College Baseball

[batted balls]

July 12, 2007

The Ivy Eagles and Miami Hurricanes have distanced themselves from the rest of the pack in the All-American Baseball League East.

Both teams have put together winning streaks that have essentially turned the East pennant chase into a two-team race. Ivy, winners of six straight games, holds a one-game lead over Miami, winners of five in a row.

"Those two are pulling away," said Mississippi State manager Ron Polk whose team is in third place, seven games off the pace. "Their tail lights are still in view, but they're getting dimmer by the day."

Ivy, the defending AABL champions, have won 14 of their last 17 games. Pitcher Jim Beattie (12-4, 2.40 ERA) has won four consecutive decisions. Closer Dave Sisler (6-0, 21 saves, 0.99 ERA) has been nearly unhittable of late.

"Dave Sisler has long been overlooked by the league," said Ivy manager Bob Seddon. "That won't happen much longer."

What amazes Seddon is that his team's offense has slipped yet the Eagles continue to rack up victories. Case in point: Last season's Golden Spikes Award winner Lou Gehrig has seen his average dip to .273 and has hit only one home run since June 2. Yet, Gehrig continues to get timely hits for the Eagles.

"He always seems to deliver when we need it most," said Seddon of his first baseman who is hitting .348 with runners in scoring position and leads the East with 63 RBIs.

Down in Miami, the Hurricanes have won eight of their last 10. First baseman Pat Burrell has exploded. Burrell won the East Player of the Week award by getting 12 hits in his last 27 at-bats (.444). In addition, five of those hits have been home runs.

"I've worked on cutting down my swing and going with the pitch more," said Burrell who has struck out 76 times in 392 plate appearances. "I don't help the team when I don't make contact."

While pitcher Alex Fernandez (8-10, 3.65 ERA) continues to struggle, pitchers Warren Bogle (10-5, 2.20), Neal Heaton (8-3, 2.24), Wade Taylor (5-1, 3.48) and John Fulgham (8-5, 2.15) have picked up the slack. Closer Danny Graves (4-2, 18 saves, 1.95) anchors a solid bullpen.

Burrell (shown below) has added potency to a Hurricane lineup lead by All-Star catcher/designated hitter Mike Piazza (.284 with an East-leading 14 homers). F.P. Santangelo (.282-5-47) and Aubrey Huff (.280-3-39) are also solid bats.

"We aren't going away, and it appears neither is Ivy," said Huff.

Ivy and Miami play a three-game series in Bristol next week.

Diamond Notes: Notre Dame third baseman Cap Anson continues to lead the East in batting at .336. Mark Gilbert of Florida State is second at .323 while Michigan rookie Charlie Gehringer is third at .319 . . . Mike Piazza has taken over the home run lead from Ivy's Lou Gehrig. Piazza leads the home runs race 14-13 . . . Player of the Week Pat Burrell of Miami has a nine-game hitting streak . . . After his East-record 24-game hitting string was snapped, Florida State short stop Dick Howser went hitless in three of the next four games . . . Ivy closer Dick Sisler is tied with Donn Pall of Illinois for the East lead with 21 saves. Mississippi State's Bobby Thigpen is third with 20.

Stat of the Week: Lou Gehrig, the East All-Star starter at first base, is batting just .219 in July. Gehrig has just seven hits in his last 32 at-bats.

East Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Ivy 56 33 .629 --
Miami 55 34 .618 1.0
Mississippi State 49 40 .551 7.0
Michigan 47 42 .528 9.0
Illinois 46 43 .517 10.0
Louisiana State 46 43 .517 10.0
Florida State 42 47 .472 14.0
Minnesota 36 53 .404 20.0
Notre Dame 35 54 .393 21.0
Michigan State 33 56 .371 23.0

[batted balls]

July 12, 2007

Los Angeles--The injuries are mounting in the All-American Baseball League West. The biggest name to be sidelined belongs to Southern California pitcher Mark Prior.

Prior, 11-4 with a 2.29 ERA, will head to the 15-day disabled list with a pulled triceps muscle. The All-Star right-hander leads the West in strikeouts with 160 in just 126 innings pitched. Prior (shown below) was last season's Golden Arm Award winner.

"We're obviously concerned with Mark's injury," said Trojan manager Rod Dedeaux. "We do have the luxury of a lead in the West."

USC has won 13 straight games and has built an 11-game lead over second-place Arizona State. The Trojans are a remarkable 66-23.

Dedeaux indicated that left-hander Bill Lee will take Prior's slot in the rotation. Lee is 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA. Lee, who also has two saves, has made three starts in 10 appearances this season. Minor leaguer Brian Cooper was called up to take Prior's roster spot.

While USC lost one of its top pitchers, Arizona lost its starting short stop. Eddie Leon will be out at least two weeks with pulled ligaments in his throwing arm. Although Leon was batting just .154, Leon did manage to hit four home runs and drove home 29 runs.

"Eddie being out also hurts us defensively," said Arizona manager Jerry Kindall. "While he may not make too highlight reels, Eddie makes the routine play nearly every time."

Arizona will shift All-Star second baseman Jason Bates to short. Utility man Casey Candaele will take over at second. Outfielder Chip Hale was brought up from the minors.

"Jason won't be the kind of short stop Eddie is, but he'll hold his own," said Kindall. "Casey will give us a little more speed in the lineup."

Third-place UCLA lost starting pitcher Jim Parque. The left-hander will miss two weeks with a strained elbow. Parque was 7-7 with a 4.15 ERA in 17 starts. Right-hander Tim Leary (3-5, 4.76 ERA in 45 relief appearances) will take Parque's rotation turn. Boardwalk Brown came up from the minors to pitch out of the Bruin bullpen.

UCLA also sent Rich Amaral down to the minors. Amaral was struggling with a .188 average. Promising hitter Eric Karros was brought up. Karros was tearing up Triple-A ball with a .321 average, 27 home runs and 75 RBIs. Karros, an infielder, hit just .210 in 105 at-bats last year with UCLA.

Diamond Notes: USC's 13-game winning streak is just one short of Arizona State's record of 14 straight victories. The Sun Devils' streak came last season en route to the AABL West title . . . USC swept Arizona State in a brief two-game series right after the All-Star break. USC won both games by shutouts (7-0 and 5-0) . . . The Trojans have won 21 of their last 24 games . . . Trojan right-hander Tom Seaver may be turning things around. Seaver has won this last two starts with a 1.80 ERA. Seaver is 5-6 with a 3.07 ERA on the year . . . Mark Kotsay and Reed Johnson, recent minor league call-ups, have had mariginal success for Cal State Fullerton. Kotsay is batting .240 with one RBI for the Titans. Johnson is hitless in nine at-bats.

Stat of the Week: Stanford closer Steve Chitren has converted 15 straight save opportunities. If the right-hander can convert his next two save chances, Chitren will equal his record of 17 consecutive set a year ago.

West Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Southern California 66 23 .742 --
Arizona State 55 34 .618 11.0
UCLA 52 37 .584 14.0
Stanford 47 42 .528 19.0
California 45 44 .506 21.0
Arizona 43 46 .483 23.0
Texas 43 46 .483 23.0
San Diego State 34 55 .382 32.0
Cal State Fullerton 33 56 .371 33.0
Oklahoma State 27 62 .303 39.0

[batted balls]

July 13, 2007

Los Angeles--The Southern California Trojans continued their march into the record books Tuesday by battering rival UCLA 14-1 for a record 15th straight victory.

The Trojans rolled to an easy win with a seven-run fourth inning. USC added five more runs in the sixth inning to breeze to victory. Right-hander Jim Barr improved to 16-1 on the season with a complete game six-hit performance. Barr lowered his ERA to 1.68, third best in the All-American Baseball League West.

"Our hitters made it easy for me," said Barr. "It's unbelievable how hot we've been."

Trojan designated hitter John Berardino led the way with four hits in five at-bats. Berardino doubled home a pair of runs in the fourth.

"This is the kind of day you dream of as a hitter," said Berardino (shown below).

Center fielder Fred Lynn raised his West-leading average to .345 with three hits in four at-bats. Lynn swatted a two-run homer off UCLA starter and loser Glenn Mickens (4-5). Left fielder Steve Kemp later added a grand slam off reliever Floyd Chiffer in the sixth.

USC's winning streak topped a 14-game string set by Arizona State last year. The Trojans, 68-23, lead the Sun Devils by 11 games in the West standings.

Duffy Hits for Cycle One Day After Meyer

Berkeley, Calif.--One day after Arizona's Dan Meyer hit for the cycle, light-hitting Stanford short stop Frank Duffy duplicated the feat in an 8-3 Cardinal victory.

Duffy, who entered the game hitting just .191, collected four hits in five plate appearances. Duffy homered in the second off Cal starter Rich Nye. After drawing a walk the next inning, Duffy doubled in the fifth off reliever Tyler Walker. Duffy then singled off Walker in the seventh and tripled off the Cal reliever in the ninth.

"This is my best day batting by far," said Duffy after the game.

Mike Mussina (9-11) earned the win for Stanford. Nye (3-9) was the loser.

A day earlier, Meyer collected his cycle with a 4-for-5 day at the plate. Like Duffy, Meyer's first hit was a home run. The round-tripper was his fifth of the season. Meyer then collected a third-inning single, a fourth-inning double and a seventh-inning triple. All his hits came off Oklahoma State starter Allie Reynolds.

Meyer was on-deck when Oklahoma State closer Mike Henneman got the final out to preserve a 4-3 Cowboy win. It was Henneman's 13th save.

"The joy of hitting for the cycle is tainted by the fact we lost the game," said Meyer. "When I look back years from now, it will be a bigger deal."

Jon Adkins (2-5) earned the win in relief of Reynolds. Arizona starter Scott Erickson (6-9) took the loss.

[batted balls]

July 14, 2007

Palo Alto, Calif.--Stanford right-hander Jim Lonborg did something to Southern California's offense that hadn't been done for over two weeks. He defeated it.

"No, not by myself," said Lonborg after pitching a 5-0 shutout against USC. "The offense beat a tough pitcher. The defense played well. (Catcher) A.J. Hinch called a great game. It wasn't just me out there."

Yet, it was Lonborg who played the largest role in ending USC's record 15-game winning streak. The right-hander allowed just five hits, walked none and struck out eight in recording the second shutout of his career. Lonborg is 11-6.

"It's one of the better games I've pitched this year," said Lonborg (shown below).

Stanford's offense also managed to hand USC left-hander Randy Johnson (8-1) his first loss this season. Cardinal left fielder Dave Meier delivered the first blow with a three-run homer with two outs in the fourth inning.

"I hung a curve and he hammered hit," said Johnson. "A better pitch and maybe I'm out of that inning."

Two innings later, Cardinal third baseman Ed Sprague cracked his 12th home run, a solo shot.

From that point, both Lonborg and Johnson pitched near perfect baseball. USC didn't mount anything near a scoring threat after the sixth inning.

"Our number was up, it was their day," said USC center fielder Fred Lynn. "We're still in great shape."

The Trojans (68-24) hold an 11-game lead over second-place Arizona State in the All-American Baseball League West. USC and Stanford will play game two of their three-game series Thursday at Sunken Diamond. The Trojans will start lefty Barry Zito (11-3) against right-hander Dave Frost (5-3).

[batted balls]

July 21, 2007

Bristol, Conn.--The defending All-American Baseball League champions aren't ready to hand over their title just yet.

After dropping the opening game of a key three-game series with surging Miami, the Ivy Eagles rebounded to take the final two contests and regain first place.

"This is what it's all about," said Ivy manager Bob Seddon. "Two talented teams battling for the pennant. Fortunately for us, things turned out our way this time."

Ivy and Miami will meet seven more times, including a rain makeup game on the last day of the season.

"It may well come down to that very game," said Miami manager Ron Fraser.

The Hurricanes took the series opener Sunday 3-1 behind the strong pitching of Neal Heaton (9-4) and Oscar Munoz (third save). Aubrey Huff and Bobby Hill were each 2-for-4 with key RBIs. Huff hit his fifth home run of the year off loser Ted Olson (10-6) to break a 1-1 tie in the sixth. The victory was the Hurricanes fifth straight.

Game two proved to be the series best. Ivy rallied with a four-run eighth inning to tie the game. The Eagles then won it in the ninth on an RBI single by All-Star short stop Hughie Jennings. Hurricane closer Danny Graves (4-3) blew just his third save of the season and suffered the loss. Bob Tufts (3-2) was the winner in relief for Ivy.

The rubber game of the series was dominated by the Eagles. Starter Pete Broberg (11-8) pitched seven strong innings before giving way to relievers Chris Young and Dick Sisler. After Young retired his one batter, Sisler pitched perfect ball for 1.2 innings to notch his East-leading 24th save.

"Sisler continues to get the job done for us," said Seddon.

Ivy first baseman Lou Gehrig led the Eagle attack with a 2-for-4 peformance that included his East-leading 18th home run. Jennings, Roy Thomas and Red Rolfe all had two hits for Ivy.

"That's the thing about us, we have a number of fellas who can get the job done," said Gehrig.

Ivy, 61-23, next travels to Baton Rouge for a two-game series with LSU. Miami, 60-37, will host Michigan in a two-game set.

Diamond Notes: Michigan State outfielder Kirk Gibson was the winner of the East Player of the Week. Gibson (shown below) batted .588 with a home run and seven RBIs . . . Notre Dame fell into last place. The Fighting Irish are just 3-13 in July . . . Jim Beattie of Ivy, Fred Beebe of Illinois and Dave "Boo" Ferriss of Mississippi State all have 12 wins, tops in the East . . . Texas reactivated infielder Dave Chalk from the disabled list. Walter Morris was optioned to Triple-A . . . Dave Sisler has converted seven straight save opportunities for Ivy.

Stat of the Week: Ivy first baseman Lou Gehrig broke out of his home run slump. The All-Star slugger swatted five homers in eight games to retake the East lead in longballs with 18.

East Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Ivy 61 36 .629 --
Miami 60 37 .619 1.0
Mississippi State 54 43 .557 7.0
Michigan 52 45 .536 9.0
Illinois 49 48 .505 12.0
Louisiana State 49 48 .505 12.0
Florida State 46 51 .474 15.0
Minnesota 40 57 .412 21.0
Michigan State 38 59 .392 23.0
Notre Dame 36 61 .371 25.0

[batted balls]

July 21, 2007

Tempe, Ariz.--Bob Horner and his teammates know time is running out. That's why the Arizona State Sun Devils are doing everything in their power to get back into the pennant race.

Arizona State has won five consecutive games at a time when front-running Southern California has lost two straight. That means the Sun Devils are nine games out of first place in the All-American Baseball League West.

"It's a complete reversal of last year," said Horner. "Last summer we were hot and building up a substantial lead. This year it's been USC."

Before losing two games in a row, the Trojans had reeled off a record 15 consecutive victories. The old record was 14 straight by Arizona State a year ago.

"We lost our record, now we're trying not to lose the division," said Horner, the Sun Devil All-Star third baseman.

Horner and his teammates know it will be difficult to catch USC. The two teams play each other seven more times before the season ends.

"We've got to win most of those games," said Sun Devil short stop Pat Listach. "Those head-to-head games are a great way to make up lost ground fast."

Yet, Arizona State manager Bobby Winkles cautions his team that all the remaining games are important.

"We don't play USC again until early August," Winkles said. "Before that series we have plenty to worry about."

Diamond Notes: USC center fielder Fred Lynn won the West Player of the Week for the second time this season. Lynn, who was selected as the May Player of the Month, hit .520 with one home run and four RBIs. Lynn leads the West in batting (.353) and doubles (32) . . . Arizona State right-hander Gary Gentry ran his AABL-record scoreless streak to 27 innings before giving up a run to Texas in his last start. Gentry (shown below) is 9-1 and leads the West with a 1.40 ERA . . . Stanford outfielder Jeffrey Hammonds needs just four stolen bases to break the record of 25 steals set last season by Hubie Brooks of Arizona State . . . With two home runs in the last two days, UCLA first baseman Bob Hamelin has increased his West-leading total to 33 four-baggers . . . With a three-game sweep of Texas and seven wins in its last 10 games, Cal State Fullerton has moved into a tie for eighth place with San Diego State.

Stat of the Week: After saving 15 straight games, Stanford closer Steve Chitren has blown and lost three straight save opportunities.

West Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Southern California 71 26 .732 --
Arizona State 62 35 .639 9.0
UCLA 55 42 .567 16.0
Stanford 51 46 .526 20.0
California 50 47 .515 21.0
Arizona 45 52 .464 26.0
Texas 45 52 .464 26.0
Cal State Fullerton 38 59 .392 33.0
San Diego State 38 59 .392 33.0
Oklahoma State 30 67 .309 41.0

[molarmite]

Still not doing great, but better.

[batted balls]

July 24, 2007

South Bend, Ind.--Warren Bogle went where no man has gone this season. The Miami left-hander threw the first no-hitter of the year in the All-American Baseball League.

Bogle (12-5) primarily used his breaking pitches to baffle the hitters in a 1-0 victory over Notre Dame.

"They really seemed to be having trouble with those pitches today," said Bogle. "I just kept throwing them."

Bogle walked two and struck out nine in a 111-pitch performance.

"Warren was top notch today," said Miami catcher Mike Piazza. "They were really fooled by his change of speeds."

Bogle got some defensive help with the last batter of the game. Carl Yastrzemski, normally a starter, pinch-hit for the Irish with two outs in the ninth. Yastrzemski drilled a 2-1 curve into the right-center field gap. Miami center fielder Orlando Palmeiro, however, got a great jump on the ball and caught it while running full speed just steps short of the warning track.

"Orlando made a great play," said Bogle. "I owe him big time."

Notre Dame starter Ed Reulbach was also tough on the Hurricane hitters. Reulbach (7-13) held Miami in check for most of the day. The Hurricanes were finally able to score a run in the top of the eighth. Short stop Dave Berg, who was 3-for-4, singled home the game's lone run.

"We saw what happened to Roger Clemens of Texas a few weeks ago," said Berg. "We didn't want that to happen to Warren."

The no-hitter is the first since John Ericks of Illinois pitched one July 18 of last year. Oklahoma State's Allie Reynolds has the only other no-hitter in AABL history.

Boxscore for Warren Bogle's No-Hitter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Miami 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 6 0
Notre Dame 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

Miami AB R H RBI BB K AVG HR RBI
G. Vaughn LF 3 0 1 0 0 0 .269 8 39
J. Fabregas PH 0 0 0 0 0 0 .283 3 22
A. Cora 2B 0 0 0 0 0 0 .253 1 5
D. Berg SS 4 0 3 1 0 1 .265 5 40
M. Piazza C 3 0 1 0 1 0 .301 16 49
P. Burrell 1B 4 0 0 0 0 1 .228 10 38
A. Huff 3B 4 0 0 0 0 0 .286 5 45
F. Santangelo RF 4 0 0 0 0 0 .278 6 52
O. Palmeiro CF 4 0 1 0 0 1 .220 5 42
O. Gonzalez DH 3 0 0 0 0 1 .215 2 23
B. Hill 2B 3 0 0 0 0 0 .253 8 32
G. Gandarillas PR 0 1 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0
J. Michaels LF 0 0 0 0 0 0 .152 0 6
Totals 32 1 6 1 1 4

BATTING
Runs Batted In: D. Berg (40)
Sacrifice Hits: J. Fabregas (2)


Notre Dame AB R H RBI BB K AVG HR RBI
R. Mills 1B 3 0 0 0 1 0 .171 3 10
P. O'Neill C 3 0 0 0 0 2 .194 1 12
C. Yastrzemski PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 .261 5 43
C. Anson 3B 3 0 0 0 0 0 .328 1 34
R. Murray DH 3 0 0 0 0 2 .298 2 46
C. Williams CF 3 0 0 0 0 1 .240 3 13
B. Reed 2B 3 0 0 0 0 1 .150 1 19
P. Schramka LF 2 0 0 0 1 2 .176 4 28
S. Fitzmaurice RF 3 0 0 0 0 0 .174 2 5
C. Counsell SS 3 0 0 0 0 1 .157 4 22
Totals 27 0 0 0 2 9

BATTING

FIELDING
Errors: C. Anson (22)

Miami IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA RECORD
W. Bogle W 9 0 0 0 2 9 0 111 69 2.00 12-5

PITCHING
Batters Faced: W. Bogle 29
Ground Balls-Fly Balls: W. Bogle 11-7
Game Score: W. Bogle 94

Notre Dame IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA RECORD
E. Reulbach L 7.2 6 1 1 1 3 0 109 68 2.51 7-13
E. Hanyzewski 1.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 18 10 3.84

PITCHING
Batters Faced: E. Reulbach 30, E. Hanyzewski 4
Ground Balls-Fly Balls: E. Reulbach 12-7, E. Hanyzewski 1-2
Game Score: E. Reulbach 65

GAME INFO
Time: 2:51
Attendance: 11656 (45000) at Frank Eck Stadium
Weather: Clear skies (86 degrees), wind blowing right to left at 8 mph
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Warren Bogle

[batted balls]

July 25, 2007

Stillwater, Okla.--It turns out that Southern California pitcher Mark Prior didn't like being on the disabled list after all.

