Trackin' the Top 25
Take a quick look back at last week's games and a first glance at the upcoming games for the Top 25:
1. Mississippi State
Last week: 3-1. Overall: 19-1, 4-1 in SEC (4-1 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 5-0.
Notes: MSU extended its school-record win streak to 18 games before dropping Saturday's contest. Senior shortstop Thomas Berkery extended his hit streak to 18 games during the series and helped the Bulldogs earn their first series win at LSU since 2000 with a 10th-inning sac fly Sunday. He's batting .403. Junior 1B Brian LaNinfa homered in each MSU win at LSU while filling in for injured Brad Jones.
Results:
March 21: Alabama-Birmingham: W 10-3
March 22: Jacksonville State: W 6-1
March 24-26: @ No. 15 Louisiana State: W 11-1, L 8-6, W 7-6 (10)
This week:
March 28-29: Birmingham-Southern
March 31-April 2: @ Alabama
2. Cal State Fullerton
Last week: 3-1. Overall: 20-7, 0-0 in Big West (2-3 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 6-2.
Notes: Fullerton has won 11 of its last 12 games, with three straight series sweeps. Junior shortstop Blake Davis saw his 17-game hit streak end Sunday, but he scored the game-winning run on an error to end Friday's game. Senior right-hander Dustin Miller (6.1 IP, 6 H, ER, 4 HBP) beat the Weekend Preview curse Sunday, and sophomore right-hander Wes Roemer (8 IP, 3 H, ER) extended his walkless streak to 60.1 innings Friday in a no decision.
Results:
March 21: No. 21 Pepperdine: L 7-4
March 24-26: Long Beach State: W 2-1 (11), W 7-4, W 6-2
This week:
March 28: @ Loyola Marymount
March 31-April 1: Cal State Northridge
3. Georgia Tech
Last week: 2-1. Overall: 20-4, 5-4 in ACC (2-2 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 5-1.
Notes: Georgia Tech has won 26 of its last 29 ACC home games with the win vs. UNC. The pitching staff rebounded from last week's debacle at NC State to post a 1.67 ERA and hold UNC to a .186 average, led by sophomore right-hander Tim Gustafson (7 IP, 6 H, ER, 7 K). The bullpen didn't allow a run in 8.1 innings. Junior 1B Whit Robbins homered and drove in three runs Saturday.
Results:
March 24-26: No. 3 North Carolina: L 2-0, W 11-1, W 3-2
This week:
March 28: Western Carolina
March 31-April 2: @ Maryland
4. Florida State
Last week: 4-0. Overall: 25-2, 8-1 in ACC (1-0 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 7-0.
Notes: FSU has won 30 straight home games after sweeping Duke and scoring 34 runs in three days. Junior right-hander Bryan Henry struck out 12 batters and held Duke hitless for eight innings Friday night before allowing three hits and two runs in the final frame. Junior DH Jack Rye homered and drove in four runs Saturday. Junior CF Shane Robinson tallied seven runs, six hits and four steals in the series.
Results:
March 22: @ Jacksonville: W 4-1
March 24-26: Duke: W 7-2, W 12-4, W 15-5
This week:
March 28: North Florida
March 31-April 2: @ No. 7 North Carolina
5. South Carolina
Last week: 5-0. Overall: 22-3, 5-1 in SEC (4-1 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 6-0.
Notes: This was supposed to be a down year for Ray Tanner's boys, right? Maybe Ol' Ray's that good. This marked South Carolina's first sweep of Florida since 1995. Senior 3B Neil Giesler recorded 10 hits on the week to keep his 17-game hit streak intact and raise his average to .506(!). Junior DH Robbie Grinestaff missed Friday's game, but hit a game-winning three-run homer Saturday and clubbed two more bombs as part of a four-hit game Sunday. He leads the team with nine homers and 32 RBI. Junior left-hander Arik Hempy struck out a career-high 12 batters Friday.
Results:
March 21: Charleston Southern: W 6-3
March 22: Yale: W 11-3
March 24-26: No. 9 Florida: W 4-1, W 6-5, W 21-4
This week:
March 28: Wofford
March 31-April 2: @ No. 16 Louisiana State
6. Rice
Last week: 2-2. Overall: 20-8, 2-1 in Conference USA (4-6 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 3-0.
