College Baseball

[batted balls]

Max Mercy, Jr. here again, folks . . .

It's that time of the year, time for the rosters of the All-American Baseball League to expand to 40 players. It's a time for teams still in the pennant race to bring up extra bats, arms and gloves in their pursuit of the flag. For teams well out of the chase, it's time to see what the minor leaguers can do. Ole Max has been down in the bushes of late; I even had time to watch a little baseball if you get my drift . . .

Anyway, here are some players to watch as the rosters expand and September unfolds:

Mike Kelly, Arizona State
This kid seems to have it all--power, speed, glove and arm. That's bad news for the AABL West.
Eric Bruntlett, Stanford
He may be a year or two away. Yet Ole Max has to wonder why a team with the offensive woes that Stanford has, why wasn't he called up earlier?
Dave Roberts, UCLA
A speedster that could wind up as the Bruins' starting center fielder as soon as next year.
Louis Sockalexis, Notre Dame
This Native American has done it all in Class-A ball. Sure, it's a big step up from the low minors but have you seen the Irish lineup this season?
Ken Landreaux, Arizona State
A broken foot and a crowd of talented Sun Devils in the outfield has delayed this youngster's progress. Bobby Winkles would love to find a spot for him.
Reed Johnson, Cal State Fullerton
A switch-hitter with a reputation for hitting in the clutch. Lord knows the Titans could use someone who can hit.
Brad Hawpe, LSU
Expect Tiger manager Skip Bertram to put this lefty in the lineup immediately. Hawpe will give LSU a lift.
Bret Boone, USC
Trojan second sacker Johnny Berardino is out with an injury giving Boone his shot. Bret, brother of Trojan third baseman Aaron and son of Stanford catcher Bob, was a tower of power in the minors. Look out AABL West: USC just got more offense.
Moe Berg, Ivy
Ole Max's favorite . . . Moe speaks seven different languages, enjoys reading the classics and is undoubtedly the smartest player in the league. Berg can play nearly as many positions as he can speak languages.
Chris Young, Ivy
With Miami and Illinois breathing down the Eagles' necks, this 6-foot-10 right-hander arrives just in time. Young has good control and movement on his pitches. He gives manager Bob Seddon more options and a chance to save his starting pitchers' arms from further fatigue.
Jonathan Papelbon, Mississippi State (shown below)
Manager Ron Polk will have another bullpen ace at his disposal. With Bobby Thigpen doing the job as closer, look for Papelbon to join former reliever Ken Tatum in the starting rotation.
Kirk Dressendorfer, Texas
Imagine fitting that last name on a jersey! Anyway, this righty will be mighty for the Longhorn bullpen.

Once again, folks, this is Max Mercy, Jr. telling you to keep the bugs off your glasses and the bears off your tail!

[batted balls]

September 6, 2006

Bristol, Conn.--Ivy's Jim Beattie wasn't about to settle for a series split with Illinois. After winning two of the first three games in a four-game series with the Illini, Beattie saw his team's chance.

"I didn't want to lose and settle for a split," Beattie said. "I had a chance to really help us out today."

Beattie did just that. The Eagle ace allowed just four hits and two runs over 7.2 innings as Ivy cruised to a 6-2 victory. Beattie improved to 16-6 while Ivy took three games in the series.

"Anytime you can put distance between you and the people chasing you, it's a good thing," Beattie said.

The victory allowed the Eagles to increase their lead in the All-American Baseball League East to five games over Miami and seven over Illinois. The second-place Hurricanes dropped two games of a three-game series with suddenly hot Minnesota.

"I don't care what teams' records are, everybody is dangerous on a given day," said Ivy manager Bob Seddon.

Lou Gehrig and Brad Ausmus each drove home two runs for the victorious Eagles. Recent minor league call-up Eddie Grant hit his first AABL home run in the seventh inning off Illini left-hander Marv Rotblatt.

Diamond Notes: Ivy's magic number stands at 19 as the Eagles get set to host Minnesota . . . the Golden Gophers have won nine of their last 11 games. Minnesota had a season-high seven game win streak snapped in the series opener with Miami . . . Minnesota right-hander Steve Comer was named East Player of the Week for the second time this year. Comer, 9-11, has won eight of his last 10 decisions. Comer (shown below) shut out Mississippi State on just two hits . . . Miami right-hander Alex Fernandez, 19-5, will attempt to become the first AABL pitcher to hit the 20-win mark when he starts against Notre Dame Wednesday . . . Cap Anson of Notre Dame has reclaimed the East batting race. Anson is hitting .321 while Ivy teammates Roy Thomas (.320) and Lou Gehrig (.317) are second and third respectively . . . Gehrig leads the East with 18 home runs and 104 RBIs . . . On the eve of being called up to the LSU lineup, minor league outfielder Brad Hawpe suffered a back injury and will likely miss the remainder of the season.

Stat of the Week: Robin Roberts of Michigan State has lost 15 of his last 16 decisions. Roberts, 4-21, last won on July 21 when he defeated rival Michigan 7-3.

Standings
Ivy 90-49 --
Miami 85-54 -5
Illinois 83-56 -7
Florida State 73-66 -17
Mississippi State 71-68 -19
Michigan 67-72 -23
LSU 62-77 -28
Minnesota 54-85 -36
Michigan State 41-90 -41

[molarmite]

About time those Gophers got out of the cellar.

[batted balls]

Tempe, Ariz.--Who says 13 is an unlucky number? Arizona State is closing in on the All-American Baseball League West title and the Sun Devils' magic number stands at 13.

"I'm not touching that one," laughed Sun Devil manager Bobby Winkles. "That's for sportswriters, fans and fortune tellers to debate."

Arizona State, 97-42, enjoys an 11-game lead over second-place Southern California in the West standings. In addition, the Sun Devils will play seven home games against Cal State Fullerton and San Diego State, the two bottom feeders in the West.

"It doesn't matter who we play, it's how we play," said Winkles. "We haven't played all that well lately."

Arizona State is just 8-6 in its last 14 games. The Sun Devils did, however, take two of three from fourth-place Cal over the weekend.

"We can't just play out the string," said Sun Devil third baseman Bob Horner. "We need to wrap up the West and get ready for the College World Series."

Diamond Notes: Southern California first baseman Mark McGwire hit his 49th and 50th home runs off Cal starter Ryan Drese Sept. 2. McGwire's Trojans, however, lost the game 10-6 to the Bears . . . One the heels of a two-homer, six-RBI day, Bob Hamelin of UCLA trails McGwire by just one in the RBI race (130-129) . . . Arizona State right-hander Craig Swan (13-4) was chosen as West Player of the Week. Swan (shown below) earned wins against Oklahoma State and Cal during that span . . . San Diego State lost its 100th game of the year Sept. 3 as Texas left-hander Bruce Ruffin shut out the Aztecs 2-0 . . . Stanford has lost seven straight games and is in danger of falling into eighth place.

