Collegiate Baseball Association

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After another long offseason, Ephraim was ready for the 1895 season to start. Life was busy at home, as he and Irene's eight children kept them on their toes. The oldest, James, was 14 now. Ephraim was looking forward to watching his son play ball at the collegiate level in just a few short years. Warren was 13, and it seemed like he and James were constantly at each other's throats. Both boys claimed they were the better ballplayer, and wrestling matches usually ensued if things got too heated. Mary was 10, and was her mother's shadow, always helping her out with whatever chores were being done or helping with the younger children. Charles was now eight and was the scholar of the bunch. He loved playing ball, but Ephraim had no doubt he would succeed in the classroom as well. The twins, Louise and Thomas, were five and, needless to say, a handful. They always seemed to be finding one way or another to get themselves into trouble. David was three and seemed to always be tagging along with Thomas wherever he went. Of course, he claimed to never be doing anything wrong when they found trouble. Finally, the youngest, John, was two and the little explorer of the bunch. If you lost an item, you could almost bet on John "finding" it.

At work, Ephraim's biggest challenge was President Nate Hopkins of Michigan. Hopkins was threatening to leave the Collegiate Baseball Association and form a private "conference" as he called it, along with two other teams. Ephraim was traveling to Ann Arbor in about a month to meet with the Board of Curators for Michigan and see what could be done to resolve the issues Hopkins had and keep Michigan in the CBA. There were also six new teams in the association, which meant the schedule was that much bigger and more complicated. But, Ephraim had finished it and was finally figuring out a system to do that part of his job more efficiently.

The sportswriters picked their favorites to win and made their annual publications of their best guesses. In the New England Region, Dartmouth is favored to win the region over Vermont, Yale, and Harvard. Brown and newcomer Holy Cross are projected to sit at the bottom of the standings. Fordham is the favorite to win the Northeast Region over challengers Columbia and Rutgers. Defending champion Cornell got no love from the reporters and are picked to finish in the middle of the pack. Ephraim just shook his head when he read the article. His opinion is that you can never underestimate a defending champ. Many of those teams found ways to win, regardless of how many returning starters they had. Princeton, Syracuse, and Army rounded out the region.

The Atlantic Region grew by three teams in the offseason. Villanova is speculated to make a return to the top, with Bucknell, Penn, and Lafayette all challenging for the regional crown. Lehigh, Navy, VMI, and Virginia are all considered average teams. Howard, West Virginia, and Virginia Tech come in at the bottom. Mississippi State is favored to win the Southeast Region. Wake Forest and Alabama are considered contenders in the region. The Great Lakes Region is a tight contest, with Illinois State sitting as a slight favorite over Michigan. Ephraim was secretly hoping Michigan didn't win the region, because who knew how big Hopkins ego would be if they did. Northwestern, Michigan State, and Ohio are all expected to challenge for the title.

In the Midwest Region, Iowa State is predicted to win the title over powerhouse Nebraska. Washington State looks to return to the top over Stanford in the Pacific Region. And Tulane is expected to be much improved over last year and easily win the Southwest Region. Harvard senior catcher Fred Tenney and Mississippi State senior left fielder "Wee" Willie Keeler is expected to battle for the CBA batting title. Dartmouth junior transfer "Smiling" Al Orth is expected to be one of the best pitchers in the CBA this season, followed by Ohio junior Ray Morris.

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The beginning of the 1895 season was a flurry of activity. Hitting had been improving over the past couple of seasons, but it looks like pitching may be returning to the Collegiate Baseball Association. The month of March featured 39 shutouts, compared to 15 outstanding hitting performances by batters. With that being said, however, there were 19 players hitting over .400 at the end of the month. Rutgers junior second baseman Bryce Ames leads the way at .460. California sophomore first baseman Kelly Slifka has hit four home runs this season. North Carolina senior first baseman Sam Smith leads the CBA with 26 RBI, more than half his total for all of last year! Wake Forest junior left fielder Fred Clarke leads the league with 23 stolen bases. Clarke had 51 last season. On the pitching side, Stanford senior Joe Cruz leads the CBA with seven wins, and no losses, after putting up a 16-2 record last year. North Carolina junior Joe Scott has the CBA's lowest ERA at 0.76. Lafayette junior Eric "Havoc" Ringelberg leads the association with 34 strikeouts. That's nearly double his output per nine than either of his first two seasons.

Syracuse came out on top after a month of play, posting a CBA best record of 15-5. Given, the Orange's schedule wasn't very strong, so they will need to continue to play well to stay on top. Syracuse leads Rutgers by 1 1/2 games in the Northeast Region. In the New England Region, Dartmouth is a game ahead of Harvard, and 1 1/2 games up on Yale. Lafayette is the leader in the Atlantic by a game over Lehigh. In the Southeast Region, Mississippi State holds a two-game advantage over three other teams. Northwestern and Michigan State are tied atop the Great Lakes Region, with Ohio only 1/2 a game back. Illinois finds themselves a game out, while Chicago and Illinois State are 1 1/2 back. In the Midwest, Iowa State has made believers out of some, vaulting to a three-game lead over Nebraska. Washington State leads the Pacific by two games, and Tulane leads LSU by three games in the Southwest Region.

The major highlight of the month was on March 8th, when Mississippi State senior second baseman went 4 for 5 in a 15-2 drubbing of Wake Forest while hitting for the cycle!! At the end of March, Rookie of the Month was given to Lafayette freshman pitcher Corey Cooney. The 19-year-old righty went 6-1, with a 1.74 ERA in seven starts. Iowa State sophomore Billy Koop earned the Pitcher of the Month award for posting a 6-1 mark with a 1.15 ERA in seven starts. Opponents were held to a mere .182 batting average against the left-hander. Kevin Hill of Michigan State was honored with the Batter of the Month award. The 22-year-old senior first baseman hit .434 in March with three home runs, 21 RBI, and 17 runs scored.