Notes: Of Rice's last four losses, three have come in its opponent's final at-bat. Another example came Friday, after senior right-hander Eddie Degerman struck out 11 batters in 7.1 innings and left with a 3-2 lead. Junior right-hander Craig Crow threw six scoreless innings Saturday. Sophomore left-hander Joe Savery threw eight scoreless innings Sunday and has allowed one earned run in his last 19.1 innings. That's nine straight losses to Texas.
Results:
March 22: @ No. 18 Texas: L 3-2
March 24-26: East Carolina: L 4-3, W 8-5, W 5-0
This week:
March 28: @ Texas State
March 31-April 2: @ No. 11 Tulane
7. North Carolina
Last week: 3-2. Overall: 20-5, 5-4 in ACC (1-2 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 4-1.
Notes: UNC drops its first series of the year and suffers consecutive losses for the first time. Junior left-hander Andrew Miller struck out a career-high 13 batters in seven innings Friday, but the bats never came alive. Junior LF Jay Cox extended his hit streak to 11 games before going hitless Sunday, a day on which junior right-hander Robert Woodard (6 IP, 3 ER) lost for the first time in 14 decisions.
Results:
March 21-22: Towson: W 11-2, W 11-3
March 24-26: @ No. 5 Georgia Tech: W 2-0, L 11-1, L 3-2
This week:
March 28: Charlotte
March 31-April 2: No. 4 Florida State
8. Nebraska
Last week: 2-1. Overall: 17-3, 2-1 in Big 12 (1-1 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 3-0.
Notes: Nebraska extended its win streak to 13 games with a doubleheader sweep Saturday behind junior right-hander Joba Chamberlain (6.1 IP, 5 H, ER, 6 K, first start since March 3) and sophomore left-hander Tony Watson (7 IP, 3 H, ER, 10 K). Senior 1B Brandon Buckman went 8-for-13 with a homer and four RBI in the series.
Results:
March 25-26: Kansas: W 9-4, W 2-1, L 7-6
This week:
March 28-29: Northern Colorado
March 31-April 2: @ Kansas State
9. Clemson
Last week: 5-0. Overall: 16-6, 3-3 in ACC (6-2 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 4-1.
Notes: Clemson held NC State to nine runs and a .214 average a week after it scored 31 times against Georgia Tech. Junior right-hander Stephen Faris (8 IP, 4 H, 0 R) dominated Sunday, a day after junior right-hander Jason Berken (7 IP, 2 R, ER) was nearly as dominant. Junior OF Tyler Colvin rang up three doubles, a triple and four RBI to lead the offense.
Results:
March 21-22: Elon: W 5-3, W 7-4
March 24-26: (20) North Carolina State: W 9-5, W 4-2, W 6-2
This week:
March 28-29: @/vs. No. 22 Georgia
March 31-April 2: @ No. 25 Miami
10. Texas
Last week: 4-0. Overall: 19-10, 4-1 in Big 12 (7-3 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 3-3.
Notes: Hi, we're Texas and we're hot again, with 10 wins in 12 games and a 13-1 home mark. Junior right-hander Kyle McCulloch (8 IP, 5 H, 3 R, ER) moved back to Friday night, with a career-high 12 Ks. Freshman DH/OF Kyle Russell homered three times on the week, including twice Sunday. His five home runs lead the team. Junior CF Drew Stubbs hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning Sunday to put Texas ahead to stay. Freshman 2B Bradley Suttle hit .636 against Oklahoma State.
Results:
March 22: No. 2 Rice: W 3-2
March 24-26: Oklahoma State: W 10-5, W 7-5, W 8-7
This week:
March 31-April 2: No. 18 Oklahoma
11. Tulane
Last week: 3-1. Overall: 17-9, 2-1 in Conference USA (2-4 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 5-1.
