The College Baseball Blog

WE HAVE MOVED!!!

2007-11-15T01:19:00.000-05:00

The College Baseball Blog has moved to a new server and domain. This website will not be shutdown but for new content from the CBB staff you need to check out our new home by clicking here.

Augie and Staff inks 9 in the early signing Period!!

2007-11-14T19:33:00.000-05:00

FROM PRESS RELEASE
AUSTIN, Texas-University of Texas Baseball received National Letters of Intent from nine of the top high school student-athletes in the nation on the first day of the early signing period head coach Augie Garrido announced on Wednesday.

“Coach (Tommy) Harmon year in and year out proves he can bring in the top recruits in the country,” Garrido said. “This class falls in line with that history. He has brought in players that will make us a national contender in 2009. Coach Harmon does a good job of anticipating where we will need talent in the future and filling in that talent.”

The group, which was secured by Harmon, UT’s associate head coach and recruiting coordinator, includes seven of the top baseball players in Texas according to Inside Prep Baseball’s Texas Top 25 list. The Longhorns’ recruits ranked among top 25 in Texas are RHP Austin Dicharry (No. 1), RHP Taylor Jungmann (No. 2), LHP Sam Stafford (No. 6), IF Brandon Loy (No. 8), IF Jordan Etier (No. 11), OF Morgan Mickan (No. 20) and LHP/OF/1B Hunter Cervenka (No. 25).

The Horns also added local products IF Kevin Lusson, brother of current UT outfielder Kyle Lusson, from Austin McCallum High School and Andrew McKirahan from Georgetown High School.

The class features five Central Texas players as Jungmann, McKirahan and Mickan all hail from Georgetown and Jordan Etier of Austin Westlake joins Lusson as a Capital City signee. The Georgetown trio marks the first time UT has ever signed three players from the same high school in a single recruiting class.

The Longhorns are expected to finalize the paperwork on more recruits before the early signing period ends on Nov. 21.

In terms of positions included in the signing class for the 2008-09 season, there are five pitchers, three position players and one two-way performer. A brief look at Texas’ entire first day signings is listed below.

2008-09 University of Texas Baseball signing class (as of Nov. 14, 2007)
Name Pos. Hometown (School)
Hunter Cervenka LHP/OF/1B Baytown, Texas (Sterling)
Austin Dicharry RHP Spring, Texas (Klein Collins)
Jordan Etier SS/2B Austin, Texas (Westlake)
Taylor Jungmann RHP Georgetown, Texas (Georgetown)
Brandon Loy RHP Garland, Texas (Rowlett)
Kevin Lusson 3B Austin, Texas (McCallum)
Andrew McKirahan LHP Georgetown (Georgetown)
Morgan Mickan OF Georgetown (Georgetown)
Sam Stafford LHP Spring, Texas (Klein Collins)

Hunter Cervenka LHP/OF/1B Bayton, Texas (Sterling)
· Ranked No. 25 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
· Ranked No. 29 on the 2008 Baseball America Top 100 Prospects list
· Member of the 2007 Texas Rangers Area Code Team
· Tabbed a member of the Houston Area Baseball Coaches Association Junior All-Stars team in 2007
· Played on the USA Stars National Team at the USA Baseball Tournament of Stars in 2007
· Tabbed second-team All-District 21-5A as an outfielder in 2007
· Named the No. 2 underclassman at the 2007 World Showcase by Perfect Game USA
· Selected first-team All-District 22-5A as an outfielder in 2007

Quote from recruiting coordinator and associate head coach Tommy Harmon:
“Hunter is a very athletic, legitimate two-way guy. He’s 89, 92 from the mound. As a position player, he played first base and outfield and has the potential to have big power.”

Austin Dicharry RHP Spring, Texas (Klein Collins)
· Ranked No. 1 on the 2008 Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
· Ranked No. 41 on the 2008 Baseball America Top 100 Prospects list
· Member of the 2007 Texas Rangers Area Code Team
· Posted a 10-1 record with a 1.41 ERA with 78 strikeouts in 59.2 innings as a junior
· Also hit .376 with seven doubles, six home runs and 34 RBI in 2007 in helping lead Klein Collins to a 38-5 mark
· Garnered second-team 4A All-State honors from the Texas Sports Writers Association
· Named first-team All-District 16-5A and All-Houston 5A as a junior
· Tabbed a member of the Houston Area Baseball Coaches Association Junior All-Stars team in 2007
· Also named to the Team Texas Junior Sunbelt roster in 2007

Quote from recruiting coordinator and associate head coach Tommy Harmon:
“Austin is one of the top pitchers in the state and he’s able to throw a wrecking ball for a strike. He’s got a great body for a pitcher and should be able to come in and pitch early.”

Jordan Etier SS/2B Austin, Texas (Westlake)
· Ranked No. 11 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
· Member of the 2007 Texas Rangers Area Code Team
· Batted .308 with 36 runs and 19 RBI in 33 games as a sophomore in 2006

Quote from recruiting coordinator and associate head coach Tommy Harmon:
“Jordan is very Travis Tucker-like. He’s a football player and has a smile on his face all the time. He loves to play, and we’re projecting him more as a second baseman but he can play shortstop.”

