A quick rundown of the series that ended on Monday, some games played today and the conference's Players of the Week.
Indiana prevailed over Northwestern in a doubleheader Monday. The Hoosiers won Game One, 5-4. Freshman Evan Crawford and Josh Phegley each drove in two IU runs. Jason Ferrell improved to 3-1 winning the opener. Joe Vicini recorded his second save. Max Mann had two RBI for NU.
In Game Two, IU beat NU, 5-2. Doug Fleenor pitched a complete game allowing six hits, three walks and fanning six Wildcats.
Today, the Hoosiers fell to Evansville, 8-1. Kasey Wahl had three hits and three RBI for the Purple Aces. Mark Murray got the win for EU. IU's Jon Fixler and Tyler Cox had a pair of hits a piece.
Michigan beat Eastern Michigan, 11-4, in the first game of a doubleheader today. Sophomore Zach Putnam homered twice and drove in four runs to lead the Wolverines. OF Brad Roblin also had three hits and two RBI. Chris Fetter (3-1) earned the win. The Wolverines are leading the second game, 9-1.
Purdue and Michigan State split a Monday doubleheader. The Boilers captured Game One, 1-0. Purdue's Ricky Heines (5-2) gives up seven hits in a seven inning complete game performance. Heines didn't allow a single walk and fanned five Spartans. Nick Overmyer drove in the lone run in the game.
The Spartans won the finale, 3-0. John Dwan (3-2) tosses the seven inning complete game win. The Spartans lefty allowed five hits, four walks and struck out six. Brandon Doherty, Eli Boike and Chris Roberts drove in the MSU runs. Dan Sattler pitched the full six innings for Purdue.
Ryan Hastings of Illinois and Matt Ogrodnick of Penn State were named the Big Ten hitter and pitcher of the week, respectively.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Sunday's Baseball On Ice
Sunday finally provided us with some baseball. Unfortunately, it really didn't provide for much better weather. The temperatures in Big Ten country, and throughout most of the nation, appeared to be less than ideal for baseball. Perhaps, at some point, somebody can tell me how today's climate was that much better than the last two days, but I'm not going to hold my breath.
Apparently, the powers-that-be in Ann Arbor thought it was still far too cold for baseball and cancelled today's games between Michigan and visiting Minnesota. If this wipes out the entire series, and I'm guessing it will, the cancellation could open up a huge can of worms. Time permitting, I'll ramble on some about that tomorrow evening. Let's get a look at what did happen today.
Illinois 8 #25 Ohio State 5 (box)
#25 Ohio State 10 Illinois 7 (box)
In the first game, Illini C Lars Davis had two hits and drove in three runs. 2B Ryan Hastings went 3 for 3 and scored three times. Mike Stankiewicz (2-3) worked two innings of relief and got the win. Jake Toohey came in and posted his second save on just nine pitches. OSU's Matt Angle and Eric Fryer each had a pair of RBI.
Angle and Fryer helped the Buckeyes captured the finale. Angle had three hits, scored twice, drove in two and stole his fourteenth base of the season. Fryer had three hits, three RBI and stole his second base of 2007. Justin Miller also had a three RBI contest for OSU. Josh Barrera's two innings of relief were enough to get him his fourth win. Rory Meister notched his third save. Illinois was led by another three hit performance from Hastings. Davis and freshman 3B Brandon Wikoff each had a pair of hits, Nick Stockwell had two hits and two RBI in the loss.
Northwestern 5 Indiana 3 (box)
Northwestern 1 Indiana 0 (box)
Ryan Myers posted a complete game victory in the opener. Myers (2-2) allowed six hits, five walks, three earned runs and struck out eleven Hoosiers. Wildcats OF Max Mann homered and drove in two to lead NU's offense. Freshman Jake Goebbert also drove in two runs. IU's Tyler Tufts was the tough luck loser. Tufts (3-3) also pitched a complete game. Chris Hervey paced IU's bats with a pair of RBI.
Although only a seven inning game, this was another dual complete game performance. The winner was NU's Dan Schwartz (3-1) who gave up six hits and one walk. The loser was Matt Bashore (3-3) who yielded six hits and no walks, but allowed the only run of the game. NU's Jake Owens drove in the lone tally. LF Aaron Newman had two hits. Jon Fixler and Ben Greenspan each had two hits for IU.
Iowa 6 Penn State 2 (box)
The final game of this series was another seven inning affair. Hawkeyes' DH Brian Burmester drove in two runs and OF Caleb Curry scored twice and stole a base to lead the charge. Scott Brune earned his first win of the year in relief. Penn State's Joe Blackburn had two hits and a RBI.
Michigan State 3 Purdue 2 (box)
MSU's Craig Brookes improved to 3-1. Brookes went 7.0 innings scattering eight hits and a walk while striking out five and giving up only one earned run. Mike Monterey worked the final stanza to get his fourth save. Dennis Jones, Steve Gerstenberger and Evan Friedland each had two hits for the Spartans. Alex Jaffee and Nick Overmyer each had a pair of hits for the Boilermakers.
Apparently, the powers-that-be in Ann Arbor thought it was still far too cold for baseball and cancelled today's games between Michigan and visiting Minnesota. If this wipes out the entire series, and I'm guessing it will, the cancellation could open up a huge can of worms. Time permitting, I'll ramble on some about that tomorrow evening. Let's get a look at what did happen today.
Illinois 8 #25 Ohio State 5 (box)
#25 Ohio State 10 Illinois 7 (box)
In the first game, Illini C Lars Davis had two hits and drove in three runs. 2B Ryan Hastings went 3 for 3 and scored three times. Mike Stankiewicz (2-3) worked two innings of relief and got the win. Jake Toohey came in and posted his second save on just nine pitches. OSU's Matt Angle and Eric Fryer each had a pair of RBI.
Angle and Fryer helped the Buckeyes captured the finale. Angle had three hits, scored twice, drove in two and stole his fourteenth base of the season. Fryer had three hits, three RBI and stole his second base of 2007. Justin Miller also had a three RBI contest for OSU. Josh Barrera's two innings of relief were enough to get him his fourth win. Rory Meister notched his third save. Illinois was led by another three hit performance from Hastings. Davis and freshman 3B Brandon Wikoff each had a pair of hits, Nick Stockwell had two hits and two RBI in the loss.
Northwestern 5 Indiana 3 (box)
Northwestern 1 Indiana 0 (box)
Ryan Myers posted a complete game victory in the opener. Myers (2-2) allowed six hits, five walks, three earned runs and struck out eleven Hoosiers. Wildcats OF Max Mann homered and drove in two to lead NU's offense. Freshman Jake Goebbert also drove in two runs. IU's Tyler Tufts was the tough luck loser. Tufts (3-3) also pitched a complete game. Chris Hervey paced IU's bats with a pair of RBI.
Although only a seven inning game, this was another dual complete game performance. The winner was NU's Dan Schwartz (3-1) who gave up six hits and one walk. The loser was Matt Bashore (3-3) who yielded six hits and no walks, but allowed the only run of the game. NU's Jake Owens drove in the lone tally. LF Aaron Newman had two hits. Jon Fixler and Ben Greenspan each had two hits for IU.
Iowa 6 Penn State 2 (box)
The final game of this series was another seven inning affair. Hawkeyes' DH Brian Burmester drove in two runs and OF Caleb Curry scored twice and stole a base to lead the charge. Scott Brune earned his first win of the year in relief. Penn State's Joe Blackburn had two hits and a RBI.
Michigan State 3 Purdue 2 (box)
MSU's Craig Brookes improved to 3-1. Brookes went 7.0 innings scattering eight hits and a walk while striking out five and giving up only one earned run. Mike Monterey worked the final stanza to get his fourth save. Dennis Jones, Steve Gerstenberger and Evan Friedland each had two hits for the Spartans. Alex Jaffee and Nick Overmyer each had a pair of hits for the Boilermakers.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Iowa Tops PSU, 1-0
Iowa beat Penn State in a seven inning pitcher's duel, 1-0. The Hawkeye's Casey O'Rourke, Scott Brune and Mike Schurz combined to pitch a shutout. O'Rourke (2-0), who missed all of last season due to cancer, pitched 4.2 innings allowing five hits and a walk. He also fanned five. Schurz worked the two innings and posted his fifth save.
