Collegiate Baseball Association

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The first round of the playoffs did not go the way Ephraim anticipated. Upsets occurred in five of the eight series, setting the stage for a wide-open postseason.

#25 Tulane Green Wave (35-25) vs. #2 Army Black Knights (41-19)

Tulane freshman Matt Weaver (10-3, 2.20) looked like a polished veteran as he dominated Army in Game 1 at Black Knights Ballpark. Weaver scattered 10 hits in his complete game 9-1 victory over the Black Knights. Junior left fielder Matt Johnson was 3-for-5 in the game with four RBI. Army senior Ryan Teitelbaum (9-4, 1.96) just didn't look like his usual dominant self, giving up six earned runs over 6 1/3 innings.

Army freshman Mike Shapiro (9-3, 1.68) outdueled Tulane sophomore Sam Davis (8-3, 1.97) as the Black Knights evened the series on the road with a 3-0 win over the Green Wave. Clinging to a 1-0 lead in the 8th, Army freshman right fielder Sam Capozzi delivered a 2-run double to help guide his team to victory.

Game 3 starred a rematch of Game 1 starters and was a much closer game, albeit with the same result. Tulane senior right fielder Pat Sprague hit a triple in the 7th inning and scored in the following at-bat on a base hit by sophomore third baseman Andrew Raymond. The pair were responsible for the insurance run in the 9th behind two singles as the Green Wave won the game 2-0 and take the series two games to one.

#8 Penn State Nittany Lions (37-23) vs. #11 Tennessee Volunteers (38-22)

Senior Keith Meacham (10-3, 0.60) wasn't his usual dominant self, but it was dominant enough for Penn State to take Game 1 by a score of 6-4 on the road against Tennessee. Meacham was a .209 hitter during the regular season but helped his own cause by going 3-for-4 at the plate.

Tennessee evened the series at Nittany Lions Ballpark behind the pitching of freshman Phil Moore (11-3, 2.60). Moore outdueled Penn State freshman T.J. Donnelly (6-6, 2.39) as both players threw complete games. An RBI single in the 2nd and a 2-RBI double in the third was all the Volunteers needed as they won Game 2 by a score of 3-0.

Meacham squared off against Tennessee freshman Jacob Mari (8-8, 3.24) in Game 3 and the kid gave him all he could bargain for. After six scoreless innings, the kid smacked an RBI single off of Meacham to score the game's first run and give the Volunteers a 1-0 lead. Tennessee held the lead entering the 9th, but Mari gave up a trio of singles and two runs by Penn State. Junior Jose Caba came into the game in the bottom of the 9th and saved it for the Nittany Lions as they held on to win 2-1 and take the series 2-1 as well.

#16 Iowa State Cyclones (36-24) vs. #3 Minnesota Golden Gophers (40-21)

Freshman Steve Randall (8-8, 2.13) outpitched junior Josh Harrison (7-7, 2.43). An RBI double and a run-scoring error in the 2nd is all Minnesota would need in their 2-1 Game 1 victory over Iowa State. The Cyclones managed nine hits to the Golden Gophers' four, but they stranded eight runners.

Junior center fielder Adrian "The Admiral" Locke led the charge in Game 2, leading Iowa State to a 9-2 victory over Minnesota to even the series. Locke was 4-for-5 in the contest with four singles and two RBI. Eight of the nine players in the lineup for the Cyclones tallied at least one hit as Golden Gophers senior Abe Shanks (8-5, 1.58) got blasted for 16 hits over 5 2/3 innings.

Game 3 featured a rematch of Game 1 starters, but the result was a bit different. Minnesota's bats went cold in the rain as they managed only two hits in the game. Iowa State, on the other hand, scored five times in the first five innings as they coasted to a 5-0 shutout win and took the series two games to one.

#10 UConn Huskies(36-24) vs. #7 Iowa Hawkeyes (40-20)

UConn was able to plate four runs in the 8th inning behind two home runs to take Game 1 from Iowa by a score of 6-3. The Hawkeyes had two players go 3-for-4 in the game, but it wasn't enough to stop the Huskies.

Iowa somehow overcame seven free passes by junior pitcher Justin Boatwright (10-4, 3.00) to win Game 2 3-2 and tie the series up at a game apiece. UConn stranded 13 and had the tying run 90 feet away in their failed support of senior Gordie Powell (10-6, 2.22), who struck out seven and walked none.