Taylor Jungmann RHP Georgetown, Texas (Georgetown)
· Ranked No. 2 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
· AFLAC All-American and Louisville Slugger All-American in 2007
· Member of the Texas Rangers Area Code Team in 2006 and 2007
· Tabbed Super CenTex and 2A Player of the Year in 2007, as well as Texas Sports Writers Association and Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association first-team all-state in 2007
· Posted a 13-0 record with a 0.41 ERA and 142 strikeouts in 84.2 innings to earn district MVP honors as a junior at Rogers High School
· Named first-team all-state by TSWA and THSCA in 2006
· Posted a 10-1 record with a 0.84 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 83.2 innings to earn district MVP honors as a sophomore junior at Rogers High School
· Tabbed first-team all-state by THSCA in 2005
· Posted a 12-2 record with a 0.90 ERA and 138 strikeouts in 70.1 innings to earn district MVP honors as a freshman junior at Rogers High School

Quote from recruiting coordinator and associate head coach Tommy Harmon:
“Taylor is one of the top pitchers in the nation and is dominant at times with his fastball. He’s up to 92 or 93 mph without much effort, and he has very easy arm action and an effective breaking ball.”

Brandon Loy SS Rowlett, Texas (Rowlett)
· Ranked No. 8 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
· Named to the Texas Rangers Area Code Team in 2007
· Earned All-District 10-5A first-team honors from the Dallas Morning News as a junior in 2007
· Tabbed District 11-5A Newcomer of the Year by the Dallas Morning News as a sophomore

Quote from recruiting coordinator and associate head coach Tommy Harmon:
“Brandon is the best middle infielder in the state. He’s considered the best shortstop in the state and he’s very fluid on the field. He has a plus-arm and great baseball instincts.”

Kevin Lusson 3B Austin, Texas (McCallum)
· Named to the Texas Rangers Area Code Team in 2007
· Participated in the Texas Scouts Association All-Star Game in 2007
· Tabbed All-CenTex as a sophomore and junior
· Has earned first-team all-district honors at three separate positions, including third base (freshman), shortstop (sophomore) and second base (junior)
· Batted .442 with eight doubles, two triples, two home runs and 29 RBI as a junior
· Hit .376 with 14 RBI and a .527 on-base percentage as a sophomore
· Batted .355 with 16 RBI and a .448 on-base percentage as a freshman

Quote from recruiting coordinator and associate head coach Tommy Harmon:
“Kevin is a switch-hitter, third baseman, and has a lot of the same actions as Bradley Suttle.”

Andrew McKirahan LHP - Georgetown, Texas (Georgetown)
· Posted an 8-1 record with two shutouts, a 1.97 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 64 innings as a junior

Quote from recruiting coordinator and associate head coach Tommy Harmon:
“Andrew is a left-hander that Coach Johnson feels will pitch in the low-90s. He throws strikes and has a big upside.”

Morgan Mickan OF - Georgetown, Texas (Georgetown)
· Ranked No. 20 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list
· Standout QB at Georgetown
· Batted .400 with 12 doubles and 38 RBI to earn All-District 14-5A honors as a junior

Quote from recruiting coordinator and associate head coach Tommy Harmon:
“He’s very athletic and strong. He’s a leader, left-handed hitter, outfielder that loves to play and is very athletic.”

Sam Stafford LHP Spring, Texas (Klein Collins)
· Ranked No. 6 on Inside Prep Baseball Texas Top 25 list

· Member of the Texas Rangers Area Code Team in 2007
· Posted a 7-1 record with one save, 92 strikeouts and a 1.38 ERA in 50.2 innings as a junior
· Named to the Houston Area Baseball Coaches Association Junior All-Stars team in 2007
· Tabbed second team All-District 16-5A as a junior

Quote from recruiting coordinator and associate head coach Tommy Harmon:
“Sam is a Left-handed pitcher that throws strikes. His velocity is going to get to the low-90s. He has pitched with Austin (Dicharry) over at Klein Collins and the are a perennial power so he knows how to win.”

UNLV Fall Ball Update

2007-11-14T01:57:00.001-05:00

The UNLV Rebels played Game 3 of their Scarlet-Gray World Series on Tuesday. The Gray team won their first game of the series on Tuesday by a score of 4-1. The Gray team got excellent pitching from a trio of pitchers. Steven Rinaudo started and went 4.1 innings while giving up only two hits. Adam Moser followed him to the mound and pitched 1.2 scoreless innings before Thomas Whittsett closed out the game by allowing one run in the seventh inning. The Gray team was led on offense by Michael Brenly (son of Bob Brenly) who went 2-4 including a triple. Braden Walker went 1-2 for the Scarlet team. Brenly and Walker are battling for the starting position behind the plate in 2008. We have linked below all the recaps and box scores from the Fall World Series below.

Game 1 Recap
Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Recap
Photo Gallery

Game 3 Recap
Game 3 Box Score

UAB Fall Update

2007-11-14T01:48:00.000-05:00

FROM PRESS RELEASE
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The UAB baseball team, which finished tied for fourth in the Conference USA standings last season, wrapped up its 33-day fall camp this past weekend. The Blazers return 19 letterwinners from last season's club and have added 14 newcomers. UAB head coach Brian Shoop said overall he was pleased with the camp and progression of the returning veterans.

