College World Series
- Thread starter TX_capper
- Start date
olympic odds to win
Rice 3 to 1
Texas 7 to 2
South Carolina 4 to 1
Clemson 3 to 1
Stanford 4 to 1
Georgia Tech 3 to 1
Nebraska 5 to 1
Notre Dame 9 to 2
Rice 3 to 1
Texas 7 to 2
South Carolina 4 to 1
Clemson 3 to 1
Stanford 4 to 1
Georgia Tech 3 to 1
Nebraska 5 to 1
Notre Dame 9 to 2
thanks pinnacle's odds look much better than olympics right now--
Rice +450
Texas +550
South Carolina +600
Clemson +500
Stanford +750
Georgia Tech +700
Nebraska +650
Notre Dame +750
Rice +450
Texas +550
South Carolina +600
Clemson +500
Stanford +750
Georgia Tech +700
Nebraska +650
Notre Dame +750
Thanks for all the help, early favorite to win in my opinion is Texas.
The longhorns were there 2 years ago and was 2 games and done that year.Augie remembers that and thisTexas squad is not happy just going, it's season is a failure if they don't win it. With the Top rated pitching staff in the country they have a overall 2.73 team era(good pitching beats good hitting).The closer for them is huston street (true freshman) who owns a 0.89 era while opp. are batting .154 vs, as a team texas hits at a .306 team average with the leadoff hitter tim moss hitting .373 with 40 stolen bases.There long ball threat is jeff ontiveros who has 18 dingers this year with .303 av. In neutral site games this year texas was 13-4 and with the opening game vs. #1 rice, texas is 2-0 vs. them this year. Being +550 is good enough for me to lay a little down now. Will post more about TX in the upcoming days.
The longhorns were there 2 years ago and was 2 games and done that year.Augie remembers that and thisTexas squad is not happy just going, it's season is a failure if they don't win it. With the Top rated pitching staff in the country they have a overall 2.73 team era(good pitching beats good hitting).The closer for them is huston street (true freshman) who owns a 0.89 era while opp. are batting .154 vs, as a team texas hits at a .306 team average with the leadoff hitter tim moss hitting .373 with 40 stolen bases.There long ball threat is jeff ontiveros who has 18 dingers this year with .303 av. In neutral site games this year texas was 13-4 and with the opening game vs. #1 rice, texas is 2-0 vs. them this year. Being +550 is good enough for me to lay a little down now. Will post more about TX in the upcoming days.
Hope this is not an advertisement
Hope this is not an advertisement
but in the years that I have been here at madjack's I seem to remember that Fletcher is an excellent college baseball handicapper ( as well as everything else
) but always has a unique way of breaking down the games due to his coaching background....
JT Sneaks
Hope this is not an advertisement
but in the years that I have been here at madjack's I seem to remember that Fletcher is an excellent college baseball handicapper ( as well as everything else
) but always has a unique way of breaking down the games due to his coaching background....JT
Sneaks tx capper, pitching stats for UT are good this year but most of those games are at disch-falk, which i believe is much much more of a pitchers park than rosenblatt in omaha-- i think this is part of the reason UT went 2 and out last time. Garrido puts together good teams that win at the Disch, where the ball doesnt carry as much.. i just dont think UT has the boppers it takes to win a CWS, but i hope i'm wrong-- will write more later
I see the lines are up for this weekends games.Texas is a +120 dog to RiceMoneyLn
351 Georgia Tech -110
352 South Carolina -110
6:00 pm (ESPN2) Pitchers RunLine Total MoneyLn
353 Nebraska -105
354 Clemson -115
Saturday, June 15, 2002 top
12:30 pm (CBS) Pitchers RunLine Total MoneyLn
355 Notre Dame +110
356 Stanford -130
6:00 pm (ESPN) Pitchers RunLine Total MoneyLn
357 Texas +120
358 Rice -140
MoneyLn 351 Georgia Tech -110
352 South Carolina -110
6:00 pm (ESPN2) Pitchers RunLine Total MoneyLn
353 Nebraska -105
354 Clemson -115
Saturday, June 15, 2002 top
12:30 pm (CBS) Pitchers RunLine Total MoneyLn
355 Notre Dame +110
356 Stanford -130
6:00 pm (ESPN) Pitchers RunLine Total MoneyLn
357 Texas +120
358 Rice -140
Last edited:
bracket info for tournament ......hope it formats ok....
COLLEGE WORLD SERIES June 14th through June 22nd Omaha, Nebraska
Georgia Tech Loser Game 11
if also
Game 1 Fri. 6/14 1pm Winner Game 6
ESPN2
South Carolina
Game 6 Sun. 6/16 4:30pm
Clemson ESPN2 Game 13* Fri. 6/21 1pm
ESPN2
Game 2 Fri. 6/14 6pm
ESPN2
Nebraska Game 11 Wed. 6/19 6pm
ESPN2 Game 13
or
Loser Game 6 Game 14
or
Loser Game 1 Game 9 Tue. 6/18 1pm Game 15
ESPN National
Game 5 Sun. 6/16 12pm Championship
ESPN Game NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
Loser Game 2 Saturday 6/22 12:30pm
CBS
Notre Dame Loser Game 12
if also
Game 3 Sat. 6/15 12:30pm Winner Game 8
CBS
Stanford
Game 8 Mon. 6/17 7pm
Rice ESPN2 Game 14* Fri. 6/21 6pm
ESPN2
Game 4 Sat. 6/15 6pm
ESPN
Texas Game 12 Thurs. 6/20 6pm
ESPN
Loser Game 8
Loser Game 3 Game 10 Tue. 6/18 6pm
ESPN2
Game 7 Mon. 6/17 2:30pm
ESPN2
Loser Game 4
* - If Necessary
COLLEGE WORLD SERIES June 14th through June 22nd Omaha, Nebraska
Georgia Tech Loser Game 11
if also
Game 1 Fri. 6/14 1pm Winner Game 6
ESPN2
South Carolina
Game 6 Sun. 6/16 4:30pm
Clemson ESPN2 Game 13* Fri. 6/21 1pm
ESPN2
Game 2 Fri. 6/14 6pm
ESPN2
Nebraska Game 11 Wed. 6/19 6pm
ESPN2 Game 13
or
Loser Game 6 Game 14
or
Loser Game 1 Game 9 Tue. 6/18 1pm Game 15
ESPN National
Game 5 Sun. 6/16 12pm Championship
ESPN Game NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
Loser Game 2 Saturday 6/22 12:30pm
CBS
Notre Dame Loser Game 12
if also
Game 3 Sat. 6/15 12:30pm Winner Game 8
CBS
Stanford
Game 8 Mon. 6/17 7pm
Rice ESPN2 Game 14* Fri. 6/21 6pm
ESPN2
Game 4 Sat. 6/15 6pm
ESPN
Texas Game 12 Thurs. 6/20 6pm
ESPN
Loser Game 8
Loser Game 3 Game 10 Tue. 6/18 6pm
ESPN2
Game 7 Mon. 6/17 2:30pm
ESPN2
Loser Game 4
* - If Necessary
Early plays
Early plays
These two would be my strongest. I have to look at the others a little more, but would lean slightly towards Clemson, but I have to look at Nebraska a little more before making that recommendation. I think these two are very strong plays.
