FSU releases 2008 Schedule

The Florida State Seminoles have released their 2008 schedule. They will play a 56 game schedule in 2008 which opens up on February 22nd when Duquesne University visits for a four game series over three days. They will follow that up with an exhibition game against the Philadelphia Phillies. They will then travel to Auburn to take on the Tigers for two games before coming back to Tallahassee to host the Tigers for two games. The Seminoles will open ACC play on March 7th when Maryland visits Tallahassee. The Seminoles will also host ACC series against Georgia Tech, Virginia, Miami, and NC State. They will head on the road this season to face Virginia Tech, Boston College, Wake Forest, North Carolina, and Clemson. They will not play Duke in 2008 or 2009 due to the rotating ACC schedule. The 2008 ACC Baseball Championship will take place in Jacksonville Florida again. The full schedule is available in HTML and PDF formats.

Why is NC State losing top players?

I have noticed a recent trend with the NC State baseball program with top players transferring to other schools across the country. After the 2006 season, Matt Mangini transferred for his junior season to Oklahoma State where he ended up getting picked up by the Seattle Mariners with the 52nd overall pick. This past summer Mike Roskopf transferred out of NC State to the University of Southern California for his senior season. Roskopf showed me some major power this past season when the Wolfpack visited Boston College. What is Elliot Avent doing to these kids? Is it just a random occurence that these players have transferred out the last two seasons? I hope someone has some insight into the reasoning these players have left.

2008 Schedule Issues

Doug Kroll of CSTV checks in with an article going over a few schedules for the 2008 season and how they dealt with the uniform start date. He looks at UCLA, NC State, Cal-State Fullerton, Auburn, and Florida. The article is available by clicking here.

NC State 2008 Schedule

Pack Baseball, the unofficial home of NC State Baseball has released the 2008 schedule. The Wolfpack will open the season on Feb. 22nd when they host Appalachian State for a three game series. The next weekend they take part in The Citadel Tournament on Feb. 29th-March 2nd. The Wolfpack will play a full ACC schedule missing Georgia Tech this season. The full schedule is available here.

Yankees sign Brackman

The New York Yankees signed Andrew Brackman to a four year guaranteed deal which is worth a minimum of 4.5 million to a maximum of 13 million. The College Baseball Blog attended one of Brackman's starts in the 2007 season (sat about four people over from Keith Law of ESPN) and was less then impressed with his performance. He did not show me first round type material but throws a very hard fastball but his curveball needs a lot of work. The biggest issue that I have over Brackman is the arm issues he ran into at the end of the NC State season which hampered the Wolfpack's chances in the NCAA and ACC tournaments. There is not much mileage on his arm since he pitched in only 78 innings in 2007 while pitching in a combined 71.1 innings in his freshman and sophomore seasons. He was visiting famed surgeon James Andrews this week to look at his inflamed elbow where Tommy John surgery might be needed.

NC State Release
River Ave. Blues Article
CBB article on Brackman's start against Boston College

D-Rays Set Record In Landing Big Fish

Mo Patton of the Tennessean is reporting that David Price will receive a record $11.25 Million package over six years, surpassing the "Prior" record of $10.4 Million over six years between Mark Prior and the Cubs. The son of two Vanderbilt alums, Prior also pitched in Nashville as a Freshman before transferring to USC for the remainder of his NCAA career.

Price will be introduced at a Friday press conference. Congratulations to the Devil Rays and David on coming together for this deal.

In other Signing Day news noted by Kendall Rogers of Rivals.com:

-Texas 3B Bradley Suttle signed with the Yankees

-NC State RHP Andrew Brackman signed with the Yankees

-Texas OF Kyle Russell will return to Austin for another year

-Texas A&M's Blake Stouffer will return to school for a swan song

-Rice signee Carmen Angelini signed with the Yankees

Ryan Davis and Mike Roskopf set to transfer

Ryan Davis of Vanderbilt is set to transfer to San Diego according to a few sources including Kendall Rogers of Rivals.com. Davis had become a role player in the 2007 season, splitting time with Parker Hanks and Matt Meingasner in left and at DH, after nearly capturing a batting crown by hitting .340 in SEC play in 2006. Due to the Senior year return of All-American RF Dom De la Osa, Vandy has four capable bodies competing for time in left field (Hanks, Jonathan White, red-shirt freshman Steven Liddle and highly touted freshman Joey Manning). With the opportunity to prove himself ahead of the 2008 draft, Davis stands to be a potential middle of the order bat for the Torreros and will have the opportunity to help contribute to the Toreros run to Omaha in 2008, while playing closer to his Arizona home. Thanks to NY Dore for providing the information used in this report.

