College Baseball

[batted balls]

August 23, 2007

Bristol, Conn.--Jim Beattie has his eyes on the prize. Make that prizes.

"More than anything I want to go back to the College World Series," said Beattie. "Everything else is just frosting on the cake."

The 25-year-old Ivy right-hander is closing in on 20 victories, a pitching milestone that eluded Beattie a season ago when he posted a 19-6 record.

"Sure I wanted to win 20 last year," said Beattie (shown below). "But we won the Series. That tops everything."

This year, Beattie's record stands at 18-5. He is scheduled to start Thursday against hapless Michigan State. With over a month left in the regular season, only injury or just downright bad luck can stop Beattie from breaking through to the 20-win mark.

"Jim has been as consistent as any one in baseball the last two months," Ivy manager Bob Seddon said. "He's a big reason we're in first place. He's got to be the front runner for the Golden Arm Award."

After a three-game losing streak in early June, Beattie has won 10 of his last 11 decisions. While his 18 wins leads the All-American Baseball League East, his 2.13 ERA ranks sixth.

"He's just a pleasure to catch," said Eagle catcher Brad Ausmus. "Our success starts with him."

Ivy success just might end with another AABL title as well.

Diamond Notes: Illinois center fielder Hoot Evers took East Player of the Week honors. Despite being slowed by a strained groin, Evers hit .400 with three home runs and nine RBIs for the seven-day stretch . . . Miami starter Alex Fernandez has finally hit his stride. The right-hander has won five consecutive games to improve his record to 15-11 and lower his ERA to 3.38 . . . LSU has won eight of its last 10 games and six in a row. The fifth-place Tigers are breathing down the necks of Mississippi State and Michigan . . . LSU outfielder Brad Hawpe is batting .333 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 66 at-bats since being called up earlier this month . . . Mississippi State's Hughie Critz and Will Clark have 14- and 13-game hitting streaks respectively . . . Michigan first baseman George Sisler hit a ninth-inning grand slam Sunday off Chris Young to lift the Wolverines to a 5-4 win over Ivy.

Stat of the Week: Ivy right-hander Jim Beattie has allowed just one home run in 216 innings this season.

East Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Ivy 81 47 .633 --
Miami 79 49 .617 2.0
Mississippi State 71 57 .555 10.0
Michigan 70 58 .547 11.0
Louisiana State 69 59 .539 12.0
Illinois 64 64 .500 17.0
Florida State 60 68 .469 21.0
Michigan State 49 79 .383 32.0
Minnesota 49 79 .383 32.0
Notre Dame 48 80 .375 33.0

[molarmite]

I thought we were going to be a lot better this year.

[batted balls]

August 23, 2007

Los Angeles--While Southern California is threatening to run away with the All-American Baseball League West, two sluggers are fighting for the RBI crown.

Bob Hamelin of UCLA and Mark McGwire of USC both reached the 100-RBI plateau this week. At a time when many players are worn out by the long season, each All-Star appears to have plenty of RBIs left in his bat.

"We're both having good years at the plate," said McGwire, who won last year's West Golden Spikes Award. "Bob has really kicked up his game a notch."

Hamelin appears to be the leading candidate to win Golden Spikes honors this season. The UCLA first baseman leads the AABL with 48 home runs, two better than his total from a year ago. Hamelin also leads the West in runs scored (104) and walks (112). He is sixth in doubles (23) and batting average (.300).

"Bob has been the man this year," said UCLA teammate Troy Glaus. "He's as dangerous as anyone in the league."

Hamelin, who won the MVP of this year's All-Star Game, has a strong chance of breaking McGwire's single-season home run record (54) set last year.

"If that comes it will be great," said Hamelin. "But, I can't go to the plate thinking about that."

McGwire, meanwhile, has seen his production slip a bit. His 31 home runs place him fourth among West leaders. McGwire is fifth in runs scored (81), seventh in walks (83) and 13th in doubles (20).

"My numbers may not look as good this year, but I'm playing on a first-place team," said McGwire.

Diamond Notes: For the second time this month, Oklahoma State outfielder Pete Incaviglia has been named West Player of the Week. Incaviglia hit .450 and drove home eight runs during the span . . . USC's Ray Lamb has saved 11 straight games and 34 of 36 chances this season . . . Reggie Jackson of Arizona State and Jeffrey Hammonds of Stanford have each been stuck on 22 stolen bases for the last three weeks . . . Jim Barr of USC goes for his 22nd win of the season Thursday against Cal . . . Texas third baseman Grady Hatton is batting .406 for the month and has raised his average to .315. Hatton (shown below) ranks third among West hitters.

Stat of the Week: A season ago Arizona State reliever Sean Lowe posted a 13-2 record with a 2.66 ERA. This year Lowe is just 2-4 with a 4.89 ERA.

West Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Southern California 93 35 .727 --
Arizona State 85 43 .664 8.0
UCLA 74 54 .578 19.0
California 68 60 .531 25.0
Stanford 65 63 .508 28.0
Texas 62 66 .484 31.0
Arizona 56 72 .438 37.0
Cal State Fullerton 47 81 .367 46.0
San Diego State 47 81 .367 46.0
Oklahoma State 43 85 .336 50.0

[batted balls]

September 1, 2007

Bristol, Conn.--The defending All-American Baseball League champion Ivy Eagles suffered a severe blow Saturday when center fielder Roy Thomas sustained a season-ending injury.

Thomas tore an abdominal muscle while running the bases in a 6-1 win over Illinois. The injury did not appear to be serious at first, however, x-rays later revealed the season-ending news.

"This is a tough blow to our team," said Ivy manager Bob Seddon. "But we must soldier on."

Thomas, an All-Star last season, was batting .290 with three home runs and 54 RBIs in 128 games this year. While Ethan Allen was brought up from the minor leagues to take Thomas' roster spot, Doug Glanville will become the Eagles' starting center fielder.

"Doug will do the job for us," said Thomas. "He's a better defensive player than I am. It's just disappointing to be on the sidelines in a pennant race."

Ivy (84-50) holds a one-game lead over Miami in the AABL East.

Diamond Notes: The same day that Ivy lost Roy Thomas for the season, Michigan State short stop Irv Bartling homered three times in a 9-1 victory over Miami. Bartling came into the game with just one home run on the season. The last AABL player to homer three times in one game was Jeff Kent of Cal on August 1, 2006 . . . Jim Beattie of Ivy earned East Player of the Week honors. Beattie is 19-5 with five shutouts and seven complete games on the season . . . Louis Sockalexis of Notre Dame leads the East with 24 stolen bases. He needs just two more steals to break the AABL mark set by Hubie Brooks of Arizona State last season.

August Pitcher of the Month: John Fulgham, Miami

August Player of the Month: Hughie Critz, Mississippi State (shown below)

East Leaders
Batting: Cap Anson, Notre Dame, .338
Home Runs: Lou Gehrig, Ivy, 28
RBIs: Lou Gehrig, Ivy, 95
Runs Scored: Lou Gehrig, Ivy, 80
OPS: Lou Gehrig, Ivy, .879
Stolen Bases: Louis Sockalexis, Notre Dame, 24

Wins: Jim Beattie, Ivy, 19
ERA: Jonathan Papelbon, Mississippi State, 1.61
Strikeouts: Jeff Innis, Illinois, 148
Saves: Dave Sisler, Ivy, 33


East Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Ivy 84 50 .627 --
Miami 83 51 .619 1.0
Mississippi State 75 59 .560 9.0
Louisiana State 73 61 .545 11.0
Michigan 72 62 .537 12.0
Illinois 67 67 .500 17.0
Florida State 61 73 .455 23.0
Michigan State 52 82 .388 32.0
Notre Dame 52 82 .388 32.0
Minnesota 51 83 .381 33.0

[batted balls]

September 1, 2007

Los Angeles--The publishers of the All-American Baseball League record book may soon be getting out their eraser.

UCLA first baseman Bob Hamelin hit his 50th home run of the season off Oklahoma State right-hander Allie Reynolds Monday. The milestone longball leaves Hamelin just four away from Mark McGwire's 54 of a year ago.

"As I've said before, if the record comes that's great but I can't get caught up with it," said Hamelin. "My focus is still on winning."

Hamelin and the Bruins have done plenty of winning lately. UCLA has won 10 straight games, upping its record to 80-54.

"We've been winning and winning, yet you look at the standings and USC is still way up," said Hamelin. "They're unbelievable."

And so is Hamelin. The All-Star slugger remains the odds-on favorite to win the West Golden Spikes Award. Hamelin is batting .298 with a league-leading 103 RBIs. He also leads the West in runs scored (110), walks (120) and OPS (1.138).

Diamond Notes: For the second time this season, Troy Glaus of UCLA was selected as West Player of the Week. Glaus (shown below) hit .429 with three home runs and five RBIs for the seven-day span . . . On Saturday Cal right-hander Andy Messersmith two-hit Arizona State. Two days later, the Sun Devils' Craig Swan returned the favor by two-hitting the Golden Bears . . . Pete Incaviglia of Oklahoma State swatted 11 home runs in August to earn Player of the Month honors. After a slow start this season, Incaviglia is sixth among West leaders with 28 homers . . . Reggie Jackson of Arizona State leads the West with 24 stolen bases, just one away from teammate Hubie Brooks' AABL record.

