NCAA enters professional ranks

[4maddux_cy's]

Top Fielders Honored by American League:

The highlight reels were full of plays from these NCAA standouts this year. The American League Gold Glove Award for 2029 has been awarded to the following players:

Pitcher
Cherokee Fisher (Cal State Northridge Matadors)

Catcher
Jack J O'Connor (UC Riverside Highlanders)

First Baseman
George C Scott (UC Irvine Anteaters)

Second Baseman
Joe Gordon (Florida Gators)

Third Baseman
Jeremy Fauteux (TCU Horned Frogs)

Shortstop
Primo Capriati (Rice Owls)

Left Fielder
Oscar Mercado (Kentucky Wildcats)

Center Fielder
Paul Blair (Texas A&M Aggies)

Right Fielder
Dustin Mertz (Fresno State Bulldogs)

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Best NL Reliever Named:

They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but in the case of Steve LaRue of the North Carolina Tar Heels, you don't have to - his old tricks worked just fine in 2029.

The 34-year-old veteran turned in a sparkling performance and has won the National League Reliever of the Year Award.

He captured the award with 36 saves in 61 relief appearances, 85 strikeouts and 6 walks in 64.2 innings. He put up a record of 3-4 to go with his 0.97 ERA.

He received 147 first place votes out of a possible 164. Bill Hawke of the Penn State Nittany Lions finished second in voting with 1 first place vote, while Ron Robinson of the Boston College Eagles finished third with 7 first place votes.

Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Steve LaRue - North Carolina Tar Heels - 147 - 765
Bill Hawke - Penn State Nittany Lions - 1 - 267
Ron Robinson - Boston College Eagles - 7 - 140
Mario Soto - Arizona State Sun Devils - 2 - 123
Bob Veale - Louisville Cardinals - 0 - 71
Jose Valverde - East Carolina Pirates - 4 - 61
Bill Daley - North Carolina Tar Heels - 2 - 18
Steve Howe - Marquette Golden Eagles - 0 - 7
Bryan Rinehart - Coastal Carolina Chanticleers - 0 - 7
John Wetteland - Louisville Cardinals - 1 - 5
Kyle Patton - St. John's Red Storm - 0 - 4
Pedro J Martinez - Louisville Cardinals - 0 - 3
Heinie Berger - Michigan Wolverines - 0 - 2
Jerry Upp - DePaul Blue Demons - 0 - 2
Rube Waddell - Louisiana Monroe Warhawks - 0 - 1

[4maddux_cy's]

AL Reliever of the Year Award Winner Named:

Henry Herrera has won the 2029 American League Reliever of the Year Award, which at age 34 is a "milestone achievement" for the North Texas Mean Green reliever.

"I feel accomplished to win this when there are other younger, stronger, harder-throwing guys out there," he said.

The Goleta, California native's numbers speak for themselves, as he captured the award with 42 saves in 63 relief appearances, compiling 73.2 innings. He had 142 strikeouts and 20 walks, a record of 10-3 and an ERA of 1.59.

He received 140 first place votes out of a possible 164. Scott Williamson of the LSU Tigers finished second in voting with 18 first place votes, while Billy Florsheim of the LSU Tigers finished third with 3 first place votes.

Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Henry Herrera - North Texas Mean Green - 140 - 761
Scott Williamson - LSU Tigers - 18 - 421
Billy Florsheim - LSU Tigers - 3 - 143
Bob Becker - Texas Longhorns - 0 - 37
Josh Wade - Vanderbilt Commodores - 0 - 31
Dave Righetti - Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders - 3 - 29
Jon Silva - San Diego State Aztecs - 0 - 18
Cy Buker - Auburn Tigers - 0 - 13
Ron Sawyers - Cal State Fullerton Titans - 0 - 12
Jonathan Broxton - Auburn Tigers - 0 - 3
John Raleigh - Gonzaga Bulldogs - 0 - 3
Billy Wagner - Bradley Braves - 0 - 3
Roger Bowman - Cal State Fullerton Titans - 0 - 1
Aroldis Chapman - Fresno State Bulldogs - 0 - 1

[4maddux_cy's]

National League Silver Slugger Award Winners Announced:

A group of established and budding NCAA stars were today named winners of the National League Silver Slugger Award.