Rivals.com is reporting that NC State first baseman/designated hitter Mike Roskopf is transferring to Southern California to play under Chad Kreuter. Roskopf hit .316 with 13 homers with 42 RBI. He will be an instant addition to the Trojans squad hopefully leading them to the Pac-10 Championship in 2008.

Greinke and Nesselrodt headline 2007 Valley League Awards

Courtesy of Valley League
Winchester utility player Luke Greinke (Orlando, Fla./Auburn) was named Most Valuable Player and Waynesboro skipper Lawrence Nesselrodt was selected as Coach of the Year as the Valley Baseball League announced its 2007 All-League awards on Wednesday, August 8.

Greinke, a rising senior at Auburn, filled several roles for the Winchester Royals and was a true utility player with solid play in the field, at the plate, and on the mound. Offensively, he battered the baseball while playing first base, outfield, and designated hitter. He led the league with a .417 batting average to claim the league's batting title. He also led the VBL with a .642 slugging percentage and .517 on-base percentage while collecting 12 doubles, five homers, and 32 RBIs for a potent Winchester offense that led the league hitting .275 as a team. Greinke was equally as impressive on the mound, going 3-1 with a 2.66 ERA in eight appearances covering 50 2/3 innings.

Nesselrodt was named the league's top coach for the second consecutive season. The Generals finished with the league's top record in the regular season at 30-13-1 and also have the league's best mark over the last two years combined at 57-28-1. Waynesboro has held true to its top seed by advancing to the VBL championship series.

Greinke was one of 16 players selected to the 2007 Valley League All-League squad. Waynesboro and its championship opponent Luray, the defending league champion, each placed three players on the All-League squad to lead the way. Front Royal, Harrisonburg, New Market, and Winchester each placed two players on the team with Covington and Staunton adding the last two picks.

Three players were repeat selections to the squad, led by Luray short stop Tyler Kuhn (Louisville, Ky./West Virginia), who was the 2006 VBL MVP. Entering the championship series, Kuhn was hitting .314 with seven doubles, two triples, three homers, 21 RBIs, 20 walks, and seven steals.

The other repeat picks both came from Waynesboro. Kurt Davidson (North Canton, Ohio/Akron) was the selection at first base after being honored at third base in 2006. He leads the league by a wide margin with 51 RBIs and 61 hits. Davidson is also second with 90 total bases while hitting .305 with 12 doubles and five homers. A clutch hitter all season, Davidson had the game-winning RBI in the Generals' semifinal game three win over Covington and in the championship series opener in the 14th inning against Luray.

The other repeat honoree was Generals ace Jon Dages (Indianapolis, Ind./Butler), who went 7-2 with a 2.62 ERA. Entering the championship, he ranks second in the league with 68 2/3 innings pitched and seven wins.

Waynesboro's other all-league winner was second baseman Brandon Sizemore (Bryceville, Fla./Tallahassee C.C.). He sits third in the league with 53 hits and leads the Generals with 13 doubles. Sizemore is hitting .277 with a triple, three homers, 27 RBIs, and 13 steals.

Luray's other selections came from their dynamic duo of starting pitchers, Robert Gilliam (Chapel Hill, N.C./UNC-Greensboro) and Dustin Umberger (Hummelstown, Pa./Liberty). Gilliam won the honor of the league's ERA leader for the regular season and carries a 1.26 mark and a 7-1 record into the final series. He also has a save and has struck out 81 batters in 57 innings. Umberger ranks second in the league with a 1.45 ERA and led the league with eight wins on a perfect 8-0 record. He ranks third with 76 strikeouts in 56 innings.

Greinke, the all-league pick at the utility spot, was joined by teammate Jose Cueto (Miami, Fla./Virginia Tech). The outfielder ranks fourth in the league with a .328 batting average and fifth with a .537 on-base percentage. He led the Royals with six home runs while adding eight doubles, 24 RBIs, 20 walks, and 11 steals.

Front Royal's two picks include third baseman Bennett Davis (Katy, Texas/Manatee C.C.) and closer Joel Brookens (Fayetteville, Pa./North Carolina St.). Davis sits second in the league with 14 doubles. He hit .280 with three home runs, 36 runs scored, 30 RBIs, and 14 steals. Brookens leads the league with 13 saves and ranks second with 19 games finished. He had a 1.35 ERA in 20 innings and held opponents to a .129 batting average.

Harrisonburg placed two players on the all-league squad after finishing second in the regular season. Outfielder Robert Taylor (Ingram, Texas/Arkansas-Little Rock) and relief pitcher Garrett Parker (Duncanville, Texas/Howard-Payne) represented the Turks. Taylor ranks third in the league with a .352 batting average. He scored 22 runs, had six doubles, four homers, 14 walks, and a .420 on-base percentage. Parker finished 2-1 with a 0.84 ERA and eight saves in 21 1/3 innings. He did not allow a run until the postseason and ranks fifth in the league in saves.

