We've been keeping track of no-hitters this year in Division II for the most part, and this past week we had three of them take place. That isn't overly exciting until you consider that two of them were from the same team in back-to-back games. In addition to that news for you, we have our only undefeated continuing to be undefeated, the usual suspects continuing to dominate, and a host of very important series coming up this weekend around the country.
On to those no-hitters we speak of. Well, one of them belonged to Merrimack's Perry Kulaga, who threw a nine-inning no-no against Assumption, striking out seven and walking one, needing only 94 pitches to complete the feat in a 12-0 victory.
The other two? Let's preface it by saying that it was against an awful NAIA squad that doesn't even play a full schedule. However, no matter who you are playing against, throwing back-to-back no-hitters is a very impressive feat. And that is just what Benedict did in a pair of Johnny Wholestaff games against Morris College. In game one, three pitchers combined to strike out 12 in seven innings in a 19-0 triumph. In the nightcap, five pitchers combined to strike out 14 in seven innings in a 14-0 romp.
In any case, on to this weekend of spectacular games. Our Marquee Match-Up of the Week heads south for a key conference (and regional) race:
#11 West Alabama (26-9, 15-6 GSC) at #16 West Florida (24-11, 16-5 GSC)
Game One: Saturday, 4/9, 3:00 PM ET (Live Stats | Video)
Game Two: Saturday, 4/9, 6:00 PM ET (Live Stats | Video)
Game Three: Sunday, 4/10, 2:00 PM ET (Live Stats | Video)
Projected Pitching Match-Ups
Game One: UWA Evan Miller (4-2, 3.63) vs UWF Walker O'Connor (6-2, 3.10)
Game Two: UWA Anthony Rosati (2-2, 3.86) vs UWF Brandon Nagem (5-1, 3.69)
Game Three: UWA Evan Anderson (7-1, 2.06) vs UWF JT Granat (6-2, 2.72)
(Projected pitching match-ups are based exclusively on prior series' rotations and should not be considered official in any way.)
Two of the top three teams in the Gulf South Conference do battle in Pensacola, as they are both chasing Delta State at the top of the conference. UWF is tied with the Statesmen, while the Tigers are one game out from each of them. The Argos enter on a 10-game winning streak, while UWA has scuffled to four straight losses.
The Tigers boast a very well-balanced team, hitting .307 at the plate and carrying a team ERA of 3.26, neither of which are mind-numbing numbers, but both of which lead to a lot of victories. Mitch Holgate (.370, 9 2B, 5 3B, 9 HR, 30 RBI, .732 SLG, .497 OBP) and Jack Cockrum (.294, 12 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 32 RBI) are the power bats at the plate for UWA, while Holgate has also stolen 14 bases on 15 attempts this season. As a team, UWA's strength at the plate is their discipline. The Tigers are third nationally in walks and eighth in hit by pitches.
On the mound, UWA in a few GSC series' this year has kind of worked backwards in their rotation. They tend to save Evan Anderson (7-1, 2.06 ERA, 2 CG, 67 K in 56.2 IP, .230 BAA) for the nine-inning contest of the weekend, while Evan Miller and Anthony Rosati take the doubleheader. Just as good as the Tigers hitters are at drawing walks, the Tigers pitchers are just as good at not issuing them. In 292.2 innings, UWA has surrendered only 90 walks compared to the 183 the team has taken at the plate.
For UWF, it begins and ends with pitching. The Argos are one of the best in the country on the mound in many facets. As a team, they are third in D-II in walks allowed per nine innings (2.16), third in strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.85), third in shutouts (6) and 11th in WHIP (1.19). It should be quite the battle to see if UWF's location trumps UWA's patience at the plate or vice versa.
The rotation is led by three guys who could all be considered aces on most teams, with JT Granat (6-2, 2.72 ERA, 38 K in 46.1 IP, .247 BAA), Walker O'Connor (6-2, 3.10, 35 K in 49.1 IP, .276 BAA) and Brandon Nagem (5-1, 3.69 ERA, 51 K in 46.1 IP, .246 BAA) leading the charge.
That is not to say the Argos don't have the bats to compete. They have plenty of able candidates at the plate, led by Jean Figueroa (.331, 6 2B, 6 HR, 31 RBI, .518 SLG) and Nic Strasser (.296, 12 2B, 5 HR, 30 RBI) in the power department and by Justin Ambrosino (.360, 7 2B, 14 RBI) and Kyle Hamner (.351, 5 2B, 15 RBI) in the average department.
UWF has yet to play Delta State, so even if they were to drop two games in this series, they'll still have a chance to control their own destiny in the conference. For UWA, things are a little more urgent in the GSC race, as they dropped two-of-three to the Statesmen in the opening GSC series of the year.
