Cougars Begin First CAA Baseball Tourney Thursday
5/21/2014 2:39:00 PM | Baseball
WILMINGTON, N.C. – College of Charleston will begin a new era with its first appearance in the CAA baseball tournament on Thursday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. at UNC-Wilmington's Brooks Field. The second-seeded Cougars will play the winner of the JMU-UNCW game that will be played Wednesday afternoon.
The final seedings for the conference tournament were not set until the last game of the regular season as Charleston and William & Mary battled for the top seed in the second game of a doubleheader last Saturday at Patriots Point. The Cougars needed to sweep the Tribe in the final series and CofC had won the first two games, but William & Mary prevailed, 6-0, in the last game to take the regular season title.
College of Charleston will pitch sophomore RHP Taylor Clarke (9-3, 2.44 ERA, 79 K) in the Cougars' first game on Thursday afternoon.
Follow Live
All of the tournament's games will be streamed live for free on CAA.tv on CAASports.com. Fans can also listen to Jeff McCarragher and Will Bryan on ESPN 910 AM.
All-session tickets are $30 for adult chairback reserved seats and $20 for adult general admission seats and for youth 15 & under. Single-day tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for youth. Students from participating institutions are admitted free with a valid student ID.
Tournament Record
2014 marks College of Charleston's first appearance in the CAA Tournament after the Cougars joined the league on July 1, 2013. CofC went 26-27 with one tournament championship in 15 appearances in the Southern Conference tournament. CofC will be looking to rebound from two consecutive 0-2 appearances in the 2012 and 2013 SoCon Tournaments.
CAA Championship
After a two-year run in Harrisonburg, Va., the CAA Baseball Championship returns to 3,000-seat Brooks Field on the campus of UNCW. The facility has hosted the event 11 times, including an eight-year stretch from 2004-11. College of Charleston will host the tournament at Patriots Point in 2015 and 2016.
Six teams will once again battle for the conference title using a format that provides the top two seeds with first-round byes. Five different schools have won the CAA title over the past five years.
The double-elimination tournament gets underway at Noon on Wednesday when #4 Delaware (24-25, 10-10 in CAA) faces #5 Northeastern (25-27, 9-12 in CAA), followed by #3 UNCW (28-25, 10-9 in CAA) against #6 James Madison (17-34, 8-12 in CAA) at 3:30 p.m. The losers of the first two games will meet in an elimination game at 7 p.m.
At Noon on Thursday, #1 William & Mary (32-20, 15-5 in CAA) takes on the Delaware/Northeastern winner, followed by #2 College of Charleston (38-17, 15-6 in CAA) versus the UNCW/JMU winner at 3:30 p.m. Another elimination contest will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday. There are three games on Friday, setting the stage for the championship game at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Scouting the Tournament Field
William & Mary is riding the momentum from capturing its first-ever CAA regular-season title. The Tribe features one of the nation's most prolific offenses, ranking third in Division I in runs per game (8.2), fifth in batting (.313), first in doubles (143) and seventh in homers (50). Leading the attack are junior outfielders Michael Katz (.372, 14 HR, 72 RBI) and Nick Thompson (.381, 11 HR, 35 RBI) and sophomores Charley Gould (.343, 41 RBI) and Ryan Hissey (.305, 37 RBI). On the mound, junior starter Jason Inghram is 9-2 with a 2.54 ERA and closer Joseph Gaouette is 3-1 with four saves and a 1.32 ERA.
UNCW has won three CAA titles under coach Mark Scalf, most recently in 2012. The Seahawks come into the tournament having won seven of their last 10 contests. Senior left-hander Mat Batts went 6-3 with a 2.30 ERA and a league-high 103 strikeouts this season, and he was nearly untouchable against league foes (6-0, 1.37 ERA). UNCW's bullpen has also been strong, with senior closer Kelly Secrest posting three of his team-high seven saves last week. Offensively, junior Luke Dunlap sports a team-best .323 batting average, while Ryan LaGrange and Corey Dick have each driven in 32 runs.