Penn State's Craig Clark had another strong outing working six innings allowing only one run on four hits and four walks. Clark also struck out five, but took the loss.
Iowa CF Travis Sweet was 2 for 2. SS Jason White scored the lone run. Penn State's DH Rob Yodice and SS Scott Gaffney each had two hits a piece.
Penn State's Craig Clark had another strong outing working six innings allowing only one run on four hits and four walks. Clark also struck out five, but took the loss.
Iowa CF Travis Sweet was 2 for 2. SS Jason White scored the lone run. Penn State's DH Rob Yodice and SS Scott Gaffney each had two hits a piece.
Stone Cold Saturday
As I suggested last night, this current dose of arctic air has caused the cancellation of a couple of games. Ohio State and Illinois are not playing today. Neither are Minnesota and Michigan. Indiana's game with Northwestern has been pushed back at a 2pm start. Which, of course, still doesn't assure it will be played, either.
I've yet to see anything certain on the Penn State and Iowa games or Michigan State's hosting of Purdue. I can't imagine East Lansing is much warmer than Ann Arbor, but what do I know?
Can we get the universal start date pushed back some more?
Update: Scratch that NU/IU affair and Purdue's game at MSU off the schedule. The lack of games played this weekend could have major ramifications on the conference race.
I've yet to see anything certain on the Penn State and Iowa games or Michigan State's hosting of Purdue. I can't imagine East Lansing is much warmer than Ann Arbor, but what do I know?
Can we get the universal start date pushed back some more?
Update: Scratch that NU/IU affair and Purdue's game at MSU off the schedule. The lack of games played this weekend could have major ramifications on the conference race.
Friday, April 06, 2007
Penn State Beats Iowa, Cold Beats Everyone Else
Penn State downed Iowa, 6-1, in the lone Big Ten game to be played today. Matt Cavagnaro, Scott Gaffney, Cory Wine and Robert Yodice all had two hits and a RBI for PSU. (Cavagnaro's two hits were a homer and a triple.) Brian Ernst had two RBI on no hits. Seth Whitehill gave up five hits and three walks in 5.2 innings pitched to post his second win. Matt Ogrodnick earned his first save.
Kevin Hoef drove in the single Iowa tally. Caleb Curry and Jason White had a pair of hits for the Hawkeyes.
The remainder of the Big Ten slate -- Ohio State @ Illinois, Northwestern @ Indiana, Minnesota @ Michigan and Purdue @ Michigan State -- was wiped out due to freezing temperatures. All four series have been altered to fit in the missing game, however, the weather is not expected to make much an improvement this weekend.
While I always want to encourage you to head to the ballpark, the guess here is that more games are going to get cancelled. It's just too stinking cold. The snow doesn't help, either. I'll dig out the extra layers just in case the Minnesota/Michigan doubleheader begins tomorrow, but
I'm not optimistic.
Kevin Hoef drove in the single Iowa tally. Caleb Curry and Jason White had a pair of hits for the Hawkeyes.
The remainder of the Big Ten slate -- Ohio State @ Illinois, Northwestern @ Indiana, Minnesota @ Michigan and Purdue @ Michigan State -- was wiped out due to freezing temperatures. All four series have been altered to fit in the missing game, however, the weather is not expected to make much an improvement this weekend.
While I always want to encourage you to head to the ballpark, the guess here is that more games are going to get cancelled. It's just too stinking cold. The snow doesn't help, either. I'll dig out the extra layers just in case the Minnesota/Michigan doubleheader begins tomorrow, but
I'm not optimistic.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Midweek Madness
I've been slacking off reporting on midweek games. Shame on me. Let me try to catch up on what's happening in the non-conference portions of the schedule.
Illinois thumped Western Michigan, 11-4. The Illini go long three times -- Lars Davis, Ryan Hastings and Nick Stockwell -- and Ryan Snowden goes 3 for 4 in the win. Snowden now has a nineteen game hitting streak. Davis only managed a 4 for 5 game. It's official. Snowden and Davis can rake. Omar Kadir pitched 2.1 innings of relief to earn his second win against no losses.
Typical Midwestern spring weather (snow, freezing cold and sometimes rain) did in Iowa's twinbill with Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Indiana's game with Ball State, the Chicago State at Northwestern contest, the game scheduled between North Dakota State and Minnesota, Purdue's meeting with Miami (Ohio) and Cleveland State's planned visit to Ohio State.
The Michigan bats remained hot in spite of the plummeting temperatures and the Wolverines beat up Central Michigan, 13-3. Derek Vanbuskirk homered and drove in five to lead the Michigan attack. 3B Adam Abraham had three hits, three RBI and scored twice. Freshman Erik Katzman (2-1) didn't allow an earned run in 5.1 innings of work. Katzman yielded six hits, three walks, two unearned runs and fanned six.
Penn State dropped Bucknell, 6-5. Cory Wine, Mike Deese and Joe Blackburn each had a pair of hits. Deese hit his first homerun as a Nittany Lion. Scott Gaffney started and got the win. He also went 1 for 2 at the plate. Drew O'Neil posted his third save of the season. Another solid crowd -- 1,324 -- showed up at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Way to support the baseball team, PSU fans.
Finally, Michigan State lost an exhibition with the Lansing Lugnuts, 4-3. At least that game was played.
Illinois thumped Western Michigan, 11-4. The Illini go long three times -- Lars Davis, Ryan Hastings and Nick Stockwell -- and Ryan Snowden goes 3 for 4 in the win. Snowden now has a nineteen game hitting streak. Davis only managed a 4 for 5 game. It's official. Snowden and Davis can rake. Omar Kadir pitched 2.1 innings of relief to earn his second win against no losses.
Typical Midwestern spring weather (snow, freezing cold and sometimes rain) did in Iowa's twinbill with Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Indiana's game with Ball State, the Chicago State at Northwestern contest, the game scheduled between North Dakota State and Minnesota, Purdue's meeting with Miami (Ohio) and Cleveland State's planned visit to Ohio State.
The Michigan bats remained hot in spite of the plummeting temperatures and the Wolverines beat up Central Michigan, 13-3. Derek Vanbuskirk homered and drove in five to lead the Michigan attack. 3B Adam Abraham had three hits, three RBI and scored twice. Freshman Erik Katzman (2-1) didn't allow an earned run in 5.1 innings of work. Katzman yielded six hits, three walks, two unearned runs and fanned six.
Penn State dropped Bucknell, 6-5. Cory Wine, Mike Deese and Joe Blackburn each had a pair of hits. Deese hit his first homerun as a Nittany Lion. Scott Gaffney started and got the win. He also went 1 for 2 at the plate. Drew O'Neil posted his third save of the season. Another solid crowd -- 1,324 -- showed up at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Way to support the baseball team, PSU fans.
Finally, Michigan State lost an exhibition with the Lansing Lugnuts, 4-3. At least that game was played.
It's OPS Night!
A tradition unlike any other. Oh, wait. That's somebody else's tagline, isn't it? Nonetheless, it's Wednesday which means it's OPS night here at Big Ten Hardball. In the middle of each week, I spend countless minutes adding on base percentage and slugging percentage numbers together (with a calculator, of course) and provide you with the conference's OPS leaders. Why? Because I clearly haven't got my priorities in order, that's why.
Regardless of my immature behavior or the motivation behind it, here are the figures I came up with just moments ago.
This week's OPS leader is Lars Davis of Illinois. The Illini catcher has an OPS of 1.195. In second place is Minnesota's Mike Mee at 1.162. Dusty Napoleon, Iowa's catcher, is at 1.139. Purdue outfielder Jordan Comadena is next at 1.124. Secondbaseman Jason Zoeller of Ohio State is fifth in OPS at 1.117. The sixth spot is held by Iowa's Justin Toole at 1.106.
The second half of our OPS review begins with Ryne White of Purdue at 1.103. Shortstop Jason Christian of Michigan is next at 1.090. Another secondbaseman, Michigan State's Steve Gerstenberger, is in ninth with an OPS of 1.028. In tenth, we find Michigan's Nate Recknagel at 1.027. The eleventh and final spot is occupied by Northwestern's Antonio Mule at 1.026.
Regardless of my immature behavior or the motivation behind it, here are the figures I came up with just moments ago.