Trailing 3-0 in the 6th, UConn tied up Game 3 with a three-run homer by freshman center fielder Daniel Hunter. But Iowa plated runs in the 6th, 7th, and 8th innings en route to a 6-4 victory and 2-1 series win over the Huskies. Hunter drove in all four runs for UConn. Senior first baseman Tom Kimbrell was 3-for-5 in the game for the Hawkeyes.

#12 Lafayette Leopards (36-24) vs. #1 Northern Illinois Huskies (41-20)

Junior Rick Chiasson allowed only three hits against Lafayette as Northern Illinois took Game 1 by the score of 3-0. He had some help from his defense, though, as he only struck out two while walking none.

Lafayette junior Sam Neuland (12-7, 2.19) evened up the series with a four-hit shutout against top-ranked Northern Illinois. Two runs in the 5th were all the Leopards needed to win Game 2 by a 2-0 score.

Lafayette freshman Josh Wachter (9-3, 1.09) tossed a three-hitter, while Chiasson threw a four-hitter for Northern Illinois. The game, and the series, came down to a throwing error to start the 5th inning that allowed Leopard's senior second baseman Jon Clayton to get to second base. After Clayton advanced to third on a groundout, junior shortstop Mike McMorrow laid down a bunt. The squeeze was on and Clayton was able to beat the throw to the plate! It was the only run of the game, as Lafayette took down the #1 team in the nation 1-0 and won the series two games to one!!

#15 Wisconsin Badgers (36-24) vs. #6 Stetson Hatters (40-21)

Senior center fielder Preston Mullenix went 3-for-5 and drove in two runs to lead Stetson to a 4-1 win over Wisconsin. Senior second baseman Nick Proehl was 3-for-4 as well for the Hatters.

Senior Dave Compton (11-4, 2.27) tossed a five-hit, 2-0 shutout to lead Wisconsin to a Game 2 win and even the series at a game apiece. Compton struck out four and walked one in the contest.

Seven of the nine batters in the Stetson lineup recorded at least one hit as the Hatters cruised to a 7-3 Game 3 win. Nick Proehl went 3-for-3 in the game to lead all batters. Three other Stetson players had multiple hits as the Hatters scored five runs in the first three innings.

#9 Cornell Big Red (37-23) vs. #5 North Dakota State Bison (39-21)

It took extra innings in Game 1 to determine a winner between Cornell and North Dakota State. Tied 3-3 after nine innings, the teams entered the 12th after two more scoreless innings. But the Big Red bats came alive, as Cornell scored five times on their way to an 8-3 victory. Senior Harrison Parrott (8-5, 2.30) went the distance...and then some...as he pitched a complete game win for the Big Red. Parrott allowed 11 hits, struck out seven, and walked four in the game.

Ephraim was on hand to see Game 2 of the series. It was rare that he got away from the office long enough to travel to see Warren play. But he was very proud of what his son had accomplished. Warren, a junior center fielder for Cornell, had put together yet another .300+ performance and was proving to be better than his old man had been back in the day. The game was a close one and North Dakota State took a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the 9th. But much like Game 1, the Big Red bats came to life when it counted. Three base hits led to the game-tying run. The fourth hit, however, was Warren's, as he grounded the ball into left field to drive in the game-winning run in walk-off fashion! Cornell won the game 2-1 and took the series in a sweep, 2-0.

#17 California Golden Bears (35-25) vs. #4 Alabama Crimson Tide (41-20)

Game 1 was quite the pitcher's duel as the two teams combined for seven hits. Only one run was scored and it was in the 1st inning by California. Senior Chris Fanjoy (8-7, 2.68) was spectacular for the Golden Bears as he struck out five and allowed only one walk in Cal's 1-0 win over Alabama. Senior center fielder Chase Walker had two of Cal's four hits.

The hits were more abundant in Game 2, but not the runs in another close contest. Cal clung to a 1-0 lead heading into the 9th. But a single and a pair of errors allowed 'Bama to tie the game up at 1-1. The game was decided with two outs in the bottom half of the 9th with a man on second. Senior left fielder Brian Etienne drove a base hit into right and the runner, Allen Capps, rounded third and beat the throw to the plate!! California won the game on a walk-off by a score of 2-1, sweeping the series from the Crimson Tide 2-0.

