Thursday, 05/31/07

Oxford: Previewing the Oxford Regional

It's the regional of the closer here in Oxford, or at least that is what the two lowest seeds in the regional are hoping it becomes. While the field here in Oxford doesn't feature a single team ranked in the latest Baseball America poll, it does feature two of the best closers in the country. No. 3 seed Troy features senior right-hander (and first baseman) Josh Dew whose 96 strikeouts in 63.1 innings is the best strikeouts-per-nine-innings ratio in the nation.
Meanwhile No. 4 seed Sam Houston State's MVP is senior right-hander Luke Prihoda, who leads the nation with 17 saves and is second in America with a 1.21 ERA.
The interesting sidebar is Ole Miss sophomore right-handed closer Cody Satterwhite, who has already been selected to play for Team USA this summer. Satterwhite has great potential and looks dominant at times. He's also blown three saves over the last four weekends, including the seminfinals of last weekend's SEC Tournament against Vanderbilt.
Anyway, here is an extended look at all four teams.

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Thursday, 05/31/07

San Diego Preview: Toreros are BY FAR the best team

Five years ago, the big college baseball story in San Diego was that Tony Gwynn was taking over the head coaching duties at his alma-mater, San Diego State.

It didn't get as much attention, but that same year the University of San Diego advanced to its first NCAA Regional, and its coach, Rich Hill, was slowly building a formidable program.

Five years later, Gwynn has struggled at State (only one winning season), while Hill has built a squad that has a chance to not only make it to Omaha, but to leave the Cornhusker State with a national championship.

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Thursday, 05/31/07

Houston: Sitting down with the brain trust

The powers that be scrubbed the scheduled press conference this afternoon, so I got to sit down with all four coaches one by one and get their thoughts on the tournament selection committee and the exciting four-team field here in Houston. A few good 'ol Texas boys on hand for this one.

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Thursday, 05/31/07

Tempe: Previewing the Arizona State Regional

No. 1 Seed Arizona State (43-13)
Host Arizona State is a program rich in College World Series history and has a chance to add to its tradition this year armed with a Pac-10 title, 11 All-Pac-10 selections and a No. 5 seed. The five-time champions haven't won a title since 1981, but have the talent to make a run to Omaha.

It starts with a ridiculous offense that sports a .349 batting average. That's not their leading hitter's average -- that's what they hit as a team. It's good for third-best in the nation and produces 8.82 runs per game.

Brett Wallace leads the way with a .426 average that’s good for ninth-best in the nation. And he's not just a contact hitter; he also leads the team with 15 home runs and 73 RBI.

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Thursday, 05/31/07

College Station Regional Preview

Hello all. I'm Jack Molitor, a student at Texas A&M and I will be blogging for the College Station Regional. I'll be keeping you updated on the games for all four teams. To all Dolphin, Buckeye, Cajun, and Aggie fans out there, good luck.

The NCAA Tournament committee determined seedings and matchups Sunday night after the final games were completed. A&M, after defeating Baylor 14-6 in the Big 12 Tournament title game, was awarded a regional hosting and matched up with the Le Moyne Dolphins, with the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Louisiana-Lafayette Cajuns also placed in the College Station regional.

The Cajuns, who received the No. 2 seed for the College Station regional, finished the year with a record of 43-15 and were regular season champions of the Sun Belt Conference. The third seed Buckeyes earned an automatic bid after winning the Big 10 Tournament and had a record of 37-22. These two teams will play in the first game of the regional at 1 p.m. on Friday.

The Aggies first round opponent will be Le Moyne, who finished the season with a record of 33-17. The two teams play in game two on Friday at 7 p.m.

Le Moyne, a liberal arts college with about 2,300 undergraduates in Syracuse, New York, is making its fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Dolphins head coach, Steve Owens, is in his eighth year at the helm. Owens has led the Dolphins to three of the four tournament appearances they have made.

It's been hot and humid down here in College Station and the action with these four excellent team promises to be equally feverish.

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Thursday, 05/31/07

Wichita: Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

Well the forecast shows the chance of showers, but we are all keeping our fingers crossed (and an umbrella close by) for this weekend's game. New Orleans, Arizona, Oral Roberts, and home team Wichita State get to duke it out for the tournament title June 1-4.

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Thursday, 05/31/07

Long Beach Regional: Preview

Blair Field - the home of Long Beach State's baseball program - has enjoyed the limelight as the host site of six MTV Rock & Jock softball games, four Area Code Game tournaments and been used as a filming location for over 200 films. Yet no matter how many times this field has been in the spotlight in the world of sports and entertainment, it is the field's time in the NCAA spotlight as one of 16 Regional Sites this weekend that seems to matter the most.

While three different Southern California teams and one Mid-Western team will descend on this field within 10 miles of the beach, only one team will survive and advance to a Super Regional site next weekend.

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Thursday, 05/31/07

Myrtle Beach: A Carolina Feel To Things

After the quick hour flight from New York to Myrtle Beach, and another couple of hours to sort out hotel issues, it's time to preview the Myrtle Beach Regional. Coastal Carolina is the No. 1 seed and the host, despite its campus being 15 miles away from Coastal Federal Field. The No. 2 seed is in-state rival Clemson, while the three seed is St. John's, with VCU rounding out the four. Here's a look at the four teams with names you should know, stats to be aware of, and all of that good stuff.

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Thursday, 05/31/07

Fayetteville: Previewing the Regional

Fayetteville, Arkansas might not seem like the center of the world, but come tomorrow, it'll be as close as it can get.

As the eyes of the business world focus in on Wal-Mart's stockholder meeting at Walton Arena, the eyes of the baseball world will shift half a mile over to Baum Stadium at George Cole Field, where four of the nation's premier college teams will do battle for a chance to move one step closer to a date at Rosenblatt Stadium and the College World Series.

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Thursday, 05/31/07

Round Rock: Preview

Poor UC Irvine. Some clueless administrator in the athletic department fired the first shot in the war with Texas. Check out the regional announcement that ran on the UCI webpage...

It's doubtful that you could come up with a term that's more degrading, insulting, and derogatory to Longhorn Nation than that.

So while 4-seed Brown and 3-seed Wake Forest will be joining the festivities at the Round Rock Regional, it's 2nd-seeded California Irvine that will draw the most attention.

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Thursday, 05/31/07

Tallahassee: Regional Preview

If Thursday's press conference was any indication, the Tallahassee Regional should be a fun and competitive weekend of baseball for a field featuring four dangerous ball clubs and an accomplished group of coaches. Three of the four head coaches have been with their respective schools for 28 years and can account for more than 1,000 wins apiece.

The tournament is headlined by top-seeded Florida State, but coaches made it clear that no one in this field should be taken lightly and each has enough postseason experience to know better. The Seminoles are joined by No. 2 seed Mississippi State, No. 3 seed Stetson and No. 4 seed Bethune-Cookman.

While coaches shared old stories and a few good laughs Thursday in Tallahassee, each of them beamed with confidence and left no doubt that they're all here to win. Here's a quick look at each team.

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Thursday, 05/31/07

Charlottesville Regional Preview

With the nation's eighth-ranked team, the Big East champions, the defending national champions and an up-and-coming Patriot League squad going at each other for a berth in the Super Regionals, it should be a compelling and entertaining weekend of baseball at the Charlottesville Regional. Check out the capsules below for a brief taste of what each team brings to the table.

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Thursday, 05/31/07

Columbia, Mo. Regional Preview

The Columbia, Mo. Regional should certainly be a competitive one as it features two 40-win squads in the University of Missouri and Louisville, a conference champion team in Kent State, and one of college baseball's traditional powerhouses, the University of Miami. There is no other sport that values stats more than baseball, and in this preview, that's what I will rely on to analyze each time. I'm looking forward to a great weekend of baseball off of I-70, and can't wait for the first pitch as the Canes take on the Cards on Friday at 1 p.m. CST.

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Wednesday, 05/30/07

Chapel Hill Regional Preview

Game 1: EAST CAROLINA PIRATES (39-21) versus WESTERN CAROLINA CATAMOUNTS (40-18)

This game will match relative upstart Western Carolina against frequent NCAA tournament participant East Carolina. The Catamounts from the western end of the state will use their hard-hitting offense against the more pitching-oriented guys from the eastern end of the state. The Catamounts have pounded out 81 home runs and have five players with 11 or more round-trippers. The pitching is less impressive, with a team ERA of 4.82 and 607 hits allowed in 515 innings. The Pirates have a more palatable team ERA of 3.83 but have only hit .286 compared to WCU's .322 team average. The Pirates won the only contest this year between the two, with a 3-2 victory back in March in the Keith LeClair Classic.

WESTERN CAROLINA CATAMOUNTS (Cullowhee, NC)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 11
Last NCAA Tournament Appearance: 2003 Wilson, NC Regional (2-2)
At-large bid from Southern Conference; tied College of Charleston with best regular season conference record (20-7)
Results against Regional rivals: Lost 3-2 to East Carolina

Team Notes: The Catamounts beat such heavies as Georgia Tech, NC State, Clemson, and Ohio State during the 2007 season. They won 8 straight before losing their final 3 games, including both games in the Southern Conference Tournament (Citadel, Georgia Southern).
Last at-large bid was in 1994, when they were led by future East Carolina coach Keith LeClair in the Knoxville Regional. Current Coach Todd Raleigh was an assistant at both ECU and WCU under LeClair, who sadly passed away last July from ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).
UNC fans likely won't extend the same love to WCU second baseman Kenny Smith that they did to the former Tar Heel and NBA star of the same name. This Kenny leads the boys from Cullowhee in batting average, home runs, RBI, and stolen bases. He is a transfer from UNC-Wilmington who competed with the Seahawks in last year's Chapel Hill Regional.
Pitcher Drew Saberhagen transferred to Western Carolina from the lovely shores of Malibu at Pepperdine, and is the son of former major league star Bret Saberhagen.

Team Stats/Leaders: BA .322, 81 HR, 67/93 SB ----- ERA 4.82, 515 IP, 607 H, 41 HR

2B Kenny Smith .396-18-79, 14 SB ------ Drew Saberhagen 8-1, 3.10
C Blake Murphy .377-15-63 ------------- Tyler Sexton 8-3, 4.34
OF Barrett Shaft .373-3-29 --------------- Greg Holland 4-3, 3.46, 10 saves, 31 appearances
3B Nick Liles .343-2-38;
1B John Ingram .330-11-61, 10 SB
OF Jonathan Greene .321-13-53
OF Steven Strausbaugh .285-12-52

EAST CAROLINA PIRATES (Greenville, NC)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 22
Last NCAA Tournament Appearance: 2005 Tempe Regional (0-2)
At-large bid from Conference USA; runner up to Rice Owls in both regular season (14-9) and the tournament
Results against Regional rivals: Beat Western Carolina 3-2, lost to UNC 10-0 and 5-1

Team Notes: ECU is making its 8th NCAA tournament appearance in 9 years after missing last year. Although the Pirates had been hoping to host a regional themselves, their fans travel well and will bring a large and loud contingent to Chapel Hill- if they can find tickets. If not, they may be re-creating The Jungle along the outfield fence at Boshamer Stadium. UNC sold out the regional in one day, with Vanderbilt being the only other school to do so.

Team Stats/Leaders: BA .286, 64 HR, 83/109 SB ----- ERA 3.83, 534 IP, 522 H, 36 HR

SS Dale Mollenhauer .329-3-26, 9 SB ------------Josh Dowdy 5-1, 2.97
2B/SS Ryan Wood .317-5-23, 14 SB ------------ Dustin Sasser 5-4, 3.44
1B Stephen Batts .316-5-51, 12 SB -------------- T.J. Hose 6-5, 3.59
CF Harrison Eldridge .300-5-27, 14 SB ---------- Shane Matthews 4-3, 4.05, 13 saves, 37 app
RF Ryan Tousley .294-10-48, 10 SB ------------ Jason Neitz 4-2, 2.81, 33 appearances

GAME 2: JACKSONVILLE DOLPHINS (34-26) versus NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS (48-12)

The second game of this regional will pit host and #3 national seed North Carolina against Jacksonville from the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Tar Heels came within a whisker of winning the national title last season but shaky defensive play cost them the big prize to Oregon State. The Heels have had another stellar season despite subpar years from two of last year's biggest sluggers, Chad Flack and Benji Johnson. Flack is hitting .249-6-39 after huge freshman and sophomore seasons (.384-13-68 in 2006, .335-15-49 in 2005). Johnson is at .259-6-26 after banging 14 HR and driving home 44 runs in 2006. Freshman first baseman Dustin Ackley has led the way this year with a team-best .437 BA and 63 RBI. The top four starting pitchers have gone 32-7, and Robert Woodard became UNC's all-team leader in victories with a win against Georgia Tech.
The Dolphins finished fourth in the Atlantic Sun but managed to take the conference title to earn an automatic bid. They have been fiends on the basepaths, with 88 stolen bases to overcome a relatively modest .287 team BA and 35 home runs.

JACKSONVILLE DOLPHINS (Jacksonville, Fl)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 12 (second in a row)
Last NCAA Tournament Appearance: 2006 Athens Regional (1-2)
Automatic bid after winning Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament; 4th place (15-12) in regular season
Results against Regional rivals: none

Team Notes: The Dolphins had wins over Florida State, Florida, and Stetson during the 2007 season. Pitcher Matt Dobbins went 12-0 in the regular season last year (12-2 overall), but has been hampered by back injuries this year and is now pitching out of the bullpen. Another pitching Matt (Davis) is starting after missing the first 23 games following elbow surgery. First baseman Ryan McArdle is a Florida State transfer.
This regional will mark a reunion of former North Carolina chess champions. Jacksonville 2B Logan James and UNC pitcher Robert Woodard won the state chess championship in middle school.

Team Stats/Leaders: BA .287, 35 HR, 88/112 SB ----- ERA 4.37, 529 IP, 596 H, 35 HR

LF Pete Clifford .359-14-59, 21 SB ------------ Justin Young 5-5, 3.33
DH Chuck Opachich .335-0-27, 16 SB -------- Matt Gardner 7-5, 3.82
1B Ryan McArdle .326-6-51 -------------------- Matt Davis 4-1, 3.12, 6 saves
RF Mike McCallister .293-5-46, 14 SB --------- Matt Dobbins 3-2, 3.68
CF Kevin Ferreira .278-0-19, 16 SB

NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS (Chapel Hill, NC)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 22 (sixth straight)
Last NCAA Tournament Appearance: 2006 (CWS runner up, 3-0 Chapel Hill Regional, 2-0 Tuscaloosa Super Regional)
Automatic bid after winning ACC Tournament (first time since 1990); won Coastal Division and 2nd overall in ACC (21-9)
Results against Regional rivals: beat ECU 10-0, 5-1

Team Notes: This post-season will mark the end of the current version of Boshamer Stadium. As soon as the last game is played at Boshamer, the contractors will start renovating the stadium to greatly expand seating capacity and modernize the facility. Among the contributors to the project were Yankees' owner George Steinbrenner, who donated a cool million bucks (his daughter graduated from UNC). The new stadium won't be ready until at least May of 2008, so the Tar Heels will play the 2008 season in nearby Cary, NC at the new Team USA training facility.

Team Stats/Leaders: BA .320, 64 HR, 43/63 SB ----- ERA 3.17, 542 IP, 485 H, 32 HR

1B Dustin Ackley .437-7-63, 10 SB ----------- Adam Warren 10-0, 2.09
RF Tim Fedroff .359-4-33 ---------------------- Robert Woodard 9-2, 3.29
C Tim Federowicz .349-4-58 ---------------- Alex White 6-4, 3.35
SS Josh Horton .329-8-43 --------------------- Luke Putkonen 7-1, 4.23
LF Reid Fronk .322-11-50 --------------------- Andrew Carignan 1-1, 1.20, 13 saves

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Tuesday, 05/29/07

CSTV To Televise Fayetteville Regional

It's been announced that CSTV will be televising exclusively the NCAA Baseball Regional this coming weekend at the University of Arkansas from famed Charlie Baum Stadium in Fayetteville. The weekend features the University of Arkansas, Oklahoma State University, Creighton, and Albany (NY) and will kick off with a Friday doubleheader at 3:30 PM ET and 7:30 PM ET followed by the same doubleheader times on Saturday and Sunday, with Game 7, if necessary on Monday night at 8:30 PM ET.

