With Saturday's college baseball action in the books, here's our inside look back at the highlights and lowlights from around the country.
TEAM OF THE DAY: North Carolina
The Tar Heels made a statement last weekend with an impressive home series win over USC. Now they're doing the statement-making on the road against Clemson this weekend. UNC starting pitcher Chris Munnelly was lifted after allowing three runs in just 4 2/3 innings, but the bullpen, consisting of five pitchers, took care of business down the stretch. UNC outfielder Jordan Parks had two hits and two RBIs, while shortstop Tommy Coyle recorded three hits. UNC improved to 12-2 with the series-clinching victory.
PLAYER OF THE DAY: Eddie Orozco, rhp, UC Riverside
The Highlanders are having a tough campaign so far this spring, but the senior right-handed pitcher certainly isn't to blame. Orozco, who can sit in the low-to-mid 90s with his fastball, put together another sensational start in a triumph over Sacramento State. He struck out 15 batters and allowed just three hits in a complete-game shutout performance.
UPSET OF THE DAY: Mercer over Mississippi State
The Bears are expected to make some noise in the Atlantic Sun this season, but they're getting a hot start this weekend against Mississippi State. After losing a hard-fought contest to the Bulldogs in the series opener, they responded by capturing an impressive 6-1 decision on Saturday with starting pitcher Brandon Barker leading the way. Meanwhile, shortstop Evan Boyd had three hits and two RBIs, while designated hitter Nick Backlund went 4-for-4 with an RBI. At 12-4, the Bears definitely are a team worth watching moving forward.
FIVE BEST TEAMS
Mercer: The Bears quietly have been one of the nation's biggest surprises this spring. They improved to 12-4 on the season after earning an impressive 6-1 win over Mississippi State. Starting pitcher Brandon Barker put together an impressive start, allowing just a run on six hits in eight innings of work. The Bears aim for the series win on Sunday.
Liberty: It should come as no surprise that coach Jim Toman is doing another terrific job this season. The Flames are off to an incredible 16-1 start after a productive Saturday against St. John's. The Flames won the front end of a doubleheader 7-4 before using a collection of strong bullpen performances to win the series finale 4-1. LU is in terrific shape entering the start of Big South play next weekend.
UCLA: The Bruins just continue to make strides. They won their ninth-straight contest on Saturday in a 7-6 triumph over Georgia. The Bruins scored three runs the final two frames, being led at the plate by outfielder Jeff Gelalich, who finished the contest with three hits. Chris Keck and Cody Keefer also had two hits in the game.
Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons appear ready to take a huge step forward this season with an NCAA postseason appearance. They clinched a series win over red-hot Maryland on Saturday with a 9-6 triumph. Reliever Michael Dimock tossed two shutout innings to end the contest, while Carlos Lopez and Conor Keniry each finished the game with two hits. This is a huge series win for Tommy Walter's crew.
Stanford: The red-hot Cardinal just continues to roll along in non-conference play. Stanford starting pitcher Brett Mooneyham struck out nine batters and allowed just three runs in six innings of work in an 11-6 series-clinching triumph over the Owls. Offensively, first baseman Brian Ragira went 3-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs. Meanwhile, outfielder Austin Wilson went 2-for-4 and knocked in four runs. The Cardinal improved to 13-1.
FIVE WITH SOMETHING TO PROVE
Gonzaga: After starting the season on such a high note, the Bulldogs have been a huge disappointment so far this weekend. They've dropped the first two games of a three-game set to struggling New Mexico. While the pitching staff struggled in the series opener against the Lobos, it was the offense that struggled in Game 2. Starting pitcher Andy Hunter certainly shouldn't hang his head after allowing just a run in 8 1/3 innings of work.
Houston: The Cougars showed some serious strides in the right direction last weekend at the Houston College Classic, but have taken a huge step back over the weekend against Ole Miss. The Cougars have been outscored 17-0 by the Rebels in the first two games, losing Saturday's contest, 9-0. UH starting pitcher Jordan Lewis allowed seven runs on eight hits in just 2 1/3 innings, while the offense only mustered six hits.
