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OWH: Huskers fall to Cal State Fullerton, ending 11-game win streak
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OWH: Huskers fall to Cal State Fullerton
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OWH: Huskers fall to Cal State Fullerton
LJS: Huskers' win streak ends with 4-3 loss
Walks and Tyler Peitzmeier came back to haunt the Nebraska baseball team Wednesday in the Huskers' first home loss of the season.
Cal State Fullerton avenged a Tuesday night loss with a 4-3 victory at Haymarket Park.
The defeat ended NU's 11-game win streak and, oddly, made Nebraska play the bottom of the ninth inning for the first time at home this year and only the second time in 24 games this season.
Peitzmeier, a Titan senior from Yutan, gave up just one hit in the final 2 2/3 innings to finish off the Huskers, who didn't score after the fifth inning.
"It was a good thing to have about 50 family and friends here, because this place gets pretty quiet when Nebraska doesn't win," said Peitzmeier, who has thrown five-plus scoreless innings against the Huskers the last three years. "I'm the closer now and that's how it went for us today."
He has eight saves and a 2.45 earned-run average this season.
The Huskers (18-7) allowed six walks, the most in any game this season, and gave up more than five walks for the first time since the win streak started with the home opener March 11.
"We walked six, they walked one, they gave us a run and that was it," said Nebraska coach Darin Erstad. "We put too many on base. Zack (starter Engelken) was not at his best and a little out of whack. Jake (Meyers) has an error behind him and gives up a home run. The second game of a midweek series, you're going to get some inconsistencies.
"We had our chances, but didn't get the breaks we have been getting."
Fullerton (12-12) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but Nebraska tied the game when Austin Darby singled and scored on a single by Jake Placzek.
NU's Taylor Fish, who had two hits, then scored on a two-out error. The Titans regained the lead with a two-run home run by David Olmedo-Barrera in the top of the fourth. The Huskers had runners on first and third with one out in the fourth, but the next two batters flew out.
Nebraska scored a run in the fifth when Blake Headley singled and came home after a double by Ben Miller and a groundout by Scott Schreiber. But the Huskers didn't get another runner past first base the rest of the game.
"We're going to be OK, nothing changed," said Miller, NU's sophomore designated hitter. "You don't change the attitude because you lost. We will lose some games. We know we have a lot of big games, and we've won a lot of those already."
Miller, who is hitting .344, had two doubles Tuesday to go with a double and a triple last week.
"Everyone knows who is next and we'll show up and play our best," he said.
The Huskers play host to former Big 12 rival and 16th-ranked Texas this weekend, beginning Friday at 6:35 p.m.
"We're OK, but we're going to have to play a lot better with the teams coming up," Erstad said. "That's the great thing about baseball, they keep coming. When you're not winning, that can be a bad thing. I have a feeling the fans will be ready to rock and rock this weekend."
Asked about the revival of the old Big 12 rivalry, Erstad said, "I'm old and I'm an old Big Eight guy. I don't even know where Texas was back then. And our players, I'm not sure we have anybody who played in the Big 12 around anymore."
LJS: Huskers' win streak ends with 4-3 loss
Walks and Tyler Peitzmeier came back to haunt the Nebraska baseball team Wednesday in the Huskers' first home loss of the season.
Cal State Fullerton avenged a Tuesday night loss with a 4-3 victory at Haymarket Park.
The defeat ended NU's 11-game win streak and, oddly, made Nebraska play the bottom of the ninth inning for the first time at home this year and only the second time in 24 games this season.
Peitzmeier, a Titan senior from Yutan, gave up just one hit in the final 2 2/3 innings to finish off the Huskers, who didn't score after the fifth inning.
"It was a good thing to have about 50 family and friends here, because this place gets pretty quiet when Nebraska doesn't win," said Peitzmeier, who has thrown five-plus scoreless innings against the Huskers the last three years. "I'm the closer now and that's how it went for us today."
He has eight saves and a 2.45 earned-run average this season.
The Huskers (18-7) allowed six walks, the most in any game this season, and gave up more than five walks for the first time since the win streak started with the home opener March 11.
"We walked six, they walked one, they gave us a run and that was it," said Nebraska coach Darin Erstad. "We put too many on base. Zack (starter Engelken) was not at his best and a little out of whack. Jake (Meyers) has an error behind him and gives up a home run. The second game of a midweek series, you're going to get some inconsistencies.