New Market had two all-league selections with catcher Nick Stanley (Largo, Fla./South Florida C.C.) and designated hitter Nolan Brannon (St. Petersburg, Fla./Tampa). Stanley ranks fifth in the VBL with a .325 batting average and leads the league with 15 doubles. He had 50 hits, 23 runs, two homers, 20 RBIs, and 16 walks. Brannon hit .323 with 41 hits, six doubles, 17 RBIs, and 15 walks.

The final two selections were Covington outfielder Jason Kipnis (Northbrook, Ill./Kentucky) and Staunton closer Bobby Hernandez (Key West, Fla./Barry). Kipnis shares the league lead with nine home runs and won the home run derby during the 2007 all-star game in Front Royal. He ranks second with a .591 slugging percentage, second with a .498 on-base percentage, first with 46 runs scored, second with 41 RBIs, first with 91 total bases, first with 49 walks, and second with 24 stolen bases. Hernandez was second in the league with 12 saves and second with 21 appearances. He had a 1.78 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings while holding opponents to a .143 batting average.

The awards were voted upon by the league's 11 head coaches, broadcasters, and select media members who covered the league.

2007 Valley League MVP - Luke Grineke, Winchester

2007 Valley League Coach of the Year - Lawrence Nesselrodt, Waynesboro

2007 Valley League Batting Champion - Luke Greinke, Winchester

2007 Valley League Pitching ERA Leader - Robert Gilliam, Luray

2007 Valley League All-League Team

1B - Kurt Davidson, Waynesboro (Akron)

2B - Brandon Sizemore, Waynesboro (Tallahassee C.C.)

3B - Bennett Davis, Front Royal (Manatee C.C.)

SS - Tyler Kuhn, Luray (West Virginia)

OF - Jose Cueto, Winchester (Virginia Tech)

OF - Jason Kipnis, Covington (Kentucky)

OF - Robert Taylor, Harrisonburg (Arkansas-Little Rock)

C - Nick Stanley, New Market (South Florida C.C.)

DH - Nolan Brannon, New Market (Tampa)

UT - Luke Greinke, Winchester (Auburn)

SP - Jon Dages, Waynesboro (Butler)

SP - Robert Gilliam, Luray (UNC-Greensboro)

SP - Dustin Umberger, Luray (Liberty)

RP - Joel Brookens, Front Royal (North Carolina St.)

RP - Bobby Hernandez, Staunton (Barry)

RP - Garrett Parker, Harrisonburg (Howard-Payne)

Note: Due to a tie, three relief pitchers were selected

Team USA Routs Japan 10-0

-Courtesy of USA Baseball-

ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS— Team USA (24-10, 3-2 WPT) made sure Japan (0-5 WPT) remained winless at the World Port Tournament, crushing the Japanese 10-0 in seven innings behind a 13-hit attack to snap a two-game losing streak.

Eric Surkamp (1-0, North Carolina State) pitched six scoreless innings, striking out four, while walking two. Surkamp and Cody Satterwhite (Ole Miss) combined on a four-hitter, as Satterwhite did not allow a hit in the seventh. Surkamp also rolled three double play balls and struck out the side in the second in the midst of eight in a row retired.

Brett Wallace (Arizona State) had three hits, while Jordy Mercer (Oklahoma State), Josh Romanski (San Diego), Jordan Danks (Texas) and each had two hits. Ryan Flaherty (Vanderbilt) had his second multi-hit game of the tournament. Roger Kieschnick (Texas Tech) hit the team's first grand slam of the summer, part of a seven-run sixth inning.

The Americans pushed across two runs in the first to lead 2-0. An RBI groundout by Pedro Alvarez (Vanderbilt), his seventh RBI of the tournament, made it 1-0, before an RBI single by Wallace doubled the score. A Danny Espinosa (Long Beach State) sacrifice fly in the fourth made it 3-0 as Japanese starter and loser, Robert Booth, left after four innings, giving up three runs on seven hits.

Mercer's RBI double in the sixth made it 4-0, before Kieschnick's grand slam doubled the score to 8-0. Wallace's second hit in the inning, an RBI single, made it 9-0.

