J.C. Love Field to Remain in Same Location

Louisiana Tech officials announced today that J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park will remain at its current location as the process for rebuilding a number of athletic facilities following the tornado continues.

“We looked at a number of sites in conjunction with the University as related to its strategic plan,” said LA Tech Director of Athletics Tommy McClelland. “Considering all factors, we decided it was best to remain at this historical, unique location. The combination of the student apartments beyond the outfield wall and the railroad tracks that run behind the fences makes for such a great setting for our fans to enjoy Tech baseball.”

The EF3 tornado that hit the Ruston area early in the morning of April 25 inflicted varying degrees of damage to JC Love Field, the Lady Techster Softball Complex, the Lady Techster Soccer Complex, the LA Tech Tennis Complex and the Jim Mize Track and Field. The Bulldog baseball and the Lady Techster softball teams were forced to play their final home series at alternate sites due to the severe damage to those facilities.

Greg Goff Named Head Coach at Purdue

Greg Goff is remaining part of the Purdue baseball staff and taking over as the Boilermakers’ head coach, the school announced today.

Previously a head coach at four universities, Goff originally joined Purdue as an assistant coach in July 2017. He succeeds his friend and longtime colleague Mark Wasikowski, who returned to the University of Oregon as the Ducks’ new head coach this week.

Goff has previously served as the head coach at Campbell University (2008-14), Louisiana Tech University (2015-16) and the University of Alabama (2017) as well as Division II University of Montevallo (2004-07). He also helped lead the Boilermakers to a memorable 38-win season in 2018, punctuated by the program’s third NCAA Regional bid in program history. Purdue finished second in the Big Ten standings and was also the runner-up at the Big Ten Tournament in Goff’s first year with the program.

The hire is curious one by the Boilermakers as Goff was fired two years ago by Alabama. Campbell was placed on probation and vacated wins during Goff’s tenure due to eligibility issues.

SEC Baseball Recaps (May 14)

The final Tuesday night of the regular season saw three walk-off games, one game-winning home run in the eighth inning and a slugfest between in-state foes.  Auburn and South Carolina posted walk-off wins, while Arkansas State scored four in the bottom of the ninth to stun Ole Miss.  Alabama senior center fielder Joe Breaux belted a game-winning two-run home run in his final career at-bat at Sewell-Thomas Stadium in the 4-2 win over Samford. Tennessee and Tennessee Tech combined for 25 runs and 28 hits and the teams used 12 different pitchers.

Updated SEC Baseball Standings

Here are Tuesday’s SEC baseball recaps:

ALABAMA 4, Samford 2
Alabama sweeps season series, 2-0
Joe Breaux game-winning 2-run HR in eighth inning
Samford led 2-0 entering seventh inning
Kolby Robinson scored from second base on wild pitch in seventh
UA scored three runs in eighth; TJ Reeves game-tying sac fly
Max Pinto and Sonny DiChiara (SU) solo HRs in third inning
Teams combined for 23 strikeouts

AUBURN 8, North Alabama 7 (11 Innings)
Auburn posts walk-off win in 11 innings
Auburn trailed 5-0 and 7-6
Everett Lau walk-off, pinch-hit RBI single (Ryan Bliss scored winning run)
Will Holland (AU) 2-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI
Will Holland game-tying HR in fifth; scored go-ahead run in eighth
Holland game-tying RBI single in ninth
Steven Williams (AU) 2-3, R, HR, 3 RBI (3-run HR in second inning)
UNA led 5-0 in second inning
Kevin Brenning (UNA) 4-6, 2 R, 3 2B, 4 RBI
Brenning 3-run double in second; game-tying RBI double in ninth

KENTUCKY 7, Michigan 4
UK scored four runs in fifth inning to take 5-3 lead
Colytn Kessler (UK) 1-5, R, 2B, 2 RBI
Alex Rodriguez (UK) 1-3, R, 2B, RBI
Jordan Nwogu (UM) 2-5, R, HR, RBI
Jordan Brewer (UM) 2-4, R, HR, 2 RBI

LSU 7, New Orleans 5
LSU uses 4-run third inning for the win
Daniel Cabrera (LSU) 2-run HR in third inning
Cabrera (LSU) 2-4, R, HR, 2 RBI
Antoine Duplantis (LSU) 3-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI
Duplantis solo HR in fifth inning
Antonio Gauthier (UNO) blasts two home runs
Gauthier 2-run HR in second inning; 2-run HR in ninth inning
Gauthier (UNO) 3-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 4 RBI

