Big West Archive

2013 NCAA Regional Projections (May 2nd)

– May 2, 2013Posted in: 2013 NCAA Tourney, 2013 Regional Projections, 2013 Season Coverage, ACC, America East, Atlantic 10, Atlantic Sun, Big 12, Big East, Big South, Big Ten, Big West, CAA, CBD Column, Conference USA, Horizon League, Ivy League, MAAC, MAC, MEAC, Missouri Valley, Mountain West, NEC, Ohio Valley Conference, Pac 12, Patriot League, SEC, Southern Conference, Southland Conference, Summit League, Sun Belt, SWAC, WAC, West Coast Conference

As we’re now well into the 2013 college baseball season, College Baseball Daily continues our countdown to Selection Monday with our latest 2013 Regional Projections.

For this week’s projections, instead of being solely compiled based on RPI like they have been done in past weeks, every aspect was taken into consideration. College Baseball Daily’s Ginger Poulson (@gingerpoulson) compiled this list after analyzing RPI, overall records, conference standings, overall talent and several other factors. If you have any questions about the projections feel free to leave a comment below or send her a tweet.

Enjoy the regional projections! Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: 2013 NCAA Regional Projections, Arizona State, Arkansas, Cal State Fullerton, CBD Column, Florida State, Indiana, Louisville, LSU, NC State, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Oregon State, South Carolina, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Virginia

CBD Photo Gallery: Poteet Pitches Bruins Past Irvine, 8-1

Shotgun Spratling

– May 1, 2013Posted in: 2013 Season Coverage, Big West, CBD Photo Gallery, Pac 12

LOS ANGELES — Freshman Cody Poteet pitched a career-high six innings and had a career-high five strikeouts as UCLA took an 8-1 win against UC Irvine Tuesday night at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

Kevin Kramer delivered the big blow in a five-run seventh inning that put the game out of reach. After the first three batters singled and Brian Carroll took a bases-loaded walk to bring home a run, Irvine (28-13) went to Sam Moore, its fifth of six pitchers. Kramer greeted the freshman by smacking his second offering toward left-centerfield.
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Tags: Big West, CBD Photo Gallery, Pac 12, UC-Irvine, UCLA

SoCal Weekend Wrap: Finish Strong

Shotgun Spratling

– April 29, 2013Posted in: 2013 Season Coverage, Big West, CBD Column, Mountain West, Pac 12, West Coast Conference

UC Irvine had two walk-off wins.

With conference positioning and potential at-large berths on the line, 10 of the 11 SoCal squads took to the diamond this weekend. (Pepperdine had the week off due to finals and graduation.) There were two big series with teams battling in their respective conference standings, but also playing their way toward the NCAA Tournament bubble.

This week’s action featured a midweek no-hitter and a batter driving in three runs in three consecutive games. San Diego’s Kris Bryant also went deep for his nation’s best 21st and 22nd homers, but he didn’t earn the Hitter of the Week honor this week. Instead, it comes from the Toreros’ crosstown rival.

We provided you with live updates on Twitter (@SoCal_CBDaily) throughout the weekend, but here’s a recap of all the weekend action:

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CBD Visit: Dirtbags Grind Out 3-2 Win Against Cal Poly

Shotgun Spratling

– April 28, 2013Posted in: 2013 Season Coverage, Big West, CBD Interview, CBD Visit, Interviews with Coaches

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Long Beach State isn’t quite ready to just play spoiler. The Dirtbags think they still have some quality baseball left in the tank. They are drawing on their experience from last year when they made a run down the stretch, winning 14 of 18 at one point, and had an opportunity to win their way into the NCAA Tournament the final weekend of the regular season.

Long Beach State has shown it can play with anyone in the country with wins on the road at Vanderbilt and UCLA. On Saturday, the Dirtbags knocked off another top 25 team as they beat Cal Poly, ranked No. 23 in the NCBWA poll, 3-2 at Blair Field.

Juan Avila hit a deep sacrifice fly in the eighth inning to score the game-winning run two batters after the Mustangs failed to get an out on a potential double play ball. In the ninth inning, Ryan Millison got the first two outs before allowing a walk, but seldom-used senior catch Zach Miller threw out pinch runner Tyler Evanoff to end the game.