Notes: Senior CF Nathan Southard (HR, 3 RBI) and freshman right-hander Stephen Porlier (7 IP, 5 H, ER) helped clinch the series win Sunday. Porlier leads the team with a 2.29 ERA. Junior 1B Mark Hamilton delivered five hits and four RBI while extending his hit streak to 13 games. Junior right-hander Brandon Gomes threw his first career complete game Saturday. Memphis 1B Adam Amar hit three homers and drove in seven runs Friday.
Results:
March 21: New Orleans: W 4-3
March 24-26: @ Memphis: L 11-4, W 7-1, W 10-2
This week:
March 28: Jackson State
March 31-April 2: No. 6 Rice
12. Oregon State
Last week: 3-0. Overall: 15-7, 1-2 in Pac-10 (2-2 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 2-2.
Notes: Junior RF Scott Santschi rang up seven hits on the weekend, with three doubles and a homer helping him to seven RBI. Sophomore shortstop Darwin Barney's five hits helped him extend his hit streak to 12 games. Junior right-hander Dallas Buck extended his win streak to 11 games Friday, and junior right-hander Jonah Nickerson (5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 8 K) weathered three errors Saturday.
Results:
March 24-26: Utah Valley State: W 7-5, W 9-4, W 13-6
This week:
March 28: @ Pacific
March 29: @ San Francisco
March 31-April 1: UT Pan American
13. Arkansas
Last week: 3-2. Overall: 20-5, 2-4 in SEC (3-4 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 2-2.
Notes: Pinch-runner Clint Arnold scored on a wild pitch in the 10th to help Arkansas salvage the final game of the series, one started by senior left-hander Trey Holloway (7 IP, 4 H, ER). Sophomore left-hander Nick Schmidt (7 IP, 2 ER) struck out a career-high 13 batters Friday night, but Brooks Brown held the Hogs to two hits over seven innings.
Results:
March 21-22: Centenary: W 10-2, W 8-5
March 24-26: (25) Georgia: L 2-0, L 8-7, W 5-4 (10)
This week:
March 28: @ No. 17 Wichita State
March 31-April 2: No. 21 Tennessee
14. Arizona State
Last week: 3-0. Overall: 21-7, 0-0 in Pac-10 (2-3 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 6-0.
Notes: Freshman DH Ike Davis homered twice as part of a seven-hit, six-RBI weekend. Junior RF Colin Curtis notched seven hits, as well, adding two steals. Freshman left-hander Jeff Urlaub missed the series with mononucleosis.
Results:
March 24-26: Penn State: W 8-5, W 15-5, W 9-7
This week:
March 30-April 1: @ Washington State
15. Florida
Last week: 0-4. Overall: 17-11, 2-4 in SEC (2-7 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 4-2.
Notes: Yikes. Florida has lost a season-worst four games in a row and five of its last six. Sunday's drubbing was the third-worst loss in school history, capping a series in which UF was outscored 31-10 (nice football score) and batted .202. Junior CF Gavin Dickey homered twice and drove in four runs Saturday. Raise your hand if you thought Dickey would hold team leads with seven homers and 24 RBI.
Results:
March 21: Stetson: L 7-6
March 24-26: @ No. 6 South Carolina: L 4-1, L 6-5, L 21-4
This week:
March 29: South Florida
March 31-April 2: Vanderbilt
16. Louisiana State
Last week: 2-2. Overall: 19-7, 2-4 in SEC (2-2 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 5-2.
Notes: Senior OF mighty Quinn Stewart hit a two-run homer to spark a five-run eighth inning Saturday as LSU stuck the first L on Mississippi State's season. Stewart hit .412 with two homers on the week and has nine homers in his last 14 games. Senior 3B Will Harris doubled home two runs to break a 6-6 tie in the eighth Saturday. 2B/3B J.T. Wise went 4-for-5 Sunday.
Results:
March 22: Southeastern Louisiana @ Metairie, La.: W 5-4
March 24-26: No. 1 Mississippi State: L 11-1, W 8-6, L 7-6 (11)
This week:
March 28: @ New Orleans
March 31-April 2: No. 4 South Carolina
17. Wichita State
Last week: 1-2. Overall: 21-5, 1-2 in Missouri Valley (0-0 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 5-1.
