ACC Saturday Recap for 3/17

Virginia 7 UNC 2 11 innings

The Virginia Cavaliers used a five run 11th inning to blow open a tight 2-2 game. Greg Miclat went 3-5 on the day with 2 RBI's to lead the offensive attack for the Cavaliers. Jacob Thompson had another strong outing on Saturday by going seven innings and only giving up one run. Robert Woodard was almost as good by lasting 6.2 innings and giving up 2 runs. The teams will be back in action tomorrow with a doubleheader which starts at noon.

UVA Recap
UNC Recap

Florida State 4 Wake Forest 3

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons tried to make a furious comeback but were one run short in a 4-3 loss to the Florida State Seminoles. This victory continues the win streak of the Seminoles to 22 to start the season. The Noles attack was led by Tony Thomas Jr. who went 2-3 with two runs scored from the lead-off spot. Michael Hyde pitched 5.2 scoreless innings while giving up four hits and a walk to get his seventh victory of the season. Eric Williams and Evan Ocheltree both had two hits in the losing effort for the Deacons. The teams will close out the series tomorrow at 1:00pm.

FSU Recap
Section B Recap
Wake Forest Recap

Clemson 7 Duke 2

The Duke Blue Devils are still searching for their first ACC victory on the season after dropping Game 2 of the Clemson series by a score of 7-2. Clemson jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after an inning and were able to hang on the rest of the game to the lead. Ryan Hinson pitched 6.1 innings while surrendering 2 runs to pick up his first victory of the season. Michael Ness picked up the loss for the Blue Devils by giving up six runs in his 3.2 innings. Brett Bartles had two hits and drove in a run to lead the offense. The teams finish their series with a first pitch on Sunday at 1:00pm.

Clemson Recap
Duke Recap

Miami 4 Maryland 3

The Miami Hurricanes picked up a come from behind victory over the Maryland Terps 4-3 in ACC action Saturday night. The Hurricanes used a two run bottom of the ninth to turn a 3-2 deficit to a 4-3 win. They did this off of All-American closer Brett Cecil who pitched the final 1.2 innings and gave up two unearned runs as Gerry Spessard made an error in the inning. Mark Sobolewski had a bases loaded walk to drive in the winning run in the ninth. The teams will finish the series on Sunday at 1pm.

Miami Recap
Maryland Recap

Georgia Tech 5 Boston College 2

The Boston College Eagles picked up their second straight loss to Georgia Tech on Saturday this time by a score of 5-2. Nate Jeanes started for the Eagles and had a very shaky first inning in which the Jackets scored five runs on two hits, a balk, an error, and three walks. The Jackets were held in check the rest of the game as they only got two more hits over the next seven innings. Chris House was the only Yellow Jacket with multiple hits with his 2-3 day. Peter Frates led the Eagles with a 3-4 game.

Georgia Tech Recap
Boston College Recap

Game 1 North Carolina State 12 Virginia Tech 8

Game 2 North Carolina State 5 Virginia Tech 2

The NC State Wolf Pack picked up two victories in ACC action on Saturday over the Virginia Tech Hokies. In Game 1, Pat Ferguson was a triple short of the cycle as he drove in 2 runs and scored three with his 3-4 game. In Game 2, Jeremy Synan hit a bases loaded triple in the seventh inning to blow open a 2-2 tie to the final score.

NC State Game 1 Recap
NC State Game 2 Recap
Virginia Tech Recap of Both Games

Southern Miss knocks off Kent State 5-2

Ryan Belanger pitched eight innings while only giving up two runs (one earned) on eight hits to pick up his fourth victory of the year for Southern Miss in a 5-2 victory over Kent State. Southern Miss was led on offense by Trey Sutton who went 3-5 at the plate. Eagles closer Patrick Ezell pitched a perfect ninth to pick up his sixth save of the season. Kent State's offensive leader was Will Vazquez who went 2-4 with an RBI. The teams will be back in action Saturday at 1 pm with Evan Smith going for Kent State and Barry Bowden going for Southern Miss.

Southern Miss Recap
Kent State Recap

Andrew McNulty throws a no-hitter

Andrew McNulty threw Franklin Pierce's fifth no-hitter in the school's history in a 7-0 victory over Bloomfield College of New Jersey. McNulty is a senior for the Ravens and a transfer from Seton Hall. He pitched all seven innings while walking five and striking out seven. This was the second game of the doubleheader as Franklin Pierce won game 1 by a score of 19-3.

Franklin Pierce Recap
Bloomfield College Recap

Georgia State 5 UNC Wilmington 3

The UNC Wilmington Seahawks picked up a 5-3 loss to Georgia State on Friday. Drew Grant pitched 6.1 innings while only allowing 2 hits and three runs to get the victory. UNC-Wilmington starter Bradley Holt lasted 7.1 innings and gave up five runs (all earned) on seven hits. The Panthers got a homer from Jean-Michel Rochon-Salvas, Charlie Pelt, and Aeden McQueary in the game to lead them to the 5-3 victory. Full recaps linked below.

Georgia State Recap
UNC-Wilmington Recap

The Citadel outlasts Eastern Illinois

The Citadel Bulldogs were able to scrap out a 19-14 victory over Eastern Illinois in non-conference action on Friday evening. Chris Swauger and Matt Arnold of The Citadel each hit two homers in the game to lead the offensive attack. Sonny Meade picked up a career high four hits in the game also. The Citadel had eight of their starters record at least one hit in the game. Full recaps are linked below.

The Citadel Recap
Eastern Illinois Recap

Friday ACC Recap for 3/16

Florida State 7 Wake Forest 6

Jack Rye hit a two-out single in the 11th inning to drive in Ryan Strauss from third to give the Seminoles the 7-6 victory over Wake Forest. Jack Rye also led the Noles offense by going 2-5 with 3 RBI. Seminoles starting pitcher Bryan Henry six innings while giving up four runs (all earned) on five hits. This gives the Seminoles a 21-0 record to start the season. Wake Forest starter Brad Kledzik last only five innings while giving up five runs on seven hits. Willy Fox went 2-5 with 3 RBI and Allan Dykstra hit his eighth home run of the season. The teams will be back in action tomorrow at 6:00 pm with Eric Nielsen going for Wake and Michael Hyde for Florida State.