This weekend will also feature the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship on Friday Night, and the NJCAA Junior College Baseball Championship on Monday. Starting on Tuesday June 5, CSTV will air the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship for five straight days, featuring 14 games.

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Monday, 05/28/07

One Guy's Reaction

Throughout the week, we'll have plenty of opinions from a variety of people about the NCAA Tournament, but for now, here's what I think about the snubs, the best draws, easiest paths, and all that good stuff. First, let me send my best to the Decatur Daily's Josh Cooper (who has done some stuff for us), who is the Alabama beat reporter and was really hoping to travel somewhere this weekend. Get the golf clubs out, and keep the Nick Saban Google alerts coming (Only about 90 days left?) Anyway, here we go.

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Monday, 05/28/07

Bracket Released

Brackets are out...Heare are the top eight seeds...

No. 1 Vanderbilt
No. 2 Rice
No. 3 North Carolina
No. 4 Texas
No. 5 Arizona State
No. 6 Florida State
No. 7 Arkansas
No. 8 San Diego

And for the Regionals...

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Sunday, 05/27/07

WCC: San Diego wins WCC

It's offical.

San Diego recovers from losing Game 1 of the series to Gonzaga, winning yesterday and then pounded the Bulldogs 13-1 today, to win the West Coast Conference championship.

The players are jumping on eachother in what might be the start of very memorable month for the Toreros.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

WCC: Is San Diego a national seed?

San Diego is up 13-1 in the ninth inning, so it's time to look ahead.

After watching Toreros these past two days, it's hard to imagine that there are eight better teams in the country.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

SEC: All Tourney Team

Team is obviously loaded with a bunch of Vandy and Arkansas players. So here it is:

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Sunday, 05/27/07

WCC: How lazy is the tournament selection committee?

With Gonzaga down 12-1 right now in the sixth inning, it doesn't look like the Zags are going to get the automatic bid handed to the West Coast Conference champion.

Which raises the question: Do they get an at-large bid?

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Sunday, 05/27/07

SEC: Vandy Crowned

Vanderbilt is your 2007 SEC Tournament champion after a 7-4 victory over Arkansas. For Vandy, it's their first conference tournament championship since 1980.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

SEC: Insurance Company

As Ole Miss found out yesterday the hard way, no lead is safe in college baseball. Vanderbilt just tacked on another run in the top of the ninth to extend its lead to 7-4. After recording the assist on the play at the plate only moments earlier to end the 8th, Vandy's Matt Meingasner hit a triple to the left centerfield gap with one out. Pinch hitter Ryan Davis then hit a SAC Fly to left to score him, and extend the lead. Last licks for Arkansas. Let's see if there's some more late inning magic left in the air here in Hoover.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

SEC: Nailed At Home

In the bottom of the 8th, Wayne Hrozek hit a basehit to left with pinch runner Matt Willard on second. Willard rounded third and was being waved home, but an absolute beauty of a throw from Vandy leftfielder Matt Meingasner gunned him down at the plate, with the perfect tag from Shea Robin to end the threat and the inning. Vandy still leads 6-4, heading to the 9th.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

WCC: Now it's getting ugly

San Diego scored five more times in the third and are now leading 9-1 through three innings.

Gonzaga's starter, Josh Monroe, had a short and disapointing day. He finished throwing 2 2/3 innings, giving up 10 hits and seven earned runs.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

SEC: Rhoden Done

Vandy starter Tyler Rhoden is out of the game after matching a career high 6.2 innings. Rhoden came into the game with only 14 innings this season, but he threw 120 pitches and really settled down after a rough first two innings. He finished giving up four runs (one came in in the 7th with a Casey Coon basehit), seven hits, six strikeouts and two walks. Vandy leads 6-4 in the seventh inning, trying to win their first SEC Tournament title since 1980, their only title. Arkansas has never won this tournament before.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

WCC: San Diego adds another

A Sean Nicol double, a Mike Metzger single and a Justin Snyder ground ball equaled another run for the Toreros. It's now 4-1 San Diego.

Gonzaga head coach Mark Machtolf has been reluctant to go to the bullpen in this series, but if Justin Monroe continues to struggle it's hard to imagine he will be in there much longer.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

WCC: San Diego can hit

The Toreros might be best known throughout the country because of their pitching, espcially Brain Matusz.

But it has been the San Diego hitting that has impressed this weekend. Yesterday, San Diego scored 13 runs on 21 hits and today they started right where they left off.

Gonzaga lead was short-lived as the Toreros scored three runs in the bottom of the first to take a 3-1 lead.

If Gonzaga wants to win this game, they will probably have score seven or eight runs.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

SEC: Vandy Looking To Explode

Chris Rhoads is out of the game here in the top of the seventh for Arkansas, after going five innings, giving up 1 run (so far), five hits, 1 walk, and striking out five while throwing 86 pitches. Runners are at the corners as Stephen Richards will enter the ball game for the Razorbacks to face the bottom third of the Vandy lineup. The 'Dores tacked on another run here earlier in the inning, making it 5-3, when Meingasner hit a chopper back to the mound and with a runner coming home, Rhoads threw wild to first, pulling Hamblin off the bag. Vandy looking for much more in the inning and ice this thing up.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

WCC: Gonzaga off to a fast start

Gonzaga got aff to a good start in a game they have to have.

Evan Wells led off the game with a single, then Torero starter Matt Coauch was calledfor a balk, which San Diego head coach Rich Hill argued to the umpire about (something Hill seems to do a lot ) and then Bryan Winston hit a single to put Gonzaga up 1-0.

Couch recovered, getting out of the inning with no further damage. No we'll see how Gonzaga's starter, Josh Monroe, does against the Toreros explosive offense.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

WCC: Already a good day for San Diego

For the first time in their history, San Diego will host an NCAA Regionals next weekend. The team was told in the locker rooms before the game, so they should be pretty fired up for the final game in this series.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

Big 12: Aggies dogpile

This pic says enough. A&M wins over Baylor 14-6. No drama. No intrigue. No fuss. No muss.

Here's the All-Tourney team:
C- Craig Stinson, Texas A&M
1B- Chance Wheeless, Texas
2B- Brock Bond, Missouri
SS- Beamer Weems, Baylor
3B- Aaron Reza, Oklahoma
OF- Joseph Hughes, Oklahoma
OF- Jordan Danks, Texas
OF- Ty Wright, Oklahoma State
DH- Matt Czimsky, Baylor
P- Kendal Volz, Oklahoma State
P- Brad Hutt, Kansas State

MVP- Craig Stinson, Texas A&M

Aggies prove there is no "I" in team with only one All-tournament selection. (Or maybe that means Stinson is the only one who thinks there is an "I" in team.)

More on all this Hullabaloo in Extra Innings later on tonight.

Cheers from OKC.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

SEC: Settled In

Much like yesterday's Ole Miss-Vandy second game of the day, this one has settled in nicely as we play in the bottom of the fourth. After seven combined runs through the first two, there's been nothing since. Vandy's Tyler Rhoden has looked good besides the two bombs he's given up. And Danny Hamblin seems to own him, after that long homerun, he just smashed a shot up the middle that nearly took his head off on an 0-2 pitch.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

C-USA Tournament: Final thoughts

Rice's 15 hits led the Owls to their fourth C-USA championship in 2 years( 2 regular season, 2 postseason). Top-seeded Rice beat second-seeded ECU 16-8.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

Big 12: Men on 1st and 3rd, RBI single, rinse, repeat

A&M has put a wedge between itself and the Bears, scoring four here in the 7th to make it 12-5.

Three straight batters went up to the plate with men on first and third and each time the Aggie batter hit a bleeder through the infield that scored a run and moved the other runner to 3rd.

Brandon Hicks, Blake Stouffer and Craig Stinson were the three that got the merry-go-round going with slap singles. After Stinson's hit, the Aggie crowd started chanting MVP, MVP, MVP!

Ironically, I have already voted the A&M catcher as my MVP for the week on my ballot.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

SEC: Hogs Climb Back

Arkansas answered Vandy's four run first with a leadoff first pitch homer from Jake Dugger, his seventh of the season to the opposite field (leftfield is the only place where homeruns want to go here this week except for Pedro Alvarez!). Then after an Arkansas pitching change in the top half of the second that saw righty Chris Rhoads come into the ball game, Jeff Nutt led off with a single, then Danny Hamblin hit an absolute moonshot to left that just stayed fair to cut the lead to 4-3. For Hamblin, that's homerun number 22 on the season, and No. 57 of his career, which sets the Arkansas school record. Lots of Hogs' records falling here in Hoover this week. Vandy gets the third out here in the inning, as we move to the third with the 'Dores holding a 4-3 lead. By the way, Arkansas won 2-of-3 from Vandy this season.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

C-USA Championship: Rice repeats

Top-seeded Rice just won its second consecutive C-USA Tournament champioinship with a 16-8 win over second-seeded host, ECU.

The tournament awards are being announced on the field, I'll have quotes, notes and a final thought from the C-USA Tournament after the postgame festivities.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

ACC: Final Wrapup

All-Tournament Team:

MVP -- Josh Horton, UNC
C -- Richard O'Brien, Miami
1B -- Dustin Ackley, UNC
2B -- Tony Thomas, Jr., FSU
3B -- Ramon Corona, NC State
SS -- Dustin Hood, Wake
OF -- Tim Fedroff, UNC
OF -- Marcus Jones, NC State
OF -- Reid Fronk, UNC
Utility -- Josh Horton, UNC
Pitcher -- David Copp, Clemson
Pitcher -- Alex White, UNC

Quotes after the jump...

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Sunday, 05/27/07

SEC: Batting Around

To say Vanderbilt has picked up right where they left off last night when they scored four runs in the bottom of the tenth without recording an out. After David Macias led off with a groundout, Alex Feinberg reached on an error, Dominic de la Osa doubled him in, Pedro Alvarez reached on an infield single, Ryan Flahrety had an RBI double, Matt Meingasner was hit by a pitch, Shea Robin hit a SAC Fly to rightfield, and Parker Hanks hit a single to drive in Ryan Flahrety. All nine Commodores came up, as finally Brad French grounded out to shortstop to end the inning. Four runs across on four hits with an error and a HBP. Ouch. Up come to the Razorbacks.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

C-USA Championship: Free tacos!

With ECU down 13-8 and runners on first and second in the 8th, Rice's ace Ryan Berry struck out three straight batters, ending the Pirate threat and inching the Owls closer to a C-USA Tournament championship repeat.

Rice's Jared Gayhart also hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the 8th, hitting the taco bell sign in rigth field that gives all 3,810 in attendance a free taco if they visit a local taco bell!

Rice 16, ECU 8 as we head to the ninth.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

Big 12; A&M adds two, BU adds three... plus random runner-up thoughts

A dropped pop fly by BU's Ben Booker and a Dane Carter RBI screamer to right field helped spark A&M to two more runs here in the 5th, making it 7-2.

But Baylor came back with a home run by Shaver Hansen here in the bottom half of the 5th, followed by an RBI single from Beamer Weems and an RBI double from Chase Gerdes. BU has now pulled to within 7-5 going into the 6th.

After seeing Minnesota get eliminated in the title round by Ohio State, it made me wonder about some runner-up teams' NCAA hopes.

- If things stayed as they are here, I still think Baylor is into the field of 64, no prob. They've played really well down the stretch.
- The Gophers dont' have the greatest RPI (No. 54 as of last week), but wins over Arkansas, Pepperdine, Ole Miss, show they're legit. The Big 10 anchor effect hurts.
- Wake Forest came up short in the ACC, but they're stock rose with a good week in J-Ville. They already had a good RPI anyway (No. 24)
- If Gonzaga should lose to San Diego today... wow! Whaddya' do about the Zags? I've seen them beat Oregon State and will have beaten Pepperdine (2-1) and San Diego (3-2 going into today) amongst others. The WCC is always underrated, but they got three in last year. So it could happen again.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

C-USA Championship: Rice builds cushion

Rice's 3 runs in the bottom of the seventh sort of took the wind out of ECU and this stadium's sails. Rice is now up 13-8 as we head to the 8th.

Aaron Luna, who will probably be named tournament MVP about an hour from now, and Joe Savery have continued to mount RBIs as only they can do. This Rice is team is very talented, and should make some noise in the NCAA Tournament, as it usually does. With Ryan Berry in the game and Cole St. Clair in the bullpen, a ECU comeback will be hard to come by.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

C-USA Championship: Attendance record

The 3,810 people in Clark-LeClair Stadium today set a new record for an on-campus C-USA tournament game. The crowd has been great and the game hasn't dissapointed either, Rice is winning 10-8 in the seventh inning.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

SEC: Welcome To Sunday

While the ACC just crowned UNC as champions, the SEC will crown either Arkansas or Vanderbilt champions of 2007 this afternoon. Each school just learned something that everyone knew, as they will both host Regionals next weekend, the first time Vandy has ever. Should be a good one this afternoon, here's the matchup:

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Sunday, 05/27/07

C-USA Championship: Things tightening up in Greenville

Things at the C-USA Championship have setted down after a slew of runs in the first couple of innings. It's Rice 10, ECU 8 after six innings.

Both teams have now brought in guys who have actually pitched a lot this season (hence why the runs have gone down). Neitz pitched well, stopped the bleeding for ECU, and Bailey Daniels is now in for the Pirates. C-USA Freshman-of-the-Year Ryan Berry pitching for Rice. Daniels has pitched in every game of the tournament for ECU, allowing no runs and Berry has a 10-2 record and 2.77 ERA.

Rice 10, ECU 8 as we head to the 7th.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

Big Ten - Ohio State: Big Ten Champions

Minnesota is down to its final three outs.

Vanderwege flies out. One out, two to go for the Golden Gophers. Baran singles to center, and the tying run is at the plate. It's McCallum, and he grounds to first, allowing Baran to get to second base.

Bryan Jost is up for Minnesota. Two outs. An 0-2 count. Man on second. He's the tying run ... and it's a ball. The Ohio State fans can barely believe it.

2-2 count.

Another ball. It's a full count. Hale is really dragging this out.

And Jost hits it to the shortstop. Baran runs for third and Jost is thrown out at first. Three outs for Minnesota, and Ohio State has just won the 2007 Big Ten tournament.

Hale gets the win with 1 and 1/3 innings of relief - a shame that Luebke couldn't get it, really, considering his outstanding performance until his last inning of work.

So the Buckeyes win out in this tournament, never falling into the loser's bracket. The team that barely made it in now has an automatic ticket to a regional. That's the beauty of tournaments.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

Big 12: Two good signs, BU may be coming alive and the sun has peeked through

A&M is still ahead, but their lead has been cut, it's now Aggies 5, Bears 2.

Baylor scored a pair of runs on a blistering triple to the wall by Paul Miles in the 2nd inning. Finally giving their fans something to cheer about.

Jake Weghorst has come on and done a decent job for Baylor so far, giving up just one hit in 1.1 innings.

The sun has broken through and lots of blue above, so it looks like we're out of the woods rain-wise.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

ACC: Heels take title

Hard to have a better tournament title game than this.

North Carolina got great pitching and an eighth-inning run to edge Wake Forest 3-2 for the ACC Tournament championship in Jacksonville.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

Big Ten - Ohio State on the verge

Bottom 8th - And just like that, it's again a two-run game.

Perlnar walks Eric Fryer, then leaves the game. Kyle Carr is now pitching for Minnesota. With two outs, Carr intentionally walks designated hitter Jason Zoeller. Michael Arp comes in to pinch-hit for right fielder Ryan Dew and ... doubles to left field, scoring both Fryer and Zoeller from second and first base, respectively. Ohio State has regained control of this game.

4-2, Ohio State. Three outs left for Minnesota.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

ACC: Bang! Heels lead!

North Carolina just struck quickly in the top of the 8th to retake the lead.

In the middle of the 8th, UNC leads Wake 3-2 in the ACC Tournament title game.

