TEAM OF THE DAY
Oregon
The Ducks picked up a very nice midweek win, a 6-3 road triumph over in-state rival Oregon State. Second baseman Aaron Payne had two hits and two RBIs to lead the UO offense, while on the mound, the Ducks used six pitchers, including reliever Jimmie Sherfy, to close out the Beavers. Sherfy, who has been up to 95 with his fastball this spring, struck out two in the final frame.
UPSET OF THE DAY
Western Kentucky over Louisville
WKU sophomore left-handed pitcher Austin Clay struck out two, walked none and allowed just a run on seven hits in five innings, as the Hilltoppers captured an impressive 6-5 win over Louisville to improve to 18-15 overall. While Austin led the way on the mound, hard-hitting first baseman Ryan Huck did the honors at the plate with a home run, a run scored and two RBIs.
PLAYER OF THE DAY
Michael Marietta, C/1B, Central Arkansas
It's safe to say Marietta was dialed in as the Bears cruised past Grambling State 30-0 Tuesday night. Marietta had an insane day at the plate, going 7-for-7 with three doubles, three homers, six runs scored and a whopping 11 RBIs. He also saved enough time to induce a walk in the contest.
THE GOOD
Clemson: The Tigers are starting to heat up on the diamond and captured a solid 12-9 road win over Western Carolina. Tigers first baseman Jon McGibbon had a huge day at the plate in the triumph, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and four RBIs, while shortstop Tyler Krieger had two hits and two RBIs.
Michigan: The Wolverines took a big step forward last weekend with a huge series sweep over rival Michigan State. Well, they added another feather to their cap on Tuesday with a 4-1 road win over Notre Dame. Michigan sophomore right-handed pitcher James Bourque struck out four and allowed just a run on five hits in 5 1/3 innings, while Matt Ogden allowed just one hit in 3 2/3 scoreless frames.
North Carolina State: Suddenly, the Wolfpack is playing an impressive brand of baseball. N.C. State extended its impressive winning streak to seven games on Tuesday with a 2-0 triumph over East Carolina. Starting pitcher Karl Keglovits allowed just two hits in 4 2/3 shutout frames, while at the plate, first baseman Tarran Senay went 1-for-3 with two RBIs.
Florida: No doubt the Gators have a lot of work to do to become an NCAA postseason team at the end of the spring, but Tuesday's 4-3 win over Florida State certainly was a step forward. UF starting pitcher Bobby Poyner allowed just a run on four hits in four innings of work, while Ryan Harris and Daniel Gibson each threw very well in relief.
Duke: The Blue Devils are starting to play a very impressive brand of baseball. They improved to 20-14 on the season in a 17-2 home win over UNC Greensboro. First baseman Chris Marconcini went 2-for-3 with a triple, home run, three runs scored and five RBIs, while catcher Ryan Munger had a double and four RBIs.
North Carolina: What an impressive freshman campaign outfielder Skye Bolt is putting together. Bolt, in a 15-3 road win over Elon, went 3-for-5 with a double, home run, three runs scored and three RBIs, while third baseman Colin Moran had a double with three hits, three runs and three RBIs to help lead the offensive cause.
THE BAD
Mississippi: The Rebels sure must find a way to get mojo back on their side. Mississippi State's Ross Mitchell struck out four and allowed just two hits in six shutout frames as the Rebels dropped a 5-1 decision to their rivals. With the loss, Ole Miss has now dropped seven of its last nine contests, now sitting at 23-10 overall.
Missouri State: Speaking of some mini-funks, the Bears have now lost three of their last four after dropping a 5-4 decision at home to in-state rival Missouri. MSU starting pitcher Andy Cheray allowed just two earned runs in 6 2/3 innings, but the MSU offense was unable to do much against the MU staff.
Illinois: The Fighting Illini were unable to capture a statement series win this past weekend against Indiana, and took a step back Tuesday in an 8-4 loss to Eastern Illinois. Illinois starting pitcher Kevin Duchene only allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings of work, but the bullpen was unable to take care of business.
South Alabama: The Jaguars bullpen performed at a high level on Tuesday, but the offense was unable to do much against Nicholls State pitching in a tough 4-1 loss. Nicholls starting pitcher Brandon Jackson struck out six, walked two and allowed just one run on five hits in 6 1/3 innings of work in the contest.