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Tags: Cal-Poly, CBD Interview, CBD Visit, Interviews with Coaches, Long Beach State, Troy Buckley

CBD Around the Horn (April 27th)

Ginger Poulson

– April 28, 2013Posted in: ACC, Big West, CBD Around the Horn, General CBB News, SEC, West Coast Conference

Here is a look at some of the top performances and highlights on the day. We will be providing daily articles as often as possible this season. If you know of an outstanding performance that we may have missed, feel free to send us an email by clicking here. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: ACC, Big West, Cal-Poly, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Long Beach State, LSU, Mississippi, NC State, North Carolina, San Diego, San Francisco, SEC, South Carolina, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Coast Conference

CBD Photo Gallery: Dirtbags Get Late Run for 3-2 Win

Shotgun Spratling

– April 27, 2013Posted in: 2013 Season Coverage, Big West, CBD Photo Gallery

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Jeff McNeil is Mr. Versatilty for Long Beach State. He does a little bit of everything for the Dirtbags(19-21, 8-6), including now taking over the shortstop role after previously playing centerfield and second base. But his biggest impact has been as a spark plug at the top of the lineup.

Though he went hitless for the first time in 10 games, McNeil beat out a fielder’s choice in the eighth inning that led to the winning run scoring two batters later as Long Beach defeated Cal Poly 3-2 Saturday afternoon at Blair Field. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Big West, Cal-Poly, CBD Photo Gallery, Long Beach State

CBD Visit: Cooper’s Squeeze Gives ‘Eaters 5-4 Walk-Off

Shotgun Spratling

– April 27, 2013Posted in: 2013 Season Coverage, Big West, CBD Interview, CBD Visit, Interviews with Coaches, Interviews with Players

IRVINE, Calif. — Ryan Cooper may not have a hit since March 8, but that doesn’t mean the UC Irvine coaching staff doesn’t have faith in him. Cooper pinch hit with runners on the corners with one out in the ninth inning and laid down a perfect safety squeeze.

UC Davis catcher Izaak Silva did all he could to block the plate, but Justin Castro got his foot between Silva’s legs and toe-tapped the plate to give Irvine (26-12, 8-5) a 5-4 walk-off win Friday night at Anteater Ballpark.

The Aggies (15-24, 3-10) and Anteaters traded the lead back and forth before Taylor Sparks tied the game in the sixth inning with a home run over the left field fence. Neither team scored in the seventh or eighth innings, setting up the dramatic walk-off squeeze.

Mitch Merten picked up the win in relief for Irvine. Anteaters ace Andrew Thurman looked brilliant at times and easy to hit at times. Neither he nor UC Davis starter Harry Stanwyck factored in the decision after both allowed four runs in 7 2/3 innings pitched. Only three of Thurman’s runs were earned, but he allowed 11 hits.

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Tags: Big West, CBD Interview, CBD Visit, Interviews with Coaches, Interviews with Players, Mike Gillespie, Taylor Sparks, UC-Davis, UC-Irvine

CBD Photo Gallery: Irvine Squeezes Out 5-4 Win Over Davis

Shotgun Spratling

– April 27, 2013Posted in: 2013 Season Coverage, Big West, CBD Photo Gallery

IRVINE, Calif. — UC Davis closer Max Cordy had already unleashed a wild pitch while attempting to intentionally walk a batter, so UC Irvine couldn’t risk trying a suicide squeeze in the bottom of the ninth inning. Instead, with runners on the corners, pinch hitter Ryan Cooper was called on to put down a safety squeeze.

But Cooper laid down a great bunt and pinch runner Justin Castro got a great read. Castro sprinted down the line and slid into UC Davis catcher Izaak Silva, who blocked the plate expertly. However, Castro was able to slip his foot through the five-hole and tapped the corner of home plate with his tippy toe to give Irvine a 5-4 walk-off win Friday night at Anteater Ballpark.

