We will be providing Daily Recaps on Conference USA throughout the season. All the recaps are excerpts from the Press Releases. Click on the respective schools link at the bottom of the recap for the full release.

Southern Miss 6 Lipscomb 3

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss hitters started cold but rallied to overcome a early 3-0 deficit to win 6-3 Saturday evening in front of 3,322 fans at Pete Taylor Park. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Atlantic Sun, Big Ten, Big West, Conference USA, Conference USA Recap, East Carolina, FAMU, Horizon League, Houston, Lipscomb, Marshall, MEAC, Memphis, Ohio State, Pacific, SEC, South Carolina, Southern Conference, Southern Miss, Tulane, UAB, UIC, Western Carolina

CSTV continues their season previews with Eric Sorensen checking in on the Big Ten and the Big 12. Sorensen predicts that Michigan will win the Big Ten after a great run into the Super Regionals last season. He puts Minnesota and Ohio State as contenders with Penn State as the darkhorse. The full preview is available here. He also checks in on the Big 12 which is one of the top conferences in the country. He states that the Big 12 is wide open with the favorites being Texas, Missouri, and Texas A&M. He lists Baylor, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State as contenders with Kansas as a darkhorse. The full article is available here.

Tags: 2008 Conference Preview, 2008 Season Preview, Baylor, Big 12, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Penn State, Texas, Texas AM

CSTV Editor Doug Kroll checks in with his weekly article on the top college baseball players. The position in which he focuses on this week is the closer. He lists Cole St. Clair of Rice in the top spot. He has struggled throughout his career with the Owls as he tends to be injured every season. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: ACC, Arizona State, Atlantic Sun, Big 12, Big Ten, Big West, CAA, Conference USA, Creighton, George Mason, Georgia, Kansas State, Missouri Valley, NC State, Ohio State, Pac 10, Rice, SEC, Stetson, UNC, University of San Diego, West Coast Conference

FROM PRESS RELEASE
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Tough early season tournaments and a trip to Ann Arbor to play Michigan highlight a challenging 2008 schedule for the Ohio State baseball team. This year, across the collegiate baseball landscape, there is a universal starting date for all teams of Feb. 22.

The season begins with three out-of-town tournaments. The Buckeyes first travel to Millington, Tenn. to play three games Feb. 22-24 (vs. Arkansas State, Memphis and Seton Hall) before heading to College Station, Tex. for a set of three games. The first game in Texas is against the Texas A&M Aggies, who eliminated Ohio State from last year’s NCAA Tournament. Louisiana Tech and Arkansas, which finished second in last year’s SEC tournament before winning two games in the NCAA Tournament, are the Buckeyes’ other opponents in College Station.

Coach Bob Todd’s 21st Ohio State baseball team then travels to West Palm Beach, Fla. for a tournament against Air Force, Maine and Connecticut and then will spring break in Bradenton, Fla. for a series of games that are still being confirmed.

Ohio State opens the home portion of its schedule March 26 against Pittsburgh. In addition to the Panthers, the Buckeyes will host Toledo, Central Michigan, Akron, Eastern Michigan, Marshall and Buffalo in non-conference action at Bill Davis Stadium.

Ohio State’s first Big Ten match-up is a weekend series at Bill Davis Stadium against Penn State March 28-30. The Buckeyes also host perennial Big Ten power Minnesota the weekend of Apr. 4-6, Purdue April 18-20 and Illinois April 9-11. Big Ten road series will take the team to Ann Arbor to face defending regular season conference champ Michigan for a series starting May 2. The Buckeyes also travel to Michigan State, Northwestern and Iowa this season.

Full Schedule

Tags: 2008 Schedules, Big Ten, Ohio State

FROM PRESS RELEASE
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Team Gray came from a run down in the bottom of the seventh inning to score two runs and win Game 4 of the Scarlet and Gray World Series, 5-4, Thursday at Bill Davis Stadium. The deciding Game 5 will be played at 3 p.m. Friday and admission is free.

It was a game that started off slow with a slight rain in the air and Gray pitcher Theron Minium in control. Behind an early three-run lead, Minium cruised through his six innings of work, allowing just four hits and one earned run with no walks and one strikeout.