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Pitchers continued to grab headlines in April, with a total of 33 shutouts thrown in the CBA this month. Comparatively, hitters made the news 16 times this month with outstanding performances. On April 5th, Washington State took a hit when they lost junior third baseman Ian "Jamsey" Watson for the year with a fractured ankle. Watson was hitting .333 on the season, with one homer and 15 RBI in 21 games. He has a .344 collegiate career average in 141 games. Bench clearing brawls were a theme this month, the first of three occurring on April 5th between Holy Cross and Brown. Crusaders' junior right fielder Cameron Wagner (.195, 1 HR, 13 RBI) and Bears junior pitcher Victor Aquino (4-0, 2.04) were both suspended four games by Commissioner Ephraim Herring. The commissioner released the following statement to the CBA.

"This association does not condone fighting and aggressive conduct on the field, thus we had to take action to discourage this behavior in the future."

Apparently, though, Herring's words went unheeded, as two other incidents occurred this month. On April 12th, the rivalry between Mississippi State and Mississippi boiled over. Bulldogs junior pitcher Jamie Favazza (7-4, 3.76) was suspended seven games, while Rebels sophomore center fielder Corey Wainwright (.258, 0 HR, 8 RBI) earned a three-game suspension. And on April 16th, Northern Iowa and Vermont brawled their way to suspensions to two players. Panthers senior pitcher Ricky Herrara (2-6, 4.43) was suspended for nine games, with Catamounts senior second baseman Jeremy Hasting (.276, 1 HR, 11 RBI) receiving a four-game suspension for his actions in the matter.

On April 10th, Fordham senior Ken "Real Deal" Storm earned his 50th career victory in a 6-3 win over Nebraska. Storm's career numbers at the end of the month are 51-22, with a 2.97 ERA. On April 24th, USC junior left fielder Kyle Illescas had his 34 game hitting streak come to an end. Illescas is now tied with John Baker of Syracuse (1873-74) for the longest hitting streak in CBA history! In 41 games this season, Illescas is hitting .379, with one home run and 20 RBI.

Some sad news to pass on. Lafayette President Mat Hooven passed away on April 28th after a long illness. His son, Nick Hooven, has replaced him as the president of the university.

On the final day of the month, Notre Dame junior shortstop Doug Greig made headlines after his 7 for 10 performance in the Irish's 12-11 win (19 innings) against Columbia. Greig has set a new record for hits in an extra-inning game. Strangely enough, though, two players hold the record of seven hits in a nine-inning game.

JUCO transfer junior "Wee Willie" Clark, the first baseman for Illinois, was named Rookie of the Month after hitting .333 in April, with one home run and 27 RBI. In his first season in the CBA, Clark is hitting .327 with one home run and 43 RBI. Bucknell senior Jamie Graves was given Pitcher of the Month honors. Graves was 7-1 in April, with a 1.63 ERA in eight starts. For the year, Graves is 9-5 with a 2.67 ERA in 15 starts. North Carolina junior Mike Bennett was the Batter of the Month. The second baseman hit .458, with one homer and 31 RBI. On the year, Bennett is hitting at a clip of .413!!

Surprisingly enough, the Syracuse Orange have continued their great play and remain the #1 team in the CBA after two months of play.

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Pitching continued to dominate headlines in the CBA for the month of May. There were 30 shutouts thrown, compared to eight notable hitting performances. On May 19th, West Virginia senior center fielder George Paynter had a career day, hitting for the cycle in an 11-8 win over Villanova. Paynter went 4 for 5 with five RBI and two runs scored. It's especially notable since Paynter had hit .219 in 55 games this season. The same day, the first region was won, as Iowa State clinched the Midwest Region title for the first time in their history. On May 20th, postseason hopeful Washington State's program took a blow, as they lost junior shortstop Chris Dormer for the rest of the year with a strained abdominal muscle. Dormer hit .303 for the Cougars in 55 games. On May 23rd, two more regions were locked down, as Dartmouth clinched the New England Region, and Washington State clinched the Pacific Region. It is the 6th title for the Big Green and 2nd title for the Cougars. Two days later, on May 25th, Lehigh clinched the Atlantic Region for the 6th time. Rutgers followed suit the next day, clinching their 3rd Northeast Region title. The Scarlet Knights came on strong in May, posting a 14-6 record on the month, while former #1 Syracuse fell down the stretch, going 9-10 in May. On the final day of the regular season, North Carolina won the Southeast Region for the 2nd time. However, two regions ended in a tie at the conclusion of the regular season. In the Great Lakes Region, both Michigan and Michigan State finished at 38-22, while in the Southwest Region, Tulane and LSU finished at 23-37. Tulane was swept by LSU at home in the final three-game series of the regular season and went 4-8 against the Tigers this year.

At Wolverines Ballpark, the game was scoreless for 6 1/2 innings until Michigan put three runs on the board. But the Spartans responded in the top of the 8th with three runs of their own, the tying run scoring on a passed ball! Michigan State scored again in the top of the 9th on an RBI double by senior DH Joel Ladner to take the lead. Michigan went down in order, as the Spartans held on to win 4-3, clinching their 5th Great Lakes Region title! In Baton Rouge, LSU was riding high after sweeping the Green Wave and took a 2-0 lead after one inning. But Tulane charged back, scoring six times in the 2nd inning to take a lead they would never relinquish. They would end up routing the Tigers 17-7 en route to their 2nd Southwest Region title.

With the regions all decided, the playoffs are set to start on Wednesday, May 29th. Tulane will travel to face new #1 Lehigh. #5 Iowa State hits the road against #4 Michigan State. #6 Washington State travels to the east coast to challenge #2 Rutgers. And finally, North Carolina travels north to play against #3 Dartmouth.

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CBA Playoff Series

Tulane Green Wave (24-37) vs. #1 Lehigh Mountain Hawks (41-19)

In Game 1, Tulane senior Sean Gray turned in a performance for the ages, as he led the Green Wave to an 8-0 major upset of #1 Lehigh. Gray pitched a complete game shutout while walking two and striking out three. The Mountain Hawks were held to two hits.