Florida State Recap
Section B Recap
Tallahassee Democrat Recap
Wake Forest Recap

Clemson 6 Duke 4

The Clemson Tigers picked up their first ACC victory of the year with a 6-4 victory over Duke. P.J. Zocchi picked up the victory for the Tigers by pitching shutout baseball for his seven innings of work. Taylor Harbin led the Clemson attack by hitting a big three run homer in the fifth inning to give the Tigers a 5-0 lead. Duke starter Tony Bajoczky pitched six innings while giving up six hits and six runs. The teams are back in action on Saturday at 4:00 pm with Duke sending Michael Ness to the mound while Clemson send Ryan Hinson.

Clemson Recap
Duke Recap

Miami 13 Maryland 3

The Miami Hurricanes used a 18 hit attack to blow out the Terps by a score of 13-3. The Hurricanes received another solid outing from Eric Erickson who went seven innings without letting up a run. Ryan Jackson led the Hurricanes with a 4-5 game with four runs scored. Maryland's offensive star was Mike Murphy who went 2-4 with an RBI. The teams will be back in action tomorrow at 7 pm with Scott Maine facing Ryan Moorer.

Miami Recap
Maryland Recap

Georgia Tech 10 Boston College 0

The Yellow Jackets took advantage of three Boston College errors to score five unearned runs in a 10-0 shutout victory over the Eagles. David Duncan pitched a complete game shutout to pick up his fourth victory of the season. Kevin Boggan of Boston College only lasted 4.0 innings while giving up six runs but only one was earned. Danny Payne led the Tech offense with a 3-4 game with two runs scored and two driven in. The Eagles and Yellow Jackets will face off on Saturday at 1 pm with Georgia Tech sending John Goodman to the mound against an Eagle pitcher yet to be announced. My prediction is that Terry Doyle will go in that spot.

Georgia Tech Recap
BC Recap

Virginia at North Carolina was postponed due to rain. They will play a single game on Saturday and a doubleheader on Sunday.

Virginia Tech at North Carolina State was also postponed and will be made up as a doubleheader on Saturday that begins at 1 pm.

Garrido earns career victory No. 1,600 in Texas' 3-2 win over Baylor!

Four Longhorns’ pitchers combined to allow just four hits as No. 10 Texas posted a 3-2 victory over Baylor in Big 12 Conference baseball action Friday afternoon at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

The triumph marked win No. 1,600 for UT head coach Augie Garrido as he became the first Division I coach to ever reach the mark. He is also only one of two collegiate coaches on any level to reach the milestone joining Gordie Gillespie who has won over 1,700 games at Lewis, Ripon and St. Francis (Ill.).

James Russell (4-2) yielded just two unearned runs on four hits and two walks while striking out four Bears over 6.2 innings to earn the win. Pat McCrory, Keith Shinaberry and Randy Boone combined to pitch 2.1 innings of perfect relief with four strikeouts. McCrory retired the only batter he faced and Shinaberry and Boone had identical lines striking out two each over their hitless innings. Boone picked up his fifth save of the season.

The Bears pounced on the Longhorns with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Ben Booker reached base on a throwing error by UT shortstop Josh Prince to start out the inning. A single by Beamer Weems, who advanced to second base on the throw, put runners at second and third. Aaron Miller plated Booker with a groundout to second base and Tim Jackson drove in Weems with a sacrifice fly, staking the Bears to a 2-0 lead.

Russell hit his 10th home run of the season over the rightfield fence in the fourth inning to shave the Baylor lead to 2-1.

Texas took the lead in the fifth inning. With one out, Travis Tucker reached on an infield single and moved to third on a mishandled pickoff attempt. Chance Wheeless hit a sacrifice fly to score Tucker with the tying run. Jordan Danks followed with a solo home run down the rightfield line to put the Longhorns ahead 3-2.

Baylor was threatening to score in the seventh inning as Jeff Russell was cruising on the mound before issuing a two-out walk to Chase Gerdes and a double to Matt Sodolak, but McCrory entered the game and retired Raynor Campbell with a groundout to get out of the jam.

Jeff Mandell (2-4) was saddled with the loss for Baylor. He allowed three runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out three Longhorns over 6.1 innings.

Wheeless and Russell Moldenhauer had two hits apiece for Texas.

The series moves to Waco for game two on Saturday. First pitch at Baylor Ballpark is slated for 6:30 p.m.

Texas Recap
Texas Scout.com Recap
Baylor Recap

Southern Miss welcomes Kent State

The Southern Miss Golden Eagles will welcome the Kent State Golden Flashes for a three game set starting on Friday. The Golden Eagles enter the series with a 12-6 record and on a two game losing streak. They lost to Southeastern Louisiana and South Alabama in mid-week games and hope to get back on the right track this weekend. The Golden Flashes enter the series with a 5-8 record. They recorded two wins at the Louisville Invitational last weekend over Indiana State and hosts Louisville. The Golden Flashes have been kept off the scoreboard in three games already this season and hope to get their bats hot this weekend. Scott Stricklin took some time earlier this year to talk to the College Baseball Blog which can be read here.

Probable Pitchers
Friday: Ryan Belanger (3-1, 1.59 ERA) vs John Pacella (1-2, 5.03 ERA)
Saturday: Barry Bowden (1-2, 6.41 ERA) vs Evan Smith (1-0, 0.64 ERA)
Sunday: David Clark (2-1, 3.33 ERA) vs Kyle Smith (2-1, 3.63 ERA)

Kent State Game Notes
Southern Miss Game Notes

Eastern Illinois Visits Riley for a Three-Game Set This Weekend

FROM THE CITADEL PRESS RELEASE

Charleston, S.C. – The Citadel baseball will play host Eastern Illinois this Friday-Sunday, March 16-18, at Riley Park. Game one is slated for 6 p.m. while Saturday will begin at 2 p.m. and game three is set for a 1 p.m. tilt. The Bulldogs are coming off an 8-7 victory over Savannah State, while the Panthers defeated College of Charleston, 7-5, at Patriot’s Point on Wednesday.