"They are all better and more comfortable," Shoop said. "Ryan Keedy is significantly better and has been a model for what we wanted this fall. (Jonathan) Merritt's much better after playing about 35 games up in the Northwood League this past summer and I think (Brint) Hardy's a lot better."

In the team's seven-game Green vs. Gold series this fall, Keedy, a senior first baseman, hit .429 with an RBI and three walks, while Hardy hit .417 with three runs scored, a double and one triple.

The Green club won the series 4-2-1.

Junior catcher/infielder Allen Aubin shined in the series, batting .500 with two RBI, two doubles and a home run, while fellow Green teammate Austin Taylor, a junior outfielder in his first season with the Blazers, hit .667 with an RBI and three walks.

Another newcomer that had a strong series was freshman infielder Nick Crawford, who hit .333 with a pair of walks and runs scored, in addition to playing superior defense.

"Nick Crawford has such energy and passion and he probably led us in fielding percentage this fall. A lot of schools backed off of recruiting Nick because he's so small (5-7, 145 lbs), but we've been the fortunate beneficiaries of that because those schools missed, he's a very good player," Shoop said. "Austin Taylor had a very good offensive fall, but he's going to need to defend better."

The Blazers not only showed improvements at the plate this fall, but also on the mound. Shoop said he was pleased with the progress of the staff and believes he has some first-year arms that will be able to contribute in the upcoming 2008 season.

"Kyle Roberson had a very good fall and it's important that he carries that over to the spring," Shoop said. "Mitch (Kloskowski) was super in the fall as well. Our veterans were almost a man better than a year ago and that's the natural progression you hope for."

Roberson struck out three in three innings and allowed just one run in his fall series start, while his counterpart, Kloskowski, also struck out three and allowed one run in three innings in earning a tie.

Senior right-hander Brandon Flaherty allowed no runs and struck out five batters in his start, while fellow senior Brandon Wallace nearly mirrored that performance, striking out five in allowing just one run in his three innings.

Two new arms Shoop was impressed with during fall camp were those of junior transfers Beau Pender and Johnny Volk. Pender, who is coming back from injury, saw limited action in the Green vs. Gold series, while Volk pitched three innings, struck out two and issued no walks.

"Pender is a legitimate Conference USA weekend guy so we need him to come back healthy for us," Shoop said. "Volk throws a lot of strikes and has an unorthodox delivery which makes him effective and he is a very competitive kid."

The Blazers will begin winter training on Feb. 1, 2008.

Braun and Pedroia named Rookies of the Year

2007-11-12T23:56:00.000-05:00

Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers and Dustin Pedroia of the Boston Red Sox were named Rookie of the Year in their respective leagues today. Braun was a standout player for the Miami Hurricanes from 2003-2005 while Pedroia starred for the Arizona State Sun Devils from 2002-2004.

Arizona State Press Release
Miami Press Release

Georgia Tech releases 2008 schedule

2007-11-12T23:05:00.000-05:00

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have released the 2008 schedule. As usual, the Jackets play one of the toughest schedules in the country. The Jackets open the season on February 22nd when the Youngstown State Penguins visit Russ Chandler Stadium for a three game set. Georgia Southern then visits the Yellow Jackets for two games on February 26 and 27th. Big East champs Rutgers will visit Atlanta on February 29th-March 2nd. The Yellow Jackets will open the ACC schedule on March 7th for the first of a three game set against the Virginia Tech Hokies in Atlanta. They will also host conference opponents Duke, Miami, Wake Forest, and Clemson. They will head on the road to face conference opponents Boston College, Florida State, North Carolina, Maryland, and Virginia. GT will also play rival school Georgia at Russ Chandler Stadium on April 9th, May 7th in Athens, and play the third game against the Bulldogs at Turner Field on May 13th.

Press Release
2008 Schedule

Coming Soon

2007-11-09T11:58:00.000-05:00

We might experience some slight delays in the coming days as we are moving the Blog over to a new domain. Keep checking this site to see if we can get the new domain working correctly.

Kroll checks in with NJIT's Saporito

2007-11-09T01:40:00.000-05:00

Doug Kroll of CSTV checks in with his weekly article about College Baseball this week's installment focuses on NJIT's ace starting pitcher P.J. Saporito. He had a huge summer pitching for the Brockport Riverbats of the NYBCL as he pitched a perfect game on July 26th. This was the first perfect game in the history of the NYCBL which finished their 20th season in 2007. The Highlanders head coach Brian Callahan was very excited to get the program more attention with the perfect game as he had people calling him often to talk about the perfect game over the summer. Callahan faces a tough challenge with the Highlanders as they are playing a tough independent schedule which includes a trip to Miami to take on the Hurricanes over spring break. The full 2008 schedule is available here. The full article about the Highlander program is available by clicking here.