Delaware is making its third straight CAA Tournament appearance, having reached the championship game in 2012. Offensively, the Blue Hens rank second in the conference in batting (.283) and runs per game (5.6). Junior outfielders Norm Donkin (.333, 30 RBI) and Joe Giacchino (.326, 37 runs) lead the attack and second baseman Zach Lopes (.321) enters the tournament on an 11-game hitting streak. Senior Dan Gatto (4-6, 3.74 ERA) and freshman Chad Martin (5-4, 4.86 ERA) have been the top performers for the Blue Hens' pitching staff. Luke Alicknavitch has registered five saves.
Northeastern, which is the tournament's #5 seed for the second consecutive year, won three games and reached the semifinals of the event last season. The Huskies are led by a pitching staff that ranks second in the conference with a 3.11 team ERA. Senior Chris Carmain (7-2, 2.13 ERA) and freshman Dustin Hunt (6-0, 2.39 ERA) have been the squad's top two starters. The strength of NU's offense is at the top of the lineup with junior shortstop Jason Vosler (.330, 29 RBI), senior outfielder Connor Lyons (.338, 47 runs) and sophomore second baseman Michael Foster (.298, 35 RBI, 17 SB).
James Madison has won a pair of CAA titles at Brooks Field, including the most recent one in 2011. The Dukes rely on an offense that sports a .278 team batting average and ranks second in the league in runs (278), doubles (102) and homers (34). Senior infielders Matt Tenaglia (.320, 6 HR, 38 RBI) and Ty McFarland (.313, 9 HR, 34 RBI) are the top performers and outfielder Tyler Gregory has driven in 36 runs. JMU has struggled on the mound this season, but junior Patrick Toohers (1-4) took a shutout into the eighth in a must-win game at Delaware last Saturday. Chris Huffman has a team-best 5-7 record.
Ober Leads All-Conference Awards
College of Charleston freshman Bailey Ober led the Cougars among the postseason CAA awards by winning the CAA Rookie of Year award. His honor marks the 12th season in 13 years that a Cougar has won Player/Pitcher/Rookie/Coach of the Year honors in CofC's respective conference.
Ober was also an All-CAA First Team selection, joining Gunnar Heidt on the first team. Ryan Welke, Carl Wise, Michael Hanzlik, Taylor Clarke were selected All-CAA Second Team, while Nick Pappas, Tyler Thornton and Ober were tabbed for the All-CAA Rookie Team.
“No One Rallies In The 20th Inning Like The Cougars”
College of Charleston made national news last Friday night when the Cougars defeated William & Mary with a walk-off hit in the bottom of the 23rd inning, tying for the second-longest game in NCAA history.
Lasting six hours and three minutes, the game featured a number of new NCAA and program records. Nick Pappas, Brandon Glazer and William & Mary's Kevin Nutter all registered 10 at-bats, tying the NCAA single-game record. Eric Bauer set a new record for longest relief appearance (10 inn) at CofC, while the Tribe struck out 24 CofC batters for a new record.
William & Mary took a 2-1 lead in the 20th inning, but Brandon Murray tied the score with an RBI in the bottom of the 20th in his first game in six weeks after breaking his arm. Morgan Phillips delivered the clinching RBI in the 23rd.
The game was featured on ESPN's SportsCenter with a number of media outlets posting coverage.
Bauer Wins Louisville Slugger National Pitcher of the Week
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Eric Bauer was named the Louisville Slugger National Pitcher of the Week, the Collegiate Baseball newspaper announced Monday. Bauer was also selected as NCAA.com Top Performer of the Week and the CAA Pitcher of the Week.
Bauer set a new school record with a 10-inning relief performance in College of Charleston's 23-inning walk-off win over William & Mary on Friday night. The game tied for the second-longest contest in NCAA baseball history.