This week's OPS leader is Lars Davis of Illinois. The Illini catcher has an OPS of 1.195. In second place is Minnesota's Mike Mee at 1.162. Dusty Napoleon, Iowa's catcher, is at 1.139. Purdue outfielder Jordan Comadena is next at 1.124. Secondbaseman Jason Zoeller of Ohio State is fifth in OPS at 1.117. The sixth spot is held by Iowa's Justin Toole at 1.106.
The second half of our OPS review begins with Ryne White of Purdue at 1.103. Shortstop Jason Christian of Michigan is next at 1.090. Another secondbaseman, Michigan State's Steve Gerstenberger, is in ninth with an OPS of 1.028. In tenth, we find Michigan's Nate Recknagel at 1.027. The eleventh and final spot is occupied by Northwestern's Antonio Mule at 1.026.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Thoughts From The Weekend
I hesitate to make too much out of one weekend of conference play. Those that won this week could easily lose next week. However, if you held the belief that Michigan, Ohio State and Minnesota were the cream of the Big Ten crop, the first weekend of conference action did nothing do dissuade from that notion.
All three programs did what you would expect, win more than they lost. Yet, the other seven schools still have plenty of time to qualify for post-season play. With that in mind, here are some general observations that crossed my mind since Friday. (Limited to college baseball, of course.)
* If Michigan State continues to get the kind of pitching they displayed against Indiana this past weekend (11 runs in four games), they are going to be in the race all season long.
* Ohio State’s pitching is so good that even with All-Big starter Dan DeLucia missing a turn, they took three of four from Iowa.
* With thirty-nine runs in four games, the bats might have finally awakened at Michigan.
* Is it just me or does Michigan lineup look better with Doug Pickens in the outfield and Chris Berset behind the plate? Yeah, probably just me.
* It’s time to take notice of Michigan State second baseman Steve Gerstenberger. The junior from Fort Gratiot, Michigan is hitting a mere .425. He is slugging at a .550 clip and his on base percentage is .478. He must be doing something right, I’m not even looking his name up before I type it.
* Can we please get rid of these seven inning doubleheaders? It’s great to have fourteen innings of baseball on a Saturday, but between the inconsistent weather and the huge difference those extra two innings make, I’d just assume play one traditional game on Saturday.
* Speaking of the weather, and I do plenty of whining about it here, the early forecast from Columbus to Ann Arbor to Champaign is for winter to return within the next few days. Highs on Friday may be in the 40’s with the possibility for a rain/snow/sleet combo meal. It’s a holiday greeting card scenario. Alas, that picture is better suited for Christmas than Easter.
* Which position is more loaded -- centerfield or catcher? Your Big Ten centerfielders include Matt Nohelty (Minnesota), Eric Rose (Michigan), Matt Angle (Ohio State), Kyle Hudson (Illinois) and Travis Sweet (Iowa). The backstop list features Kyle Day (Michigan State), Lars Davis (Illinois), Eric Fryer (Ohio State), Doug Pickens (Michigan) and Dusty Napoleon (Iowa).
* Apparently, the Hawkeyes’ Napoleon is a pretty good first baseman, as well. My friends in Columbus tell me that the Johnny Bench Award nominee made three terrific plays at first on Friday night.
* Can we please get full names on box scores? Yes, I want the first and last names of every player on both teams. Even when the opponent is a non-conference foe. I have trouble remembering the names of every player in the Big Ten, I’m certainly not going to know every player outside the conference.
* Along those lines, when providing a box score, is it asking too much to have the columns lineup appropriately? Having the AB, R, H, RBI lines all over the place makes the box more than a bit difficult to read. Gang, I can’t relay what I can’t read. A little help, please.
* I mentioned this over the weekend, but OSU’s Jake Hale is looking like a Stopper of the Year candidate.
All three programs did what you would expect, win more than they lost. Yet, the other seven schools still have plenty of time to qualify for post-season play. With that in mind, here are some general observations that crossed my mind since Friday. (Limited to college baseball, of course.)
* If Michigan State continues to get the kind of pitching they displayed against Indiana this past weekend (11 runs in four games), they are going to be in the race all season long.
* Ohio State’s pitching is so good that even with All-Big starter Dan DeLucia missing a turn, they took three of four from Iowa.
* With thirty-nine runs in four games, the bats might have finally awakened at Michigan.
* Is it just me or does Michigan lineup look better with Doug Pickens in the outfield and Chris Berset behind the plate? Yeah, probably just me.
* It’s time to take notice of Michigan State second baseman Steve Gerstenberger. The junior from Fort Gratiot, Michigan is hitting a mere .425. He is slugging at a .550 clip and his on base percentage is .478. He must be doing something right, I’m not even looking his name up before I type it.
* Can we please get rid of these seven inning doubleheaders? It’s great to have fourteen innings of baseball on a Saturday, but between the inconsistent weather and the huge difference those extra two innings make, I’d just assume play one traditional game on Saturday.
* Speaking of the weather, and I do plenty of whining about it here, the early forecast from Columbus to Ann Arbor to Champaign is for winter to return within the next few days. Highs on Friday may be in the 40’s with the possibility for a rain/snow/sleet combo meal. It’s a holiday greeting card scenario. Alas, that picture is better suited for Christmas than Easter.
* Which position is more loaded -- centerfield or catcher? Your Big Ten centerfielders include Matt Nohelty (Minnesota), Eric Rose (Michigan), Matt Angle (Ohio State), Kyle Hudson (Illinois) and Travis Sweet (Iowa). The backstop list features Kyle Day (Michigan State), Lars Davis (Illinois), Eric Fryer (Ohio State), Doug Pickens (Michigan) and Dusty Napoleon (Iowa).
* Apparently, the Hawkeyes’ Napoleon is a pretty good first baseman, as well. My friends in Columbus tell me that the Johnny Bench Award nominee made three terrific plays at first on Friday night.
* Can we please get full names on box scores? Yes, I want the first and last names of every player on both teams. Even when the opponent is a non-conference foe. I have trouble remembering the names of every player in the Big Ten, I’m certainly not going to know every player outside the conference.
* Along those lines, when providing a box score, is it asking too much to have the columns lineup appropriately? Having the AB, R, H, RBI lines all over the place makes the box more than a bit difficult to read. Gang, I can’t relay what I can’t read. A little help, please.
* I mentioned this over the weekend, but OSU’s Jake Hale is looking like a Stopper of the Year candidate.
Monday, April 02, 2007
The All-Weekend Team
Yes, I managed to crank out another All-Weekend Team. I've got to be honest, though, it was completed rather hurriedly. I've been on the go all day long and only stopped long enough to piece together this team. Keeping that in mind, I suspect there is a greater chance than normal that I've overlooked someone. As usual, I encourage you to contact me if I've missed a worthy candidate.
For those hoping for the return of my Thoughts From The Weekend feature, you are in luck. I have assembled that as well. However, it probably won't get posted any earlier than tomorrow evening. It's a technical issue that you couldn't care less about.
Catcher - Doug Pickens, Michigan (9 for 17, hr, 7 runs, 7 rbi, sb)
Firstbase - Mike Rohde, Illinois (5 for 12, 3 runs, 7 rbi, 2 bb)
Secondbase - Steve Gerstenberger, Michigan State (9 for 17, hr, 5 runs, 2 rbi, sb)
Shortstop - Jason Christian, Michigan (6 for 18, hr, 4 runs, 4 rbi)
Thirdbase - Tony Kennedy, Ohio State (6 for 15, 5 runs, 7 rbi, 2 sb)
Outfield - Ryan Snowden, Illinois (9 for 16, hr, 6 runs, 5 rbi, 2 bb)
Outfield - Brad Roblin, Michigan (4 for 14, hr, 7 runs, 6 rbi, 3 bb, 4 sb)
Outfield - Zach Putnam, Michigan (7 for 15, 2 runs, 6 rbi)
Designated Hitter - Jason Zoeller, Ohio State (6 for 14, 2 hr, 4 runs, 7 rbi, bb)
Starter - John Dwan, Michigan State (7.0 ip, 3 h, 0 r, 0 er, 1 bb, 3 k's in W vs. Indiana)
Starter - Ricky Heines, Purdue (7.0 ip, 4 h, 1 r, 1 er, 1 bb, 3 k in W vs. Illinois)
Starter - Jon Kibler, Michigan State (7.0 ip, 8 h, 2 r, 1 er, 1 bb, 4 k in W vs. Indiana)
Starter - Zach Putnam, Michigan (8.0 ip, 4 h, 1 r, 1 er, 3 bb, 6 k in W vs. Northwestern)
Relief - Jake Hale, Ohio State (5.2 ip, 4 h, 2 r, 1 er, 0 bb, 7 k in two saves vs. Iowa)
For those hoping for the return of my Thoughts From The Weekend feature, you are in luck. I have assembled that as well. However, it probably won't get posted any earlier than tomorrow evening. It's a technical issue that you couldn't care less about.
