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OWH: Sinclair, Husker bullpen post rare opening shutout
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LJS: Husker pitchers deliver season-opening victory at UNLV
Nebraska's big arms came through in the Huskers' season-opening 2-0 baseball win against UNLV on Friday night in Las Vegas.
Starter Chance Sinclair pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, Jake Hohensee struck out five in two-plus innings, and closer Josh Roeder struck out two to close out the Running Rebels in front of 3,173 spectators.
It marks No. 23 Nebraska's first victory in a true road series to open a season since 2009, when the Huskers defeated Louisiana-Lafayette 4-3 in 15 innings.
"First game of the year, coming out of the snow, you just never know what you're going to expect," Nebraska coach Darin Erstad said on his postgame radio show. "Pitchers (were) throwing strikes. I don't think we walked anybody today. We played very good defense."
UNLV threatened in a couple of innings, including the fourth. With runners on second and third, Sinclair struck out two batters, then got Payton Squier to fly out to center fielder Ryan Boldt to end the inning.
"(Chance) gave up some hits, but he kept pounding the zone and had second and third with nobody out and just went after those guys and made some unbelievable pitches to put a zero up," Erstad said.
After Sinclair, who threw 91 pitches, gave up a two-out single to Edgar Montes in the sixth, the Huskers turned to Hohensee. The Lincoln East graduate got Nick Rodriguez to fly out to left to end the inning, then struck out five of the next six batters he faced, including the side in the seventh.
Sinclair, Hohensee and Roeder combined for 14 strikeouts.
NU took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Blake Headley that drove in Austin Darby.
Boldt laced an RBI double to score Luis Alvarado in the fifth.
The Huskers finished with seven hits and four walks.
"It is tough. They pitch well here and they play well here," Erstad said. "Any victory we can get here, we'll take it."
The game got off to a rough start for the Rebels. Starter Zach Qualls, who missed the past two seasons because of arm problems, was removed after five pitches because of an apparent arm injury. UNLV turned to Ben Wright, who pitched five innings.
Briefly
* Nebraska started two freshmen in the field - Alvarado in left field and Scott Schreiber at first base. Alvarado finished with a hit. "I probably held my breath more than they did," Erstad said. "They're freshmen. They're both real good competitors. They played hard and I thought they did a good job."
* The win marked Nebraska's first season-opening shutout since 1995, when the Huskers beat Nebraska-Kearney 9-0.
* Senior left-hander Kyle Kubat is scheduled to start for the Huskers on Saturday.
LJS: Husker pitchers deliver season-opening win
Nebraska's big arms came through in the Huskers' season-opening 2-0 baseball win against UNLV on Friday night in Las Vegas.
Starter Chance Sinclair pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, Jake Hohensee struck out five in two-plus innings, and closer Josh Roeder struck out two to close out the Running Rebels in front of 3,173 spectators.
It marks No. 23 Nebraska's first victory in a true road series to open a season since 2009, when the Huskers defeated Louisiana-Lafayette 4-3 in 15 innings.
"First game of the year, coming out of the snow, you just never know what you're going to expect," Nebraska coach Darin Erstad said on his postgame radio show. "Pitchers (were) throwing strikes. I don't think we walked anybody today. We played very good defense."
UNLV threatened in a couple of innings, including the fourth. With runners on second and third, Sinclair struck out two batters, then got Payton Squier to fly out to center fielder Ryan Boldt to end the inning.
"(Chance) gave up some hits, but he kept pounding the zone and had second and third with nobody out and just went after those guys and made some unbelievable pitches to put a zero up," Erstad said.
After Sinclair, who threw 91 pitches, gave up a two-out single to Edgar Montes in the sixth, the Huskers turned to Hohensee. The Lincoln East graduate got Nick Rodriguez to fly out to left to end the inning, then struck out five of the next six batters he faced, including the side in the seventh.
Sinclair, Hohensee and Roeder combined for 14 strikeouts.
NU took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Blake Headley that drove in Austin Darby.
Boldt laced an RBI double to score Luis Alvarado in the fifth.
The Huskers finished with seven hits and four walks.
"It is tough. They pitch well here and they play well here," Erstad said. "Any victory we can get here, we'll take it."
The game got off to a rough start for the Rebels. Starter Zach Qualls, who missed the past two seasons because of arm problems, was removed after five pitches because of an apparent arm injury. UNLV turned to Ben Wright, who pitched five innings.
Briefly
* Nebraska started two freshmen in the field - Alvarado in left field and Scott Schreiber at first base. Alvarado finished with a hit. "I probably held my breath more than they did," Erstad said. "They're freshmen. They're both real good competitors. They played hard and I thought they did a good job."
* The win marked Nebraska's first season-opening shutout since 1995, when the Huskers beat Nebraska-Kearney 9-0.
* Senior left-hander Kyle Kubat is scheduled to start for the Huskers on Saturday.
LJS: Husker pitchers deliver season-opening win
NU: Huskers Open 2015 with 2-0 Win at UNLV
Las Vegas, Nev. - In front of a sellout crowd of 3,173 fans, the first sellout in Earl E. Wilson Stadium history, the Nebraska baseball team posted a 2-0 shutout win over the UNLV Rebels to open the 2015 season. With Nebraska's pitching staff keep the Rebels' offense off balance, while Blake Headley drove in the eventual game-winning run in the top of the first and Ryan added a run in the top of the fifth with a two-out single.
The opening-game shutout marked Nebraska's first since 1995 when the Huskers beat Nebraska-Kearney 9-0.
After posting a 9-1 record last season when he was an unanimous All-Big Ten pick and third-team All-American, Chance Sinclair picked up his 10th career win on Friday night. The senior right hander got stronger as the game went on, as he retired eight of the final nine batters he faced. Sinclair gave NU 5.2 shutout innings, with seven strikeouts and no walks. It was Sinclair's second-highest career strikeout total, trailing his 10-strikeout performance against Illinois last season.
Sophomore Jake Hohensee took over for Sinclair in the sixth and tossed 2.1 innings of no-hit relief behind a career-high five strikeouts. Senior Josh Roeder then took the mound in the ninth and picked up his 19th career save with a 1-2-3 ninth inning. Nebraska's pitching staff combined for 14 strikeouts and no walks on the night.