August Pitcher of the Month: Gary Gentry, Arizona State

August Player of the Month: Pete Incaviglia, Oklahoma State

West Leaders
Batting: Fred Lynn, Southern Cal, .338
Home Runs: Bob Hamelin, UCLA, 50
RBIs: Bob Hamelin, UCLA, 103
Runs Scored: Bob Hamelin, UCLA, 110
OPS: Bob Hamelin, UCLA, 1.138
Stolen Bases: Reggie Jackson, Arizona State, 24

Wins: Jim Barr, Southern Cal, 21
ERA: Gary Gentry, Arizona State, 1.48
Strikeouts: Mark Prior, Southern Cal, 223
Saves: Ray Lamb, Southern Cal, 36

West Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Southern California 97 37 .724 --
Arizona State 88 46 .657 9.0
UCLA 80 54 .597 17.0
California 71 63 .530 26.0
Stanford 70 64 .522 27.0
Texas 63 71 .470 34.0
Arizona 57 77 .425 40.0
Cal State Fullerton 51 83 .381 46.0
San Diego State 49 85 .366 48.0
Oklahoma State 44 90 .328 53.0

[molarmite]

Wow even Notre Dame is beating us now.

[molarmite]

I have faith we can have a comeback year next year.

[batted balls]

September 6, 2007

Miami--Miami's pennant hopes were dealt a severe blow Thursday when closer Danny Graves was placed on the disabled list with back spasms.

Graves, one of the top closers in the All-American Baseball League, led the Hurricanes with 26 saves. The right-handed reliever posted a 4-4 record with a 1.67 ERA.

"Losing Danny is tough, especially at this time of the year," said Miami manager Ron Fraser.

Graves' closer role will likely be split by right-handers Oscar Munoz (6-2, four saves, 3.44) and Kurt Knudsen (1-2, seven saves, 3.00).

"We have confidence in both Oscar and Kurt," said Fraser.

The Hurricanes, 85-54, have lost three straight games and fallen out of a first-place tie with Ivy.

Miami brought up first baseman Jim Maler, pitcher Ryan Karp and catcher Charles Johnson with the September roster expansions.

Key Upcoming Series:
Miami hosts Florida State for three games
Miami @ Michigan for four games
Miami hosts Ivy for two games

Ivy host Mississippi State for three games
Ivy hosts Florida State for four games
Ivy @ Miami for two games

Diamond Notes: Carl Lundgren of Illinois is the East Player of the Week. Lundgren, last year's Golden Arm winner, is 10-11 with a 2.95 ERA this season . . . LSU slugger Joe Adcock will miss the remainder of the season with a herniated disk. The two-time All-Star finishes the year with a .299 batting average, eight home runs and 70 RBIs . . . In its bid to move up in the standings, LSU called up infielders Aaron Hill and Ryan Theriot along with pitcher Brian Tallett . . . Minnesota outfielder Dave Winfield (.258-8-41) was placed on the disabled list with an abdominal strain . . . Steve Comer of Minnesota tossed his second shutout of the year Thursday by blanking Illinois 5-0 . . . Notre Dame has won seven of its last nine games . . . Notre Dame outfielder Louis Sockalexis leads the East with 25 steals, one better than the old AABL record set last year by Hubie Brooks of Arizona State . . . Ivy right-hander Jim Beattie (19-6) will go for his 20th win of the year in his next start, likely against Mississippi State.

Stat of the Week: Despite third baseman Cap Anson's East-leading .338 average, Notre Dame's starting infield has a combined .211 average. First baseman Rupert Mills is batting .167 while short stop Craig Counsell is hitting just .151. Second baseman Billy Reed is at .150.

East Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Ivy 87 52 .626 --
Miami 85 54 .612 2.0
Michigan 77 62 .554 10.0
Mississippi State 77 62 .554 10.0
Louisiana State 75 64 .540 12.0
Illinois 71 68 .511 16.0
Florida State 61 78 .439 26.0
Notre Dame 56 83 .403 31.0
Michigan State 53 86 .381 34.0
Minnesota 53 86 .381 34.0

[batted balls]

September 6, 2007

Austin, Tex.--The Southern California Trojans won their 100th game of the season Saturday by downing Texas 8-1.

Manager Rod Dedeaux's Trojans hold the best record in the All-American Baseball League at 100-39. USC has a nine-game lead over Arizona State and has reduced its magic number to 15.

"We aren't about to let up," said winning pitcher Mark Prior (15-6). "We have miles to go."

Fred Lynn, the West's leading hitter at .341, banged out two hits and drove home three runs. Lynn collected his West-leading 44th double to go along with his 21st home run of the season.

"Like Mark said, we're not satisfied just to reach 100 wins," said Lynn. "We intend to win it all."

USC has 21 regular season games remaining in an attempt to equal Arizona State's AABL-record 113 victories of a year ago.

Diamond Notes: Arizona State right-hander Craig Swan won the West Player of the Week award for the second time this year. Swan upped his record to 14-9 with a victory against Stanford Saturday . . . The Sun Devils took two of three games against USC to begin September . . . Reggie Jackson of Arizona State broke teammate Hubie Brooks' AABL record for stolen bases. Jackson stole his 25th base of the year against Stanford . . . Oklahoma State activated short stop Danny Thompson (.284-9-52) from the disabled list . . . Arizona State right-hander Paul Moskau won his 20th game of the season with a 14-2 win Friday over Stanford . . . UCLA first baseman Bob Hamelin swatted his 51st home run of the season Saturday off Matt Wise of Cal State Fullerton. Hamelin is just three homers away from tying Mark McGwire's single-season record of 54.