He was replaced in the seventh by Rory Meister and Team Scarlet took advantage by scoring three runs off three hits and one error to take a 4-3 lead. All the scoring occurred with two outs and all of the runs were unearned. Tony Kennedy reached on an error and back-to-back walks loaded the bases. Cory Ruppert lined a single to score two runs and Ryan Dew followed with an RBI single to give the Scarlet its first lead of the game.

But back came the Gray, which was down two games to none at one point in the series but has fought back to force Game 5. The first three batters – Nathan Grove, Cory Kovanda and J.B. Shuck – all coaxed walks off Scarlet reliever Brad Hays. Brad Brookbank signaled to left scoring Grove but Kovanda was out at the plate on a fine throw by Michael Arp. Shuck alertly went to third on the throw home, and he scored the winning run when Zach Hurley hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield.

“The Gray did a nice job coming back to win this game,” coach Bob Todd said. “Theron Minium pitched a real nice game and they led the whole game. They showed some character coming back to win and force a Game 5 after losing that lead in the seventh inning.”

The Gray opened the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Kovanda led off with a walk, advanced to second on a groundout and scored on a single to right by Zach Hurley. Gray coach Pete Jenkins then called for a hit-and-run and the execution was perfect as Tyler Engle drilled a double down the left field line and Hurley rounded the bases to score from first.

Team Gray increased the lead to 3-0 in the third with an unearned run. Brookbank reached on an error on the pitcher, moved to third on back-to-back walks and scored on a single to right by Brian DeLucia. Scarlet right fielder Ryan Dew threw out Hurley, who was trying to score on the play from second.

Meanwhile, Minium was easing his way through the first five innings with shutout baseball. He finally surrendered a run in the sixth to the Scarlet, allowing singles by Rupert and Dew with a run scoring on a double play ball, but that did little to dampen his effort on a moist and soggy day at Bill Davis Stadium.

Meister picked up the win while Hays took the loss. Offensively, Ruppert and Dew combined for four hits and three RBI to lead the Scarlet. Ben Toussant also had a pair of hits. No one on the Gray team had more than one hit, but the top four players in the order all scored runs. Hurley had two RBI.

Scarlet and Gray World Series Notes:

• Cory Kovanda is leading all hitters with a .583 average (7-12) and with five runs scored for the Gray.
• The Gray’s Zach Hurley has four RBI and is second to Kovanda with a .417 average (5-12)
• Gray pitchers have a 4.08 earned run average and have allowed 13 earned runs and 11 walks in 28.2 innings with 11 strikeouts.
• Matt Streng and Ryan Dew are leading the Scarlet offensively with .455 and .429 averages, respectively. Streng is 5-for-11 at the plate and Dew is 6-for-14.
• Dew, Cory Ruppert and Ben Toussant have three RBI apiece.
• The pitching staff has a 4.40 ERA with 23 walks and 18 strikeouts in 28.2 innings of work.
• Admission is free to Game 5 of the Scarlet and Gray World Series at 3 p.m. Friday at Bill Davis Stadium.

Tags: Big Ten, Ohio State

FROM PRESS RELEASE
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Redshirt freshman Dean Wolosiansky pitched six innings of scoreless ball to lead Team Gray to a series-extending 5-0 win over the Scarlet Wednesday at Bill Davis Stadium. Game 4 of the Scarlet and Gray World Series will take place Thursday starting at 3 p.m.

Wolosiansky, a right-hander from Uniontown, Ohio, scattered three hits and allowed one walk in picking up the victory for the Gray. Drew Malley relieved Wolosiansky in the seventh and pitched one scoreless inning.

The Gray was led offensively by sophomore Cory Kovanda, who had two base hits, scored a run and drove in another. Kovanda is batting .600 during this World Series. Red-shirt freshman Brad Brookbank also had two hits and scored a run. Zach Hurley and David Corna had runs batted in.

“It was good to see Dean go out and pitch six strong innings for us,” Bob Todd, Ohio State head coach, said. “That was coupled with some timely hitting by the Gray.”

Scarlet pitcher Andrew Armstrong, a true freshman, found himself in trouble in the top of the second, but he worked his way out of the jam. He walked two batters around a single to load the bases with no outs. But Armstrong induced a pop out from Dan Burkhart for the first out and then struck out both Corna and Nathan Grove to end the Gray threat.