UNLV's Zak Qualls started for the Rebels after missing the past two years and unfortunately only lasted five pitches before leaving the game with an arm injury. Ben Wright took over for the Rebels and tossed 5.0 innings, giving up one run on five hits and one walk. Bryan Bonnell kept UNLV in the game down the stretch, as he tossed 3.2 innings of scoreless relief.
The Huskers scored their first run of the 2015 season in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Blake Headley. After Tanner Lubach worked a walk to load the bases with one out, Headley lifted a pitch from Wright into deep right-center field that easily scored Austin Darby, who led off the game with a walk.
Holding a 1-0 lead and coming off a 1-2-3 inning headed into the bottom of the fourth, Sinclair got into a jam when he gave up a single and double to start the inning, which put runners on second and third with no out. The senior stayed calm and responded with two straight strikeouts along with a fly out to strand both runners. The NU offense fed off the momentum and added a run in the top of the fifth on a two-out single by Boldt that scored Luis Alvarado to put the Huskers ahead, 2-0.
Sinclair got the first two outs of the sixth before Edgar Montes ripped a single that snapped Sinclair's streak of eight-straight batters retired. Hohensee took the mound and quickly ended the Rebel threat with a flyout. Hohensee returned for the seventh and struck out the side to keep Nebraska on top 2-0 through seven innings, before notching a perfect eighth inning with two more strikeouts. Roeder closed out the game with a flyout and back-to-back strikeouts.
The Huskers return to Earl E. Wilson Stadium tomorrow afternoon for game two of this weekend's three-game series with the Rebels. Senior Kyle Kubat is scheduled to take the mound, with first-pitch scheduled for 4:05 p.m. (CT).
NU: Huskers Open 2015 with 2-0 Win at UNLV
Las Vegas, Nev. - In front of a sellout crowd of 3,173 fans, the first sellout in Earl E. Wilson Stadium history, the Nebraska baseball team posted a 2-0 shutout win over the UNLV Rebels to open the 2015 season. With Nebraska's pitching staff keep the Rebels' offense off balance, while Blake Headley drove in the eventual game-winning run in the top of the first and Ryan added a run in the top of the fifth with a two-out single.
The opening-game shutout marked Nebraska's first since 1995 when the Huskers beat Nebraska-Kearney 9-0.
After posting a 9-1 record last season when he was an unanimous All-Big Ten pick and third-team All-American, Chance Sinclair picked up his 10th career win on Friday night. The senior right hander got stronger as the game went on, as he retired eight of the final nine batters he faced. Sinclair gave NU 5.2 shutout innings, with seven strikeouts and no walks. It was Sinclair's second-highest career strikeout total, trailing his 10-strikeout performance against Illinois last season.
Sophomore Jake Hohensee took over for Sinclair in the sixth and tossed 2.1 innings of no-hit relief behind a career-high five strikeouts. Senior Josh Roeder then took the mound in the ninth and picked up his 19th career save with a 1-2-3 ninth inning. Nebraska's pitching staff combined for 14 strikeouts and no walks on the night.
UNLV's Zak Qualls started for the Rebels after missing the past two years and unfortunately only lasted five pitches before leaving the game with an arm injury. Ben Wright took over for the Rebels and tossed 5.0 innings, giving up one run on five hits and one walk. Bryan Bonnell kept UNLV in the game down the stretch, as he tossed 3.2 innings of scoreless relief.
The Huskers scored their first run of the 2015 season in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Blake Headley. After Tanner Lubach worked a walk to load the bases with one out, Headley lifted a pitch from Wright into deep right-center field that easily scored Austin Darby, who led off the game with a walk.
Holding a 1-0 lead and coming off a 1-2-3 inning headed into the bottom of the fourth, Sinclair got into a jam when he gave up a single and double to start the inning, which put runners on second and third with no out. The senior stayed calm and responded with two straight strikeouts along with a fly out to strand both runners. The NU offense fed off the momentum and added a run in the top of the fifth on a two-out single by Boldt that scored Luis Alvarado to put the Huskers ahead, 2-0.
Sinclair got the first two outs of the sixth before Edgar Montes ripped a single that snapped Sinclair's streak of eight-straight batters retired. Hohensee took the mound and quickly ended the Rebel threat with a flyout. Hohensee returned for the seventh and struck out the side to keep Nebraska on top 2-0 through seven innings, before notching a perfect eighth inning with two more strikeouts. Roeder closed out the game with a flyout and back-to-back strikeouts.
The Huskers return to Earl E. Wilson Stadium tomorrow afternoon for game two of this weekend's three-game series with the Rebels. Senior Kyle Kubat is scheduled to take the mound, with first-pitch scheduled for 4:05 p.m. (CT).
NU: Huskers Open 2015 with 2-0 Win at UNLV
UNLV: Rebels Fall To Huskers In Front Of Record Crowd
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV baseball (0-1) kicked off its 2015 season in front of a sellout crowd of 3,173, which witnessed a 2-0 loss to the No. 23 Nebraska Cornhuskers.
It was the first sellout in Earl E. Wilson Stadium history and broke the previous attendance record of 2,143, which was set in 2006 when the Rebels played the Texas Longhorns.
Nebraska (1-0) got on the board early when Austin Darby scored on a Blake Headley sacrifice fly. The Rebels answered with three hits in the home half of the first, but were unable to push any runs across the plate.
The Rebels had another opportunity to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. Erik VanMeetren got things started with a single to right field. He advanced to third after Edgar Montes doubled to left center, putting runners at second and third. UNLV was unable to get a timely hit, however, leaving VanMeetren and Montes stranded.
Montes finished 2-for-4 with a double. VanMeetren, Justin Jones, Morgan Stotts, Joey Armstrong, Nick Rodriguez and Payton Squier also tallied a hit.
The Huskers added another run in the fifth inning after Ryan Boldt singled to centerfield to score Luis Alvarado to round out the scoring.
Nebraska starter Chance Sinclair was excellent on the mound. Sinclair went 5 2/3 innings, surrendering eight hits with seven strikeouts and zero walks to pick up the win. Reliever Josh Roeder picked up the save for the Huskers.
