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Squeeze Play – College Foundation Notebook 2/15/07

LUBBOCK, Texas--For the week of: February 15, 2007 www.collegebaseballfoundation.org

But How Does It Effect Your APR? The 2007 college baseball season is already shaping up to be ‘ of the ordinary’ as two of the more interesting headlines in recent memory crossed our desk in the wee hours of the morning…right out of the gate, in the year’s opening contest at Hawai’i-Hilo, defending National Champion Oregon State spun a no-hitter…filtering in around 2:30am came news that Mike Stutes, Josh Keller, Mark Grbavac and combined to a no-hitter the internet as the Beavers beat the Vulcans, 5-0, for the third no-hitter in OSU history, and the first in 40 years… Stutes struck out seven hitters in five of work, then Keller worked two innings and Grbavac and Reyes one each to finish off the no-hitter…understandable if you missed the news, it was Oregon State’s earliest season-opener ever, a real insomniac’s dream…a great footnote until this gem crossed my desk last Friday…”The second game of the between South Dakota State and Kansas was suspended after eight innings early this morning, because The Metrodome would not let the teams start another after 7 a.m.” Oh, no, that must be a misprint, but I read on…seems that the season opening Kansas homestand at Hougland Park with SDSU had been weathered out, but creative minds went to work…it was back on the schedule with a new location and drastically different starting times…after searching for places to play, coaches from both schools agreed on a three-game series to be played at The Metrodome in Minneapolis…the two teams invited their fans to real ‘Moonlight Madness’…a beginning at 1:30 a.m. Saturday, with the series supposedly concluding with a , nine-inning game at 3:30 a.m. Sunday…the fly in the ointment was that several other regional college baseball teams were already playing at The Homerdome over the weekend, necessitating the unusual starting times…but alas, ‘the best laid plans of mice and men’ usually don’t work out that smoothly…the next communiqué included the aforementioned incredible news…in the end, after KU won the opener, 6-5, another doubleheader was booked at approximately 5:20 a.m…Kyle Murphy was the Jayhawk's top hitter in its’ sweep (3-2, 4-1), hitting .500 (5-for-10) with a , a and four runs scored, two stolen bases and an to help Kansas, the reigning Big 12 Tournament champions, start the year 7-1….this note just in, North Dakota State's season-opening series at Kansas has been postponed three days due to inclement weather forecasted in the area…the three-game series at Hoglund Ballpark between the Bison and Jayhawks will now begin Sunday and end on Tuesday… temperatures slated to be in the 20s and chances of snow and rain forced postponement…somebody put on a pot of coffee, pass the NoDoz, call the bus driver and check the schedule at the Metrodome.

Yesterday, UAB President Carol Garrison announced that Brian Mackin is the new athletics director at UAB…he joined UAB in 2002 as senior associate athletic director for external affairs responsible for fund-raising, corporate support and marketing for the athletic department…Mackin is a UAB alumnus and former Blazer baseball player…in 2006, he was named Division I-A Fundraiser of the Year by the National Association of Athletic Development Directors and under his leadership, contributions to UAB athletics have nearly tripled from $1.3 million in 2001 to about $3.7 million in 2006…Mackin was a member of the Blazer baseball team four seasons before spending a year with the baseball organization…the Vanderbilt baseball program achieved its highest ever ranking this week as Collegiate Baseball ranked the squad No. 3 in its weekly poll…the Commodores (3-0) swept through an impressive field at the Houston College Classic with wins over three Top 25 ranked teams, including then-No. 1 Rice in the season opener last Friday…VU’s highest ranking prior to today was No. 6 by P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org

Collegiate Baseball in March of 1973…Clemson, which has yet to play a game this year, moved into the top spot and South Carolina, which went 3-0 over the weekend, moved into the No. 2 spot, No. 1 in the NCBWA poll…in addition to the team honors, sophomore Pedro Alvarez led the way by hitting .500 (7-for-14), with two doubles, a triple, a homer and five RBI, including a 2-for-5 day, with three RBI, in VU's win over the Owls.

Alvarez followed that performance with a 3-for-4 day, including a homer and two RBI against Arizona State…the City native closed out the tourney with two more hits against Baylor on Sunday… last spring, Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News detailed the amazing story of Alavarez, who turned down millions to get a start on his college education…it’s worth revisiting.

SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS - Pedro Alvarez turned down $1 million to pursue family dream of college

Pedro Alvarez Sr. was at a game in the baseball-mad Dominican Republic last year when someone pointed him out to a major-league player who was there, too.

"You see that man?" the mutual acquaintance told the player. "His son was drafted by the Red Sox, but he turned down almost $1 million to go to college instead."

The player walked over and asked in Spanish, "Is this true? Why wouldn't you take the money?"

Then the player posed the question that Pedro Sr. has heard many times since Pedro Alvarez Jr. decided with his family's help to go to Vanderbilt University rather than start a pro career:

"Are you crazy?"

"No," Pedro Sr. replied.

But why does everyone keep asking him that?

In the small bedroom that Pedro Jr. shares with his 16-year-old sister, Yolayna, in the family's two- bedroom apartment in a five-story walkup in Inwood, baseball trophies line a shelf behind one of the beds. Action pictures of Pedro Jr. playing at Vanderbilt are on the screen saver on the family computer nearby and a Vanderbilt pennant is on the wall along with photos of Pedro Jr. in uniform. A framed magazine cover hangs there, too, with a headline that proclaims Pedro Alvarez as New York's best high school player. His mother, Luz, beams as she shows the room to a visitor.

While the baseball dream has always been nurtured in the Alvarez household, there is another dream, too: education.

And so it didn't matter what the money could have done for the Alvarez family, who live on what Pedro Sr. makes in a job he acknowledges can be treacherous - driving a livery cab from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. in some of the rough neighborhoods of upper Manhattan.

"It was tough to turn down the money," Pedro Jr. says after a recent Vanderbilt practice. "It was money we haven't seen in my whole lifetime, my parents' lifetime.

"I know this is a gamble, either you're going to be 10 times better or you could lose it all. But I'm a very optimistic person. I'm going to better myself on the field and become a better person."

"With an education, he can do anything," Pedro Sr. says, his Spanish translated by Yolayna. "He can still play ball and go to school and get the best out of this."

So far, the 19-year-old Alvarez has, putting up numbers at Vanderbilt that make him perhaps the top freshman in the country. He was hitting .344 with 15 home runs and 51 RBI in 48 games going into the weekend. He's getting used to the "country music and cowboy hats" of Nashville, he says - a drastic P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org

departure from the Spanish music he likes - and he's blossoming on the diamond. In one stretch, the 6-2, 212-pound third baseman hit 10 home runs in 10 games and he's already been invited to trials for Team USA next month.

With an eye on a possible economics major, he's got a 3.0 grade-point average, too.

There was an empty basement in a building across the street from the Alvarez apartment and Pedro Sr. covered the walls with mattresses to muffle the sound of ball meeting bat. Pedro Jr. would take 200 swings a day there. His father also devised a drill in which he would wet tissue paper and roll it into a ball the size of an aspirin and pitch it to his son to train his eye.

From the time he was 9, Pedro Jr. would come home from school in the early afternoon, study until his father got home at 5 and then the two would drive to a baseball academy in Stamford, Conn. to practice. When they got home around 9, Pedro Jr. would finish his homework and go to bed so he could wake up at 6 the next morning for school. One Christmas, on a trip to the Dominican Republic, father and son spent the day practicing.

Pedro Sr., 52, took his job as a cab driver because of the flexible schedule. On the days his son played, Pedro Sr. would turn the cab in early and go to the game. By the time Pedro Jr. was in the eighth grade, the city's high school baseball powers coveted him. But the family knew the dean at Horace Mann (Pedro Jr. played on a team that the dean was also involved with), an elite private high school in the Bronx known more for books than bats, and wanted the boy to go there. He passed the entrance exam and got enough financial aid to attend.

Folks in Inwood told Pedro Sr.: "Don't make a mistake by sending him to that school, if you want him to be a player." They said Pedro Jr. should go to George Washington High, where Manny Ramirez, his favorite player, had gone. Otherwise, he would never be noticed.

But scouts had heard about the strong-looking kid with the easygoing, polite manner and there were usually 10 or 12 of them at every one of Pedro Jr.'s games when he was a senior, according to Matt Russo, Horace Mann's coach. Pedro Jr. quickly became the Barry Bonds of the Bronx - he was so good he was repeatedly walked intentionally, making it difficult for pro scouts to evaluate him.

To give them a look, Pedro Jr. volunteered to work out after games, hitting with a wooden bat so scouts could better judge how his ability would translate in the pros. Pedro Sr. would roll up the sleeves of the dress shirt he wore to work, change from dress shoes to sneakers and throw batting practice to his son.

Pedro Jr. also shined during the summer on an elite travel team, the Bayside Yankees, and in several pre-draft showcases where he played with other top prospects at places such as and Fenway, where one scout says they witnessed "power you don't see every day."