Lehigh senior pitcher Devin Schick returned the favor in Game 2, holding Tulane to five hits in a 6-0 rebound win for the Mountain Hawks.

Game 3 was a tightly contested game, and much closer than most people would have expected. Tulane's Sean Gray and Lehigh sophomore Kevin DeVries faced off in a Game 1 rematch. With the game tied 3-3 in the 8th inning, Will Brown stepped up to the plate for Lehigh. There was one out and the bases were loaded for the freshman, who hit .302 in 33 games this season. Brown took the 0-1 pitch and hit a line drive into right-center field, scoring two runs and propelling the Mountain Hawks to a 5-3 victory and 2-1 series win over Tulane!!

#5 Iowa State Cyclones (38-22) vs. #4 Michigan State Spartans (39-22)

Iowa State junior DH Troy Douse had a career day, going 4 for 4 with three singles and a triple in Game 1. The Cyclones won the game by a score of 7-3.

Michigan State senior first baseman Kevin Hill, who hit .378 this season, led the assault in Game 2. Hill went 4 for 5 with four singles, as the Spartans built a 9-0 lead in just an inning and a half. The Spartans destroyed Iowa State 12-3, tying the series at a game apiece.

In Game 3, Iowa State trailed 1-0 after five innings. But with one out in the top of the 6th, the Cyclones junior second baseman, Brent Lawson (.265, 1 HR, 29 RBI) hit a two-run shot over the left field wall to give Iowa State a 2-1 lead!! The Cyclones tacked on insurance runs in the 7th and 8th and go on to win the game 4-1, taking the series 2-1!

#6 Washington State Cougars (38-22) vs. #2 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (40-20)

In Game 1, Rutgers got some unexpected production from sophomore catcher Dan Leigh (.233, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 18 G), who went 3 for 3 with an RBI. Coupled with good production from senior left fielder Phil Wooten (3 for 4) and senior DH Nick Wright (2 for 4), the Scarlet Knights cruised past the Cougars to win the game 6-2.

Washington State rebounded at home in Game 2 behind their own sophomore catcher, John Dooley. Dooley (.297, 3 HR, 32 RBI) went 4 for 4 in the game with three singles and a double. The Cougars built a 5-1 lead after two innings and rode the momentum to a 6-3 win to force Game 3!

Rutgers scored in the first three innings of Game 3 to build an early 4-0 lead and held a 6-1 lead after six. The Scarlet Knights survived an 8th inning rally by Washington State to go on to win 6-4, taking the series 2-1!

North Carolina Tar Heels (36-24) vs. #3 Dartmouth Big Green (40-20)

Dartmouth scored early and held a 6-1 lead after six innings in Game 1. But North Carolina exploded for eight runs in the 7th to take the lead 9-6. Dartmouth scored twice in the bottom of the 7th to close the gap, but still trailed 9-8 entering the 9th. However, the Big Green were able to tie the game up on sophomore shortstop Damien Castaneda's RBI double!! But just when the home crowd thought the tide was turning in their favor, North Carolina senior left fielder Beau McClintock hit a leadoff home run to open the Tar Heel flood gates. Senior center fielder Ryan Yoh added a three-run shot, as North Carolina scored eight times in the 10th to take a 17-9 lead. The Tar Heels would go on to win the game 17-10.

Dartmouth sophomore right fielder "Honest John" Anderson went 3 for 5 in Game 2, as the Big Green scored early to build a lead they would never relinquish. Up 9-6 after six innings, Dartmouth scored seven more times in the 7th and went on to win the game 16-6! Anderson hit a triple and home run in the game and has led the CBA in each of his first two seasons with 31 and 37 triples! Anderson currently holds the record for triples in a season. In real life, Anderson played for 14 years in the Majors, hitting for a career .290 average.

Trailing 4-3 after five innings in Game 3, Dartmouth erupted for six runs in the 6th and three more in the 7th to take a 12-4 lead. The Big Green would get great production from most of their lineup and go on to win the game 13-5, taking the series 2-1!

CBA Semi-Final Series

#5 Iowa State Cyclones (40-23) vs. #1 Lehigh Mountain Hawks (43-20)

Lehigh scored three times in the 1st inning and never looked back, winning over Iowa State easily in Game 1 by a score of 8-2. Mountain Hawk senior center fielder Danny Ascencio was named the game's MVP, going 2 for 3 with two walks. Ascencio scored four times to set a Lehigh playoff record.

Iowa State rode the hot bat of junior DH Troy Douse, who went 4 for 4, in Game 2 but found themselves tied 5-5 with Lehigh going into the bottom of the 9th. Junior third baseman Jose Nevares answered the call by cracking an RBI single to right center for the walk-off win, as Iowa State sends the hometown fans home happy, winning the game 6-5 and tying the series up 1-1.

In Game 3, Iowa State scored three times in the 4th and three more times in the 6th to take a 6-0 lead. Lehigh tried to rally late in the game but fall short, as the Cyclones go on to win the game 7-4 and take the series 2-1.

#2 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (42-21) vs. #3 Dartmouth Big Green (42-21)

Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the 5th, Dartmouth scored three times to take the lead 5-3. With their lead cut down to 5-4, the Big Green would respond once again. John Anderson hit a 2-RBI triple, as Dartmouth scored three times in the 8th inning and take Game 1 by the score of 8-4.

In Game 2, Rutgers junior pitcher Cesar Rebollar tossed a 4-hitter, as the Scarlet Knights cruised to a 7-1 win over Dartmouth. Junior second baseman Bryce Ames helped the cause by going 3 for 3 in the game with three singles and an RBI.

Game 3 had to go to extra innings to decide an outcome. The game was tied 6-6 after nine innings and 7-7 after 10. Dartmouth's John Anderson scored four times in the game, including the game-winner, as the Big Green win it 8-7 in 12 innings and take the series 2-1!

