Tag Archives: Arizona
Arizona coach Andy Lopez shared a handshake and a hug with South Carolina’s Ray Tanner after his team clinched a national title Monday. Soon after, Lopez was gushing, at every opportunity, about the Gamecocks in media interviews.
Sincere words from Lopez, too. He called Michael Roth a “legend.” And SC’s closer, Matt Price? “My God,” Lopez said, rendered speechless.
Not that the Wildcats needed any validation for what they accomplished this year — they just won a CWS title! — but taking down the two-time defending champs along the way adds some significance to the moment for Lopez and his players.
They knocked off South Carolina in the same (seemingly magical) fashion that the Gamecocks won the past two championships — timely hitting, efficient defense …
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Hard to argue that anyone had more key contributions that Arizona’s Robert Refsnyder over the past 11 days. So as expected, the junior outfielder was named the College World Series’ most outstanding player after his Wildcats clinched the title Monday night.
Refsnyder led off the decisive ninth inning with a single before scoring the go-ahead run in the 4-1 victory over South Carolina. On Sunday, he hit a two-run homer and had a critical assist defensively in a winning effort.
In six games of CWS action, he finished 10-for-21 (.476), scoring six times and driving in five runs. Refsnyder, a fifth-round MLB draft pick by the Yankees, also stole two bases. He even had a sacrifice bunt.
The 2012 CWS all-tournament team is below…
C …
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The Wildcats were pouring out of the dugout the moment that the final out settled in the glove of right fielder Robert Refsnyder.
Confetti shot out from foul territory on both sides of the field. Fireworks banged in the sky. Gloves went hurling into the air. Hats, too. The players piled on top of each other next to the mound.
They’re still hopping around in the middle of the field. Hugging. Posing for photos. Passing the trophy off to one another.
They even interrupted Andy Lopez’s on-field interview with ESPN, bathing their head coach in icy liquid during the middle of his conversation.
Pure joy.
Arizona is the national champ for the first time since 1986. One can bet the celebration is just getting started.…
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Junior Christian Walker isn’t particularly quick on the base paths. That’s pretty clear. To make matters worse, he was incredibly indecisive as a runner in the seventh inning.
Usually that’s a rally killer recipe.
But Walker — and the Gamecocks — were fortunate, catching a couple breaks and tying the game at 1-1 as we head to the eighth inning.
Walker does deserve lots of credit. The reason he was on base? The SC slugger drew a 12-pitch walk to lead off the frame.
With one out, South Carolina coach Ray Tanner gambled a bit, calling a hit-and-run. But it worked perfectly. Right fielder Adam Matthews bounced a softly hit single between the first and second basemen — the baseball moved so slowly that Walker …
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South Carolina starting pitcher Michael Roth has thrown his final pitch in the College World Series.
The senior left-hander knew it was over, too. He’d just been visited by pitching coach Jerry Meyers. He almost got out of the inning on a double play, but he couldn’t squeeze a throw from shortstop Joey Pankake while covering first.
So Meyers came out for a mound visit, again. Roth’s day was done. The veteran ace stayed on the field until reliever Matt Price reached the mound. Roth gave the baseball to Price, then walked off the field to a standing ovation from most of the near-capacity crowd.
Roth pitched 6 2/3 innings Monday, allowing one run and three hits. He left with runners on first and third …
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Apparently, Monday night’s game between South Carolina and Arizona wasn’t entertaining enough for the folks in the left-field bleachers. So they put on their own show in the middle of the fourth inning.
As is a College World Series tradition, the fans tossed dozens of beach balls (of all sizes) on to the warning track and outfield — requiring the entire grounds crew (about 10 people or so) to sprint from its post along the third base line and clean up the mess. There were balloons — one floated all the way to the infield in the chaos. A shark-shaped inflatable item, maybe? Looks like some trash is still out there.
One clever fan tied a string to his beach ball — the ball would …
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It was the bottom of Arizona’s batting order. So Michael Roth’s third inning probably should have been easiest of the night for the South Carolina starter.
That’s what the stat-sheet indicated, anyway.
But the guys in those final three spots executed exactly the way coach Andy Lopez draws it up in practice.
First baseman Joseph Maggi ended a streak of 28 straight batters retired by Roth (dating back to Thursday’s Kent State game), poking a high fastball down the third-base line for a double. Catcher Riley Moore bunted him to third and second baseman Trent Gilbert drove Maggi in.
So Arizona’s up 1-0 as we head to the fourth inning. The Wildcats took a 2-0 lead in the first inning Sunday before earning a 5-1 …
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By no means can you discount what the Wildcats have proven over the past few weeks. They’ve earned the right to be one game away from a CWS title.
Arizona’s perfect in the postseason, winning its last 10 games — including the first in a best-of-three series against South Carolina Sunday night. In NCAA tournament play, the Wildcats won two games against the Big East co-champions (Louisville and St. John’s) and the ACC champ (Florida State). They’ve also defeated UCLA, who they shared the Pac-12 title with this year.
Nice resume. But it’s missing something.
One more win. And it will not come easy Monday. It’s going to take one extra special effort to take down South Carolina on a night in Omaha when senior …
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No surprise here. South Carolina coach Ray Tanner said after Sunday’s loss that he “more than likely” will start Michael Roth Monday in an attempt to force a rubber match.
Roth was apparently “pretty close” to being ready to pitch on Sunday. At least that’s what the senior left-hander told Tanner before the Gamecocks lost 5-1 to Arizona in the opener of a best-of-three championship series.
In College World Series action, Roth is 4-0 with a 1.51 ERA during a CWS-record 53 2/3 innings. He’s allowed just 31 hits while striking out 37 (walking 15).
Technically, Roth would be throwing on three days’ rest, assuming he starts Monday. Roth went the distance in a 4-1 South Carolina win over Kent State Thursday, throwing 106 pitches. …
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If South Carolina was going to get to Konner Wade, the Gamecocks had to hope the right-hander was a bit off his game. Then string some hits together, rattle the sophomore and knock him out.
At times, those disastrous, single-inning meltdowns have hurt Wade this year — in 19 appearances, he’s had four different innings this season where he’s allowed four runs or more, and he’s given up three runs in a frame during four other occasions.
But this is a different Wade. Has been since the postseason began.
The Arizona starter was mostly untouchable again Sunday night, pitching his third-straight complete game and leading the Wildcats to a 5-1 over the Gamecocks. Arizona’s now one win away from clinching a CWS title.
After a …
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