Most scouts felt Pedro Jr. would sign instead of going to college, but Vanderbilt coach didn't give up on his star recruit. Corbin consulted a New York tax attorney and "went through all the numbers" of what would come out of Pedro Jr.'s pocket while he played in the minors. His draft adviser, Bart Hernandez, broke down how taxes would whittle down his signing bonus versus the value of a Vandy education - the school costs about $45,000 a year to attend.

"Vandy also brought out a lot of stats of kids coming out of the SEC and starting in Double-A, where kids out of high school take four or five years to get (to that level of the minors)," Horace Mann's Russo says. "They told him he could be a role model - a Dominican kid from a tough area, maybe this shows that a guy who could use the money chose education instead."

As Corbin puts it, "there aren't a lot of Alex Rodriguezes out there. Making the majors can be a 5-, 6-, 7-year process."

Still, the Red Sox persisted. They offered to make Pedro Jr. the 47th pick if he would commit to a contract P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org

on the spot. He said no. Enamored of his swing and hitting instincts, the Sox took him in the 14th round and made their big-bucks offer.

"A million dollars probably looked like a billion to him, he doesn't come from much," Corbin says.

Pedro Sr. knows he has a dangerous job, but says he wouldn't have quit driving the livery had his son signed a big pro contract. "Like every other job, you learn the psychology of it, where you don't feel it's dangerous every day," he says. "Besides, that money was for Pedro's future. I can't sit down, anyway. But Pedro has always said he wants to buy a house for his mom."

Had the Red Sox offered more money, Pedro Jr. might have signed; he didn't consider their offer "life- changing."

The decision was still a difficult one, eating up Pedro Jr. so much that at one point he told his father, "I'll do whatever you want me to."

Father told son: "You are capable of making this decision, smart enough and you can do it."

The night before his first day of classes at Vanderbilt, the phone in Pedro Jr.'s dorm room rang. It was the Red Sox again, making one last pitch.

"You know," they said, "if you go to class tomorrow, you can't be drafted for another three years. Start your career now."

Again, he said no. He figures the Red Sox - or some other big-league team - will be there when he's eligible for the draft again after his junior year or, if he decides to stay at school for four years, as a senior.

"My family and I, we've had the philosophy that baseball is like the lottery - some guys get lucky and make it and others don't get their way," Alvarez says. "But no one can take away your education."

Sitting in the living room at the family's apartment in Inwood, the Yankee game flickering across the television, Pedro Sr. finishes the story about the day at the stadium in Santo Domingo, when the major leaguer questioned his sanity.

The two men talked for awhile longer and the ballplayer asked if Pedro Sr. were a rich man.

"No," the father said.

"In the time your son goes to college, maybe he could have made the major leagues," the player told him.

"I said, 'Who's going to guarantee this?'" Pedro Sr. remembers. "Then he mentioned all these players who became rich and famous with no education.

"I said, 'Why don't you talk about those who had a bright future in baseball and never got anywhere but still have an education?'"

Later, Alvarez Sr. looks around his apartment. "I have everything I need, a bed, kitchen," he says. When someone adds, "family, too," he smiles and says in Spanish: "Yes, family."

The Injury Bug Bites…Long Beach State righthander Manny McElroy is out four to six weeks with a strained rib cage in his back…McElroy, who is (1-0) with a 9.00 ERA this season, has been the team's Saturday starter for the past two weekends…he is a former junior college All-American out of Bakersfield City College…the Dirtbags travel to Rice this weekend and will use either lefthander Shane Peterson or righthander Andre Lamontagne in his place on either Saturday or Sunday…senior lefthander Omar Arif (1-1, 1.86) will start the other day…Vance Worley (0-0, 3.86) will start on Friday…Junior Chris Jackson has a stomach ulcer and will be sidelined indefinitely, LSU coach P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org

said Tuesday after the Tigers’ practice in Alex Box Stadium…his condition will continue to be evaluated, and he hopes to return to action as soon as possible, Mainieri said…the likely candidates to replace him at second base are sophomores Buzzy Haydel and Nicholas Pontiff, and freshman Ryan Schimpf… Jackson helped lead LSU last weekend to a season-opening sweep of Saint Mary’s (CA.), batting .300 (3-for-10) with four steals, two runs, two walks and one RBI, and was the Tigers’ lead-off hitter in Sunday’s, 6-2, win over the Gaels…Mainieri also said that reserve utility player Chris McGhee suffered a laceration of his right hand during Saturday’s game versus Saint Mary’s and is out indefinitely…he sustained the injury while making a diving attempt to a fly ball…Wichita State’s Matt Brown spent Monday night in the hospital due to food poisoning according to head coach … the junior outfielder missed practice on Tuesday, but is expected to make the trip to Pepperdine this weekend…Texas Tech sophomore right-hander Miles Morgan, the 2006 Big 12 Freshman Pitcher of the Year, will miss the remainder of the season due to a torn rotator cuff suffered prior to the start of the season…Morgan made just one appearance this season in the series finale last weekend against Stephen F. Austin and was chased after allowing two runs on four hits over four innings of work…he finished the 2006 season with a (6-7) record, and a 3.63 ERA over 106 2/3 innings of work, picking up the league’s frosh pitching honors and a berth on the Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball Magazine Freshman All-American team…"We are disappointed for Miles and for what we know is ahead of him," said Texas Tech head coach . "The good news is we know Miles and how hard of a worker he is and so we will expect to see him back and ready to go this time next season."

Tennessee baseball player Julio Borbon suffered a left ankle fracture during preseason practice and underwent surgery at UT Medical Center on Jan. 23rd…the junior outfielder is expected to make a full recovery and should return to the field in approximately eight to 10 weeks from that date…Oklahoma junior Aaron Reza will miss up to 4-6 weeks of the 2007 baseball season after breaking his left hand, his glove hand, in practice…Reza, the Sooners’ starting shortstop and a team captain, sustained the injury on a pick-off play…he made 56 starts for Oklahoma last year, mainly at shortstop, and appeared in all but four games for the Sooners…during his first year in Norman, Reza played an integral role in helping OU lead the nation in team fielding percentage (.983)…Cal State Fullerton head coach announced that the Titans will be without the services of senior third baseman Evan McArthur for approximately five more weeks…the right-handed hitting McArthur suffered a fracture of the hamate bone in his left hand that will require surgery…he played through the injury in a three-game series with nationally-ranked Stanford, posting a .308 average (4-for-13) with a double and 3 RBI before he left the Sunday's game.

College of Charleston baseball coach has announced the 2007 captains for the Cougar baseball team…Chris Campbell, Nick Chigges, and Oliver Marmol were selected by their teammates…all three players had key roles in last season’s Tournament championship and NCAA super-regional appearance…the captains led CofC to a 46-17 overall record in 2006…Ohio State has named 2007 Buckeyes Matt Angle, Dan DeLucia, Eric Fryer and Jacob Howell as team captains…South Carolina players have voted captains for the USC position players - junior outfielder Steven Reinhold and sophomore Reese Havens, with junior left-handed pitcher Arik Hempy and junior right-handed pitcher Harris Honeycutt serving as captains for the pitchers…Penn head coach John Cole has named seniors Joey Boaen, Doug Brown and Josh Corn as team captains for the Quakers…St. Johns head coach has announced that seniors Sam DeLuca, Chris Joachim and Brendan Monaghan have been voted to lead the team as co-captains for the 2007 season as the squad looks for a third straight 40-win season.

Junior pitcher Chris Powell will wear East Carolina's honorary No. 23 jersey during the 2007 season…the jersey, which was the number worn by the late ECU head coach Keith LeClair throughout his coaching and playing career, became an honorary number for the Pirate baseball program in 2003…Powell, a two-year lettermen for the Pirates, has appeared in 33 career games with three starts and has posted a 1-4 record with 25 in 51 innings…Mark Johnson, head baseball coach at Sam Houston State was been selected by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes as the recipient of the 2007 Character in Coaching Award…prior to joining SHSU, Johnson led Texas A&M to two College appearances and a record of 876 victories and 433 losses…he was the Sporting News Coach of the Year in 1993 and is a member of the American Baseball Coaches P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org

Association Hall of Fame and the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame…named after Jerry Kindall - former major league player and retired head coach at the University of Arizona, the Character in Coaching Award is presented annually to the college or high school baseball coach who best exemplifies the principles of character, integrity, excellence, teamwork, and service on and off the .

San Diego State, in conjunction with the Padres, has announced a collegiate doubleheader to take place at PETCO Park on Saturday, March 10, as part of the 2007 Classic hosted by SDSU…a special ceremony between games of the twin bill will be held to honor Gwynn, who was recently voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame after a standout 20-year major league career…the event gets underway with Oklahoma facing the at 3:00 p.m…game two will feature a match-up between San Diego State and Michigan at 7:00 p.m…during the break between games, at approximately 6:30 p.m., the ceremony honoring the Aztec head coach, featuring special guests and video tributes, will be conducted…a special commemorative hat, the first item commemorating Gwynn’s Hall of Fame election, will be given to the first 15,000 fans at the game and will only be available at this event…all proceeds from the event will directly support the San Diego State baseball program…the doubleheader is part of the weekend tournament featuring four teams that have been ranked among the preseason top 50 by …on Friday (Mar. 9), USD will host Michigan at Cunningham Stadium at 2:00 p.m., while the Aztecs will face Oklahoma at 6:00 p.m. at …the tourney concludes on Sunday (Mar. 11) at Tony Gwynn Stadium with Oklahoma against Michigan at 10:00 a.m. and SDSU taking on USD at 4:00 p.m.