In his first start since being activated from the DL and one day after Miami's Warren Bogle threw the season's first no-hitter, Prior hurled one of his own as USC downed Oklahoma State 4-0.

"It's incredible what this guy can do," said USC manager Rod Dedeaux. "Simply incredible."

Prior (12-4) threw his no-hitter in style. The right-hander walked just one and struck out 14 Cowboy batters. Only two hitters reached base, one on Prior's walk and the other on an error by third baseman Dave Kingman.

Prior used 101 pitches in his gem, 66 for strikes.

The first-place Trojans were led offensively by Ron Fairly who was 4-for-4 with an RBI. Mark McGwire has a two-run double off losing pitcher Tom Borland (5-10).

Oklahoma State, mired in last place of the AABL West, was nearly no-hit on July 9 by Texas right-hander Roger Clemens. Cowboy infielder Jerry Adair broke up Clemens' bid with a 10th inning double.

Boxscore for Mark Prior's No-Hitter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Southern California 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 4 12 1
Oklahoma State 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Southern California AB R H RBI BB K AVG HR RBI
A. Boone 2B 5 0 0 0 0 0 .320 7 40
J. McAnany DH 4 1 2 0 1 0 .229 1 18
M. McGwire 1B 5 0 1 2 0 1 .254 25 82
D. Kingman 3B 5 0 0 0 0 1 .244 24 73
S. Kemp LF 3 1 1 0 1 1 .204 6 40
J. Berardino RF 4 1 2 0 0 0 .250 7 50
R. Fairly CF 4 0 4 1 0 0 .223 2 20
J. Brideweser SS 4 0 1 1 0 1 .208 3 32
C. Moeller C 4 1 1 0 0 1 .253 6 28
Totals 38 4 12 4 2 5

BATTING
Doubles: M. McGwire (14, 5th inning off Borland, 2 on, 2 out.)
Runs Batted In: M. McGwire 2 (82), R. Fairly (20), J. Brideweser (32)

FIELDING
Errors: D. Kingman (15)

Oklahoma State AB R H RBI BB K AVG HR RBI
J. Burnitz CF 4 0 0 0 0 3 .242 6 25
J. Adair 2B 3 0 0 0 0 2 .200 2 25
P. Incaviglia LF 2 0 0 0 0 1 .240 17 38
D. Thompson 3B 3 0 0 0 0 1 .282 7 41
D. Doyle C 3 0 0 0 0 1 .186 2 7
M. Fariss DH 3 0 0 0 0 3 .184 1 3
E. Mickelson 1B 3 0 0 0 0 1 .204 0 4
G. Green SS 2 0 0 0 1 2 .201 2 26
A. Wright RF 3 0 0 0 0 0 .197 2 26
Totals 26 0 0 0 1 14

BATTING

Southern California IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA RECORD
M. Prior W 9 0 0 0 1 14 0 101 66 2.13 12-4

PITCHING
Batters Faced: M. Prior 27
Ground Balls-Fly Balls: M. Prior 8-5
Game Score: M. Prior 100

Oklahoma State IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA RECORD
T. Borland L 5.1 9 4 4 2 3 0 97 61 3.92 5-10
S. Baker 3.2 3 0 0 0 2 0 44 31 3.02

PITCHING
Batters Faced: T. Borland 26, S. Baker 14
Ground Balls-Fly Balls: T. Borland 7-5, S. Baker 6-3
Game Score: T. Borland 35

GAME INFO
Time: 2:59
Attendance: 11679 (45000) at Reynolds Stadium
Weather: Cloudy (80 degrees), wind blowing out to right at 21 mph
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Mark Prior

[glenn]

Excellent thread and great concept. I haven't been reading many dynasties, while getting mine started, but this is nicely written.

I was disappointed that my Canes fell short in season one, but it looks like they've got a good shot this year. I'll definitely being following, and rooting for the Canes.

[batted balls]

Thanks for the kind comments, Glenn. Thanks also to the regular followers on this dynasty. Hope you enjoy it the rest of the way.

[batted balls]

August 2, 2007

Bristol, Conn.--We're not defending our All-American Baseball League title. We're after another one.

The above two sentences have been the theme of the 2007 Ivy Eagles. From the look of things lately, manager Bob Seddon's Eagles might just get that next title.

Although its recent 10-game win streak was broken, Ivy has won 19 of its last 23 games. Thus, the Eagles have opened a three-game lead over second-place Miami. The Hurricanes are 7-3 in their last 10 games.

"The king never dies easy," said Miami manager Ron Fraser.

Miami and Ivy will not meet again until mid-September.

"We'll be scoreboard watching as I'm certain they will as well," said Seddon. "But in the meantime, we've got to take care of the games at hand."

East Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Ivy 70 37 .654 --
Miami 67 40 .626 3.0 3
Michigan 58 49 .542 12.0
Mississippi State 58 49 .542 12.0
Louisiana State 54 53 .505 16.0
Florida State 53 54 .495 17.0
Illinois 53 54 .495 17.0
Minnesota 44 63 .411 26.0
Michigan State 39 68 .364 31.0
Notre Dame 39 68 .364 31.0

Player of the Month: Mike Piazza, Miami (shown below)

Pitcher of the Month: Warren Bogle, Miami

Stat of the Week: Minnesota closer Gregg Olson has given up just five earned runs in 53 innings this season.