Last Time Out: The Bulldogs clinched their seventh straight series last weekend, taking two of three from visiting Columbia. The Dogs rallied for their seventh come-from-behind victory on Tuesday after trailing 6-0 to Savannah State. Sophomore Sonny Meade and senior first baseman Zach Brown led the comeback as they registered back-to-back home runs to tie it up in the fifth. Freshman southpaw Chris McGuiness earned his first collegiate victory as he shutdown the Tiger offense in relief, allowing the Dogs to post the 8-7 win.

The Citadel versus Eastern Illinois: Eastern Illinois will mark the fourth team that The Citadel will face for their first-ever meeting this season. The Dogs also played Minnesota, UNC Asheville and Columbia for the first time, as the series with the Panthers marks the second straight weekend the Bulldogs will host a newcomer to Riley Park.

The Citadel has only faced two other members of the Ohio Valley Conference. The Bulldogs hold a 2-2 all-time record against the Ohio Valley, splitting games with Austin Peay and Tennessee Tech. The last time the Dogs squared-off against an OVC opponent was when they defeated Tennessee Tech, 13-3, in 1997, The Citadel’s first season at Riley Park.

Scouting the Panthers: The Panthers are currently 4-7 and are coming up a 7-5 upset over #30 College of Charleston. The Cougars were the second top-30 team that Eastern Illinois defeated this season as they beat Evansville when they held the #25 spot, 8-6. The Panthers have a 3-4 record on the road so far this season.

Leading the Panther offense is led by freshman Richie Derbak as he boasts a .350 batting average and is second in hits (14) and RBI (8). Senior Erik Huber paces the squad in home runs with a two on the season, and has the most RBI (10) and runs scored (10). Collectively, the Panthers are batting .266, while opponents are batting .309 against them.

Probable Starters: The Bulldogs will send sophomore right-hander Wes Wrenn (2-1, 4.48 ERA) to the hill on Friday. Wrenn is coming off a rocky outing as he suffered his first loss of the season. The sophomore was relieved after 3.2 innings as he allowed eight earned runs on 10 hits while striking out and walking one. The Panthers will counter with junior right-hander Alex Guttosch (0-1, 3.18 ERA) as he tossed 7.0 innings in his last start against Belmont on March 11. Guttosch did not factor into the 3-2 loss as he only allowed two runs on six hits while striking out four.

The Citadel will throw sophomore left-hander Matt Crim on Saturday (1-2, 4.40 ERA) who picked up his first win of the year in a 2-1 victory over Columbia last week. Crim went 7.0 innings, holding the Lions to one run on seven hits while fanning three. Eastern Illinois will look to freshman lefty Tyler Kehrer (2-0, 2.62 ERA) who lead the club in earned run average and has yet to suffer a loss this year. Kehrer earned a 4-3 victory over Belmont last week as he threw 5.1 frames and only gave up one unearned run on two hits while striking out eight and walking three.

Sunday’s starters are still to be determined for each team.

Freshman McGuiness Registers First Collegiate Win: Freshman lefty Chris McGuiness earned his first collegiate victory on March 13, only two days after smashing his first collegiate home run. McGuiness took to the mound against Savannah State in the fifth inning and shutdown the Tiger offense, allowing The Citadel to post an 8-7 come-from-behind win. The Charleston, S.C. native tossed 3.2 scoreless frames, allowing only two hits while striking out two. McGuiness also belted a solo shot, which proved to be the game-winner in a 2-1 victory over Columbia on March 11.

Bulldogs go Back-to-Back: Trailing 6-1 in the fourth inning on March 13 against Savannah State, sophomore Sonny Meade and senior Zach Brown belted back-to-back home runs to even it up at six in the fifth. Meade blasted a three-run shot over the fence in left center before Brown stepped in and stroked a solo round-tripper to right. The last time the Bulldogs enjoyed back-to-back jacks was against Furman on May 14, 2005 by Matt Matulia and Josh Stackley.

Saunders Notches Fourth Save: Senior closer Link Saunders registered his fourth save of the year against Savannah State on Tuesday. The righty tossed 1.1 frames, allowing one unearned run on one hit. Saunders is 2-1 with four saves and a 1.35 ERA on the season in 13.1 innings of work, while striking out 14. The Irmo, S.C. native is currently tied for second in the Southern Conference in saves and hold the fourth spot all-time in career stops at The Citadel.

Jones Enjoys Career-Long Hitting Streak: After batting .200 over his first nine appearances, freshman Richard Jones has enjoyed a .357 batting average in the last four games and is currently in the midst of a five-game hitting streak.

The Citadel’s ERA Tops in the League: The Citadel currently leads the Southern Conference with a team earned run average of 3.52. Wofford is second with a team ERA of 3.81.

Thanks to Melanie Long of The Citadel for keeping us informed about the Bulldogs all season long.

ACC Weekend Preview for March 16th-18th

Virginia at North Carolina

The Virginia Cavaliers head to Chapel Hill to face off against the Number 1 ranked North Carolina Tar Heels. The Cavaliers have a 17-3 record overall and a 1-2 record in the ACC. They are led by two-way player Sean Doolittle who has a .338 average at the plate and a 4-1 record with a 2.45 ERA. David Adams is leading the Cavaliers offense in average at .493. The Tar Heels enter with a perfect 3-0 record in the ACC and overall record of 17-1. Robert Woodard leads the staff with a 4-0 record and an ERA of 2.19. Dustin Ackley and Josh Horton are leading the Carolina offense by hitting over .400 through the first 18 games. The College Baseball Blog predicts UNC to take two out of three games.

Probable Pitchers
Friday: Robert Woodard (4-0, 2.19 ERA) vs. Jacob Thompson (5-0, 2.15 ERA)
Saturday: Alex White (3-0, 0.68 ERA) vs. Matt Packer (2-0, 2.67 ERA)
Sunday: Luke Putkonen (3-0, 3.48 ERA) vs. Sean Doolittle (4-1, 2.45 ERA)

UNC Game Notes
Virginia Season Stats
The Cavalier Daily Preview

Wake Forest at Florida State

The Demon Deacons head to Florida State after losing two midweek games to Ball State. Wake Forest enters the series with a 11-7 record overall but a 2-1 record in the ACC after taking two out of three from UVA last weekend. They are lead on offense by Willy Fox who is batting .357 with three homers on the season. Allan Dykstra is also a strong hitter with his .343 average and seven homers on the season. Brad Kledzik is the number one starter for the Deacons on the mound and he has a 2-1 record with a 4.57 ERA. The Seminoles have started the season 20-0 and open the ACC season this weekend. They are coming off a three game sweep of Indiana last weekend. The Seminoles are led by Friday starter Bryan Henry who has a 5-0 record with a minuscule ERA of 2.04. The Noles offense has been very good in this season as they are collectively hitting .401. The top hitter for the Noles is Tony Thomas Jr. who has an outstanding average of .537 (44-82). The College Baseball Blog predicts Wake Forest to take one of the games of the series to break up the undefeated season for the Seminoles.