Stat of the Week: Arizona State is 14-0 against San Diego State this season. The Sun Devils have outscored the Aztecs 134-32 in those contests. Arizona State hosts the Aztecs in a four-game series beginning on Sept. 9.

Standings
Arizona State 97-42 --
Southern Cal 86-53 -11
UCLA 76-63 -21
Cal 73-66 -24
Texas 71-68 -26
Oklahoma State 69-70 -28
Stanford 63-76 -34
Arizona 62-72 -35
Cal State Fullerton 61-78 -36
San Diego State 37-102 -60

[batted balls]

September 7, 2006

Starkville, Miss.--All season long Mississippi State manager Ron Polk has been hearing glowing reports about minor league prospect Jonathan Papelbon. Tuesday, Polk got to see the right-handed phenom with his own eyes.

Papelbon made his All-American Baseball League debut a success as he shut out Illinois on five hits.

"Jonathan threw well today, which is promising for our future," Polk said. "(But) let's not get ahead of ourselves and put him in the Hall of Fame just yet."

Papelbon walked four and struck out four in the 5-0 Mississippi State victory.

"What was most impressive is how he pitched around mistakes," Polk said.

The Bulldogs committed three errors--two by short stop Jon Shave and one by Papelbon.

"I've always been taught to relax and not panic," Papelbon said. "Today, that's what I tried to do."

Papelbon posted an 11-7 record in the minor leagues this season. The 6-fot-4, 230-pounder struck out an incredible 241 batters in just 192 innings of Triple-A work.

Mississippi State took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on RBIs by Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro. The Bulldogs then scored single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Clark went 4-for-4 in the game, including a double.

"It's the old story of how well I'm seeing the ball right now," said Clark, who raised his average to .318.

Right-hander Jon Ericks (10-9) took the loss for Illinois. Ericks left the game after four innings when his right elbow began to bother him.

"Jon will probably miss a start," said Illini manager Tom Dedin, who saw his team fall seven games behind first-place Ivy in the AABL East.

Papelbon perserved his shutout by striking out Jake Stahl with the bases loaded to end the game.

"I thought about pulling him," said Polk. "But I wanted to see how the youngster would handle it."

All things considered, Papelbon handled it pretty well.

[batted balls]

September 13, 2006

Minneapolis, Minn.--Break up the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Minnesota has won a season-high nine straight games to pull into a tie for eighth place with slumping Notre Dame in the All-American Baseball League East.

Minnesota swept both first-place Ivy and seventh-place Louisiana State in recent series. The Golden Gophers, 61-85, next host Illinois in a brief two-game series.

"We've really kicked into gear," said outfielder Dave Winfield. "Right now it's hard to believe we were a last-place team just a short time ago."

The "Who's Hot" list is long for the surging Golden Gophers. Pitcher Steve Comer has won eight of his last 10 decisions. Fellow starters Brian Denman and Denny Neagle each sport ERAs under 2.00 in their last five starts. Infielders Paul Molitor and Bobby Fenwick have been swinging hot bats. Molitor, who leads the team with 64 RBIs, has driven home eight runs in the last six games.

"I can't put a finger on just one thing (that's made the difference)," said Molitor (shown below). "We've just been doing those little things that add up to victory."

Diamond Notes: Mississippi State minor-league call-up Jonathan Papelbon is off and running. The right-hander earned East Player of the Week accolades for winning his first two starts. After shutting out Illinois on just five hits, Papelbon pitched seven strong inning to beat Miami 4-1 . . . Ivy's magic number stands at 12 heading into a two-game series against Mississippi State. The Eagles then travel to Miami for a four-game series. In a scheduling quirk, Ivy then returns home to play the Hurricanes in a two-game set at Eagle Nest Park . . . Ivy center fielder Roy Thomas is 8-for-his last 17 at-bats. Thomas has raised his average to a AABL East-leading .324; Will Clark of Mississippi State is second at .321; Cap Anson of Notre Dame is third at .319 . . . Miami right-hander Alex Fernandez became the first AABL pitcher to win 20 games. Fernandez recorded his milestone Sept. 8 against Notre Dame . . . The Fighting Irish have lost 11 straight games. During that stretch, Notre Dame has lost by one run four times . . . Craig Skok of Florida State has 38 saves, tops in the AABL . . . Dave "Boo" Ferriss of Mississippi State tossed his AABL-leading fourth shutout Sept. 8 against Illinois. Ferriss (13-13) gave up only a sixth-inning single to Jake Stahl in the 8-0 Bulldog win.

Stat of the Week: Jonathan Papelbon of Mississippi State has allowed just one earned run in 16 innings of work since being called up from the minors Sept. 5 by the Bulldogs.

Standings
Ivy 94-52 -- Magic Number 12
Miami 89-57 -5
Illinois 86-60 -8
Florida State 78-68 -16
Mississippi State 77-69 -17
Michigan 69-77 -25
LSU 64-82 -30
Minnesota 61-85 -33
Notre Dame 61-85 -33
Michigan State 51-95 -43

[batted balls]

September 13, 2006

Los Angeles--For those thinking Mark McGwire of USC has the West MVP all wrapped up, think again.

Bob Hamelin, All-Star first baseman from UCLA, has thrust himself into strong consideration. Hamelin, who won the August Player of the Month award, has taken over the West lead in RBIs (137), runs scored (121) and OPS (1.119). The Bruin slugger's 46 home runs are second only to McGwire's 50.

"Bob has really picked things up since the All-Star break," said UCLA teammate Jackie Robinson. "He's the most dangerous hitter in our lineup, maybe in the league."

This past week, Hamelin hit .600 with two home runs and eight RBIs in 20 at-bats.

"Bob is scary right now," said Texas left-hander Bruce Ruffin who will start against UCLA Tuesday. "If the pennant race were closer, teams wouldn't be pitching to him."

Hamelin, batting .292, has also walked a West-leading 148 times. McGwire, hitting .305, has 91 bases on balls. Hamelin has stuck out 99 times while McGwire has fanned an AABL-high 154 times.

"I'd trade all this success in for the West title," said Hamelin (shown below).