Catcher - Doug Pickens, Michigan (9 for 17, hr, 7 runs, 7 rbi, sb)
Firstbase - Mike Rohde, Illinois (5 for 12, 3 runs, 7 rbi, 2 bb)
Secondbase - Steve Gerstenberger, Michigan State (9 for 17, hr, 5 runs, 2 rbi, sb)
Shortstop - Jason Christian, Michigan (6 for 18, hr, 4 runs, 4 rbi)
Thirdbase - Tony Kennedy, Ohio State (6 for 15, 5 runs, 7 rbi, 2 sb)
Outfield - Ryan Snowden, Illinois (9 for 16, hr, 6 runs, 5 rbi, 2 bb)
Outfield - Brad Roblin, Michigan (4 for 14, hr, 7 runs, 6 rbi, 3 bb, 4 sb)
Outfield - Zach Putnam, Michigan (7 for 15, 2 runs, 6 rbi)
Designated Hitter - Jason Zoeller, Ohio State (6 for 14, 2 hr, 4 runs, 7 rbi, bb)
Starter - John Dwan, Michigan State (7.0 ip, 3 h, 0 r, 0 er, 1 bb, 3 k's in W vs. Indiana)
Starter - Ricky Heines, Purdue (7.0 ip, 4 h, 1 r, 1 er, 1 bb, 3 k in W vs. Illinois)
Starter - Jon Kibler, Michigan State (7.0 ip, 8 h, 2 r, 1 er, 1 bb, 4 k in W vs. Indiana)
Starter - Zach Putnam, Michigan (8.0 ip, 4 h, 1 r, 1 er, 3 bb, 6 k in W vs. Northwestern)
Relief - Jake Hale, Ohio State (5.2 ip, 4 h, 2 r, 1 er, 0 bb, 7 k in two saves vs. Iowa)
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Michigan Sits Atop Conference
Michigan 11 Northwestern 3 (Game 1 box)
Michigan 14 Northwestern 7 (Game 2 box)
In the first game, Zach Putnam had three hits and three RBI. Chris Berset had two hits and three RBI. Doug Pickens had two hits, two runs scored and two RBI. NU's Tommy Finn was 3 for 3 and Jake Owens had two hits and scored twice. Michigan's Chris Fetter posted his second win. The All-Big Ten pitcher worked five innings allowing seven hits, two walks and two earned runs.
The Wolverines did all kinds of yardwork in Game Two. Jason Christian, Adam Abraham, Brad Roblin, Alan Oaks and Doug Pickens all homered. Christian and Pickens each had three RBI. NU got homeruns from Antonio Mule, Geoff Deitz and Tony Vercelli. Deitz paced the Wildcats response with three RBI. Michael Powers collected his first triumph of the year.
#29 Ohio State 16 Iowa 7 (box)
Buckeyes' freshman RF Ryan Dew was a perfect 3 for 3 with his first collegiate homerun and four RBI. Dew also walked twice. 3B Tony Kennedy matched Dew with his own four RBI game. Jason Zoeller and Jacob Howell also went yard for OSU. Iowa's Dusty Napoleon and Justin Toole each homered. (It was Toole's first, but the Iowa game recap says its Napoleon's fourth, the boxscores at both sites say it was Dusty's third.)
The win went to Eric Best (2-0). Jake Hale pitched the final 3.1 innings to record his sixth save of the year. (We need to get Hale's name on the Stopper of the Year ballot.)
Michigan State 6 Indiana 1 (box)
MSU's John Dwan twirls seven innings of three hit, one walk, no run baseball to win his second game of the year. Spartans' 2B Steve Gerstenberger went 3 for 5 with a RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base. C Kyle Day and LF Chris Roberts each had two hits and a pair of RBI. Indiana pitcher Tyler Tufts made his debut in the outfield and posted an impressive 2 for 3 game. Tufts was the only IU player with more than one hit.
Purdue 11 Illinois 6 (box)
CF Jon Moore and 1B Ryne White each drove in three runs for the Boilermakers. OF Jordan Comadena had three hits, including his fifth homer, drove in two and scored four times. Ryan Snowden and Mike Rohde each had two RBI for the Illini. The win went to Purdue freshman Tony Sedlmeyer (3-2), the loss went to Aaron Martin.
Minnesota @ Penn State (cancelled, rain)
The last game of this series was washed right off the schedule.
Where does this all leave us? Michigan finds itself in first place in the Big Ten at 4-0. Ohio State and Michigan State follow at 3-1. Minnesota is in fourth at 2-1. Purdue and Illinois split their opening weekend series and are tied at 2-2. Penn State is 1-2. Iowa and Indiana are in a 1-3. Northwestern in 0-4.
Michigan 14 Northwestern 7 (Game 2 box)
In the first game, Zach Putnam had three hits and three RBI. Chris Berset had two hits and three RBI. Doug Pickens had two hits, two runs scored and two RBI. NU's Tommy Finn was 3 for 3 and Jake Owens had two hits and scored twice. Michigan's Chris Fetter posted his second win. The All-Big Ten pitcher worked five innings allowing seven hits, two walks and two earned runs.
The Wolverines did all kinds of yardwork in Game Two. Jason Christian, Adam Abraham, Brad Roblin, Alan Oaks and Doug Pickens all homered. Christian and Pickens each had three RBI. NU got homeruns from Antonio Mule, Geoff Deitz and Tony Vercelli. Deitz paced the Wildcats response with three RBI. Michael Powers collected his first triumph of the year.
#29 Ohio State 16 Iowa 7 (box)
Buckeyes' freshman RF Ryan Dew was a perfect 3 for 3 with his first collegiate homerun and four RBI. Dew also walked twice. 3B Tony Kennedy matched Dew with his own four RBI game. Jason Zoeller and Jacob Howell also went yard for OSU. Iowa's Dusty Napoleon and Justin Toole each homered. (It was Toole's first, but the Iowa game recap says its Napoleon's fourth, the boxscores at both sites say it was Dusty's third.)
The win went to Eric Best (2-0). Jake Hale pitched the final 3.1 innings to record his sixth save of the year. (We need to get Hale's name on the Stopper of the Year ballot.)
Michigan State 6 Indiana 1 (box)
MSU's John Dwan twirls seven innings of three hit, one walk, no run baseball to win his second game of the year. Spartans' 2B Steve Gerstenberger went 3 for 5 with a RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base. C Kyle Day and LF Chris Roberts each had two hits and a pair of RBI. Indiana pitcher Tyler Tufts made his debut in the outfield and posted an impressive 2 for 3 game. Tufts was the only IU player with more than one hit.
Purdue 11 Illinois 6 (box)
CF Jon Moore and 1B Ryne White each drove in three runs for the Boilermakers. OF Jordan Comadena had three hits, including his fifth homer, drove in two and scored four times. Ryan Snowden and Mike Rohde each had two RBI for the Illini. The win went to Purdue freshman Tony Sedlmeyer (3-2), the loss went to Aaron Martin.
Minnesota @ Penn State (cancelled, rain)
The last game of this series was washed right off the schedule.
Where does this all leave us? Michigan finds itself in first place in the Big Ten at 4-0. Ohio State and Michigan State follow at 3-1. Minnesota is in fourth at 2-1. Purdue and Illinois split their opening weekend series and are tied at 2-2. Penn State is 1-2. Iowa and Indiana are in a 1-3. Northwestern in 0-4.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Saturday Scoreboard
Opening Weekend of Big Ten play continued today throughout the rainy Midwest. I was in Columbus and it rained hard enough there to delay the start of game one. I'll provide a more detailed report of the BTH road trip in a separate post, but suffice to say conditions were not ideal in Big Ten country today.