The EA Sports NCAA College Baseball video game has hit the streets, with ex-Long Beach State All American Jered Weaver serving as the coverboy…Mike Scarr penned the following article for MLB.com…

ANAHEIM -- Jered Weaver has gone from phenom to cover boy.

Following on the heels of his 11-2 season with the Angels in 2006 and a standout career at Long Beach State, Weaver's likeness is providing the cover art for the latest release of MVP 07 NCAA Baseball for the Sony PlayStation by EA Sports.

Weaver was featured prominently, along with his older brother, Jeff, in a Sports Illustrated story last season, and he's made the cover of Baseball America in the past, but he said he's never been associated with a video game. "I've been a gamer ever since I was a little kid," said Weaver, who cut his teeth on Atari. "I got approached by one of the guys [from EA] about being on the cover of the game, and I thought that was cool."

In its second year and shipped to market on Feb. 6, MVP 07 NCAA Baseball is the only college baseball video game available. Features include "rock and fire" pitching, which allows the player to pull back on the joystick and follow through, and "load and fire" batting. Players can also customize their own rosters. "I've played the MVP games before and I've played college baseball, but this is by far the most realistic game," said Weaver, who is on the box in a Dirtbags uniform as seen from the hitter's viewpoint. "It gives you a more realistic mindset for the pitcher and gives you an idea of what goes on with his thinking. You can do check swings and you get foul balls and throwing from your knees -- everything you see on TV."

Weaver was the Angels' first-round choice in the 2004 First-Year Player Draft, but he sat out nearly a year in a contract dispute. After making two stops in the Minors that included a stint in the in 2005, Weaver opened last season in Triple-A before getting called up to the Majors on May 26. He won his first start en route to a 9-0 record before recording his first loss.

The 24-year-old also logged more innings in 2006 than he has in his young career, but said he feels ready for the '07 season. Pitchers and catchers reported to on Wednesday, with the first workout Feb. 15 (today).

"I'm not going to lie. I was tired, but not as tired as I thought I was going to be," Weaver said. "Now, I know what to do to get ready." P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org

St. John's University has announced the renaming of the baseball program's home field, from The Ballpark at St. John's to Stadium beginning in the 2007 season…the stadium's namesake, Hall of Fame coach John W. "Jack" Kaiser, has been a part of the St. John's athletics family for nearly 60 years…the stadium's renaming will be commemorated early in the Spring when the Red Storm opens its home season in March…Kaiser began his St. John's career as a baseball, basketball and soccer player in the late 1940's, then as a coach from 1952-1973, the Director of Athletics from 1973-1995 and currently holds the title of Athletic Director Emeritus…throughout his career at St. John's, Kaiser has been one of the baseball program's biggest supporters…he led teams to the as a player in 1949 and a coach in 1960, 1966 and 1968, then went on to provide department-wide leadership as the Director of Athletics for 23 years…"I am thrilled and humbled by this honor," Kaiser said. "I would like to share it with all of the great players and coaches who have contributed to the great tradition of the St. John's baseball program." An American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League (ACBL) Hall of Famer, Kaiser remains involved with both the St. John's program and the ACBL, a sanctioned summer league that he co-founded…the Big East has commemorated Kaiser's achievements for the last 22 years as the namesake for the conference baseball tournament's Most Outstanding Player award.

Sad notes to report since our Winter Edition…Jody Schrage, 45, wife of University of Notre Dame head baseball coach , died in January at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, following a six-week-long battle with cancer and related complications. "All of the thoughts and prayers of everyone at the University are with Dave, their daughters Kaitlyn and Brianne, and their family during this difficult time," said Notre Dame athletics director Kevin White…former Oklahoma and pitching coach Vern Ruhle died on Jan. 22nd, also at MD Anderson Hospital, of complications from a donor stem cell transplant for the treatment of multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow at age 55…Ruhle was Oklahoma's pitching coach from 1990-1995 and helped lead the Sooners to the program's second national title in 1994…he helped develop the careers of former Sooner greats and , among others…the Sooners made three College World Series appearances (1992, 1994 and 1995) under Ruhle, who followed to Norman from Cal State Fullerton…he began 2006 as the Reds' pitching coach, but he was diagnosed during a routine physical in February and missed the whole season…he pitched in the major leagues for Detroit, Houston, Cleveland and the Angels from 1974-86, going 67-88 with a 3.73 ERA and was a pitching coach with Houston, Philadelphia and the Mets before joining the Reds organization in 2004…he is survived by his wife, Sue, and two children, daughter Rebecca and son Kenny.

Former and current pitcher Brandon Webb was named the Kentucky Sportsman of the Year, in voting done by a statewide panel of media, the Lexington Herald- Leader announced…Webb, a right-handed pitcher who lettered at UK from 1998-2000, claimed the National League after posting career-highs with a 3.10 ERA and 16 wins during the 2006 MLB season…he became the first UK product to claim the award since James Whalen Jr. did so in 1999… USA Baseball announced that catcher J.P. Arencibia has been named the Richard W. "Dick" Case Award winner for his play during the 2006 USA Baseball National Team season…the award recognizes USA Baseball's Athlete of the Year and honors the organization's founding Executive Director/CEO…he becomes the first winner from the …a two-time USA Baseball National Team alumnus, he was named the MVP of the 2006 FISU World Championships last August after leading Team USA to a Gold Medal at the event in Havana, Cuba…he wrapped up the World Championships with a .412 batting average (14-for-34), including three doubles, two triples, four home runs, and a tournament-best 23 RBIs in eight games…over the course of the entire season, he hit .306 and led the team with nine home runs to go with his 40 RBIs…Arencibia is coming off back-to-back All-America seasons with the Vols, having garnered Freshman All-America honors in 2005 and first-team acclaim from the College Baseball Foundation in 2006…the 2007 Brooks Wallace Award National Player of the Year candidate sports a .335 career batting average with 167 hits, 123 RBIs and 25 home runs…he has played in all 122 of UT's games over the past two seasons and ranks tied for 10th on the school's career home runs list…he joins past winners (2003), Ryan Zimmerman (2004), and Ryan Shealy (2005) as recipients of the award.

P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org

Defending national champion Oregon State will step onto a major league stage when the Beavers play the first game of their Pacific-10 series against Washington at Safeco Field on May 4…the game in the home ballpark of the Seattle Mariners will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be televised live on FSN, it was announced Tuesday…“This is a great opportunity for our players to compete in one of the very finest baseball facilities in the world,” OSU head coach said. “It’s an experience they’ll remember for a long, long time and we’re happy to be able to play at Safeco Field.”…The game will be the Beavers’ first in a major league since 1999, when they visited Minnesota for a three-game series at the Metrodome, home of the Twins…OSU played Washington in the Kingdome – the Mariners’ former home – in a 1993 series…the UW-OSU game on May 4th will be the first game of a three-game, Pac-10 Conference series…Saturday and Sunday’s game will take place at Husky Ballpark on the UW campus.

Lots of schedule changes to report this week due to Mother Nature…cold temperatures in Texas and icy conditions in New York have postponed today's games at this weekend's Midland College Classic… action now begins on Friday with Texas Tech playing Dallas Baptist at 6 p.m., while the St. John’s Red Storm begins its season on Saturday with an 11 a.m. (noon EST) contest versus DBU and a 5 p.m. (6 p.m. EST) matchup later that day with Tech…a second STJ game versus Texas Tech concludes the tournament's schedule on Sunday at 2 p.m. (3 p.m. EST)…Wednesday's snow and ice forced the cancellation of St. John's flight out of Gotham, so the team instead leaves this afternoon…a fourth participant, Eastern Michigan, backed out of the tournament (how cold could Midland be?) to leave the three remaining institutions to play in the third annual event…last season, STJ fell to the Red Raiders, 5- 4, in the 2006 season opener in the only all-time meeting between either of the two schools…Tech comes into the weekend on a three-game win streak and has hit 14 home runs in its first seven games…Dallas Baptist, Baseball America's No. 1 ranked Division I independent school, fell for the first time (3-1) on Tuesday, 6-5 in 12 innings at No. 16 TCU…because of impending cold temperatures forecasted for the Orlando region this weekend, the UCF Golden Knights’ announced two time changes for this weekend’s home series vs. Maryland…both games Friday and Saturday will now get underway at 4 p.m…Sunday’s game time of 1 p.m. will remain the same…with temperatures in the 40s expected this weekend, Houston moved the starting times of its Friday and Saturday games up against UC Irvine… Friday’s game will begin at 4 p.m., with Saturday’s game slated to start at 1 p.m…Sunday’s game time will remain as originally scheduled at 1 p.m…the New Mexico coaches also had to postpone yesterday's session of the Spring Training Hitting camp due to a snowstorm that hit the Duke City…the Portland Pilots and Brigham Young Cougars will play an extra baseball game this Friday in addition to the three regularly scheduled games at Joe Etzel Field in Portland…Friday's added game, a result of last week's rain-out at California, is scheduled for seven innings and will begin at 11:00 a.m…the previously scheduled nine-inning game on Friday will begin approximately 30 minutes after the first game…Thursday's series-opener is still set to begin at 2:00 p.m., while the series finale on Saturday will begin at 1:00 p.m.