UNLV starting pitcher Zak Qualls (0-1) left the game in the first inning with an arm injury after just five pitches. Junior Ben Wright performed well in relief, going five innings. He allowed one run on five hits with two strikeouts.
UNLV and Nebraska are will continue its three-game series with a game Saturday. Junior Kenny Oakley is expected to start for UNLV, while senior Kyle Kubat is slated for Nebraska. First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m.
The first 250 fans will receive a special "I
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - UNLV baseball (0-1) kicked off its 2015 season in front of a sellout crowd of 3,173, which witnessed a 2-0 loss to the No. 23 Nebraska Cornhuskers.
It was the first sellout in Earl E. Wilson Stadium history and broke the previous attendance record of 2,143, which was set in 2006 when the Rebels played the Texas Longhorns.
Nebraska (1-0) got on the board early when Austin Darby scored on a Blake Headley sacrifice fly. The Rebels answered with three hits in the home half of the first, but were unable to push any runs across the plate.
The Rebels had another opportunity to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. Erik VanMeetren got things started with a single to right field. He advanced to third after Edgar Montes doubled to left center, putting runners at second and third. UNLV was unable to get a timely hit, however, leaving VanMeetren and Montes stranded.
Montes finished 2-for-4 with a double. VanMeetren, Justin Jones, Morgan Stotts, Joey Armstrong, Nick Rodriguez and Payton Squier also tallied a hit.
The Huskers added another run in the fifth inning after Ryan Boldt singled to centerfield to score Luis Alvarado to round out the scoring.
Nebraska starter Chance Sinclair was excellent on the mound. Sinclair went 5 2/3 innings, surrendering eight hits with seven strikeouts and zero walks to pick up the win. Reliever Josh Roeder picked up the save for the Huskers.
UNLV starting pitcher Zak Qualls (0-1) left the game in the first inning with an arm injury after just five pitches. Junior Ben Wright performed well in relief, going five innings. He allowed one run on five hits with two strikeouts.
UNLV and Nebraska are will continue its three-game series with a game Saturday. Junior Kenny Oakley is expected to start for UNLV, while senior Kyle Kubat is slated for Nebraska. First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m.
The first 250 fans will receive a special "I
D1: Ten Thoughts From Opening Day
1. NEW BALL EARNS POSITIVE REVIEWS
A larger sample size than one day of games is needed to draw accurate conclusions about the new ball in college baseball, but it's safe to say the early returns are very positive. Several players around the country experienced a power surge on opening day, ranging from Kentucky's Greg Fettes beginning the day with a pair of homers, while Georgia State's Matt Rose, too, finished the afternoon with a pair of homers. Impressive individual performances were aplenty around the country, but perhaps no situation demonstrated the change with the new ball quite like Georgia, en route to its 18-3 win and 20-hit performance against Eastern Illinois.
The Bulldogs aren't expected to have an ultra powerful offense this season, but you wouldn't know that from their immense production against the Panthers. The Bulldogs smacked five homers against EIU, two of them coming from the bat of second baseman Mike Bell.
Why's this relevant, again? Georgia finished last season with 13 homers for the season.
Time will tell if the new ball truly is a game-changer, but it's looking good. Several scouts, coaches and fans remarked to me throughout the day about how much better the ball seemed to carry, while all the discussion last Opening Day was about how the ball and bats continue to kill college baseball.
Stay tuned. It's looking good.
2. CAN I HAVE MY UPSET PICK BACK?
If you've been on the new and improved D1Baseball.com since relaunch, you know how high I am on the Cougars, and how sure I was Charleston was going to pull off an Opening Weekend upset on the road against South Carolina. Well, my opinion changed when Charleston head coach Monte Lee announced sophomore righthander Bailey Ober would miss the series because of tightness.
That decision to switch my pick might come back to haunt me.
What an impressive Opening Day the Cougars had, beating South Carolina 6-3, while also outhitting the Gamecocks 14-4. On the mound, veteran righthander Taylor Clarke once again was good, striking out five and allowing just a run on two hits in six innings, while the offense did the rest with freshman leadoff hitter Ryan Brown, Blake Butler, Morgan Phillips, Erven Roper, Bradley Jones and Champ Rowland each finishing the afternoon with two hits.
Charleston is in position to take this series on Saturday with the two teams playing a doubleheader to escape inclement/cold weather on Sunday. Taking this series without Ober would be a significant statement.
3. CHAMPS START THINGS WITH A SHUTOUT
Repeating as national champions is an incredibly difficult task, and Vanderbilt still has a long way to go before it needs to worry about that. But it was interesting to see how the 'Dores played against a scrappy Santa Clara club on opening day.
It was business as usual for Tim Corbin's team. Vandy righthander Carson Fulmer got the starting nod, and was expectedly impressive, striking out seven and allowing just two hits in five shutout frames. But the big return for Vandy was lefthander Philip Pfeifer, who struck out five and allowed just a hit in four shutout innings of work in the 4-0 triumph over the Broncos.
4. TULANE COULD BE A BIG SURPRISE
The rest of the weekend could go a different direction, but what an impressive debut for coach David Pierce and the Green Wave, beating Pepperdine on the road, 9-3. Tulane starting pitcher Corey Merrill allowed two runs on four hits in 3 1/3 innings, but the bullpen was terrific with Eric Steel tossing 4 2/3 shutout frames. The Green Wave also got a good offensive performance from touted prospects Jake Rogers and Stephen Alemais, who each finished the afternoon with three hits.
I have zero doubt Pierce and his coaching staff will win at an impressive level at some point, but perhaps that point is as early as this season.
5. RACKING UP THOSE STRIKEOUTS
We've discussed several high-profile pitchers who had good starts on Opening Day, but what about a pair of mid-major arms in Navy lefthander Luke Gillingham and The Citadel lefty James Reeves?
Let's start with Gillingham, who helped lead the Midshipmen to an 8-1 road win over North Carolina A&T. The lefty struck out 16 and allowed just one hit in seven shutout innings, throwing 63 strikes in 93 pitches. Meanwhile, Reeves was brilliant in a 5-3 win over Air Force. The physical 6-foot-3, 200-pounder, struck out 14 and allowed a run on two hits in six innings.
