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OWH Freshman keeps batters off-balance as NU wins 11th straight
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OWH Freshman keeps batters off-balance as NU wins
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OWH Freshman keeps batters off-balance as NU wins
LJS: Huskers continue their roll
Ben Miller, at 6-foot-3, 255 pounds, roared around first base and ran to second twice.
"He hits the ball hard, runs hard and then comes into second, does the belly pound and I get pumped," said Nebraska starter Garett King, who pitched the Huskers to a 7-2 victory over Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday night at Haymarket Park for NU's 11th consecutive win.
The Huskers face the Titans in a 1:35 p.m. game Wednesday at Haymarket Park, then host Texas this weekend.
King, a freshman from Anaheim Hills, California, said playing against guys who he grew up playing against, and with, was a "pride thing." "Beating the guys from home is a nice feeling."
And the slender right-hander found a way to battle the cold, too.
He had a special warm sleeve and heated batting gloves for the time he was in the dugout.
"I didn't need much else because I had the adrenaline going," he said.
Nebraska had never beaten the storied Cal State Fullerton in eight previous games. A year ago, Fullerton knocked the Huskers out of the NCAA regional in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
There was almost no doubt this time as 2,021 brave, noisy and hardy fans cheered the 12-hit Husker attack and the strong pitching of King, who threw 5 1/3 innings, giving up just one run, five hits and striking out five.
Freshman Scott Schreiber tripled to score Austin Darby in the second inning and Darby singled in Tanner Lubach, who had doubled, in the fourth inning.
"I got on kind of a roll there and our defense was making plays and our offense was big in getting the two-run lead and then showing the killer instinct with three more in the sixth and two more in the seventh," said King, who is now 2-0 with a 2.22 earned-run average.
Nebraska scored three in the sixth when Miller, who has been on a recent tear, doubled after a Lubach single. Darby grounded out to score a run and Miller scored on an error. Freshman Luis Alvarado doubled in Schreiber.
Blake Headley hit an RBI single in the seventh and scored on Miller's second double of the game to boost the score to 7-2.
"This was a fun atmosphere," said NU coach Darin Erstad. "The fans were into it. They were yelling at everybody, our guys, the umps, their guys. That's why we like to bring in good opponents. Now, if we could turn the temperature up to 80, we'd have it all."
Erstad said the victory for his team (18-6, 3-0 Big Ten) was a "pretty complete game. Garett pitched well, got his curve in there and he showed he's been on the circuit and played important games before big crowds before.
"We had other freshmen, Schreiber with a couple of big hits, Luis (Alvarado) with a big hit, Elijah Dilday with his first hit of the year. They are hungry and they want to play."
Erstad noted the crucial hits from Miller, Blake Headley and a "key two-strike putting the ball in play that brought in a run by Darby. We put the ball in play. We want to be aggressive and not go up there giving one strike because Fullerton is not going to walk you."
LJS: Huskers continue their roll
Ben Miller, at 6-foot-3, 255 pounds, roared around first base and ran to second twice.
"He hits the ball hard, runs hard and then comes into second, does the belly pound and I get pumped," said Nebraska starter Garett King, who pitched the Huskers to a 7-2 victory over Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday night at Haymarket Park for NU's 11th consecutive win.
The Huskers face the Titans in a 1:35 p.m. game Wednesday at Haymarket Park, then host Texas this weekend.
King, a freshman from Anaheim Hills, California, said playing against guys who he grew up playing against, and with, was a "pride thing." "Beating the guys from home is a nice feeling."
And the slender right-hander found a way to battle the cold, too.
He had a special warm sleeve and heated batting gloves for the time he was in the dugout.
"I didn't need much else because I had the adrenaline going," he said.
Nebraska had never beaten the storied Cal State Fullerton in eight previous games. A year ago, Fullerton knocked the Huskers out of the NCAA regional in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
There was almost no doubt this time as 2,021 brave, noisy and hardy fans cheered the 12-hit Husker attack and the strong pitching of King, who threw 5 1/3 innings, giving up just one run, five hits and striking out five.
Freshman Scott Schreiber tripled to score Austin Darby in the second inning and Darby singled in Tanner Lubach, who had doubled, in the fourth inning.
"I got on kind of a roll there and our defense was making plays and our offense was big in getting the two-run lead and then showing the killer instinct with three more in the sixth and two more in the seventh," said King, who is now 2-0 with a 2.22 earned-run average.
Nebraska scored three in the sixth when Miller, who has been on a recent tear, doubled after a Lubach single. Darby grounded out to score a run and Miller scored on an error. Freshman Luis Alvarado doubled in Schreiber.
Blake Headley hit an RBI single in the seventh and scored on Miller's second double of the game to boost the score to 7-2.
"This was a fun atmosphere," said NU coach Darin Erstad. "The fans were into it. They were yelling at everybody, our guys, the umps, their guys. That's why we like to bring in good opponents. Now, if we could turn the temperature up to 80, we'd have it all."
Erstad said the victory for his team (18-6, 3-0 Big Ten) was a "pretty complete game. Garett pitched well, got his curve in there and he showed he's been on the circuit and played important games before big crowds before.
"We had other freshmen, Schreiber with a couple of big hits, Luis (Alvarado) with a big hit, Elijah Dilday with his first hit of the year. They are hungry and they want to play."
Erstad noted the crucial hits from Miller, Blake Headley and a "key two-strike putting the ball in play that brought in a run by Darby. We put the ball in play. We want to be aggressive and not go up there giving one strike because Fullerton is not going to walk you."
LJS: Huskers continue their roll
NU: NU Extends Winning Streak with 7-2 Win Over Titans
Lincoln - The Nebraska baseball team (18-6, 3-0 Big Ten) extended its winning streak to 11 games on Tuesday night with a 7-2 victory over the Cal State Fullerton Titans (11-12, 0-0 Big West). It was the Huskers first-ever win over the perennial power Titans, who had won the first eight meetings between the two teams. The Huskers are now 11-0 this season at Hawks Field, the best start at home since 2008 when the Huskers also started 11-0.
Freshman Garett King improved to 2-0 on the year, as the Anaheim Hills, Calif., native struck out a career-high five batters and didn't issue a walk over a career-high 5.1 innings. The Titans had a runner on in each of the first four innings, including their leadoff batter three times, but only managed one run off King.
CSF freshman Connor Seabold also struck out five over 5.1 innings, but allowed three runs on seven hits in the loss and fell to 2-2 on the year.
Ben Miller led the NU offense on the night with a 3-for-4 performance, including his second career two-double game. After notching NU's first hit of the game with a single in the second inning, the sophomore from Clive, Iowa, delivered a double in the sixth and an RBI double in the seventh to put the Huskers ahead 7-2.
Tanner Lubach and Scott Schreiber each recorded two hits on the night, including Lubach's fourth double of the year and Schreiber's second triple. Schreiber's triple in the second came with two outs and put the Huskers on top, 1-0.
Holding a 2-1 lead, the Husker offense gave its pitching staff a cushion in the sixth, thanks to a two-out Titan error. Following a RBI groundout by Austin Darby that put the Huskers ahead 3-1, the Titans were on pace to get out of the inning when Schreiber hit a routine groundball to shortstop Timmy Richards, but Richards threw wide of first base and Miller scored. Freshman pinch-hitter Luis Alvarado stepped in and worked a full count before dropping a RBI double down the right-field line that gave the Huskers a 5-1 lead.