Diamond Notes: Arizona State has all but clinched the West title. The Sun Devils have won nine of their last 10 to reduce their magic number to two. Arizona State hopes to clinch the West in a two-game series at Oklahoma State . . . Although USC will not win the West pennant, several Trojans are still in line for milestones or individual titles. Center fielder Fred Lynn should win the West batting title. Lynn (.371) has a large lead on teammate Aaron Boone (.328). Lynn is the West leader in hits (195) and doubles (43). Pitcher Mark Prior (19-8) is still the front-runner for the Golden Arm award. Prior not only leads in wins, the right-hander is also tops in strikeouts (264) and opponents' batting average (.185). Prior's 2.49 ERA ranks third in the West . . . Highly touted USC infielder Bret Boone is just 1-for-15 since being promoted from the minors . . . Stanford has won just three of its last 11 games. The Cardinal, one-time contenders in the season's first half, are just 26-39 since the All-Star break.

Stat of the Week: Arizona State leads the AABL with 41 stolen bases. However, the Sun Devils' success rate is just 59%.

Standings
Arizona State 103-43 -- Magic Number 2
Southern Cal 88-58 -15
UCLA 80-66 -23
Cal 77-69 -26
Texas 74-72 -29
Oklahoma State 72-74 -31
Arizona 66-80 -37
Stanford 66-80 -37
Cal State Fullerton 64-82 -39
San Diego State 40-106 -63

[molarmite]

Alright third to last, late season surge.

[batted balls]

September 13, 2006

Stillwater, Okla.--Bobby Winkles didn't want to put things off any longer.

"I told the boys to take care of business tonight," said Winkles.

Winkles' "boys" did just that as Arizona State downed Oklahoma State 5-1. The victory, coupled with Southern California's 9-6 loss to Stanford, clinced the All-American Baseball League West pennant for the Sun Devils.

"It's a great feeling," said Arizona State starter Paul Moskau, who pitched 6.1 innings and allowed no earned runs. Moskau (shown below) improved his record to 13-7. Lerrin LaGrow finished off the game for the Sun Devils to earn his seventh save. Tim Borland (9-9) was the loser for the Cowboys.

Arizona State scored single runs in the second, third and ninth innings. The Sun Devils had a two-run seventh inning. Hubie Brooks and Reggie Jackson each had RBI triples.

Winkles indicated that he would begin resting players in preparation for the College World Series.

"I'll do it strategically though," Winkles said. "I don't want our guys to lose their edge."

Arizona State, 104-43, concludes its series at Oklahoma State Tuesday afternoon.

[batted balls]

Ann Arbor, Mich.--It was a pitching performance for the ages, both ways.

For eight innings, right-handers Alex Fernandez of Miami and Lary Sorensen of Michigan matched each other by throwing no-hit baseball. After Fernandez lost his no-hit bid in the eighth inning, Sorensen lost his as well--and the game.

Miami pinch-hitter Jorge Fabergas led off the ninth with a single back up the middle, ending Sorensen's no-hit notion. Orlando Gonzalez then sacrificed pinch-runner Jason Michaels to second. Bobby Hill then rifled a single to center, scoring Michaels. The Hurricanes would wind up adding another run on a hit by designated hitter Jim Maler.

"I lost my focus a bit after Jorge's hit," said Sorensen.

Still, Michigan nearly rallied to win. Jim Paciorek singled in the Wolverines' lone run forcing Fernandez (21-5) from the game. However, Miami relievers Oscar Munoz and Danny Graves recorded the final two outs to nail down the win for the Hurricanes. Graves was credited with his 17th save.

"Lary deserved better," said Michigan short stop Barry Larkin, who broke up Fernandez's no-hitter with a single.

Fernandez (shown below) ended up alllowing four hits and one run. He walked one and struck out four. Sorensen (11-12) also gave up four hits, walked one and fanned four.

"It's amazing how close our numbers were," said Fernandez. "Lary may have pitched even better than me."

Miami's win moved the Hurricanes to within four games of first-place Ivy. The Eagles lost 7-2 at home against Mississippi State.

After Tuesday's games against the same opponents, Ivy and Miami will square off six straight times in what may well determine the All-American Baseball League East title.

"It would be great to get closer with another win tomorrow," said Miami manager Ron Fraser.

The Hurricanes will send Neal Heaton (10-12) against Jim Abbott (4-7) of Michigan. In the meantime, Ivy will start Ron Darling (10-5) against Jim Roberts (10-10) of Mississippi State.

[batted balls]

September 21, 2006

Bristol, Conn.--Back-to-back clutch performances have all but sealed the All-American Baseball League East title for Ivy.

"Miami gave us a strong challenge, but we were up to the task," said Ivy manager Bob Seddon after his Eagles took three of four games in a home series to reduce Ivy's magic number to three.

The Eagles, 98-56, hold a six-game lead over Miami. After the two teams split a pair of games in Miami, the Hurricanes took game one of the series at Eagle Nest Park. The opening victory pulled Miami to within three games of first-place Ivy. Moreover, the Hurricanes had ace Alex Fernandez on the mound for game two in Bristol.

"If we lose to Alex, then our lead is down to two," said Seddon. "Who knows what happens then."

What did happen was an Ivy uprising. Lou Gehrig went 3-for-5 including his East-leading 20th home run as the Eagles pounded Fernandez and the Hurricanes 7-1.

"Lou came up big for us," Seddon said of his All-Star slugger who also collected his East-leading 40th double in the game.

Gehrig was a hero again the next night. The Eagle first baseman delivered a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth off emergency reliever Neal Heaton as the Eagles triumphed 8-7. Miami manager Ron Fraser brought Heaton, normally a starter, in to face Gehrig with the bases loaded and only one out.

"I played the lefty vs. lefty percentage and lost," said Fraser.

The series finale saw Ivy race to an 8-0 lead and then hang on for an 8-5 win. Recent minor-league call-up Chris Young came out of the bullpen when Eagle closer Dave Sisler faltered in the ninth. Young got Pat Burrell to hit into a game-ending double play with the bases loaded. It was Young's first career save.

"Chris came through in a very tough situation," said Seddon.

With just six regular-season games to play, Ivy is on the verge of a College World Series showdown with Arizona State.

Diamond Notes: Will Clark of Mississippi State has taken control of the East batting race. Clark--a .369 hitter this month--is batting .325, seven points higher than Cap Anson of Notre Dame . . . Pitcher Carl Lundgren of Illinois is the East Player of the Week . . . Florida State closer Craig Skok recorded his 41st save Sept. 21 in a win over Minnesota . . . Ivy's Sam Mele leads the RBI race by one over teammate Lou Gehrig (112-111) . . . Mississippi State stopper Bobby Thigpen has a sore shoulder and may miss the remainder of the season. Thigpen has 27 saves with a 1.92 ERA . . . After winning his first two games and allowing just one run, Mississippi State pitcher Jonathan Papelbon was battered for five runs and 11 hits in a loss to Florida State . . . Recent minor league call-up Chris Young of Ivy has allowed just one hit in 5.1 innings. Young (shown below) has struck out two batters. Should the Eagles clinch the East title, Young may be added to the College World Series roster.