For standout offensive performances, the 2029 winners are:

Catcher
Joe Torre (Michigan Wolverines)
.312/.387/.610, 513 AB, 39 HR, 115 RBI, 6.6 WAR

First Baseman
John Olerud (Pittsburgh Panthers)
.359/.456/.720, 607 AB, 58 HR, 134 R, 172 RBI, 10.5 WAR

Second Baseman
Robinson Cano (DePaul Blue Demons)
.331/.382/.659, 622 AB, 52 HR, 2 SB, 125 R, 146 RBI, 8.8 WAR

Third Baseman
Al Rosen (Creighton Blue Jays)
.336/.423/.709, 608 AB, 64 HR, 1 SB, 136 R, 169 RBI, 9.7 WAR

Shortstop
Arky Vaughan (Temple Owls)
.370/.476/.694, 575 AB, 48 HR, 4 SB, 131 R, 126 RBI, 12.4 WAR

Left Fielder
Barry Bonds (Little Rock Trojans)
.331/.456/.751, 531 AB, 64 HR, 29 SB, 132 R, 144 RBI, 11.2 WAR

Center Fielder
Jim Edmonds (Illinois Fighting Illini)
.325/.387/.736, 636 AB, 73 HR, 4 SB, 130 R, 159 RBI, 10.6 WAR

Right Fielder
Mickey Mantle (South Florida Bulls)
.344/.470/.779, 587 AB, 73 HR, 4 SB, 172 R, 194 RBI, 12.5 WAR

Designated Hitter
Dan Stork (Syracuse Orange)
.328/.433/.684, 610 AB, 60 HR, 3 SB, 127 R, 124 RBI, 8.9 WAR

[4maddux_cy's]

Big Hitters Get Named AL Silver Slugger Award Winners:

It's a trophy on the mantle and certainly bragging rights around NCAA locker rooms. The American League announced the winners of the Silver Slugger Award today, which goes to the top offensive performer at each position.

Here are the 2029 winners:

Catcher
Brian McCann (North Texas Mean Green)
.302/.403/.618, 474 AB, 42 HR, 4 SB, 119 RBI, 6.8 WAR

First Baseman
George Sisler (West Virginia Mountaineers)
.367/.411/.757, 613 AB, 63 HR, 29 SB, 130 R, 158 RBI, 9.5 WAR

Second Baseman
Ian Kinsler (Texas A&M Aggies)
.322/.391/.592, 639 AB, 44 HR, 18 SB, 122 R, 105 RBI, 7.1 WAR

Third Baseman
Jim Ray Hart (Marshall Thundering Herd)
.336/.395/.676, 598 AB, 58 HR, 4 SB, 119 R, 131 RBI, 7.9 WAR

Shortstop
Corey Seager (North Texas Mean Green)
.339/.412/.654, 619 AB, 51 HR, 6 SB, 137 R, 132 RBI, 9.5 WAR

Left Fielder
Pete Browning (Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors)
.395/.470/.755, 617 AB, 60 HR, 131 R, 151 RBI, 11.6 WAR

Center Fielder
Bobby Bonds (Florida International Panthers)
.291/.358/.628, 602 AB, 55 HR, 25 SB, 105 R, 117 RBI, 5.9 WAR

Right Fielder
Shoeless Joe Jackson (Montana State Bobcats)
.407/.495/.820, 594 AB, 60 HR, 13 SB, 154 R, 167 RBI, 12.8 WAR

Designated Hitter
Frank Baker (Valparaiso Crusaders)
.337/.388/.734, 653 AB, 72 HR, 10 SB, 123 R, 172 RBI, 7.7 WAR

[4maddux_cy's]

NL Presents Rookie of the Year Award:

Dean Palmer turned a lot of heads in National League circles this season, putting together a solid rookie campaign. Today he claimed the NL Rookie of the Year Award.

The 22-year-old Duke third baseman played in 158 games, hitting .291 with 67 home runs, 145 RBIs and scoring 136 runs.

He received 163 first place votes out of a possible 164. Justin Bour of the St. John's Red Storm finished second in voting, while John Titus of the Maryland Terrapins finished third.

Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Dean Palmer - Duke Blue Devils - 163 - 815
Justin Bour - St. John's Red Storm - 0 - 378
John Titus - Maryland Terrapins - 0 - 194
Eduardo Rodriguez - Indiana Hoosiers - 0 - 34
Tip O'Neill - Wisconsin Badgers - 0 - 29
George H Burns - Appalachian State Mountaineers - 0 - 17
Greg Maddux - Louisville Cardinals - 1 - 5
Pedro J Martinez - Louisville Cardinals - 0 - 3
Carmelo Martinez - NC State Wolfpack - 0 - 1

[4maddux_cy's]

AL Announces 2029 Rookie of the Year Award:

The 2029 American League Rookie of the Year Award has gone to Lou Gehrig of the Evansville Purple Aces.

In his debut season he hit .329, drove in 145 runs and scored 130 times, while playing in 161 games. The 21-year-old newcomer also had 48 doubles, 7 triples and 50 home runs.