Stanford -130
Georgia Tech -110
Early plays
These two would be my strongest. I have to look at the others a little more, but would lean slightly towards Clemson, but I have to look at Nebraska a little more before making that recommendation. I think these two are very strong plays.
Stanford -130
Georgia Tech -110
How does South Carolina become the favorite here? I don't see it. I'd have to go with Clemson or Georgia Tech, but like the individual game matchups much better becuase you can't tell how some teams will react.
Update On USC's Justin Harris
Harris started all 69 games for USC this season and is batting .286 with 15 doubles, four HRs and 28 RBIs.
The junior centerfielder and second baseman's status remains questionable.
June 12, 2002
Justin Harris, a junior centerfielder and second baseman on the University of South Carolina baseball team, is scheduled to travel later this afternoon to Omaha, Neb., where the Gamecocks are preparing for the 2002 NCAA College World Series. Harris still remains under suspension, however. The suspension came late Monday following his involvement in an on-campus incident earlier Monday morning.
The Longwood, Fla., native has started all 69 games for USC this season and is batting .286 with 15 doubles, four home runs and 28 RBIs.
"I have visited with Justin and he has expressed remorse and regret for the poor decision he made," said USC head coach Ray Tanner. "He's not making the trip with us tonight and his status for the World Series is still questionable
Harris started all 69 games for USC this season and is batting .286 with 15 doubles, four HRs and 28 RBIs.
The junior centerfielder and second baseman's status remains questionable.
June 12, 2002
Justin Harris, a junior centerfielder and second baseman on the University of South Carolina baseball team, is scheduled to travel later this afternoon to Omaha, Neb., where the Gamecocks are preparing for the 2002 NCAA College World Series. Harris still remains under suspension, however. The suspension came late Monday following his involvement in an on-campus incident earlier Monday morning.
The Longwood, Fla., native has started all 69 games for USC this season and is batting .286 with 15 doubles, four home runs and 28 RBIs.
"I have visited with Justin and he has expressed remorse and regret for the poor decision he made," said USC head coach Ray Tanner. "He's not making the trip with us tonight and his status for the World Series is still questionable
from stanford insider site:
================
College World Series Preview
By JJ
Date: Jun 11, 2002
It's that time of year again. In what's becoming an annual event in the Stanford Baseball program, the Cardinal are making their fourth consecutive trip to Omaha and the College World Series. As expected, the competition will be very tough as Stanford looks for their third National Championship. Here is a preview of Stanford's side of the bracket that includes Notre Dame, Rice, and Texas.
COLLEGE WORLD SERIES
Bracket One :
Friday -
* Georgia Tech vs. #6 South Carolina, 11am
* Nebraska vs. #2 Clemson, 4pm
Bracket Two :
Saturday -
* Notre Dame vs. #8 Stanford, 10:30am
* #5 Texas vs. #4 Rice, 4pm
STANFORD CARDINAL (45-16)
The Cardinal are making their fourth consecutive trip to the College World Series after sweeping the USC Trojans in Super Regional play last weekend. Stanford appears to be peaking at just the right time with nine consecutive wins heading into the CWS which includes a perfect 5-0 record in postseason play. The Cardinal needed a 13 inning effort from starting pitcher Jeremy Guthrie to get by Cal State Fullerton in their postseason opener two weeks ago and since then Stanford defeated Long Beach State twice to win the Regional and then USC twice last weekend. The Cardinal came into the 2002 season with very high expectations as they were ranked #1 in the country by all three publications and remained as high through the first two months of the season. A rough stretch in late April dropped Stanford out of the top five, but this recent hot streak in the postseason has certainly re-established the Card as a national title contender.
Out of the four teams on this side of the CWS, Stanford probably has the deepest lineup #1 through #9. Center fielder Sam Fuld continues to lead the team in hitting with a .372 batting average although the All-American has struggled somewhat in the postseason after hitting above .500 over his final 24 games of the regular season. The middle of this lineup is very dangerous as the #3 through the #6 hitters in this lineup have all reached double-digits in home runs this season. Catcher Ryan Garko paces the club in homers with 14 and is tied for the team-lead in RBI with 53. Jason Cooper (13 homers-52 RBI), Chris O'Riordan (10-43), and Carlos Quentin (11-53) give Stanford one of the more potent middle of the orders in the country and certainly the most dangerous in this side of the CWS. As a team, the Card are hitting .321 with 84 homers and 73 stolen bases. Their .516 slugging percentage is easily the highest among the four clubs.