The Titans got a run back in the top of the seventh, but the Huskers responded with two more runs in the bottom of the frame. Colton Howell came in the pitched two innings of scoreless relief to finish off the Huskers' 11th-straight victory.
The Huskers and Titans wrap up their two game series tomorrow at Hawks Field, with first pitch scheduled for 1:35 p.m.
NU: NU Extends Winning Streak with 7-2 Win
Lincoln - The Nebraska baseball team (18-6, 3-0 Big Ten) extended its winning streak to 11 games on Tuesday night with a 7-2 victory over the Cal State Fullerton Titans (11-12, 0-0 Big West). It was the Huskers first-ever win over the perennial power Titans, who had won the first eight meetings between the two teams. The Huskers are now 11-0 this season at Hawks Field, the best start at home since 2008 when the Huskers also started 11-0.
Freshman Garett King improved to 2-0 on the year, as the Anaheim Hills, Calif., native struck out a career-high five batters and didn't issue a walk over a career-high 5.1 innings. The Titans had a runner on in each of the first four innings, including their leadoff batter three times, but only managed one run off King.
CSF freshman Connor Seabold also struck out five over 5.1 innings, but allowed three runs on seven hits in the loss and fell to 2-2 on the year.
Ben Miller led the NU offense on the night with a 3-for-4 performance, including his second career two-double game. After notching NU's first hit of the game with a single in the second inning, the sophomore from Clive, Iowa, delivered a double in the sixth and an RBI double in the seventh to put the Huskers ahead 7-2.
Tanner Lubach and Scott Schreiber each recorded two hits on the night, including Lubach's fourth double of the year and Schreiber's second triple. Schreiber's triple in the second came with two outs and put the Huskers on top, 1-0.
Holding a 2-1 lead, the Husker offense gave its pitching staff a cushion in the sixth, thanks to a two-out Titan error. Following a RBI groundout by Austin Darby that put the Huskers ahead 3-1, the Titans were on pace to get out of the inning when Schreiber hit a routine groundball to shortstop Timmy Richards, but Richards threw wide of first base and Miller scored. Freshman pinch-hitter Luis Alvarado stepped in and worked a full count before dropping a RBI double down the right-field line that gave the Huskers a 5-1 lead.
The Titans got a run back in the top of the seventh, but the Huskers responded with two more runs in the bottom of the frame. Colton Howell came in the pitched two innings of scoreless relief to finish off the Huskers' 11th-straight victory.
The Huskers and Titans wrap up their two game series tomorrow at Hawks Field, with first pitch scheduled for 1:35 p.m.
NU: NU Extends Winning Streak with 7-2 Win
CSF: Titans Falter in Opener at Nebraska
LINCOLN, Neb. - Cal State Fullerton had 12 hits but hit into three double plays and allowed two unearned runs in a 7-2 non-conference loss to Nebraska Tuesday night at Hawks Field in Haymarket Park.
The Titans (11-12) dropped their second straight game and have now lost five of six games on the road this season while the Cornhuskers (18-6) scored their 11th consecutive home win of the season.
Five Titans recorded multi-hit games on Tuesday and seven of the nine starters collected at least one hit. Chris Hudgins, Tyler Stieb and Josh Estill each went 2-for-4 while Dustin Vaught was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Scott Hurst was 1-for-3 with an RBI and David Olmedo-Barrera was 1-for-5, recording his fourth triple of the season and second in as many games.
Connor Seabold took the loss for the Titans on the mound, going five and 1/3 innings and surrendering three runs on seven hits. He struck out five.
For the Cornhuskers, Ben Miller was 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI while Tanner Lubach and Scott Schreiber were each 2-for-4 on the night.
Garrett King scored his second victory of the season, going five and 1/3 innings and allowing one earned run on five hits. He struck out five.
The Titans fell behind 1-0 in the second inning after designated hitter Ben Miller singled with one out for the Cornhuskers. He was replaced on base by Austin Darby after a fielder's choice and, with two outs, first baseman Scott Schreiber belted a triple to right field to plate Darby and put the hosts ahead.
Fullerton tied the score in the fourth inning when Josh Estill led off the frame with a double. He moved over to third on a groundout and came in to score on a sacrifice fly by Scott Hurst.
Nebraska reclaimed the lead in the bottom half of the inning when Tanner Lubach led off with a double and then came in to score on a one-out single by Darby, putting the Cornhuskers up 2-1.
It stayed that way until the sixth inning when the Cornhuskers capitalized on a Fullerton mistake to expand the lead and they never looked back. Lubach started it with a one-out single to chase Seabold and then Ben Miller followed with a double down the left-field line off reliever Maxwell Gibbs to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Gibbs induced an RBI groundout from Darby to make it 3-1. Schreiber then hit a routine groundball to short but Timmy Richards' throw sailed wide of first to allow another run to score and Schreiber to advance to second. Pinch-hitter Luis Alvarado would then cash in the error with a double to right field to bring in Schreiber and give Nebraska the 5-1 lead.
The Titans got one back in the seventh inning after Dustin Vaught and Scott Hurst led off the inning with singles. With one out, both advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch and then an infield single to short cashed in Vaught to make it 5-2.
But Nebraska put it away in their half of the seventh with an RBI single by Headley and an RBI double from Miller to make it 7-2.
Notes: The Titans are now 8-1 all-time against Nebraska. Tuesday night's game was the first played between the teams in Lincoln Estill recorded his team-best eighth multi-hit game of the season. Vaught and Stieb each had their seventh multi-hit game of the year.
CSF: Titans Falter in Opener at Nebraska
LINCOLN, Neb. - Cal State Fullerton had 12 hits but hit into three double plays and allowed two unearned runs in a 7-2 non-conference loss to Nebraska Tuesday night at Hawks Field in Haymarket Park.
The Titans (11-12) dropped their second straight game and have now lost five of six games on the road this season while the Cornhuskers (18-6) scored their 11th consecutive home win of the season.
Five Titans recorded multi-hit games on Tuesday and seven of the nine starters collected at least one hit. Chris Hudgins, Tyler Stieb and Josh Estill each went 2-for-4 while Dustin Vaught was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Scott Hurst was 1-for-3 with an RBI and David Olmedo-Barrera was 1-for-5, recording his fourth triple of the season and second in as many games.
Connor Seabold took the loss for the Titans on the mound, going five and 1/3 innings and surrendering three runs on seven hits. He struck out five.
For the Cornhuskers, Ben Miller was 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI while Tanner Lubach and Scott Schreiber were each 2-for-4 on the night.
Garrett King scored his second victory of the season, going five and 1/3 innings and allowing one earned run on five hits. He struck out five.
The Titans fell behind 1-0 in the second inning after designated hitter Ben Miller singled with one out for the Cornhuskers. He was replaced on base by Austin Darby after a fielder's choice and, with two outs, first baseman Scott Schreiber belted a triple to right field to plate Darby and put the hosts ahead.
Fullerton tied the score in the fourth inning when Josh Estill led off the frame with a double. He moved over to third on a groundout and came in to score on a sacrifice fly by Scott Hurst.
Nebraska reclaimed the lead in the bottom half of the inning when Tanner Lubach led off with a double and then came in to score on a one-out single by Darby, putting the Cornhuskers up 2-1.
