVE TOLLETT
In 12 seasons of work, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 442-247-3 record as the only head coach in the program's history. He is a four-time Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year and has guided the Green and Blue to four A-Sun Regular Season Championships. His team has been ranked nationally on several occasions by multiple media outlets and has coached 35 All-Conference selections, 22 draft picks, 14 current minor leaguers, four A-Sun Pitchers of the Year, three All-Americans, one National Freshman Player of the Year, one National Player of the Year and one MLB All-Star.
#WINGSUP
Fans are encouraged to download the brand-new Wings Up mobile app in conjunction with SuperFanU. The fully-customized loyalty-rewards platform allows fans to check in at each of FGCU's sporting events to earn points throughout the school year toward exclusive prizes that can't be offered anywhere else.
FOLLOW ALONG
For constant, news, photos, videos and updates you can follow the baseball team on Twitter @FGCU_Baseball, Instagram @FGCU_Baseball or on Facebook: Facebook.com/FGCUBaseball. You can also find FGCU athletics on YouTube by visiting YouTube.com/FGCUEagles.
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
@FGCU_Baseball Travels to Nebraska
Mar. 13-15 vs. Nebraska (9-6) | Hawks Field | Tickets
Twitter: @FGCU_Baseball
Instagram: @FGCU_Baseball
Facebook.com/FGCUBaseball
Probable Starters
Mar. 13 | 5:05 PM ET | Live Stats | Video
FGCU | Mike Murray (1-2): 2.60 ERA, 27.2 IP, 21 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 34 SO
NEB | Chance Sinclair (1-3): 4.56 ERA, 23.2 IP, 29 H, 13 R, 12 ER, 6 BB, 18 SO
Mar. 14 | 3:05 PM ET | Live Stats | Big Ten Network Plus
FGCU | Devin Smeltzer (1-1): 4.29 ERA, 21.0 IP, 25 H, 14 R, 10 ER, 5 BB, 12 SO
NEB | Kyle Kubat (2-0): 1.44 ERA, 25.0 IP, 21 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 14 SO
Mar. 15 | 2:05 PM ET | Live Stats | Big Ten Network Plus
FGCU | TBA
NEB | Derek Burkamper (1-1): 3.50 ERA, 18.0 IP, 16 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 10 SO
LINCOLN, Neb. - The FGCU baseball team (8-9-1) will travel to Nebraska (9-6) to challenge the Huskers in its first weekend road series of the 2015 season. The Eagles have never met with Nebraska and will send Mike Murray to the mound in the first meeting on Friday night at 4:05 p.m. local time, 5:05 p.m. eastern. Nebraska will be the third Big Ten opponent already this season for the Green and Blue.
Friday's game can be seen live on HuskersNSide which is Nebraska's web-based video-streaming platform. The matchups on Saturday and Sunday can be seen on the Big Ten Network Plus which is the league's online video-streaming platform, similar to ESPN3, which requires a subscription.
MIKE MURRAY
Murray (West Palm Beach, Fla./Forrest Hill HS) will take the ball for the series opener and make his fifth start of the season opposite the Cornhuskers, his first on the road in 2015. His start on Friday will also be the third as many weeks that he will be in search of the 20th victory of his career, making the right-hander just the fifth pitcher in program history to accomplish that feat. The program record is 25 currently held by FGCU Pitching Coach Pete Woodworth.
Murray has posted just 1-2 record over his first four starts but the record can be misleading. The junior has rolled to a 2.60 ERA in 27.2 innings with 34 strikeouts against just two walks while opponents are hitting a meager .202 against him. His strikeout-to-walk ratio of 17.00 ranks in a tie for seventh in the nation while his 34 punch outs are tied for 15th.
Last week opposite Western Michigan the junior would strike out 10 Broncos over 7.0 innings while allowing seven hits and three runs. Prior to that he rolled through his first six innings of work opposite Minnesota, retiring 15-straight after giving up a hit with no outs in the second. Three hits and a walk in the seventh would doom the junior, however, as three runs would come across on a bases clearing single to right to provide all the scoring Minnesota would need. Murray would finish the evening with eight innings under his belt to go with four strikeouts.
The junior would earn Atlantic Sun Pitcher of the Week recognition after he cruised through 7.2 innings of work against Fordham, striking out eleven while allowing just five hits to pick up his first win of the season. The West Palm Beach native pitched exceptionally well out of the gate in his first outing of the season, allowing just one hit and striking out seven over the first four frames opposite Central Michigan. He struggled in the fifth, however, giving up three hits, including a one-out, two-run triple which would ultimately hand Murray his first loss of the season and third of his career. He would close the night with nine strikeouts after pitching into the sixth.
Murray was named a Preseason All-American by three separate publications. Perfect Game and the NCBWA selected Murray to the third team while Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball Newspaper chose the right-hander to the second team. He was also tabbed the Preseason A-Sun Pitcher of the Year and named to the 50-man Preseason Golden Spikes Award watch list.
DEVIN SMELTZER
Devin Smeltzer (Voorhees, N.J./Bishop Eustace Prep) will make his fifth start on Saturday after picking up the first win of his career last Sunday against Western Michigan after coming up one out short opposite Illinois and taking the first loss of his career last against Minnesota. The lefty tossed 6.2 innings against WMU and allowed four runs on seven hits while striking out five. Four relievers would guide FGCU the rest of the way. So far this season Smeltzer has provided a 4.29 ERA in 21.0 innings of the hill for FGCU while striking out 12 against five walks.
HEAD COACH MATCHUP
In 13 seasons of work, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 442-247-3 record as the only head coach in the program's history. He will match up with former Major League Baseball All-Star Darin Erstad who is in his fourth season as the head coach for the Cornhuskers. Erstad, who is the only player in MLB history to win Gold Gloves as an infielder (2004) and outfielder (2000 and 2002) and the first player in MLB history to win Gold Gloves at three positions (LF, 2000; CF, 2002; 1B, 2004) for the Los Angeles Angels has compiled a 114-80 record at Nebraska.
SCOUTING NEBRASKA
Nebraska racked up 41 wins last season with 18 coming in conference play and would advance all the way to the Big Ten title game. Despite a loss in the conference championship game, Nebraska advanced to the NCAA Regional but were knocked out by Cal-State Fullerton.
So far this season Nebraska is led at the plate by Ryan Boldt who is hitting .360 in 14 games. He has collected 18 hits and driven in three runs while teammates Blake Headley (.327) and Ben Miller (.300) have driven in 15 and 13 runs, respectively.
Chance Sinclair will take the mound opposite Murray and has struggled a bit in the early going this season. Sinclair has tossed 23.2 innings with a 4.56 ERA and 18 strikeouts against six walks. Kyle Kubat will matchup with Smeltzer on Saturday and has been the brightest of stars on the mound to this point. Kubat is 2-0 with a 1.44 ERA in 25.0 innings with 14 punch outs.
ADAM EGGNATZ
Eggnatz has had the most notable breakout season of any FGCU player in the lineup this year. The senior has hit .383 this season 60 at-bats after accumulating just 46 all of last season. He has collected 23 hits, a double, a triple and 11 RBI while building an eight-game hitting streak that was snapped on Tuesday opposite No. 19 Miami. He has also stolen three bags this season while maintaining an on base percentage of .439. In four games last week, Eggnatz hit .643 opposite Miami and Western Michigan.
Eggnatz also emerged late last season as a viable option on the mound out of the bullpen. In 2014 he appeared in two games, tossing 2.0 innings without allowing a run and striking out four. In his first and only appearance so far this season, the Tampa native threw 2.2 innings of scoreless relief and struck out four while giving up just three hits without walking a batter.
JAKE NOLL
Noll has continued to be the spark plug for FGCU at the top of the lineup. He has picked up right where he left off a season ago, leading the Eagles with 25 hits already through 18 games with a .347 batting average which ranks second on the team. He has also ripped three doubles, driven in 11 runs, stole six bases in seven attempts and hit the first home run of his career two weekends ago. The sophomore made the move from second to third base this season and has been able to produce a .431 slugging percentage to go with a .422 on base percentage while also walking seven times. After closing the 2014 season on a 23-game reached-base streak Noll has built a 13-game streak this season which is also a true hitting streak. Last season Noll built a hitting streak as long as 13 games on two separate occasions.
LAST TIME OUT
FGCU held a 4-2 lead over No. 19 Miami (11-6, 1-2 ACC) through two innings on Wednesday night under the lights of Swanson Stadium. It was the first-ever meeting between the two programs at the Eagles' home park. The lead would not last for long as Miami was able to score 13 unanswered runs to close the game out with the help of five FGCU errors that resulted in eight unearned runs. FGCU would ultimately go down 15-4 and have dropped the first two games of the season series. The finale will come a little over two weeks from now (Mar. 25) in Coral Gables.
Nick Deckert (Tallahassee, Fla./Tallahassee CC) would make the start on the mound for the Eagles and throw 36 pitches in the first inning, surrendering two runs and striking out two before being replaced by Garrett Anderson (Arcadia, Fla./DeSoto HS) in the second. Anderson would strikeout the side in the second then give up a two-run homerun to tie the game in the third. A rocky fourth would result in two more runs which would eventually hand Anderson his first loss of the season. The sophomore would give up four hits over 2.1 innings while allowing four runs, two earned with five strikeouts. Five FGCU relievers would work through the rest of the game but three more earned runs, nine total, would cross the plate.
Jake Noll (Punta Gorda, Fla./Charlotte HS) would be the lone Eagle to record multiple hits, extending his hit-streak to 13 games, matching his career-high. He would also score one, drive in a run and steal his sixth bag of the season. Kyle Gilbert (Lake Mary, Fla./Seminole HS), Colton Bottomley (Parkland, Fla./Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS) and Matt Reardon (Palm City, Fla./Martin County) each added one hit.
NEXT UP
FGCU will return home to face defending MEAC Champs Bethune-Cookman (3-15, 3-3 MEAC) Mar. 20-22. The Wildcats went 27-32 last season with a 14-10 record in the MEAC. B-CU currently holds the lead in the all-time series with FGCU, 8-7, but dropped two of three to the Green and Blue last season at home.
Following a midweek tilt with USF (10-6-1), Mar. 24 the Eagles will head to Coral Gables to face Miami for a third time (Mar. 25) before kicking off Atlantic Sun play at North Florida (10-8) Mar. 27-29. FGCU took two of three from the Ospreys during the regular season in 2014 then eliminated them from the A-Sun Tournament in the first round. The Ospreys posted an overall record of 22-31 and played their way into the A-Sun Tournament with an 11-16 league record. FGCU holds the edge in the all-time series, 17-7.
2015 SCHEDULE
The 2015 FGCU baseball schedule will feature six teams that participated in the 2014 NCAA Baseball Tournament, three conference tournament champions and one NCAA Super Regional participant. The Eagles will play 16 of their first 18 games on campus and a total of 37 at home this season.
The six NCAA Tournament participants are MEAC Champion Bethune-Cookman, Florida State, defending Atlantic Sun Tournament Champion and NCAA Super Regional participant Kennesaw State, Miami, Nebraska and MAAC Champion Siena. A total of 15 games are scheduled against those six programs with 10 taking place on the road.
ATLANTIC SUN CHAMPIONSHIP
The Eagles will once again host the Atlantic Sun Championship Tournament at Swanson Stadium this season. The event is set to take place May 20-23 and the top six teams in the standings at the end of the regular season will advance to the championship and compete in a double-elimination style tournament to determine the A-Sun's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles are four-time A-Sun Regular Season Champions with the most recent title coming in 2014.
2014-15 RECRUITING CLASS
FGCU baseball's 2014-15 recruiting class has been tabbed by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper, the same publication that named second baseman Jake Noll the National Freshman Player of the Year in 2014 and FGCU alum Chris Sale the 2010 National Player of the Year, as the No. 38 class in the nation. The Eagles outclassed well-known national powers such as California, Texas A&M, Auburn, Alabama, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Baylor as well as defending Atlantic Sun Tournament Champion and 2014 NCAA Super Regional participant Kennesaw State.
#DRAFTCITY
The Eagles would have a total of three players taken in the 2014 MLB draft, Junior outfielder Michael Suchy (Bradenton, Fla./Southeast HS), Junior third-baseman/pitcher Zack Tillery (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) and Redshirt-Junior, left-handed reliever Ryan Atwood (Austin, Texas/Westwood HS/Navarro College). The Eagles have now produced 22 draft picks in their history with the most notable being 2014 AL Cy Young Award Finalist and three-time All-Star Chris Sale who was chosen in the first round, 13th overall by the Chicago White Sox in 2010. Suchy became the second-highest FGCU player ever taken when he went to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fifth round in last June's draft and is one of just seven players in FGCU history to be chosen in the top ten rounds. The Eagles would have a program record seven players selected during the 2013 draft. Freshman left-hander Devin Smeltzer is the lone FGCU player on the roster this season who has been drafted previously. He was selected in the 33rd round of the 2014 draft by the San Diego Padres but instead opted to attend FGCU.
DAVE TOLLETT
In 12 seasons of work, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 442-247-3 record as the only head coach in the program's history. He is a four-time Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year and has guided the Green and Blue to four A-Sun Regular Season Championships. His team has been ranked nationally on several occasions by multiple media outlets and has coached 35 All-Conference selections, 22 draft picks, 14 current minor leaguers, four A-Sun Pitchers of the Year, three All-Americans, one National Freshman Player of the Year, one National Player of the Year and one MLB All-Star.
#WINGSUP
Fans are encouraged to download the brand-new Wings Up mobile app in conjunction with SuperFanU. The fully-customized loyalty-rewards platform allows fans to check in at each of FGCU's sporting events to earn points throughout the school year toward exclusive prizes that can't be offered anywhere else.
FOLLOW ALONG
For constant, news, photos, videos and updates you can follow the baseball team on Twitter @FGCU_Baseball, Instagram @FGCU_Baseball or on Facebook: Facebook.com/FGCUBaseball. You can also find FGCU athletics on YouTube by visiting YouTube.com/FGCUEagles.
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
@FGCU_Baseball Travels to Nebraska
D1 - Weekend Preview: March 13-15
What's Included:
• Oregon State Surprising Everyone (Rogers)
• Freshman Faces: Washington's Noah Bremer (Fitt)
• Prelude To the SEC Regular Season (Rogers)
• Q & A with Loyola Marymount's Jason Gill (Fitt)
Beavers Surprising Everyone Even Pat Casey
Oregon State head coach Pat Casey is in the midst of his 21st campaign with the program, and he's not surprised by too much these days.
Well, everything except this year's offensive lineup.
The Beavers didn't have a highly potent offense last season, finishing the year with a .274 batting average. But it did have several key role players and power hitters, such as hard-hitting outfielder Michael Conforto and two-way talent Dylan Davis, along with Kavin Keyes. So, naturally, when the Beavers lost those guys to the draft last summer, the overwhelming feeling around Corvallis, Ore., was that the offense might take a step back this spring. Even Casey himself said during fall workouts the Beavers had a lot of work to do to get where they needed to be at the plate, and that growing pains could be ahead.
So, when you look down the statistics sheet and see the Beavers' numbers right now, to say it's surprising is an understatement - even to Casey.
Jeff Hendrix (Oregon State)
Jeff Hendrix (Oregon State)
"Without question, the offense has been a huge surprise," Casey said. "We've got a lot of guys making big jumps, and we're just the type of offense that has to grind and be dirtbaggy out there. There's not a ton of room for error with this lineup, but we've got a lot more versatility than we've had in the past. We seldom have the same lineup and we've got a lot of guys we can plug in there rather easily.
"It's actually kind of nice to be in a situation where we can put someone in there and give someone a day off, and it's not like we're taking a big step back," he continued. "We really like the group we have."
The Beavers, who have won 10-straight contests and who have been on an absolute tear since scoring 12 runs in four games opening weekend, have somehow formed into one of the more potent offenses in the country. For instance, the Beavers enter the weekend series at Arizona State with a .323 batting average, and rank especially well in several national categories: 4th in batting average, 7th in scoring, 4th in runs, 4th in hits and 2nd in home runs.
By this point, it should be abundantly clear the Beavers have had several players step up so far this season. Ultra toolsy outfielder Jeff Hendrix has become more consistent with a .377 batting average, athleticism and some power production (four homers), while shortstop Trever Morrison has increased his batting average from .225 to an astonishingly improved .361 clip. Gabe Clark continues to hit at a torrid pace, while others such as junior-college transfer Kyle Nobach (.429) have been pleasant infusions into the lineup.
"I think the big thing with Jeff is that he's looked around and he's a quiet guy. He wasn't the type of guy to step up and be a leading guy, and I don't mean that in a bad way at all. But suddenly, he's pretty good and he's being a leader for us," Casey said. "There aren't a lot of guys out there with his tools, and on top of that, he's a great makeup guy. He's one of those guys you just love coaching. He shows up each day and plays his tail off."
More than anyone in OSU's lineup, freshman catcher/first baseman KJ Harrison has been the most impressive. Harrison, one of the nation's elite prospects out of high school, entered the fall with high expectations. But Casey quickly figured out the Beavers had something potentially special on their hands. Harrison was launching homers throughout the fall and early spring workouts, but as the long-time coach learned a long time ago, there was a difference between doing that in the fall and in spring practice and doing it when it actually counted in the spring.
Well, KJ Harrison is doing it all the time now.
The 6-foot, 200-pound, powerful freshman has been a terror for opposing pitchers. He's hitting .441 with six homers and 24 RBIs, and even scarier, he's reminding everyone, including Casey, of former All-American and first-round pick Michael Conforto, who jumped on the college baseball season as a freshman with a .349 batting average and 76 RBIs. Harrison is already halfway to reaching Conforto's home run total, while the RBI total is reachable at the current pace.
So, what makes this freshman so special so quick?
"KJ He's just been really, really good. I always thought he would be an offensive guy. But he came out early in the spring and it became pretty clear to me he was going to hit quickly at this level," he said. "He was putting on a pretty impressive display.
"I had someone come up to me the other day and tell me that he was putting up numbers that were on pace to match or best Michael Conforto," he continued. "He's a great kid, is fun to coach, and what's impressive is he's so eager to come out each day and get better as a baseball player. It's eerily similar what he's doing and what Michael did."
"I had someone come up to me the other day and tell me that he was putting up numbers that were on pace to match or best Michael Conforto," he continued. "He's a great kid, is fun to coach, and what's impressive is he's so eager to come out each day and get better as a baseball player. It's eerily similar what he's doing and what Michael did."
As if Harrison and the OSU offense aren't scary enough, the Beavers pitching staff, to no surprise, is starting to come together. The Beavers have tweaked with some things the early part of the season. For instance, lefthander Luke Heimlich is now the lefty specialist out of the bullpen, while freshman righthander Drew Rasmussen has blossomed in the weekend rotation. The Beavers love Rasmussen's upside. Rasmussen will sit anywhere from 92-95 with his fastball, along with a power slider that can be a swing-and-miss offering. Rasmussen has 27 strikeouts and just four walks in 24 innings.
OSU also is excited about several other arms, including freshman righthander Mitch Hickey. Hickey has evolved into a heavily relied upon reliever, tallying good numbers and showing good stuff. He's been 89-93 mph with his fastball, along with a good breaking ball and changeup, while plenty of others have helped establish a very deep pitching staff.