With all that said for UWF/UWA, there are plenty of other series' to keep your eye on this weekend around the world of D-II baseball:
#4 Colorado Mesa (28-5, 18-2 RMAC) at CSU-Pueblo (20-7, 14-2 RMAC)
Game One: Friday, 4/8, 8:00 PM ET (Live Stats)
Game Two: Saturday, 4/9, 3:00 PM ET (Live Stats)
Game Three: Saturday, 4/9, 6:00 PM ET (Live Stats)
Game Four: Sunday, 4/10, 2:00 PM ET (Live Stats)
Catawba (24-12) at #5 Tampa (25-6)
Game One: Friday, 4/8, 6:00 PM ET (Live Stats | Video)
Game Two: Saturday, 4/9, 1:00 PM ET (Live Stats | Video)
Game Three: Saturday, 4/9, 4:00 PM ET (Live Stats | Video)
#6 USC Aiken (30-6, 19-5 PBC) at GRU Augusta (24-11, 13-5 PBC)
Game One: Friday, 4/8, 6:00 PM ET (Live Stats | Video)
Game Two: Saturday, 4/9, 2:00 PM ET (Live Stats | Video)
Game Three: Sunday, 4/10, 1:00 PM ET (Live Stats | Video)
#13 Quincy (18-7, 4-4 GLVC) at Missouri-St. Louis (19-7, 4-4 GLVC)
Game One: Saturday, 4/9, 1:00 PM ET (Live Stats)
Game Two: Saturday, 4/9, 4:00 PM ET (Live Stats)
Game Three: Sunday, 4/10, 1:00 PM ET (Live Stats)
Game Four: Sunday, 4/10, 4:00 PM ET (Live Stats)
#22 Emporia State (25-7, 17-4 MIAA) at Central Missouri (20-8, 18-3 MIAA)
Game One: Friday, 4/8, 7:00 PM ET (Live Stats | Audio)
Game Two: Saturday, 4/9, 2:00 PM ET (Live Stats | Video | Audio)
Game Three: Sunday, 4/10, 2:00 PM ET (Live Stats | Audio)
Barton (25-12, 11-7 Conference Carolinas) at #23 Belmont Abbey (28-7-1, 16-2 Conference Carolinas)
Game One: Friday, 4/8, 6:00 PM ET (Audio)
Game Two: Saturday, 4/9, 12:00 PM ET (Audio)
Game Three: Saturday, 4/9, 3:00 PM ET (Audio)
Gannon (21-8, 9-3 PSAC) vs #25 Mercyhurst (21-8, 9-3 PSAC)
Game One: Friday, 4/8, 1:00 PM ET at Mercyhurst (Live Stats)
Game Two: Friday, 4/8, 3:00 PM ET at Mercyhurst (Live Stats)
Game Three: Sunday, 4/10, 1:00 PM ET at Gannon (Live Stats)
Game Four: Sunday, 4/10, 3:00 PM ET at Gannon (Live Stats)
Alabama-Huntsville (24-13, 14-7 GSC) at Valdosta State (22-11, 13-6 GSC)
Game One: Saturday, 4/9, 3:00 PM ET (Live Stats)
Game Two: Saturday, 4/9, 6:00 PM ET (Live Stats)
Game Three: Sunday, 4/10, 1:00 PM ET (Live Stats)
And here is our recap/preview for all 25 teams (plus a couple) in this week's PerfectGame.org Top 25:
1. St. Cloud State (22-0): Another week, another string of wins for the Huskies as they remain perfect. SCSU swept through four games at SW Minnesota State (8-4, 21-0, 8-2, 24-13) with a stellar offensive showing, then won a game against Minnesota State (5-1) before having the second game cancelled. They are at home for the next 10 games, beginning with four games against Upper Iowa this weekend and a pair of games against Concordia-St. Paul on Wednesday.
2. Millersville (27-3): The Marauders swept the second doubleheader of last weekend at home against contender East Stroudsburg (4-2 and 13-2) and then picked up a mid-week victory over Philadelphia U. This weekend they take on Lock Haven in a four game series, two at home and two on the road.
3. Franklin Pierce (24-2): FPU has won 11 straight after taking a doubleheader from American International on the road (7-2 and 9-4). They have a busy week coming up, playing Saint Anselm on Friday, Adelphi in a doubleheader on Saturday, Pace in a doubleheader on Sunday, and then Southern New Hampshire for a single game on Wednesday, all at home.