TEAM NOTES
The Americans finished 4-3 against two Japanese teams this summer, winning the last three games in the series... Team USA beat Japan 1-0 with their only hit, a Logan Forsythe base hit in the ninth in the earlier meeting in the tournament and also won on the last day of the series in Durham... Cuba beat Chinese Taipei 6-5 in 14 innings, tying the game in the ninth inning on their final strike after Taipei took the lead in the bottom of the eighth.... Cuba is now 5-0, Chinese Taipei is 2-3, and the Netherlands, who were off today and won last night over Taipei, 4-3, are 2-2... Logan Forsythe (foot) missed his second straight game... games can be followed live on the internet at http://www.worldporttournament.nl/... Stats are available at: http://utopia.ision.nl/users/hwede/stats07/wpt07/ and under live scoring.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
The Americans will play have an off day on Wednesday and then close out the summer with consecutive games against the Netherlands (1 p.m. Eastern), Chinese Taipei (8 a.m.) and Cuba (8 a.m.). The Finals are on August 12 at 7 a.m, Eastern, finishing the summer.

Team USA adds four players

Team USA announced today that UC-Irvine pitcher Scott Gorgen, NC State pitcher Eric Surkamp, UNC-Wilmington pitcher Seth Frankoff, and Tyler Stovall from Hokes Bluff (HS) have joined the team starting on Friday when the team completes their series against China. They replace Brian Matusz, Jacob Thompson, and Lance Lynn who have all left the team to rest their arms until the next college season.

UC-Irvine Release
NC State Release
UNC-Wilmington Release

Valley League Weekly Honors – July 9, 2007

-Courtesy of Valley Baseball League-

Complete Week 5 League Notes

Players of the Week

Matt Payne (Hiddenite, N.C.), a junior outfielder from North Carolina State, hit .385 last week for Staunton. Payne helped to pace the Braves with two home runs, five RBIs and two runs scored. He led all players with an .846 slugging percentage and also posted a .357 on base percentage.

David Dennis (El Cajon, Calif.), from Oklahoma City University led Harrisonburg with a .455 batting average, while also finishing tied for second in the league with two home runs. Overall, Dennis collected 10 hits including a double and the two home runs, three RBIs, five runs scored and 17 total bases.

Pitchers of the Week

Scott Shuman (Valdosta, Ga.), the freshman righthander out of Auburn carried a no-hitter into the ninth inning when the Royals hosted Covington on Friday. Overall, Shuman went 1-0 in two appearances, with a 1.80 ERA. He struck out eight and allowed just four hits over 10 innings.

Joel Brookens (Fayetteville, Pa.), out of North Carolina State, lead the league with three saves and help Front Royal complete a 5-0 week. Brookens appeared in three games, pitching 3.1 innings, struck out 10 and allowed only one hit. He also picked up the save for the North team in Sunday's All-Star game to complete a solid week of pitching.

Team USA edges Newport

Team USA completed their tour of New England with a 5-4 victory over the Newport Gulls (NECBL). Team USA scored four runs in the first inning with the first run coming on a double by Justin Smoak (South Carolina). Brett Wallace (Arizona State) then followed up with a three run homer in his first at bat of the summer with Team USA. The coaching staff of Team USA used the game to get five pitchers work in the game. Jacob Thompson (UVA) started and gave up no runs on one hit and two walks. Mike Minor (Vanderbilt) came in for two innings while giving up two hits and striking out four batters. Eric Surkamp (NC State) then came in to pitch two innings but gave up one run on two hits. Josh Romanski (San Diego) came in relief of Surkamp and gave up three runs in his two innings of work. Cody Satterwhite (Ole Miss) gave up two hits but did not give up a run as he got his first save of the summer for Team USA. The team will be off until June 29th when they play Chinese Taipei in Burlington NC.

Team USA Recap
Newport Recap

Columbia (SC) Regional Day 3 Recap

NC State 10 Wofford 6

The NC State Wolfpack continued their season after knocking off Wofford 10-6 in an elimination game in the Columbia SC regional. Jeremy Synan went 2-3 including a home run and three RBI to lead the Wolfpack offense. NC State will play Charlotte later on Sunday evening. Wofford ends the season with a 30-33 record after a great run in the Southern Conference.

NC State Recap
Wofford Recap

South Carolina 12 Charlotte 8

South Carolina jumped out to a 11-1 lead and cruised to a 12-8 victory over the visiting 49ers. Justin Smoak, Trent Kline, and Andrew Crisp all hit homers to lead the Gamecocks attack. Charlotte will play an elimination game on Sunday evening for a chance to play in the Regional championship on Monday.

South Carolina Recap
Charlotte Recap

Charlotte 12 NC State 10

The NC State Wolfpack were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament after losing to Charlotte 12-10. The 49ers got seven runs in the second inning including a Kris Rochelle three run homer. The 49ers will have to defeat South Carolina twice on Monday in the Regional Final while SC will only have to get one win to advance to the Super Regionals.

