http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/ The Home For Baseball Insiders Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:56:43 EST en-us http://www.baseballamerica.com/images/baonlinelogo4.gif http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/ 96 9 1 http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/top-25/rankings/2013/2614899.html Content: Aaron Fitt: Hi everybody, greetings from snowy Bloomington, Indiana, where I'm still holding out hope the Hoosiers will host Louisville in a nice top-20 midweek showdown tomorrow. Let's chat. Jeff (D.C.): As if UNLV, FGCU and Central Arkansas weren't enough for 2012, this week you went all in and put the Fitt jinx on Gonzaga, GA Southern, Houston, Cal Poly AND South Alabama. I think I am on to your ranking strategy with numbers 20 through 25. If you rotate everyone with a winning record through those slots over the course of the season, you'll be able to claim whatever Cinderella gets hot in June (UConn in 2011, Stony Brook in 2012, etc.). Aaron Fitt: Now hold on, we ranked UConn No. 9 in the preseason in 2011! And I wrote a piece about how dangerous Stony Brook would be in 2012 during the summer of 2011 when I saw a bunch of their guys tear up the Cape League, then I said in my preseason chat that I wouldn't be surprised if that team won a regional! So feel free to take shots at us if you want, but you sure picked some poor examples to back up your . . . Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:53:14 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/top-25/rankings/2013/2614899.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/top-25-tracker/2013/2614897.html Content: 1. NORTH CAROLINA Last Week: 3-0. Overall: 21-1, 7-1 in ACC. (1-0 vs. Top 25). Weekend Series: 5-0. Snow in Boston last week forced UNC's series at BC to be moved to Chapel Hill, where the Tar Heels swept a doubleheader Saturday before Sunday's game was rained out. Brian Holberton (3-for-5, 2 R, 3 RBI, HR), Chaz Frank and Landon Lassiter had three hits apiece as part of a 19-hit attack in the opener, and Kent Emanuel (8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K) was dominant. Skye Bolt had two hits in the opener and two more in Game Two, along with two RBIs, helping Benton Moss (7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K) improve to 6-0. RESULTS March 19: Princeton: W 16-0 March 23-24: Boston College: W 11-0, W 5-2, CCD UPCOMING March 26: Virginia Commonwealth March 27: Winthrop March 30-April 1: Clemson 2. OREGON STATE Last Week: 2-1. Overall: 21-2, 5-1 in Pac-12 (5-1 vs. Top 25). Weekend Series: 5-0. In a series that featured standout pitching on both sides, the Beavers took two of three to improve to 5-1 this season against the two teams from Arizona. Matt Boyd . . . Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:01:54 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/top-25-tracker/2013/2614897.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/top-25/rankings/2013/2614896.html Content: DURHAM, N.C.—North Carolina held onto No. 1 in the Baseball America College Top 25 rankings, but there was plenty of shuffling up and down the Top 25 after a wild weekend, as 10 ranked teams lost series. The movement started with a new team at No. 2 for the first time this season, as Oregon State's series win against then-No. 20 Arizona State earned the Beavers a move up from No. 3, displacing Vanderbilt, which won a home series but went 2-2 on the week. With Louisville and South Carolina each losing series at home, the latter getting swept by Arkansas, the door was open for more jockeying as Louisiana State and Cal State Fullerton joined the new-look top five. Arkansas was rewarded for its sweep of South Carolina with a six-spot move from No. 21 to No. 15, matching the biggest jump of the week with Florida State, which reached No. 6 for its series win against Georgia Tech. Other teams on the move included Oklahoma reaching No. 14 after a sweep of Texas Christian to open Big 12 Conference play, while Indiana moved up to No. 19 thanks to a sweep of Penn State. Five new teams joined . . . Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:58:33 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/top-25/rankings/2013/2614896.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/weekend-preview/2013/2614895.html Content: THIS WEEK: 1. Unlikely underdog: Florida State. 2. Unlikely underdog: North Carolina State. 3. Unlikely underdog: Arizona State. 4. Unlikely underdog: Arizona. 5. Unlikely underdog: Texas Christian. 