Quarter Final Matchups
#25 Tulane Green Wave (37-26) vs. #8 Penn State Nittany Lions (39-24)
#16 Iowa State Hawkeyes (38-25) vs. #7 Iowa Hawkeyes (42-21)
#12 Lafayette Leopards (38-25) vs. #6 Stetson Hatters (42-22)
#17 California Golden Bears (37-25) vs. #9 Cornell Big Red (39-23)

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#25 Tulane Green Wave (37-26) vs. #8 Penn State Nittany Lions (39-24)

Game 1 between Tulane and Penn State was a pitcher's duel that lasted only 2.5 hours. Green Wave sophomore Sam Davis (0-1, 3.00) and Nittany Lions freshman T.J. Donnelly (0-1, 3.00) went toe-to-toe in a nail-biter. Knotted in a scoreless tie in the 9th, Penn State senior third baseman Jesse Myers led off the bottom half of the inning with a base hit to left field. Myers was sacrificed to second, bringing up Donnelly. The youngster, who only had three hits all season, smacked his second base hit of the game into left field. Myers rounded third as Tulane junior left fielder Chris Pratt got to the ball. Pratt made the throw home as Myers sprinted toward the plate. The catch...the slide...the tag...and Myers is SAFE! A walk-off base knock for the Nittany Lions as they take Game 1 by the score of 1-0!!

Game 2 was another close affair as Penn State senior Keith Meacham (2-0, 1.59) faced off against Tulane freshman Matt Weaver (2-0, 0.50). The Nittany Lions got onto the board first, plating a run in the 1st inning for an early 1-0 lead. An error on Penn State in the 5th and a passed ball by the Nittany Lions in the 6th led to runs in each of those innings to give Tulane the lead 2-1. Penn State tied the game up in the 7th by scoring on a Green Wave error. With the momentum turning, the Nittany Lions regained the lead in the 8th on an RBI single by junior right fielder Matt Kostelecky. Clinging to a 3-2 lead, Meacham shut Tulane down in the 8th and 9th to give Penn State the win and take the series 2-0.

#16 Iowa State Cyclones (38-25) vs. #7 Iowa Hawkeyes (42-21)

In a Midwest Region battle for Iowa state baseball bragging rights, the Cyclones and the Hawkeyes renewed their rivalry, albeit with higher stakes. Iowa State started junior Dave Young (1-0, 2.00), while Iowa decided to go with junior Justin Boatwright (1-0, 2.00). The game was scoreless for the first four innings. Iowa smacked a single, triple, and a pair of doubles in the 5th inning to score first and lead the game 3-0. Iowa State rallied back to within a run in the 7th behind a solo shot to left, a double, and an RBI single to make it 3-2. Still trailing by a run in the 9th, Iowa State evened the score with senior catcher Danny Fetterolf's RBI base hit to center. The Cyclones had their chances to break the tie as they put men on second and third with no outs. But Iowa was able to stop the rally. Hawkeye senior third baseman Jeff Greene reached base on an error in the bottom of the 9th, then stole second and third base. With one out and Greene on third, freshman catcher Jeremy "Alibi" Majkut worked Young over at the plate, fouling off 6 of 11 pitches before sending the last one out to center field for a flyout. Greene tagged up at third and headed home and sophomore Juan Salas gunned the ball to the plate. Greene slides...the tag at the plate...and Greene is SAFE!! Iowa walks it off and takes Game 1 by the score of 4-3!

Game 2 at Cyclones Ballpark featured Iowa senior Jack Lisiecki (1-1, 3.50) against Iowa State junior Josh Harrison (1-1, 0.53). Harrison was in the zone all game, striking out six, walking one, and scattering six hits in a complete game victory. Coupled with timely hitting by the Cyclones, Iowa State won 3-0 and evened the series up at a game apiece.

Young and Boatwright started Game 3 in a rematch of Game 1 starters. Iowa State scored in the 1st inning to take an early 2-0 lead. While they only managed five hits in the game, the Cyclones benefitted from four Hawkeye errors. Two additional runs in the 7th extended the Iowa State lead and they cruised to a 4-1 victory over their rivals to win the series two games to one.

#12 Lafayette Leopards (38-25) vs. #6 Stetson Hatters (42-22)

Stetson dominated Game 1 with a convincing 6-0 shellacking of Lafayette. Freshman Sean Gray (9-6, 1.67) held the Leopards to only four hits in a complete game win. Senior center fielder Preston Mullenix went 4-for-4 on the day with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.