Stat of the Week: After a 3-4 start this season, Arizona State right-hander Paul Moskau (shown below) has won 17 of his last 19 decisions.

West Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Southern California 100 39 .719 --
Arizona State 91 48 .655 9.0
UCLA 82 57 .590 18.0
California 73 66 .525 27.0
Stanford 72 67 .518 28.0
Texas 65 74 .468 35.0
Arizona 59 80 .424 41.0
Cal State Fullerton 55 84 .396 45.0
San Diego State 52 87 .374 48.0
Oklahoma State 46 93 .331 54.0

[molarmite]

We could so easily move up.

[batted balls]

September 13, 2007

Miami—The Ivy Eagles and Miami Hurricanes are teams headed in opposite
directions as they play the first of a brief two-game series Tuesday at
Alex Rodriquez Stadium.

While the defending All-American Baseball League champion Eagles have
won eight of their last 10 games, Miami has lost three straight and
nine of its last 10. As a result, Ivy has opened up a six-game lead in
the East.

“This series is vital to our success,” said Miami manager Ron Fraser.
“It’s do or die time.”

Ivy manager Bob Seddon isn’t writing off Miami just yet.

“They’re still dangerous. We’ve got to be ready to play,” said Seddon.

Ivy, which has a magic number of 11, will start right-hander Ron
Darling (10-7, 3.39 ERA) in game one. Right-hander Alex Fernandez
(16-13, 3.22) will pitch for Miami.

“I’ve been inconsistent this season,” said Fernandez. “It’s time to
right the ship.”

Game two will match Eagles' righty Ted Olson (16-8, 2.95) against lefty
Neal Heaton (11-8, 2.60) for the Hurricanes.

Diamond Notes: Notre Dame third baseman Cap Anson has put together a
career-high 19-game hitting streak. In addition, Anson (shown below) has broken his
own record by collecting his 197th hit of the season. The Fighting
Irish captain leads the East with a .338 average . . . Anson’s Notre
Dame teammate Louis Sockalexis leads the East with 27 steals, two
better than Hubie Brooks’ old AABL record . . . Ivy’s Lou Gehrig
reached the 100-RBI plateau in a 6-1 victory over Florida State
Thursday. Gehrig, last season’s Golden Spikes winner, also leads the
division with 29 home runs and an OPS of .873 . . . A rash of
late-season injuries has shelved three more players. Chris Sabo of
Michigan (sprained wrist), Robb Quinlan of Minnesota (broken finger)
and Ron Reed of Notre Dame (shoulder pain) all may miss the rest of the
season . . . Mississippi State pitcher Jim Roberts won the East Player
of the Week award.

Stat of the Week: Following a three-game losing streak in May, Ivy
right-hander Jim Beattie has won 13 of his last 15 decisions. Beattie
leads the East with 21 victories.

East Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Ivy 92 54 .630 --
Miami 86 60 .589 6.0
Michigan 83 63 .568 9.0
Mississippi State 82 64 .562 10.0
Louisiana State 79 67 .541 13.0
Illinois 77 69 .527 15.0
Florida State 65 81 .445 27.0
Notre Dame 56 90 .384 36.0
Michigan State 55 91 .377 37.0
Minnesota 55 91 .377 37.0

[batted balls]

September 13, 2007

Los Angeles—Mark Prior marvels at this season Jim Barr is having.
Coming from the man that won the West Golden Arm Award last year,
that’s saying something.

“Jim has set the tone for our team since day one,” said Prior. “Even on
the days that he’s not pitching, Jim Barr’s impact has been felt.”

Barr’s biggest impact, however, has been felt of the mound. A week ago,
the Southern California right-hander improved his record to 22-3 with a
two-hit shutout against arch-rival UCLA. With one more victory, Barr
will tie Prior’s record for most wins in one season.

“Records are nice, but they don’t last forever,” said Barr. “But a
College World Series title can’t be taken away.”

Barr and his Trojan teammates just may be on the verge of winning that
title. USC, 103-43, has reduced its magic number to 10. The Trojans
hold a seven-game lead over second-place Arizona State.

“We’ll probably win over 100 games and that may not get us within five
games of USC,” said Arizona State manager Bobby Winkles. “That shows
you how good they are.”

And that's something to marvel at.

Diamond Notes: Dave Schmidt of UCLA was named the West Player of the Week . . .
UCLA’s Matt Young notched his 20th win of the season Friday
with a victory against Cal State Fullerton. Young, 15-12 last season,
has won five straight games and nine of his last 10 decisions . . . USC
closer Ray Lamb has equaled Trevor Hoffman’s West-record 37 saves from
a season ago . . . USC third baseman Dave Kingman has driven in six
runs in his last five games to overtake UCLA’s Bob Hamelin in the RBI
race 109-107 . . . Reggie Jackson of Arizona State has broken teammate
Hubie Brooks’ stolen base record. Jackson has swiped 26 bases this
season, one less than Louis Sockalexis of Notre Dame.