Collegiate Championship Series

#5 Iowa State Cyclones (42-24) vs. #3 Dartmouth Big Green (44-22)

Iowa State punished Dartmouth for three straight innings in building a 7-0 lead. Then the tables turned, as the Big Green scored five runs in the 4th and two more in the 5th to tie the game at 7-7. The score remained the same through nine, so extras were needed. In the 10th inning, with two on and two out, the Cyclones sophomore center fielder, Joe Chapa, hit an RBI single to left center to give Iowa State the lead once more. The Cyclones hold off the Big Green in the bottom of the 10th, winning Game 1 by the score of 8-7. Chapa earns Player of the Game honors by going 4 for 6 with a home run, double, and two singles. Chapa also scored twice while driving in four RBI.

Iowa State started out hot again in Game 2, taking a 3-0 lead after two innings. Dartmouth closed the gap to 3-2 in the 3rd, but then the Cyclones scored four times in the 4th and once more in the 5th to make it 8-2. The Big Green responded in kind, scoring three times in the 6th to make it 8-5, but it was as close as they would get. Iowa State tacks on three more runs in the 7th and 8th innings to win the game 11-5 and take the series in a sweep, two games to none!!

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While the offseason was a long one for Ephraim, he was happy to see a resolution regarding Michigan and keeping them in the CBA. The formation of a conference, however, was not something he necessarily wanted. He had believed that large regions would pave the way for the postseason. The precedent of allowing a conference, however, had set the stage for more conferences to form in the future. The alternative was to allow Michigan and others to leave the CBA to create a rival association. Ultimately, Ephraim felt he had made the best decision for the CBA.

As the season rolled around, the press made their preseason predictions as to who they thought would make the postseason. Likewise, the preseason rankings were also released by the CBA, based in part by those sportswriter's predictions. Ephraim had decided to expand the rankings from 10 teams to 25, given that the association now had 58 members. Dartmouth was the favorite to repeat in the New England Region, especially with the signing of the #1 recruit, Nap Lajoie. The Big Green had won the region three of the last four years, which made it hard to bet against them. Both Brown and Yale were projected to finish a half dozen games back. In the Northeast Region, Princeton is the surprise favorite in 1896. The Tigers haven't won the regional title since 1891, but they return all of their starting pitchers and added freshman right fielder Charlie Dexter to boost the offense. Cornell and defending regional champ Rutgers are expected to challenge Princeton for the region. VMI is considered the slim favorite to take the Atlantic Region. The Keydets are led by pitcher/designated hitter Jon Green, who can beat you with both the ball and the bat. Villanova, Lafayette, Penn, and Bucknell are all expected to give VMI a run for their money. Defending regional champ Lehigh is expected to regress after losing five starters to graduation.

Alabama and Vanderbilt are both favored to win the Southeast Region this season. After finishing a game back of the regional title last season, many see this year as the Crimson Tide's opportunity. Vandy, however, is expected to make a huge jump this season, as they only lost one starter from last year. Mississippi State and Georgia are also considered to be competitive. The region added three new teams in the offseason in South Carolina, Furman, and Clemson. Defending regional champ North Carolina is not expected to compete this season after losing six starters. Northwestern is considered a slim favorite in the Great Lakes Region, with Illinois State, Ohio, and Notre Dame in close pursuit. The region lost Michigan, Illinois, and Chicago in the offseason while adding Central Michigan and Indiana State. Defending regional champ Michigan State is still expected to be competitive within the region, even after losing 11 players to graduation, four of which were starters.

Defending national champion Iowa State is expected to repeat as the Midwest Region champion again this season. The Cyclones lost only one starter and look to potentially repeat as champion again this year. Washington State is picked as a slim favorite over Stanford in the Pacific Region. The Cougars return all of their starters this year, while the Cardinal's only loss was a big one in starting pitcher Joe Cruz. Cruz was 27-3 in the past two seasons for Stanford. In the Southwest Region, LSU is expected to pass Tulane by for their first regional championship. Last season came down to a 61st game, which was won by Tulane. And in the newly formed Western Conference, Illinois is considered to win the conference title over Michigan.

With the expansion of the playoffs from 8 to 16 teams, the preseason expectations for the teams in the postseason would look like this:

Dartmouth, Princeton, VMI, Alabama, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Illinois State, Iowa State, Washington State, Stanford, LSU, Illinois, Ohio, Villanova, Notre Dame, and four other teams vying for the final position. Those teams are expected to be Michigan, Mississippi State, Lafayette, and Penn.

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The first month of the 1896 season was not an active one for the Commissioner's Office. No brawls and no suspensions. The play seemed to be like it had for the last few years, with pitching dominating the headlines by a 2-1 margin. Yale has gotten off to a fast start, leading the New England Region by a game and a half over pre-season favorite Dartmouth. Brown sits in third at three games behind. Columbia and Army, two teams who were picked to be in the middle of the pack, have surged out of the gate into a tie for first place in the Northeast Region. Pre-season pick Princeton sits two games back in the region. Penn has a three-game lead in the Atlantic over Bucknell. VMI has struggled to live up to its pre-season hype. In the Southeast Region, Vanderbilt has a two-game lead over Mississippi State. Alabama is in third, three games behind the Commodores. Michigan State has a slim one-game lead over Ohio in the Great Lakes Region. Northwestern is two games behind in third place. In the Midwest Region, Drake holds a one-game lead over the defending champion Cyclones of Iowa State. Stanford leads Washington State by the same margin in the Pacific Region. LSU holds a slim margin over Tulane in the Southwest Region as well. Meanwhile, Illinois has surged out to a 4 1/2 game lead over Michigan in the Western Conference.

Here are some of the headlines in the CBA for the month of March. CMI left fielder Adrian Aguilar, a senior transfer from Alabama, went 6-for-6 in a 20-10 victory over Indiana State on March 7th, in a battle of first-year programs. The Chippewas put up an 11 run 5th in the blowout victory. Stanford third baseman Antonio Villalobos would join the 6-hit club six days later in a 22-3 victory over USC, as the senior went 6-for-7 on the day. Stanford scored in seven innings, as USC rolled up six errors in the game. Villalobos would also continue a hit streak he started last season and get it to 31 games before it ended on March 24th. Villanova senior center fielder Tom Jenkins became the third member of the 1896 6-hit club in a 6-5 loss to Penn. Jenkins was 6-for-6 with five singles and a double in the game. In injury news, the biggest story was that of Dartmouth senior pitcher Al Orth suffering a ruptured UCL, effectively ending his collegiate career. Orth was 14-5 in 1895 and was off to a 4-1 start this year.