The 2007 season opener for Louisville against Murray State Tuesday at was postponed…the game has been rescheduled for Feb. 20th…Cardinal head coach Dan McDonnell, in his first season at U of L, and the Cardinals will now open the season on the road Friday in Hattiesburg, Miss. in the Coca Cola Classic against Northwestern State…Louisville is now scheduled to open the home portion of their schedule on February 28 against Morehead State…the middle game of a three- game baseball series this weekend between San Jose State and Utah, scheduled to be played at Blethen Field on Saturday, February 17, has now been moved to San Jose Municipal Stadium…the start time remains at 1:00 p.m. San Jose State enters the non-conference set with an overall record of 3- 3 on the season as it continues what is now a six-game homestand…the Spartans were only able to play two out of their three scheduled home games against UC Santa Barbara this past weekend, with both being forced to move from Municipal Stadium to Blethen Field where the teams split the two games… Friday’s baseball game between No. 28 Texas A&M and Texas-Pan American has been moved from 6:30 p.m. to 3 p.m…the Saturday and Sunday games will remain at 2 p.m. and 1 p.m. Due to expected cold temperatures, North Carolina’s baseball opener with Seton Hall Friday will now start at 2 p.m. instead of 3 p.m. Game times for Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m., respectively, remain unchanged…senior right-hander Robert Woodard will start Friday for the Tar Heels.

P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org

Texas set a single-game school record for doubles and four Longhorns combined for an eight-hit shutout in a, 19-0, win over UT Pan American at The Dell Diamond on Tuesday…the Longhorns hit 11 doubles, breaking the 44-year-old record of nine set in 1946 and equaled in 1963…Nick Peoples, Jordan Danks and Bradley Suttle logged two doubles apiece, while Jeff Boes, Todd Gilfillan, Brett Lewis, and Chance Wheeless added a solo…TCU head coach picked up his 199th career victory on Tuesday night in a come-from-behind victory over Dallas Baptist…the Frogs had trailed 5-0 at one point in the game, but rallied to win the game in the bottom of the 12th when Andrew Walker stole home to score the winning …Horned Frog outfielder Keith Conlon is off to a hot start, hitting .643 (9-for-14) in the first four games with a 1.071 slugging percentage and a .750 on- base percentage…TCU is 3-1 for the second time since 2005…their current ranking (No. 16 Collegiate Baseball) is the highest in Schlossnagle’s tenure…

VMI opened the season for the second straight season by taking two out of three at an SEC opponent, this time by taking games one and two from Florida…it marked the first 2-0 start to a season for VMI since the 1993 season when current head coach was a sophomore catcher on a team that went all the way to the Southern Conference finals…the team’s success in Florida followed last year’s series win at Auburn to open the season, as the program had never taken a series from a current SEC opponent before last season…that sets the stage for the much-anticipated opening of Gray-Minor Stadium this weekend, a 1,400-seat facility built around existing Patchin Field that will see its first action as Bucknell comes into town for a three-game set…in recent years the VMI program has become a mini “Cradle of Coaches” as it ranks as one of only ten schools with four alums serving as Division I head baseball coaches….thanks to crack research by VMI baseball SID Christian Hoffman, here’s the list:

Connecticut (5) John Slosar- Fairfield Nick Giaquinto- Sacred Heart - Central Connecticut State Marek Drabinski- Brown - Connecticut

Davidson (5) Mikio Aoki- Boston College - Appalachian State Dan Simonds- Miami (Ohio) Peter Hughes- Virginia Tech Brett Boretti- Columbia

Oklahoma State (5) Rob Walton- Oral Roberts Rocky Ward- New Mexico State - Hawaii , Jr.- High Point Robbie Wine- Penn State

Creighton (4) Dave Schrage- Notre Dame Elvis Dominguez- Eastern Kentucky - Iowa Brian O’Connor- Virginia

Kent State (4) Pat Bangtson- Akron Greg Beals- Ball State Scott Stricklin- Kent State Larry Sudbrook- St. Bonaventure

P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org

Liberty (4) - Tennessee Matt Royer- Liberty John Jarnagin- Morehead State Doug Shanks- Mississippi Valley State

Pepperdine (4) - Loyola Marymount - Cal Poly - Pepperdine Chad Kreuter- USC

Stanford (4) - Stanford - California Mark Machtolf- Gonzaga Ed Sprague- Pacific

VMI (4) - Western Kentucky - Auburn Chris Chernisky- Niagara Marlin Ikenberry- VMI

Western Carolina (4) Keith Shumate- North Carolina A&T Tim Sinicki- Binghamton - Western Carolina - Georgia Southern

Cal State Fullerton (3) George Horton- Cal State Fullerton Steve Rousey- Cal State Northridge - Fresno State

Delaware (3) John Jancuska- Maryland Baltimore Co. - Delaware Rob Valli- Temple

Elon (3) Jim Morris- Miami (Fla.) - Elon Jim Schlossnagle- TCU

Emporia State (3) Rich Alday- New Mexico Frank Anderson- Oklahoma State Brad Hill- Kansas State

Ithaca (3) Tom Ford- Cornell John Cole- Penn Joe Sottolano- Army

P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org

N.C. State (3) - South Carolina Lew Kent- Radford - Valparaiso North Carolina (3) - North Carolina - Princeton Steve Mrowka- George Washington

Providence (3) - Navy - Rhode Island Pat Carey- Iona

Rollins (3) Jay Bergman- UCF Shawn Pender- St. Joseph’s Pete Wilk- Georgetown

Seton Hall (3) Ed Blankmeyer- St. John’s Rob Sheppard- Seton Hall - Manhattan

Southern (3) Roger Cador- Southern Barret Rey- Grambling Harvey Lee- Coppin State

The Citadel (3) Fred Jordan- The Citadel Tony Skole- East Tennessee State Dan McDonnell- Louisville

Air Force head coach Mike Hutcheon has announced several changes to his coaching staff for the 2007 season…assistant coach Scott Marchand has been promoted to pitching coach and Chandler Rose was hired as an assistant coach…Marchand takes over the pitching staff duties after former assistant coach Ryan Thompson was hired as head coach at Mid-American Nazarene…he begins his third season with the program, worked with the and hitters last year…Rose comes to the Academy after one year as an assistant coach at Florida Gulf Coast University…he will work with assistant coach Maj. Mike Kazlausky with the infielders, outfielders and hitters…South Alabama coach was recently inducted into the Alabama Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame…Kittrell has a record of 902-507-1 in 23 years at South Alabama, and has led the Jaguars to 18 NCAA tournament berths and 11 championships…he has also coached at Spring Hill College and Enterprise State Junior College and spent seven years as a high school coach at UMS and Niceville (Fla.), leading UMS to a state championship in 1978…his overall record, including both high school and college, is 1,117-605-1…Kittrell was inducted into the South Alabama Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Mobile Sports Hall of Fame in 2004…"I think anytime a coach is recognized by his peers, it's quite an honor," Kittrell said of the induction…Kent Shelley, the longtime head baseball coach at Johnson County Community College and a former player at Kansas University, has been named part of the 2007 Hall of Fame class by the NJCAA Baseball Coaches Association…the induction ceremony will take place in May at the NJCAA Division I Baseball World Series banquet in Grand Junction, CO… Shelley first suited up for Pratt Community College before ending his career at KU, where he was elected co-captain for the 1982 squad…after completing his eligibility, he served as a graduate assistant coach for the Jayhawks.

P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org

Mike Montoro, Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations at Southern Miss, is the winner of the 32nd annual Wilbur Snypp Award, presented annually by the NCBWA for outstanding contributions to college baseball…Montoro, also past president of the college baseball writers' organization, has been directing the media relations department at Southern Miss since August, 2000…he has been active in the NCAA World Series at Omaha, Neb. with NCBWA and is regarded as one of the top publicists in Conference USA…he follows a long line of illustrious persons in gaining the award, given in memory of longtime Ohio State Sports Information Director and NCBWA founder the late Wilbur (Bill) Snypp since 1975…Snypp was a noted contributor to the writers' organization, which was initiated in 1962 (and celebrating its 46th year in 2007), as well as an officer in the group…the NCBWA/Wilbur Snypp Award yearly honors a professional for contributions to the sport of collegiate baseball…voting is done by a panel of previous winners, who include past NCAA World Series directors, CoSIDA Hall of Fame members, decorated media members and others…the have announced Rob Matwick has been named the club's Vice President, Communications…Matwick's responsibilities will include overseeing baseball media relations, business public relations and broadcasting…he joins the Tigers after spending over 21 years with the Houston Astros, serving most recently as the Senior Vice President, Ballpark Operations and Customer Service…he originally joined the Astros in October of 1985 as the club's Director, Media Relations, a position he held until being promoted to Vice President, Communications in 1999…prior to joining the Astros, he was the Sports Information Director at Wichita State University and served as an assistant at the University of South Carolina…he was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005 and awarded the Robert O. Fishel Award in 2001 for an "active, non-uniformed representative of whose ethics, character, dedication, service, professionalism and humanitarianism best represent the standards propounded by Robert O. Fishel."

