MORE: College Premium Blog | PG Postseason Projections | PG Top 50 Rankings | Subscribe to CB Ticket
TEAM OF THE DAY: North Carolina State -- The Wolfpack already is in very good
shape to earn an NCAA Regional host, but could wind up being a national seed as
well if they finish the Florida State series with another win. N.C. State
starting pitcher Carlos Rodon had a rough night on the mound, but designated
hitter Ryan Mathews smacked a pair of homers and knocked in four runs, as the
Wolfpack shocked FSU 10-5.
UPSET OF THE DAY: West Virginia over South Florida -- The Mountaineers appear
to be playing the role of spoiler so far this weekend. WVU starting pitcher
Corey Walter allowed just three runs on six hits in 7 1/3 innings of work, as
they shocked at-large chasing USF in a 6-3 triumph. USF left-handed pitcher
Andrew Barbosa had a surprisingly iffy day on the mound, allowing four runs on
nine hits in five innings.
PLAYER OF THE DAY: TJ
Pecoraro, Vanderbilt -- The Commodores hope to take yet another step forward
with a series win over Ole Miss. Well, the talented right-handed hurler got
things going in a big way. Pecoraro struck out three batters and allowed just
five hits in a complete game shutout. Pecoraro was up to 92 with his fastball
and tossed his second-straight complete game.
FIVE PLUSES
Indiana State (41-13) -- What
a night it was for the Sycamores. Indiana State captured a 6-3 win over
Missouri State. But two important things happened, as the Sycamores snapped
Missouri State pitcher Nick Petree’s scoreless streak, and captured their first
Missouri Valley Conference regular season title with the triumph. ISU starting
pitcher Dakota Bacus was fantastic, striking out five and allowing just three
runs on eight hits in a complete game performance.
Purdue (41-10) -- Speaking of
memorable games, how about the Boilermakers capturing an 11-8 win over Iowa?
Perhaps not so surprising, but factor into the equation that Purdue, with the
win, grabbed its first Big Ten regular season title since the early 1900s with
the triumph. Boilermakers third baseman Cam Perkins had a huge day at the
plate, going 2-for-5 with two homers and four RBIs.
Samford (35-19) -- After
defeating Florida in midweek action earlier this week, the Bulldogs have their
sights set on an NCAA at-large berth. The Bulldogs picked up yet another solid
win, as starting pitcher Josh Martin allowed just two runs in five innings of
work in a 4-2 win over Oklahoma. Samford relievers Michael Gunter and Tyler
Vanderheiden also performed at a high level.
Texas A&M (39-14) --
Aggies starting pitcher Michael Wacha and Oklahoma State starting pitcher
Andrew Heaney were locked into one of the best pitching matchups of the season
for several innings. But in the end in extra innings, the Aggies got a
three-run homer from third baseman Matt Juengel to capture a 5-2 triumph over
the Cowboys. The Aggies moved one step closer to possibly getting back into the
national seed mix.
Mississippi State (32-21) --
The Bulldogs dropped a tough midweek game to Central Arkansas this week, but
responded in style Friday night with a 3-1 win over Kentucky. State starting
pitcher Chris Stratton struck out eight and allowed just one run on six hits in
6 1/3 innings of work. Stratton threw 64 of his 87 pitches for strikes, while
Ross Mitchell and Jonathan Holder took care of business out of the bullpen.
FIVE MINUSES
Texas (29-19) -- Could the
Longhorns find their way to the NCAA bubble before the weekend is done? It’s
certainly possible. UT starting pitcher Dillon Peters allowed four runs on five
hits in just 1 2/3 innings of work, while the bullpen struggled in a rough 16-5
loss to in-state rival Baylor. Meanwhile, BU starting pitcher Josh Turley put
together yet another impressive start.
Georgia Tech (31-23) -- The
Yellow Jackets are in serious trouble entering their final two regular season
games against Miami. The Jackets carried a 4-1 lead into the eighth inning
against the Hurricanes, but allowed four runs the final two frames to lose 5-4.
Tech starting pitcher Buck Farmer put together an impressive performance, but
reliever Alex Cruz collapsed in the ninth inning. GT is now 11-17 in the ACC.
Auburn (29-25) -- Speaking of
serious trouble, keep an eye on the Tigers the rest of the weekend. A series
loss to the Gators could spell doom for this club after dropping a bad midweek
game to Jacksonville State earlier in the week. AU starting pitcher Jon Luke
Jacobs was lifted after just 3 1/3 innings as he gave up five runs, while
Florida starting pitcher Hudson Randall tossed a complete game shutout.
Texas State (29-22) -- It’s
getting to the point where the Bobcats must win the Southland Conference
tournament to make the NCAA postseason. The Bobcats squandered an RPI
opportunity earlier this week in a loss to Texas A&M. They took another
step back Friday, earning a 7-2 loss to Northwestern State. Bobcats starting
pitcher Travis Ballew allowed seven runs in just five innings, while Demons
starting pitcher Mason Melotakis, a rising MLB draft prospect, tossed 6 1/3
strong innings.
Southeastern Louisiana (34-19)
-- The Lions are another Southland Conference club that earned a bad and
potentially devastating loss on Friday. Southeastern dropped an 8-6 bout to
in-state rival McNeese State. Lions starting pitcher Andro Cutura allowed five
runs in seven innings, while reliever Dylan Hills was tabbed with the loss
after allowing three runs in two innings of work.
BUBBLE WATCH
* North Carolina leadoff
hitter Chaz Frank went 2-for-5 with three RBIs, as the Tar Heels blasted
Virginia Tech 13-2. With the loss, the Hokies, who are on the NCAA bubble,
dropped a dismal 11-17 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
* Virginia hard-throwing
right-handed pitcher Branden Kline put together a respectable start, allowing
just two earned runs in six innings of work, as the Cavaliers beat bubble team
Maryland 7-6. The Terps now have a 9-19 ACC record.
* Michigan State desperately
needs to take care of business the rest of the way to make the NCAA postseason.
Well, the Spartans had a hiccup in their plan on Friday, dropping a 3-2
decision to Penn State. PSU starting pitcher Joe Kurrach allowed just two runs
on nine hits in seven innings of work.
* St. John’s needs a
few more quality wins to have a chance to make the NCAA postseason without
winning the Big East tournament. However, it took a step back on Friday with a
4-1 loss to Seton Hall. SHU starting pitcher Jon Prosinski was fantastic
against the Johnnies