4. Colorado Mesa (28-5): The Mavs pushed their RMAC record to 18-2 by taking three-of-four from Adams State at home (12-0, 2-3, 3-1, 7-4). They have a very important RMAC series on the road this weekend as they head to second-place CSU-Pueblo for four games.
5. Tampa (25-6): The Spartans rebounded nicely with an impressive three-game sweep of Florida Tech (8-3, 8-7, 12-10) to get back on the winning side of things after losing four-of-five and five-of-seven. They'll look to keep that momentum going with a rare late-season non-conference set at home against Catawba in a re-match of last year's national championship game.
6. USC Aiken (30-6): The Pacers were hitting on all cylinders offensively over the weekend, sweeping UNC Pembroke (11-9, 19-8, 10-7) on the road before picking up a 9-5 mid-week victory over Newberry. They head to GRU Augusta this weekend for three more conference games before getting Newberry again on Wednesday, this time at home.
7. Cal Baptist (28-7): The Lancers won five straight this week, sweeping Academy of Art (17-4, 10-0, 8-0, 11-2) in a pretty painless series before picking up a comeback victory over Concordia (4-2) on Thursday night. They have three more games at home against Concordia this weekend before welcoming Point Loma in to town for a series that starts on Wednesday.
8. Missouri Southern (22-10): The Lions split a four-game series at home against SW Baptist (3-5, 12-2, 6-5, 8-9) before dropping a mid-week game to Missouri S&T on the road (11-12) to put a bit of a dent in their recent success. They should rebound nicely this next week with three games at home against NW Missouri State and a mid-week game on the road at Pittsburg State.
9. St. Edward's (25-9): SEU could muster only one victory out of an important three-game series at home against Lubbock Christian, taking the opener 5-2 before falling in the second day's doubleheader, 5-3 and 4-1. They picked up a mid-week victory over TAMU-Kingsville, and are on t he road this weekend for three games at UA-Fort Smith.
10. Columbus State (27-10): The Cougars had a successful week, sweeping Georgia Southwestern in a three-game series (9-7, 12-4, 10-8) before picking up a mid-week victory against Albany State (19-1) in convincing fashion. CSU is back at home this weekend for three games against Montevallo before heading to Point for a mid-week game.
11. West Alabama (26-9): UWA had a very tough week, getting swept on the road against a surging Lee team (5-4, 7-4, 5-2) before dropping a mid-week game at home against Stillman (5-1). They will try and rebound on the road this weekend with three conference games against West Florida, which will be a tall task. They'll play Spring Hill at home on Wednesday, as well.
12. Florida Southern (23-8): The Mocs swept a three-game series from Palm Beach Atlantic at home (11-3, 14-5, 10-2), hitting double figures in each contest, but fell in a mid-week game at an impressive Flagler team (4-1). They will get back in to conference play this weekend on the road with three games at Rollins.
13. Quincy (18-7): The Hawks split a four-game series at home against Missouri S&T, dropping the opening game of each doubleheader and winning the nightcap (7-11, 17-9, 6-14, 15-4). They have a very important four-game series on the road this weekend against Missouri-St. Louis and a mid-week game at home against Hannibal-LaGrange.
14. Lander (30-9): The Bearcats were the first team in the country (across all levels) to reach 30 victories after a mid-week victory over Emmanuel (7-1). They took two-of-three from North Georgia on the road in an impressive series victory (12-0, 4-5, 6-5), as well. This weekend they are on the road again at Georgia College and face Anderson at home on Wednesday.
15. Chico State (23-9): One of the CCAA favorites late in the season now, Chico took two-of-three at Cal State-San Marcos (9-1, 7-4, 8-10) and then split a make-up doubleheader at Cal State-East Bay (15-13, 9-10). They have three games at home this weekend against Cal State-Dominguez Hills as they look ahead to next weekend's series showdown against Pomona.
16. West Florida (24-11): It is 10 straight victories for the Argos after sweeping Union (8-4, 17-4, 7-2) over the weekend on the road. They'll be part of arguably the biggest D-II series of the weekend this week, welcoming West Alabama in to town for a three-game series. They'll also take on North Georgia in a pair of single games on Tuesday and Wednesday at home.
17. East Stroudsburg (23-8): After splitting the first doubleheader of last weekend against Millersville, they were swept in the second DH, 4-2 and 13-2, as the offense was finally held in check this season. They'll look to get back on track this weekend with a pair of doubleheaders against Shippensburg before taking on USciences and St. Thomas Aquinas on Tuesday and Wednesday.
18. Dixie State (28-6): The Red Storm continue to roll, pushing their winning streak to 10 as they look to keep pace with Cal Baptist in the PacWest at 16-4 in the conference. They swept four games at home against Fresno Pacific (9-6, 15-3, 10-1, 9-4) and will face some very stiff competition this weekend on the road with four games at Point Loma. They will also begin their series with Azusa Pacific next Thursday.