Stat of the Week: Ivy won the season series with Miami 12-9.

Standings
Ivy 98-56 -- Magic Number 3
Miami 92-62 -6
Illinois 91-62 -7
Florida State 84-70 -14
Mississippi State 82-72 -16
Michigan 73-81 -25
LSU 66-81 -32
Notre Dame 65-89 -33
Minnesota 64-90 -34
Michigan State 55-99 -43

[batted balls]

September 21, 2006

Berkley, Calif.--Cal pitcher Orval Overall has quietly gone about his business this season. Many have overlooked the tall right-hander. Yet, with one more win, it will be difficult to look past the All-Star.

Overall, 19-9, has a chance to earn his 20th victory as the season enters its final week.

"Our entire team wants Oval to get No. 20," said Cal manager Clint Evans. "If he needs two starts to do it, then we'll give him two starts."

Overall has made 34 starts thus far this season. The Farmersville, Calif. native sports a 2.45 ERA, second best in the All-American Baseball League West.

"Sure, I'd like to win my 20th," said Overall. "Since we can't play in the World Series this year, it's an individual goal I'd like to accomplish."

Earlier this year, Overall accomplished another individual goal--being chosen as an All-Star. However, he did not get to pitch in the game.

"Sure, I would have liked to (pitch in the All-Star Game), but you can't change this past," Overall said.

His next start--and chance at win No. 20--will be against Southern California, the AABL's top-hitting club.

"Those fellas can pound the heck out of the ball, that's for sure," said Overall. "But, I'm game and will give it my best shot."

Diamond Notes: Wins against Cal State Fullerton and Arizona State has given Southern Cal's Mark Prior (21-8) the inside track on the West Golden Arm award . . . USC center fielder Fred Lynn has all but wrapped up the batting title at .364 . . . Arizona State is 16-4 this month. Despite resting its starters for the upcoming College World Series, the Sun Devils are 5-2 since clinching the pennant . . . Bob Hamelin of UCLA leads Mark McGwire 141-138 for the RBI title . . . McGwire has outhomered Hamelin 52-46 . . . Grady Hatton of Texas won the West Player of the Week award. It's the second time this season Hatton has taken the honor.

Stat of the Week: San Diego State starter Aaron Harang (9-11) has accounted for 21% of the Aztecs' victories this year. (Harang is shown below.)

Standings
Arizona State 109-45 --
Southern Cal 91-63 -18
UCLA 84-70 -25
Cal 80-74 -29
Texas 77-77 -32
Oklahoma State 76-78 -33
Arizona 71-83 -38
Stanford 71-83 -38
Cal State Fullerton 68-86 -41
San Diego State 43-111 -66

[batted balls]

October 3, 2006

Bristol, Conn.--When the final out of the regular season had settled into his glove, Ivy Eagle right fielder Sam Mele found his name atop the All-American Baseball League East batting race.

"The ball was jumping off my bat the past few weeks," said Mele, who hit a robust .345 in regular season's final month to finish at .322.

Mele, 11-for-his last 20 at-bats, edged out Mississippi State first baseman Will Clark (.320).

"I thought my last day would be good enough to win (the batting title)," said Clark who went 3-for-4 against Michigan. "Give Sam credit. I'll tip my cap to him."

Both Mele and Clark were selected to the East All-Star team in July. A third All-Star, Ivy center fielder Roy Thomas finished third in the batting race with a .318 average. Notre Dame third baseman Cap Anson, who led the race for much of the season, finished fourth at .312.

Mele (shown below) also won the RBI title with 117, two better than teammate Lou Gehrig. Mele, Gehrig and the rest of the Eagles will open the College World Series Tuesday against West champion Arizona State in Tempe.

Pitcher of the Month: Geoff Zahn, Michigan
Player of the Month: Sam Mele, Ivy


Below are the rest of the East statistical leaders:

Home Runs: Lou Gehrig, Ivy-21; Lou Boudreau, Illinois-20; Don Lenhardt, Illinois-18.
RBIs: Sam Mele, Ivy-117; Lou Gehrig, Ivy-115; Lou Boudreau, Illinois-89.
OPS: Lou Gehrig, Ivy-.907; Roy Thomas, Ivy-.866; Will Clark, Mississippi State-.861.
Runs: Hughie Jennings, Ivy-112; Lou Gehrig, Ivy-110; Steve Yerkes, Ivy-98.
Doubles: Lou Gehrig, Ivy-42; Will Clark, Mississippi State-41; Chris Sabo, Michigan-39.
Triples: Hughie Jennings, Ivy-13; Cap Anson, Notre Dame-10; Hughie Critz, Mississippi State-10.
Stolen Bases: Lou Gehrig, Ivy-16; Hughie Jennings, Ivy-8; Hoot Evers, Illinois-5.

Wins: Alex Fernandez, Miami-22; Carl Lundgren, Illinois-21; Pete Broberg, Ivy-20.
Earned Run Average: Carl Lundgren, Illinois-1.81; Ken Tatum, Mississippi State-1.85; Fred Bebee, Illinois-1.92.
Strikeouts: Warren Bogle, Miami-215; Jeff Innis, Illinois-208; Pete Broberg, Ivy-187.
Saves: Craig Skok, Florida State-43; Don Pall, Illinois-34; Dave Sisler, Ivy-30.

Final Standings
Ivy 104-58 --
Miami 100-62 -4
Illinois 93-69 -11
Mississippi State 90-72 -14
Florida State 88-74 -16
Michigan 75-87 -29
LSU 70-92 -34
Notre Dame 68-94 -36
Minnesota 64-98 -40
Michigan State 58-104 -46

[batted balls]

October 3, 2006

Berkeley, Calif.--Oval Overall likes pitching under pressure. Maybe that's why it took until his final start to earn victory No. 20 of the season.

Overall's Cal teammates made it easy as the Golden Bears romped over first-place Arizona State 12-2 Sept. 29. Overall will be the first to admit he wasn't at his sharpest. The Cal right-hander allowed 11 hits over 8.2 innings yet gave up just two earned runs.

"Thank goodness my teammates put all those runs on the board today," said Overall. "I couldn't have done it without them."

Cal manager Clint Evans removed Overall from the game with just one out to go.

"I wanted him to enjoy the standing ovation he received as he walked off the mound," said Evans.

