Posts by Steven Pivovar
A capsulized look at Game 9 of the College World Series, set for a 7 p.m. start on Wednesday.
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Oregon State (51-12) Read more »
Pitcher: RH Matt Boyd (10-4, 2.18 ERA, 111 strikeouts)
Top hitters: LF Michael Conforto (.335, 13 2Bs, 11 HRs, 47 RBIs, .536 slugging percentage); 2B Andy Peterson (.335, 0 HRs, 27 RBIs); RF Dylan Davis (.335, 22 2Bs, 5 HRs, 61 RBIs, .506 slugging percentage)
How they got here: The Beavers bounced back from an opening loss against Mississippi State to eliminate Louisville 11-4 Monday.
Trends: Boyd hasn’t won since beating Stanford on May 10. He took a loss on May 17 against Oregon, and then had no-decisions in his next three starts. His last two appearances have come out …
A capsulized look at Game 8 of the College World Series, set for a 7 p.m. start on Tuesday.
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UCLA (45-17) Read more »
Pitcher: RH Nick Vander Tuig (12-4, 2.37 ERA, 81 strikeouts)
Top hitters: RF Eric Filia (.279, 13 2Bs, 26 RBIs, .387 on-base percentage); 3B Kevin Kramer (.279, 3 HRs, 40 RBIs); SS Pat Valaika (.252, 13 2Bs, 5 HRs, 44 RBIs, .397 slugging percentage)
How they got here: The Bruins dazzled on the mound and in the field while taking advantage of LSU mistakes in the 2-1 opening win.
Trends: UCLA hasn’t lost in six tournament games despite having five of the nine regular starters hitting .211, .182, .176, .174 and .150. On the flip side, Filia is averaging two hits …
A capsulized look at Game 7 of the College World Series, set for a 2 p.m. start on Tuesday.
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North Carolina (57-11) Read more »
Pitcher: RH Trent Thornton (11-1, 1.28 ERA, 8 saves, 78 strikeouts)
Top hitters: 1B Cody Stubbs (.366, 26 2Bs, 8 HRs, 76 RBIs, .582 slugging percentage); DH Landon Lassiter (.360, 1 HR, 28 RBIs, 53 BBs, .498 on-base percentage); 3B Colin Moran (.340, 13 HRs, 88 RBIs, .549 slugging percentage, 62 walks)
How they got here: Nothing went right for the Tar Heels in their matchup against in-state rival North Carolina State in the CWS opener. Starter Kent Emanuel got knocked out in the third inning and the hitters had no success against Carlos Rodon in an 8-1 thumping.
Trends:…
A capsulized look at Game 5 of the College World Series, set for a 2 p.m. start on Monday.
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Louisville (51-13) Read more »
Pitcher: RH Jeff Thompson (11-1, 2.00 ERA, 109 strikeouts in 103 1⁄3 innings)
Top hitters: 3B Ty Young (.333, 13 2Bs, 7 3Bs, 4 HRs, 57 RBIs, .502 slugging percentage, 26 SBs); LF Coco Johnson (.327, 8 HRs, 50 RBIs, .533 slugging percentage, 22 SBs); DH Jeff Gardner (.331, 9 HRs, 43 RBIs, .631 slugging percentage)
How they got here: The Cardinals continued to struggle offensively against Indiana in dropping a 2-0 decision in the opening round. In four games against the Hoosiers, Louisville has scored six runs on just 22 hits.
Trends: The Cardinals’ offense is scuffling in tournament play: Louisville …
A capsulized look at Game 4 of the College World Series, set for a 7 p.m. start on Sunday.
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LSU (57-9)
Pitcher: RH Aaron Nola (12-0, 1.68 ERA, 117 strikeouts in 118 innings)
Top hitters: SS Alex Bregman (.380, 18 2Bs, 7 3Bs, 6 HRs, 52 RBIs, .562 slugging percentage, 16 SBs); 1B Mason Katz (.366, 15 HRs, 68 RBIs, .630 slugging percentage); LF Raph Rhymes (.343, 15 2Bs, 46 RBIs)
How they got here: The Tigers have allowed two runs in the past 27 innings of the tournament. They beat Louisiana-Lafayette 5-1 to sweep the regional, then posted 2-0 and 11-1 wins against Oklahoma in the super regional.