FAU Fall Ball Recap

2007-11-09T01:17:00.000-05:00

The FAU Owls are finishing up the Fall season on Friday November 9th when they host a Scout Day for their final practice. The team played a three game intrasquad scrimmage where the Blue team won three straight games. They were led by assistant coach John McCormack who defeated fellow assistant coach Norberto Lopez. There is a full recap of each game available by clicking here.

Baseball America checks in on Duke and BC

2007-11-08T01:42:00.000-05:00

Baseball America writer Aaron Fitt recently wrote an article on the Duke Blue Devils and Boston College Eagles baseball program. Both teams have been bringing up the rear of the pack through their history in one of the best conferences in the country. The Duke Blue Devils are led by third year head coach Sean McNally who led the Blue Devils to a 29-25 overall record in 2007 the first time they finished over .500 since 1998. The Blue Devils struggled in conference only picking up six wins in 30 conference games. Mik Aoki is entering his second season with the Eagles where he led them to a 24-27-1 overall record and 12-17 in the conference. The full article from Baseball America is available here.

Baylor Bears Unveil 2008 Schedule

2007-11-07T22:55:00.000-05:00

Baylor baseball head coach Steve Smith announced the Bears' 2008 schedule Wednesday. The 55-game regular season slate includes 31 games at Baylor Ballpark, including the third-annual QTI Baylor Classic.

The Bears open the 2008 season with nine consecutive home games, starting with a three-game series Feb. 22-24 against Purdue. Baylor welcomes Illinois, Illinois-Chicago and Stephen F. Austin for the QTI Baylor Classic Feb. 29 through March 2.

2008 season tickets go on sale Dec. 1. For more ticket information, contact the Baylor Ticket Office at 254.710.1000 or 1.800.BAYLOR.U.

Baylor's 2008 schedule features 25 games (45.4 percent of schedule) against 10 opponents who participated in the 2007 NCAA Tournament, including nine games against 2007 Super Regional participants and a three-game series at 2007 College World Series participant Mississippi State (March 7-9). The Bears play 18 games against six opponents who finished the 2007 season ranked in the Baseball America Top 25.

From March 7 to March 23, Baylor plays 12 consecutive games against teams who participated in the 2007 NCAA Tournament. The Bears play 10 of 12 games against 2007 tournament teams from April 18 to May 4.

"This is a good schedule, both for the players and the fans," Smith said. "It gives the players a chance to be in a familiar environment in the season's first nine games and again to open Big 12 play. Plus, fans have plenty of opportunities at various points in the season to not only see us play but to see us play top-level competition."

Due to new NCAA legislation, no Division I program can start its season prior to Feb. 22. This means only three weekends of non-conference play before Big 12 Conference play begins the weekend of March 14; Baylor hosts Oklahoma State to start Big 12 play this season. The new legislation also means an increase in the number of midweek games.

"I'm very much in favor of the universal start date," Smith said. "I wish the end of the season had been pushed back some to compensate, but it is what it is. All teams must adjust to only three weeks prior to conference play, and all teams must play two midweek games on a regular basis, so there's no competitive advantage one way or the other. What the new format does allow is more opportunities for pitchers, and that is a definite plus."

Along with the traditional split-series in Big 12 play, Baylor also hosts Texas for a midweek non-conference tilt April 22. The Bears and the Longhorns meet May 2-4 in Big 12 action with the series opener at Baylor Ballpark and the series' final two games at Austin.

"We've wanted to play Texas in a midweek non-conference game for a while, and the new schedule format made this game even more practical," Smith said. "Obviously, this is a great opportunity for fans to see two of the conference's top programs in another game. More than that, though, it is an opportunity for both teams to play top competition in a midweek game. This helps our RPI, Texas' RPI and the conference's RPI."

Baylor's split-series against Texas A&M is April 18-20 with the series opener at College Station and the series' final two games at Baylor Ballpark. Other Big 12 schools visiting Waco this season are Oklahoma State (March 14-16), Kansas (April 4-6) and Nebraska (April 25-27). Baylor travels to Missouri (March 21-23), Oklahoma (March 28-30), Kansas State (April 11-13) and Texas Tech (May 16-18) this season in Big 12 play. The 2008 Big 12 Championship is May 21-25 at Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City.

Last season, Baylor's strength of schedule ranked 20th nationally; the Bears joined Texas (10th), Portland (15th), Texas A&M (17th) and Georgia (18th) as the only teams in the top 20 not from the state of California. Baylor's strength of schedule has ranked 20th or better nationally in each of the past seven seasons: 10th in 2006, seventh in 2005, 11th in 2004, fifth in 2003, seventh in 2002 and 10th in 2001.

Baylor returns 19 letterwinners, six position starters and eight pitchers from a 2007 squad that posted a 36-27 record and reached the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time in 10 years.

Baylor Press Release.

Baseball Schedule.

