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College  | Story  | 6/20/2016

CWS: Buffett, OSU win 1-0, again

Mike Rooney     
Photo: OSU Athletics




Perfect Game College Baseball on SiriusXM

SiriusXM’s Braden Gall and Perfect Game’s Mike Rooney will be in Omaha, Neb., for one more day (Tuesday, June 21) of the 2016 College World Series. The program can be accessed by tuning in to SiriusXM College Sports, channel 84 and will be aired from 2:00-3:40 p.m. CT.


CWS Day 1 Recap | CWS Day 2 Recap


Gauchos stay alive, ‘Canes first team out

OMAHA, Neb. – The city of Omaha loves the story of a Cinderella and the UCSB Gauchos seem to be wearing Argentine Cowboy glass boots. Credit the Gaucho fan base for inspiring the locals as chants of “Ole, Ole, Ole … Gaucho, Gaucho” can be heard everywhere, and grew louder as UCSB drew closer to securing their 5-3 victory over Miami on Monday to stay alive for another day in Omaha.

Head coach Andrew Checketts spoke on the impact of the Gaucho fans.

“Our fans are a little bit like our players,” Checketts said. “They’re pretty energized and rowdy and get after it pretty good. So I think it’s fun to see … but the first game after the Anthem walking back there, seeing our crowd go crazy gave me the chills. I’ve said it before, but just where this program’s come and all of the help that we’ve got in terms of that grassroots effort to get our kids to this point is pretty special.”

Freshman Noah Davis took on another ACC juggernaut offense in the Hurricanes just one week after giving his team a solid effort in game two of the Super Regionals against Louisville. Davis held the Hurricanes to just one Zack Collins home run through six innings of two-hit baseball.

J.J. Muno had two hits and a key RBI in the bottom of the first inning that appeared to give the Gauchos an emotional boost. Muno is a great Omaha story as his first cousin Danny Muno was the starting second baseman on the 2008 Fresno State National Championship team.  In fact, Muno and his father traveled to Omaha to take in that College World Series.

In true west coast style, UCSB played extraordinary infield defense including a game-ending, highlight reel 1-6-3 double play that was executed by defensive wizard Clay Fisher. This CWS field has several elite shortstops but the play of Fisher and Texas Tech’s Orlando Garcia has really stood out.

Not to be outdone by the defense, UCSB’s hitters perfectly executed back-to-back safety squeezes in their four-run sixth inning to extend their lead.  Gaucho pinch-hitters also continued their hot streak as Ryan Cumberland came off the bench to deliver a first-pitch two-run single to ignite that same inning.

Miami’s pitching was a big concern coming into the CWS but ultimately it was the vaunted Hurricane offense that never got going. One is left to wonder if the wind blowing in over the first two days here in Omaha affected the Miami hitters.

Top 8 National Seeds are now 0-4 in the 2016 CWS, and with Florida and Texas Tech playing tomorrow in an elimination game, there will be just one remaining Top 8 National Seed at the end of play on Tuesday.


Cowboys win another pitcher’s duel, 1-0

Arizona and Oklahoma State are two of the hotter teams in this eight-team CWS field that is full of clubs that have played very well over the last few weeks. Pitching and defense have been the hallmarks of these two squads and that was on display again on Monday night as Oklahoma State claimed yet another 1-0 win.

Bobby Dalbec and Tyler Buffett have been outstanding in the NCAA Tournament and they continued their dominant form in this game. Dalbec, who is a two-way prospect with immense raw power, looks more and more like a big league pitcher every time he takes the mound. The Red Sox selected Dalbec in the fourth round and they may be tempted to take the bat out of his hand quickly for as loud as his arm talent has been lately.

Cowboys pitching coach Rob Walton went counterintuitive in moving Tyler Buffett to the rotation after a rough Big 12 Tournament. And that move is one of the major reasons that Oklahoma State is in Omaha as Buffett turned in two outstanding NCAA Tournament starts, first in Clemson and then in Columbia. Buffett is a pitchability righthander whose overall arsenal has improved in the starting role, and yet he still can touch the low-90s with his sinking fastball.

“I think Tyler, based upon the lineup he's facing with quality right and lefthanded hitters, he threw his curveball effectively to change planes and move the eyes up and down,” Oklahoma State head coach Josh Holliday said of his starter after the game. “He flashed a straight change to also back off some of the aggression of some very good, strong hitters, and I thought he competed exceptionally well and he made key pitches at key times. And I think the ballpark and the kids playing behind him, he felt confidence to pitch to contact.

“Not only was he making fine pitches but he was also making pitches that allowed him to pitch eight full innings there and get deep in the game.”

Dalbec did his part, overmatching the Oklahoma State lineup for most of the night and finished with a career-high 12 strikeouts. Dalbec’s fastball had explosive life and none of the Cowboy hitters were able to handle his breaking stuff.

Buffett didn’t flash the electric stuff of Dalbec but his efficiency was at a very high level. He moved his three-pitch mix all over the strike zone and Arizona managed to get just one baserunner to second base in this game.

“Talking with Rob (Walton) at the beginning of the year, when he wanted me to start coming out of the bullpen and start throwing those ninth innings, he told me just keep the mentality the same,” Buffett said after the game of the success he has enjoyed as a starter recently. “If I go out there and I focus on making pitches it doesn't matter if that pitch goes down in the ninth inning to win the game or if it's the first pitch of the ballgame, it's going to be the same pitch.

“So that's what I tried to do. I tried to go out there and treat the first inning like the second inning, like the third, like the ninth. So that's really all it's been like.”

Oklahoma State shortstop Donnie Walton had been in a mini-slump, going four for his last 20 coming in to the contest, but he had two big hits in this game. Walton’s leadoff double in the fourth inning led to the game’s only run, and he scored on Garrett Benge’s single to right field.

Benge now has both of Oklahoma State’s RBI, with a pair of fourth-inning singles in both Saturday’s and Monday’s contests.

The other important story in this game was the incredible defense played by Oklahoma State. Ryan Sluder and Jon Littell both made game-changing plays in the outfield to prevent extra-bases. Sluder’s first inning diving catch in particular is one that should make most highlight shows and prevented at least a triple if not an inside-the-park home run. Benge played an excellent game at third base and he converted two very difficult ground balls into outs in critical situations.

The exclamation point was a masterful 6-4-3 double play turned by Walton and J.R. Davis in the eighth inning. 

Oklahoma State moves to 2-0 in their bracket and they are in the pole position headed into the weekend and won’t play again until Friday. Arizona heads to the losers’ bracket and will face UC Santa Barbara in an elimination game on Wednesday night.

Monday’s game was another example of TD Ameritrade Park flexing its muscle. The 2016 CWS has become one of run prevention and it appears that only teams that pitch and play defense at a high level will be invited to stay for the long haul.
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