"That was very kind of Clint," Overall said. "I truly appreciate the gesture."

Overall ends the season with a 20-9 record. His 20 victories are second only to Mark Prior's 23 for Southern California. Overall's 2.42 ERA is third best among West leaders.

Overall, who threw four shutouts during the season, struck out seven and walked just one against the Sun Devils.

"People will say that ASU played a lineup of reserves (resting players for the upcoming College World Series), but that's a load of crap," said Cal second baseman Jeff Kent, who was 3-for-4 including his 30th home run of the year. "Oval deserved to win 20."

Pitcher of the Month: Oval Overall, Cal
Player of the Month: Ed Sprague, Stanford (shown below)

Below are the West statistical leaders:

Batting Average: Fred Lynn, USC-.368; Aaron Boone, USC-.327; Mark Grace, San Diego State-.317.
Home Runs: Mark McGwire, USC-54; Bob Hamelin, UCLA-46; Pete Incaviglia, Oklahoma State-43.
RBIs: Mark McGwire, USC-145; Bob Hamelin, UCLA-143; Bob Horner, Arizona State-131.
OPS: Bob Hamelin, UCLA-1.077; Fred Lynn, USC-1.046; Mark McGwire, USC-1.031.
Runs: Bob Hamelin, UCLA-129; Fred Lynn, USC-123; Mark McGwire, USC-115.
Doubles: Fred Lynn, USC-49; Ernie Koy, Texas-47; Bob Hamelin, UCLA-42.
Triples: Jason Bates, Arizona-10; Rick Monday, Arizona State-10; Dan Meyer, Arizona-9.
Stolen Bases: Hubie Brooks, Arizona State-25; Dan Meyer, Arizona-19; John Moses, Arizona-19.

Wins: Mark Prior, USC-23; Oval Overall, Cal-20; Barry Zito, USC-19.
Earned Run Average: Paul Moskau, Arizona State-2.35; Mark Prior, USC-2.41; Oval Overall, Cal-2.42.
Strikeouts: Mark Prior, USC-288; Roger Clemens, Texas-216; Barry Zito, USC-215.
Saves: Trevor Hoffman, Arizona-38; Ed Vande Berg, Arizona State-34; Steve Chitren, Stanford-33.

Final Standings
Arizona State 113-49 --
Southern Cal 98-64 -15
UCLA 89-73 -24
Cal 86-76 -27
Texas 80-82 -33
Oklahoma State 79-83 -34
Arizona 76-86 -37
Stanford 74-88 -39
Cal State Fullerton 71-91 -42
San Diego State 44-118 -69

[batted balls]

All-American Baseball League Fans,

The College World Series between East champion Ivy and West pennant winner Arizona State will start sometime late next week. Sorry for the delay, but life (mainly family) does interrupt from time-to-time.

Meanwhile, any thoughts on MVP and the Golden Arm (basically the Cy Young) for the East and West?

Thanks for following the AABL!

[molarmite]

Tough last couple weeks for the Gophers, I thought we had 4th to last there for a while.

[batted balls]

Oct. 4, 2006

Tempe, Ariz.--A pair of 100-plus victory teams will face one another when the 2006 College World Series opens Tuesday at Packard Stadium.

While one team (Arizona State) ran away with its division title and had the opportunity to rest its starters, the other (Ivy) was forced to hold off a strong challenge from a strong rival (Miami). Whether that favors one club over another remains to be seen.

"To use the old adage, throw out the record books," said Arizona State manager Bobby Winkles. "Tomorrow we start even."

Ivy manager Bob Seddon agreed, "The regular season was great for us and for them. (But) that's all over now. It's best of seven from here on out."

On paper, Arizona State is favored. The Sun Devils (113-49) easily won the All-American Baseball League West. Arizona State wound up 15 games ahead of second-place Southern California.

"We had a great, great season," Winkles said. "But there's work left to be accomplished."

The Sun Devils will start left-hander Floyd Bannister in the CWS opener. Bannister enjoyed an All-Star season in which he posted a 16-7 record with a 2.62 ERA. Bannister struck out 205 batters while issuing just 74 walks in 230 innings of work.

"I'm honored to be starting game one," Bannister said. "Any one of our starters would have been deserving."

As a team, Arizona State posted a 2.92 ERA, sixth best in the AABL.

Ivy, meanwhile, finished four games ahead of Miami in the AABL East. The Eagles (104-58) watched the Hurricanes get to within two games of first place before sewing up the division.

"Hopefully the pressure of the pennant race will pay dividends for us," said Seddon. "We'll soon find out."

Seddon has chosen right-hander Pete Broberg (20-11, 2.60 ERA) to start game one. Statistically, the Eagles had an even better pitching staff than Arizona State. Ivy's team ERA was 2.87, fifth in the AABL. Most impressive, however, was the fact that opponents hit just .226 against Ivy. The Eagles led the AABL in that category. Seddon also noted that pitcher Chris Young has been added to the Series roster. The 6-foot-10 right-hander appeared in 11 games following his September call-up. Young was 1-0 with a save. His ERA was just 1.17.

"Chris will be a key part of our team against Arizona State. We know they can hit the ball out of the park, or they can nickel-and-dime you," said Seddon. "We've got to be ready for the very first pitch."

Game One Probable Lineups
Ivy Eagles
SS Hughie Jennings (.303-6-69-190 hits)
2B Steve Yerkes (.291-3-49)
RF Sam Mele (.322-13-117)
1B Lou Gehrig (.304-21-115-16 stolen bases)
CF Roy Thomas (.318-2-71)
DH Gene Larkin (.287-2-19) or Bill Almon (.258-3-47)
C Brad Ausmus (.259-14-64)
3B Red Rolfe (.264-11-73)
LF Doug Glanville (.259-9-52)

Arizona State Sun Devils
SS Pat Listach (.314-1-54)
DH Hubie Brooks (.299-4-75-25 stolen bases)
3B Bob Horner (.287-36-131)
RF Reggie Jackson (.262-28-86)
2B Bump Wills (.270-6-69)
CF Oddibe McDowell (.259-33-90)
LF Rick Monday (.247-15-57) or Mike Devereaux (.290-6-36)
C Mike Colbern (.272-12-51)
1B Gary Rajsich (.280-11-34) or Luis Medina (.212-5-17)

Tale of the Tape
Team Batting: Ivy .278; ASU .270
Home Runs: ASU 178; Ivy 99
Runs Scored: ASU 832; Ivy 806
Stolen Bases: ASU 43; Ivy 36

Team ERA: Ivy 2.87; ASU 2.92
Opponents Avg: Ivy .226; ASU .235
Runs Allowed: ASU 486; Ivy 526
Walks Allowed: Ivy 485; ASU 486

[batted balls]

Max Mercy, Jr. here again folks . . .