"Drew has been outstanding for us. He's made an excellent transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation, and we couldn't ask for much more," he said. "Hickey has a legitimate three-pitch mix for you, and it's telling when you can be a freshman and come in and close for us."
The Beavers also are getting a shot in the arm from veteran righthander Andrew Moore. Moore couldn't have been much better as a freshman two seasons ago, but proved to be more hittable last season with secondary stuff that simply wasn't consistent. So far this season, Moore's secondary stuff has been crisper and his command impeccable.
"Andrew is putting the ball where he wants, and his breaking ball is back into freshman form," Casey said. "He's always so competitive, and he's just a guy that you always think you're going to get a good start him. He's been really, really good for us."
As we prepared for preview material before the season, one thought that kept creeping into my mind was that OSU seemed like a team with a lot of holes to fill. But if some of the young players could make a quick transition, this also had the ability to be a team that finished strong with a chance to get deep into the postseason.
Even in admitting that, I'm surprised. And so is everyone else, including Casey.
Freshman Faces: Washington's Noah Bremer
Washington freshman righthander Noah Bremer is a one-hit wonder.
In each of his last three starts, Bremer has allowed exactly one hit. The dominant stretch began Feb. 25, when Bremer worked four innings of one-hit, shutout ball in a midweek tuneup start against Portland. He came back the following Sunday with seven innings of one-hit, shutout ball, allowing just a walk while striking out six to earn his first collegiate victory against North Dakota. He carried a perfect game into the seventh in that one.
Bremer moved up a day to Saturday last week against Pepperdine and kept rolling, again allowing just one hit over seven shutout innings while walking one. On the season, he is 2-1, 1.21 with just two walks and eight hits allowed in 22.1 innings.
Bremer_6679"He came in kind of as a guy that we thought could help us early, and a guy that I thought could be a rotation guy as a sophomore," Washington pitching coach Jason Kelly said. "He's just throwing strikes, and that's what's setting him apart. He's a competitive kid, and he's made it very simple that he's going to shove it in there and see what happens."
Bremer's stuff isn't overpowering, but it is solid, and he knows how to use it. His 87-91 fastball has good sink and a little deception, and he locates it very well to both sides. His curveball is good "but not a hammer by any means," as Kelly put it, and he mixes in a good changeup.
Bremer, a native of Berkeley, Calif., comes from an athletic family-his mother played basketball at Cal and his older brother Tyler pitched for Baylor before getting drafted by the Cubs. Kelly had seen Tyler Bremer when he was in high school and Kelly was at Cal Poly, so he had an inkling that the lanky Noah would become something similar as he matured.
"I knew there were some genes there and that the velocity would could," Kelly said. "He was 6-foot-4, about 170, so you wanted to take a chance on him because you knew if he could ever get to 200, he could have a plus fastball. He's worked hard, and he's on his way to being that guy. But to predict he'd have the kind of run he's been on the last couple of weeks, I couldn't have predicted that. He has a very competitive energy, he works quick. It's easy to take a shot on guys like that, because you know he'll compete, even if he's struggling."
Bremer's emergence has allowed the Huskies to move veteran bulldog Troy Rallings back to the closer role, where he is very well suited. Having Rallings at the back of the bullpen gives the Huskies confidence that they can win close games in the late innings..
Here's how much faith the UW coaches have in Bremer: When the Huskies open Pac-12 play this weekend at No. 14 UCLA, Bremer will move up another day to the Friday starter spot, where he'll take on preseason All-American James Kaprielian. Kelly said the reason for the move is that Washington likes having senior ace Tyler Davis on Saturdays, so that if the Friday starter struggles and the Huskies have to empty the bullpen behind him, the ultra-consistent Davis can be counted upon to go deep into the Saturday game, giving the relievers a day to recover for Sunday's series finale. Sunday starter Josh Fredenhall, a sixth-year senior who has shown 90-93 mph heat and a power slider at 80-84, is still working his way back to full strength from elbow issues, so UW needs fresh bullpen arms behind him.
Even so, Washington is placing plenty of trust in Bremer by having him start the Pac-12 opener on the road against a marquee opponent.
"That's one thing people will learn about Noah is he's not scared," Kelly said. "He's willing to take his chances. He's going to fight and compete and have some great moments, and like every young guy he'll have some tough moments. But it won't be because he was worried or scared or the moment was too big for him. If he loses, it's because he's throwing strikes and the other team's taking good swings. As the Friday guy, you want that. And I hope Noah's the Friday night guy for three years. Learning on the job, right?"
Prelude To The SEC Regular Season
• Texas AM logoAuburn Tigers logoAuburn hits the road this weekend hoping to make a statement against so far flawless Texas A&M, which is sitting at 18-0 entering the weekend. The Aggies enter the series without talented lefthander AJ Minter, who's on the shelf and out the rest of the season because of Tommy John surgery, while the weekend rotation includes usual weekend starters Grayson Long, who we profiled in this feature, and talented crafty lefthander Matt Kent. A&M's rotation will round out with talented freshman righthander Turner Larkins, who makes his weekend debut. Larkins is a talented young arm who will get into the low-90s with his fastball, but who relies heavily on a good changeup with late fade to get hitters out. Larkins has 17 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings, but most impressive are just his two walks As for the Tigers, they've done a terrific job of using the gaps so far this season, sitting 17th nationally in doubles, while they rank 29th nationally in terms of batting average with a .305 clip. Ultra-athletic Anfernee Grier .424/.531/.591 is having a terrific season thus far, while former Pepperdine Wave Cody Nulph has made massive leaps offensively for the Tigers, hitting .400/.443/.585 with a pair of homers and 11 RBIs. Though the Tigers can use the gaps, they aren't considered much of a home run threat with just eight as a team.
• Vanderbilt University logoArkansas Razorbacks logoVanderbilt might have finished last weekend in Southern California with a 1-2 record, but all indications are the Commodores played a much better brand of baseball than they did the previous few weeks against significantly inferior competition. Vandy righthanded pitcher Carson Fulmer, whom Aaron Fitt detailed in this column, is having a terrific year with an 0.81 ERA in 22 1/3 innings, while fellow dominant righty Walker Buehler returned to the rotation last weekend and showed his usual electric stuff. Offensively, outfielder Rhett Wiseman, as we figured might be the case going into the season, has taken a major step forward, hitting .435/.519/.725, while All-American shortstop Dansby Swanson is again consistent at the plate and is showing his typical elite defensive skills For the Razorbacks, last weekend's series win at home over LMU was a step in the right direction, but then they followed that up with a pair of midweek losses to Gonzaga, getting pounded in the second of those two contests. Arkansas's rotation is littered with quality power arms, including freshman righthander Keaton McKinney, who will start the series opener against the Commodores. McKinney, one of the nation's elite prospects out of high school, has a 3.45 ERA in 15 2/3 innings, along with 12 strikeouts and seven walks.
• Mississippi StateAlabama Crimson Tide logoAlabama hasn't been able to put together a full, successful weekend against a quality opponent just yet, but that should be a scary thing for Mississippi State this weekend. There's no doubt the Crimson Tide have the personnel needed to make a strong run at the SEC regular season title, but they've yet to meet expectations as a whole. Individually, the Tide has an outstanding one in physical outfielder Casey Hughston, who ranks fourth nationally in batting average. Hughston, a fast-rising elite prospect, is hitting .500/.515/.833 with 10 doubles, three triples, two homers and 21 RBIs, while just one other everyday player, Mikey White, is hitting over .300 (he's at .370). Georgie Salem (.245) and Kyle Overstreet (.288) are much more talented than their stats would indicate For Mississippi State, the past week has been kind of a blur between splitting a home midweek series against Western Kentucky and losing a home series to San Diego last weekend, but this team is dangerous. The Bulldogs aren't considered much of a power threat, but this is an offensive lineup that will make pitchers work. State ranks second nationally in terms of walks, and seventh in hit-by-pitches. The big key for MSU in this series is very simple - maximize at-bats, and get in a position to win in the latter innings. The Bulldogs have two of the very best in righthander Trevor Fitts (0.75, 12) and lefthander Ross Mitchell (2.36, 26.2), and it's important to be able to turn games over to them with a lead. Last weekend's performances by these two against San Diego in the series finale was only an aberration.
• LSUInterlockingOle Miss logoFresh off a College World Series trip last season, the 2015 campaign, at least thus far, has been very much up and down for Mike Bianco and Ole Miss. For instance, the Rebels are pleased with lefthander Christian Trent (2.96, 24.1), and Brady Bramlett (2.05, 22) has continued where he left off last summer. But the No. 3 spot in the weekend rotation is a gaping question mark right now. Ole Miss expected veteran righthander Sam Smith to be a consistent force in the rotation - and so did we - but he has struggled immensely, entering the LSU series with a 6.41 ERA in 19 2/3 innings While pitching is a question mark for the Rebels, the Tigers showed me a lot last weekend at the Houston College Classic. Freshmen Alex Lange and Jake Godfrey were slightly different, with Lange getting up to 93-94 on the radar gun, and Godfrey showcasing a hard-nosed approach, but both were impressive in their respective starts. Sophomore lefthander Jared Poche sat 89-91 last weekend with his fastball and flashed a quality curveball, and continues to be a consistent force, while the LSU offense gives the pitching staff plenty of support. LSU might just have the nation's scariest offensive one through nine.
• Georgia Bulldogs logoMissouri Tigers logoBoth Missouri and Georgia have something to prove this weekend. The Tigers were one of the nation's hottest teams entering last weekend. However, getting swept at home by Milwaukee tends to lower your stock a bit. The Tigers have scuffled at the plate, hitting just .245 for the season and scoring just six runs in three games against the Panthers last weekend, while the pitching staff has potential. Freshman righthander Tanner Houck (3.08, 26.1) has shown good stuff with a fastball up to 92-93 mph, while Reggie McClain (1.84, 29.1) is a consistent force with good command For the Bulldogs, life without righthander Robert Tyler, who's on the shelf because of an injury, hasn't been great thus far, but weekend starter Ryan Lawlor (1.93, 18.2) has bene very solid thus far. The Bulldogs also have high hopes for righthander Sean McLaughlin (3.44, 18.1), who has a big-time arm.
• Florida Gators logoTennessee logoTennessee entered the season ranked by us, and honestly, that was quite the leap of faith. Though there's plenty of time for the Volunteers to earn that preseason ranking, it hasn't been accomplished thus far, as they enter the weekend against top-ranked Florida with something to prove. Toolsy outfielder Christin Stewart leads the team with three homers, while Vincent Jackson (.400/.526/.467) is having a productive campaign. The biggest news the past few weeks is the rise of sophomore righthander Kyle Serrano. Serrano has had consistency issues in the past, but he's been consistently in the low-90s, and up to the mid-90s at times, allowing just one hit in five innings against Grand Canyon last weekend As for the Gators, we've given plenty of love to coach Kevin O'Sullivan's club, but this is an intriguing team with so many arms at their disposal in addition to talented hitters. But how about this? UF expected youngsters Dalton Guthrie and JJ Schwarz to have productive first seasons, but the two are hitting .358 and .355, respectively, with Schwarz showing off good raw power with four homers, second on the team behind veteran outfielder Harrison Bader.
• South Carolina logoUniversity of Kentucky logoSouth Carolina enters SEC play with a 14-3 overall record, but you'd think it was 3-14 by the way some of its fans have reacted to the season thus far. There's no doubt the Gamecocks have been pretty inconsistent at times, losing a tough series to rival Clemson and just not looking ultra crisp in other contests. But it's all a clean slate beginning this weekend and they still have a pair of quality weekend starters in power-armed Will Crowe (3.47, 23.1) and crafty lefthander Jack Wynkoop (2.00, 27 IP). The Gamecocks also welcome freshman righthander Clarke Schmidt to the weekend rotation. Schmidt was a talented prospect out of high school and can sit in the low-90s with his fastball. He started last weekend against Miami (Ohio), striking out our and allowing just two runs on two hits in 4 2/3 innings For Kentucky, Ka'ai Tom .418/.507/.491 is having an impressive season, while the Wildcats as a whole are far less powerful than they were last season with just six homers thus far. On the mound, power arm righthander Kyle Cody has been hittable at times, but one big key to his success is much improved command. Cody has walked just three hitters in 21innings. He and others will need to have big weekends to take care of the Gamecocks.
Q&A With Loyola Marymount Coach Jason Gill
Loyola Marymount entered the season as the team to beat in the West Coast Conference and borderline Top 25 club. Our two West Coast-based staff writers, Eric Sorenson and Shotgun Spratling, tabbed the Lions as "Most Dangerous Mid-Major" and "Omaha Sleeper," respectively, in our preseason staff picks, and I pegged LMU coach Jason Gill as my pick to win Coach of the Year honors. So LMU hasn't quite gotten off to the start we envisioned, going 9-7 against a solid nonconference schedule that included series against Nebraska and Arkansas. I caught up with Gill after LMU's midweek loss to No. 2 TCU and picked his brain about the Lions as they head into West Coast Conference play this weekend against Santa Clara.
Well, I'm sure you haven't gotten off to the start you were hoping for, but your schedule has been very difficult. How do you feel about the direction this team is heading right now?
LMU coach Jason Gill addresses his club after a Tuesday loss to TCU (Aaron Fitt)
LMU coach Jason Gill addresses his club after a Tuesday loss to TCU (Aaron Fitt)
We've learned a lot about ourselves in the last two weeks. We came out of the gates hot. The game will tell you exactly what you are eventually, and it will expose you for the mistakes that you make and where you're at as a club, and that's what it's done, to be honest with you. I think it could have been a terrible thing, but we've gotten so much better since the Nebraska series. It hasn't shown, but we've had to improve in so many different areas.
Our defense has been phenomenal. But when you're playing teams like Arkansas, TCU and Nebraska, all teams that have played in postseason, have played in championship environments, you have to play championship defense. We've played for the most part really, really good defense-I mean, we can really play. But we have to be able to play against a championship team and not do those little things.
I think we learned a lot about our offense. Nebraska exposed some things against us, and since then, whether the numbers show it or not, we've gotten way better. I think the next thing on the list for us is two-out RBIs. I've told a lot of people this, that we are going to be a much better team come April 1, 2 or 3 than we are now. We run out six or seven upperclassmen. So you've got to learn a lot of lessons that way. I'm OK with what went on as long as we can get better from it. I agree with you; I think we have a really good team. It's a matter of whether we can learn from tonight, against TCU.
Those two veterans, Tanner Donnels and David Edwards, they looked great tonight-just quality at-bats and using the field. They've really become dangerous hitters for you, haven't they?
They're facing some good arms, too. I can tell you that (TCU) ran every guy out there that was 89-93, and they had stuff, and they were down in the zone. Our guys handled it, they had 12 hits. But in championship environments, you've got to be able to get the two-out RBIs. But to answer your question about Tanner and David, I told Coach (Bryant) Ward before the season started that I thought those two guys really needed to pace our offense, and they have. Now, Edwards was hurt for a little bit, tonight's the first night he's started at second. He had a subluxed right shoulder, he ran into our first baseman a week before the season started and it popped out, so he couldn't throw, and he couldn't hit for the first two weekends and we DH'd him, and he's really done well. I can't say enough about both of those guys and what they've meant to our offense.
For this offense to fire on all cylinders, I know you need Austin Miller to get going too. It was good to see him get two hits today-is he close to getting back to form, you think?
Miller's scuffled a little bit out of the gates; tonight was a big night for him. He came in yesterday, and I think did some work on his own to try to get himself back. Between Miller and Fletcher, when those guys are rolling, we're a much tougher offense. And we're much tougher even this year because of Edwards and Donnels doing what they're doing in the middle of the order, and then we've got guys like (Sean) Watkins that has a chance. He's learning too. As you can see, he's got four home runs, but he can also swing and miss a ball by three feet. And that's part of being a freshman and learning how to hit against arguably the best pitching staff in the country.
I was excited that you ran him out there on the mound tonight too-I wanted to see him. You talked up that breaking ball in the fall-that thing is sharp. Is he throwing two breaking balls, or is it just one?
It's just one breaking ball, but he adds and subtracts a little bit. We call it the same pitch. And Michael Silva, he's been a pleasant surprise.
Yeah, he was 92-94 tonight.
That's a bad night for him. He's been 94-97, and his last three outings he hasn't thrown a ball under 94. But that might be catching up a little bit with him too, the trip, we extended him out there a little bit. He's been a pleasant surprise for us. (Sean) Buckle went down with a back, as a senior lefthander that really emerged at the end of last year for us, and we were counting on him. He hasn't been with us since San Diego State our fourth game of the year. He was hurt, had some lower back stiffness, tried to pitch through it, we had to shut him down. The best he's felt was today; we haven't gotten him on the mound yet, so my guess is if he's able to go, it's probably about two weeks away. Michael's really picked up the slack there and helped us out quite a bit, it's a real arm. And J.D. (Busfield) at the back end, he's a real closer too. I mean, he's 90-93 and it's downhill, and he's 6-7. It's pretty good.
I'm also curious for your impressions from this weekend on the starting pitchers, the Megill brothers and Colin Welmon. What's going on with Trevor Megill right now?
There's no hiding from it, Trevor has struggled. he's struggled with confidence, he's struggled with his command. That's the one thing he's been able to go to is his fastball command, and he hasn't had that. And when you can't go to your ace in the hole, you struggle a little bit. It was obvious against Nebraska, and it was obvious last weekend against Arkansas. He's aware of it, we're fighting with him. We're going to throw him back out there on Saturday in conference, it'll be a shorter leash. But we're much better if he gets right. If he gets right, I would argue that we're one of the best pitching staffs at least on the West Coast.
If we have Welmon on Friday, who's probably the most underrated righthander in the country. Take a look at his career. He's the same guy; he just goes out there and keeps us in games. Then, if Trevor's right, we have Trevor, and Tylor (Megill) has been outstanding. He's a lot like his brother when his brother was a freshman. They're a lot alike. They're different people, they have different demeanors. His brother had a little more anger, and this one's kind of like the Big Smooth. He's just kind of smooth and rolls through it, just kind of jogs off the mound, there's not a lot of emotion. I thought he did really well against Arkansas at Arkansas in tough conditions, against a team that can really hit. And he did great, and he's done that every week. Now, he's still learning how to get through the fifth inning, and the sixth inning, and the seventh inning. We're hoping by the end of the year he's a seven-inning guy. He's definitely got the stuff to do that.
He's got the secondary stuff to get through a lineup multiple times?
Oh yeah. He throws a glove-strike changeup that is probably major league average, and a curveball for strike. As he develops, he's going to be able to pitch up in the zone a little better, he's going to be able to stretch the zone with two strikes a little better. He's going to understand that with his defense behind him, he doesn't need to be fine in certain situations. I mean, our defense broke down tonight, but we can really play defense.
It helps to have maybe the best shortstop in the country (David Fletcher). How about that over-the-shoulder catch he made in the eighth inning tonight?