A sophomore from Longwood, Fla., Bauer picked up his fifth win of the season by showing incredible toughness out of the bullpen in a game that last 6 hours and 3 minutes, a new school record. He came out of the bullpen in the 14th inning and lasted the remainder of the game, scattering five hits while striking out five batters with no walks.
The award marks Bauer's first national honor and his second CAA Pitcher of the Week award this season.
Cougars in the Ranks
College of Charleston continues to rank highly in a number of categories in the CAA and nationally. The Cougars lead the conference in team ERA (2.85), opposing batting average (.227), strikeouts (427), strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.87) and WHIP (1.13). The Cougars' WHIP currently ranks 11th in the nation, while the K-to-BB ratio is ninth and ERA is 23rd.
Individually, Charleston has been led by freshman phenom Bailey Ober. Ober leads the conference with an ERA of 1.42 which leads all NCAA freshmen and ranks 17th in the country. He also leads all freshmen with a WHIP of 0.88, ranking 16th nationally. Taylor Clarke leads the league and is 26th in the NCAA in wins (9), while Michael Hanzlik leads the conference and is 12th in the country with 13 saves. Carl Wise is currently second in the CAA with 48 RBIs while ranking sixth in the country with nine sacrifice flies.
“Two-Headed Monster”
In his weekly mid-major report two weeks ago, PG writer Kendall Rogers described CofC's Taylor Clarke and Bailey Ober as a two-headed monster that can do damage in the postseason.
Transferring from Towson after Tommy John surgery, Friday night starter Taylor Clarke has been nearly unstoppable all season. He sports an 9-3 record with a 2.44 ERA. He ranks 26th in the nation for his number of wins and fifth in the CAA in ERA. He has held opponents to a .209 batting average which ranks third in the league. Clarke has tallied eight quality starts including seven in his last eight starts.
Ober is making a case for National Freshman Pitcher of the Year with his ERA of 1.42 which leads all freshmen pitchers in the NCAA. Ober has a 8-2 record with 74 strikeouts and a WHIP of 0.88, ranking 16th in the country, the highest among freshmen. He ranks third for lowest ERA in a single season at CofC. Ober won five CAA weekly awards and was named the CAA Rookie of the Year.
Welcome Back B-Murr
After missing six weeks and 22 games with a broken left forearm, senior Brandon Murray came back in extra innings of CofC's 23-inning marathon and tallied four hits in five at-bats, including the game-tying RBI in the 20th inning. He had only had two BP sessions and had not faced live pitching.
The next day, Murray tallied two important outfield assists to give him seven for the season which ties for 11th in the nation.
Murray is currently tied for seventh all-time with 27 career home runs while he is 10th all-time in career walks.
Strong, Physical Presence
Tyler Thornton is the physical pitcher at the back of the CofC rotation that has quietly become one of Charleston's most valuable arms. Two weeks ago, Thornton had a CAA Pitcher of the Week performance at Hofstra where he allowed just three hits in 8.1 innings. Thornton has now won four of his last six starts since becoming a weekend starter.
Coming to CofC as the S.C. 4A Player of the Year in 2013, he set a single-season state record with 180 strikeouts in his senior year. He had a slow start with several bad outings out of the bullpen. While his overall ERA is a respectable 3.44, his ERA as a starter is a staggering 2.72. He has allowed just six walks in 12 games started, leading the CAA fewest walks allowed.
Starting Out Quality
CofC's starting pitching has had to step up with a number of injuries to starters and main bullpen contributors. Starting pitchers have thrown 29 quality starts this season, including 21 quality starts in the last 27 games. 29 quality starts are the second-most in one season in CofC program history. The 2006 Super Regional squad posted 40 quality starts.
CofC's weekend rotation of Clarke, Ober and Tyler Thornton has a combined ERA of 2.43, ranking 18th in the country. CofC's overall staff ERA is 2.85 which ranks 23rd nationally and currently stands as the best single-season mark for any CofC team.
