Blue Takes 1-0 Lead In Best-of-Five Series

Freshman Travis Shaw went 3-for-4 from the plate with two RBI while sophomore Kyle Hallock picked up the win in relief as Blue defeated Gold 3-2 Monday afternoon for the 1-0 series lead.

Hallock was the winning pitcher in relief, allowing only one hit and three walks while striking out three in three innings. Senior Alan Morrison was the losing pitcher, allowing one runs and one hit while walking three and striking out two.
Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: 2008 Fall Games, Big East, Kent State, MAC, Villanova

Kent State announces 2009 Baseball Schedule

Three trips to the Carolinas, a trip to Georgia and an always tough Mid-American Conference slate headline the 2009 baseball schedule for the Golden Flashes.

“I think we have a very challenging schedule once again,” said 5th year head coach Scott Stricklin. “Our goal every single year is to go out and play a challenging schedule where our players are going to be tested on the road early against very good opponents at good venues.
Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: 2009 Schedules, Cornell, Florida, Ivy League, Kent State, MAC, SEC

By Willie Nicklaus

This is a first in a series of reports I will file leading into the 2009 college baseball season. I decided to start with some of the top power producers who had great 2008 seasons that didn’t get much press except from their local media and schools.

My selections for this report, and upcoming reports, include players who are far from one dimensional. These particular bombers all were in the top 20 of their respective conferences in batting average. So let’s get started with Home Run Frequency. For measure, here are a few HR frequencies from 2008 of players everyone who is a fan of college baseball heard of: Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: 2009 Top Players, 2010 Top Players, ACC, Arizona State, Auburn, Big East, Big South, Big West, CAA, Cal, Cal State Fullerton, CBB Column, Cincinnati, Clemson, Coastal Carolina, Conference USA, Dartmouth, George Mason, Georgia, Georgia Southern, Georgia Tech, Ivy League, Kent State, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisville, Loyola-Marymount, LSU, MAC, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, Missouri State, Missouri Valley, MLB Draft, New Mexico St., Ohio, Pac 10, SEC, Southern Conference, Southland Conference, Sun Belt, Tennessee, Texas State, Washington, West Coast Conference, Winthrop

FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE

Head coach Chad Kreuter brings in 14 freshmen and one transfer

A total of 14 freshmen and one transfer have enrolled at USC and will be eligible to play in the 2009 baseball season, head coach Chad Kreuter announced today.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: ACC, Cal Ripken Sr. Collegiate Baseball League, Iona College, Kent State, MAAC, MAC, Maryland, Pac 10, Southland Conference, USC, UT-Arlington, UVA, Wake Forest

The Great Lakes Summer Collegiate Baseball League is please to announce its award winners for Week Five of GLSCL action:

Pitcher of the Week:

Tyler Wilson – Delaware Cows, RHP, Midlothian, VA (University of Virginia)

Tyler Wilson, a freshman from the University of Virginia, became the second Delaware Cow to be named pitcher of the week in the GLSCL. Tyler started two games this past week, shortened by the all-star break, earning the win in one game. The Midlothian, VA native threw a total of 12 innings in which he gave up no earned runs and struck out 14. Tyler extended his streak of scoreless innings to 18.

Player of the Week:

Ben Klafczynski – Columbus All-Americans, OF, Granger Twp., OH (Kent State Univ.)

Ben posted an impressive 0.545 batting average for the week which included two doubles and a home run. The Columbus outfielder also scored five runs with eight runs batted in. The Kent State Golden Flash finished the week with a 1.000 slugging percentage.

Tags: ACC, Great Lakes League, Kent State, MAC, Players of the Week, Virginia

FROM CCBL RELEASE
Coca-Cola Player of the Week

It was a week to remember for Harwich catcher/DH Mark Fleury (North Carolina). The 6-foot, 202-pound junior-to-be at UNC went on an offensive tear for the Mariners, batting .462 during the week ending July 20 and being chosen Coca-Cola Player of the Week. The honor came one day after Fleury was named to the East Division All-Star Team. Fleury had 12 hits in 26 at-bats spread over six games. Included were one double, one triple and two home runs, resulting in nine runs batted in. His slugging percentage for the week was a hefty .808 and his on base percentage was .481. And his hitting came in clutch situations. On Monday, for instance, his two-run homer keyed a four-run eighth inning which snapped a 3-3 tie and lifted Harwich past Hyannis, 7-3. Over-all, he was 3-for-5 in that important victory over the West Division’s first-place team. The left-handed swinger from Roswell, Ga., was selected as the East Division’s reserve catcher for Saturday’s All-Star Game at Veterans Field in Chatham. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: 2009 Top Players, ACC, Arizona State, Cape Cod League, Kent State, MAC, Pac 10, Players of the Week, UNC

By Willie Nicklaus

With the NCAA regionals finished, I thought it was a good time to post my All-Freshman team for 2008. The high school Class of 2007 was a highly touted one, and they did not disappoint as contributors to their respective teams. Here they are with a little information about each. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: 2010 Top Players, ACC, Alabama, Auburn, Big 12, Big East, Big South, Big West, Cal, Cal State Fullerton, CBB Column, Coastal Carolina, Conference USA, Florida, GT, Kent State, MAC, Miami (FL), Middle Tennessee, Ole Miss, Rice, Santa Clara, SEC, Tennessee, Texas, UNC, University of San Diego, West Coast Conference, West Virginia

By Willie Nicklaus

Thought this would be a good time to do a follow up on some of the freshmen who have been contributing to their respective teams, as the regular portion of the season has concluded and conference tourneys are ready to begin.