I think he is (the best in the country), but I'm biased. We see it every day; I try not to take it for granted, but I kind of do. And Billy Wilson, he started off, nobody knows about him-who is he? An undrafted kid out of Arizona. He was on nobody's radar, except for ours-I think we were the only ones who recruited him. But he's an 80 athlete, this guy. He can run, he throws OK, that's probably the weakest part of his game, and he's a freshman trying to lead off against really good competition. So I think maybe a bit part of that switch is getting Austin right and back to the top of the lineup and getting Billy down.
D1 - Weekend Preview: March 13-15
What's Included:
• Oregon State Surprising Everyone (Rogers)
• Freshman Faces: Washington's Noah Bremer (Fitt)
• Prelude To the SEC Regular Season (Rogers)
• Q & A with Loyola Marymount's Jason Gill (Fitt)
Beavers Surprising Everyone Even Pat Casey
Oregon State head coach Pat Casey is in the midst of his 21st campaign with the program, and he's not surprised by too much these days.
Well, everything except this year's offensive lineup.
The Beavers didn't have a highly potent offense last season, finishing the year with a .274 batting average. But it did have several key role players and power hitters, such as hard-hitting outfielder Michael Conforto and two-way talent Dylan Davis, along with Kavin Keyes. So, naturally, when the Beavers lost those guys to the draft last summer, the overwhelming feeling around Corvallis, Ore., was that the offense might take a step back this spring. Even Casey himself said during fall workouts the Beavers had a lot of work to do to get where they needed to be at the plate, and that growing pains could be ahead.
So, when you look down the statistics sheet and see the Beavers' numbers right now, to say it's surprising is an understatement - even to Casey.
Jeff Hendrix (Oregon State)
Jeff Hendrix (Oregon State)
"Without question, the offense has been a huge surprise," Casey said. "We've got a lot of guys making big jumps, and we're just the type of offense that has to grind and be dirtbaggy out there. There's not a ton of room for error with this lineup, but we've got a lot more versatility than we've had in the past. We seldom have the same lineup and we've got a lot of guys we can plug in there rather easily.
"It's actually kind of nice to be in a situation where we can put someone in there and give someone a day off, and it's not like we're taking a big step back," he continued. "We really like the group we have."
The Beavers, who have won 10-straight contests and who have been on an absolute tear since scoring 12 runs in four games opening weekend, have somehow formed into one of the more potent offenses in the country. For instance, the Beavers enter the weekend series at Arizona State with a .323 batting average, and rank especially well in several national categories: 4th in batting average, 7th in scoring, 4th in runs, 4th in hits and 2nd in home runs.
By this point, it should be abundantly clear the Beavers have had several players step up so far this season. Ultra toolsy outfielder Jeff Hendrix has become more consistent with a .377 batting average, athleticism and some power production (four homers), while shortstop Trever Morrison has increased his batting average from .225 to an astonishingly improved .361 clip. Gabe Clark continues to hit at a torrid pace, while others such as junior-college transfer Kyle Nobach (.429) have been pleasant infusions into the lineup.
"I think the big thing with Jeff is that he's looked around and he's a quiet guy. He wasn't the type of guy to step up and be a leading guy, and I don't mean that in a bad way at all. But suddenly, he's pretty good and he's being a leader for us," Casey said. "There aren't a lot of guys out there with his tools, and on top of that, he's a great makeup guy. He's one of those guys you just love coaching. He shows up each day and plays his tail off."
More than anyone in OSU's lineup, freshman catcher/first baseman KJ Harrison has been the most impressive. Harrison, one of the nation's elite prospects out of high school, entered the fall with high expectations. But Casey quickly figured out the Beavers had something potentially special on their hands. Harrison was launching homers throughout the fall and early spring workouts, but as the long-time coach learned a long time ago, there was a difference between doing that in the fall and in spring practice and doing it when it actually counted in the spring.
Well, KJ Harrison is doing it all the time now.
The 6-foot, 200-pound, powerful freshman has been a terror for opposing pitchers. He's hitting .441 with six homers and 24 RBIs, and even scarier, he's reminding everyone, including Casey, of former All-American and first-round pick Michael Conforto, who jumped on the college baseball season as a freshman with a .349 batting average and 76 RBIs. Harrison is already halfway to reaching Conforto's home run total, while the RBI total is reachable at the current pace.
So, what makes this freshman so special so quick?
"KJ He's just been really, really good. I always thought he would be an offensive guy. But he came out early in the spring and it became pretty clear to me he was going to hit quickly at this level," he said. "He was putting on a pretty impressive display.
"I had someone come up to me the other day and tell me that he was putting up numbers that were on pace to match or best Michael Conforto," he continued. "He's a great kid, is fun to coach, and what's impressive is he's so eager to come out each day and get better as a baseball player. It's eerily similar what he's doing and what Michael did."
"I had someone come up to me the other day and tell me that he was putting up numbers that were on pace to match or best Michael Conforto," he continued. "He's a great kid, is fun to coach, and what's impressive is he's so eager to come out each day and get better as a baseball player. It's eerily similar what he's doing and what Michael did."
As if Harrison and the OSU offense aren't scary enough, the Beavers pitching staff, to no surprise, is starting to come together. The Beavers have tweaked with some things the early part of the season. For instance, lefthander Luke Heimlich is now the lefty specialist out of the bullpen, while freshman righthander Drew Rasmussen has blossomed in the weekend rotation. The Beavers love Rasmussen's upside. Rasmussen will sit anywhere from 92-95 with his fastball, along with a power slider that can be a swing-and-miss offering. Rasmussen has 27 strikeouts and just four walks in 24 innings.
OSU also is excited about several other arms, including freshman righthander Mitch Hickey. Hickey has evolved into a heavily relied upon reliever, tallying good numbers and showing good stuff. He's been 89-93 mph with his fastball, along with a good breaking ball and changeup, while plenty of others have helped establish a very deep pitching staff.
"Drew has been outstanding for us. He's made an excellent transition from the bullpen to the starting rotation, and we couldn't ask for much more," he said. "Hickey has a legitimate three-pitch mix for you, and it's telling when you can be a freshman and come in and close for us."
The Beavers also are getting a shot in the arm from veteran righthander Andrew Moore. Moore couldn't have been much better as a freshman two seasons ago, but proved to be more hittable last season with secondary stuff that simply wasn't consistent. So far this season, Moore's secondary stuff has been crisper and his command impeccable.
"Andrew is putting the ball where he wants, and his breaking ball is back into freshman form," Casey said. "He's always so competitive, and he's just a guy that you always think you're going to get a good start him. He's been really, really good for us."
As we prepared for preview material before the season, one thought that kept creeping into my mind was that OSU seemed like a team with a lot of holes to fill. But if some of the young players could make a quick transition, this also had the ability to be a team that finished strong with a chance to get deep into the postseason.
Even in admitting that, I'm surprised. And so is everyone else, including Casey.
Freshman Faces: Washington's Noah Bremer
Washington freshman righthander Noah Bremer is a one-hit wonder.
In each of his last three starts, Bremer has allowed exactly one hit. The dominant stretch began Feb. 25, when Bremer worked four innings of one-hit, shutout ball in a midweek tuneup start against Portland. He came back the following Sunday with seven innings of one-hit, shutout ball, allowing just a walk while striking out six to earn his first collegiate victory against North Dakota. He carried a perfect game into the seventh in that one.
Bremer moved up a day to Saturday last week against Pepperdine and kept rolling, again allowing just one hit over seven shutout innings while walking one. On the season, he is 2-1, 1.21 with just two walks and eight hits allowed in 22.1 innings.
Bremer_6679"He came in kind of as a guy that we thought could help us early, and a guy that I thought could be a rotation guy as a sophomore," Washington pitching coach Jason Kelly said. "He's just throwing strikes, and that's what's setting him apart. He's a competitive kid, and he's made it very simple that he's going to shove it in there and see what happens."
Bremer's stuff isn't overpowering, but it is solid, and he knows how to use it. His 87-91 fastball has good sink and a little deception, and he locates it very well to both sides. His curveball is good "but not a hammer by any means," as Kelly put it, and he mixes in a good changeup.
Bremer, a native of Berkeley, Calif., comes from an athletic family-his mother played basketball at Cal and his older brother Tyler pitched for Baylor before getting drafted by the Cubs. Kelly had seen Tyler Bremer when he was in high school and Kelly was at Cal Poly, so he had an inkling that the lanky Noah would become something similar as he matured.
"I knew there were some genes there and that the velocity would could," Kelly said. "He was 6-foot-4, about 170, so you wanted to take a chance on him because you knew if he could ever get to 200, he could have a plus fastball. He's worked hard, and he's on his way to being that guy. But to predict he'd have the kind of run he's been on the last couple of weeks, I couldn't have predicted that. He has a very competitive energy, he works quick. It's easy to take a shot on guys like that, because you know he'll compete, even if he's struggling."
Bremer's emergence has allowed the Huskies to move veteran bulldog Troy Rallings back to the closer role, where he is very well suited. Having Rallings at the back of the bullpen gives the Huskies confidence that they can win close games in the late innings..
Here's how much faith the UW coaches have in Bremer: When the Huskies open Pac-12 play this weekend at No. 14 UCLA, Bremer will move up another day to the Friday starter spot, where he'll take on preseason All-American James Kaprielian. Kelly said the reason for the move is that Washington likes having senior ace Tyler Davis on Saturdays, so that if the Friday starter struggles and the Huskies have to empty the bullpen behind him, the ultra-consistent Davis can be counted upon to go deep into the Saturday game, giving the relievers a day to recover for Sunday's series finale. Sunday starter Josh Fredenhall, a sixth-year senior who has shown 90-93 mph heat and a power slider at 80-84, is still working his way back to full strength from elbow issues, so UW needs fresh bullpen arms behind him.
Even so, Washington is placing plenty of trust in Bremer by having him start the Pac-12 opener on the road against a marquee opponent.
"That's one thing people will learn about Noah is he's not scared," Kelly said. "He's willing to take his chances. He's going to fight and compete and have some great moments, and like every young guy he'll have some tough moments. But it won't be because he was worried or scared or the moment was too big for him. If he loses, it's because he's throwing strikes and the other team's taking good swings. As the Friday guy, you want that. And I hope Noah's the Friday night guy for three years. Learning on the job, right?"
Prelude To The SEC Regular Season
• Texas AM logoAuburn Tigers logoAuburn hits the road this weekend hoping to make a statement against so far flawless Texas A&M, which is sitting at 18-0 entering the weekend. The Aggies enter the series without talented lefthander AJ Minter, who's on the shelf and out the rest of the season because of Tommy John surgery, while the weekend rotation includes usual weekend starters Grayson Long, who we profiled in this feature, and talented crafty lefthander Matt Kent. A&M's rotation will round out with talented freshman righthander Turner Larkins, who makes his weekend debut. Larkins is a talented young arm who will get into the low-90s with his fastball, but who relies heavily on a good changeup with late fade to get hitters out. Larkins has 17 strikeouts in 17 2/3 innings, but most impressive are just his two walks As for the Tigers, they've done a terrific job of using the gaps so far this season, sitting 17th nationally in doubles, while they rank 29th nationally in terms of batting average with a .305 clip. Ultra-athletic Anfernee Grier .424/.531/.591 is having a terrific season thus far, while former Pepperdine Wave Cody Nulph has made massive leaps offensively for the Tigers, hitting .400/.443/.585 with a pair of homers and 11 RBIs. Though the Tigers can use the gaps, they aren't considered much of a home run threat with just eight as a team.
• Vanderbilt University logoArkansas Razorbacks logoVanderbilt might have finished last weekend in Southern California with a 1-2 record, but all indications are the Commodores played a much better brand of baseball than they did the previous few weeks against significantly inferior competition. Vandy righthanded pitcher Carson Fulmer, whom Aaron Fitt detailed in this column, is having a terrific year with an 0.81 ERA in 22 1/3 innings, while fellow dominant righty Walker Buehler returned to the rotation last weekend and showed his usual electric stuff. Offensively, outfielder Rhett Wiseman, as we figured might be the case going into the season, has taken a major step forward, hitting .435/.519/.725, while All-American shortstop Dansby Swanson is again consistent at the plate and is showing his typical elite defensive skills For the Razorbacks, last weekend's series win at home over LMU was a step in the right direction, but then they followed that up with a pair of midweek losses to Gonzaga, getting pounded in the second of those two contests. Arkansas's rotation is littered with quality power arms, including freshman righthander Keaton McKinney, who will start the series opener against the Commodores. McKinney, one of the nation's elite prospects out of high school, has a 3.45 ERA in 15 2/3 innings, along with 12 strikeouts and seven walks.
• Mississippi StateAlabama Crimson Tide logoAlabama hasn't been able to put together a full, successful weekend against a quality opponent just yet, but that should be a scary thing for Mississippi State this weekend. There's no doubt the Crimson Tide have the personnel needed to make a strong run at the SEC regular season title, but they've yet to meet expectations as a whole. Individually, the Tide has an outstanding one in physical outfielder Casey Hughston, who ranks fourth nationally in batting average. Hughston, a fast-rising elite prospect, is hitting .500/.515/.833 with 10 doubles, three triples, two homers and 21 RBIs, while just one other everyday player, Mikey White, is hitting over .300 (he's at .370). Georgie Salem (.245) and Kyle Overstreet (.288) are much more talented than their stats would indicate For Mississippi State, the past week has been kind of a blur between splitting a home midweek series against Western Kentucky and losing a home series to San Diego last weekend, but this team is dangerous. The Bulldogs aren't considered much of a power threat, but this is an offensive lineup that will make pitchers work. State ranks second nationally in terms of walks, and seventh in hit-by-pitches. The big key for MSU in this series is very simple - maximize at-bats, and get in a position to win in the latter innings. The Bulldogs have two of the very best in righthander Trevor Fitts (0.75, 12) and lefthander Ross Mitchell (2.36, 26.2), and it's important to be able to turn games over to them with a lead. Last weekend's performances by these two against San Diego in the series finale was only an aberration.
• LSUInterlockingOle Miss logoFresh off a College World Series trip last season, the 2015 campaign, at least thus far, has been very much up and down for Mike Bianco and Ole Miss. For instance, the Rebels are pleased with lefthander Christian Trent (2.96, 24.1), and Brady Bramlett (2.05, 22) has continued where he left off last summer. But the No. 3 spot in the weekend rotation is a gaping question mark right now. Ole Miss expected veteran righthander Sam Smith to be a consistent force in the rotation - and so did we - but he has struggled immensely, entering the LSU series with a 6.41 ERA in 19 2/3 innings While pitching is a question mark for the Rebels, the Tigers showed me a lot last weekend at the Houston College Classic. Freshmen Alex Lange and Jake Godfrey were slightly different, with Lange getting up to 93-94 on the radar gun, and Godfrey showcasing a hard-nosed approach, but both were impressive in their respective starts. Sophomore lefthander Jared Poche sat 89-91 last weekend with his fastball and flashed a quality curveball, and continues to be a consistent force, while the LSU offense gives the pitching staff plenty of support. LSU might just have the nation's scariest offensive one through nine.
• Georgia Bulldogs logoMissouri Tigers logoBoth Missouri and Georgia have something to prove this weekend. The Tigers were one of the nation's hottest teams entering last weekend. However, getting swept at home by Milwaukee tends to lower your stock a bit. The Tigers have scuffled at the plate, hitting just .245 for the season and scoring just six runs in three games against the Panthers last weekend, while the pitching staff has potential. Freshman righthander Tanner Houck (3.08, 26.1) has shown good stuff with a fastball up to 92-93 mph, while Reggie McClain (1.84, 29.1) is a consistent force with good command For the Bulldogs, life without righthander Robert Tyler, who's on the shelf because of an injury, hasn't been great thus far, but weekend starter Ryan Lawlor (1.93, 18.2) has bene very solid thus far. The Bulldogs also have high hopes for righthander Sean McLaughlin (3.44, 18.1), who has a big-time arm.
• Florida Gators logoTennessee logoTennessee entered the season ranked by us, and honestly, that was quite the leap of faith. Though there's plenty of time for the Volunteers to earn that preseason ranking, it hasn't been accomplished thus far, as they enter the weekend against top-ranked Florida with something to prove. Toolsy outfielder Christin Stewart leads the team with three homers, while Vincent Jackson (.400/.526/.467) is having a productive campaign. The biggest news the past few weeks is the rise of sophomore righthander Kyle Serrano. Serrano has had consistency issues in the past, but he's been consistently in the low-90s, and up to the mid-90s at times, allowing just one hit in five innings against Grand Canyon last weekend As for the Gators, we've given plenty of love to coach Kevin O'Sullivan's club, but this is an intriguing team with so many arms at their disposal in addition to talented hitters. But how about this? UF expected youngsters Dalton Guthrie and JJ Schwarz to have productive first seasons, but the two are hitting .358 and .355, respectively, with Schwarz showing off good raw power with four homers, second on the team behind veteran outfielder Harrison Bader.
• South Carolina logoUniversity of Kentucky logoSouth Carolina enters SEC play with a 14-3 overall record, but you'd think it was 3-14 by the way some of its fans have reacted to the season thus far. There's no doubt the Gamecocks have been pretty inconsistent at times, losing a tough series to rival Clemson and just not looking ultra crisp in other contests. But it's all a clean slate beginning this weekend and they still have a pair of quality weekend starters in power-armed Will Crowe (3.47, 23.1) and crafty lefthander Jack Wynkoop (2.00, 27 IP). The Gamecocks also welcome freshman righthander Clarke Schmidt to the weekend rotation. Schmidt was a talented prospect out of high school and can sit in the low-90s with his fastball. He started last weekend against Miami (Ohio), striking out our and allowing just two runs on two hits in 4 2/3 innings For Kentucky, Ka'ai Tom .418/.507/.491 is having an impressive season, while the Wildcats as a whole are far less powerful than they were last season with just six homers thus far. On the mound, power arm righthander Kyle Cody has been hittable at times, but one big key to his success is much improved command. Cody has walked just three hitters in 21innings. He and others will need to have big weekends to take care of the Gamecocks.
Q&A With Loyola Marymount Coach Jason Gill
Loyola Marymount entered the season as the team to beat in the West Coast Conference and borderline Top 25 club. Our two West Coast-based staff writers, Eric Sorenson and Shotgun Spratling, tabbed the Lions as "Most Dangerous Mid-Major" and "Omaha Sleeper," respectively, in our preseason staff picks, and I pegged LMU coach Jason Gill as my pick to win Coach of the Year honors. So LMU hasn't quite gotten off to the start we envisioned, going 9-7 against a solid nonconference schedule that included series against Nebraska and Arkansas. I caught up with Gill after LMU's midweek loss to No. 2 TCU and picked his brain about the Lions as they head into West Coast Conference play this weekend against Santa Clara.
Well, I'm sure you haven't gotten off to the start you were hoping for, but your schedule has been very difficult. How do you feel about the direction this team is heading right now?
LMU coach Jason Gill addresses his club after a Tuesday loss to TCU (Aaron Fitt)
LMU coach Jason Gill addresses his club after a Tuesday loss to TCU (Aaron Fitt)
We've learned a lot about ourselves in the last two weeks. We came out of the gates hot. The game will tell you exactly what you are eventually, and it will expose you for the mistakes that you make and where you're at as a club, and that's what it's done, to be honest with you. I think it could have been a terrible thing, but we've gotten so much better since the Nebraska series. It hasn't shown, but we've had to improve in so many different areas.
