3/2/2011 11:09:13 PM
It was another intriguing day on the diamond as history was made at Florida International and Rice battled back to beat Arizona in a fantastic two-game midweek series.
Here are some thoughts on Wednesday's college baseball action:
* There's no question what the story of the day was, and it was the pitching performance put together by Florida International junior right-hander Kyle Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick recorded the fifth no-hitter in Panthers history and first since 1979 when he mowed down Northeastern on the way to a 4-0 victory. Fitzpatrick struck out five batters and walked just one. He has just a 0.41 ERA for the season. With the win, FIU, the Sun Belt favorite, improves to 8-2. It was a historic night for the righty and the Panthers.
* Can anyone slow down Arkansas slugger Kyle Robinson? The talented senior collected two hits and four RBIs in an 8-3 win over McNeese State. For the year, Robinson is hitting a team-best .552 with a double, two triples, a home run and 14 RBIs. He also has a .828 slugging percentage and a .563 on-base percentage. Robinson's offensive surge is a great story to watch as SEC play nears and the season progresses.
* We said earlier this week that Rice would keep outstanding third baseman Anthony Rendon is a designated hitter role until his shoulder is completely healthy. Well, that move certainly isn't hurting Rendon's offensive prowess. The talented infielder went 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs, and recorded a double and triple, as the Owls bounced back with an impressive 11-7 win over Arizona.
* Georgia Tech talented freshman pitcher Matt Grimes struck out nine hitters in five innings against Georgia State, but also allowed four runs on eight hits in a 6-3 setback to the Panthers. Georgia State starting pitcher Aidan Francis stole the spotlight on this night by striking out six batters and allowing just two runs on seven hits in seven innings. The win over the Yellow Jackets is a great one for a GSU club that improved to 8-1 with the victory.
* Talented Auburn newcomer pitcher Andrew Morris struck out four batters in three shutout innings of relief work, but that didn't matter too much as the Tigers were upset 5-2 by Bethune-Cookman. BCC starting pitcher Bryan Rivera allowed just two runs on four hits in 5 1/3 innings while reliever Roman Lancara was fantastic, striking out three and allowing just three hits in three shutout frames. That's a fantastic road win for the Wildcats.
* Keep an eye on Tulane this weekend as it hits the road to face Mississippi. The Green Wave was unimpressive in their season-opening series against Sam Houston State and in a midweek game against Southeastern Louisiana, but since is 5-0 and finished off a midweek sweep over Northwestern State with a 5-2 triumph on Wednesday. Tulane has the talent to take the road series from the Rebels.
* There were two pretty poor results in the SEC where Alabama's pitching staff was pummeled in a disappointing 10-6 home loss to Southern Mississippi. Georgia, meanwhile, continued its woes by getting shutout 3-0 on the road against Furman. Both the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs appear to be in for long seasons unless things change sooner rather than later.
* In the mid-major department, Liberty fell to 3-6 on the season with a disappointing 9-1 loss to Virginia Tech, while UNC Wilmington improved to 4-4 with a 10-5 road win over a solid Elon club.
* Lastly, Coastal Carolina erupted offensively and earned a huge 12-3 road win over College of Charleston, Michigan dropped to 0-7 after a 6-3 loss to Florida Gulf Coast and UNLV earned a midweek series split with Texas Tech with a 4-3 victory on Wednesday.