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Photo Gallery: Brooklyn Cyclones
Photo Gallery: Pawtucket Red Sox
Photo Gallery: Portland Sea Dogs
Rodger's Pick features Jeremy West
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Meet the Mascots: Dayton Dragons
Touring the Parks: Dayton Dragons
Photo Galleries: College Baseball Regional Tournament 2006
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Coaches Corner: Peoria Chiefs
Scouting Report: Colby Rasmus
Meet the Mascots: Peoria Chiefs
Meet the Mascots: San Diego Chicken
Touring the Parks: Peoria Chiefs
Photo Galleries: Peoria Chiefs
Photo Galleries: Quad City Swing
Photo Galleries: Dayton Dragons
Available Photo Listing: Quad City Swing
See the San Diego Chicken Live: Schedule
Coaches Corner Update and New Galleries...
Myrtle Beach Pelicans are new in the gallery and the Wilmington Blue Rocks gallery has been updated. Meet the Wilmington Blue Rocks coaching staff in Coaches Corner.
2006 Street and Smith College Football Annual Honors UVA Cornerback Marcus Hamilton
Street and Smith picked the right young athlete to grace the cover of its 2006 College Football Annual, which hit all major newsstands this past Monday.
It’s always a pleasure for the old photographer when such a deserving young man as the University of Virginia cornerback, Marcus Hamilton, is so honored.
On the gridiron last season, Marcus was in on 640 defensive plays in 12 games, made
54 tackles, 36 unassisted, and was 3rd in ACC interceptions (4).
Off the field, he was recognized by the Virginia Athletic Foundation with the Mark
and Anne Sternheimer Endowed Football Scholarship for academic excellence.
Congratulations! Marcus
Interview with Frederick Keys LHP Garrett Olson now published in Rodger's Picks
Click here for to read it.
North Carolina Moves Onto College World Series
Averaging 12.4 runs a game, North Carolina swept Alabama two games at the Tuscaloosa NCAA Super Regional last weekend.
The Tar Heels move on to face #5 national seed Cal State Fullerton in the College World Series at Omaha 7 PM Friday.
1B Chad Flack was the hero at Tuscaloosa ripping a 3-run homerun in the 8th and a 2-out 2 run homerun in the 9th of the second game to highlight a NC comeback 8-7 win and series victory over national seed #4 Alabama.
LHP Andrew Miller starred in the first game pitching a 7 inning - 5-hitter with 11 K and allowing only two unearned runs to lead his team to an 11-5 win..
This will be NC’s first appearance in the College World Series since 1989.
Andrew Miller Named BA National Player of the Year
Baseball America named North Carolina LHP Andrew Miller National Player of the Year Tuesday. He was also named to the BA First Team All American.
South Carolina Loses in Super Regional
Georgia came back to win two of three from South Carolina in the Athens NCAA Super Regional and moves onto Omaha to face Rice 2 PM Saturday in the College World Series.
Lehigh Pitcher Signs With Cleveland Indians
RHP Kyle Collina may get his wish to pitch to his Lehigh battery mate Matt McBride again when he signed a free agent contract with the Cleveland Indians.
Collina is scheduled to make his professional debut at short season at Rookie A Burlington in the Appalacian League and McBride at Mahoning Valley in the NY Penn League.
University of Virginia - 2006 Charlottesville Regional Photos Posted
Pictures Posted under the Photo Gallery in Virginia, 2006 Regional. See them here.
Five UVA, North Carolina and Lehigh U Ballplayers Drafted
Five Virginia, North Carolina and Lehigh University ballplayers were drafted in the 2006 Major League Amateur Draft conducted this past Monday and Tuesday.
Detroit Tigers took North Carolina’s ace southpaw pitcher Andrew Miller in the First Round (6th pick overall).
Boston took North Carolina’s ace right hander, Daniel Bard, also in the first round, 28th pick overall.
Cleveland made the pick of the draft (in our judgment), selecting our “Scouting Report” favorite, Matthew McBride, catcher from Lehigh U in the 2nd Supplemental Round, 75th overall.
UVA lefthander, Michael Ballard, was taken by Texas on the 418th pick, and 1b/of Tom Hagan by Pittsburgh on the 1,160th pick overall.