Our defense has been phenomenal. But when you're playing teams like Arkansas, TCU and Nebraska, all teams that have played in postseason, have played in championship environments, you have to play championship defense. We've played for the most part really, really good defense-I mean, we can really play. But we have to be able to play against a championship team and not do those little things.
I think we learned a lot about our offense. Nebraska exposed some things against us, and since then, whether the numbers show it or not, we've gotten way better. I think the next thing on the list for us is two-out RBIs. I've told a lot of people this, that we are going to be a much better team come April 1, 2 or 3 than we are now. We run out six or seven upperclassmen. So you've got to learn a lot of lessons that way. I'm OK with what went on as long as we can get better from it. I agree with you; I think we have a really good team. It's a matter of whether we can learn from tonight, against TCU.
Those two veterans, Tanner Donnels and David Edwards, they looked great tonight-just quality at-bats and using the field. They've really become dangerous hitters for you, haven't they?
They're facing some good arms, too. I can tell you that (TCU) ran every guy out there that was 89-93, and they had stuff, and they were down in the zone. Our guys handled it, they had 12 hits. But in championship environments, you've got to be able to get the two-out RBIs. But to answer your question about Tanner and David, I told Coach (Bryant) Ward before the season started that I thought those two guys really needed to pace our offense, and they have. Now, Edwards was hurt for a little bit, tonight's the first night he's started at second. He had a subluxed right shoulder, he ran into our first baseman a week before the season started and it popped out, so he couldn't throw, and he couldn't hit for the first two weekends and we DH'd him, and he's really done well. I can't say enough about both of those guys and what they've meant to our offense.
For this offense to fire on all cylinders, I know you need Austin Miller to get going too. It was good to see him get two hits today-is he close to getting back to form, you think?
Miller's scuffled a little bit out of the gates; tonight was a big night for him. He came in yesterday, and I think did some work on his own to try to get himself back. Between Miller and Fletcher, when those guys are rolling, we're a much tougher offense. And we're much tougher even this year because of Edwards and Donnels doing what they're doing in the middle of the order, and then we've got guys like (Sean) Watkins that has a chance. He's learning too. As you can see, he's got four home runs, but he can also swing and miss a ball by three feet. And that's part of being a freshman and learning how to hit against arguably the best pitching staff in the country.
I was excited that you ran him out there on the mound tonight too-I wanted to see him. You talked up that breaking ball in the fall-that thing is sharp. Is he throwing two breaking balls, or is it just one?
It's just one breaking ball, but he adds and subtracts a little bit. We call it the same pitch. And Michael Silva, he's been a pleasant surprise.
Yeah, he was 92-94 tonight.
That's a bad night for him. He's been 94-97, and his last three outings he hasn't thrown a ball under 94. But that might be catching up a little bit with him too, the trip, we extended him out there a little bit. He's been a pleasant surprise for us. (Sean) Buckle went down with a back, as a senior lefthander that really emerged at the end of last year for us, and we were counting on him. He hasn't been with us since San Diego State our fourth game of the year. He was hurt, had some lower back stiffness, tried to pitch through it, we had to shut him down. The best he's felt was today; we haven't gotten him on the mound yet, so my guess is if he's able to go, it's probably about two weeks away. Michael's really picked up the slack there and helped us out quite a bit, it's a real arm. And J.D. (Busfield) at the back end, he's a real closer too. I mean, he's 90-93 and it's downhill, and he's 6-7. It's pretty good.
I'm also curious for your impressions from this weekend on the starting pitchers, the Megill brothers and Colin Welmon. What's going on with Trevor Megill right now?
There's no hiding from it, Trevor has struggled. he's struggled with confidence, he's struggled with his command. That's the one thing he's been able to go to is his fastball command, and he hasn't had that. And when you can't go to your ace in the hole, you struggle a little bit. It was obvious against Nebraska, and it was obvious last weekend against Arkansas. He's aware of it, we're fighting with him. We're going to throw him back out there on Saturday in conference, it'll be a shorter leash. But we're much better if he gets right. If he gets right, I would argue that we're one of the best pitching staffs at least on the West Coast.
If we have Welmon on Friday, who's probably the most underrated righthander in the country. Take a look at his career. He's the same guy; he just goes out there and keeps us in games. Then, if Trevor's right, we have Trevor, and Tylor (Megill) has been outstanding. He's a lot like his brother when his brother was a freshman. They're a lot alike. They're different people, they have different demeanors. His brother had a little more anger, and this one's kind of like the Big Smooth. He's just kind of smooth and rolls through it, just kind of jogs off the mound, there's not a lot of emotion. I thought he did really well against Arkansas at Arkansas in tough conditions, against a team that can really hit. And he did great, and he's done that every week. Now, he's still learning how to get through the fifth inning, and the sixth inning, and the seventh inning. We're hoping by the end of the year he's a seven-inning guy. He's definitely got the stuff to do that.
He's got the secondary stuff to get through a lineup multiple times?
Oh yeah. He throws a glove-strike changeup that is probably major league average, and a curveball for strike. As he develops, he's going to be able to pitch up in the zone a little better, he's going to be able to stretch the zone with two strikes a little better. He's going to understand that with his defense behind him, he doesn't need to be fine in certain situations. I mean, our defense broke down tonight, but we can really play defense.
It helps to have maybe the best shortstop in the country (David Fletcher). How about that over-the-shoulder catch he made in the eighth inning tonight?
I think he is (the best in the country), but I'm biased. We see it every day; I try not to take it for granted, but I kind of do. And Billy Wilson, he started off, nobody knows about him-who is he? An undrafted kid out of Arizona. He was on nobody's radar, except for ours-I think we were the only ones who recruited him. But he's an 80 athlete, this guy. He can run, he throws OK, that's probably the weakest part of his game, and he's a freshman trying to lead off against really good competition. So I think maybe a bit part of that switch is getting Austin right and back to the top of the lineup and getting Billy down.
D1 - Weekend Preview: March 13-15
D1Baseball Pick'em: Week 5 Staff Predictions
Hit the link.
D1Baseball Pick'em: Week 5 Staff Predictions
Hit the link.
D1Baseball Pick'em: Week 5 Staff Predictions
D1 - Sorenson: Off The Top Of My Head
WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE FIRST MONTH OF THE SEASON
Here are the highlights for the 2015 season's first 30 days in the hole.
1- Your Team Stinks.
I don't care who your favorite team is, we can find a reason why they are weak little kittens that couldn't roll a ball of yarn. Yes, everybody has shown plenty of Achilles heels. Virginia lost a Friday game to Pitt. LSU lost to Nicholls State. Vanderbilt lost to Santa Clara on opening weekend. Oregon dropped two games to San Francisco. Florida had a could-go-either-way weekend hosting Miami. UCF gave up 26 runs in two losses to Florida State. Every team has cracks in their fault line. Nobody has looked so dominant we can write them into Omaha. Hell, we can't even write anyone into the supers either.
2- The RPI Loves Northern Teams
Why is it in the first month of the season the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee's leaning post ranking system is so good for northern teams, but in late May it usually treats them like a garbage barge? For now, here are some of the more curious early-season rankings:
No. 1- Harvard.
Yes, at 5-3, Harvard is the No. 1 team in the country
No. 6- Milwaukee.
See what a sweep of an SEC team will do?
No. 7- Missouri State.
The Bears beat Wright State, who beat Ole Miss and Miami.
No. 9- Ohio State.
Handed Florida Atlantic one of its three losses so far.
No. 11- Bradley.
The 11-2 Braves pitching is holding opponents to a .232 average.
No. 13- Notre Dame.
The Irish own a series win at Oklahoma as part of a 12-3 mark.
3- The Lowered Seam Ball Just About Perfect
Okay, can we finally stop all the bitching and fighting over the bats and balls, right? Home runs are up 40 percent from a year ago and offenses in general are on an uptick, scoring just over a run a game more than last season. And if you've been to see a game in person yet this year, you've probably noticed more shots to the gap, more worm burners through the infield and yes, gulp, the home run is back. (sniffle, sniffle, we have missed you).
4- Mother Nature Is Wicked
Unlike any years I can recall before, the weather has treated our sport like No. 2, causing more cancellations, postponements and schedule alterations than ever. It has also sparked many an argument over whether the season should be pushed back to the beginning of March or mid-March or April or until the temperature gauge reaches 90 degrees or so in Moose Jaw, depending on who you listen to. Of course, the other thing all this poor weather has caused is the amount of money programs are spending to make sure they get games in. Some big time programs are getting into the act of packing up their U-Hauls and moving venues for an entire weekend. Remember UCLA and North Carolina moving from Chapel Hill to Orlando? That's simply dollars flying out the door. And yes, those are funds that could be better used for many cash-strapped programs. So Mother Nature, to put it bluntly, you owe us money. And if you don't respond in kind we're sending Rocco and Knuckles over to collect it.
5- Virginia, Texas A&M, LSU, Oregon State, Oregon, Missouri And Arizona Need To Man Up.
All seven of the above teams have glitzy double-digit win totals and everyone is patting them on the back. But every one of them have also played a schedule that is rated No. 179 or higher. In order, their strength of schedules are Nos. 248, 198, 187, 179, 217, 242 and 204.
Oh sure, conference play starts this weekend for all of them so their schedules will get tougher, but we'd like to see you guys build up a little more of a callous with some fun competition that creates some interest in our sport in the months of February and early March.
(Although we should cut some slack to OSU, Oregon and Arizona for at least going on a road and trying to play decent teams.)
6- Teams Like UCLA, TCU, UC Santa Barbara, Florida State, Rice, Texas, San Diego, Miami and Stanford Should Be Lauded As Heroes.
Without these national powers showing some stones in their scheduling, this first month could've been a real drag. In order, their strength of schedules heading into conference play this weekend are rated at Nos. 10, 42, 8, 19, 15, 21, 1 40 and 4.
Because these guys take an interest in challenging their teams and giving our sport some national headlines, I have seen seven of the nine teams in person already and written about them.
7- Going On The Road Is Hard.
Funny things happen when you pack up your gear and play away from home. Suddenly easy hops become inconsistent, a different batter's eye seems weird to look into, sleeping in a strange bed and sharing a room causes a horrible night's sleep, umpires you're not used to seem to conspire against you, etc., etc. Hmmm maybe this is why some teams are a little too chicken to venture out away from their cribs?
Yes, when teams get out of their element a little, it can bite them in the rear. Lots of examples to choose from but here are a few from some of the top teams:
- Florida State is 15-3, all three losses were road games at Jacksonville and Georgia (2).
- North Carolina is 11-5, and four of those five losses were road games. Three of the Ls were supposed to be home games but got re-routed by Jack Frost.
- Vanderbilt has taken it on the chin four times so far, three on the road including two losses in three games in Southern California last weekend.
- Texas has given up just 18 runs in nine home games. But in the four losses on the road, the Longhorns have given up 25 runs.
- Texas Tech at home: 12-1. Texas Tech on the road: 0-3
8- USC Is Back.
Dan Hubbs you stud you. The Trojan skipper has taken on a heavy burden by taking over the moribund program and brought it back to a high level of prominence. That three day sweep of TCU, Vanderbilt and UCLA proved it once and for all, we can all welcome back the prodigal program of college baseball. At 15-2 and as high as No. 6 nationally in Collegiate Baseball's rankings (No. 13 in D1Baseball), they are reaping the fruits of their labor. Pac 12 play starts this weekend, so let's see where this goes from here.
9- Speaking Of, We Discovered That You CAN Pull Big Crowds In Southern California
Long labeled a laissez faire fan base, the Los Angeles area provided one of the biggest crowds we will see in college baseball this year when USC and UCLA got together for a game at Dodger Stadium last Sunday and 14,688 Angelenos crammed into the lower section of the venerable stadium to see the Trojans double-up their rivals 8-4. Great atmosphere. Great publicity. I hope the Dodger Classic never goes away.
10- Ben Johnson Is The Best Player I've Seen So Far.
That Friday game Texas played at Stanford was a virtual Johnson-fest. The Cardinal won the game 5-4, but the Longhorn left fielder was "The Show" for all intents and purposes, going three-for-four with two four-baggers over the wall, three ribs and a couple of great defensive plays in left field. For the season, Johnson is now hitting .440 with three home runs, three triples and 15 RBI. And keep in mind those stats come while facing one of the best schedules in the country and he doesn't exactly get so many good pitches to swing at either.
Ben Johnson of Texas gives a tip of the helmet to Longhorn fans after a home run at Stanford.
Ben Johnson of Texas gives a tip of the helmet to Longhorn fans after a home run at Stanford.
11- Pictures Make College Baseball Coverage Better
It's good to see the expansion of coverage of college baseball as a sport, but it's even more gratifying to see Kendall and Aaron from our D1baseball site dropping their radar guns and picking up some cameras to help document the sport. See guys, doesn't a visual image of what you see in person add to the game write-ups and various columns for your readers? When I was in Gainesville, Aaron told me he was really liking the act of going out and capturing some images while he's at a game. And it's true, our sport isn't a constant-action pursuit like basketball or hockey, there is a lot of down time and games can get a little tedious, I admit. But that's why passing the time with a camera and getting shots of things people might not see is a great way to pass the innings. Aaron and Kendall are finding that out now. It's almost like I'm a proud papa here, I'm all verklempt. (sniffle, sniffle again)
12- Speaking Of D1baseball.com Is A Force.
Yes, the best part of the early season is having people come up to you at various times and say, "Hey man, love what you guys have done at D1baseball." It's become a familiar refrain to just about every game I have gone to.
But as I tweeted about last week, it's also cool to see people referencing the D1 site when talking about pro prospects and potential draftees. My heart was warmed to see a graphic during the San Diego-Texas game on the Longhorn Network that showed USD's David Hill as "No. 123 college prospect by D1Baseball.com". Usually that kind of info is always followed with " by Baseball America" or " according to Perfect Game". So yes, the best all-around coverage of the game is pointed right here where you're mouse is now, everybody is starting to realize that.
THIS WEEK'S EIGHT FOR OMAHA
If the post-season started today, here are the eight teams I could see on the field while thousands walk around the concourses of TD Ameritrade Park wondering why there is no beer being sold.
- TCU
- Virginia
- Florida
- Rice
- Arizona State
- USC
- Louisville
- Vanderbilt
TOP FIVE PLACES TO BE THIS WEEKEND
There are no matchups of ranked teams this weekend, but there is still plenty reason to gas up the company lear jet and take off over the next horizon to a college baseball series somewhere:
5- Ole Miss at LSU
Alex Box Stadium, Baton Rouge.
The Rebels are tripping a little, getting out to a 9-7 start and now having to face that youthful LSU arms corps who got a trio of good wins last weekend in Houston. Sweeping Houston, Baylor and Nebraska told us a little bit about the Tigers. This weekend will be a big stage challenge for the Purple and Gold, though they catch the Rebels at the perfect time. Look for Mark Etheridge's reports from Alex Box Stadium this weekend.
4- Oregon at California
Evans Diamond, Berkeley
A great starter in the Pac 12, the Bears have a suddenly potent offense (.317, 16 home runs) led by Lucas Erceg's .450-3-15 and Chris Paul's .414-3-14. I was impressed with what I saw from UO in Santa Barbara two weeks ago, but the Ducks got de-feathered a little in the mid-week by losing a pair of games to unsung San Francisco, 4-1 and 8-2.
3- Arkansas at Vanderbilt
Hawkins Field, Nashville
We all know about the Commodores million dollar arms and after seeing them at Dodger Stadium I was reminded how athletic and capable that offense is (even though they got smothered by TCU). The Razorbacks have an uncharacteristic 4.46 ERA as stud arms Trey Killian and Jacob Stone have combined to throw just 9.2 innings this year. Killian's Sunday start will be just his second this season. Kendall Rogers will be in Music City this weekend.
2- Auburn at Texas A&M
Blue Bell Park, College Station
Two surprises on the national landscape this season, the Tigers and Aggies look to be legit challengers in the SEC West. The Plainsmen are 13-4 and have had the tougher road thus far, beating Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech and Alabama along the way. The Aggies are last unbeaten team in college baseball at 18-0, giving up just over two runs per game. But this is SEC play, so things get much tougher now.
1- Oregon State at Arizona State
Phoenix Municipal Stadium, Phoenix.
The only opponents that ASU has face that sit with a losing record are Purdue and UNLV, whom the Devils beat on Tuesday 5-4. That young, potent Beaver offense led by wunderkind K.J. Harrison (.441-6-24) and Gabe Clark (.345-6-19) will be the biggest test yet for Brett Lilek, Ryan Kellogg and Ryan Burr.
FIVE OFF-THE-RADAR SERIES TO WATCH
Outside of the Top 25, there are a lot of interesting series between teams that are on the cusp of breaking it big in college baseball. Here's who to keep an eye on this weekend.
1- New Mexico at Nevada
By the Numbers:
UNM: 10-4, RPI No. 44
UNR: 13-3, RPI No. 75
Great matchup in the Mountain West this weekend. The Wolf Pack have one of the better home field advantages in Reno as this will be the first of six meetings in the regular season. The return series will be in early May. Tough early schedule for the Lobos, who took down San Diego State in two of three last weekend.
2- Notre Dame at Clemson
By the Numbers:
UND: 12-3, 1-2 ACC, No. 12 RPI
C.U.: 8-7, 1-2 ACC, No. 42 RPI
The Tigers have wins over South Carolina, N.C. State and West Virginia, but have been plagued by inconsistency. But you can't blame staff ace Andrew Crownover, who has held up well by going 3-0, 1.80 and a .176 BA. Watch out for Cavan Biggio (.404) and that offense as the Irish has raced out to a 16-3 scoring advantage in the first inning of games.
3- N.C. State at Miami
By the Numbers:
NCSU: 10-4, 2-1 ACC, RPI No. 85
The U: 12-6, 1-2 ACC, RPI No. 31
The Wolfpack is on a nice stretch right now, having won a series at Clemson (outscoring them 22-9 in the two wins) and got a 9-5 win at FAU on Wednesday night. Miami will put itself behind the eight ball a bit if it loses another series here, following weekend losses at Florida and Louisville already.
4- Georgia Tech at Duke
By the Numbers:
Tech: 12-4, 2-1 ACC, RPI No. 19
Duke: 13-3, 1-2 ACC, RPI No. 30
Very quietly, the Dookies have put together a good campaign so far. But we should've seen it coming after they went to Berkeley in week one and taking two of three from a solid Cal team. But it'll be a battle of hot teams since Tech averages 8.4 runs per game and is on a 7-1 tear, including a series win vs. Notre Dame last weekend.
5- Grand Canyon at Oklahoma State
By the Numbers:
GCU: 11-6, RPI No. 49
OSU: 10-6, RPI No. 41
An odd combo here. The Antelopes have quietly become one of the favorites in the WAC for this season after pulling wins over Tennessee and Kansas and a series sweep at Cal Poly. But the Cowboys have hit a few snags, particularly last weekend's series loss to Illinois. This could be a trap door weekend for the Pokes as they'll head to TCU next week to open Big 12 play.
WE LOST A GOOD ONE.