The CBA's Rookie of the Month was awarded to Dartmouth first baseman Nap Lajoie. The sophomore JUCO transfer hit .385 with a homer and 25 RBI. USC senior Giovanni Bowden was named Pitcher of the Month after going 7-0 in seven starts. Bowden has yet to have a winning season with the Trojans, but it looks as though he has finally been able to be the pitcher USC recruited as their top pick in 1892. Hitter of the Month was awarded to Michigan State senior left fielder Jeremy Fitch. The New York native has hit .424 in 21 games this season, with two home runs and 25 RBI.

As expected, the Top 25 has seen a shuffle, between the pre-season hype and the reality of the regular season. Illinois has moved up to #1 from the #3 spot. Former #1 and defending champ Iowa State has struggled so far this year and has tumbled in the polls. Only half of the pre-season Top 10 remain in the Top 10 after the first month of play. Army made the biggest jump, moving up to #8 from #37. It remains to see if the Black Knights can hold on to their position and continue their good play.

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The start of the month began with sad news, as the president of Illinois State, Miguel Valdes, passed away after a short illness. The Redbirds voted to play their scheduled game at Notre Dame on April 3rd after attending the funeral. Miguel's son Edgar is expected to replace his father as president of the university. Pitching continued to outperform hitting in April at about the usual 2:1 ratio, with 37 shutouts pitched compared to 18 headline catching hitting performances. Senior left fielder Duff "Sir Richard" Cooley of Villanova hit for the cycle on April 1st. Cooley paced his team to a 15-8 win over Michigan in the first game of a doubleheader. The Wolverines would take the second game 5-3. Illinois State catcher Jerry Rainey turned heads on April 22nd with a 6-for-7 performance against Indiana State in a 28-9 win. The sophomore, who was not highly recruited, has hit .336 on the season for the Redbirds. The same day, Cornell right fielder Dustin Powell saw his 32-game hitting streak come to an end. The senior is tearing up the CBA right now with a .419 batting average. The streak is tied with two others for the second-longest in CBA history. On April 28th, Ephraim handed out a 3-game suspension to Will Bray of Lafayette. The freshman left fielder reportedly bumped an umpire during an argument over a strike call. While Bray merely stated he didn't bump the umpire, Leopards manager Chris Ryer was more colorful in his comments.

"The suspension is outrageous. Arguments like this go on all the time. The suspension is totally uncalled for. In the heat of battle, there are going to be arguments. If they want to take that away, let's go to Sunday School and be choir boys."

In more positive news for the day, Dartmouth sophomore Nap Lajoie hit for the cycle. In a 9-4 win over the Wisconsin Badgers, the first baseman went 4-for-5 with five RBI. He would continue to terrorize the Badgers the following day with a 5-for-5 performance in a 9-2 Big Green victory. Lajoie would be named the CBA Rookie of the Month for the second consecutive month. He hit .421 in April with four home runs, 26 RBI, and 22 runs scored. Lajoie is hitting .403 for the season. Brownie Foreman of Michigan State earned Pitcher of the Month honors. The sophomore lefty was 6-1 in April with a 1.56 ERA in eight starts. The CBA Batter of the Month award was given to Michigan State left fielder Jeremy Fitch for the second time in a row. The senior hit .477 in April with three homers, 25 RBI, and 23 runs scored.

Now that we're two-thirds of the way through the season, the postseason races are starting to become a little clearer. In the New England Region, Dartmouth holds a four-game lead over Yale. Columbia has a two-game advantage over Cornell in the Northeast Region. Rutgers is four games back. Penn ends the month with a five-game lead in the Atlantic Region over Lafayette. In the Southeast Region, Vanderbilt leads the region by two games over Mississippi State. Wake Forest is three games behind the Commodores. Michigan State holds a slim one-game lead over Ohio in the Great Lakes Region in what is arguably the best region in the CBA. Illinois State is three games back of the Spartans. The Midwest Region is currently tied between defending champ Iowa State and Drake. Stanford leads Pacific Region rival Washington State by four games, while LSU is starting to run away with the Southwest Region. The Tigers have a seven-game lead over Tulane. And finally, in the Western Conference, Illinois looks to be cruising to an easy title, as they have an eight-game lead over Michigan.

In the rankings, there was a lot of movement, which is expected to some degree from March to April. Michigan State is your new #1, jumping up from #5. Stanford holds down the #2 position for the second consecutive month. Illinois drops from the top spot to #3, while Spartan rivals from the Great Lakes Region, Ohio and Illinois State, move into the #4 and #5 positions, respectively.

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Both pitching and hitting headlines showed an uptick as the regular season came to a close. CBA pitchers tossed 42 shutouts, while hitters made headlines 23 times for outstanding performances. On May 5th, Iowa State senior Brian Ladson won his 50th career game in a 7-6 home win over Michigan State. Unfortunately for Ladson, he would be injured in his next start, ending his collegiate career. Ladson finished his career at 51-25 and a 2.57 ERA. He never had a losing season, finishing with a career WHIP of 1.14 and a four-year WAR of 20.6. In 10 years, he should merit consideration for admission into the CBA Hall of Fame. On May 8th, Notre Dame junior Eric Grinsteinner hit for the cycle in a 14-5 win over Northwestern. The left fielder was 4-for-4 on the day with three RBI. On May 12th, LSU claimed the Southwest Region and earned their first trip to the postseason. The following day, Harvard fired their manager, Dennis Coughlin, and their athletic director, Jim New. Coughlin was in his third year as the manager of the Crimson, as the team posted winning records in his first two seasons. Harvard was 19-32 at the time of his dismissal. Coughlin's career mark at Harvard was 91-80 (.532), with the team making the playoffs in his first year. Coughlin was the bench coach for the team from 1881-93. New, 67, retired after his dismissal. Trent Nejedlo, a newcomer to the CBA, took over the AD position. He promptly hired 23-year-old Isaiah Marshall, who played his collegiate ball at Virginia and graduated just last year. The Crimson finished their season with a 6-3 record under Marshall.

