NASHVILLE—When I booked my travel plans for this weekend a month or two ago, I expected to catch a matchup between potential first-rounders tonight in Nashville, with Florida junior righthander Jonathon Crawford taking on Vanderbilt junior lefty Kevin Ziomek. That didn't materialize, as Crawford struggled out of the gate and got moved back to the No. 2 starter role last week, but freshman righthander Jay Carmichael has given the Gators a lift over the last two Friday nights.

Carmichael didn't have his best breaking ball command Friday, but he competed hard with an 87-88 fastball and a good changeup, and he outpitched the previously red-hot Ziomek. Carmichael (5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K) combined with freshman lefty Danny Young and hard-throwing righty Ryan Harris on a three-hitter, as the Gators earned a much-needed 7-1 win against Ziomek and the Commodores.

Ziomek, who had been utterly dominant through his first five starts this season, breezed through four hitless innings before his command faltered in the middle innings. He issued four walks in the fifth inning, allowing one run on Zack Powers' RBI single to left field before stranding the bases loaded. But the Gators broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the sixth on Taylor Gushue's three-run homer to left field on a fat 91 mph fastball.

"I was just tying to be aggressive," said Gushue, who busted out of a 2-for-17 slump by going 2-for-3 with a walk. "The first two pitches were changeups, and I was a little out front of both of them. Then he threw a fastball up, and I was a little worried that he was going to come back with offspeed, but I just stayed on the fastball. That's basically what the approach has to be–you have to stay on the fastball."

Ziomek struggled to miss bats, finishing with five walks and just one strikeout. His 76-78 mph breaking ball was inconsistent, but his spotty command of his 88-92 heater is what got him into trouble in the fifth and sixth innings. [...] Continue Reading »

Strike One: Tar Heels Stand Out In Lackluster Weekend In Houston

HOUSTON—As Rob Childress made his way to the mound to make Texas A&M's third pitching change of the first three innings Sunday, a disgusted Aggie fan hollered out into the bored silence of Minute Maid Park, "Mix in a strike!"

That pretty much summed up the weekend at the Astros Foundation College Classic, an event rife with walks, hit batsmen, wild pitches and all-around ugly play.

Texas A&M starter Rafael Pineda—usually a reliable strike-thrower—walked the first four batters of the game against top-ranked North Carolina on Sunday and was pulled before recording an out, as the Tar Heels scored three runs in the first. After UNC scored five more runs in the second on six hits, reliever Corey Ray issued three more walks and hit a batter in the third, leading to five more runs and drawing the ire of A&M fans.

The Aggies wound up walking 11 batters in the game and plunking two others. North Carolina was clearly the best team in Houston this weekend, and the Tar Heels largely impressed during their 3-0 showing, but even UNC was not immune to control problems Sunday, issuing 10 walks of its own. But the Tar Heels out-hit the Aggies 13-3 in a 14-2 blowout that was shortened to seven innings by the mercy rule.

"North Carolina has an outstanding team, and had they beat us, just taken it from us, that's one thing," coach Childress said. "But for us to give them 13 free opportunities, and you combine that with 13 hits, you usually get what you deserve. The recipe for that is a good old-fashioned butt-whupping, and that's what they gave us today." [...] Continue Reading »

HOUSTON—Texas A&M entered Saturday's game against Rice with a 7-4 record, and its four losses were by a combined six runs. The Aggies knew it would take some time for their young lineup to gel, but they were confident their speed and athleticism would eventually make their offense formidable, and they believed they had enough quality arms to keep them afloat in the meantime.

"We've played 12 games, we've been in every single one of them, and we're just a big hit away from being 12-0, but we're not," Texas A&M coach Rob Childress said after the Rice game. "We are what we are, and we own that, but we are improving, and that's the fun thing for this team. We're not a finished product, and I don't think we will be until the end of April."

On Saturday, Texas A&M fans got a glimpse of the dangerous team the Aggies are capable of being. The offense got going early in the game, scoring six runs over the first two innings against Rice's Jordan Stephens, and Daniel Mengden turned in eight strong innings to lead A&M to an 8-3 win.

"Coming in here and beating Rice is always great," Mengden said.

