College World Series Tickets

Group of Teams Almost Decided for 2009 CWS

Seven of the Eight teams have been decided for the 2009 College World Series.  The last team will be confirmed tonight after the 6:00 PM game between the Texas Long Horns and the TCU Horned Frogs.

There is a nice mix of old and new teams this year for the CWS in Omaha.  Stalwarts ASU, Cal State Fullerton, and LSU all made the tournament again and will be a dominant force against some fairly new teams.  North Carolina and Arkansas have some experience in the history of the CWS, with the Tar Heels making their fourth consecutive trip to Rosenblatt Stadium this year. The last time the Razorbacks were in Omaha was in 2004, but they look strong enough to win the whole Series this year.

The newcomers to the group are the Virginia Cavaliers and the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles.  Not only do the Golden Eagles have possibly the coolest mascot name but their team is the likely choice for local fans who like to root for the underdog.  The Golden Eagles have never competed in the College World Series and were not even expected to make it to Regional tournament play.  After knocking off Florida in the Super Regional, Coach Corky Palmer and his boys have gained some well deserved respect from everyone.  This is Palmer's last year as a coach, he will retire after the College World Series.

Although Texas is the number one seed and is highly favored to win the tournament, they have yet to secure a spot in Omaha.  Cal State Fullerton, the number two seed, will look to clench their fifth championship this year.  The Titans won the CWS in 2004 and have visited Omaha 16 times in the school's history.  Head Coach Dave Serrano, who famously coached UC Irvine to the College World Series in a Cinderella run, is now the active coach for the Titans.  He took them to the CWS a year after he started coaching for them and is looking for his first championship.

Team Feature: Vanderbilt Commodores

Last year they came up short. This year they're hoping to take that next step and get the folks in Nashville excited about the College World Series.

Vanderbilt had a breakout year last year, winning the Southeastern Conference title and taking the No. 1 ranking into the postseason. Their hopes for making the College World Series for the first time were derailed, though, as they were upset in the regionals by Michigan.

The Commodores were looking good heading into the 2008 season, but their hopes took a dip when two-time All-American Pedro Alvarez went down with a broken hand during an opening-weekend tournament in Arizona.

Through it all, coach Tim Corbin and his troops have persevered, and they find themselves in the conversation of teams that could make their way to Omaha this summer. They carry a 35-15 record into their final regular-season series at Florida and will be one of the favorites to win the SEC tournament title next week.

Pitching has helped keep Vanderbilt in the hunt this season, led by Caleb Cotham. The righthanded freshman is 7-3 on the year with a team-best 3.28 earned-run average and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of almost 3-to-1. They have also received some solid efforts from Mike Minor (5-3, 4.07) and Nick Christiani (5-3, 4.37), with Russell Brewer leading the bullpen with five saves and four wins in relief.

Offensively, the Commodores have managed to make up for the temporary loss of Alvarez (who has since come back to hit .322 in 29 games). David Macias leads the team with a .375 batting average, and Ryan Flaherty has been the powerhouse in the lineup with the top team marks in homers (12) and RBI's (53). Dominic de la Osa has proven to be an effective weapon on the basepaths, recording 23 steals on the year.

The Commodores recently lost a series to Georgia that should secure the SEC tournament top seed for the Bulldogs, but don't count Vanderbilt out of the hunt this postseason. They are a very solid team and are hungry to make the trip to Omaha after coming up short in 2007.

Team Feature -- Cal Golden Bears

One of the teams out west that has really come on strong is the University of California Golden Bears.

The Bears started the year hot, winning 13 of its first 15 games. They have found their way into Baseball America's Top 25 rankings and look to be the top contender to knock off preseason Pac 10 favorite Arizona State.

The Bears have done it with pitching so far this spring. As a team, they have a very impressive 3.87 earned-run average and a team strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2-to-1.