Charlotte Recap
NC State Recap

Columbia SC Regional Day 1 Recap

Charlotte 6 NC State 3

Adam Mills continued his strong season pitching seven innings while giving up two unearned runs as the 49ers won their first NCAA Regional game. Charlotte's offense was led by Kris Rochelle went 3-3 with one run scored. Charlotte advances to play South Carolina while NC State will play Wofford.

Charlotte Recap
NC State Recap

South Carolina 9 Wofford 1

Justin Smoak hit two homers and Reese Havens drove in three runs as the Gamecocks won 9-1 over Wofford. Harris Honeycutt pitched seven strong innings while only giving up the one run. South Carolina will take on Charlotte in the winner's bracket while Wofford will play NC State on Saturday in an elimination game.

South Carolina Recap
Wofford Recap

Columbia SC Regional

South Carolina will be hosting this weekend at Sarge Frye Field. They will be joined by Wofford, NC State, and Charlotte.

South Carolina

The Gamecocks are coming off the SEC Tournament in which they went 1-2 with a victory over Florida which was bookended by losses to Arkansas. They are led by one of the top sophomores in the country in Justin Smoak. He is considered one of the top two players in the country with Pedro Alvarez of Vanderbilt. He is hitting at .304 for the season with 18 homers. James Darnell leads the team in hitting with a .338 average and also has 18 homers on the season. Arik Hempy leads the starting pitchers with a 5-3 record and an ERA of 2.87. They open the tournament on Friday at 7 pm when they take on Wofford.

South Carolina Game Notes

NC State

NC State heads down the road to South Carolina to take part in the NCAA Regional. The Wolfpack went 1-2 in the ACC Tournament with a victory over Georgia Tech and picked up a losses to Virginia and North Carolina. The Wolfpack are led by catcher Caleb Mangum who is hitting .286 but is solid behind the plate. Ryan Pond leads the team in hitting with a .330 average and six homers. Eric Surkamp leads the starting pitchers with an ERA of 3.18 and a 4-4 overall record. They also have one of the top draft picks in their rotation with Andrew Brackman but he struggled throughout the year with his control as his record stands at 6-4 with a 3.81 ERA. The CBB saw the Wolfpack twice this season in which Brackman pitched in Game 2 and Jimmy Gillheeney pitched Game 3 of the series with Boston College. NC State will play Charlotte at 2 pm on Friday.

BREAKING NEWS: NC STATE HAS LEFT ANDREW BRACKMAN OFF THE ROSTER THIS WEEKEND. FULL STORY AVAILABLE HERE.

NC State Tourney Notes

Charlotte

The Charlotte 49ers (47-10) will take part in the NCAA tournament after winning the Atlantic 10 conference tournament and receiving the automatic bid to the NCAA tourney. Charlotte is led by All-American pitcher Adam Mills who leads the team with an 1.07 ERA in 17 games. He has a record of 13-2 with four shutouts and an opponents batting average of .186. Brad McElroy leads the offense with a .412 batting average. They open up the tournament at 2 pm on Friday when they take on in-state rival NC State at 2 pm.

Charlotte Tourney Notes

Wofford

Wofford (30-31) enter this weekend as the Southern Conference Tournament Champion as they won the tournament as the number 9 seed. They are led by Brandon Waring who is hitting .405 on the season with 27 home runs. (That is not an error.) Ben Austin is 11-5 with a 4.03 ERA in 17 starts. They will open the tournament by taking on South Carolina at 7 pm on Friday.

Wofford Tourney Notes

The CBB predicts that South Carolina will win the regional but Charlotte will give them a run for the money as the 49ers pitchers are some of the best in the country.

ACC Tournament Day 4 Recap

NC State 8 Georgia Tech 7 (Final)

In the opening game on Saturday, The NC State Wolfpack picked up an 8-7 victory over Georgia Tech. Both teams were eliminated before the game from making the championship game on Saturday so the game could only change the seedings for the upcoming NCAA Tournament as both teams are expected to receive at large berths. NC State started Jimmy Gillheeney who has been struggling recently and it continued on Saturday as he let up five runs in five innings. He ended up with a no-decision as Eryk McConnell picked up the victory by working the final 3.1 innings without allowing a run. His record goes to 3-2. Georgia Tech used this game to get some work for the pitching staff as they used six different pitchers. Matt Wieters (1-4) ended up getting the loss as he gave up a Caleb Mangum infield RBI single in the ninth. Marcus Jones went 4-5 and Dallas Poulk went 3-4 to lead the Pack offensive attack while Patrick Long led the Jackets by going 3-5 with three runs scored.