The top four hitters in A&M's lineup have been very productive so far this season, and they sparked A&M's pair of three-run rallies in the first two innings, combining to go 4-for-5 with three successful sacrifices in those two frames. Senior shortstop Mikey Reynolds is a stick of dynamite atop the order, leading the team with a .479 average and a .500 on-base percentage while tying for the team lead with six stolen bases. He went 3-for-4 with a pair of runs and an RBI Friday, while also making some outstanding plays at shortstop. [...] Continue Reading »

HOUSTON—There has been plenty of frightful play—courtesy of California and Baylor—through a day and a half at the Astros Foundation College Classic, but the play of the Houston Cougars has been a pleasant surprise.

While Baylor pitchers issued 14 walks and hit two batters, and Baylor position players made three errors through seven innings Saturday, Houston has been patient and focused while playing two quality games.

The 10-run rule went into effect after seven innings Saturday, giving the Cougars a 15-4 win—their second straight victory this weekend, coming on the heels of a 7-6 win against Texas A&M on Friday. Houston is now 8-2, with a nice road series win at Texas State and a midweek win at Sam Houston State.

"My guys, we've been like this all year—they just play hard," Houston coach Todd Whitting said after last night's win against the Aggies. "I don't know if it's because they're young and dumb and don't know better, but they just give great effort, they don't give in."

Freshman second baseman Josh Vidales epitomizes that no-surrender attitude, never giving opposing pitchers anything at the top of the lineup. Vidales went 2-for-4 with a walk against the Aggies, and he set a new tournament record with four walks Saturday, along with a sacrifice bunt.

"Vidales has got a mature approach beyond his years—he's tough to pitch to," Texas A&M coach Rob Childress said last night. [...] Continue Reading »

HOUSTON—After Landon Lassiter made two errors Friday against Rice, giving him six on the season, North Carolina coach Mike Fox admitted a little concern about his defense, but he stuck by his freshman shortstop.

"I'm trying to give Landon the opportunity. Really I don't want to take him off the field—it's a confidence thing," Fox said. "But at some point we've got to be a little bit better there in the middle, especially when we've got a guy out there (on the mound) making teams put the ball in play. We've got to figure that out."

So Fox had a little chat with Lassiter after Friday's game, and when the coach handed in his lineup card Saturday against California, Lassiter's name was there, batting second and playing shortstop. He responded with four hits, two runs—and no errors, as UNC cruised to an 11-5 win.

"Get him back on the field—it's really important to do that when they're young and confidence is shaken a little bit," Fox said. "He's a good offensive player is why we've got to have him in there, and he showed that today. We've just got to work through it, it's a confidence thing. I've tried to reward these kids by putting them back out there, then you hope a couple more balls get hit at them and they make plays.

"I said 'Hey, I'm putting you right back out there.' Sometimes you hear guys say, 'Well, how do you know that coach has confidence in me?' Well, your name's in the lineup, it's as simple as that." [...] Continue Reading »

HOUSTON—The feature attraction of the Astros Foundation College Classic lived up to its billing.

"I'd say so," said North Carolina ace Kent Emanuel. "2-1? Doesn't get much better. Exactly what we expected, this kind of game . . . It was awesome; it was a lot of fun."

Aces Emanuel and Austin Kubitza went head-to-head in a fine pitchers' duel, and the Tar Heels broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth inning to beat Rice, 2-1.

UNC sparkplug leadoff man Chaz Frank doubled to left field with a man on first in the ninth inning, but catcher Korey Dunbar was thrown out at the plate, preserving the tie momentarily. But the savvy Frank took third on the throw to the plate, and scored the winning run on a wild pitch soon thereafter. Zech Lemond's breaking ball squirted away from Rice catcher Geoff Perrott—not too far, but Frank broke immediately and slid in head-first just under the tag of Lemond, covering the plate.

"Chaz is one of the best baserunners I've coached," North Carolina coach Mike Fox said. "We talk about that a lot: being ready, you never know when the ball's going to get past the catcher. That was very heads-up on his part, he basically just kind of beat the pitcher to the plate. I thought we were fortunate to win, but it just comes down to a play like that or two in a 2-1 game." [...] Continue Reading »

HOUSTON—At least Dillon Newman brought his 'A' game Friday. The Baylor righthander turned in seven crisp innings of three-hit, shutout ball in a 9-0 win against California in Friday's Astros Foundation College Classic opener, salvaging a game that was darn near painful to watch at times.