6. Notes from around the nation. In five of this weekend's most compelling series, an unranked or lower-ranked team is an unlikely underdog, for one reason or another. The weekend's marquee series in the Atlantic Coast Conference pits No. 9 Georgia Tech against No. 12 Florida State. At 20-1, FSU might not seem like an "underdog," and the Seminoles are an ACC goliath every year, but we are dubbing the more talented Yellow Jackets the road favorites this weekend. The Yellow Jackets have the nation's most explosive offense—they averaged exactly 10.0 runs per game through the first five weeks of the season. "Every time I look up they're scoring double figures," Florida State coach Mike Martin said. "I can tell you now, if we've got to get nine to win the ballgame, it's going to be a challenge. It's going to be a challenge to get to nine, no question. And they're averaging 10." Sticking in the ACC, league coaches voted North Carolina State as the preseason favorite to win the conference title, . . . Thu, 21 Mar 2013 15:07:51 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/weekend-preview/2013/2614895.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/chat/2013/2614890.html Content: Doug (Las Vegas): I noticed on Keith Law's recent list that a kid named Matt Krook popped up as the number 17 prospect in the country. I haven't heard his name and the list did not say a whole lot about him. Is he really a first round type of guy and can you please tell us more? Thanks! Jim Callis: Hi, everyone. Glad to be back for the regular Wednesday chats after a winter hiatus as we did our series of Top 10 Prospects chats ... Matt Krook's stock is shooting through the roof. He's a high school lefthander from California who looks like a definite first-rounder, could be the first prep arm taken. Consistent low-90s fastball, spins a tight curveball. I believe Conor Glassey will have more on Krook in his next edition of Draft Tracker. Diego Maradona (1986): Do you think Byron Buxton will hit above .250 in his full season debut? Jim Callis: Yes, not that it really matters either way. Justin (Tucson, AZ): I'm hearing great things about Carlos Sanchez with the White Sox. Comparisons to Jeter, Alomar and Ventura have been written but I don't see him in Baseballamerica's top 100 prospects list. He . . . Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:30:56 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/chat/2013/2614890.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614888.html Content: SAN FRANCISCO—As general manager for the Dominican Republic's entry in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, Moises Alou knew what kind of talent pool he had at his disposal, its strengths and weaknesses. As was the case with virtually every WBC team, the Dominican didn't get everyone that it wanted, or all of its top players. What it got, Alou believed, would be plenty good enough if certain things broke the Dominicans' way, the way they did at AT&T Park in the championship game, a 3-0 victory against Puerto Rico to win the International Baseball Federation's world championship. "(Orioles bullpen coach) Bill Castro was asking me if we were a little short of starting pitching," Alou said. "I said, 'You know what? I've been to every single WBC and (too little starting pitching) hasn't been a problem.' Teams win with bullpens.  We won every game; we kept winning so we kept getting days off, so everybody fell right into their turn in the rotation. "We knew what we had. My only worry was if we lost one game, that we would have to play back-to-back. Tonight was our first time going back to back, and that was huge, that was clutch. . . . Wed, 20 Mar 2013 03:11:19 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614888.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/top-25/rankings/2013/2614885.html Content: College Top 25 Chat With Aaron Fitt Note: This page will refresh itself automatically every two minutes. Moderator: Aaron Fitt will answer your college baseball questions beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET. Aaron Fitt: Good afternoon, everybody. Hope you had a nice Week 5 — hard to believe we're already more than a third of the way through the season. Time flies when you're having fun, I guess. Let's chat. Jeff (Washington D.C.): Last week you said "No team ranked above them (LSU) has more than two losses, and they've all played stronger schedules." Today, I come with data. LSU is 3-1 in true road games against the RPI Top 20. The only other BA top 10 team to have played a top 20 team on the road is GA Tech (2 of 3 at VT). South Carolina did take 1 game at RPI #21 Clemson. In parenthesis is the highest RPI rank of a true road opponent for the remainder of the BA top 10: UNC (102), Vanderbilt (42), Oregon State (67), Louisville (200), Ole Miss (87), Fullerton (80), Kentucky (57). In addition to LSU's impressive road record against the top 20, LSU has 8 wins against the RPI top . . . Mon, 18 Mar 2013 17:21:34 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/top-25/rankings/2013/2614885.