NC State Recap
GT Recap

North Carolina 5 Virginia 0 (Final)

Alex White (6-4) pitched seven shutout innings against the high powered offense of Virginia to give the Tar Heels a 5-0 victory and advance to the ACC Championship game on Sunday. White only gave up two hits and four walks over those seven innings. Andrew Carignan pitched two scoreless innings to get his 12th save. Casey Lambert (2-2) got the start for UVA and was effective but gave up two runs over seven innings as he was tagged with the loss. Reid Fronk led the Tar Heels with two RBI and two hits. John Scaglione was the only Cavalier with two hits in the game. UNC will take on Wake Forest for the ACC title at 1 pm on Sunday.

UNC Recap
UVA Recap
Daily Progress Recap

Clemson 5 FSU 1 (Final)

The Clemson Tigers kept their hopes alive of an ACC Championship game appearance as they defeated the Florida State Seminoles 5-1 in Day 4 of the ACC Tournament. Bryan Henry (14-1) picked up his first loss of the season by giving up four runs in 5.1 innings. David Kopp (6-2) pitched a complete game and gave up an unearned run in the top of the ninth while striking out seven strikeouts. Addison Johnson, J.D. Burgess, Taylor Harbin, and Marquez Smith each had two hits to lead the Tigers offense. Jack Rye went 3-4 to lead the Seminoles in the losing effort.

Clemson Recap
FSU Recap

Wake Forest 7 Miami 3 (Final)

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons picked up a big victory and got the help they needed to advance to the ACC Championship game as they defeated the Miami Hurricanes 7-3 in the final game of the round robin round of the ACC Tournament. Allan Dykstra finally did some damage tonight when I was watching as he hit a home run to tied the game at 2 in the third inning as he went 2-4 with 3 RBI including the homer. Ben Hunter (7-6) gave the Deacons six innings while giving up two runs to get the win. Enrique Garcia (7-4) got the loss for the Canes as he only lasted 4.1 innings while giving up five runs. Jemile Weeks went 2-4 in the losing effort. Wake Forest will play North Carolina at 1 pm for the ACC title and have likely clinched an at-large berth for the NCAA Tournament. Miami will wait until the brackets come out to find out where they will be heading.

Wake Forest Recap
Miami Recap

ACC Tournament Day 2 Recap

Virginia 4 Georgia Tech 1 Final

Sean Doolittle gave the Cavaliers 5.1 innings while allowing only 1 run but picked up a no decision. Georgia Tech starter Eddie Burns gave up 1 run in six innings and also picked up the no decision. The Cavaliers got to Georgia Tech reliever Jared Hyatt (8-1) for three runs in two innings of work to get his first loss of the season. Jake Rule picked up the victory for the Cavs to put his record at 6-4. Michael Schwimer picked up his second save of the season as he didn't allow a run in the final 1.1 innings. Brandon Guyer and Brandon Marsh each went 2-4 to lead the Cavs offense. Tony Plagman drove in the only run for the Yellow Jackets.

GT Recap
Atlanta Journal-Constitution Recap
UVA Recap
Daily Progress Recap

North Carolina 14 NC State 5 (Final)

The UNC Tar Heels picked up a big 14-5 victory over the NC State Wolfpack as they keep their hopes alive of making the ACC Championship game on Sunday. Robert Woodard worked through 7.2 innings while giving up all five Wolfpack runs to up his record to 9-2. The North Carolina offense was led by Tim Fedroff who went 4-5 with three runs scored and two RBI while Dustin Ackley went 3-6 with two runs scored and also drove in two runs. Eric Surkamp (4-4) started for the Wolfpack but was ineffective as he gave up seven runs (four earned) in five innings.

UNC Recap
NC State Recap
News and Observer Recap

ACC Tournament Day 1 Recap

Virginia 6 NC State 1 Final

Jacob Thompson pitched eight innings without allowing an earned run to up his record to 11-0 on the season. David Adams and Tyler Cannon each picked up two hits and drove in two runs to lead the Cavaliers offense. NC State starter Clayton Shunick went 5.2 innings while giving up nine hits and those six runs. He ended up tiring in the sixth as he held the Cavs scoreless in the first five innings but they finally got to him for all their runs in that inning. Virginia will

UVA Recap
The Daily Progress Game Article
NC State Recap
The Technician Game Article
News and Observer Game Recap

Georgia Tech 8 UNC 4 Final

Georgia Tech picked up an 8-4 victory over the second seeded North Carolina Tar Heels. David Duncan did a solid job on the mound as he scattered five hits over eight innings while giving up only three runs. The Tar Heels went unconventional by using mid-week starter Adam Warren on the mound. He gave up two runs on four hits in 4.1 innings of work. The Yellow Jackets did most of their damage in the seventh inning against Tar Heel reliever Rob Wooten who gave up three runs without getting a single out. Matt Wieters got two hits and drove in two runs to lead the Yellow Jackets offense while the Tar Heels were led by Time Fedroff who went 2-3.