In its first trip through the order, Baylor had four runners thrown out on the basepaths—three of them on decisions that coach Steve Smith referred to as "boneheaded." That prompted Smith to pull three of his starters in the third inning to send his team a wakeup call.

"At some point, I've got to live with the guys that are on the bench," Smith said. "I feel like if we see a trend, if we're trending in a certain direction, and we don't make changes, then that message to the bench is not a good one. I've never been a guy to just jerk a guy out of the game, particularly after a physical mistake."

Fortunately for Baylor, Cal was even sloppier, especially on the mound. Senior lefthander Justin Jones battled through four innings, allowing seven hits and three walks, and exiting after 90 pitches. Once upon a time, Jones worked in the 86-89 range with his fastball and bumped 90 mph, but he sat at 81-83 Friday. He had no ability to make hitters swing and miss, and his delivery looked out of sync—his hat flew off his head multiple times after he finished his delivery with a violent head jerk, owing in part to his shaggy hair. [...] Continue Reading »

SAN DIEGO—In a matchup between two teams that entered the season with high hopes but entered Week Two winless, San Diego earned its first win in Fowler Park in dramatic, come-from-behind fashion, beating Kent State 2-1 on Friday.

Aces Tyler Skulina of Kent State and Michael Wagner of USD went head-to-head in a fine pitching duel, keeping the game scoreless through six innings. The Golden Flashes got on the board in the seventh on Evan Campbell's solo homer to right, and Skulina left after 95 pitches with a 1-0 lead through eight innings. But Dillon Checkal sparked USD's ninth-inning rally with a leadoff walk against closer Eric Dorsch, and Dillon Haupt doubled into the left-field corner to score the tying run. Two batters later, A.J. Robinson fell behind in the count against lefty Brian Clark, but he went the other way with a breaking ball for a walk-off RBI double into shallow left field, prompting the Toreros to mob him near second base.

"He knew he was going to get that offspeed pitch away, away, away, and he just fought it off," San Diego coach Rich Hill said. "Great at-bat."

Skulina, a 6-foot-6 junior who ranks as the top prospect in the Mid-American Conference, was masterful for eight shutout frames, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out six. He threw strikes with his 88-93 mph fastball as well as his tight 80-84 slider, and mixed in some low-70s curveballs for a change of pace. I'll have a midweek feature on Skulina coming soon.

Wagner, who ranked second in the nation with 19 saves last year, proved he is up for the challenge of competing against another marquee Friday night starter. He gave up just the lone run on six hits and two walks while striking out five over seven innings. Wagner had three quality pitches going: an 88-90 fastball with good arm-side run, a sharp 81-84 slider with good depth and an excellent 82-83 changeup. He used the changeup effectively against righthanded hitters as well as lefties, keeping the Flashes off balance. [...] Continue Reading »

SAN DIEGO—One of Week Two's best pitching matchups was a Thursday night showdown between Oregon State junior righthander Dan Child and San Diego State sophomore righty Michael Cederoth. And while Cederoth showed the much more impressive stuff, Child made big pitches in big spots to earn the win. The Beavers broke open a 2-1 game with five runs in the seventh en route to an 8-1 win, keeping them unbeaten at 5-0.

Cederoth worked comfortably in the 94-98 mph range in the first few innings, before settling in at 93-95 in the middle innings. But the Beavers made him work—he issued five walks while striking out six and allowing just two hits over six innings, yielding two runs. He walked the bases loaded in the third, but managed to escape after allowing just one run on a sacrifice fly—but that inning helped drive his pitch count up. He was at 80 pitches after four innings, and he finished with 111.

"We've got guys that just will battle out at-bats, and I think that's what we did today," Oregon State shortstop Tyler Smith said. "He was throwing hard; it's tough when the other guy's throwing that hard to really square balls up. You've just got to be ready for that fastball. I think we only got a couple hits off him, but I think we really battled against him. He wasn't commanding his secondary pitches too well, walking some guys. So we just had good at-bats; guys got on and executed."

It's clear that Cederoth has special ability, and his feel for pitching is improving. At times he showed a better curveball Thursday in the 75-77 range, and he got some swings and misses with his 80-82 slider. He just needs to avoid those innings where his command abandons him for a few batters.