Well, it's College World Series time, gang. Ole Max has wheeled his way to Tempe for the Fall Classic lid lifter. That's right, folks, Ole Max will be on hand to capture every pitch, every foul ball, every hot dog bite of the battle between East champion Ivy and West titlist Arizona State.

Some of you might wonder how in creation Ole Max and his RV (aka The Maxi-Pad) can get from Tempe to Bristol in time to cover all the CWS. Well, it can't! So Ole Max will wing his way from the best of the West to the beasts of the East. Even though Ole Max has his pilot's license, he'll leave those duties to some of those commercial fly boys. That will allow Max more time to work on bringing you the best coverage possible (along with chattin' up some of those gorgeous waitress in the sky types).

If you remember my preseason predictions (most of you probably still have it plastered up on your beer refrigerator), Ole Max said it would be USC over Ivy in the first-ever Series. Well, it's not that I was wrong; it's that the Men of Troy got outpaced by Bobby Winkles' Sun Devils of Arizona State. Yes, the Men of Troy fell into the Tempe of Doom.

As for the CWS itself, Arizona State looks to be a lock on paper. The Sun Devils have it all--pitching, power, speed, defense, even those long-legged co-ed bat girls! Furthermore, ASU has had time to rest its players and get them ready for the Series. Everything points toward an ASU romp . . . My daddy, Max Mercy Sr. told me years ago that anytime something in life looks too good to be true, most likely it is. That's why I can't go with ASU. The Devils appear to have everything in their favor. But, mark Max's words, Ivy has those things that stats and scouts can't quite measure. So Ole Max is picking Bob Seddon's boys will win the CWS. That's right, folks, Ivy in six.

This is Max Mercy, Jr. signing off from the Series . . .

[batted balls]

Tempe, Ariz.--Call it first-game jitters. Call it sloppy. Call it whatever you like, but Tuesday's opening game of the 2006 College World Series belonged to the Ivy Eagles.

Ivy, winners of the All-American Baseball League East, took advantage of a season-high five errors by Arizona State to down the Sun Devils 11-8.

"It was ugly out there for sure, but we'll take it," said Ivy manager Bob Seddon. "Neither team played really well. We're happy to be up one game to none."

The middle innings proved to be the worst for Arizona State. The Sun Devils surrendered nine runs, including five in a disasterous sixth inning.

"Those innings killed us for sure," said Arizona State manager Bobby Winkles. "We were playing uphill after that."

The fateful sixth was extremely difficult to swallow for Winkles and the Sun Devils since it followed a three-run rally by Arizona State in the fifth. Those runs temporarily put Arizona State in front 6-5.

With one out and Hughie Jennings on first, Sam Mele singled off Arizona State reliever Lerrin LaGrow. It was Mele's third straight hit. Winkles replaced LaGrow with right-hander Sean Lowe. The move backfired as Lowe walked Lou Gehrig and Roy Thomas to force in the tying run.

"I really struggled out there today," said Lowe, 13-2 during the regular season. "It was one of my worst outings. Ever."

The outing got worse as Sun Devil third baseman Bob Horner booted a potential double play ball to hand Ivy a 7-6 lead. Ivy catcher Brad Ausmus then singled home two runs. The Eagles added one more tally as Moe Berg (surprise starter at short stop) grounded out off Gary Gentry (on in relief of Lowe).

"Sure my hit was important, but so were all the ones we got," said Ausmus. "You can't ever have enough runs against a team like Arizona State."

Ausmus, who earlier had driven home a run with a ground out, was 2-for-5 with three RBIs. The catcher scored twice, stole a base and threw out Oddibe McDowell attempting to steal.

"Brad has been overlooked all year long," said Seddon. "Maybe now people will realize just how good he is."

Mele, the East batting champion and RBI leader, was 3-for-4 with two walks and two runs scored.

"We never expected to score 11 runs off Arizona State," Mele said. "But strange things happen in big games."

Neither team's starting pitcher lasted long. Floyd Bannister of Arizona State allowed four runs--three earned--on six hits and three walks in just 3.2 innings. Ivy's Pete Broberg, a 20-game winner in the regular season, gave up three runs on eight hits and three walks in 3.2 innings.

Ivy tacked on an insurance run in the ninth off Arizona State closer Ed Vande Berg. Consecutive errors by short stop Pat Listach and second baseman Bump Wills led to a sacrifice fly by Gehrig.

"We were brutal in the field, myself included," said Listach who committed two errors.

The game, which lasted four hours and 25 minutes, saw each team use six pitchers. Right-hander Ted Olson, normally a starter, was the winning pitcher in relief. LaGrow was the loser.

"Both of us could use a low-scoring game tomorrow (in game two)," joked Seddon.

The Eagles will start right-hander Jim Beattie (19-6, 2.03 ERA) against Arizona State left-hander Eddie Bane (14-4, 2.11).

As for the opener, Arizona State designated hitter Hubie Brooks was 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs.

"Anytime we score eight runs we should win," said Brooks.

For game one of the College World Series, eight wasn't enough.

Winning Pitcher: Ted Olson (1-0)
Losing Pitcher: Lerrin LaGrow (0-1)
Save: Dave Sisler (1)

Game One Notes: Red Rolfe, normally the Ivy starting third baseman, did not play in the game. Instead, Hughie Jennings started at third while recent minor league call-up Moe Berg played short . . . Bobby Winkles has elected to start left-hander Eddie Bane in game two. While this may give Arizona State an edge with left-handed batters like Lou Gehrig and Roy Thomas, it also severely limits the Sun Devils' lefty options in the bullpen . . . Arizona State missed a golden opportunity in the first when Oddibe McDowell grounded into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded . . . Sun Devil cleanup hitter Reggie Jackson struck out three times while going 0-for-4.

