Weekend College Ball

[Mr. Poon]

Season record: 59-43 for +42.3 units

didn't have anything for the first game. Have plays for each of the other three though. 4 plays in total today:

Virginia -160 (@ Ole Miss) for 3 units ? UVa is the only road team favored and I like them today. Offensively they have the edge and are a very solid hitting team throughout its lineup. On the year their team batting avg. is .331! Ole Miss is decent offensively, but not as solid throughout their lineup as the Cavaliers. Bullpen wise, a slight edge also goes to UVa. Starting pitching today has a big edge to UVa as well. Ole Miss? ace Drew Pomeranz pitched twice last weekend in the regionals logging 17 IP, including a complete game Monday on two days rest. Given that they are starting Phillip Irwin today. Irwin has a 3.84 ERA; 1.44 WHIP; .298 opponents avg. and 68 K?s in 79 2/3 IP this season. Irwin has done decent, but late in the regular season he was roughed up a bit by some good offenses and I think that is likely to happen today. Virginia sends their freshman sensation Danny Hultzen to the mound today (he also plays 1B when he isn?t pitching and has .335 avg. on the year). Hultzen has some very good pitching stats in a 2.01 ERA; 1.20 WHIP; .241 opponents avg. and 90 K?s in 80 2/3 IP. After having a rough outing in early May against Duke, Hultzen has been stellar since including giving up only 1 ER in his last two starts (13 2/3 IP) versus North Carolina and then #1 UC Irvine, both of whom are really good offensive clubs. Virginia is a young team on the road in what will surely be a raucous crowd, but they showed last weekend @ the Irvine regional they could overcome that.

Rice +180 (@ LSU) for 2 units ? this isn?t going to be easy for the Owls. Many consider this the premier super-Regional and it?s a shame that one of these two talented teams won?t be in Omaha. Offensively these teams are pretty even. Slight edge in the bullpen goes to LSU in my mind. Starting pitching wise, two really good hurlers go at it tonight. Anthony Ranaudo starts for LSU who has been spectacular this year. He has a 3.09 ERA; 1.10 WHIP; .199 opponents avg. and 138 K?s in 102 IP. Rice counters with Mike Ojala. Ojala has a 1.73 ERA; 1.30 WHIP; .248 opponents avg. and 68 K?s in 62 2/3 IP. Ojala was injured halfway through the year and has slowly been worked back with increased workloads. He pitched real well in the conference tournament and regionals. It?s very though to go against a pitcher of Ranaudo?s status at home, but Rice is an extremely talented team. They are solid offensively and very good in the field defensively. If Ojala pitches like he has, Rice should be able to win a pitcher?s duel.

Rice/LSU Under 11.5 for 3 units - Like I said above, two really good pitchers going. Both teams have good offenses, but don't believe there will be much scoring tonight.

Louisville +300 (@ Cal State Fullerton) for 1 unit ? had to take a small stab at this one. Fullerton is definitely the better team all around. Offensively Ville can still slug it producing over 8 runs per game on the season. Daniel Renken starts for the Titans and has some gaudy stats. He has a 2.56 ERA; 1.06 WHIP; .210 opponents avg. and 88 K?s in 109 IP. He?s done real well this year, but has given up a decent amount of hits in his last few outings. Against a Cards team that can rake when hot, that could spell some trouble. Ville counters with their #2 pitcher (similar reason to Ole Miss) Dean Kiekhefer. Kiekhefer has a 4.56 ERA; 1.48 WHIP; .300 opponents avg. and 60 K?s in 73 IP. Obviously he doesn?t have the best stats, but he has pitched real well and better than those numbers his last handful of starts. He?s not going to completely shut out Fullerton, but if he can limit their damage, Louisville has a chance to pull off a pretty big upset.

GL guys.

 

[Hucklebuck]

I guess at that line Louisville has some value, I just don't see them even winning 1 in this series.

I think UVA is a team peaking at the right time of the year.

GL

 

[Mr. Poon]

I was completely owned last night going 0-fer and dropping just over 11 units. UVa blowing the lead in the 9th and losing in extras started it off and the other 3 bets weren't really close.

Heading out for the day so don't have time for big write-ups, but going with these to bounce back.

Arkansas +180 (@ Florida St.) for 2 units - I like Eibner pitching for Ark. much over Busch going for FSU. Arkansas should be the first to punch their ticket to Omaha.

CS Fullerton +380 (vs. Louisville) for 1 unit - don't get this line (thegreek). Ville is throwing their #1 pitcher Marks but Noe Ramirez for the Titans is just as good.

LSU +250 (vs. Rice) for 1 unit - similar line that has me scratching my head. Berry goes for Rice but Louis Coleman is a very good pitcher and should never be at this price.

 

[shawn555]

Ya gotta think they got that louisville fullerton line backwards.

 

[Cie]

I was completely owned last night going 0-fer and dropping just over 11 units. UVa blowing the lead in the 9th and losing in extras started it off and the other 3 bets weren't really close.

