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TEAM OF THE DAY
Florida
After a tough series loss on the road to Texas A&M over the weekend, the Gators returned to action Tuesday and captured an intense 4-1 win over rival Florida State to win the season series. UF starting pitcher Justin Shafer struck out three, walked two and allowed just two hits in four shutout frames, while the bullpen did a terrific job with Danny Young striking out four in 3 2/3 shutout frames, while allowing just two hits in the process. Offensively, Braden Mattson had two hits and an RBI. The Gators and Seminoles also were involved in a shoving match, which can be seen here:
PLAYER OF THE DAY
Pepe Gomez, rhp, Oral Roberts
How about the performance put together by the senior righty in a 3-0 win over Oklahoma? Gomez struck out five, walked three and allowed just five hits in a complete game shutout.
UPSET OF THE DAY
Southern Miss over Ole Miss (5-3)
It's been an iffy season for the Golden Eagles thus far, but perhaps Tuesday's 5-3 win over Ole Miss will get them back on track. USM starting pitcher Cody Carroll allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits in 5 2/3 innings, while the bullpen was outstanding, with A.J. Glasshof tossing 2 1/3 hitless innings, and talented righty Bradley Roney earning his seventh save with a clean final frame. Offensively, USM catcher Austin Roussel led the way with two hits and two RBIs.
THE GOOD
Texas head coach Augie Garrido: It was a memorable night for the legendary Garrido and the Texas program in a 5-1 home win over Texas State. Garrido become the winningest coach in college baseball history, at any level, with win No. 1,894. Garrido surpassed Gordon Gillespie for the overall win mark, but captured the Division I record in 2003. The Longhorns got a stellar performance from righthanded pitcher Lukas Schiraldi, who showed good stuff, striking out striking out five, walking three and allowing a run and a hit in seven innings.
Southern California: The Trojans captured a nice midweek win over Loyola Marymount, 4-2 on Tuesday night. USC starting pitcher Brent Wheatley struck out three, walked one and allowed just a run on five hits in 4 2/3 innings of work, while third baseman Kevin Swick added two hits and an RBI.
San Francisco: The Dons haven't been consistent this spring, but captured a nice midweek win over Oregon, 8-4. Lefthanded pitcher Sheldon Lee shined for the Dons, allowing just a run (not earned) on four hits in five runs, while Bradley Zimmer had a home run in the contest, and Brendan Hendriks had two hits and two RBIs.
Ryan Leonards, 3b, Louisiana-Lafayette: The Ragin' Cajuns continued their winning ways with a 10-1 home thrashing of Northwestern State. Leonards led the charge at the plate, going 4-for-4 with two runs, two RBIs and two walks, along with a home run.
Matt Withrow, rhp, Texas Tech: The Red Raiders swept a pair of games from Arkansas-Pine Bluff with the talented righthanded pitcher leading the way. Withrow was terrific, striking out 10, walking two and allowing just one hit in seven shutout frames in a 2-0 victory.
David Martinelli, of, Dallas Baptist: It's not often you see offensive showdowns like this one in today's college baseball climate, but DBU outlasted Stephen F. Austin 20-10 with Martinelli leading the way. Martinelli went 3-for-6 with a home run and five RBIs to lead the charge.
Sam Houston State: Bearkats starting pitcher Jason Simms struck out three and allowed just a run on three hits in five innings, as they captured a nice 8-1 road win over Texas A&M. SHSU first baseman Ryan O'Hearn finished the night with three hits and three RBIs, while A&M starting pitcher Ryan Hendrix allowed four runs on three hits in just 1 1/3 innings.
South Carolina's young arms: The future is bright, as expected, for the Gamecocks. A pair of freshmen arms led the charge in a 4-2 home win over College of Charleston. Taylor Widener struck out two and allowed just one hit in three shutout frames, while Josh Reagan allowed just a run on two hits in four innings.
Tulane: The Green Wave hasn't been consistent this season, but perhaps they're ready to get on a roll after a midweek win over LSU. Tulane starting pitcher Corey Merrill set the tone for the night by tossing two shutout frames, while Zach Flowers also threw two shutout frames. Offensively, talented young shortstop Stephen Alemais led the charge with two hits and two RBIs.
UCLA: Freshman righthanded pitcher Grant Dyer had yet another solid performance, this time striking out two and allowing just a run on five hits in six innings in a 2-1 win over Long Beach State. Nick Kern and David Berg also were terrific, in relief of course, with 1 1/3 shutout frames, while for LBSU, Ryan Strufing returned to the mound from an injury, allowing a run on three hits in two frames.
UC Santa Barbara: The Gauchos just find a way to win. Cameron Newell hit an RBI single in the top of the 10th inning and the pitching staff took care of the bottom frame in a 5-4 road win over Fresno State. UCSB starting pitcher Shane Bieber allowed just two runs on four hits in five innings while reliever Dillon Tate was fantastic, striking out five and allowing just two hits in three shutout frames. Newell, by the way, finished the night with three hits.
Houston: The Cougars hadn't won the season series with rival Rice for several seasons, but they turned the tide Tuesday night with a 6-2 victory, with all eight runs in the game scored in the first inning. UH reliever Tyler Ford was the player of the game, striking out two and allowing just two hits in 4 2/3 shutout frames, while leadoff hitter Kyle Survance had a pair of hits.
Mercer: The Bears are having a terrific spring and improved to 20-6 overall with a 4-1 road win over Georgia Tech. Mercer reliever Dimitri Kourtis was the player of the game, striking out four, walking one and allowing no hits in four innings. Meanwhile, offensively, hot-hitting second baseman Michael Massi had two hits and an RBI, while first baseman Austin Barrett added a pair of hits.
Clemson: Though the Tigers dropped a tough series to Florida State last weekend, they responded in impressive fashion Tuesday with a 16-4 triumph. Clemson was led at the plate by outfielder Steven Duggar, who went 4-for-6 with a double and four RBIs, while catcher Chris Okey had a home run and two RBIs, and leadoff hitter Tyler Slaton went 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs. Clemson reliever Zack Erwin was the notable pitching performance on the night, tossing 1 2/3 shutout frames to end the contest.
THE BAD
Duke: The Blue Devils hit the road last weekend and struggled in a three-game set with Pittsburgh. The Devils were unable to return to normalcy in a 3-2 road loss to Davidson. Duke starting pitcher Karl Blum allowed two runs in just an inning of work, while the Wildcats used six pitchers in the winning cause.
Coastal Carolina: It's very bizarre to see the Chanticleers struggling so much. The Chants dropped to 10-14 overall Tuesday with a disappointing 12-4 road loss to The Citadel. CCU starting pitcher Cole Schaefer allowed six runs on six hits in just 2/3 an inning, while the bullpen didn't fare much better.