COCA COLA PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Mark Pope, Falmouth RHP
The first pitcher to secure the Coca Cola Pitcher of the Week award is Falmouth’s Mark Pope (Georgia Tech). Pope was lights out in his first appearance, his only to date. In a 1-0 victory over Cotuit, the righty fanned 11 Kettleers over seven shutout innings, surrendering only two hits. The 11 strikeouts recorded by Pope have been matched by only three other pitchers over the first week of games.
A bright future lies ahead for the Georgia Tech sophomore. As a freshman, Pope was the Yellow Jackets’ closer, recording 18 scoreless innings in 25 appearances, good for a 5-1 record and eight saves for the season. In 2010 as a starter, the versatile Pope went 8-1, ending the season with both a complete game and a save. He was selected in the 18th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft, but elected to attend Georgia Tech instead.
The one question I had coming into today was whether the pressure of playing at Rosenblatt Stadium for the first time in school history would affect the TCU Horned Frogs. The early answer on Saturday was yes after a Jantzen White error in the top of the first inning cost them a run but the Horned Frogs bounced right back in the bottom of the first inning with a five huge runs. Jason Coats had an important hit in the inning two run double down the left field line to give the Horned Frogs the 2-1 lead before they tacked on three more runs in the frame. 
OMAHA, Neb. – Miami (Fla.) catcher Yasmani Grandal, Mississippi pitcher Drew Pomeranz and Rice third baseman Anthony Rendon have been named as finalists for the 2010 Dick Howser Trophy in balloting by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and in conjunction with the College Baseball Foundation, the Dick Howser Trophy committee and the St Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce.