"We had our chances, but didn't get the breaks we have been getting."
Fullerton (12-12) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but Nebraska tied the game when Austin Darby singled and scored on a single by Jake Placzek.
NU's Taylor Fish, who had two hits, then scored on a two-out error. The Titans regained the lead with a two-run home run by David Olmedo-Barrera in the top of the fourth. The Huskers had runners on first and third with one out in the fourth, but the next two batters flew out.
Nebraska scored a run in the fifth when Blake Headley singled and came home after a double by Ben Miller and a groundout by Scott Schreiber. But the Huskers didn't get another runner past first base the rest of the game.
"We're going to be OK, nothing changed," said Miller, NU's sophomore designated hitter. "You don't change the attitude because you lost. We will lose some games. We know we have a lot of big games, and we've won a lot of those already."
Miller, who is hitting .344, had two doubles Tuesday to go with a double and a triple last week.
"Everyone knows who is next and we'll show up and play our best," he said.
The Huskers play host to former Big 12 rival and 16th-ranked Texas this weekend, beginning Friday at 6:35 p.m.
"We're OK, but we're going to have to play a lot better with the teams coming up," Erstad said. "That's the great thing about baseball, they keep coming. When you're not winning, that can be a bad thing. I have a feeling the fans will be ready to rock and rock this weekend."
Asked about the revival of the old Big 12 rivalry, Erstad said, "I'm old and I'm an old Big Eight guy. I don't even know where Texas was back then. And our players, I'm not sure we have anybody who played in the Big 12 around anymore."
LJS: Huskers' win streak ends with 4-3 loss
NU: Husker Winning Streak Snapped at 11 Games
Lincoln - The Nebraska baseball team (18-7, 3-0 Big Ten) saw its 11-game winning streak come to an end on Wednesday afternoon at Hawks Field when it dropped its first home game of the season, a 4-3 defeat to the Cal State Fullerton Titans (12-12, 0-0 Big West). The Huskers hit in the bottom of the ninth at home for the first time all year and had the tying run on base, but Yutan, Neb., native Tyler Peitzmeier closed out the game for the Titans with his eighth save of the season.
The Huskers outhit the Titans, 9-8, on the afternoon and lost their second game of the year when outing their opponent. NU's pitching staff racked up 10 strikeouts on the day, but also issued a season-high tying six walks, including three from freshman starter Zack Engelken. The Titans notched five strikeouts, including four from Peitzmeier, and only issued one free pass.
After not allowing a first inning run over their first 11 home games of the year, the Huskers found themselves in a 2-0 deficit after the Titans scored a pair of runs on a two-RBI single by Scott Hurst in the first inning with two outs and the bases loaded.
The Huskers got Engelken off the hook in the second when they tied the game with a pair of runs on two hits and a two-out error by CSF second-baseman Josh Vargas. The Huskers gave back a costly unearned run in the fourth when No. 9 hitter Timmy Richards reached on a fielding error by Jake Placzek and David Olmedo-Barrera followed with a two-run home run over the right-field wall that put the Titans ahead 4-2.
Nebraska was in position to answer in the bottom of the fourth when they had runners on second and third with one out following back-to-back singles by Elijah Dilday and Taylor Fish, but Fullerton starter Miles Chambers got a pop out from Placzek and a fly out from Ryan Boldt to end the threat.
The Huskers put themselves in the same position in the fifth after Blake Headley singled with one out and Ben Miller followed with his third double of the series. Freshman Scott Schreiber stepped in an produced a RBI groundout that cut Fullerton's lead to 4-3. Nebraska mustered just two base runners over the final four innings and was never able to get the tying run in scoring position.
The Huskers continue their 16-game homestand on Friday night at 6:35 p.m. when they welcome the Texas Longhorns to Hawks Field for the first game of a three-game series. Friday's opener with be showed statewide on NET and will be streamed on BTN Plus.
NU: Husker Winning Streak Snapped at 11 Games
Lincoln - The Nebraska baseball team (18-7, 3-0 Big Ten) saw its 11-game winning streak come to an end on Wednesday afternoon at Hawks Field when it dropped its first home game of the season, a 4-3 defeat to the Cal State Fullerton Titans (12-12, 0-0 Big West). The Huskers hit in the bottom of the ninth at home for the first time all year and had the tying run on base, but Yutan, Neb., native Tyler Peitzmeier closed out the game for the Titans with his eighth save of the season.