Armstrong could not escape trouble in the top of the fourth, though, as Team Gray took a 2-0 lead. Armstrong gave up a single to Zach Hurley and then walked the next two batters to load the bases. He coaxed Burkhart to hit into a 6-4-3 double play and Hurley scored. Drew Rucinski then relieved Armstrong and gave up a two-out, RBI single to Corna for the second run. Armstrong allowed two runs on two hits and five walks while striking out four in 3 2/3 innings.

Team Gray added another run in the fifth. Kovanda smacked a single to left and advanced to third on a single by Brookbank. He then scored on a sacrifice fly by Hurley to make the score 3-0.

Gray extended the lead to 4-0 in the sixth as Kovanda stroked his sixth hit of the World Series to drive in Dan Burkhart, who had walked, moved to second on a ground out and advanced to third on a wild pitch. The Gray missed on an opportunity for more runs in the inning when Nathan Grove was picked off third base strayed away too far from third base after a pitch in the dirt.

The fifth and final run was scored in the seventh. Brookbank singled with one out and advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Tyler Engle was hit by a pitch, Brian DeLucia hit a grounder to short. Cory Rupert could not field the ball cleanly for an error, and Brookbank scored on the play.

Tags: Big Ten, Ohio State

FROM PRESS RELEASE
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Team Scarlet took a 2-0 lead in Ohio State baseball’s Scarlet and Gray World Series by winning Game 2, 9-5, Tuesday at Bill Davis Stadium. The best-of-five series continues at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. The Diamond Club, the baseball program’s booster organization, will hold a picnic prior to the game starting at 5 p.m. Admission to the park is free.

Freshman pitcher Alex Wimmers started for the Scarlet and picked up the win, allowing just one earned run over four innings. He retired eight batters in a row from the middle of the first to the top of the fourth inning.

“Wimmers pitched well,” Bob Todd, Ohio State coach, said. “I’m pleased with the way he played. He mixed his pitches, he threw strikes and he kept the batters off balance.”

Wimmers started slowly, giving up a leadoff double to Cory Kovanda in the first inning and walking the second batter he faced, J.B. Shuck. Kovanda would eventually score an unearned run, but Wimmers got through the inning by throwing a double play ball. He would then retire the next eight batters he faced and would finish his outing by allowing just three hits and one earned run. He struck out four and walked two.

A potent Scarlet offensive attack supported the freshman Wimmers with four players getting two hits apiece – Cory Ruppert, Ben Toussant, Ryan Dew and Matt Streng. Toussant, Dew and Justin Miller all had two RBI as well.

Trailing 1-0, Team Scarlet roared back in the top of the third, scoring five runs off three hits and three walks. The walks came consecutively to load the bases with one out. Ryan Meade hit a sac fly to score the first run and then Miller lined a two-out, two-run single to right that scored Ruppert and Tony Kennedy. Toussant followed with a two-run home run to left centerfield.

Ryan Dew led off the fourth inning with a solo home run to right center to make the score 6-1.

Team Gray chipped away at the lead with a run in the fourth and another in the fifth to close to within 6-3, but the Scarlet came back with two more in the sixth to take an 8-3 lead. Streng doubled down the leftfield line to open the inning, moved to third on a fielder’s choice and scored on Ruppert’s double to right center. Ruppert then scored on a single by Tony Kennedy.

The Scarlet made it 9-3 in the seventh as Toussant doubled to right center and scored on a single by Dew.

The Gray came right back their half of the seventh, loading the bases with nobody out. Zach Hurley drove one run home on a towering single to right centerfield. Only one run scored, though, as the runners could not advance further thinking the ball would be caught. A double play ball followed that scored one more run. Pitcher Brad Hays got the final out on ground out and the Scarlet is now one game away from the coveted fall intra-squad title and a fine meal of steak and ribs.

Josh Edgin started and took the loss for the Gray. He pitched 3.2 innings and gave up six runs, all of them earned, and six hits. J.B. Shuck and Zach Hurley had a pair of hits and Shuck and Cory Kovanda each scored a pair of runs to lead the Gray attack.

Tags: Big Ten, Ohio State

FROM PRESS RELEASE
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State Scarlet team defeated the Gray, 3-2, to claim Game 1 in the best-of-five Scarlet and Gray World Series Monday at Bill Davis Stadium. Game 2 is set for 3 p.m. Tuesday with Game 3 scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. start Wednesday under the lights.