South Carolina Meets Georgia in Super Regional
Winners over Evansville 5-1 in the Monday, Charlottesville Regional Championship, South Carolina moves onto face Georgia in best two of three games Super Regional starting Saturday at Athens, GA.
This will make South Carolina’s 6th appearance in 7 years in the NCAA Super Regional.
Right hander Harris Honeycut, who was victorious in the second game of the regional against UVA, will make the start for the Gamecocks.
Evansville’s Heart Is Bigger In Charlottesville NCAA Regional Championship
There’s an old Mark Twain saying, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in a dog, ” that rings true about the play of the 2006 Missouri Valley Conference champion Evansville Purple Aces in the NCAA regional championship series at Charlottesville VA this past weekend.
You can’t measure a baseball team’s heart by any magic statistic – you have to wait to see how they play the game.
The #3 seed Evansville Purple Aces didn’t give up against overwhelming odds.
Rained out Friday and losing to SEC champion #2 seed South Carolina in a tough fought first game Saturday morning 4-2, they faced what appeared to be a mission impossible.
They’d have to beat Lehigh in a second game Saturday, turn around to beat UVA, and South Carolina Sunday and then beat South Carolina again on Monday to win the Regional NCAA championship.
They’d have to win four straight games against Patriot, and super baseball power ACC, and SEC teams without a loss.
And this had to be done by a small 2,300 student body school nestled on a horseshoe bend in the Ohio River in Indiana across from Kentucky where the median income per household is $31,963 compared to a $41,091 national income.
Down 6-3, they waited until two outs and a 3-2 count on the batter in the 9th to fight back against Lehigh.
Junior SS Robbie Minor got the hit sign after 5 straight takes, and drove the ball far over the left center field fence for a walk off grand slammer and his first collegiate HR to beat the Mountain Hawks 10 – 6.
Next came ACC #1 seed host UVA Sunday throwing one of their ace lefthanders, Jacob Thompson (10-3 W-L, 2.20 ERA).
In the bottom of the first inning, DH Pat Tumilty kept UE momentum going with a 2-out 2 run homerun and the Purple Aces kept it going scoring 15 runs on 16 hits off VA highly acclaimed pitching staff to win 15-4.
1B Kasey Wahl chipped in 4 hits, including a homerun and two doubles, to drive in 5 rbi..
Sophomore OF, Jim Visconi went 3 for 4, scoring four times and driving in 2 rbi.
RHP Scott Souther was the winning pitcher mowing down the opposition for 7 innings allowing 7 hits, striking out 8 and walking 2.
Two freshmen hurlers, lefthander Jeremy Kuester and right hander J.R Carbonell turned in an inning of relief each.
The scene was set for an easy win by the South Carolina Gamecocks Sunday night
against a tired Purple Aces team playing their fourth game in two days.
DH Phil Disher didn’t make UE feel any more rested hitting a 3-run homerun to give Gamecocks a 3-0 lead in the top of the 3rd..
But in the bottom of the inning, SC defense made UE adrenalin flow again when it collapsed giving up 12 runs on only 5 UE hits, 3 errors, 6 BB, and a hit batter.
Going on to score 3 more runs, UE beat SC 15-5 with senior starter Mitch Prout (2-1) getting the win for 6.2 innings work.
After the game, UE Coach Dave Schrage described the importance of Monday’s game championship game against South Carolina, “Tomorrow’s game is a big game for our program, we have a chance tomorrow to really put our program on the map, and I’m sure that our team will be ready to go.”
Whatever happens Monday night against South Carolina, we know for sure that Evansville’s heart is bigger than the other teams at Charlottesville.
They may win the whole shooting match.
The winner of the Charlottesville regional Monday night goes on to a 3-game series in the super regional against the winner of the Florida State/Georgia game.
UVA Hosts Regional NCAA Championship
UVA’s Davenport Field was selected to host one of the 16 regional sites in the 60th Annual NCAA Division 1 Baseball Championship June 2 – June 5.