Stat of the Week: UCLA first baseman Bob Hamelin is three home runs
away from tying the AABL record set by Mark McGwire of USC last year.
However, Hamelin has hit just one homer in his last 11 games.

West Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Southern California 103 43 .705 --
Arizona State 96 50 .658 7.0
UCLA 87 59 .596 16.0
California 80 66 .548 23.0
Stanford 74 72 .507 29.0
Texas 72 74 .493 31.0
Arizona 62 84 .425 41.0
Cal State Fullerton 56 90 .384 47.0
San Diego State 52 94 .356 51.0
Oklahoma State 48 98 .329 55.0

[batted balls]

September 16, 2007

Los Angeles--Fred Lynn has never had a day quite like this. The West's leading hitter smashed three home runs and drove home a single-game record nine runs as Southern California crushed San Diego State 13-3.

"Absolutely incredible," said USC manager Rod Dedeaux of Lynn's performance. "Nine RBIs in one game? Wow!"

Lynn hit a two-run homer in the first inning off San Diego State starter Aaron Harang (9-13). Two innings later, Lynn drilled three-run shot off Harang. The Trojan center fielder ended his day by hitting an eighth-inning grand slam off reliever Dan Murray to cap his record-setting day.

"You dream of days like this," said Lynn. "Things went my way today."

Lynn raised his season RBI total to 98. With two more RBIs, Lynn will join teammates Dave Kingman (111) and Mark McGwire (110) in triple digits for runs driven home.

Despite USC's offensive explosion, starting pitcher Jim Barr failed to win his 23rd victory. Barr was pulled from the game in the fourth inning with shoulder stiffness. Reliever Tom House (5-1) wound up earning the win.

"It's not anything serious," said Dededeaux. "We just wanted to play it safe."

[batted balls]

September 18, 2007

Tempe, Ariz.--Three added up to zero as a trio of Arizona State pitchers combined for a no-hitter.

The gem allowed the Sun Devils to earn a 1-0 victory over UCLA. Arizona State picked up its 101st win of the season and remained five games behind first-place Southern California in the All-American Baseball League West. The Trojans edged Stanford 4-3 in 16 innings.

Sun Devil starter Floyd Bannister threw no-hit ball before exiting after issuing two walks in the eighth inning. Reliever Jim Umbarger entered the game for Arizona State and retired the next two UCLA hitters.

"Bobby was right to pull me," said Bannister. "I was gassed. We're trying to catch USC and every win is vital."

Bannister had walked four and struck out two with his 104 pitches.

Arizona State finally pushed across the game's only run in the bottom of the eighth. After Bump Wills collected his third hit of the game, pinch runner Ken Landreaux went to third on a pinch-hit single by Barry Bonds. Losing pitcher Tim Leary (4-10) then uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Landreaux to score.

Sun Devil closer Ed Vande Berg then pitched a perfect ninth to complete the no-hitter and earn his 29th save. The final out came on a ground ball to third baseman Sal Bando off the bat of Troy Glaus. Umbarger (4-2) was the winner.

"It's one of the strangest things I've ever witnessed," said Arizona State manager Bobby Winkles. "More importantly, we won the game and didn't lose ground in the pennant race."

Arizona State has won six straight games and 10 of its last 12.

Last month, Arizona State's Gary Gentry lost his no-hit bid against Texas when he was pulled from the game with an injury. Reliever Lerrin LaGrow later gave up a hit.

Bannister, Umbarger and Vande Berg's Combined No-Hitter

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
UCLA 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Arizona State 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 X 1 6 1

UCLA AB R H RBI BB K AVG HR RBI
J. Robinson 2B 1 0 0 0 3 0 .293 12 67
D. Roberts PR 0 0 0 0 0 0 .125 0 0
M. Gallego 2B 0 0 0 0 0 0 .162 3 10
M. Edwards SS 4 0 0 0 0 0 .285 8 53
B. Hamelin 1B 3 0 0 0 1 0 .280 51 107
E. Karros DH 4 0 0 0 0 0 .234 6 25
T. Glaus 3B 4 0 0 0 0 1 .231 25 92
T. Zeile C 3 0 0 0 0 0 .251 14 82
E. Byrnes LF 3 0 0 0 0 1 .205 7 39
S. Mack CF 3 0 0 0 0 0 .232 9 62
M. Edwards RF 2 0 0 0 1 0 .141 3 21
Totals 27 0 0 0 5 2

BATTING

FIELDING
Errors: J. York (2)

