TEAM OF THE DAY
Mercer
The Bears took yet another big step forward with a dominant 10-1 home win over Georgia Tech in midweek action. First baseman Travis Benn smacked two homers and knocked in five runs in the victory, while David Reid-Foley, Evan Boyd, Derrick Workman and Nick Backlund each had two hits in the contest. It also should be noted that Dimitri Kourtis struck out three in three scoreless frames to end it.
UPSET OF THE DAY
Connecticut
The Huskies dropped a tough contest to Boston College, 7-4, at home, Tuesday afternoon. UCONN starting pitcher Christian Colletti had a respectable day on the mound, allowing four runs in seven innings, while reliever Dan Feehan allowed three runs on two hits in two innings of work.
PLAYER OF THE DAY
Jeff Melillo, C, Rutgers
What an afternoon he had at the plate to lead the red-hot Scarlet Knights to a 15-6 victory over Columbia. Melillo went 4-for-4 with two homers, three runs scored and five RBIs in the victory.
FEELING GOOD
Cal State Fullerton: The Titans picked up a very good road win over UCLA, capturing a 9-6 decision Tuesday night. Speedy outfielder Michael Lorenzen went 4-for-5 with a run scored and three RBIs, while he also collected two stolen bases in the contest. Meanwhile, he also threw one inning in relief, striking out two of the three batters he faced for the Titans. Carlos Lopez and J.D. Davis each had two hits and two RBIs in the game, while the big news was the return of third baseman Matt Chapman, who went 0-for-1. Chapman missed last weekend's series because of a high ankle sprain.
Florida State: Seminoles catcher Stephen McGee hit a grand slam and Josh Delph, Casey Smit and Jose Brizuela each had two hits, as they captured an impressive 12-9 win over Florida Gulf Coast. The Seminoles also got a big-time performance from second baseman John Sansone, who went 2-for-2 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs to help the offensive cause.
Kentucky: The Wildcats continue to rack up impressive wins. Starting pitcher Kyle Cody allowed just two earned runs on four hits in 6 1/3 innings in a road win over rival Louisville. While Cody led the charge on the mound, two-way star A.J. Reed had a home run and two RBIs.
Vanderbilt: The Commodores just continue to roll. Shortstop Vince Conde hit a grand slam, while freshman third baseman Xavier Turner had two hits, three runs scored and two RBIs in a 12-3 win over Middle Tennessee State. Meanwhile, the Vandy bullpen performed at a high level with Steven Rice and ADam Ravenelle combining to allow just a run in four innings of work.
Virginia: What an outstanding campaign the Cavaliers are having this season. Right-handed pitcher Josh Sborz struck out five batters and allowed just one hit in four shutout frames in a 2-0 win over Liberty. Meanwhile, reliever Nathan Kirby struck out six, walked none and allowed no hits in 3 1/3 innings of work.
Mississippi State: From a confidence-building standpoint, the Bulldogs captured a huge win over South Alabama, 6-4 on the road. State right-handed pitcher Brandon Woodruff struck out four, walked none and allowed a run on three hits in six innings in the win, while at the plate, hot-hitting outfielder Hunter Renfroe had two more hits.
N.C. State: There's no doubt the Wolfpack have been rather inconsistent this season, but they put together a solid win on Tuesday night, beating East Carolina 6-1 on the road. Senior right-handed pitcher Ryan Wilkins struck out five, walked none and allowed no hits in five innings of work, while at the plate, leadoff hitter Brett Williams had two hits and three RBIs, two of those hits doubles.
Alabama: The Crimson Tide picked up a big rivalry series win over Auburn this past weekend, and captured another impressive win, this time a 9-1 decision at home over Southeastern Louisiana. Tide starting pitcher Tucker Hawley struck out two, walked two and allowed just five hits in five shutout frames.