On May 14th, Columbia left fielder Robby Duggan hit for the cycle in an 8-6 win over Syracuse. The sophomore switch-hitter was 4-for-4 on the day with three RBI and three runs scored. The same day, both Dartmouth and Michigan State qualified for the postseason as wild-card candidates. Ephraim again had to dish out suspensions on May 16th due to a brawl between Mercer and Clemson. Following a home run by Clemson DH Garrett Motsinger, his third of the day, a clearly frustrated Ron McCombs plunked first baseman, Rich Perkins. Perkins, who is not known for his patience, charged the mound, igniting the benches-clearing brawl. Clemson won the game 19-11 behind a 13 run 1st inning. Both players were suspended for three games. The next day, Illinois State, Stanford, and Washington State punched their ticket to the playoffs by securing wild card positions. The same day, Illinois claimed the first Western Conference title. On May 18th, Dartmouth secured the New England Region title for the 7th time, with four titles in the last five years. Vanderbilt earned a postseason berth on May 19th, while Mississippi State did the same the following day. Vanderbilt would claim the Southeast Region crown three days later over the Bulldogs to secure their 1st regional title. Iowa State won the Midwest Region on May 21st, with Penn winning the Atlantic Region crown two days later. It's the 2nd regional crown for the Cyclones and 4th for the Quakers. On the final day of the regular season, May 24th, Brown and Rutgers earned a position in the playoffs. The Bears got in as a wild card and the Scarlet Knights won the Northeast Region for the second year in a row over surging Princeton and Columbia. The Tigers won their last eight games to secure their spot in the postseason. Stanford claimed the Pacific Region title for the 2nd time in school history. In the Great Lakes Region, Michigan State and Ohio finished the year tied, as the teams were forced into a 61st game to be placed at Ohio. The Bobcats won the game 6-5, as the Spartans fell short with a late rally, giving Ohio the Great Lakes Region title. It's the Bobcat's 1st regional crown.

Six players finished the season batting over .400. Washington State right fielder Tom McCreery won the batting title, finishing the year hitting .465!!! McCreery, who is only a sophomore, broke the CBA single-season batting average by 27 points! The old mark of .438 was set just two years ago by then-sophomore Dusty Milliken of Iowa State. The new mark is quite possibly one which will never be broken!! So, the playoffs are set, with 16 teams earning the right to battle for the title of National Champion! LSU will travel to Dartmouth to challenge the Big Green. Illinois is on the road to take on Mississippi State. Iowa State will begin their national title defense at Washington State. Brown will travel to Michigan State to play the Spartans. Penn will head to the west coast to play their series against Stanford. Princeton is slated to take on the Commodore at Vanderbilt. Rutgers travels to Illinois State to take on the Redbirds. Finally, Columbia travels to Ohio to face the Bobcats.

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#22 LSU Tigers (35-25) vs. #1 Dartmouth Big Green (45-15)

Dartmouth opened up the series on the right foot, destroying LSU in Game 1 by a score of 13-4. LSU junior Jessie Hornsby (11-7, 3.13) lasted only 3 2/3 innings against Dartmouth, giving up a dozen hits and eight earned runs. Four Big Green batters had three hits in the game.

The defense in Game 2 was non-existent for either team, as both the Tigers and the Big Green committed seven errors each. Dartmouth jumped out to a five-run lead before eventually losing the lead in the 6th inning. Down four runs in the 9th, Dartmouth rallied to score three times, but fall short, losing the game 10-9 and allowing LSU to tie the series up at a game apiece.

Dartmouth followed their Game 2 gameplan, grabbing an early lead, only to lose it mid-game. Amazingly enough, the game was clean, with no errors by either side. LSU scored five times in the 5th and held on for the unbelievable upset of Dartmouth, winning the game 6-4 and taking the series two games to one.

#8 Illinois Fighting Illini (39-21) vs. #9 Mississippi State Bulldogs (40-20)

Mississippi State powered past Illinois in Game 1 thanks in part to a two-run homer by senior third baseman Ruben Galvan (.333, 3 HR, 43 RBI). Galvan's shot came in the bottom of the 6th with the game tied at three. The home run gave the Bulldogs a lead they wouldn't relinquish, as they go on to win by the score of 6-4.

In a see-saw game of leads and ties, Illinois showed they could hang with the Bulldogs, tying the game multiple times after falling behind on the scoreboard. The game went into extra innings with the score at 7-7. The Illini sent the home crowd home happy in the 11th inning after an RBI single by first baseman Willie Clark scored Donovan Powell from third. Illinois won the game 8-7 and tied the series up.

Illinois' momentum carried into Game 3, as the Illini scored early and led Mississippi State 4-1 after five. But as momentum does, it swung to the hometown team. The Bulldogs scored three times in the 6th before putting the game out of reach with an eight-run 7th inning. Mississippi State goes on to win the game 12-5 and takes the series in three games.

#11 Iowa State Cyclones (37-23) vs. #4 Washington State Cougars (43-17)

Iowa State started off the defense of their national title on the positive side, taking Game 1 on the road against Washington State. Leading the Cougars 3-2 in the 9th, the Cyclones gave up a run to force extra innings. Iowa State committed two errors in that inning to contribute to the Cougar effort. But a Washington State error in the 10th sealed their fate, allowing Iowa State to take the lead. The Cougars managed to get a runner to third in the bottom of the 10th, but couldn't get him across. Iowa State won the game 4-3 and leads the series 1-0.