Dustin Ackley walked to lead off the inning, and after a strikeout, Josh Horton screamed a sinking liner to right. Evan Ocheltree tried to make a diving catch running to his left, but the ball bounced past him and rolled to the wall, and Horton coasted into third with an RBI triple.

Horton was cut down, however, when UNC put on the suicide squeeze and Chad Flack couldn't get his bat on the ball.

Andrew Carignan has taken the mound to start the bottom of the 8th.

THIS.

IS.

FUUUUUUUNNNNNNNN!

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Sunday, 05/27/07

ACC: High drama in J-Town

North Carolina pushed across a run in the top of the 7th to take a 2-1 lead over Wake Forest, but the Deacons answered with a run in the bottom of the inning.

After seven innings, we're tied 2-2 in the ACC Tournament title game.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

C-USA Championship: Regional sites announced

The 16 Regional sites have been announced for next weekend's NCAA Tournament.

Host teams are: Arizona State, Arkansas, Coastal Carolina, Florida State, Long Beach State, Missouri, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Rice, San Diego, South Carolina, Texas, Texas A & M, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Wichita State

As for the C-USA Championship, the game has settled down a little...Rice 9, ECU 8 in the 5th inning.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

Big Ten - Minnesota tries another late-inning rally.

Top 8th - After 7+ innings of silence, Minnesota has finally decided to get its bats going. Luebke has been almost perfect through the first seven innings, hitting one batter but only allowing four hits before this inning.

Jeremy Chlan, the hero in today's game against Penn State, singled to get on base with one out and scored from second on a double by Dan Lyons. 2-1, Ohio State. Minnesota hasn't been far behind Ohio State in the hits column, but it just hasn't been able to build off of each hit to score a run.

... And Minnesota has just scored again on a single from Mike Mee up the middle. Dan Lyons scored and it's now tied at 2. Two outs, man on first.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

Big 12: It's good to be an Aggie right now, up 5-0.

Texas A&M just scored three more runs in the top of the 3rd, got Baylor to already make a pitching change and then just had their Regional hosting assignment announced over the P.A. here, to the joy of the fans down the 1st base side.

Brian Ruggiano started things off with a double and came around to score on a double steal from third base. Brandon Hicks and Blake Stouffer hit an RBI double and an RBI triple respectively to account for two of the runs.

Baylor looks lethargic and - obviously - didn't get the start they were hoping for from Wade Mackey, who was pulled after 1.2 innings.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

C-USA Championship: How did the leadoff guy not get on?

Diego Seastrunk of Rice flew out to ECU centerfielder Harrison Eldrige to begin the bottom of the third, marking the first time all game that the leadoff batter of a half inning didn't get on base. C'mon Diego!

Rice went down in order, yes in order...I repeat in order in the bottom of the third. We have 15 runs, 15 hits and 5 errors after 3 innings.

Rice 9, ECU 6

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Sunday, 05/27/07

Big 12: A&M scores two, pitches five, hosts in the 1st round.

A&M is up 2-0 after one complete.

Ben Feltner and Blake Stouffer both walked in the first four batters and then came around to score. Craig Stinson and Luke Anders knocked them in with RBI singles.

Scott Migl threw five pitches in the first inning to get three outs. Pretty efficient, eh?

Brian Ruggiano just started the second inning with a double.

It was also just announced that Texas A&M will indeed host the post-season at their home stadium, Pat Olsen Field.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

Big Ten - Championship game cools down

Middle 6th - We've been scoreless since the bottom of the first. Perinar has settled down after his poor first inning, tallying five strikeouts and only walking the one batter in the first inning. Minnesota coach John Anderson obviously wanted to keep him in and settle him down, and it's worked. But will Minnesota be able to overcome that rough first inning, or is it going to be their downfall, like the first inning has often been in this weekend's tournament?

More than just bragging rights are on the line here - Ohio State will not make the tournament if they don't win today - with only a 15-15 record and a sixth-place finish in the Big Ten leading into this weekend, I can't see them even being considered for a bid. Minnesota is now a 40-game winner, and if it doesn't win, it still has a chance for an at-large bid - though if Ohio State wins and Minnesota gets an at-large bid, I see Michigan's at-large bid chances fading. The Wolverines won 39 this season and won the regular-season title but went two-and-out this weekend. If Minnesota wins and gets an at-large bid, the Wolverines will have a better shot for an at-large bid. And Penn State? Judging from their performance this weekend, they should have a better shot than Michigan at an at-large bid. But I think the Wolverines will definitely get a nod before the Nittany Lions.

So this game seems to have implications for teams beyond the Buckeyes and Golden Gophers - and Minnesota has just three more innings for an attempt at a comeback. Ohio State is in control, just like it has been for the entire weekend.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

ACC: Hail to the Chief

After four and a half innings, Wake and Carolina are tied 1-1 in the ACC Tournament title game.

Down 1-0, Carolina scored an unearned run in the 4th to tie. Wake SS Dustin Hood threw away a Garrett Gore leadoff grounder. An out later Tim Federowicz singled, and after another out, Chad Flack lined an RBI single to left.

Wake pitcher Charlie Mellies is letting Carolina put the ball in play -- no walks or strikeouts, but only four singles in five frames. Because he's coming off Tommy John surgery, he might not be in much longer, though.

Carolina starter Luke Putkonen has allowed only an infield single and a walk and has struck out three in four innings.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

Big 12: Nearing game-time.

It's Texas A&M vs. Baylor for the Big 12. Can't imagine too much other than hardware is on the line. Both teams should make the NCAA tournament. I suppose A&M might have an arguement to host regionals if they win this one. That's if they don't have an arguement already.

Pitching:
Texas A&M: Scott Migl (6-3, 3.61, .272 O.A.)
Baylor: Wade Mackey (4-2, 2.45, .278 O.A.)

It's completely overcast with an occasional dark patch of clouds overhead. The temp is right around 70 degrees. I'm wearing jeans today. Thank you Mother Nature.

Oh, and I got to park behind the stadium today on Flaming Lips Alley. Yes, the seminal alt-rock band from right here in Oklahoma City (http://www.flaminglips.com/main.php). I feel it's an honor to park on such a prestigious byway today.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

C-USA Championship: Anybody and everybody to the bullpen!

Rice and ECU are already both in the NCAA Tournament and seeds probably already determind, so neither team is willing to waste valuable pitchers today, as next weekend is more important for both teams.

Rice scored 8 runs in the bottom of the 2nd to take a 9-4 lead, yes 13 runs in only 2 innings and 9 in the second inning alone. This game will merely be a test of which depleted pitching staff can give up less runs. Rice has the upper hand, ECU had to use 3 pitchers in the first 2 innings.

I hope the game ends before tomorrow's selection show, so these teams will know where they will be playing next weekend!

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Sunday, 05/27/07

ACC: Wake Up

Wake Forest scored a run in the first without hitting the ball out of the infield.

At the end of two innings in Jacksonville, Wake leads North Carolina 1-0 in the ACC Tournament title game.

Two Wake players have already been hit by pitches, giving them 105 HBPs as a team. That's good for third in the nation behind San Jose State (112) and Creighton (106).

The wind is still blowing in today, but not quite so fiercely, and the ball is carrying pretty well. UNC's Josh Horton hit a ball to the warning track in the second that might have been caught by the second baseman earlier this week.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

C-USA Championship:Runs galore

We're off to a fast start here in Greenville, ECU scored three in the top of the first, and Rice reponsded by scoring one in the bottom half. This game is probably going to feature a lot of runs and a lot of different pitchers.

There's more fans here than I expected, possibly around 3400-3500, and they're loud! The atmospere is great, as ECU was pouring in runs off of Rice pitcher Bryan Price, who faced 9 batters in the top of the first, the stadium and the ECU dugout was rocking, byfar the loudest its been all tournament.

Rice has been in Omaha and is used to hostile enviroments, but the ECU fans and 3 runs in the top of the 1st has to put some type of pressure on the Owls.

ECU 3, Rice 1 after 1 inning.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

Big Ten - Ohio State capitalizes on pitching mistakes

Cory Luebke is pitching for Ohio State, while Gary Perinar is starting for Minnesota.

Bottom 1st - Ohio State wants it badly ... and shows it early. Perinar is not doing well at all in this start and not giving Minnesota a chance to win this - he hits the first batter he faces, Jacob Howell. Then, on two wild pitches during the same at-bat, Howell gets second and third base. So on an at-bat that didn't even count as an at-bat, Howell is now on third base with no outs. Tony Kennedy strikes out, but Howell is still on third with just one out. And ... Perinar has another wild pitch. Howell scores. What a giveaway run, and Ohio State is on the board early, 1-0. Perinar is visibly shaken. Three wild pitches, three bases.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

Big Ten - Championship game to start at 12:50

Originally supposed to start at 12:05, the game between Ohio State and Minnesota will now start at 12:50. Not too long for those teams to wait, considering Minnesota had to wait almost two and a half hours in the rain yesterday before the game was suspended and a half hour before the game even started. Updates to come.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

C-USA Championship: Setting the scene

The C-USA Championship game is about 30 minutes away from starting, and the game features the top two seeds, No. 1 Rice and No. 2 ECU.

Fans are starting to pour into the stadium, I expect around 3,000 here today. The top crowd in Clark-LeClair history is 5,523, which came earlier this season against hated rival N.C. State. I don't think today's attendance will come to close to that mark. It's hard for C-USA games to have 5,000 people for a game because the teams are so spread apart, and there are no natural rivalries (except for Rice/Houston).

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Sunday, 05/27/07

ACC: Championship day and post-season preview

North Carolina vs. Wake Forest for the ACC Tournament title at 1 pm on a beautiful, sunny day from Jacksonville!

UNC will start Luke Putkonen (7-1, 4.55 ERA in 59.1 innings) while Wake will give senior Charlie Mellies only his fourth start of 2007. Mellies has pitched only 11 innings all season and is 1-2 with a 7.36 ERA, but he's actually the leader of the Wake staff. His 2006 season was cut short by Tommy John surgery and he didn't make his debut this season until April 8th.

Wake has pulled off two stunners in a row, so don't bet against a third.

With regional host sites being announced this afternoon and regional bids going out tomorrow, let's recap where each ACC team currently stands with the selection committee. I've been telepathically channeling Larry Templeton, so this is the gospel...

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Sunday, 05/27/07

Big Ten - Minnesota Pulls Through

Bottom 11th - It's in extra innings, and neither team was able to break through in the 10th - Penn State had a double to start off the inning, looking like they were going to be able to continue their 10th-inning success, but left the runner stranded on second with three straight outs. Minnesota went 1-2-3. Star pitcher Drew O'Neil has been in since the ninth for the Nittany Lions, and he seems to be doing his job so far. Even on another rainy day, the tension here is palpable and it's obvious that whoever loses has just caught a bad break, not played bad baseball.

Minnesota is up with the middle of the order, and Tom Steidl hits to the left of the right fielder to make it to first and tally Minnesota's first hit of these extra innings. Kevin Carlson lays down a sac bunt, moving Steidl to second. One out. Man in scoring position with one out, and Penn State doesn't look flustered. But if you had Drew O'Neil on the mound, would you really be nervous right now? Anyway, Jeremy Chlan is up - he came into the game last inning, replacing second baseman Derek McCallum.

Chlan hits it ... almost in the same spot as Steidl's hit ... and it's a double, Steidl scores and Chlan reaches second. No matter - the Golden Gophers have won the game and earned a rematch with Ohio State. Penn State can't believe it. Drew O'Neil gets the loss, Penn State glumly lines up to shake hands and the Minnesota fans are going wild. It took awhile to get there, but the final of the Big Ten tournament is exactly the way it's always been - Ohio State vs. Minnesota, the two legendary baseball powerhouses in the conference.

That game is supposed to start soon, despite another wet day ... so more updates as they come.

Final score: Minnesota 4, Penn State 3, 11 innings.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

Big Ten - Minnesota's Last Shot

Bottom 9th - The second-ranked Golden Gophers have one chance left before they are out of the tournament, and the Nittany Lions are three outs away from playing Ohio State in the championship game after losing their first game and playing in the loser's bracket all weekend. Penn State has definitely fought hard these past few days, while Minnesota's only loss was against Ohio State, and either team that goes against Ohio State today deserves it ... but Penn State has put on more of a show.

And ... Kevin Carlson starts out the inning with a single and moves to second on a sac bunt. One out, man on second. He moves to third on a fielder's choice ... two outs, man on third. Minnesota's championship hopes all depend on Carlson and the next batter, Matt Nohelty. Nohelty is 2-for-4 today, not too bad for a man whose at-bat right now needs to be a hit.

Nohelty hits it and ... Carlson is running home, he makes it, Nohelty is safe on first and the Golden Gophers have just tied the game in the ninth inning, two outs. Wow.

And Dan Lyons hits it to the shortstop, who whips it to second. Nohelty is out, but no matter - the game is tied 3-3 and they're going into extra innings.

Penn State was in this position yesterday - Michigan tied with two outs in the ninth inning, but Penn State came back with a home run in the 10th to seal the game. It'll be interesting to see how they react in this extra-inning game.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

Big Ten - Penn State vs. Minnesota Resumed

Almost seventeen hours after yesterday's intended start time, we're again beginning play here at Fisher Stadium. The game was suspended in the middle of the seventh yesterday and pushed back to today at 10:00, which also effectively pushed back the championship game to 12:05 and 3:35 (if necessary) today.

Penn State is leading, 3-2, in the top of the eighth. In the first inning of play today, Minnesota couldn't do anything - they went 1-2-3 against new pitcher Matt Ogrodnik.

More updates soon.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

MVC: Final Thoughts From This Week...This Game

Somewhere in the distant heavens, where spirits leave the body to join their Creator, the heroes of baseball past met with the hearts and souls of those who know the beauty and drama of college sports, and watched over the skies of Springfield, as Creighton and Wichita State battled it out in a matchup for the ages. And when it was done, they rose to their feet with those who were sitting in the stands in appreciation, for what was seen tonight in Hammons Field was everything that is great and wonderful about college baseball.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

Big 12: What, you thought the Sooners would go quietly?

Baylor - 7 9 3
Oklahoma - 6 11 1

Another wicked comeback, this time falling a smidge short.

With every fan left in the stands pounding their feet and clapping their hands, the rain falling down in a steady sprinkle and the home plate ump Bob Homolka not making friends on either side, the Sooners load the bases in the 9th, push across two more runs, but then see Mike Gosse bouce into a fielder's choice to end the game, stranding three base-runners.

Not exactly Wichita State-Creighton intense, but for the second night in a row, OU supplies enough drama to turn a coach's hair gray.

Too bad OU won't be in the title game tomorrow, this team's got a helluva lot of moxie. They're a freakin' blast to watch. Will probably get an at-large bid to the NCAAs, and rightfully so.

Baylor will now face Texas A&M for the title tomorrow.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

MVC: All-Tournament Team Announced

Here's the following players that made this year's 2007 Missouri Valley All-Tournament Team, led of course by your 2007 Champion Creighton Bluejays...

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Sunday, 05/27/07

MVC: Jays Celebrate Game of The Year

Right now, I'm sitting back in the press box, and my knees are buckling. The adrenaline is just pouring still at the moment.

Before I can even go on, that was the greatest baseball game a fan could ever wish to see (unless they were a Shockers fan). That's the game of the year regardless of any sport.

Creighton, in a true test of fortitude, wins it 10-9 in 12 innings, and the jubilant Jays were more than happy to talk about this one.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

Big 12: Uh-oh, here comes OU again.

Just like last night, the Sooners, once left for dead ar making a late run. Their fans here also just cheered when the Wichita State loss in the MoValley final was announced.

Sooners have scored two more runs here in the 8th, an RBI single from Joseph Hughes, who later came around to score on a throwing error by Bears 3Bman Raynor Campbell. But Randall Linebaugh came in to get the final two outs and calm things down for BU.

So it's now Baylor 7-4 going into the 9th.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

MVC: SMALL WINS IT FOR CREIGHTON!!!

I. AM. SPENT.

In the most dramatic baseball game one will ever see in his life, Andrew Small wins it for Creighton with a double to left center that neither Tyler Hill nor Andy Dirks could snag. Brandon Knox comes home with the biggest run in CU history, and the Bluejays dogpile at home, celebrating their very first MVC Tournament title.