While a weakness of this team could be their lack of pitching depth, at least at the top of the staff, there may not be anyone better in the country than Jeremy Guthrie. The Golden Spikes Award finalist is having a fantastic season with a 12-1 record to go along with a 2.34 ERA. He's turned it up a notch recently with just three earned runs allowed in his last 40 innings pitched while he's thrown complete games in five out of his last seven starts. Lefty Tim Cunningham has had a solid year as the #2 starter with a 10-2 record and a 3.82 ERA while John Hudgins (9-1, 4.80) completes the rotation. The pitching staff as a whole has stepped it up recently as Stanford has not allowed more then four runs in a game in nine consecutive contests (all wins). If Stanford does lose one of their first two games though they could be in trouble with their lack of depth in the bullpen although it won't be as bad as it could have been in the Regionals because the CWS is more spread out in terms of when the games are played.
Probable Starting Lineup :
C - Ryan Garko (.311, 14 HR, 53 RBI, 2 SB)
1B - Arik VanZandt (.318, 6 HR, 26 RBI, 9 SB)
2B - Chris O'Riordan (.331, 10 HR, 43 RBI, 5 SB)
3B - Scott Dragicevich (.367, 5 HR, 34 RBI, 3 SB)
SS - Andy Topham (.298, 5 HR, 41 RBI, 9 SB)
LF - Jason Cooper (.351, 13 HR, 52 RBI, 1 SB)
CF - Sam Fuld (.372, 6 HR, 43 RBI, 8 SB)
RF - Carlos Quentin (.316, 11 HR, 53 RBI, 11 SB)
DH - Chris Carter (.281, 7 HR, 18 RBI, 1 SB)
Probable Starting Pitchers :
* Jeremy Guthrie (RHP; 12-1, 2.34 ERA, 142 1/3 IP, 32 BB, 125 SO)
* Tim Cunningham (LHP; 10-2, 3.82 ERA, 108 1/3 IP, 43 BB, 64 SO)
* John Hudgins (RHP; 9-1, 4.80 ERA, 99 1/3 IP, 34 BB, 62 SO)
Primary Relief Pitchers :
* Dan Rich (2-2, 2.70 ERA, 5 SV)
* Ryan McCally (4-3, 3.89 ERA, 7 SV)
* Darin Naatjes (4-0, 2.53 ERA, 2 SV)
* Drew Ehrlich (0-2, 5.45 ERA, 2 SV)
NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (49-16)
As hot as Stanford has been recently, it probably doesn't match the Irish over the past two and a half months. The preseason #5 team in the country suffered through a rash of injuries to key players early in the season and stumbled to a 9-10 start. But since that start, Notre Dame has gone 40-6 which includes an impressive 5-1 mark in postseason games. In the Regional, the Irish were given a #2 seed although they were allowed to host. After putting away Ohio State in their postseason opener, Notre Dame crushed top seeded South Alabama 25-1 and then defeated OSU again (9-6) to win the South Bend Regional. Last weekend, the Irish had to go down to #1 ranked Florida State and shocked the Seminoles 2-games-to-1 to advance to the CWS. Notre Dame snapped Florida State's 25-game winning streak in Game One with a 10-4 victory and after getting beat 12-5 in the Game Two, they came back to win the series with a 3-1 win in Game Three.
The Fighting Irish are clearly a very dangerous team at the top of their lineup. Leading off will be center fielder Steve Stanley who boasts a .442 average. This guy is an absolute stud when it comes to hitting and might be the best pure hitter in college baseball. And while some players who play in weaker conferences (Big East is definitely not a great baseball conference, ND's strength of schedule is #136 in the country) have inflated numbers, I think Stanley would hit well above .400 in top conferences such as the SEC and the Pac-10. He's that good. Behind Stanley in the order are second baseman Steve Sollmann (.370-2-46) and left fielder Brian Stavisky (.406-8-54). These three will all be very tough outs and if Guthrie can neutralize at least two of them on Saturday, I like Stanford's chances of winning. Notre Dame as a team hits .324 with little power as evident by their 51 home runs. The "big three" at the top of their lineup hit a combined .409 while the other six probable starters hit just .300 (no one above .330).
Notre Dame doesn't have a dominating starter like the other teams in this bracket, but all of their pitchers have put up solid numbers this year. The Irish will likely throw freshman right hander Grant Johnson (9-4, 3.29) against Stanford on Saturday. In his start in Game One versus Florida State last weekend, Johnson went six innings yielding seven hits and four runs while walking six and striking out two. His best start of the year probably came in the Regionals though two weeks ago when he threw a complete-game one-hitter versus South Alabama (8 strikeouts). If they don't go with Johnson on Saturday, it would probably be junior right hander Peter Ogilvie (7-4, 4.52). Ogilvie has more experience then Johnson but was roughed up for eight runs in less than an inning against Florida State on Saturday. The ace of the bullpen is J.P. Gagne who saved both games of the Super Regional last weekend tossing four shutout innings in the process. This guy is hot right now and you have to figure the Irish won't hesitate to use him with a lead in the seventh or eighth inning.
This is a very good Notre Dame team who like Stanford is peaking at just the right time. All you have to look at is winning that series at #1 Florida State last weekend to see that this is a very talented ballclub. But, I still feel the Cardinal are a better team and with Jeremy Guthrie on the mound I would be surprised if the Irish knock off Stanford on Saturday. The other factor here that helps the Cardinal is that this is a very experienced team that has played in the College World Series the last three seasons while none of the Notre Dame players have ever played on such a big stage (last CWS appearance for this team was back in '57) and could get rattled which the game being on national television. Just an intangible to watch on Saturday.