For as long as I've been going to the College World Series, Lou Spry had been the official scorekeeper. Let this sink in, from 1967 to 2012, Mr. Spry and his cool sideburns was there keeping official track of the games - every game. He only missed a few games during that span, including in 2009 when he went to the funeral of a friend of his and missed the opening weekend. Other than that, Lou was there.
Lou Spry, a native Nebraskan, passed away on Sunday at his home in Louisiana.
Lou Spry, the longtime College World Series official scorer, at his post in Rosenblatt from 2008.
Don't let the scowl fool you, Lou was a sweet man. Lou Spry, the longtime College World Series official scorer, at his post in Rosenblatt from 2008.
He always included his daily "Lou's Clues" to the media in the Rosenblatt press box which included nick-knack items of interest and significance from the CWS. I incorporated them often in some of the post-game write-ups from Omaha.
Since Lou's retirement, Nebraska sports information director Shamus McKnight has taken over the role of official scorekeeper at TD Ameritrade during the College World Series. Good luck Shamus, you only have 42 more years to go to match our Mr. Spry.
TWEET OF THE WEEK.
Loved the back and forth between Illinois baseball and Aaron Fitt after the Illini beat Oklahoma State in three games. Even though the scene in the movie is totally ridiculous, with "Maverick" going up to "Iceman" and telling him "That's right! I am dangerous!", I loved the use of the Top Gun reference to the Illini being a "dangerous" team. Here you go
IllinoisTweet
WELCOME BACK HOFSTRA.
Looks like this weekend's series vs. William and Mary will be moved to nearby Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale due to snow on outfield grass at Hofstra's home University Field. To give you another idea of how bad the weather has been so far this season, the Pride has not played a game since February 21st at Hawaii.
OUR NEXT COLLEGE BASEBALL FAN.
Here is who we need to talk into becoming a fan of our sport.
EmeliaClarke
Emilia Clarke
The brunette locks might throw you off a bit here but you probably recognize Ms. Clarke as the "Dragon Lady" on HBO's Game of Thrones, Daenerys Targaryen. On the show, she's a cold, chilly queen who has three pet dragons that do all of her dirty work. But we'd like to see her become a fan of the college stitched ball so that when someone describes a pitcher that "throws with a lot of heat," we can point to our hot little dragon queen and her fire-breathing dragons as the real deal.
THE BIGGEST RACKET ON EARTH.
I'm a college baseball writer. Which means I'm poor. I used to be in advertising, which means I got overpaid for doing very little. But one of the things I noticed about advertising insurance companies make a killing. Try to notice during the next football, basketball, baseball or hockey game you watch, how many commercials there are for insurance companies. And i don't just mean commercials with Flo from Progressive or the Geico gecko or J.K. Simmons for Farmers, just notice how many of them are high-quality spots with lots of effects in them. Mayhem from All State immediately comes to mind. They blow up cars like a Steve McQueen flick in them regularly.
Also, have you noticed how many different ad campaigns go on at once for insurance commercials? Not only do you have the omnipresent Flo in many commercials for Progressive, but then there is also the Progressive "Talking Box" ads. Or, for Geico, you have the talking gekko in one ad, then an hour later on the same TV show will be a Geico ad with Kenny Rogers sitting in a poker game singing the lyrics to The Gambler. Or how you'll see Mr. Mayhem from All State throwing things off the back of a truck on the freeway in one spot, then at the next commercial break it's Dennis Haysbert telling you how All State is the Good Hands people.
Shouldn't insurance be like a pet deposit at a hotel? When we went to Arizona for opening weekend, we had to pay a $200 pet deposit at the hotel we were staying at. Of course, I paid it willingly knowing that we weren't going to go all Van Halen on the room and trash the joint. We get that money back. But when we pay for a year's worth of auto insurance and don't have any accidents, do we get that money back? In addition, if we DO get in a fender bender, how come we still end up paying $500 out of our pocket?
Damn, I went into the wrong line of work.
BEST COLLEGE BASEBALL POSTERS
I always love seeing the annual posters that the marketing department of each of the schools put out to promote the baseball team. Here are some of the best I've seen so far, with Missouri taking the prize as the top dog in schedule posters once again, and some of the honorable mentions below it.
The winner is... Missouri. Another great schedule poster from the Tigers' marketing department, who never seem to disappoint.
The winner is Missouri. I don't know who is in charge of their marketing, but here is another great schedule poster from the Tigers, who never seem to disappoint.
And a few other top posters that stand out for design, photography, creativity or concept
D1 - Sorenson: Off The Top Of My Head
WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE FIRST MONTH OF THE SEASON
Here are the highlights for the 2015 season's first 30 days in the hole.
1- Your Team Stinks.
I don't care who your favorite team is, we can find a reason why they are weak little kittens that couldn't roll a ball of yarn. Yes, everybody has shown plenty of Achilles heels. Virginia lost a Friday game to Pitt. LSU lost to Nicholls State. Vanderbilt lost to Santa Clara on opening weekend. Oregon dropped two games to San Francisco. Florida had a could-go-either-way weekend hosting Miami. UCF gave up 26 runs in two losses to Florida State. Every team has cracks in their fault line. Nobody has looked so dominant we can write them into Omaha. Hell, we can't even write anyone into the supers either.
2- The RPI Loves Northern Teams
Why is it in the first month of the season the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee's leaning post ranking system is so good for northern teams, but in late May it usually treats them like a garbage barge? For now, here are some of the more curious early-season rankings:
No. 1- Harvard.
Yes, at 5-3, Harvard is the No. 1 team in the country
No. 6- Milwaukee.
See what a sweep of an SEC team will do?
No. 7- Missouri State.
The Bears beat Wright State, who beat Ole Miss and Miami.
No. 9- Ohio State.
Handed Florida Atlantic one of its three losses so far.
No. 11- Bradley.
The 11-2 Braves pitching is holding opponents to a .232 average.
No. 13- Notre Dame.
The Irish own a series win at Oklahoma as part of a 12-3 mark.
3- The Lowered Seam Ball Just About Perfect
Okay, can we finally stop all the bitching and fighting over the bats and balls, right? Home runs are up 40 percent from a year ago and offenses in general are on an uptick, scoring just over a run a game more than last season. And if you've been to see a game in person yet this year, you've probably noticed more shots to the gap, more worm burners through the infield and yes, gulp, the home run is back. (sniffle, sniffle, we have missed you).
4- Mother Nature Is Wicked
Unlike any years I can recall before, the weather has treated our sport like No. 2, causing more cancellations, postponements and schedule alterations than ever. It has also sparked many an argument over whether the season should be pushed back to the beginning of March or mid-March or April or until the temperature gauge reaches 90 degrees or so in Moose Jaw, depending on who you listen to. Of course, the other thing all this poor weather has caused is the amount of money programs are spending to make sure they get games in. Some big time programs are getting into the act of packing up their U-Hauls and moving venues for an entire weekend. Remember UCLA and North Carolina moving from Chapel Hill to Orlando? That's simply dollars flying out the door. And yes, those are funds that could be better used for many cash-strapped programs. So Mother Nature, to put it bluntly, you owe us money. And if you don't respond in kind we're sending Rocco and Knuckles over to collect it.
5- Virginia, Texas A&M, LSU, Oregon State, Oregon, Missouri And Arizona Need To Man Up.
All seven of the above teams have glitzy double-digit win totals and everyone is patting them on the back. But every one of them have also played a schedule that is rated No. 179 or higher. In order, their strength of schedules are Nos. 248, 198, 187, 179, 217, 242 and 204.
Oh sure, conference play starts this weekend for all of them so their schedules will get tougher, but we'd like to see you guys build up a little more of a callous with some fun competition that creates some interest in our sport in the months of February and early March.
(Although we should cut some slack to OSU, Oregon and Arizona for at least going on a road and trying to play decent teams.)
6- Teams Like UCLA, TCU, UC Santa Barbara, Florida State, Rice, Texas, San Diego, Miami and Stanford Should Be Lauded As Heroes.
Without these national powers showing some stones in their scheduling, this first month could've been a real drag. In order, their strength of schedules heading into conference play this weekend are rated at Nos. 10, 42, 8, 19, 15, 21, 1 40 and 4.
Because these guys take an interest in challenging their teams and giving our sport some national headlines, I have seen seven of the nine teams in person already and written about them.
7- Going On The Road Is Hard.
Funny things happen when you pack up your gear and play away from home. Suddenly easy hops become inconsistent, a different batter's eye seems weird to look into, sleeping in a strange bed and sharing a room causes a horrible night's sleep, umpires you're not used to seem to conspire against you, etc., etc. Hmmm maybe this is why some teams are a little too chicken to venture out away from their cribs?
Yes, when teams get out of their element a little, it can bite them in the rear. Lots of examples to choose from but here are a few from some of the top teams:
- Florida State is 15-3, all three losses were road games at Jacksonville and Georgia (2).
- North Carolina is 11-5, and four of those five losses were road games. Three of the Ls were supposed to be home games but got re-routed by Jack Frost.
- Vanderbilt has taken it on the chin four times so far, three on the road including two losses in three games in Southern California last weekend.
- Texas has given up just 18 runs in nine home games. But in the four losses on the road, the Longhorns have given up 25 runs.
- Texas Tech at home: 12-1. Texas Tech on the road: 0-3
8- USC Is Back.
Dan Hubbs you stud you. The Trojan skipper has taken on a heavy burden by taking over the moribund program and brought it back to a high level of prominence. That three day sweep of TCU, Vanderbilt and UCLA proved it once and for all, we can all welcome back the prodigal program of college baseball. At 15-2 and as high as No. 6 nationally in Collegiate Baseball's rankings (No. 13 in D1Baseball), they are reaping the fruits of their labor. Pac 12 play starts this weekend, so let's see where this goes from here.
9- Speaking Of, We Discovered That You CAN Pull Big Crowds In Southern California
Long labeled a laissez faire fan base, the Los Angeles area provided one of the biggest crowds we will see in college baseball this year when USC and UCLA got together for a game at Dodger Stadium last Sunday and 14,688 Angelenos crammed into the lower section of the venerable stadium to see the Trojans double-up their rivals 8-4. Great atmosphere. Great publicity. I hope the Dodger Classic never goes away.
10- Ben Johnson Is The Best Player I've Seen So Far.
That Friday game Texas played at Stanford was a virtual Johnson-fest. The Cardinal won the game 5-4, but the Longhorn left fielder was "The Show" for all intents and purposes, going three-for-four with two four-baggers over the wall, three ribs and a couple of great defensive plays in left field. For the season, Johnson is now hitting .440 with three home runs, three triples and 15 RBI. And keep in mind those stats come while facing one of the best schedules in the country and he doesn't exactly get so many good pitches to swing at either.
Ben Johnson of Texas gives a tip of the helmet to Longhorn fans after a home run at Stanford.
Ben Johnson of Texas gives a tip of the helmet to Longhorn fans after a home run at Stanford.
11- Pictures Make College Baseball Coverage Better
It's good to see the expansion of coverage of college baseball as a sport, but it's even more gratifying to see Kendall and Aaron from our D1baseball site dropping their radar guns and picking up some cameras to help document the sport. See guys, doesn't a visual image of what you see in person add to the game write-ups and various columns for your readers? When I was in Gainesville, Aaron told me he was really liking the act of going out and capturing some images while he's at a game. And it's true, our sport isn't a constant-action pursuit like basketball or hockey, there is a lot of down time and games can get a little tedious, I admit. But that's why passing the time with a camera and getting shots of things people might not see is a great way to pass the innings. Aaron and Kendall are finding that out now. It's almost like I'm a proud papa here, I'm all verklempt. (sniffle, sniffle again)
12- Speaking Of D1baseball.com Is A Force.
Yes, the best part of the early season is having people come up to you at various times and say, "Hey man, love what you guys have done at D1baseball." It's become a familiar refrain to just about every game I have gone to.
But as I tweeted about last week, it's also cool to see people referencing the D1 site when talking about pro prospects and potential draftees. My heart was warmed to see a graphic during the San Diego-Texas game on the Longhorn Network that showed USD's David Hill as "No. 123 college prospect by D1Baseball.com". Usually that kind of info is always followed with " by Baseball America" or " according to Perfect Game". So yes, the best all-around coverage of the game is pointed right here where you're mouse is now, everybody is starting to realize that.
THIS WEEK'S EIGHT FOR OMAHA
If the post-season started today, here are the eight teams I could see on the field while thousands walk around the concourses of TD Ameritrade Park wondering why there is no beer being sold.
- TCU
- Virginia
- Florida
- Rice
- Arizona State
- USC
- Louisville
- Vanderbilt
TOP FIVE PLACES TO BE THIS WEEKEND
There are no matchups of ranked teams this weekend, but there is still plenty reason to gas up the company lear jet and take off over the next horizon to a college baseball series somewhere:
5- Ole Miss at LSU
Alex Box Stadium, Baton Rouge.
The Rebels are tripping a little, getting out to a 9-7 start and now having to face that youthful LSU arms corps who got a trio of good wins last weekend in Houston. Sweeping Houston, Baylor and Nebraska told us a little bit about the Tigers. This weekend will be a big stage challenge for the Purple and Gold, though they catch the Rebels at the perfect time. Look for Mark Etheridge's reports from Alex Box Stadium this weekend.
4- Oregon at California
Evans Diamond, Berkeley
A great starter in the Pac 12, the Bears have a suddenly potent offense (.317, 16 home runs) led by Lucas Erceg's .450-3-15 and Chris Paul's .414-3-14. I was impressed with what I saw from UO in Santa Barbara two weeks ago, but the Ducks got de-feathered a little in the mid-week by losing a pair of games to unsung San Francisco, 4-1 and 8-2.
3- Arkansas at Vanderbilt
Hawkins Field, Nashville
We all know about the Commodores million dollar arms and after seeing them at Dodger Stadium I was reminded how athletic and capable that offense is (even though they got smothered by TCU). The Razorbacks have an uncharacteristic 4.46 ERA as stud arms Trey Killian and Jacob Stone have combined to throw just 9.2 innings this year. Killian's Sunday start will be just his second this season. Kendall Rogers will be in Music City this weekend.
2- Auburn at Texas A&M
Blue Bell Park, College Station
Two surprises on the national landscape this season, the Tigers and Aggies look to be legit challengers in the SEC West. The Plainsmen are 13-4 and have had the tougher road thus far, beating Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech and Alabama along the way. The Aggies are last unbeaten team in college baseball at 18-0, giving up just over two runs per game. But this is SEC play, so things get much tougher now.
1- Oregon State at Arizona State
Phoenix Municipal Stadium, Phoenix.
The only opponents that ASU has face that sit with a losing record are Purdue and UNLV, whom the Devils beat on Tuesday 5-4. That young, potent Beaver offense led by wunderkind K.J. Harrison (.441-6-24) and Gabe Clark (.345-6-19) will be the biggest test yet for Brett Lilek, Ryan Kellogg and Ryan Burr.
FIVE OFF-THE-RADAR SERIES TO WATCH
Outside of the Top 25, there are a lot of interesting series between teams that are on the cusp of breaking it big in college baseball. Here's who to keep an eye on this weekend.
1- New Mexico at Nevada
By the Numbers:
UNM: 10-4, RPI No. 44
UNR: 13-3, RPI No. 75
Great matchup in the Mountain West this weekend. The Wolf Pack have one of the better home field advantages in Reno as this will be the first of six meetings in the regular season. The return series will be in early May. Tough early schedule for the Lobos, who took down San Diego State in two of three last weekend.
2- Notre Dame at Clemson
By the Numbers:
UND: 12-3, 1-2 ACC, No. 12 RPI
C.U.: 8-7, 1-2 ACC, No. 42 RPI
The Tigers have wins over South Carolina, N.C. State and West Virginia, but have been plagued by inconsistency. But you can't blame staff ace Andrew Crownover, who has held up well by going 3-0, 1.80 and a .176 BA. Watch out for Cavan Biggio (.404) and that offense as the Irish has raced out to a 16-3 scoring advantage in the first inning of games.
3- N.C. State at Miami
By the Numbers:
NCSU: 10-4, 2-1 ACC, RPI No. 85
The U: 12-6, 1-2 ACC, RPI No. 31
The Wolfpack is on a nice stretch right now, having won a series at Clemson (outscoring them 22-9 in the two wins) and got a 9-5 win at FAU on Wednesday night. Miami will put itself behind the eight ball a bit if it loses another series here, following weekend losses at Florida and Louisville already.
4- Georgia Tech at Duke
By the Numbers:
Tech: 12-4, 2-1 ACC, RPI No. 19
Duke: 13-3, 1-2 ACC, RPI No. 30
Very quietly, the Dookies have put together a good campaign so far. But we should've seen it coming after they went to Berkeley in week one and taking two of three from a solid Cal team. But it'll be a battle of hot teams since Tech averages 8.4 runs per game and is on a 7-1 tear, including a series win vs. Notre Dame last weekend.
5- Grand Canyon at Oklahoma State
By the Numbers:
GCU: 11-6, RPI No. 49
OSU: 10-6, RPI No. 41
An odd combo here. The Antelopes have quietly become one of the favorites in the WAC for this season after pulling wins over Tennessee and Kansas and a series sweep at Cal Poly. But the Cowboys have hit a few snags, particularly last weekend's series loss to Illinois. This could be a trap door weekend for the Pokes as they'll head to TCU next week to open Big 12 play.
WE LOST A GOOD ONE.
For as long as I've been going to the College World Series, Lou Spry had been the official scorekeeper. Let this sink in, from 1967 to 2012, Mr. Spry and his cool sideburns was there keeping official track of the games - every game. He only missed a few games during that span, including in 2009 when he went to the funeral of a friend of his and missed the opening weekend. Other than that, Lou was there.
Lou Spry, a native Nebraskan, passed away on Sunday at his home in Louisiana.
Lou Spry, the longtime College World Series official scorer, at his post in Rosenblatt from 2008.
Don't let the scowl fool you, Lou was a sweet man. Lou Spry, the longtime College World Series official scorer, at his post in Rosenblatt from 2008.
He always included his daily "Lou's Clues" to the media in the Rosenblatt press box which included nick-knack items of interest and significance from the CWS. I incorporated them often in some of the post-game write-ups from Omaha.
Since Lou's retirement, Nebraska sports information director Shamus McKnight has taken over the role of official scorekeeper at TD Ameritrade during the College World Series. Good luck Shamus, you only have 42 more years to go to match our Mr. Spry.
TWEET OF THE WEEK.
Loved the back and forth between Illinois baseball and Aaron Fitt after the Illini beat Oklahoma State in three games. Even though the scene in the movie is totally ridiculous, with "Maverick" going up to "Iceman" and telling him "That's right! I am dangerous!", I loved the use of the Top Gun reference to the Illini being a "dangerous" team. Here you go
IllinoisTweet
WELCOME BACK HOFSTRA.
Looks like this weekend's series vs. William and Mary will be moved to nearby Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale due to snow on outfield grass at Hofstra's home University Field. To give you another idea of how bad the weather has been so far this season, the Pride has not played a game since February 21st at Hawaii.
OUR NEXT COLLEGE BASEBALL FAN.
Here is who we need to talk into becoming a fan of our sport.