Probable Pitchers
Friday: Brad Kledzik (2-1, 4.57 ERA) vs. Bryan Henry (5-0, 2.04 ERA)
Saturday: Eric Nielsen (2-1, 5.84 ERA) vs. Michael Hyde (6-0, 1.85 ERA)
Sunday: Garrett Bullock (1-0, 5.23 ERA) vs. Ryan Strauss (4-0, 1.97 ERA)

Florida State Game Notes
Tallahassee Democrat Preview
Wake Forest Game Notes

Duke at Clemson

The Clemson Tigers will welcome the Duke Blue Devils to Doug Kingsmore Stadium for the ACC opener for the Tigers. Clemson is coming into the series with an overall record of 11-4. They knocked off Georgia Southern on Wednesday to head into the series on a winning streak. The Clemson Tigers have been hitting the ball well with Brad Chaulk and Doug Hogan hitting over .400 on the season. The Blue Devils enter the series with a 17-4 record overall but a 0-3 mark in the ACC. The Devils are coming off a brief two game sweep of Fairleigh Dickinson in mid-week games. The Devils offense is led by Jimmy Gallagher who leads the team in average at .397. Tony Bajoczky is the top pitcher on the staff with a 3-1 record and a 1.47 ERA. The College Baseball Blog believes Clemson sweeps the Blue Devils.

Probable Pitchers
Friday: Tony Bajoczky (3-1, 1.47 ERA) vs. P.J. Zocchi (2-0, 2.70 ERA)
Saturday: Michael Ness (3-0, 1.69 ERA) vs. Ryan Hinson (0-0, 1.74 ERA)
Sunday: Alexander Hassan (2-0, 2.18 ERA) vs. Alan Farina (0-0, 3.48 ERA)

Clemson Game Notes
Duke Game Notes

Maryland at Miami (FL)

The Miami Hurricanes will be hoping to have a better weekend in Week 2 of ACC action. They were swept by the North Carolina Tar Heels last weekend but picked up wins this week on Tuesday over Maine and Wednesday over Rutgers. They enter with an overall record of 12-9 and 0-3 in the ACC. They are led by true freshman Mark Sobolewski who is hitting .379 on the year with 27 RBI. The Hurricane pitching has been atrocious on the weekends after Eric Erickson (2-2, 1.93 ERA) with Danny Gil with an ERA of 5.95 and Manny Miguelez at 0-1 with a 7.40 ERA in six starts. The Maryland Terps are coming in after splitting a pair of mid-week games with a loss to James Madison by a score of 13-6 and a blowout win over Coppin State 27-0. The Terps are led on the mound by All-American closer Brett Cecil who leads the team with five saves and has the second lowest ERA of 2.76. The top hitter for the Terps is AJ Casario who has an average of .344 on the season. The College Baseball Blog predicts Miami to win the series 2 games to 1.

Probable Pitchers
Friday: Eric Erickson (2-2, 1.93 ERA) vs. Casey Baron (3-0, 3.52 ERA)
Saturday: LHP Scott Maine (2-3, 5.57 ERA) vs. Ryan Moorer (2-0, 2.81 ERA)
Sunday: RHP Enrique Garcia (1-1, 3.38 ERA) vs. Kevin Biringer (1-3, 5.30 ERA)

Miami Game Notes
Maryland Game Notes

Boston College at Georgia Tech

The Boston College Eagles visit Russ Chandler Stadium on Friday for the first time in school history. They are coming off a three game sweep of the Duke Blue Devils last weekend where they outscored them 23-8 over the three games. The Eagles enter the series with a 5-6-1 record. They are led on offense by Johnny Ayers who is hitting .444 in the first twelve games of the season. Ayers is also the punter on the Eagle football team. Kevin Boggan is continuing his dominance on the mound with a 2-0 record and a 2.12 ERA. The Eagles are still trying to get back Terry Doyle who was named the CCBL Co-Pitcher of the Year this past summer. He ended up closing out two games in the Duke series and might start a game in the Georgia Tech series if possible. The Yellow Jackets enter with a 9-9 record after losing two out of three games last weekend to Virginia Tech. The Yellow Jackets also picked up a mid-week loss to Kennesaw State by a score of 6-4. The Yellow Jacket pitching has been a major concern as they have a staff ERA of 5.68. They still have on of the best pro prospects in Matt Wieters who has a batting average of .364 and five homers on the season. Danny Payne is the catalyst for the Jackets offense with his .574 on base percentage. The College Baseball Blog believes that the Eagles will get swept this week by the Yellow Jackets.

Probable Pitchers
Friday: David Duncan (3-2, 4.97) vs. Kevin Boggan (2-0, 2.12)
Saturday: John Goodman (0-0, 7.50) vs. TBA
Sunday: Ryan Turner (1-2, 4.55) vs. Nick Asselin (1-0, 5.50)

Georgia Tech Game Notes
BC Stats

Virginia Tech at NC State

The Virginia Tech Hokies head down to Raleigh to play each school’s second weekend of ACC action. Virginia Tech is coming off two mid-week victories over Marist and Liberty. They also took two out of three last weekend at Georgia Tech. The Hokies are led by pitcher David Cross (1-2, 2.89 ERA) who picked up a no decision his last time out against Georgia Tech. He pitched well over the 6.1 innings of work while only giving up two runs. The Hokie offense is led by Sean O’Brien who is hitting .343 on the season. The NC State Wolf Pack looks to bounce back with a strong weekend after dropping two games over the weekend to Maryland. They are led on offense by Ryan Pond who is hitting .350 on the season. Ramon Carona is struggling early in the season with a very poor average of .227. Andrew Brackman is the Friday starter for the Wolf Pack but has a 3-1 record and a 2.87 ERA. He gave up six runs in his last outing against Maryland in which he lasted all nine innings to get the complete game. The College Baseball Blog predicts the NC State Wolf Pack to bounce back with three victories this weekend.