Probable Starting Lineup :
C - Paul O'Toole (.277, 11 HR, 49 RBI, 11 SB)
1B - Joe Thaman (.284, 6 HR, 33 RBI, 2 SB)
2B - Steve Sollmann (.370, 2 HR, 46 RBI, 5 SB)
3B - Andrew Bushey (.327, 6 HR, 58 RBI, 1 SB)
SS - Javier Sanchez (.286, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 1 SB)
LF - Brian Stavisky (.406, 8 HR, 54 RBI, 2 SB)
CF - Steve Stanley (.442, 1 HR, 35 RBI, 31 SB)
RF - Kris Billmaier (.317, 3 HR, 40 RBI, 2 SB)
DH - Matt Bok (.308, 3 HR, 36 RBI, 3 SB)
Probable Starting Pitchers :
* Grant Johnson (RHP; 9-4, 3.29 ERA, 95 2/3 IP, 42 BB, 84 SO)
* Peter Ogilvie (RHP; 7-4, 4.52 ERA, 73 2/3 IP, 25 BB, 57 SO)
* Chris Niesel (RHP; 4-0, 3.43 ERA, 65 2/3 IP, 16 BB, 55 SO)
Primary Relief Pitchers :
* J.P. Gagne (8-4, 3.11 ERA, 6 SV)
* Martin Vergara (5-1, 3.79 ERA)
* Brandon Viloria (2-1, 2.45 ERA, 3 SV)
* John Axford (5-2, 4.02 ERA, 12 starts)
================
College World Series Preview
By JJ
Date: Jun 11, 2002
It's that time of year again. In what's becoming an annual event in the Stanford Baseball program, the Cardinal are making their fourth consecutive trip to Omaha and the College World Series. As expected, the competition will be very tough as Stanford looks for their third National Championship. Here is a preview of Stanford's side of the bracket that includes Notre Dame, Rice, and Texas.
COLLEGE WORLD SERIES
Bracket One :
Friday -
* Georgia Tech vs. #6 South Carolina, 11am
* Nebraska vs. #2 Clemson, 4pm
Bracket Two :
Saturday -
* Notre Dame vs. #8 Stanford, 10:30am
* #5 Texas vs. #4 Rice, 4pm
STANFORD CARDINAL (45-16)
The Cardinal are making their fourth consecutive trip to the College World Series after sweeping the USC Trojans in Super Regional play last weekend. Stanford appears to be peaking at just the right time with nine consecutive wins heading into the CWS which includes a perfect 5-0 record in postseason play. The Cardinal needed a 13 inning effort from starting pitcher Jeremy Guthrie to get by Cal State Fullerton in their postseason opener two weeks ago and since then Stanford defeated Long Beach State twice to win the Regional and then USC twice last weekend. The Cardinal came into the 2002 season with very high expectations as they were ranked #1 in the country by all three publications and remained as high through the first two months of the season. A rough stretch in late April dropped Stanford out of the top five, but this recent hot streak in the postseason has certainly re-established the Card as a national title contender.
Out of the four teams on this side of the CWS, Stanford probably has the deepest lineup #1 through #9. Center fielder Sam Fuld continues to lead the team in hitting with a .372 batting average although the All-American has struggled somewhat in the postseason after hitting above .500 over his final 24 games of the regular season. The middle of this lineup is very dangerous as the #3 through the #6 hitters in this lineup have all reached double-digits in home runs this season. Catcher Ryan Garko paces the club in homers with 14 and is tied for the team-lead in RBI with 53. Jason Cooper (13 homers-52 RBI), Chris O'Riordan (10-43), and Carlos Quentin (11-53) give Stanford one of the more potent middle of the orders in the country and certainly the most dangerous in this side of the CWS. As a team, the Card are hitting .321 with 84 homers and 73 stolen bases. Their .516 slugging percentage is easily the highest among the four clubs.
While a weakness of this team could be their lack of pitching depth, at least at the top of the staff, there may not be anyone better in the country than Jeremy Guthrie. The Golden Spikes Award finalist is having a fantastic season with a 12-1 record to go along with a 2.34 ERA. He's turned it up a notch recently with just three earned runs allowed in his last 40 innings pitched while he's thrown complete games in five out of his last seven starts. Lefty Tim Cunningham has had a solid year as the #2 starter with a 10-2 record and a 3.82 ERA while John Hudgins (9-1, 4.80) completes the rotation. The pitching staff as a whole has stepped it up recently as Stanford has not allowed more then four runs in a game in nine consecutive contests (all wins). If Stanford does lose one of their first two games though they could be in trouble with their lack of depth in the bullpen although it won't be as bad as it could have been in the Regionals because the CWS is more spread out in terms of when the games are played.
Probable Starting Lineup :
C - Ryan Garko (.311, 14 HR, 53 RBI, 2 SB)
1B - Arik VanZandt (.318, 6 HR, 26 RBI, 9 SB)
2B - Chris O'Riordan (.331, 10 HR, 43 RBI, 5 SB)
3B - Scott Dragicevich (.367, 5 HR, 34 RBI, 3 SB)
SS - Andy Topham (.298, 5 HR, 41 RBI, 9 SB)
LF - Jason Cooper (.351, 13 HR, 52 RBI, 1 SB)
CF - Sam Fuld (.372, 6 HR, 43 RBI, 8 SB)
RF - Carlos Quentin (.316, 11 HR, 53 RBI, 11 SB)
DH - Chris Carter (.281, 7 HR, 18 RBI, 1 SB)
Probable Starting Pitchers :
* Jeremy Guthrie (RHP; 12-1, 2.34 ERA, 142 1/3 IP, 32 BB, 125 SO)
* Tim Cunningham (LHP; 10-2, 3.82 ERA, 108 1/3 IP, 43 BB, 64 SO)
* John Hudgins (RHP; 9-1, 4.80 ERA, 99 1/3 IP, 34 BB, 62 SO)
Primary Relief Pitchers :
* Dan Rich (2-2, 2.70 ERA, 5 SV)
* Ryan McCally (4-3, 3.89 ERA, 7 SV)
* Darin Naatjes (4-0, 2.53 ERA, 2 SV)
* Drew Ehrlich (0-2, 5.45 ERA, 2 SV)
NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH (49-16)
As hot as Stanford has been recently, it probably doesn't match the Irish over the past two and a half months. The preseason #5 team in the country suffered through a rash of injuries to key players early in the season and stumbled to a 9-10 start. But since that start, Notre Dame has gone 40-6 which includes an impressive 5-1 mark in postseason games. In the Regional, the Irish were given a #2 seed although they were allowed to host. After putting away Ohio State in their postseason opener, Notre Dame crushed top seeded South Alabama 25-1 and then defeated OSU again (9-6) to win the South Bend Regional. Last weekend, the Irish had to go down to #1 ranked Florida State and shocked the Seminoles 2-games-to-1 to advance to the CWS. Notre Dame snapped Florida State's 25-game winning streak in Game One with a 10-4 victory and after getting beat 12-5 in the Game Two, they came back to win the series with a 3-1 win in Game Three.