It's also the first year CU has won the MVC Baseball AND Basketball Tournaments.

But still, you HATE seeing WSU lose this one. This was the greatest game of the year in college baseball, bar none. I'd put it up for any baseball award you can THROW at it.

There will obviously be a lot more from Springfield, as we'll have post-game coverage, and hopefully some great interviews. Once again, in the most dramatic of fashions one could ever imagine, Creighton is the 2007 Missouri Valley Champion.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

MVC: 1-2-3 Inning, Creighton's Turn

Creighton's Casey Schmidt wastes very little time setting Wichita down in order, so Roemmich is batting now in the bottom of the 12th with this game still tied at 9-9.

Wichita has Jared Simon facing the Bluejay order...

UPDATE: Roemmich walks, Brandon Knox to PR for him at first. 0 outs, and Ogden is up.

Eric, FSN has this game tape delayed...it's in the 2nd on there right now, so if you hurry home, you'll see the rest.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

MVC: LEAPING CATCH AT THE WALL!!!

A blast to center field that would've won the game, and the tournament for Creighton was DENIED by Andy Dirks, who made a leaping catch while colliding into the wall in center field. Amazingly, he hangs on to it, and we head to the 12th tied at 9-9.

This one takes the cake. Words are useless to describe how awesome this game has been.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

MVC: WOW! Creighton Ties It Again!!!!

UN-FREAKIN-BELIEVABLE!

Creighton stages a dramatic two out rally in the bottom of the 11th, as a Ross Sinclair double down the left field line scored Chad Ogden, and Chris Gradoville followed with a double of his own to score Robbie Knight from third and Sinclair from second, tying the game at 9-9.

Now, Creighton's got the winning run in Gradoville at second, and Darin Ruf can win the game for the Bluejays.

I dare ANYONE to top this game this week...ANYONE. To say this game is incredible is an insult! Just...wow. I am in awe!

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Sunday, 05/27/07

Big 12: Wish I was at the MVC finals

I'm the only fool in this whole damn building that is visibly freaking out over that 11-inning 9-9 game between Creighton and Wichita State.

Where's the FREAKIN' video feed for that one! Craaaaaaap!

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Sunday, 05/27/07

MVC: Now Wichita's Three Outs Away

First, Creighton was three outs away from the tournament title, but Wichita scored the tying run to send it to extras. Now, the Shockers are three outs away from their 16th tournament crown. Matt Brown drove Andy Dirks home on a fielder's choice to short, so the lead for Wichita State is now 9-6 as we head to the bottom of the 11th.

This is gut-check time for both teams. Creighton's got to dig deep and find one more rally in them, while Wichita must find it in them to shut the door on this tournament, capping off a fantastic run through the loser's bracket.

Noah Krol bunted safely in the top of the 11th. He'll now face the bottom of the Creighton order in order to win the biggest game of his season.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

MVC: Shocks Grab First Lead of Game

The roars haven't been this loud for the entire tournament.

Wichita State, coming off an amazing comeback to tie it in the 9th, has just grabbed the lead. Tyler Weber led off with a single that just made it over the glove of Bluejays 2B Michael Lam. Cody Lassley replaced him at first as a pinch runner, and he'd advance to second on Noah Krol's bunt that was booted by Scott Reese, leaving both runners safe at first and second.

Andy Dirks then came up, and when WSU needed him the most, he's come through. Dirks hit a shot to the gap in right center for a stand-up double, scoring Lassley and Krol, and the Shocker fans are going insane over on the first base side. Creighton's players are in disbelief, as Wichita State now leads 8-6 with nobody out.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

MVC: Scoreboard Goes Blank, On to 11th

The media from the MVC locales are calling this the tourney that won't end.

Myself, I'm calling it the tourney finale of the year.

Creighton got the winning run as far as second base, but TJ Roemmich grounded to the second baseman, and we head to the 11th inning tied at 6-6.

Just for a quick recap...

Wichita State......0..0..0.....0..0..1.....0..4..1.....0
Creighton............0..0..2.....0..0..4.....0..0..0.....0

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Sunday, 05/27/07

Big 12: Casualty count- 2 OU coaches tossed.

Baylor - 7
OU - 1 (bottom 7)

Sooners break through for a run here in the 6th. But leave the bases juiced when Aljay Davis goes down looking. Earlier in the at-bat, Davis was called for a check swing strike that really wasn't. The OU 1st base coach came charging in toward homeplate ump Bob Homolka. Instantly, he was tossed out of the game.

Then OU head coach Sunny Galloway went nose-to-nose with Homolka and unsurprisingly was tossed as well. That got the ire of the entire Sooner Nation. Homolka was at fault here too 'coz he called the half-swing, nay, one-eighth swing a swinging strike without checking with the 1st base ump.

Not good umping... if that's a word.

Oh, and on top of all that, it's starting to rain here again, messing up my hair.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

MVC: Shockers Go In Order In 10th

Creighton might've felt down for losing a 6-1 lead, but that's changed to a feeling of determination, and you could see it in every move they made defensively.

Reese started the inning by walking Tyler Hill. Josh Workman struck out, and then Danny Jackson grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning, as fist pumps from every kid in a Creighton jersey could be seen.

Creighton sends up the 2-3-4 batters against WSU's RHP Jared Simon.

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Sunday, 05/27/07

MVC: Title Game Goes to Extra Innings

Creighton goes down in order in the bottom of the ninth, meaning that the 2007 Missouri Valley Tournament will be decided in extra innings.

WOW.

This game has had it all. Great pitching early, great hitting late, and a comeback for the ages. I don't care how exhausted you can get, or if you've never seen these two teams play...THIS is a game worth getting excited about.

Wichita sends the 5-6-7 hitters to face Reese. Every pitch and swing counts now....a conference tournament crown is at stake here in Springfield, and the crowd has never been noisier. I'm speechless...what a game!

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Sunday, 05/27/07

MVC: We're Tied in the Ninth!

The 90 minute rain delay was worth every minute....WHAT A GAME!

Andy Dirks led off the Wichita ninth with a shot to left center that a leaping Andrew Small couldn't snag, resulting in a double. He would advance to third on a grounder by Derek Schermerhorn, and would score on a deep fly to left field by Matt Brown.

We are KNOTTED UP at 6 as Creighton bats in the bottom of the ninth. Will we have extra innings. or will Creighton win it right here, right now?

Have I mentioned how much I am loving this game? This is college baseball at its best tonight!

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big 12: Baylor making this one ugly... coyote ugly.

Baylor - 7
Oklahoma - 0 (top 6th)

Matt Czinsky has belted another home run, this one a two-run jobbie in the 4th inning and BU starter Kendall Volz has a three-hitter going through 5.0 innings. And if I'm keeping my book correctly, he's also racked up nine strikeouts along the way.

There's still plenty of time and all, but Baylor has dominated things from the word go tonight. They look like the team that has been boiling hot the second half of the season.

And I know I've harped on it before, but Bricktown Ballpark LOVES AC/DC... and I'm not upset about this. Right now their blasting Shook Me All Night Long over the P.A. Little kids are dancing in revelry. Old ladies are singing along. And the gaggle of bikers down the right field line is slam dancing.

(halucinating here... we're on game No. 4, ya' know?)

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: Reese Saves Jays, We Have a GAME.

Scott Reese did his job for Creighton, retiring all three batters he faced. However, Danny Jackson's fly out to the warning track in center brought home Tyler Hill, and we've got a 6-5 game after 7 1/2 innings.

Creighton needs insurance right now. Wichita's outs were all fly balls in the eighth, and they aren't missing many balls now. It'll be the 5-6-7 hitters for CU going up against Noah Booth, whose job it is to shut the Jays down to give his team a shot in the ninth.

So here we go...will CU get insurance? Will Wichita tie it up? With Creighton just three outs away from its first ever MVC Tournament title, it'll be one wild finish here in Springfield!!!

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: Shockers Refusing to Fold

You would think, after losing the first game, coming back and fighting your way to today, winning a pitcher's duel in a dramatic ninth, and going through a grand total of 4 1/2 hours of rain delays this week would take a severe emotional toll on the Wichita State Shockers.

It hasn't. This is one gritty team that just doesn't give up easy.

The Shockers have found their bats in the top of the eighth. Derek Schermerhorn singled, and advanced to second on a single to left by Matt Brown. They would both score on a double by Conor Gillaspie that bounced off the wall in the left center power alley. Tyler Hill then singled to right to score Gillaspie, and Josh Workman just doubled off the left field wall, putting runners on second and third.

So how do you like this? Scott Reese comes into the game to pitch, as Andy Masten has been severely battered in this inning. Creighton started the inning up five, but Wichita has cut it to 6-4, and the tying run is on second with nobody out.

You just gotta love baseball in the Valley. Man, you gotta love this!

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Saturday, 05/26/07

ACC: Game four wrap

Tomorrow 1pm, North Carolina vs. Wake Forest for the ACC Tournament title

UNC will start Luke Putkonen (7-1, 4.55 ERA in 59.1 innings) while Wake will give Charlie Mellies only his fourth start. Mellies has pitched only 11 innings all season and is 1-2 with a 7.36 ERA.

Not exactly a marquee pitching matchup, but Wake has pulled off two stunners in a row, so why would you think they couldn't do it again?

Post-game quotes after the jump...

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: Close Game Turns to Bluejay Bash

Creighton has found their bats in the bottom of the sixth, and this one has become ugly.

After Chad Gradoville popped out to right. Darin Ruf singled, and then scored on a double down the left field line by Steve Winkelmann, making it a 3-1 game. A wild pitch moved Winkelmann to third, and three more balls by WSU's Kyle Touchatt put Masten on first and sent Gene Stephenson out to hand him a free ticket to the showers. LHP Noah Booth came into the game, having a 6-1 record and 0.98 ERA.

He doesn't have that 0.98 ERA anymore.

Chad Ogden absolutely punished a fastball delivery, sending it WAY over the bullpen fence in left field, and the blue-clad fans behind the third base dugout broke into hysterics as the Bluejays leaped out of the dugout to mob him, as well as Winkelmann and Masten, at home plate. It's a 6-1 Creighton lead as we head to the seventh.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

ACC: Would you believe Wake?

Wake Forest stunned the ACC and saddened Clemson by beating Miami 7-3

The win punches Wake's ticket to the ACC championship game to face North Carolina in, oh... about 13 hours.

It also eliminated Clemson, which had beaten Florida State in the previous game.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big 12: Baylor increases lead. I channel Stacy Hamilton from Fast Times

Baylor now up 4-zip.

Tim Jackson hit a blooper down the left field line to put increase the Bears lead to 4-0 here in Oklahoma City, midway through the 3rd inning. Thanks to five OU walks issued, BU has already been through their lineup twice in three innings.

In reference to all the responses to the food at ballparks and in press boxes, it brings to mind what Stacy Hamilton said in Fast Times at Ridgemont High while trailing her finger through some marinara sauce, "I'm gonna get so fat working here."

I've been eating absolute crap for three days. I must say, I haven't eaten a whole hell of a lot, but what I have eaten is a collection of things that you don't want to know the Carbon 14 dating results to. And a good portion of beers too. Bad crutch.

When I get home, I'm going to run for hours. Or until I feel my own Carbon 14 dating measure begin to subside.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: Shocks Cut Lead in Half

For a second, I thought I seriously jinxed Creighton's Pat Venditte. However, a huge crisis ended with minor damage for the Bluejays, as Wichita State became the first team in 43.2 innings and 17 appearances to score a run on the switch pitcher.

There was some controversy though...

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: Venditte In Total Control

He's making it look easy.

Pat Venditte strikes out Tyler Weber, moves his glove to another hand, and then strikes out Dusty Coleman. Wichita has gotten no further than second base, and we are halfway home in 1:02 with Creighton on top, 2-0.

Memo to College Baseball Fans Everywhere: If Venditte is pitching at a regional near you, get over there and watch this kid in action. You won't see anything like it, and it is a treat to watch this guy pitch (Well, a treat for everyone except the Shocker fans). He's 12 outs away from a tournament title, his first win as a starter, and my vote for tournament MVP (which he has if WSU doesn't come back).

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Saturday, 05/26/07

ACC: Canes not endearing themselves to Clemson fans

The Miami Hurricanes are cratering, and the Clemson Tigers are paying for it.

Wake scored two runs in the sixth without a hit and Miami responded in the bottom of the inning by loading the bases with none out and getting bupkis out of it.

After six innings, Wake leads Miami 7-2.

The Deacon lineup has only five hits, but has benefited from six walks.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: Creighton Bats Warm First

I'm getting a kick out of this game so far. The fans may be small in number, but they are doing some SERIOUS trash talking, and it's a riot to listen to from up here.

Creighton has become the team of singles, as base hits from Andrew Small and Robbie Knight put runners at the corners with one out. Ross Sinclair then laced a single to left to score Small and give the Jays the first run of the game. Gene Stephenson had a short leash on Hutson, and he pulled him in favor of RHP Kyle Touchatt. The switch didn't fare any better, as Darin Ruf hit a bouncing ball up the middle to score Knight, giving the Jays a two-run cushion for Pat Venditte to work with.

The trash talking continues, and it's great. The Shocker fans outnumber Creighton's by about 20-1, but the Bluejay boosters are holding their own in a verbal battle of wits in the stands.

2-0 Creighton as we head to the fourth.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MWC: TCU Wins Title in Storybook Fashion

It could not have been scripted any better for the TCU Horned Frogs. In the most exciting finish in a week full of thrillers, TCU rallied for four runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to pull off a 9-8 win over BYU for the MWC Championship.

With one out and an 8-5 TCU deficit, Clint Arnold gutted out a double to get the Horned Frogs started. Steven Trout followed up with a walk for two on with one out. Corey Steglich struck out, setting the stage for cleanup hitter Austin Adams as the tying run.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big 12: Damn Baylor, can't you wait 'til we get into our seats?

Whoever shows up fashionably late like a Dodgers crowd here at Bricktown will have already missed a lot.

The first six batters for the Bears went:
- single
- walk
- sac bunt
- two-RBI single
- walk
- walk
(pitching change)

Tim Jackson and Shaver Hansen buy the beer after stopping the rally with a pair of outs.

Baylor up 2-0 with OU coming up to bat. Beamer Weems was the one who got the big two-run hit. OU starter Ryan Mottern got pulled after six batter and was replaced by Nich Conaway.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: Cold Night, Cold Bats

The rains earlier have definitely cooled things off by 10 degrees. Today's first game started with a temperature of 75, and it's 65 outside right now.

Wichita won the first game 2-1 this afternoon, and it looks like it might be another pitcher's duel tonight. After two innings, both teams only have one hit, and there really hasn't been a lot of good contact made tonight. Both teams are hitting a lot of slow grounders and shallow pop-ups.

Will the bats heat up? I hope they do for someone. We've got to crown a champion tonight, and a 0-0 game in extra innings can really be a frustrating game for all.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

ACC: Leggett is punching pillows

Well, I would be if I were him. Wake has taken a 5-2 lead after five innings.

If Wake holds on, they'll win the tie-breaker with Clemson and advance to tomorrow's title game with North Carolina.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: Historic First For Venditte

As the nation's only switch pitcher, Pat Venditte makes history with every first he does. Tonight, he's set the Shockers down in order in the first; a great start to his first career start.

Hutson, though, answered right back with a 1-2-3 inning for Wichita. Ross Sinclair hit a long fly that, if it had some wind aid, would've cleared the fence. Instead, Shocker LF Tyler Hill caught it at the warning track.

0-0 after a seven minute first inning.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: Finally, the Title Game!