Kevin Miller has been sensational on the mound for coach David Esquer's Bears, going 5-0 with a 0.86 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 41 innings of work. Matt Gorgen has been solid out of the bullpen with 28 strikeouts in 24 innings and six saves so far this season.

Offensively, the Bears have a couple of solid bats leading the way. Infielder Josh Satin is hitting for average and power, leading the team with a .435 average and second in home runs (12) and RBI's (37). He trails first baseman David Cooper in those two departments, as Cooper is batting .385 with 15 homers and 42 RBI's so far this season.

The Bears played well early in the season, playing highly-ranked Missouri tough and beating preseason top 10-ranked San Diego in early March. They also swept a solid Long Beach State team in late March and took two of three from two-time defending College World Series champion Oregon State.

The Bears still have a key series coming up with Arizona State, and we'll find out then whether or not this team will be on the radar of potential teams that could reach the College World Series.

College Baseball Hall of Fame class announced

Twelve people were named Wednesday as the 2008 class of inductees to the National College Baseball Hall Of Fame.

Nine recent players and coaches, along with three vintage-era nominees, were named to this year's class. To be honored, players must have completed one year at a four-year institution and achieved All-American (post-1947) or All-League (pre-1947) or earned other national honors. Coaches must have won at least 300 games on won 65 percent of games they coached.

This year's honorees include a number of players and coaches who reached the College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium. They include:

Steve Arlin (Ohio State pitcher), Eddie Bane (Arizona State pitcher), Floyd Bannister (Arizona State pitcher), Neal Heaton (Miami Fla., pitcher), Burt Hooton (Texas pitcher), Dick Howser (Florida State shortstop and coach), Ben McDonald (LSu pitcher), Greg Swindell (Texas pitcher) and Gary Ward (Oklahoma State and New Mexico State coach). Vintage-era inductees are Owen Carroll (Holy Cross and Seton Hall coach), Billy Disch (Texas, St. Edward's and Sacred Heart coach) and Jackie Robinson (UCLA and Pasadena Junior College infielder).

Nominees are selected by a group of more than 90 coaches, media and previous inductees. Honorees will be recognized at the College Baseball Foundation's annual celebration July 2-4 in Lubbock, Texas.

Road To Rosenblatt feature: San Diego Toreros

When you mention the words "baseball" and "San Diego" -- the first thing that usually pops to mind is Tony Gwynn.

Gwynn, of course, made his name as one of the best hitters of his generation and played his entire career for his hometown San Diego Padres. And he's now the head coach at San Diego State University.

But when it comes to San Diego baseball in college, the team on everybody's radar right now is the University of San Diego Toreros, who have leaped into the upper echelon of the college baseball world and enter the 2008 season as one of the teams to watch for this summer's College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium.

Coach Rich Hill is in his 10th year with the Toreros and has taken them from a middle-of-the-road program to a team that posted its first 40-win season, became the first West Coast Conference team to earn a national seed in the NCAA tournament, and is ranked in the top 10 in every major preseason poll heading into the 2008 season.

Not bad for a school that plays in a 1,200-seat facility and lacks a revenue-generating football program.

The team scrapped its way through the West Coast Conference, but really didn't gain national attention until early in the 2006 season. It was then that a little-known Toreros squad took defending national champion Texas out behind the woodshed for a three-game sweep. When that happened, experts began to take notice that this little program was starting to make some big noise.

Last year, the Toreros ripped through the WCC and had the No. 8 national seed going into the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, they stumbled in the opening round and were unable to recover, losing to eventual College World Series participant Cal State Fullerton.

Things are looking good for this year, though. Pitcher Brian Matusz was named a first-team Preseason All-American by Baseball America, and pitcher-outfielder Josh Romanski was a second-team honoree. They are among a group of talented players returning for Coach Hill as he works to get San Diego University its first-ever trip to Rosenblatt Stadium for the 2008 College World Series.