The Fighting Irish are clearly a very dangerous team at the top of their lineup. Leading off will be center fielder Steve Stanley who boasts a .442 average. This guy is an absolute stud when it comes to hitting and might be the best pure hitter in college baseball. And while some players who play in weaker conferences (Big East is definitely not a great baseball conference, ND's strength of schedule is #136 in the country) have inflated numbers, I think Stanley would hit well above .400 in top conferences such as the SEC and the Pac-10. He's that good. Behind Stanley in the order are second baseman Steve Sollmann (.370-2-46) and left fielder Brian Stavisky (.406-8-54). These three will all be very tough outs and if Guthrie can neutralize at least two of them on Saturday, I like Stanford's chances of winning. Notre Dame as a team hits .324 with little power as evident by their 51 home runs. The "big three" at the top of their lineup hit a combined .409 while the other six probable starters hit just .300 (no one above .330).
Notre Dame doesn't have a dominating starter like the other teams in this bracket, but all of their pitchers have put up solid numbers this year. The Irish will likely throw freshman right hander Grant Johnson (9-4, 3.29) against Stanford on Saturday. In his start in Game One versus Florida State last weekend, Johnson went six innings yielding seven hits and four runs while walking six and striking out two. His best start of the year probably came in the Regionals though two weeks ago when he threw a complete-game one-hitter versus South Alabama (8 strikeouts). If they don't go with Johnson on Saturday, it would probably be junior right hander Peter Ogilvie (7-4, 4.52). Ogilvie has more experience then Johnson but was roughed up for eight runs in less than an inning against Florida State on Saturday. The ace of the bullpen is J.P. Gagne who saved both games of the Super Regional last weekend tossing four shutout innings in the process. This guy is hot right now and you have to figure the Irish won't hesitate to use him with a lead in the seventh or eighth inning.
This is a very good Notre Dame team who like Stanford is peaking at just the right time. All you have to look at is winning that series at #1 Florida State last weekend to see that this is a very talented ballclub. But, I still feel the Cardinal are a better team and with Jeremy Guthrie on the mound I would be surprised if the Irish knock off Stanford on Saturday. The other factor here that helps the Cardinal is that this is a very experienced team that has played in the College World Series the last three seasons while none of the Notre Dame players have ever played on such a big stage (last CWS appearance for this team was back in '57) and could get rattled which the game being on national television. Just an intangible to watch on Saturday.
Probable Starting Lineup :
C - Paul O'Toole (.277, 11 HR, 49 RBI, 11 SB)
1B - Joe Thaman (.284, 6 HR, 33 RBI, 2 SB)
2B - Steve Sollmann (.370, 2 HR, 46 RBI, 5 SB)
3B - Andrew Bushey (.327, 6 HR, 58 RBI, 1 SB)
SS - Javier Sanchez (.286, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 1 SB)
LF - Brian Stavisky (.406, 8 HR, 54 RBI, 2 SB)
CF - Steve Stanley (.442, 1 HR, 35 RBI, 31 SB)
RF - Kris Billmaier (.317, 3 HR, 40 RBI, 2 SB)
DH - Matt Bok (.308, 3 HR, 36 RBI, 3 SB)
Probable Starting Pitchers :
* Grant Johnson (RHP; 9-4, 3.29 ERA, 95 2/3 IP, 42 BB, 84 SO)
* Peter Ogilvie (RHP; 7-4, 4.52 ERA, 73 2/3 IP, 25 BB, 57 SO)
* Chris Niesel (RHP; 4-0, 3.43 ERA, 65 2/3 IP, 16 BB, 55 SO)
Primary Relief Pitchers :
* J.P. Gagne (8-4, 3.11 ERA, 6 SV)
* Martin Vergara (5-1, 3.79 ERA)
* Brandon Viloria (2-1, 2.45 ERA, 3 SV)
* John Axford (5-2, 4.02 ERA, 12 starts)
RICE OWLS (52-12)
The #1 ranked Rice Owls are back in the College World Series this year after sweeping the LSU Tigers last weekend in the Super Regionals. And not only did the Owls sweep the Tigers, they did so without allowing a run (6-0 and 3-0). Rice did have a little scare in the Regionals as they easily advanced to Sunday but then dropped a tough 7-6 decision to Washington in the first game. But with their backs up against the wall, Rice responded with a 14-2 trouncing of the Huskies to advance. The Owls easily won the WAC Conference this season compiling a 28-2 record and they did so with outstanding pitching. Rice is second in the country with a 2.77 ERA and boast three very impressive starting pitchers. But like Notre Dame (and unlike Stanford and Texas), the Owls don't play in a major baseball conference, so we'll find out this week if these starting pitchers are as good as their numbers seem to suggest.
Steven Herce (13-2, 2.82) is at the top of the rotation and will likely start versus Texas on Saturday night. Herce is coming off a three-hit, complete-game of LSU last Friday and has walked only 22 batters in 111 2/3 innings. The #2 starter on this staff is Justin Crowder who transfered from TCU prior to the season. Crowder comes into the CWS with a 10-2 record and a 1.88 ERA and like Herce, is coming off a complete-game shutout (5 hits, 3 walks, 5 K's) of LSU last weekend. Philip Humber (11-1, 2.67) rounds out the rotation. Like Stanford, Rice doesn't have a particularly deep pitching staff as they only use seven pitchers, but all seven are quality with the highest ERA on the staff being 3.49.