It stayed that way until the sixth inning when the Cornhuskers capitalized on a Fullerton mistake to expand the lead and they never looked back. Lubach started it with a one-out single to chase Seabold and then Ben Miller followed with a double down the left-field line off reliever Maxwell Gibbs to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Gibbs induced an RBI groundout from Darby to make it 3-1. Schreiber then hit a routine groundball to short but Timmy Richards' throw sailed wide of first to allow another run to score and Schreiber to advance to second. Pinch-hitter Luis Alvarado would then cash in the error with a double to right field to bring in Schreiber and give Nebraska the 5-1 lead.
The Titans got one back in the seventh inning after Dustin Vaught and Scott Hurst led off the inning with singles. With one out, both advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch and then an infield single to short cashed in Vaught to make it 5-2.
But Nebraska put it away in their half of the seventh with an RBI single by Headley and an RBI double from Miller to make it 7-2.
Notes: The Titans are now 8-1 all-time against Nebraska. Tuesday night's game was the first played between the teams in Lincoln Estill recorded his team-best eighth multi-hit game of the season. Vaught and Stieb each had their seventh multi-hit game of the year.
CSF: Titans Falter in Opener at Nebraska
BA - Tuesday Roundup: Pasteur's Power Lifts Hoosiers
Freshman Isaiah Pasteur-coming off a game in which he committed three errors in a loss to Penn State-hit the first two homers of his college career and drove in all three runs to back Scott Effross and three relievers in No. 24 Indiana's 3-0 win against No. 7 Louisville Tuesday.
"We play a ruthless sport and sometimes this sport can really knock you down," Indiana coach Chris Lemonis told indiana.scout.com. "But for (Pasteur) to come back the way he did today really shows you a lot about his character. He just had a two-inning funk (on Sunday) and we talked about it in the locker room. We just tore it up and threw it away and we're going to move on. He had played really well for the last couple of weeks."
Effross (4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K) improved to 2-2, while Austin Foote followed with four strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings of relief. Luke Harrison blanked the Cardinals for five outs and Ryan Halstead recorded the final three outs of the game for his fifth save.
"That was a very disappointing performance from our team and I could see it coming early on," Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell told gocards.com. "It started in the pregame when we weren't good in batting practice and I sensed then that we weren't where we needed to be. It's also frustrating because Anthony Kidston continues to improve on the mound and though he did make a couple of mistakes, we didn't give him or ourselves a chance to win with how we performed offensively."
The junior righthander Kidston (4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 6 K) allowed both of Pasteur's homers.
Top 25 Upsets
(6) Central Florida at Jacksonville
Sophomore Matt Diorio homered twice and drove in seven runs, but it wasn't enough for UCF as Jacksonville rapped out 12 hits in a 13-7 win. Austin Hays led the Dolphins with three hits, including a homer, and Hays and Connor Marabell drove in three runs. Spencer Stockton allowed only one hit over three scoreless innings to register the win for Jacksonville. Harrison Hukari was pinned with the loss after allowing four runs in 1 1/3 innings.
(12) South Carolina at Coastal Carolina: North Carolina, Clemson and South Carolina. What do they have in common? They've all been beaten on consecutive Tuesdays by Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers won their ninth in a row as Connor Owings homered to give them the early lead then singled home the winner in the 11th in a 9-8 win before a capacity crowd of 3,086 at Springs Brooks Stadium. Andrew Beckwith (2-0) retired 10 of the 12 batters he faced to get the win. Max Schrock had three hits for the Gamecocks.
New Mexico at (18) Texas Tech
The Red Raiders got homers from junior Tyler Neslony, junior Cory Raley and sophomore Ryan Long but that wasn't enough to avoid their third straight loss, 7-6 to New Mexico. The Lobos scored four times in the second against sophomore lefthander Ty Damron (3.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 0 BB, 2 K), who fell to 2-1. Texas Tech pulled within 7-6 in the ninth on Hunter Hargrove's RBI grounder, but freshman Hayden Schilling got the final three outs for his first save, stranding the tying run on first.
Georgetown at (20) Virginia: The struggling Cavaliers did not have a baserunner in five innings against Georgetown sophomore righthander Simon Mathews and were limited to just two hits-their fewest in a home game since Davenport Field opened in 2002-in losing their third in a row, 1-0. Senior A.C. Carter homered in the fourth inning against Virginia sophomore Alec Bettinger (5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6k) for the game's only run. Mathews needed just 49 pitches in retiring all 15 batters he faced before he left because of a pitch count. The Cavs didn't have a baserunner until one out in the sixth when junior Kevin Doherty-who also pitched four scoreless innings-singled. Will Brown pitched three scoreless innings for Georgetown and David Ellingson got his third save with a perfect ninth.
Other Top 25 Results
(1) Louisiana State at Tulane
Tulane starter Patrick Duester came in with the sixth-best ERA in the nation at 0.34 and the Green Wave as a team had the third-best ERA at 1.89, but that couldn't slow down LSU. The top-ranked Tigers ripped 19 hits-they have 55 in the past three games-and outpaced Tulane 13-7.
Sophomore Jake Fraley drove in four runs, junior Andrew Stevenson had a career-best four hits and junior Mark Laird hit an inside-the-park home run to lead LSU's offense.
"We had another tremendous performance at the plate," LSU coach Paul Mainieri told lsusports.net. "We had production throughout the entire lineup and swung the bats very well. Hunter Newman entered the game and settled it down and allowed us to build the lead. I'm proud of the guys for again excelling in a road environment in front of a great crowd."
Duester (3.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 3 K) saw his ERA rise to 1.52.
"I felt good, I had the first game nervousness. I felt good but to be honest, my command wasn't really there with my fastball. My slider wasn't really working so I had to go to my changeup," Duester told nola.com.
(2) Vanderbilt at Middle Tennessee State: The Commodores erased an early four-run deficit with seven runs in the eighth en route to a 12-7 road win Tuesday. Sophomore Karl Ellison and freshman Jeren Kendall hit back-to-back homers in the inning and Zander Wiel cleared the bases with a double. Kendall had four of Vandy's 15 hits. Kyle Wright (3 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 2 K) got the win for Vandy in relief of an ineffective John Kilichowski (3.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 5 K)
(3) Texas A&M at Texas-San Antonio: The Aggies, obviously not happy about their first loss of the season, rapped out a season-high 19 hits in an 11-1 win Tuesday night. Senior Blake Allemand had five hits and Nick Banks, Michael Barash, Ronnie Gideon, Hunter Melton and JB Moss each added two hits. Freshman Turner Larkins (6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K) got the win two days after being pinned with a loss, and Brigham Hill and Blake Kopetsky combined to retire all six batters they faced in the seventh and eighth innings.
(4) Florida at Stetson: The Gators scored four runs in the first but then had to rally in the eighth to overcome Stetson, 9-6. Trailing 6-5 in the eighth, Florida got an RBI single from junior Harrison Bader and a two-run, go-ahead homer from senior Josh Tobias. Freshman righthander Alex Faedo-son of ex-big league infielder Lenny-allowed just two hits in five innings while fellow freshman Logan Browning got the win with two-thirds of an inning in relief.