After a 90 minute rain delay, we are set for baseball here in Springfield, as Gene Stephenson and his #1 Wichita State Shockers look to claim their 16th MVC Tournament title. Standing in their way are Ed Servais and his #2 Creighton Bluejays, winners of 24 of their last 27 games.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

SEC: What A Tenth, VANDY WINS

This was truly unreal. Unreal. Down 6-3, Dominic de la Osa led off the 10th with a solo homer to make it 6-4. Back-to-back singles by Pedro Alvarez and Ryan Flaherty put runners on 1st and 2nd. Matt Meingasner laid down a SAC bunt, but third baseman Cody Overbeck threw it away down the right field line to cut the lead to 6-5. Runners were now on 2nd and third for Shea Robin who lined a base hit into rightfield that scored both runners and Vandy won 7-6 without ever recording an out in the inning.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MWC: TCU Mounts Furious Rally, Wins Title

TCU's Austin Adams just hit a 3-run home run and Matt Vern knocked in the game-winning RBI in a thrilling 9-8 victory over BYU in the bottom of the ninth to secure the MWC Championship. More to come...

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Saturday, 05/26/07

SEC: Thrown Away

Wow...Peyton Farr for Ole Miss was trying to squeeze with the bases loaded and one out, but missed the bunt. Shea Robin the catcher for Vandy had the runner caught between third and home but then threw the ball into leftfield, over Pedro Alvarez's head, leading to two runs coming around to score and Ole Miss retaking the lead, 5-3. Unreal. Those things usually don't happen to the best team in the country. Peyton Farr then hit a ball up the midle that was grabbed by shortstop Ryan Flaherty who came home with the drawn in infield and couldn't get the runner. 6-3 Ole Miss.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big 12: Good news, bad news

Missouri - 13 14 0
OklaState - 1 5 0

The Tigers completed the run-rule win in a big time manner. The last inning of the game was played in a steady rain.

The tarp is being pulled back off the field as we speak. It has been said that if rain puts a damper on things, they'll pick up the Baylor-Oklahoma game tomorrow morning. 11 o'clock is the cutoff time. If they can't get it started before then, it's on to tomorrow. Right now it looks like things will get kicked off on time. More soon.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

ACC: Really, Really, Really Big Fly

Up till now, teams have not allowed Wake Forest's mammoth first baseman Allan Dykstra to see anything worth hitting.

For the tournament, he was 0-for-4 with four walks and two HBP's.

He just showed why teams have pitched around him.

With a man on in the top of the third, Dykstra got a pitch to his liking and cranked it completely out of the stadium, easily clearing the outfield seats in right.

Wake and Miami are now tied 2-2.

Jack Leggett is punching pillows again.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

SEC: Ties It Up

David Macias' SAC fly with one out plated Shea Robin to tie the game at 3-3. Vandy had 1st and 3rd with nobody out, and could only get the one run to tie things up. To the 10th we go here in Hoover with Casey Weathers still on the mound for Vandy.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: 8:40 Start Time

That's the word from the grounds crew here at Hammons Field, confirmed by Erica Stelling, who is keeping us sane right now. I think we're all a little restless up here in the press box.

Erica said the tarp would be pulled at 7:45. It was pulled at 7:44. Not bad.

However, the delay has caused the press box to thin out. Even reporters from the Wichita Eagle have decided to head back home to Kansas. I guess Mother Nature really does hamper journalistic endeavours sometimes.

They're still trying to sweep the water away from the field here, but the teams have made it here to the game. They've been staying at the University Plaza Hotel, located just a block away from the stadium.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MWC: Crunch Time for TCU

The Horned Frogs picked up another run in the seventh, but go into the ninth inning trailing 8-5. They'll need to get some quick outs and pick up some clutch hitting to avoid playing a double-header today.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

ACC: Sometimes spectacular effort goes unrewarded

It just did for Wake Forest left fielder Brett Linnenkohl.

With two out and a man on, Miami's Richard O'Brien crushed a ball to left. Linnenkohl took off after it at full speed, slowed a bit at the warning track, reached his glove up above the wall, and caught the ball.

Unfortunately for Linnenkohl, the play didn't end there.

He crashed into the wall a split second later and his glove, ball inside, fell off his hand and over the wall.

Two-run homer. 2-0 Miami at the end of two innings.

Jack Leggett is whooping joyously somewhere. Or maybe he's just smiling.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MWC: There's No Crying in the Press Box

I've just seen one of the saddest displays I've ever witnessed in a press box. After a tough play at third base, TCU's Steven Trout couldn't make an out that the official scorer ruled a hit for BYU's Stephen Wells.

One of the women from the TCU radio broadcast stormed into the press box from her outside booth and proceeded to whine to the official scorer that it should have been an error. And this was after a similar display on Friday.

She acted like a five-year-old crying about being sent to timeout -- you know -- using a high-pitched ascending tone of voice and almost stomping her feet on the way out of the box. Just pathetic.

As for game action, BYU still has an 8-4 lead in the seventh inning.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

SEC: On To The Ninth

Ole Miss' Cody Satterwhite was brought in in the 8th, and after getting the first two outs, he then walked Pedro Alvarez on five pitches, gave up a single to Ryan Flaherty, before Matt Meingasner grounded out to end the inning, as the Ole Miss fans roared. Satterwhite left to cheers of "CODY! CODY! CODY!" Good scene her in Hoover. The Rebels are three outs away from returning to the championship game, leading 3-2 and looking for some insurance in the top of the ninth.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

ACC: Game four begins, game three quotes

Miami and Wake Forest are just starting the nightcap. Clemson's win eliminated Miami, but even though the Canes can't win the tournament title, they are likely still playing for a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Wake Forest now controls its own destiny -- win and they play Carolina tomorrow. A Miami win sends Clemson to the title game.

Miami will throw Enrique Garcia (7-3, 3.14 ERA in 80.1 innings) against Wake Forest's Ben Hunter. Hunter is 6-6 with a 4.55 ERA. He has allowed opposing hitters to bat .290 and has thrown 10 wild pitches and has hit 7 batters in 63.1 innings, so he doesn't always know where it's going when he lets go.

Actually, we're already through one inning. Wake went down quickly in the first, and Blake Tekotte led off the bottom of the inning with a triple into the right field corner. But Miami wasted the opportunity when Roger Tomas popped up, and Yonder Alonso and Dennis Raben struck out.

I wonder if Jack Leggett is sitting in his hotel room, watching the game on TV, wearing a Miami shirt, and pounding pillows over that start?

Probably not..

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big 12: Run rule! Run rule! Run rule!

After a three-spot here in the top of the 5th, Missouri now leads 12-1.

So if this holds up, we may just be blessed with a run-rule game. So it will only go seven innings, right? Beauty. I've become a Missouri fan in this game that doesn't mean anything since both teams are 0-2 in the tournament.

OSU coming to bat in the bottom of the 5th now.

Oap!... one pitch, one out. YES! It's going faster than expected.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

SEC: 99 Pitches

Scott Bittle of Ole Miss has come out of the game after seven real good innings of two run ball. After the two run first, Bittle shut down Vandy the rest of the way up until this point, walking none and giving up seven hits and striking out three. We head to the bottom of the 8th, Vandy coming up trailing 3-2.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MWC: TCU Can't Catch a Break, Loses Best Player

TCU just can't get the stars to align today. The Horned Frogs picked up a pair of runs in the fifth, but Keith Conlon, the best player in Las Vegas this week, pulled up lame with a hamstring injury and is out of the game. Conlon is 8-for-12 with two home runs, six RBI and six runs scored in MWC Championship play.

Corey Steglich, a solid hitter in his own right with a .327 average takes his place in the lineup, but if this series goes to another game, missing Conlon could loom very large for the Horned Frogs.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big 12: Sorry I haven't updated in a while...

Okay, first off, this third game is currently an ugly one. Mizzou is up 9-1 after four complete innings in Bricktown. The big blow came from Jacob Priday's two-run bomb in the 4th. MU has also strung together a bunch of key hits to pick away at OSU, who is on its third pitcher of the night.

The reason I haven't blogged in a while is because I took one look at the moldy-looking pasta and waxy salad that they had laid out for the media to eat up here in the press box and said, "That does it... I'm going to finally try to eat SOMETHING good on this trip."

So I went to Coach's Restaurant that sits down the left field line and ordered the rack of ribs. Much to Mark Etheridge's delight, they're referred to as the "Bear Bryant Rack of Ribs." They were very, very peppery, maybe overly-so. But they weren't bad. I also had cole slaw (isn't it funny how cole slaw is either REALLY good or REALLY bad?) and baked beans.

Had to wash it down with a Red River Pale Ale. As usual, these micor-brew brews are too bitter. Poor after-taste. You know how those are. Went with a regular Miller Lite for round two.

Rumor in the press box is that there is a line of rain clouds about 30 minutes away from here to the West. So that means it's moving this way. Just what we needed.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

WCC: San Diego forces a third game

San Diego scored nine runs after the fifth inning as the Toreros beat Gonzaga 13-5 in Game 2 of the West Coast Conference championship series. There series is now tied 1-1, going into the third and desisve game tomorrow.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: Rain Delay Continues

It's still raining in Springfield, and we'll have a delayed start to the MVC Championship Game.

I just spoke with Erica Stelling, who told me that they were hoping to pull the tarp by 7:45. So far, according to the NOAA Weather Radar, Stelling might be right on target with the tarp pull.

We don't know the lineups just yet, but we do know the starters. Wichita is throwing LHP Max Hutson (1-2, 4.03), while Creighton counters with the nation's only switch pitcher, that is LHP/RHP Pat Venditte, who is 8-2 with a 1.87 ERA.

When the game starts, we will have you covered. For now, it's raining in Springfield.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

SEC: Walk On To The Rescue

Excellent story just took place here in Hoover, Vandy reliever Jason Cunningham who had all of 2.2 innings to his credit, and was a former team manager and was a walk-on this year, just came in and shut down Ole Miss the past three innings (will have his final line in a little bit). But talk about coming into a pressure packed situation. This from a kid that looked as if he could barely hit 80 on the gun.

Ole Miss still leads 3-2 in the top of the 7th, with no scoring since the top of the 2nd when I opened my loud mouth and said the run that scored will not be the game winner. I may have jinxed that, but I still doubt it. Vandy's phenom reliever Casey Weathers is now in the game to try and keep the Rebels off the scoreboard the rest of the way.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MWC: BYU Punishing TCU Pitching

The Cougars finally put an end to TCU starter Chance Corgan's day, but reliever Donald Furrow couldn't stop the bleeding as BYU picked up two more runs in the top of the fifth. They've scored in four out of five innings and have now extended their lead to 8-2.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

A-Sun: Final Thoughts, All-Tournament Team

What an impressive tournament run by Jacksonville. After suffering an opening round loss to Belmont, the Dolphins survived three days in the loser's bracket winning four straight games, including back-to-back wins against the Bruins today.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MWC: TCU Misses Another Opportunity

TCU keeps knocking, but can't quite break through as another double play put an end to a potentially big inning in the fourth. Keith Conlon, who continues his torrid pace through the MWC Championship, opened the bottom of the inning with a solo shot off of Blaine Howell. Conlon entered today's game hitting 7-of-9 with four RBI and five runs scored.

As the inning progressed Austin Adams and Matt Vern got on the corners with one out for TCU before Bryan Kervin took the batter's box. He battled through several pitches with Howell at a 2-2 count, but Howell once again got the batter to bite on the right pitch as Adams grounded into a double play to end the inning and another golden opportunity for a TCU rally.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

A-Sun: Here We Go...

Belmont is down to its last three outs, trailing 7-6 with the A-Sun Tournament title and an automatic NCAA Tournament berth on the line. Good news for the Bruins is the meat of their order will come to the plate.

Ben Petsch grounds out to shortstop.

Derek Wiley grounds out to shortstop.

Kane Simmons swings for strike three, but the catcher drops the ball. Simmons is thrown out at first. Jacksonville commences to dog piling on infield grass.

The Dolphins are your A-Sun Tournament Champs, and in all likelihood will play at a Tallahassee Regional hosted by No. 2 Florida State.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

WCC: Toreros blow it open

Looks like I'm going to have another night in San Diego.

The Toreros put up a six spot in the seventh, and are now leading 11-4.

Gonzaga starter Brandon Harmon got pulled after giving up two runs in the inning, and his replacement, Jeremey Stumetz, didn't do much better giving up another two.

Just by looking at the stat sheet, one of Gonzaga's weaknesses is the bullpen. For one, it's not even used very often, and only one pitcher has an ERA under four.

USD catcher Jordan Abruzzo is having a very nice game, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

A-Sun: That One Hurts

Belmont reliever Chris Manning, who took the mound in the previous inning, walked Jacksonville's Kevin Ferreira to lead off the top of the eighth. With two outs, Chuck Opachich laced a single into right to plate Ferreira and give the Dolphins a 7-6 lead.

That just secured Opachich a spot on my all-tournament team ballot.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

ACC: Copp locks up FSU and Miami

Clemson rode outstanding pitching from David Copp to a 5-1 upset over #1-seed Florida State in the third game of the day.

The loss is the first of the season for FSU's Bryan Henry, the ACC Pitcher of the Year. Henry is now 14-1.

Clemson's win eliminates both FSU and Miami.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MWC: Frogs Get on Board, Still Trail by 3

Just when it looked like the TCU offense was ready to explode, a double play put an end to the Horned Frogs third inning with just one run. The first three TCU batter got on base as Ben Carruthers knocked in Bryan Kervin to bring up the top of the lineup with two on and no outs.

But leadoff hitter Clint Arnold flied out and Steven Trout couldn't get the ball past shortstop Dan Vargas, who started the double play to end the inning. After three, the Cougars hold a 4-1 lead.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

A-Sun: Back and Forth

No runs are going unanswered at Melching Field. Jacksonville responded to Belmont's game-tying sixth with a pair of two-out hits for a 6-5 lead in the seventh.

Ryan McArdle had a two-out double, and Brad Simmons singled to drive him in.

Belmont's Kane Simmons doubled to lead off the bottom of the inning, and Daniel Wagner plated him to tie the game at 6.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MWC: Cougars Pad Early Lead

Chance Corgan is struggling at the mound and lucky to have just a 4-0 deficit with BYU knocking in another run in the top of the third inning. After giving up a double to Kent Walton when right fielder Austin Adams lost the ball in the sun, Corgan walked Steve Parker. A balk advanced the runners to second and third with no outs and it looked like the Cougars were about to make another big run.

But they just got one run on a sacrifice fly that scored Walton as a couple of nice defensive plays got the Horned Frogs out of the inning.

I'm waiting for an explosion from the TCU offense. Their batters have been the most consistent and disciplined of the tournament and I'd be shocked if they don't respond soon.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

WCC: Toreros regain lead

Gonzaga head coach Mark Machtolf doesn't like going to the bullpen but he might be forced to very soon.

San Diego scored a run in the top of the fifth to take a 5-4 lead.Torero lead off hitter Justin Snyder hit a single to left field to drive in Sean Nicol.

Gonzaga starter Brandon Harmon has now given up five earned runs on 11 hits, three walks and two strikeouts.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

ACC: Clemson gets some breathing room

Florida State's Bryan Henry came into the day with a 14-0 record in 16 starts. In ACC play, he was 9-0 in 10 starts.

The best he can hope for today, however, is a no-decision, and he's on the hook for a loss after being knocked out in the sixth.

At the stretch, Clemson leads FSU 4-0.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

C-USA Tournament: Rice-ECU championship set...finally!

Rice finally won this 3 hour and 10 minute slugfest 20-9, eliminating the fifth-seeded Memphis Tigers and claiming its spot in tomorrow's championsip game.

"Well they're young guys and if they get a good night's rest, everything should be alright," coach Graham said of the fact that his team played so much baseball today.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: It's Raining...Again

We're down to the championsihp game between Wichita State and Creighton, which is scheduled for 7:05 pm tonight. However, the tarp is on the field with the beginning of showers in the Springfield/Greene County area.

And apparently, it's just the beginning, as a line of thunderstorms from SW Missouri is making their way up here, meaning that the game is probably going to start at a later time.

We'll have it for you though, as coverage of the 2007 Missouri Valley Tournament Championship continues from Hammons Field. Stay tuned to Touching the Bases for the latest.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big 12: Texas holds on to beat Nebraska 5-4.

NU fought and scratched enough to make this a white-knuckler, but the Longhorns Randy Boone was able to make enough good pitches and get enough outs to pull out the one-run win. Austin Wood pitched 3.2 innings of 1-hit, zero-run ball to improve his record to 8-1. Boone's save was his 13th of the year.