EmeliaClarke
Emilia Clarke
The brunette locks might throw you off a bit here but you probably recognize Ms. Clarke as the "Dragon Lady" on HBO's Game of Thrones, Daenerys Targaryen. On the show, she's a cold, chilly queen who has three pet dragons that do all of her dirty work. But we'd like to see her become a fan of the college stitched ball so that when someone describes a pitcher that "throws with a lot of heat," we can point to our hot little dragon queen and her fire-breathing dragons as the real deal.
THE BIGGEST RACKET ON EARTH.
I'm a college baseball writer. Which means I'm poor. I used to be in advertising, which means I got overpaid for doing very little. But one of the things I noticed about advertising insurance companies make a killing. Try to notice during the next football, basketball, baseball or hockey game you watch, how many commercials there are for insurance companies. And i don't just mean commercials with Flo from Progressive or the Geico gecko or J.K. Simmons for Farmers, just notice how many of them are high-quality spots with lots of effects in them. Mayhem from All State immediately comes to mind. They blow up cars like a Steve McQueen flick in them regularly.
Also, have you noticed how many different ad campaigns go on at once for insurance commercials? Not only do you have the omnipresent Flo in many commercials for Progressive, but then there is also the Progressive "Talking Box" ads. Or, for Geico, you have the talking gekko in one ad, then an hour later on the same TV show will be a Geico ad with Kenny Rogers sitting in a poker game singing the lyrics to The Gambler. Or how you'll see Mr. Mayhem from All State throwing things off the back of a truck on the freeway in one spot, then at the next commercial break it's Dennis Haysbert telling you how All State is the Good Hands people.
Shouldn't insurance be like a pet deposit at a hotel? When we went to Arizona for opening weekend, we had to pay a $200 pet deposit at the hotel we were staying at. Of course, I paid it willingly knowing that we weren't going to go all Van Halen on the room and trash the joint. We get that money back. But when we pay for a year's worth of auto insurance and don't have any accidents, do we get that money back? In addition, if we DO get in a fender bender, how come we still end up paying $500 out of our pocket?
Damn, I went into the wrong line of work.
BEST COLLEGE BASEBALL POSTERS
I always love seeing the annual posters that the marketing department of each of the schools put out to promote the baseball team. Here are some of the best I've seen so far, with Missouri taking the prize as the top dog in schedule posters once again, and some of the honorable mentions below it.
The winner is... Missouri. Another great schedule poster from the Tigers' marketing department, who never seem to disappoint.
The winner is Missouri. I don't know who is in charge of their marketing, but here is another great schedule poster from the Tigers, who never seem to disappoint.
And a few other top posters that stand out for design, photography, creativity or concept
D1 - Sorenson: Off The Top Of My Head
BA - Weekend Preview: March 13-15
Weekend Preview looks at surprising Auburn, surging San Diego and goes Around The Nation.
TOP 25 SERIES
Mississippi at (1) Louisiana State
Tennessee at (2) Florida
(3) Virginia at Virginia Tech
Baylor at (4) Texas Christian
Arkansas at (5) Vanderbilt
Fairfield at (6) Central Florida
Kentucky at (7) South Carolina
(8) Oregon at California
Washington State at (9) Southern California
Auburn at (10) Texas A&M
Washington at (11) UCLA
Louisiana Tech at (12) Rice
Boston College at (13) Louisville
(14) Texas Tech at San Diego State
Alabama at (15) Mississippi State
Oregon State at (16) Arizona State
(17) North Carolina at Pittsburgh
Wake Forest at (18) Florida State
North Carolina State at (19) Miami
Texas Southern at (20) Dallas Baptist
(21) UC Santa Barbara at Wichita State
West Virginia at (22) Texas
(23) Cal State Fullerton at Indiana
Buffalo at (24) Houston
Southern Illinois at (25) Illinois
Sunny Golloway doesn't shy away from the size of his task at Auburn.
"We're trying to make baseball relevant again, here," says the Tigers' second-year head coach.
Easier said than done in the rough-and-tumble Southeastern Conference, where Auburn has spent most of the last decade trudging along in the bottom tier. The Tigers have had only one winning record in SEC play since 2003 and haven't made regionals since 2010-only Tennessee is on a longer NCAA drought among the SEC's 14 teams.
The Tigers haven't reached the College World Series since Tim Hudson led them there in 1997. They're coming off back-to-back last place finishes in the SEC West and were picked to finish last again this year in the league's preseason coaches poll.
Yet here they are, with a 13-4 record that includes wins against Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State and Alabama-in a non-conference, neutral site game-as they enter the opening weekend of league play at Texas A&M.
The biggest difference from year one under Golloway, when the Tigers went 28-28 (10-20 SEC), to this year has been a much more productive lineup. Auburn scored just 4.2 runs per game last season, ranking 243rd in the country, while this year they're humming along at 6.0 per game to rank 89th, and they're in the top 30 nationally in batting average at .305.
"I think it's about approach and I think it's about mental toughness," Golloway said. "Those are two things that our hitters, individually, are much better at this year than last year. It's something that's been a staple at the programs (Oral Roberts, Oklahoma) that I've been in charge of in the past, and that is to really have a good, sound approach when you go to the plate-know what you're trying to attack and when based on the situation, and be mentally tough."
Lean, athletic center fielder Anfernee Grier has been the Tigers' biggest sparkplug. The sophomore leadoff man opened the season on a 15-game hitting streak, though it was snapped Sunday against Xavier, and he enters the weekend with a lofty .424 average, one of two Tigers at .400 or better along with junior shortstop Cody Nulph.
An unsigned 39th-round pick out of high school in Phenix City, Ala., Grier was hampered by a hand injury as a freshman, hitting .255, but has come into his own as a sophomore. Golloway calls him a prototypical leadoff hitter and center fielder, showing lightning fast hands and a reserve of strength that belies his size. He hasn't hit a home run yet this season but Golloway is confident his power will come out as he learns to stay back in his swing.
Teams have consistently pitched him on the outer half. When a ball did miss inside in Tuesday's game against Samford, Grier got around on it and hit it a mile, but foul. Still, it gave a tease of what he's capable of.
The Tigers have also been putting up numbers despite rather ordinary starts from middle-of-the-order holdovers Jordan Ebert and Daniel Robert, hitting .278 and .238, respectively. Ebert does have three home runs, but the Tigers have just eight as a group. Robert has the muscle to punish balls, but it hasn't shown up in game action yet this spring.
"If we have success, I think then we'll have a chance to be a club that can hit some home runs, because we'll be loose and we'll let it fly and we won't show the tension at the plate," Golloway said. "That's where we have to do a good job as a coaching staff, to keep them loose and let them have that philosophy of let it fly up there. Otherwise, we could be a gap-to-gap club and still find ways to win by dragging, pushing, hit-and-run and being that club that puts a lot of pressure on your opponents. We're still trying to find our identity."
Auburn's best arm, sophomore righthander Keegan Thompson, slides into the weekend rotation for the first time since he started Opening Day against Binghamton. In the meantime, the Tigers opted start him in midweek games against South Alabama, Georgia Tech and Alabama-tougher teams than they were scheduled to face on the weekends. He duly beat both the Yellow Jackets and Crimson Tide, posting a combined 21-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in those two games.
Golloway compares Thompson to Jonathan Gray, who broke out as a sophomore for Golloway at Oklahoma and went on to became the third overall pick in the 2013 draft. Thompson pitches off a low 90s fastball with a three pitch mix, and the coach loves his ability to command the ball and his competitive drive. He hasn't pitched since that March 3 start against Alabama, as the Tigers opted to give him last weekend off and have him primed for the next 10-plus weeks against Southeastern Conference competition. Competitive senior righty Rocky McCord, who's been snake bitten by poor run support but has a 1.59 ERA in four starts, gets the ball on Saturday, while Golloway held off on naming a Sunday starter.
Now, Thompson and company will have to contain the hot bats of Texas A&M, the nation's last undefeated team at 18-0. Golloway has plenty of familiarity with head coach Rob Childress and the Aggies from his time facing them in the Big 12. Seeing the Aggies ranked so high in home runs-they have 20 in 18 games-is a different look than what Golloway said he came to expect from them in the Big 12, but they can always pitch and rank second in the country in ERA at 1.59.
"What we need to do is go in there and just play well and keep games tight and then let them fall where they may there late," he said. "Make them have to beat us late."
The veteran Aggies have been doing just that against other teams, pulling out three one-run wins in their last five games, and are clearly playing with all kinds of confidence. Nonetheless, Golloway is excited to see how his group measures up.
"I like the fact that they're undefeated. I gotta tell you, I just feel like right now, the best thing for our club is to go play the Yankees if they would schedule us. Since the Yankees wouldn't, we get to play A&M."
- Jim Shonerd
Toreros Coming On Strong
FULLERTON, Calif.-San Diego head coach Rich Hill is like Bill Belichick-except more personable and a better quote.
"We like to view ourselves as the Patriots," Hill said after Tuesday night's 9-4 win at Cal State Fullerton. "They can just win any way . . . They just kind of mold to what they have."
In recent years, San Diego has been an offensively geared club, with sluggers such as Kris Bryant, Connor Joe and Dillon Haupt leading the charge. For the last five years, the sacrifice bunt wasn't even San Diego's offense, Hill said.
But the situation has changed this year. The Toreros don't have that kind of power anymore. Like the Patriots, they've had to mold to what they do have.
"This year it's pitching and defense," Hill said. "Manufacturing runs."
That tweak to the formula took some time to take effect in what was a rocky opening to the Toreros' season. In their first eight games-against Morehead State, Dallas Baptist and San Diego State-the Toreros went 2-6.
But since then, few teams have played better.
With its victory against the No. 23 Titans on Tuesday, San Diego (7-7) continued an impressive run of winning five of its last six games-all against Top 25 teams and all on the road.
It started with a two-game sweep in a weather-shortened Texas series, continued with a series win at Mississippi State and carried on into Fullerton.
"I think going to Texas and playing in the bad weather and the rain brought us closer," said sophomore Ryan Kirby, who went 4-for-5 with a three-run home run Tuesday. "And we won that first game, and it really just lit a fire in us. Like, 'Hey, we can do this.' And I think that was the turning point."
But Hill contends that the talent was always there for the Toreros-it was just a matter of it clicking.
In particular, the addition of twin juco pitchers, righthander David Hill and lefthander Jacob Hill from Orange Coast (Calif.) JC, has added considerable depth to the pitching staff. David Hill is 2-2, 2.96 with 26 strikeouts in 24 innings this season, including wins against Texas and Mississippi State. Jacob, meanwhile, has been a force out of the pen, striking out four Titans in 3 2/3 innings Tuesday.
Both of the Hill brothers have previously been drafted. David was ranked No. 188 in the BA 500 out of high school.
"Those guys turned down a lot of money from the pro people," Rich Hill said. "They wanted one year of Division I. They are off-the-chart makeup kids, and they've just really held true and their family held true to what they believe in. They want that education. And it will really pay off for those guys in June, and I think it's obviously paying off for our bullpen now."
Defensively, San Diego's anchor is junior Kyle Holder at shortstop. A former basketball player in high school, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Holder brings a point-guard mentality to the field, Hill said. One national crosschecker said some scouts he's talked to have given Holder 80 grades on defense while he has Holder in as a 70 defender.
Along with the Hill brothers and sophomore catcher Colton Waltner, Holder has helped fuel San Diego's run with his leadership.
"Kyle's the best defensive shortstop I've had in 28 years," Rich Hill said. "You don't see a shortstop that looks like him. That's a prototypical pro guy, the actions, the arm action. He's special . . . and he'll go off the board this June, and I've had scouts say he's the best amateur shortstop they've seen-ever. He's a great kid, too, which makes it even better."
As an offense, the Toreros entered Tuesday night batting just .262/.340/.336 as a team, relying on a patient approach and a grinder's mentality to scratch across runs. But that's been more than enough to dismantle three ranked teams in the last two weeks.
Though the Toreros got off to a 2-6 start, they've now evened their record to 7-7 in a tough non-conference slate, which gives Hill confidence as San Diego opens West Coast Conference play at home against Portland this weekend.
"It's interesting because the media and the way society it is, it's all geared toward won-lost record, and we just don't validate ourselves on won-lost record, and we never have," Hill said. "You look through the history of Torero nation, the last seven years we just play anybody anywhere, and it just gets us ready for conference. In the end, when the smoke clears, we think we're going to be really good."
- Michael Lananna
Around the Nation
• None of the SEC's six ranked teams face each other this weekend as league play gets underway, but there are some intriguing storylines outside the Auburn-Texas A&M series.
Tennessee faces the unenviable task of trying to get its bats going on the road at No. 2 Florida. The Vols have been getting production from Vincent Jackson (.400/.526/.467) and Christin Stewart (.318/.475/.636, 3 HR), but not enough elsewhere, scoring just 4.7 runs per game to rank 13th of the 14 SEC teams. So it's not an ideal time to face Logan Shore and the pitching-rich Gators.
Suddenly slumping Mississippi State, loser of four of its last six after starting 13-0, hosts Alabama, which has already lost two series-against Houston and Louisiana-Lafayette. After scoring in double digits in four of their first nine games, the Bulldogs' offense has dried up during their losing spell. They've scored just 20 runs in their last six games, beginning when they were upset by 5-7 Arkansas-Pine Bluff on March 3 for their first loss.
Arkansas has uncharacteristically struggled on the mound, their 4.39 ERA ranking dead last in the league, and has lost three straight after getting swept in a midweek series against Gonzaga. The Razorbacks will have to try to right the ship on the road against what figures to be an ornery bunch from No. 5 Vanderbilt, coming off a tough weekend at the Dodgertown Classic.
• The opening weekend of Pac-12 play has a similar outlook to the SEC's, with none of the league's ranked teams going head-to-head. Oregon (at California), Southern California (home to Washington State) and UCLA (home to Washington) should be solid favorites, leaving 16th-ranked Arizona State's hosting Oregon State as the league's most intriguing offering. Despite losing stars Michael Conforto and Dylan Davis, the Beavers have surged to a 14-3 start. Blue-chip freshman K.J. Harrison has been at the center, tying for the national lead in homers with six while hitting .441 through 17 games, while Andrew Moore has been steady at the top of the rotation, posting a 1.76 ERA through four starts.
Cal also bears watching. The Bears lost two of three at home to Duke to open the season but have lost only once since. Sophomores righthander Daulton Jefferies and versatile two-way player Lucas Erceg have become the team's breakout talents, with scouts reporting Jeffries has touched 97 mph with his fastball. He's the younger brother of Jake Jeffries, who caught for UC Davis and was a 2008 third-round pick of the Rays. Erceg, who has 70 arm strength, has emerged as the team's No. 3 hitter with a .450/.500/.667 start that includes three home runs for a team that has hit 16 of them.
• North Carolina State will try build off its series win against Clemson to open ACC play by traveling to Miami-the Wolfpack also notched a quality midweek win against Florida Atlantic on Wednesday. Despite losing Trea Turner and Brett Austin to the draft, the Wolfpack has been surprisingly productive offensively, ranking 40th nationally in average (.299) and 51st in scoring (6.8 runs per game). Freshman Brock Deatherage infuses plenty of speed at the top of the lineup, while first baseman Preston Palmeiro (.396/.459/.623, two homers) has taken a step forward as a sophomore. Seniors Jake Armstrong, Jake Fincher and Logan Ratledge-holdovers from the 'Pack's 2013 Omaha team-bring a steadying veteran presence and are all hitting .350 or better.
• The Big 12 also opens conference play this weekend, though not with a full slate. Texas hosts West Virginia while Texas Christian faces Baylor, but conference play doesn't begin in earnest until next week. If Baylor's pitching can hold up as it did last week in the Houston College Classic, it should have a chance to steal at least one game in Fort Worth since that figures to be a low-scoring series, though Baylor certainly can't count on getting much from its young lineup against TCU's pitching.
Meanwhile, for Texas, while it may only be their first conference series, a home series with West Virginia is one the Longhorns-winners of only one of their first four series-need to win. The Mountaineers have won two of three from Texas each of the past two seasons.
The Longhorns have gotten a huge start from junior outfielder Ben Johnson, who's batting .440 to lead all Big 12 hitters and is 10-for-21 with eight RBIs in his two-out at-bats.
BA - Weekend Preview: March 13-15
Weekend Preview looks at surprising Auburn, surging San Diego and goes Around The Nation.
TOP 25 SERIES
Mississippi at (1) Louisiana State
Tennessee at (2) Florida
(3) Virginia at Virginia Tech
Baylor at (4) Texas Christian
Arkansas at (5) Vanderbilt
Fairfield at (6) Central Florida
Kentucky at (7) South Carolina
(8) Oregon at California
Washington State at (9) Southern California
Auburn at (10) Texas A&M
Washington at (11) UCLA
Louisiana Tech at (12) Rice
Boston College at (13) Louisville
(14) Texas Tech at San Diego State
Alabama at (15) Mississippi State
Oregon State at (16) Arizona State
(17) North Carolina at Pittsburgh
Wake Forest at (18) Florida State
North Carolina State at (19) Miami
Texas Southern at (20) Dallas Baptist
(21) UC Santa Barbara at Wichita State
West Virginia at (22) Texas
(23) Cal State Fullerton at Indiana
Buffalo at (24) Houston
Southern Illinois at (25) Illinois
Sunny Golloway doesn't shy away from the size of his task at Auburn.
"We're trying to make baseball relevant again, here," says the Tigers' second-year head coach.
Easier said than done in the rough-and-tumble Southeastern Conference, where Auburn has spent most of the last decade trudging along in the bottom tier. The Tigers have had only one winning record in SEC play since 2003 and haven't made regionals since 2010-only Tennessee is on a longer NCAA drought among the SEC's 14 teams.
The Tigers haven't reached the College World Series since Tim Hudson led them there in 1997. They're coming off back-to-back last place finishes in the SEC West and were picked to finish last again this year in the league's preseason coaches poll.
Yet here they are, with a 13-4 record that includes wins against Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State and Alabama-in a non-conference, neutral site game-as they enter the opening weekend of league play at Texas A&M.
The biggest difference from year one under Golloway, when the Tigers went 28-28 (10-20 SEC), to this year has been a much more productive lineup. Auburn scored just 4.2 runs per game last season, ranking 243rd in the country, while this year they're humming along at 6.0 per game to rank 89th, and they're in the top 30 nationally in batting average at .305.
"I think it's about approach and I think it's about mental toughness," Golloway said. "Those are two things that our hitters, individually, are much better at this year than last year. It's something that's been a staple at the programs (Oral Roberts, Oklahoma) that I've been in charge of in the past, and that is to really have a good, sound approach when you go to the plate-know what you're trying to attack and when based on the situation, and be mentally tough."
Lean, athletic center fielder Anfernee Grier has been the Tigers' biggest sparkplug. The sophomore leadoff man opened the season on a 15-game hitting streak, though it was snapped Sunday against Xavier, and he enters the weekend with a lofty .424 average, one of two Tigers at .400 or better along with junior shortstop Cody Nulph.
An unsigned 39th-round pick out of high school in Phenix City, Ala., Grier was hampered by a hand injury as a freshman, hitting .255, but has come into his own as a sophomore. Golloway calls him a prototypical leadoff hitter and center fielder, showing lightning fast hands and a reserve of strength that belies his size. He hasn't hit a home run yet this season but Golloway is confident his power will come out as he learns to stay back in his swing.