"He did a good job; his problem tonight was the pitch count," San Diego State coach Tony Gwynn said. "He settled in, he had a couple innings where he threw a lot of pitches, but all in all he did a good job managing the game. USD was pretty patient (last week), Oregon State tonight, the guys at the top of the lineup were pretty patient. You've just got to get a feel for your stuff and you've got to trust it. For me, that's his next hurdle, just trusting that his stuff is good enough to get people out." [...] Continue Reading »

OMAHA—Ray Tanner stood silently in front of the third-base dugout at TD Ameritrade Park, watching Arizona celebrate its College World Series Finals sweep of his South Carolina team.

Finally, Tanner ducked into the tunnel and made his way toward the postgame press conference.

"Golly," he said wistfully, as he walked up the tunnel. "If we'd just gotten a couple of hits, we'd have evened this thing up."

The Gamecocks had their chances in the late innings of Game Two of the Finals, which they lost 4-1. After tying the score at 1-1 in the seventh, South Carolina had the go-ahead run at second with two outs, but Tanner English flew out to center to strand the runner. The next inning, the Gamecocks had the go-ahead run at third with two outs, but Joey Pankake struck out to end the frame.

And after Arizona scored three runs in the top of the ninth to take the lead, the Gamecocks loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the frame, but English lined out and Grayson Greiner flew out to end the game, stranding all three runners.

"I knew going into this thing we were playing a team that had hit about .330 on the year. We were hitting probably .270 going in," Tanner said. "And I think we were averaging 3.75 runs in the postseason; we were only averaging three here in the College World Series. And we're playing in the championship series. Eventually, that's going to get you. And in the end, if you had to put your finger on one thing, it's run output. We just didn't get enough runs on the board." [...] Continue Reading »

Arizona has beaten South Carolina, 4-1, to capture its fourth national championship, and its first since 1986.

The Wildcats broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the ninth against all-time College World Series wins leader Matt Price. Brandon Dixon, a .240 hitter who entered the game as a defensive substitution at first base in the 6th, drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI double down the left-field line. That chased Price and left runners on second and third. Two batters later, freshman Trent Gilbert provided two crucial insurance runs with a two-run single to right.

The Wildcats shined in all phases of the game during the postseason, and they finished the NCAA tournament a perfect 10-0. They earned this championship by knocking off the two-time defending national champions. The Wildcats needed to beat Michael Roth or Price in order to end the South Carolina dynasty; Roth turned in 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball before handing off to Price, with Arizona leading 1-0. The Gamecocks manufactured a run in the seventh to take Roth off the hook, but that was all the scoring Arizona starter James Farris would allow in 7 2/3 stellar innings—in his first start since regionals, more than three weeks ago.

The Gamecocks battled until the very end, loading the bases with one out in the ninth against freshman closer Mathew Troupe. But Troupe got Tanner Enlish to line out, and Grayson Greiner to fly out to right to end it, setting off a dog pile behind the mound.

I'll have plenty more on Arizona's championship after the postgame festivities and interviews.

John Manuel and I made our picks for the Finals in a podcast this weekend (you can download that here). After we both went 7-6 in our picks through bracket play, we both took Arizona to win the Finals opener, but now our picks diverge.

John is taking Arizona to complete the sweep today; I'm going with South Carolina to win today and tomorrow, completing the three-peat. John thinks Roth angered the baseball gods by admitting that he doesn't really like baseball in the pre-Finals press conference; he expects karma to bite Roth and the Gamecocks tonight. I simply refuse to bet against Roth and Matt Price in the College World Series—those guys always come through when it matters most. I think it makes sense for Arizona to start James Farris today, giving ace Kurt Heyer an extra day of rest in case the series goes three games. But Farris hasn't pitched in three weeks, and Andy Lopez admitted yesterday he was somewhat concerned about Farris being rusty. The Wildcats figure to need their artichokes down in the bullpen at some point today.

If Arizona manages to beat Roth and/or Price to capture the national title, hats off to the Wildcats, because they will have earned the championship against the ultimate champions. But I can't see South Carolina going down without a serious fight.

John's Pick: Arizona

Aaron's Pick: South Carolina

Yesterday:
John: 1-0
Aaron: 1-0

Overall:
John: 8-6
Aaron: 8-6

John: First, it's good to get back to .500. That was a hard slog, but I've caught Aaron in our picks challenge as we are both a scintillating 6-6. It's probably no coincidence that I'm having more success with picks when I'm no longer in Omaha.