A couple of interesting comments in the post-game.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

C-USA Tournament: ECU should be loving this

ECU Head Coach Billy Godwin joked after ECU won, saying that we would love to see Memphis and Rice wear eachother out today, and i'm sure he's pleased with the results.

Rice and Memphis continue to score runs and waste pitches here at Clark-LeClair Stadium, and the second-seeded Pirates have to be loving it. Rice brought in its closer Cole St. Clair in the seventh inning because Memphis was trying to make a game of things, and St. Clair has thrown a lot of pitches today. Rice is probably going to win this game, but Memphis is getting people on base and raising St. Clair's pitch count and lowering the numbers of rest hours Rice will have before tomorrow's championship game at 1 p.m. This has been a long day for Rice, which surely benefits ECU.

Rice has 13 runs and 14 hits, Memphis has 9 runs and 17, repeat 17 hits, as we head to the ninth.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

A-Sun: Briuns Tie It Up

Carlos Testa doubled to the warning track in right field with two outs in the bottom of the sixth. Packy Elkins then drove him in with a single to tie the score at 5.

Wilson Tucker doubled and Ben Petsch drew a walk to load the bases with two outs. But Derek Wiley ended the inning with a ground ball for a force out at third.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

WCC: Gonzaga ties it

Very similar to yesterday, Gonzaga has made a comeback against San Diego.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MWC: BYU Jumps Out in Front Early

BYU came to play today. Looking to extend their season at least one more game, the Cougars opened up strong with a three-run first inning to take a 3-0 lead after sending the first three TCU batters back to the dugout.

Dan Vargas got the party started for BYU with a single from the two spot. A walk and three singles from Kent Walton, Steve Parker and Kasey Ko later, and the Cougars have a nice early cushion.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

ACC: Strange stuff

After five innings, Clemson leads Florida State 2-0.

Clemson #9 hitter JD Burgess had no doubles in 118 at-bats this season, but he has two doubles in two plate appearances today. His second double opened the bottom of the fifth. He advanced to third on a sac bunt. Then, on a 1-1 count, Clemson tried the suicide squeeze, but Wilson Boyd was only able to foul off Bryan Henry's neck-high fastball. He struck out on the next pitch, but Marquez Smith followed with an infield single on a 1-2 pitch to score the Tigers' second run of the game.

FSU has had a hit every inning, but that's all they've had. Three of the hits even led off innings, but David Copp was able to pitch through it every time.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MWC: Flyover Kicks Off Championship Round

I'm impressed. The Mountain West arranged for a flyover as a plane soared over Earl E. Wilson Stadium at the end of the national anthem, a move usually saved for an event like the Rose Bowl...

Ok. Maybe it was a Southwest passenger jet landing at McCarran International Airport which is just down the street, but it was still pretty cool.

Anyhow, we get the championship round started today with TCU hoping to close out BYU in one game. If the Cougars want the title and the automatic bid to the NCAA postseason, they'll have to win two in a row. BYU starts Blaine Howell (2-2, 4.63 ERA) while the Horned Frogs bring Chance Corgan (7-1, 3.72 ERA) to the mound.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

SEC: Battle Royale

After Ole Miss nearly hit for the cycle as a team in the first (Zach Miller with his third homer, Justin Henry with a triple, and Cody Overbeck with a double), Vanderbilt came right back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first on a Ryan Flaherty 2 run double. Now Ole Miss' Alex Kliman connected on his sixth double of the year in the top of the 2nd with nobody out. I have a funny feeling that the next run will not win this game.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big Ten - Rain Delay ... Again.

The seventh-inning stretch will be a little longer than originally planned - there's another rain delay. Penn State just beat the incoming rain by scoring two runs in its last time at bat, but Minnesota won't have a chance to answer until the rain rolls through. It's the second time this game that rain has stopped play, and it's taken almost three hours to play six and a half innings (counting both rain delays).

I'm not sure how long it will be, but it's looking like we're going to be sitting here for awhile.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

A-Sun: It's a Race for All-Tourney MVP

As I struggle to fill out my all-tournament team ballot, there's little question who will take MVP honors. It's really a two-man race between Belmont's Kane Simmons and Jacksonville's Pete Clifford, and it's going down to the wire.

Simmons gave Belmont a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the third with a two-out solo homer to right field. It was the 14th homer of the season and second of the tournament for Simmons, who came into the day batting .500 in the tournament with a tournament-best six RBI.

Clifford, the A-Sun Player of the Year, responded in the top of the fifth with a two-run shot to right, his second of the day, third of the tournament and league-best 15th of the season. He came into the day batting .385.

Jacksonville leads 5-4 going into the sixth.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big Ten - Penn State Trying to Beat the Rain

Top 7th - It looks like the umpires here at Fisher Stadium are thinking about postponing or calling the game because of rain that's quickly rolling in - but Penn State is trying to tie or take control of the game before the rain comes. Mike Deese singles, then moves to second with a Rick Marlin walk. Scott Kelley hits to move Deese to third.

0-2 count ... and Garrett Field hits a single to give Penn State a run - the score is now tied, 2-2, in the top of the 7th. The top of the order is up, bases are loaded, one out. There's a little bit of action in the Minnesota bullpen, but not much.

Penn State takes the lead - on a close throw to home that's called safe. Marlin scores. The Minnesota coach comes out to argue with the umpire, but to no avail. The Penn State contingent in the stands is going wild. There are now runners on second and third, two outs. 3-2, Penn State, with rain rolling in - they've come through when it counts.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

C-USA Tournament: Game continues, Memphis not quitting

Memphis scored 3 runs in the sixth and 1 in the seventh to eliminate the 10-run rule possibility and extend the day of baseball, much to the dismay of all the people in the press box that have been here since 8 a.m. this morning.

Memphis has had a stong offensive game with 7 runs and 13 hits, the problem is Rice has the same number of runs as Memphis hits.

Rice 13, Memphis 7 after seven innings, in a real "fast-paced, pitchers duel" here at Clark-LeClair Stadium.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

WCC: Toreros gain advantage

No thanks to the crowd (which is acting like they are watching a movie), the Toreros got a baseloaded double in the top of the third from Logan Gelbrich to take a 2-1 lead.

Josh Romanski tried to score from first on the play, but was thrown out at the plate. Although, USD head coach Rich Hill argued for about 10 minutes that Romanski should have scored becuase the catcher was blocking the plate (he had a good arguement), but the call was not overtunred.

It was three up and three down fro Gonzaga in the bottom of the third, so the Toreros will now bat in the fourth.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

ACC: Clemson early, Wake thrilled

After three innings in Jacksonville, Clemson leads Florida State and undefeated Bryan Henry 1-0.

A Clemson win would eliminate both FSU and Miami.

FSU has had a hit every inning, but Clemson starter David Kopp has kept them in check.

Tony Thomas, Jr. has an infield single and a steal. For the season, he has 106 hits, 32 doubles, 6 triples, 11 homers, and 30 steals. He has been an absolute terror this week. He's just one of those guys who is so good you can't take your eyes off of him.

Clemson scored their run in the second when Taylor Harbin singled, moved to second on a balk, and scored on Addison Johnson's single.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

C-USA Tournament: Just a matter of time

Aaron Luna just hit a grand slam in the 6th that was the longest home run all week. Luna's blast, which extended the Rice lead to 13-3, went well over the raised fence in straight away center at Clark-LeClair Stadium. Rice scored 6 runs in the 6th inning, and it looks like Rice will win this game, the question is now is whether it will last the full 9 innings, the 10-run rule could come into effect.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big 12: Longhorns escape bases-loaded jam, go to the 9th

Still Texas 5 - Nebraska 4 going into the 9th.

First NU scored a run on a single where UT right fielder Kyle Russell misplayed the ball, then dropped it trying to pick it up. That error allowed Andy Gerch to score all the way from 1st base on a routine single.

NU worked the baes loaded with two out and had Jeff Lanning at the dish. Unfortunately for him, he weakly chopped a ball off the plate and the catcher caught the bounce and touched home for the last out.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

A-Sun: Trading Runs

Daniel Wagner had a one-out single to right, and Carlos Testa plated him with another single to right. Testa went on to score on a throwing error to give Belmont a 3-1 lead.

Jacksonville responded in the top of the third, taking advantage of some Bruins miscues. Ryan McArdle reached on a throwing error by Belmont third baseman Matt Reynolds. Belmont pitcher Ben Meador then walked Brad Simmons, and Thomas LePage singled to plate both runners.

Heading into the bottom of the third, score's tied at 3.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

WCC: Gonzaga takes the lead

Which one of these teams are ranked fifth in the nation?

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Saturday, 05/26/07

C-USA Tournament: No runs for Rice in the fifth, still in control though

Rice had a scoreless inning for the first time all game in the fifth, but is still winning 8-3 in the sixth inning.

It's only a 5-run deficit for Memphis, but Rice is cleary in control. Memphis has simply run out of pitching. The pace of the game and the sun is lulling the hundreds in the stands and the dozens in the press box to sleep.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

SEC: Battle Of Relief

As one might imagine, experienced starters at this point in the tournament are tough to come by, so, we'll see a pair of relievers start this one for Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, with the winner moving on to tomorrow's championship game against Arkansas. Vandy will be the home team, while Ole Miss changes uniform tops to be the road team.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big Ten - Minnesota Takes Control

Bottom 4th - Thanks to an error and some solid hits, Minnesota is now holding a 2-1 lead over Penn State. After singles by Kyle Baran and Bryan Jost, an error by Penn State third baseman Mike Deese helped to put both runners in scoring position. A sac fly by Derek McCallum scored Baran and tied the game for the Golden Gophers - and Jost scored two batters later on an RBI single by Matt Nohelty.

It's still cloudy and drizzling, and it's looking like there might be at least one more rain delay if the weather gets worse. But for now, Minnesota is leading by one.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

WCC: Talk about a wide strike zone

San Diego got two singles and runners on first and third with two outs, but Gonzaga's Brandon Hanson got out of the top of the first striking out USD's starting pitcher Josh Romanski.

Romanski looked at three strikes which looked to be four or five inches off the plate. If he gets that same pitch against the Zags, the United States national team player should have a good day.

Romanski looked sharpe in the bottom of the first, sending the Zags down in order.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

SEC: Final Thoughts On Game Two

Simple as this: Vandy dominated in every aspect of this one. They led things 8-0 before Ole Miss could blink, as Brett Bukvich just didn't have it today. He gave up 8 runs on 8 hits in just 1.1 innings. Jesse simpson did a good job stopping the bleeding and not making Mike Bianco use his bullpen when it became a reality that they would be playing another game today. Simpson went 6.1 innings giving up 7 hits and five runs (4 earned) while striking out two.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

A-Sun: Bruins Strike First

Packy Elkins drew a one-out walk from Jacksonville starter Justin Young (5-5, 3.17 ERA). Wilson Tucker then plated Elkins with a double to give Belmont a 1-0 lead.

Belmont starter Ben Meador (5-4, 3.90) gave up a two-out walk to Jacksonville's Kevin Ferreira in the top of the second. Matt Lopez drove him in with a single.

The score is tied at 1 heading into the bottom of the second.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big 12: From the Jorts capital of the world, it's still UT 4-3.

We're going through a pitching change here in OKC as Nebraska has men at 1st and 2nd and two outs here in the bottom of the 7th. Austin Wood has been replaced by Randy Boone, who is warming up as I write this.

By the way I forgot to mention, Adrian Alaniz only lasted 3.0 innings before giving way to Wood. He gave up 4hits, 3runs and 1 walk. So it wasn't the AA I was hoping to see this weekend.

Two more quick observations...
1- AC/DC has to be the most played band in college baseball. I've heard Back in Black, Thunderstruck and, surprisingly, Girl's Got Rythym so far today. I'm not sure I've been to a stadium that didn't play the Australian band.

and 2- I've seen more jean shorts this weekend than ever before.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

ACC: Game three begins, game two quotes

Florida State and Clemson are about to start game 3 of the day. Each team needs a win and help in the nightcap 4 to reach tomorrow's final against North Carolina. A FSU win would eliminate Wake Forest; a Clemson win would eliminate Miami.

FSU starts ACC Pitcher of the Year Bryan Henry. He's 14-0 in 16 starts with a 2.50 ERA. In 104.1 innings, he has struck out 107 and allowed only 88 hits.

Clemson throws David Kopp. In 15 starts, he's 52 with a 3.86 ERA in 84 innings.

Hey, guess what? Tony Thomas, Jr. just hit the first pitch of the game for a single. Shocking, huh?

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big Ten - Penn State Scores First

Top 3rd - Garrett Field, who has been a big player in this weekend's Big Ten tournament, just doubled to left field to get on base and get the Nittany Lions' first hit of the game. The top of the order is up, and Matt Cavagnaro singles ... Field scores from second to give Penn State an early lead.

1-0, Penn State.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

SEC: Mercy Ruled

Vandy scored three in the top of the eighth to end things here, with your final score, 13-1 Vanderbilt. The Commodores ounded out 16 hits to just three for Ole Miss in a completely dominating performance. Vandy has really woken up since being shutout through most of the first game against Tennessee. After awaking in the late innings of that one, the bats haven't cooled off, as they have now scored 28 runs in the last two games. I'll have the final lines and the pitchers for today's final contest coming up in a bit, it'll get underway at 445 central time.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

C-USA Tournament: Rice scoring at will, or maybe at Neil

The top-seeded Owls' had their way with Memphis starter Neil Schenk. Rice scored 2 runs in the third to push its lead to 6-2.

Schenk lasted 2 2/3 in his first start of the season, allowing 6 runs and 6 hits in the hot sun against the No. 2 team in the nation.

We're only two and a half innings in, but Rice is certainly looking like the superior team after a very sluggish offensive performance this morning.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

WCC: San Deigo must win

San Diego will play its first elimination game of the year,when they go up against a confident Gonzaga team here at Cunningham Stadium on the USD campus.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big Ten - Back in Action

Bottom 2nd - The Penn State vs. Minnesota game started a little less than 30 minutes after its scheduled start - it's still raining a little, but not enough to postpone the game any longer. I'm guessing that this late start will also push back the championship game at 7:05, but if this game is short, everything else could still go as scheduled.

Everyone's still taking cover under the overhang at Fisher Stadium, leaving half of the stands wet and unoccupied. For the second straight day, both teams are playing in drizzling rain and a rather chilly breeze.

Minnesota's Mike Mee is the DH today due to injury, so the Golden Gophers have switched up their lineup a bit to accommodate the switch.

And a foul ball from Rick Marlin just flew into the seats - rather rare at Fisher Stadium, since there's protective netting surrounding the majority of the stands and most of the foul balls fly over the top of the old roof, sometimes hitting cars in the parking lot or falling into the construction site - but a fan caught it, holding it up Major League-style, and gets no applause.

More updates soon.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

SEC: No Mercy

Everyone was set for Vanderbilt to win this one 10-0 after seven due to the 10 run mercy rule, but Ole Miss had other plans. Logan Power just singled in a run to make it 10-1, and in turn, keep this one going as we will move to the eighth inning. The final game of the day looks like it will be played 45 minutes after the conclusion of this one. Got to admit that there was a little bit of a groan when that ball skipped past Pedro Alvarez at third base, but there's nothing wrong with some more baseball. Vandy is look to tack on some more and end this one an inning early as they have runners on the corners with nobody out. If they regain the 10 run lead here in the top half of the inning, the Rebels will still have a chance to cut the lead to under ten in the bottom half.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

C-USA Tournament: Memphis is here too

Memphis responded after Rice took an early lead. A RBI single by Kyle Norrid and a RBI double by Josh Irvin gave Memphis 2 runs in the bottom of the first.

Rice is up 3-2 after 1 inning, yes 5 runs in the 1st inning. I'm pretty excited about a lot of runs and a slow pace in the last game of the day...not really.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

ACC: Heels hang around for Sunday

Sign up North Carolina for Sunday. The Tar Heels' 5-0 win over Virginia puts them in tomorrow's ACC Tournament title game.

Alex White threw seven innings of two-hit ball, then Andrew Carignan closed down Virginia over the final two innings.

The Heels added insurance in the bottom of the eighth without hitting the ball out of the infield, as infield singles by Tim Fedroff, Reid Fronk, Garrett Gore, and Dustin Ackley produced three runs.

