Notes From The Coast: West Shut Out Of College World Series
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When Michigan upset No. 1 overall seed UCLA and No. 6 Mississippi State beat No. 11 Stanford in the NCAA Tournament’s super regionals, it secured a historical anomaly.
For the first time in 23 years—and just the second time in NCAA baseball history—the West will not be represented at the College World Series.
The College World Series had featured at least one team from either the Pacific or Mountain time zones every year since 1996. Since the first College World Series in 1947, at least one team from the West had made it in 71 of 72 seasons.
Now, 2019 joins 1996 as the only years in which no team from the West made it to the CWS. UCLA was the No. 1 overall seed but was eliminated at home by Michigan. Stanford dropped both of its first two games at Mississippi State to be quickly eliminated.
Not only is it unusual to not have a team from the West make it to Omaha, but there are normally at least two.
Since the inaugural College World Series, at least two teams from the Pacific or Mountain Time zones had made it in 65 of 72 seasons entering this year. That included the last three seasons and 13 of the last 16.
Cody Bellinger, Mike Trout Lead All-Star Voting
Cody Bellinger and Mike Trout lead their respective leagues in All-Star voting through the first ballot updates.
Bellinger leads the National League, and all players, with 1,189,380 votes. The Dodgers outfielder leads the majors with a .352 batting average, is second with a 1.123 OPS, tied for fourth with 20 home runs and tied for fifth with 54 RBIs. He is followed by Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich (1,057,855) and Cubs shortstop Javier Baez (861,946) in National League voting.
Trout leads the American League with 951,002 votes, more than 150,000 votes ahead of Astros outfielder George Springer (776,352) and Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez (737,107). The Angels center fielder leads the AL with a 1.081 OPS, tied for second with 51 runs scored, is third with a .621 slugging percentage and tied for fourth with 18 home runs. Trout is the only player to finish in the top three in his league in All-Star voting each of the last five years, but he’s never led the league.
Jesus Luzardo, A.J. Puk Return For A’s
The Athletics saw their top two prospects return from injury Tuesday night.
A’s No. 2 prospect A.J. Puk, out since April 2018 following Tommy John surgery, started on the mound for high Class A Stockton and pitched two innings with one hit and one earned run allowed, one walk and four strikeouts. He reportedly touched 97 mph with his fastball and 90 mph with his slider.
A’s No. 1 prospect Jesus Luzardo, out since spring training with a rotator cuff strain, followed Puk out of the bullpen and pitched three scoreless innings with two hits allowed and two strikeouts.
Luzardo and Puk are the latest A’s pitching prospects to return from injury this year.
James Kaprielian has made four abbreviated starts without issue for Stockton after missing the last two seasons with an assortment of injuries, including an elbow ligament strain that resulted in Tommy John surgery. He is 1-1, 4.50 with 15 strikeouts and three walks in 14 innings pitched.
Daulton Jefferies, who had Tommy John surgery in 2017 and had pitched just 20.1 innings in three professional seasons entering this year, was promoted from Stockton to Double-A Midland in April and is 1-1, 2.50 with 45 strikeouts against just two walks in 39.2 innings.
Grant Holmes, who made only two starts last year due to a rotator cuff injury, is 1-1, 3.48 in seven appearances (four starts) for Midland.
North Wins CBCA Showcase
The annual California Baseball Coaches Association North-South Showcase took place at Santa Clara last weekend. The showcase pits the best up-and-coming high school prospects from Southern California against their Northern California counterparts for a three-game series.
The North won this year’s series two games to one, capped by a 3-0 victory in the decisive Game 3.
Clovis (Calif.) High righthander/first baseman Noah Beal (class of 2020) was named the series’ Most Outstanding Player. The 6-foot-4 Nevada-Las Vegas commit pitched three scoreless innings and went 1-for-3 with a single and a walk in the decisive final game. He went 3-for-3 with two RBIs in Game 2 to keep the North alive after it had dropped the opening contest.
Vista Murrieta (Murrieta, Calif.) infielder Zach Rodriguez (2020) was named the South’s best hitter and Madison (San Diego, Calif.) righthander Christian Becerra (2021) won South’s best pitcher. Rio Americano (Sacramento, Calif.) first baseman Will Linberg (2021) was named the North’s best hitter and Woodland (Calif.) righthander Adam Walker (2020) won North’s best pitcher.
West Teams In The College World Series
Bold = Champion
2019 – None
2018 – Oregon State, Washington
2017 – Oregon State, Cal State Fullerton
2016 – Arizona, UC Santa Barbara
2015 – Cal State Fullerton
2014 – UC Irvine
2013 – Oregon State, UCLA
2012 – Arizona, UCLA
2011 – Cal
2010 – Arizona State, UCLA
2009 – Arizona State, Cal State Fullerton
2008 – Fresno State, Stanford
2007 – Arizona State, Cal State Fullerton, UC Irvine, Oregon State
2006 – Cal State Fullerton, Oregon State
2005 – Arizona State, Oregon State
2004 – Arizona, Cal State Fullerton
2003 – Cal State Fullerton, Stanford
2002 – Stanford
2001 – Cal State Fullerton, Southern California, Stanford
2000 – San Jose State, Southern California, Stanford
1999 – Cal State Fullerton, Stanford
1998 – Arizona State, Long Beach State, Southern California
1997 – Stanford, UCLA
1996 – None
1995 – Cal State Fullerton, Southern California, Stanford
1994 – Arizona State, Cal State Fullerton
1993 – Arizona State, Long Beach State
1992 – Cal, Cal State Fullerton, Pepperdine
1991 – Fresno State, Long Beach State
1990 – Cal State Fullerton, Stanford
1989 – Long Beach State
1988 – Arizona State, Cal, Cal State Fullerton, Fresno State, Stanford
1987 – Arizona State, Stanford
1986 – Arizona, Loyola Marymount
1985 – Arizona, Stanford
1984 – Arizona State, Cal State Fullerton
1983 – Arizona State, Stanford
1982 – Cal State Fullerton, Stanford
1981 – Arizona State
1980 – Arizona, Cal, Hawaii
1979 – Arizona, Cal State Fullerton, Pepperdine
1978 – Arizona State, Southern California
1977 – Arizona State, Cal State Los Angeles
1976 – Arizona, Arizona State, Washington State
1975 – Arizona State, Cal State Fullerton
1974 – Northern Colorado, Southern California
1973 – Arizona State, Southern California
1972 – Arizona State, Southern California
1971 – Brigham Young, Southern California
1970 – Arizona, Southern California
1969 – Arizona State, UCLA
1968 – Brigham Young, Southern California
1967 – Arizona State, Stanford
1966 – Arizona, Southern California
1965 – Arizona State, Washington State
1964 – Arizona State, Southern California
1963 – Arizona, Southern California
1962 – Colorado State, Santa Clara
1961 – Colorado State, Southern California
1960 – Arizona, Colorado State, Southern California
1959 – Arizona, Colorado State, Fresno State
1958 – Arizona, Colorado State, Southern California
1957 – Cal, Colorado State
1956 – Arizona, Washington State, Wyoming
1955 – Arizona, Colorado State, Southern California
1954 – Arizona, Oregon
1953 – Colorado State, Stanford
1952 – Colorado State, Oregon State
1951 – Southern California, Utah
1950 – Colorado A&M, Washington State
1949 – Colorado State, Southern California
1948 – Colorado State, Southern California
1947 – Cal, Denver
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