The Owls are currently hitting .322 as a team and are the second most powerful team among the four with 70 home runs in 64 games this season. First baseman Vincent Sinisi (.432-11-80) is having a fabulous year and will hit fourth in the lineup. Sinisi along with #3 hitter Eric Arnold (.341-8-74) form a lethal 1-2 punch in the middle of this lineup. Both have driven in well over one run per game this year and in fact, after Arnold's 74 RBI the next highest total on the team is 36 from Enrique Cruz. But even though the run production drops off considerably after Sinisi and Arnold, this is still a good offense with great balance (six starters hitting above .300).
To throw 18 consecutive shutout innings against a quality team like LSU in the Super Regionals tells you this is one of the top pitching teams in the country. If Rice continues to get quality starting pitching from Herce, Crowder, and Humber this is certainly a team that can win the National Championship. But to just even win the first game of this CWS, the Owls will need to get by a Texas club who they've gone 0-2 against this season.
Probable Starting Lineup :
C - Justin Ruchti (.248, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 1 SB)
1B - Vincent Sinisi (.432, 11 HR, 80 RBI, 11 SB)
2B - Eric Arnold (.341, 8 HR, 74 RBI, 7 SB)
3B - Hunter Brown (.292, 7 HR, 35 RBI, 10 SB)
SS - Paul Janish (.305, 2 HR, 30 RBI, 5 SB)
LF - Chris Kolkhorst (.349, 3 HR, 33 RBI, 8 SB)
CF - A.J. Porfirio (.316, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 8 SB)
RF - Austin Davis (.359, 6 HR, 32 RBI, 1 SB)
DH - Dane Bubela (.291, 7 HR, 35 RBI, 2 SB) or Enrique Cruz (.232, 16 HR, 36 RBI, 4 SB)
Probable Starting Pitchers :
* Steven Herce (RHP; 13-2, 2.82 ERA, 111 2/3 IP, 22 BB, 96 SO)
* Justin Crowder (LHP; 10-2, 1.88 ERA, 114 2/3 IP, 35 BB, 101 SO)
* Philip Humber (RHP; 11-1, 2.67 ERA, 108 IP, 40 BB, 128 SO)
Primary Relief Pitchers :
* David Aardsma (7-1, 3.49 ERA, 5 SV)
* Philip Tribe (4-4, 3.44 ERA, 3 SV)
* Wade Townsend (2-1, 2.28 ERA, 6 SV)
* Jeff Niemann (5-1, 3.11 ERA, 13 starts)
TEXAS LONGHORNS (53-15)
A familiar opponent to Stanford is back in the College World Series this season as the 2nd ranked and #5 seeded Longhorns look to add another National Championship to the already storied history at Texas. The Longhorns had to come-from-behind in their Super Regional as they dropped Game One to visiting Houston 2-0, but rebounded to take Game Two in a rout, 17-2, and then won the deciding contest 5-2 last Sunday. Texas rolled through their own Regional two weeks ago going a perfect 3-0 including a 2-0 win over Baylor in the championship game. This is a resiliant ball club who has the ability to come out of this half of the bracket even if they lose their first game. They did it in the Super Regional and also in the Big 12 Tournament when they dropped their first game, but came back to win five games in four days to claim the title.
While one may have thought that Rice's 2.77 team ERA would be the lowest in the CWS, it is actually the Texas Longhorns who have the lowest earned run average with a national leading 2.73 mark. There are some questions though at the top of this rotation as #1 starter Brad Halsey (7-2, 2.74) was pulled after just two innings last Friday with a back injury and #2 starter Justin Simmons (14-1, 2.52) has struggled lately. Simmons, who threw a ten-inning complete-game against Stanford eariler this season, has given up six runs in 2 2/3 innings in his two postseason starts this year. Right hander Alan Bomer (10-3, 3.72) completes this outstanding starting rotation. Depth is not an issue at Texas as the Longhorns may have the deepest bullpen in the country led by closer Huston Street (0.89 ERA, 10 Saves).
This is not an offense that really scares you as the Longhorns are hitting .306 as a team with 63 home runs, but when you have maybe the best pitching staff in the country, you usually don't need to score a lot of runs. Three players do stand out on this club in terms of hitting in left fielder Dustin Majewski (.403-9-45), second baseman Tim Moss (.373, 39 stolen bases), and first baseman Jeff Ontiveros (18 homers, most among any player on this side of the CWS). The Longhorns would certainly like nothing better then to beat the Cardinal who elminated them in the Regionals last year and then also took 2-of-3 games from them back in late March.