Castro ran for Jerry McClanahan at first base after McClanahan drew a leadoff walk. Castro moved to second on a Scott Gottschling sacrifice bunt and advanced to third on Cordy’s intentional walk throw that went over the head of Silva and all the way to the backstop. After Kris Paulino’s intentional pass was completed, Cooper was sent to the plate to pinch hit despite not having a hit since March 8 (0-for-24).

Cooper still doesn’t have a hit, but he does have a walk-off game-winner to his credit. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Big West, CBD Photo Gallery, UC-Davis, UC-Irvine

CBD Around the Horn (April 26th)

Ginger Poulson

– April 27, 2013Posted in: 2013 Season Coverage, ACC, Big West, CBD Around the Horn, CBD Column, General CBB News, Pac 12, SEC

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Tags: ACC, Big West, Boston College, Cal State Fullerton, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Hawaii, Kentucky, LSU, Miami, Mississippi, Mississippi State, Pac 12, SEC, South Carolina, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Washington State

CBD Interview: McNeil Sparks Dirtbags to 11-1 Win at #9 UCLA

Shotgun Spratling

– April 25, 2013Posted in: 2013 Season Coverage, Big West, CBD Interview, Interviews with Coaches, Interviews with Players, Pac 12

LOS ANGELES — Being ahead is better than trailing, especially if you can get ahead in the first inning. Putting the opposition in the hole right away can really set the tone for the game and alleviate pressure in the winning team’s dugout.

That’s why Long Beach State second baseman/centerfielder Jeff McNeil has become such a dynamic weapon, which he showed Tuesday night in the Dirtbags’ 11-1 thrashing of No. 9 UCLA at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

On March 12, Long Beach State head coach moved Jeff McNeil into the leadoff spot permanently. Since then, McNeil has reached base to open the Dirtbags’ half of the first inning 13 of 22 games. He has come around to score seven runs in the first inning. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Big West, CBD Interview, Interviews with Coaches, Interviews with Players, Jeff McNeil, Long Beach State, Pac 12, Troy Buckley, UCLA

CBD Photo Gallery: Matt Florer Throws No-Hitter in 5-0 LMU Win

Shotgun Spratling

– April 24, 2013Posted in: 2013 Season Coverage, Big West, CBD Column, CBD Photo Gallery, West Coast Conference

LOS ANGELES — Loyola Marymount left-handed pitcher Matt Florer is going to ache all over when he wakes up Wednesday morning. His teachers will have to forgive him if he sleeps in and is running a little behind.

He is going to be sore…probably real sore after throwing 134 pitches, but Matt Florer is also going to have a cheek-to-cheek smile beaming across his face after he threw a complete game no-hitter, the first by an LMU pitcher since 1980, in a 5-0 win over Cal State Northridge Tuesday afternoon at George Page Stadium.

Florer had only started twice this season. Last week, in a start against USC, he pitched two innings. It was his longest outing of the season. He had only thrown 13 1/3 innings this year and the longest outing of his career was only five innings in a midweek start last season.

So how did Jason Gill get nine innings of no-hit ball from a reliever thrust into the midweek starter spot due to injury? Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Big West, Cal-State Northridge, CBD Photo Gallery, Loyola-Marymount, Matt Florer, West Coast Conference

2013 NCAA Regional Projections (April 23rd)

Ginger Poulson

– April 24, 2013Posted in: 2013 NCAA Tourney, 2013 Regional Projections, 2013 Season Coverage, ACC, America East, Atlantic 10, Atlantic Sun, Big 12, Big East, Big South, Big Ten, Big West, CAA, CBD Column, Conference USA, General CBB News, Horizon League, Ivy League, MAAC, MAC, MEAC, Missouri Valley, Mountain West, NEC, Ohio Valley Conference, Pac 12, Patriot League, SEC, Southern Conference, Southland Conference, Summit League, Sun Belt, SWAC, WAC, West Coast Conference

As we’re now well into the 2013 college baseball season, College Baseball Daily continues our countdown to Selection Monday with our latest 2013 Regional Projections.

Enjoy the regional projections! Read the rest of this entry »