Yes, I'm serious, four infield singles in one inning.

Ackley and Fronk each had two of Carolina's eight hits. John Scaglione had two of the Cavs' four hits.

FSU-Clemson is up next.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big 12: Good game here, but I had one eye on that Big East title game

After Texas scores two in the top of the 3rd, Nebraska matches that in the bottom of the 3rd to keep this a one-run game. Going into the 4th, it's 4-3 Longhorns.

Adrian Alaniz hasn't been pinpoint sharpe, giving up two singles and a walk before Jake Opitz came on to bloop a "Texas Leaguer" into short center and bring home both Jeff Lanning and DJ Belafonte.

So this game remains close and should be a beauty. But I can't get over the unbelievable finish to the Big East Final between UConn and Rutgers. The TVs up here in the press box were showing it. What a comeback by Connecticut. Just came up a tad short. Todd Frazier is pretty freakin' impressive too.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

C-USA Tournament: Where'd everyone go? Rice is certainly here

As the Rice-Memphis elimination game starts, I've noticed that about two-thirds of the 3,164 people that watched the ECU-Tulane game are gone.

Rice scored 3 runs in the top of the first. Aaron Luna hit a 2-run triple and scored two pitches later on a wild pitch.

Memphis has had a good run in this tournament and a dramatic win earlier today, but it will have to score a lot of runs against a very good pitcher to win this one.

Rice 3, Memphis 0 after the top of the 1st.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: Shockers Win, We'll Play One More!

There will be an actual Missouri Valley Championship Game, as Wichita State has finally given Creighton its first loss of the tournament in a dramatic 2-1 win by inches.

Inches, you say?

Yes, and here's how the top of the ninth went down.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

A-Sun: Jax Forces One More

Jacksonville scored four more in the eighth, which was more than enough to outlast a Belmont two-run rally, and the Dolphins forced an A-Sun championship rematch with a 10-4 win against the Bruins. That game will begin at 4:32 p.m.

Lead-off man Chuck Opachich started the Dolphins eighth with a single. After a sac bunt and an intentional walk of Pete Clifford, Ryan McArdle plated Opachich with a single. Thomas LePage and Donnie Vickers then did the same, capping a string of three straight RBI singles for Jacksonville.

Belmont's Matt Reynolds singled to lead off the top of the ninth with an infield single. Wilson Tucker hit a one-out single, and Derek Wiley plated both runners with a two-out double, his second double of the game.

The loss was for the first for Belmont ace Charles Lee (6-1) in conference this season.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

SEC: Vandy Domination

We're up to 10-0 Vandy in the fifth, after plating two more in the inning. Ryan Flaherty set the single season Vandy record with a hit in his 28th straight game. Ole Miss just has just one hit of Cody Crowell, and that came here in the fifth. But after a botched force play at second by Alvarez, the Rebels have runners on first and second with only one out. Trying to stage that magical comeback.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big East Title Game: Awards and Sign-Off

As coach Fred Hill gave an interview after the victory, he was doused with the obligatory Gatorade bath, getting a rousing ovation from the Rutgers fans.

The Jack Kaiser Award, which goes to the tournament's most valuable player, was awarded to Todd Frazier who tied or set tournament records for doubles, runs scored, and hits.

With Rutgers taking pitchers behind the mound and the fans celebrating a Big East title, let me say that it's been a pleasure reporting to you from the Big East tournament at Keyspan Park in Brooklyn, New York. Have a great Memorial Day weekend and enjoy your summer.

Touching the Bases is around the country following all the action, but so long from Brooklyn.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

ACC: Into the pens

At the end of seven, North Carolina still leads Virginia, 2-0, but both teams have gone to their bullpens.

UVa pulled starter Casey Lambert after six -- he allowed 4 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, and struck out three. I think the Cavs have found their third starter, but now they'll have to find a closer.

UNC's Alex White went 7 innings, allowed 2 hits and five walks and struck out four. He threw 116 pitches.

Tar Heel closer Andrew Carignan on to start the 8th, and I just saw 95 on the radar gun.

Wow, #9-hitter Tim Henry just greeted him with a 16-pitch at-bat that ended with a line drive single to center.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big Ten - Rain Delay

We've been in a rain delay for about ten minutes - the game has been pushed back to 4:00 p.m. after a constant rain that has left the stands damp and empty. Rain delays have been all too common at Fisher Stadium this season, and it seems only fitting that the Big Ten tournament is also affected.

It looks like the players and umpires are starting to prepare for the game, so it'll hopefully start in about ten more minutes.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big South Championship

Nick McCully throws so hard it's tough to believe more people don't hammer him for bus-ticket homers, but he gets the job done and surprise! Coastal wins the Big South. Been a fun week, folks, so I'm checking out, bound for South Carolina and an NCAA Regional next week.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big East Title Game: Too Little Too Late

The Huskies could not have asked for anything more. After Brannon singled and Larry Day hit a soft popout to short, senior captain Dennis Donovan stepped to the plate. But Donovan got under a 2-2 pitch, flying out to center field only one run shy of tying the ball game.

The Scarlet Knights exploded onto the field, mobbing one another just in front of second base on the infield grass in celebration while the dejected Huskies hung their heads in disappointment. But both teams walked off to rousing ovations from their fans.

Connecticut's only hope of making it to postseason play was winning today. They came in as the 8th seed, sneaking in to the tournament with a 9th-inning win over Notre Dame on the season's last weekend.

Rutgers, meanwhile, came in to the tournament as the co-regular season champions and likely would've gotten in to the tournament either way.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: Three Outs From Game Two

In a must-win game for Wichita State, the Shockers worked around a Michael Lam single to get out of the eighth, and they'll have a chance now to get some insurance before taking Creighton on in the ninth.

Should the Shockers hold on, we'll be back tonight for the MVC Championship Game. Should Creighton make a run and pull out a win, the Bluejays will be Missouri Valley Tournament Champs.

On a lighter note, they say Creighton pitcher Scott Reese is 6'6''. He looks a LOT taller in person. This guy towers over every one of his teammates...he looks like he's 6'8'', 6'9''..somewhere in the Randy Johnson range.

I pity any poor bird that tries to fly in this guy's zone.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

C-USA Tournament: Tought spot for a first start

As with the case in most late-round elimination games, Memphis is pitching a first-time starter against Rice in the day's final game.

Memphis is pitching left-hander Neil Schenk, who has a 5.25 ERA in 16 appearances this season, all of which came out of the bullpen.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big South Championship

After cutting the deficit to one, Liberty walks leadoff man Adam Vrable in the bottom of the eighth. David Sappelt successfully sacrifices Vrable to second and Dom Duggan fouls out to third. With two outs, Chris Raber doesn't run out a check-swing, where he probably would have reached, and is chewed by the first-base coach all the way back to the dugout.

Three outs to go for Coastal.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big 12: NU ties it up, Clark puts Texas back ahead.

Texas Catcher Preston Clark parked a shot into the left field bleachers at the top of the 2nd inning to put the Horns ahead of Nebraska by a 2-1 count.

DJ Belafonte scores Nebraska's first run to tie the game temporarily.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big 12: Alaniz's first pitch goes 93

Thankfully that "93" on the scoreboard behind UT's Adrian Alaniz isn't the temperature here.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big East Title Game: Not Over Yet

Lillis came on to get pinch-hitter Matt Karl to ground out to short, but a double, a single, and a balk drove in 2. Peter Fatse then unloaded on a pitch that landed in the bleachers in right field to cut the deficit to 7-6. UConn's team exploded off the bench and the fans came to their feet.

Now, the Huskies only trail by a run with 1 away and Dale Brannon and Larry Day due up. They'll face reliever Kevin Lillis, Chris' younger brother.

7-6 Rutgers, top of the 9th.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: Ruf Cuts Lead in Half

Let the dogfight begin here in Springfield.

Darin Ruf led off the top of the seventh inning with a blast to left. No doubt it had the distance, but the question was if it could stay fair. It did, by about a foot, and Creighton finally got on the scoreboard, now trailing Wichita 2-1 as we hit the seventh inning stretch.

LHP Noah Booth (6-1, 0.98 ERA) is warming up in the Shockers bullpen out in left field. Meanwhile, down in the bullpen just off of foul ground in right field, LHP Scott Reese (3-0, 4.36 ERA) is warming up for the Bluejays.

The chant of "Let's Go, Shockers!" is beginning to waft through the stands here at Hammons Field, as Wichita bats here in the last of the seventh, clinging to the slimmest of leads.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

ACC: Carolina breaks through

North Carolina finally broke the double shutout with a couple of runs in the bottom of the sixth.

We head to the seventh with North Carolina leading Virginia

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Saturday, 05/26/07

C-USA Tournament: ECU punches ticket

One of the teams in tomorow's championship game is decided, the East Carolina Pirates. ECU, the tournament's host team, beat Tulane 9-4 to eliminate the Green Wave and advance to the championship game.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big Ten - Penn State vs. Minnesota

The Penn State vs. Minnesota game is scheduled to start in ten minutes, despite a steady rain and thunderstorms earlier today. The weather hasn't been the greatest all weekend, though that's to be expected in Michigan, but hopefully, the rain will hold off and we'll get to see some baseball.

Both the Nittany Lions and the Golden Gophers are fresh off of marathon games yesterday, Penn State with its back-to-back nine-inning elimination games and Minnesota with the 11-inning game against Ohio State yesterday that lasted over four hours. (I believe that four hours, six minutes was the exact time announced yesterday night.)

The biggest factor today will be - which one of these teams are burned out? One will be eliminated, the other will go on to play Ohio State in the championship game tonight.

More updates soon.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big East Title Game: Healing Chased

Steve Healing has been brilliant so far today, but UConn's first two batters have singled and doubled to drive home a run, cutting the deficit to 7-2 and chasing Healing from the game in favor of Chris Lillis.

Healing turned in a phenomenal game, throwing 100 pitches - 63 for strikes - and allowing only 7 hits and the pair of runs thus far. He personally handed the ball to Lillis, was hugged by each of his teammates, and got a huge ovation from the Rutgers faithful.

Still nobody out though, and the Huskies still trail by 5.

7-2 Rutgers, top of the 9th.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big South Championship

Cody Brown leads off the Liberty eighth with a double and Coastal immediately goes to Pete Andrelczyk, who replaces Travis Risser. Risser threw three innings and that was his first hit. Andrelczyk doesn't last long and closer Nick McCully is called on to get the last four outs.

The Flames get a run across and it's 6-5 Coastal, Liberty stranding two more runners when Andrelczyk gives up a double and a four-pitch walk after getting the first two outs. Let's see if Liberty's bullpen can keep the Chanticleers off the scoreboard so they'll have a shot in the ninth.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

A-Sun: Looks Like It's Going to Be a Long Day

Jacksonville added three more runs in the bottom of the seventh and would force winner-take-all championship game if it holds onto this 6-2 lead. That game would start 30 minutes after the completion of this one.

That said, if there's an offense at this tournament that can make up for this, it's Belmont's.

Jacksonville's Pete Clifford drew a walk and Ryan McArdle singled to put runners on first and second with one out and chase Belmont starter Charles Lee out of the game.

Facing Bruins reliever Jimmy Stanley, Thomas LePage singled to load the bases with one out. Clifford then scored on a wild pitch, Ferreira drove in McArdle and Matt Lopez plated LePage with a single.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big East Title Game: Meade Makes it Harder

Rutgers' catcher Frank Meade unloaded on David Erickson's 1-2 pitch with a runner on 2nd and 2 down, driving it over the left centerfield wall and giving the Scarlet Knights a 6 run cushion heading to the 9th.

The Huskies now have an even bigger hole to climb out of, and will send their 5-7 hitters to the plate needing 6 to keep their tournament and postseason hopes alive.

7-1 Rutgers, end of 8.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: Weber Lights One Up

After a combined 13 straight batters retired by both pitchers here, Tyler Weber launched a Marc Lewis offering into the grassy knoll in left center field, electrifying the Shocker fans and getting the flags back out on the third base side. Gene Stephenson high fived, then pointed to Weber as he trotted home, making it 2-0 Wichita State.

Pitch Count has taken Aaron Shafer out of the game. No doubt Stephenson wants to use him some more today if Wichita can hold on, so the Shockers now have sent RHP Andy Womack (3-1, 2.29 ERA) to the mound. He'll face the top of the Creighton order in the sixth, as WSU tries to force a second game.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big East Title Game: Rutgers Gloves Doom Huskies

The Rutgers defense stymied the Huskies in the top of the 8th, and UConn is now 3 outs away from seeing its dream come to an end.

Dale Brannon hit a hot liner down the right field line that was snagged by Tom Edwards, and Larry Day had an infield hit taken away from him when Tim Querns fielded a slow roller on the run, spun, and fired in time to get the out. Dennis Donovan grounded out to Frazier on a routine play and the Huskies are in a lot of trouble now.

5-1 Rutgers, bottom of the 8th.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

SEC: Dropping Bombs

Dominic de la Osa just hit his 18th homer of the year in the second inning, a two run homer, to make it 8-0. Brett Bukvich's day is over. He went 1.1 IP giving up eight runs on eight hits, with three homeruns, didn't strike out a batter and didn't walk anybody. That's a tough day. Into the game for the Rebels is Jesse Simpson. You'd have to think that Bianco is going to ride Simpson as long as he can, since it looks like these two teams will be playing a half hour after the final out of this one.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: 1-2-3, 1-2-3

Halfway home in 59 minutes. This game is moving pretty fast!

Both pitchers are starting to get into a serious groove right now. Check out these stat lines...

CU - Mark Lewis - 4.0 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 0 earned runs, 2 walks, 2 K's, 62 pitches
WSU - Aaron Shafer - 5.0 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 2 K's, 56 pitches (retired last 7 batters in a row).

We've got another great pitcher's duel here at Hammons Field.

1-0 Shockers as the bottom of the Wichita order faces Lewis.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

A-Sun: Ground Rule Double Saves Jax Lead

This doesn't seem very fair.

With two outs in the top of the sixth and Bradi Manifold on first, Matt Reynolds drilled a shot to the warning track in left field. With Manifold nearly at third, the ball got caught up in the tarp covering the outfield fence.

Reynolds was awarded second on a ground-rule double, and Manifold, who had crossed the plate for what would have been the game-tying run, had to return to third.

Packy Elkins then lined out to shortstop to end the inning. Jacksonville leads 3-2 going into the seventh.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big South Championship

Dom Duggan continues to play Monster Mash, hammering a 1-1 leadoff homer well over the wall in left for Coastal's first lead of the day. Give some props to Libery left fielder P.K. Keller, who made a leap for it although it was about three interstates and a dirt road away from the wall.

Tim John is out after a solid performance, throwing six innings and giving up seven hits and five runs (three earned). Dustin Umberger's in to try and control the damage ... the Flames are only down 6-4 and have two innings to play.

Tommy Baldridge just got another hit. He's 9-of-17 for the tournament.

Can we start calling him "Hacksaw" Dom Duggan?

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big East Title Game: Time Running Out

Stretch time here at Keyspan Park, and the Huskies are down to their final 6 outs and still trail Rutgers.

Rutgers' starter Steve Healing has been dominant in the last 5 innings. Since allowing a run in the second, Healing has allowed only 3 singles to the Huskies. He gave up a 1-out base hit to Josh Farkes, but got the next two hitters to pop out on in the infield.

5-1 Rutgers, mid 7.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

C-USA Tournament: Highest attendance

The announced attendance of 3,164 for the ECU-Tulane game is now the highest attended game of the tournament, the championship game tomorrow could very well break it though...especially if its ECU-Rice.

ECU 9, Tulane 4 as we go into the bottom of the ninth. Barring a lengthy comeback, the Pirates are first to punch their ticket to the C-USA championship game.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

ACC: See chameleon, lying there in the sun

Nothing going on in Jacksonville expect good pitching.

After four, North Carolina and Virginia are scoreless.

Both pitchers, Virginia's Casey Lambert and North Carolina's Alex White, have allowed only a single and a walk.

The only bad thing is that they've played Slade's "Run Runaway" during two consecutive changeovers, and now it's stuck in my head.