Junior Ben Toussant, who started at second base for the Scarlet, lined a single to left centerfield to score freshman Ryan Meade from second base with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Scarlet the extra-innings win. Meade had singled with one out and moved to second on junior catcher Justin Miller’s two-out single.

Ohio State head coach Bob Todd, in his 21st season as coach, was pleased with the effort of the two teams.

“There were a lot of situations created out on the field today, defensively as well as offensively, and the players came through those situations with a lot of positives,” Todd said. “I am very pleased with how our players responded defensively. They made some good decisions.”

Some terrific defensive plays were turned in by:

• The Gray’s Brian DeLucia, at third, who dove to his right and snared a low liner by Dan Burkhart that would have gone for extra bases;
• Scarlet center fielder Ryan Dew, who made a long run and diving catch off a Brad Brookbank drive; and
• Right fielder Brookbank, who made a similar long run and diving catch to rob Ben Toussant of a hit.

Additionally, Scarlet pitcher Eric Best, a sophomore, caught Gray senior Cory Kovanda trying to steal and one inning later picked off Tyler Engle from first base. And in the seventh inning, Scarlet catcher Justin Miller started a 2-5-2-6-5 pickoff to get Brookbank, who was anticipating a squeeze bunt, out at third.

This game was not just about defense, though. The Gray team, coached by Buckeye assistant Peter Jenkins, scored in the top half of the third to take a 1-0 lead. Freshman first baseman David Corna singled to center and with one out stole second. Two batters later Kovanda stroked a single to center to score Corna. It was the first of three hits on the day for Kovanda, whose day included a triple, run scored and an RBI.

Coach Eric Parker’s Scarlet team scored twice in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead. Junior third-baseman Justin Miller walked and advanced to second on a single by sophomore center fielder Chris Griffin. Freshman Matt Streng doubled to left to score Miller with Griffin moving to third. Senior Tony Kennedy than hit a sac fly to right to score Griffin.

The Gray came back to tie the score in the top of the sixth. Kovanda led off with a triple to right center and then scored on J.B. Shuck’s single through the left side.

Each team used three pitchers. Best went 5.0 innings for the Scarlet and allowed one earned run off four hits with two strikeouts and a walk. Freshman RHP Tom Popadok pitched a clean 1.2 innings in relief to pick up the win.

Shuck started for the Gray and allowed two runs off six hits. Senior Rory Meister came on in the eighth inning and took the loss.

HTML Box Score

S&G World Series Game 1 Game Notes:

• Gray Starting pitcher J.B. Shuck also hit in the DH role and collected a pair of hits.
• Each of the top seven batters in the Gray’s lineup had at least one hit.
• Ryan Dew, Ryan Meade and Matt Streng each had two hits for the Scarlet.
• The game lasted 2:09 and approximately 200 fans were in attendance.

Tags: Big Ten, Ohio State

The defending Big 12 Champion Texas A&M baseball team will play 39 home games in 2008, including 20 straight to start the year, head coach Rob Childress announced Monday.

Half of the Aggies’ games in 2008 will be played against teams who made the NCAA Tournament in 2007, including Ohio State, Arkansas, Rutgers, Oklahoma State, Rice, Baylor, Missouri, TCU, Sam Houston State, Nebraska and Texas. All but seven of A&M’s opponents return to the diamond off winning seasons.

Texas A&M Release.

Complete Schedule

Tags: Big 12, Nebraska, Ohio State, TCU, Texas, Texas AM

Hognation.net which is a fan site for Arkansas Razorbacks fans has posted the 2008 schedule. The Razorbacks open up on February 22nd when they host Wright State for a three game set. They will also take part in the Aggie Baseball Classic where they will play Louisiana Tech, Texas A&M, and Ohio State. The other highlights on the schedule is a two game sets at Arizona State and at Nebraska. These tough out of conference games should prepare the Razorbacks well for the tough SEC.

Full Schedule

Tags: Arkansas, Nebraska, Ohio State, Texas AM, Wright State

Texas A&M 10, Ohio State 4: Blake Stouffer doubled in the eighth inning, completing the cycle and leading Texas A&M to a 10-4 victory in an elimination game Sunday afternoon.