Probable Starting Lineup :
C - Ryan Hubele (.295, 5 HR, 49 RBI, 1 SB)
1B - Jeff Ontiveros (.303, 18 HR, 55 RBI, 2 SB)
2B - Tim Moss (.373, 1 HR, 39 RBI, 39 SB)
3B - Omar Quintanilla (.317, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 8 SB)
SS - Brandon Fahey (.305, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 8 SB)
LF - Dustin Majewski (.403, 9 HR, 45 RBI, 4 SB)
CF - Kalani Napoleon (.261, 2 HR, 28 RBI, 6 SB)
RF - Matt Rosenberg (.232, 0 HR, 10 RBI, 2 SB)
DH - J.D. Reininger (.330, 12 HR, 47 RBI, 3 SB)
Probable Starting Pitchers :
* Brad Halsey (LHP; 7-2, 2.74 ERA, 98 2/3 IP, 26 BB, 82 SO)
* Justin Simmons (LHP; 14-1, 2.52 ERA, 114 1/3 IP, 35 BB, 73 SO)
* Alan Bomer (RHP; 10-3, 3.72 ERA, 87 IP, 19 BB, 78 SO)
Primary Relief Pitchers :
* Huston Street (4-1, 0.89 ERA, 10 SV)
* Jesen Merle (2-3, 2.22 ERA, 2 SV)
* Eugene Espineli (5-0, 2.08 ERA, 1 SV)
* Ray Clark (6-4, 3.16 ERA, 10 starts)
BY-THE-NUMBERS :
Stan. ND Rice Texas
Record 45-16 49-16 52-12 53-15
National Ranking 5 6 1 2
Batting Average .321 .324 .322 .306
Opponents Batting Average .257 .254 .237 .233
Runs Per Game 8.0 7.4 7.5 7.1
Opponents Runs Per Game 4.7 4.3 3.6 3.2
Doubles Per Game 2.3 1.9 2.3 2.3
Home Runs 84 51 70 63
Home Runs Per Game 1.4 0.8 1.1 0.9
Slugging Percentage .516 .473 .491 .477
On-Base Percentage .388 .399 .394 .379
Stolen Bases-Attempts 73-93 61-90 59-78 98-123
Earned Run Average 3.95 3.55 2.77 2.73
Walks Per 9 Innings 3.3 3.6 3.0 2.3
Strikeouts Per 9 Innings 7.0 7.6 8.6 7.5
Home Runs Allowed 45 26 31 28
Errors 70 98 72 69
Fielding Percentage .971 .960 .971 .974
SCHEDULE
** All times are Pacific **
Friday, June 14
Game 1 - Georgia Tech vs. South Carolina, 11am (ESPN2)
Game 2 - Nebraska vs. Clemson, 4pm (ESPN2)
Saturday, June 15
Game 3 - Notre Dame vs. Stanford, 10:30am (CBS)
Game 4 - Texas vs. Rice, 4pm (ESPN)
Sunday, June 16
Game 5 - Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 10am (ESPN)
Game 6 - Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 2:30pm (ESPN2)
Monday, June 17
Game 7 - Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 12:30pm (ESPN2)
Game 8 - Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 5pm (ESPN2)
Tuesday June 18
Game 9 - Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 11am (ESPN)
Game 10 - Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 loser, 4pm (ESPN2)
Wednesday June 19
Game 11 - Game 9 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 4pm (ESPN2)
Thursday June 20
Game 12 - Game 10 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 4pm (ESPN)
Friday June 21
Game 13 - Game 9 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 11am (ESPN2) - if necessary
Game 14 - Game 10 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 4pm (ESPN2) - if necessary
* note - if only one game is needed on this day, it will be played at 11am
Saturday June 22
Championship Game - Bracket One Winner vs. Bracket Two Winner, 10:30am (CBS)
The #1 ranked Rice Owls are back in the College World Series this year after sweeping the LSU Tigers last weekend in the Super Regionals. And not only did the Owls sweep the Tigers, they did so without allowing a run (6-0 and 3-0). Rice did have a little scare in the Regionals as they easily advanced to Sunday but then dropped a tough 7-6 decision to Washington in the first game. But with their backs up against the wall, Rice responded with a 14-2 trouncing of the Huskies to advance. The Owls easily won the WAC Conference this season compiling a 28-2 record and they did so with outstanding pitching. Rice is second in the country with a 2.77 ERA and boast three very impressive starting pitchers. But like Notre Dame (and unlike Stanford and Texas), the Owls don't play in a major baseball conference, so we'll find out this week if these starting pitchers are as good as their numbers seem to suggest.
Steven Herce (13-2, 2.82) is at the top of the rotation and will likely start versus Texas on Saturday night. Herce is coming off a three-hit, complete-game of LSU last Friday and has walked only 22 batters in 111 2/3 innings. The #2 starter on this staff is Justin Crowder who transfered from TCU prior to the season. Crowder comes into the CWS with a 10-2 record and a 1.88 ERA and like Herce, is coming off a complete-game shutout (5 hits, 3 walks, 5 K's) of LSU last weekend. Philip Humber (11-1, 2.67) rounds out the rotation. Like Stanford, Rice doesn't have a particularly deep pitching staff as they only use seven pitchers, but all seven are quality with the highest ERA on the staff being 3.49.
The Owls are currently hitting .322 as a team and are the second most powerful team among the four with 70 home runs in 64 games this season. First baseman Vincent Sinisi (.432-11-80) is having a fabulous year and will hit fourth in the lineup. Sinisi along with #3 hitter Eric Arnold (.341-8-74) form a lethal 1-2 punch in the middle of this lineup. Both have driven in well over one run per game this year and in fact, after Arnold's 74 RBI the next highest total on the team is 36 from Enrique Cruz. But even though the run production drops off considerably after Sinisi and Arnold, this is still a good offense with great balance (six starters hitting above .300).
To throw 18 consecutive shutout innings against a quality team like LSU in the Super Regionals tells you this is one of the top pitching teams in the country. If Rice continues to get quality starting pitching from Herce, Crowder, and Humber this is certainly a team that can win the National Championship. But to just even win the first game of this CWS, the Owls will need to get by a Texas club who they've gone 0-2 against this season.
Probable Starting Lineup :
C - Justin Ruchti (.248, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 1 SB)
1B - Vincent Sinisi (.432, 11 HR, 80 RBI, 11 SB)
2B - Eric Arnold (.341, 8 HR, 74 RBI, 7 SB)
3B - Hunter Brown (.292, 7 HR, 35 RBI, 10 SB)
SS - Paul Janish (.305, 2 HR, 30 RBI, 5 SB)
LF - Chris Kolkhorst (.349, 3 HR, 33 RBI, 8 SB)
CF - A.J. Porfirio (.316, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 8 SB)
RF - Austin Davis (.359, 6 HR, 32 RBI, 1 SB)
DH - Dane Bubela (.291, 7 HR, 35 RBI, 2 SB) or Enrique Cruz (.232, 16 HR, 36 RBI, 4 SB)
Probable Starting Pitchers :
* Steven Herce (RHP; 13-2, 2.82 ERA, 111 2/3 IP, 22 BB, 96 SO)
* Justin Crowder (LHP; 10-2, 1.88 ERA, 114 2/3 IP, 35 BB, 101 SO)
* Philip Humber (RHP; 11-1, 2.67 ERA, 108 IP, 40 BB, 128 SO)
Primary Relief Pitchers :
* David Aardsma (7-1, 3.49 ERA, 5 SV)
* Philip Tribe (4-4, 3.44 ERA, 3 SV)
* Wade Townsend (2-1, 2.28 ERA, 6 SV)
* Jeff Niemann (5-1, 3.11 ERA, 13 starts)
TEXAS LONGHORNS (53-15)
A familiar opponent to Stanford is back in the College World Series this season as the 2nd ranked and #5 seeded Longhorns look to add another National Championship to the already storied history at Texas. The Longhorns had to come-from-behind in their Super Regional as they dropped Game One to visiting Houston 2-0, but rebounded to take Game Two in a rout, 17-2, and then won the deciding contest 5-2 last Sunday. Texas rolled through their own Regional two weeks ago going a perfect 3-0 including a 2-0 win over Baylor in the championship game. This is a resiliant ball club who has the ability to come out of this half of the bracket even if they lose their first game. They did it in the Super Regional and also in the Big 12 Tournament when they dropped their first game, but came back to win five games in four days to claim the title.