I like black and white!
Dreaming of black and white...
You like black and white!
Run run away!

Ick, now they're playing Twisted Sister, so maybe I shouldn't have complained...

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Saturday, 05/26/07

SEC: Vandy Dandy

Vanderbilt's Pedro Alvarez hit the first homerun to rightfield all week in the top of the first, a two run shot to give Vanderbilt the 2-0 lead. Sorry about the lateness of this, it's the Going yard guys' fault, but check out their stuff. I helped on the hunt for Vanderbilt's superfan, as did Josh Cooper, who has done some writing for us as well. So, it's a CSTV.com party here basically the last couple of days, and I can't forget about Chris Kieffer who has done TTB from Ole Miss all year, Mark Etheridge who has chimed in with his projections (another one will come as soon as the sites are announced tomorrow afternoon at 3:15 eastern), Chris Lee who has done some work with us from Vandy for TTB, and whoever else I'm leaving out. We're all finally putting names to the faces. Anyway, on to the game...

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: Wichita Dodges Huge Threat

Remember how I said Wichita needed to get those timely hits to score runs?

Well, Creighton needs a dose of the same stuff.

Wichita P Aaron Shafer retired the first eight batters he faced, but with two outs in the top of the third, the Flying Hawaiian, aka Creighton 2B Michael Lam, hit a sharp ball down the third base line that Conor Gillaspie was lucky to get any part of his glove on. Robbie Knight then singled to right center, advancing Lam to third. Ross Sinclair walked on four straight pitches to load the bases, but Chris Gradoville hit a bouncer to Gillaspie, who stepped on third to snuff out the Bluejay threat.

I think a count will be needed today for runners left on base. So far, Creighton has left three, Wichita has left two.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big South Championship

Tim John has done a masterful job of getting out of the last two innings, solving Coastal on 15 combined throws. In the sixth, however, he gives up a leadoff single and eight-hole hitter Tyler Bortnick, for the second straight day, deposits the pill in the lights behind left field. Coastal hits into an inning-ending double play, but we're tied 4-4 after six.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big East Title Game: Belt on the Bases

The base paths looked like the Belt Parkway for a moment when two runners came home one after the other. Edwards doubled off the wall in deep center, but Bionde had to hold up off second. Williams, however, did not hold up, and found himself only a few feet behind Bionde. Gordon Stevens relayed the ball to Dennis Donovan, whose throw home was too late to get Bionde but on time to get Williams. Tarsi got out of the inning when the next hitter grounded out to Donovan.

5-1 Rutgers, top of the 6th.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

C-USA Tournament: Pirates inch closer to championship game

No. 3 ECU scored 3 runs in the top of the 8th to extend its lead to 8-4 over No. 7 Tulane.

The Pirates got RBI singles, one after another, to make a Green Wave comeback a much tougher feat. Tulane has two chances left, down 8-4.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: Creighton Avoids Danger

The Shockers are using a patient offensive attack right now, and it's getting runners on base. However, the timely hitting needed to score runs wasn't there in the bottom of the second. A Bret Bascue single and Josh Walkman walk had runners on first and second with just one out. However, Creighton's Marc Lewis struck out Tyler Weber, and Dusty Coleman grounded to short to end the inning.

Timely hitting means so much in games like this...Shocks gotta deliver, especially against a team like Creighton.

Bottom of the Creighton order facing Shafer in the top of the third. 1-0 WSU.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big South Championship

Tommy Baldridge gets a two-out double but Tim John gets out of the mess, still holding a 4-2 Liberty lead. Coastal coach Gary Gilmore was shaking his head after Dom Duggan popped out to third on a first pitch and Chris Raber went down swinging in maybe the worst at-bat of his career.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

A-Sun: It Always Comes Back to Hurt You

Belmont starter Charles Lee broke a cardinal rule of pitching in the fifth inning: You can't walk the lead-off batter. Lee gave a pass to Jacksonville's Pete Clifford to start the bottom of the fifth. Three batters later, he paid for it, as the Dolphins took a 3-2 lead.

Ryan McArdle doubled to put runners on second and third with no outs. With one out, Donnie Vickers then flew out to right to plate Clifford.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big East Title Game: Garry Gone

Garry only got one out, sandwiched between walks to Mike Bionde and Dave Williams. With Tom Edwards due up and only 1 away, the Huskies have turned to the pen again, this time bringing on Mike Tarsi - normally a starting pitcher - as the third hurler of the inning.

4-1 Rutgers, bottom 5.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: Winky Breaks A Window

Throughout this week in college baseball, I've read of broken bat tips, broken records, and as of this morning, broken win streaks courtesy of Memphis. Now, you can add a broken window to the list of things that shatter in the night.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big 12: One down. Three to go. A&M wins.

Texas A&M - 7 10 0
Kansas State - 2 8 1

State made things interesting at the end by loading the bases in the 9th, but could make it no more interesting than that.

Blake Stouffer had quite an odd day at the dish, going 0-for-2, but in each of those at-bats he knocked in a run. Then, he went walk, walk, walk in his last three at-bats. He also had a stolen base and scored twice. Good small-ball player there.

Kyle Colligan's second inning triple was a thing of beauty also. My overall impression of the Aggies is that they also run very, very well. Very aggressive. No. 2 hitter Ben Feltner had three stolen bases.

With the win, the Aggies are now 2-1 in this tournament. They'll advance to the championship game if Texas can beat Nebraska. (Sooooooo, lemme get this right. A&M has to cheer for Texas. Right.). Kansas State falls to 1-2 and awaits their NCAA tournament fate. Again, as mentioned before the game, Coach Brad Hill believed his Cats would need to win the Big 12 tournament to make the field of 64. So we'll see.

Nebraska and Texas face off at 2:05 local time.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big East Title Game: Boom Goes Frazier

Todd Frazier crushed the fourth pitch of the inning from Robert Van Woert over the Cyclone roller coaster imitation on top of the scoreboard in left center to put Rutgers back ahead by 3. The blast chased Van Woert from the game, and left-hander Ted Garry has come on to pitch.

4-1 Rutgers, bottom 5.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: Shox Beat The Tag

After Aaron Shafer got Creighton to go 1-2-3, the Shockers answered in the bottom half with a one-out double to left by Derek Schermerhorn. Matt Brown then hit a sizzling Sunday hop that bounced off of Creighton 2B Michael Lam and into right field. Brown made it to first, while Schermerhorn, never slowing down, rounded third and just beat the tag home, giving Wichita the early 1-0 lead after one inning of play.

More fans are filing in...looks like a walk-in crowd is helping this one out. Most are still decked in bright yellow, and we've even got a couple of big yellow WSU flags. Nice school spirit, especially for the MVC title day (we don't know if this is the title game yet.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big East Title Game: Querns Holds 'Em at Halfway

Rutgers third baseman Tim Querns turned a spectacular double play, bobbling the ball but still setting in motion the 5-4-3 inning ending double play to get the Scarlet Knights out of a 1st-and-2nd, 1-out jam. Credit Mike Bionde with a spectacular turn at second, standing in to make the throw despite Dale Brannon bearing down on him.

3-1 Rutgers, mid 5.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

C-USA Tournament: Energetic Dowdy first to congratulate

ECU's emotion-filled starting pitcher Josh Dowdy bolted out of the dugout to chest-bump reliever Bailey Daniels after he preserved Dowdy's and ECU's 5-4 lead.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

A-Sun: Bruins Tie It Up

Helping his case for tournament MVP, Kane Simmons put Belmont on the board in the top of the fourth with an RBI sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Brian Petsch from third. Derek Wiley, reached on a double, moved to third on the play and scored as No. 9 hitter Carlo Testa legged out a two-out infield single to shortstop.

The score is tied at 2 heading into the fifth.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big South Championship

Andy DeLaGarza's history after giving up an RBI double to Garrett "Curly Sue" Young, in favor of Travis Risser. DeLaGarza leaves with nine hits and four runs, a walk and zero Ks. The kid started the year 8-0 but had three no-decisions, two losses and a win down the stretch.

Liberty up 4-2 as we go to the bottom of five, Tim John getting out of the last inning with seven pitches. He's still up to 79, though, but there's nobody warming up.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big East Title Game: Good Glovin'

After the Huskies were set down in order in the top of the 4th, UConn's gloves went to work.

Tim Gossard grounded the ball to the third and Pat Mahoney fielded the ball on a short hop on the run and fired to first for the out. The second batter, Tim Querns, smacked a ball to center field but Gordon Stevens got a good jump and made a nice play. Then after issuing a 2-out walk to Frank Meade, Van Woert came off the mound to backhand a bunt by Donny Callahan and threw out Rutgers' 9th place hitter to retire the side.

3-1 Rutgers, end of 4.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

C-USA Tournament: Offense to the fans liking

ECU's Drew Schieber just hit a opposite field solo home run to start the seventh inning and give the Pirates a 4-3 lead. Corey Kemp followed with a looooong out that was caught by Tulane left fielder Anthony Scelfo at the wall. This ignited the ECU faithful, who started Purple and Gold chants that got pretty loud. The Pirate fans, and the Tulane fans that are here, are both making their presence felt despite the humid conditions.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big East Title Game: Settling Down

After a tumultuous first couple of innings that saw all sorts of strange events, the pitchers settled down.

Healing sent the Huskies down 1-2-3 in the top of the inning, and Van Woert allowed only a 2-out infield single to Rutgers.

3-1 Rutgers, end of 3.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big South Championship

Coastal adds one in the third and it's tied 2-2. DeLaGarza seems to have settled in, still getting hit but not giving up runs. Tim John is looking good but his pitch count is up to 72 and Liberty doesn't have many fresh arms.

Joe Marion is calling strikes with the maximum amount of flexing. If this keeps up, his shirt will rip from the constant strain and leave him looking like the Incredible Hulk (TV, not movie). This guy could stop a Sherman tank in its tracks just by scowling at it from 500 yards. He introduces himself in social situations by saying, "Joe Marion. Bow down or I will EAT YOUR FACE."

And ...

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Saturday, 05/26/07

ACC: Game two ready, game one quotes

North Carolina and Virginia are about to face off with the winner earning a spot in tomorrow's title game.

Both are sure #1-seed hosts. UNC is probably a lock for a national seed, and Virginia might be playing their way into one.

Virginia has been looking for a third starter all season, and today will give their closer Casey Lambert his second start of the season. He started Saturday against BC and threw four effective innings after picking up a save two days earlier. He has fanned 41 in only 28.2 innings, and opposing hitters a hitting a meager .194 against him.

UNC counters with freshman Alex White, who is 5-4 with a 3.66 ERA in 76.1 innings.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big South Championship

I've just been informed that Liberty's Garrett Young is being heavily scouted by the Braves. And why not? Former Brave Sid Bream came from Liberty and he's a legend.

Then I see Young remove his helmet. He looks like Screech, only blond. That has got to go before you hit the big time, son. Your hair reminds me of Ronald McDonald with bleach.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big East Title Game: Van Wonderful

Robert Van Woert settled down after a rocky first inning to set the Scarlet Knights down in order. Todd Frazier gave him a scare, driving a pitch 411 feet to straight away center field. Fortunately for Van Woert, the fence is 412 feet away.

3-1 Rutgers, end of 2.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

MVC: WSU - Creighton...The Beginning or The End?

We're about 10 minutes from the first pitch of a matchup between Gene Stephenson's #1 Wichita State Shockers and Ed Servais's #2 Creighton Bluejays. Creighton needs just one win to win their first ever Missouri Valley Tournament in baseball, while Wichita needs two wins tonight to claim their 16th tournament title.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

C-USA Tournament: Industrial use

The humidity is high here at Clark-LeClair Stadium, and just looking around the stadium, the fans have gotten clever. The thousands in attendance are using game programs, hats, parts of popcorn boxes and about anyting they can get their hands on to fan their faces, attempting to cool down as they watch a very good baseball game.

ECU 3, Tulane 3 at the end of six innings.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

A-Sun: Home Run Jax

Jacksonville jumped to a 2-0 lead off a two-run homer by A-Sun Player of the Year Pete Clifford. The line-drive shot, Clifford's conference-best 13th of the season, hugged the right field line, but was ruled fair, which drew conversation from Belmont coach Dale Jarvis.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

SEC: Arkansas Advances

Game one of the day went the way most media wanted it to (except for my South Carolina buddies), as the Razorbacks hang on to win 3-2. Travis Hill got the Gamecocks 1-2-3 in the ninth inning, getting Steven Reinhold on a groundout, striking out Reese Havens, and then got Travis Jones to groundout to third to end things. Arkansas advances to tomorrow's championship game, and waits to face the winner of Ole Miss/Vanderbilt who if Vandy wins, will play a second game afer this one. Back with final thoughts on this one after lunch. The 'Dores and Rebels comin' up next.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big South Championship

Big South Player of the Year David Sappelt shoots a flare into left and Tyler Bortnick scores, making Liberty's second error of the game hurt. 2-1 Liberty after two.

For the 10th time, the PA guy is congratulating Winthrop's softball team and Coastal Carolina's golf team for their postseason successes. We've already heard it. The softball team is done. Coastal's golf team doesn't play again for another week. GIVE IT A REST.

Perhaps I should ask Joe Marion to take care of this problem. He could pull the words out of the air, chew them and turn them into a Shakespearean soliloquy to the delight of the crowd.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big East Title Game: Not in the Neighborhood

With 0 out and Pat Mahoney on first, Brad Olt grounded to second for an easy double play. Bionde flipped the ball to Frazier, who came across second and didn't touch the base before throwing to first. Second base umpire Mike Shields correctly called Mahoney safe - opting against the old "neighborhood call" for the right call. Fred Hill came out to argue, but the call stood.

The Huskies took advantage of the good umpiring and Josh Farkes belted a run-scoring double to right to cut the deficit to 2. Gordon Stevens walked to put 2 on, but Healing recovered and set down the next 2 hitters.

3-1 Rutgers, mid 2.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

C-USA Tournament: Tie game, wierd slide

Tulane got a RBI single from Tim Guidry in the fifth to tie the ECU-Tulane game at 3. As Tulane's Grayden Granier slid into a home for the run, it looked like his leg didn't actually touch the plate and the ECU fans were yelling at the ECU players to appeal the play, but the home plate umpire confirmed his call by signaling safe and informing the ECU players and crowd that Granier did infact touch home plate. So now we have a tie game, 3-3, heading into the sixth.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big South Championship

David Giammaresi tees off on Andy DeLaGarza and rockets a 3-1 meatball into the magnolia tree behind right-center. Giammaresi must be confused ... he's only supposed to hit homers (three of his four on the season) against Winthrop's pitching.

2-0 Liberty, going to the bottom of the second.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

Big East Title Game: First Inning Jitters Favor Rutgers

Rutgers' starter Steve Healing (9-3, 3.67) missed the plate with his first five pitches and eventually found himself in a 2 on, 1 out situation facing the Huskies' 4 and 5 hitters, Dennis Donovan and Matt Untiet. But both men popped out to right field to end the threat.

Meanwhile, UConn starter Robert Van Woert (7-2, 3.76) walked Todd Frazier and Mike Bionde leading off the bottom of the 1st. He got the next two Scarlet Knights to fly out to left, but on a 3-1 pitch to Tom Edwards, the runners went in motion and Larry Day through to second to try to get Bionde. But the ball went into centerfield, scoring Frazier and giving Rutgers the first run of the ball game.

And the trouble didn't stop there. Van Woert would walk Gossard and then serve up a soft single to right to Gossard, scoring Bionde. Farkes misplayed the ball and Day could not handle the throw, allowing Edwards to score all the way from first.

3-0 Rutgers, end of 1.

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Saturday, 05/26/07

SEC: A Good One

The Gamecocks would like to mount their third comeback of the tournament, and they are closing in on Arkansas. It's 3-2 Razorbacks as the Hogs bat here in the 9th. South Carolina scratched across a run in the 8th, but they'll tell you that was their chance. They had the bases loaded and nobody out, and the only run scored on a fielder's choice on a DP opportunity that was an awfully close play at first that could have ended the inning. S.C. DH Drew Martin then struck out looking with runners on first and third.

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