Stouffer’s double was his seventh straight hit in the tournament, and it drove in his sixth run of the game.

It was the junior first baseman’s second cycle of the season. Only Derek Nicholson of Florida and Spencer Oborn of BYU in 1998 had previously hit for the cycle twice in the same season. Stouffer posted his first cycle in a win over Jacksonville State.

“It was exciting. You’ve got to live for the moment, soak it up,” Stouffer said. “It is a great feeling, but we still have some more to do.”

He hit a three-run homer, his 11th, in the third to put A&M up 4-0, tripled in Brandon Hicks in the fifth and got it all started with an RBI single in the first.

“He’s just an outstanding hitter, a quality baseball player,” Ohio State coach Bob Todd said. “On two of the at-bats we were trying to pitch around him.”

Kirkland Rivers started for the Aggies, going four innings and giving up three runs.

Gary Campfield came in with two runners on and no outs in the fifth. The Buckeyes got a sacrifice fly out of cleanup hitter Justin Miller, but Campfield struck out Ohio State’s leading home run hitter, Jason Zoeller, to end the inning.

Campfield finished the game and earned the win, getting a key double play on a liner back to the mound in the eighth.

“Gary Campfield came in and did what we needed him to do, and that was for us not to go back into the bullpen,” Childress said.”

Texas A&M 4 Louisiana-Lafayette 1!

It’s necessary!

Texas A&M came back from the losers’ bracket to win two games on Sunday and force a deciding game against Louisiana-Lafayette, the same team the Aggies defeated 4-1 in the second game Sunday night.

“It was an extremely long day, but fun day,” Texas A&M coach Rob Childress said. “The first game it was hot and took a lot out of us.

“But like [Louisiana-Lafayette coach] Tony Robichaux said last night, ‘we haven’t won anything yet.’ “

Scott Migl (7-3) gave the Aggies an opportunity to win the regional by pitching his best game of the season, scattering nine hits while not walking a batter over 7-plus innings. The only inning he allowed the leadoff hitter to reach base was the eighth.

Texas A&M Recap

Louisiana-Lafaytte Recap

Ohio-State Recap

Tags: Louisiana-Lafayette, Ohio State, Texas AM

Matt Angle Single in 10th keeps Ohio State alive in NCAA tournament, Buckeyes down Le Moyne 6-5!

Junior captain Matt Angle delivered a clutch two-out, RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning as Ohio State stayed alive in the NCAA College Station Regional with a 6-5 win Saturday over Le Moyne at Olsen Field in College Station, Texas.

With runners on second and third and two outs in the bottom of the 10th, Angle (Jr., Whitehall, Ohio/Whitehall-Yearling) slapped a hit between the third baseman and the shortstop, bringing home J.B. Shuck (So., Galion, Ohio/Galion) with the winning run and eliminating the Dolphins (34-19).

Cory Luebke, the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, pitched a career-high 10 innings for his ninth win and third complete game of the year. Luebke (Jr., Maria Stein, Ohio/Marion Local) improved to 9-1 despite not being as sharp as he has been for most of the year. He allowed five earned runs on nine hits, striking out seven and walking none.

The No. 3 seed Buckeyes (38-23) advance to face the loser of the winner’s bracket final between No. 1 seed Texas A&M and No. 2 seed Louisiana-Lafayette at 2 p.m. ET Sunday. The winner of that game will advance to play the undefeated team in the championship at 8 p.m. Sunday. If the undefeated team loses, the second championship game will be played Monday at 7:30 p.m. Louisiana-Lafayette sent OSU to the loser’s bracket with a 5-4 win Friday.

The winner of the regional advances to a best-of-three super regional and will play the winner of the Rice Regional that includes Rice, Prairie View, Baylor and Texas Christian.

The Buckeyes jumped out on top early, scoring a run in the bottom of the first. Angle was hit by a pitch with one out and moved to third on an Eric Fryer (Jr., Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg) single and a Justin Miller (So., Dayton, Va./Turner Ashby) deep fly ball before scoring on a Jason Zoeller (Sr., Verona, Pa./Shady Side Academy) single.