BOX SCORES Ivy @ Arizona State
Game #: 1621, (GAME LOG) , Tuesday, 10/5/2006


Ivy AB R H RBI BB K AVG HR RBI
H. Jennings 3B,2B 6 1 3 1 0 0 .500 0 1
S. Yerkes 2B,SS 5 0 1 0 0 0 .200 0 0
S. Mele RF 4 2 3 0 2 0 .750 0 0
L. Gehrig 1B 4 1 0 1 1 1 .000 0 1
R. Thomas CF 3 2 1 1 2 0 .333 0 1
B. Almon DH 3 1 2 1 1 0 .667 0 1
B. Ausmus C 5 2 2 3 0 1 .400 0 3
M. Berg SS 4 0 0 2 0 0 .000 0 2
E. Grant 3B 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0
D. Glanville LF 2 1 1 1 0 0 .500 0 1
G. Larkin LF 3 1 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0
Totals 40 11 13 10 6 2

BATTING
Doubles: H. Jennings 2 (2, 4th inning off Bannister, 1 on, 2 out, 7th inning off Gentry, 0 on, 0 out.) S. Yerkes (1, 1st inning off Bannister, 0 on, 1 out.) D. Glanville (1, 4th inning off Bannister, 1 on, 2 out.)
Runs Batted In: H. Jennings (1), L. Gehrig (1), R. Thomas (1), B. Almon (1), B. Ausmus 3 (3), M. Berg 2 (2), D. Glanville (1)
Stolen Bases: B. Ausmus (1)
Caught Stealing: B. Almon (1)
Sacrifice Hits: S. Yerkes (1), B. Almon (1)
Sacrifice Flies: L. Gehrig (1)

FIELDING
Errors: M. Remlinger



Arizona State AB R H RBI BB K AVG HR RBI
P. Listach SS 4 1 2 1 2 1 .500 0 1
H. Brooks DH 4 1 3 3 1 0 .750 1 3
B. Horner 3B 5 0 2 1 0 2 .400 0 1
R. Jackson RF 4 0 0 0 1 3 .000 0 0
B. Wills 2B 5 1 2 0 0 0 .400 0 0
O. McDowell CF 4 2 2 1 1 0 .500 1 1
R. Monday LF 4 1 0 0 1 0 .000 0 0
M. Colbern C 4 2 2 1 0 1 .500 0 1
B. Bonds PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0
G. Rajsich 1B 4 0 1 0 0 0 .250 0 0
M. Devereaux PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0
Totals 40 8 14 7 6 7

BATTING
Doubles: M. Colbern (1, 4th inning off Broberg, 0 on, 0 out.)
Homeruns: H. Brooks (1, 1st inning off Broberg, 0 on, 1 out.) O. McDowell (1, 6th inning off Olson, 0 on, 2 out.)
Runs Batted In: P. Listach (1), H. Brooks 3 (3), B. Horner (1), O. McDowell (1), M. Colbern (1)
Caught Stealing: O. McDowell (1)

FIELDING
Errors: M. Colbern, B. Horner, P. Listach 2 , B. Wills



Ivy IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA RECORD
P. Broberg 3.2 8 3 3 3 3 1 78 42 7.36
M. Remlinger H 0.1 2 2 2 0 1 0 14 10 54.05
T. Olson W 2.2 3 3 3 2 1 1 48 28 10.13 1-0
C. Young H 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0.00
B. Tufts H 1.1 0 0 0 1 1 0 17 9 0.00
D. Sisler S 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 13 7 0.00 1 SV

PITCHING
Wild Pitches: M. Remlinger
Batters Faced: P. Broberg 21, M. Remlinger 4, T. Olson 13, C. Young 1, B. Tufts 4, D. Sisler 3
Ground Balls-Fly Balls: P. Broberg 5-1, M. Remlinger 1-0, T. Olson 3-3, C. Young 0-0, B. Tufts 0-2, D. Sisler 1-1
Game Score: P. Broberg 31



Arizona State IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA RECORD
F. Bannister 3.2 6 4 3 3 1 0 64 34 7.36
L. Gura 0.1 1 1 1 0 0 0 16 9 27.03
L. LaGrow L 1.1 3 2 2 0 1 0 20 13 13.50 0-1
S. Lowe 0 1 3 2 2 0 0 15 7 0.00
G. Gentry 2.2 2 0 0 0 0 0 34 17 0.00
E. Vande Berg 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 14 8 0.00

PITCHING
Wild Pitches: G. Gentry
Intentional BB: E. Vande Berg
Batters Faced: F. Bannister 19, L. Gura 4, L. LaGrow 7, S. Lowe 4, G. Gentry 10, E. Vande Berg 6
Ground Balls-Fly Balls: F. Bannister 5-4, L. Gura 3-0, L. LaGrow 1-2, S. Lowe 1-0, G. Gentry 3-4, E. Vande Berg 3-1
Game Score: F. Bannister 31


GAME INFO
Time: 4:25
Attendance: 44994 (45000) at Packard Stadium
Weather: Partly cloudy (54 degrees), wind blowing right to left at 14 mph
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Brad Ausmus (shown below)

[batted balls]

Tempe, Ariz.--Brad Ausmus is definitely enjoying the College World Series. The same can't be said for Sean Lowe.

Ausmus hit a two-out, three-run homer off Lowe in the eighth inning lifting Ivy to a 7-5 CWS victory over Arizona State. The Eagles lead the best-of-seven Series two games to none.

"It's amazing the way the ball has been jumping off my bat," said Ausmus who was 3-for-3 with three runs scored and four RBIs. "I picked the right time to get hot."

Lowe, meanwhile, has picked the wrong time to falter. The Sun Devil right-hander--one of the keys to the Arizona State bullpen during the regular season--has failed miserably in the first two CWS games. In Wednesday's game, Lowe first gave up a single to pinch-hitter Eddie Collins. Ausmus then blasted Lowe's first offering 441 feet down the left-field line for the game-winning homer.

"I've really let the team down the past two days," said Lowe. "We need to regroup quickly before things get out of hand."

Ivy built a 3-1 lead early on a pair of RBI doubles by third baseman Red Rolfe and a two-bagger by Ausmus. Rolfe, who did not play in game one, was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Arizona State, however, rallied for three runs in the sixth inning off Ivy starter Jim Beattie. Oddibe McDowell started the rally by reaching on an error by short stop Hughie Jennings. Beattie then hit Rick Monday with a pitch. Sun Devil catcher Mike Colbern lined a single to left, scoring McDowell. When Ivy left fielder Doug Glanville committed a throwing error on the play, Monday went to third and Colbern advanced to second.

After a mound visit by Ivy manager Bob Seddon, Beattie struck out Gary Rajsich for the inning's first out. Arizona State lead-off hitter Pat Listach drove home Monday with an RBI single to tie the game. After Hubie Brooks flew out, Bob Horner gave the Sun Devils a 4-3 lead with a sharp single to center. Following a walk to Reggie Jackson, Seddon replaced Beattie with left-hander Mike Remlinger. Bump Wills flied out to end the inning.

"Things were looking good for us at that point," said Arizona State manager Bobby Winkles.