San Diego: The Toreros appeared to be in outstanding shape a couple of weeks ago when they took a huge home series from Oregon State. However, they've since taken a big step back, losing three of their last four, including an 11-3 decision to UC Irvine in midweek action. Toreros starting pitcher Louie Lechich didn't escape the first inning against the Anteaters, allowing three runs on three hits and recording just one out.
Southern California: It was much of the same for the Trojans as they dropped a tough 6-4 decision to Cal State Fullerton in midweek action to fall to 12-20 on the season. Trojans starting pitcher Sean Adler had a tough night on the mound, allowing five runs on five hits in just two innings of work.
TOP PERFORMANCES
Brandon Thomas, OF, Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets greatly missed the big bat of Thomas this past weekend against Duke. He stepped up in a big way as the Yellow Jackets captured a 7-5 win over Georgia. He went 2-for-5 with two RBIs.
Corey Ray, RHP, Texas A&M: Ray had a big night on the mound as the Aggies bounced back with a 4-1 win over Sam Houston State. Ray struck out two, walked two and allowed just three hits in six shutout frames. He threw 88 pitches, 52 for strikes against the Bearkats.
Danny Grauer, DH, Liberty: What a performance the hard-hitting designated hitter put together in a 12-11 win over James Madison. He went 4-for-6 with two homers, two runs scored and four RBIs.
Sam Travis, 1B, Indiana: The Hoosiers lost catcher Kyle Schwarber to an injury, but Travis more than took up the slack on Tuesday in a 10-8 win over Evansville. He went 3-for-4 with a home run, a run scored and four RBIs to lead the Hoosiers offense.
Nathan Orf, OF, Baylor: The versatile outfielder put together a big-time performance in an impressive 14-4 win over Texas-Arlington. Orf went 5-for-5 with a run scored and four RBIs.
Mark Payton, OF, Texas: Payton put together an impressive performance as the Longhorns torched Texas State 12-20. Payton went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs.
Brett McKinney, RHP, Ohio State: The veteran right-handed pitcher put together a solid start as the Buckeyes cruised to a 9-0 win over West Virginia. McKinney struck out six, walked one and allowed just a hit in five shutout frames.
Cody Poteet, RHP, UCLA: The talented freshman right-handed pitcher put together an impressive performance in a 5-1 win over Hawaii. He struck out two, walked two and allowed just two hits in five shutout frames.
Daniel Rockett, OF, UTSA: The talented outfielder went 3-for-5 with a double and four RBIs to help the Roadrunners capture a 12-5 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
John Williams, OF, UC Davis: The Aggies picked up a wild, but impressive 16-15 win over St. Mary's on Tuesday. Leadoff hitter John Williams had a night to remember, going 4-for-6 with a home run, three runs scored and six RBIs.
Cody Daily, 3B, Southern Illinois: Daily had a big-time day at the plate for the Salukis as they captured a 25-3 road win over Southeast Missouri. Daily went 2-for-5 with a home run, three runs scored and six RBIs to lead the charge.
Frank Trimarco, LHP, Monmouth: The left-handed pitcher put together quite the performance in a 5-1 win over Hofstra. He struck out two, walked one and allowed just one run on nine hits in eight innings.
Ben McQuown, OF, Campbell: The versatile outfielder had an impressive performance in an easy win over North Carolina A&T. He went 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBIs, while he also recorded two stolen bases.
Casey Roche, OF, Pittsburgh: Speaking of big-time performances, how about Roche's showing in a 24-7 win over Youngstown State? He hit for the cycle, going 5-for-7 with a double, triple, home run, two runs scored and a whopping 10 RBIs to help the Panthers' offense.
Chad Prain, SS, Georgia State: One of the nation's leading hitters put together yet another solid performance in a 12-5 win over Kennesaw State. He went 3-for-5 with a double, three runs scored and two RBIs to lead the offensive cause.
Mike Mauri, 1B, Fordham: Mauri put together an impressive performance in a surprising 15-14 win over Rutgers. He went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and five RBIs. He also induced a walk in the contest.