The Huskers outhit the Titans, 9-8, on the afternoon and lost their second game of the year when outing their opponent. NU's pitching staff racked up 10 strikeouts on the day, but also issued a season-high tying six walks, including three from freshman starter Zack Engelken. The Titans notched five strikeouts, including four from Peitzmeier, and only issued one free pass.
After not allowing a first inning run over their first 11 home games of the year, the Huskers found themselves in a 2-0 deficit after the Titans scored a pair of runs on a two-RBI single by Scott Hurst in the first inning with two outs and the bases loaded.
The Huskers got Engelken off the hook in the second when they tied the game with a pair of runs on two hits and a two-out error by CSF second-baseman Josh Vargas. The Huskers gave back a costly unearned run in the fourth when No. 9 hitter Timmy Richards reached on a fielding error by Jake Placzek and David Olmedo-Barrera followed with a two-run home run over the right-field wall that put the Titans ahead 4-2.
Nebraska was in position to answer in the bottom of the fourth when they had runners on second and third with one out following back-to-back singles by Elijah Dilday and Taylor Fish, but Fullerton starter Miles Chambers got a pop out from Placzek and a fly out from Ryan Boldt to end the threat.
The Huskers put themselves in the same position in the fifth after Blake Headley singled with one out and Ben Miller followed with his third double of the series. Freshman Scott Schreiber stepped in an produced a RBI groundout that cut Fullerton's lead to 4-3. Nebraska mustered just two base runners over the final four innings and was never able to get the tying run in scoring position.
The Huskers continue their 16-game homestand on Friday night at 6:35 p.m. when they welcome the Texas Longhorns to Hawks Field for the first game of a three-game series. Friday's opener with be showed statewide on NET and will be streamed on BTN Plus.
NU: Husker Winning Streak Snapped at 11 Games
CSF: Olmedo-Barrera Homers and Peitzmeier Closes Out Win at Nebraska
LINCOLN, Neb. - David Olmedo-Barrera blasted a go-ahead, two-run home run and Tyler Peitzmeier recorded his eighth save in as many chances as Cal State Fullerton defeated Nebraska 4-3 Wednesday afternoon at Hawks Field in Haymarket Park.
The Titans (12-12) got solid pitching from Miles Chambers, Willie Kuhl and Peitzmeier as the three pitchers held the Cornhuskers (18-7) to just two earned runs. The Titans victory also snapped the Cornhuskers 11-game winning streak, all coming at Hawks Field.
Chambers got the nod on a staff day and recorded his first victory of the season, going four innings and allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits. Kuhl was next in line and went two and 1/3 innings and allowed one run on three hits, striking out one.
Peitzmeier slammed the door on the Cornhuskers offense, pitching two and 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. He allowed two hits and struck out four including three of the first five batters he faced.
Offensively, freshman Scott Hurst led the way for the Titans as he went 3-for-4 with three singles and two RBIs while Olmedo-Barrera was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
The Titans took a 2-0 lead in the first inning after sending seven men to the plate. Olmedo-Barrera led off with an infield single and then moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Stieb. Josh Estill was hit by a pitch and then, with two outs, Jerrod Bravo drew a walk on five pitches to load the bases. Hurst stepped in and smacked a two-run single to left-center to give Fullerton the early lead.
Nebraska responded in the second inning, capitalizing on a Titans error to score two runs. With two men aboard and two outs, shortstop Jake Placzek hit a single to drive in Austin Darby from second base to trim the Titans lead to one. Then Ryan Boldt hit a grounder to second that should have ended the inning, but Josh Vargas' throw spiked into the ground in front of Estill at first to allow the tying run to score and lock the game at 2-2.
In the fourth inning, the Titans regained the lead after Timmy Richards reached on an error and then Olmedo-Barrera blasted his second home run of the season into the bullpen in right field to put the Titans up 4-2.
The Cornhuskers would trim that lead to one in the fifth on an RBI groundout by first baseman Scott Schreiber, scoring Blake Headley to make it 4-3 but that would be the last of the scoring on the day.
The Titans will now hit the road to face CSUN on Friday afternoon in the Big West Conference opener at Matador Field.