Boston College: The Eagles appeared to be one of the nation's biggest surprises a couple of weeks ago, but have now lost five-straight contests after a 5-3 loss to Miami on Saturday. BC starting pitcher Hunter Gordon only allowed two runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings, but the offense struggled to score with runners in scoring position, scoring just three runs on 12 hits.
Georgia Southern: The Eagles just haven't found a way to get in a groove without injured outfielder Victor Roache. They dropped the series opener to the Phoenix on Friday before losing the second game, 7-2, on Saturday. GSU starting pitcher Jarret Leverett didn't have a good day, allowing three runs on seven hits in just four innings of work. Now the Eagles try to avoid getting swept by the surging Phoenix.
Florida International: The Panthers entered the spring with extremely high expectations. And though they have a chance to turn things around in Sun Belt play, they've been a disappointment so far this spring. FIU has split the first two games of its series with Fordham, losing Saturday, 10-8. FIU starting pitcher Michael Ellis struck out six in four innings, but also allowed four runs. Meanwhile, reliever Michael Gomez allowed five runs in just two innings of work.
FIVE QUICK THOUGHTS
* One of the most impressive things about Stanford is its sheer versatility. The Cardinal, guided by stud right-hander pitcher Mark Appel, defeated Rice 4-2 in the series opener on Friday. But on Saturday, the Cardinal and Owls played a contest that featured much more offensive production. That was no problem for the Cardinal. Though the bullpen didn't perform at a high level, Brian Ragira, Austin Wilson and Eric Smith guided the offense to 11 runs on 14 hits. Stanford continues to impress me with its ability to play any type of game, and succeed in doing so.
* You're already seeing why N.C. State was so ecstatic to get left-handed pitcher Carlos Rodon on campus last fall. Rodon is off to an impressive start this spring, and put together another solid start in an 8-5 triumph over Georgia Tech. The talented left-hander struck out six and allowed just two runs on four hits in seven innings of work. For the season, Rodon has a 1.33 ERA in 27 innings of work. He also has struck out 31 and walked eight, while teams are hitting just .221 against him. He's definitely a game changer for the Wolfpack.
* Color me very impressed with the fact Ole Miss didn't allow a run in the first two games against Houston. Right-handed ace pitcher Bobby Wahl was solid against the Cougars in the series opener, while R.J. Hively was a big surprise in a 9-0 triumph in Game 2. Hively was a non-factor during his time at Cal State Fullerton, but has evolved into a very legitimate weekend starters for the Rebels. Against the Cougars, he struck out nine and allowed just four hits in six shutout frames. It would be one of the better individual stories in college baseball if Hively can put together a consistently solid campaign.
* Wake Forest is an interesting team to watch the rest of the season. The Demon Deacons entered the spring expected to do some big things, but lost a lot of luster by losing a series to New Mexico State to start the season. Well, the Demon Deacons have been solid since opening weekend. With two wins over Maryland to begin the weekend, they're now 13-4 overall, with more chances to make statements the next two weekends with series against N.C. State and Florida State. The offense has been solid so far this season, hitting .299 with Carlos Lopez leading the way. Meanwhile, starting pitchers Tim Cooney and Brian Holmes have been tremendous so far this season. It'll be interesting to see if the Demon Deacons can continue this consistency as ACC play continues.
* It's like deja vu all over again when it comes to Kentucky. Throughout the week, I've received emails from fans from around the country asking about the Wildcats. UK improved its record to 15-0 on Saturday with a 7-5 triumph over Canisius. In most cases, teams that start the season with that type of record would be ranked very high, but the Wildcats still have a lot to prove. UK has played an extremely poor non-conference schedule, with a midweek bout against Marshall being its stiffest test so far this spring. With that said, there's plenty of reasons for optimistic if you're the Wildcats. The offense is off to a fantastic start with a .349 batting average, with freshman Austin Cousino leading the way. Meanwhile, Luke Maile and Cameron Flynn are having impressive offensive campaigns. On the mound, it's a little surprising to see Corey Littrell and Jerad Grundy having more impressive seasons thus far than Taylor Rogers. Say what you want about UK, we'll know everything we need to know about them next weekend when it hosts South Carolina.