19. Cal Poly Pomona (21-11): In one of the top series' in the country last weekend, Pomona picked up two-of-three at home against CSU-Monterey Bay (12-2, 3-2, 6-23) with that final game being a bit of an anomaly. They dropped a mid-week game on the road at Azusa Pacific, as well. This weekend, they hit the road for three games at Stanislaus State as they look to pad their conference record.
20. UC San Diego (22-12): The Tritons took two-of-three from Stanislaus State at home (11-10, 10-2, 8-11) in an attempt to keep pace in the CCAA. This weekend they are on the road at Sonoma State, really needing three victories to stay in the race for the conference.
21. Southern New Hampshire (21-3): The Penmen swept a doubleheader at American International (13-6 and 16-5) with a pair of offensive outbursts on Sunday. This week, they face Post in a make-up game on Friday before staying at home for four games this weekend, two each against Pace and Adelphi as they should continue buoying their already ridiculous record. Their next big test comes in a Wednesday game on the road at Franklin Pierce.
22. Emporia State (25-7): The Hornets are keeping up with the Jones' in the MIAA, sitting at 17-4 after a three-game sweep of Central Oklahoma (8-1, 10-8, 25-8) and a mid-week victory over Missouri Western (12-2). The top two teams in the MIAA will do battle this weekend as they head to Warrensburg for three games against Central Missouri. They'll also take on Washburn in a single game on Wednesday.
23. Belmont Abbey (28-7-1): The Crusaders took two-of-three at home against North Greenville in conference action (3-2, 4-5, 14-13) before taking part in a football game against Catawba in the most impressive box score of the weekend. They are at home again this weekend for three conference games against Barton, then head to Brevard for a single game on Tuesday.
24. Lubbock Christian (22-10): LCU dropped their opener against St. Edward's over the weekend before picking up a doubleheader sweep to finish out the weekend. They fell in a mid-week game against Cameron, but will look to get back on track with three games against Panhandle State this weekend a single game on Tuesday at West Texas A&M.
25. Mercyhurst (21-8): The Lakers have broken back in to the rankings off the strength of 10 straight triumphs after sweeping Clarion in four PSAC games (3-0, 8-4, 15-4, 10-0) and picking up a single victory over Lake Erie (14-0). They have a tall task this weekend with four more conference games against Gannon.
Concordia-St. Paul (15-3): They've had a lot of games cancelled so far this year, but the Golden Bears keep winning in the games they *do* play and are at 8-1 in the NSIC this season. They took three-of-four from Mary (1-0, 5-6, 4-1, 7-3) and then picked up a victory in a single game against Wayne State (Neb.), 9-4, before having the nightcap cancelled. They are on the road this weekend against Minnesota-Crookston before heading to St. Cloud State for a doubleheader against the undisputed #1 team in the land.
St. Thomas Aquinas (20-7): The recent World Series participants don't seem to be getting much respect so far this year, but they have quietly put together a solid season. The Spartans took three-of-four from LIU Post over the weekend (4-3, 3-2, 3-10, 6-2) and face Queens in a split four game series this weekend before taking on Nyack (Tuesday) and East Stroudsburg (Wednesday).
CSU-Pueblo (20-7): I mentioned it earlier, but the Thunderwolves are yet again putting together a great year, but unfortunately just happen to be playing in the shadow of Colorado Mesa. They are second in the RMAC at 14-2, but have a chance to leap frog in to the lead this weekend with four games at home against the aforementioned Mavericks. They are coming off taking three-of-four from Colorado Christian (11-3, 7-5, 10-9, 8-12).
Arkansas-Monticello (22-8): UAM hasn't been ranked, but they are 14-4 in the GAC and solidly in the regional conversation so far this year. They took two-of-three on the road against Arkansas Tech and will come home for three games against Harding this weekend.
CSU-Monterey Bay (22-8): The Otters dropped two-of-three to Cal Poly Pomona over the weekend in an important CCAA series, picking up a victory in the finale in a big way, 23-6. They are just barely hanging on in the conference race to the top, but should be in the conversation for a regional spot if they can keep winning. They'll welcome Cal State-San Bernardino in to town this weekend for three games before heading to Sonoma State for a Monday doubleheader.
Indianapolis (19-7): The Greyhounds are looking to catch up to Quincy in the Midwest region, a region that has no real favorite, after taking three-of-four from Lewis (17-9, 8-7, 11-6, 4-15). They are on the road this weekend for four games at McKendree before facing Maryville on Wednesday.
No comments:
Post a Comment