I like to use OPS percentage as a gauge as the equation includes power factors as well as on-base frequency. I have also included the HR and Extra-base hits frequencies to show a player propensity for delivering a big hit. With the conferences getting ready to do battle this week, we included the overall batting averages and also batting averages in conference play only. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: 2010 Top Players, ACC, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Big 12, Big East, Big South, Big West, Cal State Fullerton, CBB Column, Coastal Carolina, Conference USA, Florida, GT, Kent State, LSU, MAC, Middle Tennessee, Rice, SEC, Tennessee, Texas, University of San Diego, West Coast Conference, West Virginia

FROM CBB NEWS SOURCES
OXFORD, Ohio - A day after letting a 16-5 lead get away in the ninth, Kent State corrected the wrong with an 8-6 win over Miami Saturday at McKie Field. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Kent State, MAC, Miami (OH)

East Division Player of the Week

Kurt Davidson, Akron, C/1B, Sr., North Canton, Ohio (Hoover)

Davidson led the Zips to their first league series victory on the road since 2005 as UA took two of three at Miami this weekend. Including a non-league game against Cleveland State, the senior hit a robust .529 (9-for-17) with 10 RBI, five doubles and a pair of home runs to post a slugging percentage of 1.176 in four games. Additionally, behind six walks, Davidson notched a team-leading on-base percentage of .667 and reached base five times in Sunday’s series finale. During the Zips’ huge offensive weekend, the slugger, who became the school’s all-time home run leader last spring, took the career leads for at-bats, RBI and total bases to further establish himself as one of the greatest hitters to come through the UA program. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Akron, Central Michigan, Kent State, MAC, MAC Players of the Week, Western Michigan

By: Willie Nicklaus
The highly regarded Class of 2007 was touted as one of the best in recent years by the scouting community, major baseball publications, and all experts alike. Those that opted for college baseball are making the impact predicted by many, including our own Brian Foley, the head man here at the College Baseball Blog. (Our Top Freshmen article from the Pre-season is available here.) Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: 2008 Top Players, ACC, Arkansas, Atlantic 10, Auburn, Big 12, Big East, Boston College, Cal State Fullerton, CBB Column, Elon, Florida, Georgetown, GT, Kent State, LSU, MAC, Miami (FL), Middle Tennessee, Richmond, SEC, Southern Conference, Tennessee, Tennessee Tech, Texas, UNC, West Virginia

FROM CBB NEWS SOURCES
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The 23rd-ranked University of Louisville baseball team was unable to complete a sweep of visiting Kent State, falling to the Flashes 9-0 Sunday in Jim Patterson Stadium.

The game was a pitchers duel through the first six innings.

Cardinal starter B.J. Rosenberg retired the first eight of the game before Jared Bartholomew hit a 2-1 pitch out to center to give the Flashes their first lead of the series, 1-0 in the third inning. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Big East, Kent State, Louisville, MAC

FROM PRESS RELEASES

UNC 8 Kent State 1

ROCK HILL, S.C. - Sophomore right-hander Alex White went six strong innings, and second baseman Kyle Seager drove in a career-best three runs for the second straight day in No. 2 North Carolina’s 8-1 win over Kent State Friday at the Coca-Cola Classic at The Winthrop Ballpark. The Tar Heels (5-1) scored seven runs over the first two innings and have outscored the opposition, 14-2, over the last two days. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: ACC, ACC Recap, Auburn, Big East, Boston College, CAA, Central Connecticut, Clemson, College of Charleston, Florida, FSU, GT, Hofstra, Kennesaw State, Kent State, Louisville, MAAC, MAC, Maryland, Miami (FL), Mount St. Mary's, NC State, Northeast Conference, Rutgers, SEC, Siena, Southern Conference, UNC, UVA, VT, Wake Forest

Eric Sorensen continues his season previews today for February 18th checking in on six conferences over the last two days. He checked in on the MEAC, MAC, Mountain West,  Missouri Valley, Ohio Valley, and the Northeast conferences. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Akron, Austin Peay, Bethune Cookman, Bradley, BYU, Central Connecticut, Central Michigan, Creighton, CSTV, Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, Jacksonville State, Kent State, MAC, MEAC, Miami (OH), Missouri Valley, Mountain West, New Mexico, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T, Northeast Conference, Northern Illinois, Ohio Valley Conference, Quinnipiac, Samford, San Diego State, Southern Illinois, TCU, Tennessee Tech, Wagner, Wichita State

The Midwest Baseball Magazine recently sat down and talked with Ben Klafcynski who is a current Freshmen on Kent State. He had a tremendous senior year where he hit .613 with 12 homers as he led Highland High School to their first regional final in the program’s history. The full article from Midwest Baseball Magazine is available here. The CBB included Ben as one of the top freshmen to watch in the 2008 season. Our article is available here.

Tags: 2008 Top Players, Kent State, MAC