Probable Pitchers
Friday: Andrew Brackman (3-1, 2.87 ERA) vs. Greg Fryman (2-1, 4.62 ERA)
Saturday: Eric Surkamp (2-1, 2.49 ERA) vs. Andrew Wells (1-1, 5.73 ERA)
Sunday: Jeff Stallings (2-0, 3.38 ERA) vs. David Cross (1-2, 2.89 ERA)

NC State Game Notes
NC State Scout.com Preview
Virginia Tech Game Notes

Texas pitching, defense strong in 7-1 Victory!

Hello pitching. Hello defense.

You're exactly what Texas wanted to see in its final tuneup before Big 12 play opens Friday against Baylor.

Like Kyle Walker coming back after a month-plus layoff to pitch three innings of one-run baseball. Or Pat McCrory needing just 10 pitches to get through two innings. Or left-handed reliever Keith Shinaberry completing another successful outing from the bullpen.

Texas pitchers showed during Wednesday night's 7-1 win over Winthrop that Augie Garrido has options in the bullpen.

"Our pitching is really starting to find its way into a pitching staff," Garrido said after watching five pitchers combine on the three-hitter.

It helps that McCrory and Shinaberry have each had two straight successful outings.

"They're certainly going to be used on the weekends," Garrido said after each pitched two scoreless innings.

But seeing Walker on the mound was Wednesday's biggest bonus.

Walker, who experienced control problems early in the season and hadn't pitched since Feb. 10, switched to pitching from the stretch and slowed down his motion.

He gave up one run, two hits and two walks in 42 pitches.

"I'm feeling good about it," Walker said. "I'm just trying to do what I can for the team. I'm going to pitch my butt off if I'm out there. If I'm not out there I'm going to cheer my butt off."

Garrido said Walker (1-0) is going to get a couple more weekday starts before putting him back in the weekend rotation.

No matter who was on the mound for the Longhorns (16-7), they had good defense behind them.

Nick Peoples made a key play in the third inning when Winthrop had the bases loaded and one out. Peoples slipped and fell while Bryn Henderson's deep fly ball was in the air. He then got up and made the catch, preventing what could have turned into a three-run double.

"I wanted to get behind the ball, because I didn't want the guy to get from second base to third," Peoples said. "I guess I just took a drop step and slipped because it was wet. But I knew where the ball was going, so I knew if I got up in time I'd have a chance to catch it."

The Horns also got nice defensive plays from right fielder Kyle Russell, who made an over-the-head catch at the wall, and shortstop Josh Prince, who scooped up a ball over second base and made a nice throw.

"We've played pretty good defense from the beginning," Garrido said. "From day one we've been able to walk on the field and pick the ball up and throw it. (Josh) Prince makes us even better when he's at shortstop."

UT took control with three runs in the first inning — two on Russell Moldenhauer's bases-loaded single — and three in the fifth, with two coming on Bradley Suttle's home run.

Texas Recap

Winthrop Recap

Penn knocks off Temple

The Penn Quakers picked up a 5-1 victory over Temple in non conference action on Wednesday afternoon. Josh Corn led the Quaker offense with a 3-4 day with two RBI. The Quakers used nine different pitchers in the game all lasting one inning except for Bret Wallace who went 0.2 innings and Todd Roth who went 1.1 innings. Reid Terry ended up with the win credited to him while Rob Chamra got the loss for Temple. Penn heads to Georgetown for a pair of doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday. Temple will be back in action Friday with a visit from Binghamton for a single game.

Penn Recap
Temple Recap

Jaguars pull out 10-8 victory over Southern Miss

South Alabama picked up a 10-8 victory over Southern Mississippi in non-conference action on Wednesday. The Jaguars used a five run fifth inning to turn a 8-5 deficit into a 10-5 lead. The Jaguars got a three run triple from Jeff Cunningham to take the lead. Stephen Boyd picked up his fourth win of the year for the Jaguars by going 2.2 innings while giving up a run. Southern Miss reliever Jordan King got the loss by going two-thirds of an inning while giving up three runs. Southern Miss will be back in action on Friday when they host Kent State for a three game set while South Alabama will welcome Arkansas State.

Southern Miss Recap
South Alabama Recap

Clemson blanks Georgia Southern

The Clemson Tigers behind 5.0 scoreless innings from David Kopp knocked off the Georgia Southern Eagles 3-0 on Wednesday night. Ben Paulsen and Doug Hogan each drove in a run in the victory for the Tigers. Clemson is back in action on Friday when Duke visits.

Clemson Recap
Georgia Southern Recap

Maryland hammers Coppin State

The winless Coppin State Eagles were shutout by the Maryland Terps by a score of 27-0. The Eagles only got one hit on the five pitchers used by UMD. Steve Braun led the Terp offense with a 4-4 day at the plate with four runs scored and two driven in. Maryland will be back in action on Friday when they visit Miami for a key ACC showdown.

UMD Recap
Coppin State Recap

Article about John Cole

The Daily Pennsylvanian writer Eric Karlan checks in with an article previewing the Penn-Temple game on Wednesday. It is the home opener for the Quakers as they return from Florida with a 3-5 record including a great walk-off victory over Boston College. The full article is available here.

The College Baseball Blog had an interview with Coach Cole before the season which is available here.

Tuesday C-USA Wrapup

East Carolina 8 Radford 5

Bailey Daniels gave up three runs over 5.2 innings to pick up his first victory of the year as the Pirates of East Carolina knocked off Radford.

East Carolina Recap
Radford Recap

Youngstown State 5 Marshall 3

The Youngstown State took advantage of a key Marshall error in the sixth inning to score three unearned runs which led the Penguins to the 5-3 victory.

Youngstown State Recap
Marshall Recap

Memphis 6 Illinois State 5

Joey Lieberman hit a double to drive in two runs in the bottom of the ninth to walk off with the victory over Illinois State 6-5.