Oklahoma at (5) Texas Christian: The Sooners tied the game in the eighth inning against Trey Teakell after sophomore lefthander Tyler Alexander (7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K) delivered a strong start, but pinch-hitter Jeremie Fagnan singled in the 10th to score Dane Steinhagen in the Horned Frogs' 4-3 win. Teakell got the win despite blowing the lead.
(9) UCLA at San Diego State: Ty Moore's three-run, 13th-inning homer was the difference as UCLA staved off San Diego State 5-2. Reliever David Berg got the win with 2 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out three. San Diego State's C.J. Saylor took the loss after allowing four runs in 3 2/3 innings. Both starters delivered strong outings but junior righthander Cody Poteet (5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K) and sophomore righthander Cody Thompson (8.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K) did not figure in the decision.
Pepperdine at (8) Southern California: Sophomore Jeremy Martinez broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth with a two-run homer and Southern California went on to a 5-2 win. The Trojans had 14 hits, including three each from Martinez and Dante Flores, to back sophomore lefthander Bernardo Flores (5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K), who got the win in his first college start.
Sam Houston State at (14) Rice: Freshman Tristan Gray hit a three-run homer in the seventh to break a scoreless tie and three Rice pitchers held Sam Houston State to two hits in a 4-0 win. Freshman righthander Dane Myers (4.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K), junior Austin Solecitto (1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K) and freshman Glenn Otto combined on the shutout with Otto getting the win for his three perfect innings with five strikeouts. Charlie Warren had two more hits for the Owls and is 18-for-37 in his past 12 games.
(15) Dallas Baptist at Abilene Christian: The Patriots bounced back after seeing their 12-game win streak snapped Sunday as Tagg Duce drove in six runs in an 11-6 win Tuesday. Duce had three hits, including a homer, as DBU jumped to a 6-0 lead. Freshman Gavin Fritz got the win with three scoreless innings.
(16) UC Santa Barbara at Loyola Marymount: The Gauchos scored 10 times in the fourth and got homers from junior Dalton Kelly and freshman Austin Bush to blow out Loyola Marymount 18-4. UCSB has scored double-digit runs in three consecutive games, and its 45 runs over the past three games are the most for such a stretch since May 20-26, 2006 (also 45). Junior righthander Connor Baits, making his first start of the year, earned the win after allowing two earned runs over four innings.
Lamar at (17) Houston
Down 5-0 heading into the eighth inning, the Cougars scored twice in the eighth and three times in the ninth to tie it and then juco transfer Ian Rice won it in the 10th with a two-double in a 6-5 win Tuesday. The Cougars have won 10 in a row. Rice drove in two runs, hitting a sacrifice fly in the three-run ninth.
(19) Texas at Texas State: C.J. Hinojosa's three-run homer with two outs in the eighth lifted the Longhorns to a 6-4 win over Texas State on Tuesday. After back-to-back strikeouts to begin the eighth, Zane Gurwitz ripped a ball off the center field wall for a triple and Ben Johnson followed with a walk. Texas State went to the bullpen for closer Blake Whitter, but Hinojosa crushed the third pitch he saw well over the left field fence to give Texas a 5-4 lead. Michael Cantu and Gurwitz also homered as Texas rallied for its sixth come-from-behind win this season.
(22) Oregon at UC Riverside: The Ducks scored three times in the 13th inning and then held on for a 10-7 win Tuesday night. Oregon certainly didn't batter the ball as it scored three times, taking advantage of an error by UC Riverside pitcher Angelo Lingos to score one run and scoring another on a check-swing grounder. Junior Mitchell Tolman was 4-for-6 with three RBIs for the winners.
Other Notable Games
Alabama-Birmingham at Mississippi
In its first games against Ole Miss since 1999, UAB made a giant impression. The Blazers swept a doubleheader from the Rebels, holding them to two runs in 14 innings in 6-1 and 3-1 victories. Senior outfielder Chase Davis had four hits in the doubleheader and redshirt senior Tyler Mims had three hits, including a home run.
Elon at North Carolina State: Joel McKeithan's first career home run was a grand slam and Joe Dunand homered and drove in five runs as the Wolfpack routed Elon 14-0. Jake Armstrong also homered for N.C. State and Jake Fincher was 3-for-3 with four runs scored. Ryan Willamson (3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K) got the win in relief of Johnny Piedmonte, who also pitched three scoreless innings.
Auburn at Georgia Tech: After learning that freshman slugger Kel Johnson would be out indefinitely with a sprained ankle, Georgia Tech got a homer from senior A.J. Murray and a solid performance from redshirt senior righthander Devin Stanton (5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 3 K) in a 4-1 win over Auburn. Murray's homer, his fifth, came in the eighth and expanded Georgia Tech's lead to 3-1.
Duke at Liberty: Duke used 12 freshmen and they accounted for eight hits and all three RBIs in a 3-1 win over Liberty. Freshman lefthander Luke Whitten (3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K) and five relievers outdueled touted junior righthander Ashton Perritt (5.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 K).
"We had six freshmen in the lineup most of the day and they did a good job of keeping their composure," Duke head coach Chris Pollard told goduke.com. "We did a good job of scoring guys when we had the opportunity. Liberty has a good club and this is a tough place to play, but I'm pleased with didn't buckle."
Michael Smiciklas doubled and tripled and drove in a run for Duke.
Appalachian State at North Carolina: Freshman lefthander Hunter Williams (6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K) and four relievers combined to blank Appalachian State on three hits and Skye Bolt homered to lead an 11-hit attack in a 9-0 win.
Washington at Gonzaga
The Huskies scored all seven runs in the fourth and snapped a four-game losing streak with a 7-3 win. No. 9 hitter Kyle London had a career-high three hits to lead UW's offense, which outhit Gonzaga 10-5.
San Jose State at Oregon State: Freshman righthander Sam Tweedt retired 15 in a row at one point and allowed only three hits over eight innings as the Beavers beat San Jose State 6-1. Caleb Hamilton and Trever Morrison combined for five RBIs for the winners.
Sacramento State at Nevada: Freshman two-way player Grant Fennell had two hits and knocked in three runs to back the sharp pitching of sophomore righthander Evan McMahan (6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K) and three relievers in a Nevada 5-0 win, the Wolf Pack's eighth straight victory.
BA - Tuesday Roundup: Pasteur’s Power Lifts IU
Freshman Isaiah Pasteur-coming off a game in which he committed three errors in a loss to Penn State-hit the first two homers of his college career and drove in all three runs to back Scott Effross and three relievers in No. 24 Indiana's 3-0 win against No. 7 Louisville Tuesday.
"We play a ruthless sport and sometimes this sport can really knock you down," Indiana coach Chris Lemonis told indiana.scout.com. "But for (Pasteur) to come back the way he did today really shows you a lot about his character. He just had a two-inning funk (on Sunday) and we talked about it in the locker room. We just tore it up and threw it away and we're going to move on. He had played really well for the last couple of weeks."
Effross (4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K) improved to 2-2, while Austin Foote followed with four strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings of relief. Luke Harrison blanked the Cardinals for five outs and Ryan Halstead recorded the final three outs of the game for his fifth save.
"That was a very disappointing performance from our team and I could see it coming early on," Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell told gocards.com. "It started in the pregame when we weren't good in batting practice and I sensed then that we weren't where we needed to be. It's also frustrating because Anthony Kidston continues to improve on the mound and though he did make a couple of mistakes, we didn't give him or ourselves a chance to win with how we performed offensively."