Results: Wichita State suffered its first two-game losing streak of the year and started 0-2 in MVC play for the first time since 1988. Sophomore 2B Damon Sublett extended his hit streak to 11 games and is batting .487 with five steals and eight RBI in that span. Jordan Powell held WSU to two hits in 6.1 scoreless innings Friday, and Matt Brewer allowed one Shockers run in eight innings Saturday.
Results:
March 24-26: Southern Illinois: L 4-2, L 5-1, W 4-3
This week:
March 28: No. 13 Arkansas
March 29: @ Kansas
March 31-April 2: @ Creighton
18. Oklahoma
Last week: 2-1. Overall: 20-6, 2-1 in Big 12 (4-3 vs. Top 25) Weekend series: 4-0.
Notes: Senior shortstop Freddy Rodriguez drove in four runs and senior 1B Kevin Smith drove in three Sunday as OU rallied back from an 8-0 deficit to win the game and the series. Senior right-hander Steven Guerra (8 IP, 7 H, ER) improved to 8-0 with the win Saturday. OU would have earned a sweep if Baylor hadn't scored four times in the ninth Friday.
Results:
March 24-26: (22) Baylor: L 6-5, W 5-2, W 11-10
This week:
March 28: Dallas Baptist
March 31-April 2: No. 10 Texas
19. Pepperdine
Last week: 4-0. Overall: 18-11, 0-0 in West Coast (6-3 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 6-2.
Notes: Junior 1B Justin Tellam hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning -- his second homer of the weekend -- to end Sunday's game. Senior left-hander Paul Coleman dominated Friday (8 IP, 4 H, 0 R), and freshman right-hander Brett Hunter (7 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 8 K) was solid as he made his first career start after opening the year as closer.
Results:
March 21: @ No. 4 Cal State Fullerton: W 7-4
March 24-26: Northwestern: W 8-0, W 8-0, W 4-2
This week:
March 28: @ Southern California
March 31-April 1: @ Loyola Marymount
20. Kentucky
Last week: 4-1. Overall: 20-5, 4-2 in SEC (4-2 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 4-0.
Notes: UK is off to its best conference start since 1996 and has won consecutive conference series for the first time since 2003. Sophomore OF Antone DeJesus rang up five extra-base hits and scored six times against Tennessee. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Greg Dombrowski (CG, 9 H, ER) was strong Sunday but did allow his first walk in 58.3 innings, dating to 2005. Junior left-hander Craig Snipp (7 IP, 7 H, ER) was equally strong Saturday but was out of the game before UK scored five times in the ninth inning to win.
Results:
March 22: Xavier: W 13-3
March 24-26: @ No. 12 Tennessee: L 7-6, W 6-1, W 4-1
This week:
March 28: Morehead State
March 31-April 2: Auburn
21. Tennessee
Last week: 3-2. Overall: 17-7, 1-4 in SEC. (0-3 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 5-1.
Notes: Tennessee escaped with a win Friday on freshman LF Jarred Frazier's eighth-inning RBI single, but couldn't get another win on the weekend. Sophomore catcher J.P. Arencibia homered and drove in three runs Friday.
Results:
March 21: Tennessee Tech: W 21-1 (7)
March 22: Hartford: W 8-7
March 24-26: Kentucky: W 7-6, L 6-1, L 4-1
This week:
March 29: East Tennessee State
March 31-April 2: No. 13 Arkansas
22. Georgia
Last week: 3-1. Overall: 17-5, 3-3 in SEC. (5-1 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 4-2.
Notes: Georgia won a series in Arkansas for the first time in school history. Junior right-hander Brooks Brown (7 IP, 2 H) and sophomore right-hander Josh Fields combined on Georgia's fourth shutout of the year Friday, and Fields struck out seven of the eight batters he faced in the series while recording two saves. Freshman shortstop Gordon Beckham hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning Saturday. He leads the team with 21 RBI and ranks second with six homers.
Results:
March 22: Georgia State @ Marietta, Ga.: W 14-7
March 24-26: @ No. 11 Arkansas: W 2-0, W 8-7, L 5-4 (10)
This week:
March 28-29: vs./@ No. 9 Clemson
March 31-April 2: Mississippi
23. Virginia
Last week: 3-1. Overall: 22-5, 6-3 in ACC (4-2 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 4-1.