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614883.html Content: SAN FRANCISCO—All things considered, Mark Pawelek would rather be a baseball player. After all, he's tried working customer service as a gas station. He's tried being a door-to-door salesman. And he's tried baseball player. The 26-year-old, who was the Cubs' first-round pick in 2005, likes baseball player best among those occupations, and it's what he's done in March for the Netherlands' World Baseball Classic team. Who wouldn't? It's not just the $1.75 million signing bonus the Cubs gave him when they picked him 20th overall in 2005, making him the highest-drafted prep player in Utah history. But Pawelek's career never went as planned with the Cubs. Pawelek was released in spring training in 2009 by the Cubs, pitched in the Reds system for a year and then was released again. In 2010, he walked 15 in 8.2 innings in the independent Frontier League. The lefthander says his problems throwing strikes, which basically drove him out of the game, were mostly mental, not physical. "It wasn't an injury. I was released by the Reds, and I'd been doing this game a long time," he said. "And I was mentally exhausted. Things didn't work out the way I had hoped they would. . . . Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:43:17 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614883.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/top-25-tracker/2013/2614882.html Content: 1. NORTH CAROLINA Last Week: 4-1. Overall: 18-1, 5-1 in ACC. (1-0 vs. Top 25). Weekend Series: 4-0. North Carolina, which had lost 10 of its previous 11 games against Miami, dropped Friday's opener before snapping a six-game losing streak against the Hurricanes on Saturday and winning the rubber game Sunday. Miami lefthander Chris Diaz (7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER) stifled the UNC offense Friday, and the Hurricanes broke a scoreless tie with three runs in the fifth against Kent Emanuel (6.1 IP, 8 H, 4 ER). The Tar Heels scored 11 runs in the third en route to a 14-2 thrashing of the Hurricanes on Saturday. Colin Moran (3-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B), Brian Holberton (3-for-3, 3 R, 3 RBI, HR) and Michael Russell (3-for-4, R, 3 RBI, 2B) led UNC's 16-hit barrage behind Benton Moss (7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 9 K), who carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. With the score tied 1-1 and a runner on second base in the eighth inning Sunday, Miami elected to intentionally walk the lefthanded-hitting Moran rather than pitch to him with lefty A.J. Salcines, and switch-hitting Skye Bolt made the 'Canes pay by launching . . . Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:09:32 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/top-25-tracker/2013/2614882.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/top-25/rankings/2013/2614881.html Content: DURHAM, N.C.—Preseason No. 1 North Carolina continued its run atop the Baseball America College Top 25 rankings with an ACC series win against Miami. The top half of the rankings stood pat as the top 12 teams from last week all won their weekend series. Southeastern Conference play opened last week and was highlighted by a pair of series between ranked teams. No. 6 Mississippi went on the road and knocked off Arkansas, which fell from No. 15 to No. 21, while No. 7 Louisiana State won a series at Mississippi State, dropping the Bulldogs six spots to No. 19. Oregon leads the ranks of teams that moved up this week, as the Ducks climbed to No. 13 thanks to a 4-1 week that included a series win at Southern California to open Pacific-12 Conference play. Slotting in one spot behind the Ducks, Virginia has moved up the rankings quickly, reaching No. 14 this week after taking two of three at Clemson. The Cavaliers made the week's biggest jump, coming up from No. 22. Oklahoma also made a big move, jumping six spots to No. 17 after a dominant 5-0 week. Three teams joined the rankings this week, led by . . . Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:09:49 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/top-25/rankings/2013/2614881.