Arizona was No. 5 in BA's preseason rankings because of Aaron Fitt. He loved that team from the get-go this year, and we've been higher on the Wildcats than anyone all year. I hope our readers remember that now that Arizona is in the CWS Finals. (I guess that's why I'm writing this now . . . Give Aaron some props!) When Arizona pitches, it can beat anybody because its defense is sound and its offense is dynamic. Those traits all have been on display in Omaha; it's been the most fun team to watch. Arizona will be a very tough opponent for either Southeastern Conference foe it faces in the CWS Finals. [...] Continue Reading »

OMAHA—After a rain delay of nearly two hours, Wednesday's College World Series elimination game between Kent State and South Carolina was postponed until 11 a.m. CT on Thursday. That sets up a CWS tripleheader, as the winner of the morning game will have to face Arkansas in the day's third game.

There is an open day built into the schedule on Saturday. The NCAA could have chosen to play the Kent State-South Carolina and Arizona-Florida State games on Thursday, then push the Arkansas-Kent State/South Carolina winner game to Friday. If another game became necessary, it could have been played Saturday. Instead, this schedule creates a significant disadvantage for the Kent State-South Carolina winner, which must play twice in one day. [...] Continue Reading »

Today's Games:
Stony Brook vs. UCLA
Arizona vs. Florida State

John: I'm taking the Pacific-12 Conference teams today. UCLA has the most complete team in the field for me, and Bruins coach John Savage is loving the attention showered on the Seawolves. Can Stony Brook keep up its high level of play despite all the pressure and scrutiny of college baseball's biggest stage? Even if it does, it has to beat the Bruins, who pitch, defend and hit with equal aplomb.

Florida State assistant coach Mike Bell told me during practice yesterday that he considers the Seminoles and Wildcats to be very similar teams. Florida State already put a hurting on one Pac-12 team by dismantling Stanford last weekend, and if Arizona's Kurt Heyer pitches as poorly as Mark Appel or Brett Mooneyham did for the Cardinal in the super regional, the Seminoles will roll.

[...] Continue Reading »

OMAHA—One NCAA official said he's never seen a team draw the kind of pre-College World Series media crush that Stony Brook generated Thursday.

There was not even enough time to accommodate all the reporters who wanted sessions with the Stony Brook players after their morning batting practice session. And when the the day's final press conference with CWS coaches wrapped up, SBU's Matt Senk was swarmed by reporters for follow-ups, while Florida State's Mike Martin, Arizona's Andy Lopez and UCLA's John Savage exited quietly.

In the apparel tents ringing TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, Stony Brook gear has been flying off the shelves. Yes, it's fair to say the Seawolves are an Omaha sensation—and the first pitch hasn't even been thrown in the 2012 CWS.

"We went out and got some dinner last night," said All-America outfielder Travis Jankowski, "and we were getting cheers, and people wearing Stony Brook stuff."

It takes a lot for the media in the nation's largest city to pay any attention to college baseball, but Stony Brook's run through the Coral Gables Regional as a No. 4 seed and its conquest of SEC champion Louisiana State in Baton Rouge has captured the Big Apple's imagination. The New York Times profiled the Seawolves on Wednesday, and Newsday has been chronicling the team's journey in significant depth. The Associated Press reported that the school is hoping to capitalize on the baseball team's sudden popularity by spending $100,000 to produce and air a commercial that touts its achievements in athletics and academics during the first game of the CWS.

Being the subject of so much adulation surely has the potential to be overwhelming for a group of players accustomed to toiling in relative obscurity, but Senk seems confident his team will respond appropriately. [...] Continue Reading »

EUGENE, Ore.—Derek Toadvine raced around third base, sprinted down the line, slid across the plate and popped up immediately, throwing off his helmet and pumping his fists. In a heartbeat, he was engulfed in a sea of bright yellow-clad teammates behind home plate, leaping up and down euphorically.

For a while, it resembled a mosh pit more than a dogpile, and Kent State coach Scott Stricklin might have preferred it remain that way.

"I will say for the record: dogpiles scare me to death," Stricklin said later. "I'd like to stay on our feet to celebrate. As long as nobody gets hurt it's fine, but man, it scares me to death."