Trends: How good has LSU’s pitching been in the tournament? If you take …
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A capsulized look at Game 3 of the College World Series, set for a 2 p.m. start on Sunday.
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NC State (49-14)
Pitcher: LH Carlos Rodon (9-2, 3.19 ERA, 170 strikeouts in 118 1⁄3 innings)
Top hitters: SS Trea Turner (.378, 13 2Bs, 7 HRs, 41 RBIs, .460 on-base percentage, 27 SBs); RF Jake Fincher (.327, 29 RBIs, 14 SBs); 1B Tarran Senay (.291, 16 2Bs, 8 HRs, 58 RBIs, .471 slugging percentage).
How they got here: The Wolfpack have been clutch in the NCAA tournament, posting three of their five wins by one run and another by three runs. North Carolina State’s Omaha-clinching win came in 17 innings over Rice.
Trends: The Wolfpack’s bullpen has been productive over the past two months. …
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A capsulized look at Game 2 of the College World Series, set for a 7 p.m. start on Saturday.
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Indiana (48-14) Read more »
>> Pitcher: LH Joey DeNato (9-2, 2.76 ERA)
>> Top hitters: 3B Dustin DeMuth (.389, 24 2Bs, 5 HRs, 41 RBIs, 11 SBs); C Kyle Schwarber (.376, 18 HRs, 54 RBIs, .674 slugging percentage); DH Scott Donley (.361, 16 2Bs, 5 HRs, 58 RBIs).
>> How they got here: The Hoosiers have swept their way to Omaha, winning the first regional on their home field and then shocking No. 7 national seed Florida State by scoring 21 runs in two super-regional wins.
>> Trends: The Hoosiers have averaged eight runs per game in four Big Ten and five NCAA tournament games. …
A capsulized look at Game 1 of the College World Series, set for a 2 p.m. start on Saturday.
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Oregon State (50-11) Read more »
Pitcher: RH Andrew Moore (14-1, 1.36 ERA)
Top hitters: RF Dylan Davis (.343, 22 2Bs, 5 HRs, .521 slugging percentage, 58 RBIs); 2B Andy Peterson (.329, 29 RBIs, 13 SBs); LF Michael Conforto (.320, 11 HRs, .444 on-base percentage, 45 RBIs)
How they got here: The Beavers swept the regional, then rebounded from a loss to Kansas State in the first game of the super regional to win two in a row to improve to 14-5 in elimination games under coach Pat Casey.
Trends: Oregon State’s success this season has been built on its consistency. Casey says his lineup won’t …
Staff writer Steven Pivovar predicts who will make it through the regionals to earn the chance to play in TD Ameritrade Park.
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UCLA: The Bruins are heavy on pitching and defense and light on hitting. UCLA’s lineup lacks a .300 hitter, but its defense ranks seventh nationally and its pitching staff includes national ERA leader David Berg (0.70) to go with workhorse starters Adam Plutko, Nick Vander Tuig and Grant Watson.
Arkansas: The Razorbacks were passed over as a regional host, but their last two trips to the CWS (2009 and 2012) came on the road. Ryne Stanek and Colby Suggs headline a pitching staff that leads the nation in ERA (1.87) and hits allowed per nine innings (6.78).
Louisiana State: The …
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Next week’s Missouri Valley baseball tournament will be Creighton’s last as a league member.
It also could mark the end of the line for another league icon.
The Wichita Eagle reported Thursday that legendary coach Gene Stephenson is facing an uncertain future at Wichita State. Stephenson, 67, will not receive an extension to his contract that runs through 2014.
Without an extension, it appears Wichita State has two options in dealing with college baseball’s second all-time winningest coach. It could fire him after the season and pay him the remaining $531,131 it would owe him. The school would also be on the hook for an additional $240,000 for Stephenson’s assistants.
Wichita State also could let Stephenson coach the final season of his contract and avoid a buyout. The …
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