CBB Top Position Players for 2008

2007-11-06T10:31:00.000-05:00

Pedro Alvarez, Vanderbilt.
This hard-hitting, Junior third baseman from Horace Mann High School in the Bronx, New York is one of the pre-season favorites for the Golden Spikes Award and was the only 2007 Golden Spikes finalist to return in 2008. Alvarez is lethal at the plate, as a career .360 batter with an NCAA high 40 career home runs (among active players). In 2006, he hit .329 with 22 home runs and 64 RBI en route to earning National Freshman of the Year. In 2007, he improved to .386, 18, 68, which leading Vanderbilt to a number 1 ranking for the majority of the season. Alvarez is deadly from the left side of the plate and is protected in Coach Tim Corbin’s lineup by being sandwiched between another pair of returning all-America players, RF Dominic De la Osa (.378, 20, 62) and SS Ryan Flaherty (.381, 4, 57). Alvarez is also a spectacular fielder with cat-like reflexes and a cannon arm; however, Pedro’s flair for the dramatic defensive play also leads to his fair share of errors. Those errors and a tendency to strikeout too often will be the items Alvarez looks to improve in his swan song season.

Dominic de la Osa, Vanderbilt
Hitting in the coveted “Mickey Mantle spot” (in front of Pedro Alvarez, as Mantle did when Roger Maris hit 61), Dominic de la Osa exploded in 2007, proving to be one of the top speed-power guys in the nation. Entering last season with a .300 average and 16 home runs in solid, if unspectacular Freshman and Sophomore years, “of the Bear” set career highs with a .378 average, 65 runs, 23 doubles, 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. A consensus first team All-America, de la Osa was expected to be a first day pick in the MLB draft before plummeting to the 10th round and the Tigers. An abysmal summer on the Cape left de la Osa with more to prove and he returned to man Rightfield as a Senior for Coach Corbin.

Justin Smoak, South Carolina
Joining Brett Wallace and Yonder Alonso as the elite first basemen in College Baseball, Smoak enters his Junior year in second place on the career homerun list among active players. As a Freshman, he hit .303 with 17 homeruns and 63 RBI. Smoak improved on those numbers last year, hitting .317 with 19 homeruns and another 63 RBI. Most impressive, however, is Smoak’s patience, with 94 walks against 79 strikeouts. The switch-hitting lefty is also thrifty with the glove, sporting a career .994 fielding percentage. Smoak is perfectly positioned for a true, breakout season in a good hitter’s ballpark.

Yonder Alonso, Miami

Alonso was named the top first baseman in the Cape Cod League in 2007. He hit an outstanding .338 for the summer after hitting .376 with 18 homers during the 2007 season for the Hurricanes. Alonso is a patient hitter as he walked 64 times during the collegiate season and 36 times in the CCBL. He only struck out 56 times combined. He needs to work on his defense as he is limited to playing only first base. He should develop more power before getting drafted in 2008 as he will become stronger and a better hitter. Alonso should be able to compete for many National Player of the Year awards in 2008 in addition to conference accolades.

Buster Posey, Florida State

Posey is one of the College Baseball Blog's favorite players. He moved to catcher before the 2007 season as the Seminoles had an opening behind the plate. Buster hit .382 with 3 homers and 65 RBI at FSU while spending his summer with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox where he batted .281 as he struggled to adjust to the Cape Cod League pitching. One scout told us that Posey improved his draft stock with the move behind the plate but needs to refine his catching skills as he is raw at calling games and blocking pitches. Posey should be one of the top catchers in the ACC competing with Tim Federowicz for conference awards. The CBB will be seeing Posey this season when FSU comes to Boston College for a three game set. The CBB expects Posey to be drafted in the top five rounds of the 2008 draft.

Brett Wallace, Arizona State

Wallace led the Sun Devils back to the College World Series in 2007 where he hit an outstanding .404 for the season while hitting 16 home runs. He won the Pac 10 Triple Crown as was named the Player of the Year in the conference. Brett spent the summer of 2007 with the USA National team where he competed in the Pan-Am Games and the World Port Tournament. He hit .312 with two homers and 26 RBI for the summer. Wallace is a big guy as he is listed at 6'1 245 pounds so he struggles in the field and will likely be stuck at first base in MLB or moved to DH if he is put in the American League.

Thanks to NewYorkDore for helping out with some of the previews.

Green Wave 2008 Schedule

2007-11-06T12:59:00.001-05:00

The Tulane Green Wave have put out their 2008 schedule. They will play 36 home games at newly renovated Turchin Stadium. They will open the season against the University of Illinois-Chicago who competed in the NCAA Tournament in 2007. They will also face NCAA tournament participants East Carolina, Louisiana-Lafayette, Memphis, Minnesota, New Orleans, Pepperdine, Southern Miss, and TCU. They will also square off against to College World Series teams in UC-Irvine and Rice. The Green Wave will participate in one of the elite tournaments this year when they head up to the Metrodome to take part in the Dairy Queen Classic with Minnesota, Pepperdine, and TCU. The Green Wave will welcome conference opponents Marshall, Southern Miss, UCF, and Rice to Turchin Stadium. They will head to conference opponents UAB, Houston, Memphis, and East Carolina. The Green Wave will also host the 2008 Conference USA championships from May 21-25. The full schedule is available in PDF format here.

