Picture from Mike Lieberman

FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE

The famous words uttered before every episode of “ABC’s Wide World Of Sports” spoke of the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

In the last two games, the East Texas Pump Jacks experienced both, and against the very same opponent.

24 hours after dropping a hard-luck decision to the McKinney Marshals, the Pump Jacks earned a measure of redemption, taking a 5-3 extra-inning victory in McKinney. The Jacks scored two runs in the top of the tenth to up their record to 4-0 in extra inning games.

Read the rest of this entry »

FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE

The NCAA baseball committee sat down and discuss some changes to some rules to help speed up the game and for safety purposes.

• enforcing time limits (a pitch must be delivered within 20 seconds with no runners on base)

• the batter’s box rule (the batter must generally keep one foot in the box during an at-bat)
• handling of conferences (defensive and offensive)

• speeding the time between innings and during pitching changes were areas the committee identified as areas of possible improvement

• This season, all base coaches are required to wear a helmet when coaching the bases.

• The committee also believes that, in some cases, fields are not being lined properly before play begins.

To read the rest of the Article about the NCAA BASEBALL COMMITTEE

The original link is working now.

Ken Fuglerud. Photo by Bob Broughton

Team Canada, representing Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), was defeated by Chinese Taipei, 6-4, at AVG Draci Brno Stadium, in Brno, CZ. This was the first game for both teams at the 4th World University Baseball Championships.

Team Canada started strong and were hurt by inning ending double plays in both the first and second innings of the game. Canada’s Thain Simon (Santa Clara) started strong on the mound as he held Taipei scoreless through the first two innings, striking out two batters. The third inning was the main story of the tonight’s game, in the top of the third inning, Chinese Taipei changed pitchers and brought in Kai-Wen Cheng, who retired Team Canada in order for the first time in the game. In the bottom half of the inning, Chinese Taipei scored five runs off Simon, while only managing one extra base hit a double in the middle of the rally. Read the rest of this entry »

FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE

Phoenix, Ariz. – Game one started rocky for the USA Baseball 18U National Team, Friday, as the JUCO All-Stars took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. But Team USA did not take long responding; garnering a lead that they would not relinquish at Phoenix Municipal Stadium as team USA went on to win 5-1.

Dominic Gamboa got aboard with a lead-off walk on USA starting pitcher Matthew Purke (Spring, Texas) to begin the game for the JUCO All-Stars. A double to left center by Aaron Munoz scored Gamboa to take the early lead, but Purke then struck out the next two batters and forced a groundout to prohibit more JUCO runs.

Read the rest of this entry »

FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE

Sam Strickland pitched eight strong innings, but the Bombers were unable to put a run across the board as they lost to the Coppell Copperheads 3-0. Taylor Davis hit a three-run home run in the first inning to put the Copperheads on top and that’s where the score stood for the rest of the game. The Bombers missed Todd Cunningham, who sat out his third consecutive game with a lower back strain.

The Copperheads never looked back after Davis crushed Strickland’s second pitch of the at-bat over the left field fence to go up 3-0. The Bombers threatened several times with runners in scoring position, but they were never able to make the clutch hit. Taylor Zambreski had his second consecutive multi-hit game for the Bombers since joining the team and made several outstanding plays in left field. He will be serving as the everyday left fielder now that Tyler Huelsing is gone for the summer. Huelsing is headed back home to Tennessee to have his wisdom teeth pulled and will not be back in time for the playoffs.
Read the rest of this entry »

FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE

LOS ANGELES, CA July 16, 2008- The inaugural Elite Baseball Series (EBS) presented by Muscle MilkTM highlights the top freshmen (2011′) and sophomore (2010′) high school baseball players in America, competing in two series of games in back to back weeks. All games are hosted at UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium and UC Irvine’s Anteater Ballpark, two of the finest playing fields in the nation.  The EBS provides a first look at future prospects for college and major league scouts. Read the rest of this entry »

UBC/Team Canada Coach Terry McKaig. Photo by Dan Ashman.

Coach Terry McKaig has put together a team consisting mostly of Division I players, plus six members of his NAIA British Columbia team.

Key position players:

1B Marshall MacDonald (Dayton, Red Deer, AB) A Junior who started all 56 games for the Flyers. He hit .306, and led the Flyers with eight home runs and 42 RBI.

OF Ken Fuglerud (Saint Mary’s, Lethbridge, AB) hit .351 with three home runs and 25 RBI for the Gaels. He is a Senior.

OF Grant Kveder (Gonzaga, Lethbridge, AB) A Junior transfer from the College of Southern Idaho, where he was an Academic All-American. He hit .322 with 31 RBI.

C/1B Ryan Pilgrim (British Columbia, Pitt Meadows, BC) A Junior who hit .324 with four home runs and 31 RBI for the Thunderbirds. He has hit well in Team Canada’s pre-tournament exhibition games.

SS Sammie Starr (British Columbia, Toronto) Very good glove guy (.959 fielding), hit .268 with two home runs and 15 RBI. He is a Sophomore. Read the rest of this entry »

FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE

Lincoln – Nebraska Head Coach Mike Anderson announced Monday that three players will join the Husker baseball program next season. The group consists of two-way performer Adam Bailey (Scottsdale, Ariz.), infielder Kyle Bubak (Salt Lake City, Utah) and left-handed pitcher Nate Kerkhoff (Overland Park. Kan.).