#29 Ohio State 6 Iowa 2 (Game 1 box)
Iowa 8 #29 Ohio State 0 (Game 2 box)
The Buckeyes 15 game winning streak came to an end in the finale of the twinbill. Iowa CF Travis Sweet had three hits, two RBI, two runs scored and stole a base to led the Hawkeyes' offense. SS Jason White added two hits, two RBI, two runs scored and his third homer of the season. Nick Erdman (2-1) went five and two-thirds allowing five hits, two walks and no earned runs. Ohio State catcher Eric Fryer had a pair of hits.
In Game One, OSU plated three in the fourth and three more in the fifth to secure the victory. Buckeye 3B Tony Kennedy had two hits and two rbi. CF Matt Angle had a hit, a run and stole three bases. Josh Berrera improved to 3-0 and Jake Hale posted his fifth save of 2007. Travis Sweet had two hits in the opener for Iowa.
Penn State 3 Minnesota 2 (Game 1 box)
Minnesota 9 Penn State 2 (Game 2 box)
Ryan Stobart picked up his first win for Penn State. Stobart worked six innings and Drew O'Neil came in to pitch in seventh and earn the save. Nittany Lions' 2B Matt Cavagnaro had a pair of hits, scored once, drove in one and stole two bases. 1B Cory Wine also had a two hit game. Gary Perinar went six innings for Minnesota, but took the loss. Gophers' LF Mike Mee had two hits and two RBI. CF Matt Nohelty had two hits and stole his 12th base of the year.
In the nightcap, Mike Mee had three more hits including his first homerun of the campaign. Mee also scored three times and drove in two runs. Dan Lyons also had a three hit game for Minnesota. Marcus Mackenzie improved to 4-0 with the win. Kyle Carr posted his second save of 2007. Joe Blackburn and Rick Marlin each had two hits for PSU in the second contest of the day.
Michigan 7 Northwestern 4 (Game 1 box)
Michigan @ Northwestern (Game 2 weather delay)
Andrew Hess (3-0) went 6.1 innings allowing five hits, two walks and four runs. Ben Jenzen recorded the final two outs and earned his fourth save. C Doug Pickens had three hits, scored twice and stole a base. 1B Nate Recknagel drove in two. NU's Geoff Deitz and Jake Owens each had a hit, run scored and a RBI.
The second game has run into delays. The first was for weather, the second for darkness. According to both programs' websites, the game will be finished tomorrow with the Wolverines leading 11-3.
Michigan State 6 Indiana 2 (Game 1 box)
Michigan State 12 Indiana 6 (Game 2 box)
Jon Kibler (2-2) posted the win in the first game. Kibler tossed the full seven innings yielding eight hits, one walk and one earned run. MSU CF Dennis Jones hit a three run tater and added another RBI giving him four in the opener. Spartans' 2B Steve Gerstenberger also went yard. IU freshman Matt Bashore (3-2) also pitched all seven innings, but took the loss. Hoosiers' SS Keith Haas had a pair of hits and a RBI.
Spartans' freshman LF Chris Roberts had four RBI on two hits in the nightcap. MSU SS Brandon Doherty went 3 for 4, CF Dennis Jones had two hits and two RBI. (Jones had six RBI in the doubleheader.) A.J. Dunn (1-0) got the win pitching three innings of one hit relief. IU's Keith Haas was 3 for 4.
Illinois 9 Purdue 4 (Game 1 box)
Purdue 2 Illinois 1 (Game 2 box)
Shawn Roof went 2 for 4 with three RBI to lead the Illini attack. Lars Davis, Ryan Snowden and Ryan Hastings all collected a pair of hits as well. Scott Shaw pitched seven inning complete game to move his record to 3-1. Ryan White, John Cummins and Nick Overmeyer all had a couple of hits a piece for Purdue.
Finally, a pitchers duel. Purdue starter Ricky Heines was the star of the second game. Heines (4-2) twirled seven innings of four hit, one walk, one run baseball. Illinois' Mike Stankiewicz (1-3) was nearly as good allowing six hits and two walks in his six innings of work, but took the tough loss. Boilermakers 1B Ryne White had another two hit game in the finale.
If I've got this correct, Ohio State is up on Iowa, two games to one. Michigan State holds the same advantage over Indiana. Illinois is also a game up on Purdue. Minnesota leads Penn State, 2-1, and Michigan is up on Northwestern by a 2-0 count with the completion of today's second game on the docket for tomorrow.
#29 Ohio State 6 Iowa 2 (Game 1 box)
Iowa 8 #29 Ohio State 0 (Game 2 box)
The Buckeyes 15 game winning streak came to an end in the finale of the twinbill. Iowa CF Travis Sweet had three hits, two RBI, two runs scored and stole a base to led the Hawkeyes' offense. SS Jason White added two hits, two RBI, two runs scored and his third homer of the season. Nick Erdman (2-1) went five and two-thirds allowing five hits, two walks and no earned runs. Ohio State catcher Eric Fryer had a pair of hits.
In Game One, OSU plated three in the fourth and three more in the fifth to secure the victory. Buckeye 3B Tony Kennedy had two hits and two rbi. CF Matt Angle had a hit, a run and stole three bases. Josh Berrera improved to 3-0 and Jake Hale posted his fifth save of 2007. Travis Sweet had two hits in the opener for Iowa.
Penn State 3 Minnesota 2 (Game 1 box)
Minnesota 9 Penn State 2 (Game 2 box)
Ryan Stobart picked up his first win for Penn State. Stobart worked six innings and Drew O'Neil came in to pitch in seventh and earn the save. Nittany Lions' 2B Matt Cavagnaro had a pair of hits, scored once, drove in one and stole two bases. 1B Cory Wine also had a two hit game. Gary Perinar went six innings for Minnesota, but took the loss. Gophers' LF Mike Mee had two hits and two RBI. CF Matt Nohelty had two hits and stole his 12th base of the year.
In the nightcap, Mike Mee had three more hits including his first homerun of the campaign. Mee also scored three times and drove in two runs. Dan Lyons also had a three hit game for Minnesota. Marcus Mackenzie improved to 4-0 with the win. Kyle Carr posted his second save of 2007. Joe Blackburn and Rick Marlin each had two hits for PSU in the second contest of the day.
Michigan 7 Northwestern 4 (Game 1 box)
Michigan @ Northwestern (Game 2 weather delay)
Andrew Hess (3-0) went 6.1 innings allowing five hits, two walks and four runs. Ben Jenzen recorded the final two outs and earned his fourth save. C Doug Pickens had three hits, scored twice and stole a base. 1B Nate Recknagel drove in two. NU's Geoff Deitz and Jake Owens each had a hit, run scored and a RBI.
The second game has run into delays. The first was for weather, the second for darkness. According to both programs' websites, the game will be finished tomorrow with the Wolverines leading 11-3.
Michigan State 6 Indiana 2 (Game 1 box)
Michigan State 12 Indiana 6 (Game 2 box)
Jon Kibler (2-2) posted the win in the first game. Kibler tossed the full seven innings yielding eight hits, one walk and one earned run. MSU CF Dennis Jones hit a three run tater and added another RBI giving him four in the opener. Spartans' 2B Steve Gerstenberger also went yard. IU freshman Matt Bashore (3-2) also pitched all seven innings, but took the loss. Hoosiers' SS Keith Haas had a pair of hits and a RBI.
Spartans' freshman LF Chris Roberts had four RBI on two hits in the nightcap. MSU SS Brandon Doherty went 3 for 4, CF Dennis Jones had two hits and two RBI. (Jones had six RBI in the doubleheader.) A.J. Dunn (1-0) got the win pitching three innings of one hit relief. IU's Keith Haas was 3 for 4.
Illinois 9 Purdue 4 (Game 1 box)
Purdue 2 Illinois 1 (Game 2 box)
Shawn Roof went 2 for 4 with three RBI to lead the Illini attack. Lars Davis, Ryan Snowden and Ryan Hastings all collected a pair of hits as well. Scott Shaw pitched seven inning complete game to move his record to 3-1. Ryan White, John Cummins and Nick Overmeyer all had a couple of hits a piece for Purdue.