Arizona State AB R H RBI BB K AVG HR RBI
B. Wills 2B 4 0 3 0 0 0 .240 4 58
K. Landreaux PR 0 1 0 0 0 0 .261 1 2
P. Listach 2B 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250 5 39
D. Hill SS 3 0 0 0 0 1 .322 3 18
B. Bonds PH 1 0 1 0 0 0 .226 3 13
P. Moskau SS 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0
B. Horner 1B 4 0 0 0 0 0 .305 37 95
H. Brooks DH 4 0 0 0 0 1 .286 5 56
O. McDowell CF 3 0 1 0 0 0 .238 20 77
M. Kelly CF 1 0 0 0 0 1 .259 0 9
M. Devereaux RF 1 0 0 0 1 0 .274 4 31
R. Jackson RF 1 0 0 0 0 0 .250 34 95
R. Monday LF 2 0 0 0 1 1 .239 16 43
M. Colbern C 3 0 1 0 0 1 .289 13 61
S. Bando 3B 3 0 0 0 0 0 .192 0 7
Totals 30 1 6 0 2 5

BATTING
Doubles: B. Wills (18, 1st inning off Schmidt, 0 on, 0 out.)

FIELDING
Errors: S. Bando (3)


UCLA IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA RECORD
D. Schmidt 6.2 4 0 0 2 3 0 100 55 2.23
T. Leary L 0.2 1 1 1 0 0 0 4 4 4.41 4-10
F. Chiffer 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 6 3 3.90
J. York 0.2 0 0 0 0 2 0 15 8 1.85

PITCHING
Batters Faced: D. Schmidt 25, T. Leary 3, F. Chiffer 1, J. York 3
Ground Balls-Fly Balls: D. Schmidt 8-8, T. Leary 0-2, F. Chiffer 0-0, J. York 1-0
Game Score: D. Schmidt 67


Arizona State IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA RECORD
F. Bannister 7.1 0 0 0 4 2 0 104 54 2.25
J. Umbarger W 0.2 0 0 0 1 0 0 10 6 6.53 4-2
E. Vande Berg S 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 4 2.03 29 SV

PITCHING
Batters Faced: F. Bannister 26, J. Umbarger 3, E. Vande Berg 3
Ground Balls-Fly Balls: F. Bannister 13-7, J. Umbarger 1-1, E. Vande Berg 2-1
Game Score: F. Bannister 76


GAME INFO
Time: 3:03
Attendance: 35051 (45000) at Packard Stadium
Weather: Clear skies (70 degrees), wind blowing out to right at 9 mph
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Floyd Bannister

[batted balls]

September 20, 2007

Ann Arbor, Mich.--Nearing 100 victories, the Ivy Eagles are closing in on the All-American Baseball League East pennant.

Ivy, 96-56, reduced its magic number to five with a 2-1 win over hapless Michigan State Sunday in East Lansing. The Eagles open a two-game series with the Michigan Wolverines Monday.

The Eagles have won four of their last five games. Ivy is 12-6 this month.

"Our goal is to lock up the pennant as soon as possible," said Ivy manager Bob Seddon. "Then, we can get ready for the College World Series."

Ivy holds a six-game lead over second-place Miami. The Hurricanes have stumbled down the stretch, losing 11 of 18 games in September.

"We've gone wrong at a bad time," said Miami manager Ron Fraser.

Miami is expected to get pitchers Danny Graves and Joe Grahe off the disabled list this week. Graves was feared to be out for the season with back spasms, but the Hurricane closer has responded well to treatments.

Ivy and Miami have two games remaining against one another.

Diamond Notes: Pitcher Dick LeMay of Michigan took East Player of the Week honors by going 2-0 with a 1.84 ERA. LeMay (shown below) is 12-10 on the season . . . Despite being just 2-for-his last 23, Lou Gehrig of Ivy leads the East with 30 home runs and 101 RBIs. A year ago, Gehrig hit 21 homers and drove home 115 runs . . . Cap Anson of Notre Dame collected his 200th hit of the season Sept. 15 against LSU. Anson leads the division with a .337 average. Rookie Charlie Gehringer of Michigan is second at .313; Kirk Gibson of Michigan State is third at .310 . . . Ivy closer Dave Sisler recorded his 39th save Saturday, four short of Craig Skok's AABL record . . . Louis Sockalexis of Notre Dame has stolen six bases this month to raise his AABL record to 30 . . . Mississippi State infielder Hughie Critz may well garner some Golden Spikes votes at season's end. Critz leads the East with 33 doubles, is second in hits (192) and RBIs (80) and is fourth in batting (.305).

Stat of the Week: Miami holds a winning record against every team in the East except Ivy. The Hurricanes are just 6-11 in head-to-head games with the Eagles this season.

East Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Ivy 96 56 .632 --
Miami 90 62 .592 6.0
Michigan 86 66 .566 10.0
Mississippi State 86 66 .566 10.0
Louisiana State 81 71 .533 15.0
Illinois 79 73 .520 17.0
Florida State 68 84 .447 28.0
Notre Dame 59 93 .388 37.0
Michigan State 58 94 .382 38.0
Minnesota 57 95 .375 39.0

[batted balls]

September 20, 2007

Tempe, Ariz.--Champions don't go away easy.