6. WELCOME BACK, COLE IRVIN
Oregon got some big news earlier this week when head coach George Horton announced Irvin, the talented lefthander, as the Opening Day starter. Irvin was one of the nation's elite arms as a freshman, but an arm injury and Tommy John surgery sidelined him last season. Irvin, though, made remarkable progress over the past year and returned to the mound in a 12-0 win over Hawaii on Friday.
Irvin struck out four, didn't walk anyone and allowed just two hits in four innings. His rapid return should pay huge dividends for the Ducks moving forward.
7. NOT SO MUCH OF A DUEL
Earlier this week, we featured the pitching matchup between Kennesaw State's Jordan Hillyer and Liberty's Parker Bean. Well, the two took the mound on Opening Day, and let's just say neither start turned out as planned.
Bean only lasted three innings for the Flames in an 11-9 setback. The sophomore righty walked a pair of hitters and allowed eight runs (six earned) on six hits in three innings. Meanwhile, HIllyer had three solid innings before he allowed five runs in the fourth to help Liberty make a fierce comeback. The Flames didn't execute the comeback, but did touch up HIllyer for five runs (two earned) on three hits in four innings.
8. COLOR ME SURPRISED
West Virginia has earned positive reviews for its level of play the past couple of seasons. The Mountaineers were expected to take a decent-sized step back this spring, but perhaps that won't be the case. WVU began its 2015 campaign with an impressive 2-0 road win over Clemson.
WVU freshman righthander BJ Myers had a career debut to remember. Myers struck out five, walked four and allowed just four hits in five shutout innings. Meanwhile, Clemson's Matthew Crownover struck out eight in six shutout frames, but that wasn't enough as WVU reliever Blake Smith slammed the door on the back-end of the game, striking out five and allowing just two hits in four innings.
Another WVU win over Clemson this weekend would help the Big 12's profile entering the rest of the season.
9. NEW COACHES TRIUMPH AT INDIANA, ARIZONA STATE
New Indiana head coach Chris Lemonis decided several weeks ago to move righthanded reliever Scott Effross to the weekend rotation. His theory was he wants to keep all of his best arms in the weekend rotation, or at least try them as starting pitchers. Well, it looks like Effross will do just fine in the weekend rotation, as he put together a gem in his redemption game against Stanford, leading his team to a 4-2 win over the Cardinal to begin the season.
Effross struck out three and allowed just a run on five hits in six innings. Also worth noting, Stanford's Tommy Edman, last year's Bloomington Super Regional hero, went 0-for-4 against the Hoosiers Friday night.
Down in Arizona, former Indiana head coach and new Arizona State head coach Tracy Smith captured a win of his own, as ASU shortstop Colby Woodmansee hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to beat Oklahoma State 4-3. The Devils outhit OSU 12-7, and righthanded closer Ryan Burr was terrific out of the pen, striking out five and allowing just a hit in two shutout frames.
Woodmansee is an interesting player and prospect to watch the rest of the season. After putting together a good summer, Woodmansee had a good fall and showed the ASU coaches he has a lot of upside. Woodmansee is a quality defensive shortstop who might just make a lot of noise at the plate, too.
10. MATUELLA MEETS EXPECTATIONS
When we and others expect you to be the top overall pick in the draft, it's not easy to avoid the massive target on your back. Duke righthander Michael Matuella embraced the expectations in the season debut against California.
The Blue Devils defeated the Golden Bears 7-1 as the righty put together an impressive performance that included his typical low-to-mid 90s fastball. Matuella struck out eight, walked two and allowed four hits in six innings to lead the way.
Matuella still has more to prove, but Friday's performance was a nice step in a positive direction.
D1: Ten Thoughts From Opening Day
1. NEW BALL EARNS POSITIVE REVIEWS
A larger sample size than one day of games is needed to draw accurate conclusions about the new ball in college baseball, but it's safe to say the early returns are very positive. Several players around the country experienced a power surge on opening day, ranging from Kentucky's Greg Fettes beginning the day with a pair of homers, while Georgia State's Matt Rose, too, finished the afternoon with a pair of homers. Impressive individual performances were aplenty around the country, but perhaps no situation demonstrated the change with the new ball quite like Georgia, en route to its 18-3 win and 20-hit performance against Eastern Illinois.
The Bulldogs aren't expected to have an ultra powerful offense this season, but you wouldn't know that from their immense production against the Panthers. The Bulldogs smacked five homers against EIU, two of them coming from the bat of second baseman Mike Bell.
Why's this relevant, again? Georgia finished last season with 13 homers for the season.
Time will tell if the new ball truly is a game-changer, but it's looking good. Several scouts, coaches and fans remarked to me throughout the day about how much better the ball seemed to carry, while all the discussion last Opening Day was about how the ball and bats continue to kill college baseball.
Stay tuned. It's looking good.
2. CAN I HAVE MY UPSET PICK BACK?
If you've been on the new and improved D1Baseball.com since relaunch, you know how high I am on the Cougars, and how sure I was Charleston was going to pull off an Opening Weekend upset on the road against South Carolina. Well, my opinion changed when Charleston head coach Monte Lee announced sophomore righthander Bailey Ober would miss the series because of tightness.
That decision to switch my pick might come back to haunt me.
What an impressive Opening Day the Cougars had, beating South Carolina 6-3, while also outhitting the Gamecocks 14-4. On the mound, veteran righthander Taylor Clarke once again was good, striking out five and allowing just a run on two hits in six innings, while the offense did the rest with freshman leadoff hitter Ryan Brown, Blake Butler, Morgan Phillips, Erven Roper, Bradley Jones and Champ Rowland each finishing the afternoon with two hits.
Charleston is in position to take this series on Saturday with the two teams playing a doubleheader to escape inclement/cold weather on Sunday. Taking this series without Ober would be a significant statement.
3. CHAMPS START THINGS WITH A SHUTOUT
Repeating as national champions is an incredibly difficult task, and Vanderbilt still has a long way to go before it needs to worry about that. But it was interesting to see how the 'Dores played against a scrappy Santa Clara club on opening day.