USC finishes Fall Ball

2007-11-06T12:40:00.000-05:00

The USC Trojans baseball squad has put the finishing touches on Fall Workouts with a three game intrasquad scrimmage. The Gold squad defeated the Cardinal squad two games to one. Game 1 was won by the Cardinal team by a score of 5-2 with the Gold team winning the final two games by scores of 17-6 and 6-2. The star for the Gold team was Nick Buss who went 6-12 with four stolen bases. Buss was named the MVP of the historic Alaska Baseball League this summer. The Cardinal team struggled at the plate with NC State transfer Mike Roskopf leading them by going 3-12. The full recap of the scrimmages is available here.

Holy Cross announces 2008 Schedule

2007-11-06T00:15:00.000-05:00

FROM PRESS RELEASE
Worcester, Mass. – Holy Cross athletic director Richard M. Regan Jr. and head baseball coach Greg DiCenzo have announced the Crusaders’ schedule for the 2008 season, which is set to begin on March 1-2, when Holy Cross travels to DeLand, Florida to face Stetson University for games scheduled on Saturday and Sunday.

The Crusaders will then travel to Rollins College for a single game against the hosting team (March 3). While at Rollins, Holy Cross will play St. Joseph’s (March 4), Georgetown and Rollins (March 5), St. Joseph’s (March 6), Georgetown (March 7), and a game to be determined on March 8.

Holy Cross will host Assumption in a doubleheader for its’ first play at Fitton Field of the season. The Crusaders will visit the University of Washington for two doubleheaders (March 15-16) and then head to Siena (March 19).

The Crusaders play the next three games at home, facing LeMoyne (March 20), Quinnipiac (March 22), and Connecticut (March 25). Holy Cross will then travel to Boston College for a single game scheduled on March 26.

Holy Cross kicks off its Patriot League action when it travels to Lehigh (April 5-6) to play two doubleheaders. After traveling to Massachusetts (April 1), the Crusaders will return home to host Harvard (April 2) and a doubleheader with Army (April 5-6). Holy Cross will host Northeastern (April 8) and Hartford (April 9) followed by hitting the road to face Bucknell for four games (April 12-13).

The Crusaders will host Central Connecticut (April 15) followed by a non-conference game at Dartmouth (April 16). Holy Cross will continue its Patriot League play, hosting its’ final two doubleheaders against Lafayette (April 19-20). The Crusaders will play the next seven games on the road beginning with a doubleheader at Brown (April 23) and then to Navy for two doubleheaders (April 26-27), and finishing up the regular season with an away game at Rhode Island (April 29).

The Patriot League Tournament is scheduled for May 10-11 and 17-18, with locations to be determined.

Full Schedule

Lafayette Leopards Update

2007-11-05T02:29:00.001-05:00

The Lafayette Leopards have put out the 2008 schedule which is highlighted with a season opening series at VMI. They will make a trip to Bradenton Florida for their annual trip to Florida to play four games. They will open the Liberty Bell Classic on March 25th against the Penn Quakers and will play the winner of the St. Joe's/Delaware matchup on April 1st. The Leopards will host Patriot League opponents Bucknell and Navy. They will head on the road to take on Holy Cross, Army, and Lehigh. The College Baseball Blog will be in attendance for at least one of the doubleheaders at Holy Cross. The full schedule for the Leopards is available here.

The Lafayette Athletic Department is renovating many fields at the Metzgar Fields Athletic Complex. The Baseball program is getting the most benefit in these renovations with an expansion of the dugouts, more seating, and a better locker room for the team. The full release is available here.

UTA releases 2008 schedule

2007-11-05T00:35:00.000-05:00

FROM PRESS RELEASE
Thirty-one games at Clay Gould Ballpark - including a home stretch in March to open Southland Conference play - highlight the 2008 UT Arlington baseball schedule released earlier this week by head coach Jeff Curtis.

The Mavericks open the season Feb. 22 at 3 p.m. against Arkansas-Little Rock.

UTA will play seven games against Big 12 competition. The Mavericks participate in a neutral-site event at Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas, and do battle in two games against Tarrant County rival TCU.

The biggest difference this season is a late start. The NCAA pushed back Opening Day until Feb. 22, which means the Mavericks will cram 56 games into a season that lasts two fewer weeks. Instead of the single mid-week game that became commonplace over the past several years, the Mavericks and most other NCAA Division I teams will play two. In fact, UTA plays a Tuesday, April 15 game against Oklahoma State at Clay Gould Ballpark before traveling to Austin for a game the next day against Texas.

"Finding teams to play is never difficult, but getting the dates to work was a trick this season because of the shorter year," says Curtis, whose team will try to bounce back from a 13-40 finish last season. "What it means is that teams are going to have to have a deep, deep pitching staffs. We're going to find out pretty quick what players we'll have out there because of the number of games we have to start the year."

Including the season-opener, UTA will play 10 games in the first eight days of the season.

The Southland Conference opener is scheduled Friday, March 14 at home against Lamar, which finished 34-25 overall last season and won the SLC East Division crown with a 20-10 record. That series will close out a stretch the features eight of nine games at home. The only road game in that mix is in Fort Worth against TCU.

"With that many games at home and Lamar coming in, it's really important that we're playing well in that two-week span," Curtis said.

The popular UTA Invitational begins March 6 and includes the Mavericks, Dallas Baptist, McNeese State and Oral Roberts. That game against McNeese State will not count in the conference standings.