He received 160 first place votes out of a possible 164. Hub Collins of the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors finished second in voting, while Terry Larkin of the Illinois State Redbirds finished third with 4 first place votes.

Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Lou Gehrig - Evansville Purple Aces - 160 - 812
Hub Collins - Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors - 0 - 366
Terry Larkin - Illinois State Redbirds - 4 - 130
Roger Connor - Southern Illinois Salukis - 0 - 91
Curt Walker - Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners - 0 - 71
Willie Keeler - Illinois State Redbirds - 0 - 3
Stuffy McInnis - Loyola Ramblers - 0 - 2
Mariano Rivera - Tennessee Volunteers - 0 - 1

[4maddux_cy's]

Best NL Hurler Chosen for 2029:

The DePaul Blue Demons have a rising superstar or maybe even a budding Hall-of-Famer in the making.
It's J R Richard, this year's National League Cy Young Award selection. This blossoming hurler wowed fans, peers and sportswriters with a fabulous performance.

Richard compiled a 22-7 record in 32 starts, tallied 387 strikeouts in 236.1 innings and recorded a 2.13 ERA. Other clubs managed only a .172 batting average against him.

He received 90 first place votes out of a possible 164. Sam McDowell of the Xavier Musketeers finished second in voting with 73 first place votes, while Mark Baldwin of the UConn Huskies finished third.

Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
J R Richard - DePaul Blue Demons - 90 - 926
Sam McDowell - Xavier Musketeers - 73 - 871
Mark Baldwin - UConn Huskies - 0 - 348
Johan Santana - Michigan State Spartans - 0 - 348
Guy Hecker - Temple Owls - 0 - 136
Fernando Villarreal - Xavier Musketeers - 0 - 83
Hal Gregg - Michigan State Spartans - 0 - 43
The Only Nolan - East Carolina Pirates - 0 - 8
Sandy Koufax - Louisville Cardinals - 1 - 7
Noah Syndergaard - Creighton Blue Jays - 0 - 6
Ned Garvin - UCLA Bruins - 0 - 3
Dan Schatzeder - East Carolina Pirates - 0 - 3
Bill Sowders - Arkansas State Red Wolves - 0 - 2
Jose Rijo - Arizona State Sun Devils - 0 - 1

[4maddux_cy's]

Huge Year for Titans Matlack, Nabs Cy Young Award:

He's in the early phase of his career, but this past season Jon Matlack performed like a veteran on the hill for the Cal State Fullerton Titans and walked away with the American League Cy Young Award in the process.

The 24-year-old Titans star fashioned a 24-4 won-loss record in 2029 with a 2.02 ERA. In 236.2 innings of work and 33 starts, Matlack struck out 344 while giving up 152 hits and 58 walks. He held opposing batters to a .180 average.

He received 163 first place votes out of a possible 164. Dick McBride of the UC San Diego Tritons finished second in voting, while Ed Walsh of the Indiana State Sycamores finished third with 1 first place vote.

Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Jon Matlack - Cal State Fullerton Titans - 163 - 1145
Dick McBride - UC San Diego Tritons - 0 - 602
Ed Walsh - Indiana State Sycamores - 1 - 474
Cy Seymour - Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners - 0 - 213
Herb Score - Drake Bulldogs - 0 - 98
Jim A Devlin - Oklahoma State Cowboys - 0 - 64
Alejandro Pena - Fresno State Bulldogs - 0 - 57
Deacon Phillippe - Oklahoma Sooners - 0 - 29
Terry Larkin - Illinois State Redbirds - 0 - 28
Eric Rose - LSU Tigers - 0 - 23
Mike Witt - Mississippi State Bulldogs - 0 - 18
Charlie Buffinton - San Diego State Aztecs - 0 - 10
Frank E Smith - Kansas State Wildcats - 0 - 9
Jack Chesbro - UC San Diego Tritons - 0 - 7
Justin Verlander - Vanderbilt Commodores - 0 - 5
Juan Guzman - UC San Diego Tritons - 0 - 3
Juan Marichal - Texas Tech Red Raiders - 0 - 2
Joe Gibbon - UTEP Miners - 0 - 1

[4maddux_cy's]

Mantle Selected NL's #1 Player:

Mickey Mantle took NCAA by storm this year, and he did it all at the age of 24.

For his spectacular campaign, the South Florida Bulls star has been named the 2029 National League Most Valuable Player Award recipient.

"To be considered amongst the best in the league is overwhelming," said the right fielder.

On the season he compiled a .344 batting average to go with a .470 on-base percentage. The native of The United States also added 24 doubles, 6 triples, 73 home runs, 194 RBIs and 172 runs scored.