Notes: Peitzmeier, who's home town of Yutan, Neb. is a little more than an hour drive from Lincoln, is a perfect 8-for-8 in save opportunities this season. Wednesday's outing was his longest in a save situation The Titans are now 9-1 all-time against Nebraska and recorded their first win in Lincoln on Wednesday Jerrod Bravo's eight-game hitting streak was snapped Wednesday but he did reach base safely for the 13th consecutive game The Titans recorded their first victory of the season when they hit a home run. They were 0-5 prior to Wednesday's win.
CSF: Olmedo-Barrera Homers and Peitzmeier Closes
LINCOLN, Neb. - David Olmedo-Barrera blasted a go-ahead, two-run home run and Tyler Peitzmeier recorded his eighth save in as many chances as Cal State Fullerton defeated Nebraska 4-3 Wednesday afternoon at Hawks Field in Haymarket Park.
The Titans (12-12) got solid pitching from Miles Chambers, Willie Kuhl and Peitzmeier as the three pitchers held the Cornhuskers (18-7) to just two earned runs. The Titans victory also snapped the Cornhuskers 11-game winning streak, all coming at Hawks Field.
Chambers got the nod on a staff day and recorded his first victory of the season, going four innings and allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits. Kuhl was next in line and went two and 1/3 innings and allowed one run on three hits, striking out one.
Peitzmeier slammed the door on the Cornhuskers offense, pitching two and 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. He allowed two hits and struck out four including three of the first five batters he faced.
Offensively, freshman Scott Hurst led the way for the Titans as he went 3-for-4 with three singles and two RBIs while Olmedo-Barrera was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
The Titans took a 2-0 lead in the first inning after sending seven men to the plate. Olmedo-Barrera led off with an infield single and then moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Stieb. Josh Estill was hit by a pitch and then, with two outs, Jerrod Bravo drew a walk on five pitches to load the bases. Hurst stepped in and smacked a two-run single to left-center to give Fullerton the early lead.
Nebraska responded in the second inning, capitalizing on a Titans error to score two runs. With two men aboard and two outs, shortstop Jake Placzek hit a single to drive in Austin Darby from second base to trim the Titans lead to one. Then Ryan Boldt hit a grounder to second that should have ended the inning, but Josh Vargas' throw spiked into the ground in front of Estill at first to allow the tying run to score and lock the game at 2-2.
In the fourth inning, the Titans regained the lead after Timmy Richards reached on an error and then Olmedo-Barrera blasted his second home run of the season into the bullpen in right field to put the Titans up 4-2.
The Cornhuskers would trim that lead to one in the fifth on an RBI groundout by first baseman Scott Schreiber, scoring Blake Headley to make it 4-3 but that would be the last of the scoring on the day.
The Titans will now hit the road to face CSUN on Friday afternoon in the Big West Conference opener at Matador Field.
Notes: Peitzmeier, who's home town of Yutan, Neb. is a little more than an hour drive from Lincoln, is a perfect 8-for-8 in save opportunities this season. Wednesday's outing was his longest in a save situation The Titans are now 9-1 all-time against Nebraska and recorded their first win in Lincoln on Wednesday Jerrod Bravo's eight-game hitting streak was snapped Wednesday but he did reach base safely for the 13th consecutive game The Titans recorded their first victory of the season when they hit a home run. They were 0-5 prior to Wednesday's win.
CSF: Olmedo-Barrera Homers and Peitzmeier Closes
D1 - Midweek Madness: Wednesday, March 25
Lead Story: Virginia Bounces Back
University of Virginia logoVirginia has been in a nasty slump over the last two weeks. On March 8, the Cavaliers were 12-1 and ranked No. 3 in the country. Then they lost seven of their next nine games and fell to No. 18 in the D1Baseball rankings. After playing very poorly in a home series loss to Florida State, the Cavaliers dropped a 1-0 decision to Georgetown on Tuesday, so they desperately needed a win Wednesday at Liberty to snap them out of their funk.
Virginia got that win, 10-7, in front of a Liberty Baseball Stadium record crowd of 2,841. After the Cavs scored six runs in the fourth to take a 9-0 lead, the Flames chipped away and made the game interesting again, but the UVa. bullpen held on. The Cavs pounded out a season-high 15 hits in the contest, led by the top four hitters in the lineup - Adam Haseley, Daniel Pinero, Matt Thaiss and Kenny Towns, who combined to go 10-for-17 with seven runs and eight RBIs.