Things did indeed look bright for the Sun Devils as starter Eddie Bane continued to hold Ivy in check. Then came the fateful eighth. Horner committed a throwing error on Steve Yerkes' ground ball to start the inning. Horner's miscue allowed Yerkes to reach second. Bane then retired Sam Mele and Lou Gehrig before giving up an RBI single to Roy Thomas that tied the game.

"Give Roy Thomas credit for his clutch hit," Seddon said. "People will talk about what Brad did in the game, but Roy's hit was just as important."

Winkles replaced Bane withe Lowe. Collins, the 19-year-old recent call-up, greeted the Arizona State reliever with a line drive into the left-center field gap. Ausmus followed with his homer off a Lowe fastball.

"I left it out over the plate and he hit it hard," said Lowe.

There was still drama left as Arizona State mounted a ninth-inning threat against Ivy closer Dick Sisler. Wills drew a walk to begin the inning. McDowell drilled a double down the right field line sending Wills to third. After a brief mound conference with Ausmus, Sisler recovered to retire both Monday and pinch-hitter Barry Bonds on shallow fly balls. However, Sisler hit pinch-hitter Mike Kelly with a pitch to load the bases.

"I was trying to come in on his hands and jam him," Sisler said.

That brought up Listach, who was 4-for-5 and had hit a solo home run off Ivy reliever Chris Young in the eighth. Sisler earned his second straight CWS save when Listach grounded into a fielder's choice force out to Rolfe at third.

"I'd love to have that at-bat back," said Listach.

Following a day off for travel, the two teams will play game three at Eagles Nest Park in Bristol, Conn. Right-hander Paul Moskau (15-7, 2.35 ERA) will start for Arizona State. Ivy will counter with right-hander Ron Darling (12-6, 2.47).

Winning Pitcher: Mike Remlinger (1-0)
Losing Pitcher: Eddie Bane (0-1)
Save: Dick Sisler (2)

Game Two Notes: In two CWS games, Brad Ausmus is batting .625 with seven RBIs . . . Pat Listach hit the longest homer of his career (394 feet) . . . Arizona State right fielder Reggie Jackson struck out two more times Wednesday, bringing his CWS total to five in just eight at-bats . . . A day after Arizona State committed five errors, Ivy recorded four miscues . . . To add further frustration for Arizona State, Sun Devil pitching held Ivy's 3-4-5 hitters (Sam Mele, Lou Gehrig and Roy Thomas) to a 1-for-11 day. However, that one hit was Thomas' game-tying single off Bane that ultimately led to the Ausmus game-winning home run . . . Sean Lowe has given up five hits and two runs while recording no outs in his two CWS appearances.

BOX SCORES Ivy @ Arizona State
Game #: 1622, (GAME LOG) , Wednesday, 10/6/2006

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Ivy 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 7 9 4
ASU 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 5 13 1


Ivy AB R H RBI BB K AVG HR RBI
H. Jennings SS 5 0 0 0 0 1 .273 0 1
S. Yerkes 2B 5 1 2 0 0 1 .300 0 0
S. Mele RF 5 0 0 0 0 0 .333 0 0
L. Gehrig 1B 3 1 0 0 1 0 .000 0 1
R. Thomas CF 3 1 1 1 1 1 .333 0 2
B. Almon DH 3 0 0 0 0 2 .333 0 1
E. Collins DH 1 1 1 0 0 0 1.000 0 0
B. Ausmus C 3 3 3 4 1 0 .625 1 7
R. Rolfe 3B 4 0 2 2 0 0 .500 0 2
D. Glanville LF 4 0 0 0 0 0 .167 0 1
Totals 36 7 9 7 3 5

BATTING
Doubles: B. Ausmus (1, 2nd inning off Bane, 1 on, 2 out.) R. Rolfe 2 (2, 2nd inning off Bane, 1 on, 2 out, 5th inning off Bane, 1 on, 0 out.)
Homeruns: B. Ausmus (1, 8th inning off Lowe, 2 on, 2 out.)
Runs Batted In: R. Thomas (2), B. Ausmus 4 (7), R. Rolfe 2 (2)

FIELDING
Errors: H. Jennings, R. Rolfe, D. Glanville, J. Beattie



Arizona State AB R H RBI BB K AVG HR RBI
P. Listach SS 6 1 4 2 0 1 .600 1 3
H. Brooks DH 5 0 1 0 0 1 .444 1 3
B. Horner 3B 5 0 2 1 0 1 .400 0 2
R. Jackson RF 4 0 0 0 1 2 .000 0 0
B. Wills 2B 4 0 1 0 1 0 .333 0 0
O. McDowell CF 5 2 1 0 0 0 .333 1 1
R. Monday LF 4 1 2 0 0 0 .250 0 0
M. Colbern C 3 1 1 2 0 1 .429 0 3
B. Bonds PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0
G. Rajsich 1B 4 0 1 0 0 2 .250 0 0
M. Kelly PH 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0 0
Totals 41 5 13 5 2 8

BATTING
Doubles: O. McDowell (1, 9th inning off Sisler, 1 on, 0 out.)
Homeruns: P. Listach (1, 8th inning off Young, 0 on, 0 out.)
Runs Batted In: P. Listach 2 (3), B. Horner (2), M. Colbern 2 (3)
Caught Stealing: R. Monday (1)
Sacrifice Flies: M. Colbern (1)

FIELDING
Errors: B. Horner



Ivy IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA RECORD
J. Beattie 5.2 11 4 1 1 6 0 94 61 1.59
M. Remlinger W 1.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 21 11 10.80 1-0
C. Young H 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 12 8 9.00
D. Sisler S 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 19 9 0.00 2 SV

PITCHING
Batters Faced: J. Beattie 31, M. Remlinger 5, C. Young 4, D. Sisler 6
Ground Balls-Fly Balls: J. Beattie 9-3, M. Remlinger 3-1, C. Young 0-2, D. Sisler 1-2
Game Score: J. Beattie 42



Arizona State IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA RECORD
E. Bane L 7.2 6 5 3 3 5 0 103 62 3.52 0-1
S. Lowe 0 2 2 0 0 0 1 5 3 0.00
L. Gura 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 10 6 6.75
C. Swan 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 0.00

PITCHING
Batters Faced: E. Bane 32, S. Lowe 2, L. Gura 4, C. Swan 1
Ground Balls-Fly Balls: E. Bane 10-8, S. Lowe 0-0, L. Gura 2-1, C. Swan 1-0
Game Score: E. Bane 53



GAME INFO
Time: 3:33
Attendance: 44953 (45000) at Packard Stadium
Weather: Clear skies (57 degrees), wind blowing right to left at 8 mph
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Brad Ausmus (shown below)