MISSISSIPPI STATE 7, Louisiana Tech 3
MSU led 5-0 after three innings
Marshall Gilbert (MSU) 2-4, R, HR, 3 RBI
Gilbert 2-run HR in first inning; RBI single in fifth
Rowdey Jordan (MSU) 2-3, 2 R, 2B, 2 RBI
Jordan 2-run double in third inning
Hunter Wells (LT) 3-5, 2B
Taylor Young (LT) solo home run in fifth inning

Arkansas State 6, OLE MISS 5
ASU scored four runs in ninth for walk-off win
Ole Miss led 5-0 in eighth; 5-2 in ninth
ASU scored two runs in eighth inning
Sky-Lar Culver (ASU) scored winning run in error by CF Ryan Olenek
Parker Caracci (UM) allowed four runs (3 ER) in 0.1 IP
Kyle MacDonald (ASU) game-tying single in ninth inning
MacDonald (ASU) 3-5, R, RBI
Justin Felix (ASU) 2-run HR in eighth inning
Kevin Graham (UM) 3-run HR in third inning
Graham (UM) 2-5, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI
Tyler Keenan (UM) solo HR in fifth inning

SOUTH CAROLINA 1, USC Upstate 0
Jonah Beamon (SC) walk-off RBI single in bottom of ninth
Beamon (SC) 2-4, RBI
Four USC pitchers combine for shutout
Parker Coyne (SC) five scoreless innings; 6 K
Wes Clarke (SC) 3-4
Trey Vander Wiede (USCU) complete-game (8.2 IP) loss

TENNESSEE 15, Tennessee Tech 10
Teams combined for 25 runs and 28 hits
Teams combined to use 12 pitchers (6 each)
Tennessee erased 5-3 deficit with 6 runs in fifth inning
Alerick Soularie (UT) game-tying 2-run double
Jake Rucker (UT) go-ahead RBI single in sixth
Rucker (UT) 3-4, 2 R, 2B, 3B, RBI
Soularie (UT) 2-4, R, 2B, 3 RBI
Andre Lipcius (UT) 1-5, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI (2-run HR in seventh)
Connor Pavolony (UT) 3-3, R, 2B, 3 RBI
Anthony Carrera (TTU) 2-4, 2 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI (solo HR in first and third innings)
JD Funk (TTU) 2-5, 3 R, HR, 3 RBI (3-run HR in fourth inning)

VANDERBILT 5, Middle Tennessee 2
Mason Hickman strikes out 10 in five innings
Harrison Ray (VU) 1-4, 2B, RBI
Ray go-ahead RBI double in sixth inning
Stephen Scott (VU) 2-run home run in second inning
Pat DeMarco (VU) 2-4, 2B, RBI
Myles Christian (MT) 2-4, R

 

College Baseball Notebook (May 10)

The longest winning streak and losing streak in Division I baseball came to end on Friday … Indiana snapped Michigan’s 13-game winning streak with 10-4 win in Ann Arbor … Purdue Fort Wayne snapped is 19-game losing streak with a 6-5 win over North Dakota State … The Mastadons 40-game losing streak to Division I teams and 24-game Summit League losing streak was also came to an end … East Carolina wrapped up the American Athletic Conference regular season championship with 6-1 win at Wichita State … Jacksonville State DH Alex Webb hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Gamecocks a 6-2 win over SIU Edwardsville … New Mexico State shortstop Joseph Ortiz tied the school single season (9) and career (18) triples record in the 21-7 win at Seattle … TCU third baseman Conner Shepherd hit a walk-off home solo home run in the 4-3 win over Kansas. It was TCU’s first walk off home rub since 2010 … West Virginia junior RHP Alek Manoah struck out 13 over eight scoreless innings in the Mountaineers 6-0 win at Kansas Stare.

Here is Friday’s college baseball notebook:

SEC Baseball Recaps (May 7)

Vanderbilt extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 12 games with a 6-2 win at Louisville in a battle of Top 5 teams. Harrison Ray snapped a 2-2 tie with a two-run double in the eighth inning. Michigan won its 12^th straight game with a 7-0 non-conference win over rival Michigan State on Tuesday night.

Louisiana Tech closed an 8-game road trip with an eye-popping 12-1 win at LSU. Tech went 2-6 on the trip that came on the heels of tornado that left the city of Ruston and the Tech campus in ruins. Tech plays its final home series this weekend against Western Kentucky, but those games will be played on the UL Monroe campus.

Auburn suffered a 6-4 home loss to UAB.  Florida, Kentucky and Tennessee posted wins on Tuesday.

Here are Tuesday’s SEC baseball recaps:

Louisiana Tech Campus Hit by Tornado

A tornado wreaked havoc on the city of Ruston and the Louisiana Tech campus early Thursday morning. The city of Tuscaloosa and the University of Alabama campus can certainly relate. This Saturday, April 27 will mark the eighth anniversary of one of the deadliest and most destructive storms to ever cross our paths here in Tuscaloosa.