GT Recap
Macon (GA) Game Recap
AJC Game Recap
UNC Recap
News and Observer Game Recap


Clemson 5 Miami 4 Final/13 innings

The Clemson Tigers got a suicide squeeze from Alex Lee to score the winning run in the bottom of the 13th inning to give the Tigers a dramatic 5-4 victory over Miami. The Hurricanes had taken a 4-3 lead in the top of the 13th on a Yonder Alonso sacrifice fly that brought home Roger Tomas with the lead run. The Tigers then came up with the two runs in the bottom of the 13th off of John Housey and Dennis Raben. JD Burgess hit an RBI single through the right side of the infield to tie up the game. The Hurricanes then loaded the bases on an intentional and unintentional walks. Alex Lee then put down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to win the game for the Tigers.

Clemson Recap
The State Game Recap
Miami Recap
Miami Herald Game Recap

Florida State 7 Wake Forest 2 (Final)

Florida State jumped on Wake Forest starting pitcher Garrett Bullock for seven runs in 5.2 innings. The Demon Deacons made three errors in the game and failed to turn a routine double play in a five run fourth inning for the Seminoles. Michael Hyde went six innings while giving up both Deacon runs to up his record to 10-2 on the season. FSU was led on offense by Tony Thomas Jr. who went 2-4 with three runs scored to continue his All-American caliber season.

FSU Recap
Tallahassee Democrat Game Recap
Wake Forest Game Recap
Winston-Salem Journal Game Recap

2007 ACC Tournament Preview

Division 'A' Bracket

Florida State enters the ACC Tournament with a 46-9 overall record and 24-6 in the ACC. They won the Atlantic Division title for the first time in their history. They are led by ACC Pitcher of the Year Bryan Henry who is the ace of the pitching staff with a 14-0 record and an ERA of 2.50. Tony Thomas Jr. who recently was named the ACC Player of the Year leads the team in hitting with a .439 average from his leadoff spot. He has also stolen 28 bases in 33 attempts. Both players were recently named as Semi-Finalists for the Dick Howser Award. The Seminoles will take on Wake Forest on Wednesday at 7:00 pm, Miami at 7:00 pm on Friday, and Clemson at 4:00 pm on Saturday.

FSU Tourney Notes
Tallahassee Democrat article about new format

Wake Forest heads down to Jacksonville after taking two out of three games from Virginia Tech to get the eighth seed in the tournament. The Deacons have an overall record of 31-25 and went 14-16 in the conference. They are squarely on the bubble for an NCAA Tournament bid as many projections across the country have the Deacons in the tournament but CBB does not believe they should be in the tournament without a good weekend. The top hitters on the team are Willy Fox and Allan Dykstra. Fox only played in 41 games this season as he got injured in an encounter with an intruder at his apartment. Fox was able to lead the team in hitting with a .359 average. Dykstra was named to the Second team in the ACC as he hit .325 with 17 homers and 55 RBI in 56 games this season. The Wake pitching staff has been a question mark all season as the team's top weekend starter is Garrett Bullock who is only 4-1 with a 4.40 ERA. Josh Ellis has struggled recently also as he let up four runs in the ninth inning on Sunday against Virginia Tech. He enters the weekend with a 5-2 record and a 2.79 ERA with eight saves on the year. They will play FSU on Wednesday at 7 pm, Clemson at 4 pm on Friday, and Miami at 7 pm on Saturday.

Wake Forest Tourney Notes

Clemson enters the weekend with a 36-20 overall record and a conference record of 18-12. Clemson has been having problems all year with their starting pitchers. David Kopp has been the most consistent starter as he has made fifteen starts recording a 5-2 record and a 3.86 ERA. Jack Leggett has also moved Daniel Moskos to the rotation from a closing role and he now has a 3-5 record overall with an ERA of 3.07. D.J. Johnson has started in the back end of the rotation and has a perfect 4-0 record and 3.42 ERA. Doug Hogan who is in his junior season but his first year getting regular playing time is one of the top hitters on the team with a batting average of .333. Brad Chaulk will be returning to the lineup this weekend after recovering from a stress fracture in his back. He is still the leading hitter with a .407 average. Andy D'Alessio leads the team with 14 homers on the season. The Tigers will take on Miami on Wednesday at 4:00 pm, Wake Forest at 4 pm on Friday and Florida State at 4:00 pm on Saturday.