Finally, a pitchers duel. Purdue starter Ricky Heines was the star of the second game. Heines (4-2) twirled seven innings of four hit, one walk, one run baseball. Illinois' Mike Stankiewicz (1-3) was nearly as good allowing six hits and two walks in his six innings of work, but took the tough loss. Boilermakers 1B Ryne White had another two hit game in the finale.
If I've got this correct, Ohio State is up on Iowa, two games to one. Michigan State holds the same advantage over Indiana. Illinois is also a game up on Purdue. Minnesota leads Penn State, 2-1, and Michigan is up on Northwestern by a 2-0 count with the completion of today's second game on the docket for tomorrow.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Illini's Roof Honored
University of Illinois shortstop Shawn Roof was named to the Coastal Plains League All-Decade Team. Roof was named to the summer wooden bat league's anniversary squad along with a number of former CPL players that have gone onto the Major Leagues.
(Hat tip: Tom at The Baseball Zealot.)
(Hat tip: Tom at The Baseball Zealot.)
Some Big Ten Love
Eric Sorenson, of CSTV fame and fortune, says some nice things about the baseball programs in the Big Ten in his Thursday's Thoughts feature. Eric is one of the few, okay, he's the only national baseball writer that routinely acknowledges the programs in the north. (If I'm not mistaken, CSTV is using a picture of Michigan's Chris Fetter on it's homepage linked to E's article.)
By the way, does anyone in Big Ten country have a cable provider that picks-up CSTV?
By the way, does anyone in Big Ten country have a cable provider that picks-up CSTV?
Conference Play Begins
Big Ten played opened today. Let's take a look at the scores.
Michigan 7 Northwestern 1 (box)
Zach Putnam (4-2) goes eight innings giving up four hits, three walks and one run. The Wolverines sophomore fanned six Wildcats. Brad Roblin had two hits, three RBI and stole a base. Doug Pickens and Chris Berset went yard for Michigan.
NU's Jake Owens homered to drive in the Wildcats lone tally. Freshman Cole Livermore worked 6.1 innings, but took the loss.
Illinois 14 Purdue 13 (box)
I think it's safe to call this one a slugfest. Ryan Snowden led the Illini charge with a four hit game. Snowden also scored three times and drove in two. Mike Rohde had two hits and three RBI. Ryan Hastings hit a big fly for Illinois.
Purdue's Spencer Ingaldson went 4 for 5 including a homer. Dan Black was 2 for 2 and had four RBI.
Tanner Roark (2-1) worked six innings and got the win. Jake Toohey posted the save. Purdue's Josh Lindblom (2-3) got tagged with the loss.
Indiana 2 Michigan State 1 (box)
Jon Fixler drives in Chris Hervey in the bottom of the ninth to win it for IU. Tyler Tufts went 8.2 allowing only one Spartans run and walking no one, but didn't factor in the decision. Joe Vicini faced one batter in the ninth to claim the victory.
Craig Brookes was the hard luck loser. Brookes pitched 8.1 innings and gave up only five hits all game. He struck out five and and walked only one, but MSU could not capitalize on a fifteen to five hit advantage. Spartans' 2B Steve Gerstenberger was a perfect 4 for 4. Kyle Day had a three hit game, but Tufts and Vicini kept MSU from scoring more than one.
Ohio State 12 Iowa 6 (8th)
The Buckeyes plated seven in the sixth inning. OSU's All-Big Ten 2B Jason Zoeller has homered and driven in four runs thus far. Ben Geelan has four RBI for Iowa.
I'm not quite sure what to make of the Minnesota at Penn State game. It was to have started at 6:30pm EST. I can't find a score anywhere. I'm waiting for GameTracker to download as I type, but it may be quicker to the jump in the car and head to State College and find out firsthand. I'll try to check on this again later. (I don't think the rain has made it all the way to PA, yet.)
Michigan 7 Northwestern 1 (box)
Zach Putnam (4-2) goes eight innings giving up four hits, three walks and one run. The Wolverines sophomore fanned six Wildcats. Brad Roblin had two hits, three RBI and stole a base. Doug Pickens and Chris Berset went yard for Michigan.
NU's Jake Owens homered to drive in the Wildcats lone tally. Freshman Cole Livermore worked 6.1 innings, but took the loss.
Illinois 14 Purdue 13 (box)
I think it's safe to call this one a slugfest. Ryan Snowden led the Illini charge with a four hit game. Snowden also scored three times and drove in two. Mike Rohde had two hits and three RBI. Ryan Hastings hit a big fly for Illinois.
Purdue's Spencer Ingaldson went 4 for 5 including a homer. Dan Black was 2 for 2 and had four RBI.
Tanner Roark (2-1) worked six innings and got the win. Jake Toohey posted the save. Purdue's Josh Lindblom (2-3) got tagged with the loss.
Indiana 2 Michigan State 1 (box)
Jon Fixler drives in Chris Hervey in the bottom of the ninth to win it for IU. Tyler Tufts went 8.2 allowing only one Spartans run and walking no one, but didn't factor in the decision. Joe Vicini faced one batter in the ninth to claim the victory.
Craig Brookes was the hard luck loser. Brookes pitched 8.1 innings and gave up only five hits all game. He struck out five and and walked only one, but MSU could not capitalize on a fifteen to five hit advantage. Spartans' 2B Steve Gerstenberger was a perfect 4 for 4. Kyle Day had a three hit game, but Tufts and Vicini kept MSU from scoring more than one.
Ohio State 12 Iowa 6 (8th)
The Buckeyes plated seven in the sixth inning. OSU's All-Big Ten 2B Jason Zoeller has homered and driven in four runs thus far. Ben Geelan has four RBI for Iowa.
I'm not quite sure what to make of the Minnesota at Penn State game. It was to have started at 6:30pm EST. I can't find a score anywhere. I'm waiting for GameTracker to download as I type, but it may be quicker to the jump in the car and head to State College and find out firsthand. I'll try to check on this again later. (I don't think the rain has made it all the way to PA, yet.)
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Bloomington Baseball Blog
I received an email today from Jake Brown of the Indiana Daily Student. Jake, if I may be that informal, writes to inform me that the ISD has started a blog about Indiana baseball, The Inside Pitch. The blog is off to a strong start and I encourage everyone to check out their efforts.
I'll be adding The Inside Pitch to my blogroll just as soon as I find the appropriate place for it.
I'll be adding The Inside Pitch to my blogroll just as soon as I find the appropriate place for it.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Tuesday Odds And Ends
I'm skipping Thoughts From The Weekend this week. I'm sure it will return, perhaps, as early as next week. However, I do have some items to share. I'm going to start with a healthy dose of news concerning Ohio State.
* On the strength of a twelve game winning streak, Ohio State has climbed into the national polls. The Buckeyes (13-3) are ranked twenty-ninth in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll.
* The Buckeyes most recent win gave Coach Bob Todd his 900th triumph. Congratulations, Coach Todd.
* Gate proceeds from tomorrow night's contest between Toledo and OSU will be donated to the funds established for the Bluffton baseball team.
* Obviously, I'm happy to see OSU get into the national rankings, but how can the NCBWA voters ignore Minnesota? In his current pseudo-RPI rankings, Boyd Nation has the Gophers at #16. In ISR ranking, Minnesota checks in at #12.
In the NCBWA Top 30 poll, Minnesota has wins over #7 Arkansas, #10 Pepperdine and #18 Mississippi. Plus, the Gophers swept a two game series at UC Santa Barbara. Overall, Coach Anderson's side is 14-5. Yet, Minnesota isn't even listed as "others receiving votes".
It would be shameful if not for the fact that the polls don't mean much. Thankfully, college baseball has a legitimate national championship playoff system. (Making it infinitely better than it's pigskin cousin.) However, when fighting for respect and attention, the polls can help perception at home as well as around the nation.
* For those interested in such things (and why wouldn't you be?), Mr. Nation also has conference RPI totals, as well.
* Penn State opened Medlar Park at Lubrano Field this past weekend. 2,989 PSU faithful showed up to watch over three days. A good start to a new era in Penn State baseball.