Washington State went after Iowa State junior Nolan Vance, pummeling nearly everything he threw. Vance was a refreshing surprise for the Cyclones in May, pitching to a 4-0 record in seven games and four starts, with a 1.09 ERA. But today just wasn't his day, as he gives up 10 hits and seven runs (six earned) through six innings. The Cougars destroy the Cyclones in Ames by the score of 13-2, tying the series up.

In Game 3, Iowa State looked to be on their way to the next round, leading the game 4-2 going into the bottom of the 9th. But an RBI single and a bases-loaded hit by pitch tied things up and sent the game into extras. This time, it was the Cougars who came through in the 10th, with senior second baseman Dave Vance (.330, 1 HR, 43 RBI) hitting the walk-off single to win the game 5-4 and take the series in three games.

#14 Brown Bears (37-23) vs. #5 Michigan State Spartans (44-17)

Brown senior Victor Aquino (11-7, 3.31) and Michigan State sophomore Brownie Foreman (12-7, 2.67) pitched a duel for the ages for eight innings. Foreman allowed only two hits in the game, but still had no run support. But the Spartans finally came through in the 9th, as freshman right fielder Bobby Klein stroked a bases-loaded single to allow his team to walk-off a winner. Michigan State won the game 1-0.

Down 3-1 after five innings in Game 2, Brown sent Michigan State junior Mike Self (14-6, 3.51) to the showers early by scoring eight runs in the 6th. The Bears coasted the rest of the way and won the game by a score of 9-3.

Brown figured Foreman out in Game 3, as the two starters from Game 1 came back for a rematch. Although both pitchers went the distance, Brown pounded out 11 hits and scored five times. Aquino allowed seven hits to the Spartans, but none came around to score, as Brown wins the game in a shutout, 5-0, and advances in the playoffs.

#10 Pennsylvania Quakers (37-23) vs. #3 Stanford Cardinal (44-16)

Penn traveled to the west coast an underdog and returned home a winner, as the Quakers thumped Stanford 9-3. Cardinal sophomore Russ Tulchinsky (15-4, 3.06) just didn't look like himself, giving up 11 hits and nine runs over 4 1/3 innings. Quaker senior P/CF Joe Cain (14-4, 3.19) pitched a complete game and earned Player of the Game honors, as Penn takes an early series lead.

Stanford came into Game 2 playing like Stanford, scoring early and often. Penn senior Ricky Colar (8-9, 3.52), who has struggled all year, struggled again. Colar left the game after 2 2/3 innings with a "sore back" but not before giving up seven hits and six runs. To his credit, only two of the runs were earned. Penn commits six errors in the game, as Stanford ties the series up with a 12-6 victory.

Joe Cain came back to prove his Game 1 start was no fluke. Cain held the Cardinal to three hits in a complete-game shutout, as Penn wins 3-0 and takes the series 2-1.

#13 Princeton Tigers (37-23) vs. #6 Vanderbilt Commodores (42-18)

Vandy senior T.J. Adair (13-6, 2.59) pitched a complete game and allowed only one run to the Tigers late in the game. The Commodores scored five runs on Princeton senior Danny Stiles (11-6, 3.82) who was pulled after seven innings. Vanderbilt won the game 5-1, showing why they are the favorite in this series.

Princeton senior left fielder Raheem Robinson went 3-for-5 for the Tigers with a double, triple, and two RBI. The Tigers would need every one of those hits, as they squeak by Vanderbilt by a score of 7-6. Vandy sophomore Doc McJames (14-4, 2.97) must have had post-season jitters with his first playoff start. McJames surrendered 13 hits over 6 1/3 innings in the loss.

Adair was not nearly as effective in Game 3, as Princeton scored four times on eight hits off of the Commodore starter. The Tigers' starter Stiles gave up 11 hits, but Vanderbilt just couldn't seem to get the runners across the plate. Princeton won the game 4-2 to take the series in three games.

#12 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (38-22) vs. #7 Illinois State Redbirds (42-18)

Illinois State pounded out 17 hits against Rutgers but struggled to get runners to score. Rutgers, meanwhile, overcame five errors and only six base hits to take the game into extra innings tied 4-4. It took 12 innings, but the Redbirds pulled it out on sophomore left fielder Chris Richardson's RBI single to win it 5-4. Richardson (.345, 3 HR, 30 RBI), who was 0-for-5 going into the at-bat, came through when it counted to give Illinois State the win.

Redbird junior Bob Wolf (5-2, 3.34, 9 GS) pitched a complete-game two-hitter, leading Illinois State to a 2-0 win over Rutgers. The game was scoreless until the 8th inning when Illinois State finally got on the board to get Wolf the run support he needed to win the game. Illinois State wins the series 2-0.

#16 Columbia Lions (37-23) vs. #2 Ohio Bobcats (45-16)

Columbia led Game 1 by a score of 4-1 after five innings before Ohio came back to tie it up in the 6th. The Bobcats took the lead in the 7th and added more runs in the 8th for good measure. Ohio won the game 10-4 as the Lions commit five errors in the contest.

Ohio had a 4-3 lead after four innings before breaking the game open with a four-run 5th inning. The Bobcats coasted from there, winning the game 8-3 and sweeping the Lions two games to none. Senior pitcher Ray Morris (13-4, 2.13) threw only 99 pitches in the complete-game victory.

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#22 LSU Tigers (37-26) vs. #9 Mississippi State Bulldogs (42-21)

Mississippi State senior pitcher Jamie Favazza threw only 108 pitches for a complete game 4-1 victory for the Bulldogs over LSU. Favazza held the Tigers to five hits, while his team pounded out 16 hits to take Game 1.

Game 2 saw the Bulldogs jump out to an early 3-0 lead to start the 1st inning, but they couldn't hold their lead, allowing LSU to come back and eventually tie the game in the 8th. In the top of the 9th, Mississippi State senior first baseman Phil Thurman came into the game as a pinch hitter and drove a 2-2 pitch into right-center. Sophomore second baseman Tom Humbertson, who led the inning off with a base hit and then stole second, came around third base to score easily and give the lead back to the Bulldogs for good. Mississippi State allows two base runners in the bottom half of the 9th, but ends the game on a 6-4-3 double play, winning the game 5-4 and taking the series in a sweep.