UNC Wilmington: The Seahawks are moving closer and closer to being ranked in the next PG College Top 25 next week, capturing a 7-2 midweek win over College of Charleston. Evan Phillips struck out five and allowed just one run on four hits in six innings of work, while designated hitter Hunter Ridge went 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
WANTING A DO-OVER
Southern California: The Trojans just continue to struggle overall, dropping a 3-1 decision to UC Irvine to drop to an ugly 11-17 on the season. USC starting pitcher Nigel Nootbaar allowed two runs on two hits in three innings of work, while Brooks Kriske and Brent Wheatley threw well out of the bullpen.
Washington State: The Cougars dropped a tough series to Stanford at home over the weekend and suffered another setback, this time a 7-2 decision to Gonzaga. Starting pitcher Sam Triece allowed two runs in three innings of work, while the offense was stymied by Gonzaga pitcher Derek Callahan, who tossed five shutout frames.
Tennessee: The Volunteers are going through some heartache right now, dropping a tough 7-5 contest to Longwood at home. UT starting pitcher Trevor Bettencourt allowed three runs on six hits in four innings of work, while the bullpen didn't fare much better with Trevor Charpie allowing three runs in just 1 1/3 innings.
Texas Tech: The Red Raiders have scuffled the past couple of weeks, and their woes continued Tuesday night in a 10-3 loss to New Mexico. Tech starting pitcher Matt Custred struggled, allowing seven runs on six hits in 3 1/3 innings of work.
TOP PERFORMANCES
Trey Mancini, 1B, Notre Dame: The hard-hitting first baseman had a night to remember against Illinois-Chicago, going 4-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs to help lead the Fighting Irish to a 6-2 triumph.
Jake Rodriguez, C, Oregon State: Rodriguez had a very big night at the plate for the Beavers in a 7-5 win over Portland. He went 2-for-3 with a home run, double, two runs scored and two RBIs to lead the charge.
Trevor Dunlap, RHP, Washington: The Huskies haven't had a great campaign, but Dunlap rose to the occasion in a 14-1 win over Seattle. He struck out six, walked none and allowed just a run on two hits in six innings of work.
Matt Maurer, LHP, Pepperdine: The elite left-handed pitcher was terrific in a 3-1 road win over UC Santa Barbara. He struck out just one batter, but also walked just one and allowed a run on five hits in seven innings of work.
Mark Anderson, LHP, BYU: The talented left-handed pitcher tossed a gem in an 8-0 win over Utah Valley. He struck out four, walked two and allowed no runs on six hits in 8 1/3 innings of work.
Trae Santos, 1B, Troy: The hard-hitting first baseman had a productive night at the plate in a win over Alabama State. He went 2-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs to lead the Trojans offense.
Coty Blanchard, 2B, Jacksonville State: Blanchard put together an impressive performance in a win over Samford. He went 2-for-5 with a triple, double, three runs scored and two RBIs. He also induced a walk in the contest.
Jacob Hoyle, DH, Western Carolina: He had a monster night offensively in an impressive 13-9 home win over UNC Asheville. He went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles, a home run, three runs scored and three RBIs.
Chris King, DH, Elon: What a night at the plate King had for the Phoenix had in a win over High Point. He went 3-for-4 with a double, triple, home run, two runs scored and four RBIs. He also induced two walks in the contest.
Cole Isom, LHP, Evansville: The talented left-handed hurler was fantastic in a 6-1 win over Tennessee-Martin. He struck out six, walked none and allowed just a run on six hits in eight innings of work.
Patrick Paligraf, SS, Xavier: He put together an impressive performance in a 15-10 win over Ohio. He had two hits, one a double and six RBIs to lead the Musketeers' offensive charge.
Chad Pinder, 3B, Virginia Tech: Pinder had a huge night at the plate as the Hokies captured an 11-5 win over VCU. Pinder, a heralded MLB draft prospect, went 3-for-4 with a pair of homers, four runs scored and three RBIs to lead the Hokies offense. He also induced a walk.