Teams have consistently pitched him on the outer half. When a ball did miss inside in Tuesday's game against Samford, Grier got around on it and hit it a mile, but foul. Still, it gave a tease of what he's capable of.
The Tigers have also been putting up numbers despite rather ordinary starts from middle-of-the-order holdovers Jordan Ebert and Daniel Robert, hitting .278 and .238, respectively. Ebert does have three home runs, but the Tigers have just eight as a group. Robert has the muscle to punish balls, but it hasn't shown up in game action yet this spring.
"If we have success, I think then we'll have a chance to be a club that can hit some home runs, because we'll be loose and we'll let it fly and we won't show the tension at the plate," Golloway said. "That's where we have to do a good job as a coaching staff, to keep them loose and let them have that philosophy of let it fly up there. Otherwise, we could be a gap-to-gap club and still find ways to win by dragging, pushing, hit-and-run and being that club that puts a lot of pressure on your opponents. We're still trying to find our identity."
Auburn's best arm, sophomore righthander Keegan Thompson, slides into the weekend rotation for the first time since he started Opening Day against Binghamton. In the meantime, the Tigers opted start him in midweek games against South Alabama, Georgia Tech and Alabama-tougher teams than they were scheduled to face on the weekends. He duly beat both the Yellow Jackets and Crimson Tide, posting a combined 21-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in those two games.
Golloway compares Thompson to Jonathan Gray, who broke out as a sophomore for Golloway at Oklahoma and went on to became the third overall pick in the 2013 draft. Thompson pitches off a low 90s fastball with a three pitch mix, and the coach loves his ability to command the ball and his competitive drive. He hasn't pitched since that March 3 start against Alabama, as the Tigers opted to give him last weekend off and have him primed for the next 10-plus weeks against Southeastern Conference competition. Competitive senior righty Rocky McCord, who's been snake bitten by poor run support but has a 1.59 ERA in four starts, gets the ball on Saturday, while Golloway held off on naming a Sunday starter.
Now, Thompson and company will have to contain the hot bats of Texas A&M, the nation's last undefeated team at 18-0. Golloway has plenty of familiarity with head coach Rob Childress and the Aggies from his time facing them in the Big 12. Seeing the Aggies ranked so high in home runs-they have 20 in 18 games-is a different look than what Golloway said he came to expect from them in the Big 12, but they can always pitch and rank second in the country in ERA at 1.59.
"What we need to do is go in there and just play well and keep games tight and then let them fall where they may there late," he said. "Make them have to beat us late."
The veteran Aggies have been doing just that against other teams, pulling out three one-run wins in their last five games, and are clearly playing with all kinds of confidence. Nonetheless, Golloway is excited to see how his group measures up.
"I like the fact that they're undefeated. I gotta tell you, I just feel like right now, the best thing for our club is to go play the Yankees if they would schedule us. Since the Yankees wouldn't, we get to play A&M."
- Jim Shonerd
Toreros Coming On Strong
FULLERTON, Calif.-San Diego head coach Rich Hill is like Bill Belichick-except more personable and a better quote.
"We like to view ourselves as the Patriots," Hill said after Tuesday night's 9-4 win at Cal State Fullerton. "They can just win any way . . . They just kind of mold to what they have."
In recent years, San Diego has been an offensively geared club, with sluggers such as Kris Bryant, Connor Joe and Dillon Haupt leading the charge. For the last five years, the sacrifice bunt wasn't even San Diego's offense, Hill said.
But the situation has changed this year. The Toreros don't have that kind of power anymore. Like the Patriots, they've had to mold to what they do have.
"This year it's pitching and defense," Hill said. "Manufacturing runs."
That tweak to the formula took some time to take effect in what was a rocky opening to the Toreros' season. In their first eight games-against Morehead State, Dallas Baptist and San Diego State-the Toreros went 2-6.
But since then, few teams have played better.
With its victory against the No. 23 Titans on Tuesday, San Diego (7-7) continued an impressive run of winning five of its last six games-all against Top 25 teams and all on the road.
It started with a two-game sweep in a weather-shortened Texas series, continued with a series win at Mississippi State and carried on into Fullerton.
"I think going to Texas and playing in the bad weather and the rain brought us closer," said sophomore Ryan Kirby, who went 4-for-5 with a three-run home run Tuesday. "And we won that first game, and it really just lit a fire in us. Like, 'Hey, we can do this.' And I think that was the turning point."
But Hill contends that the talent was always there for the Toreros-it was just a matter of it clicking.
In particular, the addition of twin juco pitchers, righthander David Hill and lefthander Jacob Hill from Orange Coast (Calif.) JC, has added considerable depth to the pitching staff. David Hill is 2-2, 2.96 with 26 strikeouts in 24 innings this season, including wins against Texas and Mississippi State. Jacob, meanwhile, has been a force out of the pen, striking out four Titans in 3 2/3 innings Tuesday.
Both of the Hill brothers have previously been drafted. David was ranked No. 188 in the BA 500 out of high school.
"Those guys turned down a lot of money from the pro people," Rich Hill said. "They wanted one year of Division I. They are off-the-chart makeup kids, and they've just really held true and their family held true to what they believe in. They want that education. And it will really pay off for those guys in June, and I think it's obviously paying off for our bullpen now."
Defensively, San Diego's anchor is junior Kyle Holder at shortstop. A former basketball player in high school, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Holder brings a point-guard mentality to the field, Hill said. One national crosschecker said some scouts he's talked to have given Holder 80 grades on defense while he has Holder in as a 70 defender.
Along with the Hill brothers and sophomore catcher Colton Waltner, Holder has helped fuel San Diego's run with his leadership.
"Kyle's the best defensive shortstop I've had in 28 years," Rich Hill said. "You don't see a shortstop that looks like him. That's a prototypical pro guy, the actions, the arm action. He's special . . . and he'll go off the board this June, and I've had scouts say he's the best amateur shortstop they've seen-ever. He's a great kid, too, which makes it even better."
As an offense, the Toreros entered Tuesday night batting just .262/.340/.336 as a team, relying on a patient approach and a grinder's mentality to scratch across runs. But that's been more than enough to dismantle three ranked teams in the last two weeks.
Though the Toreros got off to a 2-6 start, they've now evened their record to 7-7 in a tough non-conference slate, which gives Hill confidence as San Diego opens West Coast Conference play at home against Portland this weekend.
"It's interesting because the media and the way society it is, it's all geared toward won-lost record, and we just don't validate ourselves on won-lost record, and we never have," Hill said. "You look through the history of Torero nation, the last seven years we just play anybody anywhere, and it just gets us ready for conference. In the end, when the smoke clears, we think we're going to be really good."
- Michael Lananna
Around the Nation
• None of the SEC's six ranked teams face each other this weekend as league play gets underway, but there are some intriguing storylines outside the Auburn-Texas A&M series.
Tennessee faces the unenviable task of trying to get its bats going on the road at No. 2 Florida. The Vols have been getting production from Vincent Jackson (.400/.526/.467) and Christin Stewart (.318/.475/.636, 3 HR), but not enough elsewhere, scoring just 4.7 runs per game to rank 13th of the 14 SEC teams. So it's not an ideal time to face Logan Shore and the pitching-rich Gators.
Suddenly slumping Mississippi State, loser of four of its last six after starting 13-0, hosts Alabama, which has already lost two series-against Houston and Louisiana-Lafayette. After scoring in double digits in four of their first nine games, the Bulldogs' offense has dried up during their losing spell. They've scored just 20 runs in their last six games, beginning when they were upset by 5-7 Arkansas-Pine Bluff on March 3 for their first loss.
Arkansas has uncharacteristically struggled on the mound, their 4.39 ERA ranking dead last in the league, and has lost three straight after getting swept in a midweek series against Gonzaga. The Razorbacks will have to try to right the ship on the road against what figures to be an ornery bunch from No. 5 Vanderbilt, coming off a tough weekend at the Dodgertown Classic.
• The opening weekend of Pac-12 play has a similar outlook to the SEC's, with none of the league's ranked teams going head-to-head. Oregon (at California), Southern California (home to Washington State) and UCLA (home to Washington) should be solid favorites, leaving 16th-ranked Arizona State's hosting Oregon State as the league's most intriguing offering. Despite losing stars Michael Conforto and Dylan Davis, the Beavers have surged to a 14-3 start. Blue-chip freshman K.J. Harrison has been at the center, tying for the national lead in homers with six while hitting .441 through 17 games, while Andrew Moore has been steady at the top of the rotation, posting a 1.76 ERA through four starts.
Cal also bears watching. The Bears lost two of three at home to Duke to open the season but have lost only once since. Sophomores righthander Daulton Jefferies and versatile two-way player Lucas Erceg have become the team's breakout talents, with scouts reporting Jeffries has touched 97 mph with his fastball. He's the younger brother of Jake Jeffries, who caught for UC Davis and was a 2008 third-round pick of the Rays. Erceg, who has 70 arm strength, has emerged as the team's No. 3 hitter with a .450/.500/.667 start that includes three home runs for a team that has hit 16 of them.
• North Carolina State will try build off its series win against Clemson to open ACC play by traveling to Miami-the Wolfpack also notched a quality midweek win against Florida Atlantic on Wednesday. Despite losing Trea Turner and Brett Austin to the draft, the Wolfpack has been surprisingly productive offensively, ranking 40th nationally in average (.299) and 51st in scoring (6.8 runs per game). Freshman Brock Deatherage infuses plenty of speed at the top of the lineup, while first baseman Preston Palmeiro (.396/.459/.623, two homers) has taken a step forward as a sophomore. Seniors Jake Armstrong, Jake Fincher and Logan Ratledge-holdovers from the 'Pack's 2013 Omaha team-bring a steadying veteran presence and are all hitting .350 or better.
• The Big 12 also opens conference play this weekend, though not with a full slate. Texas hosts West Virginia while Texas Christian faces Baylor, but conference play doesn't begin in earnest until next week. If Baylor's pitching can hold up as it did last week in the Houston College Classic, it should have a chance to steal at least one game in Fort Worth since that figures to be a low-scoring series, though Baylor certainly can't count on getting much from its young lineup against TCU's pitching.
Meanwhile, for Texas, while it may only be their first conference series, a home series with West Virginia is one the Longhorns-winners of only one of their first four series-need to win. The Mountaineers have won two of three from Texas each of the past two seasons.
The Longhorns have gotten a huge start from junior outfielder Ben Johnson, who's batting .440 to lead all Big 12 hitters and is 10-for-21 with eight RBIs in his two-out at-bats.
BA - Weekend Preview: March 13-15
PG - Weekend Preview: Week 5
The fifth weekend of college baseball action for the 2015 season doesn't have the big matchups we witnessed a week ago, which ultimately led to significant shakeup in the top 25, although only one new team was introduced this week; Southern California.
Conference play does kick off across the country after ACC opened its conference season a week ago. The biggest matchup has No. 16 Arkansas traveling to Nashville to play No. 5 Vanderbilt, a series that could be effected by rain. This series is previewed in greater detail below, and Jheremy Brown will be in Nashville this weekend to provide first-hand observations from a series loaded with draft-eligible talent.
Top 25 in Action
Rk. Team Opponent Location
1 Florida home vs. Tennessee Gainesville, FL
2 Virginia at Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
3 Texas Christian home vs. Baylor Fort Worth, TX
4 Louisiana State home vs. Ole Miss Baton Rouge, LA
5 Vanderbilt home vs. No. 16 Arkansas Nashville, TN
6 Oregon at California Berkeley, CA
7 South Carolina home vs. Kentucky Columbia, SC
8 Louisville home vs. Boston College Louisville, KY
9 UCLA home vs. Washington Los Angeles, CA
10 Texas A&M home vs. Auburn College Station, TX
11 Florida State home vs. Wake Forest Tallahassee, FL
12 North Carolina at Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA
13 Miami home vs. N.C. State Coral Gables, FL
14 UC Santa Barbara at Wichita State Wichita, KS
15 UCF home vs. Fairfield Orlando, FL
16 Arkansas at No. 5 Vanderbilt Nashville, TN
17 Oregon State at No. 25 Arizona State Phoenix, AZ
18 Texas Tech at San Diego State San Diego, CA
19 Texas home vs. West Virginia Austin, TX
20 Florida Atlantic at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
21 Houston home vs. Buffalo Houston, TX
22 Mississippi State home vs. Alabama Starkville, MS
23 Southern California home vs. Washington State Los Angeles, CA
24 Rice home vs. Louisiana Tech Houston, TX
25 Arizona State home vs. No. 17 Oregon State Phoenix, AZ
Marquee Matchup #1:
No. 16 Arkansas at No. 5 Vanderbilt
Does it get much better than this? Opening weekend of SEC Conference play amongst two nationally ranked squads full of elite pitching and big time bats. And both teams received a boost in their pitching staffs last weekend as each welcomed back an elite starter.
Vanderbilt has been picking up quality starts from righthander Carson Fulmer, a projected first round pick for this June's draft, who shows an elite level repertoire and thrives in the heat of the moment. Joining Fulmer now though is another elite arm, fellow righty Walker Buehler, who has missed a few starts due to arm tenderness. He returned last weekend to throw four very strong innings against a talent TCU club in the Dodgertown Classic, scattering three hits while filling up the zone.
Rhett Wiseman (Photo: Vanderbilt Athletics)
Buehler came out throwing like he hadn't missed an inning, working comfortably in the 93-95 mph range, peaking at 96 while showing his normal, hard curveball that he used to rack up five strikeouts in his four innings of work.
Arkansas will counter Fulmer with an ace of their own, junior righthander Trey Killian, who made his first start of the spring last Friday. Coincidentally enough, Fulmer and Killian were teammates last summer as part of the USA Collegiate National Team. Killian was on a set pitch count last weekend and was able to make it through 3 2/3 innings striking out three while waking none and allowing just four hits.
If those arms aren't enough to get you excited for the weekend, Arkansas rounds out their rotation with sophomore Dominic Taccolini and freshman righthander Keaton McKinney, both of whom have been solid to this point in the spring. Zach Jackson filled in for Killian during his absence from the rotation and provided quality relief last Friday, throwing 5 1/3 innings of shutout baseball, striking out five.
Vanderbilt has quality options for Sunday whether it be draft-eligible sophomore John Kilichowski or freshman flamethrower Jordan Sheffield. Either way, whenever the ball is turned to the bullpen the coaching staff has a slew of quality arms to choose from, a big strength of the Commodores. Big lefty Ben Bowden has been lights out with his attack mode mentality, as have Philip Pfeifer, Ryan Johnson, and Kyle Wright.
Shortstop Dansby Swanson continues to show why he is considered a top pick in the upcoming June draft, hitting .380 on the year, and he added his second home run of the season in a mid-week win over Quinnipiac. Fellow junior Rhett Wiseman has really come into the zone this spring and is unleashing what scouts have thought he was capable of. Now hitting a team-high .435, the lefthanded swinging Wiseman leads the Vanderbilt offense in nearly every offensive category and does so while showing his speed with seven doubles, three triples, and is perfect in five stolen base attempts.
The Hogs have benefited from the power in sophomore outfielder Andrew Benintendi's bat who is one of the four players currently hitting over .300 on the year. Arkansas will look to him to square up some of Vanderbilt's quality arms and continue to drive in runs, adding to his four home runs and 16 RBI, both team highs. Both Bobby Wernes and Rick Nomura have been consistent so far this year, hitting .386 and .378 respectively, and have done a tremendous job of getting on base. Wernes leads the team with four triples while junior outfielder Tyler Spoon has shown interesting strength, hitting two home runs and a team-high six doubles.
Marquee Matchup #2:
No. 17 Oregon State at No. 25 Arizona State
It'll be a generational battle when the young and electric Beavers come to Phoenix Municipal Stadium this weekend to open Pac-12 play against the grizzled veterans of Arizona State. The draft implications of this series range from difficult projections to high round prospects to solid senior signs.
K.J. Harrison (Photo: Oregon State)
Andrew Moore of the Beavers and Ryan Kellogg of the Sun Devils offer two of the more difficult draft profiles to assess. Both bring outstanding pitchability and track record to the table but neither pitcher shows enough velocity (both pitch primarily in the upper-80s) or the out pitches necessary to merit big prospect status. Kellogg has the physical edge as he is 6-foot-5 and lefthanded compared to Moore's 6-foot righthanded profile. At the end of the day, both arms have had outstanding college careers already, combining for 43 victories in just 71 starts.
In a theme common to this series overall, the high end arms belong to Sun Devil veterans and the Beaver youth movement. Ryan Burr is an "as-is" closer who has touched 96 mph several times this year. He also possesses two additional out pitches in his mid-80s power slider and changeup. Brett Lilek features one of the easier lefthanded fastballs of those eligible for the draft and has touched 94 mph in every start except last Sunday's. Beaver freshman Drew Rasmussen pitched his way into the weekend rotation and he touched 96 mph with his fastball out of the bullpen earlier in the year.
The Beaver lineup is shockingly young and dynamic. K.J. Harrison is on pace for 21 home runs, 77 RBI and an overall historic freshman season. Joe Gillette, Trever Morrison, and Jeff Hendrix grab your attention with loud athleticism, allowing Gabe Clark, and his nation leading six home runs, to fly under the radar. If this group doesn't get you excited to come to the ballpark then it's time to turn in your stopwatch.
The Sun Devil lineup sees your youth and raises it with sleep-inducing baseball savvy. While Colby Woodmansee intrigues scouts with his 6-foot-3 frame and plus defensive chops, the rest of this lineup lulls you into mistakes. Upperclassmen Trever Allen, Jake Peevyhouse, and R.J. Ybarra have been through the wars now and they may fool you with the occasional poor at-bat and their understated tools. Yet this group knows how to win a college baseball game and there is underrated power hidden here.
And so the entire spectrum of scouting is on the table this weekend in Phoenix. In one corner, the Beavers' roster is so toolsy that you could grade them getting off the bus. And while the contrasting Arizona State unit may lack the depth of prospects of years past, don't be surprised if the Sun Devils cranky disposition is still hanging around in early June.
Mound Matchup:
Christian Trent (Ole Miss) vs. Jared Poche (Louisiana State)
Pitching matchups don't come much more polished than the one we'll see between two southpaws this weekend in the SEC. With conference play kicking off, there will be strong matchups around the country, particularly in the SEC, but this one between the LSU and Ole Miss' aces could make a particularly loud statement depending on which way it goes.
Jared Poche (Photo: Louisiana State)
Neither the Rebels' Christian Trent or the Tigers' Jared Poche are going to completely overpower anyone, but with their location and secondary feel they will create extremely difficult matchups for these tough lineups.
Trent was an anchor for the Rebels in 2014, serving as the staff workhorse and posting a dominant campaign. He's gotten off to a strong start in 2015 as well, as he's put up a 2.96 ERA and struck out 23 batters while walking just seven over his first 24 1/3 innings of work. But, he's going to have his hands full on Friday, as he looks to quiet what is perhaps the most dangerous lineup in the nation. There is a blueprint, however, for Trent to potentially follow in order to keep those LSU bats under control. Take a look at what Baylor's Daniel Castano did last week, as he held the Tigers to one earned run over eight innings.