Bobby Winkles and his Arizona State Sun Devils still have a glimmer of hope in repeating as All-American Baseball League West pennant winners. Arizona State has won seven straight games and cut first-place Southern California's lead to five games.

Yet, time is quickly running out. There are just 10 games remaining on the Arizona State schedule, and only one is with the Trojans.

"We're not about to pack it in," said Winkles. "We've got the whole off-season to rest. This is baseball, and in baseball you just never know."

The Sun Devils have swept three straight series. Next up for Arizona State is a two-game series at Texas. The Sun Devils have six home games remaining: three against Cal, two against Cal State Fullerton and a rainout makeup against USC. The Sun Devils also have a makeup game at Arizona.

USC, meanwhile, also has 10 games left. Like Arizona State, the Trojans will play at home six times. USC's magic number is six.

"We hope that the (Oct. 1) game with USC means something," said Winkles. "We can't worry about that game yet. We've got to be ready to play tomorrow in Austin."

Diamond Notes: San Diego State outfielder Tony Gwynn captured his first West Player of the Week award. Gwynn (shown below) hit .636 with seven RBIs for the week. His .294 average is good for eighth among West leaders . . . Texas third baseman Grady Hatton has been as hot as any player in the season's second half. After batting a sizzling .424 in August, Hatton is hitting .340 in September. His .324 average is second only to the .336 average of USC's Fred Lynn . . . Ray Lamb of USC registered his 39th save this week, breaking Trevor Hoffman's West record of 38 set last year . . . Jim Barr of USC may get only one more start during the regular season so that he is ready for game one of the College World Series should USC win the West. Barr needs one more victory to tie teammate Mark Prior's record of 23 wins set last season . . . Dave Hostetler, a minor leaguer in the USC system, hit his 61st home run Sunday.

Stat of the Week: Three USC players have 100 or more RBIs this season. Center fielder Fred Lynn (100) joined teammates Mark McGwire (112) and Dave Kingman (111) earlier this week.


West Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Southern California 107 45 .704 --
Arizona State 102 50 .671 5.0
UCLA 90 62 .592 17.0
California 81 71 .533 26.0
Stanford 75 77 .493 32.0
Texas 73 79 .480 34.0
Arizona 65 87 .428 42.0
Cal State Fullerton 62 90 .408 45.0
San Diego State 54 98 .355 53.0
Oklahoma State 51 101 .336 56.0

[batted balls]

September 22, 2007

Los Angeles--When it came to winning his 23rd game of the season, Southern California pitcher Jim Barr's teammates bailed him out big-time.

Trailing 4-1 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Trojans rallied for 11 runs in their last three at-bats to lift USC to an easy 12-4 win over Oklahoma State Wednesday. First baseman Mark McGwire was the catalyst to the offensive explosion. McGwire hit a pair of home runs--a three-run shot in the sixth and a two-run homer in the eighth--to power USC to the win. McGwire has 36 home runs on the year.

"The guys really saved me today," said Barr, 23-3 on the season. "Winning (my 23rd) was nice, but moving closer to the pennant is better."

The Trojans' victory reduced their magic number to three. USC, 110-45, holds a five-game lead over second-place Arizona State in the All-American Baseball League West. The Sun Devils edged Cal 3-2 Wednesday to win their 10th straight game. USC, however, has won six straight games to hold Arizona State at bay.

Barr's victory ties him with teammate Mark Prior for the most wins in a season. Prior was 23-8 last year en route to the West's Golden Arm Award.

"To be included in the same conversation with Mark Prior is quite a compliment," said Barr who will be the likely game one starter for the College World Series opener should USC close out the pennant.

[batted balls]

September 26, 2007

Perhaps Monday won't be such a bad day after all.

The above statement is true if you're an Ivy Eagle or a Southern California Trojan. Both teams clinched All-American Baseball League division titles Sunday and will meet in the College World Series which opens October 5.

Ivy won its second straight AABL East title by virtue of a loss by second-place Miami. The Eagles dropped a 5-4 decision to Illinois. Dejected they couldn't clinch their title with a win, the Eagles watched Miami blow a two-run ninth-inning lead and eventually lose in 10 innings to Notre Dame on their clubhouse TV.

"It's not the way you dream of, but we'll take it," said Ivy catcher Brad Ausmus (shown below). "We're just glad to be Series bound."

A year ago, Ausmus was the Most Valuable Player as the Eagles swept Arizona State in the CWS.

Meanwhile, USC's Mark Prior won his 18th game of the year as the Trojans slipped past Texas 1-0. Left fielder Steve Kemp singled home the game's lone run in the sixth inning off loser Bruce Ruffin. Ray Lamb saved his 41st game for USC.