Notes: Sophomore 1B/left-hander Sean Doolittle struck out 10 batters in 6.2 innings Friday and added three hits, three runs and two RBI at the plate. Senior left-hander Mike Ballard (CG, 8 H, 2 R, ER, 8 K) dominated Sunday, when freshman 2B David Adams and sophomore LF Brandon Guyer added homers in a five-run first inning.
Results:
March 22: Marshall: W 12-0
March 24-26: Wake Forest: W 3-2, L 3-2, W 10-2
This week:
March 29: Norfolk State
March 31-April 2: @ North Carolina State
24. Winthrop
Last week: 3-0. Overall: 21-5, 30-0 in Big South (0-1 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 6-1.
Notes: Make it six straight wins for the 'Throp, which dispatched a Liberty club with 17 wins to its credit. Winthrop needed a four-run ninth inning Saturday and a six-run eighth inning Sunday to pull off the sweep. Freshman right-handed pitcher Alex Wilson improved to 6-0 Friday (7.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, career-high 14 K's). Junior shortstop Chris Carrara tallied six hits, a homer and three RBI in the final two games, driving in the equalizer Sunday before scoring the go-ahead run.
Results:
March 24-26: Liberty: W 13-1, W 8-7, W 10-8
March 17-19: No. 2 Clemson: W 2-1, W 10-2, W 7-4
This week:
March 29: @ The Citadel
March 31-April 2: Birmingham-Southern
25. Miami
Last week: 2-1. Overall: 23-7, 8-1 in ACC (0-1 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 8-1.
Notes: Sophomore right-handed pitcher Carlos Gutierrez improved to 7-1 Friday (7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, ER), and sophomore left-hander Scott Maine was even better Sunday (8 IP, 2 H, R, 0 ER) as he lowered his ERA to 2.10. Miami has a 2.35 team ERA. The 16-game win streak ended Saturday when Miami made a season-high five errors, including two in the eighth inning that led to two runs.
Results:
March 24-26: @ Maryland: W 10-2, L 5-4, W 3-1
This week:
March 31-April 2: Clemson
Dropped out
17. Stanford
Last week: 0-2. Overall: 11-9, 0-2 in Pac-10. (5-1 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 3-3.
Notes: Stanford has lost four straight games with an exam break sandwiched in the middle. The Trees led 4-1 Sunday but couldn't hold on. WSU entered the series with a 23-game losing streak to Stanford and will leave with its first series win against the Cardinal since 1970. Freshman 1B Jason Castro went 3-for-3 Saturday.
Results:
March 25-26: Washington State: L 7-1, L 8-5
This week:
March 27: Washington State
March 31-April 2: Southern California
20. North Carolina State
Last week: 0-3. Overall: 21-8, 5-4 in ACC (2-4 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 4-2.
Notes: NC State scored nine runs and batted .214 a week after it scored 31 times against Georgia Tech. Sophomore 3B Matt Mangini tallied five hits on the weekend. Sophomore right-hander Andrew Brackman rejoined the team for good Sunday (4.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 ER).
Results:
March 24-26: @ No. 10 Clemson: L 9-5, L 4-2, L 6-2
This week:
March 29: East Carolina
March 31-April 2: No. 23 Virginia
22. Baylor
Last week: 2-2. Overall: 16-8, 3-3 in Big 12 (5-4 vs. Top 25). Weekend series: 3-2
Notes: Baylor led 8-0 Sunday before losing, marking its first loss in 30 games when it had scored seven or more runs. Senior catcher Zach Dillon's streak of reaching base safely ended at eight Sunday. Baylor scored four times in the ninth inning Friday and escaped a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the frame to come from behind for a win. Junior CF Chase Gerdes drove in two runs in that ninth-inning rally before catching the game's final out.
Results:
March 21: Texas Christian: W 10-4
March 24-26: @ No. 23 Oklahoma: W 6-5, L 5-2, L 11-10
This week:
March 28: Texas Southern
March 29: Sam Houston State
March 31-April 2: @ Texas Tech
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