Coming and Going…Wisconsin-Milwaukee added to its pitching depth as three transfers joined the Panthers at the semester break…juniors Dan Luczak and Brandon Duffy and sophomore Jordan Herbert have been added to the roster and are all eligible to participate during the 2007 season…Luczak spent the past three seasons at South Carolina, lettering twice…he was (2-0) in nine games in 2006, striking out 14 batters in 14.0 innings, while limiting opponents to a .180 average and was a medical redshirt in 2005 after appearing in one game as a freshman…in the classroom, he has been a Dean's List member every semester and was named to the SEC All-Academic Team three-straight seasons… Duffy pitched the past two seasons at MATC in Madison, going (5-3) as a sophomore, striking out 34 batters in 45.2 innings…Herbert spent last season pitching at Miami (Ohio), posting a 0.00 ERA in two games…the Panthers are coming off a 32-25 season and will kick off 2007 with a trip to play three games against Arkansas this weekend in Fayetteville…Clemson graduate and righthander Sean Clark had one more year of eligibility remaining in 2007, but he announced that he will not play for the Tigers this season…he began a full-time job at his current employer in Greenville, SC after the 2006 season, as he graduated with a degree in economics in May of 2006 and was not enrolled in classes during the fall semester…he had a (2-0) record and 2.50 ERA along with 30 strikeouts, against only 10 walks, in 36.0 innings pitched over nine relief appearances and two starts last year…the Tigers had a perfect 11-0 record in the 11 games he pitched…an amazing story, Clark was not on the weekend travel roster during most of 2006 season, but with an injury to Travis Storrer, he was added to the ACC Tournament roster…after the Tigers advanced to the championship game against N.C. State, Leggett called on Clark to make his first career start…all he did was pitch 8.0 innings, allowing four hits, one run, and one walk, with five strikeouts, to earn the win against the #25 Wolfpack…he did not know he would make the start until a few hours before game time…Clark also picked up the victory with 8.0 innings pitched in relief of the Tigers' opener of the 2006 Clemson Regional against UNC Asheville, allowing three hits, no runs, and two walks with six strikeouts…the junior college transfer from Chandler-Gilbert (AZ) Community College was named to both the ACC Tournament and Clemson Regional All- Tournament teams…he also started Clemson's first game in Omaha, as he threw the first pitch in the first game of the 2006 College World Series…he pitched 6.0 effective innings against #4 Georgia Tech in Clemson's, 8-4, win.

Cincinnati’s baseball team received a boost when Bearcat football player Reggie Fugett joined the roster…a tight end on the gridiron and a first baseman on the diamond, becomes the fourth member of the football team to dabble in a second sport…at 6-6 and 250 pounds, he played three years of baseball P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org

in high school, hitting .438 as a senior, while playing first base and …Fugett joins football teammates Connor Barwin (basketball), John Bowie and Jared Martin (football) as multi-sport athletes at UC…the NCAA has granted Hawai‘i left-handed pitcher Mark Rodrigues an extension of the five-year rule, allowing him to play during the 2007 Rainbow baseball season… Rodrigues, who missed two full seasons in 2004 and 2005 due to medical circumstances, made 15 appearances and 12 starts in 2006, compiling a 4.66 ERA in 58.0 innings…Wichita State’s Kenny Williams Jr. has been declared academically ineligible for the 2007 season, head coach Gene Stephenson announced…Williams, a junior outfielder played his first two seasons at Arizona before transferring to Wichita State…he will be able to practice with the team this spring, but cannot travel.

San Francisco has had to move its first seven scheduled home games to accommodate ongoing construction at Benedetti Diamond, specifically protective safety netting to prevent balls from leaving the ballpark…the Dons will also play an exhibition game against Rikkyo University of Japan at Skyline College at 2:00 PM today...in addition, USF will move its scheduled home series against UC Riverside February 16-18 to a three-game set on the same dates at Riverside…the venue for the Dons contest against Nevada Tuesday February 27 is currently TBA…San Francisco plays its true home opener at Benedetti Diamond on Thursday, March 22, when it hosts Southern Utah in the first of a three-game set.

Texas and Arkansas have long been rivals in the athletic arena and it seems they are in a race to be home to the finest stadium in college baseball…Disch-Falk Field in Austin is presently undergoing a multi-million dollar rebuild with the Longhorns playing at the Round Rock Express’ Dell Diamond until construction is completed…meanwhile, the Razorbacks are continuing to upgrade Charlie Baum Stadium, possibly the finest collegiate venue presently in the country, as Rainer Sabin relays via the Northwest Arkansas Times…

The Never-Ending Project

As Arkansas began baseball practice, the players were greeted by the sight of construction debris at Baum Stadium.

Since Nov. 1, the 11-year-old facility has been undergoing its third major expansion. Major additions include 20 luxury boxes, 1,520 chairback seats and two new restroom / concession buildings.

“ We didn’t want to expand beyond the demand, ” said Jerry Pufall, Arkansas associate athletic director for facilities. “ But when we firmed up the commitments for the suites we started the process. ”

The project will cost $ 3. 5 million and will likely be completed during the middle of the season, according to Pufall. It is being funded by donations secured by the Razorback Foundation, the fundraising arm of the UA athletics program.

“ It just all added up that it was a good investment, ” Arkansas coach said. “ It’s not like we’re spending money and not making money. ”

According to statistics compiled by the NCAA, the average attendance for Arkansas’ 28 home dates in 2006 was 7,123. The only place where more people went through the turnstiles to see a college baseball game last year was LSU’s Alex Box Stadium.

Last spring, UA officials began making plans to enlarge the capacity of Baum Stadium for the second time in five years. In 2002, indoor batting cages were installed along with 2,477 seats. When word of a possible expansion began to spread last summer, donations came pouring in, including a $1 million gift by Johnny Mike and Debbie Walker.

“ There are so many people who enjoy the sport, ” said Debbie Walker. “ It’s definitely something that’s needed because there is just not enough space with the concessions and restrooms. There was a need for it and a desire for it and we were able to be a part of the implementing of it. ” P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org

D. I. A. Architects, a firm based in Houston, was commissioned for the project because its president, James Trimble, had been involved in the design of Baum Stadium when before it opened in 1996. Back then Trimble worked for Perry Butcher & Associates, which is based in Neosho, Mo.

“ He was the first person we thought of, ” Pufall said. “ He had so much knowledge of the details. ” Little Rock-based Kinco Constructors, which also was involved in the construction of the newly renovated John McDonnell Field along Razorback Road, was hired as the contractors.

But Pufall said the building process will be handled differently than it was during the expansion of the outdoor track and field stadium, even though the circumstances surrounding both projects are similar. For instance, Kinco will not be faced with such a strict timetable to complete this project like it was a year ago. Just eight months ago, construction workers were racing against the clock trying to finish the additions to John McDonnell Field in time for the Championships. “ We did not want to do it on a fast track, ” Pufall said. “ Getting it done before the first ball game is not a priority. ”

But when the project is finished here is what it will look like: 10 luxury boxes along each of the foul lines, a total of 1,300 seats under the 20 suites and 220 permanent seats positioned six feet beyond the left-field .

Along with new flood lights that have a higher wattage, 28 grills and tables will be added to the existing 12 that are in the Hog Pen, where a sloping section of the landscape will now be terraced. The expansion will leave the seating capacity at 10,347.