Christian Trent has the tools and then some to repeat what Castano was able to do. The Baylor southpaw found success pounding the outside part of the plate against the potent LSU hitters, and fading his changeup just off the dish. Trent has an above average changeup for which he shows an excellent feel, and he has enough juice on his 88-92 mph fastball to keep the Tigers off balance. He'll need to force hitters like Alex Bregman, who devour pitches on the inner half, to look away and use the opposite field. Trent's above average slider will also be a major factor as he tries to neutralize dangerous lefty bats like Andrew Stevenson. And, if LSU includes hot hitting Jake Fraley in the lineup against a southpaw, how Trent fares against him with that slider will be intriguing to watch.
Then, of course there is the extremely steady sophomore lefty, Jared Poche, who by default is the "elder statesman" of this young and talented LSU staff. Poche has been superb through his first four starts, posting a 2.06 ERA and holding hitters to a .200 batting average over 26 innings of work. Armed with a very complete, polished arsenal, Poche has three different pitches he can throws strikes and be effective with. He's highly adept at back-dooring his big lefty breaking ball against righty hitters, and his changeup will play a major role in keeping hitters off balance. Don't sleep on Poche's fastball however, as he shows good life through the zone at 89-91 mph and can run it up there at 92 mph in key situations.
The key to Poche this Friday will be unpredictability. He has the command to throw any pitch in any count. The Ole Miss lineup has not started out red hot, but they have very dangerous hitters just waiting to break out, like slugger Sikes Orvis. A pitcher like Poche is not going to do them any favors, as he will throw strikes, so it will be key for the Rebels' to stay aggressive early in counts.
National Notes:
• Auburn (13-4) heads to College Station, Texas to take on No. 10 Texas A&M (18-0) this weekend. This is a battle of two teams who have been hard to get your arms around. The Auburn braintrust of Head Coach Sunny Golloway and pitching coach Tom Holliday showed great savvy in shifting ace Keegan Thompson to the mid-week starter's role early in the season, allowing him to beat both Alabama and Georgia Tech. Thompson now moves back into the weekend rotation for the start of SEC play and the Tigers hope Anfernee Grier (.424) and California junior college transfer shortstop Cody Nulph (.400) continue to swing hot bats.
Texas A&M may have the most physical offense in the country as sluggers Ronnie Gideon, G.R. Hinsley, Hunter Melton and Logan Nottebrok average 6-foot-3 and 230-pounds. That group clears the way for the ultra-talented Nick Banks and his pure hit tool. While only about three of the Aggies' 18 wins have come against Regional-caliber competition, Rob Childress has a team that is a legitimate Omaha contender.
A situation to watch here is the status of ace A.J. Minter. Minter has been dominant thus far but left last Friday's game after 70 pitches with tenderness and he has been scratched from this weekend's series.
• San Diego State (14-3) hosts No. 18 Texas Tech (12-4) in a series of two teams boasting gaudy records but who are also still looking for a signature weekend. San Diego State recently lost their series to a very good New Mexico team while Texas Tech suffered a road sweep to streaking Cal State Fullerton last weekend. The Red Raiders roster is arguably deeper and more talented than their 2014 team that advanced to the College World Series.
• The WCC will cease its harassment of the SEC this weekend and open up its own conference play. Gonzaga swept Arkansas in Fayetteville in two mid-week games, and punctuated those victories with a 15-5 shellacking on Wednesday night. The 'Zags offense did this with an incredible 10 singles, 13 walks, three HBP and zero extra-base hits.
Add this sweep to the San Diego series win over Mississippi State, the Santa Clara near series win versus Vanderbilt, and San Francisco's recent mid-week sweep of Oregon and the WCC has made a loud statement as a conference deserving of multiple bid consideration.
• The Kentucky Wildcats have quiety gone 13-3 to open the season, although their three losses have come against their two most notable opponents, No. 14 UC Santa Barbara and No. 23 Southern California. The team is coming off of a sweep of Northern Kentucky - a series highlighted by Zack Brown's 11 strikeout complete game shutout performance - and a mid-week win over Cincinnati in which outfielder Ka'ai Tom hit for the cycle. Tom is now hitting .450 on the year while Brown has a 1.74 ERA in 20 2/3 innings.
As SEC play opens this weekend, the Wildcats will have another big test this weekend as they travel to Columbia, S.C., to face No. 7 South Carolina. Brown, Kyle Cody and Dustin Beggs, who are a combined 5-3 with a 2.59 ERA, will face an equally formidable Gamecocks' weekend rotation that includes Wil Crowe and Jack Wynkoop, with freshman Clarke Schmidt taking the ball last Sunday for his first collegiate start.
• No. 15 UCF aggressively scheduled four mid-week games in back-to-back weeks, splitting a pair of contests last week with now No. 1 Florida before getting swept in their two-game series with No. 11 Florida State. However, their weekend trio of Zach Rodgers, Cre Finfrock and Robby Howell has yet to take a loss, as the three are a combined 9-0 with a 2.45 ERA.
In the second game of their mid-week series against the Seminoles first baseman Quincy Nieporte erupted for FSU, going 4-for-4 with a walk, three runs scored and seven RBI. Those runs batted in came in the form of a three-run home run in the second inning and a grand slam in the third. Both games were high-scoring affairs, with Florida State coming out on top 11-8 and 15-11.
PG - Weekend Preview: Week 5
The fifth weekend of college baseball action for the 2015 season doesn't have the big matchups we witnessed a week ago, which ultimately led to significant shakeup in the top 25, although only one new team was introduced this week; Southern California.
Conference play does kick off across the country after ACC opened its conference season a week ago. The biggest matchup has No. 16 Arkansas traveling to Nashville to play No. 5 Vanderbilt, a series that could be effected by rain. This series is previewed in greater detail below, and Jheremy Brown will be in Nashville this weekend to provide first-hand observations from a series loaded with draft-eligible talent.
Top 25 in Action
Rk. Team Opponent Location
1 Florida home vs. Tennessee Gainesville, FL
2 Virginia at Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
3 Texas Christian home vs. Baylor Fort Worth, TX
4 Louisiana State home vs. Ole Miss Baton Rouge, LA
5 Vanderbilt home vs. No. 16 Arkansas Nashville, TN
6 Oregon at California Berkeley, CA
7 South Carolina home vs. Kentucky Columbia, SC
8 Louisville home vs. Boston College Louisville, KY
9 UCLA home vs. Washington Los Angeles, CA
10 Texas A&M home vs. Auburn College Station, TX
11 Florida State home vs. Wake Forest Tallahassee, FL
12 North Carolina at Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA
13 Miami home vs. N.C. State Coral Gables, FL
14 UC Santa Barbara at Wichita State Wichita, KS
15 UCF home vs. Fairfield Orlando, FL
16 Arkansas at No. 5 Vanderbilt Nashville, TN
17 Oregon State at No. 25 Arizona State Phoenix, AZ
18 Texas Tech at San Diego State San Diego, CA
19 Texas home vs. West Virginia Austin, TX
20 Florida Atlantic at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
21 Houston home vs. Buffalo Houston, TX
22 Mississippi State home vs. Alabama Starkville, MS
23 Southern California home vs. Washington State Los Angeles, CA
24 Rice home vs. Louisiana Tech Houston, TX
25 Arizona State home vs. No. 17 Oregon State Phoenix, AZ
Marquee Matchup #1:
No. 16 Arkansas at No. 5 Vanderbilt
Does it get much better than this? Opening weekend of SEC Conference play amongst two nationally ranked squads full of elite pitching and big time bats. And both teams received a boost in their pitching staffs last weekend as each welcomed back an elite starter.
Vanderbilt has been picking up quality starts from righthander Carson Fulmer, a projected first round pick for this June's draft, who shows an elite level repertoire and thrives in the heat of the moment. Joining Fulmer now though is another elite arm, fellow righty Walker Buehler, who has missed a few starts due to arm tenderness. He returned last weekend to throw four very strong innings against a talent TCU club in the Dodgertown Classic, scattering three hits while filling up the zone.
Rhett Wiseman (Photo: Vanderbilt Athletics)
Buehler came out throwing like he hadn't missed an inning, working comfortably in the 93-95 mph range, peaking at 96 while showing his normal, hard curveball that he used to rack up five strikeouts in his four innings of work.
Arkansas will counter Fulmer with an ace of their own, junior righthander Trey Killian, who made his first start of the spring last Friday. Coincidentally enough, Fulmer and Killian were teammates last summer as part of the USA Collegiate National Team. Killian was on a set pitch count last weekend and was able to make it through 3 2/3 innings striking out three while waking none and allowing just four hits.
If those arms aren't enough to get you excited for the weekend, Arkansas rounds out their rotation with sophomore Dominic Taccolini and freshman righthander Keaton McKinney, both of whom have been solid to this point in the spring. Zach Jackson filled in for Killian during his absence from the rotation and provided quality relief last Friday, throwing 5 1/3 innings of shutout baseball, striking out five.
Vanderbilt has quality options for Sunday whether it be draft-eligible sophomore John Kilichowski or freshman flamethrower Jordan Sheffield. Either way, whenever the ball is turned to the bullpen the coaching staff has a slew of quality arms to choose from, a big strength of the Commodores. Big lefty Ben Bowden has been lights out with his attack mode mentality, as have Philip Pfeifer, Ryan Johnson, and Kyle Wright.
Shortstop Dansby Swanson continues to show why he is considered a top pick in the upcoming June draft, hitting .380 on the year, and he added his second home run of the season in a mid-week win over Quinnipiac. Fellow junior Rhett Wiseman has really come into the zone this spring and is unleashing what scouts have thought he was capable of. Now hitting a team-high .435, the lefthanded swinging Wiseman leads the Vanderbilt offense in nearly every offensive category and does so while showing his speed with seven doubles, three triples, and is perfect in five stolen base attempts.
The Hogs have benefited from the power in sophomore outfielder Andrew Benintendi's bat who is one of the four players currently hitting over .300 on the year. Arkansas will look to him to square up some of Vanderbilt's quality arms and continue to drive in runs, adding to his four home runs and 16 RBI, both team highs. Both Bobby Wernes and Rick Nomura have been consistent so far this year, hitting .386 and .378 respectively, and have done a tremendous job of getting on base. Wernes leads the team with four triples while junior outfielder Tyler Spoon has shown interesting strength, hitting two home runs and a team-high six doubles.
Marquee Matchup #2:
No. 17 Oregon State at No. 25 Arizona State
It'll be a generational battle when the young and electric Beavers come to Phoenix Municipal Stadium this weekend to open Pac-12 play against the grizzled veterans of Arizona State. The draft implications of this series range from difficult projections to high round prospects to solid senior signs.
K.J. Harrison (Photo: Oregon State)
Andrew Moore of the Beavers and Ryan Kellogg of the Sun Devils offer two of the more difficult draft profiles to assess. Both bring outstanding pitchability and track record to the table but neither pitcher shows enough velocity (both pitch primarily in the upper-80s) or the out pitches necessary to merit big prospect status. Kellogg has the physical edge as he is 6-foot-5 and lefthanded compared to Moore's 6-foot righthanded profile. At the end of the day, both arms have had outstanding college careers already, combining for 43 victories in just 71 starts.
In a theme common to this series overall, the high end arms belong to Sun Devil veterans and the Beaver youth movement. Ryan Burr is an "as-is" closer who has touched 96 mph several times this year. He also possesses two additional out pitches in his mid-80s power slider and changeup. Brett Lilek features one of the easier lefthanded fastballs of those eligible for the draft and has touched 94 mph in every start except last Sunday's. Beaver freshman Drew Rasmussen pitched his way into the weekend rotation and he touched 96 mph with his fastball out of the bullpen earlier in the year.
The Beaver lineup is shockingly young and dynamic. K.J. Harrison is on pace for 21 home runs, 77 RBI and an overall historic freshman season. Joe Gillette, Trever Morrison, and Jeff Hendrix grab your attention with loud athleticism, allowing Gabe Clark, and his nation leading six home runs, to fly under the radar. If this group doesn't get you excited to come to the ballpark then it's time to turn in your stopwatch.
The Sun Devil lineup sees your youth and raises it with sleep-inducing baseball savvy. While Colby Woodmansee intrigues scouts with his 6-foot-3 frame and plus defensive chops, the rest of this lineup lulls you into mistakes. Upperclassmen Trever Allen, Jake Peevyhouse, and R.J. Ybarra have been through the wars now and they may fool you with the occasional poor at-bat and their understated tools. Yet this group knows how to win a college baseball game and there is underrated power hidden here.
And so the entire spectrum of scouting is on the table this weekend in Phoenix. In one corner, the Beavers' roster is so toolsy that you could grade them getting off the bus. And while the contrasting Arizona State unit may lack the depth of prospects of years past, don't be surprised if the Sun Devils cranky disposition is still hanging around in early June.
Mound Matchup:
Christian Trent (Ole Miss) vs. Jared Poche (Louisiana State)
Pitching matchups don't come much more polished than the one we'll see between two southpaws this weekend in the SEC. With conference play kicking off, there will be strong matchups around the country, particularly in the SEC, but this one between the LSU and Ole Miss' aces could make a particularly loud statement depending on which way it goes.
Jared Poche (Photo: Louisiana State)
Neither the Rebels' Christian Trent or the Tigers' Jared Poche are going to completely overpower anyone, but with their location and secondary feel they will create extremely difficult matchups for these tough lineups.
Trent was an anchor for the Rebels in 2014, serving as the staff workhorse and posting a dominant campaign. He's gotten off to a strong start in 2015 as well, as he's put up a 2.96 ERA and struck out 23 batters while walking just seven over his first 24 1/3 innings of work. But, he's going to have his hands full on Friday, as he looks to quiet what is perhaps the most dangerous lineup in the nation. There is a blueprint, however, for Trent to potentially follow in order to keep those LSU bats under control. Take a look at what Baylor's Daniel Castano did last week, as he held the Tigers to one earned run over eight innings.
Christian Trent has the tools and then some to repeat what Castano was able to do. The Baylor southpaw found success pounding the outside part of the plate against the potent LSU hitters, and fading his changeup just off the dish. Trent has an above average changeup for which he shows an excellent feel, and he has enough juice on his 88-92 mph fastball to keep the Tigers off balance. He'll need to force hitters like Alex Bregman, who devour pitches on the inner half, to look away and use the opposite field. Trent's above average slider will also be a major factor as he tries to neutralize dangerous lefty bats like Andrew Stevenson. And, if LSU includes hot hitting Jake Fraley in the lineup against a southpaw, how Trent fares against him with that slider will be intriguing to watch.
Then, of course there is the extremely steady sophomore lefty, Jared Poche, who by default is the "elder statesman" of this young and talented LSU staff. Poche has been superb through his first four starts, posting a 2.06 ERA and holding hitters to a .200 batting average over 26 innings of work. Armed with a very complete, polished arsenal, Poche has three different pitches he can throws strikes and be effective with. He's highly adept at back-dooring his big lefty breaking ball against righty hitters, and his changeup will play a major role in keeping hitters off balance. Don't sleep on Poche's fastball however, as he shows good life through the zone at 89-91 mph and can run it up there at 92 mph in key situations.
The key to Poche this Friday will be unpredictability. He has the command to throw any pitch in any count. The Ole Miss lineup has not started out red hot, but they have very dangerous hitters just waiting to break out, like slugger Sikes Orvis. A pitcher like Poche is not going to do them any favors, as he will throw strikes, so it will be key for the Rebels' to stay aggressive early in counts.
National Notes:
• Auburn (13-4) heads to College Station, Texas to take on No. 10 Texas A&M (18-0) this weekend. This is a battle of two teams who have been hard to get your arms around. The Auburn braintrust of Head Coach Sunny Golloway and pitching coach Tom Holliday showed great savvy in shifting ace Keegan Thompson to the mid-week starter's role early in the season, allowing him to beat both Alabama and Georgia Tech. Thompson now moves back into the weekend rotation for the start of SEC play and the Tigers hope Anfernee Grier (.424) and California junior college transfer shortstop Cody Nulph (.400) continue to swing hot bats.
Texas A&M may have the most physical offense in the country as sluggers Ronnie Gideon, G.R. Hinsley, Hunter Melton and Logan Nottebrok average 6-foot-3 and 230-pounds. That group clears the way for the ultra-talented Nick Banks and his pure hit tool. While only about three of the Aggies' 18 wins have come against Regional-caliber competition, Rob Childress has a team that is a legitimate Omaha contender.
A situation to watch here is the status of ace A.J. Minter. Minter has been dominant thus far but left last Friday's game after 70 pitches with tenderness and he has been scratched from this weekend's series.
• San Diego State (14-3) hosts No. 18 Texas Tech (12-4) in a series of two teams boasting gaudy records but who are also still looking for a signature weekend. San Diego State recently lost their series to a very good New Mexico team while Texas Tech suffered a road sweep to streaking Cal State Fullerton last weekend. The Red Raiders roster is arguably deeper and more talented than their 2014 team that advanced to the College World Series.
• The WCC will cease its harassment of the SEC this weekend and open up its own conference play. Gonzaga swept Arkansas in Fayetteville in two mid-week games, and punctuated those victories with a 15-5 shellacking on Wednesday night. The 'Zags offense did this with an incredible 10 singles, 13 walks, three HBP and zero extra-base hits.
Add this sweep to the San Diego series win over Mississippi State, the Santa Clara near series win versus Vanderbilt, and San Francisco's recent mid-week sweep of Oregon and the WCC has made a loud statement as a conference deserving of multiple bid consideration.
• The Kentucky Wildcats have quiety gone 13-3 to open the season, although their three losses have come against their two most notable opponents, No. 14 UC Santa Barbara and No. 23 Southern California. The team is coming off of a sweep of Northern Kentucky - a series highlighted by Zack Brown's 11 strikeout complete game shutout performance - and a mid-week win over Cincinnati in which outfielder Ka'ai Tom hit for the cycle. Tom is now hitting .450 on the year while Brown has a 1.74 ERA in 20 2/3 innings.
As SEC play opens this weekend, the Wildcats will have another big test this weekend as they travel to Columbia, S.C., to face No. 7 South Carolina. Brown, Kyle Cody and Dustin Beggs, who are a combined 5-3 with a 2.59 ERA, will face an equally formidable Gamecocks' weekend rotation that includes Wil Crowe and Jack Wynkoop, with freshman Clarke Schmidt taking the ball last Sunday for his first collegiate start.
• No. 15 UCF aggressively scheduled four mid-week games in back-to-back weeks, splitting a pair of contests last week with now No. 1 Florida before getting swept in their two-game series with No. 11 Florida State. However, their weekend trio of Zach Rodgers, Cre Finfrock and Robby Howell has yet to take a loss, as the three are a combined 9-0 with a 2.45 ERA.
In the second game of their mid-week series against the Seminoles first baseman Quincy Nieporte erupted for FSU, going 4-for-4 with a walk, three runs scored and seven RBI. Those runs batted in came in the form of a three-run home run in the second inning and a grand slam in the third. Both games were high-scoring affairs, with Florida State coming out on top 11-8 and 15-11.
PG - Weekend Preview: Week 5