It was business as usual for Tim Corbin's team. Vandy righthander Carson Fulmer got the starting nod, and was expectedly impressive, striking out seven and allowing just two hits in five shutout frames. But the big return for Vandy was lefthander Philip Pfeifer, who struck out five and allowed just a hit in four shutout innings of work in the 4-0 triumph over the Broncos.
4. TULANE COULD BE A BIG SURPRISE
The rest of the weekend could go a different direction, but what an impressive debut for coach David Pierce and the Green Wave, beating Pepperdine on the road, 9-3. Tulane starting pitcher Corey Merrill allowed two runs on four hits in 3 1/3 innings, but the bullpen was terrific with Eric Steel tossing 4 2/3 shutout frames. The Green Wave also got a good offensive performance from touted prospects Jake Rogers and Stephen Alemais, who each finished the afternoon with three hits.
I have zero doubt Pierce and his coaching staff will win at an impressive level at some point, but perhaps that point is as early as this season.
5. RACKING UP THOSE STRIKEOUTS
We've discussed several high-profile pitchers who had good starts on Opening Day, but what about a pair of mid-major arms in Navy lefthander Luke Gillingham and The Citadel lefty James Reeves?
Let's start with Gillingham, who helped lead the Midshipmen to an 8-1 road win over North Carolina A&T. The lefty struck out 16 and allowed just one hit in seven shutout innings, throwing 63 strikes in 93 pitches. Meanwhile, Reeves was brilliant in a 5-3 win over Air Force. The physical 6-foot-3, 200-pounder, struck out 14 and allowed a run on two hits in six innings.
6. WELCOME BACK, COLE IRVIN
Oregon got some big news earlier this week when head coach George Horton announced Irvin, the talented lefthander, as the Opening Day starter. Irvin was one of the nation's elite arms as a freshman, but an arm injury and Tommy John surgery sidelined him last season. Irvin, though, made remarkable progress over the past year and returned to the mound in a 12-0 win over Hawaii on Friday.
Irvin struck out four, didn't walk anyone and allowed just two hits in four innings. His rapid return should pay huge dividends for the Ducks moving forward.
7. NOT SO MUCH OF A DUEL
Earlier this week, we featured the pitching matchup between Kennesaw State's Jordan Hillyer and Liberty's Parker Bean. Well, the two took the mound on Opening Day, and let's just say neither start turned out as planned.
Bean only lasted three innings for the Flames in an 11-9 setback. The sophomore righty walked a pair of hitters and allowed eight runs (six earned) on six hits in three innings. Meanwhile, HIllyer had three solid innings before he allowed five runs in the fourth to help Liberty make a fierce comeback. The Flames didn't execute the comeback, but did touch up HIllyer for five runs (two earned) on three hits in four innings.
8. COLOR ME SURPRISED
West Virginia has earned positive reviews for its level of play the past couple of seasons. The Mountaineers were expected to take a decent-sized step back this spring, but perhaps that won't be the case. WVU began its 2015 campaign with an impressive 2-0 road win over Clemson.
WVU freshman righthander BJ Myers had a career debut to remember. Myers struck out five, walked four and allowed just four hits in five shutout innings. Meanwhile, Clemson's Matthew Crownover struck out eight in six shutout frames, but that wasn't enough as WVU reliever Blake Smith slammed the door on the back-end of the game, striking out five and allowing just two hits in four innings.
Another WVU win over Clemson this weekend would help the Big 12's profile entering the rest of the season.
9. NEW COACHES TRIUMPH AT INDIANA, ARIZONA STATE
New Indiana head coach Chris Lemonis decided several weeks ago to move righthanded reliever Scott Effross to the weekend rotation. His theory was he wants to keep all of his best arms in the weekend rotation, or at least try them as starting pitchers. Well, it looks like Effross will do just fine in the weekend rotation, as he put together a gem in his redemption game against Stanford, leading his team to a 4-2 win over the Cardinal to begin the season.
Effross struck out three and allowed just a run on five hits in six innings. Also worth noting, Stanford's Tommy Edman, last year's Bloomington Super Regional hero, went 0-for-4 against the Hoosiers Friday night.
Down in Arizona, former Indiana head coach and new Arizona State head coach Tracy Smith captured a win of his own, as ASU shortstop Colby Woodmansee hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to beat Oklahoma State 4-3. The Devils outhit OSU 12-7, and righthanded closer Ryan Burr was terrific out of the pen, striking out five and allowing just a hit in two shutout frames.
Woodmansee is an interesting player and prospect to watch the rest of the season. After putting together a good summer, Woodmansee had a good fall and showed the ASU coaches he has a lot of upside. Woodmansee is a quality defensive shortstop who might just make a lot of noise at the plate, too.
10. MATUELLA MEETS EXPECTATIONS
When we and others expect you to be the top overall pick in the draft, it's not easy to avoid the massive target on your back. Duke righthander Michael Matuella embraced the expectations in the season debut against California.
The Blue Devils defeated the Golden Bears 7-1 as the righty put together an impressive performance that included his typical low-to-mid 90s fastball. Matuella struck out eight, walked two and allowed four hits in six innings to lead the way.
Matuella still has more to prove, but Friday's performance was a nice step in a positive direction.
D1: Ten Thoughts From Opening Day
CBD: Around the Horn for Feb. 13
Hey, it was finally opening day in College Baseball. As always, opening day is full of upsets from mid-major over teams with very high expectations. Here are some of the highlights of the first day of action.
Maryland's Brandon Lowe went 1-2 with two RBI and a homer to lead the Terps to the 7-3 victory over Western Kentucky.
VCU's Matt Davis and Cody Acker went 2-4 to lead the Rams to the 6-3 victory over Georgetown. Heath Dwyer picked up the win by giving up three runs in six innings of work.
Congrats to Northern Illinois head coach Mike Kunigonis on picking up his first career victory over South Dakota State.
The Pittsburgh Panthers opened up the season with an impressive 18-1 victory over St. Louis. The most impressive part of the victory was the Panthers left on 11 players on the base paths. T.J. Zouch went six innings scattering six hits allowing only one run to pick up the win. Junior Ron Sherman had a good day at the plate going 2-4 with four RBI on the day.