Lafayette evened the series in Game 2 with a close 2-1 victory. The Leopards managed three hits in the 6th to score both runs in the win.

Game 3 was another close match. Lafayette junior Sam Neuland looked to avenge his Game 1 performance while Sean Gray looked to put the series away for the Hatters. Stetson scored a run in the 1st inning for an early lead, but the Leopards came back with a run in both the 2nd and 3rd innings to take the lead. Both teams buckled down defensively and missed opportunities to score on offense. Lafayette held on to win the game 2-1 and take the series 2-1 as well.

#17 California Golden Bears (37-25) vs. #9 Cornell Big Red (39-23)

California took Game 1 on the road thanks to four Cornell errors. The Big Red committed three miscues in the 5th inning that led to five Cal runs and a 5-1 lead. The Golden Bears went on to win the game 6-3. Cal senior right fielder Cody Outlaw went 3-for-4 in the game with 3 RBI to win Player of the Game honors.

Cornell stormed back in Game 2 behind freshman Josh Brill's 7-hit performance. The Big Red pounded out 16 hits in the 6-1 victory that evened up the series. Senior third baseman Sean Jones went 4-for-4 in the game. In a questionable call by Cal manager Justin Herman, Game 1 starter Chris Fanjoy was used in relief and is unavailable to start in Game 3.

In yet another bizarre decision, Herman started freshman Joe Bass over fellow freshman Chris Cohen for Game 3. Bass showed control issues all season while Cohen did not. Cornell returned Game 1 starter Harrison Parrott, a senior, to start the series-deciding game. The contest played out as one would expect. Parrott struck out seven and allowed only five hits on the day. Bass walked six and gave up ten base hits. Amazingly enough, the score was close, with Cornell winning the game 4-2 to take the series two games to one and advance to the next round of the playoffs!

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#16 Iowa State Cyclones (40-26)vs. #8 Penn State Nittany Lions (41-24)

Game 1 starters Josh Harrison and Keith Meacham went the distance in an extra-inning affair. An inside-the-park homer by Penn State freshman first baseman Taylor Hessler in the 4th put the Nittany Lions up 1-0. But a wild pitch by Meacham in the top of the 5th allowed the Cyclones to tie the game up. The contest remained 1-1 going into the 11th inning until Iowa State committed back-to-back errors to give the game away 2-1.

Penn State pitched freshman T.J. Donnelly in Game 2 against Iowa State junior Dave Young. The Cyclones were the first on the board behind back-to-back RBI singles in the 2nd inning. Penn State committed an error in the 4th inning that allowed a run to score to go down 3-0. In the 6th inning, Penn State freshman right fielder Ryan Brown smashed a 2-RBI single to left to get the Nittany Lions to within a run. The hot hitting would continue in the 7th for Penn State as they scored three times on three base hits to take a 5-3 lead. Iowa State got a run back in the bottom half of the 7th to pull to within one. But Donnelly was just too much for the Cyclones as Penn State held on to win the game 5-4 and sweep the series two games to none.

#12 Lafayette Leopards (40-26) vs. #9 Cornell Big Red (41-24)

Game 1 of this series went into extras as well. Cornell took the early lead in the 2nd behind freshman second baseman Carlos Valdez's inside-the-park home run. The Big Red would hold that lead until the 9th when Lafayette was able to scrape together a run on an infield single with two outs. The game remained tied until the 12th when freshman first baseman Matt Lencioni delivered a liner into right-center to put the Leopards on top. Cornell went down in order and Lafayette won 2-1.

Cornell smashed a pair of triples and scored a run to lead off Game 2. The Big Red tacked on two more runs in the 6th to give themselves a 3-0 lead. Lafayette plated a run in the 8th, but couldn't do more as Cornell won the game 3-1 and tied the series.

Cornell got off to another hot start in Game 3, stroking three base hits and scoring one in the 1st for the early lead. Lafayette got the run back in the 2nd thanks to a Big Red fielding error. Cornell broke the tie with a sacrifice fly in the 3rd inning to regain the lead. The Big Red scored again in the 4th to increase their lead to 3-1. Senior third baseman J.D. Pierce stroked an RBI single to left to bring the Leopards to within a run in the 6th. Cornell junior center fielder Warren Herring, son of CBA Commissioner Ephraim Herring, led off the bottom of the 6th with a triple to spark the Big Red. Cornell would score twice to extend their lead to 5-2. A Big Red error in the 7th allowed Lafayette to get a run back, but the Leopards couldn't capitalize on opportunities in the final two innings. Cornell holds on to win 5-3 and takes the series two games to one.