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614876.html Content: SAN FRANCISCO—Javier Vazquez accompanied Puerto Rico manager Edwin Rodriguez to AT&T Park's interview room before Sunday's World Baseball Classic semifinal. Had Puerto Rico added the veteran righthander as an injury replacement/reinforcement? It seemed plausible that perhaps Vazquez, who had been on the Puerto Rican preliminary roster, had recovered sufficiently from his late January knee surgery to give it a go. Considering the plight of Puerto Rico's pitching—it will start minor league vet Mario Santiago tonight against Japan—it seemed plausible. When a reporter asked Vazquez what it's like to throw to a catcher the caliber of Yadier Molina, Vazquez ended any speculation. "Well," he said, "I'm not throwing to him. But he's definitely the best." Later, Vazquez added, "I've been preparing for the World Classic with this purpose in mind, and well, it couldn't happen. Of course I'm sad. But this team has played so well. I'm here with the team and the boys are doing a great job. The pitchers are doing a great job. "And Santiago's been a great pitcher. He's been a winner. I think that I'm waiting for so much great stuff from him, and I think that we have a pitcher who is great." In reality, . . . Sun, 17 Mar 2013 20:10:10 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614876.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614873.html Content: BOSTON—They barely even made it out of the first round of the World Baseball Classic. Their offense looked lackluster in pool play, where their ace got the early hook in his first start and their No. 2 starter didn't have his regular-season velocity. They needed a late-inning rally to beat a heavy underdog and barely edged another one just to make it to the second round. Most of the damage the offense did at the tournament came against marginal pitching. It's hard to win the WBC when you're fielding a team without several of your country's top players, but on top of it, the players who were there showed little outward emotion. And in the end, they're headed to San Francisco. No, that's not Team USA. That would be Japan, the two-time reigning WBC champions. The story arcs around Team USA's second-round exit from the WBC are easy to generate. They lost because they didn't have their best players. They lost because they didn't care as much as the other countries. They didn't play with energy or passion. Those explanations simply don't hold up. Plenty Of Talent Yes, Team USA didn't have its perfect-world roster, but it still had a . . . Sun, 17 Mar 2013 12:52:38 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614873.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614875.html Content: SAN FRANCISCO—Japanese media made for an overflow crowd in the interview room at AT&T Park, and when pitcher Kenta Maeda and manager Koji Yamamoto walked in, the sound of all the cameras firing at the same time had to be distracting, even for a player and manager used to all the attention. The first question directed at Yamamoto was about the pressure of expectations, considering Japan has won the first two World Baseball Classics. Yamamoto betrayed no emotion in his answer. "I have been feeling the pressure from the first pool," he said (via a translator). "And I have survived up to here." Indeed, Japan lost to Cuba in the round robin of Pool A, but it went undefeated in the second round of Pool 1 and enters the semifinals confident and favored against upstart Puerto Rico, which has advanced to its first WBC semifinals. The first pitch at their game Sunday at 9 p.m. ET will feature legends from both sides. Puerto Rico's Orlando Cepeda, whose play for the Giants earned him a statue outside AT&T Park, will be involved in the pregame ceremonies while Yamamoto's predecessors as Japan's WBC managers—all-time home run king Sadaharu Oh , who managed . . . Sun, 17 Mar 2013 00:08:23 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614875.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614874.html Content: SAN FRANCISCO—Rob Cordemans has been on the Netherlands' national team since the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. That's a lot of honkbal (the Dutch word for baseball). Seventeen years later, he's still a significant factor for the team, earning a win and a loss for the Dutch in the first two rounds of the World Baseball Classic. He's likely to pitch for the Honkballers here at AT&T Park, though Dutch manager Hensley Meulens did not say who his starter would be for the team's Monday semifinal matchup against the Dominican Republic. Meulens, the Giants' big league hitting coach, did say his newest player, Rangers prospect Jurickson Profar, would play second base and bat second as the Dutch chase a WBC championship to go with the 2011 World Cup title they won when Cordemans beat Cuba, pitching into the eighth inning. "It's a great honor to be in this ballpark where I work," said Meulens, the batting coach for the Giants. "We've won championships two of the last three years, wearing the same colors that we're wearing now. So it's very special." Cordemans isn't surprised the Dutch are in this position while the United States is home. But having seen the evolution . . . Sat, 16 Mar 2013 20:27:53 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614874.