#1 seed Virginia (46-13) will face off against #4 Lehigh (28-26) in the first game 3 PM Friday June 2 and #2 seed South Carolina (37-22) against #3 Evansville (40-20) in the second game at 7 PM.
The winners of the games and the losers of the games Friday will play each other Saturday in the continuation of a double game elimination.
Clemson Wins ACC Championship Series
Sean Clark pitched the #1 seed Clemson Tigers to an 8-4 victory over North Carolina State to win the ACC baseball title at Jacksonville FL Sunday.
#1 Seed Clemson was an overall 47 -14 and had the best ACC record this season
at 24-6.
#6 seed Florida State knocked #3 Seed UVA out of the tournament 11-0 Friday.
UVA was trying to come out of the loser bracket after losing to ACC championship series runner ups NC State in a close game Thursday 4-3.
UVA won the opening game from Florida State 6-2.
Rodger Picks the Virginia Cavaliers To Win the ACC Championship Tournament
The #1 Seed Clemson and #2 Seed North Carolina go into the ACC Championship
Series starting Wednesday at the Baseball Grounds, Jacksonville FL as favorites,
but don’t count out #3 seed Virginia whose starting nine beat both top seeded teams
five of six games during the regular season.
Virginia faces off against #7 seed Florida State at 10 AM Wednesday in the double elimination tournament which continues with daily games until the 1 PM Sunday championship match between the winner of winners’ bracket and the winner of the loser bracket.
The Cavaliers strong starting rotation of a pair of southpaw starters, ACC Player of the Year, Sean Doolittle (10 – 1, 1.90 ERA), senior Mike Ballard (8-2, 3.00 ERA),
sophomore RHP Jason Thompson (9-2, 2.30), combined with junior stopper, Casey Lambert (8 saves), can hold its own against any lineup.
All 9 UVA starting position players hit 300 BA during the regular season.
If the Cavs can continue to get the good pitching, mistake free defense, and timely hitting that characterized the team the regular all season, they will come back from Florida in the winners’ circle.
#9 UVA Wins Series From #1 North Carolina
Playing error free baseball, getting timely hitting and solid 9 inning pitching,
#9 UVA beat #1 North Carolina 9-2 in the 3-game series finale to advance within a game of first place in the ACC Coastal Division.
1B Sean Doolittle drove in 4 runs supporting the 8-hit pitching of starter Mike Ballard,
Michael Schwimer, and stopper Casey Lambert, who came in to force a game ending double play in the 9th to seal the win.
UVA improved its season overall record to 41-11, and 18-9 in the ACC.
UNC fell to 41-11, but at 19 -8 in the ACC is still in first place and a game ahead of UVA in the ACC Coastal Division standings.
Ballard and Doolittle Team Together To Beat UNC.
Jack Maloof Hits Like A Big Leaguer
Atlanta Braves roving hitting instructor, Jack Maloof, put to print what he has preached to aspiring young hitters the past decade in his recently published book, “Hit Like A Big Leaguer.”
Wilmington 3B Andrew Pinckney Starts Hitting At Potomac
Coming off an all star season with Bosox Sally League affiliate Greenville,
Wilmington 3B Andrew Pinckley got off to a slow start against tough Fast A
Carolina League pitchers until he erupted with 4 hits and 3 rbi in a 4-game series
against the Potomac Cannons this past week.
In an interview, which will be published on this web page next week, Andrew tells
how he rose from an unsung 34th draft pick to one of the top ranked 3B in the Boston Red Sox minor league organization.
There’s No Other Ball Park I Would Rather Be At Than Hagerstown!
It’s always a pleasure seeing a ball game at Hagerstown’s Municipal Stadium.
President/GM Kurt Landes and Assistant GM Will Smith and the Hagerstown
Suns’ front office staff have made the old stadium come alive.
It’s buzzing with family fun, reasonable ticket and concession prices, a play area for
kids, lots of promotions and between innings specials.
It’s been made alive by a continual growing number of cheering fans and youngsters in their first full professional season playing the game the way it is supposed to be played – with lots of hustle, enthusiasm, and competitiveness.
Suns 17-year OF Fernando Martinez At Plate Against Lakewood and Phillies’ 2004 #1 Draft Pick Greg Golson At Hagerstown