“ There are a lot of Triple-A stadiums that don’t have 8, 000, ” Van Horn said. “ It’s fun to recruit as a coach with the stadium we had four years ago. But to be able to bring them over and show them this facility and how many fans we can get has great influence. Northwest Arkansas keeps growing and our fanbase is growing. And I think it will continue to grow. ”

New Orleans tallied just eight hits in a two-game series at No. 18 Mississippi over the weekend but David Broussard and Brandon Bowser had four of the eight hits, while Drew Anderson provided a solo …sophomore Ryan O’Shea made his first career start on Sunday and gave up just two earned runs in six innings of work…in their home opener on Tuesday, Johnny Giavotella hit for the cycle in his first four at-bats as UNO cruised to a, 22-11, win over Southern at Maestri Field...Giavotella went 5-for- 6, with seven RBIs and five runs scored, as UNO (1-2) won its home opener for the fourth time in five years…the preseason All-Sun Belt pick doubled in the first inning, singled in the third, hit a three-run home run in the fourth and tripled in the fifth…yesterday’s rematch at Southern was postponed due to cold weather…the two teams will make the game up later this season at a date to be determined…the Privateers will play 32 games at Maestri Field – 19 at night…UNO will host former Sun Belt member New Mexico State in a three-game series this weekend…the Aggies hosted the UNO baseball team in Las Cruces last fall, when the Privateers were forced to evacuate New Orleans following the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina…Samford will hold its third-annual Hall of Fame Banquet tonight at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Resort and Spa in Birmingham…he event will begin at 7:00 p.m., and will kickoff the program’s Hall of Fame Weekend…the Bulldogs will open the 2007 regular season on Friday at 4:00 p.m. against Arkansas State and the teams will also play on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. and Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

In midweek action around the nation…sophomore outfielder David Sappelt went 3-for-4 and homered as Coastal Carolina remained undefeated with an, 8-6, win over UNC Wilmington last night at Watson Stadium…with the loss, the Seahawks slipped to 0-4 on the young season…the Chants, who open the season with 10 straight home games, improved to 4-0…Louisiana Tech put up more impressive numbers on Valentine's Day at J.C. Love Field for a 21-7 win…the Bulldogs took down Jackson State to put up a total of 61 runs over Tech's last three games…La Tech dominated its doubleheader against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Tuesday with two blowout wins…the Bulldogs took Game 1 in an offensive explosion, 18-0, in seven innings and won Game 2 with a quicker lineup and defensive mishaps by the P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org

Golden Lions for a, 22-3, victory…Auburn’s season-opening three-game winning streak came to an end on yesterday as the Tigers were upset by Lipscomb, 4-3, in 12 innings at Plainsman Park…Michael Kohn blasted a pair of homers and three Cougar pitchers struck out 13 as the College of Charleston opened its season with a, 9-5, win over Charleston Southern at Patriots Point Field…Troy scored three runs in the 12th inning, its second, three-run inning of the game, to post a, 7-5, come-from-behind win over No. 20 Alabama on a frigid Wednesday afternoon at Sewell-Thomas Stadium…Troy (2-2) had tied the game with a three-run eighth inning to force .

Georgia Southern erupted for six runs in the top of the ninth inning, rallying for a, 13-9, win at North Florida Wednesday…the Eagles (5-2 overall) won their fourth straight while UNF fell to 0-4…a nine-run fifth inning lifted Stetson to a, 13-6, victory over Bethune-Cookman Tuesday night at Melching Field… Braedyn Pruitt went 3-for-4 with Stetson’s first home run of the year and Nick Pugliese went five innings for the win…San Diego State survived a pair of rain delays and a solid offensive effort from Loyola Marymount as it defeated the Lions, 10-6, Tuesday night at Tony Gwynn Stadium…the win was the fourth straight for the Aztecs, who led the contest early, fell behind, then came back to win it late…in the process, SDSU improved to 5-2 on the year while LMU dropped to 3-4-1…UC Riverside suffered its second consecutive 3-2 loss, this time at #15 UCLA Tuesday night at in Westwood…the Highlanders fell to 5-2, while the Bruins improve to 3-4…

Sophomore Michael Rockett was called out at first base with two outs in the ninth and the tying run at third, as UTSA lost a heartbreaker in its 2007 season opener at No. 6 Rice on Tuesday evening… Rockett, who slid head first, appeared to beat first baseman Joe Savery to the bag, but first base umpire Reggie Liggons called him out and the Owls (3-3) held on for the 4-3 victory…the University of Houston scored five runs in three consecutive innings to rally from a six-run deficit on the way to a, 16-9, win over Sam Houston State at Cougar Field…Tim Jackson’s pinch-hit, three-run double sparked a five-run seventh inning as Baylor rallied past Texas State, 10-4, in Tuesday night’s 2007 home opener…the Bears (1-3) have won eight consecutive home games and improved to 33-8 at Baylor Ballpark since the beginning of the 2005 postseason…BU also avoided the program’s first 0-4 start since 1940…Grant Hirneise, Jacob Jefferies and Brandon Oliver each drove in two runs, and Brad McAtee gave up one earned run off seven hits in eight innings of work to lead the UC Davis to its first win of the season in a, 6-3, decision over Saint Mary's during the home-opener at …the Aggies are now 1-4 overall this season while the Gaels fall to 3-8.

Matt Wieters hit a one-out, three-run home run in bottom of the 10th inning and picked up the win in relief to lead Georgia Tech (1-2) to an, 11-8, victory over Kennesaw State (0-1) Tuesday evening in the home opener at …Wieters (1-0) pulled his first home run of the season over the left field wall off reliever Justin Edwards, then earned the win after tossing the final two innings of the game, allowing just one run on two hits while striking out four…a 19-hit outburst and scoring production in seven of its eight at bats lifted Florida (2-2) to a, 15-1 victory over Florida A&M (1-7) in front of 1,262 fans on at McKethan Stadium…in his first collegiate action, freshman Kevin Chapman limited the Rattlers to one hit over five innings and totaled four strikeouts…senior shortstop Kyle Martin hit two home runs and tied his career high of four RBIs while Collin Auten helped squash a late Western Illinois rally in the ninth to lead Texas Tech to a 13-11 win over the Leathernecks…he win gives Texas Tech a three-game win streak as the Red Raiders improve to 4-3 on the season and finished the Red Raider Classic with a 3-1 record…Stanford scored three times in the bottom of the first inning and five Cardinal pitchers allowed just one run and five hits in a 5-1 exhibition victory over Rikkio University of Japan on Tuesday at Sunken Diamond…New Mexico snapped a three-game losing streak with an, 11-7, win at New Mexico State Tuesday…UNM plated 11 runs on 11 hits, moving to 2-3 overall and drawing head coach Rich Alday another win closer to 500 at Albuquerque…Mark Tracy went 2-for-5 with three RBI, while Danny Worth went 3-for-4 with two RBI, as the No. 23 defeated the USC Trojans, 8-3, in nonconference action at Eddy D. Field Stadium…the Waves used a 16-hit attack to defeat the Trojans…No. 28 Texas A&M scored four first-inning runs and Jordan Chambless fanned five in the final 3 2/3 innings to lead the Aggies past McNeese State, 5-2, on a frigid Tuesday night at Olsen Field…Chambless’ (2-0) five strikeouts upped his season total to 16 in only 8 2/3 innings…he allowed just one walk and did allow a hit.

P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org

The Citadel Bulldogs won their first series of 2007 as they took two of three from East Tennessee State at Riley Park in Charleston, S.C…the Bulldogs batted .338 for the weekend, while their pitching staff only allowed two walks in 31.0 innings of work…they had a decisive, 13-6, victory on Saturday, belting out 14 hits while catcher Sid Fallaw notched a career-high five RBI…ETSU evened the series on Saturday with a 5-3 win in extra frames…the Dogs came from behind to tie it up at three in the ninth, but allowed the Bucs a two-run advantage after 13 innings of play…the last time The Citadel went 13 innings was also against ETSU in 2004 in Johnson City where the Bucs won 10-7, also in the second game of the series…the Bulldogs returned Sunday to hammer out 15 hits en route to an, 11-4, victory…right-hander Justin Smith earned a career-high 11 strikeouts in eight innings of work, while only allowing two earned runs on nine hits and not giving up a single walk… senior first baseman Zach Brown blasted two homers over the weekend…the Dogs had a total of 45 hits in three days including a cumulative .519 slugging percentage…they now will host top-ranked South Carolina this weekend in the Crab House Shootout along with Richmond and Liberty.

Arizona State outfielder Matt Spencer, the junior transfer from North Carolina, began his Sun Devil career by going 7-for-9, with two home runs (including a ) and 13 RBI in ASU’s three-game sweep of Southern Utah, then topped that by earning MVP honors at the Houston College Classic by hitting .500 (6x12), with two home runs and five runs batted in, as ASU went 2-1 in the tournament, defeating Baylor and Houston while losing to Vanderbilt…with a group of new faces, Pat Murphy has ASU poised to make a return trip to NCAA playoffs…the Arizona Republic’s Jeff Metcalfe writes...

ASU looking to be 'remarkable' – Coach Murphy and the Sun Devils aim for nothing less than a title

The pitchers are small. The hitters are big. The expectations remain mammoth for the Arizona State baseball team.

But not greater than those of 13th-year head coach Pat Murphy.

"Our motto has been to not live down to expectations," Murphy said of a team picked as the Pac-10 coaches preseason favorite over defending national champion Oregon State. "Do something remarkable.

"I'd be disappointed if we finish second or third (at the College World Series). It's not reality, but it's the kind of mentality you go with. I figured out if you act normal, you’d be normal.

"If you act nuts, you might do something nuts. And we're looking to do something nuts."

ASU last won a national championship, its fifth in baseball, in 1981. In the past decade, the Sun Devils made nine NCAA Tournament appearances with two of those culminating in top-three finishes at the College World Series.

Close, but too far away for a program that has alumni like drop by for media day. Or Barry Bonds, with whom Murphy spent a day last week.