Each team in the SLC will play a three-game set against every other team in the league except one. This year, UTA will not face Central Arkansas. UTA's regular-season schedule ends Saturday, May 17 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The SLC Baseball Tournament is scheduled May 21-25 in Huntsville.

Curtis said another differences from last year to 2008 is that rainouts might simply not be made up. There might not be enough open dates in the schedule.

"It's a lot of games in a short amount of time, but kids really enjoy that 56-game schedule," Curtis said. "We're looking forward to it. Last season was unusual and disappointing, so we're ready to get underway."

FSU Fall Ball Recap

2007-11-04T17:01:00.000-05:00

The Florida State Seminoles have finished up Fall practice this week with a two Garnet vs. Gold games.

The Garnet team won Game 1 with a 9-0 shutout of the Gold Team in five innings. Matt Fairel picked up the victory by going three innings while allowing only three hits and two walks. Buster Posey also pitched a shutout inning while allowing one hit. Jack Posey (Buster's brother) led the offense with three RBI's. Jimmy Marshall of the Gold team came in to pitch the third inning but was lit up for six runs (one earned) while walking four batters. The Gold offense was led by Ruairi O'Connor who went 2-2.

Game 1 Recap
Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 was won by the Garnet team with a 7-5 victory to complete the sweep. They were led by Tennessee transfer Tony Delmonico who went 2-3 with two RBI. Mike McGee (Garnet team) chipped in with three hits in the victory. Elih Villanueva pitched three perfect innings with two strikeouts with Mike McGee picking up the victory on the mound by pitching two perfect innings. Trenton Jarvis had the best day on the mound for the Gold team by pitching two scoreless inning while allowing only one hit. Dennis Guinn led the Gold offense with a three run homer in the fourth inning.

Game 2 Recap
Game 2 Box Score

White defeat Orange to win the Fall World Series!!

2007-11-02T23:14:00.000-04:00

The White squad posted a 7-2 win in the finale of the University of Texas Fall World Series at The Dell Diamond on Friday and won the series 2-0-1.

The Orange struck first when Russell Moldenhauer launched a solo home run over the leftfield wall in the bottom of the first inning.

The White responded with two runs in the top of the third inning when Kyle Russell hit a triple down the first base line bringing in Tant Shepherd and Russell scored on single by Cameron Rupp for the 2-1 lead.

Connor Rowe knotted the bottom of the third with triple to leftfield, plating Brandon Belt who reached on a walk.

Russell hit his second triple of the game in the top of the fourth bringing in Ben Kaplan, Pat McCrory and Jordan Danks to stake the White to a 5-2 lead.

In the top of the fifth inning, the White added two insurance runs when McCrory hit a two-out, two-run to inflate the cushion to 7-2.

McCrory lead all hitters going 3-for-5 with two singles, one home run and 2 RBI.

Cole Green earned the win for the White allowing two runs in four innings and Garrett Clyde pitched three innings of scoreless relief to earn the save.

The Fall World Series wrapped up UT's autumn practice session and the Longhorns return to action February 22 with a three-game home series against Virginia Commonwealth University.

For the rest of my pictures from the game CLICK HERE.

.

UC-Irvine announces 2008 schedule and new pitching coach

2007-11-03T02:46:00.000-04:00

The UC-Irvine Anteaters and new head coach Mike Gillespie have announced the 2008 schedule. The team will open the season on February 22nd when they head to Nevada to take on the Wolfpack in a three game series. The Anteaters will open the home slate on February 29th when the University of San Francisco heads down the coast. The following weekend they will fly across the country to New Orleans to take on the Tulane Green Wave from March 7th-9th. They will also host Hawaii and take part in the Arizona State tournament before opening up the conference season. The full schedule is available here.

Mike Gillespie has also announced that Ted Silva has been named the new pitching coach for the Anteaters. He spent the 2007 season with the Fresno State program where he developed the team to the second lowest ERA in the conference. Before taking the job with Fresno State, He spent the 2005-2006 season with the Cal-State Fullerton program where he led the team to a nation best ERA. The full release is available here.

Wake Forest releases 2008 schedule

2007-11-03T02:28:00.000-04:00

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons have announced their 2008 schedule this past week. They will open the season on February 22nd when they head to Malibu CA to take on the Pepperdine Waves for the beginning of a four game set over three days. The next weekend the Deacons will head to Troy to take part in a tournament where they will play Kennesaw State and Penn State for single game and Troy for two games. The Deacons will host conference opponents Clemson, Maryland, Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Duke. Wake will head on the road to face conference opponents Miami, Boston College, NC State, Virginia, and Georgia Tech. The full schedule is available here.

Checking in on Coastal Carolina

2007-11-02T00:37:00.000-04:00

Coastal Carolina had a very successful season in 2007 where they were named as a Regional host for the first time in school history. They also accumulated 50 wins for the second time in the last three seasons. Doug Kroll of CSTV recently checked in with head coach Gary Gilmore about his expectations for the upcoming season and including some of the challenges facing the program . The full article is available here.