Bailey hails from Scottsdale, Ariz., and is an outfielder/pitcher at South Mountain Community College for Coach Todd Eastin. In 2008, Bailey earned first-team all-conference honors, hitting .400 with four homers, 21 doubles and 40 RBIs, while also going 1-1 with four saves and a 1.13 ERA in 16 innings of work at South Mountain CC. Bailey began his collegiate career at Arizona State, making 10 appearances in helping the Sun Devils reach the College World Series in 2007. He was a three-time all-region selection at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, helping the team to a 94-8 record and three straight state titles at the school.

Read the rest of this entry »

FROM CBB NEWS SOURCES

NEW YORK — USA Baseball announced Wednesday 23 of the 24 members of its 2008 U.S. Olympic Baseball Team. The Davey Johnson-led squad is set to compete in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Aug. 8-24 (baseball competition Aug. 13-23).

The team features 12 pitchers and 11 position players. The 24th member of the Olympic Team will be named in the coming days, ahead of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad’s (BOCOG) July 22 cut-off date.

“We are proud of the ballclub we have assembled,” said USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO Paul Seiler. “The team is strong from top to bottom, and we are confident it will succeed in Beijing. We applaud our coaching staff and selection committee for their tireless work in putting together an excellent team.”

Read the rest of this entry »

FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE

Pinckard named Northwoods All-Star; Miller on the shelf; Volz strong for Team USA

ROCHESTER, Minn. - Baylor redshirt freshman Brooks Pinckard was named to the 2008 Northwoods League All-Star Game, the league announced late last week. The game will be played Monday at Warner Park in Madison, Wis. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT, and the game will be broadcast live on ESPNU.

Pinckard, who has pitched and played the infield for the Eau Claire Express, was named to the team as an infielder. He ranks sixth in the Northwoods League with a .331 batting average. Pinckard has tallied 40 hits, 21 runs, 18 RBI, eight doubles and two triples, and he is 12-for-17 in stolen base attempts. He also has posted an 0-1 record on the mound with one save and a 1.29 ERA. In 7.0 innings, Pinckard has allowed one run on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Read the rest of this entry »

Team Canada finished their exhibition series with a split of two seven-innings games with the Burnaby Collegiate Bulldogs, losing the first game 2-0 and winning the second 4-1.

The Bulldogs were playing with a makeshift roster because four of their regulars were playing for Team Canada. There was a “family feud” factor; Team Canada’s Head Coach, Terry McKaig, and two of the assistant coaches, Cav Whitely and Shawn Corness, are on the British Columbia coaching staff. The Bulldogs Coach, Connor Janes, is another British Columbia assistant coach. Seven British Columbia players and one incoming recruit saw action for the Bulldogs; five British Columbia players played for Team Canada.

First game: Jon Hesketh (New Mexico) and Geoff Burke (British Columbia) combined for the shutout. Each of them gave up one hit. Hesketh, a 38th round draft pick in 2006, got the win; he went four innings, struck out three.

Both of Burnaby Collegiate’s runs came in the fourth inning. David Dick (British Columbia) got an infield hit. He scored when Mike Caleb (Douglas College) reached on an error. Caleb was batted in by Jack Thompson (Douglas College). Read the rest of this entry »

Team Canada got a big offensive performance from 1B Marshall MacDonald (Dayton), and Mark Hardy (British Columbia), Kris Dabrowiecki (Northeastern), and Hiarali Garcia (Kansas) combined for a 7-0 win over the Burnaby Bulldogs of the (Vancouver-area) Pacific Metro Baseball League.

MacDonald hit a two-run home run, an RBI double, and a base hit, and was 3-4 for the game. Hardy went five innings, allowed four hits, struck out five. The Bulldogs hit loaded the bases in the fourth inning on a hit, an error that spoiled what should have been a double play, and a walk. However, a ground ball resulted in a force out at home, and another ground ball got Hardy out of the inning.

Dabrowiecki came in in the sixth inning, and struck out the side. He pitched two more innings, and got three more strikeouts. He allowed one hit and one walk. Garcia, who has pitched the ninth inning of all three of Canada’s games, retired all three batters he faced. Read the rest of this entry »

FROM CBB NEWS SOURCES

The East Texas Pump Jacks rode into McKinney looking to jump start their offense and get back to their winning ways against the first-place Marshals.

They achieved one out of two.

The Pump Jacks fell to McKinney, 8-5, in a see-saw affair that saw East Texas jump out to a pair of leads before succumbing in the middle innings.

The Pump Jacks got on the scoreboard early with the help of McKinney starting pitcher Jimmy Nelson, who walked the first three batters. Designated hitter Matt Curry delivered a single to right field that knocked in the first two runs of the evening.

Read the rest of this entry »

FROM CBB NEWS SOURCES

James N. Vilade has been appointed the new athletic director at The University of Texas at Tyler, Dr. Howard Patterson, UT Tyler vice president of student affairs announced.

Vilade, whose appointment is effective Aug. 18, succeeds Patterson who was the university’s first director of athletics. Patterson was appointed to a vice presidency in April 2008.

As athletic director, Vilade will direct 15 men’s and women’s programs. He will continue to serve as head baseball coach.

Read the rest of this entry »

Canada’s entry in the World University Games defeated the Lethbridge Bulls of the Western Major Baseball League 12-1 Wednesday night. RF Ken Fuglerud (Saint Mary’s) hit a two-run home run, went 2-3 with 3 RBI. 1B Marshall MacDonald (Dayton) also hit a two-run home run, went 2-4 with 4 runs scored. LF Grant Kveder (Gonzaga) went 3-5 with an RBI, and DH Jeff Vickers (Lamar) went 3-6 with 2 RBI. Read the rest of this entry »