Elon withstood an eleven run rally by Penn State to defeat the Nittany Lions 16-15. The Phoenix were led by catcher Austin Leeney who went 4-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Congrats to Northeastern head coach Mike Glavine on his first career victory with the Huskies as they defeated Incarnate Word 3-1.
Senior LMU RHP Colin Welmon recorded the victory on Opening Night of the 2015 season as the Lions (1-0) earned the 5-2 win over San Jose State (0-1) in front of 425 fans at Page Stadium on Friday. He right-hander scattered four hits and a walk while allowing just one unearned run and striking out four over six innings.
With the bases loaded and one out in the top of the ninth, sophomore Williams Durruthy closed the door on the Volunteers, striking out the next two batters he faced to give FIU (1-0) a 4-3 victory over No. 25 Tennessee (0-1) on Friday evening at the FIU Baseball Stadium.
The Ohio State baseball team started the 2015 season on a strong note with a thrilling 4-3 walk-off win vs. George Mason Friday night at Charlotte Sports Park at Port Charlotte, Fla. Down 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth, the Buckeyes (1-0) tallied back-to-back runs on a hit by pitch and wild pitch, respectively, to claim the come-from-behind victory vs. the Patriots.
Keaton Jones highlighted a perfect night of baseball as the No. 2 TCU Horned Frogs took a 5-0 win over Southern Illinois Friday. He finished the night 2-for-4 with a run scored. Preston Morrison (1-0) wiggled out of a couple of jams along the way, but pitched seven scoreless frames to earn his 26th career victory. He allowed three hits, walked two, hit a batter and fanned three. Mitchell Traver tossed the final two frames, allowing two hits and striking out one.
CBD: Around the Horn for Feb. 13
Hey, it was finally opening day in College Baseball. As always, opening day is full of upsets from mid-major over teams with very high expectations. Here are some of the highlights of the first day of action.
Maryland's Brandon Lowe went 1-2 with two RBI and a homer to lead the Terps to the 7-3 victory over Western Kentucky.
VCU's Matt Davis and Cody Acker went 2-4 to lead the Rams to the 6-3 victory over Georgetown. Heath Dwyer picked up the win by giving up three runs in six innings of work.
Congrats to Northern Illinois head coach Mike Kunigonis on picking up his first career victory over South Dakota State.
The Pittsburgh Panthers opened up the season with an impressive 18-1 victory over St. Louis. The most impressive part of the victory was the Panthers left on 11 players on the base paths. T.J. Zouch went six innings scattering six hits allowing only one run to pick up the win. Junior Ron Sherman had a good day at the plate going 2-4 with four RBI on the day.
Elon withstood an eleven run rally by Penn State to defeat the Nittany Lions 16-15. The Phoenix were led by catcher Austin Leeney who went 4-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Congrats to Northeastern head coach Mike Glavine on his first career victory with the Huskies as they defeated Incarnate Word 3-1.
Senior LMU RHP Colin Welmon recorded the victory on Opening Night of the 2015 season as the Lions (1-0) earned the 5-2 win over San Jose State (0-1) in front of 425 fans at Page Stadium on Friday. He right-hander scattered four hits and a walk while allowing just one unearned run and striking out four over six innings.
With the bases loaded and one out in the top of the ninth, sophomore Williams Durruthy closed the door on the Volunteers, striking out the next two batters he faced to give FIU (1-0) a 4-3 victory over No. 25 Tennessee (0-1) on Friday evening at the FIU Baseball Stadium.
The Ohio State baseball team started the 2015 season on a strong note with a thrilling 4-3 walk-off win vs. George Mason Friday night at Charlotte Sports Park at Port Charlotte, Fla. Down 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth, the Buckeyes (1-0) tallied back-to-back runs on a hit by pitch and wild pitch, respectively, to claim the come-from-behind victory vs. the Patriots.
Keaton Jones highlighted a perfect night of baseball as the No. 2 TCU Horned Frogs took a 5-0 win over Southern Illinois Friday. He finished the night 2-for-4 with a run scored. Preston Morrison (1-0) wiggled out of a couple of jams along the way, but pitched seven scoreless frames to earn his 26th career victory. He allowed three hits, walked two, hit a batter and fanned three. Mitchell Traver tossed the final two frames, allowing two hits and striking out one.
CBD: Around the Horn for Feb. 13
CBI: Around the Bases (2/13)
Woodmansee Homers for ASU in 10th vs. OSU
IU wins at Stanford, College of Charleston tops South Carolina
In Phoenix, Colby Woodmansee homered in the bottom of the 10th inning as No. 19 Arizona State slipped past No. 8 Oklahoma State 4-3 Friday night before 4,253 fans at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The win was the first for Sun Devils coach Tracy Smith, who arrived at Arizona State after building Indiana into a national power. Ryan Burr (1-0) ran into trouble in the top of the ninth when he issued a walk and a double to open the frame but proceeded to strike out the side and two more in the 10th inning for ASU. Woodmansee, batting in the eight-hole, finished 2 for 5 with two runs and two RBI, singling in the first run of the season before Dalton DiNatale (2 for 4) doubled him in for a 2-0 Sun Devils lead in the fourth. The Cowboys' Corey Hassel (2 for 5) had a two-run double in the fifth, and Kevin Bradley (2 for 4) provided a 3-2 lead with an infield single in the sixth. Jordan Aboites doubled in Johnny Sewald (3 for 4) as the Sun Devils tied the score at 3.
Indiana 4, Stanford 2
In Stanford, Calif., Scott Effross allowed one earned run in six solid innings, and Casey Rodrigue had a two-run homer down the right-field line as Indiana earned a win in coach Chris Lemonis' first game as coach of the Hoosiers. Effross allowed six hits in his six innings, a career-long, and struck out three. Luke Harrison struck out four over his two innings of relief, and Ryan Halstead allowed one run in the ninth as the Hoosiers closed out the win. Nick Ramos drove in a pair of runs, and Scott Donley and Brad Hartong each added two hits and a run for Indiana. Alex Dunlap went 2 for 4 with two runs for the Cardinal.