July Team-By-Team Reports

Ivy: The proper balance of pitching and offense that manager Bob Seddon preaches continues to work. Jim Beattie (14-4, 2.19 ERA) headlines the starting rotation. Ted Olson (12-6, 2.92) and Pete Broberg (12-9, 2.71) have had good second halves. While first baseman Lou Gehrig's average has dipped to .265, the All-Star leads the East in home runs (20) and RBIs (80). Designated hitter Gene Larkin (.279-10-53) gives the Eagles more power from the left side. Sam Mele (.278-5-46) earned Player of the Week honors in late July.
Miami: Catcher Mike Piazza and pitcher Warren Bogle swept the monthly awards for the Hurricanes. Piazza (.305-17-52) hit .424 and slugged .635 in July. Bogle was 5-0 with two shutouts and a no-hitter. Miami also got strong performances out of starters Wade Taylor (7-1, 2.99 ERA), John Fulgham (10-7, 2.58) and Neal Heaton (9-5, 2.64). Backing up Piazza in the lineup are Aubrey Huff (.281-5-50) and F.P. Santangelo (.272-6-56).
Michigan: While left-handed All-Star Geoff Zahn (12-6, 1.88 ERA) anchors the staff, righty Steve Ontiveros (11-8, 2.07) adds a new dimension. Outside of rookie Charlie Gehringer (.327-2-42) and first baseman George Sisler (.294-7-58), offensive support has been lacking. Short stop Barry Larkin (.208-3-47) and third baseman Chris Sabo (.235-0-42) are a combined 6-for-their last 70 (.085).
Mississippi State: A year ago the Bulldogs lacked consistent pitching. This season the arms are there, it's the bats that seem to have disappeared. All-Star starters Dave "Boo" Ferriss (12-7, 1.63) and Jonathan Papelbon (12-5, 1.66) rank 1-2 in ERA. Closer Bobby Thigpen (23 saves, 0.47) had his scoreless streak snapped at 26.2 innings--just .1 inning short of tying Arizona State starter Gary Gentry's record. While Rafael Palmeiro (.272-10-61) and Hughie Critz (.293-4-57) have been offensive threats, Will Clark (.296-4-29) has disappointed.
LSU: The Tigers seem to be building for the future. Starters Mike Sirotka (9-6, 3.23 ERA) and Clay Parker (9-4, 2.54) have pitched well. Even Paul Byrd (1-4 despite a 1.89 ERA) shows signs of success. Offensively, All-Stars Warren Morris (.303-11-42), Joe Adcock (.301-5-56) and Albert Belle (.281-9-51) put fear into opposing pitchers. Minor league star Brad Hawpe (.298-34-84 at Triple-A) may be brought up soon.
Florida State: Starter Bruce Tanner (13-7, 3.18 ERA) was named Player of the Week. Lefty Paul Wilson (7-10, 2.77) has had some bright moments, but stopper Craig Skok (21 saves, 1.34) has stumbled of late. With little else in the lineup, All-Star Mark Gilbert (.306-5-51) and infielder Jody Reed (.271-4-41) haven't seen many pitches to hit since the break.
Illinois: Pitching remains the Illini strength. All-Star Game starter Fred Beebe (13-7, 2.39 ERA) is better than his record indicates. Strikeout leader Jeff Innis (11-6, 1.76, 126 Ks) possesses top-notch stuff. Yet, last year's Golden Arm winner Carl Lundgren (6-10, 3.30) has been hit hard. Short stop Lou Boudreau (.251-4-41) is the best of an ailing offense. Right fielder George Halas (.225-3-35) went on the DL with a hip injury. That means top prospect Darrin Fletcher will make his long-awaited big league debut. Fletcher's Triple-A numbers (.331-10-47) were impressive.
Minnesota: Bryan Hickerson (9-6, 2.47 ERA), Denny Neagle (7-11, 3.88) and Steve Comer (5-14, 3.45) have all pitched inconsistently as starters. Closer Gregg Olson (20 saves, 0.84 ERA) has been nearly unhittable. Paul Molitor (.327-4-44) is in the chase for the batting race. Jerry Kindall (.173), Robb Quinlan (.190) and J.T. Bruett (.194) are not.
Michigan State: Just when the Spartans seemed to be making progress, nine straight losses have them joining Notre Dame in the East cellar. A lackluster offense (19th in team average and runs scored) is largely to blame. Steve Garvey (.310-5-34) and Kirk Gibson (.297-10-56) are being pitched around. Starter Ed Hobaugh's 1.92 ERA does not measure up to his 8-13 record. The same is true for southpaw Mark Mulder (3.14 ERA, 4-12).
Notre Dame: Fighting Irish manager Pat Murphy is fighting for his job. Notre Dame has just six wins in its last 26 games. Ed Reulbach (7-14, 2.57 ERA) and Norwood Gibson (7-15, 2.97) top the team in victories. The low-power offense contains four players batting below .200. All-Star Cap Anson (.337-1-36) leads the East in hitting.

[batted balls]

August 2, 2007

Los Angeles--As the All-American Baseball League season moves into the dog days of August, UCLA first baseman Bob Hamelin is doing his best to earn the Golden Spikes Award.

The award, which is given annually to the best payer in each division, is within the grasp of Hamelin. The All-Star slugger earned the July West Player of the Month award. That marks the second consecutive month Hamelin has won the honor.

"I'm hitting the ball as well as I ever have," said Hamelin. "The hits are definitely falling for me."

Hamelin, who also won the All-Star Game MVP, hit 13 home runs and drove home 23 in July. A .301 hitter, Hamelin is fifth in the West batting chase. His 41 homers lead the division and his 80 RBIs are second only to USC's Mark McGwire (87).

"Bob just keeps getting better," said UCLA manager Art Reichle. "No one really wants to pitch to him right now."

West Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Southern California 79 28 .738 --
Arizona State 71 36 .664 8.0
UCLA 62 45 .579 17.0
California 56 51 .523 23.0
Stanford 55 52 .514 24.0
Texas 51 56 .477 28.0
Arizona 48 59 .449 31.0
Cal State Fullerton 41 66 .383 38.0
San Diego State 40 67 .374 39.0
Oklahoma State 32 75 .299 47.0

Player of the Month: Bob Hamelin, UCLA

Pitcher of the Month: Mike Mussina, Stanford (shown below)

Stat of the Week: Reigning Golden Glove second baseman Pete Coscarart of San Diego State has committed 32 errors this season.