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614872.html Content: Manager: Edwin Rodriguez. WBC History: This is Puerto Rico's first trip to the semifinals, but the club has had its moments in the World Baseball Classic before. In 2006, Puerto Rico was one of three teams to finish the first round undefeated, as they handled all comers, including international power Cuba. But in the second round, Puerto Rico went 1-2 and was knocked out when it lost its rematch to Cuba 4-3. It was a similar story in 2009. Puerto Rico again went undefeated in the first round, but again fell just short in the second round. Puerto Rico run-ruled the U.S. 11-1 in its second round opener, but a 2-0 loss to Venezuela, followed by a 6-5 loss to the U.S. in a loser bracket rematch sent Puerto Rico home. But Puerto Rico's 8-4 WBC lifetime record heading into this year's tournament is a sign of how well this team has played in previous WBC's. How They Got Here: It wasn't easy for the Puerto Ricans. Playing a pool with the Dominican Republic, Spain and Venezuela, Puerto Rico was a heavy underdog. Instead a 6-3 win over Venezuela ensured a spot in the second round, although a loss to . . . Sat, 16 Mar 2013 11:20:13 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614872.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614871.html Content: Manager: Tony Pena. WBC History: The Dominican Republic's run to the World Baseball Classic semifinals is helping to erase bad memories from 2009. A heavy favorite in the first-round's Pool D that year, the Dominicans lost their opener to the Netherlands. They did rally to beat Panama, but a rematch with the Dutch produced no better result, as the Dominicans were eliminated after only three games. The Dominican Republic club fared much better in 2006. It went 3-0 in the first round, then earned a spot in the semifinals by going 2-1 with wins over Cuba and Venezuela. The Dominican Republic's run ended there as Cuba won a rematch 3-1 thanks to Pedro Luis Lazo's 4 2/3 innings of relief work. How They Got Here: At 5-0, the Dominicans are the only undefeated team left in this year's WBC. The Dominican Republic went 3-0 in a pool that included Venezuela, Spain and Puerto Rico, then knocked off Italy and the U.S. in the second round to earn a spot in the semifinals. The Lineup It's not the 1927 Yankees or the 1975 Reds, but it's hard to complain about a lineup that features Robinson Cano, Hanley Ramirez, Edwin Encarnacion, Jose . . . Sat, 16 Mar 2013 11:17:19 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614871.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614852.html Content: Manager: Hensley Meulens. WBC History: The Netherlands went 1-2 in pool play in the 2006 WBC and didn't advance from the first round. Three years later, the Dutch made it to the second round by beating the Dominican Republic twice in pool play, though they lost to Venezuela and the United States in their only second-round games in 2009. How They Got Here: Don't underestimate the Dutch national team. After delivering a knockout blow to the Dominican Republic in 2009, the Netherlands beat South Korea 5-0 in its first WBC game this year in Taiwan and went 2-1 in Pool B to advance to the second round in Tokyo. That's where the Netherlands beat Cuba 6-2 and 7-6 to bounce the Cubans from the tournament, though the Dutch lost both games to fellow semifinalist Japan by 16-4 and 10-6 margins. The Lineup The Netherlands won't have the most firepower among the lineups in San Francisco, but they do have the most exciting young players to watch. They're led by Braves 23-year-old shortstop Andrelton Simmons, a dynamic threat who brings outstanding defense and a quality bat to the top of the lineup. The biggest boost for the Netherlands will be the . . . Fri, 15 Mar 2013 14:43:00 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614852.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614859.html Content: Manager: Koji Yamamoto WBC History: Japan captured the inaugural WBC championship with a victory over Cuba in the finals in 2006, then defended its title in 2009 with an extra-inning victory over South Korea in the championship game. The Japanese are 17-6 all-time in WBC games. How They Got Here: Japan and Cuba were the heavy favorites to make it out of Pool A in Fukuoka. Japan didn't make it look easy, however, needing a late-inning rally to beat Brazil, beating China 5-2 and losing to the Cubans to go 2-1 in the first round. The Japanese needed another late rally before edging Taiwan 4-3 in 10 innings in their second round opener, but then they put a 16-4 beatdown on the Netherlands before defeating the Dutch again, 10-6, to go 3-0 in the second round. The Lineup Catcher Shinnosuke Abe didn't start in Japan's first game of the WBC against Brazil due to knee soreness, but any lingering issues he's having seem to have worn off. Abe, who turns 34 next week, is Japan's captain and the team's best hitter. Abe won the MVP award last season in the Central League of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, hitting .340/.429/.565 with . . . Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:24:48 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614859.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614855.html Content: MIAMI—The Dominican Republic beat the United States on the field and in the stands Thursday night, playing a passionate brand of baseball inspired by a flag-waving pro-D.R. crowd at Marlins Park.   "I don't know how many flights from the Dominican they took to get here," said an appreciative Dominican manager Tony Pena, perhaps forgetting that there are a large number of his countrymen already living in Miami.   At one point in Thursday night's post-game press conference, Pena nearly broke down in tears as he talked about how proud he was of his team and the support they received.   Dominican reporters, meanwhile, framed the Pool 2 World Baseball Classic victory as a modern-day tale of David and Goliath, considering that the U.S. population of 315 million is about 305 million more than what can be found in the D.R.   "If you see all our games, we always play with intensity," said Dominican right fielder Nelson Cruz, one of his team's heroes Thursday night. "But our fans gave us that something extra."   Meanwhile, all is not lost for Team USA, which can still advance to next week's semifinals in San Francisco if it can defeat Puerto Rico . . . Thu, 14 Mar 2013 23:33:37 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614855.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/weekend-preview/2013/2614851.html Content: THIS WEEK 1. SEC West focus: playing 20 questions with LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Arkansas. 2. Scouting Report: Texas Tech righthander Trey Masek, who carries a 0.00 ERA into Big 12 play against Texas. 3.New Mexico tries to fix pitching and defense heading into MWC opener against red-hot UNLV . 4. Notes from other big series around the nation. With seven teams ranked in the nation's top 15, the Southeastern Conference sure looks like college baseball's predominant league once again in 2013. Those seven teams have a composite record of 110-15 (.880) heading into the SEC's opening weekend. Four of those seven reside in the SEC's rugged Western Division, which is where the most compelling action will take place this weekend. West powers Louisiana State and Mississippi State will square off in Starkville, while fellow West heavyweights Mississippi and Arkansas will do battle in Fayetteville. All four of those teams are talented and deep, and all of them are capable of winning the SEC title and making deep Omaha runs. But there is no flawless team in college baseball, and each of these SEC West contenders needed to prove themselves in different areas. So let's look at some . . . Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:05:45 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/college/weekend-preview/2013/2614851.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614853.html Content: MIAMI—There may never be another athlete to rival Roberto Clemente in terms of his greatness on the field and his significance to Puerto Rican baseball and Puerto Rican pride. That's a given. But even that second wave of Puerto Rican stars—including Bernie Williams, Pudge Rodriguez, Roberto Alomar, Jorge Posada, Benito Santiago and more—seems like an impossible task for the island to duplicate. Overall, the numbers are down for Puerto Ricans in the major leagues, from 53 in 2001 to 28 in 2011—which was the lowest since 1985—and just 17 last year. But Edwin Rodriguez, who three years ago became the first Puerto Rican to become a major league manager, thinks the future is bright for baseball in his homeland. Rodriguez, the manager of its 2013 World Baseball Classic team, pins his optimism  on players such as righthander Jose Berrios, 18, and outfielder Eddie Rosario, 21, both Twins farmhands, both on his WBC roster. "Berrios signed with pro baseball less than eight months ago, and now he is facing the all-stars in the USA and Dominican lineups—and he's doing it in front of 30,000 fans," Rodriguez said. "Not only has his 98-mph fastball impressed me, but he has poise on the . . . Thu, 14 Mar 2013 16:03:51 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614853.