* As if the PSU attendance figures weren't enough, it's time for more number crunching from yours truly. Yes, it's the much anticipated first review of OPS figures for 2007. For those of you new here, I usually review On Base Percentage + Slugging Percentage numbers on Wednesdays during the Big Ten regular season. They usually get their own post, but it's starting to look like my schedule may be tight tomorrow, so I'll pass these figures along here and now.
One other thing before we begin. Remember, between you and I, you are the math major. If you spot an error, you know what to do.
The list of Big Ten regulars with an OPS figure above 1.000 is limited to eleven batters. I found that number to be a bit smaller than I anticipated, but I'm not drawing any conclusions from it. Lars Davis of Illinois paces the conference with a 1.339 mark. Second is Purdue's Jordan Comadena at 1.227. Mike Mee of Minnesota is third at 1.137. Another Boilermaker checks in at number four, Ryne White is at 1.135. Fifth place belongs to Jason Christian of Michigan at 1.115.
Next is another shortstop, Jason White of Iowa. White has an OPS of 1.100. Fellow Hawkeye Dusty Napoleon is seventh at 1.063. Northwestern's Antonio Mule is at 1.059. Kyle Hudson, the baseball guy who plays some football, is in ninth at 1.033. Tenth place belongs to multi-position start J.B. Shuck of Ohio State. Shuck's OPS is 1.025. Finally, Nate Recknagel of Michigan occupies the eleventh spot with an OPS of 1.007.
* Two scores before I call it a day:
Michigan 10 Indiana-Fort Wayne 2 (box)
Eric Rose had three hits and a steal. Adam Abraham had two hits and two RBI. Derek VanBuskirk homered and drove in two. Freshman Eric Katzman worked four innings yeilding three hits and striking out five to post his first collegiate victory.
Indiana State 4 Illinois 0 (box)
Ryan Snowden's three hits were the highlight for Illinois.
* On the strength of a twelve game winning streak, Ohio State has climbed into the national polls. The Buckeyes (13-3) are ranked twenty-ninth in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll.
* The Buckeyes most recent win gave Coach Bob Todd his 900th triumph. Congratulations, Coach Todd.
* Gate proceeds from tomorrow night's contest between Toledo and OSU will be donated to the funds established for the Bluffton baseball team.
* Obviously, I'm happy to see OSU get into the national rankings, but how can the NCBWA voters ignore Minnesota? In his current pseudo-RPI rankings, Boyd Nation has the Gophers at #16. In ISR ranking, Minnesota checks in at #12.
In the NCBWA Top 30 poll, Minnesota has wins over #7 Arkansas, #10 Pepperdine and #18 Mississippi. Plus, the Gophers swept a two game series at UC Santa Barbara. Overall, Coach Anderson's side is 14-5. Yet, Minnesota isn't even listed as "others receiving votes".
It would be shameful if not for the fact that the polls don't mean much. Thankfully, college baseball has a legitimate national championship playoff system. (Making it infinitely better than it's pigskin cousin.) However, when fighting for respect and attention, the polls can help perception at home as well as around the nation.
* For those interested in such things (and why wouldn't you be?), Mr. Nation also has conference RPI totals, as well.
* Penn State opened Medlar Park at Lubrano Field this past weekend. 2,989 PSU faithful showed up to watch over three days. A good start to a new era in Penn State baseball.
* As if the PSU attendance figures weren't enough, it's time for more number crunching from yours truly. Yes, it's the much anticipated first review of OPS figures for 2007. For those of you new here, I usually review On Base Percentage + Slugging Percentage numbers on Wednesdays during the Big Ten regular season. They usually get their own post, but it's starting to look like my schedule may be tight tomorrow, so I'll pass these figures along here and now.
One other thing before we begin. Remember, between you and I, you are the math major. If you spot an error, you know what to do.
The list of Big Ten regulars with an OPS figure above 1.000 is limited to eleven batters. I found that number to be a bit smaller than I anticipated, but I'm not drawing any conclusions from it. Lars Davis of Illinois paces the conference with a 1.339 mark. Second is Purdue's Jordan Comadena at 1.227. Mike Mee of Minnesota is third at 1.137. Another Boilermaker checks in at number four, Ryne White is at 1.135. Fifth place belongs to Jason Christian of Michigan at 1.115.
Next is another shortstop, Jason White of Iowa. White has an OPS of 1.100. Fellow Hawkeye Dusty Napoleon is seventh at 1.063. Northwestern's Antonio Mule is at 1.059. Kyle Hudson, the baseball guy who plays some football, is in ninth at 1.033. Tenth place belongs to multi-position start J.B. Shuck of Ohio State. Shuck's OPS is 1.025. Finally, Nate Recknagel of Michigan occupies the eleventh spot with an OPS of 1.007.
* Two scores before I call it a day:
Michigan 10 Indiana-Fort Wayne 2 (box)
Eric Rose had three hits and a steal. Adam Abraham had two hits and two RBI. Derek VanBuskirk homered and drove in two. Freshman Eric Katzman worked four innings yeilding three hits and striking out five to post his first collegiate victory.
Indiana State 4 Illinois 0 (box)
Ryan Snowden's three hits were the highlight for Illinois.
Monday, March 26, 2007
All-Weekend Team
In this week's edition of the All-Weekend Team, I try to not name every single pitcher in the Big Ten to the squad and spend far too much time tracking down position eligibility. Which is made more ridiculous by the fact I can name whomever I want to the team. Yet, I still have some sense of the undefined rules that I follow. (Like the guy should have played that position over the weekend.) Let's remember that I'm writing a weblog about Big Ten baseball. I'm confident that implies a certain imbalance on my part. (Although, you can take comfort in knowing that I am not living in anyone's basement.)
I'll review at the end, but I will provide my usual caveat here. My math isn't good. (Which I realize fits in perfectly with my poor grammar and lack of writing skills.) So, if you find a number or seven off, please drop me a line. Thank you.
Catcher - Dusty Napoleon, Iowa (7 for 11, 3 runs, 7 rbi, 2 bb)
Catcher - Rob Yodice, Penn State (4 for 9, 3 runs, 5 rbi)
Firstbase - Nate Recknagel, Michigan (6 for 12, 3 runs, rbi)
Secondbase - Eric Osborn, Purdue (4 for 10, 6 rbi, sb)
Shortstop - Tommy Finn, Northwestern (5 for 11, 5 runs, 5 rbi, 2 bb, sb, hr)
Thirdbase - Jake Owens, Northwestern (9 for 13, 5 runs, 8 rbi, bb, 5 sb)
Outfield - Zach Putnam, Michigan (6 for 12, 2 runs, 7 rbi, bb)
Outfield - Matt Nohelty, Minnesota (6 for 12, 3 runs, 3 rbi, 4 sb)
Outfield - Doug Pickens, Michigan (8 for 13, 3 runs, 3 rbi)
Designated Hitter - Jason Christian, Michigan (8 for 17, 5 runs, 5 rbi)
Bench - Lars Davis, Illinois (4 for 4, 2 runs, 2 rbi, 2 hr, bb)
Bench - Jacob Howell, Ohio State (3 for 4, 3 rbi)
Bench - Dennis Jones, Michigan State (2 for 4, 2 runs, 2 rbi, 4 sb)
Bench - John Cummins, Purdue (5 for 9, 3 runs, 3 rbi)
Starter - Ricky Heines, Purdue (9.0 ip, 4 h, 0 r, 0 er, 0 bb, 8 k in complete game win vs. WIU)
Starter - Ethan Vogt, Minnesota (9.0 ip, 7 h, 0 r, 0 er, 0 bb, 3 k in complete game win vs. Hartford)
Starter - Craig Clark, Penn State (8.0 ip, 1 h, 1 r, 0 er, 3 bb, 6 k in win vs. CCSU)
Starter - Steve Turnbull, Iowa (7.0 ip, 2 h, 0 r, 0 er, 0 bbb, 7 k in win vs. NDSU)
Starter - Mike Wilson, Michigan (7.0 ip, 1 hit, 0 r, 0 er, 2 bb, 9 k in win vs. Oakland)
Starter - Andrew Hess, Michigan (7.0 ip, 5 h, 1 r, 0 er, 3 bb, 4 k in complete game win vs. Oakland)
Starter - Dan Sattler, Purdue (7.0 ip, 2 h, 0 r, 0 er, 3 bb, 4 k in win vs. Western Illinois)
Relief - Kyle Carr, Minnesota (3.0 ip, 0 h, 0 r, 0 er, 0 bb, 4 k in win vs. Hartford)
Relief - Mike Schurz, Iowa (4.1 ip, 2 h, 0 r, 0 er, 1 bb, 7 k in three games -- two saves and a win)
As I stated at the beginning, it was a fine weekend for pitchers in the Big Ten. Lots to choose from and, somewhat surprisingly, I did leave a few off the team. As for my "bench" all but Cummins were limited to one game of action this past weekend. I couldn't put them in the starting lineup, but their stats were good enough to merit recognition. Cummins played in two of Purdue's three games.