But after drifting further and further toward third base, the writhing mass of Golden Flashes finally collapsed into a heap—and Stricklin was right in the middle of it. For the first time in school history, Kent State had earned a trip to the College World Series thanks to a thrilling 3-2 win against Oregon, and Stricklin got overwhelmed by emotion just as his players did.

"I was on the top step, and I was trying to hold guys back, but I have to admit I went running out a little prematurely," he said. "I got in the middle of that one. I hadn't been in the middle of a dogpile since 1993, so I'm going to be a little sore tomorrow."

Stricklin's last dogpile 19 years ago came while he was a player at Kent State, but that team fell short of the CWS. This team, however, would not be denied. [...] Continue Reading »

EUGENE, Ore.—After Oregon turned in an uncharacteristically sloppy loss in Saturday's super regional opener against Kent State, Ducks coach George Horton promised that his team would come back Sunday and play a better game. If he knew his team as well as he thought he did, Horton insisted, the Ducks would respond with their backs against the wall.

And Horton knows his team.

Oregon found itself eight outs from elimination Sunday night, facing a two-run deficit with the bases empty in the seventh inning. But this group of plucky Ducks has made a habit of finding ways to win, even when victory seems like a daunting prospect.

Golden Flashes righthander Ryan Bores had held Oregon scoreless on two hits up until that point, but with one out in the seventh, the Ducks abruptly came to life. Ryon Healy's single up the middle got things started, and each of the next four batters reached safely, leading to three runs and propelling Oregon to a spirited 3-2 win.

Horton never expected anything less from this particular team.

"I've never told a team I love them as much as this group," Horton said. "That's what we talked about before the game—I cried. I'm getting old, and like (former NFL coach) Dick Vermeil used to do, I cry a lot more than I used to. But I cried and looked them in the eye and said, 'Hey, I realize that we're trying to go to the College World Series, which is a big deal. But I don't want to take the uniforms off.' I want to compete with these guys in June as long as I possibly can, that's how special this group is. [...] Continue Reading »

By Peter Wardell

LOS ANGELES—UCLA has yet to lose a game this postseason. As a matter of fact, the Bruins have lost just once in the past month. 

With a 4-1 victory over Texas Christian on Saturday night in front of a packed crowd at Jackie Robinson Stadium, UCLA clinched its spot in the College World Series, marking the program’s second trip to Omaha in three years.

Over the past month, the Bruins have become one of the toughest teams to beat in the country due to their consistent ability to manufacture runs. Saturday night was no different, as timely hitting, solid baserunning and a little luck made the difference. 

“Our game plan is to just grind pitchers down,” said sophomore shortstop Pat Valaika. “We see a lot of pitches. We work really hard to pass the baton and get the next guy to the plate. It worked tonight and it’s been working all season.”

After setting down the UCLA lineup on just five pitches in the first inning, TCU freshman righthander Preston Morrison gave up a one-out triple to junior first baseman Trevor Brown in the top of the second. On the next pitch, Valaika lofted a deep sacrifice fly into right field to score the run. [...] Continue Reading »

EUGENE, Ore.—What it lacked in grace—and it lacked anything resembling grace—Saturday's super regional opener between Kent State and Oregon made up for with ninth-inning drama.

The Ducks cut Kent State's three-run lead down to one in the ninth and had the bases loaded with two outs for J.J. Altobelli. With a raucous crowd of 4,177 in a frenzy, Altobelli drove a Josh Pierce offering into the right-center-field gap, and Kent State junior center fielder Evan Campbell raced backward, reached up and made a full-extension catch over his left shoulder, then tumbled to the ground. The crowd held its collective breath for an anxious second, waiting to see if Campbell held onto the ball, but when he held up his glove, it contained the final out in Kent State's 7-6 win.

"Right off the bat, I thought it was just a routine play, honestly, because the ball wasn't traveling too well tonight," Campbell said. "As I kept running, it kept carrying, and it was pretty close. Right at the tail end, it was close—50/50."

Oregon's ninth-inning surge started with a leadoff walk to Aaron Jones and reached a crescendo with back-to-back walks later in the frame, forcing in the Ducks' final run. Kent State pitchers combined to issue 11 walks in the game, including seven by ace David Starn, who minimized the damage and allowed just four runs in 6 1/3 innings of work. [...] Continue Reading »