The junior righthander Kidston (4.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 6 K) allowed both of Pasteur's homers.
Top 25 Upsets
(6) Central Florida at Jacksonville
Sophomore Matt Diorio homered twice and drove in seven runs, but it wasn't enough for UCF as Jacksonville rapped out 12 hits in a 13-7 win. Austin Hays led the Dolphins with three hits, including a homer, and Hays and Connor Marabell drove in three runs. Spencer Stockton allowed only one hit over three scoreless innings to register the win for Jacksonville. Harrison Hukari was pinned with the loss after allowing four runs in 1 1/3 innings.
(12) South Carolina at Coastal Carolina: North Carolina, Clemson and South Carolina. What do they have in common? They've all been beaten on consecutive Tuesdays by Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers won their ninth in a row as Connor Owings homered to give them the early lead then singled home the winner in the 11th in a 9-8 win before a capacity crowd of 3,086 at Springs Brooks Stadium. Andrew Beckwith (2-0) retired 10 of the 12 batters he faced to get the win. Max Schrock had three hits for the Gamecocks.
New Mexico at (18) Texas Tech
The Red Raiders got homers from junior Tyler Neslony, junior Cory Raley and sophomore Ryan Long but that wasn't enough to avoid their third straight loss, 7-6 to New Mexico. The Lobos scored four times in the second against sophomore lefthander Ty Damron (3.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 0 BB, 2 K), who fell to 2-1. Texas Tech pulled within 7-6 in the ninth on Hunter Hargrove's RBI grounder, but freshman Hayden Schilling got the final three outs for his first save, stranding the tying run on first.
Georgetown at (20) Virginia: The struggling Cavaliers did not have a baserunner in five innings against Georgetown sophomore righthander Simon Mathews and were limited to just two hits-their fewest in a home game since Davenport Field opened in 2002-in losing their third in a row, 1-0. Senior A.C. Carter homered in the fourth inning against Virginia sophomore Alec Bettinger (5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 6k) for the game's only run. Mathews needed just 49 pitches in retiring all 15 batters he faced before he left because of a pitch count. The Cavs didn't have a baserunner until one out in the sixth when junior Kevin Doherty-who also pitched four scoreless innings-singled. Will Brown pitched three scoreless innings for Georgetown and David Ellingson got his third save with a perfect ninth.
Other Top 25 Results
(1) Louisiana State at Tulane
Tulane starter Patrick Duester came in with the sixth-best ERA in the nation at 0.34 and the Green Wave as a team had the third-best ERA at 1.89, but that couldn't slow down LSU. The top-ranked Tigers ripped 19 hits-they have 55 in the past three games-and outpaced Tulane 13-7.
Sophomore Jake Fraley drove in four runs, junior Andrew Stevenson had a career-best four hits and junior Mark Laird hit an inside-the-park home run to lead LSU's offense.
"We had another tremendous performance at the plate," LSU coach Paul Mainieri told lsusports.net. "We had production throughout the entire lineup and swung the bats very well. Hunter Newman entered the game and settled it down and allowed us to build the lead. I'm proud of the guys for again excelling in a road environment in front of a great crowd."
Duester (3.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 3 K) saw his ERA rise to 1.52.
"I felt good, I had the first game nervousness. I felt good but to be honest, my command wasn't really there with my fastball. My slider wasn't really working so I had to go to my changeup," Duester told nola.com.
(2) Vanderbilt at Middle Tennessee State: The Commodores erased an early four-run deficit with seven runs in the eighth en route to a 12-7 road win Tuesday. Sophomore Karl Ellison and freshman Jeren Kendall hit back-to-back homers in the inning and Zander Wiel cleared the bases with a double. Kendall had four of Vandy's 15 hits. Kyle Wright (3 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 2 K) got the win for Vandy in relief of an ineffective John Kilichowski (3.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 5 K)
(3) Texas A&M at Texas-San Antonio: The Aggies, obviously not happy about their first loss of the season, rapped out a season-high 19 hits in an 11-1 win Tuesday night. Senior Blake Allemand had five hits and Nick Banks, Michael Barash, Ronnie Gideon, Hunter Melton and JB Moss each added two hits. Freshman Turner Larkins (6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K) got the win two days after being pinned with a loss, and Brigham Hill and Blake Kopetsky combined to retire all six batters they faced in the seventh and eighth innings.
(4) Florida at Stetson: The Gators scored four runs in the first but then had to rally in the eighth to overcome Stetson, 9-6. Trailing 6-5 in the eighth, Florida got an RBI single from junior Harrison Bader and a two-run, go-ahead homer from senior Josh Tobias. Freshman righthander Alex Faedo-son of ex-big league infielder Lenny-allowed just two hits in five innings while fellow freshman Logan Browning got the win with two-thirds of an inning in relief.
Oklahoma at (5) Texas Christian: The Sooners tied the game in the eighth inning against Trey Teakell after sophomore lefthander Tyler Alexander (7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K) delivered a strong start, but pinch-hitter Jeremie Fagnan singled in the 10th to score Dane Steinhagen in the Horned Frogs' 4-3 win. Teakell got the win despite blowing the lead.
(9) UCLA at San Diego State: Ty Moore's three-run, 13th-inning homer was the difference as UCLA staved off San Diego State 5-2. Reliever David Berg got the win with 2 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out three. San Diego State's C.J. Saylor took the loss after allowing four runs in 3 2/3 innings. Both starters delivered strong outings but junior righthander Cody Poteet (5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K) and sophomore righthander Cody Thompson (8.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 6 K) did not figure in the decision.
Pepperdine at (8) Southern California: Sophomore Jeremy Martinez broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth with a two-run homer and Southern California went on to a 5-2 win. The Trojans had 14 hits, including three each from Martinez and Dante Flores, to back sophomore lefthander Bernardo Flores (5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 4 K), who got the win in his first college start.
Sam Houston State at (14) Rice: Freshman Tristan Gray hit a three-run homer in the seventh to break a scoreless tie and three Rice pitchers held Sam Houston State to two hits in a 4-0 win. Freshman righthander Dane Myers (4.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 8 K), junior Austin Solecitto (1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 0 K) and freshman Glenn Otto combined on the shutout with Otto getting the win for his three perfect innings with five strikeouts. Charlie Warren had two more hits for the Owls and is 18-for-37 in his past 12 games.
(15) Dallas Baptist at Abilene Christian: The Patriots bounced back after seeing their 12-game win streak snapped Sunday as Tagg Duce drove in six runs in an 11-6 win Tuesday. Duce had three hits, including a homer, as DBU jumped to a 6-0 lead. Freshman Gavin Fritz got the win with three scoreless innings.
(16) UC Santa Barbara at Loyola Marymount: The Gauchos scored 10 times in the fourth and got homers from junior Dalton Kelly and freshman Austin Bush to blow out Loyola Marymount 18-4. UCSB has scored double-digit runs in three consecutive games, and its 45 runs over the past three games are the most for such a stretch since May 20-26, 2006 (also 45). Junior righthander Connor Baits, making his first start of the year, earned the win after allowing two earned runs over four innings.
Lamar at (17) Houston
Down 5-0 heading into the eighth inning, the Cougars scored twice in the eighth and three times in the ninth to tie it and then juco transfer Ian Rice won it in the 10th with a two-double in a 6-5 win Tuesday. The Cougars have won 10 in a row. Rice drove in two runs, hitting a sacrifice fly in the three-run ninth.