Le Moyne tied it at 1-all in the top of the second before OSU regained the lead, 3-1, with two runs in the bottom of the second. Cory Rupert (Fr., Mansfield, Ohio/Mansfield Madison) and Cory Kovanda (Fr., Columbus, Ohio/Worthington Kilbourne) reached on back to back walks with one out, and after a fielder’s choice, Angle delivered with a two-RBI single.

The Ohio State lead didn’t last long as the Dolphins scored one run in the third and three more in the fourth for a 5-3 advantage.

The Buckeyes would equalize at 5-all with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, Jacob Howell (Sr., Ashland, Ohio/Ashland) uncorked a shot over the right field wall to tie the game. It was his fourth home run of the season.

Luebke held Le Moyne scoreless for the next six innings, while the Buckeyes were held without a run for five innings until Angle’s game-winning hit in the 10th.

Eric Beaulac started for Le Moyne and only lasted five innings, giving up five earned runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out none. Ryan Woods relieved Beaulac in the sixth and went 4.2 innings before Angle’s hit. Woods gave up just one earned run on seven hits, walking one.

The Buckeyes had 14 hits in the game, Le Moyne nine. Howell, Angle, Zoeller, Shuck, Rupert and Kovanda all had two hits in the game. Angle had three RBI and Howell two.

Ohio State Recap
Lemoyne Recap

Louisiana-Lafayette’s Jefferies Tatford wasn’t getting any help from his fellow outfielder, so it wasn’t until he felt the ball hit his palm that he knew he’d thwarted a ninth-inning Texas A&M rally.

With the NCAA College Station Regional’s top-seeded Aggies trailing by two runs, Tatford pulled in a potential game-tying home run by Craig Stinson for the second out of the ninth. Luke Anders doubled to drive in Blake Stouffer and cut the Ragin’ Cajuns’ lead to one, but that’s where it stayed as Louisiana-Lafayette won the winners’ bracket final 5-4 on Saturday at Olsen Field.

Tatford’s catch in left field was the biggest defensive play in a game that included four ULL errors.

“I couldn’t hear anything,” Tatford said. “Usually outfield communications are pretty easy, so I really put it in my mind not to worry about running into the wall, and luckily it fell into my glove.”

Tatford said the Olsen Field crowd of 5,810 almost kept him from making the catch.

“The crowd … every time [A&M] hit a popup, they make that loud noise to mess with the outfielders,” Tatford said. “They were hostile all night, and communication was going to be they key, but I really couldn’t hear anything.”

Tatford said he didn’t know he was going to catch the towering shot until “after I felt it hit my palm, because I really didn’t see it. My forearm was definitely over the wall.”

ULL took a 5-3 lead after Jonathan Lecroy’s eighth-inning solo homer, his 18th of the season.

Stouffer got his third hit of the game with a double to the wall in the ninth. He stood near second watching Stinson’s fly ball.

“I’ve seen Craig take a 1,000 swings, so I knew he hadn’t hit it on the screws but well enough to get over the wall,” said Stouffer, who tagged up and moved to third on the play. “I actually thought it had gone out.”

A&M (45-17) will face Ohio State at 1 p.m. Sunday with the winner advancing to face ULL (45-15) at 7 p.m. in the championship. Kirkland Rivers, who started A&M’s Big 12 Tournament victory over Texas, will start against Ohio State. OSU did not name a starter.

If ULL loses Sunday night, the teams would play again at 6:30 p.m. Monday for a berth in next week’s Super Regionals against the winner of the Houston Regional.

ULL followed up Kyle Nicholson’s first two walks with three singles for three runs in the seventh inning to take a 4-3 lead.

Nicholson (11-2), who lost for the first time since Feb. 9 against Arizona State, had faced only two over the minimum until the Cajuns came within one hitter of batting around in the seventh.

“I thought Nicholson had an incredible start. He competed his tail off,” A&M coach Rob Childress said. “He’s our guy and if I’m going to lose a game I’m going to lose it with Kyle Nicholson on the mound.”

After leaving the bases loaded in the third, the Aggies got on the board in the fourth when Colligan hit the first pitch over the left-field fence for his ninth homer of the season.

Brodie Greene then walked on four pitches, and after Parker Dalton sacrificed Greene to second, Brian Ruggiano chopped a double over the drawn-in third baseman Matt Hicks to drive in Greene. Hicks was playing in because the Aggies already had reached base four times on bunts, including one by Ruggiano.