Memphis Recap
Illinois State Recap

Tulane 2 University of New Orleans 0

The Green Wave got six shutout innings from Matt Goebel and Daniel Latham picked up his fifth save of the year to lead the Green Wave to the 2-0 victory over their cross-town rivals New Orleans.

Tulane Recap
New Orleans Recap

UAB 15 Purdue 8

The UAB Blazers struck early and often in a 15-8 victory over the Purdue Boilermakers. UAB scored 13 runs in the first three innings to roll to the victory.

UAB Recap
Purdue Recap

UCF 12 Army 4

The UCF Golden Knights picked up a 12-4 victory over the US Milatary Academy. Eight different UCF players picked up hits in the game to keep the offensive attack rolling. UCF has now won six straight games and this broke Army's modest win streak at three.

UCF Recap
Army Recap

Southeastern Louisiana 6 Southern Miss 2

The Golden Eagles pitching finally faltered in a 6-2 defeat to Southeastern Louisiana. Eagle starter Todd McInnis could not recapture his one hit magic of last week by going five innings and giving up four runs.

Southeastern Louisiana Recap
Southern Miss Recap
Hattiesburg American Recap

IU drops a marathon game to UNF

The Indiana Hoosiers dropped a 16 inning affair with North Florida on Tuesday by a score of 10-9. North Florida's Jon Dandridge drove home Jimmy Glanville with one out in the 16th to pick up the win.

IU Recap
North Florida Recap

Coastal Carolina knocks off UNC-Wilmington again

The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers knocked off UNC-Wilmington for the second time this year by a score of 7-6 on Tuesday. Chris Raber led the offense for Coastal Carolina with three hits and held off a late charge to win by a single run. The Seahawks were down 7-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth but picked up three runs to account for the final scoreline. Nick McCully picked up his second collegiate victory without a loss yet by pitching 5.0 innings while allowing three hits and no earned runs. UNC-Wilmington starter Allen Floyd picked up the loss by pitching 2.1 innings and allowing three runs. He drops to 3-1 on the season. Full Recaps linked below.

Coastal Carolina Recap
UNC-Wilmington Recap

Big Ten Players of the Week

Jason Christansen was named the Player of the week for the Big Ten for the period ending on March11th. He hit .417 over the weekend at the Tony Gwynn Classic. The game against Oklahoma he hit for the cycle which was the first on the road for the Wolverines since 1976. Cory Luebke was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week for pitching a complete game three hitter while giving up zero earned runs in a 10-1 victory over Western Michigan.

Big Ten Release
Michigan Release
Ohio State Release

UMBC sneaks by Delaware

Scott Peddicord hit a three run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead the UMBC Baseball team to a 9-8 victory over Delaware. Tom Schlein picked up the win for the Retrievers while David Slovak picked up the loss for Delaware.

UMBC Recap
Delaware Recap

The Citadel edges Savannah

The Citadel Bulldogs came back from a six run deficit to beat Savannah State 8-7. The Bulldogs were led by a five run fifth inning in which Zach Brown and Sonny Meade hit back to back homers. Chris McGuinness pitched 3.2 innings to pick up his first college victory. Link Saunders picked up his fourth save of the early season by pitching the ninth. Marcus Cortas picked up the loss to go to 0-1 on the season. The Citadel will be back in action this weekend when they host Eastern Illinois. Savannah State will play Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach for a three game set this weekend.

The Citadel Recap
Savannah State Recap

James Madison routs Maryland

Davis Stoneburger hits two homers to lead the James Madison Dukes to a 13-6 victory over Maryland. Trevor Kaylid picked up the win for the Dukes while Nick Pearce got the loss for the Terps. Maryland is back in action on Wednesday when Coppin State visits and JMU will host Liberty also on Wednesday.

JMU Release
Maryland Release

Price and Bour named National Players of the Week

NCBWA RELEASE
DALLAS - The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA)­ released the Pro-Line Athletic National Player of the Week awards for the period ending March 13, today. George Mason freshman first baseman Justin Bour was named National Hitter of the Week, while Vanderbilt junior left-handed pitcher David Price was named National Pitcher of the Week. The NCBWA Board reviews candidates from each Division I Conference each week and names winners each Tuesday throughout the season.

Bour went 10-for-20 (.500) with seven home runs, 19 RBIs, scored nine runs and posted a 1.650 slugging percentage over four games. The Centreville, Va., native hit three grand slams during the week, including setting a school record with two grand slams and nine RBIs in a game against Coppin State. He also set the school record with three grand slams in a season, and the school record for most consecutive multi-homer games with three. He tied a school record with three home runs in one game against Coppin State.

Price struck out 16 in a four-hit complete game effort in a 2-1 win over Illinois-Chicago last Friday. The Murfreesboro, Tenn., native gave up a solo homer in the second, then retired the next 12 batters, seven via strikeout. After giving up his only walk in the sixth, Price then retired the next seven in order, five by strikeout. Two of the four hits were infield singles in the ninth.

With this week's honor, Price automatically is named to the watch list for Roger Clemens Award, given to the national collegiate pitcher of the year, sponsored by the Greater Houston Baseball Organization.

The Citadel hosts Savannah State

The Citadel Bulldogs will host Savannah State on Tuesday at 3 pm. The Citadel enter the game with a 10-5 record while Savannah State has a 14-7 record. The Bulldogs are coming off a series with Columbia in which they won two out of three games while Savannah State is coming off a 3-0 weekend with victories over Charleston Southern and Edward Waters College.

The Citadel Game Notes

Conference USA Players of the Week

Conference USA has released their players of the week for the period ending on March 11th. T.J. Hose of East Carolina and Todd McInnis are co-pitchers of the week. Hose set the stage for East Carolina to get a three game sweep over Cal-State Fullerton with a victory on Friday night. He went seven innings while only allowing three hits and only one run. Todd McInnis pitched into the eighth inning with a no-hitter against Alabama on March 6th. Kiki Vazquez of UCF was named the hitter of the week. He led the Golden Knights to a 5-0 record for the week. He hit .500 (7 for 14) with nine RBI and a slugging percentage of 1.000 for the week.

C-USA Release
East Carolina Release
Southern Miss Release
UCF Release

Conference USA has also released a recap of all the games this weekend from the conference which can be read here. I have also linked to some of the recaps from local papers on their respective teams below.