He received 161 first place votes out of a possible 164. Barry Bonds of the Little Rock Trojans finished second in voting, while Jim Edmonds of the Illinois Fighting Illini finished third.

Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Mickey Mantle - South Florida Bulls - 161 - 2270
Barry Bonds - Little Rock Trojans - 0 - 1250
Jim Edmonds - Illinois Fighting Illini - 0 - 1148
John Olerud - Pittsburgh Panthers - 0 - 1119
Al Rosen - Creighton Blue Jays - 0 - 772
Robinson Cano - DePaul Blue Demons - 0 - 738
Sam Crawford - Colorado Buffaloes - 0 - 643
Arky Vaughan - Temple Owls - 0 - 579
Red J Smith - SMU Mustangs - 0 - 220
Dean Palmer - Duke Blue Devils - 0 - 198
Dave Orr - Louisiana Monroe Warhawks - 0 - 196
Sam McDowell - Xavier Musketeers - 2 - 142
Ryan J Braun - Washington Huskies - 0 - 108
J R Richard - DePaul Blue Demons - 0 - 90
Chipper Jones - Louisville Cardinals - 1 - 58
Hal Trosky Sr - Colorado Buffaloes - 0 - 36
Paul Goldschmidt - Villanova Wildcats - 0 - 18
Travis Shaw - Rutgers Scarlet Knights - 0 - 17
Bernie F Williams - Colorado Buffaloes - 0 - 13
Eric Chavez - Virginia Cavaliers - 0 - 12
Dan Stork - Syracuse Orange - 0 - 12
Ozzie Albies - Louisville Cardinals - 0 - 9
Josh Hamilton - Rutgers Scarlet Knights - 0 - 4
Zeke Bonura - South Florida Bulls - 0 - 1
Don Mattingly - Tulane Green Wave - 0 - 1
Albert Pujols - Minnesota Golden Gophers - 0 - 1

[4maddux_cy's]

Ty Cobb's stranglehold on the AL MVP has been broken! Cobb had won the award the previous FIVE seasons!!!


American League Names Top Player:

Montana State's Shoeless Joe Jackson put the wraps on a fine campaign today by winning the 2029 American League Most Valuable Player Award.

The 28-year-old veteran scorched the opposition with a .407 average, picking up 242 hits, 45 doubles, 10 triples, 60 home runs and 167 RBIs, while scoring 154 runs.

He received 133 first place votes out of a possible 164. Stan Musial of the LSU Tigers finished second in voting with 23 first place votes, while Ty Cobb of the Cal Poly Mustangs finished third with 5 first place votes.

Player - Team - First Place - Total Points
Shoeless Joe Jackson - Montana State Bobcats - 133 - 2113
Stan Musial - LSU Tigers - 23 - 1363
Ty Cobb - Cal Poly Mustangs - 5 - 1343
Pete Browning - Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors - 0 - 1157
Corey Seager - North Texas Mean Green - 0 - 722
George Sisler - West Virginia Mountaineers - 0 - 591
Glenn Wright - UTEP Miners - 0 - 471
Frank Baker - Valparaiso Crusaders - 1 - 466
Joe Hauser - Charlotte 49ers - 1 - 424
Jack Glasscock - Oklahoma Sooners - 0 - 276
Tom Tresh - Gonzaga Bulldogs - 0 - 262
Ron Santo - Cal State Fullerton Titans - 0 - 121
Jon Matlack - Cal State Fullerton Titans - 1 - 105
Ross Youngs - Bradley Braves - 0 - 100
Jim Ray Hart - Marshall Thundering Herd - 0 - 67
Zack Wheat - Illinois State Redbirds - 0 - 24
Dick McBride - UC San Diego Tritons - 0 - 22
Ed Walsh - Indiana State Sycamores - 0 - 5
Ed Delahanty - UC Davis Aggies - 0 - 3
Elmer Flick - Alabama Crimson Tide - 0 - 3
Charlie Buffinton - San Diego State Aztecs - 0 - 1
Lou Gehrig - Evansville Purple Aces - 0 - 1

[4maddux_cy's]

Texas A&M-Wake Forest Trade:

Dunn for Lolich: Officials for Texas A&M confirmed that they have traded 25-year-old LF Adam Dunn to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. In return, the Aggies will receive 29-year-old LHP Mickey Lolich.

Wake Forest will retain a portion of Lolich's remaining contract.

Over his career Dunn is batting .263 with 81 doubles, 3 triples, 216 home runs, 486 RBIs and scored 462 runs in 615 games.

Thus far in his career Lolich has 73 saves with a 59-59 record and a 3.57 ERA.