ULL starter Hunter Moody lasted 6 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on eight hits with nine strikeouts.

Moody beat the Aggies in San Antonio last season on a three-hitter. Three players from the present Aggie team faced Moody that day, going a combined 1 for 10 with Dalton getting the one hit.

On Saturday, Stouffer, Stinson and Dalton went 2 for 8, with Stouffer sending Moody to the showers with a homer in the sixth. It was Stouffer’s 10th homer of the season, and it gave A&M a 3-1 lead.

But the Aggies stranded 13 baserunners, including seven in scoring position. And when A&M had chances for big innings against Moody, the Cajun starter found ways to escape innings.

“Speed is such a weapon night in night out, and [A&M] did a great job using it, but one thing [Moody] did was he bent but didn’t break,” ULL coach Tony Robichaux said. “They could have set up huge innings right there with the crowd creating havoc, and they did a good job but Hunter did a better job of settling down.”

Andrew Laughter (3-1) pitched the final 2 1/3 innings to pick up the victory.

Aggie shortstop Brandon Hicks had 10 assists with no errors. As a team, A&M played errorless baseball, while ULL committed four errors.

The Eagle Press.com

Texas A&M Recap
Louisiana-Lafayette Recap

Tags: Lemoyne, Louisiana-Lafayette, NCAA Tourney, Ohio State, Texas AM

Xavier Alexander’s double into the left-center gap in the bottom of the ninth knocked in the winning run and propelled Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns to a dramatic 5-4 win over Ohio State in first round action at the NCAA College Station Regional on the Texas A&M campus.

Devon Bourque’s two out single off reliever Rory Meister (4-7) set the table for Alexander, who entered the game in the eighth as a pinch hitter. Alexander lined the first pitch into the gap and Bourque raced home all the way from first, easily beating the throw to the plate.

It looked as though the second-seeded Cajuns might squander another chance in the ninth inning after Nolan Gisclair singled with one out, but was thrown out trying to steal second. Bourque then lined his single, and Alexander delivered his game winner for Louisiana (44-15).

Ragin Cajun Recap

Ohio Stae Recap

Tags: Louisiana-Lafayette, Ohio State

COLLEGE STATION REGIONAL
vs Houston Regional

The Field

(1) Texas A&M (44-16)

The Aggies were probably the nation�s best turnaround story this season. In Rob Childress� first season last year, A&M went 25-30-1. This season, they had 25 wins on April 1st. They were in the running for a national seed for most of the season, but a .500 finish in conference hurt. But the Aggies rebounded from a season-ending sweep vs. Texas by winning the Big 12 tourney, including knocking off the ‘Horns in pool play, and a 14-6 win over Baylor in the title game. They�re hosting for the first time since 2003.

(2) Louisiana-Lafayette (43-15)

The Ragin� Cajuns were in the running for a #1 seed until the end, but the Sun Belt�s regular-season champions fell short in the tournament title game, and that may have cost them their shot at a #1 and a regional at home. If there�s any consolation, they�re the highest #2 seed in the field.

(3) Ohio State (37-22)

The Buckeyes were SCS.com�s preseason pick to win the Big Ten title. Turns out they did end up doing it, but not in the fashion they were expected to. They finished .500 in the Big Ten, and got into the conference tournament on the final day, but ended up sweeping through it, knocking off the top three seeds to win the title.

(4) Le Moyne (34-17)

Manhattan looked set to run away with the Metro Atlantic, starting conference play 19-0. But the Dolphins stole their thunder, sweeping the Jaspers on the road late in the season and swiping the regular-season title, then did it again in the MAAC tournament to book their spot in the field of 64.

Southerncollegesports,com

Tags: Louisiana-Lafayette, NCAA Tourney, Ohio State, Texas AM

Theron Minium picked up his first career victory for The Ohio State University in a 11-3 victory over Yale. He pitched six innings while only allowing two runs. The Buckeyes scored runs in each of the first four innings to build a 6-0 lead. They were able to hold on to it for the final scoreline of 11-3. Ohio State has Tuesday off before facing Yale again on Wednesday. Yale will play Jacksonville State on Tuesday before playing the Buckeyes in the rematch.

Ohio State Recap
Yale Recap

Tags: Ohio State, Yale