CBB Top Pitchers to Watch in 2008

2007-11-01T01:10:00.000-04:00

We are starting up with our previews of the 2008 season. We have broken down the top five pitchers in the country. Stay tuned for more previews of the upcoming season as the season gets closer.

Aaron Crow, Jr. Missouri

Crow was named the top pitching prospect in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League this summer. Crow has a mid-90's fastball with a plus slider and a solid cutter. Crow went 9-4 with a 3.59 last season but got bombed in the NCAA Tournament by Louisville as he let up seven runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Jacob Thompson, Jr. Virginia

Thompson had a breakout season in 2007 where he led the Virginia Cavaliers to the NCAA Tournament. He had a perfect 11-0 record with a 1.50 ERA. Thompson has a low 90's fastball with downward action on it with a solid curveball. Thompson pitched over the summer for the USA National Team where he got a chance to pitch in the Pan Am Games. He went 1-2 with a 1.27 ERA in 21.1 innings. He was shutdown after the Pan-Am Games to rest his arm for the 2008 season.

Brian Matusz, Jr. San Diego

Matusz is a 6'4 left handed power pitcher for the University of San Diego baseball program. In 2007, He led the Toreros to the number 1 seed in the San Diego regional with a 10-3 record with a 2.85 ERA. He also struck out 163 strikeouts in 123 innings. He pitched for the USA National Team this summer where he compiled a 3-1 record with a 1.33 ERA in four starts. He was also shut down for the summer after the Pan-Am Games to rest his arm.

Kyle Gibson, So. Missouri

Gibson is a 6'5 right handed sinker ball pitcher who was named the number 3 overall prospect in the Cape Cod League by Baseball America and number 9 by Perfect Game. He lead the Missouri Tigers with help from Aaron Crow to the NCAA Tournament as he had a 8-3 record with a 4.12 ERA as he served as the closer with seven saves. He is expected to make the move to the rotation in 2008 and give the Tigers two legitimate aces on the staff.

Ryan Perry, Jr. Arizona

Perry dazzled scouts in the Cape Cod League with a mid-90's fastball which hit 97 on some guns over the summer. He struggled in 2007 with the Arizona Wildcats as he went 0-2 with a 6.35 ERA. Perry was recovering from a January 2007 accident when he crashed his motorcycle going over 80 MPH without a helmet on which he walked away with a broken non-throwing arm. Perry pitched in 18 games coming out of the bullpen while picking up four saves. His record for the CCBL season was only 1-2 with a 4.15 ERA. He is expected to become an impact player in the Pac-10 for the 2008 season.

The College Baseball Blog would like to thank Cape Prospects for providing the videos for some of the pitchers.

Northeastern releases 2008 slate

2007-11-01T00:58:00.000-04:00

FROM NORTHEASTERN MEDIA RELATIONS
Head coach Neil McPhee of the Northeastern University baseball team has announced his 2008 schedule and it includes 30 CAA contests, the 19th annual Baseball Beanpot Tournament and the fifth annual exhibition with the 2007 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox. The season will begin with the exhibition at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers, Fla. on Feb. 29. The team will then spend a week playing at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. before heading north. The Huskies will host CAA opponents George Mason, UNC Wilmington, Towson, Hofstra and James Madison at Friedman Diamond while traveling to Delaware, Georgia State, Virginia Commonwealth, Old Dominion and William & Mary. The CAA Tournament will take place May 21-24 at Brooks Field in Wilmington, N.C.

Full Story
2008 Schedule

Orange and White World Series Game 1!!!

2007-10-31T21:36:00.000-04:00

The Orange and White played to a 5-5 tie in game one of the three-game Fall World Series Wednesday afternoon at The Dell Diamond.

The White drew first blood in the top of the first inning as Michael Torres scored on a wild pitch. Torres reached first with a single up the middle, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on a groundout by Tant Shepherd.

The Orange bounced back in the bottom of the first inning. Travis Tucker hit a leadoff home run to leftfield to tie the score at 1-1. With one out, Russell Moldenhauer and Kevin Keyes both singled and an error put the runners on second and third. Todd Gilfillan singled to centerfield bringing in Moldenhuaer and Keyes, staking the Orange to a 3-1 lead.

In the top of the second inning, Jeff Boes trimmed the lead to 3-2, hitting a solo home run to leftfield.

The fourth inning saw the White take a 5-3 lead when Cameron Rupp homered to leftfield driving in Shepherd and Kyle Russell, who reached on a walk and single, respectively.

The Orange trimmed the margin to 5-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning. Walks by David Hernandez and Keyes sandwiched around a single by Moldenhauer loaded the bases. Belt drew a walk to drive in Hernandez.

The Orange tied the game with a sacrifice fly by Hernandez plating Runey Davis. Davis drew a walk and the Orange loaded the bases when Clint Stubbs was hit by a pitch and Tucker was issued a walk.

Boes led the White, going 2-for-3 with one double and one home run. Tucker and Moldenhauer each had two hits for the Orange.

Keith Shinaberry was the pitching standout of the day, weaving three innings of scoreless relief. He yielded two hits and one walk, while striking out four.

The Fall World Series continues with a 4 p.m. contest at The Dell Diamond. Link