Yeah, I added a catcher, again. Maybe it's the old rotisserie baseball league format kicking in. That or I just couldn't decide. Backstops -- Napoleon, Yodice, Pickens and Davis -- had nearly as good a weekend as the hurlers did.
If you would like to nominate someone I missed, my email appears in the sidebar and, if you are registered at Blogger, you can leave a comment, as well. (How many commas was that?)
I'll review at the end, but I will provide my usual caveat here. My math isn't good. (Which I realize fits in perfectly with my poor grammar and lack of writing skills.) So, if you find a number or seven off, please drop me a line. Thank you.
Catcher - Dusty Napoleon, Iowa (7 for 11, 3 runs, 7 rbi, 2 bb)
Catcher - Rob Yodice, Penn State (4 for 9, 3 runs, 5 rbi)
Firstbase - Nate Recknagel, Michigan (6 for 12, 3 runs, rbi)
Secondbase - Eric Osborn, Purdue (4 for 10, 6 rbi, sb)
Shortstop - Tommy Finn, Northwestern (5 for 11, 5 runs, 5 rbi, 2 bb, sb, hr)
Thirdbase - Jake Owens, Northwestern (9 for 13, 5 runs, 8 rbi, bb, 5 sb)
Outfield - Zach Putnam, Michigan (6 for 12, 2 runs, 7 rbi, bb)
Outfield - Matt Nohelty, Minnesota (6 for 12, 3 runs, 3 rbi, 4 sb)
Outfield - Doug Pickens, Michigan (8 for 13, 3 runs, 3 rbi)
Designated Hitter - Jason Christian, Michigan (8 for 17, 5 runs, 5 rbi)
Bench - Lars Davis, Illinois (4 for 4, 2 runs, 2 rbi, 2 hr, bb)
Bench - Jacob Howell, Ohio State (3 for 4, 3 rbi)
Bench - Dennis Jones, Michigan State (2 for 4, 2 runs, 2 rbi, 4 sb)
Bench - John Cummins, Purdue (5 for 9, 3 runs, 3 rbi)
Starter - Ricky Heines, Purdue (9.0 ip, 4 h, 0 r, 0 er, 0 bb, 8 k in complete game win vs. WIU)
Starter - Ethan Vogt, Minnesota (9.0 ip, 7 h, 0 r, 0 er, 0 bb, 3 k in complete game win vs. Hartford)
Starter - Craig Clark, Penn State (8.0 ip, 1 h, 1 r, 0 er, 3 bb, 6 k in win vs. CCSU)
Starter - Steve Turnbull, Iowa (7.0 ip, 2 h, 0 r, 0 er, 0 bbb, 7 k in win vs. NDSU)
Starter - Mike Wilson, Michigan (7.0 ip, 1 hit, 0 r, 0 er, 2 bb, 9 k in win vs. Oakland)
Starter - Andrew Hess, Michigan (7.0 ip, 5 h, 1 r, 0 er, 3 bb, 4 k in complete game win vs. Oakland)
Starter - Dan Sattler, Purdue (7.0 ip, 2 h, 0 r, 0 er, 3 bb, 4 k in win vs. Western Illinois)
Relief - Kyle Carr, Minnesota (3.0 ip, 0 h, 0 r, 0 er, 0 bb, 4 k in win vs. Hartford)
Relief - Mike Schurz, Iowa (4.1 ip, 2 h, 0 r, 0 er, 1 bb, 7 k in three games -- two saves and a win)
As I stated at the beginning, it was a fine weekend for pitchers in the Big Ten. Lots to choose from and, somewhat surprisingly, I did leave a few off the team. As for my "bench" all but Cummins were limited to one game of action this past weekend. I couldn't put them in the starting lineup, but their stats were good enough to merit recognition. Cummins played in two of Purdue's three games.
Yeah, I added a catcher, again. Maybe it's the old rotisserie baseball league format kicking in. That or I just couldn't decide. Backstops -- Napoleon, Yodice, Pickens and Davis -- had nearly as good a weekend as the hurlers did.
If you would like to nominate someone I missed, my email appears in the sidebar and, if you are registered at Blogger, you can leave a comment, as well. (How many commas was that?)
Sunday, March 25, 2007
BA Interviews Putnam
I don't know how I missed it, but Baseball America's Aaron Fitt interviewed Michigan's Zach Putnam.
Wrapping Up Sunday
Central Connecticut State 2 Penn State 0 (box)
Scott Gaffney and Scott Kelley each had two hits for Penn State. I don't think we should dwell on this one.
Northwestern 11 Dartmouth 4 (box)
Jake Goebbert went 4 for 4 with two RBI. Jake Owens continued his great weekend with two more hits, two runs and two RBI. Freshman starter Cole Livermore picked up his first collegiate win and fellow first year player Joe Muraski earned his first save.
Minnesota 6 Hartford 2 (box)
Marcus McKenzie improved to 3-0. McKenzie worked five innings and gave up only one run. Matt Nohelty had two hits, two steals and a RBI. The Gophers continued to roll.
Indiana 4 IPFW 0 (box)
Five innings of work gave lefty Matt Bashore his third win. The freshman didn't yield a run, allowed only three hits and a walk. Sterling Mack and Evan Crawford each had two hits and a RBI.
Iowa 9 South Dakota State 7 (box)
Ryan Gryzwa had two hits, two runs and two RBI. David Conroy got the win, Mike Schurz the save.
Michigan 17 Oakland 0 (box)
Mike Wilson (3-0) went seven innings and allowed only one hit. The lefty struck out nine. Zach Putnam and Doug Pickens each drove in three runs. Jason Christian and Alan Oaks had three hits and two RBI each. Chris Besert went yard for the first time.
Purdue 5 Western Illinois 3 (box)
Dan Sattler gave up two hits, three walks and struck out four over seven innings to post his first win. Matt Jensen faced one batter and was credited for the win. Eric Osborn drove in three runs. Andy Preston got a pinch hit homerun, his third of the year.
Michigan State's home game against Concordia was canceled.
Scott Gaffney and Scott Kelley each had two hits for Penn State. I don't think we should dwell on this one.
Northwestern 11 Dartmouth 4 (box)
Jake Goebbert went 4 for 4 with two RBI. Jake Owens continued his great weekend with two more hits, two runs and two RBI. Freshman starter Cole Livermore picked up his first collegiate win and fellow first year player Joe Muraski earned his first save.
Minnesota 6 Hartford 2 (box)
Marcus McKenzie improved to 3-0. McKenzie worked five innings and gave up only one run. Matt Nohelty had two hits, two steals and a RBI. The Gophers continued to roll.
Indiana 4 IPFW 0 (box)
Five innings of work gave lefty Matt Bashore his third win. The freshman didn't yield a run, allowed only three hits and a walk. Sterling Mack and Evan Crawford each had two hits and a RBI.
Iowa 9 South Dakota State 7 (box)
Ryan Gryzwa had two hits, two runs and two RBI. David Conroy got the win, Mike Schurz the save.
Michigan 17 Oakland 0 (box)
Mike Wilson (3-0) went seven innings and allowed only one hit. The lefty struck out nine. Zach Putnam and Doug Pickens each drove in three runs. Jason Christian and Alan Oaks had three hits and two RBI each. Chris Besert went yard for the first time.
Purdue 5 Western Illinois 3 (box)
Dan Sattler gave up two hits, three walks and struck out four over seven innings to post his first win. Matt Jensen faced one batter and was credited for the win. Eric Osborn drove in three runs. Andy Preston got a pinch hit homerun, his third of the year.
Michigan State's home game against Concordia was canceled.
More Photos
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