Virginia's offense actually looked good most of the weekend against the Seminoles, producing 18 runs in the first two games. Thaiss, as I wrote on Friday, has taken a huge step forward, and the rangy Pinero is impacting the ball with more authority as a sophomore while still playing superb defense at shortstop, making him one of the best all-around players in the ACC. His ability to charge slow bouncers, maintain control of his body and throw from every necessary arm slot is extremely advanced. And Towns is one of the conference's top seniors, an ultra-experienced gamer who always seems to deliver big hits. He and Thaiss have done a fine job anchoring the middle of the lineup with Joe McCarthy and John LaPrise sidelined. Obviously this offense is not nearly as potent as it was a year ago, but it is still pretty darn good, and the pitching staff remains very talented, last weekend's control woes notwithstanding. The Cavaliers will get back on track, and perhaps Wednesday night was the first step in that process.
Upset of the Day: Florida Gulf Coast over Miami
Florida Gulf Coast Eagles logoComing off a 39-win season and the Atlantic Sun Conference regular-season title last year, Florida Gulf Coast looked like a strong regional contender heading into this spring, but the Eagles scuffed to a disappointing 11-13 start heading into Wednesday's road game at Miami. They've been swept by Big Ten teams Minnesota and Nebraska, and they dropped three of four in Week One against another cold-weather club, Central Michigan. But FGCU showed signs of turning its season around this past weekend with a sweep of Bethune-Cookman, and it rebounded from Tuesday's loss to South Florida with a convincing 8-1 victory against the Hurricanes.
Junior righthander Jordan Desguin went the distance to pick up the victory for FGCU, allowing just a run on four hits while striking out five. A transfer from Feather River (Calif.) JC, Desguin has a power fastball-slider combination and has been a key piece of the bullpen so far this spring, going 2-0, 3.00 with 16 strikeouts and three walks in 15 innings over 10 relief appearances. But he shined in his first FGCU start Wednesday against a very dangerous offense, and it might behoove the Eagles to keep him in a starting role going forward. Meanwhile, FGCU's leading hitter, first baseman Nick Rivera (.370 entering Wednesday), led FGCU's 14-hit attack with three hits (including two homers) and five RBIs. The Eagles roughed up Miami starter Danny Garcia (6 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 6 K), who was 4-0, 1.66 in 38 innings entering the day.
Five More Thoughts
Oregon logo1. In Monday's podcast, we discussed the disappointing start to the season for Oregon's offense, which the Duck coaching staff expected to be significantly improved this year. The Ducks got their bats going in a pair of midweek wins at UC Riverside this week, winning 10-7 on Tuesday and 12-3 on Wednesday. DH Josh Graham went 3-for-5 with a grand slam and six RBIs to lead a 14-hit attack for Oregon, which got four no-hit innings of relief from Kohl Hostert. Granted, UCR's midweek pitching isn't exactly formidable, but it is still good to see the Ducks score some runs - something they'll need to do to win a series against mashing Arizona this weekend in Tucson.
Sam Houston State University logo2. Sam Houston State, like Florida Gulf Coast, has been one of the more disappointing mid-majors so far this season, getting off to a 12-14 start heading into Wednesday's game against Rice. The Owls won the first game of this two-game midweek set on Tuesday, but the Bearkats bounced back to win Wednesday's game 11-4. Miles Manning and Spence Rahm combined for five hits and six RBIs for SHSU, which got 4.1 combined innings of two-hit, shutout relief from three bullpen arms to secure the win. Like FGCU, the Bearkats have now followed up a weekend series win (against Nicholls State, in their case) with a Wednesday victory against a ranked foe, and they'll hope to build upon that momentum this weekend at Central Arkansas.
Tennessee logo3. Tennessee coach Dave Serrano told me Wednesday afternoon that he spoke with his team about hitting the "reset" button on its disappointing season and treating Wednesday night's game against Cincinnati as its Opening Day. The Volunteers responded with a convincing 7-0 win, as freshman lefthander Zach Warren and three relievers combined on a two-hit shutout. I'll have more on the Volunteers in Thursday's Weekend Preview, but this is a good start for the Vols.
Campbell Fighting Camels logo4. Campbell is one of several Big South teams that got off to a strong start, going 18-3 before losing a road series at High Point this weekend. The Camels haven't played the strongest weekend competition, but they do have some nice midweek wins against Elon, William & Mary (twice), East Carolina and UNC Wilmington. They lost a game to College of Charleston last week, but they got a rematch Wednesday in Charleston and scored a 2-0 victory, improving them to 20-5 overall on the season. Two-way talent Cole Hallum (2-for-3, RBI) led the offense and pitched a scoreless ninth for his fifth save. Travis Long (4 IP, 2 H, 0 R) started the game and combined with three relievers on a five-hit shutout. With Coastal Carolina, Winthrop, Presbyterian, Gardner-Webb and preseason favorite Liberty also off to solid starts, the Big South race looks wide open, but Campbell should be right in the thick of it.