Two Standouts Put Cincinnati on the Map in 2008

Senior centerfielder Tony Campana and Junior pitcher Dan Osterbrock lead the Bearcat baseball team from the University of Cincinnati that could make it to the College World Series in 2008.  The two CWS hopefuls were just featured on CSTV about the amount of awards that they have racked up.

Campana is considered one of the top outfielders entering the 2008 season.  He was named to the Brooks Wallace award watch list and has received pre-season All-American honors already.  Campana is a consistent hitter and is known for his speed.  He stole 60 bases in the 2007 season, and reminds me a little of a young Barry Bonds.

Osterbrock is still a Junior but has made a big impact for the Bearcats.  He received first team All-Big East honors and is considered one of the best pitchers on the whole east coast.

To have both of these men make it through their college careers is amazing to me.  In the world of college baseball anymore, if you are good enough to go play pro ball, then you go at any age.  Kudos two these two gentlemen for making college baseball that much more exciting and fun by staying during their Junior and Senior years.

Preseason All-American List Filled With CWS Stars

The NCBWA preseason All-America team for 2008 has been announced, and it includes many players who shined in the 2007 College World Series.  According to CSTV, this season's National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association All-America list has one of the deepest rosters since when the Preseason team list started in '01.

The team is led by a great pitching staff that includes Scott Gorgen of UC Irvine, and Ryan Berry of Rice.  Berry returns to the roster after receiving the honor in '07 as well.  Scott Gorgen is one of the most talented pitchers on the mound and continues to garner attention, most notably by leading his UC Irvine team to the College World Series last year.

The hitters are just as stellar as the pitchers on this preseason list.  Brett Wallace from Arizona State leads the bunch in my book, and will likely be the biggest home run hitter this year.

Irvine Players Named to Wallace Award Watch List

UC Irvine pitcher Scott Gorgen and outfielder Ollie Linton were named to the Brooks Wallace Award watch list the season after they took their once unknown Anteaters to the College World Series in Omaha last year.  According to CSTV, 148 baseball players were listed on the Brooks Wallace list, including players from every team that made it to the College World Series last year.

Gorgen, who is considered to be one of the best pitchers this year, will be no stranger to award watch lists by the time the season is over.  Gorgen is very accurate and will anchor the experienced pitching staff at UC Irvine.

Ollie Linton is one of the most exciting and energetic players I have ever watched at the College World Series.  He captured the hearts of the locals in Omaha last year who would frequently chant "Ollie! Ollie!"  I don't remember that he ever did to well at the plate, but somehow you just find yourself rooting for the guy unconsciously.

Tommy Milone Showing Off in Cape Cod League

Tommy Milone is making a splash in the famous Cape Cod summer league and just recently was awarded the Pitcher of the Year award for the League.  Milone is USC's top pitcher and is seen as the leading candidate to take the Trojans back to a College World Series in 2008.  USC has won 12 College World Series in the past but have not taken the trip to Omaha since 2001.

Milone, a Junior, is lucky enough to have a new pitching coach Tom House, who just recently was hired as USC's pitching coach.  Tom House is one of the most famous pitching coaches in the nation and even runs a mini pitching school in the Los Angeles area.  Learn more about Tom here.

Look for Milone to get even better with Tom House at the helm.  I think he is good enough to take his team all the way to the College World Series.

UC Irvine Pitcher Makes Explosive Start

UC Irvine's Scott Gorgen joined the Team USA last month after several pitchers left to pursue professional careers.  The pitching ace, who also lead his team to an unprecedented fourth place finish at this year's College World Series, started in his first Team USA match-up against Russia last night.

Although Russia is not known for being a tough team, the 6-0 victory was an accomplishment nonetheless.  Gorgen looked comfortable and focused on the mound and struck out eight Russian players.

Up next for Team USA is the World Port Tournament in the Netherlands.  USA will take on Chinese Taipei, Cuba, Japan and the Netherlands in two games apiece.  The two teams with the most wins will advance to a one game championship match.