Southern Miss-LSU Series
Friday Recap
Saturday Recap
Sunday Recap

East Carolina sweeps Cal-State Fullerton
LMU takes rubber game from Tulane
Rice goes 3-0 in tourney

"Louisville Slugger's" National Players of the Week

Justin Bour of George Mason also picked up the National Player of the Week award from the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Brandon Turner and David Price each were named National Co-Pitchers of the Week. Brandon Turner plays for Mount Vernon Nazarene and pitched a seven inning no-hitter over Shawnee State. David Price of Vanderbilt pitched a four hit complete game over Illinios Chicago. He struck out 16 batters and only allowed four hits.

College Baseball Newspaper Release and Poll
Vanderbilt Release
George Mason Release

CAA Players of the Week

The Colonial Athletic Association has released their current players of the week for the period ending on March 12th. George Mason first baseman Justin Bour had a great week in which he went 10-20 at the plate for a .500 average to pick up the Player of the Week award. He also picked up seven home runs on the week (three grand slams), nine runs scored, and only drove in 19 runs. Jeff Hatcher of UNC-Wilmington picked up the Pitcher of the Week award with a complete game three hit shutout on Saturday over VCU. Hatcher's teammate Daniel Cropper picked up the Rookie of the Week with a 8.1 innings of work on Sunday while only giving up three runs.

CAA Release and Notebook
George Mason Release
UNC-Wilmington Release

March 12th NCBWA Division 1 Poll

FROM NCBWA RELEASE
DALLAS - The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association continues its tradition of NCAA Division I polls for the 10th year with its 2007 weekly surveys. Weekly polls will be circulated from Feb. 12-June 26 following the NCAA World Series in Omaha, Neb.

The poll voters come from 32 college baseball writers and related media persons from throughout the nation. This week's poll has representation by 11 different conferences among the 293 baseball-playing schools in the '07 NCAA Division I ranks. For more information or to join the NCBWA, please go to www.ncbwa.com.

Rank-School-Conference-Overall Record-Previous Rank
1 Vanderbilt Southeastern 18-0 1
2 North Carolina Atlantic Coast 15-1 3
3 Florida State ACC 20-0 4
4 South Carolina SEC 13-2 2
5 Oregon State Pacific-10 17-3 8
6 Clemson ACC 10-4 7
7 Rice Conference USA 14-7 9
8 Pepperdine West Coast 15-5 10
9 Virginia ACC 16-3 5
10 Texas Big 12 15-7 11
11 Arkansas SEC 13-5 15
12 Cal State Fullerton Big West 12-8 6
13 (tie) Kentucky SEC 16-0 17
13 (tie) Auburn SEC 17-2 18
15 Mississippi SEC 13-5 16
16 Texas A&M Big 12 18-2 21
17 Long Beach State Big West 10-5 19
18 Oklahoma State Big 12 12-4 20
19 Arizona State Pac-10 13-7 12
20 Wichita State Missouri Valley 13-4 23
21 Nebraska Big 12 8-5 22
22 Alabama SEC 13-6 13
23 Coastal Carolina Big South 15-3 24
24 Arizona Pac-10 15-6 25
25 Miami (Fla.) ACC 10-9 14
26 Southern Miss C-USA 12-4 26
27 East Carolina C-USA 11-6 NR
28 Kansas State Big 12 14-2 NR
29 Florida Atlantic Sun Belt 15-4 NR
30 College of Charleston Southern 13-3 30

Others receiving votes (listed alphabetically): Akron (9-1), Charlotte (14-3), Duke (15-4), LSU (11-7), Louisiana-Lafayette (14-3), Mississippi State (10-2), North Carolina State (12-6), Oklahoma (13-5), San Diego (15-9), Southern California (15-9), Stetson (13-6), Texas Tech (15-7), Tulane (12-6), UC Irvine (15-5-1), VMI (12-3), Wake Forest (11-5).

Dropped Out: NC State (27), Tulane (28), Georgia Tech (29)
By conference: Southeastern 7, Atlantic Coast 5, Big 12 5, Conference USA 3, Pacific-10 3, Big West 2. Big South 1, Missouri Valley 1, Southern 1, Sun Belt 1, West Coast 1.

Other CAA Action

William & Mary 9 Northeastern 3

William & Mary picked up a 9-3 victory over Northeastern to take the series two games to one. Pat Kantakevich pitched 7.0 innings while scattering ten hits and three runs to pick up the victory.

William & Mary Recap
Northeastern Recap

Game 1 Delaware 9 Towson 8
Game 2 Towson 9 Delaware 8

The Delaware Blue Hens and Towson Tigers split a doubleheader on Sunday each won a game by the same exact score of 9-8.

Delaware Recap
Towson Game 1 Recap
Towson Game 2 Recap

Hofstra 9 George Mason 7

The Hofstra Pride picked up their first win in the CAA with a 9-7 victory over George Mason. Matt Prokopowicz went 2 for 2 in the victory with a homer, three runs scored, and two RBI in the victory.

Hofstra Recap
George Mason Recap

Crimson shutout Notre Dame

The Harvard Crimson picked up a 4-0 victory over Notre Dame in Clearwater Florida on Sunday. Eric Eadington and Max Perlman combined on a five hit shutout over the perennial Big East power. Steffan Wilson hit a sacrifice fly in the third and a two run double in the fifth to drive in three out of the four runs in the game. Harvard will be back in action on Monday when they visit Tampa to end the trip. Notre Dame will be back in action on Monday with NAIA school Webber International University. Notre Dame did pick up a 14-3 victory over Duquesne before losing to the Crimson.

Harvard Recap
Sons of Bart Brush Recap (Unofficial Harvard Baseball Site)
Notre Dame Recap

The Citadel rolls over Columbia

Justin Smith pitched 7.0 innings while letting up one run and three hits to lead the Bulldogs to the 6-1 victory over Columbia in the final game of the 3 game set. Freshman shortstop Kyle Jordan went 4-4 at the plate with two RBI. The Bulldogs will be back in action on Tuesday when Savannah State visits.