July Team-By-Team Reports

Southern California: The Trojans have won 21 of their last 26 games. The starting rotation is strong from top to bottom. Jim Barr (17-2, 1.91 ERA) is on his way to the Golden Arm Award. Mark Prior (13-4, 2.18, no-hitter), Barry Zito (12-5, 2.06), Randy Johnson (8-1, 2.22) and Bill Lee (6-1, 1.61) leave no easy days for opponents. Spot starter Tom Seaver (7-6, 2.81) has won four straight decisions. Closer Ray Lamb (29 saves, 1.62) shuts the door consistently. The offense is power-laden with Mark McGwire (26 home runs), Dave Kingman (24) and Fred Lynn (18).
Arizona State: The Sun Devils are hoping to make a run at USC. Arizona State's offense is first in average (.272) and runs (531). Golden Spikes candidate Bob Horner (.322-30-77) packs quite a wallop. Paul Moskau (16-4, 1.96 ERA) has won 13 straight decisions. Left-hander Floyd Bannister (12-4, 2.24) and right-hander Gary Gentry (9-1, 1.74) keep hitters off balance.
UCLA: Conversations about the Bruins always seem to start with first baseman Bob Hamelin. The All-Star leads the West in OPS (1.156) and runs scored (85). UCLA has slugged a league-leading 115 home runs and also drawn an AABL-high 514 walks. Troy Glaus (.229-19-72), Todd Zeile (.254-12-58) and Jackie Robinson (.262-10-50) are dangerous. Starter Dave Schmidt (11-4) has the West's second-best ERA at 1.89.
Cal: Bill "Bugs" Werle (13-7, 2.09 ERA) has been the most reliable starter. Andy Messersmith (9-5, 2.09) has been strong as well. Former 20-game winner Oval Overall (10-11, 3.12) has been up-and-down. Sam Chapman (.281-23-59) and Jeff Kent (.263-15-58) are the offense's best.
Stanford: The Cardinal have slipped, dropping seven of the last 10 games. Pitcher of the Month Mike Mussina (11-11, 3.58 ERA) has won five consecutive decisions. Jim Lonborg (12-8, 2.86) leads the staff. Ed Sprague (.273-15-46), Steve Buechele (.244-12-44) and Steve Hovley (.271-7-39) are the main extra-base threats. Jeffrey Hammonds (.287-7-44-22 steals) is closing in on the single-season stolen base record.
Texas: The disabled list has claimed promising starter Rich "Tex" Wortham (6-3, 2.56 ERA). A look at the records of Bruce Ruffin (10-10), Roger Clemens (9-9) and Greg Swindell (9-9) tells the story of the Longhorns. Grady Hatton (.296-11-46) leads a struggling offense.
Arizona: The Wildcats have become the Mildcats, losing seven of their last 10. Don Lee (8-10, 4.73 ERA) is the top starter. Trevor Hoffman (26 saves, 3.23) is second only to Ray Lamb of USC in saves. Jason Bates (.293-9-46), Kenny Lofton (.305-4-44-6 steals) and Dan Meyer (.290-7-31-14 steals) spearhead the offense.
Cal State Fullerton: The offense is beginning to look like one of CSF alum Kevin Costner's bad movies (think "For the Love of the Game"). The Titans are the worst in the AABL in average (.211), runs scored (285) and walks (265). Mike Lamb (.273-7-38) is the best of a sorry bunch. Aaron Rowand (.222-2-26) has struck out 104 times. Greg Mathews (6-12, 2.85 ERA) and Kirk Sarloos (6-11, 3.33) are the best the pitching staff has to offer.
San Diego State: First-year manager Charlie Smith has tried virtually everthing to ignite his team. His latest strategy involves replacing Dan Murray (1-11, 4.57 ERA) in the starting rotation with Mike Couchee (9-6, 2.69, 2 saves). Aaron Harang (6-8, 2.82) continues to be solid but is bothered by a bad back. After triumphing in his first start, Bud Black (1-3, 6.10) is winless. Mark Grace (.271-3-26), Travis Lee (.217-15-58) and Tony Gwynn (.276-7-43) remain the offensive threats.
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys are just plain bad. Oklahoma State has lost 12 of its last 14 games. Pitcher Joe Price (1-1, 6.61 ERA) and third baseman Robin Ventura (.263-3-34) were both lost to injuries in the same game. An All-Star a year ago, right-hander Tim Pugh is 5-13 with a 4.56 ERA this season. Five players in the starting lineup are batting below .215. Former All-Star Pete Incaviglia (.239-17-38) has struck out 94 times in 381 at-bats. Infielder Danny Thompson (.279-7-41) seems to be the only player meeting with success.

[batted balls]

August 9, 2007

Tallahassee, Fla.--Despite dropping a 1-0 decision in 11 innings Sunday to arch-rival Florida State, Miami manager Ron Fraser feels good these days.

"Sure, we'd love to have won today," Fraser said. "But we're back in business with our recent hot streak. Heck, you can't win everyday."

While Fraser's words ring true, a Miami victory Sunday would have given the Hurricanes a sweep of Florida State and sole possession of first place in the All-American Baseball League East.

Sunday's loss didn't sit as well with the Hurricane players.

"It's a game we should have won," said third baseman Mike Pagliarulo whose throwing error allowed the winning run to score. "My error cost us first place."

Fraser wasn't about to point the blame in his third baseman's direction however.

"We only got four hits in 11 innings," Fraser said. "Our lineup is better than that. Still, Ivy feels us breathing down their necks."

Ivy feels heat coming from a variety of directions these days. The Eagles have lost four straight games and watched their lead shrink by three games.

"We've hit a bump in the road, that's for sure," said Ivy manager Bob Seddon after his team dropped a three-game series to third-place Mississippi State.

Ivy, which scored just five runs in the three games against the Bulldogs, next hosts Florida State for three games. After a three-game series at LSU, the Eagles host Miami August 17-19.

"Neither team can afford to look ahead," cautioned Seddon.

Before playing Ivy, Miami hosts suddenly hot Michigan in a three-game series and then plays four games against last-place Notre Dame in South Bend.

Diamond Notes: Michigan pitcher Geoff Zahn took East Player of the Week honors. Zahn pitched two consecutive shutouts, raising his record to 14-6. The left-hander lowered his ERA to 1.72, third best in the division . . . The Woverines moved into a third-place tie with Mississippi State thanks to seven wins in the last 10 games . . . Ivy closer Dave Sisler (shown below) has converted his last 13 save chances . . . Notre Dame third baseman Cap Anson (.340) has stretched his lead in the batting race to 16 points over Paul Molitor of Minnesota (.324) . . . Catcher Darrin Fletcher made his Illinois debut August 1 against Michigan. Fletcher doubled in his first at-bat against left-hander Lary Sorensen. Fletcher (7-for-28, .250) hit his first career home run off Miami's Wade Taylor three days later.

Stat of the Week: While Miami was winning six of its last eight games, the heart of the Hurricane order (Pat Burrell, Mike Piazza and Dave Berg) was a combined 5-for-68 (.073) with one home run and four RBIs.

East Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Ivy 72 42 .632 --
Miami 72 42 .632 --
Michigan 63 51 .553 9.0
Mississippi State 63 51 .553 9.0
Louisiana State 59 55 .518 13.0
Florida State 56 58 .491 16.0
Illinois 55 59 .482 17.0
Minnesota 45 69 .395 27.0
Michigan State 43 71 .377 29.0
Notre Dame 42 72 .368 30.0

[batted balls]

August 9, 2007

Stillwater, Okla.--Pete Incaviglia finally gave Oklahoma State Cowboy fans something to cheer about. The left fielder was named All-American Baseball League West Player of the Week.

"It's about time I did something this year," said Incaviglia. "These fans deserve something."

Incaviglia hit .360 and drove home nine runs during the stretch. Four of his nine hits were home runs.

"Pete gave us a lift this week," said Oklahoma State manager Gary Ward. "He showed what he's still capable of."

A season ago, Incaviglia earned a spot on the West All-Star team. His final numbers (.263-43-103) put him among the top sluggers in the AABL. This season, however, has been a struggle.

"I've swung at a ton of bad pitches," said. Incaviglia. "Maybe I'm trying to do too much."

Ward agrees, "When you're playing on a last-place club, you do things that take you away from success because you want to turn things around all by yourself. That rarely works out well."

Since the All-Star break, Incaviglia has batted .300 and raised his season totals to a .246 average with 21 home runs and 47 RBIs.

"That's a far cry from where I was a year ago," said Incaviglia. "But it's a whole lot better than I was batting in April (.195)."