(19) Texas at Texas State: C.J. Hinojosa's three-run homer with two outs in the eighth lifted the Longhorns to a 6-4 win over Texas State on Tuesday. After back-to-back strikeouts to begin the eighth, Zane Gurwitz ripped a ball off the center field wall for a triple and Ben Johnson followed with a walk. Texas State went to the bullpen for closer Blake Whitter, but Hinojosa crushed the third pitch he saw well over the left field fence to give Texas a 5-4 lead. Michael Cantu and Gurwitz also homered as Texas rallied for its sixth come-from-behind win this season.
(22) Oregon at UC Riverside: The Ducks scored three times in the 13th inning and then held on for a 10-7 win Tuesday night. Oregon certainly didn't batter the ball as it scored three times, taking advantage of an error by UC Riverside pitcher Angelo Lingos to score one run and scoring another on a check-swing grounder. Junior Mitchell Tolman was 4-for-6 with three RBIs for the winners.
Other Notable Games
Alabama-Birmingham at Mississippi
In its first games against Ole Miss since 1999, UAB made a giant impression. The Blazers swept a doubleheader from the Rebels, holding them to two runs in 14 innings in 6-1 and 3-1 victories. Senior outfielder Chase Davis had four hits in the doubleheader and redshirt senior Tyler Mims had three hits, including a home run.
Elon at North Carolina State: Joel McKeithan's first career home run was a grand slam and Joe Dunand homered and drove in five runs as the Wolfpack routed Elon 14-0. Jake Armstrong also homered for N.C. State and Jake Fincher was 3-for-3 with four runs scored. Ryan Willamson (3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K) got the win in relief of Johnny Piedmonte, who also pitched three scoreless innings.
Auburn at Georgia Tech: After learning that freshman slugger Kel Johnson would be out indefinitely with a sprained ankle, Georgia Tech got a homer from senior A.J. Murray and a solid performance from redshirt senior righthander Devin Stanton (5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 3 K) in a 4-1 win over Auburn. Murray's homer, his fifth, came in the eighth and expanded Georgia Tech's lead to 3-1.
Duke at Liberty: Duke used 12 freshmen and they accounted for eight hits and all three RBIs in a 3-1 win over Liberty. Freshman lefthander Luke Whitten (3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K) and five relievers outdueled touted junior righthander Ashton Perritt (5.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 K).
"We had six freshmen in the lineup most of the day and they did a good job of keeping their composure," Duke head coach Chris Pollard told goduke.com. "We did a good job of scoring guys when we had the opportunity. Liberty has a good club and this is a tough place to play, but I'm pleased with didn't buckle."
Michael Smiciklas doubled and tripled and drove in a run for Duke.
Appalachian State at North Carolina: Freshman lefthander Hunter Williams (6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 6 K) and four relievers combined to blank Appalachian State on three hits and Skye Bolt homered to lead an 11-hit attack in a 9-0 win.
Washington at Gonzaga
The Huskies scored all seven runs in the fourth and snapped a four-game losing streak with a 7-3 win. No. 9 hitter Kyle London had a career-high three hits to lead UW's offense, which outhit Gonzaga 10-5.
San Jose State at Oregon State: Freshman righthander Sam Tweedt retired 15 in a row at one point and allowed only three hits over eight innings as the Beavers beat San Jose State 6-1. Caleb Hamilton and Trever Morrison combined for five RBIs for the winners.
Sacramento State at Nevada: Freshman two-way player Grant Fennell had two hits and knocked in three runs to back the sharp pitching of sophomore righthander Evan McMahan (6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K) and three relievers in a Nevada 5-0 win, the Wolf Pack's eighth straight victory.
BA - Tuesday Roundup: Pasteur’s Power Lifts IU
D1 - Midweek Madness: Tuesday, March 24
Tuesday's Big Winners
Coastal Carolina (18-6): The Chanticleers admittedly have been very quiet the past few seasons, but coach Gary Gilmore's club seems to be heating up. Frankly, the ACC and SEC teams are tired of seeing the Chants. With a 9-8 win over South Carolina Tuesday night, the Chants improved to a cool 5-0 against the two power conferences, other wins coming against North Carolina, Clemson, NC State and Georgia Tech.
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers logoCoastal Carolina's pitching staff struggled for the most part in the victory, starting pitcher Shane Sawczak allowing two runs in three innings. However, when the Chants needed someone to provide stability in the ninth, 10th and 11th innings, Andrew Beckwith rose to the occasion, striking out one and allowing no hits in 3.1 innings.
Coastal's Connor Owings had a home run (his third) in the contest, and finished the night 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. But it's safe to say CCU was aided by some rough pitching by the Gamecocks. Want evidence? The Chanticleers scored five runs in the fourth inning - the Gamecocks walked six batters in the frame. As a matter of fact, South Carolina's pitching staff finished the night with nine walks.
CCU entered the night with an RPI ranking of No. 79, and a win over South Carolina certainly will provide a boost. That and a nine-game winning streak.
Indiana (16-5): Facing his former partner in crime in Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell, first-year IU head coach Chris Lemonis got the first win in the series between the two, taking a 3-0 decision at home Tuesday afternoon.
Indiana University logoIndiana's Isaiah Pasteur had a huge day at the plate, hitting a pair of homers to pace the IU offense, while the pitching staff was terrific in the winning cause. IU righthander Scott Effross, who was on a pitch count against the Cardinals, was great, striking out five and allowing just two hits in four shutout innings. Effross sat 90-93 with his fastball and located his changeup and slider well. Meanwhile, Austin Foote (2.1 innings), Luke Harrison (1.2 innings) and Ryan Halstead threw scoreless frames in the contest, with Halstead sitting 90-92 with his fastball, along with a hard 76 mph curveball.
The Hoosiers continue to impress, and now have an RPI Top 50 win to add to their resume.
Upset of the Day
Georgetown over No. 18 Virginia
Brian O'Connor and Virginia have some serious work to do, or so it seems. (Aaron Fitt)
Brian O'Connor and Virginia have some serious work to do, or so it seems. (Aaron Fitt)
Our Aaron Fitt made the trek up to Charlottesville last weekend for the Florida State series, and came away rather unimpressed - at least for the time being - with the Cavaliers. It's easy to see why, as Virginia not only dropped a midweek affair with Georgetown, but did so with just two hits in a 1-0 loss.
Georgetown starting pitcher Simon Mathews struck out two and didn't allow a hit in five innings, while Will Brown and David Ellingson both were terrific out of the bullpen for the Hoyas. UVa. wasted a quality starting performance by Alec Bettinger (5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K), while Kevin Doherty recorded five strikeouts in four innings.
Virginia has now lost seven of its last nine contests. Not exactly what we expected going into the season, even with a few injury setbacks.
Another big upset: Arkansas-Pine Bluff beats Missouri
Arkansas Golden Lions logoLet's face it, when Missouri fans looked at UAPB on the schedule, they went ahead and chalked that up as a win. But what those fans didn't know is that Carlos James and his Lions are actually a salty club - especially in the midweek. James is a master at mental preparation and always seems to have his team ready against the SEC opponents. UAPB beat Mississippi State earlier this year, and almost knocked off Ole Miss recently, losing just 7-6.