The Trojan win, combined with Arizona State's 7-6 loss at Cal, gave USC its first AABL West title. Arizona State saw its 11-game winning streak snapped along with its hopes for a second straight CWS berth.

With five games left on its regular-season schedule, Ivy is 98-59. USC is 112-45, just one game away from tying Arizona State's AABL-record 113 wins of a year ago.

"It would be nice to break ASU's record, but it would be better to win the College World Series," said Prior.

"We worked hard for this all year," said Prior. "Now, it's time to keep everybody healthy for the Series against Ivy."

[batted balls]

October 5, 2007

Miami--Ron Fraser decided to have a little fun.

With his Hurricanes settled in second place, the Miami manager freely used his entire roster. He had outfielders play infield positions and infielders play the outfield. He let pitchers bat. The result was a 3-2 Miami victory over Ivy in 11 innings.

"We sent our crowd home happy on the season's last day," said Fraser. "Too bad the game didn't mean something in terms of determining the pennant."

Instead, the Ivy Eagles will represent the East division in the College World Series for the second straight season. A year ago, Ivy swept Arizona State in the inaugural CWS.

Jorge Fabergas, Miami's catcher turned left fielder for a day, doubled home the winning run off Ivy closer Dave Sisler. The Hurricanes had tied the game on a two-run single by Dave Berg in the ninth.

"Maybe this will give us momentum for next year," said Berg, short stop turned center fielder. "Who knows?"

Records Fall as East Regular Season Closes
East Records Set during 2007
Most At-Bats--Dan Masteller, Michigan State, 681*
Most Hits--Cap Anson, Notre Dame, 218*
Most Stolen Bases--Louis Sockalexis, Notre Dame, 33*
Most Appearances--Kerry Ligtenberg, Minnesota, 103
Most Starts--Geoff Zahn, Michigan, 37
Most Walks--Fred Beebe, Illinois, 107

*denotes AABL record as well

September Player of the Month: Kirk Gibson, Michigan State (shown below)
September Pitcher of the Month: Carl Lundgren, Illinois

Final East Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Ivy 99 63 .611 --
Miami 95 67 .586 4.0
Mississippi State 91 71 .562 8.0
Michigan 90 72 .556 9.0
Louisiana State 88 74 .543 11.0
Illinois 86 76 .531 13.0
Florida State 74 88 .457 25.0
Michigan State 65 97 .401 34.0
Notre Dame 62 100 .383 37.0
Minnesota 60 102 .370 39.0

Editor's Note: Team-by-Team Reports Will Be Posted Following the CWS

[batted balls]

October 5, 2007

Los Angeles--It took until the final day of the regular season but the Southern California Trojans won their record 114th game of the year.

Left-hander Randy Johnson (13-4) tuned up for the College World Series with a seven-strikeout performance in seven innings as USC cruised past Arizona 7-1. Dave Kingman slugged his career-high 41st home run for the Trojans.

"We wanted the record of 114 wins," said Kingman (shown below). "Sure, winning the College World Series means more, but this is important too."

The old record was 113 victories by Arizona State set a season ago.

Moskau Notches 23rd Win
Fullerton, Calif.--Arizona State right-hander Paul Moskau won his 23rd game of the season, tying him with Jim Barr of USC for the most victories.

Moskau tossed a three-hit complete game as the Sun Devils routed Cal State Fullerton 9-2. Moskau finished the year with a 23-6 record and a 2.15 ERA. Both Moskau and Barr equaled the AABL record set by Mark Prior a year ago.

Arizona State wound up with 110 wins, yet finished four games behind West champion USC. Moskau was backed by with home runs by Bob Horner (his 40th), Rick Monday (17) and two by Reggie Jackson (36). The pair by Jackson gave the Sun Devil right fielder 100 RBIs for the season.

Records Fall as West Regular Season Closes
West Records Set during 2007
Most At-Bats--Ernie Koy, Texas, 652
Most Doubles--Fred Lynn, USC, 52*
Most Stolen Bases--Reggie Jackson, Arizona State, 31
Most Appearances--Royce Ring, San Diego State, 119*
Most Starts--Jim Lonborg, Stanford, 38*
Most Walks--Allie Reynolds, Oklahoma State, 138*

*denotes AABL record as well

Editor's Note: Bob Hamelin of UCLA fell one home run short of tying the AABL record of 54 set by Mark McGwire of USC last year.

September Player of the Month: Fred Lynn, Southern California
September Pitcher of the Month: Mike Paul, Arizona

Final West Standings

Team W L PCT GB
Southern California 114 48 .704 --
Arizona State 110 52 .679 4.0
UCLA 97 65 .599 17.0
California 85 77 .525 29.0
Stanford 81 81 .500 33.0
Texas 75 87 .463 39.0
Arizona 71 91 .438 43.0
Cal State Fullerton 65 97 .401 49.0
Oklahoma State 56 106 .346 58.0
San Diego State 56 106 .346 58.0

Editor's Note: Team-By-Team Reports Will Be Posted Following the CWS