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614849.html Content: MIAMI—Puerto Rico repeatedly took the extra base—and it stole a victory from Italy. There's no question that Italy struggled on defense in 4-3 loss Wednesday night that sent the underdog team home. There were at least four plays that the two Italian shortstops—Anthony Granato and then Jack Santora—would love to have back. But the aggressive baserunning by Puerto Rico must be factored in as well. "We were putting pressure on them," Puerto Rico manager Edwin Rodriguez said. "And the breaks went our way." Here's how Puerto Rico made its own breaks in the three-run, eighth-inning rally that won the game: • Carlos Beltran, who had walked to lead off the inning, sped to third on Yadier Molina's single to third. • Mike Aviles' groundout cut the deficit to 3-2. But had Aviles not hustled down the line, Italy would have turned the double play. "That call could have gone either way," Italy manager Marco Mazzieri said. "If we get that call, it's 3-2, with no one on base." • On a Luis Figueroa sacrifice fly to center field, Alex Rios advanced from first to second, which turned out to be crucial. • Finally, Rios scored from second on a ground . . . Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:12:42 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614849.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614847.html Content: MIAMI—Puerto Rico starting pitcher Mario Santiago put his team's 7-1 loss to the U.S. in perfect perspective.   "Never in my life have I faced a lineup like that," Santiago said Tuesday night after the Pool 2 World Baseball Classic game at Marlins Park.   Santiago's point was well taken. When Giancarlo Stanton, with 37 homers last season, bats eighth and Ben Zobrist—20 homers and a .377 on-base percentage—hits ninth, yeah, that's pretty stacked.   Batting fifth was David Wright, who ended up with five RBI. But Wright was quick to credit his teammates who put him in great situations. Wright hit with the bases loaded three times on Tuesday and came through each time.   On his third bags-full opportunity, Wright broke the game open with a three-run double to make the score 7-1 in the eighth. Wright got his big hit off of lefty reliever Xavier Cedeno.   Wright was 5-for-11 in Pool D against Canada, Italy and Mexico and had three walks and five RBIs, four of them coming on a grand slam against Italy. He had more bases-loaded success on this night even if he fell short of a slam. He said he had to thank . . . Wed, 13 Mar 2013 01:10:33 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614847.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614845.html Content: MIAMI—Robinson Cano is on a ridiculous tear. The Yankees' second baseman, playing for the Dominican Republic, went 3 for 4 with a solo home run Tuesday in a 5-4 win over Italy in the second-round opener of the World Baseball Classic at Marlins Park. Cano was the MVP of the first-round tournament in Puerto Rico, banging out three hits in each of three games, and he is off to an identical start here. For the entire WBC, he is hitting .750 (12 for 19) with two homers and six RBI. "I was not aware of that," Cano said when asked about his numbers. "I'm just very proud and happy to play with these guys and for my country." Not everything on Tuesday made Cano happy, though. He took issue with a Nick Punto slide into second base. "I was upset because it was the third time (it had happened in the game)," Cano said of the hard slide. "I don't care if he slides on a double play, but just when it's a force play? The last thing you want is to get hurt like that. "(Punto) slid past the base. If I'm in the middle of the bag, I . . . Tue, 12 Mar 2013 18:15:36 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614845.html http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614841.html Content: The World Baseball Classic has been filled with drama, close games and major upsets. It has also been filled with bunting. There's nothing inherently wrong with the bunt. In the right situation, it can be both a great tactical weapon and an aesthetically pleasing play, a combination of skill, speed and catching the defense off guard. Very seldom has that been the case in the WBC. A decision to bunt may have cost Cuba a trip to the final round in San Francisco. Against the Netherlands on Monday, Cuba started the top of the seventh with a leadoff double from shortstop Raul Gonzalez followed by a walk from right fielder Alexei Bell. In a 4-4 game, Cuba had runners on first and second with nobody out and arguably its five best hitters—Yulieski Gourriel, Jose Fernandez, Frederich Cepeda, Jose Abreu and Alfredo Despaigne—lined up to impart damage against righthander Shairon Martis, who in 2012 had a 5.17 ERA in 139 1/3 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A. Instead, Cuban manager Victor Mesa told the 28-year-old Gourriel to bunt. That's Gourriel, a two-time Cuban MVP, a veteran of every major international tournament over the last decade and a .325/.430/.500 hitter this season . . . Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:13:43 EST http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/majors/international-affairs/world-baseball-classic/2013/2614841.html