College Baseball Notebook (Feb. 21)

A perfect game, two no-hitters and one triple play highlight Friday’s NCAA college baseball action.

Duke RHP Bryce Jarvis threw the first perfect game in Duke history in the 8-0 win over Cornell. Ottawa (NAIA) RHP Jared Gray fired the seventh no-hitter in school history in a 7-0 win over Ecclesia. A trio of Ole Miss pitchers fired a no-hitter in the series-opening win over Xavier.

Sam Houston State turned an around-the-horn triple play on Friday. It was their since 2017.

Vanderbilt-Michigan to Play Fall Exhibition in Nashville

Vanderbilt will host Michigan in fall exhibition action on Nov. 10 at Hawkins Field in a rematch of the College World Series finals. First pitch is set for 10 a.m.

The match up comes less than five months after the Commodores outlasted the Wolverines to capture the program’s second national championship in six seasons. The squads will meet during opening weekend of the regular season, as well, as part of the MLB4 Tournament in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The fall contest will offer a return to Hawkins Field for Michigan head coach Erik Bakich who served as Vanderbilt’s assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2003-09. Bakich helped the Wolverines to the program’s first 50-win campaign since 1987 a season ago.

Team USA Blanks Cuba; Clinches Series

Four Team USA pitchers combined on a three-hit shutout as the USA Collegiate National Team blanked Cuba 8-0 on Thursday night in Durham to clinch the 8th Annual USA-Cuba International Friendship Series. Team USA has won six of the eight series with Cuba.

Nick Frasso (Loyola Marymount) started and faced the minimum through his scheduled four innings. Frasso allowed only two hits, with both baserunners being wiped away by double plays, to pick up the win.

Team USA’s bullpen used its defense to allow only one hit in five innings of work, led by three scoreless innings from Jeff Criswell (Michigan) in the sixth, seventh, and eighth. Andrew Abbott (Virginia) used Team USA’s third double play ball to face the minimum in the fifth and Burl Carraway (Dallas Baptist) closed the game with an easy scoreless ninth.

Team USA erupted for five runs in the seventh inning to break open a tight game.

College World Series Recaps

Michigan, Florida State, Vanderbilt and Miss. State all picked up opening round wins in the 2019 College World Series.

Michigan won its first CWS game since 1983 with a 5-3 win over No. 8 Texas Tech in the opening game on Saturday. Jimmy Kerr, a third-generation Michigan player, had a two-run triple in the third inning. Kerr’s grandfather, John (1960-62), was a member of the Wolverines 1962 CWS national championship team. His father, Derek, (1983-86), played on Michigan’s CWS teams in 1983 and 1984.  Drew Parrish and J.C. Flowers combined on a 5-hit shutout in the 1-0 win over No. 5 Arkansas. Flowers scored the winning run on sac fly in the ninth inning and then closed the game with his 13^th save of the year.

Austin Martin belted two home runs to lead No. 2 Vanderbilt to a 3-1 win over No. 7 Louisville in the opening game on Sunday afternoon. Martin homered in the first pitch in the bottom of the first inning and then added the go-ahead 2-run homer in the seventh.  No. 6 Miss. State scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth to knock off Auburn 5-4 in the final game of the first round. MSU posted its 28^th come-from-behind win this season, when the inning was extended with a two-out throwing error by AU third baseman Edouard Julien. Marshall Gilbert then delivered the walk-off single.

Here are the CWS recaps and updated schedule.

Michigan’s Erik Bakich Named NCBWA Coach of the Year

After leading Michigan to the College World Series, Wolverines head coach Erik Bakich has been named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association National Coach of the Year.

CWS Preview: Michigan

Michigan (46-20) was one of the last four teams to make the 2019 NCAA Tournament field. The last four teams included Duke, Michigan, Florida State and TCU. Michigan and Florida State made to the CWS, while Duke lost to Vanderbilt in the NCAA Super Regionals.

Michigan is making its eighth CWS appearance and first since 1984. The Wolverines won the College World Series in 1953 and 1962. Michigan is 6-1 all-time in CWS opening round games.

2019 CWS Bracket Set

The 2019 College World Series schedule is set, as Auburn and Arkansas earned the final two spots for Omaha. Check out the bracket and schedule below for this year’s CWS, including game times and TV channel information.

No. 2 seed Vanderbilt, No 5 seed Arkansas, No. 6 Mississippi State, No. 7 Louisville and No. 8 Texas Tech, along with Michigan, Auburn and Florida State are the eight teams headed to Omaha.

Michigan-UCLA Preview

The 2019 NCAA Super Regionals get underway this weekend. The winners of the eight Super Regionals advance to the College World Series. Here is a preview of the Michigan-UCLA series.

Super Regional Pairings Announced

The pairings for the 2019 NCAA Division I Baseball Super Regionals were announced Tuesday morning by the NCAA. Four Super Regionals will be played Friday, June 7 through Sunday, June 6, or Saturday, June 8 through Sunday, June 10. The winners of each Super Regional will advance to the College World Series (June 15-26) in Omaha, Neb.

A total of six SEC teams advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals, including No. 2 national seed Vanderbilt and five teams from the SEC Western Division – No. 5 national seed Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss and No. 6 national seed Miss. State.  All six teams were undefeated in NCAA Regional play, going a combined 18-0 last weekend.

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