Several athletic facilities took a major hit on the Tech campus, including baseball, softball, soccer and tennis. The college baseball community has rallied around the Tech program today.

College Baseball Notebook (April 20)

A total of 39 games were affected by weather on Friday … All five Big South Conference games were postponed and five double headers on the docket for Saturday … The ACC had six games affected by weather with five rain outs and one suspended game … Maine senior RHP Nick Silva tossed a 7-inning no hitter in the Black Bears 4-1 win over UMass in game one of Friday’s double header … Freshman pinch hitter Ryan Turenne hit a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the seventh as the Black Bears earned the win … Bradley extended the nation’s longest winning streak to 12 games with a 2-1 win at Dallas Baptist … UC Santa Barbara won its 11^th straight game with a 7-0 win over UC Davis … Purdue Fort Wayne (0-16 Summit League) and Michigan State (0-9 Big Ten) both remained winless in conference play … St. John’s left fielder Mike Antico went 4-for-4 with three home runs and seven RBIs in the Red Storm’s 24-6 win over Villanova … Stanford belted five home runs in a 20-5 win over Oregon.

Here is Friday’s college baseball notebook.

College Baseball Notebook (April 13)

Saint Louis senior right hander Cody Luther threw a 9-inning no hitter in the Billikens 5-0 win over St. Bonaventure … It was the first 9-inning no-hitter by SLU since 1961 … Florida State and Louisville picked up huge ACC series wins … The Seminoles have won the first two games of its home series with Clemson, while Louisville has a road series win at North Carolina State … No. 1 UCLA pulled off a three-game sweep of No. 8 East Carolina this weekend in Los Angeles … The Bruins posted an 8-5 win in Saturday’s first game as first baseman Michael Toglia hit a walk-off 3-run home run … Navy senior right hander Noah Song struck out 11 in 6.1 innings in the 4-1 win over Lehigh … He improved to 7-0 on the season and became the first NCAA pitcher with 100 strikeouts this season … He has 110 strikeouts in 59 innings for Navy … Concordia (Neb.) University (NAIA) junior left-hander Jason Munsch fanned 16 batters (7 innings) in 3-2 win over Jamestown College (Seward, Neb.) … Louisiana Tech has won 10 straight games, the nation’s longest winning streak … Missouri Valley College (NAIA) senior RHP Nick Garcia threw an 11-inning complete game (9 K) in the 3-2 win over No. 13 Central Methodist … St. Thomas (NAIA) swept a three-game series from No. 1 Southeastern this weekend. The No. 10 Bobcats won 7-4, 14-2 and 7-4.

Here is Saturday’s college baseball notebook.

SEC Baseball Recaps (Sunday, March 10)

The final non-conference weekend saw Tennessee suffer its first loss of the season, while Alabama (11), Miss. State (11) and Auburn (9) all extended winning streaks. Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Miss. State, Missouri, Ole Miss and South Carolina all closed non-conference action with three-game sweeps.

South Carolina senior TJ Hopkins hit the cycle in the Gamecocks 12-6 win over Valparaiso on Sunday. Hopkins started his cycle with a home run to left in the fourth inning. He doubled in the fifth, and singled in the seventh. He completed the feat with an eighth-inning triple in the right-center field gap. Hopkins, who scored three runs and had added four RBIs, becomes the first Gamecock to hit for the cycle since Kyle Martin on April 11, 2015 against Florida.

Here are Sunday’s SEC baseball recaps.

SEC Baseball Recaps (Saturday, March 9)

It was another busy Saturday in the SEC, with 14 games played, including four double headers. Auburn, Georgia and LSU all played two games on Saturday to close out their weekend series and beat the expected rain on Sunday. South Carolina and Valparaiso played two as well, completing Friday’s suspended game and playing Saturday’s regular game.

Tennessee had its game with Fresno State suspended in the eighth inning. The Vols took an 11-0 lead into the inning but watched Fresno State plate eight runs and have the tying run at the plate when the game was stopped. It should be noted that the rain had been falling for most of the game, but oddly the umpires picked that particular point in the game to stop play.

Kentucky (vs. Middle Tennessee) and Vanderbilt (vs. Illinois State) will play Sunday double headers after their Saturday games were postponed due to weather.

North Carolina State (14-0) and Arizona State (14 -0) both won on Saturday to remain undefeated. The Wolfpack have a school record 14 straight games to open the season following a 21-3 thumping of Pitt.  ASU defeated Xavier 8-3. Florida State suffered its first loss of the season in game one of the double header with Virginia Tech at Dick Howser Stadium in Tallahassee.