Heading out for the day so don't have time for big write-ups, but going with these to bounce back.

Arkansas +180 (@ Florida St.) for 2 units - I like Eibner pitching for Ark. much over Busch going for FSU. Arkansas should be the first to punch their ticket to Omaha.

CS Fullerton +380 (vs. Louisville) for 1 unit - don't get this line (thegreek). Ville is throwing their #1 pitcher Marks but Noe Ramirez for the Titans is just as good.

LSU +250 (vs. Rice) for 1 unit - similar line that has me scratching my head. Berry goes for Rice but Louis Coleman is a very good pitcher and should never be at this price.

Greek has LSU -300 today. Coleman is LSU's best pitcher, although Ranaudo is the more talented of the 2. I would have played LSU +250 for the max. LSU is 32-9 at home this season, and the crowd will be rocking tonight. BTW, the late afternoon and twilight hours are rough for hitters at Alex Box. I would expect a low scoring game today given the 4pm start and the talent on the mound. Not sure about Berry, but I know that Coleman hides the ball well during his delivery. I wonder how tough it will be for Rice to pick up the ball in the shadows:shrug:

GL today, Poon.

 

[shawn555]

Yeah greek had a few games with the lines reversed.

Sure they will cancel all of those wagers.

 

[kegray1]

Mr. Poon you should have killed The Greek with those lines being backwards. You had to know LSU at home +250 didn't seem an error.
CSF +380 after last night and at home only 1 unit play on it??
Hopefully they stand for you after tough night.

 

[kegray1]

Gonna try TCU(+220) over Texas for 100.

Texas offense is just not very good even though the pitching staff is a shutdown squad.

 

[Grama]

Taking

Ark +190
UVA -105
ECU +245
TCU +195
Clem +225

All for one unit.

 

[Grama]

Adding LSU -230

gotta love the Arkansas ending!

 

[Mr. Poon]

Hey guys - yeah it appears thegreek had those lines flipped for the LSU and Fullerton games. I don't know if it was because both of those teams were the "away" team for the #2 game of the regional. They had the FSU/Ark line right though. Anyway, it was early, I was headed out the door to help my father-in-law move and didn't have much time to hash it over. Part of the reason I didn't load up is that I didn't want them cancelling the bet. I made a small bet and they honored it.

I won't count those when I update my record though. Arkansas did get a thrilling come from behind win. so that was 1-0 for +3.6 units today.

Some big juice on the lines today. Likely maybe just go for the UVa game. Back in a bit with any pliays.

 

[IE]

Bukvich can't go, elevating Baker


Ole Miss left-hander Nathan Baker will get his first start since April 28 this afternoon, forced into the role because of an injury to senior Brett Bukvich.



Bukvich, who has been the No. 3 starter for the last half of the season, has a "tender" arm according to coach Mike Bianco. The left-hander's 24 wins are fourth all-time in Ole Miss history.

Baker (4-2, 3.63) has been used in a variety of roles throughout his three-year career, though the former freshman All-American settled in as a reliever over the last half of this season.

He has six starts this season, all in midweek games, throwing 30 1/3 innings and giving up 16 earned runs for a 4.74 ERA. His best start was against Arkansas-Little Rock, when he gave up one run over 5 2/3 innings.

He pitched in two big games last season - against LSU in the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship and against Miami in the NCAA Regional championship - but lost both of them after giving up a combined 10 runs (seven earned) in 6 1/3 innings over the two games.

Ole Miss should have some fresh arms in the bullpen. Rory McKean hasn't been used yet in the Super Regional and Jake Morgan will have a day's rest after throwing three innings in the first game.

Aaron Barrett, Wade Broyles and Michael Park are also on the active roster, but none of them have pitched since the regular season.



================
Praise for Bianco

Today, Ole Miss is trying to avoid the dubious distinction of losing four Super Regionals in a five-year span without ever making it to the College World Series.

But Virginia coach Brian O'Connor said that whatever happens, Bianco is still a great coach.

"Mike Bianco is one of the best coaches in this country," O'Connor said. "I know he'll have his team prepared tomorrow to play great baseball. Let me tell you, it is so hard to get to Omaha. I don't care how many Super Regionals you've hosted and how many regionals you've been to ... Not only do you have to be good every year, but the ball has to bounce your way. You have to be lucky too."




A bad omen?

Ole Miss is 3-7 all-time in Super Regional games, dating back to 2005. The Rebels are also 0-5 in Super Regional games when acting as the visiting team in Oxford-University Stadium.

After Saturday's game, Ole Miss and Virginia had a coin flip to see who would be home and visitor for today's game.

Ole Miss' draw? Visitor.

 

[Mr. Poon]

Thanks IE for that info, I was expecting Buckvich to go until I saw that. I'm going to lay off that game. I also didn't realize Carraway threw 3 IP for UVa yesterday. Not sure who they are going to start, but hard to get a read on this one from a side perspective.

