Mike Gillespie, College Baseball Icon, Passed Away

One of college baseball’s legendary coaches, Mike Gillespie passed away Wednesday at the age of 80.

“On behalf of UCI Athletics Department, I want to offer heartfelt condolences to Coach Gillespie’s wife, Barbara, his children, Kelly, Mitch, Matt and Tiffany; his grandchildren and his extended family,” Director of Athletics Paula Smith said. “Mike was a leader, mentor, successful coach, and trusted colleague.  We have lost a great baseball coach and even better man.  He touched so many lives and he will be missed by many.”

Gillespie coached UC Irvine for 11 seasons (2007-2018), leading the Anteaters to the College World Series in 2014. He was named National Coach of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association in 2014 and was named Big West Coach of the Year in 2009, when he guided the ‘Eaters to the conference title. Under Gillespie the Anteaters made five postseason appearances, including regional titles in 2008, 2011 and 2014.

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.

College Baseball Notebook (April 28)

Texas State has won 10 straight games, the longest active winning streak in Division I baseball … The Bobcats are averaging 10 runs per game during the streak and have swept Arkansas State and UL Lafayette in back-to-back Sun Belt Conference series … Michigan has won eight straight games, the second-longest winning streak in Division I baseball … UM has swept Northwestern and Rutgers the last two weeks in Big Ten play … This is Michigan’s second 8-game winning streak of the season … The Wolverines opened the season with eight straight wins … Purdue Fort Wayne has a 15-game losing streak, the longest active streak in Division I .. The Mastadons (0-21 Summit) are the only Division I team without a conference win this season … Purdue Fort Wayne has lost 36 straight games to Division I opponents … Arkansas Pine Bluff (12), The Citadel (12), San Jose State (10) and Illinois State (10) also ended the week with double-digit losing streaks … New Mexico and Fresno State played to a 6-6 tie on Sunday, the ninth tie game of the season in Division I baseball … The game was called after nine innings due to the travel curfew … Nevada second baseman Keaton Smith hit for the cycle in the 26-15 win over Air Force. Smith went 4-for-7 with three runs scored and two RBIs … It was the 13th Division I cycle this year … Bellevue (Nebraska) senior JT Patterson recorded his third three-home run game of the season (NAIA record) in Sunday’s 16-0 win over Waldorf … Creighton senior LHP Denson Hull threw a complete-game shutout (7 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 5 K) in the 5-0 win over Xavier … Navy (34-15, 18-7) clinched the Patriot League regular season title with a 5-1 win over Lafayette. Navy is the first Division I team to clinch a conference championship this season … Oral Roberts outscored Purdue Fort Wayne 49-2 in the three-game series sweep … Penn State Harrisonburg (Division 3) hit 12 home runs in its weekend sweep of Frostburg State … Yale left-hander Kumar Nambair tossed his second consecutive complete-game shutout in the 4-0 win over Dartmouth … Saint Peter’s picked up its third win of the season with a 5-1 win over Fairleigh Dickinson … The Peacocks (3-36) have surpassed their  win total from the previous two seasons.

Here are Sunday’s college baseball highlights:

College Baseball Notebook (April 14)

For the second time this season, there was a no-hitter and cycle recorded on the same day … New Mexico State shortstop Joseph Ortiz hit for cycle and knocked in eight runs in the Aggies 19-9 run-rule win over Northern Colorado … Pacific right-hander Ryan Shreve tossed 9-inning no-hitter in 1-0 win at Santa Clara … His catcher, James Free II, celebrated his 21st birthday on Sunday … On Saturday, April 6, Bradley tossed a combined no-hitter, while two players hit for the cycle … Bradley sophomore Brooks Gosswein and senior Brian Schrimmer toss combined no-hitter in the 10-0 win over Robert Morris-Springfield (NAIA) … That same day, Georgia Tech’s Tristan English and Penn’s Craig Larsen both hits for the cycle … Elsewhere on Sunday, three ACC teams complete huge weekend sweeps … Louisville swept North Carolina State in Raleigh, Miami swept Virginia for the first-time ever in Charlottesville and Florida State swept Clemson in Tallahassee … Alabama State’s Christopher DeGuzman (3-5, 3 R, HR, 7 RBI) and Noel Cheneau (3-6, 2 R, 2 HR, 6 RBI) combined for three home runs and 13 RBIs in a 23-15 win over Alcorn State … Washington State (1-11) picked up its first PAC 12 win of the season with an 8-7, 10-inning win over Oregon … Oral Roberts centerfielder Blake Hall went 5-for-5 with four runs, two home runs and six RBIs in the series-clinching win over Omaha.

Here is Sunday’s college baseball notebook.

College Baseball Diamond Notes (March 31)

There were two more no-hitters in NAIA baseball on Sunday. NAIA pitchers have thrown 14 no-hitters and one perfect game this season, including three no-hitters this weekend. Mount Marty (SD) College (NAIA) pitcher Blake Svoboda fired a 7-inning no-hitter in the 5-0 win over Morningside (Iowa) College. Waldorf (Iowa) University (NAIA) pitcher Mackenzie Pearson threw a 7-inning no-hitter in the 13-0 win over Dakota State (SD).

Here are Sunday’s college baseball highlights:

College Baseball Diamond Notes (Mar 26)

It was a wild Tuesday night, with numerous upsets on the college baseball landscape. Georgia (4), Oregon State (7), Coastal Carolina (12), Texas (13), LSU (17), Oklahoma (22) and Illinois (25) all lost to unranked teams. Other head scratchers included North Carolina A&T’s 2-0 win at South Carolina, Metro State (NCAA Division II) posting a 17-6 win over Division I foe Northern Colorado and Robert Morris (NAIA) out-slugging Eastern Illinois 14-10. Omaha had its 10-game winning streak snapped with a 12-2 loss at Wichita State.

Here is a look at Tuesday night’s college baseball notebook.

Perfect Games, No-Hitters and 10 RBIs

East Carolina left-hander Jake Kuchmaner tossed the first perfect game in school history as the Pirates completed a three-game sweep with 3-0 win at Maryland on Sunday. Arizona State (19-0, 3-0 Pac 12) , off to the third-best start in school history, is the lone undefeated team in the nation after Sunday’s 6-5 win over Washington State. North Carolina State (19-1, 5-1 ACC) suffered its first loss of the season, falling to Florida State 7-5 on Sunday.

Check out the latest college baseball news and notes.

College Baseball Notebook (March 16)

North Carolina State (19-0, 5-0 ACC) and Arizona State (18-0, 2-0 Pac 12) remain the only two undefeated Division I teams. Both teams posted walk-off wins on Saturday.

NC State posted a 9-8 walk-off win to earn the series win over Florida State. Tyler McDonough (3-4, 2 R, 2 RBI) delivered the walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth. McDonough had seven hits in the series. NC State tied the game on Brad Debo’s three-run home run in the eighth inning. Mike Salvatore went 4-5 with three runs scored and four RBIs for the Seminoles.

Arizona State defeated Washington State 8-7 on Sam Ferri’s (2-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI) walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Cougar scored the tying in the top of the ninth inning and looked poised to take the lead as Dillon Plew collided with home plate umpire Randy Sutton and had to retreat to third base. Gage Workman hit a two-run homer for ASU in the second inning. Plew, Danny Sinatro and Rob Teel all had two and two RBis for the Cougars. The Sun Devils are off to the fourth-start in school history behind 2010 (24-0), 1961 (21-0) and 2008 (19-0).