Cal State Fullerton Titans logo5. Cal State Fullerton needed a win Wednesday to stop the bleeding. Like Virginia, the Titans had lost seven of their last nine heading into the day, including a 7-2 loss Tuesday at red-hot Nebraska. But Fullerton got off the mat and beat the Huskers 4-3, snapping Nebraska's 11-game winning streak and pulling the Titans back to .500 overall (12-12). DH David Olmedo-Barrera, hitting in the leadoff spot for the second straight day, went 2-for-4 with a homer, two runs and two RBIs to spark the offense, and freshman Scott Hurst went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. And the Titans got stellar bullpen work out of veterans Willie Kuhl (2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER) and especially Tyler Peitzmeier (2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K) to nail down the victory. Now Fullerton returns to Southern California to play a three-game series at Big West upstart. Typically, the Titans kick it into gear once conference play begins, and don't be surprised if they do it again this year, because few teams (if any) are more battle-tested that the Titans - who still have a cross-country road trip to Maryland for a weekend series coming up in mid-April. Say what you want about the Titans, but they don't back down from anyone, and that admirable quality has helped them make many second-half surges throughout the years.
D1 - Midweek Madness: Wednesday, March 25
Lead Story: Virginia Bounces Back
University of Virginia logoVirginia has been in a nasty slump over the last two weeks. On March 8, the Cavaliers were 12-1 and ranked No. 3 in the country. Then they lost seven of their next nine games and fell to No. 18 in the D1Baseball rankings. After playing very poorly in a home series loss to Florida State, the Cavaliers dropped a 1-0 decision to Georgetown on Tuesday, so they desperately needed a win Wednesday at Liberty to snap them out of their funk.
Virginia got that win, 10-7, in front of a Liberty Baseball Stadium record crowd of 2,841. After the Cavs scored six runs in the fourth to take a 9-0 lead, the Flames chipped away and made the game interesting again, but the UVa. bullpen held on. The Cavs pounded out a season-high 15 hits in the contest, led by the top four hitters in the lineup - Adam Haseley, Daniel Pinero, Matt Thaiss and Kenny Towns, who combined to go 10-for-17 with seven runs and eight RBIs.
Virginia's offense actually looked good most of the weekend against the Seminoles, producing 18 runs in the first two games. Thaiss, as I wrote on Friday, has taken a huge step forward, and the rangy Pinero is impacting the ball with more authority as a sophomore while still playing superb defense at shortstop, making him one of the best all-around players in the ACC. His ability to charge slow bouncers, maintain control of his body and throw from every necessary arm slot is extremely advanced. And Towns is one of the conference's top seniors, an ultra-experienced gamer who always seems to deliver big hits. He and Thaiss have done a fine job anchoring the middle of the lineup with Joe McCarthy and John LaPrise sidelined. Obviously this offense is not nearly as potent as it was a year ago, but it is still pretty darn good, and the pitching staff remains very talented, last weekend's control woes notwithstanding. The Cavaliers will get back on track, and perhaps Wednesday night was the first step in that process.
Upset of the Day: Florida Gulf Coast over Miami
Florida Gulf Coast Eagles logoComing off a 39-win season and the Atlantic Sun Conference regular-season title last year, Florida Gulf Coast looked like a strong regional contender heading into this spring, but the Eagles scuffed to a disappointing 11-13 start heading into Wednesday's road game at Miami. They've been swept by Big Ten teams Minnesota and Nebraska, and they dropped three of four in Week One against another cold-weather club, Central Michigan. But FGCU showed signs of turning its season around this past weekend with a sweep of Bethune-Cookman, and it rebounded from Tuesday's loss to South Florida with a convincing 8-1 victory against the Hurricanes.