[4maddux_cy's]

Star 3B Mike Schmidt Files for FA:

Coming off a season where he finished with a WAR of 8.2, Mike Schmidt filed for free agency today, hoping to start a bidding war.

There is no shortage of teams that will be interested in the 29-year-old third baseman, but only a few have the budget to truly contend for his services.

Schmidt, who won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2023, is hoping to play for a team truly pushing to win it all.

"I'd love to help propel my new team to a championship," he said.

[4maddux_cy's]

NCAA News: First-Year Player Draft:

The NCAA amateur draft looms large today. The talent selected could determine the fate of baseball clubs for years to come. In reality it is a lottery. You make your pick and pay your money. Most of the time the teams lose, but occasionally they hit the jackpot and get an impact player. That is what they are hoping for. BNN analysts have rated these players as most likely to be chosen in the early rounds:
1. Charlie Sweeney, 17 year-old RHP out of high-school.
2. Noodles Hahn, 19 year-old LHP out of college.
3. Buttons Briggs, 20 year-old RHP out of college.
4. Ted Williams, 19 year-old RF out of high-school.
5. Dwight Gooden, 18 year-old RHP out of high-school.
6. Roy Campanella, 25 year-old C out of college.
7. Jake Weimer, 27 year-old LHP out of college.
8. Walter Johnson, 18 year-old RHP out of high-school.
9. Bernie Friberg, 18 year-old CF out of high-school.
10. Ben Sanders, 21 year-old RHP out of college..

And these five teams will have the first shot at them: Brigham Young, Texas State, Pacific, San Diego and Cal State Northridge.

[4maddux_cy's]

Southern Miss Makes Big Splash in Free Agency:

Signs C: Feedback was positive in Southern Miss today as the club announced an agreement with catcher Victor Martinez, one of the league's marquee players.

In his 825-game career Martinez is batting .286 with 890 hits, 182 home runs, 429 runs scored and 553 RBIs.

[4maddux_cy's]

Tennessee Wins RF Klein Sweepstakes:

Tennessee officials were grinning from ear to ear as they introduced their latest blockbuster signing to the media earlier today.

Chuck Klein, one of the game's marquee talents, opted for the Volunteers after receiving a 8-year, $296,000,000 offer.

Klein has a career .307 average with 1238 hits, 213 doubles, 18 triples, 377 home runs, 907 RBIs, and 757 runs scored to date.

[4maddux_cy's]

It's Official: LF Larkin Signs with Cougars:

In what local scribes are hailing as a huge move for the team's future, the Cougars inked a $162,200,000 deal with left fielder Henry Larkin.

Team officials expect Larkin to fill an immediate void on the roster and felt the deal would solidify them as a playoff contender.

Larkin boasts a lifetime batting average of .320 with 1329 hits, 297 homers, 813 runs scored and 835 RBIs.

[4maddux_cy's]

Bruins Win Sweepstakes for 2B Kent:

Ending months of speculation, the UCLA Bruins finalized a deal with Jeff Kent earlier today, making the second baseman a very happy man. He'll be making an estimated $25,200,000 a year for 8 years.

Looking at his career numbers, Kent has played in 934 games with a .262 batting average. Among his 960 hits are 203 doubles, 15 triples and 221 home runs. He also has scored 528 runs and driven in 515 runs.

[4maddux_cy's]

NCAA BREAKING NEWS: Expansion Teams Announced:

The NCAA has announced the teams that have won the bid for the current expansion process! The new teams will be the North Florida Ospreys, the Stetson Hatters, the Akron Zips, the Bowling Green Falcons, the Buffalo Bulls, the Kent State Golden Flashes, the Miami RedHawks, the Ohio Bobcats, the Ball State Cardinals, and the Central Michigan Chippewas.

North Florida and Stetson will join the NL Atlantic Sun while the rest will join the AL in the MAC.

Existing teams have to submit the protection lists for the upcoming expansion draft until November 21st, 2029.The draft itself is held one day later.

League officials are excited to see these new cities compete!

[4maddux_cy's]

San Diego State Wins Lottery for LF Soto:

San Diego State insiders insist that the deal Juan Soto signed at club headquarters earlier today was anything but certain right up until he put pen to paper.

A blue-chipper, Soto does have a downside -- he's not predictable and is often outspoken. Despite this, fans are open to the deal as long as he shuts up and plays the caliber of ball the young man is capable of.

Looking at his all-time stats, Soto has a lifetime .288 average with 1118 hits, 171 doubles, 12 triples, 351 home runs and 896 RBIs. To date he has scored 824 runs, walked 879 times and stolen 48 bases.