Hanzo's Got This
Senior closer Michael Hanzlik adjusted his delivery to a sidearm motion before his first year at CofC in the fall of 2012. 18 months later, that approach has made Hanzlik one of the top relievers in school history. The Blythewood, S.C., native leads the league and ranks 12th in the nation with 13 saves. In his last eight appearances, he has made five saves and won two games.
Hanzlik has yet to blow a save opportunity this season and became the first CofC player in the 2000s to save two games in the same day in a DH vs. Michigan.
He has averaged a strikeout per inning pitched and has a season ERA of 3.48.
Chasing Perfection
Reliever Chase Henry was named to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List in April. He sports a 2-0 record with a 2.31 ERA and has the CAA lead with 27 appearances, tying teammate Hanzlik. Henry has 51 strikeouts against 13 walks for a K-to-BB ratio of 3.92. Opponents are hitting just .222 against him.
Captain Welke In Command
Senior captain Ryan Welke started the year hitting .400 but hit a rough patch with just one hit in 13 games. He since turned it around in CAA play with a .317 average against conference opponents, second-best on the team. Welke has hits in 12 of 18 games played in the CAA with two three-hit games and a career-best five-RBI game against Delaware. He hit a big, three-run HR in a win at Hofstra.
The Wise Man Says...
Carl Wise hit his second homer of the season on Tuesday, perhaps foreshadowing another late-season power surge. Last year, he hit five home runs in his final six games.
Wise ranks second in the conference with 48 RBIs, leading the team with 15 multiple-RBI games.
Wise has hit .375 with runners in scoring position and has 21 RBIs in 24 opportunities with a runner on third and less than two out. Wise's nine sacrifice flies lead the conference and rank second all-time for a single season at CofC.
#WalkOffKings
College of Charleston has excited its fan base with a number of incredible finishes this season. The Cougars set a new program record by sweeping Bethune-Cookman with three consecutive walk-off victories in extra innings. Charleston then came within six minutes of setting a new school record for longest game with an epic 12-inning win over Coastal Carolina on May 13. Just three days later, the Cougars blasted the record with a 6 hour 3 minute, 23-inning marathon win over William & Mary that tied for the second-longest game in NCAA history.
On the year, Charleston has six walk-off wins with a 11-5 record in one-run games. Six different players have the delivered the game-winners in CofC's six walk-offs. CofC is 6-1 when tied after the eighth inning this year and 5-1 in six extra-inning games. CofC ranks 22nd in the nation for the most extra-inning games in 2014.
Get On The Board
College of Charleston has found immense success when scoring first this season. The Cougars are 25-2 when scoring first, compared to just 13-15 when opponents score first. Charleston is 30-2 when leading after six innings, but just 4-13 when trailing after six.
Finishing the Series
College of Charleston has made a habit of finishing series strong. In 2013, the Cougars went 7-1 in rubber matches and 11-2 in the final games of series.
CofC has done well in that category in 2014, defeating No. 12 North Carolina, 3-1, in the determining game of that series, and then earning sweeps over Rhode Island, Marist, Towson, Delaware, JMU and Bethune-Cookman. Charleston is 11-3 in the final games of series and 4-1 in rubber matches in 2014. CofC's six sweeps in 2014 ties for the second-most in one season all-time. The program record for weekend sweeps is nine, set in 2005.
Cougars Hanging Around National Rankings
After starting the season at 10-1 with two wins over nationally-ranked UNC, the Cougars cracked the rankings of the NCBWA poll (29th) for the first time in 2014 back on March 10. After not receiving votes for two weeks, Charleston began receiving them again in the NCBWA poll on April 7 and USA Today Coaches Poll on April 28.
Charleston rose as high No. 16 in the ESPN College Baseball Power Rankings, written by Eric Sorensen. Charleston leads the CAA with an RPI of 61.
College of Charleston has now received votes in a poll at some point during the year for every season dating back to 2004. The Cougars entered the rankings in nine of those years, reaching as high as 11th in 2006, when CofC advanced to the Atlanta Super Regional.