Well, the Lions are now 2-1 against the SEC after beating the red-hot Tigers 8-3. UAPB starting pitcher Blake Estep struck out four and allowed just two runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings, while the bullpen did a quality job with Kevin Walsh striking out two in a scoreless frame to end the contest.
While the pitching staff held Missouri in check, how about the UAPB offense? Those guys banged out eight runs on 12 hits and were led there by Jerimiah Figueroa and Josh Cassidy, who each finished the night with a home run, with Cassidy also smacking a double in the contest.
UAPB entered the day with an RPI of No. 182, which honestly is pretty good for a SWAC team. That number will only improve in the morning, too.
More SEC sadness:
• UAB swept a pair of midweek bouts from Ole Miss, outscoring the Rebels 9-2 in the games.
• Mississippi State continued its struggles in a 3-0 loss to Southern Mississippi in Jackson, Miss. The Bulldogs are now 5-8 since starting the season 13-0.
• Western Kentucky pounded Kentucky 12-3 in Bowling Green, Ky. Kentucky starting pitcher Zach Logue allowed five runs on seven hits in 2.1 innings.
• Mercer hit its way past Georgia, 12-8, which was coming off a road series sweep over Tennessee. Mercer athletic outfielder Kyle Lewis hit his 10th home run of the season, going 2-for-5 with three RBIs in the win.
• Memphis starting pitcher Alex Gunn struck out two and allowed just two runs on eight hits in six innings, as the Tigers beat Arkansas 5-4 in a contest played in Little Rock, Ark.
• The Kel Johnson-less Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets captured a 4-1 win over Auburn Tuesday night. GT starting pitcher Devin Stanton allowed just a run on seven hits in six innings, while Ben Parr was terrific out of the pen with three scoreless.
• South Alabama starting pitcher Austin Bembnowski struck out five, walked just one and allowed just two hits in five shutout innings in a 3-0 win over Alabama. With the loss, 'Bama is now just 13-10 overall.
• Overall, the SEC went 4-10 in Tuesday's action, with the top four teams in the league - LSU, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and Florida - all winning their respective contests.
More notable upsets:
Jacksonville 13, UCF 9
James Madison 8, Maryland 6
Justin Montemayor had a pair of hits in a midweek win over Lamar. (Kendall Rogers)
Justin Montemayor had a pair of hits in a midweek win over Lamar. (Kendall Rogers)
How about Houston?
The Cougars entered the season with the highest preseason ranking in school history, and sure, things hadn't gone as planned for a while, and UH is still suffering some setbacks with righthander Jake Lemoine and others still on the shelf. But guess what? The Cougars are still winning. UH extended its winning streak to 10 games Tuesday with a 6-5 win over Lamar. UH was down 5-0 heading to the bottom of the eighth, but scored three in the eighth, two in the ninth and won the game in extras on a walk-off RBI double by catcher Ian Rice. The Cougars might not be the top-10 team we thought they would be, at least right now, but you can't question their will to win. Next up is a trip to the Sunshine State to face UCF.
UCS Santa Barbara logoUC Santa Barbara (17-6): The Gauchos have been one of the better teams out on the West Coast so far this season, and they added yet another impressive win to their resume with an 18-4 road win over LMU. Cameron Newell and Ryan Clark each had huge days at the plate, combining for six hits and six RBIs to lead the offensive cause. Peter Maris also had a big day at the plate with three RBIs. Overall, the Gauchos are in good shape, entering the day with an RPI of 26.
Virginia Commonwealth logoHow about Virginia Commonwealth? The Rams entered the season with high expectations, and though things haven't been terrific thus far, VCU did improve to 12-10 Tuesday with a dominant 18-0 win over VMI. VCU's Sean Thompson struck out nine, walked one and allowed just one hit in 6.2 innings, while at the plate, James Bunn led the way with a double and three RBIs.
Duke Blue Devils logoDuke (19-6): Might this actually be the year coach Chris Pollard and his staff get the Blue Devils over the hump and into the postseason? Boy, it sure is starting to look like it. The Blue Devils already have a very impressive series win (on the road) over California, and entered the Liberty contest with an RPI of No. 33. Duke defeated the Flames 3-1 with six different pitchers combining to quell the Flames' offense. Duke gets Boston College this weekend in a very winnable series.
Boston College Eagles logoSpeaking of Boston College Chris Shaw! Shaw's rise up the prospect rankings has been well documented by us over the past few months, and you're beginning to see the reason why. The hard-hitting outfielder was terrific in a 22-1 win over Northeastern. And how about this from Shaw? He had two homers, a double and ended the afternoon with four hits and five RBIs. Shaw, who now has six homers, needs to be a spark plug like this the rest of the way.
Nebraska Cornhuskers logoNebraska (18-6): Whatever Huskers coach Darin Erstad is doing - he's living right these days. The Big Red extended their winning streak to 11 games with a 7-2 win over a Cal State Fullerton club that now sits below .500 overall. Nebraska starting pitcher Garrett King struck out five, didn't walk anyone and allowed just a run on five hits in 5.1 innings, while Colton Howell, a physical pitcher with 90-plus velocity, closed out the contest with two shutout frames.
Highlight of the day: There were plenty of plays to choose from on this day, including Missouri's Trey Harris making a terrific diving grab in the outfield. However, let's just show off LSU outfielder Mark Laird's speed with his inside-the-park home run in a 13-7 win over in-state rival Tulane. Also, a shoutout to Texas outfielder Zane Gurwitz, who, also had an inside the parker in a 6-4 win over Texas State.
D1 - Midweek Madness: Tuesday, March 24
Tuesday's Big Winners
Coastal Carolina (18-6): The Chanticleers admittedly have been very quiet the past few seasons, but coach Gary Gilmore's club seems to be heating up. Frankly, the ACC and SEC teams are tired of seeing the Chants. With a 9-8 win over South Carolina Tuesday night, the Chants improved to a cool 5-0 against the two power conferences, other wins coming against North Carolina, Clemson, NC State and Georgia Tech.
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers logoCoastal Carolina's pitching staff struggled for the most part in the victory, starting pitcher Shane Sawczak allowing two runs in three innings. However, when the Chants needed someone to provide stability in the ninth, 10th and 11th innings, Andrew Beckwith rose to the occasion, striking out one and allowing no hits in 3.1 innings.
Coastal's Connor Owings had a home run (his third) in the contest, and finished the night 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs. But it's safe to say CCU was aided by some rough pitching by the Gamecocks. Want evidence? The Chanticleers scored five runs in the fourth inning - the Gamecocks walked six batters in the frame. As a matter of fact, South Carolina's pitching staff finished the night with nine walks.
CCU entered the night with an RPI ranking of No. 79, and a win over South Carolina certainly will provide a boost. That and a nine-game winning streak.
Indiana (16-5): Facing his former partner in crime in Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell, first-year IU head coach Chris Lemonis got the first win in the series between the two, taking a 3-0 decision at home Tuesday afternoon.
Indiana University logoIndiana's Isaiah Pasteur had a huge day at the plate, hitting a pair of homers to pace the IU offense, while the pitching staff was terrific in the winning cause. IU righthander Scott Effross, who was on a pitch count against the Cardinals, was great, striking out five and allowing just two hits in four shutout innings. Effross sat 90-93 with his fastball and located his changeup and slider well. Meanwhile, Austin Foote (2.1 innings), Luke Harrison (1.2 innings) and Ryan Halstead threw scoreless frames in the contest, with Halstead sitting 90-92 with his fastball, along with a hard 76 mph curveball.