Clemson Tourney Notes
The State article about Chaulk
The State article about D'Alessio
Anderson Independent Mail preview of Clemson

Miami is entering the weekend with a 34-20 record and 16-13 record in the ACC. Miami swept the lowly Duke Blue Devils in Coral Gables to head into Jacksonville on a high note. Miami is led by Yonder Alonso who has hit 17 homers and batted at a .364 clip. The Hurricane starting pitchers are solid with Eric Erickson leading the team with a 9-3 overall record and an ERA of 1.85. Enrique Garcia (6-3, 2.87 ERA) and Scott Maine (5-5, 3.06 ERA) round out the rotation. The Hurricanes have been having problems throughout the year in the bullpen. Danny Gil leads the bullpen with five aves and a 4.05 ERA. Miami opens up against Clemson on Wednesday at 4 pm, Florida State at 7 pm, and Wake Forest at 7 pm in the final game of the round robin phase of the tournament.

Miami Tourney Notes
Palm Beach Post preview of the Hurricanes

The College Baseball Blog predicts that Clemson will win Division A and advance to the ACC Championship game.

Division 'B' Bracket

UNC (45-11) enters the weekend coming off a sweep over Maryland. UNC is led by Freshman sensation Dustin Ackley who is tied with Tony Thomas Jr. for the NCAA lead in hits with 101. He hit a solid .443 for the season with seven homers and 60 RBIs. The Carolina pitching staff is led by Robert Woodard who leads the starters with a 3.05 ERA and a solid record of 8-2. His stats have tailed off over his last five starts but he is still one of the top pitchers in the ACC. UNC opens on Wednesday against Georgia Tech at 1 pm. They will also play NC State on Thursday at 7 pm and Virginia on Saturday at 1 pm.

UNC Tourney Notes
Q & A with Mike Fox from Inside Carolina

Virginia (41-13) enters the weekend on a brief two game winning streak as they defeated Boston College twice in a rain-shortened series. The Cavaliers are led by Jacob Thompson who has a perfect record of 10-0 and an ERA of 1.46 ERA. He has tremendous control as the CBB witnessed last weekend when they attended one of the games versus Boston College. He never misses his spots and has a plus curveball. The Cavaliers also have one of the best lineups in the nation as there are no easy outs in the lineup. They are lead by First baseman/Pitcher Sean Doolittle who is hitting .318 at the plate with seven homers. Brandon Guyer is tied for the team lead in hitting with Greg Miclat at .376 but Miclat is out for the season with surgery on his torn labrum. Virginia opens the tournament on Wednesday at 10 am when they face NC State. They will take on Georgia Tech on Thursday at 4 pm and close out the round robin portion at 1 pm Saturday when they play North Carolina.

Virginia Tourney Notes
Daily Progress article about NC State/UVA matchup
Daily Progress article about the middle of UVA's lineup

Georgia Tech (31-23) heads down to the ACC tournament on a three game losing streak thanks to a weekend sweep by the hands of Florida State in Atlanta. The Yellow Jackets are led by All-American candidates Matt Wieters and Danny Payne. Both players have seen time on the mound in addition to their regular fielding roles. Wieters has hit .366 this season with 10 homers and 56 RBI. Danny Payne leads the team in hitting with a solid .382 average with twenty stolen bases. The Georgia Tech pitching staff was lit up by the Florida State Seminoles for 44 runs in the weekend sweep. David Duncan has been the staff ace this season with a 6-4 record and a 3.84 ERA. GT will open the tourney at 1 pm on Wednesday against North Carolina. They will play Virginia on Thursday at 4 pm and close out the tourney on Saturday when they face NC State at 10 am.

GT Tourney Notes
Atlanta Journal-Constitution preview of GT

NC State (36-19) heads to the Conference tournament coming off a weekend series victory over Clemson when they won two out of three games. NC State is led by Ryan Pond at the plate as he is leading the team in hitting with a .339 average. Eric Surkamp is the ace of the starting pitchers but has not gotten the results this season as he only has a record of 4-3 and a 2.94 ERA. Eryk McConnell leads the team with eleven saves and a 1.29 ERA.

NC State Tourney Notes
NC State Scout.com Preview

The CBB predicts that Virginia wins Division 'B' and advance to the Championship Game.

The CBB also predicts that UVA will get the automatic bid for the conference.

Other previews of the tournament:
Rivals.com

2007 ACC Tournament Schedule

The ACC has announced the schedule for the upcoming conference championship in Jacksonville Florida. The ACC is trying out a new format this year which splits the eight teams into two separate divisions. Division A contains Florida State, Clemson, Miami, and Wake Forest. Division B has North Carolina, Virginia, NC State, and Georgia Tech. The full schedule for the tournament is available here.

Check Back on Tuesday evening for a full preview of the tournament from the College Baseball Blog.