Diamond Notes: Although Southern California has played only .500 ball in its last 10 games, the Trojans took 2-of-3 from Arizona State in Tempe. USC holds an eight-game lead over the Sun Devils . . . USC right-hander Jim Barr (19-2) goes for his 20th victory in his next start . . . Arizona State's Paul Moskau saw his 13-game winning streak come to an end August 6 in a 4-3 loss to USC . . . Sun Devil Reggie Jackson has stolen eight straight bases. Jackson is now tied with Stanford's Jeffrey Hammonds for the West lead with 22 thefts . . . Cal State Fullerton infielder Jose Mota (.222-7-48) was placed on the disabled list with a severely strained back. Pitcher Adam Johnson (0-1, 3.86 ERA) took Mota's roster spot after being activated from the DL.

Stat of the Week: Nine West batters have already reached the 100-strikeout plateau. Cal State Fullerton outfielder Aaron Rowand has struck out the most times (112). Dave Kingman of USC has the highest strikeout percentage (111 Ks in 390 AB for 28%).

West Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Southern California 83 31 .728 --
Arizona State 75 39 .658 8.0
UCLA 67 47 .588 16.0
California 58 56 .509 25.0
Stanford 58 56 .509 25.0
Texas 53 61 .465 30.0
Arizona 52 62 .456 31.0
Cal State Fullerton 45 69 .395 38.0
San Diego State 44 70 .386 39.0
Oklahoma State 35 79 .307 48.0

[batted balls]

Max Mercy, Jr. here again, folks . . .

Ole Max is gonna talk pennant race. Notice, folks, that I said pennant race, pennant races. Take it from Ole Max, the West is won. Eight is enough. As in that eight-game lead the Men of Troy have over Arizona State. It may as well be eighty-eight. The Sun Devils are the Done Devils.

As for the East, it's a coin flip right now between Ivy and Miami. They're so close you couldn't squeeze a bunt between 'em. A week ago, folks started to think the defending champs from Bristol were pulling away from the Hurricanes. Ole Max was startin' to think that poor-excuse of of a movie made out of an entertaining, edgy '80s TV show wasn't the only thing bearing the name of Miami that stunk. Then lo and behold, manager Ron Fraser's gang came out firing. No, there's no Crockett and Tubbs involved here (remember, Crockett was a football star). But, there's plenty of talent named Bogle, Graves, Piazza and Burrell.

Yet, don't write off Ivy (Ole Max's spring training pick to win it all). Bob Seddon is a helluva manager. The Eagles have talent with names like Beattie, Sisler, Gehrig and Larkin. Ivy has been there, done that. Remember this is a club that won 104 games and swept away Arizona State a year ago. Champions don't go away easy.

In seven more days, Ivy and Miami square off in Bristol's Eagles Nest Park for three games. Come September, these two dynamos will play four more times: a two-game series on the 13th and 14th and a make-up game the 26th. All three of those games are in Miami's Alex Rodriquez Stadium by the way. Then comes what could turn out to be the game of the regular season. It will be played on the final day, Oct. 2, with Ivy hosting Miami. Can it get any better than that?

In case you're wondering, Ivy holds an 8-4 advantage thus far in the season series. Does that matter now? Maybe it does; maybe it doesn't. The following stats may matter though. Miami plays the East's bottom three teams (Minnesota, Michigan State and Notre Dame) 18 times; Ivy will play those lousy clubs (130-212 combined record to date) 12 times. Edge to Miami, right? Not so fast. A closer look shows that Ivy (28-13) has a better record against those three bottom feeders than does Miami (21-15). In fact, Ivy has an 11-1 record against Michigan State with six games left with the Spartans.

What about the games against the rest of the East, Max? What are the teams' records against the likes of Michigan, Mississippi State, Illinois, Florida State and LSU? What about it, Max? Thanks for asking. Ivy is 36-25 (.590) against those teams. The Eagles are 8-4 against Michigan yet just 6-5 against Florida State. Miami is 43-23 (.651) against the East sans the bottom three. The Hurricanes have pounded Florida State 10-4 yet struggled with Michigan at 6-5.

So what does all this mean? The hell if Ole Max knows. When it comes to stats and cliches, throw them all out. Does it matter that Miami has played 14 extra-inning games and Ivy only 10? No, instead the Eagles and the Hurricanes will play 'em one game at a time, give 110% and the good Lord willing, come out on top.

Meaningless stats and boring cliched answers, yes. Meaningless games still on the schedule and boring baseball, no. So, here's to Ivy and Miami, may the best team win. Hopefully, on the regular season's last day.

This is Max Mercy, Jr. signing off until next time . . .

[batted balls]

August 17, 2007

South Bend, Ind.--Following a three-game sweep of Michigan, Miami was licking its chops heading into a four-game series with last-place Notre Dame. Four days later, the Irish had watched the Hurricanes die out.

Notre Dame, 45-76, took the first three games of the series before Miami managed to salvage the final game Monday afternoon.

"We definitely were outplayed," Miami manager Ron Fraser said. "I wouldn't say that we overlooked them, but we were certainly flat."

Notre Dame came up with timely hitting and strong pitching to take the series from Miami.

"We haven't played well for most of the season, but this series we really put a lot of good things together," said Irish catcher Clem "Count" Clemens, whose three-run homer lifted Notre Dame to a 3-1 victory in the series opener.

"That game set the tone for the series," said Notre Dame manager Pat Murphy.

Yet, Miami still only trails first-place Ivy by one game in the All-American Baseball League East. Like the Hurricanes, the Eagles stumbled on the road. After a four-game winning streak, Ivy lost two of three at LSU. Ivy and Miami now square off for a three-game series in Bristol.

"Maybe we looked ahead to our series with Ivy too much, I don't know," said Fraser. "What I do know is that we need to play more like we did today (when Miami defeated Notre Dame 4-1) than we did the previous three days."

Tuesday's series opener will match Miami left-hander Neal Heaton (9-5, 2.53 ERA) against Ivy right-hander Ted Olson (12-7, 3.01).

Diamond Notes: Despite the fact his team lost its series at Notre Dame, Miami first baseman Orlando Gonzalez was chosen as East Player of the Week. Gonzalez (shown below) hit .526 with one home run and four RBIs for the week. Gonzalez also had a .550 on-base percentage . . . Michigan was dealt a severe blow to its starting rotation. Right-hander Steve Ontiveros (12-8, 2.17 ERA) was placed on the disabled list when he experienced pain in his rotar cuff. Ontiveros is expected to miss at least six weeks . . . Michigan State left-hander Mark Mulder two-hit Notre Dame August 11. Mulder (6-12) walked none and struck out six en route to his third career shutout.

Stat of the Week: First-place Ivy is an incredible 44-18 (.750) in road games this season.

East Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Ivy 77 44 .636 --
Miami 76 45 .628 1.0
Mississippi State 69 52 .570 8.0
Michigan 66 55 .545 11.0
Louisiana State 63 58 .521 14.0
Illinois 59 62 .488 18.0
Florida State 57 64 .471 20.0
Michigan State 47 74 .388 30.0
Minnesota 46 75 .380 31.0
Notre Dame 45 76 .372 32.0

[batted balls]

August 17, 2007

Los Angeles--If winning really is everything, then the Southern California Trojans truly have it all.