The Hoosiers continue to impress, and now have an RPI Top 50 win to add to their resume.
Upset of the Day
Georgetown over No. 18 Virginia
Brian O'Connor and Virginia have some serious work to do, or so it seems. (Aaron Fitt)
Brian O'Connor and Virginia have some serious work to do, or so it seems. (Aaron Fitt)
Our Aaron Fitt made the trek up to Charlottesville last weekend for the Florida State series, and came away rather unimpressed - at least for the time being - with the Cavaliers. It's easy to see why, as Virginia not only dropped a midweek affair with Georgetown, but did so with just two hits in a 1-0 loss.
Georgetown starting pitcher Simon Mathews struck out two and didn't allow a hit in five innings, while Will Brown and David Ellingson both were terrific out of the bullpen for the Hoyas. UVa. wasted a quality starting performance by Alec Bettinger (5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K), while Kevin Doherty recorded five strikeouts in four innings.
Virginia has now lost seven of its last nine contests. Not exactly what we expected going into the season, even with a few injury setbacks.
Another big upset: Arkansas-Pine Bluff beats Missouri
Arkansas Golden Lions logoLet's face it, when Missouri fans looked at UAPB on the schedule, they went ahead and chalked that up as a win. But what those fans didn't know is that Carlos James and his Lions are actually a salty club - especially in the midweek. James is a master at mental preparation and always seems to have his team ready against the SEC opponents. UAPB beat Mississippi State earlier this year, and almost knocked off Ole Miss recently, losing just 7-6.
Well, the Lions are now 2-1 against the SEC after beating the red-hot Tigers 8-3. UAPB starting pitcher Blake Estep struck out four and allowed just two runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings, while the bullpen did a quality job with Kevin Walsh striking out two in a scoreless frame to end the contest.
While the pitching staff held Missouri in check, how about the UAPB offense? Those guys banged out eight runs on 12 hits and were led there by Jerimiah Figueroa and Josh Cassidy, who each finished the night with a home run, with Cassidy also smacking a double in the contest.
UAPB entered the day with an RPI of No. 182, which honestly is pretty good for a SWAC team. That number will only improve in the morning, too.
More SEC sadness:
• UAB swept a pair of midweek bouts from Ole Miss, outscoring the Rebels 9-2 in the games.
• Mississippi State continued its struggles in a 3-0 loss to Southern Mississippi in Jackson, Miss. The Bulldogs are now 5-8 since starting the season 13-0.
• Western Kentucky pounded Kentucky 12-3 in Bowling Green, Ky. Kentucky starting pitcher Zach Logue allowed five runs on seven hits in 2.1 innings.
• Mercer hit its way past Georgia, 12-8, which was coming off a road series sweep over Tennessee. Mercer athletic outfielder Kyle Lewis hit his 10th home run of the season, going 2-for-5 with three RBIs in the win.
• Memphis starting pitcher Alex Gunn struck out two and allowed just two runs on eight hits in six innings, as the Tigers beat Arkansas 5-4 in a contest played in Little Rock, Ark.
• The Kel Johnson-less Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets captured a 4-1 win over Auburn Tuesday night. GT starting pitcher Devin Stanton allowed just a run on seven hits in six innings, while Ben Parr was terrific out of the pen with three scoreless.
• South Alabama starting pitcher Austin Bembnowski struck out five, walked just one and allowed just two hits in five shutout innings in a 3-0 win over Alabama. With the loss, 'Bama is now just 13-10 overall.
• Overall, the SEC went 4-10 in Tuesday's action, with the top four teams in the league - LSU, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and Florida - all winning their respective contests.
More notable upsets:
Jacksonville 13, UCF 9
James Madison 8, Maryland 6
Justin Montemayor had a pair of hits in a midweek win over Lamar. (Kendall Rogers)
Justin Montemayor had a pair of hits in a midweek win over Lamar. (Kendall Rogers)
How about Houston?
The Cougars entered the season with the highest preseason ranking in school history, and sure, things hadn't gone as planned for a while, and UH is still suffering some setbacks with righthander Jake Lemoine and others still on the shelf. But guess what? The Cougars are still winning. UH extended its winning streak to 10 games Tuesday with a 6-5 win over Lamar. UH was down 5-0 heading to the bottom of the eighth, but scored three in the eighth, two in the ninth and won the game in extras on a walk-off RBI double by catcher Ian Rice. The Cougars might not be the top-10 team we thought they would be, at least right now, but you can't question their will to win. Next up is a trip to the Sunshine State to face UCF.
UCS Santa Barbara logoUC Santa Barbara (17-6): The Gauchos have been one of the better teams out on the West Coast so far this season, and they added yet another impressive win to their resume with an 18-4 road win over LMU. Cameron Newell and Ryan Clark each had huge days at the plate, combining for six hits and six RBIs to lead the offensive cause. Peter Maris also had a big day at the plate with three RBIs. Overall, the Gauchos are in good shape, entering the day with an RPI of 26.
Virginia Commonwealth logoHow about Virginia Commonwealth? The Rams entered the season with high expectations, and though things haven't been terrific thus far, VCU did improve to 12-10 Tuesday with a dominant 18-0 win over VMI. VCU's Sean Thompson struck out nine, walked one and allowed just one hit in 6.2 innings, while at the plate, James Bunn led the way with a double and three RBIs.
Duke Blue Devils logoDuke (19-6): Might this actually be the year coach Chris Pollard and his staff get the Blue Devils over the hump and into the postseason? Boy, it sure is starting to look like it. The Blue Devils already have a very impressive series win (on the road) over California, and entered the Liberty contest with an RPI of No. 33. Duke defeated the Flames 3-1 with six different pitchers combining to quell the Flames' offense. Duke gets Boston College this weekend in a very winnable series.
Boston College Eagles logoSpeaking of Boston College Chris Shaw! Shaw's rise up the prospect rankings has been well documented by us over the past few months, and you're beginning to see the reason why. The hard-hitting outfielder was terrific in a 22-1 win over Northeastern. And how about this from Shaw? He had two homers, a double and ended the afternoon with four hits and five RBIs. Shaw, who now has six homers, needs to be a spark plug like this the rest of the way.
Nebraska Cornhuskers logoNebraska (18-6): Whatever Huskers coach Darin Erstad is doing - he's living right these days. The Big Red extended their winning streak to 11 games with a 7-2 win over a Cal State Fullerton club that now sits below .500 overall. Nebraska starting pitcher Garrett King struck out five, didn't walk anyone and allowed just a run on five hits in 5.1 innings, while Colton Howell, a physical pitcher with 90-plus velocity, closed out the contest with two shutout frames.
Highlight of the day: There were plenty of plays to choose from on this day, including Missouri's Trey Harris making a terrific diving grab in the outfield. However, let's just show off LSU outfielder Mark Laird's speed with his inside-the-park home run in a 13-7 win over in-state rival Tulane. Also, a shoutout to Texas outfielder Zane Gurwitz, who, also had an inside the parker in a 6-4 win over Texas State.
D1 - Midweek Madness: Tuesday, March 24