College of Charleston 6, No. 12 South Carolina 3
In Columbia, S.C., Taylor Clarke allowed two hits and one run over six innings, and Blake Butler had two hits, two runs and an RBI as College of Charleston knocked off South Carolina, ending the Gamecocks' 16-year Opening Day win streak. The Cougars had 14 hits - all singles - with six players getting two hits apiece, including Ryan Brown and Morgan Phillips, who added a run and an RBI apiece. Carl Wise had two RBI, one coming on a sacrifice fly in a three-run fifth inning that gave the Cougars a 4-1 lead. Gene Cone had a hit and run for the Gamecocks, who totaled only four hits - all singles.
No. 1 Vanderbilt 4, Santa Clara 0
In Nashville, Carson Fulmer allowed two hits and struck out seven - including six of the first nine batters - and Philip Pfeifer struck out four and retired 10 of the final 11 batters as defending national champion Vanderbilt posted a win in its opener. Ro Coleman had a two-run triple as part of a three-run third inning, and Tyler Campbell went 2 for 3 with a run for the Commodores. Jose Vizcaino Jr. had a double for the Broncos, who mustered only three hits.
No. 2 Virginia 3, East Carolina 1
In Greenville, N.C., Nathan Kirby allowed three hits and no runs in seven superb innings, and Kenny Towns had three hits and a run as Virginia edged East Carolina. The Cavaliers took advantage of a dropped foul ball to keep a rally going for their first run, which came when Robbie Coman scampered home on a double steal. Matt Thaiss scored on a dropped popup in the infield in the fifth for a 2-0 Virginia lead, and Daniel Pinero later homered. Parker Lamm went 2 for 3 for the Pirates.
No. 7 Texas 3, No. 16 Rice 1
In Houston, Collin Shaw had a two-run double that broke a 1-1 tie as Texas slipped past Rice. Parker French tossed five solid innings, and Travis Duke (1-0), Connor Mayes and Ty Culbreath (save) combined for four scoreless innings of relief for the Longhorns, who turned three double plays and stranded 10 overall. Eight of nine starters and two pinch-hitters had a hit for the Owls, with Leon Byrd driving in their only run. Kevin McCanna struck out eight and allowed three hits and one unearned run in five innings for Rice.
No. 3 TCU 5, Southern Illinois 0
In Fort Worth, Preston Morrison picked up where he left off in 2014, scattering three hits in seven scoreless innings as TCU opened with a win. Shortstop Keaton Jones, who became the school's all-time assists leader, went 2 for 4 with a run, and Connor Wanhanen had two RBI for the Horned Frogs. Jake Hand and Logan Blackfan had two hits apiece for Southern Illinois.
No. 4 LSU 4, Kansas 1
In Baton Rouge, La., Jared Poche' allowed two hits and struck out five in six scoreless innings, and Kade Scivicque's three-run homer in the second provided the offense as LSU topped Kansas. Chris Chinea went 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI for the Tigers. Colby Wright had a pair of hits for the Jayhawks.
No. 5 Florida 9, Rhode Island 1
In Gainesville, Fla., Harrison Bader went 2 for 3 with a homer and three RBI, and Logan Shore impressed with five scoreless innings as Florida coasted past Rhode Island. The Gators had balance throughout the lineup with seven starters getting hits and eight scoring runs. Mike Sherburne went 2 for 3 with a homer for the Rams.
No. 6 Houston 9, Minnesota 1
In Houston, Ian Rice went 2 for 3 with a homer and four RBI, and Connor Wong went 3 for 4 with a homer and three RBI as Houston scored in five of eight innings in an easy win over Minnesota. Andrew Lantrip tossed five innings of one-hit ball with five strikeouts for the Cougars. Michael Handel went 2 for 4 with a run for the Golden Gophers.
No. 9 UCLA 14, Hofstra 2
In Los Angeles, Brett Stephens went 4 for 5 with four runs as UCLA hit up and down the lineup in a rout of Hofstra. Kevin Kramer went 2 for 3 with three runs and an RBI, and Ty Moore added two hits, three runs and two RBI for the Bruins. Chris Keck added a homer and two RBI in support of James Kaprielian, who allowed two runs and struck out five in six innings.
No. 10 Louisville 5, Alabama State 1
In Clearwater, Fla., Kyle Funkhouser allowed one hit and struck out 12 in seven shutout innings to lead Louisville past Alabama State. The Cardinals were clinging to a 1-0 lead before scoring three runs in the seventh, two coming on a two-out, two-run single from Nick Solak. Corey Ray added two doubles, a run and an RBI for Louisville. TJ Renda matched Funkhouser for six innings before allowing three unearned runs, finishing with seven innings, eight hits, one earned run and six strikeouts.
Elon 16, Penn State 15
In Elon, N.C., Chris King went 3 for 4 with a double and four RBI as Elon built a 16-6 lead after seven innings but had to hold on for dear life in edging late-charging Penn State. The Nittany Lions scored four times in the eighth and five times in the ninth to close within one before closer Joe McGillicuddy got a strikeout with the tying run on second to end the game. Jim Haley went 4 for 6 with two runs and four RBI for Penn State. The teams combined for 41 hits.
Navy 8, North Carolina A&T 1
In Greensboro, N.C., Luke Gillingham struck out the first 12 batters of the game and ended with 16 Ks in seven innings - the most for a Navy pitcher since 1986 - as the Mids topped North Carolina A&T.
CBI: Around the Bases (2/13)
Woodmansee Homers for ASU in 10th vs. OSU
IU wins at Stanford, College of Charleston tops South Carolina
In Phoenix, Colby Woodmansee homered in the bottom of the 10th inning as No. 19 Arizona State slipped past No. 8 Oklahoma State 4-3 Friday night before 4,253 fans at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The win was the first for Sun Devils coach Tracy Smith, who arrived at Arizona State after building Indiana into a national power. Ryan Burr (1-0) ran into trouble in the top of the ninth when he issued a walk and a double to open the frame but proceeded to strike out the side and two more in the 10th inning for ASU. Woodmansee, batting in the eight-hole, finished 2 for 5 with two runs and two RBI, singling in the first run of the season before Dalton DiNatale (2 for 4) doubled him in for a 2-0 Sun Devils lead in the fourth. The Cowboys' Corey Hassel (2 for 5) had a two-run double in the fifth, and Kevin Bradley (2 for 4) provided a 3-2 lead with an infield single in the sixth. Jordan Aboites doubled in Johnny Sewald (3 for 4) as the Sun Devils tied the score at 3.