#14 Brown Bears (39-24) vs. #4 Washington State Cougars (45-18)

Brown junior pitcher Kyle Raines gave up two hits in the 1st and the Cougars scored twice with those hits plus two Bear errors. But it was all Washington State could muster, as Raines pitched a 5-hit masterpiece. Brown would claw their way back into the game, taking the lead in the 5th en route to a 4-2 victory.

In Game 2, Brown took the early 3-0 lead in the 1st, but by the 5th inning, the game was tied 4-4. The difference in the game came in the 6th when Washington State committed two errors and the Bears belted two hits to push two runs across the plate. Brown would hold on to win the game in front of their home crowd 6-4, sweeping the Cougars in an upset to advance.

#13 Princeton Tigers (39-24) vs. #10 Pennsylvania Quakers (39-24)

Leading 5-4 going into the bottom of the 8th, Penn clung to a one-run lead over the visiting Tigers. But the Quakers put the game out of reach by smashing four hits and scoring three times to go on and win the game by a score of 8-4. Senior right fielder Bret Callahan was named Player of the Game with his 2-for-3 performance with 3 RBI.

In Game 2, Penn found themselves trailing 5-2 in the top of the 7th. But the Quakers belted out five hits in the inning to score four times and take a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Penn wins the game 6-5 and sweeps the Tigers out of the playoffs.

#7 Illinois State Redbirds (44-18) vs. #2 Ohio Bobcats (47-16)

In a battle of Great Lakes Region foes, the Redbirds and Bobcats split six games played between them in the regular season. But it was all Illinois State in Game 1, as the road team piled on the runs against Ohio. Bobcat's senior Ray Morris left with an injury after only two innings and the Ohio bullpen just couldn't handle the superior hitting of Illinois State. The Redbirds win in a rout 11-1.

In Game 2, Ohio held a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the 8th. Illinois State senior right fielder Danny Marquez led the inning off with an inside the park home run to tie the game up. The Redbirds followed up with a double and two RBI singles to take the lead. Ohio threatened in the 9th, but couldn't get the runs across the plate. Illinois State wins the game 5-3, sweeping the series from Ohio.

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#14 Brown Bears (41-24) vs. #9 Mississippi State Bulldogs (44-21)

Game 1 was close, tied up at 1-1 through six innings. But in the top of the 7th, with the bases loaded, Brown broke the deadlock on Brian Martin's bases-clearing triple. Martin would also score in the inning as the Bears took a 5-1 lead. Brown was able to fend off a late bottom of the 9th rally by Mississippi State, winning the game 5-3.

Brown led Game 2 by two runs after four innings before Mississippi State came back to tie. The Bears retook the lead in the bottom of the 5th by adding one run to give themselves a 3-2 advantage. But the Bulldogs wouldn't go down without a fight, scoring twice more in the 6th to take their first lead of the game, 4-3. In the 8th inning, Brian Martin came through once again for the Bears. The sophomore first baseman lined an RBI single into right-center to tie the game up at four apiece. The Bulldogs got nothing in the 9th and it looked to be the same for Brown in the bottom half of the inning, as they quickly recorded two outs with the first two batters. But three consecutive base hits pushed the winning run across the plate for the Bears, as they win the game in a walk-off by a score of 5-4, sweeping the series from the Bulldogs.

Brown advances to the CBA Championship Series for the 8th time in school history. It is their first return to the championship since the program won the national title in 1887.

#10 Pennsylvania Quakers (41-24) vs. #7 Illinois State Redbirds (46-18)

Junior Joe Robinson of Illinois State pitched a great Game 1, holding Penn to only four hits in a lop-sided 8-1 victory. Robinson continued his postseason dominance, pushing his playoff record to 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA. Sophomore catcher Jerry Rainey led the way for the Redbirds with a 3-for-4 performance before leaving the game with an undisclosed injury late in the contest.

Penn kept Game 2 tight for three innings before Illinois State broke the scoreless tie in the 4th, erupting for five runs and not looking back. The Redbirds cruised through the rest of the match, winning 9-0 and taking the series in a sweep.

#14 Brown Bears (43-24) vs. #7 Illinois State Redbirds (48-18)

Illinois State jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, taking down the Brown Bears by a score of 8-1 in Game 1 of the CBA Championship Series. Redbird senior second baseman Darius Fondren went 3-for-5 in the game to lead all batters.

Game 2 didn't look good early on for Brown, as senior pitcher Victor Aquino left in the 3rd inning with forearm soreness and his team already trailing 1-0. Junior Kyle Raines was brought into the game to pitch after starting Game 1 just two days before and allowing six earned runs. But Raines pitched his heart out, throwing for 5 2/3 innings. The Bears finally got on the board in the 7th on senior catcher Ryan Cantwell's 2-RBI double to the center-field wall. Brown would add an insurance run in the 8th to put themselves up 3-1. The Bears held on for a 3-2 win, tying the series at a game apiece.

Illinois State cruised through most of Game 3 behind Joe Robinson's pitching, leading 7-2 after eight innings of play. But Brown had other ideas and rallied hard in the 9th inning. With three base hits, the Bears scored a run to make it 7-3. Then with two outs and the bases loaded, senior right fielder Jason Hammond delivered a bases-clearing triple to center to make it 7-6! Hammond, who represented the tying run, sat 90 feet away as the tide had turned against the Redbirds and their home crowd. Junior shortstop Blake Worley came up to the plate. Worley was 3-for-7 in the series coming into Game 3 and was 1-for-4 in the contest. Worley challenged Robinson, fouling off three straight pitches. Finally, on the sixth pitch of the at-bat, Worley made good contact with the ball, but he grounded it right to Redbird second baseman Darius Fondren, who scooped the grounder up and tossed it to first base for the final out of the game. Illinois State holds on and wins Game 3 by a run, 7-6, and takes the series two games to one for their first national title!!

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