Junior righthander Jordan Desguin went the distance to pick up the victory for FGCU, allowing just a run on four hits while striking out five. A transfer from Feather River (Calif.) JC, Desguin has a power fastball-slider combination and has been a key piece of the bullpen so far this spring, going 2-0, 3.00 with 16 strikeouts and three walks in 15 innings over 10 relief appearances. But he shined in his first FGCU start Wednesday against a very dangerous offense, and it might behoove the Eagles to keep him in a starting role going forward. Meanwhile, FGCU's leading hitter, first baseman Nick Rivera (.370 entering Wednesday), led FGCU's 14-hit attack with three hits (including two homers) and five RBIs. The Eagles roughed up Miami starter Danny Garcia (6 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 6 K), who was 4-0, 1.66 in 38 innings entering the day.
Five More Thoughts
Oregon logo1. In Monday's podcast, we discussed the disappointing start to the season for Oregon's offense, which the Duck coaching staff expected to be significantly improved this year. The Ducks got their bats going in a pair of midweek wins at UC Riverside this week, winning 10-7 on Tuesday and 12-3 on Wednesday. DH Josh Graham went 3-for-5 with a grand slam and six RBIs to lead a 14-hit attack for Oregon, which got four no-hit innings of relief from Kohl Hostert. Granted, UCR's midweek pitching isn't exactly formidable, but it is still good to see the Ducks score some runs - something they'll need to do to win a series against mashing Arizona this weekend in Tucson.
Sam Houston State University logo2. Sam Houston State, like Florida Gulf Coast, has been one of the more disappointing mid-majors so far this season, getting off to a 12-14 start heading into Wednesday's game against Rice. The Owls won the first game of this two-game midweek set on Tuesday, but the Bearkats bounced back to win Wednesday's game 11-4. Miles Manning and Spence Rahm combined for five hits and six RBIs for SHSU, which got 4.1 combined innings of two-hit, shutout relief from three bullpen arms to secure the win. Like FGCU, the Bearkats have now followed up a weekend series win (against Nicholls State, in their case) with a Wednesday victory against a ranked foe, and they'll hope to build upon that momentum this weekend at Central Arkansas.
Tennessee logo3. Tennessee coach Dave Serrano told me Wednesday afternoon that he spoke with his team about hitting the "reset" button on its disappointing season and treating Wednesday night's game against Cincinnati as its Opening Day. The Volunteers responded with a convincing 7-0 win, as freshman lefthander Zach Warren and three relievers combined on a two-hit shutout. I'll have more on the Volunteers in Thursday's Weekend Preview, but this is a good start for the Vols.
Campbell Fighting Camels logo4. Campbell is one of several Big South teams that got off to a strong start, going 18-3 before losing a road series at High Point this weekend. The Camels haven't played the strongest weekend competition, but they do have some nice midweek wins against Elon, William & Mary (twice), East Carolina and UNC Wilmington. They lost a game to College of Charleston last week, but they got a rematch Wednesday in Charleston and scored a 2-0 victory, improving them to 20-5 overall on the season. Two-way talent Cole Hallum (2-for-3, RBI) led the offense and pitched a scoreless ninth for his fifth save. Travis Long (4 IP, 2 H, 0 R) started the game and combined with three relievers on a five-hit shutout. With Coastal Carolina, Winthrop, Presbyterian, Gardner-Webb and preseason favorite Liberty also off to solid starts, the Big South race looks wide open, but Campbell should be right in the thick of it.
Cal State Fullerton Titans logo5. Cal State Fullerton needed a win Wednesday to stop the bleeding. Like Virginia, the Titans had lost seven of their last nine heading into the day, including a 7-2 loss Tuesday at red-hot Nebraska. But Fullerton got off the mat and beat the Huskers 4-3, snapping Nebraska's 11-game winning streak and pulling the Titans back to .500 overall (12-12). DH David Olmedo-Barrera, hitting in the leadoff spot for the second straight day, went 2-for-4 with a homer, two runs and two RBIs to spark the offense, and freshman Scott Hurst went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. And the Titans got stellar bullpen work out of veterans Willie Kuhl (2.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER) and especially Tyler Peitzmeier (2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K) to nail down the victory. Now Fullerton returns to Southern California to play a three-game series at Big West upstart. Typically, the Titans kick it into gear once conference play begins, and don't be surprised if they do it again this year, because few teams (if any) are more battle-tested that the Titans - who still have a cross-country road trip to Maryland for a weekend series coming up in mid-April. Say what you want about the Titans, but they don't back down from anyone, and that admirable quality has helped them make many second-half surges throughout the years.
D1 - Midweek Madness: Wednesday, March 25