Indiana 4, Stanford 2
In Stanford, Calif., Scott Effross allowed one earned run in six solid innings, and Casey Rodrigue had a two-run homer down the right-field line as Indiana earned a win in coach Chris Lemonis' first game as coach of the Hoosiers. Effross allowed six hits in his six innings, a career-long, and struck out three. Luke Harrison struck out four over his two innings of relief, and Ryan Halstead allowed one run in the ninth as the Hoosiers closed out the win. Nick Ramos drove in a pair of runs, and Scott Donley and Brad Hartong each added two hits and a run for Indiana. Alex Dunlap went 2 for 4 with two runs for the Cardinal.
College of Charleston 6, No. 12 South Carolina 3
In Columbia, S.C., Taylor Clarke allowed two hits and one run over six innings, and Blake Butler had two hits, two runs and an RBI as College of Charleston knocked off South Carolina, ending the Gamecocks' 16-year Opening Day win streak. The Cougars had 14 hits - all singles - with six players getting two hits apiece, including Ryan Brown and Morgan Phillips, who added a run and an RBI apiece. Carl Wise had two RBI, one coming on a sacrifice fly in a three-run fifth inning that gave the Cougars a 4-1 lead. Gene Cone had a hit and run for the Gamecocks, who totaled only four hits - all singles.
No. 1 Vanderbilt 4, Santa Clara 0
In Nashville, Carson Fulmer allowed two hits and struck out seven - including six of the first nine batters - and Philip Pfeifer struck out four and retired 10 of the final 11 batters as defending national champion Vanderbilt posted a win in its opener. Ro Coleman had a two-run triple as part of a three-run third inning, and Tyler Campbell went 2 for 3 with a run for the Commodores. Jose Vizcaino Jr. had a double for the Broncos, who mustered only three hits.
No. 2 Virginia 3, East Carolina 1
In Greenville, N.C., Nathan Kirby allowed three hits and no runs in seven superb innings, and Kenny Towns had three hits and a run as Virginia edged East Carolina. The Cavaliers took advantage of a dropped foul ball to keep a rally going for their first run, which came when Robbie Coman scampered home on a double steal. Matt Thaiss scored on a dropped popup in the infield in the fifth for a 2-0 Virginia lead, and Daniel Pinero later homered. Parker Lamm went 2 for 3 for the Pirates.
No. 7 Texas 3, No. 16 Rice 1
In Houston, Collin Shaw had a two-run double that broke a 1-1 tie as Texas slipped past Rice. Parker French tossed five solid innings, and Travis Duke (1-0), Connor Mayes and Ty Culbreath (save) combined for four scoreless innings of relief for the Longhorns, who turned three double plays and stranded 10 overall. Eight of nine starters and two pinch-hitters had a hit for the Owls, with Leon Byrd driving in their only run. Kevin McCanna struck out eight and allowed three hits and one unearned run in five innings for Rice.
No. 3 TCU 5, Southern Illinois 0
In Fort Worth, Preston Morrison picked up where he left off in 2014, scattering three hits in seven scoreless innings as TCU opened with a win. Shortstop Keaton Jones, who became the school's all-time assists leader, went 2 for 4 with a run, and Connor Wanhanen had two RBI for the Horned Frogs. Jake Hand and Logan Blackfan had two hits apiece for Southern Illinois.
No. 4 LSU 4, Kansas 1
In Baton Rouge, La., Jared Poche' allowed two hits and struck out five in six scoreless innings, and Kade Scivicque's three-run homer in the second provided the offense as LSU topped Kansas. Chris Chinea went 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI for the Tigers. Colby Wright had a pair of hits for the Jayhawks.
No. 5 Florida 9, Rhode Island 1
In Gainesville, Fla., Harrison Bader went 2 for 3 with a homer and three RBI, and Logan Shore impressed with five scoreless innings as Florida coasted past Rhode Island. The Gators had balance throughout the lineup with seven starters getting hits and eight scoring runs. Mike Sherburne went 2 for 3 with a homer for the Rams.
No. 6 Houston 9, Minnesota 1
In Houston, Ian Rice went 2 for 3 with a homer and four RBI, and Connor Wong went 3 for 4 with a homer and three RBI as Houston scored in five of eight innings in an easy win over Minnesota. Andrew Lantrip tossed five innings of one-hit ball with five strikeouts for the Cougars. Michael Handel went 2 for 4 with a run for the Golden Gophers.
No. 9 UCLA 14, Hofstra 2
In Los Angeles, Brett Stephens went 4 for 5 with four runs as UCLA hit up and down the lineup in a rout of Hofstra. Kevin Kramer went 2 for 3 with three runs and an RBI, and Ty Moore added two hits, three runs and two RBI for the Bruins. Chris Keck added a homer and two RBI in support of James Kaprielian, who allowed two runs and struck out five in six innings.
No. 10 Louisville 5, Alabama State 1
In Clearwater, Fla., Kyle Funkhouser allowed one hit and struck out 12 in seven shutout innings to lead Louisville past Alabama State. The Cardinals were clinging to a 1-0 lead before scoring three runs in the seventh, two coming on a two-out, two-run single from Nick Solak. Corey Ray added two doubles, a run and an RBI for Louisville. TJ Renda matched Funkhouser for six innings before allowing three unearned runs, finishing with seven innings, eight hits, one earned run and six strikeouts.
Elon 16, Penn State 15
In Elon, N.C., Chris King went 3 for 4 with a double and four RBI as Elon built a 16-6 lead after seven innings but had to hold on for dear life in edging late-charging Penn State. The Nittany Lions scored four times in the eighth and five times in the ninth to close within one before closer Joe McGillicuddy got a strikeout with the tying run on second to end the game. Jim Haley went 4 for 6 with two runs and four RBI for Penn State. The teams combined for 41 hits.
Navy 8, North Carolina A&T 1
In Greensboro, N.C., Luke Gillingham struck out the first 12 batters of the game and ended with 16 Ks in seven innings - the most for a Navy pitcher since 1986 - as the Mids topped North Carolina A&T.
CBI: Around the Bases (2/13)