Just going with the 3 totals today:

S. Miss/Florida Over 11.5 for 2 units - small play simply based on the offenses of these two clubs. The pitching from either side isn't spectacular either.

Clemson/ASU Under 11.5 for 3 units - like the pitching from both of these clubs and think ASU will win by about a 6-3 mark.

Ole Miss/UVa Over 11 for 4 units - 3rd game of the series so they are deep into the pitching staffs. Both offenses have been held in check and I think one of the clubs are going to simply break out in this one.

GL guys.

 

[Cie]

I went with thse:

Ole Miss +105 x2
USM +180 x1 Backing the CUSA Pitcher of the year
Clem +250 x1

GL kids:weed:

 

[IE]

I went with thse:

Ole Miss +105 x2
USM +180 x1 Backing the CUSA Pitcher of the year
Clem +250 x1

GL kids:weed:

Southern Miss beats Florida 7-6 for 1st CWS berth




?Still soaked from the ice water dumped on him during Southern Mississippi?s postgame celebration, coach Corky Palmer pulled out his cell phone and had 24 text messages.

?Somebody likes me, huh?? he said.

He?s sure to get even more love in the next few days. After all, Palmer and the Golden Eagles will be the feel-good story of the College World Series.

Joey Archer drove in three runs, reliever Scott Copeland pitched three scoreless innings and the Eagles beat Florida 7-6 on Sunday night to advance to the CWS for the first time in school history. The victory also set Palmer up for a storybook send-off in Omaha, Neb.

?It?s been a great ride,? said Palmer, who?s retiring at the end of the season. ?I don?t know what happened three weeks ago. We just kind of grew up. We earned everything we got.?

They certainly earned the latest one.


The Eagles (40-24), the surprise of the NCAA tournament, overcame a five-run deficit to win for the 12th time in 15 games. The hot streak started shortly after Palmer announced his retirement. Now, they?re headed to Omaha for the first time in the program?s 63 years.

?It?s a phenomenal feeling to go to Omaha, Neb.,? second baseman James Ewing said. ?I can?t even put into words how that feels.?

Archer had two huge hits to get them there. He had an RBI double in the fourth, then drove in two runs with a single in the three-run eighth off Billy Bullock (3-3).

Tyler Koelling followed with a grounder to shortstop that should?ve been an ending-inning double play with the game tied at 6. But Preston Tucker, Florida?s best player, couldn?t field the throw that skipped in the dirt.

?I think we rushed our throw a little bit, didn?t set our feet and short-hopped Preston,? Florida coach Kevin O?Sullivan said.

Tucker singled in the ninth to give the Gators (42-22) a chance, but closer Collin Cargill got Josh Adams to hit into a game-ending double play for his 13th save.

Teammates rushed the field and piled onto Cargill, who also got a save in Saturday?s win. The 1,000 or so supporters who made the trip to Gainesville started chanting ?Corky, Corky, Corky,? and two players answered the call by dousing Palmer with water.

Maybe Copeland should have gotten one, too.

The right-hander was 1-5 with a 6.81 ERA in 14 appearances this season, but he looked downright nasty against Florida. He allowed one hit and gave the Eagles a chance to mount a comeback after the Gators tagged ace Todd McInnis early.

?We?re not done yet,? Archer said, anticipating more wins in Omaha.

Florida opened up a 6-1 lead with solo home runs in the first two innings and four more in the third. Tucker?s two-out liner cleared the fence in right, then Brandon McArthur skied one to left to make it 2-1 in the second. McArthur did more damage with his next at-bat, delivering a two-out, two-run single after Josh Adams and Matt den Dekker drove in runs.

Bo Davis and Ewing had solo homers for the Eagles, who had a chance to tie it in the fourth but ran themselves out of the inning.

Corey Stevens singled home Ewing and moved to third on Archer?s RBI double. Koelling struck out, then B.A. Vollmuth walked to load the bases with one out.

Pinch-hitter Kyle Maxie lifted a fly ball into shallow right, and third-base coach Chad Caillet had Stevens tagging and testing Jonathan Pigott?s arm. Pigott?s throw was perfect and had Stevens beat by 10 feet. Stevens, though, barreled through catcher Buddy Munroe and immediately was ejected by umpire Paul Guillie.

Players from both dugouts ran onto the field, and coaches got between them to prevent the situation from escalating.

The Eagles got the final word, though, as they celebrated and posed for pictures on Florida?s field after their biggest victory in school history.

?I?ve been fortunate enough to have a pretty successful career,? Palmer said. ?But to go to this, the mountaintop of Division I baseball, this will do so much for our school and our baseball and our athletic program. I?m so proud of that.?

 

[Mr. Poon]

2-1 for +0.4 yesterday. one small play today:

TCU/Texas Under 11.5 for 2 units - Texas has some rested arms that should be able to contain TCU again. If TCU comes out on top, it will be of a similar score to yesterday's game.

GL guys.