Horner, whose 56 career home runs remains a school record, was one of the first players inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame last summer.

He was the 1978 Golden Spikes Award winner as the nation's best amateur player.

At 6-1, Horner barely measures up to ASU shortstop Andrew Romine and pales in stature next to catcher Kiel Roling (6-3), outfielder/pitcher Matt Spencer (6-4) and outfielders Ike Davis and Mike Jones (both 6-5).

Not that size necessarily equates to power, but pitching around certain Sun Devils will be difficult.

"I love hitting behind Ike," first baseman said. "He's going to set me up with a great P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org

situation and vice versa if I happen to hit in front of him. You put all of us in the same lineup and everyone is there to pick each other up."

Murphy is critical of how he handled his 1999 and 2006 teams coming off second- and third-place CWS finishes.

A young ASU team went 37-21 last year and lost twice to Baylor in NCAA regional play.

Returnees Wallace, Eric Sogard (second base), Romine, Matt Hall (third base) and Davis (right field) could be fixtures if they meet high defensive standards.

Transfers including several who have barely gotten through introductions this semester are important at catcher (Roling), in the outfield/designed hitter (Jarred Bogany, Tim Smith, Spencer) and on the mound (Brian Flores, Joey Parigi, Spencer, Jason Jarvis, Brett Davis, Dustin Brader).

Murphy hopes that 5-10 Flores, 6-0 Parigi and 5-9 Josh Satow, all left-handers, can nail down starting pitching jobs with spot help from Jeff Urlaub, another lefty. If so that leaves a wide variety of bullpen options leading to freshman righty Mike Leake as the closer.

"We're got every type of pitcher you can imagine," said Ike Davis, who started a team-high 12 games in 2006. "I'm going to be a reliever for one or two innings a weekend. I'm looking forward to that because I didn't have the best year pitching last year, so I'm looking forward to proving I can still do it."

Recapping the Conference Preseason Predictions made by coaches in each league….

University of Maine, the two-time defending America East Champion, is the preseason favorite to repeat as the conference champs this year, according to a vote of the league’s head coaches. The Black Bears received all seven possible first-place votes for 49 points overall.

Rank Team (first-place votes) Total 1. Maine (7) 49 2. Binghamton 39 3. Vermont 30 4. Albany 26 5. Stony Brook 25 6. Hartford 14 7. UMBC 13

The Clemson Tigers have been selected as the overall preseason favorite to capture the Atlantic Coast Conference baseball championship in Jacksonville, Fla., in May, as determined by a vote of the league’s 12 head coaches. The Tigers were also chosen by the coaches to win the Atlantic Division title, while the North Carolina Tar Heels, last year’s national runner-up, were picked as the favorite to capture the Coastal Division crown. This is the second year for divisional play in the ACC as Clemson and North Carolina won their respective divisions a year ago.

Atlantic Division School Points Record 1. Clemson (11)...... 71...... 53-16, 24-6 ACC 2. Florida State (1)...... 55...... 44-21, 16-13 ACC 3. NC State...... 48...... 40-23, 16-13 ACC 4. Wake Forest...... 40...... 33-22, 16-13 ACC 5. Boston College...... 20...... 28-25-1, 9-21 ACC 6. Maryland...... 18...... 26-30, 8-22 ACC

P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org

Coastal Division School Points Record 1. North Carolina (4).... 60...... 54-15, 22-8 ACC 2. Miami (2)...... 58...... 42-24, 17-13 ACC 3. Virginia (4)...... 54...... 47-15, 21-9 ACC 4. Georgia Tech (2)...… 44...... 50-18, 19-11 ACC 5. Virginia Tech...... 22...... 20-33, 4-25 ACC 6. Duke...... 14...... 15-40, 6-24 ACC

ACC Overall Champion: Clemson 9 Georgia Tech 2 Virginia 1

Charlotte has been tabbed to win the 2007 Atlantic 10 Baseball Championship in voting conducted by the league's 14 head coaches…the 49ers compiled a mark of 35-20-1 overall and 18-9 in Conference play and earned the fourth seed at the 2006 A-10 Championship.

1. Charlotte (35-20-1/18-9) 2. Saint Louis* (32-29/15-12) 3. Rhode Island (35-16/19-6) 4. St. Bonaventure (29-21/18-8) 5. Dayton (33-24/18-9) 6. Richmond (22-33/12-15) 7. George Washington (25-34/13-12) 8. Fordham (24-32/13-14) 9. Duquesne (19-33/12-15) 10. Massachusetts (14-30/11-16) 11. Xavier (19-37/9-18) 12. Temple (12-41/6-19) 13. La Salle (20-31/12-14) 14. Saint Joseph's (17-39/9-18) *denotes 2006 A-10 champion

Cal State Fullerton is primed to claim its fourth consecutive conference title, according to the 2007 Big West Preseason Poll conducted by the league’s eight head coaches. The Titans, who have won 13 Big West titles in program history, collected seven first-place votes and tallied 63 points. UC Riverside received the second place nod, while UC Irvine was picked third.

2007 Big West Coaches Poll Results 1. Cal State Fullerton (7) 63 2. UC Riverside 50 3. UC Irvine (1) 48 4. Long Beach State 43 5. Cal Poly 31 6. UC Santa Barbara 23 7. Pacific 22 8. Cal State Northridge 8

St. John’s was chosen by the league head coaches to win the 2007 Big East baseball title.

Place Team (1st Place Votes/Pts.) 2006 Overall Record 2006 BIG EAST 1. St. John’s (7) 116 40-19 16-10/4th 2. Notre Dame (4) 110 45-17-1 21-5-1/1st 3. Louisville (1) 95 31-29 17-10/3rd P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org

4. Rutgers 78 29-28-1 13-14/t-6th 5. Connecticut 75 39-18-1 18-6-1/2nd 6. USF 71 23-35 12-15/8th 7. Cincinnati 68 32-26 13-14/t-6th 8. West Virginia 53 36-22 14-13/5th 9. Pittsburgh 43 23-29 10-17/t-9th 10. Seton Hall 42 17-34 7-20/12th 11. Villanova 24 27-27 8-18/11th 12. Georgetown 17 24-32 10-17/t-9th

Winthrop University’s baseball team has been chosen first in the ’s annual preseason poll, as voted by the league’s Head Baseball Coaches and Sports Information Directors.

2007 Big South Conference Preseason Baseball Poll (combined votes)

Rk Team (first-place votes) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Points 1. Winthrop (14) 112 14 ------126 2. Coastal Carolina (2) 16 63 24 5 ------108 T-3. UNC Asheville -- 21 24 20 8 9 -- -- 82 T-3. High Point -- 7 30 30 12 3 -- -- 82 5. Liberty -- 7 18 15 20 9 2 -- 71 6. VMI ------10 16 24 4 -- 54 7. Charleston Southern ------8 -- 24 2 34 8. Radford ------3 2 14 19

Defending regular-season champion Texas was named the preseason favorite to win the 2007 Big 12 baseball title in a vote of the league’s head coaches.

2007 BASEBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL Team (first-place votes) Points 1. Texas (7) 79 2. Okla. State (2) 70 3. Nebraska 64 4. Baylor 57 5. Oklahoma 46 6. Texas Tech 37 7. Texas A&M 34 8. Missouri 29 9. Kansas 22 10. Kansas State 12

**Points were awarded nine for first, eight for second, etc.**

Coming off a trip to the College World Series, Rice has been selected as the unanimous preseason favorite in the 2007 Conference USA baseball poll, chosen by the league’s nine head coaches.

C-USA PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH Rice (9) Tulane Houston Southern Miss East Carolina (first place votes in parentheses)

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PLAYER OF THE YEAR Joe Savery, Rice (Junior, Pitcher/Infielder) PITCHER OF THE YEAR Cole St.Clair, Rice (Junior, Lefthander)

ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM P Ricky Hargrove Jr. Houston P Sean Morgan Jr. Tulane P Joe Savery Jr. Rice P Cole St.Clair Jr. Rice RP Daniel Latham Sr. Tulane C Luis Flores So. Houston IF Adam Amar Sr. Memphis IF Brad Emaus Jr. Tulane IF Brian Friday Jr. Rice IF Trey Sutton Jr. Southern Miss OF K.K. Chalmers Jr. Memphis OF Tyler Henley Jr. Rice OF Aaron Luna So. Rice OF Warren McFadden So. Tulane DH/UT Brendan Murphy Sr. Marshall

Defending regular-season champion University of Illinois at Chicago is the favorite to finish atop the baseball standings for the sixth consecutive year, according to the results of the preseason coaches’ poll.

2007 Horizon League Preseason Baseball Poll (first-place votes in parentheses) 1. UIC (4) 24 points 2. Wright State (2) 21 points 3. UW-Milwaukee 16 points 4. Butler 14 points 5. Youngstown State 10 points 6. Cleveland State 5 points

Le Moyne University baseball team was picked atop the 2007 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Preseason Poll announced by the conference

MAAC Preseason Poll 1. Le Moyne 2. Manhattan 3. Marist 4. Siena 5. Rider 6. Canisius 7. Niagara 8. Fairfield 9. Iona 10. Saint Peter’s

Central Michigan has been picked to win both the Mid-American Conference West Division and the 2007 MAC Tournament in the conference’s preseason baseball poll. Each of the conference’s 12 head coaches held a vote in the preseason poll.