USC has won seven straight games and are 11-4 in August. The Trojans hold the best record in the All-American Baseball League at an amazing 90-31 (.744).

"They are incredible," said Arizona State manager Bobby Winkles. "We go on an eight-game winning streak, and still they have a safe lead (at eight games)."

A year ago, Winkles' Sun Devils won 113 games en route to a College World Series berth. With 31 games left in the regular season, USC has a shot at winning even more games.

"We're not concerned with that right now," said USC manager Rod Dedeaux. "ASU isn't going away. We're focused on winning the West."

Arizona (three games) and Cal State Fullerton (four games) were the latest Trojan conquests. Leading Golden Arm Award candidate Jim Barr won his 20th game of the season with a 7-3 victory over Cal State Fullerton Friday. Barr is 20-2 with a 2.00 ERA.

"Winning 20 is a benchmark for any pitcher," Barr said. "(But) My work is far from over though."

Barr added that he'd like to see teammates Barry Zito (15-5) and Mark Prior (14-5) also reach the 20-win mark.

"That would really be something," said Barr.

Diamond Notes: USC infielder Aaron Boone won the West Player of the Week for the second time this season. Boone (.313-9-50) batted .542 for the week. He also accumulated a .593 on-base percentage . . . Fred Lynn, the USC center fielder bidding for his second straight batting title, is just 3-for-his last 16. Lynn, however, still leads the division in hitting at .347 . . . Arizona State right-hander Paul Moskau one-hit San Diego State in a 1-0 victory on August 11. Moskau has won 13 consecutive decisions . . . USC relief ace Ray Lamb is closing in on the West record for saves. Lamb has 35. The record of 38 was set by Arizona's Trevor Hoffman a year ago. The AABL mark is 43 by Florida State stopper Craig Skok.

Stat of the Week: San Diego State pitcher Don Shaw was the hard-luck loser August 11 when Arizona State's Paul Moskau one-hit the Aztecs in a 1-0 victory. Shaw (shown below) has yet to win a game in his pitching career. The 24-year-old right-hander is 0-16 with a 4.47 ERA in 44 career starts with the Aztecs.

West Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Southern California 90 31 .744 --
Arizona State 82 39 .678 8.0
UCLA 70 51 .579 20.0
California 63 58 .521 27.0
Stanford 59 62 .488 31.0
Texas 58 63 .479 32.0
Arizona 53 68 .438 37.0
Cal State Fullerton 46 75 .380 44.0
San Diego State 45 76 .372 45.0
Oklahoma State 39 82 .322 51.0

[batted balls]

August 19, 2007

Bristol, Conn.--After two straight losses to Ivy, Miami manager Ron Fraser figured the baseball gods couldn't keep turning their noses on his team. That's what he told his team anyway.

"Before we took the field today, he told us we'd win," said Hurricane closer Danny Graves. "We believed him."

That's why Graves decided to challenge Ivy cleanup hitter Lou Gehrig with two on and two out in the bottom of the ninth. With Gehrig representing the winning run, Graves got the All-Star first baseman to end the game with a ground out.

"Never mind Lou had hit two homers already in the game," said Graves afterward. "He hit the ball hard, but I kept it down in the zone and he beat it into the ground right to second base."

The 5-3 victory allowed Miami to salvage the final contest of a three-game series. The win also got the Hurricanes back within two games of front-running Ivy.

"It would have been great to win today," said Ivy manager Bob Seddon. "Give Miami credit. They're not about to concede anything."

Miami did concede games one and two of the series. Ivy took the opener 5-2 behind the strong pitching of starter Ted Olson (13-7). Bill Almon was 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Mike Piazza provided the Hurricane offense by hitting two home runs, giving him 21 on the season.

The Eagles also took game two, this time with a come-from-behind victory. Trailing 2-0, Ivy tied the game with a pair of runs in the sixth. An inning later, Almon singled in what proved to be the game winner off reliever Jay Tessmer (6-3). With regular closer Dave Sisler unavailable with a sore shoulder, Chris Young pitched the final 1.2 innings to preserve the Ivy win.

"Chris really came through for us," said Seddon.

Miami avoided the series sweep with its Thursday win. Right-hander Wade Taylor (8-3) kept Ivy at bay for seven innings. Taylor scattered nine hits, including the two Gehrig home runs (giving him an East-leading 25). After Jorge Fabergas hit a two-run pinch-hit homer to add insurance to the Hurricane lead, relievers Kurt Knudsen and Graves closed the game out.

"Wade Taylor pitched a courageous game for us today," said Fraser. "He didn't have his best stuff, but he battled all day."

After retiring the first two hitters he faced in the ninth, Graves gave up consecutive walks to bring Gehrig to the plate.

"I thought back to Ron's words before the game," said Graves (shown below). "It gave me confidence . . . I'm also glad Gehrig didn't elevate the ball though."

Ivy (79-45) next opens a three-game home series with Michigan. Miami (77-47) returns home to play a three-game series against Minnesota.

[batted balls]

August 19, 2007

Tempe, Ariz.--Like every starting pitcher, Gary Gentry has dreamed of throwing a no-hitter. That dream was shattered Thursday--but not by a hit. Instead, it was an injury that ended Gentry's bid.

The Arizona State right-hander was removed from the game after pitching 7.2 innings of no-hit baseball. After retiring Texas second baseman Shane Halter on a fly out, Gentry experienced a "shooting pain" in his pitching arm.

"It was as sharp of pain as I've ever felt in my arm," Gentry said.

After watching Gentry throw a few practice pitches, Arizona State manager Bobby Winkles decided to remove his starter from the game.

"I played it safe," Winkles said. "We had the game in hand. We need Gary Gentry in our rotation if possible. Why take chances?"

Gentry agreed with Winkles' decision.

"Sure I would have loved to pitch a no-hitter," Gentry said. "But with the sort of pain I was experiencing, it wasn't worth the risk."

Reliever Lerrin LaGrow entered the game and retired Texas short stop Ron Gardenhire to end the inning and keep the no-hitter intact. However, Longhorn third baseman Grady Hatton doubled over the head of center fielder Oddibe McDowell to lead off the ninth.

"I wanted to complete it for Gary," said LaGrow. "Give Hatton credit. He hit the ball hard."

LaGrow then retired the next three Texas hitters to finish out the 8-0 Arizona State victory.

Gentry, who walked three and struck out eight, improved his record to 12-1. Gentry has won nine straight decisions. His status will be evaulated tomorrow.

"I won't speculate about Gary at this point," said Winkles.

The Sun Devils broke the game open with a six-run fourth inning. Arizona State hit three home runs in that inning off Texas starter Calvin Schiraldi (5-5). Bob Horner, McDowell and Rick Monday hit the homers. McDowell later added a two-run shot in the eighth off reliever Burt Hooton.

The win allowed Arizona State to keep pace with first-place Southern California. The Sun Devils (83-41) trail USC by eight games. The Trojans improved their record to 91-33 with a 5-2 win over San Diego State. Both Arizona State and USC have won eight of the last 10 games.