The Citadel Recap
Columbia Recap

UNC-Wilmington takes VCU series

The UNC-Wilmington Seahawks picked up a 5-3 victory over VCU in the rubber game of their series. Daniel Cropper pitched into the ninth inning with a shutout and Daniel Hargrave picked up three hits in the winning effort.

UNC Wilmington Recap
VCU Recap

ACC Sunday Recap

UNC 11 Miami 7

The North Carolina Tar Heels completed a sweep of the Miami Hurricanes with a 11-7 victory in the series finale. Benji Johnson and Tim Federowicz combined for seven RBI in the game to lead the Tar Heel offense. Johnson hit a grand slam in the second inning to erase an early four run deficit. Manny Miguelez had his worst outing of the season by letting up seven runs in his three innings of work. UNC starter Luke Putkonen was just as bad by going four innings and giving up six runs. UNC will be back in action on Tuesday with Elon and UNC-Greensboro on Wednesday. UNC will host Virginia next weekend in ACC action. Maine and Rutgers will play midweek games with Miami before the Canes host Maryland next weekend.

UNC Recap
Miami Recap

Wake Forest 7 Virginia 6

The Demon Deacons took the rubber game of their three game set with Virginia by a score of 7-6. Willy Fox drove home Brett Linnenkohl in the bottom of the ninth to give the Deacons their fifth walk-off victory of the season. Wake Forest will be back in action Tuesday with a brief two-game set with Ball State and Virginia will play Niagara on Tuesday. UVA will head to UNC next weekend while Wake Forest heads to FSU to open the ACC schedule for the Noles.

Wake Forest Recap
Virginia Recap

NC State 20 Maryland 3

The NC State baseball team was able to salvage a game on Sunday by picking up a 20-3 victory over Maryland. NC State scored 13 runs in the fifth inning to blow open a 3-1 game to a 16-1 rout. Caleb Mangum went 2-5 with four RBI to lead the Pack offense. NC State will be back in action on Tuesday with a two game set with Valparaiso and then will host Virginia Tech. Maryland will host James Madison and Coppin State before heading back on the road for a series with Miami.

NC State Recap
Maryland Recap

Virginia Tech 5 Georgia Tech 4

The Virginia Tech Hokies scored 3 runs in the ninth inning to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 victory. Matt Foley with one out hit a solo home run off of Matt Wieters to draw the Hokies within a run. Wieters then proceeded to hit the next two batters to set up first and second and one out. Bryan Thomas then grounded out to the shortstop to set up a first and third and two outs when Jose Cueto hit a single to drive in the tying run. Tim Ladd came on to pitch to Sean O'Brien but walked him so Wieters came back to the mound to pitch to Warren Schaffer who hit a single to drive in the eventual winning run.

VA Tech Recap
Georgia Tech Recap

Boston College 10 Duke 2

The Boston College Eagles completed the three game sweep in Durham over the Duke Blue Devils on Sunday. Eagles starter Nick Asselin picked up his first victory of the season by going seven innings while only allowing two runs. Terry Doyle picked up his second save of the season and weekend by working the last two innings. Johnny Ayers and Jared McGuire both picked up three hits to lead the Eagles charge. Boston College erupted for eight runs over the last two innings to blow the game wide open. Boston College will be back in action at Umass-Amherst on Wednesday before heading to Georgia Tech and Duke will host Fairleigh Dickinson for a brief two game set.

BC Recap
Duke Recap
Pics from Game

Clemson 7 Memphis 2

The Clemson Tigers used a ten hit attack to knock off Memphis 7-2. Clemson was led on offense by Addison Johnson who went 2-4 with 2 RBI. Clemson will be back in action on Wednesday when Georgia Southern visits and they host ACC rival Duke next weekend. Memphis, on the other hand, will host Illinois State for a brief two game set before having Akron come for a three game set over the weekend.

Clemson Recap
Memphis Recap

FSU 9 Indiana 0

The FSU Seminoles continued their perfect start to the season with a 9-0 victory over the Hoosiers. Ryan Strauss pitched eight shutout innings, struck out eight batters, and only gave up three hits to pick up his fourth victory of the season. FSU will be back in action on Friday when they host Wake Forest while Indiana heads to North Florida for games on Tuesday and Wednesday.

FSU Recap
Indiana Recap

Texas takes series from Miami with rain-shortened win

Joseph Krebs is happy.

It's not just how he's throwing the ball.

It's not just his consistency.

Krebs, the Texas Longhorns' best relief pitcher throughout the season, is comfortable with the way everything is going right now.

He proved that again Sunday as he came on in relief to pitch 2 1/3 innings and help the Longhorns beat Miami University 10-4 in a five-inning, rain-shortened game at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. Texas won the final two games of the series after dropping the opener Friday.

The Redhawks (3-6) were mounting a comeback in the third inning, trailing 6-3 with one out and runners on second and third when Krebs (3-0) entered. He got Jeff Carroll to ground out to third, which scored a run to make it 6-4, and induced Chris Niro into another groundout to end the threat.

Krebs is happy in the long-relief role, but his lights-out dominance has coach Augie Garrido thinking about switching Krebs' role.

"Coach (Skip) Johnson and myself are going to have to talk to see if we're getting the right number of innings out of him," Garrido said. "We might need to move him into a starting role. With Keith Shinaberry's performance and Pat McCrory's performance and Randy Boone, Krebs might be able to take that third starter role and run with it."

While Krebs' role might be changing, the Longhorns' lineup might be set. Texas (15-7) pounded out 14 hits in four-plus innings at the plate, putting together a six-run second inning to take control.

Travis Tucker was 3 for 3 with four RBIs and Nick Peoples, who was moved to the nine spot, went 3 for 3 with three RBIs. The addition of DH Russell Moldenhauer and shortstop Josh Prince, who went 5 for 5 during Saturday's victory, has made the Horns' lineup extremely dangerous heading into Big 12 play.

"You have an opportunity to get a rally going, keep a rally going from beginning to end," Garrido said.

After a Wednesday matchup against Winthrop, the Longhorns open Big 12 play against Baylor on Friday.

Garrido is just two wins away from 1,600 for his career, and chances are he will reach the milestone against Baylor, one of Texas' biggest rivals.

Texas Recap
Texas Scout.com Recap
Austin-American Statesman Recap
Miami (OH) Recap