While one may have thought that Rice's 2.77 team ERA would be the lowest in the CWS, it is actually the Texas Longhorns who have the lowest earned run average with a national leading 2.73 mark. There are some questions though at the top of this rotation as #1 starter Brad Halsey (7-2, 2.74) was pulled after just two innings last Friday with a back injury and #2 starter Justin Simmons (14-1, 2.52) has struggled lately. Simmons, who threw a ten-inning complete-game against Stanford eariler this season, has given up six runs in 2 2/3 innings in his two postseason starts this year. Right hander Alan Bomer (10-3, 3.72) completes this outstanding starting rotation. Depth is not an issue at Texas as the Longhorns may have the deepest bullpen in the country led by closer Huston Street (0.89 ERA, 10 Saves).
This is not an offense that really scares you as the Longhorns are hitting .306 as a team with 63 home runs, but when you have maybe the best pitching staff in the country, you usually don't need to score a lot of runs. Three players do stand out on this club in terms of hitting in left fielder Dustin Majewski (.403-9-45), second baseman Tim Moss (.373, 39 stolen bases), and first baseman Jeff Ontiveros (18 homers, most among any player on this side of the CWS). The Longhorns would certainly like nothing better then to beat the Cardinal who elminated them in the Regionals last year and then also took 2-of-3 games from them back in late March.
Probable Starting Lineup :
C - Ryan Hubele (.295, 5 HR, 49 RBI, 1 SB)
1B - Jeff Ontiveros (.303, 18 HR, 55 RBI, 2 SB)
2B - Tim Moss (.373, 1 HR, 39 RBI, 39 SB)
3B - Omar Quintanilla (.317, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 8 SB)
SS - Brandon Fahey (.305, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 8 SB)
LF - Dustin Majewski (.403, 9 HR, 45 RBI, 4 SB)
CF - Kalani Napoleon (.261, 2 HR, 28 RBI, 6 SB)
RF - Matt Rosenberg (.232, 0 HR, 10 RBI, 2 SB)
DH - J.D. Reininger (.330, 12 HR, 47 RBI, 3 SB)
Probable Starting Pitchers :
* Brad Halsey (LHP; 7-2, 2.74 ERA, 98 2/3 IP, 26 BB, 82 SO)
* Justin Simmons (LHP; 14-1, 2.52 ERA, 114 1/3 IP, 35 BB, 73 SO)
* Alan Bomer (RHP; 10-3, 3.72 ERA, 87 IP, 19 BB, 78 SO)
Primary Relief Pitchers :
* Huston Street (4-1, 0.89 ERA, 10 SV)
* Jesen Merle (2-3, 2.22 ERA, 2 SV)
* Eugene Espineli (5-0, 2.08 ERA, 1 SV)
* Ray Clark (6-4, 3.16 ERA, 10 starts)
BY-THE-NUMBERS :
Stan. ND Rice Texas
Record 45-16 49-16 52-12 53-15
National Ranking 5 6 1 2
Batting Average .321 .324 .322 .306
Opponents Batting Average .257 .254 .237 .233
Runs Per Game 8.0 7.4 7.5 7.1
Opponents Runs Per Game 4.7 4.3 3.6 3.2
Doubles Per Game 2.3 1.9 2.3 2.3
Home Runs 84 51 70 63
Home Runs Per Game 1.4 0.8 1.1 0.9
Slugging Percentage .516 .473 .491 .477
On-Base Percentage .388 .399 .394 .379
Stolen Bases-Attempts 73-93 61-90 59-78 98-123
Earned Run Average 3.95 3.55 2.77 2.73
Walks Per 9 Innings 3.3 3.6 3.0 2.3
Strikeouts Per 9 Innings 7.0 7.6 8.6 7.5
Home Runs Allowed 45 26 31 28
Errors 70 98 72 69
Fielding Percentage .971 .960 .971 .974
SCHEDULE
** All times are Pacific **
Friday, June 14
Game 1 - Georgia Tech vs. South Carolina, 11am (ESPN2)
Game 2 - Nebraska vs. Clemson, 4pm (ESPN2)
Saturday, June 15
Game 3 - Notre Dame vs. Stanford, 10:30am (CBS)
Game 4 - Texas vs. Rice, 4pm (ESPN)
Sunday, June 16
Game 5 - Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 10am (ESPN)
Game 6 - Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 2:30pm (ESPN2)
Monday, June 17
Game 7 - Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 loser, 12:30pm (ESPN2)
Game 8 - Game 3 winner vs. Game 4 winner, 5pm (ESPN2)
Tuesday June 18
Game 9 - Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 loser, 11am (ESPN)
Game 10 - Game 7 winner vs. Game 8 loser, 4pm (ESPN2)
Wednesday June 19
Game 11 - Game 9 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 4pm (ESPN2)
Thursday June 20
Game 12 - Game 10 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 4pm (ESPN)
Friday June 21
Game 13 - Game 9 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 11am (ESPN2) - if necessary
Game 14 - Game 10 winner vs. Game 8 winner, 4pm (ESPN2) - if necessary
* note - if only one game is needed on this day, it will be played at 11am
Saturday June 22
Championship Game - Bracket One Winner vs. Bracket Two Winner, 10:30am (CBS)