MAC Preseason Poll West Division 1. Central Michigan P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org

2. Ball State 3. Eastern Michigan 4. Western Michigan 5. Northern Illinois 6. Toledo

East Division 1. Miami 2. Kent State 3. Ohio 4. Bowling Green 5. Akron 6. Buffalo

Tournament Champion: Central Michigan

After claiming nine consecutive Mid-Continent Conference Championship crowns, Oral Roberts is the preseason favorite to win its 10th straight conference title as voted on by the league’s six coaches.

2007 Mid-Con Baseball Preseason Poll Team (1st) Pts. 1. Oral Roberts (5) 25 2. Western Illinois 20 3. Oakland (1) 15 4. Southern Utah 13 5. Centenary 11 6. Valparaiso 6

With six position starters and seven pitchers returning from last season’s Missouri Valley Conference championship team, the University of Evansville baseball team has been picked as the team to beat this year in the Valley in the annual preseason coaches’ poll.

Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll 1. Evansville (4) 75 2. Wichita State (5) 69 3. Missouri State 64 4. Creighton 50 5. Northern Iowa 39 6. Southern Illinois 35 7. Bradley 31 8. Illinois State 25 9. Indiana State 17

After claiming the regular season and tournament crowns a year ago, TCU has been picked to repeat as the regular season baseball champions in a vote of the seven MWC head coaches and a select media panel.

Mountain West Conference Preseason Poll 1. TCU (10) 2. San Diego State (1) 3. BYU 4. UNLV 5. New Mexico 6. Utah 7. Air Force

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Mountain West Conference Preseason All League Team Pos. Name, Class Institution C Andrew Walker, Jr. TCU 1B Daniel Stovall, Sr. New Mexico 2B Jordan Pacheco, Jr. New Mexico 3B Ian Hollick, Jr. New Mexico SS Bryan Kervin, Jr. TCU OF Keith Smith, Sr. UNLV OF Austin Adams, Jr. TCU OF John Welsh, Sr. Utah P Bruce Billings, Sr. San Diego State P , Jr. TCU UT/DH Apana Nakayama, Sr. BYU

Samford has been picked as the favorite to win the baseball championship in a preseason poll voted on by the league’s head coaches

2007 OVC BASEBALL PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH TEAM POINTS 1. Samford (6 first-place votes) 78 2. Jacksonville State (4 first-place votes) 74 3. Eastern Kentucky 58 4t. Austin Peay 53 4t. Eastern Illinois 53 6. Southeast Missouri 44 7. Tennessee Tech 28 8. Murray State 24 9. UT Martin 20 10. Morehead State 15

(Teams awarded 9 points for a first-place vote, 8 for second, etc.)

Arizona State has been chosen as the favorite to win this year's Pac-10 baseball title, according to a vote of the league's coaches.

Pacific 10 Conference Preseason Poll School (First Place Votes) Points 1. Arizona State (4) 57 2. Oregon State (3) 55 3. Stanford (2) 51 4. UCLA 44 5. Arizona 42 6. USC 27 7. California 17 8. Washington State 16 9. Washington 15

Army picked up seven first-place votes en route to a first place ranking in the 2007 Baseball Preseason Poll with 46 total points.

2007 Patriot League Baseball Preseason Poll Rank Team Points (First-Place Votes) 2006 Overall Record 2006 League Record 1. Army 46 (7) 30-20-1 10-10 2. Lafayette 34 (2) 27-24-0 11-9

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2. Navy 34 (1) 32-21-1 8-12 4. Bucknell 30 (1) 24-24-0 13-7 5. Lehigh 24 (1) 28-28-0 13-7 6. Holy Cross 12 16-26-1 5-15

The South Carolina Gamecocks are predicted to win the 2007 Southeastern Conference baseball championship, as voted by the league’s 12 baseball coaches in the 16th annual preseason SEC poll.

Eastern Division Team Pts. '06 SEC Rec/Finish 1. S. Carolina (9) 63 15-15 / 4th 2. Vanderbilt (3) 54 16-14 / 3rd 3. Tennessee 39 11-18 / 5th 4. Kentucky 31 20-10 / 1st 5. Georgia 30 18-12 / 2nd 6. Florida 29 10-20 / 6th

Western Division Team Pts. '06 SEC Rec/Finish 1. Arkansas (11) 66 18-12 / 2nd 2. Ole Miss (1) 53 17-13 / 3rd 3. Alabama 47 20-10 / 1st 4. LSU 33 13-17 / 4th 5. Auburn 24 9-21/ 6th 6. Mississippi St. 23 12-17 / 5th

( ) - First Place Votes

SEC Champion: South Carolina (7); Arkansas (3); Vanderbilt (2)

Defending Southland Conference champion McNeese State was picked to win the East division by both the coaches and SID’s. Lamar was second in both, followed by Northwestern State and Southeastern Louisiana. In the West division, Texas-Arlington, who won the SLC Tournament last season, and Texas State shared the top spot in the coach’s poll.

2007 Southland Conference Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll East Division 1. McNeese State (8) 62 2. Lamar (3) 58 3. Northwestern State (1) 40 4. Southeastern Louisiana 35 5. Nicholls State 22 6. Central Arkansas 18

West Division 1. Texas-Arlington (5) 57 1. Texas State (4) 57 3. Texas-San Antonio 51 4. Sam Houston State 38 5. Stephen F. Austin 24 6. A&M-Corpus Christi 19

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2007 Southland Conference Baseball Preseason Teams First Team 1B – Dan Hernandez, Lamar 2B – Daniel Rieder, UTA SS – Shon Landry, McNeese 3B – Bryan Cartie, McNeese C – Steven Hill, SFA DH – Karl Krailo, SHSU OF – Collin DeLome, Lamar OF – Charlie Kingery, McNeese OF – Michael Rockett, UTSA P – Danny Davis, McNeese P – Josh Ruffin, UTSA P – Derek Blacksher, McNeese

Second Team 1B – David Wood, TXST 2B – Ryan Baker, Lamar SS – Kyle Rudy, UTA 3B – Ryan Saltzgaber, UTSA C – Michael Ambort, Lamar DH – Ben Burum, UTA OF – David Jeans, SFA OF – Erik Kanaby, Lamar OF – Aaron Garza, TXST P – Scott Meyer, Lamar P – Justin Fiske, TXST P – Fraser Robinson, NWLA

Sun Belt Preseason Coaches Poll 1. Troy - 115 2. Louisiana-Lafayette – 114 3. South Alabama – 94 4. Florida Atlantic – 84 5. Florida International – 68 6. Middle Tennessee – 66 7. New Orleans – 60 8. Arkansas State – 42 9. Western Kentucky – 37 T10. UALR – 23 T10. Louisiana-Monroe - 23

Fresno State and Hawai‘i each received three first place votes and tied for the top spot in the 2007 Western Athletic Conference preseason baseball poll as voted upon by the seven head coaches.

2007 WAC Baseball Coaches’ Poll (Points awarded on a 6-5-4-3-2-1 basis as coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams) Rk. Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total 1. Fresno St. 3 3 – – – – 33 Hawai‘i 3 3 – – – – 33 3. Louisiana Tech 1 1 3 – 1 – 25 4. Nevada – – 4 1 1 – 21 5. San Jose St. – – – 5 1 – 17 6. New Mexico St. – – – 1 2 3 10 7. Sacramento St. – – – – 2 4 8 P.O. Box 6507 Lubbock, Texas 79493-6507 www.CollegeBaseballFoundation.org

Preseason All-WAC Team OF Ozzie Lewis, Jr., Fresno State OF Brian Lapin, Jr., Fresno State OF Ryan Angel, Sr., San Jose State OF Derek Dupree, Jr., Hawai‘i 1B Gabe Jacobo, So., Sacramento State 2B Eric Wetzel, So., Fresno State SS Eli Christensen, Sr., Hawai‘i 3B Justin Frash, Sr., Hawai‘i C Landon Hernandez, So., Hawai‘i DH Terry Walsh, Jr., Nevada SP Ian Harrington, Sr., Hawai‘i SP Ryan Rodriguez, Sr., Nevada SP Brandon Burke, Jr., Fresno State RP Tyler Davis, Sr., Hawai‘i Player of the Year Ozzie Lewis, Jr., OF, Fresno State Pitcher of the Year Ian Harrington, Sr., Hawai‘i

Pepperdine was chosen as the favorite to capture its fourth straight baseball title in the 2007 preseason poll, as selected by the conference coaches.

2007 WCC Baseball Preseason Poll 1. Pepperdine - 47 (6) 2. San Diego - 41 (1) San Francisco - 41 (1) 4. LMU - 28 5. Gonzaga - 25 6. Santa Clara - 19 7. Saint Mary’s - 16 8. Portland - 8

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