#9 Cornell Big Red (43-25) vs. #8 Penn State Nittany Lions (43-24)

Cornell senior Harrison Parrott outpitched Penn State pitcher Keith Meacham in Game 1, handing Meacham his first loss of the postseason. The Big Red scored on a throwing error in the 1st inning for an early 1-0 lead. In the 6th inning, Warren Herring hit an RBI single to make it 2-0. Then sophomore left fielder Justin Gearhart smashed a 2-RBI triple to break the game open and give Cornell a 4-0 advantage. Cornell tacked on a run in the 9th for good measure and cruised to a 5-0 win. Parrott held the Nittany Lions to only six hits while striking out five in the complete-game victory.

Starting pitcher T.J. Donnelly used his bat in the 3rd inning of Game 2 to start the inning with a leadoff triple. Donnelly would score on the next at-bat to give Penn State the early 1-0 lead. But Cornell evened things up in the bottom half of the inning with their own RBI base hit. Carlos Valdez kept the hits coming for the Big Red with an RBI triple in the 4th to give Cornell the lead, 2-1. They extended their lead to 5-1 in the 5th behind four hits to score three more times. Penn State scored a run in the 6th to make it 5-2. The score remained the same until the 9th when the Nittany Lions rallied late. Penn State scored a run with two outs to pull within two. Then they smashed a single and double to put the tying run in scoring position. But the rally fell short, as a fly out ended the late scoring attempt. Cornell held on to win it 5-3 and take the series in a sweep two games to none. The Big Red are the National Champions for the 4th time in their program's history!

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Charles Herring, Ephraim's fourth child, was finishing up high school and would be 18 in a couple of months. He was a ballplayer like his brothers and he was trying to figure out which college to attend.

"What do you think about Wake Forest?"

Ephraim was just taking a sip of his morning coffee when Charles asked him and he about spit it out. Holding back, Ephraim started coughing and had to take a minute to compose himself.

"Wake Forest? As in North Carolina?" Ephraim asked. "Why there?"

Charles was a typical teenager who didn't think five minutes into the future regarding most decisions in his life.

"Dad, they're projected as the preseason favorite for the 1904 season! They have a great program!!" Charles proclaimed.

Ephraim had to breathe before uttering his response, knowing that he had to handle this issue gently.

"Charles, they had a losing record last year. And while they may be turning their program around, the sportswriters just write these preseason predictions to sell papers."

"But..." Charles stammered as Ephraim continued.

"They have yet to correctly pick the national champion in the preseason, Charles. The #1 team in the preseason has never won the national championship. Not once!"

Ephraim's response had silenced his son as Charles contemplated and processed what his father had told him before forming a response.

"And where would you recommend, Dad? Rutgers?" Charles said with a bit of sarcasm in his voice.

Ephraim smiled. "Of course, I would love for you to attend my alma mater, Charles. Warren is doing great at Cornell, though, so maybe that is an option. However, this decision will be up to you when the time comes this summer."

Charles scoffed and stormed out of the room. Typical teenager, Ephraim thought. He hoped Charles would come around and consider a solid program that would help him succeed. But when the time came, Ephraim would keep his opinions to himself and let Charles make his own decision.

Ephraim picked up the newspaper and looked over the preseason predictions that the "all-knowing" sportswriters had written. Yale was considered the favorite to win the New England Region, with Dartmouth a close second. In the Northeast Region, Princeton edged out defending champion Cornell for the regional title. Lafayette was projected to win the Atlantic Region as Loyola Maryland and Marshall were considered runner-ups.

Wake Forest was indeed the favorite to win the Southeast Region and the consensus preseason #1. Clemson and Mississippi were picked to challenge for the regional title as well. In the Great Lakes Region, Northern Illinois is considered the favorite with Notre Dame and Purdue following. Kansas, Iowa, and Missouri are expected to challenge each other for the Midwest Region title, with the Jayhawks considered slight favorites. In the Pacific Region, Washington and Santa Clara are listed as the top two teams to compete for the regional title. Tulane is the hands-down favorite to win the Southwest Region title, while Chicago is the clear favorite to win the Western Conference championship. And in the newly formed Mountain Region, North Dakota State and Colorado State are expected to challenge for the title.